Trixie Lulamoon, down on her luck, begrudgingly applies for a job at Freddy Frazbear's Pizzeria.
Trixie Lulamoon, down on her luck, begrudgingly applies for a job at Freddy Frazbear's Pizzeria. The run-down restaurant was far from the ideal job for her, but after...the amulet fiasco...it was the best she could find.
Thought I'd jump on the bandwagon- Five Nights at Freddy's crossover. Coverart is temporary; your reviews, comments, questions, or concerns are greatly appreciated, and will be processed within 90 days of being received upon discovery, or until the walls have been bleached, and the carpets replaced. Blah, blah, blah, anyway- first chapter should be a breeze, keep checking those updates, and I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Goodnight.
Trixie growled to herself as she yanked at her black tie, currently lying over a white button-up shirt. Taking a cap in her magic that read 'Security' in bold, black letters, she placed it on her head, her horn slipping through the hole it that was made for it. The blue showmare sighed to herself tiredly as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, wondering why she of all ponies had to be forced into this position. She'd had a good foalhood, hadn't she? She did everything she was told, she listened to her parents- she'd even followed her dreams! But how...how in Tartarus was she forced into this? Forced to work in a lowly restaurant for foals! Obviously the universe was out to get her...
Shaking her head, she walked out of the restroom, and into the main dining room of the restaurant, readjusting the tag pinned to right-hand breast of her shirt. Walking past a party already underway, she approached a stallion a bit taller than her, dressed in a dingy white dress shirt, a red tie loosely hanging from the collar. She tapped him on the shoulder, and the stallion jumped, looking around nervously before discovering it was just his newest employee. Shaking it off, he ran a brown hand over his face and through his rust colored mane.
"Oh! You- you look- wonderful..." he said, smiling nervously.
"Well, Trix- I mean... I certainly try my best." she said, forcing a smile onto her face.
"Well...um...g-good! Good!" he said.
'Might as well get it over with...' she thought, inwardly boiling with rage.
"When am I to begin?" she asked, attempting not to roll her eyes in front of her new boss.
"T-tonight, can- can you get here around eleven-thirty? I need- need to give you some instructions..."
'I don't like the sound of that...' Trixie thought.
Something about Mr. Frazbear's words made her a bit anxious- scratch that, it made her feel downright afraid! She hadn't been this scared since her very first magic act! And that was in front of her parents! Two ponies who knew and actually loved her. But why, then, was she so afraid? If she was understanding this correctly, she'd be working the night shift, with nopony else with her, she'd be alone in here later tonight. That fact should be enough to warrant her fear, but...there was just something unsettling...she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Yes, of course," she replied automatically "eleven-thirty?"
Mr. Frazbear nodded, and his eye nervously twitched before he turned- heading back towards his office. The stallion just barely missed being caught in the jaw as a waitress came around the corner, a steaming hot pizza in her hands.
"Excuse me, sir!" she shouted, flying past him.
Mr. Frazbear jumped in response, and quickly calmed himself, rubbing his temples as he continued the journey to his office.
Trixie rubbed her eyes, then turned, and walked out of the restaurant, walking around the several dining tables filling the room. Pushing open one of the glass doors at the entrance, she left the unsettling place, and made her way back to the main thoroughfare of Ponyville. The small town was already bustling with activity- mares, stallions, and foals alike littered the streets, either perusing the stalls already set up, or making their way into the few stores already open.
The entire street went deathly quiet as every single stallion and mare in the street stared at her, their eyes full of hate and judgement. The blue unicorn took a deep breath, and braved the sea of spiteful ponies, her eyes not meeting any of their gazes as she wound her way through. Focused solely on the ground, she pushed past a stallion, passing the flower shop owned by three skittish sisters. Before the mare knew it, she was face-down in the dirt, her mouth full of disgusting dust particles. A chuckle went up from the watching crowd, and soon others joined in, taking joy in her agony. Tears threatened to escape her- but none came, she weakly pushed herself up, a choked sob escaping her muzzle as she stood. She dusted her now-dirty shirt off, and readjusted her tie. Not looking back, she went on her way, trying not to give the cruel ponies behind her a second thought.
She found it very difficult, but understood that this was to be her life now. Nopony would accept her for what she'd done- they had once, but twice? She had a greater chance to ask the Royal Sisters to make her an alicorn, rather than receive forgiveness from those she'd wronged.
Trixie found herself wandering past the library, the very same one in which her so-called 'greatest rival' resided in. She regretted the way she treated her, she truly did- but...she also knew the purple unicorn wouldn't accept her apology. She had taken over the entirety of Ponyville, for Celestia's sake! Twilight Sparkle would have to be insane to forgive her!
