Greeting: Last time, I defe.. I mean..We defeated the monsters.
They won't go away but at least they'll stay back for a while.
How's everybody doing at Freddy's? Let's find out!

( Mangle and Faith. Above the pizzeria)

Faith was worried about Eclipse who was still in the basement. She had no time to think about him though.
They had charged through the main hall fast. Faith had changed into a dragon, outside.
Mangle was an inexperienced rider but could manage. Mangle had been able to get Faith ready in record time.
It might have been because Mangle had been mangled a lot in her life, just like her name said.
What would a disfigured animatronic do in her spare time? Mangle had been examining her body and trying to see where everything was suppose to be.
She had never had to use what she learned. Still, Mangle hadn't forgotten it over the years.

While flying in the air, Mangle was happy that she had been fixing herself all those times.
Faith was a completely different kind of animatronic than Mangle. At least that's what it had seemed like.
Mangle had learned that from the inside they were quite alike.
Faith was a transforming kitsune and Mangle was just an everyday fox. Common sense would have said that there was nothing similar between them.
Common sense had been wrong that time. Faith had an endoskeleton just like Mangle.
Faith's circuits and wires were equivalent to Mangle's.
Sure, Mangle's endoskeleton was not meant to bend and take different shapes. That had been her only problem.
If Mangle had had to deal with something more than wires, she would have failed.

Luckily, it was only a few screws there and there and a couple wires.
Mangle was not a technician like Mike but she could do that much. She had burnt her fingers in the process but it had been worth it.

Faith shot ice at the monster army in the backyard. They froze in place and then Faith dove at them.
She shattered them with her feet and roared.
" Take that", she exclaimed.
" You don't seem to be in pain. Doesn't the ice hurt?", asked Mangle.
At that moment, Faith realized it herself.
" The heat shield is working. My throat is neither burning nor freezing", cheered Faith.
" In that case, go get them, Faith. Expel these monsters back into the seven circles of hell!", shouted Mangle.
Faith answered by shooting fire out of her mouth.
" That's awesome. Faith is our Oni ryu now", thought Mangle.
That was of course a bad metaphor. Oni ryu had been a monster himself.
Faith was a proper dragon but a nice one.
She would protect the innocent and scare the bad people away.
Faith dove again and set some monsters on fire.

" No, please! Why are you doing this?", cried one monster.
It was a woman, begging on her knees.
" It's fake. Burn her", Mangle told Faith.
The woman was sad and making Faith feel bad. The monsters were still making her spine shiver, especially the masked ones.
Faith flapped her wings and flew over the woman.
" Come on, Faith. It wasn't that hard", sighed Mangle.
" Sorry, Mangle. I couldn't", apologized Faith.
" It's okay. Killing people is hard, I know", Mangle petted Faith's head.

It didn't matter anyway, the monsters were already running for their lives. Faith stopped when she came far enough.
She let out a scary dragon roar and Mangle had to cover her ears.
" Don't come back!", Faith shouted angrily.
" This is what you get for messing with Freddy Fazbear's pizza!", shouted Mangle.
The monsters were growling at them while crawling on all four. They were definitely going to return, there was no doubt about it.
It was the Apocalypse and this was their arena where everyone was playing by their rules.

" Let's go back. Hopefully everyone's alright. Our friends fought bravely", said Mangle.
" Eclipse was bleeding out. My baby can't die", Faith was starting to sound like Luna.
" Can animatronics even bleed to death? Is oil all that important?", Mangle hadn't thought about that before.
" Let's hope they can't. Although, I think they can", answered Faith.
She turned around and flapped her wings.
They arrived at the front yard where everyone was at work. Scarlett, Nadia, Michelle and Storm Jr. had come out of the bus.
Mike and Jenny had come to them.
" Are you okay, guys?", asked Faith, above them.
" Couldn't be better, girl! Storm Jr. is upset but that's it", informed Michelle.
Scarlett was helping Storm Jr. stand straight. She was listening to Storm Jr. of course.
" My hon. He was at the back of the bus. I swear he was. I didn't mean to abandon Nadia", sobbed Storm Jr.
" Apologize to Nadia, not me. She was screaming for help when we came to her. You caused it, Storm Jr. You should apologize for that", recommended Scarlett.
" You are right. I was a fool. An absolute idiot. A crazy, wild animal", sobbed Storm Jr.
" Okay. Wipe your tears. Let's get you out of this darkness. Fang, Storm and Willa are so worried about you", said Scarlett and wiped Storm Jr.'s tears.
They could almost hear the Apocalypse witch's essence above them in the clouds.

