What starts off as a simple summer job becomes a nightmare from Hell as Sunset Shimmer finds herself fighting for survival against a bunch of psychotic animatronics.
Sunset Shimmer takes a new job at a children's entertainment restaurant downtown as the night guard. At first, things start off simple: show up for five nights, work the night shift, earn the pay and leave. But as she begins her shift, Sunset suddenly realizes that this place is not everything it seems, as she learns about its dark history and how the animatronics inside the restaurant seem to be hunting her. Can Sunset survive, or will she become another part of Freddy Fazbear's mechanical family?
The bell of Canterlot High rang at the 3 p.m. on a fine summer day, indicating the end of another school year. As students ran to and fro to their lockers to gather their things and head home for the summer, six girls in particular were hanging out by the statue in front of the school’s entrance. Sunset Shimmer, a former-Equestrian-turned-human with light orange skin and fiery red hair with yellow stripes, opened her backpack and took out a newspaper that she had placed inside earlier that morning. Her friend Rainbow Dash, an athletic female with cyan skin and rainbow-streaked hair, noticed this and peeked over.
“Come on, Sunset,” Rainbow griped as she and Sunset looked up and down the paper, “You’ve been looking at this darn newspaper all day. Would you take a break from it for, like, two minutes, already?” Sunset looked up from the paper at her friend.
“I know it looks like I’m obsessing over it, but I’ve been thinking about getting a summer job for a while now,” Sunset replied, “I mean, seriously, how hard could it be? Sign up for a few weeks, earn some quick cash, and then chill out the rest of the summer. Plain and simple.” Just then, her friend Rarity, a good-natured girl with alabaster skin, blue eyes, and purple hair, decided to speak up.
“You know, Sunset, if you want to, you could always help me and me parents at the boutique,” she suggested, “We’re always getting piled up with the latest summer trends and we could always use an extra set of hands.” Sunset tapped her chin with her finger for a second.
“Sounds fun, Rarity, but I think I’ll have to say ‘no’ to that one,” Sunset replied, “The last time I tried to help at the boutique, I nearly got my finger caught up in one of the sewing machines. I learned that day that fashion is not my destined career.” Rarity nodded in understanding.
“How about helping me and my brother down at the orchards?” Applejack, a slightly muscular girl with tannish-orange skin, light green eyes and blonde hair asked, “I’m sure we could find something for you to do.” Sunset looked her friend in the eye.
“Thanks Applejack, but I just want to find a job that’s simple and has a decent pay,” Sunset answered, “But I do appreciate the offer.” Pinkie Pie, an eccentric girl with cotton candy-pink skin and curly magenta hair, took the newspaper from Sunset and began to do some reading of her own. After a minute of scrolling through the pages, the party-planner finally stopped and pointed to an advertisement.
“Hey, how about this one?” the bubbly girl said as she read the advertisement, “’Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza: Family pizzeria looking for security guard to work the nightshift. 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. Monitor cameras and ensure safety of equipment and animatronic characters. Not responsible for any injuries on the job. Pay is $120 a week.” Everyone perked up at this, most particularly Sunset.
“Looks like we just found that job I was looking for,” Sunset said, her cyan eyes practically gleaming, “Tomorrow, I’ll head down to Freddy Fazbear’s and ask about getting a job interview.” With that, Pinkie Pie handed the newspaper back to Sunset, who put it back in her knapsack. As the six girls prepared to leave, Fluttershy, a girl with pale-yellow skin and fairy-pink hair, softly spoke up.
“Um, Sunset, are you sure about this?” the shy teen asked, “I’ve heard some pretty bad things about that place, and while I’m not trying to stop you from getting that job you want, I just don’t want you to get hurt.” Sunset smiled and put a hand on her friend’s shoulder.
“I’m sure it won’t be that bad, Flutters,” Sunset replied. With that, the six began their walk home. One by one, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Applejack branched off and walked in the direction of their respective homes, leaving Sunset and Fluttershy walking alone. As the pair walked on, Sunset couldn’t help but think of Fluttershy’s words from earlier; something about bad things happening at the restaurant.
“Hey Fluttershy, can I ask you something?” Sunset asked as Fluttershy turned to look at her and nodded, “What was that you said earlier about ‘bad things’ about Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza?” Fluttershy looked down at her feet in response.
“Well, these are probably just rumors, but I heard somewhere that some children went missing at one of the restaurant’s chain locations,” she replied, “And before that, there was an incident where one of the animatronic characters actually bit down on a customer’s head and caused severe damage to his brain. He survived, thank goodness, but his frontal lobe is now completely nonfunctional.” Sunset winced at this, knowing from what she learned in anatomy class that while the brain could go on without the frontal lobe, the person would be comatose for a long time while the brain compensated for the damage.
“Well, that was a long time ago, right?” Sunset replied with a nervous chuckle, “I’m sure that things have improved since then, right?” Fluttershy looked at Sunset and noticed how her confidence seemed to waver for a bit with that last sentence.
“You know, if you want I can give you a lift to the restaurant,” she suggested, “I actually went there a couple times when I was a little girl and I still know where it is.” Sunset beamed at the idea.
“Thanks, I’d appreciate that,” Sunset replied. With a final smile and a wave, the two friends went their separate ways, Fluttershy heading to her house and Sunset to a bus stop to take her to her apartment. After an hour of waiting and a 15-minute bus ride, Sunset unlocked her apartment, went inside and set her backpack on the kitchen table before getting out the newspaper and picking up the phone on the counter. After dialing the number in the advertisement, the phone rang twice before someone answered.
“Hello, and thank you for calling Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a fun place for kids and grown-ups alike,” the person on the other end of the line deadpanned, “We’re famous for providing great 24/7 customer service, from birthday parties to weddings.”
