A/N: I've decided not to write another filler chapter and instead go straight into the good stuff. Ironically, the filler chapters tend to have just as much research gone into them as the FNaF-lore chapters and possibly even more so, depending on how familiar I am with the topic of the filler chapter in question.

TobiasRieper: "Afton will no longer be seen as evil." I can agree to disagree, but allow me to clear this up here and now. There will NEVER be a point in this fic in which William Afton is NOT seen as evil. He is a serial-killing, child-murdering monster who has ZERO redeeming qualities in ANY FNaF media or universe, book or game, he is presented in. I cannot name a SINGLE good quality that William Afton has apart from possibly love for Elizabeth, which even then is thrown into question by the implication that he was merely manipulating her into becoming a murderous monster like himself (and in the books, he is downright abusive to her). He has shown NO remorse whatsoever for his crimes, and God Himself refuses to forgive him and has thrown him into the fires of Hell where he belongs. The children are under NO obligation whatsoever to forgive William Afton when he has done nothing but make their lives miserable beyond death. To forgive someone who has greatly wronged you and is repentant of their crimes is the true definition of grace. To forgive someone who has greatly wronged you, doesn't give a damn about redemption, and will stop at nothing to harm you is an exercise of sheer stupidity that is incomprehensibly imbecilic. In time, the ghostly children may learn to let go of their grudge and stop actively making William Afton suffer. But they will NEVER welcome him with open arms, they will never forgive him, and they are under no obligation to do so. To give him forgiveness when he has done nothing to deserve it would be Karma Houdini to an atrocious and unacceptable degree.

As for your other point of discussion, the fact that the MCI ghosts haven't done anything to repent for murdering night guards as the animatronics, I have already stated that I agree with you. Charlie and Liz have, in their own ways, travelled farther down the path of redemption that the MCI ghost kids have. And now that they've had 2+ years to grow comfortable in their new home and family, it's time that the children begin to repay the debt that they owe. Something that will be addressed starting with this very chapter.

Ginopippofrebooteer: I haven't had a chance to listen to the song yet (I've been so busy with other things it kinda fell to the wayside). I'll give it a listen for my next "Jamming with the Schmidts" chapter, whenever that comes up.

Guest: Maybe, maybe not. You'll have to wait and find out! :P

Awesomesniper86: Glitchtrap absolutely has relevance to the quote that I left behind, though not in the way you might think.

Chapter 113 – Dreams Before the Dark

The moment Gabe opened his eyes, he knew that something was off.

The former Freddy inhabitant found himself in a place that he could never forget, no matter how many years had passed. He recognized the tables and chairs scattered throughout the room, the old decorations and drawings of Freddy Fazbear animatronics on the walls, the stage at the far end of the room, even the doorways leading to the other rooms and hallways. He could never forget the Freddy Fazbear pizzeria that had once been a place of joy, only to become a tomb and a neverending realm of hopelessness and despair for him and his now-siblings.

And yet…the dining area Gabe was in was completely bizarre because of how utterly ordinary it looked. There were no children laughing and playing around him, nor were there any animatronics or serial killers skulking around in the dark, hunting down their next victims. Gabe even checked his hands, just to make sure he hadn't turned back into Freddy Fazbear, and sure enough he was still very human in appearance from what he could tell.

"What the heck kind of dream is this?" he wondered. He might not have been a lucid dreamer or master of his mind like Mike, but even he could tell that this was not your average, run-of-the-mill dream.

He was about to explore the other rooms in this dream pizzeria, wondering whether he could find something that could help him understand what was going on, when he heard a voice suddenly call from behind him. "Hello, Gabe."

Gabe slowly turned around to face the owner of the voice. For some reason, it seemed vaguely familiar to him, even though he couldn't identify who it was off the top of his head. His eyes fell on a man sitting at one of the dining tables looking calmly back at home.

"Who are…" his eyes suddenly widened in realization. The memories came flooding back from the man's visit last Christmas. "Wait…you're Charlie's old dad, aren't you?"

Henry nodded and smiled at him. "It's good to see you again, Gabe. How are you enjoying life with your new family?"

