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"Fancy seeing you here, Mr Afton."
Cassidy's tone was calm and composed as usual. It would take a trained ear to notice the faint notes of anger in her voice.
William smiled at her, as if sharing a joke with an old friend. "I didn't think it would take this long to see you again."
Cassidy did not smile back. She did, however, play along: "What caused the long delay?"
"Oh, you know, my body refused to die, the usual."
This time, Cassidy smiled. "Well, I'm glad you could finally join us."
William chuckled. "You're real brave, you know, to talk to your killer like this."
Cassidy's eyes narrowed. "So you choose to bring that up now."
"Well, it doesn't matter now, does it? We're both dead. It's all over, we can forget about it now, right?"
"If only it were that simple." Cassidy began to grin wider, and William looked at her, confused. "Death is too good for you, Mr Afton."
"Of course it is. I always come back, don't I?"
By now, Cassidy's grin was unnaturally wide, to the point where it was almost unsettling.
"After a while, you'll wish you couldn't."
Their surroundings, which up until then had been shrouded in darkness, were suddenly bathed in light. William blinked, and looked around. It seemed to be a security office, the walls lined with colourful posters and drawings.
At last, Cassidy let all the malice she was feeling be heard in her voice.
"Have fun."
And then she was gone as quick as the wind.
"Wonder what that was all about…" William muttered to himself.
The more he looked around, the more he recognised things that seemed familiar. The black and white chequered floor from the first pizzeria. The large box of animatronic heads from Fazbear's Fright.
Somewhere from within the building, he heard a clock strike midnight.
*
"Cassidy, will you please just listen—"
"Charlie, I've already told you, I don't care."
Cassidy didn't understand why Charlie was so upset. Everything was working just as intended. Afton was trapped in a cycle of eternal damnation that he could never escape from. Doomed to repeat the same six hours over and over, fending off his own creations. It seemed like perfect retribution for everything he'd done.
"Cassidy," said Charlie, almost pleadingly, "you have to listen to me."
She took Cassidy's silence as an invitation to continue.
"Listen, you've had William Afton in this… hell, I suppose, for a while now. Don't you think it's time to let him, you know, move on?"
"But what's the point of eternal torture if it isn't eternal?"
Charlie sighed, dropping her head into her hands. "You have to let him go at some point, you know?"
"Why give up now, when we have him right where we want him?"
"What do you mean, we? You're the only one who can be this obsessed over one guy who's already old as a fossil."
Cassidy turned to face Charlie, smiling. "You're far too kind to him, you know that? And to answer your question, the other four and I agreed that he needed to be kept alive. He does not deserve death."
"The other four? I can't see them agreeing to something like this. I'd think you roped them in."
Cassidy's smile faded. "We work as a team. They all want vengeance just as much as I do. I'm sure of it." She said the last part mostly to herself.
"Look, I understand your anger, but—"
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND MY ANGER!"
Charlie flinched, as if she'd been physically knocked back by Cassidy's words. For a moment, the silence hung heavy in the air between them.
"...I don't understand your anger?" Charlie finally spoke up. "We were killed by the same man, Cassidy. I was the first one he killed. Don't pretend like you're so special."
Cassidy didn't respond.
"Every single kid that's been killed by Afton has ended up with me. I either had to help them move onto the afterlife, or back into the mortal realm so they can run around old pizzerias trying to hunt down their killer like you so badly want to. It's exhausting. I need this to end. And I'm sure the others are sick of it too. What if they don't want to keep tormenting Afton for all of eternity?"
"Charlie, I think we need to agree to disagree," Cassidy said. "We clearly cannot see eye to eye on this. If you're so tired of playing the hero, then just… stop."
"I'm not trying to—" Charlie sighed, and started again. "I can't just stop. It's not as simple as that."
"Exactly. I can't stop either. I will never be able to rest, and neither will Afton."
"But the longer you keep Afton alive, or at least… kind of alive, the more you risk him being able to escape and kill more kids. Believe me, he can come back from anything."
"He will not escape. I have made sure of it."
Charlie opened her mouth, wanting to refute this, but realised that any further argument would prove futile.
"Fine. But don't come crying to me if anything happens."
(Charlie was prepared for something like this to happen. Before this, she'd spoken to the other four children.
"I'm going to talk to Cassidy," she said. "I think she needs to stop this whole thing she's got with torturing Afton."
"Good luck with that," scoffed Jeremy.
"Yeah," said Fritz. "Do you know who you're dealing with?"
"Of course I do. I know she can be a bit much, but I hope I can convince her that more kids will be in danger if things stay the way they are."
"But she doesn't even care about us!" said Gabriel. "Okay, that sounded bad. She cares, but she cares more about making sure Afton suffers."
"The point is," said Susie, so quietly that Charlie almost couldn't hear her, "is that you probably won't be able to change her mind."
