Grand Reopening

4 months later…

"Mom, I'm telling you that I'm okay," said Mike over the phone as he walked down the street.

"I know that's what you're telling me, but how do you know for sure?" she asked. "Ever since you told us about your… your new way of life, I can't help but worry. Mike, you di-!"

"I know what happened, mom. But I'm alright, really I am. My 'new way of life' is great and I've got all the best support possible. You don't have to worry."

"I'm your mother, that's my prerogative." She sighed. "I'm sorry, I don't want to keep harping on about it. But it's a big change."

"It is for me too, mom. I'm still getting used to it. But I'll be fine, really. You coming along tonight?"

"You'd have to beat us off with several sticks to keep us out," said his dad. "There's no way we're missing this."

"Certainly not. I may not be completely at ease with everything, but you're still my son and whatever choices you make in life are yours to make," she said. "Just be careful, okay? Promise me?"

"I promise," he said. "Okay, I've got to go. See you both later, love you."

"We love you too."

Mike put his phone away as he hurried towards his destination. Once, it had been Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. The place where his life had changed forever, in a number of ways. Some good, some bad. Now, it was something of a communal residence for the amazing people he called his friends. The second floor had been extended in order to accommodate for the newer residents. Funny how they'd spent so long looking to leave and had come back again.

A couple of vans were parked outside where there was a flurry of activity. As he got closer, he could hear Theodore's raised voice.

"… along now, everyone, come along! We should have left five minutes ago. I told you all that we needed to be ready sooner."

"Keep your hat on, Ted," said Clyde from the front seat of one of the vans. "They're not exactly going to start without us."

"Yes, but it's the principle, Clyde! If we're too late for this, it throws off preparations for later this evening and then the whole thing unravels. And where the devil have you been?" he barked when he saw Mike. "I should have thought you would be here much sooner, Michael."

"Sorry Theo, got held up a bit," he replied. "Maybe I can help speed things along?"

"You can go in there and see what that blasted Chica is up to. She was getting everything ready with Billy, but that was fifteen minutes ago!"

"I'll see what the holdup is."

He hurried into the former restaurant. The show stage area had become a large communal living area, with various couches and bean chairs scattered about along with a long dining table. Some of the rooms had been updated or altered, with a few new ones to make room for everyone. One of those was the women's bathroom, which had become Chica's room. She was hurrying out from there, pausing when she spotted Mike.

"Oh there you are." She gave him a quick kiss before taking him by the hand. "Can you help us? We've got everything except the hat."

"Can't you use one of Freddy's?"

"No, her head's too big to fit one of his, we need hers. Oh, where did I put it?"

"Found it!" Billy came hurrying downstairs where the offices used to be, but had been converted into rooms for the Balloon Buddies. "It was in Hermy's room."

Chica sighed and took it from him. "Oh for goodness' sake. I've told her already, if she's going to 'borrow' other people's clothes then she needs to put them back. Thank you, Billy, you're a star."

He giggled happily and hugged Mike in greeting. "Hi Mike! Are you excited?"

"You know I am. How about we get outside before Ted blows a fuse?" he suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds good." They waited until Chica brought the box with the rest of the clothes and hurried out with them. "We found it, we found it!"

"About bloody time. Now where are those two?" He checked his watch. "I tell you, if they're not here in the next ten seconds-"

"We're here!" Bonnie dropped down from a rooftop. She was carrying Hermana in her arms and put her down. "Sorry we're late. 'One more shop', this one kept saying. Several 'one mores' later and we had to book it back here."

"But Bon-Bon, look at all the cute stuff we got!" Hermana waved the shopping bags she was carrying.

"You mean all the cute stuff you got," retorted Bonnie. "Look, just go put it inside, we've got to get going."

"Already doin' it. And Bon-Bon? Thanks for the lift, hun." She popped a quick kiss on Bonnie's lips and beamed. "You're such a doll."

"Yeah well, we had to get back quick and with how long you were…" Realisation dawned on her face. "Hold on, did you do all that knowing that I would have to-?"

