"This is it. There's no one left. One final shot and victory is yours." Mike whispered to Bonnie, lying down propped up on his elbows to be closer to her.
The last hour of playtime was intense; the fearsome war between the twin bears and the bunny had been a nailbiter. Although Goldie and Freddy had fewer units left than Bonnie, a decent bit of their forts was still intact. And because Bonnie wanted this to be a fair "fight," she let her siblings reposition their soldiers behind the blocks so it wouldn't be so one-sided. Sadly, despite such kindness and mercy from the newcomer to the battlefield, Bonnie turned out to be ruthless, a surprising expert when it came to pelting tiny plastic men with a slightly larger rubber ball.
"It will be OURS. I couldn't have done it without you, Captain Mike." Bonnie replied with a smile, happy that Mike played with them.
"I'm humbled by your praise, general." He said with a salute.
"You'll never do it!" Goldie exclaimed, earning their attention. "You may have taken the others out, but my last remaining sniper shall never be defeated!" She proclaimed, still in character.
"I dunno. I'm pretty sure Bonnie's going to hit him." Freddy said from the sidelines, happy to be a spectator after being taken out.
"Your negativity is affecting my soldier's morale! Cease!" She ordered with a dramatic point of her finger in his direction.
"I am AMAZED by how much Goldie and Foxy are alike." Mike thought, baffled by how they could fight with one another when they were both so theatrical.
"Okay, here I go," Bonnie told them, releasing one final breath to steady herself.
With the ball held tightly in her right hand, she pulled back her arm, aimed carefully, then gave it as good of a toss as she could.
CLACK
That was the sound of the plastic the soldier was made of created when it hit the floor, a light dribbling noise coming afterward as the ball landed nearby and bounced a few times.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Goldie cried out as she fell to her knees, shaking her fists defiantly in the air at the same time. "HE WAS THE BEST! THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER LIKE HIM!" She shouted, her eyes tightly shut.
"I did it!" Bonnie cheered with a smile, completely unphased by her sister's dramatics. "Did you see, Mike? I got him on my first throw!" She exclaimed while looking at him.
"I did. You're a natural, Bon. You could even be an ace pitcher." He praised.
"Ace pitcher? What's that?" She asked, which caused Mike's eyes to widen.
"Wait...has...your papa NEVER told you guys about sports?..." He responded with another question.
"...Sports?..." She inquired.
"My god...it's a good thing I'm here. I'm going to show you kids SO much." He decided, now setting out on a mission to enlighten these children about the wonders of physical activities.
"Okay!" She replied, excited for anything so long as she got to do it with Mike.
"Uh, HELLO?" Goldie called out, regaining their attention. "I'm in MOURNING here!" She exclaimed, making him roll his eyes.
"Oh, forgive us, general Goldie. We forgot all about the tragic death of your sniper." He responded.
"How DARE you! This insult won't be forgotten!" She vowed, now pointing her finger at Mike.
"I'll be sure to live every waking second from now on in eternal fear." He said before he got up from the floor. "But for now, I think we should go find the others. It's almost snack time." He informed. "Assuming that the war is over?" He inquired with a smirk.
"Hmm...sure..." She agreed. Like a true performer, she remained in character until the very end.
"Alright, then fall in troops." He ordered as he headed for the door.
Doing as they were told, Goldie, Freddy, and Bonnie followed behind Mike. All four marched in a line as they left for a perfect conclusion to their army antics.
Meanwhile, In The Arcade...
Zero to a hundred, an expression that describes the unexpected increase of intensity or speed in a situation that occurs shockingly fast. Perfect use of this phrase would be when talking about a roller coaster, the slow and steady climb up the slope of the ride that takes you into a downward plunge or spiral immediately after reaching the top. However, Ballora was not riding a roller coaster. She was playing an arcade game made by her superior, William Afton.
Yet, this expression applied to her situation due to the whiplash-inducing spike of difficulty experienced after getting past level seven. Which in turn caused Ballora to feel an emotion for mister Afton that she'd never felt before now, a fiery rage that could be described as:
MURDER.
"I swear, I am going to have a LONG discussion with him about this!" She thought as she blasted the enemies on the screen away, unable to do anything other than focus on winning.
"Keep it up, Ballora! You're almost done with the level!" Chica cheered on.
"She still hasn't missed a single shot..." Foxy muttered in disbelief; this may very well be the most incredible thing he's ever seen in his life.
