Moving back to college...fun. Sorry guys, I've been busy the past couple days. I'm writing this from my dorm room and I'm still getting things unpacked and put away. Hopefully the length helps a bit!
Chapter 21
"This place is even bigger than the other room!" the boy gasped, staring around the tall ceilinged room with wide silver eyes.
"See, there was nothing wrong with this room," little Robby smiled, looking at the boy on his shoulder.
"Yeah…Guess I was scared of nothin'," the boy shrugged, "Some pirate I am,"
"You're a great pirate, Capt'n," little Robby smiled, "Trust me, I was even a little scared when I saw the door leading to the room you were in,"
"Really!?" the boy blinked, wide eyed, "Wow! And I thought you weren't afraid of anything,"
"Not true," little Robby told him, "I'm scared of a lot of things…losing my family most of all,"
"I just wish tha…AH!" the boy squealed, holding his head.
"Hey, Capt'n, what's wrong?" little Robby asked, putting the boy down on the floor and checking him over, "I can't see anything wrong…what happened?"
"I…I…" the boy stammered, looking up at the red head before his silver eyes flamed gold, "I remember…I remember everything!"
The boy's now golden eyes flared happily as an even bigger smile bloomed over his silver skin.
"I have to go!" he told the red-head, "I'm going to be late for the party!"
"Party…what party?" little Robby asked.
The little boy giggled, touching the young man's hand.
"You'll see," he smiled, "Thank you, Robby,"
And he turned around, running towards the door and a splash of color appeared over his eyes…like a mask. A red, pointy eared mask. Little Robby reached out to the boy…right as the child disappeared.
"Freaky…" little Robby blinked, shaking his head as he turned around from the door.
"Well, hello there!" a chipper female voice beamed, making little Robby turn to face a yellow chicken with bright blue eyes, pink shorts and a bib that read 'Let's Party!' along with a pink cupcake with a single candle.
"Chica," little Robby started, making the animatronic laugh, smiling.
"Right you are!" she told him, "Toy Chica…but everyone calls me Chichi. You must be here for her,"
"Her?" little Robby asked.
Chichi nodded and gestured with a wing at a huddled little grey shape in the corner.
"Unlike Mangle and BB, I actually know what I have to do," Chichi admitted, setting down her cupcake and picking up a bigger platter with a cake decorated with pink frosting, "This has to go to her,"
"Then why don't you do it?" little Robby asked.
Chichi nodded her head towards four crying, screaming kids pounding their fists on the floor between the two and the little girl.
"My programming says that if I see a crying child, I have to help them in any way I can," she told the young man, "But every time I get all four of them situated and then grab the next cake…they're all crying again,"
Little Robby looked at the little girl, who happened to look up, longingly looking at the cake in Chichi's wings, but looking away almost immediately as if she almost knew she wasn't getting the cake.
"…You said you had to help the kids if you saw them crying right?" he asked.
"That's right," Chichi sighed.
"What if you didn't see them?" little Robby asked, "What if you blindfolded yourself or something?"
"And risk running into a wall, one of them, or that poor little girl? No thanks," Chichi growled, "I've had cake get into my gears once before…once. Never again,"
Little Robby frowned before giving a smirk and taking off his shirt, sneaking up behind Chichi and tying the material over Chichi's eyes, making her squawk indignantly.
"You'll get over it," little Robby told her, "Trust me, ok? I'll lead you,"
Chichi stopped complaining and she let little Robby lead her through the crying kids, finally stopping in front of the little girl. He took off the 'blindfold', putting his shirt back on and looking at Chichi, who stood still.
"You should do this, young man," she told him, offering the plate, "You got me through to her…something I haven't been able to do for nearly thirty years,"
"Thirty years?" little Robby thought as Chichi put the plate in his hands.
Automatically, the young man turned towards the girl, kneeling down and gently touching her shoulder, making her flinch away.
