Work Text:
Echoes of the past flickered within the mind of this puppet, accompanied by the haunting melody of a music box that underscored a deep yearning—a desire that escaped their grasp every so often. Within the confines of the restaurant, the Marionette would catch fleeting glimpses of a shadowed figure, though as if these visions were but a distant memory of something, or someone from a long forgotten past. It's almost familial in a way.
The Marionette was always... thinking. Yet it would make no difference, the moments that they became close to whatever it was they were looking for, a serene tranquility would envelop the Marionette's thoughts. That same melody, similar to that of a kind of strange lullaby, would momentarily subdue them. In those moments, the Marionette felt a gentle pull, an unspoken command to return to their dormant state. The cycle would continue for hours, maybe even days with no one to answer for their quiet cries of loneliness. Yes, the Marionette must've felt so lonely, as each time they got near to their longing of closeness, everything would turn dark. Forgetfulness washed over them, and it would start all over again.
All would not be forgotten so easily. A lasting sadness had remained each time the music box played, feelings of desperation would sing more and more throughout their mind. Begging more questions than answers for the puppet.
The Marionette was smart. No fool in a mask could deceive them. The only thing stopping them was that damned music box. Why did it have to be this way? Charlotte was only a child. They all were, and they helped them the only way they could. So why wasn't it enough? If they could speak, their words might've carried a somber weight. They could express their yearning for resolution, a desire to understand the tangled threads of their existence. But it wouldn't matter. More victims piled up, it had already been too late to save them. So of course, they helped the children once more. They were helping, right? That was the right thing to do.
Thoughts of William Afton's dark deeds, the tragic history of the pizzeria, cast a heavy burden over the Marionette. In their quiet watch, the puppet stayed caught between the haunting memories of the past and a longing for redemption. They were bound by the events unfolded during those years, whether the Marionette, or rather Charlotte knew this or not, would soon cost them everything. There was a hunger deep within this puppet, it had been manifesting for years. A purpose. The need to protect, no matter what it would take. This was it.
However vengeful the spirits of the other children felt, it was simply a manifestation of the Marionette's true desires. They puppeteered the animatronics, as a puppet themselves. This craving overshadowed their longing to protect. Someone needed to answer for the Marionette's soft cries in the night, their aching feeling for a family once more, and for the children whose lives were stolen all too soon.
He was the answer.
This wasn't going to stop. They had to kill him. This is going to help everyone, including the puppet themself most of all. This is the right thing to do.