Continuing to flawlessly, but not effortlessly, dispatch the aliens that appeared on screen as she progressed through the level, after a few more seconds, Ballora FINALLY beat it.
"LEVEL TWELVE COMPLETE." The game's announcer stated, causing Ballora to sigh in relief and the kids to cheer in celebration.
"Another perfect score!" Chica exclaimed as Ballora's stats appeared on the screen.
"Ballora, yer amazing..." Foxy complimented, which made her smile.
"Thank you, Foxy. I appreciate that." She replied before looking back at the game. "Now, let's move on to the next stage. Surely, we must be close to the end by now." She said, determined to see this through.
Be careful what you wish for; Ballora learned that lesson quickly after pulling the trigger to progress the game.
"LEVEL THIRTEEN. FINAL BOSS." The game's announcer stated, catching all three of them by surprise.
"B...Boss?..." Ballora questioned.
"THIS GAME HAS A BOSS?!" Both Foxy and Chica asked.
It should be noted that the reason for their shock is because, so far, there hadn't been a single boss encounter in this entire game. And yet, there it stood, after Ballora's character, which was Freddy Fazbear, moved beyond a closed metal door as he did at the start of every level, there was a MASSIVE alien creature with an even BIGGER health bar.
"Whelp, she's dead," Chica said.
"Mhm. Ballora's toast." Foxy agreed with a nod.
"Now, children. Don't doubt me just yet." She told them as she readied her weapon. "Boss or not, I'm seeing this game through." She vowed before beginning the fight.
All three of them were silent, hoping it would help Ballora focus. Unlike the enemies she'd been dealing with up to this point, the boss was relentless; she needed to have the reflexes and accuracy of a professional marksman to simultaneously shoot the boss's projectiles and TRY to deal damage. At the same time, a certain nightguard with two bears and a bunny in tow came walking into the arcade. But when they saw what was going on, he quickly ushered them to stay quiet so they could watch.
With Foxy, Chica, and Ballora's attention entirely on the game, they didn't notice the others at all as everyone watched Ballora try to win. Unfortunately, as it turned out, William Afton wasn't as nice of a person as he seemed, for when it came to designing boss fights for his games, he was a ruthless monster. Try as she might, Ballora would continue to get hit by completely unfair cheap shots and impossible to avoid damage. However, Ballora wasn't going down without a fight; whenever she could, she dealt damage to the boss, slowly but surely bringing its HP down.
"Come on, come on..." Chica whispered on the edge of her non-existent seat.
"She's so close...ye can do it, Ballora..." Foxy quietly supported.
Mike and the others would've said something as well, but they stayed silent to avoid surprising her and ruining her chance at victory. Then it happened, almost a full minute later, right as Ballora was on the last of her health, the boss's health bar became empty and...
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG!" The alien cried out as it died, a series of over the top explosions happening across its sprite before it disappeared.
Following the death of the final boss, a cutscene began to play where Freddy Fazbear freed his friends, retrieved the pizza, and they returned home to have a pizza party. But, no one paid attention to any of that because the moment Ballora was sure she won the game, this happened:
"YES! YES! I DID IT! I BEAT THE GAME!" She celebrated with glee and a massive smile, throwing her hands into the air as she did. "DID YOU SEE THAT, CHILDREN? I WON!" She told them.
"WE DID! THAT WAS AWESOME, BALLORA!" Chica shouted alongside her, just as happy.
"YEAH! YER AMAZING! NO ONE ELSE COULD'VE DONE IT!" Foxy also shouted in excitement.
Unable to contain herself, Ballora reached down and scooped the children into her arms, where they then began hugging each other as tightly as they could. She was SO delighted that hugging wasn't enough; Ballora spun around with the kids in her arms and-
"MIKE?!" She suddenly shouted as she came to a full stop, her eyes wider than they had ever been.
Upon hearing her say that, Chica and Foxy looked to where Ballora was staring, and sure enough, there stood Mike with their siblings watching them from across the room.
"Mike!" Both of them exclaimed, just as surprised as Ballora to see him standing there.
"Hey, guys." He responded with a wave, a big smile on his face. "So, what've you been up to?" He asked.
"Ballora just beat Freddy In Space! You should've SEEN it!" Chica answered.
"Oh, we did. We got here just in time for that. Right, kids?" He replied as he looked down at Goldie, Freddy, and Bonnie.
