//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: Freddy's New Job // by ImmaGenericWriter //------------------------------// Many hours had gone by after Zecora had delivered Applejack, who was near death at the time, to her family. Big Mac had taken her directly to the hospital, ignoring the wet sensation and pain on his leg whenever he took a step. He knew that with each step he was taking he was making it worse. But he couldn’t care less. His sister needed him. Applejack had immediately been taken into intensive care after she was carried in. Big Mac was forced into a room to fill in some medical forms while Nurse Redheart treated his aggravated wound. The doctors had worked furiously to save the farm mare. With the information they had gotten from her brother, they were able to give back most of the blood she had lost. Even though they had closed her wounds and tended to her broken nose, the large number of infections she had picked up would take time to heal. “Zecora?” The Zebra turned away from the open door before her to find Apple Bloom staring up at her. Her eyes were somewhat glazed and red. The fur underneath her eyes was soaked; it was obvious that she had been crying for quite some time now. “Where… Where are ya goin’?” Zecora didn’t want to leave the small filly and the elderly mare alone, but she had little choice. Applejack had been attacked, and the fox alone could not have done this. She had to find whoever did this before they could do any more harm. “I still have a few things I need to do. So for now, I must leave you.” Much to her surprise, Apple Bloom ran up to her and hugged her leg tightly. “Please don’t go!” she cried desperately. “Ya have ta help Applejack! Yer potions can cure anythin’!” “Is everything okay?” The two saw Balloon Boy standing in the doorway, his grin hidden behind a closed mouth, though his eyes seemed to be sparkling with glee. Zecora was glad for the distraction; perhaps the company of Bloom’s new friend would keep her calm. No doubt she would feel much better once Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo arrived. Gently nudging Apple Bloom with her free leg, she said, “Why don’t you go play a bit with Balloon Boy? I am certain that his company will bring you some joy.” Zecora looked towards him for help. He nodded in reply. “Come on, Apple Bloom,” he said as he came closer. “Miss Zecora still has some things she needs to do. She needs to catch the people who did this to your sister. Wouldn’t want it to happen to anyzebra else, do we?” Apple Bloom reluctantly let go of the black and white furred leg, allowing Zecora to go. “O-okay, good luck, Zecora.” Nodding at the pair, she stepped outside and went directly towards the barn. She momentarily found it strange that Balloon Boy knew what she was going to do, but chose to ignore it for the time being. She had much more important things to do. Upon arriving at the barn, she picked up the empty mask that resembled Freddy and inspected it closely. Why was Applejack wearing it? Had Freddy somehow taken off his head and put it on her as a way to mock her before he attacked? Or was it something else? In Zebrica, masks were occasionally used to ward off evil spirits, much like the ones she had in her house. But if that was the case, where would Applejack have gotten this mask from? Knowing she would get no answers by just staring at it, she secured it to her back. There would be plenty of time to study it later that night in the safety of her home. She couldn’t risk wandering around the Everfree Forest at night; she would have to return soon. With the mask secured, she stepped over the remains of the barn’s door. Once inside, she was not surprised to find that Freddy, Chica and Bonnie were all gone. She didn’t want to believe that the creatures who had saved two fillies would do this to another living being, but the evidence simply contradicted that idea too much. As she was about to turn and leave, something among the wooden chaos caught her attention. She approached a support beam and flicked a few large splinters out of the way. Carved into the floor were two large letters. BB That added a new layer of confusion. It was obvious that Freddy had done this, as the letters had tufts of rough brown fur stuck to it. But why would he do it? Zecora didn’t have the slightest idea, but committed it to memory none the less. Certain that she had missed nothing, she left the barn. She would have to hurry as it was nearly dark and she still wanted to get a look at where she found Applejack. With her back turned, she missed two fury-filled eyes appearing in a shadowy area of the barn. Not enough! Infinitely far away, a certain night guard was all but screaming in fear. He tried to keep his composure by picking up his chair in one hand while holding his flashlight in the other, keeping it pointed in such a way that he could see the entire hallway. He didn’t even bother putting on his Freddy Mask; he knew it would be useless. The guy on the phone had told him what that creepy puppet was capable of. He had no reason to doubt him; he had learned to trust the man after he had refused to believe that the animatronics were alive. He could still hear the haunting tone of the music box. He found this strange as the puppet should have been here long ago. Not that he was complaining. Without warning, an eyeless face appeared from the shadows, twitching spastically to one side. Even with the flashlight shining directly on him, only the face of the Puppet was visible, as if the shadows were consuming the light. Jeremy tensed himself, ready to fight for his life. He didn’t have to wait long. The puppet jumped, heading straight towards Jeremy who had taken to screaming while cowering behind the chair he was holding. His scream faded out eventually. He knew he was still alive, his gasps of air confirmed that. But why? Surely the puppet would have killed him. Shining his flashlight down the hall, Jeremy could see the Puppet hanging in mid-air, paying no heed to physics. Floating between his would-be killer and himself was a semi-transparent purple cloud. The two seemed to be engaged in silent conversation, leaving Jeremy all the more confused and even more worried. The two were blocking his only escape route; he was stuck until they left. Or decided to attack. After a few minutes of floating, the smile that the puppet wore got wider, even though his face should not have been able to change at all. With no warning, the cloud vanished along with the puppet. Jeremy, still panting for breath, got to his feet and made the most important decision of his life. “Screw this, I’m out!” And with all the grace of a hippo, he ran from Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria.