“Alright, what is it you want to show me… oh my.”
“Yeah, it was just sitting here when I drove up.”
“And you called me.”
“Well, yeah, I wasn’t gonna touch it!”
“Of course you weren’t. Oh, a Toy Model, I thought these things were all recalled.”
“But what’s it doing here? The AI card is gone!”
“Well, we can’t leave it here. Paragraph four under the special obligations cause in our contract states that any animatronics salvaged must tested using an audio response recording and be stored in a Fazbear facility for at least one week.
“Translation?”
“We play a tape and watch its reactions.”
“I vote that you do it.”
“Not today, it’s Sunday. Let’s just get him onto the charging station. I’ll try to contact management tomorrow.”
September 16, 1991
Rebooting complete…
Retrieving memory files…
Starting up system…
Fingers flexed as the animatronic finished booting up. It stood up from the flat piece of metal that looked like it belonged in a monster movie and stepped forward. It took another step-
Before it was slammed against the charging station again. “Ye got a lot of nerve showing yer face around here,” growled Foxy, with the rest of the Fazbear Gang behind him.
Toy Freddy grinned at his captor. “H-hey now,” he said nervously. “We’re all friends here. Water under the bridge and all of that?”
Foxy’s growling only increased. “Why should I give ye any quarter after what ye and ye crew did?”
Toy Freddy gulped as he raised his hands to the one holding him by the neck joint. “I surrender!” he cried. “Mercy! Parley! Parsley!”
Freddy frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“It wasn’t me!” Toy Freddy cried. “He made us do it, our strings were cut, don’t hold it against us, the man in purple, don’t hold it against us, don’t hold it against us!”
Finally, the Fazbear Gang had gathered in the Party Room. Foxy hadn’t wanted to leave Toy Freddy alone, but the smaller animatronic had consented to being tied to the charging station. They had decided that rope would be next to useless in securing him, but Bonnie had managed to find some chains somewhere. As for Fluttershy, they had turned on the TV and she was currently watching ‘The Showdown Bandit Show.’
The animatronics had moved to the other side of the room and were in the middle of an argument. “I dunno why we’ren’t keelhauling that lily-livered, sharked nose, fleshy fingered-”
“But he hasn’t done anything!” Bonnie protested. “It was… those other two.”
“Which is why we shouldn’t trust them!” Foxy hissed. “One of ‘em turned on us, why shouldn’t this one?”
“Uh…, actually…”
The other three turned. “What is it, Chica?” Freddy asked.
“He… doesn’t feel like he did before…” The chicken tapped her fingers together nervously. “Before, they were all stiff and… empty. Now, he feels… scared.”
“Scared?”
“Yeah… like he is terrified out of his mind. Like everything frightens him. I don’t think he’s capable of lying to us currently.”
Foxy cracked his knuckles. “I be a’likin’ the sound o’ dat.”
“But despite that, wherever he came from, that scares him even more.”
There was silence among the animatronics, until Freddy noticed something missing.
“Wait, where’s Fluttershy?”
Sure enough, the pegasus was gone.
Bonnie groaned. “Don’t tell me…”
But he was speaking to an empty room. The other three animatronics had gone back to Parts & Service.
“Hey, wait up!”
She peaked into the room that her family had been talking about. Lying on one of the tables her family occasionally slept on was one of the Cold Ones who had tried to take her away so long ago.
Only, this one seemed… more awake, more like her family than the other unnatural ones. He seemed lonely… and scared.
Just like her.
With that, her young mind was made up.
They found Fluttershy in the Parts & Service Room with the Toy animatronic. Surprisingly, she wasn’t curled up in fear in the corner either. She was currently curled up next to Toy Freddy and was demanding head pats from the befuddled bear.
“I didn’t do anything!” he squeaked upon seeing an angry Foxy slam open the door.
“Fluttershy, what are you doing?” Freddy asked.
“Hanging out with a new friend,” she answered.
“Why?” Bonnie asked. “You don’t know what he has done.”
“He said he was sorry,” Fluttershy said.
The animatronics looked down at the pony.
“He said he was sorry,” Fluttershy repeated. “And I forgave him.”
“Why?” Freddy asked.
“’Cause he deserves a second chance.”
“Uh, I-I-I-I always wondered what was in those empty heads back there. You know… oh, no-”
“Bunnies shouldn’t be scary! Why are you scary!?!
“Why are you doing this, Ch__a! you were my favorite!”
“Swiper no- ARGH!!!”
The animatronics shuddered as a wave of uneasy memories washed over them.
“Just like everyone.”
The four animatronics stood there awhile, trying to process this. Finally, Freddy spoke up. “Okay, you can stay.”
“Thank you!” Toy Freddy exclaimed.
“But don’t think ye be gettin any special treatment,” Foxy growled, sticking his face close.
Toy Freddy gulped. “I can live with that,” he squeaked.
“Unca Foxy!” Fluttershy said sharply. “Stop scarin’ Brother Bear!”
Foxy leaned back, mollified. “Sorry, Lil’ Matey. I was just a’teasin.”
“Brother Bear?” Toy Freddy asked.
Freddy chuckled. “I think you’ve just been adopted.”
Bonnie removed the chains and Chica caught the smaller bear in a hug. “Welcome to the family!”
Foxy glared at the Toy animatronic. “I don’t know why, but the Lil’ Matey likes ye. But be warned,” he added, flipping his eyepatch up. “I’ve got me eye on ye.”
Toy Freddy gulped. “Loud and clear, Captain.”
“You know what this calls for!” Chica asked.
“Pizza?” Bonnie guessed.
“How did you know?”
Toy Freddy looked between the four larger animatronics. “So, you’re just going to let me stay?” he asked.
“Fluttershy wants you to stay,” Bonnie replied as he placed a hand on the smaller animatronic’s shoulder. “And Fluttershy’s word is law here.”
“They should add that to the official rules,” Chica added.
The man in purple smiled as the feed from his unwitting mole came in, sparing a glance for the five sheet-covered animatronics lying on the table behind him. Barring any complications, they would be successful in bringing him the pony.
The Joys of Creation were almost in his reach. He could feel it.