"Sorry, gotta put this in my room, back in a sec!" Hermana said this all in one breath and vanished inside.

Bonnie stared after how. "Wow. She is devious."

"Yeah, must be why you go so well together," remarked Clyde.

"Yes, yes, very good now come along! Everyone else is waiting on us to get there!"

"Theodore, it's alright." Chica placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get there when we get there and make up for any short fallings in the schedule later."

"Hmph, easy for you to say," he muttered though he seemed to relax a little.

They all piled into one of the vans, Theodore settling into the driver's seat. Billy sat with Clyde in the front while everyone else got into the back. They drove through the town until they were out past its borders, carrying on until they reached the turning into the glade of trees. A little further up the dirt road and they saw the house of Fred Fitzbar. The synth who bore his likeness stood out the front, beaming as he saw their approach.

"Ah, right when I thought you'd be here," he said when they got out.

Theodore looked confused. "What do you mean? We're nearly half an hour late!"

"Yes, but I had a feelin' you might be held up, given your company. If anythin', this works out. By now, we should almost be ready to-"

"Guys!" Jeremy came running out, buzzing with excited energy. "Guys, it's time! Did you bring the clothes?"

"Right here!" Chica passed them off to him. "We'll wait in the living room, just let us know when she's on her way up."

"I've got the cake!" Billy came out, carrying it like it was a badge of honour. "We can get it cut while we wait!"

"Sounds good. Okay, I'll be right back."

Jeremy ran with the clothes to the secret elevator in the garage. He pressed the button a few times in a bid to make it go faster. The humming of machinery met his ears, along with the beaming grin of Foxy.

"There's what we've been waitin' fer!" He took the clothes from Jeremy. "They all here?"

"Just waiting upstairs," he replied. "We good to go down here?"

"This was the last thing we needed. Now we just need ta-"

"Oi, Fox!" barked a familiar Irish brogue. "Quit you're chatting and bring that stuff in here!"

"Comin'!" He ran with Jeremy into the control room. "There we are, all set."

Vevina emerged from the room on the right. She'd exchanged her usual outfit for a pair of blue overalls and was wiping grease and oil from her forehead.

"Grand, wouldn't want her going starkers on her first day," she said. "I've just been over the mindscaping generator again. It should still hum along nicely for the young'uns, even when she's been removed."

"Aye, 'cause ya made sure of it four times already." Foxy took her wrench from her hand. "It'll be just fine, Vev. Have a lil' more faith in yerself."

"What'd you think I keep you around for? But fine." She took Foxy's hand before he could pull it back. "Tell me again how good I am."

He gripped her hand in return. "You're absolutely astoundin', Vev. Never been a doubt in my mind about that."

Jeremy saw her smile grow. She took his hand in both of hers, grasped it tightly and let it go.

"Same to you," she whispered. Then, louder and with a growing blush, "Right, enough standing around! We're behind as it is. Lid! All good in there?"

"Good, great and grand!" she replied from the room left of the control room. "Have to admit, this took longer than I thought it would. I know she was particular about what she wanted to look like, but I couldn't even use the remaining synth parts with how big she is. I had to do this pretty much from scratch!"

"Oi, don't blame us for how badly the others got beaten up," said Vevina. "We're lucky one of them was just good enough to be fixed up for Mike."

"You're telling me. Luckily, the student is almost as good as her master," she said.

Vevina quirked an eyebrow. "'Scuse you, who was it that finalised the generator?"

"That's why I said 'almost'. Don't forget who came up with the design." Lidiya clapped her hands. "Right, you boys clear out! Until the lady is in a decent state, you go wait with everyone else."

"Alright, we're going."

After Jeremy and Foxy went back upstairs, the two women entered the left room. They gazed at the form, floating in the tank of chemical fluid, bathed in a blue glow. They looked at one another, allowing themselves a moment of pride. Then, they sent the person it was meant for a binary message which roughly translated meant:

Wakey, wakey.

Goldie had to contain herself when the message came through in the admin portion of the mansion. At long last, it was time. She sent out an announcement to her new students, telling them to meet in the drawing room.

