The colors blended together as the memory transitioned into the next one. The mares were shocked as ever, the words Pinkie Pie had spoken just moment ago not even registering in their minds. Nopony talked as the next memory became clear. They were backstage again, and they saw the repair man. Freddy sat on the table, powered down. Zach was busy screwing some things back into place on his knee. The bite marks on his face were melded back into his metal, no sign as to whether or not they were there in the first place.
“Foxy . . . I’m sorry,” Zach said suddenly, standing up from his crouch. The pirate glanced up from the floor, where he was leaning against the wall. A few metallic screeches were emitted from his throat in reply. Zach turned to look at him. “I can fix that; I’m done with Freddy.” Zach bent down and took ahold of Foxy’s arm, hauling him onto his feet. The fox sat down on the table as soon as the repair man moved Freddy off.
Zach started firstly on repairing his voice and then fiddled with his jaw before realizing he didn’t have enough supplies to fix it. He blinked and then grabbed Foxy’s hand to repair the joint there.
“I’m sorry, buddy. I can’t even do anything more for you. I got the news earlier; they’re deactivating you. They told me make any last fixes that I could—they don’t know about what you currently look like—and then . . . I’m relieved from my job,” Zach said forlornly with a shrug of his shoulders.
Foxy blinked. “W-what?” he gasped, his voice still scratchy, “ye can’t leave!”
Zach smiled, scratching Foxy behind the ear. “Don’t be sad over me. You should be thinking of what’s going to happen to you. Seems like Pirate’s Cove is shut down from here on out.”
The pirate slumped down, his ears falling. “So . . . I’m never gon’ get fixed?”
“No.” There was no use sugarcoating it.
Foxy sighed. “That’s what I deserve, anyhow. I bit that lad.”
Zach frowned, not knowing what to say. “I . . . yes, you did. And there’s nothing we can do. Even if they wanted you to, you’d never be able to perform again. Especially for kids.”
“Ah. I see.”
“But maybe I’ll see you guys around, huh? I may not work here anymore, but it’s not like I’m banned from the establishment.”
“But what reason are ye gonna have fer returnin’? Not a soul besides ye even knows we’re actually . . . livin’, per say.”
“Well . . . I was going to keep this a secret until she was farther along, but . . . Tricia is pregnant!”
Foxy’s eyes brightened. “Ye’re havin’ a baby!” His tail started wagging. “Lad or lass?”
“We don’t know yet. She’s going in next week for an ultrasound, so we’ll find out then.”
“How far along are ye?”
“Uh, eighteen weeks.”
Foxy smiled. His jaw fell slightly to the side and he quickly grabbed it, embarrassed. Zach frowned. The fox glanced up and his ears fell back.
“Say, lad, I’ve got a question . . .” Foxy started.
“Yeah?” Zach adjusted his hat.
“Is it . . . my fault that ye’re gettin’ fired?”
“No, don’t think that way. I should’ve put you out of order until I’d fixed that glitch that had sprung up in your systems.” Zach reached out a hand and scratched Foxy under the chin. The pirate flicked his ears idly and didn’t move. “Well . . . I better get going. Gotta get a new job soon as I can; I’ll have another mouth to feed here.” Zach patted Foxy on the head and dropped down on one knee to turn Freddy on. “Run along to Pirate’s Cove—I’m activating Freddy now.”
“Aye, aye, cap’n,” Foxy said. He slipped off the table and went for the door.
“And Foxy, don’t let Freddy do this. Ever again.”
Foxy paused at the door, his hand up and ready to open it. He didn’t look back as he pushed it open.
It was a few months after the incident. Foxy had been cut off for the most part, never seeing the others as the court trial took place. When the news finally came that the company had won the argument, the restaurant was relieved. But the drawback was the animatronics were no longer allowed to wander during the day. Their time was now only at night. It was a few days afterwards when Foxy noticed his hook arm was falling off.
The pirate inspected his appendage, the forearm now only loosely connecting to his upper arm by a thin amount of wires. He tilted an ear, thinking of what to do. He had thin, nimble fingers on his one hand, but this required two. Perhaps Bonnie would help him? He hadn’t talked to him for a long while, but he was sure he’d still help.
