//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Freddy's New Job // by ImmaGenericWriter //------------------------------// After walking for what felt like hours, Zecora began recognising the area they were approaching. Even though she was panicking severely at the time, she would not forget the hall she nearly died in. Her four ‘companions’ briefly looked around, trying to find a clue as to where their target might have gone. The walls, floor and even roof were littered with deep scratch marks and missing chunks. But the damage was confined to this small area; the room she hid in was untouched as were the walls further down the hall. “Let’s go.” Balloon Boy said, snapping Zecora from her investigation. Without seeing if she was following them, the group trudged back the way they just came from. Seeing as how easily these creatures had tracked her in the Everfree Forest of all places, Zecora had no reason to doubt their skills. “Why are you doing this?” Zecora asked suddenly. The small boy’s head turned around completely while his body still faced forwards, his smile plastered on as always. Zecora couldn’t stop herself from shivering at the sight before she continued, “Why did you harm Applejack and Big Mac? Do you get some twisted bliss? Or is there something I did miss?” Balloon Boy kept staring at her unblinkingly for several stretched out seconds before he replied, “Adults made us what we are. They left us in the care of mad men who would dress up in terrifying suits. Some found it entertaining, but others did not and tried to get away from the scary monsters. I ran, I was so scared,” Somewhere along his retelling, Balloon Boy lost his smile and for the first time since Zecora met the young boy, he looked genuinely sad. “I wanted to go back home, but nobody came for me. “Then I met a man in a police man’s uniform, except it was purple, not blue like it should be. The nice man said he would help me get back to my mommy. I went with him into a room with video games in it. He told me to play while he called them. But when I sat down, I felt a hand on my neck and head. Then nothing. The next thing I knew I wanted to hurt the adults as much as they hurt me, my new friend promised me he'd help me with that.” He turned his head back forward as he finished talking. Whatever Zecora had expected to hear from him, it certainly had not been this. One important question lingered in her mind. Glancing between the four metallic constructs, she asked her question, “What are you?” Without turning back, Balloon Boy answered her question honestly, “Children.” Even with the intense situation she found herself in, Zecora couldn’t stop thinking about what Balloon Boy had said. ‘Children.’ But why would they become so violent? Zecora firmly believed that spirits exist, both good and bad ones. Even so, ‘children’ and ‘evil’ are polar opposites. She peeked at Freddy through the holes in her mask. Were their hideous forms the suits Balloon Boy spoke of? The young could barely comprehend the word ‘angry’, it should be impossible for them to feel so much hatred that they would come back from the dead to seek revenge. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t understand why once innocent children would turn into such monsters. It was at that thought that she remembered when she was attacked. Freddy had told her to run where he could just have reached and grabbed her instead of giving her that crucial extra second to react. Which means they might be forced into doing this. Not to mention the Golden Freddy that kept appearing, he had saved Applejack and given her a chance at survival by leading her towards the castle where he tipped her off that Apple Bloom was in danger. Zecora snapped back to attention so fast that she nearly threw her mask off. She had completely forgotten about Apple Bloom. “How far are we?” Zecora asked urgently. “We must still save that little filly!” As if waiting for her to ask just that, a metallic object crashed into Bonnie, the force of the impact toppling the blue bunny over. Calling the tangle of metallic limbs an animal would be beyond even Fluttershy’s kindness, it was simply too Mangled to be identified as anything other than a mess of metal and wires. The metallic mass didn’t seem to know that it shouldn’t be able to move as it leapt back into the darkness with a cry akin to that of Foxy. Freddy and Chica immediately sprinted after the mysterious thing, followed closely by Bonnie. Zecora was very sure that he was flat on his back not even half a second ago. “He is there.” Balloon Boy said in answer to her question, his grin returning once more as he did. Zecora needed no further prompting as she broke into a gallop. Her fear for Apple Bloom overriding the fear she felt for herself. As sorry as she began to feel for the souls around her, she would leave them without a second though if it meant saving the young filly. Zecora didn’t have to run for very long before she came into a spacious room with two thrones at the end. She entered just in time to see Springtrap rip Bonnie’s other arm off, sending sparks and a dark fluid flying, before throwing the armless bunny into Chica who was busy standing up. She couldn’t see any of the others. Despite what they did, she worried what might have become of them. If dying meant that your spirit left your body, what would happen if your spirit dies? The moment the dark creature spotted her, it let out another low hiss and charged. “Fooooxyyyyy~” The voice of Balloon Boy sang from behind her. A screech followed by a red blur flew from behind Zecora, slamming into Springtrap. Even at such a speed, Foxy only managed to slow Springtrap’s charge enough to give Zecora enough time to roll out of the way. When she recovered from the dodge, Zecora looked on in horror as Springtrap took the red fox’s head in one hand and his neck in another. In one swift motion he bent it in what looked like a very unnatural angle. The Zebra’s theory was confirmed has Foxy screamed in anguish before being tossed aside. A brief image of a Apple Bloom’s head being bent that way flashed through Zecora’s mind. Disgust and rage filled her in equal amounts. If what Balloon Boy had said was true… She stopped that train of thought before it could go any further. She would not allow that to happen. “Where is Apple Bloom?! If you harmed that filly, I will smack you silly!” It was an empty threat and she knew it. She just hoped it would buy more time for Balloon Boy or Foxy to attack again. Zecora’s heart stopped when Springtrap extended a hand that held Apple Bloom by her head, her body dangling uselessly beneath her. She briefly wondered why she didn’t see the foal there moments before, but decided she could dwell on it once they were safe. But when Springtrap started lifting his free arm, Zecora surged forward. She pushed herself harder than ever before, hoping to gain just a bit more speed. But she was too late. The other hand came to a rest on Apple Bloom’s neck and the sadistic monster smiled as Zecora screamed. “No!”