Gabe returned the smile with a grin of his own. "It's been amazing," he answered earnestly. "Ever since we got killed all those years ago, I didn't think I'd ever know what it's like to be happy again. You have no idea how happy I am to be so wrong."

"I'm glad to hear that," Henry replied sincerely.

Gabe stroked his chin curiously. "To be honest, Mr. Emily, I'm a bit confused," he admitted. "Last time we met, you said Heaven only let you visit us for very specific reasons. What's going on now?"

Henry's smile faded. "You are right, Gabe," he agreed solemnly. "I am not here for a social call." He took out a chair next to him. "Please, have a seat Gabe. We have much to discuss."

The former Freddy inhabitant did as he was instructed. "What do we need to talk about?" he wondered.

Henry sighed before changing his demeanor to become more businesslike. "You've done well for yourself so far, Gabe. You and the other children who suffered William Afton's cruelty. But your quest for redemption is not complete. In fact, you have quite a ways to go before you can be fully welcomed back into Heaven."

"Wait, what?" Gabe shook his head in confusion. "I thought we were supposed to stay with Dad and make his life better. We HAVE been doing that, right?"

"You have certainly succeeded on that front, absolutely," Henry agreed. "And we most certainly have noticed you and your siblings' heroic stand against William Afton when he escaped from Hell. That was very well done."

"So…what else we do we need to do?" Gabe asked.

Henry frowned. "Mike is not the only person to whom you owe a debt. He was not you and your siblings' only victim during the days of your violent insanity and bloodthirsty rampages."

Gabe paled as he realized what Henry was talking about. "Oh, God…" he breathed in horror. "The other night guards we killed…I don't even know how many we murdered back when we were in the animatronics. We haven't done anything for them at ALL, have we?"

Henry shook his head. "No, you have not," he confirmed. "Though you have repaid any debts you owed to Mike Schmidt many times over by giving him the family he never knew, you have yet to do the same for the other night guards. And though they recognize that the one who was truly at fault for all of this evil has been and will be punished in the depths of Hell for all eternity, they still seek justice for the wrongs you have committed against them."

"What do they want us to do?" Gabe asked. "It's not like we can go see them and say that we're sorry for everything we did. They're gone now, and unless there's the ghost of a night guard haunting somewhere around here they're dealing with the same rules keeping most ghosts and other supernatural beings from visiting Earth."

"There was much discussion in Heaven over how you would go about completing your redemption in full," Henry explained. "Some wished for you to reveal yourselves and confess your crimes to the public or at least to the families of the slain night guards, but this idea was quickly shut down. It would violate the decrees established by Heaven with regards to keeping the existence of the supernatural as secret as possible. And even if it did not, there are many, many ways for such an endeavor to end poorly."

"If we can't do that, then what can we do?" Gabe pleaded. "I know what we did was wrong. I know that we have to make it up somehow. But I honestly can't think of anything we can do to help make things right!"

Henry smiled. "Do not worry, Gabe," he gently reassured him, "for that is the very reason why I have come to you tonight. We in Heaven have decided on a task for you, one that, should you carry it out successfully, will appease the night guards and convince them that you have risen above the darkness that once consumed you."

Gabe perked up immediately. "What?" he asked immediately. "If you need us to do something, we'll do it. Whatever it takes."

"I'm pleased to hear that you are so eager and willing to embark on your quest for redemption immediately," he commented approvingly. "But patience. This is not a task that you will be able to accomplish immediately. In fact, it could very well take a year if not longer to complete, and months may pass at a time before you are in a position that you can take any meaningful action. With that being said…"

Henry took a deep breath and continued. "A darkness is coming, Gabe," he warned grimly. "A darkness very similar to the evil that corrupted my own Freddy Fazbear franchise. Though some elements have changed, and that darkness will take on a different form than what you and your family faced in the past, the wickedness that caused so much misery, death, and despair in the past will soon rise again."

Gabe stared at the older man in unrestrained horror. "WHAT?" he nearly shouted in anger and horrified disbelief. "HOW? William Afton is done for! Dad beat the crap out of him and Nightmare dragged him back to Hell! How in the absolute FUCK is that asshole about to escape from the depths of Hell AGAIN?"

