A/N: And with this, we are finally bringing the darkest arc in this fic to a close. This will not be the last "dark arc" in this fic, but I cannot think of any future storyline, even those connected with future FNAF games, that will introduce any story arc as dark as this one. There's been enough torment and horror for a long while, and it's time we bring things back to the original purpose of this fic: happy moments for the ghost kids.
And what better way to start than to introduce the kids to their grandmother? :D
Greenden: It's not completely out of the realm of possibility, but not likely at the moment.
DeathTheWolf: Let me put it this way. If Nightmare Fredbear, Nightmarionne, or Dark!Mike (assuming that he didn't lose any power in the conversion from his mental world to reality) fought an army of a thousand demons, that battle would be known as a shitstomp.
If Nightmare or Demon!Mike fought against that same army, that battle would now be known as a genocide.
Oh, and I'm talking about true forms by the way, not their normal Nightmare animatronic forms.
Guest: MatPat's FNAF theories are not canon, and his latest ones have been straight-up BAD. The whole "Mike is Henry's son" theory is complete bullshit since the only evidence that even REMOTELY suggests it comes from the books, which Scott himself EXPLICITLY stated should not be used to solve the game lore. There is zero, and I mean ZERO, evidence that Michael is related to Henry in any of the games. Not only that, but William and Michael have the same voice actor and the files for Sister Location explicitly label Michael as Michael AFTON. And if Michael really was Henry's son, why the hell didn't Henry acknowledge Michael as such in the FNAF6 Good Ending when he spent many seconds of his final speech giving his last words to Charlie? MatPat even stated himself that this theory is full of problems and that he doesn't really believe it. I respect MatPat for his work on FNAF in the past, but most of his latest FNAF theories make absolutely no sense and you need only go on Reddit to see entire essays destroying their viability. "Michael Emily" is an absolute dumpster fire of a theory that does not deserve to be taken seriously in any way whatsoever.
Also, what should Elizabeth be ashamed of? Being a curious child who wants to see her favorite animatronic? Like how tons of other children would normally react? William Afton left her alone around an animatronic that he explicitly designed to kill children. At best, he was ATROCIOUSLY NEGLIGENT for leaving Liz alone in the same building, let alone close to the same room, around an intentionally dangerous animatronic by herself (one that, once again, HE CREATED). At worst, he manipulated her with reverse psychology to getting herself killed so that he could mold and corrupt her into a killer like him later on. Either way, the blame for Liz's death falls squarely on him.
ImAFanficAddict: I'll be answering that question soon.
Chapter 85 – Meet the Grandmother
The family watched as Nightmare Fredbear and Nightmarionne departed through the fiery portal back into the Inferno, not saying another word until the portal vanished into nothingness behind them. Once they were gone, they let loose a collective breath of relief now that they were certain that all things demonic had truly departed from their house. Even if the Nightmares had proved to be an unexpected source of salvation rather than a cause of terror this time around, the presence of so many unholy beings had sent chills of primal dread into each of the ghost children's souls that only now were lifting from their hearts.
"The shadow has finally passed,"Michael was the first to break the silence. His mouth stretched into a faint, wry smile. "Present company excluded, of course."
Shadow Freddy's mouth twitched upwards. "You need to work on your sense of humor, brother. But yes…it is finally over."
Serene nodded. "Yes. And now that all this unpleasantness is out of the way..." she turned her gaze onto the ghost kids and her mouth broke into a huge grin. "I can finally meet my grandkids!"
The children all smiled or grinned back at her, even Liz attempting to do so despite her injuries from her battle with her former father. "This is so cool!" Jeremy exclaimed. "Dad talked all about you!"
Serene laughed. "This is just as much of a surprise to me as I'm sure it is to you," she replied. "I always imagined my son growing up, finding a nice girl to fall in love with," her keen eyes didn't miss the smirks that had appeared on Susie's and Cassidy's faces, "and raising a kid or two afterwards. I don't think I would have ever expected Mike to become a father like this…but who cares how it happened?" She spread her arms out. "Come here and give your grandmother a hug!"
