The smell of burning wood followed them as they crashed through the dark forest, leaving the chaos behind. Fireworks continued bursting in the air, lighting up the dark sky.

Being placed as the leader of the group, Mike took the lead and weaved through the undergrowth. The others followed obediently, not questioning where they were going. They trusted Mike to lead them to safety.

Anyplace away from the pizzeria would suffice.

Usually, for someone to accomplish such a challenging deed, there would be a celebration. But there wasn't any time to celebrate. All of them ignored the pains that were forming in their legs and the rocks and glass that would dig farther into their feet with every step. It wasn't a time where they could relax and lick their wounds, nor would it change their circumstances if they complained; all of them knew this. All of it was for survival.

The undergrowth started to become cooler against their feet. How many hours has it been since they left? Maybe it was just in his mind, but Mike could still hear the pops of the pizzeria burning. Twitching his ears, he blamed it on the fireworks.

The path that Mike was following was abruptly cut with a fallen tree masked by the darkness. Without hesitation he leaped over it, his feet digging into the earth onto soil upon his feet connecting with the ground. He heard the others grunt as they passed over the rotting wood, especially Chica's. She did have Bonnie in her arms, and the extra weight was probably draining her energy. Taking a glance at Chica and feeling a twinge of guilt at her tired face, his eyes flicked over Foxy.

"Foxy, take Bonnie," Mike commanded, the act of talking leaving him quite breathless. Their footsteps slowed down as the two made the exchange, then they were off, digging themselves deeper into the forest. No conversations were made due to everyone being lost in their own thoughts.

While Mike worried about his parents, Foxy and Chica kept imagining the human world. Being thrown out of the pizzeria and into the world unexpectedly, their past excitement that they felt imagining the human world was replaced with uncertainty. Maybe they both thought that it would never happen, that returning to the human world was something they could wish as they gazed out the pizzeria's window, something that would be just above their grasps.

At one point there was something watching them, and Mike harshly stopped and stepped aside to narrowly avoid being smashed into by Foxy. His eyes scanned the area until he saw a pair of bright eyes. It was only an animal, and Mike forced himself to not let out a relieved laugh.

"It's only a fox," he stated, staring at the animal. It cocked its head as Mike stared at it. "It's harmless."

"Cute," Chica commented quietly.

"That's me," Foxy said. "We're both foxes. So, ya callin' me cute, Chica?"

"No! I mean-"

"Alright, enough. We need to keep going, or we'll be found," Mike commanded, causing the banter to halt.

Again, they continued the pace and Mike kept replaying a song in his head to distract himself from the pain in his legs. Also, he thought about when they stopped to stare at the fox. He felt something beating through his body. Did he already have a heart? If so, they were close to transitioning back to humans. It must be the distance, he thought. The farther away we run from the pizzeria, the more human we become.

Mike made sure that they were far away from the pizzeria when he finally motioned for them to stop. The sun was just peeking over the horizon as they took shelter under the massive trees. Soil was cramped in between Mike's toes, making them itch.

All of them were short of breath from the unbearably long run. Foxy leaned a still unconscious Bonnie against a tree, then started pacing around the small area. Chica, breathing loudly, sunk beside Bonnie, enjoying the cool shade of the trees. Mike sat on a fallen log, staring at his paws. When he stilled his body and concentrated, he couldn't feel anything pumping through his body. Did his heart disappear?

Or was I hallucinating everything?

The last few hours caught up to him, of all the blood spilled and narrowly avoiding death, and his vision started to blur.

He didn't ask the question that was plaguing his mind. How can we start our new life if we haven't changed into humans? Their humanity was definitely returning, his strength was noticeably diminishing alongside his hearing, but why weren't they changing? Since the pizzeria was burned down and Freddy dead, then they should be humans already. Also, they left the perimeters of the pizzeria, and didn't Golden say that they would change if they left?

But he didn't ask. If he did, he would show his uncertainty and the others would see less of him as their leader. And for everything to work out the way he planned, they would have to trust him.

"I'm going t' search and see if there's any water," Foxy said, prodding Mike's shoulder. "If we're going t' turn into humans, we'll need water, right?"

"You're right. Be careful," Mike precautioned, wiping his eyes. If his body wasn't so tired and his chest healed, he would've went along with him. For now, he needed to rest and regain his strength.

"Aye aye, captain," Foxy whispered, flicking his tail. A frown appeared on his face as he watched Mike wipe his eyes. His hand twitched, as if it wanted to move, but it stayed put by his side. "I'll be back soon." Then he was gone, his red fur disappearing into the forest.

