Tale of a Tainted Mandolin

Chapters

Survive the Night
Meet the Animatronics
Another Night, Another Song
A Pirate's Side of Things
The Last Slice
Programmed and Ready To Go
Reset to Zero
To Live Again
One Scare is Not Too Many

Survive the Night

“Okay, rookie. It’s time I showed you around the place.”

Mando smiled. He’d actually been looking forward to this job ever since he’d heard the news. Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza was in danger of closing down, ever since the missing foals’ case was classified as incomplete and the parents took matters into their own hooves. Now on the verge of closing for good, the once-popular restaurant was still seeking employees for the night shift.

Mando himself was interesting enough. He’d made himself a name with his musical hits all over Equestria. Ponies everywhere knew him and often came to him for advice for their own music, which Mando generously gave them. With his horse-fame and caring fans, Mando felt certain that his accepting the night shift at Freddy’s would help the restaurant stay open and motivate ponies to cracking the case themselves. Also, he was looking for a new experience and decided that guard duty would be the spice of his life.

His guide, a stallion named Marcolt Plier, was the day shift guard. Marcolt had been working at Freddy’s since before the foals went missing and some ponies said that he was around since the restaurant opened. Whether this was true or not, Mando found he liked the earth pony, handy with a pizza slicer and always alert for colts and fillies getting too near the animatronics.

The animatronics. Oh boy, Mando loved them. The restaurant’s mascot, Freddy Fazbear, had gone through several changes over the years, as did the others: Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, even the new additions such as Mangle and Balloon Boy. But Bonnie was, without a doubt, his favorite. The large blue anthropomorphic bunny had always appealed to Mando in ways the others never did. Even though Freddy and Chica were the ones who stuck out more, guitar-playing Bonnie was the animatronic Mando enjoyed seeing the most.

Marcolt led Mando through the Main Hall and into the next room, where the Show Stage was set up. Standing on top of the stage, looking ready for a concert, were Freddy, Chica and…. Bonnie. When Marcolt stopped in front of the animatronics, Mando made sure he was standing directly in front of the large blue robotic bunny. Marcolt didn’t fail to notice Mando’s staring up at Bonnie. “So you know your favorite, eh?” the day guard said with a smile.

Mando faltered and blushed. “Um, it’s not really like that. It’s just-“

“Don’t worry, Mando.” Marcolt stepped over to Bonnie and laid a hoof on the animatronic’s large rabbit foot. “It’s just interesting you picked Bonnie as your favorite. Most of the fillies and colts prefer Freddy, Balloon Boy or Mangle, but Bonnie’s lacking the love she deserves.”

“She?” Mando inquired, surprised.

Marcolt nodded in confirmation. “At one point, Bonnie was male and his fur, his suit, was purple. But the designers decided he was too intimidating and went for a more foal-friendly face. Which included making Bonnie a girl. Besides, Bonnie’s more of a filly’s name, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Mando muttered. “I guess.” He stared up at Bonnie again and reached for the mandolin strapped across his back. He’d been through a lot of performances with this mandolin. It was his special instrument and had helped him discover his talent and earn his cutie mark. Nowadays, he carried it around with him everywhere and would hold it for comfort. Mando unslung the eight-stringed instrument and strummed a chord. The soft music emitting from the strings calmed his senses and he let out a peaceful sigh.

Marcolt glanced at the light-gold pony. “You really are MandoPony, the horse-famous musician?” he asked, still having a hard time believing it.

“It’s me alright,” Mando confirmed.

“Well,” Marcolt whistled, “we’d best get on with the staff tour. Can’t have you on guard duty if you don’t know the layout.”

Mando nodded and slung his mandolin back onto his back. He took one last look at Bonnie’s tall form, towering above them from the stage. For a second, he could’ve sworn he saw a shadow cross the cheerful-looking rabbit face, almost like a smile, but dismissed the silly thought. See you soon, Bonnie, he said to himself.

After the Show Stage, Mando was showed Game Area where Balloon Boy offered balloons, the Kid’s Cove where Mangle lay ready for another night, and the Prize Corner where various toys sat on shelves beside a large wrapped gift box. When Mando asked Marcolt what was in it, the light-brown earth pony merely chuckled and said, “What do you think would be inside a gift box?”

Mando laughed along with him, but couldn’t help but feel a strange vibe coming off the box as they left the room. From the Main Hall they checked out the Parts and Service Room, where the old Foxy animatronic lay surrounded by spare metals bits and suits for the animatronics. He was showed the four Party Rooms, each one set up for tomorrow with tables covered in party hats and, finally, the Office where he would be spending his shift.

“The system is pretty simple,” Marcolt explained. “The robots are switched to a free-range mode during the night so that their servos don’t get stuck. They’ll be wandering the halls, sort of like watchmen, just like they do when entertaining ponies that come and visit. There’s a monitor on the desk that you can use to check any of the twelve cameras in the restaurant. All you gotta do is to keep an eye on them in case they have any trouble. You’ve got a flashlight so you could light up the rooms to see better,” he gestured to the large opening through which they entered the Office, “and the fan should keep you nice and cool. So, are you ready for your first night at Freddy’s?”

Sitting in the chair with his mandolin in front of him, Mando felt confident. He’d taken his share of licks but was in no way worried about the night ahead of him. He intended to spend the six hours watching the monitor and working on his new song at the same time. It was perfect.

“I’m set.”

Marcolt held up a security cap, flashlight and badge and offered them to Mando. “Welcome to Freddy Fazbear’s,” he said formally. He picked up a set of saddlebags and walked towards the Main Hall. “I’ll see you in the morning. Good luck.”

“Thanks!” Mando called as the earth pony trotted out. He quickly glanced at the monitor, looked through Cam 7 and found Marcolt waving at him encouragingly before stepping out the door.

Mando put down the monitor, leaned back and smiled. “This is gonna be great,” he said. He checked the clock. 11:50 PM. He had some time to kill before he’d get down to business.

Mando donned the security guard cap and placed the badge on his chest just as the clock struck midnight. This was when it all started; His first night as a guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. In his mind, Mando saw the missing ponies found, the criminals behind the foalnapping arrested, and the restaurant returning to its formal glory.

With his mandolin in his hooves, Mando looked around the Office. It was spacious and there were two large holes in the walls near the floor on either side. Air vents, Mando realized. But shouldn’t they be covered with grills to keep the foals out?

While he contemplated this, Mando noticed a phone sitting on the desk. He didn’t understand why he hadn’t seen it before, but it was there. It was a pretty average phone, with a basic recording system in it, and was probably for taking pizza orders. Mando was just about to strum his mandolin when the phone suddenly rang.

Who in Equestria could be calling at this hour? Mando wondered as the ringing continued. But before he could answer it, the phone beeped and a voice emitted from its speakers.

“Hello? Hello, Hello? Uh, hey there. If you’re listening to this, you’re probably the new night guard at the pizzeria. I figured sometime after my fifth night that you’d want some insight on the workings, Marcolt knows less about the place then he thinks.”

Mando frowned. Who is this guy?

“Oh wait. I’m rambling now. Right, back to business. Welcome to Freddy Fazbear’s, the best pizza joint in all of Equestria. Now I know you’ve probably heard all kinds of things about the restaurant, but let me tell you now: forget anything ponies have been complaining about and pay close attention to what I’m about to say.”

That’s the whole reason I’m here, Mando thought suspiciously.

“Okay. So you probably know how the animatronics are allowed to wander about at night? Well, this may sound ridiculous, but that wasn’t exactly the best idea ever. The robots have some facial recognition programmed into them, good for dealing with burglars, but it’s not fail-proof. That being said, if they see somepony while on their roaming mode, they’ll think he’s a bare exoskeleton and try to stuff him into a suit. All this wouldn’t be so bad if the suits didn’t already have metal bits and wires inside them already, so if you got shoved into one of those, you’d die.”

Die? Mando gulped and gripped his mandolin. Does this guy seriously mean that?

“But don’t panic. Like Marcolt probably told you, you’ve got your monitor and your flashlight to watch the animatronics with, keep an eye on them and if they come near the office, just put on that Freddy Fazbear head under the desk. Pull it out right now.”

Mando bent over and looked under the desk. Hidden beneath it was a helmet-like mask, a lot like Freddy’s. Mando picked it up and looked it all over. It smelt faintly of another pony, most likely the stallion on the recording.

“The characters don’t seem to like this old Freddy head too much. Heh, I don’t blame them. Freddy wasn’t always the friendly bear he is today. Yeah, so the animatronics will sometimes crawl through the air vents. These connect the Office to Party Rooms 1 and 2. I’m still not sure why they do that. Maybe they don’t like sharing the hallway or, like youngsters, enjoy having a bit of fun crawling through tunnel-like places….. Uh? Oh, yeah. Remember that gift box in the Prize Corner? There’s a music box in there which you can wind up through your monitor. Wind it up from time to time. Why?.... Eh, just trust me."

I was kind of hoping he’d tell me what was in it, Mando said to himself.

“Okay, to sum up: watch the robots, wind the music box, don’t go wasting your flashlight battery, and keep the head with you at all times. Also, it might help you if you had some kind of, I dunno, comfort item of sorts, like a security blanket, just so you don’t go losing your nerves at bad times. Right, guess I should wish you good luck now. Have a good watch!”

The machine clicked off. Mando felt a bit nervous now. He knew the animatronics were allowed to walk around, but he never would have imagined that they would stuff ponies into the suits! How did this other guy know? He hadn’t given his name so Mando decided to call him Phone Colt .So, Mando thought, Phone Colt left me this message on the answering machine. The only way he could’ve done that is if he broke in or he already had access to the Office. I’ll continue as though it were the latter. So Phone Colt works at Freddy Fazbear’s, maybe as a security guard. I’ll have to ask Marcolt.

Mando stopped his train of thought as a faint bump echoed outside in the hallway. Remembering the cameras, Mando switched on the monitor and checked the Main Hall. Nothing was there. He switched to the Parts and Service Room. Maybe Foxy fell over. But when he looked through the camera, Foxy was still there, slumped over as if asleep. Mando checked the Game Area and the Kid’s Cove, but Balloon Boy and Mangle were still there, just as they were left when the pizzeria shut down for the night. To finish off, Mando checked CAM 09, the Show Stage. To his relief, Freddy, Chica and Bonnie still stood there, exactly how they……

“What in Equestria?!” Mando couldn’t stop himself shouting, his voice bouncing off the walls and down the empty hallway. He had taken one look at the animatronics on the stage and came to a startling realization: they had moved.

Instead of looking out at the room, their bright eyes were pointing directly at the camera, staring at Mando. Their eyes were bright, no longer dull and lifeless and the suits looked like real fur. Mando wouldn’t have believed what he was seeing if he’d trusted his eyes more than his musician’s ears.

Keep it cool Mando, he convinced himself. You’re just seeing things. They didn’t move. That’s the same position they were in before. To calm his nerves, he strummed his mandolin, causing a soft chord to echo across the restaurant. He checked out CAM 12, the Kid’s Cove, and found Mangle on the floor, looking…. mangled.

I wonder what it must be like to get taken apart and put back who-knows-how at another pony’s whim. Mando flicked the monitor to look at Balloon Boy. The short, husky animatronic still held his balloon and sign, still as a statue. BB has to be the weirdest-looking animatronic of all, Mando thought. What is he even? Never having given it much thought before, Mando declined giving it any at all now. To finish off, Mando took another peek at the Show Stage. Great, Freddy’s still here. Chica’s still standing and... Mando’s eyes grew wide with fear.

Bonnie was not on the stage.

Okay, okay, don't freak out. Mando remembered how the animatronics were on a free-roaming mode, so obviously they’d move. Ignoring the sweat sliding down his face, Mando quickly checked the Main Hall camera and found Bonnie standing in the dim light. The blue animatronic looked odd standing alone in the corridor and it wasn’t moving anymore, but her furry suit looked more realistic and her green eyes were locked on the camera as though Bonnie was looking up at Mando through the lens.

Dismissing the movement as an every-night-occurrence, Mando flicked off the monitor and turned his attention to his mandolin. He strummed the instrument and its chords echoed down the hall and all through the restaurant. The rebounding sound comforted Mando.

Wish I had more time for this, he thought sadly, tapping his mandolin rhythmically, but I’ve got a job to do. Laying the mandolin in his lap, he picked up the monitor and checked the Show Stage. He almost dropped the monitor in fright.

The stage was empty.

His heart in his stomach, Mando quickly flicked through all the cameras, finding Mangle, Foxy and Balloon Boy where they were left earlier. While that relieved him, discovering Freddy at the back of the Game Corner was the new surprise of the night.

So now they’re all moving about, Mando realized. He’d have to pay a little more attention to the animatronics now. He found Chica standing in front of the Main Hall camera, shocked that she’d somehow, somewhy removed her beak and eyes and now looked rather menacing. But the biggest surprise he got was finding Bonnie inside Party Room 2 or, to be more precise, her position and her expression. Bonnie was hunkered down beside the open air vent. Her mouth was a grim line and her brows were furrowed as though she were thinking. It was definitely off.

Okay, she’s probably going to enter the vent, Mando figured, putting down the monitor and looking down the hall to check for the other animatronics. He heard a banging sound coming from his right and picked up the monitor again, checking the camera in the Right Air Vent. Switching on the flashlight inside the vent, Mando got a brilliantly graphic image of Bonnie crawling through the air vent, her face betraying an intelligence she didn’t have.

She’ll be in here soon! Mando realized that he’d have a hard time keeping an eye on the monitor while wearing the Freddy head, so he flipped on the monitor and checked on the other animatronics. Chica had ducked into Party Room 4, looking quite pleased with herself. Freddy was sitting on the edge of the stage, posed as though he was adjusting his microphone. Mangle had finally moved, hanging herself like a spider over the huge gift box in the Prize Corner. Balloon Boy had moved over to the carousel, still smiling and still chubby. Finding Foxy still and prostrate as he had been all night, Mando decided that the reddish-brown canine animatronic wasn’t going anywhere any time soon and he wouldn’t have to check on him, tonight at any rate.

That’s all of them. Now for the Freddy head. Mando picked up the bear head-shaped mask and pulled it down over his own head. His vision was slightly diminished, but he hoped it would keep him safe. He slowly turned his head so that he could see the vent and almost screamed when he saw Bonnie staring out at him.

Bonnie slowly pulled herself out of the Right Air Vent but stopped when she was halfway out and stared at Mando. The pony could only imagine what was going on inside the robot’s mechanical mind. Hopefully, Phone Colt was right about the animatronics not liking the Freddy mask.

After what felt like an eternity, Bonnie blinked her synthetic eyelids and pushed herself back through the vent. When her banging had died down, Mando flipped the mask of his head and inhaled deeply. “That was kind of unpleasant,” he said aloud, getting the thought out. He checked the monitor for the animatronics. Bonnie had zipped into Party Room 3 whereas Chica had ducked into Party Room 1, holding her cupcake aloft. Freddy had wandered into the Main Hall and Mangle was hanging out in the Parts and Service Room, but Balloon Boy was still beside the carousel. Still as a statue.

Why would he go back? Growing tired of being curious, Mando picked up his mandolin and strummed a few chords. Deciding he liked the notes, he started to sing.

Let’s try to make it right
Don’t want to start a fight
And we’re so sorry if we give you all a little fright
We’re not so scary if you see us in the daylight
You’ll be so happy just as long as you survive the night

The lyrics popped into his mind faster than he was used to. Mando was a bit surprised himself. He was a good musician and songs came to him at varying levels of easiness, but these words came really fast. He thought about the lyrics he’d sung and found that they betrayed his feelings, his fear of the animatronics smiling at him in the semi-darkness, walking around on their own, standing outside the Office like Chica.

While MandoPony was thinking these thoughts, he pointed his flashlight down the hall and switched it on, revealing the beakless yellow animatronic smiling eerily at him. Mando almost yelled when he saw Chica. He dropped the flashlight and grabbed the Freddy head, jamming it on his own.

But Chica closed her mouth and started to walk down the hall towards the Office, clearly not bothered by the mask. Mando started to panic and considered throwing the fan at the approaching animatronic, but his hoof instead fell on the flashlight. What the hay, I’ve got nothing better. Mando lifted the flashlight, accidentally brushing the button and the flashlight turned on, shining its bright beam on Chica.

Much to Mando’s surprise, Chica stopped and pulled back. She stared at the Freddy-faced earth pony in the Office, but the light was in her way. She took another step back, raised one animatronic eyebrow and disappeared into the darkness.

Mando sighed. “That was a close one,” he muttered. His eyes fell on the flashlight. I guess even robots can’t resist a bright glare. Maybe it’ll work on the others too. Mando picked up the monitor. Chica had returned to the Show Stage, joined by Freddy and Bonnie. It looked as though they were frozen in a conversation. Mangle had scrambled back to the Kid’s Cove, her odd parts twitching like cat ears. Balloon Boy and Foxy, as before, were right in their places. Why would they all go back to their spots? Mando wondered. Then he didn’t hear it.

The music box. He’d forgotten to wind it up.

His heart beating faster than a racehorse, Mando flicked the monitor to Cam 11 and found the large gift box wide open. He shined the flashlight into the corner, but the box was empty. Freddy, Chica and Bonnie were now looking down the Main Hall. Chica looked bemused and creakily put her beak back on. Freddy removed his hat and brushed it with his microphone, but Bonnie looked unimpressed. She looked towards the camera and Mando was sure she was looking straight at him, her expression remorseful.

What in the name of Celesta’s burning flank is going on?

MandoPony checked the camera in the Main Hall, trying to find whatever it was that the animatronics were so focused on. At first, all he could see was an empty hall, even when he turned on his flashlight. But at a second glance, a frightful figure appeared. Its black-and-white body was tall, towering even those of the animatronics. Mando couldn’t see its face as it was looking the other way, but he could see through the figure like an apparition.

Then the thing turned around. Automatically, Mando strummed a fearful tune.

A pale face, streaked with crimson tear paths, eyes black and empty. It was the face of misery, regret and revenge. This was more than the other animatronics. It was far too thin to have an endoskeleton. At first Mando thought it had strings holding it up because it reminded him of a puppet, but even in the dim hall he could see there was nothing. It only got worse when the puppet creature turned around and wafted down the hall.

“Buck,” Mando cursed, fear and anxiety growing every second. His mandolin sang in his hooves, the tune making the situation even more real than it already was. Then he heard a new sound coinciding with his own melody. It was a little music-box tune , the kind of which a pony might know from their foalhood.

“Where is that coming from?” The question hung in the air, never to be answered. Mando pulled on the Freddy mask and picked up the flashlight, shining its light down the hall to the Office. There was nothing there.

“Phew, that was close,” Mando sighed. But when he clicked off the flashlight, the circle of light was still down the hall. “What in Equestria?”

Mando peered down the hall through the eye-slits in the mask. A very faint form stood in the beam. It slowly became clearer, forming two stilt-like legs, a tall buttoned torso, long stringy arms, and a face like Tartarus.