With excited shouts and cheers, the ghosts rushed towards their grandmother, extending their own arms towards her as they wrapped each other in a tight and loving hug. In just a few seconds, Serene was positively buried in the embrace of the ghost kids, the power of the hug made even stronger by the fact that, since they were all ghosts, they could feel it and all the warmth and affection that came along with it in full. Mike noted with no small amount of amusement that this was the exact same thing the kids had planned for him, though there was a slight tinge of sadness with the realization that, no matter how much they loved each other, he wouldn't be able to hug the children in the same way that Serene could.
Well, at least not until he died, anyway.
"You're just like dad!" Susie declared as she leaned her head into Serene's shoulder. "So nice and kind…"
"He's the best dad ever!" Cassidy joyfully agreed.
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that dad was once a kid," Gabe commented. He tilted his head to look up at Serene. "What was he like? You know…before all the messed up crap happened to him?"
Serene smiled fondly as memories resurfaced in her mind. "He was such an adorable little child," she recalled, her eyes clouding slightly. "My precious little baby. He had so many little toys around the house that he loved playing with. And then there were his little quirks."
Mike's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. "Oh, fuck me…" he groaned under his breath.
"Every night, Mike would always ask me to carry him over to our bed so he could sleep next to us," Serene continued. "And it was so adorable. That and the way he sucked his thumb while he was sleeping. He didn't stop sucking his thumb until he was six!"
The ghosts giggled and shot amused smirks at Mike, who was currently contemplating the merits of bashing his head against the wall.
"And don't even get me started on his chewing habits," Serene continued, unaware (or more likely uncaring) of her son's growing embarrassment. "He used to bite on pencils all the time. I used to keep a little jar filled with pencils that Mike chew on whenever we weren't looking. Some of them looked like they'd been chewed up by rats!"
"Oh my God, mom, stop, PLEASE!" Mike finally pleaded as the kids collapsed into laughter around their grandmother. Even Michael and Shadow Freddy couldn't resist the smirks growing on their faces. "WHY are you telling them this?"
"I'm their grandmother, honey!" Serene replied with false innocence. "It's my job to tell my grandchildren embarrassing stories about their father when he was just a little boy."
"I thought my dead mother descending from Heaven to see me after decades was supposed to make things better, not worse!" Mike jokingly complained.
"Tell us more, grandma!" Cassidy insisted. "What other habits did dad used to have as a kid?"
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss the fucking Nightmares…" Mike muttered. "Welp, I spend the entire night establishing my badass credentials by beating the everloving shit out of William Afton, and my mother destroys every single one of them in literal seconds. Whoop-dee-fucking-doo…"
"Aww, don't be like that, son," Serene got up, floated over to her son, and gave him a hug. "I'm just teasing you."
Mike smiled and made the motions of hugging her back. "I know, mom," he replied gently as she made her way back to the sofa and was promptly swarmed by the ghost kids a second time.
"Besides," Serene smiled again, but this time there was sadness and regret in her expression, "nobody can ever take those credentials away from you, after everything that you've been through in your childhood and teenage years."
The ghosts' mood soured as they remembered the darker aspects of Mike's past…and who had been responsible for them. "How could you have married that bastard?" Fritz snarled, his eyes emptying into black voids for a moment.
Serene sighed. "My husband was never the abusive drunkard that he would become after my death. Grief changes everyone…and in his case, it changed him in the worst way possible. It broke my heart to see what he became…and what happened to Mike because of him." She wiped away a tear from her eyes. "At the very least, he realized the error of his ways before it was too late, and at the very least managed to part with Mike on peaceful terms. As furious as I was with him, I never wanted him to suffer eternal torment in Hell…" her smirk returned, though her eyes were still simmering with distant fury, "…though I can assure you that the first thing I did when I saw him again was slap him. Repeatedly."
The ghosts returned the smirk. "He deserved it," Gabe commented in a dark tone.