"Mhm!" They confirmed in unison while also nodding their heads.
"Wasn't Ballora amazing, though?! She's a better sharpshooter than me!" Foxy asked.
"Oh, definitely. I don't think I've EVER seen someone shoot an alien as well as her." He answered.
"So, what're you guys doing here?" Chica inquired, no one except for Mike noticing how Ballora hadn't said or done anything so far.
"Well, it's snack time. And I figured after all the excitement that's been going on in here that you two would like to join us." He explained.
"Yeah, we do!" Both Chica and Foxy exclaimed.
"Alright, then." He said before he walked over and took them out of Ballora's arms. "Now, all of you go into the main area and wait for miss Ballora and me. We'll be out there in a second, okay?" He instructed while setting the duo down on the floor.
"Okay!" The children all responded as they hurried out of the arcade.
Waiting until the children were gone, Mike looked back at Ballora with his arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face. In contrast, Ballora looked at him with an unblinking stare, an entirely serious expression, and a noticeable blush on her cheeks.
"...Don't...you dare...say ANYTHING..." She warned.
"..." Mike remained silent, per her request, but maintained his smug smirk.
Keeping her eyes locked onto him for a few more seconds to make sure no words would leave his lips. Ballora slowly put the plastic gun back into its holster on the arcade cabinet and left the room.
"Oh, miss Ballora~" He called out, right as she reached the entrance to the arcade, making her stop. "You forgot to put in your initials. You know, for the highscore~" He informed while pointing at the cabinet's screen.
Ballora didn't say anything; she just stood there as the blush on her face worsened, which Mike couldn't see. But then, in a truly shocking turn of events, she walked back over to the game, picked up the pistol, typed BAL on the screen by squeezing the trigger on each letter, and after she confirmed the initials, she put the gun back and swiftly exited the arcade. Unfortunately, during all of that, Mike DID get to see Ballora's face again, which had become as red as a tomato.
"I don't know what she's so embarrassed about." He said to himself as he put his hands in his pockets. "I'd KILL to have skills like that." He admitted before he headed for the main area to rejoin everyone.
An Hour Later, After Snack Time...
For the first time tonight, nothing eventful happened. Snack time came and went without surprises, shocking revelations, or anything similar in nature. Ballora, who insisted she make the snacks all by herself, made the children a delicious serving of fruit mix comprised of fresh grapes, mini orange slices, and one big apple slice. Then, she paired it with a tasty but sensibly sized helping of chocolate pudding for dessert, all of which the children would wash down with a juice box flavor of their choice.
Honestly, Mike was blown away by how good the snack was, for if it'd been him who did it, there's no way it'd compare. However, Ballora and Mike hadn't said much to each other during snack time; they only exchanged words when she requested to be left alone in the kitchen to make the meals. Of course, he knew why; she was still embarrassed from him seeing her celebrate her victory in the arcade, not to mention his light teasing, which didn't help. But Mike didn't mean any harm by it; he was just amazed to see Ballora, who was normally so composed and reserved, be expressive and energetic.
Still, Mike knew he needed to talk with her about it; because he didn't want any tension between them.
"And there you go," Mike said as he finished cleaning the pudding out of the fur on Foxy's face in the kitchen. "I swear, from how much you got all over yourself, you'd think you mauled the pudding." He joked.
"Hey! It's not MY fault Ballora's an awesome chef!" Foxy defensively responded, making Ballora, who was nearby cleaning the plates in the sink, smile.
"Thank you, Foxy. That's very nice of you to say." She told him. "Now, run along and join the others. We'll be there in a moment." She instructed.
"Yes, mam!" He exclaimed as Mike set him down.
Once Foxy was gone from the kitchen, Mike now had the perfect chance to speak to Ballora alone.
"...So...snack time was a success..." He began, trying to start a conversation.
"..." Ballora remained silent, focusing on washing the dishes.
"...I...didn't expect you to be such a good cook...it made me wish I had some..." He complimented, hoping that'd earn him some points.
"..." Still nothing; she stayed quiet as she turned the faucet off and started drying the plates.
"...Okay, look, miss Ballora. I'm sorry." He apologized as he put a hand on the back of his neck. "I shouldn't have teased you. I didn't know you were so self-conscious about showing your emotions like that. Is there ANYTHING at all I can do to make it up to you?" He said, ending with a question.
Upon hearing that, Ballora stopped, which was good for Mike since he could tell she was thinking about it.
