A/N: Well, we've finally made it- "My New Best Friend Is A Murderer" has come to an end. I'll keep this note brief, since I'm sure you'd much rather get to the actual chapter, but I wanted to again thank everyone for their support of this story. It's an amazing feeling when a project you've worked on for so long gets this amount of love! Thank you to everyone who has read, favorited, commented, and drawn fanart; your support means more than I could ever put into words!

And, of course, I have to give another, extra-special shout out to my ol' RP partner for creating the storyline with me, and then further encouraging me when I wanted to turn it into a fanfic!

So, without further ado, enjoy the last chapter of "My New Best Friend Is A Murderer!"

Chapter 19: Finale

"Well-" Springtrap cut off abruptly, mouth hanging open in an almost comical expression. He had been more than ready to reply to the Marionette's predictably horrific answer with some snarky comment, but this was the last thing he ever expected to hear. He frowned hard, slowly responding in a voice quiet with shock, "Ex...excuse me?"

"Off the hook." The Marionette's own voice was cold, almost steely and grave. "I said my goal was to see your final sobs- to see you on your knees, broken. And I saw it, just moments ago. You're not forgiven- Oh, no, never. I'm not as soft as-" It gave Kenneth's chest a poke, "-this nimrod. But I'm just about done with this whole situation."

"Off the... I'm... I'm off the... off the hook?!" Springtrap knew he was repeating himself, but this simple, three-letter phrase was so utterly incomprehensible that he felt the need to say it again to make any sense of it. His eyes darted around the room- to the floor, ceiling, the wall, back at the floor- before finally settling back on the possessed Guard. "I-I don't... You're... Are you...saying that you're finally going to leave?! You're going to... to leave and be free, like the others?"

The Puppet shifted away. Clearly it didn't want to talk about this either. But slowly, it nodded. "I see no reason to continue hanging around, my friend. I suppose I'll just allow myself the glory of... Freedom, I suppose. I hardly know what's beyond for the more mystically-inclined, but I suppose it can't be too bad..."

"I-I...Well, that's... I..." A small, delirious sort of chuckle escaped the ghost's lips, coupled with an equally questionable smile.

This couldn't be real.

The Marionette must be playing some sort of trick. Vincent had done such horrible, horrible things... "You can't be serious, I...I deserve eternal torment, like you've told me so many times...Well, I mean-" He paused, a slight crease between his eyebrows. "-you deserve to go free, surely, after all the hell I've put you through... But..."

The creature shot the ghost a slightly confused glance, blinking slowly. "Didn't I say you weren't forgiven?" it snapped, shaking its head. "Of course I know what you deserve. I, however, don't wish to bring it anymore; I saw what I wanted. I saw you whimpering on the floor, terrified of what you were. It's all I, personally, needed."

"That's...well, that's..." For once, Springtrap was actually at a loss for words. He ran a hand through his hair, looking around again before focusing on a spot on the wall a little to the right of the boy's head; for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to look at that face. "Thank... thank you, I suppose. I...I really don't know what to...what to say..."

A gentle little chuckle. "You? Thanking me? My, my, my. Aren't we breaking some new ground today?" Gently the creature leaned back on its hands, not judging the position of the ghost's eyes. "You're welcome, my friend. And thank you for making it relatively quick, I could have pulled Kenneth's soul clean out of his body if I set my mind to it... I assume, though I never tried. Hmm."

Springtrap's breath hitched for a second- a strange sensation, since he technically didn't need to breathe and was only doing so out of habit. The thought of Kenneth being in the same ethereal state as him, or worse, sent a chill up his spine that was much, much colder than his current state of being. "Well, I...I can't say I intended to 'make it quick,' but...I'm glad that you've decided to be free. Really." He let out a snorting sort of laugh, now staring at the ground. "I know that I'm probably the last person you want to hear that from, and you're most likely not going to believe me, but... I mean it. Seriously."

Something about this statement made the human's eyes widen, made the Puppet shift to be on the defensive. The creature exhaled. "Well...Alright. I'll accept the congrats. Truth be told, if freeing myself wouldn't also free you, perhaps I would have coaxed Kenneth to do it sooner..."

This last sentence made Springtrap frown. "Are you... able to free yourself now? Or do you still need help? Because, if you do-"A tiny, tiny smile lifted up the corners of his mouth. "-I'm sure the idiot whose body you're inhabiting would be more than willing to assist. He talks incessantly about wanting to help both of us, you know, not just me."

"Would he help without question?" A pause, a sudden laugh. "He would." The Puppet shifted again, smiling softly as well. "Alright, say I do agree. You won't mind your tormentor is getting away?"