The front door of the library opened, making Trixie want to dash down the street. She didn't, however, and steeled herself to keep her pace, and not show any acknowledgement to whoever was exiting the enormous tree.
Her jaw dropped as she discovered a unicorn to be that somepony- from her vantage point, she could see that this purple unicorn, also had a set of wings, trotting alongside a black, well-built stallion with a powder blue mane, much like her coat.
Trixie's fists clenched, and she grit her teeth, making a weak attempt to keep her anger down to a minimum. She just barely kept herself from blowing a fuse, and vaporizing the happy couple right then and there.
'Push past it, Trixie...'she thought, trying to convince herself '...you're stronger than this...'
The showmare vaguely acknowledged the purple alicorn giggle, and barely noticed a small amount of movement in her peripheral vision.
'Just salt in the wounds, Trixie,' she thought 'she's not worth it, she's not worth it.'
She continued repeating the mantra as she went on her way, wanting to get to her run-down wagon as quickly as possible.
It wasn't fair! What did Twilight Sparkle do to warrant that? What the bucking hell was she doing as an alicorn?! She...she...
Trixie felt a tear run down her face, and quickly brushed it away as she continued towards the border of the town, where her wagon was parked. She knew the former unicorn was blameless, but she wanted to blame her anyway. The unicorn quickly entered her small home, and threw herself onto the small bed, rocking the mirror and dresser situated next to it.
The magician lost control of her emotions, and wept into her pillow, wanting the raging torrent inside to end.
Trixie adjusted her cap as she entered Freddy's, nervously casting a glance backward as the light above the double glass door flickered. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself as she entered the old restaurant, wishing Mr. Frazbear would just give her the tour so she could get this job over with.
"Tr-Trixie?!"
The showmare jumped, and spun on her heels to find Mr. Frazbear exiting the room next to the stage containing the restaurant's three animatronic mascots, including the ever-popular Freddy Frazbear himself. The robotic bear appeared to be a little taller than a normal pony, including the small, black top hat that sat between its round ears.
"S-Sir! Y-You scared me!" Trixie replied, a hand resting over her heart.
"S-Sorry..." the stallion replied, rubbing the back of his neck "I uh...well...follow me...I'll uh...explain everything..."
The powder-blue mare nodded, and followed Mr. Frazbear into the rear of the restaurant, past a dusty curtain with dozens and dozens of stars expertly painted on it. A small, aged sign attached to a post stood before the curtain, reading 'Sorry! Out of Order' in neat, black handwriting.
"M-Mister Frazbear-" Trixie managed.
"Just call me Frank," the stallion said, stopping to wait for her "everypony does."
"That's a bit of a strange name." she commented.
"I uh...yeah...it is...wouldn't trade it for the world."
"Oh...um...'Frank', what's behind that curtain?" she asked, pointing to it.
The stallion smiled nervously, and turned, resuming the walk to the back of the run-down eatery.
"Mr. Frazbear!" Trixie said, running after him "You didn't answer my question!"
The brown stallion turned to her, his face one of sterness- something that appeared almost alien on his features, given his personality. Trixie felt herself shrink back a bit, wondering if she'd broken some sort of secret rule.
"Trixie- just...don't go poking around back there, okay? There's nothing back there but a bunch of spare parts. Tools and the like!" he stated, his tone dead-serious.
"Ah, well- I suppose I won't..."
'Not that mechanics are my strong suit...still...I suppose I could look around when I'm alone- Celestia knows I'll have enough free time on my hands...'
Her boss breathed a sigh of relief, and rubbed his eyes as he turned around, motioning for her to follow. The two of them soon entered a moderately-sized room after traversing a short hallway. Inside was a desk that took up the entire left wall, a fan sitting on top of it, as well as a few dark, elaborate boxes. The walls were decorated with pictures presumably drawn by foals, and posters of the animatronic band in the dining room.
"Well...this is your new office!" Mr. Frazb- Frank stated pathetically.
'Yay' she thought sarcastically.
The small space wasn't much to look at- it was already a bit musty, and she happened to catch a cobweb or two beneath the desk.
"Now, a few pointers," Frank stated, picking up a small tablet made of crystal "you'll need this while on duty."
"What is it?" Trixie asked, curious as to what the object could be.
She tapped the surface, and a small wave sprung out from beneath her finger, as if she were dropping a pebble into a pond. The thin piece of crystal pulsed with arcane magic, that much she could tell, what it did beyond that, she had no clue.
"You can see any room in the restaurant with this," Frank said, tapping a small square in the top left corner of the tablet "with the exception of the bathroom, of course."