"I know, but I should try, right?" said Charlie, with more confidence than she felt. "How much longer can she possibly stay angry for?")
*
He'd escaped.
He'd… escaped?
There was no way.
She'd planned everything so carefully. He was supposed to be trapped. He wasn't supposed to escape. None of this was supposed to happen.
Cassidy didn't know quite where she was. Everything was dark. Maybe she'd managed to find her way into the void.
The last thing she remembered was Charlie talking to her. She didn't remember exactly what was said, but she got the gist of it. Afton had found a virtual body back in the mortal realm. He'd escaped his carefully-designed eternal hell.
She didn't remember if Charlie was mad or worried or disappointed. The only thing in her mind right now was a single thought.
What have I done? What have I done? What have I done?
Cassidy knew it was her fault. She should've let him die. She should've known he'd be smart enough to eventually find a way to escape.
Even before Afton had ended up in her control, she'd planned everything so carefully. She thought it was a perfect idea. Nothing was supposed to go wrong.
Yet deep down, a nagging voice in the back of her head had told her what she was doing was irrational. Afton remained a danger as long as he was kept alive. She knew that, and she knew she had been unreasonable towards Charlie, but stubbornly continued with her plan anyway. After all, knowing you have a broken leg does not instantly fix the leg.
She'd been like this even when she was alive, always losing her temper over the tiniest things. She never meant to, but couldn't help it. Adults called her a "problem child" when they thought she wasn't listening.
And this time, the problem she'd caused was a serious one.
Flashes of red suddenly appeared in her field of vision. It was as if the void around her was glitching.
"What the…" Cassidy rubbed her eyes, blinking several times, but the glitching didn't go away.
The redness began to form itself into recognisable shapes. A forest of trees, and a lake, although they looked as if they belonged in an old arcade game.
She slowly began to walk towards the lake, and as she did, she noticed someone sitting by it, fishing. She couldn't tell exactly who or what it was; they had the same 8-bit quality as the lake and surrounding trees. If Cassidy had to guess, she'd say it was a person with a crocodile head.
Cautiously, she walked closer to them.
"Um, hello?"
The person turned their head, and if they had eyes, they would've made eye contact. They beckoned for Cassidy to come over. She did, and sat down next to them.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"My name is Old Man Consequences," said the person.
Cassidy cocked her head. "That's a strange name."
"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"It's from Shakespeare. It means that somebody's name doesn't affect who they are."
"Oh."
They both remained silent for a short while, until Cassidy spoke up.
"Well, I'm—"
"Your name is Cassidy," Old Man Consequences interrupted. "I already know who you are."
"What? How?"
He dismissed the question with a flick of his hand. "I know everything that has happened. I know what William Afton has done to his own children, and to you and your friends."
"You know what he did?" said Cassidy curiously.
"Yes. And I am deeply sorry. It is a fate none of you deserve."
"Tell me about it."
They both sat in silence for some time. Cassidy noticed that the bobber of Old Man Consequences' fishing rod had never once moved. She looked around, but didn't see a bucket of fish or anything like that.
"Have you caught any fish yet?" she asked him.
Old Man Consequences shook his head. "There are no fish in this lake."
"What? Then why are you fishing here?"
He let out a strange, glitchy noise that could've been a sigh. "Humans are strange creatures. They always strive to complete tasks which they know have no yield, or are futile in the long run. Alas, it is human nature for emotions to win over logic."
Cassidy shifted uncomfortably. She felt as if the last part was directed towards her.
"And you, Cassidy, are no different."
Okay, so it was definitely directed towards her.
"So what?" she snapped. "Wouldn't you act the same in a situation like mine?"
Old Man Consequences nodded. "Yes, and I'm sure many people would. But what you don't realise is that this is not only your situation. Your friends have gone through similar things, and there are many children out there who could become potential victims of Afton's bloodlust. I would not say you are all in the same boat, but you are in the same ocean."
"But I do know that. It's just… hard to remember sometimes."
"I understand." Cassidy resisted the urge to retort that he didn't. "You have made a mistake, Cassidy, in allowing Afton to live. But you do not have to beat yourself up over it."
"I know I screwed up, okay?" said Cassidy, sounding more exasperated. "I knew it was dangerous to keep him alive the way I did. But I just wanted to get my revenge. I wanted to make him suffer as much as he made me and my friends suffer."
Old Man Consequences nodded solemnly. "I can tell your anger is only a mask to disguise your grief. And what is grief but love endearing?"
Cassidy seemed to flare up. "Are you trying to say I love the man who killed me?"
Old Man Consequences shook his head. "No. But deep down, I can tell you have a heart full of love. You love Charlie, your friends, the dead children. And your love for them has manifested into this relentless anger against William Afton."
She didn't know what to say. She'd never thought about it like that before.