His mandolin’s ringing had died down to a low strum, drowned out by the sound of the new music-box. Now Mando remembered where he’d seen the creature before. It was the beast that hid in crank-up boxes, playing cute tunes to relax young fillies and colts so that they never expect the horror from within. Except that horror was never bigger than their young legs, was all Mando could think.

The puppet stood in the frozen light, standing pretty firm for a stringy-looking monster. It closed its gaping mouth and looked at Mando with blank eyes. It raised a thin arm and gestured at Mando with its long fingers. The message was clear.

Come.

Oh, Faust no, Mando said to himself. This thing is not serious. But the puppet continued to wave its fingers at him, even taking a step closer. Mando could hear a faint voice echoing in his head.

Come……. Come……. Save me……. Save them…….Save us…….

What is that? Mando wondered. But then he heard another voice in his head, head. A deep, resounding voice with an angry but content drone.

YOU CAN’T.

The two voices, along with the trilling of the music-box, drowned out all clear thought form MandoPony’s head. With the noise in his head and ears and the puppet drawing nearer, he was surprised he was still alive and breathing, but even that might change soon. How he wished that he’d said goodbye properly to-

Ding ding ding dong. Bing bing bing bong.

A bell rang out through Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. All sound and activity stopped at once. The voices died down and the puppet vanished as the circle of light faded, bringing the darkness back. Mando was still, listening to the bell toll. He picked up the monitor and looked into the rooms. All the animatronics were back in their spots. Foxy was limp in the Parts and Service Room, Balloon Boy was still in the Game Area, Mangle lay in the Kid’s Cove, and Freddy, Chica and Bonnie stood on the Show Stage. The gift box was closed, the puppet no doubt inside it.

“What’s going on?” Mando got up from his chair. He glanced at the clock on the desk. 6:00. The night shift was over. Taking his mandolin off the desk, the earth pony trotted briskly down the hallway to the entrance. Early morning light streamed through the doors, lighting the pizzeria with Celestia’s rays.

“I did it,” Mando said aloud. “I survived the night.”

He sat down and pushed his back up against the wall. Marcolt Plier had given him the job of watching the pizzeria during the night and he did. Phone Colt’s message had helped Mando make it through the shift. The animatronics had spent the night walking around, doing who-knows-what while sometimes coming towards the Office. The voices Mando had heard were still clear in his head, but no longer blocked out his own thoughts.

“Mando! Hey MandoPony!”

A key clicked in the pizzeria doors and they swung open. Marcolt Plier stepped inside, followed by two other ponies. “Aw yeah!” one of the ponies cheered, shooting past Mando towards the kitchen. “Time for another day full of pizza!”

“Whoa, Cheese Pie.” the other pony said, trotting after the stallion. “Keep it down over there.”

Marcolt stopped in front of Mando and offered him a hoof-up. “Good morning, MandoPony.”

“Morning.” Mando clopped the floor. “Is it really morning? My shift past by so fast.”

“That’s what all the security guards say,” Marcolt explained. “Ever since the murder, time seems to stretch itself thin over the night shift.”

“So you admit that somepony from the restaurant doing the murder?”

Marcolt looked at MandoPony with a straight face. “I understand your interest and concern in the matter. But every pony on the staff has been questioned on everything, even me. Besides,” Marcolt added, looking toward the kitchen. Cheese Pie was throwing tubs of tomato sauce out of the fridge and the other pony, a unicorn mare named Truffles, was rolling out dough bases for the pizzas. “I trust everypony here. They’re like family to me.”

“I know that feeling,” Mando said, thinking of a certain pegasus mare.

“Anyways, you’d best go home and get some rest. I hope to see you again this evening for your second night.”

“Alright.” Mando slung his mandolin over his shoulder, straightened his guard cap and walked out the door.

“WAIT!”

Cheese Pie leapt over the kitchen counter, bearing a fresh piping-hot pizza. “First pizza of the day goes to the night guard,” he said proudly, offering the pizza to Mando.

Mando took the pizza from the Pegasus. It smelled great. “Thanks Cheese.”

“You’re very-berry-super-scary welcome!” Cheese chanted, turning tail and diving back into the kitchen.

What was all that about? Mando wondered. The words Cheese Pie used were surprisingly unsettling. He hoped that working at Freddy’s wouldn’t affect his sanity or his music skills. “Well, I’ll be off then Marcolt.”

“Okay MandoPony. See you tonight.”

Marcolt went back inside and Mando started his walk home. Before he turned the corner, he looked back at the restaurant where he’d spent the last six hours. It looked a lot more cheerful now with the lights on and ponies rushing busily around inside. The smell of baked pizzas contributed to the scene too. After a night of unsettling sights, the opened active pizzeria now seemed unreal.

Something very strange is going on at that restaurant, Mando said, rolling his shoulders. There’s things to learn and mysteries to solve. But right now, I’ve got a friend to see.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Author's Note

Thanks to my co-author Cyberspace for going over this before I published it

Meet the Animatronics

“Walking around independently?”

“Yeah.”

There were several things MandoPony loved in Equestria. One of them was, of course, performing, but another was his marefriend. Wildfire was a pegasus with an attitude that could rival that of Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts. Most kept their distance from her as she was known to barrel ponies aside like a charging buffalo, fire igniting in her wake. Because of this, Wildfire spent a lot of time on her own.

When Mando first saw her, his heart skipped a beat. Wildfire’s hot-headedness appealed to him, but he saw a beauty inside her that was missed by all. He followed Wildfire around, watching her for anything he could use to access her emotions and create a new one.

It was on one rainy afternoon when it happened. Wildfire was sheltering under a tree, by herself as usual, but this time she was crying. She knew she had a hard time controlling her temper, but the knowledge was still not easy to live with. It hurt to be alone and Wildfire was alone too much.

Then she heard Mando.

He had followed her to the tree and sat down on the other side of the trunk. He listened to Wildfire’s lamenting and her misery found its way into his heart and down to his mandolin-bearing hooves. The tune that emerged from Mando’s instrument was sad but encouraging, speaking of loneliness, hope and eventual happiness.

Surprised by the sudden beautiful music, Wildfire slowly circled the tree and found MandPony sitting there, strumming his mandolin and vocalizing in harmony. Words flowed from his mouth and Wildfire heard the story of her life, backed up by eight strings. At that moment, Wildfire knew she’d found a friend for life.

After several months of a happy relationship, Mando and Wildfire were now as close as two ponies could be. Mando would write his songs and perform and Wildfire would offer her drawing talents to any buyers. She was the pony who’d help design the animatronics at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and it was through Wildfire that Mando first heard of the pizzeria’s situation.

“The animatronics weren’t programmed with emotions,” Wildfire mused. “You’re saying that Bonnie’s expression changed?”

“Yes,” Mando said, about to mention the strange puppet creature that had appeared right at the end of his shift, but stopped himself. “Just before my shift was over, Freddy, Bonnie and Chica all gathered in front of the Show Stage, looking as though they were having a conversation.”

“Did you actually here them talking?” Wildfire asked.

“No. But around that time, I heard some weird voices, almost as though they were disagreeing over something.”

“What did they say?”

Mando leaned back and took a bite of pizza. “One of the voices, the softer of the two, it said thing like ‘come’, ‘save them’ and ‘save us’. And then the other one said, almost in reply, ‘you can’t’.” Mando shivered. “The second voice scared me.”

“It’s all right, Mando,” Wildfire said, scooting up next to him. “Being scared is perfectly normal. Although I must admit, all these things you’ve said about the animatronics is concerning.”

“Is there anything you can do about it?” Mando asked her.

Wildfire got up for another slice of pizza. “I’ll talk to the programmers and the other designers later,” she promised. “Maybe there’s a piece of code I’m not familiar with.”

“If you ask me, it’s more than just a piece of code.”

“Could be. I’ll have them check out the old animatronic versions of Freddy, Bonnie and Chica. Maybe something happened during the reprogramming.”

“Thanks, Wildfire.” Mando pulled the pegasus into a hug. Wildfire rested her head on the musician’s shoulder, returning the embrace. “You’re always there to help me out.”

“Wouldn’t be a good friend if I did anything but,” Wildfire chuckled. She whipped out another slice of pizza. “This is really good. It’s been a while since I had Freddy’s pizza.”

“Really?” Mando inquired.

Wildfire nodded. “Yeah, I think the last time was when the place first opened, when the restaurant commemorated me and the other designers for our work.” Wildfire rubbed her tummy. “Man, that was so long ago. I’d almost forgotten the taste of pizza. Freddy’s is the best.”

“Yeah,” Mando agreed, finishing his own slice. It really was good pizza. He got up from the couch and slung his mandolin over his shoulder. “Right, I’m gonna go get some sleep. I’ve got night shift this evening, my second one.”

“You go rest up,” Wildfire told him. She closed the pizza box. “I’ll save this for dinner; we can eat it before you leave.”

“Sounds great. See you later, Sabrina.”

Wildfire smiled at the use of her foalhood name. She trotted up to her coltfriend and gave him a kiss. “Goodnight, MandoPony.”

Beaming, Mando climbed the stairs to the bedroom, where he propped up his mandolin in the corner and collapsed on the bed. It was rough last night and he needed to get his strength back for the upcoming night.

“Welcome back, Mando,” Marcolt greeted upon his arrival. “Glad you’re back.”

Mando could only just agree. Over a dinner of leftover pizza, Wildfire had told him what she’d found out while he slept. No records of any strange behavior having been programmed into the animatronics were found and the other designers were flummoxed. When Mando heard this however, he wasn’t surprised. What the animatronics were doing last night wasn’t something that would be put into a foals’ entertainment system.

“Me too, Marcolt,” he replied, although he wasn’t feeling so glad.

“Your shift will start in a few minutes,” Marcolt reported. “I hope your second night goes as well as your first.”

Personally, I hope it’ll be better than last night, Mando said to himself, but he nodded. Marcolt trotted past the musician and left the pizzeria, the doors closing behind him. Then there was a surprisingly ominous click.

Mando started. He turned towards the door and jiggled the handles. Locked. The doors wouldn’t budge. He looked out through the glass but couldn’t see Marcolt anywhere, nor anypony else. “Well, not the most comforting thought, being locked up in a restaurant with mysterious animatronics,” Mando muttered. He looked down the hallway towards the Show Stage. “Let’s have a look at our hosts.”

He shouldered his mandolin, walked into the room and turned to face the three animatronics on the stage. Freddy in the middle holding his microphone, with Chica and Bonnie on either side of him. They towered above Mando but otherwise looked peaceful, Chica with her feminine features and Bonnie with a bored expression.

What’s going on inside of you? Mando wondered. He felt a chill and swung around. Balloon Boy was standing in the Game Area, smiling open-mouthed as he always did. Mando trotted towards the stumpy figure and eyed him carefully. And you. What’s your deal? You hung around in the Game Area all of last night while the others prowled about. Of course, Balloon Boy didn’t respond.

Mando walked past the Game Area and peered into the Kid’s Cove. Mangle lay sprawled on the floor, spare parts lying about on the floor. Mando recognized one loose part as her second head. He walked over and picked it up. “Those foals sure enjoy playing Frankenstallion on you, don’t they?” he said aloud. He took another look at the second head. Mangle didn’t look right without that piece. Mando stepped towards the robotic creation and, seeing the open spot on her shoulder, stuck the second head on and reattached the wires and springs.

The earth pony stepped back to admire his work. Yes, strange as it seems, Mangle did look better with two heads. Feeling content, Mando left Kid’s Cove and walked to the Prize Corner. He looked over the counter at the big gift box and leapt over to it. Maybe that demon puppet goes to Tartarus every day. But no, when Mando flicked open the box, he found the puppet all folded up inside, the white-faced mask grinning upwards.

“Okay,” he muttered. “So maybe you’re not a demon from Tartarus.” Mando closed the box, shrugged and made his way to the Office, stopping only to peek into the Parts and Service Room, where Foxy still lay slumped against the wall.

Now, that animatronic is an enigma. I almost hope he does move tonight. Mando galloped down the hall and into the Office, taking his seat just as the clock struck midnight.

“All right, then. Night Two, here we go.”

Another Night, Another Song

"You're... a musician?"

Mando raised his head from his crouched position. Bonnie was looking at him with a surprised, almost amazed expression, which should most certainly have been impossible for the animatronic. The voice that issued from Bonnie wasn't the recorded lines she would recite during opening hours, but rather a tinny mare's voice as if spoken through old phoning equipment.

The question was so unexpected Mando momentarily forgot he was asked it. "Um... Yes?"

Bonnie's face split into a bright grin. "No, really? Awesome!"

The animatronic stood up, walked to the heavy Service door and pushed it open. "Hey gang!" she shouted into the Main Hall, her metallic voice bouncing off the walls. "That new security guard? He can play!"

The sound of heavy footsteps boomed from outside the Parts and Service Room. Mando was beginning to regret his answer when Bonnie turned around and offered him a hand. "Come on, new guy," she said excitedly. "The others'll want to meet you properly."

Mando cautiously stuck out a hoof and Bonnie promptly grabbed it, pulling the earth pony up and dragging him out the door into the Main Hall. She walked him down and into the Show Stage room, where several of the animatronics were standing about, tending to their business in an almost normal manner. Chica was tidying up the party hats and wrapped gift boxes in the Game Area, muttering to herself. Freddy was sitting on the edge of the stage, tapping his microphone against his robotic knee. Mangle was situated on the merry-go-round roof, spinning the whole thing from her perch.

When Mando and Bonnie entered the room, all mechanical eyes were on the stallion. "Everyone, this is our new night guard," Bonnie announced to them all.

Mando slowly raised a hoof and waved. "Uh... hi."

The animatronics stared at Mando, which was unsettling with their mostly blank expressions. They looked him over, noticing his mandolin laying across his back. The instrument seemed to intrigue them.

Chica leapt towards Mando with surprising speed and bent over him, hands on her knees. "Do you really play, new guy?" she asked, her mechanical voice young and energetic.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I do," Mando replied, a bit put off by Chica's nearness.

The animatronic's beak opened into a mechanical smile. "Sweet! This calls for a celebration!" Chica stood up and dashed out of the room. Soon, the clanging of metal pans could be heard down the hall.

"Wh-where'd she go?" Mando asked, directing his question at Bonnie.

"The kitchen. She's making pizza."

"Who for?"

"You, of course."

Mando glanced down the hall. He imagined the large yellow animatronic adding cheese and sauce to a pizza base alongside a dish-washing pony, somewhat enjoying the sight. Then he noticed Freddy getting up from the stage and walking towards him.

"So, you're our new security guard."

The animatronic bear's voice was much like Bonnie's, except male. His tone made Mando feel a bit disappointed: Freddy sounded like a bored stallion. All the same, he decided not to disappoint the pizzeria mascot, however strange it was.

"Yep, that's me. Freddy Fazbear night guard."

Freddy lowered himself onto one knee, looking Mando in the eye with his robotic sensors. "And what's your name, night guard?"

"MandoPony."

"MandoPony?" came a super-staticy voice from above. With a sound like clanking rods, Mangle slipped her head down from the ceiling and looked at Mando upside-down, her face a surprised white vixen mask. "The MandoPony? Horse famous musician of Equestria?"

"Yes," Mando replied confidently, finding that he was getting used to having his personal space invaded.

"Hoo, wow!" Mangle reeled herself back up and spun her head 360 degrees. "Wow wow wow. I almost can't believe it. MandoPony working at Freddy Fazbear's!"

The spidery animatronic proceeded to skitter back and forth across the ceiling in some sort of mechanical dance. Bonnie bent down beside Mando, her eyes wide. "I never would've guessed. I mean, I thought about it a bit on your first night, when you were playing that song."

"So you were listening to me play last night," Mando exclaimed, remembering how Bonnie seemed drawn to his music. She was an appreciator as well as a musician.

"Mhm. It was a big treat to hear the night guard playing music. A real pleasure." Bonnie sighed.

"It's certainly a change of style from our usual night guards," Freddy remarked with a little more interest in his voice than before. "Which brings me to my next question, Mr. MandoPony."

"Please, just call me Mando."

Freddy regarded him for a moment, then continued. "What got you interested in the night guard position here anyway?"

"Well, I'd heard about the pizzeria's reputation—"

"True, we had the best," Mangle interrupted.

"—and I wanted to find out about all these crazy rumors."

"Rumors?" Bonnie repeated. "What rumors?"

"The case of the missing foals." Chica walked back into the room, balancing a piping hot pizza in one hand and a rolled up a newspaper in the other. "I found this in the kitchen," she continued, handing the newspaper to Freddy and pointing at one article. She lowered the pizza onto the stage. "Come on, new guy. I got your pizza."

Mando walked over to the stage and examined the pizza the animatronic had.... had she made it herself? It was almost identical to the one Cheese Pie had given him at the end of his first shift, if not better. She had even sliced it. Mando sat down on the stage and slipped a piece out of the pizza. "Gee. Thanks, Chica."

"You're quite welcome."

Freddy's eyes literally scanned the indicated article. "'No less than five foals have gone missing around famous Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Employees suspected. Restaurant to close down.'" The animatronic ursa clenched his big fists. "This is outrageous! We may lose the pizzeria because of this. Who's the monster who did this?"

"Kidnap little ponies?" Bonnie exclaimed with disgust. "Must be a regular beast."

"An absolute animal," Mangle buzzed in agreement.

"A heartless creature," Chica concurred.

Mando looked back and forth between Freddy and the others, munching on his pizza abstractedly. Hearing them talk like that, he thought about how alive they seemed, how they acted like ordinary ponies. He could understand their quick judgement on the matter too: the fate of their restaurant was on the line. But he didn't have the whole picture and was still confused, mostly by the animtronics' sentience. Even in a world of magic, it was illogical.

"The missing foals are part of the reason I'm here," Mando spoke up. Immediately, all the animatronics gave him their undivided attention, but Mando didn't shy away. "To fill in the empty space of the night shift caused by the mystery, to help rebuild the pizzeria's reputation and solve the case."

Mangle lowered herself down to the floor and curled up like a snake. "We'd certainly appreciate that," she said. "This news of losing the pizzeria's kinda spooking me out."

"Never fear, Mangle," Bonnie said, gently clapping the back of her head. "Mando here will come through. I know he will."

Mando chuckled. "Heh. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Bonnie."

"Anything for my favorite musician." The blue animatronic sat down beside Mando, reached behind him and picked up her bright red guitar. She set the guitar over her knee, just like a real guitarist would. "I was wondering, though: could we maybe play a song together."

"What, you and me?" Mando inquired.

"Yeah. Mandolin and guitar. I.... I want to know what it sounds like."

Mando was silent as he handled his mandolin. He plucked the strings and did a spot of tuning, then began to play. The tune was nothing special, just a series of rapid strums. Bonnie watched Mando's moves intently, his ears turning up and down as though he were listening with them, like a real bunny.

