A/N: Well, the last short I wrote in the last chapter didn't sound promising in the slightest. And, at least for the time being, it ain't gonna get any better. And I think you guys are simultaneously dreading it and looking forward to it in equal measure, considering the sheer volume of reviews I got from the last chapter.
Thank you guys for the many suggestions! While I don't play or even know about many of the games you've suggested, I'll do some research on them and will keep them on record for when I eventually get to them. Though I won't get to them until much later, for reasons that should be obvious.
Guest: In this universe, Scott didn't make any games beyond FNAF3.
Screamylatte: Lolbit probably doesn't exist, to be honest, since in the main story of SL he isn't anything more than a hallucination and he doesn't appear outside of the (non-canon) Custom Night. Even if he did, he got blown up along with the rest of CBEAR.
Ghostlyassassin Jesse: You'll just have to wait and see.
Guest: As far as this fic goes, the animatronics were just animatronics. Neither the Toys nor the Funtimes apart from Baby were possessed.
Some weirdo/FedoraCritic: You mostly got it all done pat lol. And neither Henry nor Mike would touch Remnant, let alone make an animatronic out of it, considering how badly that shit went south last time. In this fic, neither the Funtimes (besides Baby) nor the Toys were possessed.
Guest: I guess that's technically true regarding Ballora, but I don't think Mike or Henry would take the chance regardless. Especially since no ordinary animatronic should go spider-mode like that.
Chapter 71 – Blood and Vengeance
Nightmare stared contemptuously at the army that had dared to invade his kingdom. For centuries, his dominion in the lowest circles had been uncontested, the rest of the kin too fearful of his wrath to even consider trespassing into his domain.
So he could not understand why an army of demons had chosen to invade into his realm, shrieking and howling for blood and violence without even pretending to hide their intentions. One look at the enemy army told him all that he needed to know: it was large enough to unleash devastation to his domain if he allowed it to roam unchecked, but it would fall easily enough to him and his Nightmares.
Had they thought he had grown soft throughout the centuries? That just because he and his kin had chosen their current forms that it had made them weak?
He would take great pleasure in correcting that idiotic misconception. And he knew that his brothers and sister would feel the same.
"TEAR THESE FOOLS TO PIECES!" Nightmare roared, and his brothers and sisters let out shrieks and howls of immoral delight at the opportunity to spill the blood of other demons. The Nightmares charged the invading army head-on, claws outstretched and jaws open in feral snarls. Nightmare Foxy was the first to reach the invaders, cackling as he sliced open the throat of an unfortunate enemy with his hook and disemboweled it with his free hand at the same time, even as the scent of splattered blood reached his nostrils and drove him into a frenzy. Nightmare Bonnie and Nightmare Chica sliced their claws left and right, laughing maniacally as they tore their enemies apart with each strike. Nightmare Freddy was perhaps the cruelest and most methodical out of all the lesser Nightmares, occasionally taking the time to rip the limbs off a still living foe one at a time, relishing in the victim's screams before finally granting the merciful release of death. Though they were only 4 against hundreds, the Nightmares were far older, crueler, and more powerful than their foes could ever hope to be even in the forms they had currently assumed, and it wasn't long before the battle turned into a slaughter. The Nightmares didn't completely dominate the battle – they were still battling against a much larger force and occasionally suffered wounds of their own – but the piles of broken corpses and ashes that surrounded them testified to the superiority of quality over quantity.
Despite this, Nightmare felt no satisfaction in watching the slaughter unfold. He still hadn't figured out why a clearly inferior force was even daring to attack in such an obvious frontal attack, and this lack of understanding made him uneasy more than anything. Deciding that he could solve this conundrum as soon as the invaders were wiped out, he turned to the greater Nightmares at his side.
"CRUSH THEM," he ordered, and both Nightmare Fredbear and Nightmarionne nodded in recognition of his command. Nightmare Fredbear charged towards the battle with his red eyes blazing while Nightmarionne simply vanished, preferring more unconventional means with which to initiate his attacks. The invading army tried desperately to strike at the four Nightmares, but they were already starting to become disheartened with the heavy losses they were taking.
