More Than Five Nights At Anthro's

My shift was just about to start as I said goodnight to the manager and the cleaners, I locked the doors before going to reunite with the girls. By this point, they were more natural than mechanical. The lines on their bodies that indicated where their outer casing attaches were no longer visible and I'm pretty much certain that their chests are expanding and contracting like they are breathing now. Even Sunset who was new to the group, even she seems more lifelike than before.

I watched the girls as they conversed with each other, it was like nothing I've seen before. They no longer seemed like animatronics but seven mares interacting like they would've done. Princess Celestia said that their souls might have had a strong connection from another universe and watching them, well it certainly confirms that theory as they looked like old friends hanging out.

Of course, they didn't want me to feel left out as they pulled me into their little group, several kisses and a few gropes, but it literally felt like I had a little herd of my own. Herd?, why did that sound familiar?. "Twilight noticed me zoning out, "You ok Umbra?" she asked. "Does herding sound familiar to you"? I asked curiously. Twilight cocked her head to one side, "Kinda. Maybe in one of the alternate universes, our race had herds instead of choosing a single partner for life. Assuming that was what you was referring too". She gave me a playful bump on the shoulder, "why?, thinking of herding us you handsome and lucky stallion?".

This threw me for a loop. "To be honest", I started to say. Twilight cut me off, "It's all right. I was just jerking your chain but". She pulled me in for a deep kiss, "We'd be more than happy to be your special herd". I could hear the other six agreeing happily. I was relieved to hear this as I didn't know how to respond earlier. Before my first day, I wasn't even thinking of having anypony special in my life and after several days here, things changed and I've found several ponies that I've become attached to.

I had to leave them for a bit to do a quick check around the place so I gave them all a quick kiss and a cheeky squeeze to their butts before making my rounds.

As I walked around, I kinda had the feeling that I wasn't alone. No, none of the girls was following me but I did see something. My reflection, anything that could reflect, glass, mirrors or anything reflective, I could see the same face. The white face with red cheeks and the purple lines under the eyes. This time, it didn't creep me out in fact, it felt oddly comforting.

As I made my way to the security office down the right corridor, a hooded figure crashed through the window. It was covered in a glow indicating magic, possibly a unicorn. The figure was now blocking my path to the office. As the glow faded, a smaller glow appeared at the head confirming that it was a unicorn.

Before I could react, I felt a sharp pain searing throughout my body as I was sent flying backwards. Thankfully, Applejack caught me as I flew into the main area, the other girls circled me as the hooded unicorn walked forwards. Twilight and Sunset started using various spells to keep the mysterious unicorn at bay whilst Applejack carried me to the maintenance room.

The blast must've hit me hard as it felt like my head was swimming, watching and listening to the girls was getting a little hard. "Gotta stop the bleeding" I heard Rainbow say as Applejack laid me onto the table. "Dammit, where'd his arm fly off to," Applejack said as she was about to head back into the main area. "Didn't you see?" Pinkie said, "I think that pony used a level ten disarming spell. You know?, the one that holds a body part in one spot and then forces the rest to". "Yeah yeah, I get it" Applejack replied.

By the time my senses went back to normal, I felt a little different. I looked down at my right arm to see what looked like one of the arms used for the animatronics. "Sorry" Rarity said as the glow from her horn faded, obviously she must've used a spell to calm my senses down so I could regain my focus. "We didn't have your arm to reattach so Fluttershy suggested using one of the spares here, I used some of my magic to attach the arm. I hope it works".

I tried to move it and to our surprise, it moved. It almost felt natural. Before I could comment on it, we hear the sounds outside getting more intense. We ran back out to help the other two.

At this point, the unicorn was no longer covered by the hood as the girls had managed to blast away a fair bit of her clothing. Yes, her. Enough clothing had been damaged to the point her skin was on show including her privates and judging from the condition of her skin, she was an elderly mare. What caught my attention was her eyes, the exact same glowing red eyes from my dream. I could only see her eyes as her mask was broken enough to show off her eyes.