Then Bonnie joined in, gently plucking the guitar strings individually in time with Mando's strumming. The sounds combined in perfect harmony as they echoed through the pizzeria as one complete melody. Freddy's eyes went wide. Chica put a wing against her yellow chest. Even Mangle's constant static stopped as she comprehended the music.

Mando was awed. These animatronics were amazing him more and more every minute. Bonnie showed a great musical ear, the likes of which took most musicians great lengths of time to develop. Her mechanical hands handled the guitar perfectly, not even slipping on the strings. And the sound. Oh, the sound. There was nothing MandoPony loved more than instruments being played in beautiful musical harmony.

They played the melody over and over for what seemed like half an hour. Occasionally, Mando stopped and took a bite of pizza while Bonnie played a solo. But, overall, Mando and Bonnie seemed to lose themselves in their music, rocking side to side with the rhythm. The horse-famous musician looked up at the animatronic and the two shared a smile.

All at once, Bonnie strummed all her strings loud and clear. Mando and the other animatronics all jumped, becoming alert. Freddy in particular was watching Bonnie cautiously, as though the blue bunny were a time bomb about to go off and he was trying to figure out the best way to disarm it. Mando, now fearful but curious, watched the blue animatronic strum her guitar and begin to sing.

Bonnie was singing the chorus of Mando's latest song, playing her guitar to supply the tune. Mando was very much surprised and impressed by the animatronic. He could almost see her as a backup vocalist. Oh well. No sense in letting her lead the song alone. Mando strummed alongside Bonnie's guitar and repeated the chorus.

Mangle and Chica's jaws fell open, revealing their endoskeleton teeth. Freddy's eyebrows flew up, making him look unnaturally surprised. But Mando and Bonnie were submerged now, strumming away at their frets in unison. Bonnie's face bore determination as she sung the first verse.

Hey there, how ya doin’, nice to meet ya, are ya new in town
Don’t think I’ve seen you befo-ore, it’s great to see new faces around
And if you’d like it, I can give a tour
Of our enchanting wonderland, new and improved without the doors

For the first time in his musical career, Mando didn't have to think of the lyrics. They spilled out of his mouth like water from a spring, and Bonnie was quick to improvise along with him.

There's no escape, but then, who would want to leave?
It's a fantastical paradise, and it's not make-believe
I'm so glad to have another member of the band
You're one of us now, so let me take you by the hand

They gave their strings one final strum. The powerful chords seemed to reverberate throughout the room far more than the rest of the melody. Bonnie and Mando bent low over their instruments, slowly raising their eyes to meet the surprised gaping gazes of the other animatronics. Even Freddy was speechless.

Bonnie's eyes turned and looked sideways at the earth pony. She gave a coy smile "I'm out of ideas."

"Ummm...." Mando exclaimed blandly.

"Woohoo!

A wild foalish cheer scared the pizza toppings out of Mando. A small figure popped out from behind Bonnie: Balloon Boy, leaning against his sign like a walking stick. "WOW, you guys are awesome! Oh, that music, it was music to my ears!"

"Uh, BB," Chica interrupted. "You don't have ears."

Balloon Boy looked up blankly at the animatronic fowl. His face broke into a silly grin. "None of us do, Chica! That isn't stopping Bonnie here from playing music, is it?"

"No," Bonnie said, looking at MandoPony. "It certainly isn't."

Mando put a hoof on the bunny's knee. "That was amazing, Bonnie. You're a natural at this."

Bonnie smiled. "Thanks. It makes sense that I like music, both listening to and playing it. That's what I was programmed to do here at the pizzeria."

"I was told you got some addition to your programming," Mando continued before remembering Phone Colt's warning about it, especially the stuffing-into-a-suit part. "Some kind of facial recognition program to help the restaurant."

"Ohhh," the animatronics all exclaimed as one.

"Yeah!" Balloon Boy piped up, siting down on the edge of the stage. "We got that little bit in our heads so we can help the security guard watch the place. Or... something like that."

"I dunno," Mangle muttered, bundled up on the floor beside Chica. "They added the program after the foalnapping as a precaution, hoping to avoid anymore bad publicity and incidents like that. Not sure why they thought we could help with it."

"We're strong," Bonnie replied thoughtfully. "Probably stronger than almost any pony in Equestria. I bet, if it came down to it, we could take on any ponynapper what steps hoof through those doors!"

Mando couldn't help but think of a spunky filly when he heard Bonnie talk. She sounded so much like a tomcolt right then. His questions were now mostly answered, but there was still one thing that bothered Mando: how the animatronics acted so.... alive. "What are your original programs exactly?"

"A security guard should know," Freddy commented. "We're all for entertainment purposes: Chica, Bonnie and I are performers; BB hands out balloons; and Mangle's for the fillies and colts to try building their own animatronic." His eyes sparked, as though from amusement. "As if a little pony foal could make something like that."

"Yeah. Something like that..."

"Freddy pretty much said it all, Mando," Bonnie asserted, long multi-jointed fingers still resting on her guitar. "We're all programmed for entertainment here. We're the representatives of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. We're essential to the place. That's why..." Her ears drooped. "That's why we can't afford to let the place close down."

"We'd be out of a job," Chica exclaimed, her beak barely moving as she spoke. "Best case scenario, we'd be taken in by some other company, maybe modified. Worst case...." The yellow animatronic didn't finish.

"We'd be scrapped." Freddy's mouth hung open, yet the words came out as deep, grim and tinny as ever. "Dumped, thrown out, forgotten. Freddy Fazbear and friends would be no more."

Mando screwed his eyes closed and shook his head. "No. No, I won't let this happen!" He turned to Bonnie, his face a mask of stubborn determination. "I'll do everything I can to prove the innocence of the pizzeria. I'll find the missing foals and save you."

Bonnie seemed frozen, just staring at the floor. Then her green eyes tilted toward Mando. "We'd appreciate that... so... much." She spoke slowly, as if something were hindering her. "We only.... wish that...."

All at once, a deadly silence filled the room. Mando didn't notice it at first, but then it dawned on him just how quiet it was. Then he realized that none of the animatronics were moving and not a sound came from them. Even Mangle's static had disappeared. Chica, Freddy and Balloon Boy all stood about, frozen in place. Mangle lay in a heap, her head bent to one side. Bonnie was sitting beside Mando on the stage, her eyes unmoving as they held that last gaze with the earth pony.

"Bonnie? Bonnie!" Mando waved his hoof in front of her, but the mechanical lagomorph didn't respond.

"No. No, no, no no no." He went all around the room, trying numerous methods of making the animatronics move: prodding, talking, singing, hitting. At one point, Mando even considered opening them up to see if it was something in their circuitry that went wrong, but he rejected this idea quickly. He had no talent for such things.

Finally, exhausted from his attempts, Mando slumped against the stage. The last slice of his pizza looked like it had been sitting there for years, not recently served by an animatronic chicken who had just stopped moving. Mando felt trapped in a situation he couldn't escape. All he had with him now were questions.

What happened to them?.....

What will Marcolt and the others say?...

Have I doomed Freddy Fazbear's already?....

What happened to those poor foals?.......

Skrrrrtch

Mando's blood chilled when he heard the sound. It was the very one that, just earlier, had announced the approach of what was likely the most dangerous machine in the pizzeria, other than the oven. The musician peered down the hall, squinting into the darkness, and saw the heavy door of the Parts and Service room ajar. A curved piece of metal jutted out from behind it.

Foxy. Mando tried to control himself, barely managing to stop shaking. Foxy had given him such a scare earlier that just the thought of the animatronic fox got him shaking in his horseshoes. Great. The last thing I need is Captain TearApart to come charging in here when the others are all frozen.

The hook behind the door made a beckoning gesture before receding into the room. Mando's eyes bugged. Is he serious?! Is he asking me to go there, into the Parts and Service room with him?

MandoPony was just about to make a Pinkie Promise NOT to do that when he heard a tinkling tune. He turned his head toward the Prize Corner, where the melody was coming from. The large crank on the side of the wrapped gift box was turning in time with the music. Mando's heartbeat increased and seemed to be in time with the clicking part of the music box tune.

That sound... From last night.... Mando stared at the gift box. Suddenly, the lid creaked open. Within the dark interior of the gift box, two white pinpoints gazed hauntingly at the earth pony.

Mando paled. In a flash, he scooped up his mandolin and zoomed into the Main Hall. When he got to the Parts and Service door, he looked back at the Prize Corner. The lid of the gift box had completely opened, and a tall thin figure stood in its shadow, the music in the background fitting eerily.

Anything is better than that puppet, Mando decided, sweat sliding down his face. He turned back to the metal door and gingerly swung it open. Inside, he could see Foxy, standing with his back to him, but there was no doubt in Mando's mind that the animatronic knew he was there. He shot one last look into the room at the end of the Hall, where the puppet seemed to be climbing out of the box. Mando quickly slipped into the Parts and Service room and closed the door.

"Arr, matey. Ye made the right decision."

Author's Note

There. After weeks of work and one final push of effort, it's done.
Hope you all enjoy it. See you next chapter.

A Pirate's Side of Things

Mando tried to keep his breathing controlled. When Foxy turned around to face him, the musician had to clench his mandolin for comfort. Foxy was a different make of animatronic than the others, consisting of an endoskeleton covered in a torn animal suit and tattered clothes. Looking at the beaten animatronic made Mando skitterish, especially after Foxy jumped him earlier that night.

“I can understand yer fear, matey,” Foxy said, his voice tinny and his accent somewhat piratey. “I am not an easy one to look upon. That’s why I spend my days here, in the back room of Freddy Fazbear’s.”

Foxy walked around the table in the room, tracing his hook along the dusty surface. “It weren’t always like this, MandoPony. Things used to be better for us all, animatronics and ponies alike.”

Mando was confused. What was Foxy talking about? He decided to pursue. “Wh-why did you call me in for, Foxy?” he asked, trying to keep a calm voice.

The animatronic lifted his eyepatch, revealing an empty eyehole. Despite it bearing no resemblance to the full sensory orb on the other side of Foxy’s face, Mando felt as though something were still staring out through that black socket. “To give ye the truth, as you deserve.”

“Truth? Do you mean the missing foals? You know what happened to them?”

Foxy made a buzzing noise, like a sigh. “I know only so much of that. I was always inspired by ponies who stood for what was right, even though I myself was portrayed as a criminal.” He gave a robotic grin, revealing two sets of teeth.

“Heh heh, yeah,” Mando agreed nervously.

“You ponies. You’re all so different. For some of you, accepting the ways things are is easy. Yet for others it’s like trying to move after your servos freeze up.”

“Servos freezing up?” Mando slammed his hoof against his forehead. “That’s what happened to Bonnie and the others! They were all standing around for so long while we talked and played, they stopped wandering and all their joints stuck.”

“You got all the facts straight, Mando.” Foxy stopped beside a shelf holding extra animatronic heads. “We can’t afford to sit still during the night hours. It costs Freddy’s Pizza valuable time. And the pizzeria can’t really to waste any time on problems like freezing servos with the missing foals’ business going on.”

Mando looked at Foxy curiously. He still felt the question was left unanswered. “Do you know what happened to them?”

Foxy slowly turned his head; his full-and-blank sockets gave Mando equal chilly feelings. “I truly wish I had the answer, MandoPony. I’m afraid I’ve been kept in the dark on the matter just as much as I am literally.” He spread his decapitated arms, gesturing to the dusty room.

“Oh.”

“Though, before we go anywhere else, I must sincerely apologize for the fright I caused ye earlier.”

He’s apologizing for almost gutting me? Truly puzzled now, Mando asked, “Why did you do it?”

“I… I'm really not sure.” The fox ran his hook over his chin. “It feels like an urge, y’know, something ya gotta do. I feel pained, like I was bein’ bothered and plagued, and I gotta just lash out.” He gestured menacingly at the walls. “I'm not sure why, though. It’s like some pony put it into me in bitterness.”

Very very strange, Mando decided. Mindbogglingly unheard of. “Well, if it makes you feel better, I forgive you.”

Foxy’s jawline curled upwards into an unmistakable smile. “Thanks, matey. It does indeed.” He held out his costume-stripped hand.

Mando reached out cautiously, almost pulling back at the last second but continued trustingly, putting his hoof in Foxy’s hand. The metal fingers closed over Mando’s hoof and shook it powerfully but gently. “So…. now that the past is water under the bridge, I have to ask you something, Foxy.”

“Anythin’, matey.”

“The old animatronics were all shipped away, all except you. Why are you still here?”

Foxy rapped his mechanical chest. “I be used as spare parts for the others, though it don’t happen very often.” He raised his hand, displaying a missing joint on one finger. “But, Mando, I be thinkin' there's somethin' more to it, and sometimes I think old Marcolt regrets the decision.”

“What decision?”

“To get rid of us old models. Word got around that the old Freddy Fazbear crew were scary and foals had trouble falling asleep after a pizza dinner, so a vote was put forth and the majority voted us out. Some time after that, Marcolt would come inta here durin’ opening hours and talk, pretending I was a conversation partner.”

“Yet all that time, you could hear and understand what he was saying,” Mando mused.

“Every word. Despite the rest of the company's decision, Marcolt managed to hold onta me. Says he convinced the other heads to lemme stay, so I could supply the new animatronics if needs be. But little time past since the sending away of the old models before Marcolt started tellin’ me how he disliked the new animatronics, how he felt weird chills around them.”

He seemed pretty happy about them when he introduced me to Bonnie and the others on my first night. Was it all a trick? Is it just their programming, or is Marcolt honestly unhappy with the new faces of the pizzeria?

While Mando worked through these thoughts, Foxy continued to pace the room. “Bonnie and the gang need to be fixed. But few know how to rework their servos back into gear, and none of them are around.”

“The programmers and the designers.”

“That be right. If’n ya don’t get em fixed before yer shift is over, ye could be blamed for the frozen servos and, frankly, we can’t have any o’ that.”

Mando leaned against the table, the weight of the situation coming down on him. “What do we do, Foxy? Neither of us knows how to rework the servos and that puppet thing is in the pizzeria.”

Foxy’s eye whirled in its socket, opening as wide as the metal pieces would allow. “Did you say ‘puppet’?”

“Er, yes.”

In a stunning gear switch, Foxy turned sharply, caught Mando with an outstretched arm and wheeled him to the door. Slowly, he pushed it open and the both of them peered out. Mando could hardly believe what his eyes were seeing.

The animatronics were all there, standing stiff and unmoving as before. But among them drifted the puppet, prying its six long fingers into their joints and wiggling them. Its mask of a face remained the same open-mouthed empty-eyed beam as before, yet the towering being gave off an aura of melancholy as though it felt horrible about its actions.

“What’s it doing?” Mando whispered to Foxy, keeping his voice as low as he felt necessary.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

No. Mando looked back at the puppet, trying to glean some understanding. Then it hit him. It’s fixing their servos! Somehow, the puppet knows what to do to make them work again!

This proved to be more than true, for as the puppet retracted its fingers from Chica’s shoulders, the yellow animatronic began to twitch. The others soon followed suit, flexing their fingers and blinking their eyes like foals in the morning.

Amazing.

Its work done, the puppet stepped back toward the Prize Corner, slowly raising its blank gaze until Mando and Foxy were in its sight. In one swift motion, the puppet swept up over the counter and into the gift box, the lid closing behind it.

“Hey, wait!” All fear of the unstrung marionette deserting him, Mando galloped down the hall and passed the waking animatronics. He knocked on the side of the gift box and called out, “Puppet, are you in there?”

No answer came, just the gentle tinkling sound of the music box. Mando stood up and flipped the lid. The puppet lay inside, all folded up with the mask on top. It didn’t take a genius to know that there was no point in pursuing it now.

“Thank you,” Mando said. The black and white outfit just sat there. As it should.

“Hey, Mando.”

The musician turned around to a welcoming sight. Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Mangle and Balloon Boy were all standing up, making careful motions like a pony with a broken limb testing his movement. Mando felt a strange feeling well up inside him, one he never thought he’d have toward machines.

But they’re so much more than just machines. And I’m going to find out why.

“Man, being frozen is the worst,” Chica piped up, stretching her arms behind her back. “I can’t even remember the last time it happened to us.”

“Just goes to show how little you pay attention when you’re having fun,” Mangle retorted. “Most fun we’ve had in weeks, I gotta say.”

“Too right.” Noticing the highly emotional look on Mando's face, Bonnie walked with him back to the stage. “We don’t blame you for anything that happened tonight, Mando. Keep that in mind and don’t go beating yourself up about it later.”

Mando wiped a hoof under his eyes. “Are you sure?” he asked. “It really is my fault you guys weren’t wandering as you should have.”

“Everyone needs a break from the norm,” Freddy declared. “Even us. We’re grateful for what you gave us tonight, MandoPony. You reminded us of the reason we enjoy what we do, the reason we follow our program.”

Balloon Boy leapt up with surprising agility and hung onto Freddy’s shoulders. “Heh, you say that as though we’ve got a choice on the matter. We barely have any say in this. Only Foxy has any real moves under his belt.”

“Arr, who be sayin’ me name now?”

Everyone in the room turned to the Main Hall entrance where stood Foxy, his arms crossed and his mechanical expression smug. “The only thing under me belt is fur and metal.”

“Never any offense meant, Foxy,” BB promised, bouncing his balloon in front of the pirate animatronic. “Just respect for the exotic.”

Foxy buzzed. “Hardly exotic, little matey,” he replied, patting Balloon Boy’s propeller hat-covered head. “Someone has to make sure the restaurant retains its former glory as much as possible. Though I daresay, each and every one of us knows what makes up the face of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.”

“Music.”

“Animatronic technology.”

“The best pizza in Equestria.”

“New blood.”

“Arcade games?”

“Parties!”

Mando listened to the animatronics call out the things that made Freddy Fazbear’s what it was, the things that made it special. He felt immensly proud to be witnessing it all happen. They really are more than just machines. It's like they're living creatures with personalities and souls. Oh, how I wish I knew why it's all so.

Freddy looked up at the clock on the wall. “Six AM nears,” he interrupted. “We’d best get things back in place, including ourselves.”

The pony and the animatronics all nodded. Together they went to work, making sure the restaurant was just as it was when Mando came to work six hours ago. Shifted tables were pushed back, party hats were replaced and the cooking utensils were washed.

Foxy slipped back into the Parts and Service room. “I be seeing you soon, hopefully,” he said to Mando, inclining his head.

“Maybe tomorrow night, you won’t start things off with a scare.”

“Har har har!” Foxy let loose with a piratey laugh. “Oh, ye be a sharp one, MandoPony. A good friend to anypony who knows it.”

“If you say so.” Mando gave a modest smile.

“Have a great day, matey.”

Leaving Foxy to shut the door behind him, Mando made his way to the stage room just in time to see Mangle scurry back to Kid’s Cove. Balloon Boy took his place by the merry go-round. Freddy, Chica and Bonnie mounted the stage and took their places.

“Tonight has been a night to remember,” Bonnie sighed, kneeling down toward Mando. “Never in my short life has there been a night quite like this.”

