His father's gone. A second chance at life awaits him though will he be ready to take it?
Michael Afton finds himself completely alone in Ponyville. Not long after his father had turned over a new leaf was he taken back to Hell. With nowhere to go and nowhere to stay, the ever hyper party pony takes in the lone stallion. As the two have spent more and more time together, Michael reveals more about his life before coming to Equestria. Meanwhile, Pinkie's feelings for Michael grow the more the pair open up to one another. Find out about the events that transpired before the ending of Second Chance!
This story is a semi-sequel to Second Chance. It takes place after the chapter Odd Behavior and before the last chapter, Take this Chance. Because of the connection to Second Chance, I will not be updating the lore to fit what we now know about the Fnaf games. So if you see something that doesn't match up with what's been established in canon, I know. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy and remember to keep on keeping up.
5:00 a.m. One more hour left. He knew it and so did the thing in the hallway. A deep gravelly laugh filled the house. Michael quickly shined his light on the bed behind him. Nothing. He quickly rushes to the closet in front of him, closing it immediately. Shuffling noises returned in the background. He returned to the center of the room and waited.
“You killed him.” A disembodied voice whispered. Michael looked to his right, but found no one. The shuffling noise in the back came to an abrupt halt.
“It was all your fault.” He quickly looked to his left! Nothing. “You’re not any better than your father.”
Maybe you should be tortured alongside him.”
“You don’t deserve this new life.” Michael covered his ears to no avail.
“You’re a killer! A murderer!”
“A disappointment.”
“No one will miss you!”
“You should be burning in Hell!” The voices kept getting louder. No matter what he did the voices cut through his thoughts.
“Hey guys,” Michael’s eyes shot open as he recognized the familiar voice, “I think he wants to give Fredbear a big ol’ kiss!” A chill rushed down his spine. Hearing his voice, from that time, made his blood run cold. The silence that befell the room didn’t ease Mike’s worries. He scanned the room with his light. There was nothing. The room however, was growing darker by the minute. Michael had thought the batteries in his flashlight were dying, but that proved to be wrong. The room got darker.
“Oh—” Afton had realized his situation a moment too late. A sharp jolt of pain stabs into him as the darkness bit down on his head.
Michael jolted upright! His loud erratic breathing flooded his ears. Gummy lifted his head, looking at Mike worryingly. Michael sighed, using his hooves to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He tossed the blanket off his frame before getting up and heading downstairs. Once downstairs, Michael helped himself to a glass of water. He took in its cold contents, thankful that it quenched his cotton mouth. The room was filled with the cool glow from the moon. Taking a seat at one of the tables, Michael looked upwards to the light. It was comforting. He breathed easy, feeling safer in its embrace.
Pinkie Pie sat upright in her bed, having woken up from a pleasant dream. She yawned loudly as she stretched her limbs. Gummy looked up to his owner, his head cocked to the right ever so slightly.
“Sorry to wake you Gummy.” Pinkie whispers. The feeling of sleep almost left her immediately when she noticed Michael’s absence. She pulled herself out of bed and hurriedly trotted downstairs, where she found the stallion staring outside the window. Pinkie exhales, causing Mike to snap his head to her direction. “Easy Mikey; it’s just me.” She says walking over to him. He looked back to the moon as she took the seat in front of him. “Was it another nightmare?” Pinkie asks.
“Same as usual.” Michael replied.
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I’m used to it.”
“You shouldn’t have to say that.” Michael only shrugged. Pinkie’s gaze fell off of Mike as she too locked her focus on the moon. “Does this bring you back?”
“Yeah.” Pinkie peels away from the moon’s glow and looks back to Michael.
“Was it all bad? Having to go in every night, trying to survive and all that.”
“It was brutal. Though there were some nights where everything was just…quiet. They would talk to one another. Charlie would always try to comfort them…” Michael pulled away from the light, staring down at the cup of water. With the moon’s glow he was able to make out his reflection in the water. That sorrowful expression stared back at him.
