Jeremy's throat felt so dry when he finished speaking. He took a deep breath and let his eye drop from Vixen's face and to the little screen, winding up the music box. Finally everything was off his chest, even though he'd already told the story many times before... to his fourteen sisters, his parents, the police- though none actually believed him. Who would believe him about haunting animatronics?
At least Vixen believed him, or at least Jeremy hoped so.
"Are ye alright matey?" asked the animatronic, sitting back on the desk. It even put one leg over the other, its head slightly tilted like a confused dog's.
Jeremy gave a huge, audible sigh. "I'm fine, Vixen, seriously. It's nothing."
To his surprise the Mangle flattened its ears and bore its hard, plastic teeth. "No it's not nothing, and you're not going to pretend it is." It gave a low, animal-like growl. "As far as you're here I'm not leaving your side. That old fox already made an attempt on your life, and if any more of them do I will tare them apart."
Jeremy's head shot up in surprise. That was definitely not a pre-recorded message, too precise... too complex. His mouth fell open. "I thought you only spoke with pre-recorded lines?"
Once again Mangle's expression brightened. "I think you changed something in my voicebox code, accidentally I think. But now I'm not stuck with the same phrases over and over again." It wagged its plastic tail in pride.
Jeremy smiled at it warmly, and took its hand in his. "I'm glad you're here Vixen."
For a couple of hours Jeremy searched the cameras for any peculiarity aside from the walking robots, while the massive pink-and-white fox loomed over him like a guardian angel, sitting stiffly on the desk like a huge plastic gargoyle, growling threateningly whenever another robot got close.
It was so calming now, that Jeremy didn't realise the song he was mumbling under his breath. That was until Vixen pointed it out.
"Oh, it's an old song my sister made up," Jeremy explained helpfully. "She doesn't sing it anymore but it's been stuck in my head for years so I guess it's my song now."
"Song?" Vixen asked curiously. "Like those Bonnie, Freddy and Chica sing?"
Jeremy shook his head. "Better. You want to learn it?"
The huge furry android memorised the lyrics perfectly the first time Jeremy properly sung the song, but it took some time in adjusting its autotune to fit Jeremy's notes. It kept singing it in a minor key while the song was fast and fierce and in major, the happy key. But Jeremy found that the strangely somber cover by the Mangle was quite fitting, so he too shifted into the odd, sadder key. This was the mood in these pizzeria corridors now.
But eventually the two fell silent, resuming their tasks in silence for a good, long while before-
My love, my heart, my lobster, I risk each and every day, no matter how much I fall down, I will rise up again...
Jeremy looked up at Vixen, but the fox looked equally as confused. It couldn't've been Vixen anyway- the voice singing from the depths of the darkness was slightly off-key and slightly resembled a plate being scratched with a fork, just a ghastly whisper.
My soul, my joy, my spirit, I will hand it all to you, though nights are dark and cold at heart the sun will wake again...
A few seconds of stunned silence hung in aftermath, before the awful voice picked up again, in an odd, haunted note. Jeremy recognised it instantly, and he put down the screen and slowly rose to his feet.
My love, my heart, my lobster, I risk each and every day, no matter much I fall down, I will rise up again...
The voice was getting closer now, as if its owner was standing just underneath the blanket of darkness, waiting ominously for something.
"My soul, my joy, my spirit, I will hand it all to you," Jeremy's voice sounded weak and frail compared to the older's, and it cracked slightly under the pressure as if he was a pubescent boy again. "Though nights are dark and cold at heart the sun will wake again."
And pause before the two voices picked up the song again. In sink with each and every syllable, knowing every single note.
They must've sang the nameless lobster song at least six times before a strange creature walked out of the shadows. It was like Phone Guy- a tall beast blacker than a starless night, tough like a brick yet somehow flowing like cobwebs in the breeze. Two long ears emerged from the creature's head, one flopped over itself. The white eyes settled on Jeremy, and the little fangs stretched into a smile.