Mando nodded. “It’s been a first for me too, Bon.

The mechanical bunny smiled, her plastic animalistic face sliding around to accommodate the curve. “We’ll see you real soon, Mando,” she said, holding his hooves in her large hands.

“Tonight, at twelve AM.”

“Yes.”

Freddy grunted. “Ten seconds to six, Bonnie. Come on up here.”

“Coming!” Bonnie gave MandoPony one last smile, then retrieved her guitar and climbed up beside Freddy. Chica gripped her cupcake and began to stop in place, as did the others all throughout the restaurant.

Ding ding ding dong. Bing bing bing bong.

The six o’clock bell went off and echoed through the pizzeria. Mando returned to the Office, grabbing his cap and badge. He picked up the monitor and checked the rooms, just as a joke, while he waited for Marcolt to come and open the place.

Doh, this is just silly, Mando chuckled to himself, as Foxy waved one last time from the dark Parts and Service room. There’s nopony else here besides me, and all the guys are cutting their jaunts. Why would I even—

IT'S ME

Mando’s smile vanished. He remembered that voice; that creepy, unnatural, deep and sinister voice. Quickly, Mando flipped through all the camera feeds, coming up with nothing but still animatronics going back into their day mode.

“There’s no one else here,” Mando said aloud, in an attempt to reassure himself. He invigorated himself with thoughts of Bonnie and Foxy and all the other mysterious and friendly animatronics. This calmed Mando down and brought a stern expression to his face. Something was going on and he didn’t like it.

“Where are you?”

THE GAME IS OVER

This time, the voice was more pronounced and clear. It was almost as though the speaker was standing right behind Mando. Mando turned around, just to be sure, and found himself facing an empty Office wall. “This is getting ridiculous,” he decided, grabbing his mandolin and getting up from the office chair. “I am definitely in need of some sl-AAHH!”

A grinning purple face, ringed in a yellowish-gold background, flashed in front of Mando as he stepped into the hall. In a single blink, the face had disappeared, but the sight of the deep violet shade, the huge unnerving grin and the eyes, those horrible seeing eyes, had left Mando shaking.

What the Faust?! Mando’s heart was running like an Appleoosan engine. The place where the head had appeared seemed like a dark vacuum after having hosted such an apparition. Tensely strumming his mandolin in a soothing manner, MandoPony checked the four Party Rooms in person, reasoning that whoever had made that frightful face had ducked into one of them, but as with most of the mysteries he’d been met with at Freddy’s, he found nothing.

For MandoPony, that was the last hay fry.

That’s it. No more tricks. Whatever game the voice was talking about, this game of the unknown is indeed over. I’m going to solve all the enigmas: I’m going to find the missing foals, figure out how the animatronics have personalities and mobility beyond their programming, find out what that Puppet really is and, above all else, I’m going to find you.

Standing at the far end of the office hall, Mando felt a great deal of pride in his decision. He always knew the general reason for his taking the Fazbear night shift, but that it had expanded to far more than his original understanding only encouraged him to increase his efforts. In that moment, he knew that he would solve the mysteries, no matter how arduous it proved to be.

Knock knock knock

Mando’s ears pricked at the latest sound on the Freddy Fazbear scene. He recognized them instantly as the front door. The jangling of keys soon followed. Well, my shift is over. He hurried to the restaurant entrance and peered through the doors, instantly recognizing Marcolt, the pegasus Cheese Pie and Truffles the unicorn.

“Morning, Mando!” Cheese greeted loudly as soon as Marcolt had opened the doors. The pizza pegasus wooshed passed Mando, making a beeline for the kitchen.

“And to you, Cheese!” he called after him.

Marcolt walked through the doorway. “Helloo, MandoPony,” he said in a loud, bellowing voice. “How went tonight’s shift?”

“Well….” Mando did a great deal of head-bobbing, trying his best to innocently look away from Marcolt and at Truffles, who was making her way to the show stage where she set about examining the animatronics. For a moment, he thought he saw Bonnie’s right eye turn to him and wink. Mando smiled in a discreet reply.

“Surprisingly pleasant, Marcolt. It felt like a lot longer than six hours, more so than last night’s shift even.”

“Time flies when you’re working at the scene of the crime,” Marcolt muttered, momentarily looking sullen. “I hope it was as you say, MandoPony. Faust knows how Freddy Fazbear’s needs pleasantries these days.”

Mando nodded and slowly walked into the next room. Marcolt followed him, almost curiously, and together they turned to face the Show Stage. Truffles was currently running a beam of magic over Chica’s still frame.

“These three are all working great, Marcolt,” she announced. “They followed their night settings perfectly.”

Marcolt’s face flashed with annoyance, returning to his solemn demeanor a second later. “That’s…. good. What of the others?”

“Foxy’s AOK, Marc!” Cheese Pie called out from the kitchen. Then he shouted, “There are a ton of spots in the dust, though! You been in the room, Mando?”

“Yep,” Mando said, giving his answer to Marcolt. “I had some time before and after my shift and thought I’d have a look at the extra bits and pieces we’ve got in there.”

“Oh.” Marcolt’s expression changed back and forth again, the new face almost fearful. “I’m glad you’re okay and that your shift was… pleasant.”

“You know, that’s the first time a guard ever described the night shift like that,” Truffles remarked, returning from Kid’s Cove from her inspection of Mangle. “Marcolt, all the animatronics are fine. Another flawless night for them.”

“That’s a relief.”

Cheese Pie came in with the day’s first pizza, humming as he bustled along. “There we are, Mando,” he said, laying the pizza before the musician. “The Morning Meal, just for you and your mare.”

Mando blushed. How does he know about Sibsy? He hurriedly laid the pizza over his back with his mandolin. “So I’ll be seeing you all this evening?” Mando asked, turning toward the door.

“I certainly hope so, unless you have a previous engagement.” Marcolt followed Mando to the door while Truffles and Cheese cantered into the kitchen. “If that happens, we’ll have to pull one of our other staffponies in for the night and, with you already having two successful nights under your belt, I’d rather not put somepony else in it and ruin your streak.”

Odd way to put it, but I can’t really argue with that, Mando thought. However, there is something I must inquire of him.

“Marcolt.”

“Yes?”

“What’s the matter?”

Marcolt gave a sigh and looked sadly at his flank, upon which sat a pink mustache over an eight note. “I always knew my skill lay in entertainment, MandoPony. I worked at it until I found myself in one of the top entertainment companies of Equestria. Now….” Marcolt’s voice weakened and his ears flopped. “Now I fear my life’s work will be all for naught. All that I’ve worked for is disappearing and I’m powerless to prevent it.”

Mando listened to the other pony’s sad words. He understood everything Marcolt was worrying about, even having an idea of how to put it to rest, so to speak. “We can’t give up, Marcolt,” Mando said, his own voice strong and confident. “We must have hope. Hope that these troubles will come to pass and that we shall continue our craft and profession, bringing joy to the hearts of ponies, both young and old. It is our mission in life and we cannot fail it, no matter what obstacles are hurled in our path.”

The musician’s words seemed to reassure Marcolt and his shoulders relaxed. “You’re right, MandoPony. We can’t give up. We won’t.” He put a hoof on Mando’s back. “Thank you, for everything.”

“It was my pleasure.” Mando flipped his security cap around and stepped out, the morning sun bright on his face. “Good luck today at the pizzeria.”

Marcolt beamed from the doorway. “Have a nice day yourself, and good luck with your own mare.”

“I will,” Mando replied instantaneously, before realizing what he had said. Marcolt must know about Wildfire. She helped design the animatronics.

As soon as Mando disappeared around the block, Marcolt retreated back into the pizzeria. Already a few customers had shown up, ponies who still had faith in Freddy Fazbear’s, despite the rumors. Ponies who still had hope.

“I wish I could live up to the things I’ve said, MandoPony,” Marcolt muttered under his breath as he walked into the next room, where some younger ponies were riding the merry-go-round, free of the worries and concerns of reality. “I wish things were going as well for me as they are for you.”

With a heavy heart, Marcolt Plier turned and looked up at the tall animatronic lagomorph, bending its way through its daily programming of music and song, all for entertaining the Freddy Fazbear customers.

“I’m sorry, Bonnie. I’m so, so sorry.”

Author's Note

Well, at least it's not a cliffhanger.

Oy, I remember when the real MandoPony had uploaded Just Gold. I thought that was it and got down to writing this story. I may end up adding his newer FNAF songs to the Tale.

The Last Slice

“Is this going to lead to a divorce?”

“Don’t be silly; it’s just a lot to take in, that’s all.”

“A lot more, you mean.”

Wildfire nodded. This week was proving to be one of the busiest and most interesting in her life. First her coltfriend gets a job at one of the restaurants her company works with, which leads to him learning and telling her about the strange things he claims the animatronics designed by her company were doing. Finally, there was the meeting planned that night which she would have to attend.

Truly, it was a great deal more than what she was used to.

“I know it’s hard to believe, Wildfire,” Mando admitted. “I had a hard time taking it in too. But it’s really happening.”

“I know, Mando. I know. Surely, you didn’t think that after all the things you told me yesterday that this would be any harder to take in?”

Mando shrugged. “Animatronics improvising music and lyrics for songs and tall gangly puppets repairing robots seemed different to me." He stopped and stared at the mantel. "Am I weird?”

“Course you are,” Wildfire chuckled, throwing herself into his lap. “Everypony is weird. You just keep that in mind during your next show.”

“Hopefully, my new song will be done by then. Bonnie could probably help me finish it up tonight.” Mando looked down at the pegasus lounging on his legs. “You’re acting a whole lot less concerned than you were yesterday, and this news is without a doubt more out-of-program than what I told you before. Why are you acting so carefree?”

Wildfire gave him an innocent smile. “Because, whatever it is, I know that you, MandoPony, will get through it all no matter what.”

“Aww, thanks Sibsy.” Mando ruffled her mane and leaned over, planting a kiss on the mare’s lips. Wildfire replied in kind and together they put aside all worldly worries for a shared blissful moment.

Then they separated. “I thought I'd had it when I was in with Foxy,” Mando said quietly. “That time he had almost caught me in his jump…. I was sure he was going to do me in.”

“Hush, none of that lest it become true,” Wildfire insisted, putting a hoof to Mando’s lips. “Of course, when you put it that way, even I start thinking far-fetched. Foxy is one of the older versions and has less tech shoved into him than the new animatronics. The only way he would have so much sensory and feeling is if there were somepony inside him.”

At this, MandoPony and Wildfire laughed. After all, it really was absurd: how could there be a pony inside an animatronic like Foxy? He was so heavily crammed with wiring; there’d be no room in there.

“I really would like you to come and see them for yourself,” Mando said. “As their creator, I’m sure they’d love to see and acknowledge you. Surely, they’ll recognize you somehow.”

“Maybe from the company’s fliers,” Wildfire offered. “I’d love to come and join you during your shift, but I have a meeting tonight with the designer board. And when I say tonight, I mean during your work hours.”

“Ah, man. Worst timing ever.”

“Yeah, that. Who’d want to spend the night talking to a bunch of old geeky friends when you could spend a romantic night with your coltfriend in an almost-empty pizzeria, with your only company being roving animatronics with the energy and personality of schoolponies?”

The both of them burst out laughing again. “You’re too creative for your own good, Wildfire,” Mando insisted. “No wonder the animatronics act so originally.”

“Better stop pulling my leg, or I’ll break yours. Then what’ll you do for your show?”

“Nyeh.”

Prooofph

“Cut it out.”

“You started it.”

The conversation died down. Mando and Wildfire just sat on the couch, enjoying each other’s company, but individually thinking about Freddy Fazbear’s and the weird things going on behind their glass double doors.

“The meeting should be done around five-thirty,” Wildfire said. “I’ll come to you the minute it’s over.”

“Marcolt locks the doors for security purposes every night,” Mando explained. “You’d have to wait until six before he comes to open up.”

“I’ll wait however long it takes, even if I have to wait on the doorstep until he comes.”

"Then I guess that's everything." Chomping down the last of his pizza, Mando gave Wildfire one more goodbye snuggle and went to the bedroom for his diurnal respite

"Animatronics switched to night mode, Marcolt sir."

"Good work, Applejack."

"Lights on minimum."

"Fantastic, Pewter."

Mando arrived at Freddy Fazbear's to find it as busy as an anthill. Every employee was rushing about, flicking switches and arranging tables in a mad frenzy. In the center of the ponystorm stood Marcolt, his hooves pointing this way and that as though he were conducting the madness, which he was.

"Cheese," Marcolt said to the pizza chef, "help Pewter Pie with the tables in Party Room 2. They need to be spick and span for tomorrow."

"Aye aye, cap'n Plier," Cheese responded. He leapt over to a sandy-maned stallion. "Let's go, bro!"

"Truffles, neaten up Kid's Cove, and Mangle too; We've got expectations for tomorrow. Get Applejack to help out."

The unicorn mare nodded. "You got it, chief. Come on, Septickite."

Marcolt shooed away another employee and turned to see Mando entering. "Ah, the star of the show! Welcome back, MandoPony."

"Hello, Marcolt." Mando ducked as two ponies, bearing a table between them, galloped by on either side of him. "What's going on? It looks like every Freddy Fazbear's employee is here."

"It's all hooves on deck for tomorrow, MandoPony," Marcolt said excitedly, his smile stretching across his face. "Someone reserved the pizzeria for a party!"

At this, Marcolt sprang up and danced around the entrance room, and Mando understood why: for almost a month, the pizzeria's credibility had been dropping, as had its customers, partly due to the missing foals case. But a party could be just the lifeline they needed to get them back into business again.

"That's great, Marcolt!"

"I didn't even get to the extra cheese on top," Marcolt continued. "I was getting the details from the pony who was organizing the party—he said it was going to be a birthday party, for a colt—and he told me that one of the reasons he was choosing Freddy's is because of our latest addition to the staff."

Mando blinked slowly, taking it all in. "So that means…"

"It's all thanks to you, MandoPony."

There were few moments in his life that Mando had felt as happy as he did then. Finding out that he may be Freddy Fazbear’s route back to its former glory brought out the deepest of joys. Mando’s feelings were so unbridled, he felt the music in his heart emerge, wild and proud. He leapt onto the stage, drew his mandolin, and strummed.

Within half a minute, every Freddy Fazbear’s employee in the pizzeria had walked, almost trance-like, up to the Show Stage and trained their eyes on Mando and their ears on his music. The tune was simple, that is to say simply right. If music had a tone of voice, this song’s would have been truthful. The mandolin melody spoke of honest feelings, the happiness MandoPony felt in helping Freddy Fazbear’s return to what it used to be.

All too soon, it ended. Mando’s hooves dropped from his strings and the employees all shook, clearing their heads of the enchanting melody. Marcolt, who had been at the back of the crowd, passed through the stunned ponies and walked up to the stage.

“You’ve done us more than a service, MandoPony,” he said to the musician. “You’ve given us genuine hope.”

The employees all nodded and exclaimed their agreement. As they all returned to their duties, Mando and Marcolt went to the Office. Marcolt stood in his hind legs beside the Left Air Vent and leaned against the wall, while Mando took the office chair.

“It’s gonna be a big day tomorrow, huh Marcolt?”

“Mmm.”

“Why so glum, then?”

Marcolt looked up at the musician, his expression solemn. “I never gave up on that case, Mando. I remember those missing foals; they were at the pizzeria that day, with their folks and all. A day later, the report comes up and they’re gone.

“Suspicions abounded, mistrust spread. Any of one us could have been the criminal behind it all. Employees skittered through their chores, wary of one another.” Marcolt turned and put his head against the wall. “I knew we should have invested more in security or even into extra surveillance programming for the animatronics… but the easy street had softened me up and hakuna matata’d me good.”

Seeing the king of Freddy Fazbear so down in the dumps made Mando plain-old sad. Nopony should be sad like that, especially with an important day such as tomorrow coming. “There’s nothing you could have done that you haven’t already, Marcolt,” Mando said, getting up from the chair and going over to him. “Nopony could anticipate something as horrible as foalnapping from such a great place.”

Sitting Marcolt down in the office chair, Mando continued. “Tomorrow’s party is going to take Freddy Fazbear to new heights, greater than ever. In fact, to make it even more so, I’d like to play at tomorrow’s party.”

Marcolt raised his head, eyes wide and mouth corners turning up. “Really? Do you mean it? I thought you had a concert coming up.”

“I do, but as an employee at Freddy Fazbear’s, I feel that it’s my duty to help the pizzeria as much as I can. And I just so happen to be an Equestria-renowned musician. I can do it.”

Glomp

Marcolt nailed Mando with a tackle brohug. “Thank you, MandoPony, thank you!”

Mando accepted the embrace and patted the other pony on the back. “It’s nothing, really.”

“Ha, ‘nothing’ you say,” Macolt scoffed, giving the musician some space. “You’ve given us everything: security guard hours, private entertainment, and hope. And now you’ve even given me confidence. MandoPony, you’ve given yourself to us and we shall not soon forget it.”

“Well…. Thank you, then,” Mando said, feeling his heart fill with the gratitude given.

Pewter Pie entered the Office, wearing a stack of party hats. “Party Room 2 and all the rest have been prepared, Marcolt.”

“Brilliant.” Marcolt turned to Mando once more. “Looks like it’s your show until tomorrow’s. I know you won’t let us down.”

“I won’t let anything deter me from my job of watching the pizzeria.” Except for everyone who's part of the job.

“Good luck and goodnight, MandoPony.”

“Sleep tight, everyone!” Mando called down the hallway as Marcolt and Pewter galloped along it.

“GOOD LUCK, MANDOPONY!” the Freddy Fazbear employees chanted together.

Mando picked up the monitor and watched as Marcolt herded the other ponies out of the restaurant, each one of them visibly in the highest of spirits. Marcolt waved once more at the camera for Mando before exiting and locking the doors behind him.

For a moment there was silence, the only sound that of hooves fading.

Then the whirring began. On every camera where they could be seen, the animatronics flexed their servos and leapt out of their positioned places. Everyone was present and accounted for, not one of them shirking from their midnight stroll.

“Here we go, here we go,” Mando sang out, shouldering his mandolin and running down the hall. He was feeling so free and wild that he ran so fast, he almost hit Foxy coming out of the Parts and Service room.

“Arr, Mando,” Foxy greeted, raising a hook.

“Hey hey, Foxy!” Mando gave the animatronic a playful punch on the leg.

“Och, easy there, matey. I may be made o’ metal, but I can still feel that.”

“Heh, sorry. Guess I’m a bit excited, that’s all.”

“Ye and everyone else,” Foxy remarked. “This partay has gotten the ponies on the high seas an’ their rockin’ with the wind. They even swept out the Parts and Service room.”

“Really?”

“No lies from these crafted lips, Mando. But enough o’ this banter, let’s go meet the crew.”

Mando and Foxy walked down the Main Hall and into the Show Stage room. The other animatronics were all milling about, asking and inquiring of each other. When Mando entered the room, five neck joints turned and allowed the attached heads to see him.

