Mable: And thus we begin the finale! I hope you're excited! :) I know I am!
Going Home in a Box
Chapter Ninety
The phone rang at seven in the morning. A while before Fritz would get up, a while after Natalie finally got to bed. She remained in a dead sleep as he sat up in bed and answered.
"Hello?" he asked groggily.
"Is Ms. Smith there?"
"Yes, but she's asleep. Who's this?"
"Mrs. Monica Styles with Fazbear Entertainment. I hate to be a bother, but could you put her on? It's very important."
That woke Fritz up immediately.
"Uh, sure! Hold on just a second." He gently shook Natalie's shoulder, and her head lifted with a half-snort. "Babe, it's Freddy's."
She reached back and got the phone before bringing it to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Ms. Smith. This is Mrs. Styles with Fazbear Entertainment. I'm sorry to have to wake you up, but we need you to come in for some mandatory paperwork and a meeting with our counselor."
"Oh. Okay… Wait, now? I just got off my shift like… an hour ago?"
"Oh, no, no. You don't have to come in until noon. Can you make it?"
"Yup, I will. Thanks."
"Thank you! We'll see you then! Bye, bye now."
The call ended and Natalie handed back the phone which Fritz put back. Natalie then buried back into her bundle of blankets.
"I don't have to go in until noon," she clarified.
"Good. What do they want?"
"They want me to sign some paperwork. That's all."
Fritz started to lay back down when it hit him, and he suddenly shot back up in bed.
"They're going to have you sign an NDA," Fritz realized. He turned to her, wide-eyed. "That's what they're going to do. They're going to have you sign an NDA, a bunch of waivers, all sorts of stuff."
Natalie turned over and cracked her eyes open. "That's not good."
"No, it's not."
"What do I do? Refuse to sign?"
"If you can. It's Freddy's, there's a good chance they might not give you any options…" Fritz said. "I think… IF you use your fake name, it might not be legally binding, but you've got to try to avoid signing anything. Don't even refuse, just sort of… skirt out of the way."
"So, dodge 'em."
"Yeah."
Natalie yawned. "I think I can do that."
"Yeah… You go back to sleep. You need as much as you can get," Fritz assured. "I love you."
She gave a tired 'mmhmm' and turned back onto her side again with a quietly yawned 'Love you'. Fritz sat there for a second before scooting up next to her and hugging her from behind. She lovingly petted his arm around her waist before falling back asleep.
Fritz couldn't help but be worried, but there wasn't much he could do except warn her, and really hope the Fazbear Entertainment of today was at least somewhat different from the one he worked at years ago.
He left for work about an hour later and Natalie continued sleeping until getting up and heading to the offices a little after noon.
Apparently, she wasn't the only one who arrived at this time. She stepped out of the elevator to see a few familiar faces standing nearby talking; Luis, Aiden, and Dan. She walked up to them.
"Hey guys," she greeted.
"Vanessa, hey! Glad to see you. Well not glad to see you, all things considered, but you get what I mean," Aiden greeted. She could tell from that exchange alone that he was a little shaken. "Did you hear about what happened?"
"If you mean what they found at the Pizzaplex, yes. I was there when they found him," Natalie said.
Luis gave a hiss and both Aiden and Dan looked sympathetic, though Dan was as stern as always.
"Did they tell you what he died from?" Luis dared to ask.
Natalie almost looked surprised. "No, they just found him. Why, did someone say something?"
"Sort of. Q was in here earlier and he was saying…" Luis lowered his voice. "That there was something wrong with his neck."
"Like, he was strangled?"
"No, like he crick." He made a motion like he was cracking his neck. "But I don't know. I don't even know if Q was there."
"He could've just made the whole damn thing up. He came in raring to gossip about it," Dan readily dismissed. "And of course, Fazzy E's is tight-lipped on the whole thing. Guess we'll never know."
"Well, they'll have to do an autopsy, right?" Natalie asked.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it'll get back to us."
"We don't know that. I'm sure I could weasel it out of Mr. Wight. He's been very open-mouth policy about this whole thing," Aiden remarked, then took a sip from his travel mug.
Well, that was all pretty disturbing. Natalie had bigger concerns though.
"How's Chaz?"
Luis' face softened. "I don't know, he hasn't been in yet."
"They shouldn't make that poor sucker come in. He already had to find him, now they'll want to grill him," Dan said. He looked at Natalie. "Speaking of, brace yourself. They're going to have you talk with a therapist."
"I'm sorry, what? I thought we were signing paperwork," Natalie asked in surprise. Totally forgetting the mention of a 'counselor'.
"Something about trying to help us process all of this. It's a lot of bull, I think they're fishing for information."
"Well, obviously. They're trying to see if any of us knows more than we let on. But maybe it'll be good for some people. Chaz could probably use the support, even if it's an in-house hire therapist," Luis said.