Serene's expression turned sad again. "I had to watch my son struggle through the many trials of his early life, and could do nothing but watch. So many times, I feared that those hardships would kill him, break him, or corrupt his heart." She turned her head and pointed her gaze directly at Charlie's eyes. "You've seen just how strong his darkness can be, long after he has sworn himself to Good."
Charlie shuddered as the memories of Mike's vengeance against William flashed in her mind. She would never forget the burning, hellish light in Mike's eyes, or his cruel, mocking layer as he tore apart William's soul one piece a time. She knew in her heart, without even the slightest trace of doubt, that a tainted, evil Mike would be a worse monster than William Afton had ever been.
"Why?" Susie suddenly broke out. "Why would God put Dad through all that? I never understood that, and I still don't!"
"I asked God that very same question when I first entered Heaven," Serene replied, clearly lost in thought. "I cannot tell you about events that are yet to come, for that knowledge is forbidden even to the dead. All that He told me is that my son would have a very important role to play in the future. In order to fulfill that destiny, my son would need certain characteristics…characteristics that Mike would only be able to develop if he endured great hardship in his early life. I did not understand what He meant then. But I understand now."
She looked this time at her son, who nodded in understanding. "What traits?" Jeremy asked curiously.
Serene smiled mysteriously. "If you think about it, you already know the answer. The only thing I will say is that without those traits, Mike would never have survived your attacks in Freddy Fazbear's pizzeria, he would not have been able to defeat William Afton tonight…and he would not have become the loving father that you have adored from the moment you met him."
Silence fell upon the room as everyone pondered the words of Mike's mother. After several seconds, Serene turned her attention on Liz. "How are your wounds healing?" she asked softly.
"They're…they're doing better, I think…" Liz replied uncertainly. "They still hurt, but…something about you is making them feel better a lot faster."
"I will be here all night, Liz…" Serene gently assured her. "I won't be able to heal your wounds completely, but my presence should help them heal faster. Facing off against William like that…you are a very brave girl."
Liz lowered her head. "I don't feel brave," she murmured, a trace of her past shame still lingering. "I did and tried to do horrible things, and all I wanted to do was try and fix them."
"And that's all that anyone can ask of you," Serene put an arm around Liz's shoulder again, and turned her gaze towards the rest of the kids. "The same goes for all of you. You've been given a second chance, not just to make up for your wrongs but also to live the life that was stolen from you. And all of you have done incredibly well, especially tonight. Heaven is looking upon your actions and smiling in approval at your courage. I think we can all be grateful that the only real consequences of William Afton's rampage were the mess he made out of your animatronic bodies and the destruction of Mike's front door."
Mike let out a loud groan as he took in the mangled remains of the Rockstar animatronics. "Ah, shit…" he muttered. "This is going to be a mess to get sorted out."
Serene shrugged unconcernedly. "You have been through far worse than this, Mike. I'm sure you'll figure it out." Her smile returned, and it seemed as though the entire atmosphere of the room lightened at its radiance. "Now then, children…tell me what you have been up to. I'm sure you've gone through so many adventures with my son. I want to hear about them all!"
As the ghosts excitedly began to fill their grandmother in on the many adventures and gifts that Mike had given them, Shadow Freddy put a hand gently on Liz's shoulder. "Do you mind if we spend some time alone with our sister?" he asked Serene. "This is the first time I've seen her in decades with her finally knowing who I really am."
"Go right ahead!" Serene replied, and Shadow Freddy gently took Liz by the arm and lead her out of the living room and into the kitchen, with Michael following behind. The three siblings exited the kitchen and the screen door leading to the backyard, Mike's pool still and serene in the night. Nobody would ever possibly suspect that the pool had been used by a demon lord to banish a wicked soul back into the fires of Hell for a second time. Liz sat down on the lawn, Shadow Freddy and Michael sitting on each side of her, and together they stared up into a peaceful and beautiful starry night sky. From opposite sides, Michael and Shadow Freddy wrapped their arms around Liz's shoulders, allowing her to relax into their arms.
