The last five minutes seemed to be the longest in my life. Even meeting Fluttershy in the vent was easily capped by needing to run like a man possessed from Chica and the rest of the animatronics gang.
It’s only now that I realize how much the quick climb and jumping out of the air duct has taken its toll on me. My likely-broken left arm is now throbbing in pain, the hole that Mangle bit through in my right hand is oxidizing like mad and stings, and I’m exhausted.
I find a nearby chair and flop into it.
And all the pain in the world is nothing compared to seeing Toy Chica approach Fluttershy as a smile that gets impossibly wide without being creepy to the shy pegasus form on her mouth.
“Are you really real, like for reals real?”
“Umm… yes.”
“You are so… awesome!”
“Thank you.”
“What’s your name?”
I swear it was just like it happened as I thought it would.
“I’m, umm… fluttershy…”
“What… oh, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to make you nervous. I’ll… step back a little.”
“It’s okay, I… no, I am a strong and confident pony. My name is Fluttershy. What’s yours?”
“I’m Chica, although everybody calls me Toy Chica. I’ve got the best big sis in the world and the greatest friends here at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria!”
Fluttershy lights up. “There’s a bear here? I have a bear friend back home.”
Well, while this cute-off is going down, I get a better look of the room.
Seems that Toy Chica was the only animatronic in here… that I can see.
“This is so much better than… my… I can’t even process how awesome this is! A real life true to word pony!”
“You’re also very pretty and sweet looking. My friends back home would really like you!”
Hugs are exchanged.
Great… now I’ll have to break your heart in a few minutes. I think I’ll hold off on that–besides, it would traumatize Fluttershy to see this new cute thing that’s doling affection all over her bloodily kill another.
Oh, hello pain. Yes, I forgot to make an appointment but I’m sure you’ve got an opening for me.
Both Chica and Fluttershy turn my way, concerned at the noise.
“Are you okay?”
Just peachy, Chica… I mean, your sister probably broke my arm and Mangle bit my hand, but I’m great!
Of course, if I had just said that, the environment in the room would have changed radically and not in a way that I would have liked for it to.
Is there anything like a first aid kit in here, Chica?
“There’s one in the break room. But, you’re not an employee so you can’t go in there.”
Right now not going anywhere is preferable. At least until I can poke my head out without it being removed from the rest of my body.
I look to Fluttershy. She’s the closest thing I can figure to a medic, given how she cares for animals. Then I see that she doesn’t have her saddlebags. Guess I’ll have to be in pain for a while, until it’s clear for anybody to go out without rising suspicion that something’s off.
Chica… let me ask you something, totally hypothetical. Suppose that… Mangle and your sis decided I wasn’t a good person and wanted to get Springtrap involved in…
My gaze shifts to the yellow pegasus. Have to choose my words carefully now…
Giving me a very close inspection of how Springtrap works.
“But… you’re not a bad person, you brought Fluttershy here! I should go and talk to Big Sis, she’ll underst–”
NO! I mean… not yet, we’re just playing pretend right now.
“Why don’t you want me to talk to Big Sis?”
“Hang on, Chica… Whimper’s scared and hurt.”
“But… Big Sis could help him.”
Were she not fixed on ripping me in two, I think she might be so inclined.
“I could go… see if I could find what Chica looks like.”
My heart melted. In a blind rage, with both Freddy and Bonnie awake and roaming, looking for me?
“I know you’re scared, Whimper… let me be brave and see if I can talk to them. Besides, I have the stare.”
I believe you, Fluttershy–even though this danger is likelier far greater than you’ve faced before.
“She’s just like me, Fluttershy, only a bit bigger. I should go with you to find her.”
I was in no shape to fight with either of them. One because she could paralyze me with a glance, the other because if pressed wrong she could end my life.
Just… be careful. And don’t tell Big Sis I’m in here if she seems upset.
“Alright, Whimper. We’ll be back. Come on, Fluttershy! Let’s go meet the family!”
Nothing about any of this now makes any manner of sense. So, I say the thing that comes first to mind.
I’m really glad you’re not Springtrap.