"I think it'd do best for Chaz to be with his family. Maybe look for a new job while he's at it. But what do I know?" Dan said.
Inwardly, Natalie was beginning to get significantly more nervous. It wasn't that she was afraid of therapists, she wasn't, but being grilled in any way was always a risk. All she would have to do is slip up on her name and it would show that something was off with her story.
Speaking of. "Hey, is Ness here?"
"She is! She's just hanging out in her cubicle," Luis said. He gave a sympathetic sigh. "She's upset about this whole thing. I tried to talk to her, but she just wanted to be alone…"
"I'll talk to her. We were hanging out when it happened, so we were kind of in the thick of it together."
"She said you two had been there. Speaking of which, I like your hair."
"Thanks. It was sort of a spur of the moment thing," Natalie said with a smile. "I'm going to go check in on her."
"Good idea. She could really use a friend right now and she's not letting me in…"
"Ah, it's a girl thing," Natalie brushed off. Then with a small wave, she headed off to find her.
As she got around the corner, she caught the beginning of a conversation she probably wasn't supposed to hear.
"Either of you notice that Ness' been acting strange?" Dan asked.
"What do you mean, strange? She saw a body. Of course she'd be acting strange," Luis defended.
"Not that! I meant before that. She's just… been acting weird for a while. You've seen it."
Luis sighed.
"I think we've all seen it. Remember the Halloween party?" Aiden offered. He gave a dismissive noise. "It's got to be all that pressure Mr. Wight's putting her under. It's hard to go from a desk job to suddenly taking on so much extra attention."
"Maybe he needs to back off a little then. She's not his assistant," Luis said in a slightly snappy tone.
Natalie heard Aiden's thoughtful hum but didn't see how he raised his brows at Luis, and at that point she walked off.
Though it did leave her with some things to think about. Wight had been pretty handsy with Ness during that whole ordeal, but she didn't exactly get secret lover energy from the two. It felt a lot like Wight trying to live vicariously through Ness, though looks could be deceiving. Maybe she'd ask Ness about it sometime when it wasn't so obvious that she was looking for info.
She found Ness sitting at her cubicle. Her hands on her knees and that dead-eyed stare of someone who knew they were about to get interrogated by a Freddy's brand therapist. She didn't notice Natalie at first.
"Hey," Natalie said. Ness snapped her head up, then got a tense smile.
"They got you too!"
"They did! Called me at seven in the morning to make sure I came in."
"Ugh, I hate that. They didn't even want people coming in at the same time, why call everybody at the crack of dawn?" Ness said. Her voice was a little stumbly.
"So they don't have a chance to come up with a good excuse to not come," Natalie said. Her smile softened. "Everything good?"
"Yup! All good. Just a liiittle nervous. But, like, you know, who isn't?" Ness fumbled.
Natalie started to answer when she heard footsteps and looked to see Luis walking over. He waved and came around the other side of the cubicle.
"Ness?"
Inadvertently startling Ness who jumped in her office chair.
"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to sneak up on you. They, uh, they're ready for you."
"Oh…" Ness said quietly. She stiffly got up from her chair. "Then, uh… Showtime! Heh," she said nervously.
"It'll go fine. Just tell them what happened yesterday, and they'll leave you alone," Natalie assured her.
Ness nodded and started to go, with Luis catching up at her side.
"But you know, if there is anything you'd like to talk with her about, this might be a good chance to do it," he said.
"What do you mean?" Ness asked in surprise.
"Nothing bad! I just meant this is sort of like a free therapy appointment. Maybe just to get out anything stressing you out."
"Maybe…" she said in a non-committal way.
Both Luis and Natalie walked her to the office before offering her good luck as she headed inside. Then it was just her, a nicely dressed woman, and a desk in between them.
"Hello, Vanessa. Is it okay if I call you Vanessa?"
"Vanessa's fine. Nice to meet you, Mrs…?"
The therapist gestured to the chair across from her.
"Why don't you have a seat?"
Ness shuffled over and sat down. Her hands squeezed between her legs, clearly anxious.
"How long have you worked at Fazbear Entertainment, Vanessa?"
"Uh, about a year? Maybe a little more. I haven't been keeping track."
"That's fine. And who recommended you?"
"Mr. Wight."
"Mm-hmm."
There was a long pause as the therapist made a note of something on her clipboard. Ness sat there awkwardly for a long moment until she continued.
"Would you like to talk about yesterday?"
"Not particularly, no," Ness said with a tense smile.
"Good, then we can move on to matters concerning you. Vanessa, your co-workers are worried."
Ness was taken completely off-guard. She blinked in surprise and grew increasingly nervous.
"About me?"
"About you," the therapist repeated.
"Oh…" Ness got out her keys and began to fiddle with them. "What about?"
"About how you have been behaving and some… concerning reports Fazbear Entertainment has received about this behavior," the therapist explained. She gestured with her pen. "What's that you have there?"
