Ladies and gentlemen, I am on a roll with this story. I'm having so much fun writing it that you shouldn't expect updates to slow down for awhile. Read, review, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!
Three days later
Shadow hummed quietly to herself, pulling her hair up into a ponytail and smiling at the small rabbit sitting on the bathroom counter.
"Alright Plush, I'm going to need you to stay here and behave while I'm gone. I'm going to the pizzeria to apply for the night guard position. If the policy is anything like it was 10 years ago, I'll be hired right away."
Plushtrap tilted his head and chirped at her, little arms crossed stubbornly,
"No Plush, I am not bringing you with me when I apply. How about I bring you with me when I go in for the shift?"
Tapping his chin, Plushtrap finally nodded, getting a grin out of Shadow.
"You're just a regular little troublemaker, aren't you?"
Making a clicking noise and smiling up at Shadow, he waved good-bye as she headed out the door.
Locking it behind her, Shadow sighed, smile falling away to be replaced by a troubled look. Going back to the pizzeria was going to be hard, but it had to be done to protect as many innocents as she could.
Two bus trips later, she was standing in front of the pizzeria, brightly lit sign displaying a cheerful cartoon version of Freddy, Bonnie and Chica. Snorting, Shadow pulled the doors in and walked up to the counter.
"Hi, I'm here to enquire about the night guard position?"
The girl behind the counter looked at Shadow like she was crazy.
"I'm not sure you really want to apply for that position…"
Shadow frowned and crossed her arms.
"I wonder what your employer would say if they learned you were trying to discourage people from applying for such an important position. Why, you risk your own job! What happens to you if the animatronics that make this place so popular end up stolen or broken because there was no night guard?"
The girl had gone pale, shaking her head.
"Those…things…don't need a guard. If anything, the thief would be the one at risk."
Shadow smiled sweetly, eyes betraying her forced calm.
"You either lead me to your manager, or I find them myself, get you fired, and apply for your job instead."
The girl squeaked, rushing out from behind the counter.
"This way, we have to go through the main party room to get to the back."
Shadow shrugged, following the girl. Passing through the main room, she stopped to look at the stage, examining her targets.
Freddy was in the middle of the stage, slightly ahead of the other two. His movements were jerky, and there was a handprint on his face. His hat and bowtie were starting to fray at the edges, and most of his fur was dirty.
Bonnie didn't seem to be any better. His purple fur was stained with pizza grease and dirt, and his bowtie was stained and beginning to fray. His left ear seemed to be barely hanging on, endoskeleton beginning to show. His guitar was battered, one of the strings gone.
Chica, if possible, was the worst of the three. Her yellow "feathers" showed every spec of dirt, and she seemed to have flour in various places. The cupcake on the plate that she held was stained, candle starting to fall off.
Sighing, Shadow couldn't help but sorry for them. Everything that would happen over the next week depended on their actions. Noticing the girl staring at her from the corner of her eye, Shadow turned to continue following, ignoring the look of pity from the girl.
When they reached a door at the end of the hallway, the girl reached out and knocked, wishing Shadow a quiet good luck as she turned to go back to the front. Rolling her eyes, Shadow opened the door and walked in.
Sitting at a desk was a man in his late 40s, with dirty blond hair, brown eyes examining her carefully. Frowning, he motioned for Shadow to take a seat.
"So, you here to apply for the night guard position?"
Shadow nodded.
"Yeah. Place I'm currently working at closes at the end of the week, need a new job as soon as possible. Saw the add in the paper."
The man leaned back in his chair, holding out a tablet. Taking it curiously, she saw it had a camera feed on it for the main room. Clearing his throat, he leaned forward.
"Care to explain why you took a good long look at the animatronics? Last guard we hired that did that tried to take them apart."
Shadow frowned, handing it back.
"I feel sorry for them. I was hoping I could talk to you about something when my first week was over, but now is as good a time as any. I've got a degree in animatronic programming and engineering. I could repair them, make them good as new. Could smooth out their movement, making them look a bit more real for the kids. I could update all their programming too…I'm sure it's ancient by now."
The man snorted.
"I'm sure you'll change your tune by the end of the week. Your shift is from 12am to 6am but be here a bit early and be in the office before 12. There will be a phone recording at the beginning of each night to guide you. You can pick up a uniform from the front on your way out. We'll discuss hiring you on as a mechanic at the end of the week."
Shadow was unceremoniously shoved out of the office, door slammed closed behind her. Wandering back towards the front, she peeked in on a dark room, starry purple curtains in the back pulled shut. Walking into the room, she went closer to the curtains, pulling them back slightly to reveal the damaged animatronic fox. His costume was completely gone on his legs, and had holes torn in the torso. Jaw hanging loosely, Shadow could see the dim glow in his eye that showed he was online. Smiling, she spoke softly to him.
"Hey Foxy…it must be a pretty lonely existence back here. No one deserves this…"
Sighing, she stood up straight, laughing quietly when he moved slightly, tilting his head towards her.