The first attack had been neutralized successfully.
" They are really pissed off but also impressed, I think. This wasn't our last stand like they thought", sighed Jenny, next to Michelle.
" Will we die next time?", asked Michelle.
" Most likely. Although, that's what I thought before this battle too", shrugged Jenny.
" So you don't know when we'll die. You are the witch here, Jenny. Shouldn't you know everything?", Michelle rolled her eyes.
" A god and a witch are not synonyms, Michelle. Gods know everything, we don't", answered Jenny.
" There aren't any magics that would help us, are there?", Michelle asked hopefully.
" A seer would help us a lot. Sadly, my father got killed. Even though, he actually knew he was going to die and didn't stop it", Jenny told her.
" Just like Delilah. She had to die as well. Why do these seers always end up letting themselves get killed?", pondered Michelle.
" They die for the greater good. We might not always realize why their deaths are so important. After all, we live in only one timeline", answered Jenny.

Michelle thought it made sense. Perhaps, Frank would have been in the way at some point and then gotten everyone killed.
Maybe Jenny would have never come to Freddy's if Frank had been alive. There were dozens of possible reasons for Frank having to die.
Jenny seemed to understand that.
Her expression hadn't changed when she had spoken of her father. Jenny was missing him, there was no doubt.
Jenny simply wasn't one of those who expresses their feelings a lot.

Jenny and Michelle helped Nadia get inside, she was blind outside.
" Being actually blind is quite scary", she said to herself.
Nadia was happy to get inside again.
" I can see again. Oh! I missed you, bearings", smiled Nadia.
" I think you are not going outside for a while", guessed Mike.
" If I might stay inside, it would make me happy", replied Nadia.
Scarlett and Storm Jr. came inside and the basement animatronics came to them.
More specifically, they came to see Storm Jr.
" Are you okay? Why did you flee like that? Our friends are dead. Why didn't you help us?", the animatronics were around her.

" Leave her be", they heard Storm's voice.
Storm was standing behind them. The basement animatronics got out of her way, respecting her orders.
Storm had been a Legend, obeying her was a reflex of every single former slave.
She hugged her daughter.
" Storm Jr. Your face is all broken. What happened to it, sweetie?", Storm saw the wounds.
She was not going to scold Storm Jr. for leaving Nadia or disobeying orders. Storm was just happy to see her alive.
" A red-eyed monster clawed my face. It went deep", explained Storm Jr.
" Good thing you can be fixed. Luckily, nothing worse happened", sighed Storm.
She couldn't help but think of Storm Jr., all broken in the repairing room.
" It's all thanks to us. If we had abandoned her, that monster would have had the meal of its life. She was not able to fight back one bit.
She was chilling while her neck was about to be bitten off. Luckily, we don't abandon our friends like some", said Scarlett.
She sounded mocking. Storm disliked that tone.

She controlled herself.
" Thank you, Scarlett. Thanks, Nadia. And Michelle of course. I am in your debt", Storm nodded to them gratefully.
" You should control that girl, Storm. No one knows what she will do next", Scarlett was not easily relented.
" Scarlett. Show some respect. You are Scarlett, not Jester", said Michelle.
Scarlett glanced at her.
" Nadia was almost killed. You saw how close that one monster was when we arrived.
If we had arrived a second later, Nadia would have become meatloaf", claimed Scarlett.
" I'm fine. We are safe now", Nadia was with Michelle on that one.
" You are my sister and you almost died because of her", Scarlett pointed at Storm Jr.
" I'm sorry, Scarlett. I made a mistake. I am sorry, Nadia and everyone else. It was all my fault", Storm Jr. looked at everyone.

At the same time, Mangle and Faith came inside. There were burning bodies outside the pizzeria.
" Outside has been cleansed. The bodies will burn and leave nothing but ash", Mangle told everybody.
" Thanks, Mangle and Faith", Scarlett glanced at them quickly.
" You're welcome, I guess", Mangle noticed that she was angry.

Scarlett walked away.
" Scarlett. Could you go check Eclipse out, please? He is in the basement", shouted Faith after her.
" Okay. I will", responded Scarlett.
Faith was worried about Eclipse but she also thought it might give Scarlett some time alone.
She needed that by all accounts.
Scarlett was not the only one, angry.
Storm Jr. had messed up. The basement animatronics had gone fighting due to her speech earlier.
Storm Jr. had caused many of their friends to die.
Nobody said anything but they were looking at Storm Jr. angrily.
Freddy, Bonnie, Marionette and many others came to the main hall. The adults had ran into the kitchen and the animatronics had gone to get them out.