“Hi, my name is Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset answered, “I read in the newspaper that your facility is in need of a security guard, and I was interested in applying.” With that, Sunset and the employee on the phone began the long conversation leading up to arranging a job interview.
…
The following day, Sunset called Fluttershy on her cell phone and asked her to give her a lift to the restaurant for her interview. After a 45-minute wait, Fluttershy arrived at the apartment building and Sunset quickly climbed into the passenger seat before the two of them drove down the road. As they went through town, Fluttershy looked over at Sunset, who was looking over the newspaper article again.
“Um, Sunset, I don’t mean to repeat everyone when I ask this, but are you really sure that you want to do this?” the shy girl inquired, “I don’t know how to put this, but the way you described the call yesterday, something just doesn’t feel right.” Sunset looked over at her friend with a small grin and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“It’ll be fine, Flutters,” Sunset said with surety, “And besides, you said it yourself. Those ‘bad things’ that happened there are probably just rumors. I really doubt a bunch of life-sized toys are going to do any damage.”
“I hope you’re right,” Fluttershy said as she looked back at the road.
“If you are, then at least you get to say ‘I told you so’,” Sunset replied. Another 10 minutes went by, and the two teens were soon at downtown Canterlot. Sunset looked around and saw that most of the buildings were either really run-down or condemned for demolition. Yet some of the buildings were still in good condition, so it didn’t take long for Sunset to find her new potential workplace, even though the big sign on the front that said “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza: A Magical Place for Kids and Grown-ups Alike” was an obvious giveaway. Fluttershy pulled her car into a parking spot and the two got out of the car and walked into the restaurant. Upon entry, Sunset noticed that the front entrance was decorated with all kinds of children’s drawings and party decorations, indicating the restaurant’s popularity with children.
Pinkie would definitely love this place, Sunset thought as she and Fluttershy walked past the main party room. The two looked inside and saw what appeared to be heaven for children. On the far end of the room there was an arcade full of all kinds of games, ranging from 8-bit games like Donkey Kong to classic table games like air hockey. In the center of the room were several long tables surrounded by chairs, all of which were occupied by children eating pizza and laughing with each other. On the other far side of the room was a large play area next to a small attraction that seemed to be closed off by a curtain. The real show-stealer, however, was in the center of the room. Music suddenly started playing, which attracted the kids’ attention, and the curtains on a large central stage opened up to reveal three large costumed characters. On the left was a purple rabbit with a red bow tie and carrying a bass guitar, and on the right was a yellow bird holding a cupcake in its left hand and wearing an apron that said “Let’s Eat!” But the real star of the show, however, was a large brown bear standing in the middle. It was wearing a black hat and bow tie and holding a microphone in its right hand.
“Looks like Freddy hasn’t changed that much since I was here,” Fluttershy said as the animatronics began singing and the children roared in excitement.
“You know their names?” Sunset asked.
“Of course,” Fluttershy replied, “When I was a little girl, one of my friends invited me to her birthday party here. It was the most fun I ever had in my childhood. The bear’s name is Freddy, the bunny’s name is Bonnie and the bird’s name is Chica.” With that, the two continued on, but not before Sunset noticed the animatronic Fluttershy identified as “Bonnie” seemed to be staring right at her. A shiver ran down her spine as she ran to catch up with Fluttershy. The two walked up to the desk at the end of the front entrance and rang the bell to get the attendant’s attention.
“Excuse me, my name is Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset said as the attendant looked up at her, “I called yesterday about a job interview for night security guard.”
“Ah, yes,” the attendant said, “Mr. Fazbear has been expecting you. His office is the last door on the right of the hallway.” Nodding in understanding, Sunset looked over to Fluttershy.
“Um, I’ll just wait out here,” the shy teen said. Sunset nodded again and walked down the hall to the manager’s office. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door and waited.
“Come in,” a voice said from behind the door. Sunset turned the doorknob and walked into the office, seeing a man with brown skin in a white shirt and black pants sitting at a large wooden desk. The man looked up and saw her standing in front of him. “Ah, Ms. Shimmer. Thank you for coming, please take a seat.” Sunset complied, sitting in one of the two chairs in front of the desk. Mr. Fazbear cleared his throat before speaking. “So, my assistant told me that you were looking to work as our new security guard?”
“That’s right, although you can thank my friends for pointing it out to me in the first place,” Sunset replied. Mr. Fazbear chuckled at this.
“Nice to see someone humble,” the man said with a grin, “Not many people are like that nowadays.” Sunset had to fight the urge to fidget at these words, as they brought up painful memories for her. “Before we go into any of the job details, I need to ask you a few questions. Have you ever had any other jobs before this one?”
“Nope, this is my first one,” Sunset replied.
“Excellent,” Mr. Fazbear said, “Are you comfortable working in small spaces?”
“Yes, but that’s because I’m already used to doing schoolwork behind a desk,” Sunset answered with a chuckle.
“Good, now for the final question,” Mr. Fazbear said with his tone suddenly sounding more serious, “Do you have any problems with anxiety or nervousness?” This took Sunset by surprise.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Sunset answered, “If I did, then I’d be telling you about it right now.” Mr. Fazbear raised an eyebrow, and Sunset suddenly felt tense, feeling like she had just blown her only chance at getting a job. But then, Mr. Fazbear suddenly smiled and stood up.
“Perfect. Follow me and I’ll show you where you’ll be working for the next week,” the manager said as the two walked out of the office and walked down the hall. They eventually came to a large open door leading to a small office. Inside the office was a desk put up in front of a wall lined with all kinds of posters and more children’s drawings related to the restaurant and its signature characters. On the desk were a small metal fan for temperature regulation, a telephone and a small tablet. The place looked a bit dusty and looked like it could use some tidying up, but other than that, it seemed to be the perfect office for a security guard.
“Doesn’t look like much,” Sunset said as she looked around the small room.