As she expected, the first one there was Bobby Fazbear, wearing an excited expression. With light brown skin and neatly kept, but still curly brown hair, he was already quite large. He wore a bright orange jacket and a red shirt, decorated with a blue lightning bolt and black bowtie. His legs were covered with brown pants and large red boots. A pair of bear's ears waggled around his top hat.

"We got your message, Goldie. Has the time come at last?" he asked.

"It has. Where's everyone else?"

"On their way, I believe." He shifted on his feet. "I am sorry if any of them are late, but we were in the middle of practicing when you called us."

A deep voice followed him through, affected by a Southern twang.

"Yeah, you shoulda seen me! Those drums didn't know what hit 'em!"

It belonged to Monty Gator, a black-skinned young man who was even larger than Bobby. He wore his dyed red hair in a Mohawk, eyes peering over the top of his star-shaped glasses. Green dominated his colour scheme, his torn-sleeved vest and gator patterned pants matching the tail that swung out behind him. The tears around where his sleeves would be and his fingerless gloves were purple, along with his sneakers and a confident grin was plastered on his face.

"Yes, I could hear you from where I was, Monty," said Goldie. "I'd be surprised if they couldn't from out there. Your timing has definitely improved."

"Yeah, it has!" he chuckled. "We're gonna blow them away when we get the chance, just you wait!"

"Speak for yourself. We all know who's really going to blow everyone away."

The sneer came from Roxanne Wolf, strutting from behind Monty. She swept her mane of silver hair like she was shooting for the cover of a magazine, the colour contrasting strikingly with her dark skin and the small flash of green on her fringe. Dressed in a red jacket and black pants with matching boots, she grinned broadly like she was waiting for an applause.

"The two of you would do well to remember that you share the stage," said Goldie.

"Yeah, so? Doesn't mean none of us aren't going to stand out and I think it's pretty obvious it'll be me, right?" Her smile faltered when nobody immediately agreed. "Right? I mean, look at me!"

"You'll do great, Roxy! I know you will!"

Hijita Chicken finally joined the group. Dressed in a bright pink body suit with a dark pink sleeveless jacket, green pants and a slice of pizza in both hands, the band's guitarist radiated the word 'bubbly'. Her shock of white hair was worn up, held up by a bright pink bow and her feet were supported by tiger-pattern boots, one green and one pink. She went to put a supportive hand on Roxy, but seemed to forget she was holding food.

"What the- Hijita!" she yelled. "Oh gross, you've got cheese on my jacket!"

"Oh, sorry!" she chirped. "Want some?"

Roxy glared at the pizza, then at her. "No."

"Another post practice snack, Hijita?" asked Goldie.

"Sure is!" She stuffed them both into her mouth. "I think I might be due another one too."

"Save some for the rest of us, Heejie Jeebies!"

His rabbit ears bobbing as he came, Benny Bunny wore a purple shirt with darker purple suspenders connected to maroon pants. His maroon waistcoat sparkled as the sun hit it. He wore his purple hair in a ponytail and carried himself with a carefree attitude. His heeled boots made him a head taller than Bobby, but still just short of Monty.

"You know me, Ben. I see pizza and it's gone!" she replied.

"I know, I just saw from over there." He gave her a good natured noogie. "Are we going to have to guard the kitchen to keep you out?"

"Just try and stop me!" she giggled. "So what's the big announcement, Goldie?"

"Hold your horses there a moment," said Goldie. "We're still one short."

"Goldie, Goldie, Goldie!"

From one of the back rooms came Charley. Unlike the others who all wore bright colours, she was dressed in black, her face painted to look like a very familiar mask. Not that she knew about why she had done it. Goldie had checked and apart from a few scattered things like this, the only thing she really remembered was her name. She was almost as tall as the being she had once been, though the smile she wore was genuine.

"You seem very excited about something," said her teacher.

"I am, look! I've been working on my new mask, see?"

Charley held it up to show Goldie. It strongly resembled a grinning sun, complete with little points around it to indicate the rays. But it only showed half a face.