"The tormentor that I created in the first place?" The ghost shook his head, finally meeting the Marionette's measured gaze. "I'm old, and some of my memories are still hazy, but I'm not stupid; I know what I've done. The only reason that you became... this, is because of my unwarranted, inexcusable actions. Am I angry at you for forcing me into that rabbit suit, putting me to sleep for thirty years, and then torturing me almost non-stop from the moment I woke up?" A short pause, and then he nodded slightly. "...Of course I am. But I understand that I really have no right to be; everything you did was to get revenge for yourself and the other kids.

"Nothing I say can excuse what I've done, so if finally letting all of the children's restless souls go free is the best thing for them, then I'll take it." A small spark lit up his eyes, though if it was meant to be teasing or angry, the Puppet wasn't sure. "...Even if one of those spirits had a particular affinity for dousing me with water."

The creature let out a laugh- a noise that sounded more like an exhale then a true laugh.

"So you do understand," it said softly, another chuckle following. "I never supposed that was possible, your understanding. But I seem to be surprised more and more as we speak. And not just from this man's... disconcertingly strong will." It gave one last stretch, one last little wiggle to get perfectly comfortable. "And don't you fret. No more short circuiting...Even if it was hilarious to watch you scream."

"At least one of us enjoyed the torment..." Springtrap rolled his eyes, and then shook his head, grounding himself to the situation at hand. "So, you never answered my question: can you get out on your own? Or do you need Kenneth's help?" He gestured to the Guard's body that the Puppet currently inhabited, wondering if Kenneth was indeed still awake and hearing everything that was happening around him.

Slowly, slowly, the creature flexed its fingers. "...Yes. Since I gave up my initial ability to leave in order to keep you within the building, I would need...Well. Your own method to sever ties, so to speak." Its eyes rolled away in thought. "I suppose you could say I inadvertently bound myself to you, though it isn't the best comparison."

"...Ah." The explanation made as much sense as anything else did. Springtrap raised one eyebrow. "Well, Kenneth is going to burn down the building tonight, so, if it works, then we'll both be free very soon. Although, I think he wanted to hang around a little and see if you'd show up again. I'm not sure what specifically he wanted to do, but... I think he at least wanted to make sure you were okay. Well, relatively; as 'okay' as you can be." He shrugged. "You're the one inside his head; you'd have a better idea of what he's thinking than I would, probably."

"Try and help me? Truly he is a little too... trusting." The Puppet gave little chuckle, letting the Guard's eyes shut gently. "Alright. I'll comply. I'll go along with this sort of plan... But if it doesn't work, don't expect my sympathies." With that, Kenneth's head slightly lolled forward, followed by some gentle breathing. Slowly, his eyes cracked open and he mumbled:

"Mmm...Did I fall 'sleep...?"

"Apparently so." The ghost briefly pressed his hands on either side of the boy's face, hoping that the sudden cold would wake him up faster. "Come on, wake up; I actually have some fairly good news, for once!"

"Didn't m-mean to..." A yawn. "Tired." Kenneth reached up, rubbing his eyes, letting them slowly open wider as he sat up, looking at the ghost's hands on either side of his face. He laughed. "I'm up, I-I'm up!"

Springtrap returned his hands to his sides, only to pick one up again and run it through his hair, smiling slightly. "So, uh...apparently, I'm 'off the hook.'"

"Off the..." Kenneth blinked, rubbing the back of his neck. "H-Hook? Um, what?"

The specter chuckled. "The Marionette is finally done tormenting me. I'm not forgiven for what I've done, and I never will be, but... Let's see, how did it put this..." He frowned, thinking, before locking gazes with the Guard. "It said that its goal was to 'see my final sobs, on my knees... broken,' were the words I think it used. And, apparently, when I had that... breakdown earlier, that was enough to satisfy it." Springtrap smiled, his eyes surprisingly soft. "So, the Puppet decided that it was finally time to be free."

Kenneth's eyes lit up brightly as he grinned from ear to ear. "You're fr-free to go?!"He almost gasped, excited. "It's-That's-That's great! Now, now it won't bind you to anything else and-It'll work, and-You're really free!"

"Yeah." The ghost couldn't help but echo the Guard's ridiculous grin; it was simply too infectious. "Apparently, when the Marionette brought me back, it gave up its chance to leave and unintentionally got stuck with me again... so, basically, now it can't go until I do."

"That's-That's amazing! So, so you're-It can be a kid and you can be happy!" A laugh, a random, excited laugh. "I-I'd hug you! But, but I'm saving th-that for when I burn it, but... Wow!"

"Yeah, save the hug for later," Springtrap agreed, rolling his eyes. A bright smile was still lighting up his face as he stretched his arms over his head; though he couldn't feel any stiffness in his joints, it felt like the natural thing to do. As he let his arms fall to his sides, he glanced down at the Guard. "So? Any last-minute things you want to do before we get the hell out of here?"

