Chapter 9: Connections to the Past

Kenneth hadn't come in during the day. That was mostly because he was unable to actually contact PD, the rotten man never even picking up the phone. So he came in during his usual shift, twelve am on the dot. With a resigned sigh, he closed the front door behind him, softly calling out, "Springtrap?" and wincing at how much his voice echoed throughout the hallway. He couldn't help feeling a bit more uneasy than usual.

Nothing's watching you, Kenneth...

As if on cue, the rotting rabbit strolled out of a nearby room, the expression behind his eyes surprisingly hard. "...Yes?"

"Oh! Heh!" Kenneth grinned wide, laughing slightly. "Hi th-there! You, you're okay, right? So-sorry I didn't show up..."

"Oh, no, it's fine. I should have known not to rely on anyone; I suppose waiting around for eighteen hours for people who never appear is just what I deserve." Springtrap's tone was dripping with sarcasm. Though he knew that these words might sting the sensitive Guard, this was the first time in a long while that he had actually relied on someone for a favor- not counting the times when Kenneth helped him without prompting, of course. Lo and behold, the result was just what Springtrap should have expected: he had been forced to wander aimlessly around the Attraction alone, mentally beating himself up for being so excited to get some repairs done on that decrepit suit of his.

"No, no!" Kenneth swallowed, tensing up. Oh,no, he'd disappointed his new friend... Th-that-That wasn't- "I, I tried to call PD, but, but he wouldn't pick up-And me, well, I-I can slit a wire, but... I-I don't think I can do repairs! You-I mean-I'm sorry, I didn't me-mean, I meant to... To come..."

Springtrap remained silent for a moment, and then let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head. His had no business whatsoever forcing this childishly aggressive attitude on the only person willing to give him a second chance. "No, I shouldn't be so... so harsh towards you. You are doing your best to help me, after all."

"I-I can try to ca-call again, but... I'unno wh-where he is..." The Guard's shoulders slumped and he looked away. "I-I'm sorry, I mean... I-I hope it wa-wasn't too bad?"

"Well, now that you mention it-" The rotting rabbit's whole attitude suddenly brightened, ears perking up. "-whatever you did with the wiring last night worked! I didn't switch into 'daytime mode' at all, and I could walk around all I wanted."

Kenneth glanced at the former murderer, face lighting up. "Wh-Really!? Th-that's great! S-see, it's, it's already getting better!"

"...I suppose." Springtrap met the Guard's gaze. "So, what's your plan for tonight? Were you able to figure out what those dreams meant?"

A sigh. Kenneth shook his head. "N-no. Well, I fi-figured I'd tr-try to get the cake in th-the other dreams, and... Maybe that'll do something?"

"Sounds like as good a plan as I could think of. By the way..." Springtrap glanced down the neighboring hallway but, to his great relief, felt no eyes watching them. "I haven't seen that Puppet around all day, so... I assume it's still recovering. I'll watch your back, as usual, but I think you're relatively safe for a little bit longer."

The boy's green eyes lit up, a smile crossing his face. "G-geez, that's good. Ho-How much longer d'you think w-we have?"

"Honestly?" The half-animatronic shook his head, rabbit ears swinging from side-to-side. "I have absolutely no idea. But there's no way I'm going to look for that thing and ask him... I suggest that you work quickly, just to be safe."

Kenneth sighed, nodding. "We-well, um, I think I have to-to play, um, maybe th-the balloon one again...?" He glanced around, swallowing. Then he beckoned, beginning to creep through the hall. Springtrap trailed along behind the Guard, keeping a watchful eye on the shadows. Thankfully, since he had not been forced to relinquish control of the suit, his joints had loosened up enough that he could move quite a bit without feeling any discomfort. Also, he noted with a grin, he was faster; he was able to keep pace with the hurried boy, a feat which had been impossible before tonight.

A few halls down, a couple of turns, and then Kenneth suddenly stopped. There was a poster of Balloon Boy, though if it was a child's drawing or a poster meant to look like a child's drawing was a little unclear.

"Ok-okay, um... Just, um, make sure nothing happens, okay?" Kenneth said, meeting the rabbit's gaze once more. Gently, tentatively, the boy reached out and tapped the poster once, twice... and his expression glazed over.

Springtrap didn't like when the Guard's eyes clouded like that, but he knew that it was only a temporary state; however, he was a bit unsure as to why a poster would be the cause of this reaction, but... in his current situation, he had no right to question a strange occurrence such as this. After giving Kenneth one last slightly concerned look, he settled for watching the eerily quiet hallways for any impending danger.

Silence. This time, Kenneth didn't even have anything to touch. He just seemed invested in... something. But gently, ever so gently... something tapped the side of the wall. Springtrap jumped at the sound, instantly on red-alert. He was wary to touch the Guard and bring him out of his trance-like state, so the rabbit settled for standing directly behind him, a morbid, make-shift shield to anything that may come their way.

"...So." The voice was quiet, breathy, just nondescript enough to not give away its position. "Are you having a good time?" There was no spite or malice tingeing the words, just a sort of false ease coupled with a mild hint of apprehension.