"...There is." She spoke after thirty seconds had gone by. "I want you to see me as your equal. As mister Afton said himself, we're partners. I'm doing my best to be less formal with you because I want a healthy and friendly workplace relationship. So, if you want me to forgive you, then you will stop referring to me as MISS Ballora and just use my name by itself." She told him.
"...Really? That's it?" He asked.
"Yes." She answered with a nod.
"Huh...okay. I was expecting something more than that. Not gonna lie." He admitted.
"If it makes you feel better, I COULD add more to my demand?" She offered with a smirk
"No, no. The name will do just fine." He assured. "From now, I'll only say Ballora. No more miss." He promised.
"Thank you, Mike. That means a lot to me." She replied with a smile before she refocused on drying the dishes.
Smiling as well now that things were okay between them, Mike decided to go and see what the kids were doing as Ballora finished up here. From the kitchen to the main area, Mike didn't see any of the children, leading him to assume that they had gone to their room.
"Hello? Are there any wild animals around?" He called out once he arrived in the prize area.
"We're in here!" He heard Goldie respond from behind the door.
Opening the door and poking his head inside to see what the kids were up to, Mike was surprised to find them gathered around the cabinet that their TV sat on.
"Whatcha guys doing?" He asked as he stepped inside.
"We decided we wanted to watch a movie for free time," Freddy answered while Mike walked over to them.
"Yeah, we need to get that video from earlier scrubbed out of our brains," Foxy said.
"Speak for yourself. Freddy and I found it VERY interesting." Goldie replied.
"Wow, color ME surprised." He retorted, making her stick her tongue out at him.
"You know, guys. While I'm all for a movie, I don't know if we'll have enough time for one. Free time only lasts an hour." Mike reminded.
"We know! But we should have enough time if there isn't much we need to do BEFORE we go to bed!" Chica exclaimed.
"Oh? Care to share with your curious nightguard?" He inquired.
"Ballora said that we'd need to clean up our toys before bed, which we already did," Goldie informed as she gestured to the room, showing him that the toy soldiers, blocks, and ball from earlier had been put away.
"She also said that we'd need to be cleaned again if we got messy. But you CAN'T get messy while watching a movie." Freddy reasoned.
"Eh, depends on if you are eating while watching it." Mike countered but still agreed with his logic. "However, we ARE going to have to brush your teeth and put on your pajamas." He said.
"We were hoping that after we pick out a movie, you'd help us put on our pajamas early. So after the movie's done, all that we'll have to do is brush our teeth." Bonnie explained.
"My, my, aren't you five quite clever?" He asked, impressed by their forethought.
"Yes, we are." Chica proudly answered with a nod.
"Alright, well, since you guys have this all figured out, I guess all that's left to do is decide on what to watch." He determined.
"Yup. Except we can't agree on which movie to choose." Freddy said.
"As expected, Foxy wants to watch something with pirates..." Goldie sighed with a roll of her eyes.
"Hey! At least it's better than that musical ye keep trying to force upon us!" Foxy argued.
"Musicals are amazing! It's not my fault you're not cultured!" She countered.
"Easy there, don't turn free time into fight time." Mike intervened.
"...I have an idea!" Bonnie exclaimed with a smile before she looked at their caretaker. "Why don't we let Mike choose the movie?" She suggested.
"Yeah! That's a great idea, Bonnie! Since this will be the first time he watches one with us!" Chica responded.
Foxy, Goldie, and Freddy all gave some form of agreement to Bonnie's idea as well, leaving Mike feeling honored.
"Aw, thanks, guys. I promise I'll pick a good one." He told them as he got on his knees and looked into the cabinet.
"Of course, you will. You won't pick something with pirates." Goldie said.
"If ye don't quit bad mouthing them, ye'll regret it!" Foxy warned.
"Freddy, keep them from killing each other while I look at the movies, okay?" He requested.
"I'll do my best. But no promises." Freddy accepted with a nod, making Mike chuckle.
"That's all I ask." He replied before returning his focus to the cabinet.
To no one's surprise, William had made sure his wonderful children weren't shortchanged when it came to their video entertainment. They quite literally had every imaginable kid's film, animated or live-action, that didn't suck that had come out in the last decade and then some. And Mike KNEW that none of these sucked because he saw most of them himself in theaters. After all, the stigma that adults can't enjoy well-written, directed, and acted media BECAUSE it's animated or isn't gritty and mature is unfair and cynical.