"You, you did say you... wanted to-to know more about me." Kenneth quickly hopped up as well, standing beside the ghost, still smiling so much his cheeks hurt. "And if you r-remember anything, well... There's g-gotta be more than just child murders, ri-right?"

"Hopefully, I'll get some good memories to even out the bad ones, but... somehow, I doubt it." His smile slipped as he went through the motion of ruffling Kenneth's hair again. "But I can't tell you anything about myself unless I remember, so... why don't you give me a little more insight into your life?"

"M-me?" Kenneth blinked, then looked away in thought. "Well, um. I'm Ken-Kenneth Talbot. Twenty-seven. Born September, um, twentieth. Virgo. I majored in, ah... Calligraphy in college. Mostly be-because I couldn't find anything I could ma-make a real living on. This, um, this is my first real job... No pets yet. Ki-kinda want a rat or something small. Cat person. Um. No siblings, no-not that I'm aware of... Blood type A-positive. And favorite color is...Well, yellow, I guess. Maybe a light brown? I-I'm not sure what to say, really, hah..."

"Wow, that's... a bit more than I expected," Springtrap chuckled. He certainly hadn't intended for the Guard reveal every detail about himself. The ghost raised an eyebrow. "You're twenty-seven, huh? I'm pretty sure I was around your age when I... got stuck here. "

"Really?" Kenneth wasn't sure if his tone was supposed to slightly lighten, but it did. "Um. S-Sorry. Did I ever apologize? People, um, just do th-that when people die, so..."

"Apologize for... what? My death? " The ghost rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Night Guard; that's the last thing that anyone needs to apologize for, especially you. Besides... that's in the past. I mean, yes, obviously I'm still dead; look at me." He gestured to his transparent body. "...But thirty years is a good amount of time for me to, at least mostly, accept it."

The Guard let out a small, small sigh. "I, I don't know, I... I'd want someone to apologize, I... Maybe I am too nice, really. Heh."

Springtrap gave another little smile. "I think we've already established that."

"Well, I mean...Y-Yeah." Kenneth smiled back. "I'm gl-glad you put up with me though!"

"Well, you seem to be the only one actually working here, so..." The ghost looked down the hallway, frowning. "What exactly were you supposed to do in this place, anyway?"

"Oh, um, I, I play the Guard. But-Um, they let me manipulate some of the sounds and lights." The boy smirked a little, rubbing the back of his neck, thinking of what PD had told him a long while back. "I-I could play things over the loudspeaker. D'you remember th-the tapes? Well, I would play those, and pr-probably the little laughing sound byte, and scare the patrons! And I'd maybe flicker some lights and maybe fake die."

"Sounds riveting." Springtrap gazed up at the ceiling, an almost wistful look in his eyes, shaking his head slightly. "This is certainly a far cry from 'Freddy Fazbear's Pizza...'"

Suddenly, he was overcome with the smell of grease and cake, coupled with the sounds of children laughing and screeching with delight.

When Vincent first began to work for the company- and he had gotten hired very soon after Fazbear's humble beginnings- it had been an overall happy place. Though there were only two characters at the time, good old Freddy and Bonnie seemed to entertain the children well enough. Unfortunately, Vincent knew from the moment he stepped over the threshold of the building that this place wouldn't be a good fit for him; the atmosphere was just too... upbeat for his quietly calculating nature. However, he accepted the position with the plan of quickly finding another job soon afterwards- this had been the only option for him at the current time, and he needed the money more than he needed a peaceful livelihood.

...Or so he'd thought. A few years later, he was still working at Freddy Fazbear's. The long, arduous hours trapped among hordes of screaming children hyped up on sugar had not been kind to him. In fact, this longer-than-intended employment had put quite a strain on his-unbeknownst to him at the time- already fragile mental state.

"That's why I reacted so-" The thought cut off, and Springtrap blinked. He was in Fazbear's Fright, decades into the future. The only smell was that of the old building- although, being a ghost, this was rather hard for him to detect. He let out a small, frustrated sigh, his eyes once again falling to the freckled boy standing next to him.

Kenneth had begun wringing his hands, wondering if this was what it had been like when he'd been lost in his hallucinatory dreams- when he'd touch things and lapse into those visions. It was a little disconcerting, to say the least. Springtrap suddenly made a noise, and Kenneth looked back at him with a start, eyes lighting up.

"So? An-another memory? It, it doesn't even look like a bad one! No fa-falling and crying or a-anything."

"Yeah, it... it wasn't so bad, compared to the other ones." The ghost ran a hand through his hair, cracking a small grin. "Ironically, it was about my early years working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza."

