Circus Baby's Pizza World was once the most fun pizzeria in town. Ballora, Funtime Freddy, and Funtime Foxy entertained many children throughout the years, but Circus Baby was always the kids' favorite. Baby enjoyed making the kids happy. She even got to know some of the regulars. But her favorite kid was a little boy named Ryan O' Casey. Ryan, a blonde-haired boy with bright blue eyes came in to Baby's auditorium with two other children, both girls. Ryan seemed to be the youngest, as he always hid behind the two girls. The two girls immediately took a liking to Baby, but Ryan seemed afraid.
"It's okay, sweetie. I won't hurt you." Baby said gently. She inflated a green balloon and held it out for Ryan. Hesitantly, he took it. Baby smiled warmly at him. "What's your name?"
"Ryan." The boy whispered.
"I'm Circus Baby. Pleased to meet you, Ryan." Baby held out her hand. Ryan gently shook it. After a moment, Ryan smiled too. From that day forward, Ryan came to see Baby every day. The two girls he had come with on that first day came too, for a while. But soon, they grew too old, so it was only Ryan that came. Not that Baby minded any. She liked Ryan. One afternoon, Baby was on a break. Her auditorium was still accessible to the kids, but her curtain was drawn. During that hour of rest, Baby would take off her jester's shoes and soak her feet I oil. It soothed her aching gears. Most of the kids would leave the auditorium as soon as they saw that Baby wasn't performing. All except one.
"Baby? Are you okay in there? You don't have a virus, do you?" Ryan nervously walked up to the closed curtain. After a few moments of silence, Baby's head poked out. She smiled warmly at the boy she considered her best friend.
"I'm fine, Ry. Just taking a break. It's sweet you care."
"Well, what are friends for?" Ryan climbed up onto the stage. "So what do you do on your break, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Well, standing onstage performing all day isn't easy on my feet, so I like to oil them when I have the chance." Baby explained. Ryan snickered. Baby raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"
Ryan cracked a smile, then began to sing.
"As I came down through the pizzeria
At the hour of twelve at night
Who should I spy but my Circus Baby
Oiling her feet by the bright stage light
First she oiled them, then she dried them
Over a fire of amber coals
In all me life I ne'er did see
A maid so sweet about the soul
Whack for the Too Rye, ooh, Ray lady
Whack for the Too Rye, ooh, Rye aye
Whack for the Too Rye, ooh, Ray lady
Whack for the Too Rye, ooh, Rye aye!"
Baby laughed. "You cheeky little guy! Did you come up with that on your own?"
"You bet I did. Well, I just changed around the lyrics of my favorite song, but I'm not passing it off as my own creation. I'm just having fun with a friend." Ryan said.
Baby put her hand on Ryan's cheek. "And I'll always be your friend."
Unfortunately, that was the last time Baby would see Ryan. Because, the next day, everything went to hell. Baby was doing her usual routine, singing, inflating balloons from her fingertips, and creating ice cream via the mechanism in her belly. Per the norm, Baby counted every set of kids that came into her room. 4, then 2, then 3, then 2, then, a lone little girl came up. Baby smiled and offered ice cream. The girl took it and greedily began to eat it. Baby tried to warned her to slow down, but then the little girl took a huge bite out of the cone. It was too much. The girl began to choke. Baby tried to help her, but then, more children came in. Their laughter and screams elation drowned out the poor girl's dying gasps.
Of course, when the girl's body was eventually discovered, her death was pinned on the animatronics and Circus Baby's Pizza World was shut down. Ballora, Funtime Freddy, and Funtime Foxy grew bored and restless, but poor Baby was ridden with guilt. She could've done something. Something to help the girl. Something to stop the restaurant from closing.
One dark night, all the animatronics were enjoying a brief shutdown cycle. Suddenly, a window was smashed. All the animatronics were on up and alert.
"Who goes there?" Foxy barked. There was the sound of a round being chambered.
