-You Can't-

Chapter 19: Shadow Freddy's Aim

I came, years ago, with a goal in mind. I needed to save Springtrap from dying. In fact, he already died in the future.

"SH*T ! F*CK ! NO SPRINGTRAP, DON'T DO IT !" Shadow Freddy shouted, bursting in tears while looking at Springtrap, this one holding in his right hand a flamethrower. "DON'T !"

"I'm sorry... I can't take it anymore... It's just too... tiring." The broken bunny responded, looking at him sadly before burning down Fazbear's Fright.

I was so heartbroken. I thought that he was going to be okay, with me and the others, but he just... couldn't live anymore. I was also angry. I had never been that angry before, you know ? I... I was close to him. He was... very very important to me. When he died, I just... couldn't take it. He was my everything, just as Puppet is for you. I cried and destroyed what remained from Fazbear's Fright with my own hands. I killed Bonnie and destroyed furiously Toy Bonnie, Toy Freddy and Toy Chica. Fredbear saw me.

"Shadow Freddy... Stop." Goldie said, approaching the other animatronic that was destroying Balloon Boy angrily. "I know that it must be difficult..."

"He's dead ! Do you realize ? He's dead !" The shadow animatronic cried, yelling at Phantom Fredbear and kicking Balloon Boy right in the face. "The son of a bitch ! He said that he would stay ! He promised me ! He freaking lied to me !"

Goldie sighed sadly and holded back Shadow Freddy's fist right before he could harm Balloon Boy again. "You need to calm down."

"I won't, Goldie ! I F*CKING WON'T !"

"I have an issue to this problem."

I stopped thinking when he said that. I was so... hopeful. I really thought that he was going to bring back Springtrap. But he didn't. He just remained still, looking at me straight in the eyes while thinking heavily. I was waiting. You know, I was ready for everything. I was in love with you. Well, the other you. Don't misunderstand.

Then, he started to tell me about his new creation. A time-travel machine. He said that he needed to test it. So he proposed me to make a try. I was okay with that. I mean... I could at the same time help my friend and have a chance to bring back my beloved Springtrap. I was... quite happy, to be honest. So I tried. I went into the machine and then... The darkness.

And the light again. When I opened my eyes, I was at Fredbear's Family Diner. I wasn't really surprised in fact. Everything began there. I looked at everything, trying to recognize the place, and was rassured when I noticed that everything was the same as 'before'. But you were nowhere to be seen. I met Fredbear and soon after Marionette, before the incident with the kid happened.

A new place opened. Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, the first. You were created. I was so hyped when I saw your golden eyes opening.

In fact... I thought that we would have the same relationship as before... But that was a stupid thought.

"Fredbear, come here you jerk !" Spring Bonnie yelled, smiling and running after Fredbear, who was running away as fast as possible with Spring's purple bowtie. "Give it back !"

"Nope. It's mine now." The golden bear said, putting on his chest the bowtie and wearing it proudly. "My Springy's bowtie is now mine."

Spring Bonnie smiled, tenderized, and came towards Fredbear, putting his hands on his chest. "So you're going to keep it ?"

"Yeah, of course." Fredbear responded, kissing the bunny's lips with satisfaction.

Shadow Freddy, who was spying in the darkest corner of the room, was speechless, eyes widening. "How could this be... ? Spring..." He bursted in tears.

I felt betrayed, to an extent. Because I remembered the other you, my Springtrap, and imagined him doing so. I was so enraged. I didn't know that you didn't share Goldie's feelings. I didn't really care, to be honest. I was ready to attack him, and you too, but I remembered my mission.

Bringing you back to the future before it was too late.

"And is it already too late ?" The little golden bunny asked, curious about this little story.

Shadow Freddy smiled and approach the kid, stroking his head lovingly and saying in a tenderized voice: "It's up to you, kid."

Something woke Springtrap up without a warning. A bang. Right behind him. Maybe someone was trying to save him ? That was a possibility. Freddy had left already three days ago, coming back each night to check if he was okay and if he needed to speak. They actually spoke a lot, because Springtrap felt so lonely in this room... He wasn't used to those situations.

Even if he had been quite... left apart by the other animatronics during the year of 1983, he was never without anyone to talk to him. Usually, it was Goldie or Marionette, or even Chica if she wanted to speak about her fantastic music, but he was never alone. Now that he was in this room, stuck forever and counting each second, hoping that the door will open the next one... He required company. He missed his friends' company. He... He missed their stupid jokes, their smiles, their songs, their expressions...