"Hey there Jeremy," said the black rabbit. "I didn't recognise you; it's been a couple of years."
Before Jeremy could answer, the lithe fox pounced onto the floor like a panther, growling a threat at the newcomer, ready to protect Jeremy shall the shadowy animatronic move to attack.
"Calm down Mangle, I know him longer than you do," the rabbit snapped, though his tone was not unfriendly. His folded ear flicked, and he gave the fox a reassuring dip of the head. Through Vixen hid her teeth and stopped her growling, she remained in battle-position with one fist curled against the floor.
"Jesus, what have they done to you?" Jeremy said in disbelief and a slight shake of his head. "They've turned you into a furry."
The animatronic flattened its ears. "It's not like I had any choice kid. I can't exactly turn myself back." They sprung back up again. "And I thought I told you not to become a nightguard- you seriously can't do anything I tell you?"
Jeremy's feet started to walk on their own, more comfortable with this shadow of a memory than with anything else in this pizzeria. Even though this man he knew looked nothing like what he used to, and was nothing but a phantom- this was still Mike Schmidt. Still the same Mike that told him stories, taught him tricks in ex's and oh's and sang songs with him.
Jeremy crossed his arms and gave Mike a wide smile. "And I watched 'The Exorcist' with my little sisters, so I ignored that too!"
Even though Mike had no pupils in his all-white glowing eyes, Jeremy could sense the eye-roll. "You haven't changed a bit. You're still that annoying little kid that snuck into my office, wanting to see your old robots." Mike gave a stale laugh, his footsteps making no sound as he walked past Jeremy and Vixen to take his place in the spinning-chair behind Jeremy's desk. The cold swirled behind him as he walked, and it caused the hairs to stand on end as well as goosebumps to appear on Jeremy's forearms. "Why did you come back kid? I thought you'd stay away after what happened."
Jeremy couldn't tare his eyes away from the black rabbit. It was almost as if he was in some sort of trance he wasn't aware of entering- activated by hearing that familiar, hoarse voice again. "Why would I stay away? Those spirits have been inside my head ever since that night, telling me how they had you and that your were theirs and- I couldn't stay away."
Mike exhaled through his nose. "I can see that." He opened his mouth to yawn, showing off his many glowing animatronic teeth. "Take a seat will you kid? I'm not that scary-" he looked to Vixen. "Am I?"
The android pursed its plastic lips. "'Scary' isn't the word I would use," it replied dryly. "More like- 'unusual'."
"So what was it like, haunting a crappy pizza place for thirteen years?" Jeremy asked, this time sitting on the desk.
"Can't say it was any good, though I did have company." Mike shrugged his shoulders matter-of-factly. "Those kids in the suits killed a lot more than I first thought. Scott was the first of us haunters to go, thanks to you."
"Scott?"
"Phone Guy," Mike explained helpfully. "And now you're here! I'm properly getting deja vu here. And you've grown up a lot, annoying. How did you spend those thirteen years?"
Jeremy inhaled to begin telling Mike everything, when a distant music box began to play. His first instinct was a firm nah, since his previous encounter with an ominous music box from a dark pizzeria corridor was far from pleasant- but both of Mike's bunny ears perked straight up at its sound.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," he called back into the darkness, flicking his wrist matter-of-factly. "Is it okay if I bring a guest?"
The music abruptly stopped, leaving behind only silence before- "If you mussssst." The voice resembled a talking snake's, and was about as pleasant to listen to as a blackboard being scratched by nails.
"Woah, woah, who was that?" Jeremy shook his outstretched hands. "And what do you mean- bring a guest?"
Once more Mike turned his white eyes to him, and this time Jeremy felt a chill run down his spine. "Since you freed Scott, it gave them the idea to set themselves free now that their real killer is dead. They want a birthday party, and we're all invited."
"Who's 'they'?"
"The Missing Children."