The adults united with their kids again.
The school children were with Springtrap.
Due to all the monsters the animatronics had killed, the children were not as calm as before.
Springtrap did his best to keep them calm. He and the kids were covered in blood splatters.
" Oh gosh! Are the kids fine? Did they get hurt?", Mike asked Marionette.
" I'm not sure what happened. Springtrap killed a monster on his own. A one with red eyes", explained Marionette.
" Geez! He's a warrior of iron and steel", exclaimed Mike.
" Poor Springtrap. He must be sad", Storm Jr. felt bad for him.
" He is. Not as sad as the children though. They saw us slaughter lots of monsters.
We were suppose to keep them outside but the windows broke. I wonder whose fault that was", Marionette glanced at Storm Jr.
" Stop it, guys. Storm Jr. knows she messed up. Stop making her feel worse than she already does", Storm protected her daughter.
" I doubt the kids can trust us anymore. The adults are losing their trust slowly but surely.
The basement animatronics lost their friends. You inspired them, Storm Jr.
But a good leader shouldn't lead their soldiers to a certain death. I can't stress this enough", Marionette was not angry but he was scolding Storm Jr.

" I had to rescue Nadia and also go to the bus. I saw Leslie, looking at me through the back window. I even spoke to him.
It was not a hallucination. I think", Storm Jr. protected herself.
" They used dark magic to fool you. I warned you about that, didn't I?", asked Marionette.
" You did. I just lost control. I had to save him. I didn't want to lose him...again", said Storm Jr.
Her ears drooped.
" I know. The beasts can sense the weak links in any chain", nodded Marionette.
Storm Jr. let out a whimper. Marionette hadn't said it directly but Storm Jr. was the weakling of their group.
" Don't worry about that, baby. Love and hope will turn out to be your strongest aspects. You'll see", Storm kissed her on the cheek comfortingly.
Storm Jr. nodded to her.
" I'll try to be stronger next time", promised Storm Jr.
" I don't think you have any other choice. Next time, we will be in trouble.
If you let them use your silly dreams against you again, you are going to die", Marionette pointed out.
" Gosh. Try to calm down for heaven's sake. We know that's right but you shouldn't say it in such a cold manner", Mangle was surprised by Marionette's words.

Usually, he wasn't so cold. Marionette was strong and a good friend.
This new Marionette was sounding like an Elder. He had been one but he was no more.
" She should know that she almost killed us all. That is everything but easily forgiven. She let her friends down", Marionette replied coldly.
Storm Jr. let out a whimper again. She squeaked like a puppy.
" You have done that too, Marionette. Antonio's eye did not tear itself out", said Storm.
Marionette got alerted.
" Watch your mouth, Storm. I'm the master of mind control", Marionette had a creepy tone.
" I know. Antonio gave it to you. Thanks to him, you are everything you are now. He raised you.
Then his eye was ripped out. I wonder who did that", grinned Storm.
She used the same tactic as Marionette had used to scold Storm Jr.
Marionette looked into her eyes. Storm groaned in pain and fell to her knees.
Her head was about to explode.
" Warned you. Do not push me", said Marionette.

" Mom!", Storm Jr. grabbed her.
Marionette let go of Storm's mind. Storm stumbled up in pain.
" What do you want, Marionette? You want to punish me? Do it then!", Storm Jr. came to him.
Marionette was surprised.
" What are you waiting for? Punish me!", Storm Jr. was serious about it.
The basement animatronics were shocked. They were angry but Storm Jr. had been hurt enough for the day.
Marionette was angry enough to punish Storm Jr. and ignore her previous pain.
Mangle and Faith gasped as Marionette raised his hand.
He was going to hit Storm Jr. in the cheek with his string. Storm's jaw dropped.
Marionette was going to do it, like Fredbear or Salazar.
Marionette's arm came down at Storm Jr.
She closed her eyes.
" Stop!", Mike grabbed Marionette's arm and saved Storm Jr.
" You have done enough, my friend. Let her be. She doesn't need to be punished. You are neither Fredbear nor any other cruel animatronic.
Please, do not become one", Mike said to him.
" Let go of me, Mike. We are in a grave situation. A situation like this requires order and discipline. This is the only way", Marionette told Mike.
The two puppets looked at one another.
Marionette was angry, Mike serious.
" Master your emotions. This is not how we do things in Freddy Fazbear's pizza. This is not a group of Legends.
This is not a group where the fighters fight because they either get killed by their enemies or by their leaders as a punishment", Mike raised his own voice.

" I was not gonna kill her", replied Marionette.
" Really? Why did I hear it in your thoughts then? You thought about it. I think the darkness is inside your head", asked Mike.
" Nothing gets inside my head. Nothing", answered Marionette.
" The darkness did. Weak links in chains, remember? They know which strings to pull. Now, calm down and let Storm Jr. be.
Don't do what the darkness says. You are not an Elder. You are a good friend", Mike let go of him.

Marionette sighed and looked at Storm Jr.
" I'm sorry. You have learned your lesson. You'll do better next time", assured Marionette.
That had sounded more like him.
Storm Jr. went back to Storm. They both looked at Mike.
" Thank you", nodded Storm.
" No problem. Now! I think there are some animatronics who need repairing", Mike slapped his hands together.