"This reminds me of the time when Dad took us all stargazing in this backyard for the first time," Liz murmured wistfully. Serene's presence and comforting hands had significantly accelerated the healing process, but the scars from William's attack were still clearly there, and would likely remain for some time.
"I don't know if I should consider this beautiful night ironic or fitting," Michael commented. "Ironic considering the horror that tonight brought upon us all…or fitting since everything turned out all right in the end."
"Well, look at the end point, Mike…" Shadow Freddy replied. "The three of us sitting out here peacefully in the night, and the rest of Liz's new family enjoying themselves with their grandmother at this very moment. I actually feel sort of selfish for taking Liz away from that, even if it's only for a short time."
"It's okay…" Liz leaned into Michael's body. "I've wanted to see you two again ever since last Christmas."
"I really am sorry for not telling you who I was back in that old pizzeria," Shadow Freddy apologized. "God didn't give me permission to do so until tonight. And besides, you have a new family now. It wouldn't be fair to weigh you down with the baggage of the old."
"We'll always be a family," Michael assured her, "but the Afton family is dead. The name of Afton has brought nothing but evil, and it should have died a long, long time ago." He smiled. "The name Schmidt suits you a lot more."
Liz smiled fondly at the many happy memories she had created in the past year, but her happy expression faded as a rather depressing thought occurred to her. "I can't even remember any happy memories about us…" she murmured. "Outside of reuniting with Mikey last Christmas. I can't think of anything!"
"It would be difficult for any of us to remember that far back into the past, even without the tragedy and torment that affected us all," Shadow Freddy offered consolingly. "But remember this. Tonight might not have been a happy night, in the conventional sense. But we stood together, as siblings, and fought together against a true evil. The evil responsible for turning all of us into what and who we are today, for better or for worse. Happy? Perhaps not. But important, and something to be proud of? Absolutely."
Michael rubbed the ghostly wires that currently made up his sister's hair. "I didn't expect you to be so good at fighting," he commented with an impressed tone. "Did Mr. Schmidt teach you all that?"
Liz giggled. "He taught me a couple of tricks," she replied.
"You don't have to fight to keep your new dad safe all the time," Shadow Freddy advised. "You may be the best physical fighter because of this form, but you have six others who are just as dedicated to protecting Mr. Schmidt as you are. It's okay to rest and pass that burden on to others sometimes."
"It's like what Mike's mother told you," Michael added, "Just keep doing what you believe to be the right thing, and that's all anyone can ask of you."
"I will…" Liz answered solemnly. "I promise. It's the least I can do, after what I did to you."
"And what I did to you," Michael silently added in his head, his thoughts directed towards Shadow Freddy even though he did not speak them.
The three siblings sat in silence for a few seconds more, until Liz finally asked the question that had been bugging her from the beginning. "Will I see you again? Please tell me that I'll see you again soon!" she begged.
Michael and Shadow Freddy both looked at each other. "I don't know how often we'll be able to see you," the latter responded. "God is very strict on minimizing any visits to Earth by the dead."
"But if we can visit you every Christmas at the VERY least, just like I did last year, then we'll make sure we can do that," Michael promised. "But don't rely on us to be happy, Liz. Otherwise, is there any point in having a new family to begin with?"
Liz nodded. "I know," she answered, "and if that's the best you can give me, then I can be happy with that."
The two brothers smiled and nodded approvingly at her words. "Speaking of your new family, I think we've spent enough time with all this serious talk," Michael decided. "I don't want to spend our first full reunion as siblings depressing ourselves. Tell us all about how your new life, Lizzie! I heard you recently went on your first vacation to a different part of the world!"
Liz perked up immediately, and for the first time the green light from Scrap Baby's eyes glowed with true, pure joy and excitement rather than malevolence or solemnity. "It was amazing, Mikey!" she exclaimed. "We went to Korea with a close friend of Dad's. There were so many cool things we saw…"
/
In a realm that marked the border between life and death, surrounded by a vast forest of red trees, a crocodile-like figure wearing the simple attire of a fisherman watched the three Afton siblings talk and laugh together on the serene surface of a solitary lake. Old Man Consequences' mouth stretched into an approving smile as the image faded, the lake returning to its normal crimson waters.