He's so loud, Mike thought, listening to the last of the fox's crashing and stomping through the trees. If we're caught, it'll be due to him crashing through the forest.

Well, I guess I shouldn't be complaining... I did manage to escape the pizzeria. As he stayed there on the log, he started to feel something press down on his chest.

I must be sick, Mike thought. Then again. the fact that he'll be returning to the world like a fish tossed into a huge lake was bugging his mind. The reality was crushing him, and there was no time to adjust.

Time seemed to drag by as Foxy searched for water. Bugs constantly buzzed in Mike's ears, annoying him. Chica was in a light sleep, her tiny breathes audible to his ears.

In this time, Bonnie decided to wake up. Much to the other's surprise, his eyes shot open and his eyes flitted around the scenery with confusion. His nose crinkled at the unusual smell of the forest. Shuffling in his spot, causing Chica to wake up with a tiny squeak, he yawned. Without a questioning tone, more so like a statement, he asked, "What happened."

"You're awake!" Chica exclaimed, engulfing him in a huge hug. Pulling away, she asked him sternly, "Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything? Are you hung-"

Before Mike can remind them that there's no food, Bonnie beat him to it.

"I'm fine," Bonnie interrupted. He added while glancing at his bloody remains of his arm, "Well, except for that."

"Hey, if you're feeling bad, take a look at my chest. Freddy mutilated it," Mike said, glancing into the depths of the forest.

"Oh, dang," Bonnie whispered in horror.

"I wish I could heal all of you!" Chica exclaimed, internally feeling bad for not providing for her family.

"I'm fine. Now that you're awake, we can travel faster and get the hell away from here. But before we can travel, we have to find some water. Foxy's looking for some, but I'm not sure when he'll be back."

When Foxy returned with news of a stream, the sun was at its peak in the sky. Day one of escaping from the pizzeria, Mike internally counted.

"I found water!" he exclaimed, crashing through the brush and gasping when he saw Bonnie. "And you're awake!"

"I'm awake," Bonnie repeated, stifling the urge to roll his eyes.

After they had all settled and Foxy's excitement had dwindled, they followed the fox to the stream. It took an hour to travel to the water, and by then, the crew was breathing heavily. Their cuts weren't healed in the slightest, and their movements were becoming more sluggish.

Not huge in size, the stream flowed over rocks and the fish's scales glowed in the sunlight as they enjoyed the cool water. Leaves floated on top, dipping under then reappearing on the surface.

They halted beside the stream, not wanting to slip in. Mike guessed the water was five feet deep. The current wasn't bad, either, by the way the leaves moved on top of the water.

"Everyone, follow me," Mike commanded, taking a step towards the stream.

"Mike, what are ya-" Foxy started, then gasped as Mike stepped into the water. The dried blood washed away, staining the water around Mike red. The water was up to his chest, and he ducked his head to get any remaining blood off. The cold water nipped at his suit, and he felt it flood into his body, cleaning off the endoskeleton inside. A moment passes where he allowed his body to drift along with the current, and his mind wasn't telling him to stop.

But his feet ripped into the watery earth on instinct. Even if his mind wanted to be drifted under the water, his body was trained to stay above.

"-Doin'."

"Come in! The water feels nice," Mike urged, earning several skeptical glances. "The water won't hurt you."

"I wanna see you get in first," Bonnie said slyly, lightly smacking Chica's back.

"Me?! she squeaked, exasperated. "Why are you suddenly picking on me?!"

"Picking on you? What do you mean?"

Chica huffed. "You're making all these unnecessary comments! Remember the fox, and that comment? About me being cute? It's all making me nervous!"

"Just get in the damn water," Mike mumbled, watching Foxy push Bonnie into the water and allowing a smile to cross his face. Chica giggled as Bonnie resurfaced and made a, "Brrrr" sound.

"Listen to Mike, the water feels like heaven," Bonnie moaned, rubbing the grime out of his ear.

"CANNONBALL!" Foxy screamed, splashing into the stream and spraying the other boys with water. The water turned a dirty brown and everyone started laughing. The atmosphere felt back to normal, where jokes could be made. As if the fire never happened.

"Damn, you're dirty," Bonnie snorted, ducking underneath the water as Foxy threw a punch.

At Mike's uncontrollable laughter, Foxy growled playfully. "Ya be makin' fun of me, eh? I declare war on ya! Prepare yourselves!"

As the boys crashed through the water, lost in the "war" that Foxy declared, Chica watched them from the safety of the shore, a small smile on her face. Not a drop of water had touched her, and she preferred it that way.

There was one thing Mike had been dreading to see. In his current state of still being in a suit, that is. It was the sign placed right in front of the road, a huge display proclaiming the start of the city. The start of civilization that wouldn't accept four fully grown animatronics.