Jeremy sighed, realising that this was his mission in the first place. He came to set Mike and the Phone Guy free, so this was a step forward in his task at least. If this was something he could be a part of, then sure as hell he was coming. But as he stood to his feet, he began to doubt. "And... if I come with you, will they kill me?"
Mike's hesitation was not a good sign- it made Jeremy shudder. But eventually the black rabbit spoke. "Not when I'm with you. Besides, with your little fox-friend, I'll doubt they'll get the chance."
Vixen growled to prove Mike's point.
Jeremy made up his mind. "Alright. Lead the way then. And if I die I'm going to kill you."
"You can't kill someone who's already dead," Mike pointed out, moving with such grace back to the shadows, almost as if he wasn't human anymore- oh wait, Mike wasn't a human anymore- that was the thing.
"Well?" Jeremy turned to his robot companion, offering his hand as if asking it to prom. "Are you coming?" Vixen gave a shy smile before gently fitting its own hand into Jeremy's outstretched one. They walked side-by-side, hand-in-hand into the darkness after Shadow Bonnie, leaving behind the safety of the office for good.
Mike was barely visible in the darkness, his glowing so brightly that they could be mistaken as two floating flashlights. He walked so smoothly, so silently that Jeremy half-expected him to melt into the wall and become a literal shadow.
The three were the last to arrive in the main party room, and to Jeremy's surprise he found it completely crowded. Balloons and 'Happy Birthday' decorations hung everywhere. A big table was set, and there were chairs precisely for everyone in the pizzeria. They sat down, and only a few chairs were left free.
Instantly Jeremy noticed two other shadows- a black fox and a black chicken- complete with purely white eyes and teeth just like Mike and Phone Guy's. The other nightguards... They nodded in acknowledgement at him. The new animatronics were also present, as well as...
...The original cast...
Instantly Jeremy felt fury flash through him at their sight, the horrifying memories flooding back all at once. "What are you looking at?" he snapped at them, letting his fury leak out a little. Why should he keep back? They deserved all the suffering they ever endured.
"Woah, calm down Jeremy," Mike placed an ice-cold hand onto Jeremy's shoulder.
"Yessssssss, tell the nightguard to calm hisssss nervesssssssssss."
Jeremy spun round, letting go of Vixen's hand. To his surprise he found himself staring at a terrifying creature, possibly the most non-kid friendly attraction Fazbear Entertainment could've come up with. The little gremlin was abnormally thin, as if the person that created it didn't want to waste too much material making it. Its face was shiny and plastic like the new animatronics, with a fake smile and dark featureless eyes. It was floating, so that it could invade into Jeremy's personal space and look directly into his eyes.
"Sssssssso, thisss issss the Jeremy Fritzgerald you told everyone about?" said the puppet. "He hasss grown up, hasssn't he?"
Mike gave an uneasy laugh. "Yeah, it's him. He's here to help, so get out of his face." Once again Vixen began to growl.
Why couldn't Jeremy say anything? Why didn't he swat at the bit of sown fabric, or do anything at all? He blinked as the puppet backed away, finally able to do so.
The puppet gestured towards the table with a long arm, ending in massive Freddy Kruger- like hands. Seriously, who thought this thing was for kids? "Why don't you all take a ssssseat?"
Disobeying this puppet creature seemed like a very bad idea, so the guard, the shadow and the animatronic sat down in the free chairs. And suddenly Jeremy was reminded of the birthday parties he and his fourteen sisters used to have when they were little.
Opposite him sat the withered fox, its robotic tongue poking through the frame of its upper jaw. Jeremy fought the reflex to throw up, before he realised that the red fox was just taunting him. I still hate you the most- Jeremy decided.
Mike sat down next to Jeremy, his nose twitching just like a real rabbit's, and Jeremy had to suppress the urge to point it out. "It's only fair that you're here," he whispered to his old friend. "I wanted to see you before we set ourselves free."