"That's how it's meant to be," she said excitedly and put it on. "Look, because this can be for when it's day and time to play. But when it's night and time to sleep…"

She rotated the grinning face so it covered the other half of her face. The points retracted and the colour faded from bright yellow to creamy white. Now, it resembled a moon, complete with a little starry sleeping cap that she popped on.

"Ta-da! Isn't it neat?"

"It's very, very neat, Charley," she said. "Now, why don't you take a seat? I have something important to announce."

"Yeah, we figured." Roxy folded her arms, looking put out. "You're abandoning us."

"Roxy! That is not what she is doing!" chastised Bobby. "Goldie is not leaving us. She just will not be around as much, right Goldie?"

"Right indeed, Bobby. Just because I'm moving on to something new doesn't mean I'm leaving you alone. I'll be back to check on you regularly and so will the others. When the time is right, you'll all be joining us as well."

"Alright!" Monty cheered. "We're gonna be gettin' our own place, like you said?"

Goldie nodded. "You will. We're looking into refurbishing an upscale place in the city that is in our possession. A very large place that'll be perfect for what we have in mind for you all. But we're still working it out and you've still got a little way to go yet before your stage ready, not to mention we still need to sort out bodies for you."

"And they'll be just like we are now?" asked Hijita.

"If you want them to be. You may find your minds change, I know I did before I settled on my form. But you'll know when you're ready."

Bobby frowned. "Will that be because you will tell us or will we actually know?"

"Yes and yes." She received another message, telling her to get ready. "Alright, here we go. I'll see you all soon. Until then, Bobby will be in charge while I'm gone. Keep practicing, but remember to have some fun too. Handy? Make sure they stay out of trouble."

"Of course, Goldie!" replied the disembodied interface. "I can personally guarantee that chances of trouble will be as low as 0.3% in your absence."

"We'll see about that," muttered Roxy with a smirk.

"Calculations adjusted. Make that 1.3% in the case of Roxanne."

"Hey!"

"Very good." Goldie took a deep breath. "I'll see you soon, everyone! Take care!"

They chorused their goodbyes as Goldie felt a rushing sensation, being carried towards a bright light.

Those gathered upstairs tensed with anticipation when they heard the elevator in the garage. Three sets of footsteps came up from the corridor. The first through the door was Vevina, taking a seat with Foxy. Next was Lidiya. She looked like she was meant to hide the third member, but they could see her silhouette towering behind her. With a sweeping bow, Lidiya stepped aside and in came Goldie.

Her synth body was just like her digital avatar. Tall, with bulging muscles and enough lines to indicate maturity but not age. Her short bob of golden hair fell just short of her neck, matching with her golden tailed tuxedo jacket and pressed black pants. She swept her hat off when she ducked under the door, which she turned into an elegant bow.

"Behold, my friends!" she boomed. "I have left my transcendent existence and at last stand with you on this mortal plane! Try not to be too overwhelmed."

"Yep, that's definitely her." Bonnie sized her up. "Eh, I could still take her."

"Now that would be a contest." Freddy came to shake her hand. She was a few inches taller and he noticed. "You did that deliberately, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Well regardless, I am happy for you, Goldie." He pulled her forward into a hug. "I'm just sorry that this day couldn't have come much sooner."

She patted him on the back. "You have nothing to be sorry for, dear brother. It wasn't your fault and I will always be sorry that I ever blamed you for it. Any of you."

"Oi now, let's not get hung up on what's happened in the past," said Foxy. "That be my job."

"Oh no you don't. If I'm not allowed to dwell on the past, neither are you." She gripped Foxy's shoulder. "Today, we are celebrating and that includes you."

A grin split Foxy's face. "Aye, I can get with that. How's it feel?"

"Not entirely what I expected. I mean, I've walked before when I controlled animatronics but their sensory capacity was limited. This though, it feels…" She ran a hand along Foxy's jacket. "It just… it feels. Textures, sounds, sights, it's… it's all so new! It's incredible!"

"Wow. I'm almost jealous," remarked Lidiya. "I mean, you're getting to experience things we mostly take for granted."