"Oh, re-really?" The boy smiled back, then paused, looking off. "Ma-maybe your memories are tr-triggered by things! Like my hallucinations! We just have to figure out these triggers, and-" Kenneth paused, laughing at himself for getting almost wrapped up in another plan. Priorities, Kenneth. "...H-How'd it go?"

"How did what go?" Springtrap raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "My job? Not very well, in the end, if you couldn't have already guessed. It... wasn't the right fit for me." He let out a short, unenthusiastic sort of chuckle. "It was only supposed to be a temporary position, but... I guess I was always a bit off, so no one really wanted to hire me. I only got the job at this place because they were desperate for anyone they could get.

"But I needed the money, so..." His gaze shifted to the ground and he uncrossed his arms, letting them fall to his sides. "I just thought I could put up with the kids for a little bit. It... It wasn't even the kids themselves, really." He frowned, vague feelings in the back of his mind trying to resurface. "It was the... the screaming and crying that I couldn't stand."

Softly, Kenneth began to chew on the inside of his cheek. "You, um...You don't li-like loud noises?"

"Not necessarily loud noises, per se. It's more like..." The specter's frown deepened and he ran a hand through his hair. "It's more like... crying. I just...didn't know how to deal with it. Still don't, probably, but thankfully you haven't had a temper tantrum." His eyes shifted to meet the Guard's, smirking slightly in a desperate attempt to lighten the situation. "...Yet."

Kenneth exhaled, laughing to himself. "I, I don't cry! Not a lot! Okay, okay, I-I get scared a, a whole lot, but...I don't actually cry all that much." But still, he smiled back. "Oh, um, maybe this is why you're not good with ph-physical affection, you know... L-Little kids pulling on your pants and so-sobbing and getting snot on you... Something like th-that?"

The ghost's smirk widened into a full-on smile. "Yeah. I mean, do you know how hard it is to get greasy pizza stains out of this uniform?" To emphasize the gravity of this question, he lightly tugged on one of his pant legs.

Kenneth rolled his eyes. "No, I guess I wo-wouldn't. I mean, all there is here is..." A vague wave of a hand. "Fa-fake cobwebs and d-dust."

"...Right, you haven't actually gotten the Fazbear experience, have you?" Springtrap asked, letting out a sigh. "Consider yourself lucky. Although... I have a feeling that you'd get along much better with the little ones that I could even imagine." His eyes seemed to soften just a tad, a sad look deep within them. If only their lives had been switched... Despite his constantly-terrified state, Kenneth was obviously willing to protect people if the need arose, and Springtrap had a feeling that his kind personality would make him a huge hit with all of the children.

"Yeah, I w-wish I... met the kids." The Guard looked away, eyes rolling up to the ceiling. "Y-You think they could see me? Th-that they knew what I was doing? Can they still see me, o-or... Oh, I wish I could have me-met them before they went! Poor little th-things..."

"Hopefully, they're long gone and have no more ties to this place whatsoever." Springtrap glanced up at the ceiling for a moment as well. "...But I'm sure they knew what you were up to, even if they weren't aware of who exactly was doing it. You helped give them their freedom, after all. And... there's still one of them hanging around."

"...How couldn't I? I'm very glad someone was there to play my games." Kenneth blinked, covering his mouth again, but he was forced to gently laugh. "No, no, don't worry... You won't go to sleep this time, my friend. I feel that you're obligated to hear a few things we speak of."

Though the Guard's expression was currently masked by the Marionette's, Springtrap knew that Kenneth was probably having a panic attack on the inside. Hoping to quell his nerves at least a little, he soothed: "Kenneth, just relax. For once, you don't have to fight it; we came to a relative understanding, remember? So just... try and be calm."

"Right, I-I mean okay, but can you make my limbs stop moooovin-" His hands went up, rubbing his temples. "Oh, gracious. Somehow his panicking is far, far louder when it's literally two inches from my ears. Hmph."

"If you give him a little more physical control, then he won't panic as much." The ghost sounded as if he were explaining something to a small child. His eyes darkened for a second, before his lips curled upwards in an ironic sort of smirk. "It's not fun being treated like a puppet, you know."

"Oh, hush-hush." A dismissive wave of the hand. "I'm not letting him have the motor functions; I'm sure he's jittery enough with just myself speaking in his place. I don't want him running away, possibly stumbling on your headless suit, getting an eyeful of corpse, and then suffering a heart attack."

Springtrap let out a small, aggravated sigh, but decided that it would be in both his and Kenneth's best interests not to argue. "...Fine. So, what do you want to talk about this time?"

"Oh, not to you, I'm done with you." The boy's hands began to dust and straighten the blue uniform. "I was going to thank Kenneth, and perhaps urge him to get a move on."