"PEACE IS RESTORED AT LAST," OMC declared contentedly as he prepared to cast his line into the waters again. "THE EVIL RESPONSIBLE FOR SO MUCH MISERY, SUFFERING, AND DESPAIR HAS BEEN DEFEATED AND CAST BACK INTO THE ABYSS WHERE IT SO RIGHTFULLY BELONGS. AND IT IS ALL THANKS TO THOSE WHO GATHERED THE COURAGE AND STRENGTH TO FIGHT AGAINST THAT EVIL, EVEN WHEN IT ROSE FROM THE ASHES STRONGER THAN EVER."
There was a rush of flame behind him, and OMC didn't need to turn his head to recognize the demon lord emerging from the fiery column. It was only after he stepped onto the crimson grass and the flames vanished that Old Man Consequences turned to face Nightmare. The demon lord had come alone, without either of his brothers accompanying him. OMC watched impassively as Nightmare did something that to an outsider would seem utterly unthinkable given his personality and position of power.
The demon lord bent his knee in front of Old Man Consequences and bowed.
"MY LORD…" Nightmare spoke, his voice filled with nothing but the utmost respect and deference. "IT IS DONE. WILLIAM AFTON'S ATTEMPT TO UNLEASH HAVOC UPON THE MORTAL WORLD HAS BEEN THWARTED. I HAVE CONSIGNED HIM BACK INTO THE DAMNATION THAT HE SO RIGHTFULLY DESERVES. HE IS BROKEN AND HELPLESS, AND CAN DO NOTHING BUT WAIT TO RECEIVE THE FULL FORCE OF MY…OUR…DISPLEASURE."
Old Man Consequences' mouth stretched into a grin again, but this time it was utterly cold, without any of the kindness he had displayed only seconds earlier. "RISE, NIGHTMARE…" he proclaimed, watching the demon lord rise to his feet before continuing. "YOU HAVE DONE WELL THIS NIGHT. NOT ONLY DID YOU CRUSH VUCARIK'S REBELLION ONLY MOMENTS AFTER IT BEGAN, BUT YOU ALSO NEUTRALIZED THE THREAT OF WILLIAM AFTON QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY, EVEN IF IT WAS THROUGH A MOST…UNEXPECTED MEANS. I AM VERY PLEASED INDEED."
Now it was Nightmare's turn to grin. "I LONG SUSPECTED THAT DARKNESS LURKED WITHIN MIKE SCHMIDT. HIS PATIENCE AND CAPACITY FOR FORGIVENESS ARE FORMIDABLE INDEED, BUT AS TONIGHT HAS SHOWN…THEY ARE NOT INFINITE. BUT EVEN I COULD NOT HAVE IMAGINED WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHEN THE DEPTHS OF HIS WRATH AND HATRED WERE FINALLY UNLEASHED."
OMC's grin faded slightly and he shook his head. "YOU WERE WISE NOT TO TRY AND CORRUPT SCHMIDT OUTRIGHT, NIGHTMARE. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU CONTINUE TO REFRAIN FROM ANY ATTEMPT TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE," he advised. "AS YOU HAVE SEEN FOR YOURSELF, EVEN IF MIKE FELT THE TEMPTATION TO PERMANENTLY DESTROY PRINCIPLES FORGED FROM THE FIRES OF HIS TORMENTED YOUTH, HE HAS FAR TOO MANY MORAL ANCHORS IN THE FORM OF HIS FAMILY. AND THOUGH HEAVEN HAS FAR MORE GOODWILL TOWARDS YOU THAN MANY IN THE INFERNO, TESTING THE KINGDOM OF LIGHT'S PATIENCE IS…ILL-ADVISED."
Nightmare resisted the urge to sneer. It would not do to insult this being. "I AM NO FOOL, LORD CONSEQUNCES. I KNOW WELL MY LIMITATIONS."