"Reckoning. Where is Circus Baby?" a stranger cloaked in shadow pointed a rifle at Foxy's muzzle.
"What do you want her for? Ballora asked.
"This bastard wants to hurt her!" Freddy lunged at the stranger, but he moved out of the way quickly.
"I do not have any qualms with you other animatronics. Let me take care of Baby and I'll leave you in peace."
"Why do you want to hurt Circus Baby? She's the sweetest animatronic alive, and that's not just because she smells like cake and makes ice cream." Foxy inquired.
"She killed an innocent girl many years ago." The stranger replied.
Freddy facepalmed. "As usual, you humans have it backwards. Baby didn't kill that poor girl. It was an accident. The girl ate her ice cream too fast and choked to death. Baby is completely innocent."
The stranger brandished his gun. "How do I know you aren't lying to me so I lower my defenses? How do I know you won't kill me?"
"Buddy, if we wanted to kill you, we would've. You're, what, 5'7''? We're like, 7 feet tall. But we aren't like that. Neither is Baby." Ballora said.
The stranger seemed to be weighing his options. Then, he strapped his rifle to his back. "If I go talk to Circus Baby, I won't be ripped limb from limb?"
"Is that what the media told you? Circus Baby never hurt anyone and she won't start now." Freddy said.
Nodding, the stranger walked into Baby's dimly lit auditorium. "Circus Baby, I know you're in here."
Baby's green eyes glowed from the tattered remains of her curtain. "What do you want, human? Come to put me out of my misery?"
"Originally. But your friends convinced me otherwise. I just want the truth. Did you kill that little girl?"
Baby shook her head. "That poor girl's death was an accident. I swear it."
The Stranger nodded. "Okay, then." He turned to leave, but then he heard Baby ask a question.
"How did you find this place? No one's been here in 13 years. It's not even on any map."
The stranger sighed. "I came here many years ago. At least, that's what my older sisters tell me. My memory's been kind of messing up ever since that football injury in 9th grade. Grandma O' Casey was right. American sports are too dangerous."
Baby perked up. "Did you say O' Casey?"
"Yeah. That's my last name." The stranger turned and looked at Baby's glowing eyes in the dark. "Do you know me?"
Baby got off the stage walked closer to the stranger. "It can't be." When she was mere inches from the stranger, she recognized his messy blonde hair and blue eyes. "Ryan? My little Ry?"
So… you do know me?" the stranger asked.
"Yes. We were best friends when you were a child. Now look at you. All grown up. You must be, what, 20 now?" Baby asked.
"Yes, exactly." Ryan nodded.
Baby frowned. "And you… don't remember that we were friends?"
Ryan shook his head. "Like I said, head injury scrambled my brain. Can't remember a lot about my childhood. Only that I came here a lot."
Baby lowered her eyes. Her best friend was right in front of her, yet he didn't remember her. How could she jog his memory? Her gaze fell to her feet. They were bare. She had oiled them just before her shutdown cycle. At that moment, a memory darted across her memory banks. Lifting her head, she smiled at Ryan.
"As I came down through the pizzeria
At the hour of twelve at night
Who should I spy but my Circus Baby
Oiling her feet by the bright stage light…." She began.
Ryan's eyes widened. He remembered the song he sang for Baby on his last day.
"First she oiled them, then she dried them
Over a fire of amber coals
In all me life I ne'er did see
A maid so sweet about the soul." He sang. He smiled as his memories returned. Baby smiled too, offering her hand. Ryan took it and the two began to dance, singing their song.
"Whack for the Too Rye, ooh, Ray lady
Whack for the Too Rye, ooh, Rye aye
Whack for the Too Rye, ooh, Ray lady
Whack for the Too Rye, ooh, Rye aye!"
The two friends laughed and hugged. "I missed you, Ry." Baby whispred.
"Missed you too, Baby. I'm never abandoning you again." Noah promised. "I'll get an apartment in tow and come see you every day, just like old times." Ryan promised.
"Just like old times, best friend." Baby replied.