"Oh, uh… Lucky rabbit's foot," Ness said. She got an embarrassed smile as she clutched the little yellowish object in her hand. "It's like a good luck charm."
"I see. Do you tend to gravitate to morbid things such as that?"
"…No?"
"Well, that's not quite what I've been told. But let's start from the beginning. I heard that you're seeing someone."
"Th-That's right. His name is Brad. He doesn't work for the company."
"Yes. But that's not what I heard from some of your co-workers. They've been telling me that this boyfriend is something you've made up. Which I can understand-."
"I didn't make him up!" Ness interjected.
The therapist waited a few long seconds before continuing.
"Which I can understand when it comes to office politics. Sometimes you just don't want to feel left out of couples' discussions. Or sometimes you want to shut down a conversation that might make you uncomfortable, such as a co-worker's advances. But the things they've told me are quite frankly disturbing."
"I-I'm not… No, wait. They've got it all wrong," Ness tried to reason.
"They said you sent a bouquet of roses to yourself that said, "Flowers for your grave" on the card."
"No, it said "Flowers for our grave, til death do us part." But- But Brad's just got a dark sense of humor."
"Luis said that you sent them from your work computer."
"Luis says a lot of things. Did he tell you that I'm the only one he checks the search history on? That's his job, right? Why's it only me?"
"Luis is concerned about you."
"Luis just wants to get in the pants of any chick he thinks is desperate enough to let them in- let him into them!" Ness snapped.
"Now this is an interesting side of you, Vanessa."
"My name… is Vanny," Ness hissed.
"Is that the nickname you prefer?"
"Yes," Ness muttered. Her teeth tight, her hands clutched on her knees. She slightly tilted her head, almost sarcastically. "But tell me, please, what else has Luis been spewing because he was 'worried' about me?"
"Well, he also mentioned that you have recently exhibited some changes in behavior. You've been withdrawn. You changed your hair color unexpectedly. He even mentioned you looking up some… let's say, questionable things in regards to Fazbear Entertainment's past."
"Oh, yeah. Real concerning. I'm avoiding him, I changed my hair, and I was looking up on the business I work at. Big deal!"
"They have also expressed some concern-."
"Say 'him', I know it's Luis."
"It was not just Luis. Your other coworkers expressed concerns that you have an inappropriate relationship with your boss."
Ness' mouth flapped open and closed for a few second before her face went red. "BULLSHIT!"
"Language please."
"How could he say that?! He could get me fired saying things like that!"
"Again, it was not just Luis. As a matter of fact, some of your coworkers mentioned a situation that happened during the Halloween Party that had concerned them. Luis didn't bring it up at all."
"What happened during the Halloween Party?!" Ness asked in disbelief.
"From what they said, you became upset and locked yourself into a supply closet where they heard you crying."
"I was drunk!"
"They didn't mention that you were intoxicated."
"Because we're not supposed to be drinking on the job! But you better believe all those guys were knocking back shots of peppermint schnapps just to stomach the cheap Freddy Party Punch."
The therapist hummed in understanding and jotted something down before continuing.
"And as for Luis, it's his job to keep an eye out for other employees, especially once exhibiting such alarming behavior. Think of it from his perspective. You, his good friend, are pulling away from him, and you are telling him that you have this boyfriend who has made numerous threatening comments to you, whether they are jokes or not. To me I read this as a cry for help. A need to be acknowledged as a victim, perhaps because your life isn't going the way you want it to?"
Ness looked at her with a cross of confusion and disgust.
"Are you following what I'm saying?"
"Yeah, sure. Loud and clear," Ness said.
"And what do you think about this?"
"I think you told me to watch my language."
The therapist didn't seem too happy with this response.
"This is how I see things, Vanessa. Either you are in a bad situation, or you are pretending to be in a bad situation. I just want to find the root of that reason so that we can help you."
Ness was silently annoyed.
"One of the possibilities could be that you are lonely, and this is a way to attract attention. That would explain why you would do something as bold as to send yourself flowers. But you can be lonely and still try to push others away if you're afraid to get close. And it is that clash that could be leading to this… peculiar situation."
Her face softened with what looked like empathy.
"I am aware of the… circumstances with your mother."
Ness' face went blank. Uncomfortably stoic.
"But I haven't heard the entire story. I know that you two were close and that you aren't in contact anymore. What happened?"
Ness stared a minute longer before finally muttering.
"Oh, he's a dead man."
The therapist's brows raised. "I'm going to assume that wasn't a threat."
"No, it's a figure of speech! It means I'm pissed!" Ness shouted. "This guy just decided to air ALLL the dirty laundry, didn't he?! He better be fired for being a stalker! I'm done! DONE!" She shot up from her seat. "Where is that slimy son of a bitch?!"
"Vanessa, please. This is a private session."