Foxy emerged from Pirate Cove for the first time in months. He checked both ways for anyone that might’ve had to work late before sneaking off stage and down the hall to the party room. Bonnie was currently the only one in there. He had his back to him.
“Arr, lad, could I get your help with somethin’?” Foxy asked, trying to put the usual amount of tone in his voice since the accident.
The purple bunny stiffened. An ear twitched.
“Me arm’s fallin’ off, and I need an extra hand. If ye could jus’ hold it closer I could connect the wires—”
“No,” Bonnie said stiffly.
Foxy’s peaceful exterior faltered. “What?”
Bonnie turned around angrily, his maroon eyes burning. “I said no! Get out of here.” He stood up.
“But, lad, me arm’s fa—”
“First of all, you can stop calling me ‘lad’, and secondly, I don’t care about your problem. You caused us more problems than we can ever fix, so just stop your complaints.”
Foxy looked stunned. “I’m not complainin’—”
Bonnie shoved Foxy backwards, allowing the pirate to stumble over his own feet.
“Leave,” Bonnie snarled. Foxy backed away, ears down. He quickly scurried off to Pirate’s Cove, his good arm cradling his broken one. In the midst of running away, he bumped into something. He bounced backward and saw Chica blinking in confusion. She noticed him and scowled.
“What are you doing out?” the chicken hissed, crossing her arms.
“I—I jus’ needed to get me arm f-fixed . . .” Foxy stammered. Chica glanced at his arm and seemed to soften slightly. There was still a frown on her normally happy face, but she took a step forward and grabbed ahold of Foxy’s arm. Her yellow fingers worked quickly and she roughly tugged the wires back into place before clicking some of the clips to hold it in position. She abruptly dropped his hand, not even taking notice of the somewhat pained expression on his face.
“There. Now go back to Pirate’s Cove,” Chica ordered. “Better not let Freddy see you.” She hurried off heatedly. Foxy watched her go. His shoulders slumped as he turned to go back to Pirate’s Cove.
A bright light filled the ponies’ eyes. They felt a pulling sensation as they were tugged back into the waking world. The time lock shattered as they faded back into their bodies. The mares sluggishly lifted their heads and moved their legs. The two princesses shook their heads and their manes kicked into action. Foxy, who was still bound in the chair, didn’t stir.
“Urrgg . . . did that really just happen?” Rainbow Dash’s voice broke through the faint sound of sighing at the relief of finally being back in their own bodies.
“Yes, I’m having that kind of feeling as well,” Rarity commented, running a hoof through her mane.
Pinkie Pie hopped up, hair trembling. “Hey! Freddy was a big fat meanie! Somepony ought to teach him a lesson about friendship!”
Applejack flicked her tail. “Agreein’ with ya, Pinks.”
“Everypony, I hope you’ve all learned from the experiences we’ve shared together,” Luna started. She moved towards Foxy and lit her horn. The magic binding him faded away and he woke up suddenly, falling forward.
Fluttershy stepped forward. “Princess . . . what do we do now? I don’t understand.”
Celestia looked down at the pegasus. “Now we confront the issues at hoof.”
Foxy picked himself off the floor and gave his head a shake. He glanced over to see the ponies looking at him. Foxy’s eyes grew dark and he stood up, snarling.
“How dare ye? Messin’ ‘bout in me head, lookin’ at my life as if t’were some sort ‘a movie!” Foxy growled in a threatening way. The two princesses didn’t say anything. “Great, jus’ great! Don’t even care, do ye?”
Luna’s face became one of offense. “How dare you to actually say that we do not care. Why would we have done it if not to help you?” The lunar princess took an intimidating step forward. Celestia held her wing out, blocking the smaller alicorn’s path.
“Luna, he has a point,” the solar goddess said gently. Luna raised an eyebrow at her older sister, but backed up so Celestia could fold her wing back in. “We’ve taken advantage of him and done personal things without his consent. For that, we are sorry.”
Foxy crossed his arms. “Apology not accepted.”
Celestia dipped her head. “Then I feel as if we should be off. What are your plans tonight, girls?”