"Where's Scott?" the slumped-over Golden Freddy asked, or rather the child spirit inside did. "Shouldn't we wait for him?"
"Scott had already been set free," replied the Shadow Chica, glancing in Jeremy's direction. "He's waiting for us."
The original cast nodded their heads reluctantly, giving Jeremy dark glares in the process. Thankfully the puppet came to Jeremy's rescue.
"Ssssscott isss waiting," it announced. "Shall we?"
And seemingly from nowhere, a massive cake appeared in the middle of the table, the candles lit and casting shadows across every face, even the shadow animatronics looked brighter.
"Make a wish..."
The candles were blown out, and something clicked.
Those white pinpricks in the withered animatronics' eyes faded away instantly, and their deactivating bodies slumped over where they were sitting, heads lolling back into the tiny chairs or onto their chests.
The puppet, who was so small it had to stand on the chair, dropped to the seat of the chair like a pile of rags, also falling silent.
And the shadow animatronics... the black fox and black chicken melted away, just like the shadow bear had done a few nights before. Yet Mike still held strong, not allowing himself to leave.
"What are you waiting for man?" Jeremy asked. "Go."
Mike exhaled shortly through his nose. "Goodbye kid," he said, before tilting his head up and disappearing into nothingness forever.
"You've quit your job?"
Jeremy sighed deeply, not able to look his friend in the face. "Listen Vixen, I have other things to do other than monitor Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. I only came here because I wanted to set Mike free."
The pink-and-white fox's posture sagged, its ears dropping in sadness. To say that it didn't take Jeremy's resignation lightly was an understatement. It had tried to talk him out of leaving his position as nightguard, but Jeremy had made up his mind. If it had tear-ducts, it would've definitely cried.
It pained Jeremy to do so, but he had to leave. He couldn't stay as a nightguard forever, he had his whole life ahead of him.
"I'm sorry Vixen, but I have to go. I'm really glad I've met you." The former Mangle smiled sadly. Granted he hadn't known it for long, but it was the same with Mike- he'd only truly known him one night, yet Jeremy had considered him one his best friends.
How ironic that both Mike and Vixen were direct reasons Jeremy was still alive. He owed them his life. At least now Mike's soul had been put to rest.
Jeremy approached the Mangle cautiously, before he embraced it in a hug. Its torso was hard and plastic and heatless, but somehow Jeremy was reminded of his eldest sister. Especially when the animatronic returned the favour.
"I will remember you Jeremy," it whimpered, gentle as always though it was clear it didn't ever want to let him go.
"And I'll remember you," Jeremy promised.
The grandfather clock had chimed, the robots had frozen, and Jeremy's shift had finished. He left the establishment, looking back over his shoulder one last time before leaving the horrors of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria behind him for good.
THE END
Oh my goodness! My first finished fanfiction! I honestly didn't think I'd finish this as quickly as I did.
I want to give out my thanks now, because when else will I get the chance?
First of all to Scott Cawthon, the wonderful creator of Five Nights at Freddy's. Without that guy this story wouldn't exist, as well as many of the wonderful fanworks besides this one, so I think he deserves a big thank you from all of us.
Secondly, to Thedyingjokepastaway, the guy who had supported me throughout the whole time I've been on this site. Thanks man, from the bottom of my very heart.
Thirdly, to Atsuko San8, preciouslittletoonette, A Guest, JustBeStill, Victor John Foxfire, ProngsPotter22, Robot Randy, Crystal364, Malchus-Fireheart and Honorchior for their reviews and feedback on this story. Thank you greatly for taking the time to point out things I need to improve on as well as encourage me throughout this whole story. It really means a lot to me that people like to read what I write.
And lastly but not least, to you reading this right now. It means a heck of a lot to me for you to make it to the very end of this horrifying abomination. You didn't have to find this story, or read it even, so perhaps the biggest thanks goes to you.
May the winds that blow in your sails be strong.
- Phouka Dragon11 -