“Really glad I’m not who?”
Guess that answers my question; she doesn’t know what she’s doing here either. Although, I think she doesn’t even know how she got here.
So… not to put too fine of a point on it, but what are you doing here?
“Umm, well… I don’t know, I was just walking over to Twilight’s house and ended up in this… metal thing. Is there a way out?”
There probably is, Fluttershy, but I wouldn’t advise it. There are some… machines down there that are looking to kill me.
“Oh, my.”
That’s the understatement of the year. We need to get moving, try to find a safe place to hide for a while until they give up the hunt.
“Why are they… hunting you?”
They’re malfunctioning, I think… or they just don’t like me.
As if to emphasize the point, I hear Chica punch through a wall… right below us.
Move, Fluttershy, and do it quickly.
“What was that?”
A very angry chicken.I’ll explain later, but for now, we need to move and quickly and quietly.
“Where are you, Whimper? I’ll rip your face off before I throw you to Springtrap!”
And, yep, she’s still pissed.
“What’s your name?”
As much as I hate it, Mangle was pretty spot on. Call me Whimper, Fluttershy, because I’m scared and I want to leave this place and I don’t know how to get out.
“Okay, Whimper. That’s a funny name.”
Oh, Fluttershy… only in the face of mortal danger can you laugh at something like that. As much as I don’t understand why you’re here, I’m glad for it. But now my problems are two-fold: I need to escape from this cursed place and get her back to Ponyville. First thing, I think I can pull off. Second? Haven’t the first idea.
The next two minutes are the most harrowing of this entire time here; don’t know who it was, but one of them got into the vent system further back from where we were and started banging back and forth on the walls. I’d factor Mangle for it given her flexibility and size. The noise was unbearable, both me and Fluttershy whining with each painful metallic CLANG from the animatronic looking to end me and stuff me in a metal suit, Or maybe they wouldn’t even do that now… maybe Chica would just break me in half.
Fluttershy comes up short as she looks down through a grate where there appears to be a lot of light.
“I think I found an exit.”
Nowhere in this place should be this well lit. Something’s wrong. Fluttershy, walk over it, I need to see where we’re going into.
“Okay.”
I look down through the air vent’s grate, spotting what looks like a larger room. Could be one of the party rooms. We need to get out of this vent.
“Alright. Be careful, Whimper.”
That’s the first time this name has been used in any manner of care or concern. This is going to make noise no matter what I do…
The grate clatters onto the floor and I look down and around. The doors are closed and I exhale a huge sigh of relief.
“What are you doing in there?”
Well, they’re not… leaping on me to attack and kill me, so it’s a good start.
“What do you see?”
I think… it’s the not angry chicken, I answer Fluttershy.
“I should go get my big sis; you don’t belong up…”
No, Chica… please, just… we need to get down. And we need to talk.
“We?”
Oh… I have a friend. It’s not Night Guard, it’s… a pony.
“A pony? Up in there?” Her eyes swivel to the ceiling as I lower myself into the room, landing with a thud. Fluttershy pokes her head out a second later.
The vent shook as Chica slammed into it. I really made her mad. Scampering around with this… hell, I’m no doctor, but it really hurts… arm of mine in this vent isn’t precisely quiet, or subtle.
God, it really stinks in here. They haven’t cleaned in here in a while. I should write the BBB about them and possibly the CDC. Who the hell knows what’s up in here.
Okay, assess the situation: I’ve got no phone, no flashlight, and no real idea where I’m going. I can barely see more than 3 feet in front of me.
What is the hardest to admit is that Chica is right: I won’t be able to hide forever. I’ll need to get some water, use the bathroom, and, I dunno, get the hell out of this damn place?
Just… gotta move, crawl if I need to. This duct needs to have some sort of exhaust port.
“Freddy! Bonnie! Get up. It’s hunting time!”
Well, fuck.
“What’s going on, Chica?”
“We’ve got a tourist. And he’s a smart-ass.”
“Don’t pull my paw, Chica… I was in the middle of a delightful nap.”
She really has a thing for punching walls. Funny that I think if she put her skills to good use, she could get a job working for a construction company doing demolition.