"Wa-wait, I mean-I-You're welcome! But...?" Kenneth's stuttering voice broke through for a second, but the Marionette continued over him, prompting the body to pace the dingy hallway.

"You see, I can't exactly allow this horrible man to continue remembering things."

"Wait, I mean-That's-"

"Honestly, just listen, would you? See, it's obvious: He keeps remembering..." The pacing stopped dead, hands clasped behind the boy's back. "The less likely you'll be pleased with the resulting outcome."

"Okay, if, if you're s-saying he's going to k-kill me-"

"A reasonable thought!"

"-He won't! That's, he's... t-that's just not how people work!"

"Hey, I'm right here, you know," Springtrap interjected, waving a hand in front of the boy's face and raising an offended eyebrow. "You think that I'm suddenly going to get the urge to murder this idiot if I get more of my memories back?"

"Yes." The Guard's arms crossed. "I think it's reasonable. Bothering with this-" A hand poked his chest, making Kenneth squeal. "-whiny little thing is only bound to remind you of everything you hate, and don't act like I can't pick up on this sort of thing."

"I never said... Well, of course he reminds me of those whiny brats- er, no offence, Kenneth." The specter narrowed his eyes. "But, despite what you may think, I have a little more self-control than I used to. What makes you think I'll randomly decide to off him?" He jerked a thumb towards the Guard, trying to control his growing frustration. He had worked so hard to convince Kenneth that the boy was perfectly safe around him, and the Puppet was trying to ruin their still-fragile bond of trust with nothing more than manipulative language.

"Because I'm sure you want to." Lightly, ever so lightly, shadowy traces began to seep out of Kenneth's fingertips. A small whimper. One hand reached out, "holding" the ghost's arm, and the wisps of darkness gently wrapped around Springtrap as well, making the grip a little more real between one supernatural being to another. "A fragile boy who whines and screams and whimpers at the slightest thing? He's a weak-skilled child. So I can't allow you to remember anything more. And if I must, I'll make him burn this building this very moment."

"Okay, okay, no more chatting!" Springtrap exclaimed, giving his arm a light tug, though not really trying to free himself. The shadowy tendrils were alarming, yes, but not painful. Springtrap certainly couldn't blame the Puppet for wanting to leave, but its reasoning irked him. "I really, honestly, don't want to kill Kenneth! But if you make him start a fire now, then he might inadvertently kill himself... At least let him get out of the building first. Trust me, he wants to burn this place down, too."

"Hmph." A slight wrinkle of the boy's freckle-ridden nose. "Like I'd let him get killed. Come, let's-"

"But, but I wanna-I wanna stay with Sp-Springtrap-!" Yet again, Kenneth's own voice broke through for just a moment before the Marionette's willpower strengthened.

"Let's get the lighter and we'll be on our way."

"A l-little longer, j-just... just a f-few minutes, I p-promise-"

"Promises mean nothing, even coming from you."

The hand holding the ghost trembled. "L-Let him g-go!"

"Hey, hey, it's alright," Springtrap said, attempting to give the Guard a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. He twisted his arm around so that he appeared to be gripping Kenneth's palm in some sort of half-living, half-dead handshake. "Remember what I told you? The Marionette is attached to me; it can't leave until I do. So... so let's just go get that lighter, and we c-can burn this place down!" His voice hitched for a moment, though he couldn't understand why. He had this strange lump in his throat, which was odd because he shouldn't be experiencing any human ailments. The ghost swallowed, attempting to make the strange feeling go away, but the lump refused to leave. He settled for giving the Guard's arm a little squeeze and then attempting to let go... but Kenneth was holding on fast, the tendrils making it so that he could actually touch the ghost in a strange sort of way.

The boy gave another whimper, and he reached his other hand over to try and pull his fingers off. The tendrils refused to move, and he sighed.

"We-well, it, it backed off... K-Kind of. A-At least it's not talking..." Gently he pulled the ghost, starting to go down the hall, his other arm reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll, I mean...I'll... g-get it over with." He looked down at the floor, shifting awkwardly. Truth be told, he heard the hitch, he just didn't want to bring it up... and he wished the Puppet wasn't forcing him into this so quickly.

Springtrap, on the other hand, remained silent as he was literally pulled down the hallway. He could sense a sort of uneasiness, even a hint of... sadness-maybe?- emanating off of Kenneth. The ghost wanted to talk more, to learn more about his new-found friend and, less appealing but still necessary, learn more about himself and his past in the process. And he knew without a shadow of a doubt that the Guard wanted the same thing. However... it seemed like the Puppet's demands were, as usual, too strong to go against.

Kenneth knew where the lighter was, of course. In his desk. But he was taking a rather... extravagant route to the office. Turning many unnecessary corners, looking away when he saw hallways he could take that would be quicker, almost trying to force innocent whistling. It soon became glaringly obvious he was stalling a bit, but for the moment, the Marionette didn't extend its influence..