"Apparently it ain't if you've been talking to EVERYONE about me! My mom's my own business!" she snapped. "And for the record, I am NOT sleeping with Mr. Wight! Ugh, it's like that guy wants me to lose my job!"
"I know you're upset. Luis may have overstepped boundaries, I won't deny that, and I can understand that you feel betrayed in having all this spilled out to a stranger. But please, I'm not here to judge you."
"Yeah, sure, great, okay. You did. You really helped me see the light. Thanks for that. I have something to take care of."
As Ness strode towards the door, the therapist called after her. "Wait, please sit down. We're not finished."
"No, I think we are. And if we're not you can take it up with Mr. Wight when I'm not in BED WITH HIM!"
Ness slammed the door behind her and stormed off on the hunt, stalking past Aiden and Dan and making her way to Natalie and Luis. They were standing at the soda machine, with Luis trying to get a Fizzy Faz while Natalie was leaning on the wall.
They looked over as she walked up. Natalie saw her face and her brows shot up. Luis caught it a second later.
"Hey, Ness! That was- uh…" and that was the moment he saw her face twisted up.
"YOU!" She pointed a finger in his face. "What's wrong with you?!"
"What-?"
"Don't play dumb now! The fake boyfriend, the flowers, the having an affair with my boss?!" Ness accused. She held her arms out. "You told her about my MOM?! What the HELL were you thinking?!"
"I was just worried about you! I didn't know she was going to say anything! She said it was all confidential!" Luis explained. "Ness, I am so sorry-."
"You can shove your sorrys up your ass!"
Despite the tense situation, Natalie had to smother a snort of laughter.
"Where do you get off telling people I'm crazy?! You told a THERAPIST that I'm sleeping with my boss, sending myself threatening messages- are you trying to get me committed?!"
"No! I was just trying to help!"
"I don't need your help! I don't need help! I'm fine!" Ness shouted.
Something about that made Luis finally tip over the edge and he stood his ground.
"Well, I'm sorry I'm worried. I'm sorry I care about you, Ness, but I do. And I know it's none of my business what you do or how your imaginary boyfriend treats you, but this-?! This isn't you! And I feel like I'm the only one who notices something is wrong, but Ness, something is really wrong!"
"Look at this guy. Reads all my private information, now he thinks he's an expert," Ness mockingly remarked to Natalie. Which got her brows raised again, but Ness quickly turned on Luis. "Get off your high horse, Prince Charming. I've got a boyfriend."
"Ness, I know for a fact you sent yourself those flowers!"
"Yeah, I sent those! And you still didn't take a hint!"
That managed to catch Luis off-guard.
"Of all the- you're such a- augh! YOU, Luis, you're going to back off. You're going to stay the hell away from me and if you don't- oh ho- I'm going to show you how crazy I can get. My imaginary boyfriend's going to come down here and start yanking out your teeth one… by… one," Ness said lowly.
Natalie's stomach dropped at those words.
Ness took a step closer to Luis and leaned in, a slack grin spreading across her face as she did.
"And then he's going to break all of your fingers so you won't get to write your little reports anymore, will you?" she whispered.
"Ness…?" Luis asked uneasily. He leaned back as she leaned forward.
"What's wrong, Luisss? I thought you just loved your little Nessie-Nessie honey bunny. Or maybe you just love when she's quiet. That's okay." Her voice grew low and harsh. "Because she's not going to be saying a damn thing to you anymore. I'll make sure of it."
With that final hiss, she turned on her heel and strode to the elevator. She pointed back as she went.
"AND STOP TELLING EVERYONE I'M SLEEPING AROUND!"
She barged past someone coming out on her way in and slammed her finger on the button. The doors shut, and everyone was left standing there staring, shocked and awkward.
"Dear God, what happened?!"
And apparently Wight was one of those 'everyone's.
Luis fumbled. Natalie thought fast and tried to defend him.
"Apparently the therapist was grilling Ness on some of the things she heard about her. About her job, and… I'm going after her. I'll be back," Natalie said.
She waited at the elevator and got in, seeing Wight now talking with Dan as the doors closed.
That whole thing had been a disaster, but it told Natalie so much. She was almost left reeling as she replayed those last few moments back in her mind.
Because Luis had been right, that wasn't Ness.
She knew that inflection. That mocking tone. It might've been straight from Ness' mouth, but had it been through a distorted it would've been recognized instantly.
That was Vanny.
And it really wasn't shocking. Natalie knew that Ness was Vanny. There was too much that pointed to it and too many similarities. She knew she was Vanny, but this was the first time the actual Vanny changed Ness into a different person without the costume on.
But that wasn't important now. Despite knowing the risk, Natalie took after Ness. Both because she was worried about her and because she was worried about what she might do.
Ness had already made it outside and it took some searching before she found her in her car. She sat in the driver's seat with her elbows propped on the wheel and her head in her hands. She was clearly crying.