"Death Mask?" I said out loud. The mare laughed out loudly, "ah, the little Marionette. I had a feeling that you didn't quite die that day". In her left hand was my dismembered right arm and she was swinging it around. "Imagine my surprise, I had to go into hiding several years after your death and in those years that followed. I ended up having a daughter that I tried grooming into following my footsteps, an heir if you will. I devoted so much time in raising her that my days of killing were seemingly at an end. Then I saw you", she dropped the arm. "I saw you enter this pizzeria on your first day and I had to do a double-take. I moved all the way from where your previous life was, miles away to this location just to find out you've been reborn somehow. Well no matter, I guess I can kill you again, imagine the headlines Death Mask returns, a previous murdered victim has been murdered again".

I was no longer listening to her as I noticed my arm was twitching a little and at that point, Pinkie said "can you smell gasoline?". Death Mask laughed, "yes I've been pouring the stuff all around the place as well as teleporting some of the cans inside the place. I'll re-kill you and your toys can burn along with you".

"Not if I can help it" a disembodied voice said. My arm floated up and wrapped itself around her throat, a faint glow came from the severed part before a body could be seen. It looked almost like me except the face was that of the mask that I've been seeing. The same white face and red cheeks with purple lines running down from the eyes. He grabbed her horn as she swung at him, her flailing arms and legs passing through his body. "Got your pressure point," the stallion said, "can't use magic now".

At this point, the sound of sparks came from the outside before a fire quickly started to envelop the building. "Go," the stallion said. "I'll hold her here". I wanted to say no but I felt a tingle in my head. "Don't worry about me" said the voice in my head, "I can't die, not like this anyways. Since your rebirth, we've been together as one entity. As long as you live, I'll live. Now go and save those girls".

I nodded as I motioned to the girls to get out of here. The elderly mare screamed as she was held in place as the flames started to consume the insides of the building. The girls and I got to a safe distance as we watched the flames consume the place.

Flashing lights arrived several minutes later, along with the arrival of Princess Celestia and my manager. I was sat next to the ambulance as the medics checked out my condition, they even marvelled at how the animatronic arm was attached to me. I explained to the manager, the princess and the police what had happened as the firefighters started to contain the fire.

"So she was still alive after all this time?" Celestia said. I looked at her "was, I doubt even she could've survived that inferno". Celestia looked at the last of the dying flames, "the real surprise was who called the emergency services. Apparently, Death mask's daughter rang them. Years of being groomed by her must've been tough on her and I guess she wanted to put a stop to it all. She's even agreed to help the police by providing evidence of all her previous murders".

A shout could be heard from the burnt-out remains of the pizzeria. One firefighter came out carrying a burnt corpse and another had the charred remains of my arm.

"Don't worry" a voice said before the faint glow of the masked figure appeared beside me, "I watched her until the end". He turned to Celestia, "Princess" before he faded from sight as a certain warmth filled my body. "A part of me. Right?" I said quietly to myself as confirmation of the spirit returning to me.

Once the police, ambulance and fire services had thing under control, Princess Celestia took me, the girls and my manager to one side. "Well looks like your pizzeria is out of action for now," she said. "That it is," my manager said, "I could rebuild but" he looked at the girls. "I don't know if I want to go down the same path again. Don't get me wrong, the idea of animatronics is fine but after what the Princess told me on the way here, well I don't want the risk of putting any more potential souls under what you seven must've been through". He turned to me, "I think next time I'll have regular mascot outfits. As for you, please. Take the girls as a sign of my gratitude as well as an apology. I know they'll be well looked after". He shook my hand before saying his farewells and taking his leave.

The sun was starting to rise as we watched my former manager walk away and I'm pretty much certain I heard Celestia say, "looks like they've been finally born into this world". As I turned to look at the Princess, she was flying a good distance away.

The girls and I waved to the Princess before we hugged each other. "So, finally time to go home?" Pinkie asked. I nodded happily. Today was the start of a new life for all eight of us as we started walking. Sunset walked ahead of us as she remembers where I lived and a few girls joined her, I didn't mind as it allowed me to stare at their flanks. Soon, the other girls joined her as they gave me a sea of beautiful flanks to stare at. I could even hear Rarity saying, "finally I can make some decent clothes for us to wear". She looked back at me, "well, for public stuff anyway. I don't mind being in this for Umbra at home or maybe in nothing at all". They all let out a giggle in agreement.

Remembering what it was like when Sunset spent the day with me at my home, well it seems like my home is going to be much livelier than it was before.