Henry shook his head. "The core of the problem is not William Afton this time," Charlie's father gently corrected him. "At least, not directly. Rather, the ones responsible for this resurgence in the darkness is a very different entity altogether. One that embodies ignorance and stupidity more than outright malice, though it too bears its own fair share of sins."

Gabe furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I'm still so confused. You want us to stop this rising darkness. I get that, and I want do everything I can to help. But I still don't understand what's going on! Can you tell us more?" he pleaded.

Henry sighed. "I cannot give you all of the answers, Gabe," he answered sadly. "Knowledge of future events is also something that is carefully guarded by Heaven, even from beings such as ourselves. But you will understand what I mean soon," he promised. "Sooner than you think. But I can tell you this." He looked Gabe straight in the eyes. "Do what you believe is right. If you believe in your heart that a certain type of action will get you closer to achieving your redemption, then you may be very well be correct. And above all else," Henry smiled again. "Know that you are not alone. You have your siblings and your father to guide you."

Gabe looked at Henry with determination in his eyes. "We'll do everything we can to stop this evil," he promised. "No matter what it takes. We're not going to let something horrible like what happened to us ever happen again to anyone else."

Henry placed a gentle hand on Gabe's shoulder. "I'm counting on you, Gabe, just as I'm counting on the rest of your family. You, more than anyone else, will know what is truly at stake as events unfold."

/

Gabe's eyes shot open and he jumped into the air, breathing heavily as he processed his passing from the world of dreams back into the real world. He looked outside his window, and to his surprise it was still night outside, the sky completely black save for the lights of the moon and stars with no hint of sunlight anywhere even close to the horizon. A quick look at his clock confirmed his suspicions: 12:30 AM.

"What the hell?" the former Freddy inhabitant wondered. Had it really only been a few hours since he'd gone to bed? The conversation he'd had with Charlie's old father had seemed to take ages. His eyes fell on Jeremy, his brother sleeping soundly a short distance away from him. For a moment, Gabe was tempted to wake Jeremy up, and ask him if he'd had the same dream that he had just now. But after a few moments of thought, he dismissed the idea. It was entirely possible that Jeremy might be receiving the very same dream and visit from Charlie's father right now, and it would be utterly stupid of him beyond words to interrupt such an important message.

Gabe shook his head to try and clear his thoughts, hoping to better understand Henry's message. Though Henry hadn't told him much, what he had learned from the older man was already enough to give him a very bad feeling about the days to come. Still, he didn't feel as though he should fly around the house and wake up everyone for an urgent meeting. Not when he had nothing concrete to give them.

"Hopefully, my brothers and sisters will get the same message I did," Gabe thought as he slowly closed his eyes. "Charlie's dad will be able to tell them about what's coming better than I ever could."

/

As the former Freddy inhabitant closed his eyes fully and felt his mind drift off back into dreamland, a very different kind of dream encounter was happening to another family member. Just like his adopted son, Mike opened his eyes and found himself in an environment that, by all rights, he shouldn't be visiting.

He was back in the black arena where he had fought and defeated the demonic form of William Afton, although the atmosphere was different than it had been previously. The vast roaring flames beyond the dimensions of the arena were gone, leaving only an empty black void. Only the demonic statues at each of the four cardinal directions that hung above the infinite pit still had flames burning within them, but even then the fires in those torches were mere embers compared to the roaring infernos they had contained during the battle with the serial killer.

"What the hell am I doing here?" Mike wondered out loud. Now that the threat of William Afton had been thoroughly dealt with, he could think of no reason whatsoever to revisit the darkest and most horrible aspects of his mind.

"HOW FITTING THAT YOU CHOOSE THAT SPECIFIC WORDING IN YOUR QUESTION…"

Mike whirled around. It had been a while since he had heard that voice, but he would recognize it anywhere. "Nightmare…" he uttered the name in as neutral of a tone as possible.

The demon lord revealed himself, an amused grin on his face and his red eyes glowing with the familiar malice that they always had. "GREETINGS, SCHMIDT," Nightmare addressed the man with seeming cordiality. "HOW ARE YOU FARING THIS FINE EVENING?"