"...I take it that you don't want to leave just yet?" Springtrap questioned eventually, raising an eyebrow. He knew just as well as Kenneth did that all of those turns and extra-cautious efforts to avoid "quick" hallways were simply stalling tactics. He couldn't blame the boy for trying, though.

"I-Well, I mean..." Kenneth's eyes wandered downwards, sighing. "Y-yeah. I... I don't wanna... I don't wanna lose you j-just yet."

The specter couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his throat. Good lord, how cheesy could this guy be? "You know, if... if you hadn't taken the job, then some other poor sap would've been the Night Guard and you wouldn't even have met me. So, I guess... consider it lucky that I wasn't harassing someone else this past week." He cringed; what kind of comforting words were those? But, then again, he had never been one for emotional support. He hoped that Kenneth could tell he was trying his best.

Kenneth gave small laugh, a smile going across his face. That did somehow make him feel a little better about this, knowing he stopped some other poor unfortunate sucker from possibly dying. That wouldn't have been nice. "I-I-And-I just wanna letcha' know, I-I do still trust you. And, um. I know you, you wouldn't hurt me. No matter wh-what."

Springtrap cracked a grin, ruffling the Guard's hair to the best of his ghostly ability. "I'm glad to hear you say that. After all the crap we've been though, I'd hardly waste the effort I spent protecting you from that manipulative Puppet by trying to kill you... That would just be stupid."

The Guard's smile widened as he leaned into the little hair ruffle. In a strange way, he was going to miss these sorts of things. "And, y'know, I, I wanted you to go with all your memories, since-Well-What if you don't get them back? And... And then you're missing a big p-part of you, and..." He sighed. "I-I don't want you to go j-just yet. N-Not... not r-right this second, I mean."

"Well, it's not like I want to, eith-" The ghost suddenly cut himself off, his mouth hanging open mid-word. He couldn't believe what he had just been about to say.

After thirty years of being trapped inside that horrible suit, not to mention the many years of torture before that working at the Pizzeria itself, nor the week of hell he had just endured at the hands of the Puppet... how could he even fathom the idea of wanting to stay even a millisecond longer? It was absolutely ridiculous. Springtrap was a ghost; he was already dead, and had been for much too long. He had no purpose, no right to stay on this Earth any longer. So... why did that damn lump in his throat suddenly return at the Guard's glaringly heartfelt words?

Kenneth let himself relax a bit, pulling the ghost along, meandering through the halls. He heard Springtrap suddenly cut himself off, but what he was about to say... it really made the Guard feel better. His eyes traced along the drawings, exhaling. "I-I... Y'know, I...I don't want you t-to go, but... I'm g-glad you are, a-all the same!"

"Oh, really?" Springtrap smirked, predicting the next words to come out of the idiotically kind boy's mouth. "Because, 'despite being a child murderer in the past, I've come to realize my mistakes and deserve my freedom, too,' right?"

"Aw, I'm n-not that cheesy, am I?" Kenneth blushed a little, smiling. "You-You ma-make me sound like a-a Hallmark c-card. I-I don't sound like that! ...Do I?"

"Well... Just a little bit." The ghost's smirk widened, and then he blinked as a wayward thought crossed his mind: what a normal conversation this is. The content itself wasn't normal, of course, but the way Springtrap was conversing with the Guard was... well, he'd never been able to talk to anyone as easily as this before. He wondered why this walking self-esteem booster couldn't have come into his life when he was still alive. Maybe Kenneth would've been able to talk some sense into him before...

Springtrap shook his head, letting out a small sigh. That was all in the past; there was nothing more he could do about it. He focused back on the Guard, his grin returning. "You do spout out some pretty card-worthy stuff with fairly good consistency..."

"...Ma-maybe I could get a new job writing greeting cards." Kenneth turned a corner, giving a small laugh. "I-I got th-the penmanship down, and well..." A pause, his shoulders falling. The turned corner left him face-to-face with his office. "O-oh. I, uh... thought we... w-wouldn't pass this yet."

"Well, you've been through every other place in this building except the air vents, so unless you wanted to take a trip through those, this is the only place left to go," Springtrap reasoned, shrugging, trying to appear nonchalant despite the strange, growing apprehension he felt.

"...R-Right." Slowly, Kenneth went over to his desk. As his free hand reached out to open a drawer, the shadowy tendrils released the ghost, retracting back into the Guard's other arm while he rummaged around. "...This is... is it."