“Yeah, I know it doesn’t, but this small room is probably the most important part of the facility,” Mr. Fazbear replied, “After all, it’s your job to make sure nothing gets in or out after hours. See this tablet?” He gestured to the device in question, to which Sunset nodded.
“This little device is linked to all the security cameras positioned all around the restaurant. All you have to do is press this button on the bottom to turn it on, then just press any of the rooms on the screen to see through the camera in it.” To prove his point, Mr. Fazbear turned on the camera to reveal footage seen through the camera by the stage. Sunset looked on it and saw Freddy and his friends on the stage, singing songs and telling jokes to the children.
“That’s actually pretty cool,” Sunset said as Mr. Fazbear turned off the tablet and placed it on the desk. The two walked out of the security room and back to Mr. Fazbear’s office. Once the two were seated, Mr. Fazbear looked Sunset dead in the eye with a serious look on his face once again.
“I also have something to tell you, Ms. Shimmer,” the manager said, “A personal matter really. This company is dying. Because of our dark recent history, we’ve been due to close by year’s end.”
“Sorry to hear about that,” Sunset replied, “My friend Fluttershy told me this place was quite popular back in its heyday. She even went here once on her friend’s birthday party.”
“This company was once my uncle’s property,” Fazbear continued, “When he died 20 years ago, he passed the torch down to me. I tried to make the best of what I had, but it seems that fate wasn’t in my favor then and now. First those children disappear, then that one patron nearly gets his head bitten off, then our company’s original location has to be shut down and everything transferred to a smaller facility, and now we’re finally being shut down due to health conditions. But, there’s no point in dwelling on the past now. Report here tomorrow night at 11:30 and we’ll get you settled in.”
“Sure thing,” Sunset replied as she shook Mr. Fazbear’s hand and strode out of his office, a smile of success on her face. She walked out into the main entrance lobby, where Fluttershy was seated in a chair by the front door. Fluttershy saw the smile on her friend’s face and warmly approached her.
“So, did you get the job?” Fluttershy eagerly asked her hands fidgeting in anticipation. Sunset quickly nodded. Overjoyed, Fluttershy squealed in delight and hugged her friend tightly, Sunset returning the hug without hesitation.
“Tomorrow night, I start my first summer job,” Sunset replied. With that, the two walked back out to the car and drove home. But if Sunset took the time to look back in the party room as she walked out, she would’ve noticed that Freddy had his big blue eyes focused on her the whole time.
As the clock wound closer to the appointed time of her shift, Sunset Shimmer was scrolling through the email that Mr. Fazbear had sent her earlier that day. She had also sent Fluttershy a text message asking her to give her a ride to the pizzeria. After shutting off her computer and putting her cell phone inside her bag, Sunset heard a knock on her door. The girl walked over to the door and puled it open to see Fluttershy standing in the hallway outside. She was wearing a light jacket, indicating that it was a bit cold outside.
“Hey Sunset,” the shy teen greeted, “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah, just give me a second,” Sunset replied, grabbing her keys from the entrance table before closing her door and locking it. With that, the two girls walked out the apartment and over to Fluttershy’s car, which was parked against the sidewalk just outside the building. They got into the car, where Fluttershy put the key into the ignition and started the engine. With the vehicle activated, Fluttershy turned on the headlights and drove down the road. After a lengthy car ride, which wouldn’t have been so if not for an unexpected traffic jam, the two finally arrived at Freddy Fazbear’s so Sunset could begin her first night on the new job.
“Thanks again for the lift, Flutters,” Sunset said as she got her things and got out of the car.
11:30 p.m.
“You’re welcome, Sunset,” Fluttershy replied, “See you tomorrow morning.” With that, Fluttershy turned the car back on and drove back down the road, leaving Sunset facing the restaurant alone. Taking a deep breath and brushing a strand of hair away from her face, Sunset walked up to the front door and pushed it open before walking into the front lobby, where she saw Mr. Fazbear talking with a couple of employees. The manager heard the door open and saw Sunset standing behind the employees he was talking to.
“As, Ms. Shimmer,” he greeted with a smile, “Glad you made it.” He turned to the employees.
“You two are dismissed. Have a good night.” With that, the employees turned around and headed for the door, but one of them looked at Sunset with a face that Sunset could only describe as concern before he left. Turning back to the manager, Sunset walked over and shook his hand.
“I’m ready to get started,” Sunset said, anticipating any last-minute instructions. Mr. Fazbear smiled at the teen’s enthusiasm.
“Excellent, but before we go over the rules of the night watch, I need to ask you one thing,” Mr. Fazbear said, “What are your clothing and shoe sizes?” Sunset raised an eyebrow in response.
“I wear a women’s medium and size 6 shoes,” she replied.
“Good, that’ll save us time in finding the right uniform for you,” Mr. Fazbear said as he led Sunset down the hall to a back room. Upon entry, Sunset noticed a shelf lined with uniforms of varying sizes. Mr. Fazbear walked over to the shelf and took a bundle of clothing and a pair of black shoes from it. Turning back to Sunset, the manager handed her the items and pointed to her left.
“There’s a changing room over there,” he instructed as Sunset turned in the direction he was pointing in and saw a door, “Go ahead and get dressed, I’ll be waiting outside.” With that, he went and walked out the door, while Sunset went to the changing room. Ten minutes later, Sunset stepped out of the room to reveal her new uniform. It had a white shirt with a black tie, a blue vest with a security badge on it, black pants and black shoes. She also had a blue cap that read “Security” in yellow letters. After she put her day clothes in her bag, Sunset walked out of the room and back into the hall, where Mr. Fazbear was waiting for her.
“Alright, now what?” Sunset asked.
“Follow me, and we’ll get you settled into your new office,” Mr. Fazbear answered as he led Sunset to the security office she had seen the other day, only now it looked like someone had taken the time to properly clean it. The dust was swept up, the cobwebs in the corners were removed, and the scraps of paper were removed and thrown in the wastebasket. Sunset sat down on the chair in front of the desk and prepared for any instruction that Mr. Fazbear had to give her.