"Seems simple enough," Trixie stated, somewhat amazed at how such a thing came into existence "is there anything else?"
"Yes, glad you asked," he stated, becoming progressively nervous "er, Freddy and his friends are magic-proof, and there's extra food in the kitchen if you get hungry- only one meal though, I can't afford to be setting out any feasts."
He chuckled weakly.
"Why are the animatronics magic-proof?" Trixie asked, finding the characters in question to appear on the tablet.
"Simple, really," he replied "both the endoskeletons and the cosmetic covers negate unicorn magic, one of the main reasons being that we get quite a few young ones here during the day- outbursts, and such, as I'm sure you're aware, it helps save bits on repairs."
Trixie nodded slowly, finding logic in the older stallion's words.
He scratched his head, his fingers digging into his mane, as his face screwed up in thought.
"I think that's about it, any questions?" he asked.
"No, I think I will be able to handle myself." Trixie said, trying not to throw a tantrum like a little foal.
The rust-maned stallion nodded, and glanced at his watch. His eyes went wide as he patted her on the back, dropped a small key ring with a single, bronze key, and proceeded to leave the room.
"G-Good luck! H-Have a good night!" he stated hurriedly, practically galloping down the hall.
'Odd...' Trixie thought, glancing down at the tablet.
Running a finger across the smooth, cold surface, she cycled through the different cameras connected to the device. She caught sight of Mr. Frazbear himself exiting the front doors, locking them firmly.
Cycling through the viewer once more, she realized that she could see everything in the restaurant, except (as Mr. Frazbear stated) the bathrooms. She also noticed that there were no cameras directed at the doorways- and she assumed the camera in the kitchen was defective, as there was no image coming through.
She set the viewer to the stage, and her eyes went wide with fear, as she discovered one of the three characters to be missing from the stage.
'Where'd the rabbit go?' she wondered 'Where the actual hell did the rabbit go?!?'
Something hard collided with the back of her head, and the mare went down like a sack of potatoes. She dropped the viewing device as her head struck the floor, making her vision blur as she lost consciousness.
"Sh-Sh-Sheeee U-Up-p-p-p y-y-et-t-t?" a voice crackled and hissed, somewhat forcing Trixie out of her unconscious state.
"Alm-ost-ost-ost..." another replied.
"I be-be- tire-tired o' waitin', ju-ju-just ge-get the lass up al-re-rea-dy-y." yet another said.
The powder-blue magician groaned to herself as she tried to push herself up, wincing as a twinge of pain shot through her neck.
'This just isn't my day...' Trixie thought, finally lifting herself off the floor 'Wait a minute...this isn't the office...'
Indeed, the black and white checkered linoleum floor beneath her was not that of the security room, and the long rows of ovens, pots and pans hanging from the ceiling, and the smell of overcooked cheese and pizza sauce only confirmed her location. But the question was, how did she wind up in the kitchen? Unless...unless...
She slowly craned her neck upward, trying to ignore the pain lancing through it, and saw the restaurant's mascot, Freddy Frazbear, standing over her. Its synthetic blue eyes stared down at her, past the black nose on its false face, directly into her own amethyst orbs.
"H-H-Hell-lo-lo, my-my na-name is F-F-Fr-edd-y-y, welc-welc-"
That was as far as the false bear got, before Trixie screamed, her shrill cry piercing the otherwise silent kitchen. A ratcheting sound could be briefly heard from inside the animatronic's head, as one of its round ears moved back and forth on its head.
Trixie winced in pain as she rubbed the base of her horn as it throbbed. The dim lamp hanging above her seemed as intense as the sun, invading her eyes, making them hurt just as much as her horn did. Pushing herself off her back, she discovered herself to be in the security office, the rolling office chair tipped over. She'd been asleep? Was that what happened? It seemed so real, and- the animatronics...
Swiping the unbroken tablet from the floor, the unicorn flicked through the live images of the restaurant, until it came to rest on the show stage. All three of the lifeless constructs stood stock still, in their usual positions. The bear held its microphone, the rabbit its guitar, and the chicken its cupcake. Nothing was out of place, nothing that she could see, anyway...
Glancing up at the clock in the office, she discovered the clock to read 7:00.
'Oh, of course,' she sighed to herself, relieved 'I fell asleep during my shift, it was just a nightmare!'
How foolish of her to think that the constructs were actually alive, that was just ridiculous! Insane! They were nothing more than shells of cloth and metal! Surely the things were just unsettling to her, that was the proper explanation.
On the other hand...why was she trying so hard to convince herself that her 'experience' had been nothing more than a dream? A result of boredom!
'Sweet Celestia...I'm worrying over nothing...' she thought with a chuckle.