"Well enough, I guess," Mike responded, acting nonchalant but otherwise pleasant. Although he would always have some feeling of distaste towards the demon lord, Mike knew full well that he was in Nightmare's good books, and that it would be in the best interests of him and his family if he remained so. He certainly wasn't stupid enough to burn that bridge over something as stupid as being impolite, especially when Nightmare had saved them at least once. "I'm surprised to see you here, though."

Nightmare smirk faded slightly. "I AM NOT HERE TO MAKE A SOCIAL CALL THIS TIME AROUND," he answered. The words themselves were enough to put Mike on edge. "IF I WANTED TO DO SO, I WOULD HAVE JUST MANIFESTED IN FRONT OF YOUR CHILDREN AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR. NO…I HAVE SOME BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO TONIGHT. BUSINESS THAT CONCERNS YOU."

"What kind of business?" Mike repeated the word carefully.

The smirk returned. "I WISH TO MAKE A BARGAIN WITH YOU, SCHMIDT," Nightmare answered. "A DEAL THAT WILL BENEFIT US BOTH."

It took all of Mike's self-control not to burst out laughing. "You must be joking," he replied flatly. "Do you really think I haven't heard all the stories about idiots who make deals with devils? Shmucks who sold their souls for something, only for that something to be completely meaningless with a fresh heaping of eternal damnation on top of that?" Mike gave Nightmare a sardonic smile of his own, but his eyes had zero mirth. "If you came here thinking you could fool me into making that kind of a deal, then you wasted your goddamn time coming here tonight."

Nightmare scoffed. "PLEASE, SCHMIDT. DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT I WOULD RELY ON A METHOD SO INSULTINGLY PRIMITIVE? I HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT THE HUMAN MUST HAVE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH A PACT, AND THAT THE DEMON OFFERING THE DEAL MUST HONOR IT IN FULL. OTHERWISE, HEAVEN CAN AND WILL INTERFERE TO NULLIFY THAT CONTRACT IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. THERE IS A REASON WHY THAT TACTIC WAS ABANDONED CENTURIES AGO, AND IS A SUBJECT OF RIDICULE AMONGST SELF-RESPECTING DEMONS TO THIS DAY. IT IS SO MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE AND SATISFYING TO TEMPT MORTALS INTO COMMITTING SINS OF THEIR OWN WILL, AND LETTING THEM DAMN THEMSELVES WITH THEIR OWN EVIL." The bear-like demon shook his head. "NO…THAT IS NOT THE KIND OF BARGAIN I WISH TO MAKE WITH YOU."

By now, Mike was admittedly curious to hear what Nightmare had in mind. "So what are you offering instead?"

"I HAVE TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT I HAVE FOUND THE DARKNESS WITHIN YOUR SPIRIT NOTHING SHORT OF INSPIRATIONAL, ESPECIALLY FOR ONE WHO HAS SO FIRMLY CHOSEN THE PATH OF LIGHT," Nightmare explained. Even now, Mike still had no idea what to make of this comment, especially since as far as he could tell it was a genuine compliment. "AND I WISH TO CLAIM A PIECE OF THAT DARKNESS FOR MYSELF. THAT IS WHY I HAVE APPROACHED YOU TONIGHT, TO ASK FOR YOUR PERMISSION TO TAKE A PORTION OF YOUR INNER DARKNESS AND BRING IT BACK TO HELL WITH ME."

Mike's eyes narrowed. "And what do you plan to do with the part of my darkness you take with you?" he wondered aloud.

"THAT IS FOR ME TO KNOW AND YOU TO FIND OUT LATER," the demon lord answered smugly. "BUT I WILL SWEAR AN OATH TO YOU THAT MY ACTIONS WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON YOUR SOUL OR ITS PLACEMENT IN THE AFTERLIFE. IF ANYTHING, YOU MAY FEEL THE DARKNESS IN YOUR SOUL HAVE A SLIGHTLY WEAKER EFFECT ON YOU AFTER I AM FINISHED."

"Assuming I allow you to go through with this in the first place," Mike answered without any humor in his voice. "If I remember correctly, and I'm pretty sure I do, we don't owe anything to each other."