"Not afraid to move where someone other than the night guard can see, eh? You miss the spotlight, don't you? I wish I could repair you now, but I can't…I have to survive a week. And I know you guys won't make that easy on me. Don't worry though…I'll do my best Foxy. I won't let you all rot away and suffer."
Turning and leaving the room, Shadow could feel Foxy's gaze following her. Stopping by the front desk, she grabbed her uniform and headed home.
When she arrived back, she tilted her head and examined the door. The lock was broken, door slightly ajar. Grinning slightly to herself, she went around to the garage and pulled back a tarp, revealing the animatronic she had built. Sitting down on the ground beside it, she closed her eyes, and with a sigh, stopped breathing. The animatronics eyes snapped open, body twitching slightly as power flooded the systems.
Heaving herself to her feet, Shadow flexed her hands, mechanical parts whirring. Taking a few tentative steps, she nodded, satisfied.
"Time to go have some fun."
With a wicked grin, she stepped through the darkness, appearing in her dimly lit living room. She could see the vague shape of someone hunched over her tv stand, looking through the drawers. Plushtrap sat quietly behind the tv, staying as still as he could. Seeing her eyes glowing in the low light, Plushtrap grinned. Shadow nodded her head towards the man and mimed scaring him. Plushtrap moved slowly closer to the man, while Shadow moved as quietly as possible to stand close behind him, towering over him.
Pausing to brush his hair out of his face, Masiar kept searching through the drawers. Though he hated to steal, he was desperate enough to check a few houses for loose cash. Hearing movement on the tv stand, he looked up, expecting to see a cat. Instead, what he got was a tattered looking rabbit with extremely sharp teeth. Making a strangled noise, he backed up slowly, only to freeze when his back hit something solid and extremely cold. Turning his head, he was greeted by the site of a large, black bear animatronic. When it turned its head downward to look at him, he felt frozen with fear, the glowing golden eyes holding him transfixed. Managing to shake off his fear, he tried to dart away, only to get stopped in his tracks by the animatronic grabbing the back of his shirt to pull him backwards and lifting him to eye level. It spoke, its voice sounding female.
"Leave. Don't let me catch you here again or next time you won't be leaving this house in one piece."
Nodding frantically, he darted out the open door and down the street when the animatronic dropped him.
"This neighbourhood is crazy…"
Shadow watched the open door for a few moments, trying to ignore the feeling she felt bubbling in her chest. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she walked out into the garage, picking up her limp body and brought it inside to lie it on the couch. Sliding down the wall to sit, she buried her face in her paws.
"What's wrong with me Plush? It felt…good…scaring him like that."
Plushtrap made a soft clicking noise, climbing up her legs to sit in her lap, cuddling close to her chest. He tapped her nose lightly, making it squeak and getting a smile. The smile fell away though when the feeling came back stronger, a deep satisfaction at terrifying some poor stranger. Seeing the frown, Plushtrap jumped down and darted away. He returned a few minutes later to find Shadow in the exact same position, head hidden in her arms.
Feeling a large paw on her shoulder, Shadow looked up to find Nightmare in her living room, eyes soft.
"Hello little Shadow."
Shadow stood up and wrapped her arms around Nightmare, burying her face in his chest. Awkwardly rubbing her back, Nightmare sighed.
"I should have warned you about this, little Shadow. I did not think it would affect you this badly. Being what you are, any fear, whether you caused it or not, will give you this feeling. It is what my kind live off of, and though you are half mortal, you are also one of us."
Shadow sighed and pulled away.
"I'll be right back…"
Nightmare watched as she walked down the hallway and turned into an unused room. A minute passed before he heard movement behind him, and turned to watch as Shadow opened her eyes, sitting up and brushing her hair out of her face. Nightmare tilted his head. It was much easier to see how it affected her mortal body than the animatronic body that she had learned to bind her soul to. Her eyes, though showing her intense dislike of the feeling, were practically glowing. He could feel the aura of power she gave off and frowned. She was one of the most powerful hybrids he had ever seen. It was both relieving and worrying. On one hand, she had the power to defend against all but the most powerful beings. The problem was that the powerful ones would most likely come looking for her, in an attempt to break her and use her.
"Is there a reason you're staring at me like that Nightmare?"
Nightmare blinked and looked at Shadow.
"I'm sorry little one…I was thinking. You are extremely powerful, and it worries me that many may come after you for that power. I loathe to admit it, but I am afraid you will have to get used to that feeling little Shadow."
Sighing, Nightmare placed a paw on Shadow's head, patting her gently.
"Fear will make you stronger, and you will need your strength should anything come after you."
Shadow frowned, sitting back down on the couch.
"I had a feeling you'd say that…."
Nightmare chuckled.
"Rest well little Shadow. I do believe you have a night shift to do tonight."
With a parting wave, Nightmare disappeared back through the portal. Sighing, Shadow set an alarm on her phone, and curling up on the couch with Plushtrap in her arms, fell asleep.
And here we have the first introduction of Masiar, and some reasoning for something I have planned later on….enjoy!