Of course these attractions weren't alive! Of course they were a bit eerie, they somewhat resembled a pony, surely that was cause enough for her to be just the tiniest bit afraid...wasn't it?
Good god, she really was losing it!
'Rest...that's all I need...yes, a little rest...' the powder-blue mare thought, scratching at her scalp as she exited the office.
A low voice suddenly made itself known to her, whispering through the halls; following it, she came across Mister- damn it, Frank's office, situated between the kitchen and the restrooms.
"Yeah, I know-" came the voice of Frank, then a short pause "-I know, I know! I haven't even touched them! Somepony else switches them on before we open, and-"
Another pause as Trixie grew closer, the magician taking precaution not to be heard.
"Well can I help it if I'm afraid for my life?" Frank asked "Just...when can you get down here? The animatronics-"
Taking a risk, Trixie peeked into the doorway, finding Mr. Frazbear with his back to her, talking into a phone on his desk.
"Wha? Nothing! What did I just get through telling you? The animatronics- they've still got some...uh...glitches."
Frank said 'glitches' as if it were some obscenity, and he himself seated in the front row, before the priest.
"Tonight? Er...I don't know...we've got a new guard working the night shift..."
Trixie's ears swung up, eager to hear what her new boss had to say about her.
"Ah, I don't know, I haven't checked yet-"
Another pause, as somepony on the other end of the line interrupted the brown stallion.
"If she comes back, then yeah- just come in through the back way, with your key." he emphasized.
'What does he mean 'If I come back'?' she wondered, tiptoeing past the doorway to the office.
"Alright- hey, thanks again, you're a real life-saver."
With that, the conversation ceased, and the click of the mouthpiece made itself known, prompting Trixie to make her way down the hall, her boss none the wiser to what she'd just heard.
"Trixie!"
'Goddammit!' she cursed 'Well, there's another job down the drain...'
The unicorn turned, finding Frank stepping out of his office.
"Frank!" she stated, turning as she feigned surprise.
"Listen, about tonight's shift- there's a friend of mine that's going to be coming down here, sometime around your shift." the stallion stated, running a hand through his unkempt mane.
"Oh?" she asked, appearing to be suspicious.
'I should be an actress!' she thought sarcastically.
"Yes, he's coming to do an, er...routine check-up, on the animatronics; new technology and all that..."
'New?'
"Ah, anyway, just don't be surprised when you see him tonight." he said finally.
"I see, th-thank you for telling me."
Frank waved nonchalantly, turning around to trot back into his office.
"No problem," he called back, out-of-character for him.
But then again, Trixie had to admit she knew next to nothing about the nervous stallion, save what little she'd 'discovered'.
Venturing past the kitchen doors, the blue mare spied the animatronics, as still as they were the night before. A cream-colored mare with a light-orange mane hurried past her, quickly and efficiently setting out plates and party hats at the table nearest to her.
Trixie sighed, and left the restaurant, her mood doing nothing for her as she began the journey back to her wagon.
'What I wouldn't do for a hot bath right now...' she wished silently.
A small scooter, somehow containing three fillies zoomed towards her position. The showmare prepared to step out of the way of the wayward fillies when, to her surprise, they actually slowed down as they passed her, mixed emotions on their faces. Once the 'danger' had passed, they sped back up, rolling off to wherever they were headed, doing whatever the hell it was that the three troublemakers did.
How she wished she could have a normal life again...
Her eyes downcast, she took no notice of the being in front of her, and subsequently-
*SLAM*
Or...at least as normal as it could get in Ponyville.
Trixie felt her muzzle, and felt something wet slip out of her nose, and down her face.
'Son of a bitch!' she thought angrily 'Can nothing go right today?!'
"Ma'am! I'm so sorry!" the mystery-stallion said, dropping the box he was holding.
'Perhaps the day is not all bad.' she thought, still trying to stem the flow of blood from her muzzle.
Trixie looked up, and spied Princess Twilight's lover standing over her.
"J-Just wait here, I'll be right back!" he said, running into the library.
'Stupid of me to think that I could actually meet somepony...' she thought bitterly as the crimson substance dripped down her hand and onto the dirt road.
She looked around, and suddenly became an object of interest to the entire street. They gawked at her, as if she were some sort of side-show, specifically put there for their entertainment. Tears welled in her eyes, as the ponies around her shouted insults as she passed, showing no remorse for what they were doing.
"Hey Trixie, somepony finally give you what for?" shouted one stallion.
"Nothing less than what you deserve!" a mare declared.
"Eewww!" cried more than a few foals.