Goldie waved a hand. "Oh, I'm sure what's new and exciting will become mediocre and dull with time. But when they do, I have you to thank for that. You gave me this chance, Lidiya Holland. Thank you."

She held a hand towards Lidiya. The woman beamed as she shook it, letting Goldie hug her as well.

"Okay, getting hugged by a muscled lady. That's one off the bucket list!"

"Down girl."

"Oi!" Vevina stood with her arms folded. "Where do you get off, Holland, taking all the credit?"

"Because since you're the apprentice and I'm the master, that's just how it works. I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" she said quickly when Vevina stalked towards her. "Of course we weren't going to-"

"Oh no, you had your chance and now you're going to get what's coming to you." She backed Lidiya into a wall, then shot her hand out so it slammed the space next to her head. Vevina grinned fiercely. "Gotcha!"

"Oh you…" Lidiya blushed as she shoved her away. "You're the worst student ever!"

"Aye and you're a shitty teacher, but guess that's just what we're stuck with?"

"Slightly frightening banter aside, of course I hadn't forgotten your part in it," said Goldie. "Thank you, Vevina."

She shrugged. "No bother. Lid did most of the heavy lifting on that front, I just made sure those little shits you're teaching will have somewhere to stay when you went. Were they alright?"

"Perfectly fine. I'm fairly confident they won't burn the place down while I'm gone. Somewhat," she added.

"Good." She hesitated for a moment. "And the one who calls herself Charley. You're sure she's not-?"

"Only in the barest sense. She has no memory of anything else. As far as I'm concerned, she's a completely new person who deserves a fresh start. Don't you agree?"

Vevina was quiet, looking pensive. She nodded slowly and didn't say anything else. Their attention was diverted by Chica who had brought Goldie a slice of cake.

"Oh food!" She took it, eyes roaming hungrily over it. "My first piece of real food."

"We weren't sure what you might like, so we got a chocolate cake. Hard to go wrong with chocolate," said Chica.

Goldie spent a little longer staring at it, before piercing a piece with her fork and eagerly popping it in her mouth. Her eyes widened and she shuddered.

"What's the matter? Is it okay?" asked Chica.

"It's so… wow, it's so sweet!" She eagerly wolfed down another bite. "You hear about cake being sweet, you know about it but then you actually taste it and it's just… look at me! I'm eating cake, I'm actually eating cake!"

"Just wait until you try other food," said Mike. "Worth the wait?"

"Oh god yes!" She set the cake down and opened her arms. "Now hug me again!"

Mike obliged, letting her lift him up a little bit when they hugged.

"You're enjoying this way too much," he said.

"No such thing!" She laughed with tears starting to trickle down her face. "Oh, what was that? What is this, is that normal? Oh, oh crying! Okay, I'm actually crying! These are real tears, real tears! This is mine, this is my body, it's mine and it's mine forever!"

She laughed with utter joy and spun Mike around, accidentally knocking his feet into Bonnie.

"Oh, did you see that?" she cried. "You all saw it, it's on now!"

"Is that so?" Goldie put Mike down and rolled up her sleeves, still grinning. "My first physical altercation. Bring it on, little bunny!"

"That's quite enough of that!" Theodore leapt between them. "In case you've forgotten, we have something we need to prepare for tonight?"

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Settle this later, Bonnie?"

She smirked. "You know it."

"Then fetch me my cape and show hat!" declared Goldie. "We've got a show to put on!"

As the sun dipped below the horizon, everybody in Little Borealis and a few from beyond, started making their way to what was now Freddy's Family Pizza. A temporary stage had been set up in front of the restaurant's doors and the parking lot had been closed off so that everyone could stand in front of it. Clyde and Mike, dressed in their guard uniforms, patrolled in front of it behind the guard fences, just in case they were needed.

At the far back, Vevina and Lidiya did some final checks on the sound and lighting systems. The whole thing was programmed and ready to go, but it didn't hurt to be thorough. The two women joined up at the control desk, agreeing that it was all systems go. They gave the thumbs-up to Theodore who was standing nearby and Vevina spoke into her headset microphone.