Springtrap looked around frantically, trying to find the source, to no avail. "Puppet? Come out here! Don't play games with me..."

A slow, dark sort of chuckle. "Don't you remember? I'm always playing games." But, after a bit of silence, the Marionette's voice grew far harder. "But you must take me for a fool if you think I'd step out."

The rabbit let out a short, barking laugh. "Why? Because you know that I'll win whatever silly game you're trying to play now? Just show yourself and get it over with!"

"I prefer the subtle approach, unlike some hasty psychopaths I happen to know." Its laugh was a little mocking. "...Are you really trusting him, hmm?"

One ear tilted downwards instinctively, but the man in the suit's tone remained defiant. "...I suppose I am. He's done nothing but try to help me so far, and I have no reason to believe that he has any other intentions." Springtrap glared into a shadowy corner of the room, unsure if this was the voice's hiding spot, hissing: "Don't try to turn me against him; it's not going to work."

"All I want to say is-" There's a little 'mmm' shrugging noise, "-you're trusting a man prone to hallucinations and fainting. Not my first option. Besides, they're only dreams."

"...And I'm only a soul that's been magically attached to an animatronic suit." Springtrap said this wryly, obviously getting frustrated. He didn't like not knowing where the maniacal Puppet was hiding. "I'm not going to discount any possibility unless it's proven not to work. And, also... it's not like I had many options to choose from to put my trust in; yes, he jumps at the slightest noise and stutters with every sentence. But at least he's not as completely psychotic as the rest of us around here..."

The Marionette hummed low. There was a long pause, like it was thinking things over. Finally, it said in a quiet, unsure voice. "...You've changed?"

Springtrap blinked, unsure of how to respond. He didn't think that he had changed in such a short amount of time, but- "...Have I?"

"Have you?" The Puppet chuckled. "You're telling me you don't know? That you don't want to hurt him...?"

Immediately, without giving his response a second thought, Springtrap answered: "Of course I don't! I have no desire to lay a finger on him-"

And then, suddenly, he stopped, realizing what he had just admitted. It was true; despite his initial assumptions of the annoying Night Guard, Springtrap had absolutely no desire to cause the frail boy any harm whatsoever. Thinking back over his gradually increasing selfless actions the past few nights, he realized that his desire to keep the Guard safe from harm went so far as to throw himself in harm's way to protect Kenneth.

After all, he thought, glancing behind him at the spaced-out man staring blankly at the poster, isn't that what I'm doing right now? Protecting him?

This response made the Puppet laugh. "Now do you see, Springtrap?" It spat the name, as if it were poisonous. "You're so willing to give it all up for one hallucinating man."

The rabbit's eyes darkened, ears tilting downwards. "...What are you implying?"

A hum. Something seems to shift against tile. "That you aren't yourself."

"Well, I... I suppose not... at least, I'm not completely the same person I was before. But it isn't as if my whole demeanor has changed..."

Something was moving, slinking through the darkness. Fingers trailed against the wall and a soft voice, closer now, asked, "How are your memories?"

"Memories, of... what?" Springtrap looked around frantically, hearing the noise of something sliding along the tile but unable to pinpoint it.

"Anything." The Puppet chuckled, crawling along the wall just out of sight. "I hate to tell you, but the wires are sometimes stronger than your soul."

The rabbit narrowed his eyes, unsure of what this meant. Cautiously, he responded, "I... I have a few memories, especially of the Pizzeria and the... the children, although the details are hazy. But, before then, it's... kind of fuzzy." Now that he really focused, the former murderer realized with a sickening jolt of unpleasantness that the only thing he truly remembered were vague experiences working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, as well as the feeling of being stuck in a never-ending cycle of meaningless existence that came with the experience. "...Why do you ask?"

"Because I wonder if you'd ever do this if you really were yourself." The walking suddenly stopped. Finally picking up on the direction of the sound now that it had come to a halt, Springtrap moved to Kenneth's right side, giving the Guard a slightly concerned glance before facing where he presumed the Marionette to be. In an uncertain tone, he muttered:

"Of... Of course I would." Even as the words left his mouth, he knew they were a blatant lie. The Puppet, apparently, wasn't fooled either.

"You're telling me that you would pity a man who jumps at every sound? You'd assist a man who passes out and cries, and sincerely thinks that finding imaginary cake would help any of us?" Suddenly, the Puppet leaned out of the shadows- but only partially, darkness still thickly cast over its face. "You don't sound sure."

Springtrap instantly focused on the Marionette, eyes trained on the thin creature hanging unnaturally off of the wall, as if it were some form of distorted spider. Despite his attempt to look confidently cocky, the rotting rabbit's tone remained hesitant. "W-Well, I suppose my old self, the one that... that killed the children... well, of course he wouldn't have taken pity on this sniveling thing." The former murderer gestured behind him at the Guard, still absorbed in the poster. "But, I'm not... he's not... he died when he was impaled by this suit. I'm... different now."

That seemed to satisfy the creature on the wall. So, just as abruptly as it had arrived, it straightened back up and vanished into the darkness once more, giving Springtrap one final caveat before he left:

"You're not even yourself. So are you going to leave as yourself, or as a stupid rabbit?"