"Easy," he crooned, "It's ok…"
The girl's silver eyes looked at him, slightly frightened. Her hair was almost as curly as the girl's little Robby had freed earlier, she was slightly pudgy and looked no older than eight. Her little grey dress was torn in a straight line across her stomach and it looked like the wound on her stomach was oozing the same black liquid that the other boy's wrist had. Little Robby noticed how those dark silver eyes looked at the cake with longing.
"Do you want some?" he asked, holding out the plate.
The girl's eyes flickered with disbelief and she reached a shaking hand out for the fork on the plate before taking a bite of the cake and giving a gap-toothed grin.
"It's…almost as good as Mommy's," the girl murmured, her voice just as broken and whispery as the little boy's.
"Aren't all foods?" little Robby asked, "Mama's are always better, right?"
The little girl nodded and her grey form turned silver, just like the other boy's.
"Lemme guess…you don't remember your name either, do you?" little Robby asked.
The little girl went silent before biting her lip and shaking her head.
"Don't worry," he reassured her, "I'm sure you'll remember,"
She smiled again right as a door creaked open and little Robby saw a bright silver light shining through the door.
"I think it's time for you to go," Chichi said.
The little girl got to her feet and embraced the chicken, making the yellow bot give a surprised 'oh!' before hugging the girl back.
"Goodbye, little one," Chichi murmured, "I'll see you sometime, I hope?"
The little girl bobbed her head in a yes before grabbing little Robby's hand.
"I guess I'm not going to have to tell you to come with me, huh?" little Robby asked and the girl shook her head, "Well alright then, let's go!"
"What is this place?" the little girl asked as the two walked through the door and into a smaller room.
"I…I think it's a restaurant," little Robby told her as he happened to look up on stage and smile, "A certain Diner if I'm right…"
Because on that stage…were two familiar forms…two golden familiar forms.
Spring and Gold.
The two Spring Suits were happily performing together in front of a crowd of kids…when Gold happened to look towards the 'door'…and freeze. The golden bear's ears flicked before she turned to Spring, saying something to him but little Robby couldn't hear what she said. He was more excited by the fact that she hopped off the stage, ghosting through the crowd and walking towards him.
Suddenly, the little girl gave a piercing scream, collapsing to her knees and holding her head as Gold's pace quickened. She'd seen the trouble and wanted to help…but the girl's screams got louder and louder still the closer Gold got.
"Aunt Gold, stop!" little Robby called, making the Spring Suit freeze as he turned to the girl, "What's the matter?"
"B-B-B-Bear…hurt us…" she sobbed, holding her head, "I remember…I remember…"
A gentle, perfectly manicured hand put itself on the girl's shoulder and little Robby looked to see Gold's human form kneeling before the girl.
"You remember," she told her, "And you remember that it wasn't me that hurt you…but that monster who used me,"
The girl sniffed, nodding as she looked up at Gold with brilliant blued violet eyes.
"Is it time?" she asked, making Gold smile and nod.
The little girl gave a bright smile and stood up with Gold's help. She looked at little Robby, smiling joyfully.
"I'll see you at the party, Robby!" she beamed, turning and running towards the door, a feathered, yellow mask starting to take form over her face before she, like the boy, disappeared.
"What party!?" little Robby demanded, looking at Gold, whose shape flickered back into her bear form, "What's going on here, Aunt Gold?"
"You'll see," Gold told him, "Soon enough. You've had help from those who've gone before…now it's my turn to help you,"
"Gone before…?" little Robby asked.
"Oh yes," Gold nodded, "Balloon Boy, Mangle and Toy Chica were all scrapped many years ago. Jeremy knows them…well, not Balloon Boy seeing as your uncle tore him to pieces,"
"But if they're all dead…then that means…" the young man's eyes widened and tears formed in the golden eyes, "No…"
Gold gave a sad nod.
"Yeah, Spring and I are here permanently," she told him, "It had to be done,"
"Why?!" little Robby demanded.