“Mando!” Bonnie cheered, rushing over to the pony, plucking him off the ground and twirling around in place. “Did you hear? We’re gonna have a party again!”

“Party!” Chica echoed, bouncing around the room like a crazy hen.

“Balloons,” BB chanted, a stupid grin on his face. “Balloons for all of them,”

Freddy looked on and took a deep breath. “Tomorrow, Freddy Fazbear returns.”

Mangle was having trouble keeping it, and herself, together. “They’re gonna play with me, they’re gonna reassemble me, they are, they are!”

Only a being such as Mangle could glean any delight from such an idea, Mando thought gleefully. All of them were overjoyed with the thought of tomorrow’s party, as they should be. “So are you all going to be entertaining tomorrow?”

“All of us ‘cept for Foxy,” Freddy explained. “No offense.”

“None taken,” the pirate animatronic replied. “I know me lot in life and I hung with the old crew; I feel honored to see our replacements excel.”

“Sappy stuff aside, yeah, we’re gonna entertain!” Balloon Boy squealed, jumping to Mando’s side. “Freddy, Chica and Bon are gonna do their whole music gig, I’m gonna be dishing out balloons and overseeing the games, and Mangle’s gonna sit there while the foals take her apart.”

“Apart and back, apart and back,” Mangle chanted happily, bobbing her two heads.

“And what about the puppet?” Mando asked casually. “What part does it play?”

A great deal of gear whirring filled the room as the animatronics all turned their heads slowly to look at MandoPony. Their round sensory-type eyes scrutinized him blankly, never changing direction. “What do you mean by the puppet?” Bonnie finally responded, her tinny voice quiet.

“You know, the one in the gift box in the Prize Corner.”

Another moment of silence. The animatronics looked back and forth between each other, as if daring one of them to speak. Bonnie, again, took the reins. “Show me.”

“Anything for you, Bonnie.”

Mando ambled over to the Prize Corner, Bonnie taking her long-legged stride after him. They leapt over the counter and approached the large box slowly, while the other animatronics looked on in silence. Mando crept over to the box like a ninja would, staying to the side, and Bonnie leaned against the counter.

“Are you ready?” he asked Bonnie, a small part of him hoping his questions would be answered on this path.

The animatronic nodded. “Show me,” she said again.

Mando took a breath, stood up on his hind legs and flipped the lid open—

MINE

A wave of alien power whooshed out of the open gift box, washing over Mando, Bonnie and the other animatronics. Mando fell back on the floor, eyes trained on the rim of the box. Slowly, a hoof rose out of the square gloom, resting on the lip of the box. It was soon followed by its partner and then, like a horrifying equine sunrise, the head.

In a single shocking moment that seemed to drag on, Mando recognized the face; it was the same one that had manifested before him on his second night at Freddy’s: a purple-faced pony, with a sleek black mane that seemed to mesh in with the surrounding darkness. The light that Mando remembered seeing around the face last night was there too, originating from above the pony’s head on the horn protruding from the top.

But that face. The unicorn’s face was by-far the most nerve-wracking, heart-stopping feature in Mando’s immediate view. As before, the stretched demented grin dominated the lower half of the pony’s face, and the twin orbs above offered no cover; they were filled with cruelty and love for such. A true mad malevolence.

The unicorn looked down at the earth pony, threw back his head and let loose a true maniacal laugh. “It is soooo good to see the terror on the victim’s face again,” he warbled, his voice as frightening as his appearance. “It has been a while, after all.”

Mando just stared up in shock, silent as the grave. The purple pony gripped the rim of the gift box and heaved himself out and over, landing on the floor with a layered clack. “Oh, a little lost for words?” he asked, looking down at Mando. “Don’t worry; you have nothing important to tell me.”

The purple pony walked around the counter and into the room. Mando managed to rein in his fear enough to heave himself up onto the counter, but what he saw didn’t make him feel better: the animatronics, his friends, stood around the purple pony, making slow jittery movements. Even Bonnie, who stood beside Mando, had her head down and her arms going up and down.

“B-bonnie?” Mando called quietly.

At first, nothing happened. Then, in a quick pale flash of light, Bonnie slowly turned her head toward Mando and the musician gasped: her eyes, those green sensors used for sniffing out suspicious figures, were glowing completely red.

“Did you notice?” the purple pony wondered aloud. “Yeah, your ‘friends’ can’t hear you; they’re completely under my control.”

The purple pony raised his horn and a thick, harsh violet aura appeared around it. Mando squinted into the darkness and saw thin strands of purple trailing off the unicorn’s strangely swirling aura and wrapping around the animatronics’ heads.

“S-stop that!” Mando demanded. “Let them go! Who are you?!”

“So many questions, whichever should I answer first?” the purple pony trilled. “Ha! I’ll choose whether a question is answered or not. But first, let’s get you comfortable.”

Another flash of light filled the room and blinded Mando. He felt his hooves get swept out from underneath him and a tight grip hold his body. Mando struggled and squirmed, but to no avail as he realized Bonnie, who was undoubtedly under the purple pony’s control, was holding him.

With the unwilling earth pony in tow, Bonnie slowly strode over to the purple pony, who stood surrounded by the entranced animatronics. “Ah, the great MandoPony. I was intrigued when you took the night shift here, such a perilous job. One would think you want to get into trouble.”

“The only trouble anypony’s getting into will be you, for tampering with the animatronics’ programming and preventing a Freddy Fazbear employee from fulfilling his duty.” Mando retorted angrily.

“Spoken like a true puppet.” The purple pony cackled at this. “’Puppet’. That’s a good one.”

“Wh-where is the puppet?” Mando finally decided to ask.

“Hm, that old hag? I was sure I’d finished her off right after.”

What is he saying? What does he mean?

“But you shouldn’t be worrying about her, no,” the purple pony insisted. “Oh, you should be worried about yourself.”

Mando did his best to put on a brave face. “What are you going to do?”

The unicorn looked surprised. “Why, I’m going to have you join the party, of course!”

A wave of purple magic flowed out from his horn, washing over the animatronics. Suddenly, Foxy ran down the hall at his frightening speed, while Bonnie handed Mando over to Freddy and Chica, who each grabbed his left and right legs respectively.

“What are you doing?” Mando asked again, attempting to struggle against the animatronics’ combined stiffness.

The purple pony rushed over and put his face close to Mando’s. “Listen and listen well, Charlie horse. You come here, with your goody-goody plans, hoping to help Freddy Fazbear’s out of the junkyard and to finally discover who spirited away those foals.” That last part, the unicorn said in a childish warble. “Foolish foals. Hadn’t their parents taught them not to accept pizza from strangers? Well, too late for them.”

He drew a hoof along Mangle’s snout. “These animatronics are a true magi-scientific marvel. All that circuitry crammed into a large colorful suit; with space barely enough for a little pony to fit.”

“Or is there?”

Using his strange magical strands, the purple pony beckoned Bonnie over to him. The blue lagomorph knelt down, putting her head level with him. The unicorn flicked his horn again, forcing Freddy and Chica to hold Mando’s head straight so that he was facing him and Bonnie.

“Ready?” the purple pony asked, his grin becoming ever-more wicked as he slid one of his hooves into Bonnie’s mouth.

Mando swallowed, but gave no other reaction. He feared what was about to come.

“Okay then!” With a glint in his eye and an unpleasantly graceful flourish, he wrenched Bonnie’s head open, the lower jaw remaining flat while the entire upper part of the head flew back.

What he saw almost made Mando puke: inside of Bonnie’s head, nestled where the wires slinked down her neck, was a little cream filly. Her eyes were closed and her expression was quiet, as though she were asleep. Her tri-colored mane was frayed and disheveled.

No….. no way…..

Things only got worse. The purple pony bent lower and, using his horn, forced open Bonnie’s chest. This time, Mando felt his gorge rise as he beheld the filly’s small form dangling inside the animatronic, her hooves spread-eagle among the circuitry. Splotches of red dotted her cream coat, the biggest of which surrounded a crimson incision on her chest.

That’s where….

“I’m telling you, there’s something invigorating in looking at past wounds,” the purple pony exclaimed. "By that I mean wounds inflicted on others, of course.”

The purple pony laughed, and Mando looked around the room. The evidence was unveiling itself before him. So this is the pony behind the foalnapping. Who is he, to have lured them into the pizzeria to be stuffed into suits, and why?

Then the worst of it hit him. No, not just foalnap. Murder. This freak tricked the ponies into following him and… Mando’s eyes drifted back to the cut, the terrible encrusted cut on the filly’s body.

That must mean… From the still filly’s form, Mando’s gaze leapt from animatronic to animatronic. Sibys was right. All the missing foals are inside the animatronics, maybe even since they’ve been reported missing!

“Why?”

“Hm?”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Oh, that.” The purple pony turned, giving Mando a view of his profile and, more importantly, his cutie mark. “You see this, mate? This is a drain. At first I thought this meant the greatest thing I’d have in my skill set would be excellent pipe laying and sewer cleaning and stuff like that. Of course, I never desired such a future, or the one I’m living in now.

“It all happened one fall day. I was sitting under a tree, enjoying the cool autumn breeze and wishing I could have a hoof in it like the pegasi. Then, all of a sudden, I hear this loud crack and look up to see a branch falling down toward me. It was a big branch and it would have left me seriously wounded.”

A shame it obviously didn’t, Mando thought bitterly.

“Do you know how I got out of that? It was quite amazing, really. I stood up, almost certain that my end had come, when my horn began to glow and the aura that appeared was swirling, really fast too. I felt this strange push in my horn so I pushed back, causing a huge gust of almost solid wind to burst out of it and knock the branch aside.

“I was astounded, I was; my horn pulled in a force of nature and forced it back out. The wind didn’t even come back until the following day, but I didn’t wait around. I tried my newfound magic talent on all kinds of things: water, light, fire, even plants.

“Then I tried my magic on something else: living creatures. First I used my power on small things like insects and mice and was met with little resistance. Then I moved on to bigger things like cats and dogs, which fought back a bit. But then came my youth’s crowning achievement, when I tried to control another pony.”

The unicorn shook his head. “It was like nothing I had felt before. The pony retaliated with so much power, I was afraid he was splitting my head open. My reaction was even more explosive: I yanked on the pony and threw him against a wall with my magic. When I saw him lying unconscious on the ground, I got scared and ran.

“It was a long time before I tried using my magic again, and by that time I had changed. Touching that other pony and attempting to subjugate him had opened my mind and twisted my reasoning. I had lost myself to the lure of power over others.”

Although it all still horrified him, the purple pony’s tale piqued Mando’s interest. Is he telling the truth?

“So I gave in to the call: I would choose my victims carefully, preferring fillies and colts due to their weaker stamina. I would make them do things: jump around, imitate animals and stuff. Once in a while, it would get embarrassing for them, but that didn’t stop me. Nothing stopped me.

“You wouldn’t understand, MandoPony, the thrill of feeling their fear: their crying, their shouting, their pleading for mercy. I took it all in, and from it built what I am: frightening, horrifying, and drop-dead scary.

“And who better to share this persona with than children!”

The purple pony shoved his hoof under Mangle’s jaw and forced her mouth open. Nestled inside the animatronic’s head, jammed in amongst the wires, was the head of another filly. Her coat was grey and dirty, her braided mane unkempt and frayed. Her blue spectacles rested on Mangle’s manufactured palette, leaning against her muzzle.

Silver Spoon!

If it wasn’t bad enough that he was seeing this reality, Mando recognized the filly who’s head sat inside Mangle’s; she had actually attended his last concert and had come backstage for an autograph and hug, as Mando would do at all his performances. Now that he thought about it, Mando recalled one of the names of the foals who had gone missing in the whole Fazbear incident.

Silver Spoon… no…

“Oh yeah. This one was tricky,” the purple pony said gleefully. “She must have seen me herd the others inside, and then sneaked in after us. After I finished shoving the first brats into the suits, I noticed she was there and reacted. Using my magic, I pulled on Foxy’s arm, the one with the hook, and swipe!” He mimed the act, complete with sound effects. “And there went the head.”

Mando’s eyes bulged. This was getting worse and worse.

“Just kidding.” The unicorn howled with laughter. “Her head was still on, but nothing was getting into it. I realized there were no more animatronics I could use to stuff her in so, using the strength of the other ones, we squeezed the little whelp and her head into Mangle. It was a real mess afterwards.”

Oh, Faust….

“And yeah, that’s it.” The purple pony dropped Mangle’s jaw back over Silver Spoon’s face. “Six lovely dead foals inside six gloriously possessed animatronics.

“And now,” he went on, letting his tongue slide over his lips, “you shall be joining them.”

The purple pony waved his horn, causing Freddy and Chica to rise up, hoisting Mando off the ground. “How’ll you do that?” Mando demanded, forcing his mouth to talk. “There aren’t any…. Any animatronics left. If you k-k-ki….” He couldn’t even finish the question.

“Oh, that? Minor detail, really. But fear not; I have thought ahead.

“To the Parts and Service Room.”

Freddy and Chica marched out of the main room, with Mando struggling and shouting for all he was worth. The purple pony only laughed harder at the sound. “Go, children,” he hissed at the remaining animatronics. “Go and help him into his formal attire.”

As the unicorn’s cackling continued, Foxy, Mangle and Balloon Boy scampered out into the Main Hall after their fellow machines. The pony noticed Bonnie standing there, frozen where he’d left her. “What’s the matter, Bon?” he crooned, stroking her blue fiberglass body. “Don’t you want to witness the assimilation of your new bandmate?”

Bonnie didn’t reply. What she did do was turn her eyes up at the violet unicorn and swing her heavy fist at him. The purple pony leapt nimbly aside and flicked his horn, pulling on Bonnie’s arms and legs like a puppet on strings and smashing her against the wall.

“Still trying to win, hm?” the purple pony gloated, standing over Bonnie. “Well, listen here, whelp. You’re done for. I took your life and imprisoned you inside there; you are under my control. There’s no hero coming to help; the bad guy is the victor here. So unless you want me to rewire your mouth and break your heart properly, just stop it.”

Bonnie rolled her eye at him; her green eye. “You… krk... won’t…. Mando, krtch…. Stop….” her voice box crackled.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

With another harsh laugh, the purple pony waved his horn and teleported out of sight.

The moment he left, Bonnie rose to her feet. As she struggled to regain her balance, her eyes fell on the instrument lying on the floor: MandoPony’s mandolin. He had dropped it when Bonnie, under the purple pony’s control, grabbed him. Looking at the mandolin now brought it all back to the animatronic.

Oh, Mando… I’m sorry.

“AAAAAAAAAAH!”

The ear-piercing scream irritated Bonnie’s artificial hearing and her ears bent in half at the sound. Doing her best to ignore the thoughts leaping through her shared mind, Bonnie sat down with her back against the Show Stage and strummed the borrowed mandolin. The soothing notes calmed her sensors and she nodded her head as the lyrics from last night came to her.

Bonnie strummed the last chord slowly. The words ended, but the tune was still fresh in her mind. Another scream battered her ears, coming from down the Main Hall. Bonnie scrunched up her metallic features and strummed the mandolin again, new words forming deep in her head.

But what is that I spy, with my robotic eye?
I think I see a bit of flesh inside the new guy
Maybe he isn't everything that he seems
Time to investigate what's underneath the seams!

As Bonnie repeated the chorus, she heard a creaking noise. Looking up at the still-open gift box, she beheld the tall thin figure rising out of it. At first, Bonnie saw only the tip of the white-masked face, but the rest of the being slowly followed.

Does it like the music? she wondered. More cries of anguish and pain echoed through the pizzeria, reminded Bonnie of the purple pony’s words and gave her new and unfortunate ideas to work with.

In this world we play, we hope that you will stay
And we will throw a most electrifying soirée
Formal attire is required for you to take part
You’ve got some skin that needs removing before we sta-art

One final strum. The last line. Bonnie let her arms hang loosely, the mandolin sitting askew across her knees. The puppet arched its legs over the counter and approached the mechanical lagomorph. It looked down at Bonnie, its expression frozen.

Save him

“I can’t,” Bonnie replied, her voice smaller than before. “He got away again. I was too weak.”

You must do what you can

“But what more can I do?”

Watch. Watch and remember. It’s not your fault, but you must bear witness with the others. There will be a time for strings again, for both sides, and when that happens you must be ready

Bonnie gazed off into the distance, vision being blocked by the merry-go-round. The scream came again, but it was quieter in a final way. Then for a long time all was silent. Bonnie slowly stood up, the mandolin dangling from her loose grip.

“There’s nothing left. There’s nothing to do.”

Her words fell on no ears; the puppet had vanished and the gift box was closed. Feeling her damaged heart pump electrons, Bonnie shuffled down the Main Hall and approached the Parts and Service Room. She could hear a mixture of heavy breathing and whirring servos coming from inside.

Pushing the door open, Bonnie walked into the dimly lit back room, where the other animatronics were assembled, their eyes returned to normal. Foxy was sitting in the corner, back slumped against the wall and head between his knees. Balloon Boy traced the words on his sign with a finger. Mangle rocked her heads back and forth slowly.

Bonnie approached Chica and Freddy, who stood on either side of the table in the center. In their eyes was a reflected sight: a tall broad form, prone in a resting position, the color of dull gold.

Author's Note

Oh, did I just do that?
Yes. Yes, I did.

Aria mad?

Programmed and Ready To Go

Since the disappearance of the foals, Freddy Fazbear’s had never been as worried as they were now.

Pewter Pie arrived at the pizzeria that morning to open up and found Wildfire already there. Having finished her meeting, the pegasus had hurried over to the pizzeria, hoping to see her coltfriend the moment the doors opened. But when she and Pewter entered, MandoPony wasn’t there.

They ran through the entire establishment, calling out to Mando and listening for a reply, but were met with only echoes. Pewter called Marcolt over and all Fazbear employees were summoned to the pizzeria for an emergency search. Like yesterday, the place swarmed with ponies, but for a different reason.

In the end, they were met with no success. Everything else was perfect: the tables were set, the floors were scrubbed and the animatronics were in their places, as they were yesterday. But MandoPony had disappeared.

When the time came for the birthday ponies to arrive, the Fazbear employees had no choice but to proceed with the arrangements, although they did so with heavy hearts. Marcolt set up a private table in the corner of the central room for the distraught Wildfire, her face wet with tears. It seemed wrong to put a sad pony in the midst of partying folk, but no one objected when she sat.

“Where can he be?” Pewter hissed out of the corner of his mouth, serving another pizza. “Everything was locked. What did he use, the garbage disposal?”

“We don’t have one of those,” Cheese murmured as he passed by with party favors. “He’s probably hiding somewhere.”

“Where could he still be hiding?” Applejack objected. “We searched everywhere, even the gift box and the Parts and Service room; there’s nowhere left for him to hide. And do you really think he’d still be hiding? His girl is in tears.”