At least, that's how Mike felt about the matter.
"...Aha! Found the perfect movie!" He informed before long.
"What is it?" Bonnie asked as he pulled himself away from the cabinet.
"This right here, kids, is what we call an underrated masterpiece." He began, excited to tell them about this film. "The story is about this ancient city that has been lost to time. Believed only to be a legend as all records from history have been lost. So, we follow our hero, who isn't your typical big buff action man but a very intelligent scholar, trying to locate this lost civilization alongside a cast of colorful characters. There are monsters and excitement around every turn, and above all else, the art style's nice to look at." He described. Hoping it'd get them interested.
"Ye had me at monsters!" Foxy exclaimed.
"You had me at the scholar," Goldie said.
"Hurry up! Put it in! I wanna watch it!" Chica demanded, making him laugh.
"Hold on there, Chica. First, we've got to get you in your PJs. THEN we'll watch it." He told her.
"Then let's go!" She ordered before she ran over to the dresser.
Watching as the rest of the kids followed her, sharing their sister's excitement, Mike was glad that his taste in movies proved to be just the ticket. But right as he got to his feet to go over and help them get changed, Ballora, who'd finished cleaning up the kitchen and putting away the plates, finally arrived and entered the room. Immediately noticing the children's overabundant excitement.
"Children? What's going on?" She inquired, wondering why they were gathered around the dresser.
"We're going to watch a movie!" Chica informed.
"And Mike picked it out!" Bonnie added.
"A movie?" She questioned, now turning towards Mike. "Will we have enough time for one?" She asked.
"Yup. Only because the kids thought ahead on that one." He answered as he walked over to her. "They cleaned up the toys that were taken out during playtime, they're going to change into their pajamas now so they won't have to later, and by the time the movie's over, all that'll be left is to brush their teeth and tuck them in." He explained.
"And read them a story, or sing a lullaby, whichever they want." She reminded.
"Right, yeah, that too." He replied.
"Hmph, well, I must say, I'm very proud of you children for being so efficient and organized with the time you have left." She praised, now looking at the kids.
"Yeah, yeah, we're awesome! Now hurry up and help us change into our PJs! We're wasting movie time!" Chica stressed.
Smiling at how eager they were to get on with it, Ballora and Mike proceeded to get the kids dressed in their sleepwear, put the DVD into the player, then settled in with the children either sitting in their laps or next to them to watch the film.
Much Later, After The Movie And Teeth Brushing...
"So, I've been meaning to ask. Do you like trains?" Mike inquired as he put Bonnie down into her bed.
From Mike's perspective, the other children's beds made sense compared to the child who slept in them. Foxy and the pirate ship, Chica and the airplane, Freddy and the spaceship, and Goldie with nothing changed because she appreciated their father's original design for the beds. But then you had Bonnie's, which was a locomotive, and although Mike didn't have any idea of what else she could want it to be, he was still surprised that she would want her bed to look like that.
"Mhm. I think they're neat." She responded.
"Huh, good to know for the future." He said, having learned an interesting fact about the lavender lapin.
"So, children," Ballora spoke up now that the kids were all in their beds, Bonnie being the last. "What would you like to end our first night? A story? Or a song?" She asked.
Quickly sharing a silent look between themselves, the children didn't need to debate what they wanted.
"A story." They answered together before all of them pointed at Mike. "And we want Mike to tell it!" They exclaimed.
"Me?" He questioned as he pointed at himself.
"Is that a problem, Mike?" Ballora inquired.
"No. Not at all. It's just...I'm a little unprepared." He confessed as he looked over at the children's shelves. "Would you guys mind if I read you a book?" He asked.
"No! We want a story from YOU!" Chica answered.
"Yeah! Show us what ye got!" Foxy encouraged.
Seeing that the kids were dead set on HIM coming up with something on his own, Mike let out a sigh and put his mind to work.
"Okay, give me a second, here. I need to think for a moment..." He requested as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
"I'll get the lights while you do," Ballora said as she walked to the entrance of the room, where the switch was located.
"Okay, Mike. No pressure. They are children. It can't be THAT hard to think of something they'll enjoy..." He thought. "...Alright, here goes nothing." He said shortly after, believing he had something.
The children pulled their blankets over themselves and nestled into their beds when they heard that, eager to listen to the tale.