"Reasons," the golden bear deadpanned, "We're a lot happier here…Spring especially, he doesn't hear that monster in his head anymore,"
"And…Mama?" little Robby asked.
"Let's focus on why you're in this place," Gold said, changing the subject, "There's someone who needs your help…you'll see your mother in a bit…just not now,"
She took his hand in her paw.
"Just…trust me,"
Little Robby nodded.
"I trust you," he told her right as Gold smiled and the two seemed to ghost through the stage and upwards into another version of the room they'd just left, "What the…?! It's the same!"
"No," Gold told him, "Follow me,"
She seemed to ghost through the crowd, letting little Robby follow her until they reached the back…where a little grey boy sat with his back to them. The tile around the boy was stained with black liquid…just like the other two children…and Gold's paws made slightly splashing noises when she walked in it. The boy couldn't have been more than eleven…maybe twelve like the first boy. His grey hair was wavy and thick and he looked a bit on the stocky side of the scale. Gold looked at little Robby as silver light played around her paws.
"Give this to him," she told him as a cake…like the others, had materialized in her paw.
Little Robby took the cake and knelt down in front of the boy.
"Hey," he started, gently touching the boy's shoulder and making the dark silver eyes flick up to him, "Do you want some?"
The boy's haunted gaze turned slightly lighter as he reached shakily towards the cake.
"It's…for me?" he rasped, making little Robby internally shudder at the sound.
It sounded like he was choking on some liquid…and the reason for that became clear when the young man saw the boy's scar…a heavily dripping gash across the boy's throat.
"All for you," little Robby told him, "Go on, take it,"
The little boy warily took a bite, smiling as he closed his eyes in contentment and then took another bite.
"So good…" he murmured as a creaking sound came from behind him, making the boy turn around, "What is that?"
"Our way out it seems," little Robby replied, "Will you come with me?"
The boy looked cautiously at the young man.
"You're…not going to hurt me? Not like…him," the boy growled, eyes flashing from grey to blue in a split second as the boy rubbed his forehead.
"I won't hurt you," little Robby promised, "Everything's going to be ok, I promise,"
The little boy seemed to think for a few more seconds before finally nodding and getting up, walking up to little Robby.
"Time to go on, little one," Gold told the boy, her golden eyes sparkling softly, "You're going to be late,"
"Thank you," little Robby told her, "For everything,"
"Me? Tch, I didn't do anything," Gold told him, "I'm just here to help you out,"
"With what?" little Robby asked.
"You haven't figured it out?" Gold blinked, giving a wry smile, "Oh, don't worry Robby, you'll find out…soon enough…"
And she faded away.
Little Robby turned to the boy, who took his hand…and the two walked into the silver doorway.
No sooner than they had walked out the door, then the boy gave a soft cry of pain, holding his head.
"You ok?" little Robby asked, "Are you remembering something?"
"He hurt us," the boy whispered, looking up with dark blue eyes, "He hurt us and laughed as we bled out…I remember…it hurt…hurt so bad…"
He looked back at the door and his pained expression changed to a smile.
"Thank you, Robby," he told the young man, "But I have to go…I don't want to be late. My sister's waiting on me after all!"
And he turned around, running towards the light just like the other two children…a brown, round-eared mask starting to materialize around his eyes and just like the others, the boy disappeared.
"You are so very close," a voice whispered, "You're almost there,"
Little Robby turned around just to jump backwards in shock.
While his other 'helpers' had been familiar due to his father's stories or to personal experience…he had never seen anything like this.
It was some version of Bonnie…but he looked like he was made completely of smoke, deep violet smoke that looked black sometimes when little Robby looked at him. His eyes glowed a warm white much like his teeth…which shone through the smoke just as brightly as stars.
"Who…who are you?" little Robby asked, backing away.
The shadowy Bonnie bowed his head in an almost 'hurt' way.