"Now what?" Bonnie asked, falling in behind Mike as he crouched at the end of the forest, where they were still protected by trees. "We can't leave the forest until we've changed."

I can tell you've changed, Mike wanted to add, but he chose to bite his tongue. So what if Bonnie seemed to flirt with Chica? Their humanity was returning somewhat, and maybe Bonnie was receiving his human, boyish hormones back.

"I know, I know," Mike whispered, relieved that no cars were in sight. "I'm getting it figured out." But what was there to figure out? They were still in the suits, end of story.

What did Golden mean, by leaving and transforming back to their human selves? Did they have to travel a certain distance before they changed? Was magic involved? Or was Golden simply lying to them?

"Hold up, I've got an idea-" Mike started, his voice cut off as Chica suddenly screamed.

"Ew! There's a huge spider!"

And much to Mike's dismay, she ran right out of the forest and onto the road.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Bonnie screetched, his eyes nervous. "Get out of the road! You're going to get hit!"

In reply, Chica's body shook with disgust and she planted her feet firmly down on the concrete. At least, Mike thought it was disgust.

"There's no cars…" Foxy started, voice trailing as Bonnie gave him an annoyed look.

But Mike wasn't paying any attention to them. His eyes were focused on Chica, how her body was… shuddering? Leaving the boys behind, Mike treaded up to Chica, passing the sign that declared, "A new life awaits in the city!"

A NEW LIFE!

The feeling that passed through his system was indescribable, but familiar. "HEY! Get over here!" Mike yelled, feeling the warmness slink into his chest. Everyone was soon past the sign, and all their suits were shuddering, as if a mini earthquake was happening inside their suits.

Everything went black. For five seconds, Mike's vision was useless, spinning into a void of nothing. After a flash of gold and a haunting laugh that made his body prickle, he awoke, shuddering at the voice echoing in his ears.

The others were awake, too.

Now Mike understood what Golden meant. That certain point they had to cross, where the pizzeria would not have any effect on their appearance and their lives. Where they would have…

A NEW LIFE!

"Oh my god," Chica whispered, her eyes twinkling with tears. The others were emotional, especially Bonnie who flexed both of his hands, spreading his fingers and examining his chipped nails. His arm was back.

They were all healed.

But most importantly, they were all human.

Tall and skinny, Bonnie had short dark hair and, Mike snickered at the thought, looked like a pot smoker. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, like he had never caught an ounce of sleep. Chica, short and stocky, had beautiful blonde hair that would make anyone jealous. Her eyes sparkled, bright and caring. Her face was gorgeous, and Mike had to force himself to look away. Foxy, in turn, had wild, reddish hair and had a toothy smile. His holey jeans and baggy shirt signaled hard work, which led back to his childhood of being brought up on a farm.

The "thing" lingering in their chests, the feeling they acquired when living at the pizzeria, was gone. The four of them shared an excited glance.

Mike laughed, running his hands down his pants. The clothes he was murdered in still contained the bloodstains. As if nothing changed that night he was murdered. The clothes spoke of the pizzeria, the last string connecting them to Freddy.

This was the time for celebration, and Mike had never had felt more alive.

"Wait here."

Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy responded by nodding and warily watching the run-down house from their place behind the bushes.

Of course Mike knew this place well- it was his house. Where his mother raised him, where he spent countless nights alone and watching TV in the living room.

Not even these thoughts could depress him; he was finally human, and that's all that mattered.

Walking up to the door, Mike rang the doorbell and waited. When he couldn't hear the sound of his mother's footsteps, he glanced through the glass of the window beside the door. The blinds were covering it, but there was a small slit he could see through. Not a light was on inside. Perhaps she had went out?

"Mom? I'm back," he yelled, rummaging through a potted plant beside the door, his fingers ripping through the dirt until they touched the cool surface of a key.

Unlocking the door and stepping inside, he glanced around the room and ignored that pang of uneasiness. Throwing open the blinds that covered the windows, light poured into the room.

After checking his mother's bedroom and resting at the kitchen table, wondering exactly where she went, he spotted a small piece of paper on the counter. Getting up and reading the paper, he felt an array of emotions and his eyes water.

Mike,

If you're reading this, then you've come home. I've missed you so much. Four months it's been since you left the house and never came back, yes? In that time, I've dug myself into a hole. I was not well to begin with, and your departure has worsened my condition.

Every day, when I would sit at the kitchen table and think about where you were, I would blame myself for everything. The events that would drive you to run away, or other worse situations, have all led ultimately back to me. I'm sorry.