“Alright, the nightshift runs from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.,” Mr. Fazbear explained, “You’ll be monitoring the security cameras in the restaurant to make sure that nothing happens after hours, like nothing or no one gets in or out. However, you can’t leave this office while on duty, so if you need to use the bathroom, now would be a good time.” With a quick nod, Sunset got up from the chair.
“Could you point out where the bathroom is?” Sunset asked.
“It’s down that hallway,” Mr. Fazbear said as he pointed to the door behind her, “The women’s room is the last door on the left.” Nodding, Sunset walked down the hall. A few minutes later, she retuned and sat back down.
“There’s nothing else that I have to say for you other than ‘good luck,’” Mr. Fazbear said as he and Sunset shook hands again, “See you in the morning.” With that, the manager walked out of the office and left the building. Once he was gone, Sunset placed her bag on the desk and leaned back in her chair, taking a moment to relax before the six long hours ahead of her commenced. Tiredness suddenly coming over her, the teen found herself closing her eyes and drifting off into a quick nap.
12:00 a.m. 1st Night
A loud ringing abruptly woke Sunset up from her nap as the girl frantically sat up, looking for the source of the sound. She eventually realized that it was coming from the telephone on the desk, and that there was a red light blinking on the console. Just then, a message began to play off the phone.
“Hello? Hello, hello? Um, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night,” said a disembodied voice over the phone.
Well, that’s really nice, Sunset thought as she listened to the message.
“I actually worked in that office before you,” the voice continued, “I’m finishing up my last week now as a matter of fact. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing to worry about. Uh, you’ll do fine. So let’s just focus on getting you through your first week, okay?”
Sure, why not? Sunset thought as she took out a pad and pen from her bag and began taking notes.
“Uh, let’s see, there’s an introductory greeting from the company that I’m supposed to read. Kind of a legal thing, you know? ‘Welcome to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza: A Magical Place for Kids and Grown-ups alike, Where Fantasy and Fun Come To Life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovery that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpet have been replaced.’” Sunset looked up from her notepad and widened her eyes in shock.
“What?!” Sunset asked herself as the message went on.
“Blah blah blah, now that might sound bad, I know, but there’s really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I was forced to sing those same stupid songs for 20 years and I never got a bath? I’d be a bit irritable at night, too. So remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children, and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay.”
“Okay,” Sunset replied in a shocked whisper, still getting over what she just heard a few moments ago.
“Just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they’re left in some kind of free-roaming mode at night. Something about their servos locking up if they’re turned off for too long. They actually used to be able to roam around during the day, but then there was The Bite of ’87. Yeah, it’s amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?” Sunset widened her eyes again.
Looks like that bite wasn’t just a rumor, Fluttershy, Sunset thought.
“Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as the night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters… Uh, if they happen to see you after hours, they won’t recognize you as a person. They’ll, uh, most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on. Now since that’s against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, they’ll try to… forcefully stuff you into a Freddy Fazbear suit.” Sunset raised an eyebrow in confusion.
So if they see me, they’ll try to make me wear a stupid costume? That doesn’t sound so bad, Sunset thought. What the message said next, however, would completely turn those thoughts against her.
“Now, that wouldn’t be so bad,” the voice said, parroting Sunset’s words, “if the suits themselves weren’t filled with all kinds of crossbeams, wires and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So you can imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those things could cause a bit of discomfort… and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would most likely be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask.” Upon this revelation, Sunset felt like she was about to collapse out of her seat. Those things were trying to kill her?! And she signed up for this kind of job?!
What were you possibly thinking, Sunset?! The teen practically screamed the thought as the message went on.
“Y-yeah, they don’t tell you these kinds of things when you sign up. But hey, first night should be a breeze. I’ll chat with you tomorrow. Now, check those cameras, and close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night.” The recording ended, leaving Sunset in a state of shock, confusion, and terror. Without thinking twice, she quickly reached out for the tablet on the desk and turned it on, seeing the footage of the stage camera. All three animatronics were still on the stage, as they were when the day ended. Quickly taking a deep breath as she panned to the camera in the main party room, in front of the stage, Sunset began talking to herself in an attempt to calm down.
“Okay Sunset, you got this,” she said with attempted confidence, “That guy was just pranking you, trying to give you the willies. There’s absolutely no way that these things are alive,” she muttered. Her hopes, however, were dashed when she turned the camera back to the stage, only to see that Bonnie was nowhere to be seen. Sunset began sweating and began flipping through the cameras in hopes of finding him. Eventually she found him in the backstage area. The large purple rabbit was standing in the doorway, and was facing in the camera’s general direction.
“How the heck did you get there?” Sunset questioned, then she remembered something the guy in the message said something about them being able to walk around at night. Deciding that Bonnie was no longer an imminent threat, Sunset flipped the camera back to the main room, where she saw that Freddy and Chica were still on the stage. Sighing with relief, Sunset looked through the cameras in the supply closet and the bathrooms, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Deciding to retrace a few steps, Sunset turned the camera back to the stage, finding the other two animatronics were still in their places. The orange-skinned girl then turned the camera back to the backstage area. What she saw, however, caused her to cry out in fear and alarm. There was Bonnie, still in the backstage room… and he was staring straight into the camera up-close.
“What is this place?” Sunset asked in a hushed panic. This was going to be a very, very long night.
2:00 a.m. 1st Night
So far, things had been going absolutely hectic for Sunset. Two hours in and over a fifth of her power supply had already been used, Chica was now off the stage, and at one point, Bonnie had almost gotten into the office had Sunset not heard his heavy metal footsteps approaching and closed the door in time. Sunset was also thankful that she hadn’t had anything to drink before starting her shift, because she would’ve had to get a new uniform otherwise. But now she had her hands full with two animatronics roaming through the restaurant, her life hanging in the balance. Sunset opened the camera tablet to check the whereabouts of her new mechanical friends.