“Hey,” Pinkie set a hoof on top of Michael’s, “why don’t we go back upstairs. Let’s not think about that and try to get some sleep.” Michael looked up to meet her eyes. They seemed to glow in this lighting, something he took note of. Her mane was more droopy compared to her usual style. He felt calmer when he was around her. The bubbly energy of a party pony helped with getting his mind off the horrors he experienced in his world. A soft smile formed on his face as he nodded. Pinkie returns the gesture and hops off the chair, with Michael following suit.
“I miss my mommy Gabriel.” Chica’s voice cut through Michael’s being. He watched Freddy and Chica in the dining hall talking amongst each other, something rarely seen. He felt bad. About all of it.
“It’s your fault.” A voice would say. Michael looked to his right, nothing. He sighs. Clicking on cam 1c, the feed changed to show Pirate’s Cove. The curtains were closed with the “out of order” sign in its traditional state. Foxy had been doing his little song a while ago, but had stopped so suddenly. Michael stared at the screen worryingly.
“When can I go home?” He heard the animatronic say.
“This is all your fault.” The voice would say again.
“I know it is.” Michael said.
Pinkie had been keeping an eye on Mike since they moved back upstairs. He was the first one to hit the hay, and after ten minutes was slightly shaking. Gummy had tried soothing him by being closer and licking his face; that had proven to be of no help. Pinkie hopped out of bed and made her way towards Michael.
“It’s my fault.” He said. “It's all my fault.”
Michael looked at the black bear’s head resting on his desk. It’s bloodied smile sent shivers down Mike’s cold, dead body. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. The bear did something unexpected. It opened its mouth. Michael’s pupils shrink.
“You did this. You did this to me.” Cassidy said as blood trickled down his head. Michael’s breathing grew shallow as he stumbled out of his chair and into the hallway where he ran and hid inside the janitor’s closet. He dropped to the floor and pulled his knees to his chest, shutting his eyes as the voice grew louder. “You did this to me! You killed me! You started all of this! It’s all your fault!” Michael screamed however, he was unable to hear himself over the cries in his head. The darkness returned, grabbing onto him, pulling him into its cold embrace. “You're a mons—” A warm sensation wrapped around Michael’s body. He didn’t dare look up though. The cold howled as it slithered away. This warmth grew hotter as its hold on him grew tighter.
“Shh. It’s okay. It’s just a nightmare. You're okay. You’re safe. Stay calm. Stay calm…” His breathing began to calm itself as her voice cut through to him. Pinkie Pie held Michael close to her chest. His shaking gradually began to reduce as her warmth became his shield.
“Here you go sir.” Michael said as he forked over the stallion’s sweets.
“Thank you; have a good day sir.” Michael nodded as the stallion left the bakery. He sighed as he slid the bits into the register. Today was another day. “At least this is better than fighting for my life.” He chuckles a little. A scent filled Michael’s nose. The sweet smell pulled him away from the counter and into the kitchen, where he found Pinkie dancing in place, eyes glued to the oven. “Whatcha making?” Michael asked.
“A cake.” Pinkie answered.
“Oh, is there a special occasion?”
“Hmm…nope.”
“Then why?”
“Why not?” Pinkie looked back at Michael with a smug smirk on her face. “Cake is cake. Sometimes you don’t need a reason for making a tasty treat.”
“Alright then.” A small smile forms on Michael’s face.
“Finally got you smiling! Even if it’s a little one.”
Ding! Pinkie turns off the oven, pulling the door open before retrieving the cake and setting it on the table. She quickly got to work on decorating the treat with icing; afterward she nearly bombarded it with whipped cream and cookies.
“How are you going to keep that down?” Michael asked.
“Oh Mikey, this is lightwork for me.” Pinkie answered.
“That’s concerning.” she giggled in response, which only made Michael stare.