Trixie hightailed it back to her haven, not even bothering to put up a smokescreen. What was the point? She was a washed-out magician, and everypony knew it! They were never going to let her live in peace. They were going to ensure that every pony, far and wide, would know what she'd done. She'd never know love, she'd be constantly ridiculed, and she'd die alone; she knew this as fact.
Trixie entered her wagon, and slammed the door behind her in a fit of rage. Tears, blood, and mucus dripped down her face, mangling her appearance. She looked into the small vanity, wanting the madness to stop.
'Get it together!' she thought, trying to force herself to stop crying.
Removing a tissue from its box on the vanity, she held it to her muzzle, attempting to stem the flow. She desperately wished that there were someway for other ponies to accept her.
Trixie walked through the space between the Everfree Forest and Ponyville's border, trampling sprouting foliage as she ducked behind many of the suburb's backyards, easily avoiding being spotted by any of the hecklers in town. A chill ran down her spine as she passed the library, the back door to the building shut tight. The blue showmare soon came upon the front doors of Frazbear's restaurant, a party apparently in-progress just beyond the double glass doors.
'Well...this ought to be fun...' Trixie thought, entering the establishment.
A waitress rushed to her stand beside the door, hearing the bell above the door ring, menu in hand. A confused look quickly crossed her muzzle, before she slapped the menu down on the kiosk next to the door. The mare scurried off, presumably to do tasks more demanding of her attention.
Walking past long rows of tables, Trixie spied the three animatronics, each in their proper place, currently entertaining a small herd of foals. She shuddered, even though the objects of her uncertainty were clear across the room. She suddenly spied a stallion, clothed in a uniform similar to hers, standing at attention with his hands behind his back. She took notice of the nightstick hanging from his belt, and felt a pang of jealousy. He at least got some protection, why couldn't they do the same for her? The stallion discreetly nodded in her direction, touching the bill of his hat with his right hand. She awkwardly did the same, returning the gesture, as she passed, on her way to Frank's office.
"Hello? Frank?" she asked, peeking into his office.
The owner looked up from a stack of documents on his desk, revealing his tired eyes behind a pair of rectangular glasses that rested on his muzzle.
"Tr-Trixie? What are you doing here? Your shift doesn't begin for another three hours!" the stallion stated, rushing to cover the papers with a manila folder.
"I-I know sir...I just...er...wanted to...get to know the place..."
'Celestia, that sounded lame.'
Frank peered at her strangely- proof that he didn't find any stock in her claim.
"Trixie...can you do me a favor?" the stallion asked, his voice quiet.
"Of course sir, anything." Trixie replied, not much enthusiasm in her voice.
"Don't go poking your muzzle where it doesn't belong." he stated grimly.
The mare was shocked that Frank would make such a bold statement. Something twisted in her gut, mangling her stomach, her unfounded fears began to take root as Frank continued.
"You can arrive for your shift, and nothing else- I just...j-just don't come around during the day, understand?"
"Yes sir, perfectly."
"Good...you can uh, come back later..." he finished coldly.
She nodded stiffly, and turned to walk out of the room. A waiter carrying a deep dish pizza on a circular, metal platter brushed past her, rushing out to the party waiting out in the dining room.
Sighing to herself, Trixie left the restaurant, removing her hat. Dejectedly walking down the street, she no longer cared that she was out in the open. She just had to face the reality that nopony wanted her around, not even at work; her very last chance. Ponies heckled her, same as yesterday, unrelenting in their assault. Doing her best to ignore them, she saw her consort standing in front of the library, no boxes thankfully in his grasp.
"Oh, hey." he said suddenly as he passed her.
She almost tripped and fell, being so startled by the stallion's voice.
"Y-You're...you're..."
"I'm what?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"You're...t-talking to me..." she stammered.
His smile wavered on his face.
"Of course, why wouldn't I?"
"ARE YOU BUCKING BLIND?!?!" she wanted to shout "HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK?!?!"
She held her tongue, however, not wanting to blow her only chance at making a connection with the stallion.
"Um...I'm- I'm Trixie, who a-are you?"
"Ghost Writer," he replied "your last name wouldn't happen to be Lulamoon, would it?"
She gulped, knowing it was over.
"Y-Yes..."
'No sense in lying...'
"I think I knew a Lulamoon back in Manehattan, funny guy."
"Oh...oh, of course." she said, finding herself smiling widely.
"Are you from Manehattan? You don't sound like you are."
Trixie coughed into her fist.
"Er, no- I'm from Broncton, originally..."
"Oh, that's a nice town, they've got a good theater troupe there."
Trixie nodded, barely meeting the stallion's gaze.
"They do indeed, that's...that's sort of how I got into magic."
"Wow, really?" he asked.
She nodded again, getting a bit more comfortable.