"Cassidy, your anger is a coping mechanism, and there is no shame in that. But it isn't healthy; for you, or for anyone else. I know you truly do care about the others, and so the next time Afton returns, you need to let him move on. For all of our sakes."
She knew he was right, but that didn't make it any easier to accept.
"Leave the demon to his demons. Rest your own soul. There is nothing else."
Old Man Consequences and the surroundings seemed to glitch, turning into indiscernible flashes of redness.
As soon as it had all started, Cassidy found herself back in the endless void.
*
"I knew you'd be back eventually."
"I tried to tell you, right? I always come back."
Cassidy found herself staring at an all-too familiar face. She didn't know how he'd been defeated this time, or who had done such an act, but she was relieved that he'd been able to die again.
She didn't want to think about the death and destruction he must've caused in the living world.
William smirked at her. "And what sort of torture have you got planned for me, little girl?"
Cassidy had to tell herself to calm down. There was no use getting angry at him again. She took a deep breath and spoke.
"Charlie will be the one taking care of you this time."
Charlie stepped out of the darkness and into William's sight. In her hands, she held a cupcake.
"Here you go," she said, holding out the cupcake.
Cassidy whipped her head around to glare at Charlie.
"Seriously? You're going to give him a cupcake?" she hissed.
"Well, it's the only thing that works," Charlie shot back. "Unless you want me to give him a present and bring him back to life?"
"No, no, the cupcake will do."
Even William looked confused. "What's this for?"
"Just eat it," Charlie said. "It will send you to… let's say, your proper place in the afterlife."
Realising that he didn't have much of a choice, William took the cupcake and began to eat it.
"I still don't think he deserves something as nice as a cupcake, though," whispered Cassidy.
"Don't worry about it. I substituted the milk for applesauce and butter for low-fat margarine, there's absolutely no sugar, and it's about 40% vanilla extract. I also figured out how to burn the outside but keep the inside raw. Oh, and the icing is actually mayonnaise. I bet it tastes horrible."
"Perfect."
"Yeah, the other kids gave me the idea for the vanilla."
As William ate the cupcake, Charlie approached him. Behind them, a light suddenly appeared; it glowed dark red, looking rather ominous.
Charlie motioned towards the light. "This way, Mr Afton."
She and William walked into the light and disappeared, leaving Cassidy alone in the darkness. After some time, she saw Charlie come back out of the light, which began to fade away.
"What happened?" said Cassidy.
Charlie smiled sadly. "I have helped him move on. He is right where he belongs."
She didn't elaborate further. Cassidy was going to ask, but stopped herself. Afton is somewhere he deserves to be. I have to trust in that.
"So… what now?" she said.
Out of nowhere, Charlie took out another cupcake and placed it in Cassidy’s hand.
"Eat this. It is time for you to move on as well. And don't worry, I baked this one properly."
Cassidy smiled slightly at that comment, and ate the cupcake. As she finished the last bite, she saw another light, this time a bright white, appear in the darkness.
"Come with me," said Charlie, reaching out her hand.
Cassidy took it, and Charlie led her towards the light.
"You've been hurting for far too long, Cassidy," she said softly. "But now you can find peace. And so can I. With Afton gone, I will not need to help his victims anymore."
"Thank you for everything you've done for me and the others," said Cassidy. "And I'm sorry I yelled at you before."
"No problem. I forgive you."
Together, they stepped into the light.
*
Was this supposed to be heaven? Cassidy didn't know, but even if it wasn't, she'd think it was similar enough.
They seemed to be in a meadow. The grass was green and soft to the touch, and covered in patches of colourful flowers. The sky was the colour of a robin's egg, dotted with fluffy clouds. The sun was shining brightly, but it wasn't so warm as to be unpleasant.
Still being guided by Charlie, Cassidy walked over to where a group of children were sitting in the grass. She recognised them almost immediately; the other four missing children, as well as Evan and Elizabeth Afton.
"Hi, everyone," said Charlie. "Cassidy and I are finally here to join you."
"Hello, Cassidy!" Elizabeth exclaimed. The other five waved at Cassidy, who hesitantly waved back.
"Charlie, are you going to stay here with us this time?" said Evan.
Charlie nodded. "Yes, I am."
"Really?!" Elizabeth said excitedly.
"Hey, that means you got rid of Afton, right?" said Jeremy.
"Yes, we did," said Charlie, smiling.
Cassidy smiled too. "I'm sorry it took so long. It was my fault."
"Don't be sorry!" said Susie brightly. "I know you were just mad. I still get mad at him sometimes."
"You never got as mad as me though. I probably put a lot of other people in danger because I wouldn't let him die."
"Look," said Fritz. "We probably weren't as committed to torturing Afton as you were. But you just wanted to avenge us. And I think we all appreciate that."
"Anyways, it doesn't matter now," said Gabriel. "He's actually dead now, right?"
"He is," said Charlie. "Everything will be okay. He cannot hurt us anymore."