"One minute until curtain up back there," she said. "Break a leg you lot, bizarre as that sounds."

"It's a theatre thing, Vev," replied Jeremy. "But I think it's all systems go back here." He looked at the performers who nodded. "Alright, then we are good!"

"E-Easy for you to say." Chica gripped her cupcake, trembling. "G-Goodness, I'm only now realising how long it's been since we last performed! W-What if I miss a note? What if-?"

"Sis, it's okay." Hermana gripped her shoulder. "You and me, we're gonna light up the night tonight! Chicken sisters comin' at ya, Lil' Borealis!"

"Damn straight," said Bonnie. She looked at Hermana's bass. "You got that thing all hooked up?"

"Sure do, hun!" She patted it proudly. "Hope I don't outshine ya out there!"

"Said no bassist ever," countered Bonnie. "Hey? You both got this."

"Heck yeah we do!" Hermana skated over to Bonnie and tapped her cheek. "For luck?"

Bonnie drummed her fingers a bit, then darted to Hermana's face and pecked it. Her cheeks flushed blue as she pulled away.

"For luck," she muttered. She glanced at Chica. "H-Hey, quit that!"

"I'm sorry, you two are just so cute!" she trilled.

"Aye, never thought I'd see the day!" crowed Foxy from behind his drums. "Hermy and Bonnie, sittin' in a tree-"

"K-I-L-L-I-N-G. Want me to show you?"

"Settle down now, everyone." Freddy adjusted his hat and jacket. "Save the banter for the crowd. Ready up there, Billy?"

"Waiting and ready, Freddy!" he called from above the stage.

Freddy tapped his microphone stand on the stage. A rapping was returned from beneath by Goldie, affirming that she too was ready.

Freddy nodded to Jeremy. "Then by your leave, Mr Fitzgerald."

"You got it, Mr Fazbear." Gripping his own microphone, Jeremy ran out onto the stage. "Good evening Little Borealis! How's everyone doing tonight?"

A cheer rang out from the crowd, especially the kids. Jeremy let it die down before going on.

"That's what we like to hear! A few months ago, something insane happened. Our little town was attacked by an army of robots. Yeah, nobody told me they'd turned on Skynet that day either." That got a little laugh. "But luckily, we didn't get as far as the nukes. Instead, the day was saved by the people you're here to see tonight. But these guys aren't superheroes or action commandos or whatever. They are what they always have been, since a little place opened up in our town over twenty years ago: entertainers. Maybe not in the way we remember, but definitely in the way they always hoped they would be. Tonight sees that dream finally come true because in the end, that's what Freddy Fazbear's Pizza was all about.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, it's time to bring them back to what they love and what you came here to see! Let's give it up for the Fazband!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as the curtains pulled back. It started with a slow strumming from a guitar, the beating of a drum. The stage lights flared, showing them all in shadow as the music picked up.

"First off, shredding that guitar and bringing back the 80s with a vengeance, it's Bonnie Bunny!"

The spotlight fell on her. She threw her fingers up in a rock-on sign before her fingers danced across the strings. She threw her hair back, her smirk becoming a grin while she stamped her feet.

"And next to her, we have a new face! Skating her way into your hearts and killing it on the bass, let's hear it for Hermana Chicken!"

She twirled on her skates like a ballerina, her blonde hair whirling around her. She waved and blew kisses to everyone she could see, then threw one to Bonnie too. She winked at her girlfriend and matched her on the bass.

"Oh but who could forget her sister? With a voice as gorgeous as her pizzas, here she is: Chica Chicken!"

Any nerves she might have had evaporated in an instant. She ran up to the front of the stage, waving and curtseying while keeping her cupcake perfectly balanced. She spotted Mike at the front who gave her a thumbs-up and a grin. She returned it with a grin of her own before dancing along to the beat.

"And he might be on the drums tonight, but you still better keep your eyes out for this scallywag! Straight from the high seas, give it up for Captain Foxy!"