"Yes- I was really into acting, I used to perform short plays for my parents..."
"And that led into magic?"
"Yeah...there was a travelling circus coming through town, and I...I was just so- so- hypnotized by the magicians. I decided I wanted to try it and...I never went back..."
She was silent for a moment, not believing that she shared such a personal memory with a complete stranger. The two stood in the street, neither quite knowing what to say. The silence was interrupted as the library door opened, revealing the purple alicorn princess herself. Twilight Sparkle closed the door to the library, calling to somepony inside. Trixie did her best not to run screaming from the couple, but having difficult remaining rooted to the spot.
"Pr-Princess Sp-Sparkle..." Trixie stammered, staring down at her hooves.
The alicorn's eyes lit up, surprise and shock displayed on her muzzle.
"Trixie! It's been so long! How have you been?" Twilight asked.
'You ruin my life, and you dare ask me how I am?'
"Fine," she mumbled "I see life has been fairer to you than I."
Twilight had the nerve to blush, looking back at her wings as they flexed.
"..."
"Well! I believe you and I had somewhere to be, correct?" Ghost said to Twilight, while shooting an apologetic glance at Trixie.
"Oh, yes! Yes we do!" Twilight said, as if she just remembered.
The princess turned from her coltfriend, and to Trixie.
"It was...nice...seeing you again, maybe we can schedule to have lunch some time?"
"I would enjoy that." Trixie stated, attempting to sound interested.
Twilight nodded, and she and Ghost linked arms as they turned to walk down the street, leaving Trixie alone.
Ignoring the many stares she was getting, she turned and headed towards her wagon, looking forward to a three-hour nap.
Trixie sat back in her chair, flipping through the camera feeds on the tablet. The clock in the office read 1:45, and she sighed to herself as she realized just how much of her shift was left. Here alone...
...in the dark...
...with nopony to talk to.
'Livin' the dream, Trixie...' she thought amusedly to herself.
Keeping an eye on the show stage, she cycled through each of the rooms one more time before leaving the camera on the stage.
A low thumping suddenly made itself known at the front of the restaurant. Checking the tablet, she found nothing wrong inside the restaurant, and figured it must be the repair-pony Frank was talking to on the phone. She set the tablet down as she wondered if she should leave the office, or just wait for the repair-pony to find her. Her heart thumped in her chest as the sound of hooves clopping against the linoleum floors echoed throughout the office, growing closer.
"Are y'a-"
Trixie screeched, the tablet flying from her hand. It landed with a sharp crack on the floor as Trixie clutched her heart, staring at the red stallion hanging in the doorway.
"D-Don't s-sc-scare me like th-that!" Trixie shouted "And just who are you, anyway?!"
"Ah'm here t' do a favor fer Frank." the stallion stated, still chewing on the straw of hay hanging out one corner of his mouth.
"You? You're the repair-pony?" Trixie asked incredulously, looking the large stallion up and down.
He certainly didn't look like somepony who'd be educated enough to know about mechanics, judging by his dirtied, blue overalls and orange workshirt. His green eyes looked as if they held little information beyond knowing the best time to pick crops!
"Aren't you th' pony that went and took over all a' Ponyville a few months ago?" he asked.
"Yes," Trixie sighed "yes I am- I've heard it all before, so let's hear it."
"Pardon?"
"Go ahead, mock me."
The stallion cocked an eyebrow.
"Insult me, you know?"
"'Fraid I don't follow, miss." the red stallion stated in his low baritone.
"What I did."
"Ah remember."
"You...you aren't going to...harass me?"
"Don't see why ah should, ah made mah fair share a' mistakes."
Trixie inspected his muzzle for any hint of insincerity, or maybe sarcasm.
"Not one that big, o' course..."
There it was, the other horseshoe had dropped.
"I'm well aware of my...transgressions..." Trixie sighed "now, are you going to explain why you're here, or do I have to throw you out?"
That was a joke in and of itself, the stallion was at least a good three hooves taller than her.
"Ah see," the stallion stated "ahm Big Macintosh, by th' way."
He turned, and walked down the hall, leaving Trixie alone in the office.
"W-Wait a minute!" Trixie cried, picking up the tablet and running after him.
The stallion half turned, still walking, but not stopping.
"Yeah?"
"You're seriously the stallion that Frank hired to fix the animatronics?"
"What? A simple farm pony can't have a hobby?"
"You build robots...as a hobby?"
"Beats carvin' whistles, ah got twenty of 'em already."
"But you're so...so..."
"Unintelligent? Dimwit? A Dirt-raker?"
"YES!" her mind shouted, but she pushed it out before the word could escape her lips.
"'Ah heard it all before.'" he said, quoting her own words.