"GOOD," OMC replied. Sensing a certain amount of discontent within the demon lord, he continued. "I SENSE SOME…MALCONTENT WITHIN YOU, NIGHTMARE. ARE YOU DISSATISFIED WITH MY ADVICE?"
"NO, MY LORD," Nightmare shook his head. "THOUGH CORRUPTING SCHMIDT WAS A PLEASANT FANTASY, I NEVER HAD ANY REAL INTEREST IN FULLY PURSUING IT. IN FACT, I CAN APPRECIATE SCHMIDT'S POSITIVE QUALITIES JUST AS MUCH AS THE DARKNESS WITHIN HIM. AFTER ALL, SCHMIDT'S HATRED WOULD NEVER HAVE BECOME AS POWERFUL AS IT DID WERE IT NOT FOR THE LOVE HE HAS FOR HIS CHILDREN. NO, IT IS SOMETHING…DIFFERENT."
"THEN WHAT TROUBLES YOU?" the crocodile-headed being asked.
Nightmare gritted his teeth in rage. "THE FACT THAT, EVEN AFTER ALL OUR TORMENTS AND TORTURES, WE NEVER TRULY SUCCEEDED IN BREAKING WILLIAM AFTON," he snarled. "SCHMIDT'S MOTHER WAS CORRECT. A MERE MORTAL DID WHAT WE COULD NOT, AND BROKE WILLIAM AFTON COMPLETELY. I CAN SEE NOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN COMPLACENT, SO CONFIDENT IN OUR SUPERIORITY AND OUR CAPACITY FOR MALICE THAT WE DID NOT EXERCISE THE CRUELTY AND TAINTED CREAVITY THAT WE WERE TRULY CAPABLE OF TO BREAK THAT MONGREL'S SOUL. A MISTAKE THAT ALL OF OUR CLAN, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAS MADE."
The demon lord's eyes glowed red with malice. "BUT NO MORE. WE HAVE SHOWN ALL OF HELL THAT THE NIGHTMARES ARE NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH. AND WE WILL TEACH THIS LESSON TO WILLIAM AFTON IN FULL. WE WILL MAKE HIM BEG FOR THE DAYS HE SUFFERED IN HELL BEFORE HE DARED TO ATTACK OUR OWN. ALL OF HELL SHALL WEEP AT THE SOUND OF HIS SCREAMS!" he vowed, his fists clenched and glowing with hellish flames.
Old Man Consequences raised a hand to calm him. "I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT YOU RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN FAILINGS, AND SEEK TO OVERCOME THEM," he calmly replied. "HOWEVER, MAY I SUGGEST THAT YOU CONSIDER A…DIFFERENT APPROACH, IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER PLANS YOU ALREADY HAVE."
Nightmare nodded in acknowledgment of the entity's words. "I AM ALWAYS WILLING TO HEED YOUR WORDS AND YOUR WISDOM, LORD CONSEQUENCES," he declared.
"THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO BREAK A MAN," Old Man Consequences explained as he cast his line into the lake. "YOU HAVE FOCUSED ALMOST ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS UPON THE AVENUE OF PHYSICAL TORMENT. A METHOD TESTED BY TIME AND THE DEFINING STRATEGEM OF SUFFERING IN THE INFERNO, BUT IT IS ONLY ONE PATH. WHAT MADE SCHMIDT'S VENGEANCE SO EFFECTIVE WAS NOT NECESSARILY THAT HE WAS CRUELER THAN YOU OR YOUR FELLOW NIGHTMARES, BUT RATHER THAT HE UNLEASHED ONE TORTURE AFTER ANOTHER WITHIN A SHORT SPAN OF TIME BECAUSE HE HAD ONLY A LIMITED OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK HIS REVENGE AND TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF IT."