“Aaaaaand done!” Pinkie exclaimed. She stepped aside allowing Michael to see her work. “Let’s dig in!” Pinkie takes a knife in her mouth and carefully cuts a slice for the two of them. She placed her cake on a plate with Michael doing the same. As they ate, Pinkie kept eyeballing Michael to see his reaction. He seemed to be enjoying it. His face was pretty blank if she were being honest. “Do you like it?” She asked.
“Of course! It’s just too sugary for me.” Michael says sheepishly.
“Oh come on. Where’s your sweet tooth?” She giggles.
“I have one it's just that the icing—”
“Too much?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll remember that for next time.” Michael chuckled. Pinkie smiled. Things were going smoothly. Maybe he was willing to talk about last night? “So, Mikey?”
“Hm?”
“Would you say that you’re in a good mood?”
“Yeah I’d say so.”
“Would you be willing to talk about your nightmares?” She asks inching closer. Michael sighed, setting down the plate.
“I’m guessing that’s why you made the cake?”
“Yeah; sorry.”
“It’s fine. …Yeah, let’s talk.” Joy fills Pinkie’s heart. She sets down the cake and follows Michael to a table where they take a seat. "Most of my nightmares are about my time working at Freddy's. Some instances I'm in my old room. Both cases there's this voice, it surrounds me."
"What does it say?"
"It's my fault."
"Your fault?"
"Mhm. And to be fair, it's not entirely wrong. Well, he's not wrong."
"Who's he?"
"My brother, Cassidy."
"Oh? Was he that golden bear that showed up to take your dad?"
"Mhm."
"Woah. So wait, how is he right?"
"Because if I never did that stupid prank none of this would've happened. Those kids would still be alive, my sister would still be alive, and I could finally have a peaceful state of mind." Michael croaked. Pinkie, almost instinctively, grabbed his hoof and began to caress it. For a moment he looked at her curiously, but that soon melted away as Pinkie’s hoof continued to glide across his own. He felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. There seemed to be a theme, he noticed. Whenever it was Pinkie Pie she always made him feel this way. He always felt safe with her. Maybe it was her bubbly attitude that never seemed to falter. Maybe it was the fact that she allowed him to finally live his own life.
"Mikey; look at me," He did as she asked, "everything that happened wasn't your fault."
"Pinkie—"
"It wasn't your fault. Your father told Aj that your mother's death was the root cause of this. It wasn't you." She held his gaze as the words rang through his mind. The walls would finally crumble away as Michael let his emotions out. He lay his head down as he sobbed into the table. Pinkie felt horrible. She's helped her friends get through many hardships, but Michael’s situation was unique to say the least. It didn't help that she felt like she could do so much more if she—
"Get a hold of yourself Pinkie! Now is not the time for that." Michael’s sobbing began to calm down. Pinkie looked at him with a somber expression. With her free hoof she placed it on his head and began to gently run it through his mane. Doing so made his ears flop around.
"Your ears are waving at me." Pinkie says through her giggling. A chuckle escaped from Michael as she continued. "Does this relax you?"
"Being near you relaxes me." Michael stated. Pinkie became flustered at his nonchalant response. So much so she froze in place. "Pinkie?" Michael asks as his ears perk up to the sudden lack of affection.
"Sorry, I just got caught off guard is all." She returned to stroking his mane, his ears falling back in place.
Ding! Michael and Pinkie snapped their heads to the sound of the front door being opened. Michael quickly scrambled on all floors to greet the customer whilst Pinkie ran over to clear the kitchen.
The day wasn't as busy as other days. Michael was thankful; he was able to clock out early. Pinkie took it as an opportunity to get closer to Mike.
"Hey Mikey."
"Hm?" Gummy hopped onto Michael, looking at him with those giant eyes of his. Michael raised an eyebrow once Gummy licked his own eye.
"How are you feeling?"
"Feeling alright."
"Is it enough for you to say 'it wasn't my fault'?" Michael said nothing. "Mikey." Pinkie sat across from Michael. "Can you please say it?"