The employees eventually got swept up in all the cheer of the partying ponies, most of them young fillies and colts. One of foals—the birthday colt, Missile Toe—noticed Wildfire alone in her corner, and left his table to go see what was going on.

“Excuse me, miss,” he said, gently tapping the mare on the leg.

“Hm?” Wildfire lifted her gaze, and Missile shrunk back a bit at the sight of her wet red eyes. “Yes?”

“I just… I just wanted to know, why are you so sad?”

Wildfire stared at the colt to the uncomfortable point. Missile pursued. “We’re just all so happy; I’m happy; it’s my birthday after all, but… It doesn’t seem right, since I see that you’re not happy. Is there… something I can do?”

Sniff. Wildfire wiped her eyes and forced a smile. “No, I’m afraid not. But thank you for asking, little one. Please, go enjoy your party and don’t worry about me.”

Missile Toe frowned, unconvinced, but he nodded and went back to the table with his friends. Wildfire watched them for a moment, and then turned back to the wall with a miserable expression. Marcolt saw all this go down from the side, his own face a mask of disapproval.

It’s not right. This was supposed to be a grand day for Freddy Fazbear’s, but now it’s shot through with sadness. What did Wildfire do to deserve this misery? And where the buck is Mando?

With his head down to conceal his face, Marcolt trotted through the pizzeria until he was standing before the Parts and Service room. He looked up at the door, glanced around the vicinity and walked in. As always, it was just him, some spare suit parts, and Foxy.

Marcolt walked over to the slumped animatronic and sighed. “Things aren’t looking so great, Foxy,” he began. “Today was supposed to be the big day, but instead it’s turning to disaster: MandoPony’s disappeared, his mare’s grieving and he’s expected to play at the party. I don’t know what to do.”

The stallion looked up at Foxy’s empty eye sockets. He wondered what it would be like to be an animatronic like Foxy, being told what to do and just following instructions, ignoring anything past your programming. Normally, Marcolt didn’t envy another’s existence, but this was hardly normal times.

“It’s going to fall apart,” Marcolt murmured. “We won’t get another chance after this. Word will get out of MandoPony’s going poof, then there’ll be more inspecting and the place will be shut down for sure. The rest of us will be out of a job while you and the others will likely get scrapped. It’s all over….”

Rrrrrr clank!

Foxy’s hook suddenly fell, clattering against the tiles. Marcolt had jumped at the initial sound, but closer inspection showed the hook undoubtedly pointing, towards the corner of the room. In the corner, Marcolt saw a long box which he was sure wasn’t there when they’d searched the place. Curiosity getting the better of him, Marcolt carefully flipped the box open. His eyes glinted when he beheld what was inside.

“Boss?” A knock came at the Parts and Service door and Truffles poked her head. “Boss, you alright? Did you find something?”

Marcolt stood over the box, unable to take his eyes off of its contents. “Truffles, get Septickite and his programming kit. Those kids are going to get a show like no other.”

Wildfire cradled her mug of juice, eyes staring blearily over it. She had left her meeting in the highest of spirits, looking forward to spending the end of Mando’s night shift together, but she’d been met with shock and despair. Now she had no idea where he even was.

Did he just leave on his own, or did something happen to him? she wondered again. Countless scenarios leapt to her mind, becoming more and more fantastical as she sat there alone. All I want is for him to come back. Mando…

“Hello, my little ponies!”

Wildfire looked up upon hearing the voice; she recognized the cheery tinny tone of her project. The party ponies jumped out of their seats, clamoring as they hurried over to the stage upon which Freddy Fazbear himself stood, microphone in hand.

“Firstly, I’d like to wish a happy birthday to today’s special pony, Missile Toe!” Freddy waited as the foals and employees applauded, their hooves rattling the floor. “And to celebrate this special day, we’re going to sing a little song.”

Chica and Bonnie stepped out on either side of Freddy, earning another round of applause. “But before we get to the show, we’ve got a surprise for you all. We’re joined today by a special guest; our newest band member!”

Eager silence overcame the crowd. From behind the stage came another towering animatronic. Its body shone like gold, hoofed feet holding it tall and sturdy. A gamboge mane and tail swished around it with every movement. Its face was equine, made to resemble a pony. In its fingered hands, it held a mandolin.

“MANDOPONY!”

The foals cheered, yelling and clopping their hooves together as they looked upon the new animatronic. Wildfire’s eyes widened as she too beheld the figure; the animatronic looked just like Mando, as though the designer had him personally to model it after him. Her heart beat faster and faster as her longing was pacified by her love for the musician, resurfaced at the mechanical hands of the animatronic.

“Hey, everypony!” the Mando animatronic said, his voice as accurate as his design. “Thank you all for coming to Missile Toe’s birthday party. I'm sure you’re all happy to be here. I know I am.

“Now who’s ready to rock?!”

Once again the clamoring sound of excited ponies shook the pizzeria. The animatronics took up their positions, their programming preparing them for the performance. The music began and Wildfire became still as she was enraptured by the Mando animatronic, its voice, its playing and its song.

You see me soaring through the sky
I see you below as you walk on by
I can clear the sky in ten seconds flat
Well how about that? Well how about that?

I could be sitting her on a cloud
Watchin’ the sun as it starts to go down
The only thing missing is you by my side

Give me a smidge of confidence
Give me a speck of something that makes sense
Gimmie an idea of dependency
Give me a Dash of loyaltyyyheeeeheee!
Loyalty….

Well I could save my lonely soul for you
But the feelin’ in my heart can’t follow through
You can give your broken heart to me
‘Cause you know that I’ll stay with you
That’s why they call me Loyalty…

Wildfire had to clutch her chest for fear of her heart beating its way out. Loyalty was one of Mando’s first songs, written together with his fellow musician Acoustic, and the first he wrote after meeting Wildfire**. Hearing the animatronics play made it feel like Mando was right up there on stage, playing his heart and soul as he did always.

The foals, on the other hoof, were swept up right into it. Several of them stood up and started dancing, which forced the others to either skirt out of the way or join in. The Fazbear employees started tapping their hooves in time with the music, their smiles stretched as wide as XL-pizza dough.

The sun shines bright yet the rain pours on
Rainbow’s here one minute and then they’re gone
They remind me of me and you
What did you do? What did I do?

DETERMINATION in those eyes
Where has it gone, has it said goodbye
A lot has happened, but I’ll stay by your side

Give me a smidge of confidence
Give me a speck of something that makes sense
Gimmie an idea of dependency
Give me a Dash of loyaltyyyheeeeheee!
Loyalty….

Time stands still when you’re with me…
How can I make you see?
Your crazy antics make me want to scream…
Your name so loud ‘till my throat starts to bleeeeeeed
To bleeeeeeeed!

By now, nearly everypony in Freddy Fazbear’s was on their hooves and rocking out. The birthday party had become a dance party in full swing: Missile led the foals on a conga line; Marcolt was leading a little filly around the floor; several ponies started doing The Navigator***; Truffles and Cheese struck up a waltz, oblivious to the others.

Wildfire watched it all from the side, drawn between the performers and the dancers. She felt the music flow through her, tempting her to join the partygoers in hoof-tapping merriment, but she knew she could never move from her place as long as the Mandotronic sang his song.

Oh Mando….

As the golden animatronic played, Wildfire felt more and more drawn to him, as if it really were MandoPony. Her eyes remained glued on his tall form, his metal fingers strumming the small mandolin with mechanical precision and skill. As the interlude ended, the animatronics broke out into a louder chorus as they sang the last repeated part in programmed harmony.

Well I could save my lonely soul for you
But the feelin’ in my heart can’t follow through
You can give your broken heart to meehee
‘Cause you know that I’ll stay with you
That’s why they call me Lo-yal-ty!

The Mandotronic played three final chords before raising his hand over the crowd. “Thank you, Equestria!” He and the other animatronics walked off the stage to the deafening applause of the foals, the employees and Wildfire.

As the party resumed its previous state, now accompanied by exclamations of the performance, Marcolt walked over to the lonely mare. Wildfire seemed frozen, her head tilted to one side, a lazy smile splayed across her face.

“That was beautiful.”

Marcolt swallowed. “Honestly, it was a surprise for me too. We just found that animatronic, packaged and waiting in the Parts and Service room.”

“Pewter and I checked the back room; there was nothing there,” Wildfire said with a frown.

“I know it doesn’t make sense, but that’s where it was.” The earth pony sighed, exhaling into his pink mustache. “Strange things are coming into play, Wildfire. Mando’s disappearance is no coincidence and I’m taking full responsibility.”

Wildfire took a sip from her mug and stood up, her gaze far-off. “Maybe… maybe he had to go somewhere, really badly, and the animatronic was intended to take his place performing here today…”

“Wildfire…”

“I’ll go home now; maybe Mando will come directly. If he shows up here instead, please call me.”

“Of course.”

“Thank you, Marcolt.” Wildfire approached him and gave the pizzeria owner a hug, which he was quite surprised to receive. “It wasn’t your fault,” she whispered.

“…………….”

Leaving Marcolt to his silence, Wildfire side-stepped the rushing employees, wished Missile Toe a happy birthday and left the pizzeria. As she trotted down the street, ponies could hear her humming to herself.

“You can give your broken heart to me…. That’s why they call me Loyalty….”

I will continue, aaah aah….

The last lyrics left the Mandotronic’s speakers and the ponies burst into applause again. The performance was like nothing they’d ever seen before, and all of it good. After Silverlay’s Theme ended, Missile Toe’s mother took Marcolt aside.

“This is my son’s best birthday party ever!” Rocket Socks declared. “I’ve never seen him happier.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Marcolt said.

“The MandoPony animatronic is amazing, too. Though I thought MandoPony himself would be here; he does the night shift, doesn’t he?”

“Oh, yes. He... he did do his night shift, but he left right after.”

“His mare was here,” Rocket recalled. “Wouldn’t they have gone together?”

OMG, lady, stop being so nosey. “Wildfire stayed to give us some input on the new animatronic, having been on the designer team for the rest of them.”

“Oh. That’s fair, I suppose.” Rocket Socks looked at Missile, sitting in front of the stage as the band prepared for their next song. “I’m really glad to see Freddy Fazbear’s coming back after that rough business. Everypony loves the dear place.”

“I wish we could find the foals,” Marcolt murmured. “Responsibility was practically thrust upon us, being the scene of the crime.”

“Mr. Plier, not a single employee of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza could ever have committed something as cruel as foalnapping. Whoever it was is an outsider and will be brought to justice in due time.”

“It’s good to hear your thoughts from another pony’s mouth.”

Rocket flashed a smile. “We must support one another to get through tough times.”

“Yep.”

From across the room, the MandoPony animatronic called out. “Okay, my little ponies, this next song is about an unsolved mystery, about a pony with a different mindset than the rest of us. A pony who involves himself with others in ways we could barely imagine. Hit it, Bonnie!”

Bonnie’s guitar let out a bar of heavy notes, sending a tremor through the floor and into the foals, further exhilarating them. Mando added his own strings to the song and the words soon followed.

Time for the main attraction
The story must be told
Time for a chain reaction
It never gets old
Some bots get satisfaction, brea-king the mold
Some bots are just distractions
Some bots are just gold

♪ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

I’m not the bad guy
I’m just a bit surprising
It’s not worth losing sleep
It’s not worth analyzing
There was a time, not so long ago at all
I was just like you, can you hear my call?

Now I’m poppin’ in, over here, over there
I’ll be checkin’ in, but you’ll never be aware
In the beginning, I’ve kept a keen eye
On the state of affairs with the new guy

Now I got a new gig, let me know if ya dig
Ain’t going home so I better go big
Just gotta glance at CAM 2B
Then you get a little surprise
IT’S ME

You may say that I’m breaking your mind
In my opinion, you’re much too kind

Time for the main attraction
The story must be told
Time for a chain reaction
It never gets old
Some bots get satisfaction, brea-king the mold
Some bots are just distractions
Some bots are just gold

♪ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♪

You did a good job
Watching those little screams
It warms my servos and circuits
To hear some fresh—

CRRRRRRRTCHK

A spark suddenly went off in MandoPony’s neck and his voicebox gargled. His arms went limp and he keeled over, collapsing on the floor right in front of the shocked party foals. Freddy and the others stopped too, their hands and mouths frozen.

“Oh no. No, no, no no no no.”

Marcolt and some other employees rushed past the screaming foals to the animatronics. Marcolt struggled to flip MandoPony over and found all his servos had stopped. Even his power was cut.

“How did this happen?” Marcolt muttered to himself. He turned to the other ponies. “What happened to them?”

“I can’t understand it, Marcolt,” Pewter Pie replied from beside Chica. “They all just stopped working. Everything’s operational, but nothing’s active.”

“Damn it.”

“Mister Marcolt, sir?”

Marcolt turned to find Missile and his friends, all looking solemn and sad. “Is MandoPony alright?” the colt asked.

I wish I knew. “He’ll be fine, but I’m afraid to say he won’t be able to play anymore for you.”

“Awwww!” a disappointed cry rang out from the foals.

“I promise we’ll get him fixed as soon as possible, but for now the show must go on.”

“We could probably get Freddy and the gang working within an hour, but the Mandotronic is out indefinitely,” Sceptikite reported.

Meadow muffins. “Okay kids, back to the party! It’s time for the cake.”

With their heads hanging, the foals returned to their seats and Truffles wheeled out the cake. Marcolt and Applejack began working on Freddy and the others, but the pink-mustached earth pony couldn’t help but look up as Pewter and Cheese hoisted up the golden animatronic and whisked him down the Main Hall to the Parts and Service room.

Just as fast as we regained MandoPony, so are we losing him again, Marcolt thought with a heavy heart. Will things never go back to normal at Freddy Fazbear’s?

Lacking an answer, Marcolt sighed and started rewiring Bonnie.

Author's Note

**Details such as these do not mirror real facts of real people that may or may not be represented by the characters

***see MLP FIM IDW comic, issues #9-10, Zen and the Art of Gazebo Repair

Reset to Zero

Minutes before midnight, Wildfire returned to the pizzeria. The birthday party had been over for hours, but Freddy Fazbear’s party was coming to a stop all too soon. Even though Marcolt and Applejack had managed to get the animatronics back up and running, their singing was tuneless, as though the Mandotronic’s absence broke their harmony.

Needless to say, the foals were sad and the grownups were discontent.

Though Missile Toe had insisted his party was mostly a blast, his mother Rocket Socks held sadly that the failure of the animatronics would not bode well for the pizzeria. Though she probably didn’t know how harsh it sounded, she rubbed it in further saying how the incident just added to the unsolved mystery hanging around Fazbear’s and that the pizzeria was in trouble.

Marcolt didn’t think his day, Freddy’s day, could get any worse until he saw Wildfire walk through the double doors, her stride determined. At first, Marcolt feared she would bring similar comments as did Rocket, but what the mare did say felled his jaw to the confetti-covered floor.

“Give me the night shift.”

She didn’t take no for an answer. Even as Marcolt attempted to deter her, Wildfire gently tipped him out of the Office chair, donned a security cap and began working the monitor. Having been on the animatronic designer team, she had gained some insight on the camera system of the pizzeria itself and so required no instruction.

Marcolt wanted to tell her, wanted to stop her from taking the night shift, but something in his mind screamed of approval, a feeling that her will to do it rang true with Mandopony’s and this only seemed appropriate. At a minute to midnight, the Freddy Fazbear staff gathered in the Office to wish the pegasus good luck and that their thoughts were all on MandoPony.

Wildfire didn’t even sniff.

“She shouldn’t be doing this,” Marcolt said as Pewter locked the doors from the outside. “She’s faced too much to go through a night shift now.”

“Can’t do nothing, boss,” Pewter said, tucking away the key. “If we’d tried to move her, she would have slipped an extra-brick-cheese pizza under her rump and beat us back with empty boxes. Sabrina Wildfire ain’t no flower pony.”

“No..… I hope she succeeds.”

Wildfire watched Marcolt and the others disappear through the doors. Once the lock sounded, she turned her attention to the monitor, twisting the security cap viciously around her head. She flipped through the camera feeds, her eyes focused on the animatronics scattered through the pizzeria.

“Come and get me.”

The moment Bonnie heard the clock strike midnight, she leapt off the stage and made a beeline for the Parts and Service room. From all corners of the pizzeria, animatronics rushed over to see what had become of their comrade-in-mechanical arms. When they got there, they found Foxy already about, bending over the prone suit of MandoPony.

Bonnie took a step closer, fearing the worst. “Is he….”

Foxy shook his head. “There still be some fight in him. But whatever it was that struck him down cost him any life that was left in him when.... when we….”

“No.” Freddy put a hand on their shoulders. “None of that. Let’s see if we can get him up.”

So the six animatronics came together, working tirelessly on their own accord in an attempt to resurrect the failing Mandotronic. But despite all their part swaps, reprogramming and recharges, nothing would bring the golden animatronic to. Finally, in a temper, Balloon Boy wrenched open the Mandotronic’s chest, exposing the blood-stained split and crushed torso inside, as well as the heart within.

Upon contact with the musty air of the Parts and Service room, the heart pumped in a gust of oxygen, sending nature’s magic through the failing pony inside the suit and powering up the whole set. With a cough, the Mandotronic sat up suddenly.

“Yes!” Mangle squealed. Chica and Freddy bounced in their places. Balloon Boy winked at Foxy.

Bonnie quickly took the golden animatronic's arm. “Mando, are you okay?”

The Mandotronic coughed again, expelling dust particles from its mechanical jaw. “Yeah, yeah I’m good,” he said, his voice as tinny as any of them. “Thanks, guys.”

“We deserve no thanks at all for getting you into this mess,” Chica sighed. “If it weren’t for us, you’d still be alive, flesh and blood.”

“I was going to perform on that stage anyway,” Mando countered, touching the yellow animatronic's chin. “You guys just got me in costume.”

A chorus of nervous chuckles rippled through the room. “Not quite what we had in mind,” Balloon Boy muttered.

“No, probably not.” Mando twiddled his plastic-alloy thumbs. “What is the Purple Pony playing at? What does he want with all of us?”

“Nothing,” Freddy answered. “He just wants to frighten, to confuse, to destroy. He’s just a messed-up, damaged, corrupt creature.”

Mando sighed. “That sounds so simple. Too simple. It doesn’t seem real.”

“You’re inside a mechanical costume of yourself that’s leeching off your life force,” Mangle reminded him. “Reality hurts.”

“True enough.”

An awkward silence settled on the animatronics. For once in many moons of being awakened, the Freddy Fabear crew was at a loss for words. Fortunately — or rather unfortunately — the silence was broken by Mando suddenly grunting, falling back down onto the table and coughing up large clouds of dust.

“Oh snap, oh crud, oh dear, oh meadow muffins!” Balloon Boy exclaimed as the others quickly examined MandoPony. “Can I use that fancy Prench word?”

“No,” Freddy said sternly, turning his attention back to Mando’s equine heart. “His blood’s not going fast enough to sustain the suit.”

“His servos are failing,” Chica wailed, holding up Mando’s leg which had gone limp. “Oh, Celestia.”