"Our story begins in a place of fantasy, where magic and other powerful forces are more than just imagination." He began right as Ballora turned the lights off. "In the heart of this vast land, amidst all of the wondrous things that could be seen and discovered, lay a tree older than any other." He said.
"What does the tree look like?" Freddy asked.
"Ah, a good question, Freddy." He responded before continuing. "Unlike the trees that you and I are familiar with, which are typically brown with green leaves. This tree was as black as coal, BUT, flowing through it was a bright and colorful light that could take your breath away from how beautiful it was." He described. "Now, the reason this tree was like that is that it was VERY special. It was a source of great magic that could grant any who were worthy great powers." He told them.
"What kind of powers?" Foxy asked.
"Fireballs that would fly from the palms of your hands, lightning that you could pull straight from the sky, and so many more. Even some pretty strange ones." He answered.
"Strange ones?" Chica inquired.
"Mhm. Such as the ability to turn your enemies into FROGS!" He revealed.
"That's not strange; that's awesome!" She exclaimed with a grin, making him chuckle.
"I'm glad you think so." He said before resuming the story. "Anyway, as you can imagine, something as amazing as this tree which could give so many powers was sought after by MANY people. Some of whom weren't necessarily people..." He trailed off to build suspense.
"Here's where it gets good," Foxy said, excited and curious of what Mike was going to say next.
"Lurking in every shadow, stalking the night as the moon shined down upon the land, and living in the fears and nightmares of every person...was DEMONS." He told them.
"Mike," Ballora spoke up, causing him to look at her. "If this story is going to become scary, I'd like the children not to hear it right as they're about to sleep." She said.
"Don't worry, Ballora. I wouldn't do that to them. I promise this isn't going to get scary." He swore before he picked up where he left off. "Now, when I say demons, I don't want you kids getting the wrong idea. These weren't horrifying or grotesque creatures. Although still spooky and frightening, they're more similar, to say...Halloween monsters. With large teeth and claws, bat wings, and fire! Stuff like that." He described.
"Got it." The kids all replied, showing that they weren't getting scared.
"Good. Now, as I was saying, these demons were everywhere, but they had to remain hidden and sneak around because they weren't strong enough yet to try and take over the land." He informed.
"And that's where the tree comes in!" Freddy realized.
"Exactly. The demons KNEW about the tree and how its power could help them rule over the land. So, they waited, preparing for the moment that no one would notice, and when that moment came, they struck!" He exclaimed, clenching his fist for dramatic effect. "The lords of demons, the ones who ruled them like kings, shared the power between themselves, which granted them new abilities like the ones I mentioned before. And now that they were empowered, they led the demons in a conquest to take over the land." He said.
"But that's when a hero shows up, right?" Bonnie asked.
"I'm getting there, don't get ahead of me now." He answered with a shake of his finger, making her giggle.
"Sorry." She cutely apologized.
"So, with the demons and their masters strengthened, they sought to plunge the land into chaos. Their first target was a kingdom ruled by a beautiful blue-haired princess." He stated.
"Like Ballora?" Goldie inquired.
"...Oh...uh...yeah, sure. Like Ballora." He responded, honestly forgetting that Ballora's hair was a deep blue. "Back to the story, the princess at that time wasn't in her castle. Instead, she was on her way to see the love of her life and the hero of our story, a gallant knight who defended the realm from all evil and villains." He said.
"Can the hero's name be Mike?" Chica suggested.
"Why would the hero have MY name?" He questioned.
"Well, if the princess looks like Ballora, then the hero should be you! You shouldn't be left out of your own story!" She reasoned.
"...Does...everyone want that?..." He asked while looking at the children, to which each of them nodded their head. "Okay, whelp, I guess I'm the hero now." He accepted, which made the kids happy. "Once again, back to the story. HOPEFULLY with NO more interruptions?" He asked, receiving more nods from the kids to show they'd stay quiet. "As we were, princess Ballora and Mike were set to spend the day together. But as they settled down on a lovely green hill, the skies above the kingdom grew dark, storm clouds appeared from nowhere, and before they could realize what was happening, princess Ballora was taken by a hand that reached down from the clouds!" He told them.
"Curses! The demons!" Foxy exclaimed before covering his mouth. "Sorry..." He apologized.
"It's alright. It's quite a shocking turn of events." Mike replied. "Of course, as he saw this happen, Mike, with great haste, donned his armor, secured his helmet to his head, and with his trusty lance in hand ventured forward to vanquish the demons from the land and rescue the princess!" He proclaimed.