Nightmare Fredbear let out a bloodcurdling roar as he lunged at the nearest group of demons, emitting an aura of black terror that crippled the spirit of his enemies in a way that one of his lesser brethren could not. With claws lit aflame, he slashed down and ripped the face off one an unfortunate soldier who screamed as he experienced the twin agonies of mutilation and immolation simultaneously. Not bothering to glance at his suffering victim, Nightmare Fredbear reached out and grabbed another soldier by the neck, ignoring his useless attempts with his sword. The demon's eyes widened in panic as Nightmare Fredbear's stomach-mouth began to open, revealing a furnace of malicious, scarlet flames. With a cruel laugh, Nightmare Fredbear shoved the demon into his stomach, causing the entire army to flinch in horror as the wretch's screams echoed from within his stomach…and even after the wails finally died down, something told them that whatever torments Nightmare Fredbear had put his victim through hadn't ended with his death. The braver fighters tried to strike at Nightmare Fredbear with claws and blades, but unlike with the regular Nightmares (who could be wounded, albeit minimally and insignificantly), their attacks were entirely worthless against the horror that was now unleashed against them. Laughing cruelly at the weakness of his foes, Nightmare Fredbear began to slaughter them with a ferocity and brutality beyond even his lesser kin, the other Nightmares inspired to even greater heights of savagery and violence with their brother's arrival.
And as the demons looked about uncertainly, trying to decide whether they feared their superiors or their enemies more, Nightmarionne chose to make his move. Identifying a taller and more heavily armored demon as the leader, the other Greater Nightmare phased into reality behind him. The demon barely had time to register a chill gripping in his soul before Nightmarionne plunged his claws straight through the demon's back, ignoring his armor and impaling his claws deep into his heart before shoving it through his chest. The demon captain stared at his heart in incomprehension before Nightmarionne clutched his shoulder and, with a howl of triumph, ripped the demon into bloody halves.
That was enough to destroy the invaders' morale completely. With the massacre in front of them and their brutalized leader behind, the demons that had dared to invade the Nightmares' realm routed completely. Smelling blood and victory, the Nightmares lunged forward to slaughter as many of their worthless adversaries as possible, with Nightmarionne doing his best to block off their escape. Of course, they couldn't kill everyone; for all their power, the Nightmares were only 5 against a force far numerically larger, and some escapes were inevitable. But by the time the last demon had either fled or been killed, they had slaughtered more than half of the attacking force.
The only reason why it hadn't been total annihilation was because Nightmare had decided to let his siblings have their fun instead of getting directly involved.
And yet, despite what most would consider a complete and total victory, Nightmare did not feel any sense of triumph. In contrast, even as the other Nightmares reveled in their victory and the satiety of their bloodlust, Nightmare's unease had only grown. There was something missing here, some piece of the picture that he had not yet comprehended.
"MY LORD!" a high-pitched voice suddenly broke through his thoughts. Nightmare turned to see a small figure running towards him. His eyes flickered with amusement; it was one of the younger Nightmares, one of five who comprised the next generation of their noble heritage. The yellow figure and tall ears identified him as Plushtrap, a prankster by nature whose antics either amused or irritated those around him depending on the day.
But Nightmare's amusement vanished when he saw the frantic look on the young demon's face as he dashed closer. "HELP, LORD UNCLE!" Plushtrap shouted desperately. By now, the other Nightmares had noticed his arrival, and all of them were immediately on guard when they saw the uncharacteristic fear in the young demon's head. "WE NEED HELP! SOMETHING…SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAS HAPPENED!"
"WHAT IS IT?" Nightmare demanded.
"THE PALACE…OUR PALACE WAS INVADED!" Plushtrap shouted. He broke off coughing, and the Nightmares' eyes widened in shock and disbelief when they saw the deep gash that had been carved into Plushtrap's side. "IT WAS VUCARIK, LORD UNCLE. HE…HE…"
Before he could say anything more, he collapsed onto the ground unconscious, his energy spent. "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!" Nightmare snarled venomously. "I KNEW THAT SOMETHING SEEMED OFF ABOUT THIS ATTACK. IT WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A DIVERSION THE ENTIRE TIME!" He turned to the other Nightmares. "NIGHTMARIONNE, PICK PLUSHTRAP UP AND TAKE HIM BACK TO THE PALACE," he commanded. "WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED NOW!"