MandoPony blinked, his eyes flashing from green to red to gold. “Will I…. will I make it?” he whispered, feeling his voicebox beginning to give way.

Bonnie looked into Mando's flashing eyes. She wanted to tell him he'd be fine, to hide the truth staring them in the face and give him hope. But she held back from replying, leaving Mando to sigh again and look to the ceiling. "You know... I heard you playing last night."

Enticed, Bonnie turned her attention back to Mando. "W-what?"

"Last night, while the others were forced to work on me, I heard my mandolin being played. I knew at once who it was playing it. To hear my mandolin played by someone else so beautifully, it was like hearing the voice of magic itself. It reminded me of the truth and it made me determined to keep going, despite what I was going through. For that, I thank you, Bonnie.... whoever you really are in there."

Moisture pumped into the corner of Bonnie's eyes, becoming rivers down her cheeks. The tears splashed down on MandoPony's arm and dripped onto the oily floor. Bonnie tightened her grip around the mandolin in her hands, recalling the night she had first seen its owner play it. "An admirer."

Mando's left brow whirred upwards half an inch. "It was nice to meet you," he murmured, his voice getting weaker. "Again..."

"We're losing him," Freddy clamoured, attempting to connect Mando's power cords to the wall socket, "we're losing him!"

The others moved flusterdly, panic threatening to sabotage their effort. Bonnie grabbed the golden animatronic's hands in her own, the mandolin held between them. "Don't give up, Mando," she pleaded. "You can still... You still can...."

"Can...." came Mando's voice, barely a whisper. Golden fingers tightened on blue. "Save...."

As the cast of Freddy Fazbear's crouched around the golden animatronic, the stallion's heart inside it gave a few weak pumps, struggling to fulfill its purpose. It slowed down further and further until its last beat, the organ now so weak it didn't quite finish the pumping action. With no blood sending oxygen to the necessary places and the tampering already done to the suit, MandoPony's last breath exited both his lips of flesh and animatronic jaw in a cloud of dust. His eyes stopped flashing and the lights faded.

NOOOO!

Bonnie's cry echoed off the walls of the dusty room, bouncing out into the hall and reverberating throughout the pizzeria. Had anypony heard the grieving sound, they would have immediately been overcome by sadness, not fully understanding why. As it was, only one mare heard the sound, her ears pricking as she jumped in place at the unexpected scream.

What was that? Wildfire wondered, her nerves suddenly shot. With wide eyes, she quickly flipped through the camera feed, locating every animatronic accounted for in the Parts and Service room, crowding around a shiny form on the table. It barely took a moment for the pegasus to realize what it was and why she heard the cry.

Was an animatronic just.... Terminated?"

"Yep. And now, so are you."

Before Wildfire could register that A) she'd said that last word aloud, and B) somepony had sneaked up behind her without her noticing, a heavy blow was dealt to her head and knocked her unconscious. Wildfire slumped forward while a shadowy figure stood over her, grinning madly.

"That's the eye in the sky taken care of. Now, where did I put my uniform?"

"It's over."

Freddy's voice cut through the spell of silence like a hot knife through butter. The animatronics felt their damaged hearts go out to their lost band member. MandoPony had been there for them since the start; he liked them, sympathized with them and the pizzeria's problems, and even tried to help. And it killed him.

The flow of Bonnie's tears intensified, brought up from the filly's head to her face-recognition equipment. Her ears flopped downwards, far further than they had been designed to flop. The rest of the crew acted similarly, expressing their emotions beyond their original capabilities.

"GrrrrAARH!" Foxy punched the wall with his fist. "This ain't right. Mando can't die; he just started here."

"He played right into the Purple Pony's hooves," Freddy muttered, his eyes shadowed beneath the brim of his hat. "We knew what was coming and we didn't try to stop it."

I did, Bonnie thought promptly. But it didn't matter in the end. I wasn't strong enough. I failed

"But wait, if he's dead, won't he come alive and walk around with us during the nights?" Mangle inquired hesitantly.

Chica shook her head. "He's more than dead, Mangle; he's broken. His animatronic body can't sustain him. There's nothing left..."

Hope snatched out from under her, Mangle detached her spindly body from the ceiling and crashed onto the floor. "Why don't we get another chance?!" she cried out, hammering the ground. "We could have helped him, we could have!"

Balloon Boy reached over to Mangle and gently patted her heads. "It's not your fault," he said quietly. It's not any of our faults."

"Oh, but it is mine."

The animatronics all froze and their eyes turned to the door. There stood a tall figure, yellow and dusty. Within the twin depths of its decrepit head, darkness stared back. Its posture was awkward, one shoulder slouching as though it were uncomfortable and weighed down. Blood visibly dripped down from the wire-spilling joints, slowly forming a puddle at its feet.

"Hello, children. How's the pizza coming along?"

Author's Note

Sorry it took so long. Hope y'all enjoy it

To Live Again

"You!" Freddy growled, opening and closing his fists. "I ought to tear you to scrap for what you've done."

"Go ahead and try it. You know it won't work."

The golden figure stumbled in and another came behind it, a stallion with a black cloud of a mane and a coat of devious purple. His eyes glinted with a maniacal shine. "The golden suits aren't like your own little cages," he said tauntingly. "It's an older model, springlocks. It'd be hard to squeeze a pony into a suit built for wearing."

Foxy hefted his claw. "Ye think that's funny, ye murderous dog?"

The purple pony stared him down with his mad grin. "Mocking you dead fleshy foals in your animatronic graves? Absolutely."

The golden springlock animatronic stomped forwards. Mangle scampered away, pushing herself up onto the wall. Balloon Boy and Chica edged away from the approaching bear, fear spreading across their plastic-alloy features. Freddy rushed over and stood in its way, staring the golden bear in the dark sockets.

"Keep your freaksuit away from my friends, purple mule."

"Give it a rest, Freddy. I'll do what I like."

And with a flick of his purple horn, the golden springlock suit launched itself at Freddy. The two bears fell to the floor, tussling wildly. Freddy roared murderously, swiping at his adversary with his large hands. The springlock suit's movements were a bit sluggish but just as strong, and it held its own against Freddy under the purple pony's power.

Bonnie and the others threw themselves against the wall, trying to avoid the bear fight. The purple pony followed the tumbling bear animatronics as they rolled around the Parts and Service room, tipping over shelves of robotic appendages and kicking up layers of dust. Bonnie looked up and noticed that the way to the door was clear.

"Everyone out, quick!"

The others heard her and obeyed at once. Balloon Boy, Foxy and Chica scampered out the door, while Mangle leapt onto the ceiling and crossed the lintel into the Main Hall. Bonnie rushed after them but turned around when she reached MandoPony. The golden pony animtronic had gotten knocked to the floor during Freddy's still-ongoing fight with his springlock counterpart, and had fallen to pieces. In the center of the wreckage, MandoPony's ruined body lay sprawled, eyes staring emptily out of their original sockets.

I'm sorry, MandoPony, Bonnie thought sadly, laying a hand on his chest. She stood up to leave but stopped herself, bending back down and scooping the dead pony into her arms before running back to the door. Bonnie glanced back in, only to find the purple pony staring right back at her with his piercing gaze.

"Oh?"

Bonnie didn't wait to see what the murderer was going to do but ran out the door, hugging Mandopony close to her chest, hoping with all her being that Freddy would be okay. She ran down the Main Hall and into the central foyer of the pizzeria, where Foxy, Chica and Balloon Boy were standing, looking around with sheer panic in their eyes.

"You brought MandoPony," Chica said in a low whisper of a voice.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't just leave him and — "

"No no, you did the right thing, Bon." Chica put a reassuring hand on Bonnie's shoulder. "We can't leave him behind."

"Wait a second, where's Mangle?" Bonnie asked after looking around the room.

Balloon Boy shook his head. "She left the Parts and Service room, but I don't think she came down the Hall with us."

"Well, where could she be?" Foxy wondered.

"Guys!"

A collection of clumsy clunking sounds echoed from the Main Hall and Mangle scurried onto the foyer ceiling. She was going so fast, she lost her grip and fell, grabbing Foxy's shoulder to avoid crashing onto the floor. "I just came in from the Office!" she panted, trying to collect herself. "Freddy and that golden freak are now in the hallway leading to it. I saw the purple pony looking into the Party Rooms, so I don't think he saw me."

"What were ye doing in the Office?" Foxy questioned, helping her up onto the merry-go-round roof.

"Looking for the security guard! She's gone!"

Shock settled in with the rest of the animatronics' mixed feelings. Even at a time like this, the lack of a security guard was not a comforting thought. "Wait, wasn't there a new security guard tonight?" Balloon Boy asked, wringing his hands. "Who was it?"

Bonnie's gaze fell to the floor, her eyes falling open. She clutched her head in her hands, wishing she had hair to pull on but could barely attain traction as it was. Did the purple pony make a detour before coming to torment his old victims? Would he continue his spree long after his original crime?

"Bonnie?" Chica called, noticing the blue animatronic's reaction. "What is-"

"Wildfire."

"Correct again, Bon."

Heavy footsteps echoed into the foyer. The golden springlock suit stomped inside, the purple pony walking in its wake. With a silent heave, the springlock animatronic threw down a dirty and beat Freddy Fazbear, his eyes open and ungazing at the pizzeria's florescent lights.

"Freddy!" Chica fell to his side, her wings working their way over his plastic-alloy body. She looked to the purple pony with murder in her eyes. "What did you do?"

"Oh, he's not broken or anything. Just put down for a little while. He's really a pain in the flank, you get me?" The unicorn turned the Bonnie, his grin unrelenting. "You're right again. Your eye in the sky for tonight was Sabrina Wildfire, the MandoPony's special somepony. I had to poke that eye out, as I couldn't have the authorities coming for me this time either. Of course, with no suits to spare, I had to shove her somewhere else."

The golden bear's hands, glowing with a deadly purple light, rose up to his steely face and gripped his cranium and jaw. With slow, almost careful movements, the two were pulled apart, revealing a frame of tightly wound springlocks that gave the suit its name and power, and that which was framed between them: a mare's head, beauty marred by fresh oozing scratches and black oil, her luscious brown mane torn and caught among the springs.

"No..."

"Ho, YES! This feels just like old times! Only one thing will can make it better."

The purple pony drew an ax out from behind the doorway. The grey metal glinted menacingly in the violet light of his magic aura. "It's like this, kids. I lucked out when I snuffed and stuffed the lot of you. The police were baffled, the pizzeria got a shred of blame and I got away. After this one, though, I may not get off so easily. So, I'm quite sad to say, I'll have to put you out for good this time. No refunds."

The dusty naked bulb swung slower and slower, after being thrown into a wild spin by Freddy's fight with the golden springlock suit. The light passed again and again over the strewn pieces of the Mandotronic, shining into the black unseeing sockets of its head. Huge motes of dust emphasized the stark light within the Parts and Service room, among the few things moving within it.

From the dark shadows in the corner, to which the swinging lamp could not reach, the tall thin figure of the Puppet emerged. Its long legs floated over the grungy floor, its arms with its long-reaching fingers swaying loosely beside it. The Puppet flew across the room and hovered before the silent golden mess of suit. Its black gaze searched the Mandotronic up and down, its purple tear-trails on its smiling face stupefying emotion identification.

Once again, he comes for blood. This time, however, we will not go down peacefully.

The Puppet put its long-fingered hands together, a soft light emanating between them. A tiny speck began to grow within the ball of light, growing in size and detail until it appeared as a white red-ribbon-tied gift box. The Puppet spun its fingers around the box, causing the ribbon to pull itself untied and the freed lid to lift up. As though in response, the scattered pieces of the Mandotronic rose into the air and vanished impossibly into the foot-by-foot box.

Twirling its fingers around the gift box, now containing the manipulated animatronic parts, and capped it off with the lid. The ribbon tied itself back on, sealing the box as it had appeared. The Puppet pulled its hands apart and the gift box phased out of sight. It then turned its blank-eyed gaze toward the door of the Parts and Service room, noises coming from down the hall.

Give Gifts,

Just as it had appeared, the Puppet floated back into the shadows, this time with a purpose.

Give Life.

🎁

The main room of the pizzeria had descended into chaos. Bonnie and the gang were scattered around, trying their best to avoid the clutching grasps of the controlled springlock suit and the mad ax-swinging of the purple pony. Balloon Boy and Mangle had retreated to the merry-go-round, accidentally turning it on. Chica was behind the Prize Corner, lobbing stuffed plush toys over the counter at the purple pony as a distraction. Foxy was locked in combat with the springlock suit, doing his utmost to limit its movements to avoid setting it off with Wildfire still inside it.

On the stage, Bonnie had pulled MandoPony and a barely stirring Freddy Fazbear behind the curtain, though she knew the purple pony would be on to them in no time. Peeking past the curtains, she watched the frightening scene unfold, the ferocious glinting of the ax blade, Foxy's hook and the purple pony's ever-present smile reflecting the dingy light in the room.

This won't work. He's going to win again, and no one will ever know the truth...

These dismal thoughts were doing no favors to Bonnie's already-pained psyche, and her eyes fell on MandoPony's still form once again. And you had to be the first this time, Mando, and all you were trying to do was help the pizzeria. Even now, your Wildfire is being forced to fuel our murderer's evil intentions. The unfairness just continues to stack against us, and the light evades.

SHIIIIIIIIIING

"There you aaaaaaare!"

The dingy light suddenly flooding the backstage area caught Bonnie off-guard as the curtain was pulled aside, ripped clean off the rail, the purple pony leering down at his findings. Behind him, Chica looked on horrified, out of ammo and helpless to stop the proceedings, Foxy remaining pinned under the onslaught of Wildfire's prison suit. The purple pony tilted his head, tongue flitting out like a snake in his never-fading grin.

"Guess it's time for the curtain call, Bonnie," he jeered, savoring every word as he raised his ax high overhead. "The hunt ends tonight."

Wooooosh- CLANG

Bonnie raised her arm in defense, but it wasn't hers the ax blade had embedded itself in. Looking up, she found the light blocked out by a faded golden arm, disconnected from anything else, quivering in mid-air against the violent magic of the purple pony.

"What the fu—MandoPony?!"

All focused eyes turned to the sprawled pony on the stage, particularly at the slowly revolving gift box hovering over his chest. The golden arm swung the ax loose, sending it into the darkness of the Kid's Cove, then circled back around and rested on the gift box, its empty elbow socket aligning perfectly with MandoPony's unmoving leg.

"No!"

The golden fingers yanked at the sealing ribbons of the gift box, sending a blinding light throughout the room and throwing everyone back, flesh and metal alike. Struck against the back wall with Freddy, Bonnie peered through half-closed plastic-alloy eyelids, doing her best to see through the sudden flash.

"M-m-mando?" she called out gently, unable to hide the hope in her voice.

The light died down and MandoPony's corpse had vanished from its resting place on the floor, instead floating like an angel above the stage, light still streaming from the open gift box in front of it, the one golden arm holding almost gleefully onto the rim.

"What is this?" the purple pony raged, rising to his hooves, his teeth still present in the frown now splayed over his face. "What is this trick?!"

MandoPony's head slowly rose upwards, closed eyes staring straight into whatever the purple pony had for a soul, while behind the floating musician's body, a tall spindly shadow mirrored his pose, equally unseeing eyes locked on the unicorn.

Give Gifts,

The gift box vanished, the many pieces of the Mandotronic suit floating out and around, hovering over the corresponding parts of Mando's body like a free-floating Iron Man

Give Life.

MandoPony's eyelids screwed up then blinked open, green eyes shining with an inner light of their own, gazing at the purple pony as a coy smile pulled itself onto his face.

Bonnie looked up in awe at the previously stone-dead pony, now clearly full of life. "Mando...."

He turned to look at the lagomorph animatronic, his smile turning into a calming peaceful one. "Hi, Bonnie."

The purple pony spat on the already grimy pizzeria floors. "So it's you again. You just can't keep you nose out of my business, can you? Every time, you always have to step in and do your dirty voodoo stringy gags cuz you can't let sleeping ponies die!"

MandoPony looked back at the purple pony. "What?"

Wordlessly, the ax flew out of Kid's Cove, spinning like a deadly disc towards Mando. The left Mandotronic arm flew up to block, deflecting the ax and sending it boomeranging around the room, into the floor by the purple pony's hooves, nicking his leg and drawing a none-too-red blood. The unicorn didn't even wince.

"Looks like I'll need an old friend's help." Summoning an empty aura, the purple pony drew a long knife out of thin-air, swinging it opposite the ax and bringing the two blades down together in a deadly X. He smiled back at his newly-resurrected foe. "Ready to die again?"

In the blink of an eye, the golden anthro pony suit clamped down on MandoPony, sealing him in golden armor. His fingers flexed experimentally, feeling the movements responding to his own will. The mouth of the Mandotronic smiled along with him, and Mando spread his arms openly.

"Your death, will bring peace to many more than mine."

The two deadly machines, the maniacal mulberry murderer and one of the many coffin-like animatronic suits of Freddy Fazbear's, collided in the most awesome show ever witnessed by the pizzeria stage. The purple pony's blades flashed left and right, stabbing and slicing for a hit on the Mandotronics joints and tendons, while MandoPony met the blows with raised alloy arms, earning numerous nicks to the suit.

Bonnie could only watch as Mando and the purple pony engaged in their deadly dance, their feet never touching the ground together, their legs, arms and arms flailing, each combatant struggling to overpower their adversary. On the merry-go-round, Mangle and Balloon Boy kept their heads stationary while the darn thing kept spinning. With the purple pony's focus now completely on Mando, Foxy evaded the now-slowed springlock suit and wrestled it down. Chica spectated from the Prize Corner desk and even Freddy lifted his head to view the battle.

"You go, Mando!"

"Take that freakjob down!"

"Freddy Fazbear's for-the-WIN!"

"Fight on, matey!"

Save them

With the Fazbear crew cheering him on, MandoPony felt more and more rejuvenated, taking their praise and support into him and swinging his fists harder and faster, slowly beating the purple pony back to the edge of the stage. The unicorn gave a wild swing with his ax, unbalancing himself, and Mando finally landed a blow while slapping the weapon away, knocking the purple pony off the stage and tumbling to the floor.

The murderer sat up, looking balefully at the golden pony animatronic. "Ptooeey." A bloodied tooth shot out of his mouth and clattered onto the floor.

"Take our lives, we'll take your teeth!" Balloon Boy shouted from the merry-go-round.

The purple pony gave him a menacing stare, his toothy grin ruined by the square hole in the picture. MandoPony leaped down from the stage and stood over the prone unicorn, fist held to his purple face.

"Your chain of murder ends here and now, 'purple pony'. After tonight, never again shall a foal go missing and Freddy Fazbear be given the blame for lack of evidence. No more will ponies have to look over their shoulder for fear something will try to kill them. It's over."

Once more, the broken grin beamed outwards. "So it would seem."

SHLAAAACK

"Hurrgh!"