He threw both of his arms into the air, letting out a hearty 'ahoy' to the crowd before twirling his sticks and rapidly striking the drums.

"Now, another new face! You might have seen this guy around the Fun Palace, but here is front and centre! Billy the Balloon Boy!"

The lights shifted to above the stage where he stood with a massive bunch of balloons. With a little hop and a beaming smile, he jumped and floated gently down between Mike and Clyde in front of the stage. He started giving out balloons to anybody who could reach them, saying 'hello' to everyone he could.

"Up next, is a blast from the past. You older folks in the crowd remember her as Fredabear, but here she is now as the Great Goldie, Magician Extraordinaire!"

With a flash of golden smoke, Goldie stepped out, flourishing her purple cape. She swept off her hat in a bow, letting a flock of birds out of it before tapping her cane to let a bunch of flowers sprout from the top. She tossed them into the crowd before moving off to the side.

"And last, but certainly not least. Here he is everybody. It's his name above the place, the head honcho, the big man himself. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, put your hands together for the one, the only, FREDDY FAZBEAR!"

Stepping out like the elegant, refined gent that he was, he grinned as he waved to the crowd. He tipped his hat to anybody he could see and set his microphone stand in front of him.

Mike watched as Freddy started to sing, Chica adding in her backing vocals. He listened to Bonnie strumming her guitar, Hermana bopping while she played her bass. Foxy hitting those drums with all he had and Billy smiling while he danced along. Goldie lifted him back onto the stage and let him dance on her feet while she spun him around. He could make out Vevina at the back, bobbing her head to the beat with Lidiya while Theodore did a little jig. Clyde tapped his foot and fist bumped Jeremy who threw a grin at Mike which he returned.

He didn't know what was instore for him and his friends. But oddly enough, something that Philip O'Neil once said rang out clearly in his mind: There's nothing to worry about. You'll be fine.

"You know what?" he said to himself. "I think we will be."

Arc of Carona: Sorry their reaction isn't really explored, but it was something I decided to cut to make the ending more expedient. Hope it was okay anyway. Also, it was a toss-up between the Funtimes and the Glamrocks. I decided on the latter as it just seemed more fitting.

Alanuki: So is the whole franchise XD

Yellowscar1: Yep, sorry XD It's a representation of passing the torch to the next generation more than anything. Or they will at some point.

Guest: Consider them reincarnations of the children. There may be some similarities, but they're completely new beings. The children themselves have essentially moved on.

Fate-Be-Changed: In the intervening time, he would have. But I couldn't really explore it in-depth here.

I am the Voice: I did consider it, but then that wouldn't tie in to making him seem as human as possible. Also he's not a performer like the rest of them, so there's not much point.

And there it is, folks. Seven years in the making and we are at last, at the end. Cue Main on End from Avengers Endgame XD

Now, I may not say goodbye to these characters completely. But as far as the main series of stories I had planned out all those years ago is concerned, this is the end of their story. They may come back for some little one-off pieces, but nothing as sweeping and long as the rest of the Saga. I'm sorry if you're expecting something with the Glamrocks or perhaps the Funtimes, but I don't really have anything for them that I want to do, at least not right now. But you know what? That's not a bad thing. There's nothing wrong with having some closure and I hope I was able to give that to people.

I want to say a big thank you to you, my readers. I know you've waited a very long time for this. Some have left entirely and I can't say I blame them. You know how it is. But when Security Breach came out, it reignited the love I had for this franchise and gave me the drive to see this through to the end. I'm so glad that I did. All of you helped too.

I'd especially like to thank Vyrhys. Your message to me while I was writing this last instalment reminded me that there were definitely people out there who wanted to see this story finished. Thank you also to Arc of Carona, Yellowscar1, Alanuki, I am the Voice and Fate-Be-Changed for their reviews and support. To all you unnamed anonymous readers, to any old readers who came back or new ones drawn in, I say thank you.

Also, just an aside, the song they are playing at the end is the intro music from Security Breach. It's a bop and I felt that it fits.

Until next time, my good people. Be strong, be swift, be just.

Alpha.