Nightmarionne picked up Plushtrap with a gentleness that belied the savagery he had displayed only minutes ago, and the Nightmares either raced or teleported back to the palace depending on the extent of their powers. To their rage and fear (though they would never admit the latter), the gates to the palace had been forced open, a gaping hole blasted through the middle. Nightmare and Nightmarionne were already in the palace, and the Nightmares who had arrived through physical movement stopped when they saw that Nightmare's eyes were blazing with fury. One sniff of the air in the throne room, and the other Nightmares quickly realized why.
They could smell the blood and essence of the younger Nightmares, a sign that they had all been terribly wounded. The Nightmares followed their master and the scent down the steps to the dungeons. And when they finally arrived at the bottom, what they saw was one of the very few scenes that could inspire fear and horror in even their darkling hearts.
The 4 other Nightmare children, Nightmare Balloon Boy and the three Freddles, had been thrown into dungeon cells, all of them with horrific wounds inflicted on their bodies. Worse than that, the Nightmares could tell that some of their demonic essence had been ripped from their bodies, and now they flickered on the edge of life and death. Plushtrap's wounds were far less severe in comparison, implying that he had only been superficially wounded and had managed to escape to get help.
And the cell that had been holding William Afton ever since he had first descended into the grasp of the Nightmares…was empty.
"MY SONS!" Nightmare Freddy roared, his eyes burning with both fury and concern for his children. "WHO DID THIS TO YOU? I WILL TEAR HIS BODY TO SHREDS AND FEAST ON HIS REMAINS!"
"WE KNOW WHO DID THIS," Nightmare Fredbear growled as Nightmare Freddy and Bonnie threw the doors open and Nightmare Chica rushed into the cells to start healing the Nightmare children. "VUCARIK…THAT SNIVELLING COWARD! TO ATTACK THE YOUNGEST AMONG US WHILE OUR BACK WAS TURNED…"
Nightmarionne glared viciously at William Afton's empty cell. "AND TO COOPERATE WITH THE SLIME OF HUMANITY…" he snarled, his words dripping with searing hatred for both collaborators.
"WHAT IS GOING ON?" Nightmare Foxy shouted. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"
"THEN ALLOW ME TO ENLIGHTEN YOU, AND LISTEN WELL. FOR IF I HAVE TO REPEAT MYSELF THEN I MAY JUST KILL YOU INSTEAD TO SPARE ME THE TROUBLE!" Nightmare snarled, making it very clear that he was not in the mood for any nonsense. "VUCARIK HAS ALWAYS BEEN…DISSATISFIED…WITH LUCIFER'S DOMINION OVER HELL. AND HE HAS GATHERED ARMIES AND ALLIES TO INCITE A CIVIL WAR AND CLAIM THE INFERNO AS HIS OWN. I WAS ONE OF THE ONES HE APPROACHED, AND I REFUSED HIS OFFER OF ALLIANCE."
Several Days Ago…
"I DO NOT APPRECIATE HAVING MY TIME WASTED, VUCARIK," Nightmare spat at the demon lord standing in front of him. "STATE YOUR POINT OR BE GONE FROM MY SIGHT!"
"YOU DO NOT REALIZE THE FULL OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE HERE, NIGHTMARE…" Vucarik coaxed, his soft voice echoing malevolently, able to be heard even over the screams of the damned in the distance. He held out a skeletal hand and tilted his horned skull towards Nightmare. "LUCIFER'S HOLD HAS GROWN WEAK. HE HAS NOT BEEN ACTIVE IN THE AFFAIRS OF HELL FOR CENTURIES. WHY DO WE CONTINUE TO BOW TO HIM WHEN HIS PRESENCE AMOUNTS TO NOTHING? JOIN US, AND WE CAN FREE OURSELVES FROM THE SHACKLES OF HIS SO-CALLED RULE. WE DESERVE TO BE THE LORDS OF HELL, NOT SOME DODDERING FOOL WHO IS LONG PAST HIS PRIME!"