That's why I've left this note. I can't stand living here and being reminded of everything I've lost. So, I've moved away and have no intentions to return ever again. Returning to leave this note and get a few of my personal belongings was almost too much for me.

In a year's time, if you're not found, I am going to sell this house and permanently move to where I'm staying now. Please, call this new cell phone number if you're reading this.

xxx-xxx-xxxx

Love, Mom

Trying not to cry, Mike ripped his gaze away from the letter and took a deep breath. Just like his mother, he would be leaving this town and starting anew.

Although the note contained obvious worry and depression, the note also spoke of hope. His mother expected him to call and somewhere deep in her heart, she knew he was alive. The sadness immediately left Mike, for he knew that his mother was out there somewhere, waiting for him to return.

And like an adult, he would search relentlessly and find her, someday.

Grabbing the paper and shoving it into his pocket, he left the kitchen and entered his room. There, he grabbed money, all that was left. Counting the musky-smelling money in his hands, he counted a total of three hundred dollars.

He sighed in relief. There would be enough for what he's got planned for. Using the next ten minutes to haphazardly throw clothes and other small items in a small suitcase, he made sure to lock the door behind him as he left the house, already knowing he would never return.

The train station was deafeningly loud. Mike, in clean clothes, pulled the hoodie over his head. The ticket was clutched firmly in his hand, the ticket to his future.

Although he wanted to ignore it, he felt Chica's arm move as she readjusted her beautiful hair. No! She called him family. Was it wrong that he was attracted to her pretty face?

He had to ignore the touch and what it did to his skin. It was all for the plan, one he had devised while crashing though the forest. He never wanted to tell the others what he really had in store for the future. Eventually, he'll let them go, after he shows them how to behave normally as humans. Everything would blur into the past, even his "family", as they dubbed it. Thinking of Chica as someone he could potentially date would defeat the whole purpose.

A NEW LIFE! Mike kept imagining the sign, and Chica's touch eventually faded into the background.

The train whistled and the four of them stood up from their seats. With Mike's clean clothes on their bodies, they clutched onto their train tickets. Mike urged them to go ahead, where they would enter the train and submit their ticket. After glancing at him like wary children, they left his side.

First is Bonnie, Chica, then Foxy. They disappear into the train, where they will wait for Mike.

Before entering the train, Mike glanced behind at what was soon to be forgotten. The forest stretched in the distance, an engraved memory of pain and struggle. The dirty floor of the train station, where Foxy and Mike collapsed together in the corner, the emotion finally hitting them and causing tears to stream down their faces. Even a particular section of the twinkling sky, where Mike had memorized where the stars laid from his constant night watching from the pizzeria, where everything seemed hopeless.

Mike was lost in the horror, of how the blood spilled out of his body that first night and choked his lungs, but the vision wavered as they called his name. Again, they repeated it, until Mike was focused on how tight he was holding onto the ticket and the train's impatient whistle.

The voices were clear the third time, and Mike was aware of himself submitting his ticket. Heading over to the booth they were sitting in, Mike perched beside the window and kept his eyes on the passing scenery.

Their gazes were burning into his skin, but he had allowed himself this one moment to reminisce on the past, the events that he would attempt to erase upon leaving the train. There was too much. Everything that he had seen and felt at Freddy's had suddenly overwhelmed him, and he wanted to ask if the others felt the same way, too.

Maybe it would be more difficult than he thought, to erase the memories of the pizzeria. Would these memories stick with him forever? The thought worried him.

But when Bonnie grabbed his hand and gave an assuring squeeze, Mike knew that things would eventually work out, somehow.

A/N: Wow, it's been so long since I've updated this story. To be honest, I had a falling out with FNAF. When I was a few years younger, I'd always get mad at authors who forgot about their stories because of work and school, but yes, that's what happened to me. I'd work all the time, and in my free time, I'd hang out with friends. Stories and fanfiction in general was in the back of my mind. I have no free time whatsoever.

I just finished homework and randomly decided to check on this story. After reading the last sentence of this chapter, I decided that this was a fitting place to end everything. If I made more and finished everything in a very organized fashion, I think that'd be disappointing. With this ending, you can imagine whatever you want to happen next. I think that's the true beauty of stories that have ominous endings; you really think about the ending and wonder what could've happened. That's why I decided to end it here.Thank you to everyone who read this story and who left comments. Your support meant, and still means, a lot to me.

I want to give a HUGE shoutout to Cadentclock39. He was one of my daily encouragers when I was writing and was always there if I was lacking in ideas. Thank you so much for being there for me. I'll never forget your kindness.

-TheActualFoxy