"What do you mean...?" the rotting rabbit trailed off, but the Marionette was already gone. Feeling the Puppet's eyes no longer upon him, Springtrap shook his head and turned back to the Guard, waving a tentative hand in front of his face. "...Kenneth? Are you still spaced out?"

Blink, blink. Kenneth straightened, dusting himself off. "U-um-I, I thought, ma-maybe if I st-stayed still, um, it, it wouldn't see..."

"...Wait." Metal scraped as the half-animatronic ground his teeth together, staring hard at the freckled-boy. "You were awake?! For how long?!" A pause, then quieter: "...How much did you hear?"

Kenneth paled slightly, wringing his hands, looking away. "...Um, I, I found th-the cake... And it... It s-said you we-weren't yourself?"

"Yes, well... it's a little more complicated than that." Springtrap quickly attempted a half-hearted grin to the best of the rabbit suit's ability, desperately wanting to change the subject. "S-So... you found the cake?"

"Oh, ye-yeah!" A giant smile crossed the Guard's face as he met the rabbit's gaze. "Yep, th-that makes the second one, b-but I don't... Don't kn-know how much there is."

"Well, I don't know if you'll ever-" Springtrap stopped mid-sentence, essentially freezing in place and looking very much like he had short-circuited. Just as Kenneth was beginning to feel genuine concern, the half-animatronic spoke again, his tone deadly serious. "Kenneth, how many different dreams have you had? Relating to this cake sort of thing, I mean."

"Um..." The boy muttered to himself, beginning to count on his fingers. "Li-like, th-the ones specifically t-tied to ob-objects? Because s-sometimes during the day wh-when I sleep at home I have dr-dreams too..."

Springtrap didn't respond for a moment, staring blankly at the ground, ears tilted slightly downwards. Eventually, he asked, softly, "...Are there six dreams? Six cakes to gather?"

"...Fi-five." Kenneth stopped counting, looking back to Springtrap. "Fi-five games. N-not counting th-the one with the ki-kids in the masks... I'm n-not sure about that, if that has cake..."

"If you do include that one, it makes six..." The rabbit sighed, leaning against the wall and lightly smacking himself in the head. "Stupid, I'm so stupid..." He glanced at the Guard, who was looking increasingly concerned at his strange behavior. "...You were completely right, Night Guard. These... 'dreams,' or whatever the hell they are... I know that they can help."

Kenneth swallowed, hands beginning to wring. Wh-what was he...? "Th-they...They c-c-can? But, but how, I mean..."

"I'm still not sure how, but... there are six games... and six murdered children." Springtrap locked gazes with the Guard, who visibly blanched at the blatant mention of his former crimes. "In total, I murdered six children. All except one were all at a birthday party at the time... eating cake. Six cakes, for six lost children."

Kenneth's heart absolutely sank, his face paling so much you'd swear you could see light veins on his temples. He blinked, baffled. "...O-oh...Oh my god..."

Springtrap remained silent, shaking his head in disbelief. How in the world could these dreams be connected to the dead children? And, more importantly, why was Kenneth the only one who could see them? Meanwhile, the Guard's foot tapped slightly, trying to process this. He rubbed his face, mumbling,

"O-okay, so, so th-this all-Six-It's um, it's connected t-to you, um, but how...?"

"The only way I can think of is the fact that I was the one who... well... took their lives away." Springtrap tapped his fingers against the wall behind him, thinking. "So you would think, because I was the one who took everything away from them, that I should be the one to... to give it back, I suppose the cake is representing..." He stopped tapping his fingers and looked at Kenneth again. "But I'm not seeing any visions. They're all going to you."

"Well, ye-yeah!" Kenneth agreed, a bit too enthusiastically. All this talk of murder and ghosts made him extremely nervous. "But... I-I didn't ev-even... know them or anything." Almost idly, he started to pace, frowning hard. "I-I'm ju-just playing th-the Guard in this horror show. They don't hav-ve anything even, even relating to me!"

"I know, and that's why-oh!" Suddenly, the rotting rabbit let out a loud exclamation of surprise, slamming his open palm against the wall, the bang echoing through the hallway. "That's it! How could I not realize... Kenneth... You' re the Security Guard!"

The exclamation and the slam made the boy jump, and it took a moment for him to regain his balance. When he felt centered enough, he responded warily, "Well-Yeah, so?!"

"Obviously, the children are talking to you, the Guard, because..." Springtrap paused, realizing that there were a few major details he'd left out when introducing himself and his past to the frightened boy in front of him. "...I never told you exactly what job I had at the Pizzeria, did I?"

"...N-no, of course not." Silence. Kenneth rubbed the back of his neck. "Wh-why?"

"Because I was, well..." The former murderer stared at the ground, feeling a strange, mild sense of shame that this friendly-to-a-fault guy had essentially followed in his occupational footsteps. "...I was the Security Guard, too."

Kenneth stopped. He stopped dead. He gave a little shiver, swallowing hard. This was unbelievable; out of all the jobs this man could've had...

"You're... Y-You must be ki-kidding..."