“Alright, all quiet on both sides,” Sunset said as she saw that Bonnie was in the dining area and Chica was in the restroom area. Sunset checked the other areas and saw that Freddy, as usual, was still on the stage. She then flipped to an area of the main room that seemed to be closed off by a curtain with a sign that said “OUT OF ORDER” in black paint.
“What’s back there?” Sunset quietly asked. She had seen that place a couple times during her camera scans, and her curiosity began to get peaked by its contents. Putting the camera down, Sunset reached over to the light button next to the door on her left to check if anyone or anything got too close for comfort. Pressing the button, a small light appeared in the hallway, but there was nothing in sight. Sighing with relief, Sunset performed the same procedure on the other side, and also saw nothing there as well. Picking the camera back up, Sunset scrolled through the different sections of the restaurant and saw that Chica had left the bathroom area and was standing in the entrance of the east hall.
“Come on, chicken girl,” Sunset challenged, “Let’s see what you’ve got.” Moving the camera positions, she saw that Bonnie was standing in the supply closet, his magenta eyes staring up at the camera once again. Sunset put the camera down and checked the light outside the hallway, and got quite a nasty surprise when she saw Chica standing right outside the window. Instinct now taking over, Sunset quickly reached up to the red button and pressed it down hard, causing a huge metal door to slide down in front of her, preventing Chica from advancing any further. She also noticed that the bird’s jaw was hanging down at a rather disturbing angle, and even revealed a second set of teeth in the back of her mouth.
“That must be part of the endoskeleton,” Sunset thought out loud as she saw the animatronic slowly turn and walk away. Turning the camera back on, Sunset saw that Bonnie was now back in the main dining area, Freddy was still on the stage, and Chica was back in the restroom area. Beads of sweat were forming on her brow as she looked back down at the power supply.
“Only 73% left,” Sunset muttered, “If this keeps up, I might end up running out of power. Better be careful.”
4:30 a.m. 1st Night
As the night progressed, Sunset’s trial against the animatronics raged on. She had stopped sweating, but the anxiety was still taking hold of her. Only 57% of her remaining power was left, and a big portion of that usage was preventing Bonnie from getting into the office for a second time. She looked at her watch and saw that she only had an hour-and-a-half left to get through the night. Picking up the tablet again, Sunset flipped through the cameras to check the feed. Seeing that Chica was back in the main dining area and that Bonnie was back in the backstage area, Sunset put the tablet down and took a moment to relax. Never before in her life had she ever been so scared.
“Never thought I’d be putting my life on the line for a simple paycheck,” Sunset thought out loud, “But I signed on to do all five nights of the job, and I’ll make sure I get it done.” After taking another deep breath, Sunset picked up the tablet again and turned it on, allowing her to see through the camera in the backstage area. This time, Bonnie was gone again. Shifting the feed on the cameras, Sunset found him standing in the dining facility alongside Chica, although the bird seemed to be leaving the area given how close it was standing to the camera. This time, though, Sunset already knew both Chica and Bonnie’s tricks and was prepared for them both. Deciding to flip the camera elsewhere for a bit, Sunset looked back at the curtained-off section of the main room. While nothing was happening there, it still interested Sunset to no end.
“What made them close that place off from the rest of the building?” Sunset asked before flipping the camera back to the main dining area. Bonnie was still there, but now Chica was gone again. Sunset quickly flipped through the cameras in the eastern hall, the restroom and the corner outside the door, but the robotic bird was nowhere to be seen. She then flipped through the cameras and came across a section of the building where the camera was completely blacked out with white letters that read “CAMERAS DISABLED – AUDIO ONLY.” Sunset was about to change cameras when she began hearing loud, metallic noises. From the sound of it, it almost sounded like someone was rearranging the tools and cookware in a room that Sunset immediately assumed was a kitchen. And since Chica was the only animatronic in that area of the building, Sunset pinpointed her location.
“What are you doing back there?” Sunset questioned as she lowered the tablet. Reaching over to the light button on the left, Sunset pushed it and looked down the hall, but saw nothing. She then moved to the one on her right and pushed it, but saw nothing there as well. However, since she knew that the animatronics were still likely to appear at any given moment, Sunset wasn’t about to take any chances. Flipping the camera back up, Sunset noticed that the noises stopped, which obviously meant that Chica was no longer in the room. Flipping cameras, Sunset saw that Chica was now next to the restrooms. If Chica was on the move, then Sunset knew that Bonnie would likely be moving as well. Changing cameras to the western hall, she now saw that Bonnie was standing at the end of the hallway, his silhouette barely visible under the dim light. Sunset realized that if both robots were entering the hallways at the same time, it meant just meant one thing: the two robots were trying to double-team her from both sides.
“Looks like they’re trying to come up with a plan,” Sunset said as she watched the robots get closer on both sides from the cameras. Eventually Sunset bolstered up the courage to approach the left side first. She reached out for the button when she heard a loud screech coming from out in the hallway. The sound practically made Sunset jump straight out of her seat as she pushed the door button just as she saw Bonnie dash toward her. Once the door slid shut, Sunset quickly wheeled over to the other side of the room and was about to push the door button when she heard a disturbing groan coming from outside the room. Sunset immediately knew that Chica was about to pounce, so she immediately pushed the door button on that side as well, causing another large metal door to slide shut in between her and the crazed animatronic outside. Sunset looked back at the camera tablet and saw that she now only had 42% power remaining.
“Looks like fending those creeps off had a bad side effect,” Sunset muttered as she heard the two robots walk away outside, “I can’t let something like this happen again.”