"Pinkie…I still caused pain upon my family and other families. Even if what I did wasn't the kickstarter for my father's descent, I didn't make things better. I added fuel to an already burning fire. I don't deserve this."
"Yes you do!" Pinkie's outburst caught Michael off guard; couple that with how close she was to his face. "You're right; you did screw up, but you went out of your way to not only right your wrongs but your father's wrongs. No pony asked you to do that. Yet you did it anyway."
"I only helped because of my guilty conscience."
"That's a load of bull and you know it!" Michael was taken aback. He'd never seen Pinkie so assertive before. "Even if you hadn't hurt your brother I'm sure you would still risk your life to undo what your father did!"
"We don't know that."
"No, I know that. You wanna know how I know?" Tears were beginning to well up in Pinkie’s eyes as she continued on. "When you and your father came here, you went out of your way to keep an eye on him. You kept him from killing Spike, you kept him in check! No one asked you to keep us safe yet you went out of your way to make sure we were."
Pinkie had pulled herself away as she sobbed uncontrollably. "And to hear you say that you don't deserve this second chance makes me upset. I wish you could see the stallion that I see." Michael sat there, pondering her words as she cried. Gummy had taken his leave and was trying to comfort his owner to no avail.
As Pinkie’s cries continued, she felt something wrap around her frame. She opened her eyes as she was pulled into Michael’s chest where she heard his heart pounding. Gummy popped out from in between them, now sitting awkwardly beside the two. Before he knew it, Michael had snagged him up and into the hug. Pinkie held the two close as her weeping was coming to an end. Gummy would lick Pinkie, earning a light giggle from her. Then he turned to look at Michael. The two stared for an awkwardly long time, with Gummy rarely blinking. Michael finally caved.
"Mikey. Mikey, wake up. Come on, wake up." Pinkie's low whispering brought Michael away from dreamland and back into reality. He rubbed his eyes before sitting up, confused at the sight before him. Next to his bed were candles, Gummy with a bowtie, and two plates seated in front of him and Pinkie with a few others resting near Gummy.
Michael sat up completely upon seeing everything. He looked up to meet Pinkie’s gaze, the latter giving a huge grin.
"What's this about?" Michael asks.
"It's your welcome to Ponyville party." Pinkie answered, her smile never faltering.
"Oh. Thought it would've been bigger considering what I've been told about your previous parties."
"Yeah, well, this one's a special party."
"What makes it so special?" Pinkie only continued to smile. Michael raised a brow. He looked over Pinkie for any obvious hints as to what she had planned. Her mane was put in a ponytail. A few strands fell to her face, but she made no attempts to brush them to the side. The way she looked at him was also different, but not something Michael wasn't used to. Her half lidded eyes stared back at him with that smile still as strong as ever. That's when it hit him.
"Oh." Michael said. "Wow. Honestly I had my suspicions, but I didn't know if…why—"
"Don't do that. There's nothing about you that would make me think twice. Don't be afraid to let this happen."
"...Are you sure?"
"Yes. Do you feel the same way?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Do you want this?" Pinkie asks.
"Yeah. I really do." Michael answers with a smile. Pinkie shares his smile before getting up to sit closer to him. She leans against him, smiling up at him. The movement of the plates grabs their attention. Looking over they see Gummy pushing a plate with a slice of cake and a candle sticking out of it. Gummy looked up at the two of them with a look on his face that Michael’s never seen before.
"Is he smiling at us?"
"I'd like to think so." Pinkie says motioning for Gummy to get closer. He does so, hopping in between the two ponies, contempt with his position.
"Guess he's been waiting for this to happen."
"Him and I both." Pinkie said before planting a kiss on Gummy's head. Michael lifted the plate and held it to Pinkie.
"Guess we skip straight to dessert?"
"You read my mind." Pinkie says giggling. The three sat together, eating much of the dessert Pinkie had prepared for this occasion. Sleep would overtake them eventually and the three would drift off in Pinkie's bed, Michael holding her close to his chest with a smile as his dreams were filled with happier thoughts. He finally had his happiest day.