Natalie tapped on the window. Ness froze up, turned away momentarily to wipe at her eyes, and then dared to look up. Natalie gave a little wave before pointing towards the other door and then walking around the front. Ness unlocked the passenger's side door for her, and she sat down inside and shut it behind her.
"Are you okay?" Natalie asked.
Ness shook her head- and this was definitely Ness, not whoever was stringing her around upstairs.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Ness shook her head again.
"That's okay… Well, if it's any consolation, I think it was pretty trashy to get called out like that during what's supposed to be a private therapy session. What even was the goal of that?"
"I'm so sorry…" Ness squeaked.
"Don't be, I'd be angry too… Maybe the language was a little extreme, and the finger breaking thing was a little ehh…"
Natalie tried to make it sound like she wasn't walking on eggshells, but surely Ness could hear the crunches with every word.
But Ness didn't care about that. She had her mind on other things.
"I shouldn't have done that… I'm going to be in so much trouble…" she said, hiccupping a little.
"No, you're not! It'll be okay," Natalie assured, reaching out and squeezing her shoulder.
Though now Natalie was wondering who exactly Ness would get in trouble with. Her job, Wight, or someone else? She had a bad feeling that it had less to do with the yelling and more about what happened.
But she wasn't in a place to ask. Maybe she could do that later.
"Let's get out of here. We can go back to your place or go hang out somewhere," Natalie offered.
"I'd like that…"
"Then let's do it. Let me just run in to tell someone I'm leaving, and we'll get out of here."
Natalie started to get back out when Ness quietly murmured, "You don't have to…"
"No, I want to! Besides, it gives me an excuse to get out of therapy," Natalie half-joked. She gave her a smile and headed back inside.
It was probably dangerous to be alone with Ness, but… she still wanted to help her. Vanny or not.
The truth was, it reminded her a lot of Jeremy and his situation, what he was forced to do even though he had no control. But Jeremy had someone to lean on, a full support system, and Ness… might've just shoved everyone away. Maybe it wasn't even Ness who did it.
Natalie waited at the elevator door until they opened and let out a nicely dressed woman who looked like she was trying to withhold her frustration. Natalie stepped in after her and sent the elevator up before stepping back out into the office and right into the buzz of muttering and whispers.
She ignored it and sought out Wight, who was standing by the open office door where they were having therapy. He was whispering to Mrs. Stringer and gesturing like he too was barely holding in his anger.
"Mr. Wight?" Natalie carefully interjected.
"Oh Vanessa. I didn't expect you back so soon. I hope you didn't see all of that."
"No, I just walked in. Did something happen?"
"…No," Wight said with a downright tense smile. "Now then, what did you need?"
"Is it alright if I take Ness home? I know I still need to talk with the counselor, but she's still pretty upset and she needs to get away from this."
"Don't you worry about that, we decided to… cancel the therapy sessions early, so there's no need. You're free to go enjoy your day, and I think that's an excellent idea," Wight encouraged.
Something happened, Natalie realized. All it took was a look at Mrs. Stringer, who noticeably pulled a face at 'cancel the therapy sessions' to know that much. But she didn't pry.
"Thanks. I'm heading out, she's already waiting in the car."
"Oh, and- two things," Wight said, stepping after her. He paused and then pointed at the elevator, signaling that he would walk with her.
They walked together, with his hand on her upper back as they did.
"Firstly, thank you for being such a good friend to Ness. She needs someone to be there for her," Wight said thankfully.
"No problem."
"Secondly, and more importantly, I want you to know that anything you might have heard about Ness and I being in a 'relationship'? It's not true."
"Oh, I figured. I think Ness would've said something if that was the case."
"I don't know where anyone could get the idea! Yes, we shared a cabin during the company retreat, but those cabins had two bedrooms at the least! And we weren't the only co-ed cohabitation," Wight vented. He sighed and patted her back. "But don't let me keep you."
"Don't worry about it, Mr. Wight. It'll blow over. There's bigger things to worry about."
"Indeed, there are," Wight said solemnly. He watched her walk into the elevator. "Thank you again. And make sure Ness knows she's not in any trouble. I would go tell her myself, but… I think I'm the last person she wants to see right now. But let her know that."
Maybe not in trouble with him, Natalie thought. She kept her mouth closed, gave him an appreciative smile, and rode back down to go see Ness.
More than aware that this was probably the beginning of something more than the end.
…
As soon as Natalie's shift started, she first went to check in on the Glamrocks before heading up to the Prize Counter, leaving Smitty and Buddy in the lobby so they wouldn't get in the way.
There was a different feel in the Prize Counter when she walked in- through the atrium, the elevator was entirely blocked off with caution tape now. She couldn't say what that feel was, but she could tell she was being watched from somewhere.
As she stood there in the middle of the floor and looked around, she heard a faint jingle of bells.
"Hey, Sun."
After a second, a blue-clad figure side-stepped from behind one of the toy displays.