The ax came out of nowhere, silent as a mouse, and slashing through Mando's left knee, causing him to falter. The blade arced back around to the purple pony, revolving around him alongside the knife, dripping blood and oil onto the floor.

"Or maybe," the purple pony crooned, licking the dirty ax blade with a hauntingly long tongue, "you're just hallucinating. You should take a looong rest." The mad unicorn launched himself toward the stopped Mandotronic, both weapons raised for a killing blow.

Author's Note

Finally. Took way too long to get this out

This one's for you, my devoted followers, especially those who pester me to get it done :raritywink:

And yes, another cliffhanger

One Scare is Not Too Many

Mando turned his security cap backwards and tossed one of the balled-up papers into the air. He picked up his mandolin and tuned the strings before strumming a chord. Once more, the music echoed through the quiet halls, leaving a lonely monotonoues feeling behind.

As the last note faded, the clock struck midnight. Mando laid down his mandolin and picked up the monitor. Quickly scanning the pizzeria, he found that none of the animatronics had moved. Then again, it was the first minute of the night. It would probably take time before their servos were back up and running for their nightly jaunts.

While he waited for something, anything to happen, Mando’s eyes fell upon the phone. He thought about the message left by Phone Colt from the other night and wondered whether the mystery pony had more to tell him.

Krrrrrrrk…… krrrrrrrrrrrrk…..

Crackling static was followed by the beeping of the answering machine. A second later, Phone Colt’s recorded voice emitted from the device’s speakers.

“Evening! Um, so… made it through your first night, huh? That’s great, that’s really truly brilliant, well done you. Okay, I guess that means you’ve gotten the hang of the workings, which is good cause from here on out, things are going to be a little… different.”

I hope that doesn’t mean more trouble, Mando silently hoped.

“Yeah, so you probably saw the old animatronic in the Parts and Service Room? That’s Foxy. He’s from the original set, all of which were shipped back to the programmers after a series of malfunctions. That’s why those newer models are there. I’m still not sure why Foxy’s still here though, what with Mangle keeping the foals entertained. Probably for extra parts.”

So what else is new? Mando wondered.

“Anyway, expect Foxy to join the others in nightly jaunts now. For some reason, when Freddy and the other animatronics walk around, something in Foxy’s system turns on and his servos start whirring, allowing him to wander the restaurant. Pay attention, though: that Freddy mask you got won’t fool Foxy. It just doesn’t grab him like it does the others.”

Mando froze and stared at the answering machine. Wait, then how am I supposed to keep him away if he comes to the Office?

“But uh yeah, that flashlight you use to look around? You can use it on Foxy to make him go away. Just point it at him when he’s in the hallway and flash it at him like a signal. The beam should reset him and he’ll go back to the Parts and Service Room for a while.”

So that’s how it works, Mando thought, looking down the hallway as he imagined the canine animatronic in the dark passage.

“Also, the flashlight trick should work on the other animatronics too, should they enter the hallway,” Phone Colt continued. “If you shine the light on them enough, they’ll go back to where they start until they come back…. whenever.”

“Okay, so that’s pretty much it for tonigh-Oh oh, very important! That short animatronic by the Game Area, Balloon Boy? He’s gonna start moving about too. He’s no big deal really, but don’t let him come near the Office. Every now and then, Balloon Boy will take the air vents to the Office and you’re gonna have to scare him off with the Freddy head. This is crucial! If Balloon Boy gets into the Office, he’ll take your flashlight batteries and leave you helpless against Foxy. Keep that thing out!”

Wow, Mando thought. What’s with Balloon Boy that makes Phone Colt talk about him like that?

“Right, that should be everything. So, same protocol as last night with some new faces, watch them with the cameras, chase them from the Office with the flashlight and the mask, and make it ‘til the morning. Good luck!”

The answering machine clicked off. Mando leaned back in the Office chair, trying to relax as he digested the new information. Okay. So now Foxy and Balloon Boy are going to be walking around too. He flicked the flashlight on the desk. And this can keep the animatronics away if they come straight down the hallway. I’m gonna be busy tonight.

Mando picked up the monitor and switched the view to the Show Stage. As earlier, Freddy, Chica and Bonnie stood in a line on the stage. A surprise met Mando’s eyes as Chica unstiffened, tossed her cupcake into the air and stretched her limbs in time to catch the pastry prop.

Well that was unexpected, Mando chuckled inwardly.

Freddy leapt of the stage and adjusted his hat. He look up at Bonnie, his mouth moving as though he were about to speak, but the blue animatronic lifted its hand to silence him. Freddy stared for a minute, but shrugged all the same.

What do they have planned? Mando wondered. He switched the view to the Kid’s Cove, where Mangle was beginning to shift. The skeletal animatronic stretched its mismatched body, leapt onto the picture-covered wall and climbed out of sight.

Well, that’s Mangle on the move. Now for Balloon Boy.

Tapping the monitor controls, Mando changed the view to the Game Area camera. As before, the short stocky form of Balloon Boy stood holding his bunch of balloons. Phone Colt’s message said Balloon Boy is supposed to move tonight, Mando remembered. Time to see what happens then.

As Mando watched the Game Area, Balloon Boy’s head slowly turned to face the camera, the wide crafted grin becoming unnerving. In a surprising show of dexterity, Balloon Boy dashed over to the mini-carousel, tied his balloons to one of the horses, and dashed out of the Game Area and out of the camera’s view.

Mando took a deep breath. Okay, here he comes. He checked the Show Stage, where he found Freddy looking down at Balloon Boy, who was waving his arms up and down and pointing at Chica. The scene was so hilarious, Mando had to grin.

“Enough funny business,” Mando said out loud. “Time to check on Foxy.”

He changed the monitor view to the Parts and Service Room and clicked on the light. The damaged pirate animatronic sat there, same as ever.

“Well, that’s everyone.” Mando sat up straight and took a deep breath. “Now let’s get serious.”

The first few minutes past by smoothly. The animatronics busied themselves with their band equipment and possible conversation until Chica sped down the hallway. Mando switched to the Main Hall camera to keep up with her.

“Hello, Chica,” he said aloud.

The yellow animatronic moved quickly from the hall into Party Room 1, where she adjusted some of the hats on the table before ducking into the vent. Mando checked the Left Air Vent camera and found Chica staring right back.

Here she comes. Freddy head, on.

Mando slipped the animatronic mask over his head and watched the vent cautiously. It seemed like forever until Chica finally poked out of it, cupcake in hand. She slowly surveyed the room, her scanners picking up Mando and focusing on him. Mando held his breath as Chica stared at him with her robotic eyes. After a few moments, Chica swung her head side to side and backed into the vent.

“Uch.” Mando wrenched the Freddy head off. “I didn’t think it would be that unsettling.” He picked up the monitor and found Chica returning to the Show Stage. The other animatronics were milling about, much like the foals had earlier that day.

“Looks like I’ve got some peace and quiet for a few minutes,” he exclaimed happily, putting down the monitor in favor of his mandolin. Before he’d come to work, Mando had taken some time to compose more of his song. He strummed the mandolin and listened to the resonant notes. Content with the sound, Mando positioned his hooves along the instrument and was about to play when he heard something.

MandoPony almost dropped his mandolin. Somewhere in the pizzeria, somepony was singing his song; singing in a soft female voice. But that’s impossible, Mando decided. I’ve only played it for Wildfire and she would’ve told me if she was gonna visit me during my shift.

The thought that somepony other than Wildfire knew of his new song bothered Mando, although he wasn’t quite sure why. He put down his mandolin and picked up the monitor. Let’s see who it is.

Mando quickly flipped through the cameras, scanning the pizzeria for any sign of ponies, unauthorized or otherwise. He came up with nothing; only the animatronics were around. This makes no sense! There’s nopony here. The animatronics are programmed to sing, but unless one of the programmers learned my song, this shouldn’t be happening.

His mind racing, Mando checked the rooms again; Chica was in Party Room 4, Freddy had wandered into the Game Area with Balloon Boy, Mangle was crawling around the Prize Corner, Foxy was still in the Parts and Service Room and Bonnie was in Party Room 3.

Nothing, Mando thought, letting the monitor slip back onto the table. Absolute zero. It was inconceivable that the animatronics had sung his song and clear that nopony besides him was at the pizzeria. With nothing to go on, Mando decided to go back to watching the animatronics and—

Let’s try to make it right
Don’t want to start a fight—

With lightning-quick reflexes, Mando grabbed the monitor and zeroed in on Party Room 3, where Bonnie was sitting in the corner. Her mechanical mouth opened and closed as the soft feminine voice emitted from inside.

—And we’re so sorry if we give you all a little fright
We’re not so scary if you see us in the daylight
You’ll be so happy just as long as you survive the night

Mando slumped back in his chair, shocked silent. Bonnie, the animatronic bunny, was singing his song. Impossible, unrealistic and unbelievable, but it was true. Am I dreaming? Mando wondered worriedly. Maybe hallucinating?

His concerns were momentarily shelved when he heard a strange crackling sound from down the hall. Mando picked up the flashlight for the first time, feeling the tool’s weight in his hoof. Happy with the way it felt, he turned its bulb towards the Office entrance and switched it on.

Mangle.

The mismatched animatronic was hanging from the hallway ceiling, looking upside-down at Mando. Her mouth was unhinged and hanging open, revealing her sharp artificial teeth. That doesn’t really add to her appeal, Mando decided right then and there. He steadied his hoof and began rapidly clicking the flashlight’s button, flashing the light on and off and shining the beam right in Mangle’s facial scanners.

Is it working? Mando wondered after ten seconds had passed. Suddenly, Mangle shook her heads and swung out of sight, the static noise she emits slowly fading into the silence of the ‘empty’ pizzeria.

With an exasperated grunt, Mando plopped the flashlight back onto the desk. This night was proving to be more interesting, if not mane-raising. He checked the monitor; Mangle had scurried to the Prize Corner, hanging right above the large gift box. Oh right, the music box! In all the excitement, Mando had forgotten about Phone Colt’s warning from the previous night. Smiling like a happy foal, Mando pushed the winding-up button, listening to the tinkling sound of the music box.

We don’t want a repeat of last night, he thought to himself as he released the button and switched back to Bonnie in Party Room 3. Now for you.

Bonnie had indeed sung his latest composition, with no previous known or logical programming of it. The reality of the situation was distressing Mando. How is this happening? He sat back in the Office chair and absent mindedly tapped the monitor with a front hoof and tapped his mandolin with a back hoof, ultimately strumming the strings.

A thought came to Mando as he listened to the sudden sound. What will happen if Bonnie hears the song being played? The idea appealed to Mando and he immediately put it into action. Balancing the instrument on his knee, Mando strummed his mandolin and began to sing.

Hey there, how ya doin’, nice to meet ya, are ya new in town
Don’t think I’ve seen you befo-ore, it’s great to see new faces around—

—and if you’d like it, I can give a tour
Of our enchanting wonderland, new and improved without the doors

The first two lines were sung by Mando. He had thought them up back home, deciding they fit the view of the animatronics welcoming guests perfectly.

But the last two lines originated from Party Room 3, where Bonnie was now standing up, looking expectantly at the camera as though she could see the earth pony through it. And the monitor confirmed that it was indeed Bonnie who was singing after Mando had stopped.

So she can think beyond what she hears, Mando mused, surprised by the sudden discovery. He had heard of machines programmed to recall and repeat what they pick up, but never of such artificial intelligence as Bonnie displayed. She appeared to be aware of Mando’s singing and could even build on what she heard.

“This just got a whole lot more interesting,” he said, watching the blue animatronic intensely. This would prove to be a mistake.

An ominous creaking sound echoed throughout the restaurant; the sound of an old barely-used door opening. Mando shivered. There was only one of the few doors at Freddy’s that would creak like that.

Parts and Service.

Mando switched the monitor view to the back room where the rejected animatronic was kept, but it was empty. Foxy was no longer there.

Where’d he go?

From Parts and Service to Kid’s Cove and through all the Party Rooms, Mando flipped through the camera feeds, barely caring about the other animatronics, but came up with nothing. The only thing that he had noticed was Bonnie’s expression; the blue animatronic’s face bore discomfort, as though she knew what was going on.

What is going on? Mando wondered, fear building slightly. Then he heard the screeching sound of metal on stone and his eye caught a spark igniting in the hallway beyond the Office. More sparks flashed and the screeching metal noise continued, drawing nearer. With shaky hooves, Mando picked up the flashlight and shined its light into the hall.

Foxy the Pirate stopped suddenly as the beam of light hit his robotic eyes. In the bright light he was quite intimidating, standing almost twice the height of a normal pony. His clothes were horribly torn and his circuitry spilt out of his animal-like suit. The metal hook on his arm was pushed against the wall, a white line visible behind him; the trail the hook had made as the animatronic stumbled down the hall.

Mando was scared. He tried to recall what Phone Colt had told him about Foxy. He won’t be fooled by the Freddy head. The only way to drive him off is with the flashlight. Mando raised the flashlight to eye level and began switching it on and off methodically just like he did with Mangle.

“Please work, please work, please work, please work,” Mando muttered as he flashed Foxy’s scanners full of harsh bright light.

“Hello?”

Mando’s attention was somehow drawn away from the approaching towering figure of Foxy to the left air vent, where a fat rosy-cheeked face smiled up at him: Balloon Boy.

Wait a minute. Balloon Boy?!

Then it hit him. Mando hadn’t paid attention to the other animatronics while looking for Foxy. Balloon Boy must have crawled into the vent while he was distracted. And now he was crawling into the Office.

Balloon Boy giggled a strange foal-like laugh. He then skidded into the room directly in front of Foxy, slid under the desk and popped up right in Mando’s face.

“Ack!”

Mando stumbled backwards in the Office chair, dropping the flashlight on the desk. Balloon Boy reached behind him, opened up the flashlight and plucked out the batteries. The white beam died down.

Oh no.

Balloon Boy looked back at Mando, his smile never wavering. He raised his hand, the one holding the batteries, almost mockingly in front of the earth pony’s face. His robotic eyes stared at MandoPony, blinking their mechanical eyelids at him as he slowly ducked down under the table, still watching the stallion.

I have to get those batteries back, Mando thought. Before-

HRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!

Any thought of reclaiming the batteries vanished as Foxy issued a heart-stopping scream and leapt at Mando, jaws wide open and hook outstretched. Mando’s musical career almost ended right there, but the earth pony ducked out of the chair and Foxy shot right over his head, crashing into the wall.

Oh, sweet Celestia!

Mando’s heart was racing as he clambered to his hooves and quickly scooted around the table to survey the mess. Foxy was leaning upside down against the back wall, making strange mechanical screeching sounds as he tried to right himself. Balloon Boy was on the floor beneath the desk, watching Mando with a new expression: surprise.

I have to get out of here, Mando decided. Before Foxy gets up and tries again!

With Foxy’s frightening visage still fresh in his mind, Mando turned tail and hauled flank out of the Office. As he galloped down the hall, he caught sight of Chica standing in the entrance to Party Room 4, her beakless grin not matching her raised metal eyebrow. Mando barely spared her a glance and continued down the hallway, turning into the Main Hall and into the room which held the Show Stage, the Prize Corner and the Game Area.

Mando didn’t stop there; he kept running, trying to put as much distance between himself and the Office where he’d last seen Foxy. Once he’d reached a room with drawings covering the walls, he stopped to catch his breath.

What to do, what to do? Mando struggled to think of a plan. What he really needed was some place free of animatronics. The Office was out. So were the Party Rooms, Show Stage and Game Area. Is there no room in the whole restaurant where these things DON’T go?

Krrrrrr

A staticy sound filled Mando’s hearing, coming from his left. The musician slowly turned and his eyes almost jumped out of his skull when he saw the pale white canine head looking back at him, sharp metallic teeth visible in its jaw.

MANGLE!

The mismatched animatronic stared at Mando intently, its mechanical expression blank. Mando realized he had run into Kid’s Cove and was now sitting beside Mangle. What would the skeletal robot do?

Whatever it was going to do, Mando didn’t wait to find out. Pushing his hind legs against the wall, he rocketed out of Kid’s Cove and hauled flank. Mando streaked past the Game Area, Prize Corner and Show Stage again, and zipped down the Main Hall to the heavy metal door of the Parts and Service Room.

That’s it! Mando thought. The lock on this door is good and strong. Now that Foxy isn’t in here, it’ll be perfect for hiding in. Mando quickly pulled the door open and rushed inside. He pushed is closed again with a woooosh of air, then shoved the bolts of the lock in place, sealing everything out.

Or rather, sealing him in.

Mando looked around the dark room. Now that Foxy was gone, he was able to focus more on the other features of the dingy service room. Odd machine parts lay strewn about. Wires hung from holes in the ceiling and draped all along the walls. Oily stains covered the floor and dripped from above. Most of the floor was dusty, except for a squarish patch by the wall and some rectangular sections between it and the door.

“That’s where Foxy stays,” Mando noted. “And those must be where he walked out of the room.” Mando took a moment and glanced back at the door, but no sound came from the other side. “Hmm. Wonder what the animatronics are doing out there?”

A scraping sound caught Mando’s attention and he whirled around. Standing in the corner, where the shadows were the darkest, was Bonnie. Somehow, somewhen, somewhy, she wandered into the Parts and Service Room and sat down in the corner. When she saw MandoPony wander in, she stood up, towering over him. Her green eyes flickered closed, then open again as she gazed blankly at the earth pony, slowly walking towards him.

Mando backed into the wall, hoping to put some distance between himself and the bipedal bunny and maybe give himself time to open the door and bolt. No. She’ll get to me before that. And even if I did go out, Foxy would be there.

Bonnie drew closer. Mando shuffled further back, feeling the dangling wires brush his face and the dirty oil stick to his hooves. Of all the questions running through his head, one particular one shone out among them: what the animatronic would do with him.

Guess I’m about to find out, Mando thought hopelessly, the last things he would ever think up. He shifted a bit and his mandolin rubbed against the wall, strumming the strings. And I never even got to finish that song.

Wait. The music!

It was a long shot, but in that moment of doom, Mando was ready to try anything. He whipped out his mandolin and sat it on his lap. The sudden movement didn't faze Bonnie, but she did freeze for a moment as the instrument swung out in front of her. Mando stuck his tongue out between his teeth, put his hoof against the strings and began to play.

The sound that issued from the mandolin had a powerful resonance to it. Anypony with the right ear could pick up the feelings inside it: a fear of the end, of hopes being crashed, a love cut short, a mystery unsolved. All of Mando's thoughts and emotions had been rolled together into the short melody he was playing, all in what he saw as his final moments. This was MandoPony's special talent: the magic of music.

The earth pony gave his mandolin one final strum and lifted his gaze. Bonnie had come dangerously close, standing a mere foot away from Mando and gazing at him with an unrealistically focused look on her blue face. Bonnie slowly bent down toward MandoPony, who raised his legs in a flinch, preparing himself for whatever unimaginable intentions the animatronic had planned for him.