"ARE YOU TRULY SO FOOLISH AS TO THINK THAT LUCIFER IS A WEAKLING WHO HAS SIMPLY ABANDONED HELL?" Nightmare countered mockingly. "HE IS AN ARCHANGEL, YOU FOOL! ONLY GOD'S GREATEST SERVANTS CAN MATCH HIM IN POWER, AND HE HAS LOST NONE OF HIS STRENGTH EVEN AFTER HIS FALL AND THE MILLENNIA THAT HAVE PASSED. AND EVEN IF LUCIFER IS WEAK, AS YOU SO IDIOTICALLY BELIEVE HE IS, HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT IT IS HEAVEN THAT IS ULTIMATELY IN CONTROL? THAT THE ONLY REASON WHY THE ARMIES OF GOD DO NOT INVADE US IS BECAUSE THE PRESENT ORDER IS SATISFACTORY TO THEM? TO OPPOSE THE HIGH POWERS OF BOTH LIGHT AND DARKNESS IS SUICIDE!"
Vucarik's eyes narrowed spitefully. "SO YOU ARE A COWARD THEN, NIGHTMARE…" he hissed.
The demon lord bared his teeth at the insult. "I AM A PRAGMATIST, YOU FOOL," Nightmare retorted. "I HAVE LITTLE TO GAIN AND EVERYTHING TO LOSE BY PLAYING ALONG WITH YOUR AMBITIONS. I AM ALREADY LORD AND MASTER OF MY REALM, WHETHER A GREATER MASTER RULES OVER HELL OR NO. PERHAPS THE TRUE REASON WHY YOU INSIST ON YOUR IMBECILIC REBELLION IS BECAUSE YOUR CREDIT WITH THE GREATER POWERS IS NOT AS GOOD AS MINE, VUCARIK? MY ANSWER REMAINS THE SAME: I. WILL. NOT. HELP YOU."
Rage burned in Vucarik, surrounding him like an unholy aura of flame. "YOU WILL REGRET THIS, NIGHTMARE…" he hissed. "YOU WILL REGRET THE DAY YOU TURNED MY OFFER OF FRIENDSHIP."
Nightmare sneered. "THE ONLY ONE YOU CARE ABOUT IS YOURSELF, VUCARIK. YOU SPEAK OF FREEDOM WHEN YOU INTEND TO ELEVATE YOURSELF AS LORD AND MASTER IN LUCIFER'S PLACE. NOW BE GONE FROM MY SIGHT, LEST I CRUSH YOUR SKULL IN MY FANGS AND END YOUR AMBITIONS BEFORE THEY CAN EVEN BEGIN!"
Present Day…
"YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST SLAUGHTERED HIM WHERE HE STOOD, MY LORD," Nightmare Freddy growled.
"HE WOULD TRY TO REBEL AGAINST LUCIFER?" Nightmare Bonnie sneered. "HE IS A FOOL."
"AN IMBECILE," Nightmare agreed. "BUT HE IS AN IMBECILE WITH AMBITIONS INFLAMED AND ENOUGH POWER TO ACT ON THOSE AMBITIONS. IF HE WERE INTELLIGENT, HE WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED MY REFUSAL WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT AND I WOULD HAVE REMAINED NEUTRAL IN THE CIVIL WAR THAT IS NOW RAGING OUTSIDE OUR DOMAIN."
The demon lord's eyes narrowed and his voice started dripping with loathing. "BUT INSTEAD, VUCARIK HAS DECIDED TO RETALIATE AGAINST US FOR NOT FALLING IN LINE WITH HIS IDIOTIC PLOYS. HE MUST HAVE SENT THAT ARMY TO INVADE OUR DOMAIN AS A DIVERSION, KNOWING THAT WE WOULD NOT TOLERATE SUCH DISRESPECT, AND USED THAT TIME TO INVADE OUR PALACE."
His gaze fell upon the Nightmare children, who thankfully had been stabilized by Nightmare Chica while he had been speaking. The female demon was muttering healing incantations that Nightmare himself had designed, coating the children in a red light that started to close their wounds. But they had still been devastated by the atrocities Vucarik had inflicted on them, and the essence that had been stolen would leave them crippled and weak for more than a century if it could not be quickly regained. "HE MUST HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH WILLIAM AFTON AT SOME POINT BEFORE LAUNCHING HIS ATTACK, FREED HIM, AND INFUSED THE WRETCHED SHADE WITH THE ESSENCE STOLEN FROM OUR YOUNGLINGS."