"NO," Nightmare agreed readily to Mike's surprise, "WE DO NOT. WHICH IS WHY I AM TAKING CARE TO PHRASE MY OFFER AS A REQUEST, AS OPPOSED TO AN ORDER OR A DEMAND. IF YOU WOULD BE GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE MY REQUEST, I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL INDEED. I WOULD EVEN GO SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT I WOULD BE IN YOUR DEBT. AND I HONOR MY DEBTS."

Mike pondered Nightmare's offer. He had no doubt whatsoever that Nightmare had a sinister motive behind his attempts to claim a part of his darkness for himself. But strangely enough, Mike couldn't sense any deceit or underlying malice hiding behind Nightmare's offer, at least where he and his family was concerned. Potential ulterior motives aside, the demon lord seemed to be making a genuine offer in good faith, and whatever malevolent intent he had in mind didn't seem to be directed towards him.

And in the back of his mind, his mother's words echoed in his head. Words that Serene had spoken to him during the night they had caught up with each other. "You can trust the word of Nightmare to the letter and the spirit," she had murmured. "Just beware of what he leaves unsaid."

It was that, more than anything else, which made up his mind.

"All right, Nightmare," Mike decided. "I'll play along with whatever game you have in mind for now, and I'll accept."

Nightmare's grin returned, and his eyes flashed with delight. "EXCELLENT!" he declared. Mike watched as he raised his hand, and immediately black wisps began to flow from all directions into it. Tendrils of darkness and shadow, drawn from the inner recesses that represented the worst aspects of Mike's personality, now being claimed by the demon lord that was the closest thing Mike could call to an ally from Hell. After a few seconds, Nightmare had amassed that darkness into a ball of roiling shadows in his hand. Mike watched as Nightmare opened the mouth in his stomach and moved that mass into it, either storing that darkness away or outright consuming it. "MY THANKS FOR YOUR GENEROUS DONATION," Nightmare chuckled. "I ASSURE YOU IT WILL BE VERY WELL SPENT."

"So what exactly is that favor you mentioned?" Mike asked with a raised eyebrow.

"IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED CONCERN YOURSELF WITH NOW," Nightmare brushed aside. "INDEED, IF MY CALCULATIONS ARE CORRECT, IT WOULD BE QUITE…COUNTERPRODUCTIVE…FOR YOU TO INVOKE IT OR EVEN DEFINE ITS NATURE AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME. BUT I ASSURE YOU, WHEN THE TIME COMES, I WILL DELIVER ON MY END OF THE BARGAIN." His eyes flickered menacingly like red flames. "DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FORCE ME INTO AN ACTION THAT IS TOO FRIVOLOUS OR EXTRAVAGANT, HOWEVER," he warned. "OR I MAY JUST DECIDE THAT YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF MY GENEROSITY AFTER ALL."

"Do you really take me to be that kind of idiot?" Mike deadpanned.

Nightmare chuckled in response. "I SUPPOSE NOT," he conceded. "AND AS A FINAL COURTESY BEFORE I DEPART, I WILL GIVE YOU ONE LAST MESSAGE." The grin vanished from his face. "A DARKNESS IS COMING," he warned. "I HAVE NOT BEEN PRIVY TO THE PRECISE DETAILS, BUT I CAN SENSE IT NONETHELESS. WILLIAM AFTON IS NOT THE ONLY SOURCE OF EVIL THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRAGEDY YOU STRUGGLED AGAINST IN THE PAST."

"Wait, WHAT!" Mike exclaimed. "What the hell do you mean? What darkness?"

But by now, Nightmare was already departing. Not just vanishing physically, but Mike could feel the demon's presence depart from his mind entirely. "YOU WILL FIND OUT SOON ENOUGH," he hissed. "SOONER THAN YOU THINK."

/

"Urrrggghhhhh…" Gabe blearily opened his eyes. Though he had managed to go back to sleep relatively quickly after his dream encounter with Henry, he had slept fitfully throughout the entire night. After he rubbed his eyes to wipe away the lingering traces of sleep, his eyes fell on Jeremy. The younger ghost boy was already in the process of opening his own eyes…and they immediately trained on him with an intense gaze.