5:30 a.m. 1st Night
This was it. The home stretch, the final run. Sunset was more determined than she ever was all night to make it and get out so she could get home. Only 32% of her power remained, and she would make sure that at least 1% of it would remain by the time the shift ended. Picking up the camera tablet, Sunset shifted through the screens and saw that Chica was in the main dining area and Bonnie was in the supply closet once again. Sunset then flipped back to the stage camera and saw that Freddy, as usual, was still in the same place. This left her rather puzzled.
“The other two animatronics have been stalking around the place all night, yet Yogi over here hasn’t moved an inch at all,” Sunset pondered, and she was far from wrong. No matter how many times she checked the stage camera, Freddy was always in the same spot, but his furry pals were still roaming around the restaurant. That thought, however, was put on hold when Sunset checked the lights and saw Bonnie standing right outside her door. Yelping in surprise, she quickly reached over and slammed the door button down as hard as she could, causing the large metal door to slam down in front of the mechanical rabbit before he could get in and inflict grievous bodily harm on her. Another five minutes passed, and Sunset opened the door to see if the coast was clear. Sure enough, Bonnie was gone, but keeping the door closed like that reduced her power to 25%. Checking the cameras again, Sunset saw that while Bonnie was back in the main room, Chica was once again on the move.
“These things sure are persistent,” Sunset muttered as she found Chica standing in the restroom area. But this time, something was different about Chica. Sunset took a closer look and could’ve sworn she saw the mechanical bird twitching its head, like it was having a technical glitch or something. Creeped out by the footage, Sunset quickly lowered the camera and flicked on the lights to see if Chica was approaching. Seeing only a dark hallway, Sunset went back to the desk and looked at her watch. She only had ten minutes left before the shift was over and she could go home. Her musings were cut off, however, wen she heard a disturbingly familiar groan coming from outside her door. Adrenaline shot through her like lightning as she bolted over to the door and slammed it down hard, preventing the Chica from getting inside.
“Almost done,” Sunset said as she looked at her watch and saw that she only had five minutes left. Her power was only at 17%, but she was sure that she’d make it. She just had to hold out a little while longer. Turning on the light for good measure, Sunset saw that Chica was still standing outside the door, her beak hanging wide open and her magenta eyes fixed on her like a child eyeing a new toy. Sunset began sweating as she and the bird stared each other down for a minute before she turned around began walking away. Sunset looked at the tablet and saw that Bonnie was in the backstage room and that the power was now at 11%.
“You’ll be fine, Sunset,” the teen said as she looked at her watch. Just 90 seconds left. As the seconds ticked down, Sunset could’ve sworn she heard music coming from the hallway. Daring to place her ear close to the door, it sounded like the music in the party room began playing again. Just then, Sunset heard an electronic beep coming from her watch. She looked down at her watch and practically cried in happiness.
6:00 a.m.
Quickly picking up the tablet, Sunset saw that all three animatronics were now back on the stage, like nothing had ever happened. Wasting no time, Sunset picked up her bag and walked out of the door as quickly as she could and entered the front lobby, where she saw Mr. Fazbear unlocking the door. The manager apparently saw her, as his face lit up with a smile.
“Ah, good morning, Ms. Shimmer,” Mr. Fazbear greeted warmly, “I trust your first night went well?” Sunset’s left eye twitched slightly as she fought the urge to tell him the truth.
“Yeah, it went just fine,” the teen replied. Mr. Fazbear nodded and opened the door.
“You are free to go home now, since your shift is now over,” Mr. Fazbear said. Sunset didn’t hesitate to start moving forward, but stopping for a moment to take a quick glance at the animatronics. Shivering slightly as she stared at their dormant eyes, Sunset turned back to the door and began walking again.
“See you tonight,” Sunset said before she walked outside and closed the door behind her. Once she was outside the building, Sunset quickly took her phone out from her bag and dialed the number of the only friend she knew was awake at this time of day.
“Hey Applejack, I know this sound a bit short notice, but can you come pick me up from work?” Sunset asked when she heard her cowgirl friend answer the phone.
“Sure thing, Sugar-cube,” Applejack replied, “Just let me get the address of the place from Fluttershy and I’ll come and get ya.”
“Thanks, I really appreciate it,” Sunset said before saying goodbye and hanging up. If this was what she had to put up with at work, then this was going to be a very long week.
After waiting outside the restaurant for half an hour, Sunset finally heard a pleasant sound: the engine of Applejack’s truck. The red pickup rolled into the parking lot, and as soon as it stopped, Sunset practically sprinted over to the vehicle. As soon as Sunset buckled up, Applejack started the truck and drove off. While they drove, Applejack took notice that Sunset looked a little bit jumpy, and the look of her eyes didn’t help that. Her eyes were bloodshot and had some slight baggage under them, indicating that she didn’t get so much as a wink of sleep last night.
“Are you alright Sugar-cube?” Applejack asked as Sunset looked over at her.
“Yeah, of course I am,” Sunset nervously replied, “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You’re looking around everywhere like Death itself is after you, your eyes look like you haven’t slept in days, and you’re twitching your fingers like you’re trying not to let go of something,” Applejack replied. Sunset knew she had to find a way to make sure that Applejack wouldn’t think she was crazy, so she decided to fabricate a response.
“I think I’m just a bit jittery from my first night job,” Sunset said, “If I just go home and take a quick nap, I’ll feel a little better.” Applejack knew that there was something that Sunset wasn’t explaining, but knew that her friend was right about needing sleep and decided to shrug it off. After a 30-minute drive, the two arrived to Sunset’s apartment building.
“Listen, Sugar-cube,” Applejack said as Sunset prepared to exit the truck, “Fluttershy has to work late at the shelter today, so I’ll come by tonight to give you a lift to work.”