"Oh, Moon. Good to see you," Natalie corrected. "How are you guys holding up?"
Moon grumbled a little as he slowly slid to sit at the base of the mountain of toys, his back against the display.
"Hanging on. We will live," he replied. He scoffed a little, "I'm surprised you came alone. I almost expected you to bring Mari here with you."
Natalie was silent.
Moon looked up again.
Marionette was standing alongside Natalie.
"Oh." Moon was barely surprised. He looked away again. "Where's Mike?"
"Out in the car. He wanted to come in, but… I don't think it would be a good idea. If he was spotted by one of the cameras this soon after the discovery… it would be suspicious," Marionette explained.
Moon hummed.
Marionette looked at Natalie who, seemingly getting a signal, nodded and walked off behind a nearby counter. Likely to go check the security cameras. Marionette sat down on the carpet beside Moon.
"It's also a school night for him but keeping him out of this is the most important matter. Mike already has too much suspicion levied against him," he continued. "As much as we love to skirt danger, this is a risk we can't afford to take."
"It's for the best. Nobody should be here. It's not safe for any of us," Moon muttered.
Marionette rested his head back on the plushies and their stand, looking at the stars on the ceiling and the pink glow illuminating the room. What a wonderful Prize Counter. Sure it was less cozy than his own, plastered in glitz and glamor, but right now the soft music and matching lighting was almost soothing.
It would be peaceful if these were any other circumstances. What a shame that their playground had turned into yet another Freddy's.
And he had known it was going to happen. He had said so without wanting it to be so, only worrying about the effect it would have on Foxy's and nothing else. Now it had come true and though he wasn't surprised, he was sorely disappointed. He felt responsible for it. If not for not being here, then for somehow willing it to be.
He tilted his head in Moon's direction with a tired expression.
"Can I ask you something?" he asked.
"I know what you're going to ask, so just come out and do it," Moon snipped.
"Very well…" Marionette considered it a few seconds before getting right to the point. "Will you please tell me what happened?"
Moon pulled his legs tighter to his chest.
"I won't judge you. You know I won't. You know all that I did," the Puppet quietly continued. "I just want to know so that… Because I wasn't here."
The jester sighed and dropped his head onto his knees. A painfully long minute passed before he spoke.
"Somebody died. That's what happened," he said. "He was a technician here. A good one. He was responsible for Jake and I back when we were Sun and Moon. He was… different. He wasn't cold, he wasn't bitter, or callous. He was young. He was enchanted by the idea that we, these oversized toys that we were, were alive and able to feel. He would bring us gifts, reward us… He treated us well, but I didn't realize that until once he was gone. I was so caught up in being treated like a piece of machinery that I didn't notice him treating us better than the others."
"He sounds kind."
"He was…" Moon sighed, his bells jingling as he shifted. "…Once when I was being worked on, he held my hand through the procedure."
Marionette gave a fond little chime.
"I thought he liked Jake more because he was always doing what he asked without bribes, without fuss… but now I realize that he showed me so much more favoritism." He sunk further into himself, legs and limbs slouching like he was boneless. "He didn't deserve what happened…"
"What did happen?"
"…I can't talk about it."
"I know it was an accident."
"It was an accident," Moon said defensively.
Marionette's eyes began to glow.
"Was it Bunny?" he asked.
There was a pause. He almost took that pause as an answer, but to his surprise-
"…No," Moon said quietly.
"Oh."
"That wasn't a yes," Moon snapped. "That pause. It wasn't a yes. It was a no. Bunny didn't do it."
"Oh! Of course. I didn't think you were lying."
But Marionette did think he was covering. Now he wasn't quite so certain.
"But he was there."
And now Marionette was even less certain.
"After… After, I had to hide him away where he couldn't be found. If they found him in the daycare, then they would come for us and I would lose Jake… So, I did what had to be done. I put him somewhere…" Moon's voice crackled and choked. "Somewhere he couldn't be found…"
Marionette could imagine Mike tacking on a, "But could be smelled," on the end of that.
…No. He couldn't. Mike wouldn't at a time like this, and because of that Marionette had no reprieve. He just had to bear the hurt. The hot burn in his chest.
"I'm so sorry."
Moon shook his head, unable to look at Marionette and unable to speak.
The Puppet scooted closer and pulled him into a hug. Moon didn't hug back, but he fell sideways onto his chest and accepted the comfort limply.
Marionette began to play soft music from his music box, a gentle chiming rendition of his own song. Like a lullaby to soothe and remind him that he wasn't alone. For a long moment they sat there together. Marionette could hear the anxious ticking in Moon's chest starting to slow.
But then, Moon spoke.
"What was it like… What did you think when you found me?"
Marionette didn't need clarification; he knew exactly what Moon was asking him. It still felt like his heart stopped, but he pulled past it and explained.