"Ah, I...I see..." Trixie said "...sorry..."
"S'alright." he replied.
"So...are you and Frank very close?"
"Known each other since we were colts." he replied simply.
"Oh..." she said.
The conversation died right then and there.
Macintosh climbed up onto the stage, and ducked behind the animatronics. Due to the darkness, she couldn't quite make out what he was doing, but could hear him well enough.
"Er, what exactly are you doing?" she asked, trying to peek.
"Checkin' the joints," he grunted as his red fingers pinched at Freddy's elbows "these guys might be left on a roamin' mode, but hey, better t' be safe than sorry, right?"
She nodded numbly- and then felt something snap inside her head.
"Wait...roaming mode?" she asked.
Macintosh stopped inspecting Freddy, and stared down at her, over the robotic bear's shoulder.
"Nopony ever told ya?" he asked incredulously.
"T-T-Tell me wh-what?"
"Ah built 'em with a night mode, that way ah don't have to come in everyday an' check 'em fer problems."
Trixie held a hand to her head, trying to make sense of the situation she was in. Here she was, stuck working the graveyard shift at a creepy pizzeria, getting only a hundred and twenty bits a week, with possessed robots roaming the halls.
"Could this get any worse?" she muttered into her hands.
Fate, being the cruel bitch that it was, decided she hadn't suffered enough.
The three robotic animals came to life, faint clicking and whirring emanating from inside the suits. Macintosh backed way, climbing off the stage, and waited patiently. The rabbit worked its jaw, as Freddy and the chicken stretched their arms. Three sets of eyes looked down at her, and almost wet herself.
"H-Hey there Mac-Mac-MacIntosh." the bear, Freddy, she remembered, said to the red stallion behind him.
"Hey Freddy," Big Mac replied, moving onto the rabbit, standing just to the left of the bear "how's life treatin' ya?"
"Same old same old." the robot replied, nodding a bit.
'Amazing...' Trixie thought to herself, just now finding the rate of Equestrian technology incredible 'a...an artifical life...that can actually respond...'
Trixie gave a sideways glance to the farm-stallion, staring at him curiously.
'This simple stallion built these amazing things?' she recalled, finding herself thinking of the red stallion in a different light.
"That voice box givin' y'all trouble again? Coulda sworn ah fixed 'em just last month."
"Feels like long-longer." Bonnie replied, the very one that had disappeared from the stage just last night.
"Yeah...ah ought ta come in more often, if'n that's alright with you, Miss Trixie."
The blue showmare vaguely realized that she was being talked to, and lifted her head a bit.
"Oh, um, yes!" she replied a bit too enthusiastically, rapidly nodding, then had a thought "Though...I'd have to ask Frank first..."
"Ahm sure Frank would agree, he usually doesn't call for repairs, I just check in with 'im the night before I come."
"Oh...the...the roaming mode, I suppose, is useful?" Trixie asked nervously, still not sure about how she felt about the feature.
Big Mac nodded, now moving on to Bonnie.
"Yeah...I had ta install that after the first incident with 'em..." the large stallion replied sheepishly.
"Incident?" Trixie asked, concerned.
"Nothin' too big...from what ah know, one a' Chica's legs locked up, and she tripped over a couple a' foals, almost landed muzzle-first into a birthday cake." he chuckled.
'He must have a death wish if he's laughing at one of these creepy things...' she thought to herself, then noticed Freddy and Bonnie join him.
"I re-re-remember that," Bonnie stated, laughing "wasn't that the same-same day that Fr-Freddy lost one of his ears to a twin? What was th-the-ir name...Pie or something like that..."
"Oh, the Cake twins." MacIntosh nodded, now him, Bonnie, and Chica giggling at the poor bear's misfortune "That Ah remember, it took 'em 'till closin' time ta get it away from 'em."
The bear grumbled something incoherent to her ears, but was apparently heard by Big Mac, whom flinched in response to whatever the animatronic had mumbled.
"Oh well...er, I'm s-sure the four of you must have a lot to get to, so I'll just get out of your way..." Trixie said, backing away, as to go down to the security office.
None of them made any objections, and she turned, heading down to her 'office'.
"What's wr-wrong with h-her?" Chica asked.
"She's just...dealin' with somethin' personal right now..." Big Mac said, remaining vague.
"Oh, like Frank?" Bonnie asked as MacIntosh moved on to Chica.
"Yeah...somethin' like that..."