OMC gazed intently into Nightmare's scarlet eyes. "WILLIAM AFTON IS A MAN OF MANY DEFICIENCIES AND INIQUITIES. ABOVE ALL, ONE OF HIS GREATEST SINS IS ARROGANCE. ARROGANCE THAT HIS WILL WAS GREATER THAN THOSE AROUND HIM, ARROGANCE THAT CAUSED HIM TO VIEW ALL OTHER LIVES APART FROM HIS OWN AS WORTHLESS AND EXPENDABLE. ARROGANCE THAT MOTIVATED HIM TO ABANDON HIS VERY CHILDREN IN PURSUIT OF HIS DEPRAVED GOALS."
"I UNDERSTAND, MY LORD," Nightmare answered as he bowed his head in deference once again. Part of him was furious at himself for not recognizing this sooner…but no matter. He had the rest of eternity to come up with a new plan to break William Afton's soul in the way that Old Man Consequences had described, and the old ways would be more than enough to satisfy his thirst for vengeance for the time being…albeit with more than a little escalation.
A smile that was both knowledgeable and vicious returned to the entity's face. "IF YOU WISH TO BREAK WILLIAM AFTON THROUGH A MEANS THAT HE WILL NOT SEE COMING, THEN TAKE THAT MONSTROUS VANITY…AND T͓͓̼R̬͇̼̣A̗̳̞͉͚̳͞ͅM͍͔͠P̘̳̭̜L̴͔̜̝̼̭̼͉E̬̘͈̝͇ ̣̟̣̬̙͜I͎̮Ṭ͎̜͉̺ͅ.̧"̠̤͈͚̱
/
A/N: Whoo boy, this was quite the dense chapter despite being shorter than the others. Three cheers for family gatherings…and I mean GENUINE family gatherings, not the bullshit that William Afton tried to pull in the last couple of chapters.
So we finally have a reason for why God allowed Mike to go through all the shit that he went through as a child and a teen (it's up to you whether you think it's a good one or not). Those characteristics that Serene mentioned: resourcefulness, fearlessness, determination, cunning, honed survival instincts/street smarts, a keen mind for strategy and tactics, his moral principles, even his ruthlessness…Mike only developed these traits because of either his years of hardship or under Oskar's guidance. And without them (or Nightmare's warning), he wouldn't have stood a chance against William. The suffering of his youth ultimately saved him and his family. That and the fact that God also gave him a fuckton of money after Freddy Fazbear's pizzeria that was enough to make him a millionaire as an apology, so at least there's that :P
Old Man Consequences is quite the fascinating character, and he is one of the biggest mysteries both in FNAF and in this fic. There's a popular theory running around that Old Man Consequences is actually Satan, but if that is true, then he's a remarkably benevolent interpretation of a character generally considered to be the Ultimate Evil, given that he encourages the Vengeful Spirit in UCN to leave his victim and finally rest.
There are many possible interpretations for who Old Man Consequences is. Maybe he actually IS Satan, a version of Satan who, against all odds, repented of his crimes and was rewarded with a new position as the guardian of the antechamber to the afterlife (while still being the ruler of Hell). A Satan who now offers genuinely helpful and heartfelt advice to those who need it, with the occasional indulgence in his old cruelty and evil to reassert his dominion over Hell.
Perhaps he is a different demon lord who repented and was rewarded in a similar manner. Perhaps he is an angel in disguise. Perhaps he is an entirely different entity unaligned with Heaven or Hell, neither angel nor demon, who nevertheless ultimately serves God in his own way.
Regardless of which interpretation you choose, the very fact that Nightmare, of all people, BOWED IN RESPECT to him should speak volumes. And if that hasn't already convinced you, here's a little fun fact:
Remember that "Abandon All Hope" Damnation One-Hit Kill spell that I wrote up for Nightmare last chapter? Old Man Consequences is immune to it. Completely.
Anyways, the dark times are finally over, and I'd be hard-pressed to think of anything that could be as dark as the last few chapters. That's not to say that NOTHING in the future will be dark, but we'll be going back to lighter, happier, and funnier times for the next couple of chapters. I need a break from the darkness just as much as I'm sure you guys and the Schmidts do. Hope you guys enjoyed!