Pinkie Pie thrust herself forward, nabbing Foxy and swinging him around in her grip. “I call slumber party at Twilight’s!”
Rainbow Dash grinned. “I’m so in!”
“Ah’ll stay too.”
“Um . . . yeah.”
“Of course, darling, what a good idea.”
Twilight smiled. “Okay, that’s fine with me.” She turned to Princess Celestia. “Slumber party here.”
The solar goddess smiled at her student and looked outside. “Hmm, it is nearly time to lower the sun. Luna and I really must be going. Have a good time.” Luna glanced at her sister before approaching Twilight. She dipped her head to the unicorn.
“Do what you must,” the lunar sovereign hissed softly in her ear as she lowered her head. Twilight nodded slightly as Luna backed away. In a flash of multicolored light, the two princesses were gone.
Pinkie Pie flapped her bright pink (what other color did you expect?) sleeping bag up and down to shake the crumbs off it. It’d been resting in her cupboard (for what reason, they didn’t know) and so she had to get it ready. Rarity set her light purple bed/sleeping bag on the floor. She’d wanted to take the guest bed, but of course she had to be a good house guest and sleep with everypony else. Applejack had a dark green sleeping bag and Rainbow Dash a red-and-blue-and-yellow one. Twilight had one with pink and purple lines streaking across the front of the blue fabric. And Fluttershy had a teal one with a vine design on it. Foxy had insisted he didn’t need one, but Rarity (being the ever-so generous and overly pushy on occasion pony she was) insisted that he get at least a blanket to lay on and pillow, if not a sleeping bag. Of course, he’d rolled his eyes at her but it was forced upon him.
“Ooh, this is gonna be great!” Pinkie Pie declared, jittery from her permanent sugar high.
“Yeahh! What are we going to do? Tell scary stories? Play truth or dare?” Rainbow asked with a smirk on her face, rubbing her hooves together.
“We could give each other makeovers!” Rarity squeed, voice rising an octave in an adorable manner.
“Boring.”
Twilight strode forward. “Since this was Pinkie’s idea, maybe we should let her pick?” The six others looked over at the party pony, who was currently trying to see if she could move like a caterpillar in her sleeping bag. She glanced up with big blue eyes, ceasing her activity.
“I know! How about we all pick something to do? Then everypony has fun doing what they like!” Pinkie suggested. She popped out of her sleeping bag.
“That’s . . . actually a well thought out idea that could benefit everybody,” Applejack said, impressed.
“Thanks!”
“So, Pinkie, why don’t you pick first?” Twilight asked, laying down and tucking her hooves under her, then finished it off with wrapping her tail around her body. The other mares followed suit, though Rainbow Dash remained hovering in the air. Pinkie grinned, eyes lighting up right away.
“I already know! We’re going to have sleeping bag races!” As she said this, the party pony grabbed her pink bag and hoisted it up, showing off the darker pink bubbles decorating its surface. “Just grab your bag and get in, then we zip it up and crawl all over!”
Rarity winced, flattening hers down somewhat. “Uh, Pinkie, darling, this is such a great idea, but, um, may I not partake in this activity?”
Pinkie frowned, giving her friend puppy eyes. “But pleeeasse?”
“Darling—”
“Please?”
“. . . I don’t know . . .”
“Rarity, do it for me?”
The fashionista sighed and shimmied into her purple sleeping bag. “Fine. But just to point out, Foxy does not have one, so how is he going to play?”
Pinkie Pie looked over at the animatronic. “Hmm . . .” She tapped her chin. “Twilight, do you have an extra sleeping bag?”
The violet unicorn shook her head. “No, sorry. I only have one for Spike and I, and obviously, Spike’s would be much too small.”
Pinkie huffed. “Great! Now not everyone’s included!”
Foxy shrugged. “I be fine, lass. Right as rain. You ponies play your game.” Rainbow rolled over casually, like it was the most normal thing to do.
“You really okay with not playing?” the cyan pegasus asked.
“Aye. It’s alright, really.”
“Okay, if you say so! Come on, everypony, to the starting line!”
Hmm, let’s see . . .