"You don't recognize me this way, Robert," this 'Shadow' Bonnie whispered, "But you do know me…perhaps…like this?"
The dark violet form flickered, turning a faint gold while one of the ears appeared broken off and his eyes turned from white to a pale green before almost immediately changing back.
"Spring!?" little Robby sputtered, "But…how!? I just…you're on the stage!"
He pointed at the stage at which Spring and Gold were performing.
"It's just a shell up there, Robert," the shadowy rabbit replied, "This is the real me…I can't return to that form until the job is done. It's a form of 'punishment' because I let my anger get the best of me and I killed Scott because of it. He is getting what he deserves…but he is being forced to watch as everything he worked for falls apart before heading to his final destination,"
"Job?" little Robby asked, "What job?"
"The one you were sent here to do, Robert," Shadow said, "Come with me and I will show you,"
Little Robby wasn't sure if it was Spring that was in front of him…but, he had always trusted the golden rabbit and if this was him, then it wouldn't do him any harm. So, he took the rabbit's paw and instantly, the duo appeared in the third room…where Chichi was standing alone.
"Toy Chica," Shadow started, making Chichi jump pretty high, her feathers puffed out comically as she whirled around.
"Oh! S-S-Shadow Bonnie!" she stuttered, putting a wing to her 'heart', "You scared me,"
"I apologize for that," Shadow admitted, "But it's time,"
"I figured that with the boy coming in…it was time," Chichi nodded, picking up a cake and handing it to the boy, "Don't be afraid of ol' Shadow…he's the oldest other than Goldie herself. And before you ask…yes that's your 'Spring'. He's just…different,"
"Thank you, Toy Chica," Shadow told her before turning to little Robby, "Are you ready, Robert? There is one last child you have to meet before we part,"
"And that is?" little Robby asked.
"Come and see,"
And with that, the two vanished, reappearing in another room…alone. Well, except for the small, grey-scaled boy in the corner. Little Robby walked towards him slowly, nearly tripping over the remains of a guitar, snapped in two.
The boy heard little Robby's footsteps and looked up right as the young man set the cake next to him.
"Is…it…mine?" the boy asked feebly, looking hopefully up at little Robby.
"All yours," little Robby told him, making the boy give a shaky smile before it faded as he looked at the guitar.
"Broken," he whispered, "All broken…"
Shadow knelt down, picking up the guitar pieces and holding them together. A small, pale gold light flickered around the broken pieces and when it died, the guitar was whole again.
"It's time for you to go to the party, Samuel," Shadow whispered, handing the guitar over.
"Wait…that can't be…" little Robby whispered.
The boy's, Samuel, eyes lit up, not silver like they had been…but a bright, vibrant crimson. Samuel gave a cry of pain as he gripped his guitar harder than ever…and little Robby finally got it. The boy…was Sam.
"I remember…I remember you…" Sam whispered, tears streaming as he hugged his guitar close to his thin chest, "It hurt…I saw my mom…but I was scared…we all were…I should have just gone to her…should have just died…"
"Easy, Sam," little Robby crooned, putting a hand on the boy, "Easy…it's ok…"
"Everything will be alright, Samuel," Shadow told him, "Are you ready?"
"Yes," the boy whispered, his crimson gaze flicking up to the shadowy rabbit, "I'm ready…"
He turned to little Robby with a grin.
"See you at the party," he told him as he began to disappear, a violet, long-eared mask starting to form over his face.
"What is this party they've all been talking about?" little Robby asked as yet another door creaked open.
Shadow handed little Robby one last cake before he too started to fade.
"Why don't you go see for yourself?"
Only one more to go...five out of the six children are free! Now all we have to do is free the final 'child'...
I hope you guys liked it, if you did send in the reviews! (Along with ideas because I will need them eventually!) :)
Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)
Máriessë ar mára tecië
Farewell and fair writing
Elhini Prime signing off.