“You’re serious.”
“No, Freddy, I’m just joking around with you. What do you think?”
“That’s enough, Chica. What’s going on, you’re not acting normally–even for when the Night Guard is milling about.”
“I want to mount his head on a wall, or in a suit. Maybe we could wake up Mister Stinky and send him out on the prowl.”
“Dammit, Chica… where did you see him last?”
“The fucker climbed into a vent. He’s probably still hiding in there!”
Not sure which one it was, but I heard a loud gasp.
“Then, I guess… it’s time to walk around and see if we can find him. But, and I mean this, Chica: we do not involve Springtrap!”
“Bonnie, I want to hurt him. A LOT.”
How did my life get to this point? Seriously! I’m in an air vent in a spooky pizzeria with some unusual lore, now being chasedby these things. And they want to kill me.
What kind of job pays you enough to put up with this place and stay sane? If this place doesn’t drop at least $18 an hour, you couldn’t get me to work here in a million years.
“Oh. Hello. What are you doing here?”
Please don’t be the rabbit please don’t be the rabbit please don’t be the rabbit
No. Freaking. Way.
Okay… this just went from creepy to Level 8 “What-The-Fuck.”
Why is Fluttershy in the air duct?
Check out @Not3Worthy’s Tweet: *whining intensifies*
Chica was legitimately the scariest thing I’ve seen since getting in here. Mangle? She was sorta threatening, but more teasing.
My arm’s hurt, likely broken. I don’t need it to run, and that’s what I’m doing now.
Curse my lack of knowledge of this place! I wish I had just had more than one night of experience in here…
“Get back here, Whimper! I’m going to snap every bone in your body and then stuff you inside a suit!”
No. Not going to happen. I need to hide, hide somewhere. Check the doors… can’t read it, going to just have to open this one up… bingo!
I shuffle around the corner and press myself against the wall, and do the best I can to completely calm down my breathing.
There’s the sound of a wall being smashed in, and then an unearthly sound of a malfunctioning animatronic chicken screeching in frustration.
“Rotten stinking Night Guard wannabes… coming in here and raising all this ruckus. It’s bad enough that I’ve sworn that I’m going to keep that psycho rabbit in the back stowed away until tomorrow…”
She’s… right outside… the door.
“You can come out already. We’re going to find you eventually. And you aren’t going to like it when we do…”
I hold my breath, trying not to make a sound.
“I know this place like the back of my wing. There’s only so many places to hide in here. After so long, they’re going to run out.”
I can hear her take a step, moving away from me. I can’t imagine what her hearing is like, so much as a whimper or an exhale and she’ll find me.
“I wasn’t made to be fooled, Whimper. Now do yourself a favor and come out already.”
Dammit, my name isn’t Whimper.
“Whimper… what an annoying name. Maybe Mangle pegged you right to be a whimpering, annoying flesh-lump that needs a spine adjustment–permanently.”
It’s getting hard to hold my breath… she’s still really close. I then hear the sound of plaster and cracking from a nearby wall… but it’s still far enough away. Too late to take a breath, but… I have to.
*inhale*
“What… was that…?”
*exhale*
“I… heard… something.”
Oh, crap.
“Sounded like… aWhimper.”
Oh no, no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no…
“Right. In. HERE!”
Her arm smashed in through the wall to my right. I jump away from the wall and head to the far end of the room, now scrambling to find a way out…
There’s a vent. I kick it open as Chica stumbles into the room, nipping at my heels. Then I realize the utter stupidity of this plan. Even if I can dive into this quickly, all she needs to do is reach in and pull me back by my ankles… unless…
“Party time is OVER!”
I fling the vent cover right at her. It hits her with a loud metallic *CLANG* and fazes her for a second. She lets out an ear-piercing screech as I clamber and crawl through the vent, getting away from her as fast as I can.
“YOU CAN’T HIDE FOREVER, WHIMPER! WHEN I FIND YOU, YOU ARE DEAD!”
I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve… and maybe, just maybe, I can steal your home field advantage.
Note Worthy's Notes 