"Did you…?" Jeremy began. And even before he finished his sentence, Gabe immediately understood that the former Bonnie inhabitant had the same dream, and the same conversation, that he had had earlier in the night.

"Let's go see if everyone else had the same thing," Gabe suggested. Jeremy rapidly nodded his agreement and the two boys floated out into the hall. By now, the other ghosts were floating through the doors to their own bedrooms, and one look at Susie's, Fritz's, and Cassidy's faces was enough to tell them that, yes, all of them had indeed encountered Henry and spoken with him at some point during the last night.

"You guys had it too?" Cassidy asked quietly.

"Yeah," Jeremy confirmed grimly. "We did."

"What did Charlie's dad mean by darkness?" Susie wondered. A horrified look appeared on her face. "Wait…you can't be telling me…William Afton is coming back AGAIN?"

Gabe shook his head. "I don't think so," he countered. "Charlie's dad made it sound like the big problem was going to be something different than what we already had to deal with."

"Thank fuck for that," Fritz muttered. "We've already dealt with that fucker way too many times."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow. "He's only broken out of Hell once."

Fritz gave her a defiant look. "And that makes me wrong?"

"…point taken," the former Golden Freddy inhabitant conceded.

"Hey guys!" A new voice chirped. "How's it going?"

Everyone's heads swiveled around to see Liz emerging from her and Fritz's room, yawning as she phased into the hallway. The orange-haired girl had a smile on her face and seemed completely carefree, seemingly oblivious to the intense conversation occurring among her siblings.

"Wait…" Jeremy realized mentally. "She doesn't know. She wasn't visited by Charlie's dad last night!"

"Why didn't Mr. Emily visit…" then it hit Gabe. "Because Liz wasn't involved in the mess around us and our deaths," he mused. "Her crimes and sins were different than ours, and she's already gone above and beyond in proving that she's become better. This shouldn't be her responsibility to bear."

"We're doing all right," Cassidy answered, her words betraying none of her inner thoughts. Liz shrugged and sank through the floor, intending on waiting for their father to greet them in the living room.

"So what do we now?" Susie wondered. "Should we tell Dad or Charlie?"

"We can't keep this hidden," Gabe asserted. "Not if it's as bad as Mr. Emily said it is."

"Right," Jeremy agreed, as did everyone else. They were about to turn towards Mike's bedroom, when suddenly…

"AAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A scream of rage tore through the house, destroying the serenity of the morning in an instant. The kids' eyes widened and their jaws dropped in shock and horror. Even though it had been more than a year since they had heard that scream, none of them could ever forget that expression of pure, unbridled fury.

It was the exact same scream that Mike had unleashed when Nightmare had revealed that William Afton had been behind the attack on their family, the first time they had met.

The kids immediately abandoned their conversation, the only thought now on their minds being what could have elicited such a reaction from their normally calm and collected father. The ghosts flew down to the dining room, where Mike was looking at his phone, his eyes filled with furious disbelief and his mouth twisted into a grimace.

"…dad?" Jeremy was the first to break the silence.

Mike threw his cell phone onto the table in disgust. "I can't believe this shit," he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "After everything that's happened, all the horrible shit and all the complete and utter failure, some fuckhead's actually stupid enough to try and pull this garbage AGAIN?"

The ghosts inched slowly towards the phone, the light from the screen emanating brightly. The moment their eyes fell on the screen, they instantly knew why their father was so enraged. A dreadful chill raced through their spectral spines, and some even began to shiver in fear.

Henry had warned them that they would understand soon, and the ghosts had underestimated just how quickly that "soon" would come.

Mike's phone was showing an online newspaper article, and the title was enough to tell them what they needed to know.

"FREDDY FAZBEAR ENTERTAINMENT: BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE!"

/

A/N: Well, that can't be good. Cause we all know just how fucking atrocious Fazbear Entertainment's track record when it comes to…pretty much any metric with which you could qualify success.