"Looks like it." Springtrap lifted his hand to his chest, absentmindedly rubbing the wrist that had been surrounded by shadows. Though wasn't a fan of being "stuck" to anything, the ghost couldn't help but sort of appreciate that that was the closest thing he would ever get to any "physical contact" with the Guard. Not that he necessarily wanted the contact, per se, but he knew that Kenneth was hell-bent on giving him one last hug before he left, one way or another, and he supposed a shake of the hand was the next best thing. He watched as Kenneth slowly, almost painstakingly picked up at lighter, as if it burned his fingers simply to touch it.

The Guard wrapped his fingers around the lighter, closing the drawer, a shadow sneaking up the wall. He looked at the thing in his hands for a while, then let his eyes wander out to the hallway. "Um, ma-maybe I sh-should light one, one of those posters...Th-that'd burn... quicker."

"Just make sure it's not a haunted one or... something." The ghost sighed; he had no idea what he was even trying to say. Was that meant to be funny? It was a sad attempt, if it even was one. A dull, numbing sensation began to overcome his body.

This was it. This was really it.

After all this time, all the decades of waiting, sleeping, the desperate longing to be free, it was finally about to happen. And Springtrap was almost... Well, this new emotion was a strange one. This was the night for new emotions, it seemed; however, this one was very, very unpleasant. That lump in his throat was still there, and it didn't appear to be going away anytime soon. Frowning, he looked at the Guard, as if silently asking him to explain his mental dilemma.

Kenneth gave a delayed, almost forced laugh at Springtrap's comment. Really, as awful as this job was, he liked some part of it. Some small, small part. The boy sighed, looking back to the ghost. There was a strange look on the specter's face, though in all honesty Kenneth wasn't too sure how to read it. Pleading, inquisitive... Hurt? He couldn't say. "Well, um. Let's... Let's not draw it out, right? Or, or Marionette c-could come back." And, slowly, he went into the hall.

"R-Right." Obediently, the ghost trailed along behind Kenneth. Why did he feel like a child getting unnecessarily punished? An ironic chuckle slipped from his mouth; six nights ago, he couldn't wait to get out of there. And yet, now, he wanted to prolong his time with the Guard as much as possible. He had never felt such a... connection with anyone before. Was it because Kenneth was nearly the same age as he had been when he'd died? Or was it because they were so fundamentally different?

Opposites attract, Springtrap thought, rolling his eyes, Isn't that how the saying goes?

He and Kenneth were, in every sense of the word, complete and total opposites, and yet the Guard had been the only one able to break through Springtrap's carefully-composed shell of anger and instinctive, violent tendencies. Abruptly, the ghost stopped in his tracks, staring hard at the ground. He whispered, in a voice so soft that he wondered if Kenneth could even hear him. "I don't... I don't know if I'm ready anymore... Or if... if I ever will be ready."

Kenneth could hear him. And he stopped too, looking over his shoulder. God, he... The ghost just staring at the ground like that... It made the Guard feel pity. A familiar feeling, one that had made him help in the first place, and it made his heart sink like a rock, seeing his friend like this. The boy wrung his hands, careful not to set the lighter off by accident.

"I... I kn-know. I... I don't w-w-want you to... to go either, j-just yet." His voice was similarly quiet, and he let out a sigh. "But, but th-the Puppet wants to, and... and it'll make you go if I don't, and... I... It's...You...H have to."

"...I know." Springtrap's eyes shifted up to meet the Guard's, a small smile lifting up the corners of his mouth. "Of course I know. Hell, I... I should be happy! I should be absolutely ecstatic!" A small laugh, a light shake of the head. "Shit, I'm just... really messed up, huh? I get stuck at a job I hate, lose my mind and murder some kids, then get trapped here for decades in a rotting rabbit suit... and then I'm freed from my metal prison and have the ideal opportunity to leave, to go wherever the afterlife takes me and never look back. But, now... now, I want to stay at this hell-hole of a place." He heaved a sigh and placed his face in his hands, lightly raking his fingers down his cheeks. "...My priorities are completely screwed up, Night Guard."

Kenneth smiled a bit, which he hoped came off as reassuring, then reached up- having to slightly rock forward onto his tiptoes- and ruffled the ghost's hair. Well, as best he could. "Well, um, m-my first priority was to he-help the... the scary rabbit suit that wanted to p-probably kill me. So, we b-both have no priorities!" A cheerful little laugh as he rocked back to level ground. "It'll... Be o-okay, Springtrap."

A genuinely happy grin, spread across the specter's face. This obnoxiously cheerful Guard always knew just what to say. "...Thanks. I mean, I'm sure it'll be better for me, in the end, but..." He shrugged, a teasing spark in his eyes. "I guess I'll miss having someone around that'll actually put up with me; it's not every day that you find someone that won't smack you if you repeatedly call them an 'idiot,' you know."