Meanwhile, Trixie sat herself on the swivel chair situated in the office, idly flipping through the camera feed as she sat, bored in the office. She asked herself why she didn't just go back out and stay with MacIntosh and the three automatons. She knew why, because she had planned to keep as far away from the things as possible. They scared the living hell out of her! Since when the hell were robots a thing in Equestria? How had she heard nothing about these terrifying, wondrous marvels? Was she so behind on the times that-
Trixie was snapped out of her thoughts, as she heard a shuffling sound, low moaning accompanying it. Quickly looking down at the feed, she saw that MacIntosh was still with the three animatronics on the show stage. Cycling through the cameras, she landed on a hall closet, something odd catching her eye. A poster in the enclosed space was...different...she could've sworn that it wasn't that way before...then again, she really had no interest in what was on the walls, but rather, what was inside the walls.
A large hand suddenly gripped her shoulder, and she nearly caught a cold, from the way chills ran up and down her spine. Tentatively looking up, she hoped that it was just MacIntosh, coming to say that he'd finished his work with Freddy and the others. She squeaked in fear, as she stared into the black, soulless eyes of a gold-colored Freddy, its jaw hanging open, revealing the dull, metal teeth of the skeleton that made the whole thing move.
"Um...can- can- I h-help you?" she asked timidly, shaking under the firm grip of the eerie thing.
'Frank, if I make it through tonight...I'm going to bucking murder you...'
"W...W...W...a...t...e...r..." it gasped, heavy breaths attempting to push themselves out of its mouth.
"W-water...?" Trixie whispered to herself.
'What would a robot want with water?' she wondered.
"Yes...yes, I'll get some for you...you just- just wait here..."
Dazedly wandering out of the office, she stumbled down the hall, towards the kitchen. She didn't realized she'd passed it, and before she knew what was happening, she bumped right into Big Mac's strong arms. Gripping one of them for dear life, Trixie nearly collapsed as MacIntosh tried to support her.
"Miss Trixie? What's th' matter?" he asked.
"Fr-Freddy...gold...office..." she murmured, not letting herself cry in front of the stallion.
MacIntosh gently set her against a table, making sure she was able to support herself, before he disappeared down the hall. He came back a moment later, confusion on his face.
"Ah don't know what's got y'all so spooked, there ain't nothin' there." he said.
"But...but...the gold Freddy!" she sputtered, not believing him.
"Trixie, ah know Frank just hired ya an' all, but Ah never made a gold Freddy costume."
Trixie found herself standing in the halls of Fazbear's, unsure of how she got there, or why she was here. Her flashlight shook in her hand, the light bobbing against the grime-stained walls as she waved it about, looking for any sign of life in the building. She also noticed, scarcely, she was dressed in her security guard uniform.
"Hello? The Great and Powerful Nightwatch demands you reveal yourself!" she called into the dimly lit restaurant.
She heard a vague response, unable to make it out, like a whispering in the back of her mind. She took a few steps down the hall, her hooves clopping against the linoleum and echoing far more than she had ever remembered.
She heard it again, then something shoved past her, shoulder-checking her as she spun on her heels, as the thing dodged the beam of her flashlight.
A shrill scream wailed in her ear, forcing her ears to fold as she collapsed, dropping her flashlight.
The wail subsided, but when she moved to grab her flashlight, she caught sight of something in the beam's golden iris. It looked blue, maybe a new Bonnie that MacIntosh was working on?
No sooner had she gripped the heavy handle of the light did she hear, as clear as day, "Let's find a suit that's right for you.". Trembling, she lifted the light, and staring down at her was a hideous caricature of herself, security uniform and all, built as one of the animatronics. There were handprints around the empty, dark eyes, and the fur of the thing was ragged around the neck. The head lulled forward as if in a drunken haze, and a glazed, purple eye rolled out of the left eye socket, dangling by an nerve.
Trixie screamed until it felt like her lungs burst, and then scrambled in the opposite direction as fast as she could. The monstrous thing followed her, keeping up at an incredible pace, despite its apparently decrepit condition. The hall stretched on and on, each time she passed posters and drawings all more hideous and ominous than the last.
"Join the party!" the thing hissed at her, grabbing at her with thin, metal fingers, far too close for comfort in Trixie's opinion.
She felt its grip tighten on one of her shoulders, before a she felt the thing forcefully split her horn in two with a fist. There was an intense moment of panic as she felt herself pass out.
A scream tore from her throat as Trixie jumped in her bed, rolling onto her wagon's wooden floor in a tangle of blankets. Sweat sheened her coat, no doubt the cold sweat she had during her night terror.
"Ugh..." she moaned, holding a hand to her forehead, and then idly making sure that she did indeed, still have a functioning horn.
She shivered as she remembered the nightmare vividly, almost too vividly if she was honest. Levitating a glass of water from her bedside and then sipping from it gently, was she able to collect herself.