"I was devastated. It had been so long since the one before you… Maybe not that long. Maybe it only felt long because there was a gap at all. Then came the night where you stayed after closing. I searched for you once I was told you were there-."
"Who told you?"
"My friend. His name was Goldie."
"The Golden Bear?"
"You remember him?"
"I was told about him."
…He knew he meant Bunny. How did Bunny know about Goldie? He supposed it wasn't important right now.
"When I found you, it was… horrifying. You were still alive, but I knew you wouldn't make it. I could tell that you were barely holding on," Marionette squeezed Moon tighter, clinging to him. "And then… the programming took hold. Like many times before and fewer times after, I was compelled to take you and give you a gift, give you life. I didn't get a chance to choose your body. That is why you ended up in that dog, Sparky."
"Fetch."
"Yes, that. It was the most stable one of what was left. I'm sorry it was so uncomfortable."
"You could've put me in anything, and I wouldn't have been happy… And yet." Moon looked at his hand. "Somehow this one fits so well."
"I know that feeling."
"And that programing. That shutting down and needing to do something, I understand that," Moon said. "…But that was not what happened that night. To me, with him. At first, I just did what I had to, but it caught up to me… once I was alone with him…"
He trailed off before sighing, turning, and hooking an arm up and around Marionette.
"I'm sorry I treated you the way I did. I was just so afraid that you would take Jake from me."
"It's alright. You didn't even know who I was. I was just a stranger," Marionette assured. He lowered his head and voice. "The stranger who made you into this. Or that."
Moon hummed.
"Speaking of, where is Jake?"
"Watching us from behind that curtain," Moon said. He lifted an arm and pointed off somewhere.
"I'm not-! I'm just… I'm here," Jake called back, defeatedly. He eventually shuffled over.
Marionette beckoned him to sit down alongside them, and Jake shuffled over before awkwardly sitting down. Only to get caught in a one-armed hug by the Puppet.
Jake looked at Moon with a little surprise and Moon gave a slack, one-armed shrug.
"I wish I could've found you three earlier," Marionette admitted.
"You- Oh…" Jake trailed off.
"We wouldn't have gotten these bodies," Moon said.
"Perhaps."
Marionette gave a staticky sigh and pulled back, leaving a hand on each of their shoulders.
"I know you two don't want to hear this, but the Pizzaplex isn't a safe haven for you anymore. You're both wanted criminals as far as the employees are concerned," he warned. He squeezed their shoulders. "I don't want to take you away from your home, but you can't stay here. We have plenty of places where you can stay where Freddy's won't be able to find you, if you would like. Please."
"That would… probably be a good idea," Jake said.
Both looked at Moon who looked away.
"…I can't leave Freddy or Gregory."
"Well, good news! Because I will be delivering the same message to them as soon as I leave here. Along with the other Glamrocks, Beelora, the DJ- everyone needs to know," Marionette said.
"I don't know how you plan on getting the DJ out of here," Jake chuckled.
"I dare say who's going to stop us?" Marionette joked.
Moon tsked and rolled his face.
"You two tell me when you're ready and I can have you both out of here and to freedom in a heartbeat. And perhaps better sooner than later depending on how Fazbear Entertainment handles the recent… finding…"
"They won't care," Moon bitterly dismissed.
"Thanks. We'll keep you posted," Jake said.
Marionette got the answer loud and clear. That wasn't a no. Not even Moon's denial was a no. It was a request for more time. They were both clearly aware that it would eventually run out. So, he didn't feel the need to stress the importance more than he had.
He simply hummed in understanding and pulled them back in for another hug. One that took both off-guard as they weren't expecting another one.
"You must've been worried about us," Jake lightly teased.
"I am- Was!... Am," Marionette clarified. He finally unwound from them and rose from the floor. "But I'll stop clinging. I still have plenty of others I need to check on, but I will come back through before I leave. If you two need anything, I'll be back shortly."
Then with a little spin, Marionette disappeared. Whether he popped right in on Freddy or off to find Natalie was unknown.
This left the two alone together. With Jake scooting to take Marionette's spot sitting alongside Moon.
Just them alone in the Prize Counter, like it had been since they fled the daycare. It wasn't the same as their daycare, it didn't have the same comfortable feel that they had formed there. There was barely anywhere to hide, with Jake having to manually override the door locks on the fire escape and hide out on the roof while the employees were here.
Starting over wouldn't be fun anywhere, but doing it here was a ticking time bomb. They knew the only options were to find somewhere else to hide out, perhaps in Bonnie Bowl, or leave.
It would be hard, but they would be fine. The two of them had been through worse.
…Or was it the three of them?
"…Andrew," Jake began quietly. "We need to tell him."
"About what?"
"You know what."
"Which him is the what?"
"Bunny's the what."
"…He already knows."
"He doesn't know."
"He knows," Andrew argued. "He's brought up Bunny too many times to not know."
They sat there for a long second in tense silence.