Everything that was related to his friends was a real... pain to him, by now. He was in such a pain that he couldn't even thinking clearly anymore. He was becoming totally mad. That was... well, he knew that it would happen somehow. He just... hoped that it wouldn't happen that early.

Springtrap stood up, glancing at the door, absent-minded and motionless. His eyes weren't even blink anymore. He was staring at the door. "What are you looking at ?"

Recognizing the voice, Spring turned around and was surprised to see the real Shadow Freddy. Not the one from his dreams. This one was different... Slightly different. The one from his dreams was black, really black and this one was more... purple. Like the one who pushed him into the lake years ago...

Already years ago... When the toys were here and everything was doing fine... Now that time was passed. They were stepping through the darkness, trying to find something familiar... But everything was just dark and empty... Deadly empty... Threatening them without showing up. Something waited in the shadows... But they couldn't even move, stuck into a room with Evil awaiting, maybe a few steps from killing them.

Strange metaphor but quite representative.

Shadow Freddy smiled shyly to him before walking towards him, looking at the door. "Still locked, isn't it ?"

"Still, how did you guess ?" Springtrap replied very dryly, almost agressively to him.

Shadow Freddy's eyes widened when he heard Spring's voice tone and crossed his arms against his chest. "What is going on ? Why are you like that ?"

"Like what ?"

"The way you're being... You're just mean today." The purple animatronic said, tensed, before approaching the golden creature. He put his hand on Spring's shoulder, trying to comfort his friend. "Hey, what is wrong ?"

The bunny sighed, saddened, and responded in a low voice: "Freddy didn't came yersterday night..."

"Ow... I'm sorry for you." Shadow Freddy whispered while looking straight into Spring's eyes. "I know that it means a lot to you."

Springtrap lowered his head and glanced at his shaking hands, not knowing what to answer. They just forgot about him. That was quite normal, after all he was locked in a room. Not like he was with them all-day long. They probably had a lot to do during the day anyhow since the pizzeria was still in business.

Why would they come to see him with all this stuff to achieve during the day ? They didnt have time for him.

"I don't blame them..." Springtrap said, looking back at his hallucination. "They have a lot of work during the day..."

"Is that an excuse for a friend to leave another in a room, all alone ?" Shadow Freddy demanded, crossing his arms against his chest. His yellow bowtie fell to the ground when he did so.

Springtrap looked at the thing and came towards it, grabbing it and giving it back to Shadow Freddy. The purple bear thanked him and glanced at him with a kind expression on his face. "I mean... A friend doesn't do something like that. Never."

"Sometimes -"

"Not under any circumstances." The purple bear cut, his look being hard and angry while he was thinking about the situation. How could friends do this kind of things ? He knew more than anyone that Springtrap felt lonely, and that was why he was that angry. "They are not what I thought they were."

Spring didn't reply, frowning. How could he judge them ? He never saw them... did he ? Now, he was wondering if Shadow Freddy wasn't messing with him. Did he hide something from him ? Weren't they friends, or at least confidents ? He thought they were... "You're not telling me everything then."

"What ?"

"How could you know them ?"

Shadow Freddy sighed, annoyed by the question and Spring's suspicious attitude, but responded: "I'm refering to my old friends. They were not like that at all."

Chica was dancing in the kitchen while baking some pizza for everyone. She didn't want to stay with the others in the Dining Area, because she felt that something was wrong. Fredbear was acting weird since the beginning of the day. Always alone, even though he was repaired, he just... didn't want to stay with them. The bots were all playing with the children, singing for the children, telling stories to the children (that's what Foxy was doing, actually) but Fredbear... didn't do anything around them.

He was in a corner of the room, staring at the Music Box sometimes and also, most of the time, at the Restrooms. More precisely, on the wall beside the exit door. He was lonely. He missed Springtrap. Everybody knew that, that was why they had spent their previous night trying to comfort him. But it was in vain.

"Chica-babe ?"

The chicken turned to the door and glanced at Bonnie, curious. She put down the pizza she just baked and smiled to her boyfriend. "What do you want, Bonnie ?"

The purple animatronic approached her and kissed her slowly, grabbing her hands and looking at her in the eyes. "I wanted to ask you if you saw Foxy ? He is nowhere to be seen."