"BUT THIS STILL DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY VUCARIK WOULD BOTHER WITH ALL THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Nightmare Foxy exclaimed in frustration. "EVEN IF HE IS INFUSED WITH DEMONIC ESSENCE, WILLIAM AFTON IS NOTHING COMPARED TO ANY OF US, OR EVEN A REGULAR DEMON WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE ARTS OF WAR." The other Nightmares growled in agreement, but they soon stopped when they saw that Nightmarionne's eyes had faded to black.
"I KNOW WHAT HE HAS DONE…" Nightmarionne lifted a finger into the air and pointed towards William Afton's empty cage. A rip in space seemed to flash in front of them for a few seconds before it flickered away. "CAN YOU NOT SENSE IT? A PORTAL HAS BEEN OPENED BETWEEN DOMINIONS, A MOMENTARY TEAR IN REALITY THAT HAS ONLY RECENTLY BEEN SEALED SHUT. VUCARIK HAS FREED WILLIAM AFTON…AND SENT HIM TO THE MORTAL WORLD."
Roars of outrage and disbelief met his claim, and Nightmare Fredbear bared his teeth in disgust. "HE WOULD BE SO ARROGANT AS TO DEFY ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF THE INFERNO?" he snarled. "THE DAMNED SUFFER ETERNALLY, AND DO NOT EVER RETURN!"
"I UNDERSTAND NOW…" Nightmare Freddy growled. "APART FROM HIS PETTY AND PATHETIC REVENGE, VUCARIK WANTED TO KEEP OUR LORD AWAY FROM JOINING THE WAR AGAINST HIM BY KEEPING HIM DISTRACTED WITH BOTH OUR WOUNDED YOUNGLINGS AND THE ESCAPE OF A DAMNED SOUL INFUSED WITH DEMONIC POWER."
"IF HE TRULY BELIEVED THAT THIS PLOY OF HIS WOULD SUCCEED, THEN HE IS EVEN MORE OF A FOOL THAN I BELIEVED," Nightmare hissed. The others silenced themselves as they turned to gaze upon their lord. He had passed beyond fury and rage, and had descended into a chilling wrath that seemed to smother the very air with darkness and malice. "THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT IT MEANS TO FEAR US," the demon lord began to speak, and all fell silent as they felt his words empower their very souls. "THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN WHY OUR CLAN WAS CHOSEN TO RULE IN THE DARKEST PITS OF HELL, AND WHY OUR DOMINION HAS REMAINED UNCONTESTED FOR MILLENNIA EVEN WITH ONLY SEVEN IN OUR NUMBER. WE BEAR THESE FORMS AS A MOCKERY TO THE WEAKLINGS WHO SURROUND US, TO DEMONSTRATE OUR SUPERIORITY EVEN IN A FORM THAT WOULD EARN NOTHING BUT RIDICULE WERE IT TO BE ASSUMED BY ANY OTHER. ALL OF HELL FEARED OUR NAME ONCE BEFORE, AND BY THE TIME VUCARIK'S LITTLE INSURRECTION IS CRUSHED AND I THROW HIS BROKEN CORPSE AT LUCIFER'S FEET, ALL OF HELL WILL FEAR OUR NAME ONCE AGAIN!"
The moment he finished his speech, Nightmare raised his arms and let out a thundering roar so infused with malice and the bloody promise of vengeance that the very palace shook at its foundations with the sheer force of his fury and the other damned souls in his domain clutched their heads and wailed in terror of his wrath. As one, the Nightmares roared in affirmation and approval of their lord's words, with even Plushtrap joining in despite his junior status and his wounds. "WE WILL CLAIM OUR PAYMENT FOR THIS INSULT IN FIRE AND BLOOD!" Nightmare swore. "SHED THE FORMS YOU HAVE WORN SINCE WE TORMENTED THAT PATHETIC BRAT LONG AGO, AND ASSUME YOUR TRUE MANTLE OF POWER ONCE AGAIN! VENGEANCE WILL BE OURS, AND OUR ENEMIES WILL CURSE THE DAY THEY DARED TO MAKE AN ENEMY OF US!"