Felix had brought Chica to the main hall. Scarlett arrived soon with Eclipse.
" Is he awake?", asked Faith.
Scarlett shook her head sadly. The basement animatronics took their wounded friends to Mike as well.
Storm Jr. sat down on the couch with the others. All animatronics had something to repair.
Mike was going to do them later. The urgent cases were priority.
Storm Jr. saw that their couch had been ripped a bit, it was a mess.
There was a black spot on it as well. Some poor animatronic's oil.
" I killed them", thought Storm Jr.
She was feeling bad and Marionette's speech had made it worse.
Chica was next to Storm Jr.
" Why can't all of us repair ourselves like the Legends? Mike's going to run out of spare parts after a few fights", she smiled at Storm Jr.
She didn't feel like smiling back at Chica.
" Don't let Marionette scare you, girl. He is under a lot of pressure right now", Chica patted her shoulder.
" At first, I call the basement animatronics cowards and insist they fight.
Then I leave them for an illusion of Leslie and half of them get slaughtered", sighed Storm Jr.
" Are you sad because they got killed or because the thing you saw wasn't really Leslie?", asked Chica.

She knew that look on Storm Jr.'s face. Leslie was the thing she was truly sad about.
" I was sure it was him. I saw him live again. It was not an illusion. I saw him, Chica.
He was there, about to kiss me and stroke me with his soft hands", Storm Jr. looked at her hands.
Chica nodded to her.
" When Felix was bringing me to safety, I imagined I saw Betsy. She was in front of me, just smiling at me with her white teeth", giggled Chica.
" Did it seem real?", asked Storm Jr.
" It did. I thought I was dead at first but then Felix kissed me. That woke me up", explained Chica.
Storm Jr. thought about it. She got a weird feeling.
It stopped when Marionette and Bonnie came to her and Chica.
Mike had just taken Eclipse in.
It was just Storm Jr. and Chica on the couch.
" Storm Jr. I.. I need to apologize for trying to slap you. I don't know what went into me. I guess I'm not as strong as I thought", shrugged Marionette.
" He had some regrets. He had to get it out of his system", explained Bonnie, smiling.
Bonnie had come with him to comfort Marionette.
" It's okay, Marionette. I was a fool, I would have deserved it", smiled Storm Jr.
" It wasn't your fault that you ran to the bus. Everyone has a weak point and yours is Leslie.
I'm also sorry for calling you a weak link. You are not one", apologized Marionette.
" I forgive you", Storm Jr. hugged him.

Marionette sighed in relief.
" Now that I think about it, I was a huge fool in this fight. I went inside when I should have stayed outside.
Then Bonnie wouldn't have had to get impaled by those spears", chuckled Marionette.
" I am fine. Mike can fix it later. But hey! Marionette. It wasn't all mistakes and failures. You saved my life, remember?", Bonnie tried to cheer him up.
" When did I ever do that? I didn't even fight alongside you very much", chuckled Marionette.
Bonnie rolled her eyes.
Why was Marionette so humble?
" You expelled those dark thoughts from me. That nightguard trick was awesome, you have to teach me that", smiled Bonnie.
" What nightguard trick?", Marionette was weirded out.
" You made me see those nightguards who told me that they forgave me for killing them. Of course that's the one I mean", giggled Bonnie.
" I didn't do anything like that. What are you talking about?", asked Marionette.
Bonnie's happiness vanished and was replaced by confusion.
" Who did it then? It was so real. I actually thought they were really there for a moment", said Bonnie.
Storm Jr. and Chica glanced at each other.
" It couldn't have been the monsters. Why would they help you wake up from the dark magic?", shrugged Marionette.
" I really saw Leslie in the bus! And Chica saw Betsy", said Storm Jr.
" Betsy could have been caused by my system. Storm Jr. was lured into the bus.
Our visions might not have anything to do with Bonnie's", Chica told her.
" Maybe they don't or maybe they do. We don't know", claimed Storm Jr.
" It is weird. Maybe Bonnie actually saw the nightguards for real. It wasn't a shapeshifting monster", Marionette considered the different possibility.
" Well, Leslie was neither. He was actually the corpse of the driver", explained Storm Jr.
" What? It was not a monster? Why didn't you say that?", asked Marionette.
" It wasn't important. Why?", asked Storm Jr.
" Usually, the monsters cast an illusion that makes them look like our friends. I thought Leslie was one of them.
Your story sounds weird", explained Marionette.
All four were shocked. They decided to check if anyone else had experienced anything similar.
Something else was happening than just the monsters attacking.
They had to know what all that was about.

Farewell: " I see dead people". Sounds familiar?
Animatronics see them as well. But can Leslie be a ghost? He's still alive.
I guess you'll find that out in the future.
For now: THE ONLY WAY TO LIVE IS TO WRITE.