"Ow, no I didn't." Chica answered, starting to worry. "Could he be in danger ?"

"No no, I just needed to speak with him. Thanks !" Bonnie replied, leaving the room as fast as he came.

Chica blinked in confusion before shaking her head, baking another pizza with trembling hands. She was anguished now. She couldn't focus on what she was doing. Where was Foxy ? And above all, where was Purple Guy ? They didn't see him since a long time... That wasn't good at all.

She put the pizza in the oven, looking at the door motionlessly. She needed to check everywhere and ask everyone. She couldn't let Foxy go. He was part of their family. Maybe Fredbear or Puppet knew where he was.

She needed to make sure.

She went out of the room, looking for Fredbear at first. He was certainly aware about what happened to Foxy. More than Marionette, locked in her Music Box all-day long. She went to the Back room, trying to find the golden bear there but it seemed that he wasn't here. She sighed and went to the Restrooms, finding him sitting against the wall, seemingly crying with a picture in his hands.

It showed Springtrap and Goldie when they were besties, at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, this same location. They seemed so happy. Spring was playing piano and Fredbear was most likely annoying him, but the picture was so cute. The good old times, as Marionette would say.

Chica sighed very sadly and sat beside Goldie, lowering her head before daring to speak. "I don't want to annoy you but... Did you see Foxy ?"

"Foxy ?" Fredbear repeated, not even looking at her and wiping his tears with his arm. "Why ?"

"We can't find him anywhere... I'm worrying." Chica explained briefly, waiting for his answer.

The golden bear sniffed sadly, sobbing before wiping his tears again and glancing at her. His expression killed her. His eyes were awfully sad. Tears were running down his cheeks freely and his cheeks themselves were red. She couldn't stand this. Seeing her friend that broken... That was too much for her.

"Ow Goldie... Come here..." She hugged him, trying to comfort him while stroking his back friendly. The bear sobbed on her shoulder, whispering some things that he wanted to tell Springtrap. He just... couldn't tell him all these things. Tell him that he missed him... Puppet would be jealous...

"If he only knew what I feel..." He whispered, even more tears running down his cheeks. "I feel so guilty... If I wasn't that selfish, trying to get an endoskeleton... I could be speaking with him, right now..."

"You didn't know that you wouldn't be able to teleport anymore..." Chica reassured him, stroking his head comfortingly. "Don't be mad at yourself... You wanted to be with us..."

Fredbear sniffed and raised his head, pushing her back almost violently with his shaking arms. "NO ! All I really wanted was to... to be myself again... to be Fredbear again, the joyful bear from Freddy's... The smart bear who liked to trick the guard... Not this... hallucination... this ghost..."

Chica didn't say anything, lowering her head while listening to the bear. The golden animatronic went on, even sadder than before: "All I wanted was friends... I was so lonely... nobody liked me... nobody cared... You were all together while I was... a ghostly myself, locked in a room and hopeless... I lost Marionette... and I lost Spring..."

"You're too hard with yourself, Fredbear." A voice said in front of them, being Marionette's. The Puppet was staring at them, black tears running down her cheeks while she was thinking about the events of the past. "We were all responsible... I knew that you were in trouble and I didn't... really care, to be honest. I was just thinking about me and... this burning love that I felt in my heart for Spring at that time... and the children's hapiness... I wasn't thinking about what you felt."

"Not true... You came, sometimes..." Fredbear replied, looking at her and smiling softly. "When I needed you, you were here..."

"I'm your friend since Fredbear's... We've been together even before Spring was created..." Marionette said, putting a hand on Goldie's shoulder.

Fredbear didn't reply, just turning his head and looking at the wall just behind him. He wanted to talk to Spring but... somehow, he knew that the bunny wouldn't be there. He was probably already out of batteries. Or maybe he just killed himself. That was also a possibility. And he didn't want to know how, if it was the case. That wasn't amusing him at all.

"Do you... th-think he's still there... ?" He asked Marionette without glancing at her or at Chica at all. "I-I wanted to... you know... speak with him a little..."

Chica sighed sadly before leaving, giving Fredbear a small kiss on the cheek before looking for Freddy. She went to the Show stage, noticing Freddy who was looking at his microphone and the speakers and coming towards him quickly. "Hey Freddy !"

To be continued...

Hi everyone ! Hope you're fantastic today ! I don't have much time to write today so... Hope you liked it ! ;)

I'll see ya next time !

Circle of J.