All around him, the Nightmares began to transform. They cast aside the twisted visages of the Freddy Fazbear animatronics that they had assumed, and began to assume their true demonic forms: abominations of horror and despair whose very presence drove the weak-minded into insanity and struck soul-crushing terror into even the most stalwart of demonic warriors. Only Nightmare, Nightmare Chica, and the young ones remained in their current forms. Nightmare Chica was still taking care of the children, and as for Nightmare…
"WHY DO YOU NOT TRANSFORM, MY LORD?" the creature that had once been Nightmare Bonnie asked. "WILL YOU NOT JOIN US IN THE GLORIOUS SLAUGHTER THAT IS TO COME?"
"I WILL ABSOLUTELY JOIN YOU, BROTHER, FOR I WOULD HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL MYSELF YOUR LORD IF I DID NOT. HOWEVER, THERE IS SOMETHING THAT I MUST DO FIRST," Nightmare explained. "I MUST ADDRESS BOTH OF VUCARIK'S ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT US. OUR SISTER IS TAKING CARE OF THE YOUNGLINGS, BUT THERE IS STILL THE MATTER OF WILLIAM AFTON'S ESCAPE."
The demon that had been Nightmarionne studied the portal. "WE CANNOT OPEN IT," he reported. "VUCARIK'S POWER SIGNATURE IS DIFFERENT FROM OUR OWN. FORTUNATELY, VUCARIK WAS FORCED TO USE HIS MAGIC HAPHAZARDLY IN ORDER TO QUICKLY REMOVE WILLIAM AFTON FROM HELL, SO IT WILL TAKE TIME FOR THE MONGREL TO MAKE IT TO EARTH. BUT IT DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT THERE WILL SOON BE A DEMONICALLY EMPOWERED DAMNED SOUL LOOSE ON EARTH, AND NIGHTMARE MAY BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT OCCURS."
"IT WILL BE EASY ENOUGH TO DIVERT ANY BLAME TOWARDS THE ONE TRULY RESPONSIBLE," Nightmare replied, "BUT I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THAT WILLIAM AFTON IS JUST AS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS COWARDICE AS VUCARIK IS. I HAVE HEARD WILLIAM AFTON'S RAMBLINGS DURING THE THROES OF HIS AGONY, AND I KNOW WHAT HE INTENDS. I HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF MAKING SURE HIS SCHEMES CRUMBLE TO ASHES AND DUST, AS THEY DID ONCE BEFORE."
"AND HOW DO YOU INTEND TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, IF YOU PLAN ON FIGHTING AT OUR SIDE TO BRING VUCARIK TO HEEL?" the former Nightmare Fredbear asked.
To their surprise, an unholy grin spread across Nightmare's face despite the situation, and he let out an inhuman laugh. "WE ARE NOT WITHOUT ALLIES, BROTHER, EVEN IF THE ONE OF WHOM I SPEAK DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT OUR COMMON INTERESTS JUST YET. AND I CANNOT PRESENT MY TRUE FORM TO AN ALLY WHO WOULD BE DRIVEN INSANE MERELY BY STANDING IN THE PRESENCE OF MY FULL GLORY."
His brother's eyes widened. "YOU INTEND TO…"
"INDEED…" Nightmare confirmed. "IT IS TIME FOR ME TO CONTACT AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE OF MINE, ONE WHOSE HATRED FOR WILLIAM AFTON BURNS WITH AN EVEN GREATER STRENGTH THAN THAT OF OUR OWN…"
/
The moment Mike opened his eyes in his dream, he knew that something was wrong.
He was no stranger to nightmares and tormented dreams, but this was different. He could feel a malevolent, oppressive presence near him, a presence that seemed to snuff out hope and drown the very atmosphere in malice and darkness.
One that he recognized all too well.
"Nightmare…" the man growled. "I know you're here."
The black demon bear materialized in front of him. "AH, SCHMIDT…" the demon lord smirked. "IT HAS BEEN QUITE A WHILE SINCE WE LAST CROSSED PATHS, HASN'T IT? THOUGH ONE OF MY BROTHERS SEEMS TO RECALL ENCOUNTERING YOU IN VEGAS A FEW MONTHS AGO…QUITE THE INTERESTING EVENING THAT MUST HAVE BEEN."
"I don't have time for bullshit," Mike snapped. "Why are you here?"