As I've promised, the MCI ghost kids will have their own redemption quest. Although the details have yet to be solidified, Henry's discussion with Gabe should be enough to tell you that they'll be playing a pivotal role in stopping whatever evil that Fazbear Entertainment unwittingly unleashes. They contributed significantly to the tragedy more than thirty years ago. Now they'll be the ones to either prevent it from happening entirely…or at the very least minimize the damage if the first goal proves to be impossible.

I also took Henry's conversation as an opportunity to explain why the ghost kids aren't revealing themselves and confessing their crimes to the public as a form of atonement. Heaven maintains a very tight lid of secrecy on knowledge of the supernatural as far as the mortal world is concerned, and having the kids reveal themselves and confess would destroy that secrecy. And if even one person who becomes aware of their existence has evil intentions…that could cause a WHOLE lot of problems that nobody wants to deal with (just look at William Fucking Afton and the mess he made with Remnant). So no, there will be no public confession. Not when so many things can go wrong not just for the ghost kids, but for everyone in general.

Somebody in my comments section wanted more chapters that focused more on the MCI kids, especially ones that aren't Fritz. I hope this satisfied that desire a little. I chose Gabe since he's the oldest and most mature of the MCI kids, and he would be the best fit for a serious conversation with Henry.

As for Nightmare's bargain with Mike, you'll see what he has planned soon enough. He has to have SOMETHING sinister in mind, even if none of his malice is directed towards Mike.

Anyways, that should be a good way to kick things off. Hope you guys enjoyed! I'll be leaving a copy of the announcement I had to act as a placeholder for this chapter down below:

There are two criticisms I'd like to address. The first is something that many of you have pointed out: that the MCI children really haven't had a proper redemption quest to demonstrate that they've truly bettered themselves and risen above the murderers that they used to be. And while I would never agree with anyone who calls them "monsters" (I define a monster as someone with practically no redeeming/positive qualities and who feels no remorse whatsoever for their wickedness, a definition that fits William Afton both in canon and in my fic, and most certainly does NOT match the MCI children), I completely agree with you. The MCI children haven't completed their redemption, at least not to the degree that Liz and Charlie have. Oh, they've absolutely repaid their debts with regards to Mike (and even if you want to argue that they haven't, he wouldn't hold that over their heads anyway), but they haven't done so for society at large or for the night guards they murdered.

I always take constructive criticism seriously and have no illusions that my story is perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Which is why I think you guys will be very happy to hear that these criticisms will be fully taken into account for the FNaF-centered arcs in Mike's New Ghostly Family that will revolve around Help Wanted, Security Breach, and any future events. If there is any doubt or confusion, then let me dispel it now. Both games will take center stage in future story arcs (even if Security Breach isn't out yet), and they will focus heavily on the MCI kids (especially Security Breach). They may not be at much risk for physical or personal harm as ghosts, but that doesn't mean there aren't other ways for them to atone for their past actions…or face the consequences. Rest assured, the MCI children's redemption isn't complete…not while the future arcs of FNaF are yet to come into play. I've given them a long reprieve of a couple of years to help them get over their trauma, but playtime's over. As I'm sure you'd agree, atonement isn't a free ride. It wasn't for Charlie or Liz, and it won't be for the MCI kids.

And there was also another comment from guest regarding Mike that I'd like to address now. Specifically, that Mike seems to be a little "too" perfect, a little "too" successful. Part of this is likely because the primary challenge that Mike faces on a regular basis is how to be a good father to his kids. He wants to follow in the footsteps of his mother and Oskar, and he absolutely doesn't want to end up like his birth father. So he tries his hardest to be a good father to his kids, something that he's accomplished with resounding success so far.

But apart from that, you're right. Mike as he currently stands has many strengths and not enough flaws or weaknesses, in his character or otherwise. And this is something that, once again, I hope to address in the Help Wanted arc. It might have taken over 100 chapters, but I promise you, Mike absolutely will have flaws and failings in the upcoming FNaF arcs. How, you may ask?

I'll just leave this little hint for your right now:

A character trait that may have been a strength in one circumstance…may be a weakness in another.

And with that, I hope I have addressed some of the criticisms people have had of this fic, as well as given a slight hint to what will come in the future.