Another laugh. Kenneth gave a big smile back and then turned around, looking at the drawing on the wall. Well, this was it. This was just... He had to convince himself to... "I, um. I-I'll just... Er." He flicked on the lighter, then held it to the picture, letting it catch alight. He watched as the flames consumed the drawings, soon moving to the ones nearby, then to the wall itself. "Well... um. T-There you g-go."

Springtrap stared at the Guard, a dumbfounded look etched across his face. "What... what the hell are you doing?! You just... you're still in the middle of the damn building! Get out, get out!" Abruptly, instinctively, he tried to push the boy towards the door, but only succeeded in falling through his back. Kenneth screeched as Springtrap's top half suddenly protruded out of his chest, looking like a scene from some sort of cheesy sci-fi movie. Springtrap winced at the sound and quickly extracted himself from the Guard, shivering as he righted himself and floated a few inches away. He didn't like the feeling of going through a human body any more than Kenneth did. "Ugh, sorry, I... didn't mean to do that. But... but you need to get out!"

It took a second for Kenneth to recalibrate, to get the chills out; it felt like his internal organs had frozen over, but that was pretty impossible. Brr. "Okay, okay, I'm-" He paused with a gasp, nearly forgetting something. Then the Guard rushed up, having to lean onto his tiptoes again in order to wrap his arms around the ghost and sort of awkwardly hug him. His hands sunk into the specter, but he couldn't care less. "I-I hope everything wo-works out wh-when you go, and-And-I hope you're happy! G-Goodbye, Springtrap!"

He ignored the tears building in his eyes for now, letting go of the ghost and waving as he ran, dropping the lighter on his way to the outside world. He stopped only once, to pause and get his bag and keys, and felt a twinge of regret that he couldn't go back the retrieve that scarf, but... time was of the essence. Without looking back, Kenneth ran out of the building.

"H-Hey, wait, Kenneth, I didn't get to-" The freckled boy had moved with such surprising speed, it took Springtrap a moment to process everything that had just happened. He rushed to the open door after the boy, wanting to follow him, but once again the ghost slammed into the invisible wall that blocked his escape from the building. He pressed his hands against the seemingly empty doorway, straining with all of his might to get through, but it wouldn't budge. Apparently, he wouldn't be free until all of the building had burned down. He stared after the Guard, regret lingering in his eyes as he mumbled:

"...I didn't get to hug you back, you stupid, stupid Night Guard."

The fire spread slowly at first, lapping up the drawings and the old walls, the fake cobwebs and soon enough, the animatronic heads-turned-decor. It never really grew into a full blaze, just a gentle trail, covering more and more ground as it went.

As Springtrap watched Kenneth run to his car, a shadow skirted across the walls and gently curled around the ghost's arm. It couldn't speak, for it had no vessel. But it felt... relieved, almost. At ease. No longer quite the proper, snotty, cunning thing it was before. Maybe a little softer. But who could really say?

Springtrap glanced at the shadow, the tendrils twisting and molding into an old, familiar shape. Through the smoke and flames, the ghost could see the silhouette of a small child staring up at him with wide, imploring eyes. One tiny hand clutched the former Guard's arm, gently tugging at his sleeve. A corner of Springtrap's mouth turned up in a small smile.

The Marionette was back to the way it was before. Finally, the tortured spirit could be free. Gently, oh so gently, Springtrap reached down and grasped the child under the shoulders, lifting it up, up, up until it was floating out of his hands, slipping away to some far-off land of escape. The specter watched it go, the smoke clearing as the child passed through it. As the ghost stared up into the sky, he could swear that he saw the faces of five other children gazing down at him, their arms outstretched to welcome their wayward guardian back into their midst.

Soon, though, the smoke returned and the spirit-children were no more. All that was left were the crackling of flames and the equally heavy air of both regret and redemption. Suddenly, Springtrap felt his body beginning to lighten, as if all of the ethereal weight that tied him to this Earth was fading away. He smiled; the flames must have finally gotten to his real body inside the broken, rotting animatronic suit. Slowly, he could feel his essence disappearing. He wasn't going up, but... he wasn't moving downwards, either. He was simply... disappearing, traveling to a new place that he hoped would be kinder to him than this world had been. And, in turn, he vowed to be kinder to whatever was there, too.

A car backed out of the parking lot, quickly driving away into the night, the light of the headlights soon fading over the horizon. Of course, the smell of smoke and the bright flames alerted people. The fire trucks soon rolled in, sirens blaring, some wayward strangers taking pictures of the blaze which would no doubt make the news. Just another incident added to the infamous Fazbear Franchise.

And Kenneth? He merely kept his eyes on the road, going forward. It wasn't until he was far, far away from the building that he pulled over and let the tears fall, mourning the loss and celebrating the freedom of a new, unexpectedly good, very best friend.

~The End~