"STRAIGHT TO THE POINT, I SEE. GOOD. MY TOLERANCE FOR WASTING TIME IS NO HIGHER THAN YOURS." Nightmare agreed. "I HAVE NOT ENTERED YOUR MIND TO ATTACK YOU, SCHMIDT. I DO NOT HAVE ANY HOSTILE INTENTIONS TOWARDS YOU IN THE SLIGHTEST. ON THE CONTRARY, WHAT I MUST INFORM YOU NOW IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CONTINUED WELL-BEING AND HAPPINESS OF YOUR FAMILY, AND YOU WOULD DO WELL TO HEED MY WORDS."
Mike immediately snapped to attention, studying Nightmare carefully. He looked first for any signs of malice and hostility, but to his surprise he could find none (or at the very least, not any directed towards him or even his kids). And instead of the sinister grin or snarling rage that he had come to associate with Nightmare in their last encounter, there was only a serious, grim expression of one who was about to deliver terrible news. And that, more than anything, put Mike on edge.
"And what's so terrible that a demon lord from the depths of Hell would have to warn me about it?" Mike asked. Even before he finished the question, a horrible feeling began to grow within him. A terrible suspicion that one of the few things that could gravely threaten his family had just come to pass.
Nightmare looked right into Mike's eyes and spoke one of the few sentences that could possibly cause the man to feel true fear for the first time in decades. "SIMPLY THIS. WILLIAM AFTON HAS ESCAPED…AND HE IS COMING FOR YOU."
/
A/N: And so it begins. Those of you who expected the Nightmares to be in the darkest arc were absolutely correct to make that assumption. But I wonder how many of you expected Nightmare to be Mike's ALLY this time around?
If you're wondering why I didn't actually SHOW Vucarik attacking the child Nightmares and fusing their essence to William Afton, I don't feel comfortable writing about violence against kids, even if the kids in this context are Nightmares.
A surprising amount of you thought that the demon lord behind William's escape was either Shadow Bonnie or Nightmarionne. Shadow Bonnie doesn't speak in the way a Nightmare does (lowercase bold), so he was out to begin with. And I do have to admit that Nightmarionne being a traitor would have made for quite the interesting twist and some might even say that there was a missed opportunity, but there was a reason I decided not to go through that path. So, the demon lord who freed William Afton was an outsider who is basically, for all intents and purposes, a plot device XD. Don't look at me like that, Scott's done it more than once in the FNAF games.
In all seriousness, though, the reason why I didn't have a traitor within the Nightmares was because I wanted to establish the Nightmares as a foil and a contrast to the Afton family. The Nightmares are absolutely, definitively evil. They are incredibly cruel, vicious beings who revel in hideously torturing the damned souls in their care, and their treatment of their enemies is arguably even worse.
But for all their evil, the Nightmares are a family. They cooperate with each other without any problems, as shown when they tormented Michael's dreams during the FNAF4 chapters, and Nightmare is incredibly generous when it comes to letting his siblings have fun with victims first before he moves in to finish the job. They treat each other with respect (or at the very least don't do anything negative to each other beyond insults, which for high-tier demons is practically saint-like behavior), they have fun and enjoy themselves a way a normal family would (only with a lot more sadism thrown into the mix), and though they would never admit it under torture, they do care about each other. You fuck with one Nightmare, you fuck with all of them.
You can say as many things as you want about how evil the Nightmares are. But in my opinion at least, the fact that the Nightmares treat each other as a family should puts them on a higher moral pedestal and makes them infinitely more respectable than William Afton.
And speaking of William Afton, you guessed it. The fact that he was infused with the stolen essence of the child Nightmares means that he is indeed a demonically empowered damned soul loose on Earth. He may not be anywhere near as powerful as an actual Nightmare (the essence was stolen from kids who were stuck in their weaker Freddy Fazbear animatronic form), but what he has now is still a hell of a lot more than what Mike or his kids have at the moment. Nightmare Springtrap is on the hunt now…
One final thing: did you guys enjoy the battle scene? This is my first time actually writing one out in years, and I wanted to experiment a bit with it. I hope you enjoyed it, for I have this to say:
This will not be the last battle scene I write before the arc concludes.
Hope you guys enjoyed! Sorry for longer wait between chapters, I have a lot of shit to take care of.