"Unfortunately, that is where the story will have to stop for now." Ballora interrupted, causing all of the children's eyes to widen.
"WHAT?!" They questioned.
"I'm sorry, children. But Mike's shift is almost over, and YOU need to get to sleep." She said.
"It is?" He asked before he looked at his wristwatch. "Oh, yeah, it is. Five fifty-five." He discovered.
"Mhm. So, the story will have to continue tomorrow." She told them.
"But we aren't even tired!" Chica exclaimed as she threw her hands into the air. "We can stay up a little longer, right? So Mike can tell us a LITTLE more?" She suggested.
"Chica. You know the rules. When it is bedtime, you must go to sleep. There are no exceptions unless it is an emergency." Ballora reminded.
"This IS an emergency!" She argued, making the other chuckle.
"I'm afraid I have to disagree," Ballora said. "And, should you continue to argue, then you may just have to wait another night for Mike to continue the story." She warned.
That was all the children needed to hear, as they immediately laid down to avoid that "punishment." When they did, the glass that covered them for protection while they slept did precisely that. And almost instantly afterward, the children were asleep as the recharge began.
"Huh. I didn't think they liked the story that much. I barely got into it." Mike admitted.
"Well, to your credit, Mike. You did a wonderful job painting a picture in their minds. That level of effort can engross anyone in a story, regardless of what it is about." Ballora explained.
"Even you?" He inquired with a raised brow.
"Hmm...possibly..." She teased. "Let's just say that I wouldn't mind being present when you tell more to the children tomorrow night." She told him.
"Wow, that's...really flattering. Thank you, Ballora." He said.
"You're welcome, Mike." She responded.
With the kids put to rest, their caretakers left the room.
"So, what're you going to do while the kids are sleeping?" Mike asked once the door was closed.
"Now that I shall be working here alongside you. I will ask mister Afton to install a washer and dryer in one of the remaining empty rooms. That way, I will be able to clean the children's dirty clothes without needing to take them back to the main office." Ballora answered.
"Does the Fazbear Family make those kinds of appliances?" He inquired as they left the prize area.
"We do. As you'd expect from mister Afton, he doesn't want our employees' clothes or the costumes they wear to act as the company's mascots to be cleaned by anyone else. Although not as great of a priority for security as our technology, should those clothes or costumes fall into unsavory hands, a lot of damage could be done." She explained.
"Ah, that's true. You wouldn't want some lunatic running around in a Freddy Fazbear costume doing who knows what." He said, understanding the logic behind that.
"Indeed. So, I shall remain here for the next few hours to oversee the washer and dryer installation. As well as arrange the room to how I feel a laundry area should appear." She replied.
"Do you want me to stay and help you?" He offered. "It wouldn't be any trouble." He added.
"Oh no, I couldn't ask you to do that. You must be exhausted by now." She responded.
"I mean, we both served a full six-hour shift together. And that's on TOP of what you did during the day when I went home after my last shift." He pointed out before coming to a stop in the main area. "Which...now that I think about it...it's INSANE that you don't look tired at all." He noted.
"I'm used to working very long hours, Mike. The Fazbear Family and all of its businesses don't end when most of our staff go home, you know." She informed.
"I get that. But still, are you sure you're okay? A person shouldn't work themselves too hard." He asked, genuinely concerned for her health.
"Mike, it's very sweet of you to worry about me. But I promise I am fine. I wouldn't lie to you regarding something as serious as my well-being." She assured.
"Okay. I believe you. But you BETTER go to sleep after you get the laundry room sorted. I'll give you an earful if I find out you didn't." He warned.
"I will. I plan to return to the main office and tell mister Afton how our shift went once I'm finished here. Afterward, I'll turn in for the day." She said.
"Good. I'm glad to hear that." He replied.
With his mind at ease that Ballora wouldn't work herself to death, Mike, after making sure he grabbed the guide she made that he left on one of the tables, made his way to the entrance of the facility. As expected, a car was already waiting to take him back to his apartment.
"Sleep well, Mike." Ballora bid farewell as he walked away from the building.
"You too, Ballora. I'll see you next shift!" He responded.
Watching as he opened the door and climbed inside the vehicle, Ballora kept her eyes on Mike and the car until both were out of sight before she went back into the facility.