Go ‘way.
Wasn’t it great, reliving all those memories? I should thank those pony rulers.
Why are ye here?
I’ve already made my intentions clear—to make you go completely and utterly insane.
I’m already insane. Can’t break somethin’ that’s already broken.
The voice seemed to smirk, giving a sound of doubt. If you had a toy truck, and it was broken—it’s missing a wheel, let’s say.
Where ye goin’ with this?
Then you ripped its other wheels off and also the doors. What would it be then?
. . . Broken.
Hmmph. You can ignore it all you want, but one thing’s for certain—you won’t make it out alive.
“Fluttershy wins again! Wow, how are you so good at this?”
Said pegasus looked over at Pinkie Pie, who’d spoken. “Oh, I don’t know, honestly. Probably just good luck.”
Rainbow wiggled out of her sleeping bag and took it in her mouth, flying it back to her place in the circle between Rarity and Fluttershy.
“Yeah, ‘shy, that was pretty awesome how you kept winning!” the brash pegasus declared.
Twilight placed her bag down as well. “Since you won, how about you pick the next activity?”
Fluttershy shrunk down. “W-well, I don’t know . . . Rainbow or somepony else can have my turn . . .”
“Fluttershy!” Pinkie bounced forward. “That’s not how it works!”
“Can I at least have some time to think? Have somepony else go first . . .”
The party pony nodded. “We can do that! Who wants to pick?”
Rarity scooted bashfully forward. “Um, I don’t mean to sound selfish, darling, but could I pick?”
“Sure thing, Rares!”
Applejack sighed, running a hoof down her face. “Oh boy, Ah know what we’re doin’ next . . .”
“Makeovers!” the unicorn cried happily, clopping her front hooves together.
“Ooh, sounds fun!” Pinkie exclaimed. She quickly grabbed Applejack and sat her on the floor. “I know exactly what to do with your mane, AJ!”
“Uh, okay, just nothin’ too girly,” the earth pony agreed.
“Foxy, you really need a makeover! Come along,” Rarity said, producing a small stool. Foxy tilted his head at her.
“A makeover?” the pirate asked, confused.
“Yes, dear. Now come on; it might take a while to get through your . . .” She let her well trained eyes to roam over his fur. “Rats’ nest of a pelt. On the floor you go!” She used her magic to nudge him over to sit on the floor. She stood up on the stool, a pair of scissors and a comb in her magical grip.
“This is gonna be good,” Rainbow whispered into Fluttershy’s ear from behind where she was braiding her friend’s pink mane. Nearby, Twilight, who was brandishing a curling iron to use on Pinkie’s mane, nodded, a smirk on her muzzle. The mares snickered as their minds imagined what might be Foxy’s new style.
“Actually not as bad as Ah thought it was goin’ to be,” Applejack commented as the group of ponies studies Foxy, who was also checking himself out in the full-length mirror Rarity had provided.
“What’d ye think it was goin’ ta be?” Foxy asked as he turned around. The longer fur on his head was formed into a serious of spikes that stuck out over his eyes.
“Uh, really girly and over the top?” Rainbow Dash said before AJ could.
“Please, girls, Foxy here is a gentlecolt. Besides, if there was any sort of feminine mane style it would look absolutely atrocious, I can tell you that much. I just fixed his current flair,” Rarity said professionally.
“Well, I gotta say, I didn’t know what I looked like ‘fore, but I’m sure I look better now,” Foxy commented.
“Why thank you, dear.” The white unicorn activated her magic briefly to pat down a fluffed up part on his tail. “So, now that we all have had a bit of time to relax, who is going to pick what we do next?”
“Fluttershy, do you know what you want to do?” Pinkie Pie asked, springing forward.
The pegasus shrank back. “O-oh, um, yes, I think I do. I was just thinking a nice, simple board game.”
“Oh, that sounds great. I have a small selection—I’ll go grab them,” Twilight said, already trotting off. The ponies waited briefly until she got back. “Alright, I’ve got six to choose from.” The unicorn floated the six games in front of her face. “Hooves and Ladders, Apples to Apples, Pictionary, Quelf, Life, and Scattergories.”