"If Freddy and Gregory agree to leave-."
"We go," Andrew finished. "But we need our stuff."
"Especially if we're going back to the dump."
Andrew shot him a look.
"I'm kidding! Just trying to lighten the mood."
"Well, at least you didn't do any sun puns," he mumbled. Momentarily getting a very 'Sunny' tone.
"I'm saving that for Freddy. You know he'll probably come running up here the second Mari leaves."
True. Hopefully Marionette would keep his word and keep their conversation in between them. There were some things that Freddy didn't need to know.
What a mess.
Moon sighed. "I'll sneak back to the daycare tomorrow and gather our things."
"Want me to come with you?"
"No, it's better if I go alone. That way I won't have to feel obligated to turn around and go back once I outrun you." Jake half-chuckled. "Can you puppeteer Nanny from here?"
"I think so."
"Then you can do that. We'll take what we need."
They would gather their things and prepare to start their new life. One that Moon still refused to begin without Freddy and Gregory. He wouldn't leave them behind.
And as for Bunny…
…
He left them behind long ago.
…
It was a dark and stormy night. The kind that would leave any fair princess cowering in her castle. But not this princess. She was too brave for that, and instead roamed her castle soothed with the comfort that it would hold for her. She was more powerful than she knew. She had all the control.
Yet something bothered her. There was a stirring in the back of her mind as she climbed the spiral staircase towards her bedroom. Walking down the bridge above the fighting arena that lie below. She looked down at the dizzying heights but steadied her nerves and pressed on to the grand door of her bedroom.
Here she would be safe, protected from the cruel, cold world outside. It was a grand bedroom with a curtain bed and a mahogany writing desk. It was lightly lit by distant candlelight. Warm and comfortable.
"Welcome home, dear Princess," it seemed to say. "You are safe here. You are loved here. This belongs to you."
The Princess was pensive and doubtful, but she knew she didn't need to be. She knew that here she was always safe. That even though they didn't understand, this was where she needed to be.
Away from the world. Away from them. Lost in her beautiful dream come true. The Princess was a princess, after all. She deserved to be adored.
The Princess sat on her bed tiredly. It had been a long day, but all true heroes and heroines went through one occasionally. She was safe here. Safe to be who she really was. I see the real you, Princess.
The Princess sat there, and sat there, and sat there.
And reached up for… her crown… and pulled it off.
And for a moment everything was the same. But then things began to shift and suddenly once where a dreary but lovely tower bedroom sat was replaced with a security office. Illuminated by the Pizzaplex logo bouncing on the nearby monitor and the dull glow of neon reaching through the window overlooking Fazer Blast.
The only notable thing in the room other than the thin cot she was sitting on being a dirty arcade machine. One with a princess on the side that was nearly hidden by grime. An old arcade machine that didn't come on.
The game didn't work anymore, but she was still playing it.
The chill of the air was creeping into the seams of her thin suit. She scratched at her arm, taking a shaky little breath. The room smelled stagnant. The air was heavy like it hadn't circulated enough.
Nobody had been up here except her. Nobody came up to her tower. No handsome prince, no kindly king, not even a dragon. It was just the princess on her own.
Because she wasn't a princess, and this wasn't her tower. It was a dingy little office above the laser tag arena. The glow in the windows wasn't colorful fairies or distant lightning but the constant drone of neon.
But without the game, the Pizzaplex looked so empty, and she felt so alone.
But she wasn't alone! She just had a bad day. She met some monsters out in the world today. But she was safe here. Safe in her castle, even if she couldn't see it.
But it wasn't a castle. That's the problem, it was a big, dirty pizzeria megaplex. She wasn't the princess of anything here. She wasn't anybody.
The lifeless red eyes of the rabbit mask stared back from her hands. Such a perfect face. Shame it wasn't hers. It was her crown, but it was a mask anyone could wear.
It was so tempting to put it on and go back into the bliss of the world she wanted to be in, but she couldn't right now. Even with it on she could get invested in the story. She couldn't stop thinking about everything else going on.
She didn't feel like a strong princess, she felt like a trapped princess. Stuck in a birdcage that was slowly closing in. There was no way out anymore. Nowhere to run. She didn't want to go home. There was no home.
There was no way out. No way out. No way out no way out no way out no STOP.
She was a princess. She was my princess. And she was very real.
She wanted it to be real. It was. It wasn't. It didn't count if she had to close her eyes and plug her ears to pretend. It didn't count if the adventure was her constantly searching for someone who was never there.
It wasn't real. It didn't feel real- but it was real- but it wasn't real enough. There were no subjects, it was just her alone.
Always alone. Even before this. Maybe there really was something wrong with her. Maybe they were right. Maybe Luis- Mom- Dad-
Vanessa.
…
…
C̶o̶m̴e̷ ̶d̶o̵w̴n̴s̶ta̷i̵r̴s̶.