“In the meantime, Sunset, I really mean it when I say that you should try and get some sleep before then,” Applejack continued, “I think the reason you’re so jumpy is because you probably didn’t get any sleep before you started last night.” With a nod, Sunset walked out of the truck and into her apartment. After walking inside, Sunset dropped her bag on the couch, went to her room and changed into her pajamas. Sunset took her uniform and put it in the wash before going to her room, setting her alarm, dropping on her bed and closing her eyes. However, sleep wouldn’t come to Sunset as easily as she had hoped. As she lied down on the bed, Sunset began a series of intense dreaming.
…
Sunset found herself standing in the office of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. However, it seemed that things were not quite as she remembered. The desk she was sitting at had several balls of crumpled paper, a fan, and several collectibles of Freddy and his friends, but Sunset noticed that they looked different. Deciding to shrug it off, Sunset looked to her right side and saw that there were drawings completely adorning the wall. The drawings depicted kids having several interactions with the animatronics, though Sunset never saw some of them before on her first night shift. To her left, she saw a large poster with Freddy and the other animatronics, with the word “CELEBRATE!” written in bold letters. However, Sunset noticed that they looked completely different than the psychopathic robots from last night. Freddy was a lighter shade of brown with a tan muzzle and underbelly, had whisker spots on his face, wore two buttons under his bow tie, had a red stripe on his hat, and had red rosy cheeks. Bonnie looked drastically different from how she remembered him. Where the other Bonnie was purple and had magenta eyes, this Bonnie was bright blue and had green eyes. He also had eyelashes, whisker spots, eyebrows, buck teeth in his upper jaw, a red bow tie, and also had red cheeks. Chica also looked different. Her whole body had the appearance of a human female rather than a real bird, unlike the other Chica. She also had baby blue eyes, and had a bib that read “Let’s Party!” instead of “Let’s Eat!” She also had bright cheeks like the others, but they were pink instead of red. Sunset also noticed that there was also an airshaft on either side of the room. Before she could question the purpose of having open-air vents right next to the floor, she heard the sound of a phone ringing.
“Uh, hello? Hello, hello?” the voice over the phone said. Sunset recognized him.
That’s the same guy from the phone last night, Sunset thought. The recording continued.
“Uh, hello and welcome to your new summer job at the new and improved Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Uh, I’m here to talk you through some of the things you can expect to see during your first week here and to help you get started down this new and exciting career path.”
Ha, new and exciting, Sunset thought sarcastically.
“Uh now, I want you to forget anything you may have heard about the old location, you know. Uh, some people still have a somewhat negative impression of the company. Uh… that old restaurant was left to rot for a while, but I want to reassure you, Fazbear Entertainment is committed to family fun and, above all, safety. They’ve spent a small fortune on these new animatronics, uh, facial recognition, advanced mobility, they even let them roam around during the day. Isn’t that neat?”
Not if they’re trying to stuff you into iron maiden-style pajamas, Sunset thought.
“But most importantly, they’re all tied into some kind of criminal database, so they can detect a predator from a mile away. Heck, we should be paying them to guard you.” That caught Sunset by surprise.
This isn’t the same place I was at last night, Sunset wondered, this must be the previous location.
“Uh, now that being said, no new system is without its… kinks. Uh… you’re only the second guard to work at that location. The first guy finished his week, but complained about… conditions. We switched him over to the day shift, so hey, lucky you, right?”
What kind of conditions? Sunset thought.
“Uh, he mainly expressed concern about that certain characters seemed to move around at night, and some even tried to get into his office. Now, from what we know, that should be impossible. Uh, this restaurant should be the safest place on Earth.”
Then explain how I was being hunted by two of those things last night, Sunset snapped internally, And safest place on Earth, my ass.
“So while our engineers don’t really have an explanation for this, the working theory is that… the robots were never given a proper ‘night mode.’ So when it gets quiet, they get confused and think they’re in the wrong room. So they try to find where the people are, and that happens to be your office. So our temporary solution is this: there’s a music box over in the Prize Counter, and it’s rigged to be wound up remotely.” Sunset looked down at the desk and picked up the tablet. She scrolled through the screens until she came across a room labeled “Prize Counter,” where she saw another button on the screen with a timer next to it. She saw that the timer was ticking down and pushed the button, winding it up again.
“So just, every once in a while, wind it up for a few seconds. It doesn’t seem to affect all of the animatronics, but it does work on… one of them. Uh, as for the rest of them, we have an easier solution. You see, there may be a minor glitch in the system, something about the robots thinking you’re an endoskeleton without its suit on, wanting to stuff you into a suit, so hey, we’ve given you an empty Freddy Fazbear head, problem solved!” Sunset looked to her left and saw that there was indeed an empty mascot head right next to her seat.
“Uh, now you can put it on anytime, and leave it on for as long as you want. Eventually anything that wandered in will wander back out. Uh, something else worth mentioning is the quirky modern design of the building. You may have noticed that there are no doors for you to close. But hey, you have a light! And even though your flashlight can run out of power, the building cannot. So don’t worry about the place going dark. Well, I think that’s it. Uh, you should be golden. Uh, check the lights, put on the Freddy Head if you need to, uh, keep the music box wound up, piece of cake. Have a good night, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that, the message ended and Sunset was left alone in the quiet room. She looked at the tablet again, and saw that the music box was winding down again. After winding it up, she picked up the flashlight and shined it down the hallway in front of her, only to find nothing out of the ordinary.