“Ugh, please not Life,” Rainbow groaned.
“Not Scattergories either. ‘m bad with words,” Applejack added.
Rarity glanced over at the two of them. “Girls, this is supposed to be Fluttershy’s choice.”
“N-no, it’s fine. I didn’t really want to play those anyways. Quelf is kind of . . . vulgar at times, and so is Apples to Apples, plus Hooves and Ladders is a game for little foals . . . I think Pictionary,” Fluttershy decided.
Twilight set the chosen game down onto the table. “Good choice. Gather round, everyone.” The seven individuals positioned themselves around the coffee table.
“So, here are the rules,” Twilight continued, “one of us uses this board and starts to draw something. Whatever they want.” Rainbow grinned, starting to stick a hoof in the air. “No, please not anything extremely inappropriate.”
The rainbow-maned pegasus smirked. “You said ‘extremely’. Challenge accepted.”
Twilight frowned. “Please don’t.” She got only an eyebrow wiggle from Dash. “Ugh. Alright, anyways, the drawer picks what they want to draw, and everyone else guesses. First one to get it right is the next one to draw. If no one guesses and we give up, the drawer goes again.”
“Ooh, ooh, can I go first?” Pinkie Pie quickly piped, waving her hooves.
“Is everyone okay with that?” There was a chorus of yeahs, yesses, and ayes, and then the white board and marker was scooted over to Pinkie. The party pony grinned and took the cap off, using her mouth to grip the black marker. She immediately started to draw.
“Uh,” Rarity started with an eyebrow raise, “is it a cake?”
Pinkie dropped her marker. “Yes!”
The white unicorn blinked, satisfied. “Oh, look at that! In the first ten seconds!”
“Ten seconds flat,” Dash commented.
Rarity took the board with her magic. “Alright, hmm, what to do . . .” She glanced around briefly before her eyes lit up. Her glittering aura surrounded the marker, taking the cap off, and began drawing. The ponies and not pony around the table studied her drawing carefully.
“It looks like a bear,” Foxy said.
Rarity frowned. “It’s not.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really!”
Twilight narrowed her eyes at the doodle. It looked distinctly familiar . . .
“Is that supposed to be Spike?”
Rarity beamed. “Yes, darling! Très bien! Sorry, I’m not used to drawing living creatures. As you know, it’s usually dresses on a printed model.”
“It’s not that bad.”
Rainbow leaned over to get a closer look. “I don’t know, where are the spikes?”
“Shush,” Rarity scolded as she pushed the materials over to the other unicorn.
Twilight already had an idea, so she just uncapped the marker and pressed its tip the white board. She hesitated before beginning, but continued at a better pace when she got adjusted. A line here, a line there, and she finished. She held it up.
The crowd in front of her just stared with wide eyes and open mouths.
“Well, aren’t you going to guess? Why are you all giving me that look?”
Applejack smirked, but tried to hide it. “Uh huh, um, Twilight? What, uh, what is it s’posed to be?”
Twilight blushed. “W-what do you mean?”
“Like,” Rainbow Dash had gotten into the air and lowered herself in front of the unicorn, “we don’t know what that is.” She pointed to the board with a blue hoof.
“Are you saying my doodle isn’t good?”
“Not exactly,” Rarity started.
“Um, kinda,” Pinkie Pie interjected. Rarity quickly turned and smacked her with a rolled up newspaper.
“It’s not bad,” Fluttershy murmured.
“We’re not sayin’ it’s bad, we’re sayin’ ye better tune your skills with that thing on your head,” Foxy said plainly. Rarity gasped and turned to him as well, resulting in him getting a newspaper upside the head instead of what Pinkie got.
Twilight sighed, shoulders slumping. “So you give up?”
“Yeah, duh.”
“Sorry, sugarcube, but eeyup.”
“Unfortunately so.”
“Yeppuroony!”
“Aye, lass.”
“Sorry . . .”
“It was the symbol for the princesses. You know, the whole sun and moon thing,” Twilight answered with a wave of her hoof.
The others blinked at the picture, eyes scrutinizing.
Rainbow made a huffing sound. “How?!”