“I don’t get it,” she said out loud, “Why is this place so much different from the one I’m working at now?” Then it dawned on her: this must have been the original location that Mr. Fazbear told her about. Putting down the flashlight, Sunset looked at the tablet and flipped through the cameras, seeing a huge room, like the party room at the other pizzeria, but this one had a statue that looked like a human child holding a large balloon in its right hand and a sign that read “Balloons!” in its left hand. Deciding that the scene was safe, Sunset moved to the next camera over, seeing the same three animatronics from the poster in the office. All of them were standing perfectly still, but Sunset knew better than to believe that they weren’t going to move. Deciding to check some of the other rooms, Sunset flipped through all the other cameras and saw that nothing was out of the ordinary. But then she saw a yellow triangle appear next to one of the rooms. Flipping over to the room it indicated, Sunset saw that it was the room with the music box. As she prepared to wind up the music box, she saw what looked like a large gift box with its lid open, revealing the strange denizen inside it. Sunset couldn’t see much of it, but she could see that it had a white mask-like face, a large head, and a ridiculously skinny body and limbs. Deciding not to get a closer look at it, Sunset wound up the music box to its maximum before she turned back to the stage where she saw the other animatronics. However, she noticed that the blue Bonnie was missing. Knowing very well that if an animatronic was missing from the stage that it was never a very good sign, Sunset flipped through the camera tablet until she arrived to a place labeled “Party Room 3.” At first, she only saw a darkened room, but then she noticed an odd silhouette in the corner of the room. Clicking on the light icon on the bottom of the tablet screen, she saw the blue rabbit holding his guitar in the middle of the aisle between the tables. Flipping back to the stage, Sunset noticed that Chica was also gone. Knowing very well how this would go, Sunset quickly went through the cameras until she saw the yellow robot in a place labeled “Party Room 4.” The teen noticed that Chica was now missing her beak, and her eyes were black with white pinprick pupils. Deciding to check back in on Bonnie’s location, she looked back at Party Room 3, but saw that the rabbit was missing from that room. She checked all the other rooms, but the blue animatronic was nowhere to be seen. Then she noticed that there were cameras on both sides next to the office. Sunset clicked on the one to her right, but she was taken completely by surprise when she turned on the light.
“What the heck!?” she practically shouted. There, crouched down in the air vent to her right, was Bonnie. Panic now taking over, Sunset put the table down and picked up the Freddy head next to her before quickly putting it on. A few seconds later, Bonnie himself appeared in front of her in the office. Sweat began beading on Sunset’s forehead as she stared into the robot’s bright green eyes. Bonnie looked as though he was inspecting her over, trying to see if anything was out of the ordinary. A couple seconds later, the lights flickered off before turning back on, and Sunset saw through the eyeholes of the mask that Bonnie was gone. Throwing caution to the wind, Sunset took the mask off and put it back down on the floor. However, when she picked the tablet back up, she saw that there was a red warning sign next to the Prize Corner. Clicking on the room’s camera, Sunset’s eyes widened in horror as she saw that the large box in the back of the room was open, the timer was down to zero, and the puppet in the box was nowhere to be seen. Sunset realized her mistake then and there.
“How did I forget about that stupid music box?!” Sunset berated herself. Then, it happened. As Sunset looked up, the last thing she saw was a white face leaping out of the darkness right at her. Sunset screamed as the Puppet closed in on her, and then everything went dark.
…
At first, Sunset thought she had received the embrace of death when she saw the darkness surrounding her, until she heard a voice from behind her.
“Hello, Ms. Sunset Shimmer,” the voice said, sounding almost like a cross between a young boy and a grown man. Sunset looked behind her and saw the Puppet standing behind her. She was astounded by its height, as her head barely came up to its chest. Of course, panic welled up inside of her due to the attack, and she jumped back, ready to fight back if the Puppet got any ideas. However, the lanky animatronic knew that Sunset would freak out, as it put its hands up as a show of peace.
“I’m not here to fight, I’m here to help you,” the Puppet said as Sunset raised an eyebrow.
“And how exactly was nearly giving me a heart attack ‘helping me?’” Sunset asked.
“I needed to get your attention the only way I knew,” the Puppet replied, “I want to help you get through your new job. I know that you signed up for the security position at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. I know the dangers of that place and I also know that the previous guard left a series of recordings to try and help you get through those awful nights. But I want you to help me as well.”
“And how can I help you?” Sunset asked.
“I think it’s better to simply show you,” the Puppet replied. With a wave of its hand, the tall animatronic opened an image behind Sunset. The orange-skinned girl turned around and saw what looked like something from an 8-bit video game. In a small room was a series of pixels that resembled Freddy Fazbear himself, holding what looked like a slice of cake in his hand. Sunset looked at the Puppet in confusion.
“What is this?” she asked.
“Just watch,” the Puppet simply replied. So Sunset did just that, and looked at the moving image intently. She saw the 8-bit Freddy walk around the room and making kids happy by giving them cake. But as she looked on, Sunset saw on the outside a single child with blue lines running down its face that she could only guess were tears. The sight made her heart wrench. How could these kids be so cruel to this one child? Sunset looked behind her and saw the Puppet close its hands into a fist, which Sunset assumed meant that the worst hadn’t happened yet. And sure enough, she was right. As she looked at the poor child, she saw a purple car pull up behind him. At first, Sunset thought it was the child’s parents, coming to take him home, but then she saw a tall purple figure walk out of the car and approach the child. At first the child stopped crying, but then Sunset looked on in horror as the tears came back even more than before, and then the child turned grey, indicating the worst: someone had murdered this child. Then the image turned to static, and Sunset turned around to look at the Puppet.
“Why are you showing me this?” Sunset asked, tears forming in her eyes.
“I’m just showing you the pieces. It’s up to you to put them together,” the Puppet said, “I’ll see you again tomorrow. For right now, I think your alarm is about to go off.” With that, the Puppet, and everything else around Sunset, faded into the blackness.
…
Sunset awoke to a series of loud beeping coming from her nightstand. Rapidly blinking her eyes to wake herself up, Sunset looked over at her clock and saw that it read 1:30 pm. Shaking any remaining sleep from her body, Sunset got out of bed and stretched her muscles before she went to her closet and got out her day clothes. After a hot shower and a late lunch, Sunset went to her computer and fired it up. She had some research to do.
