Five Nights at Equestria Girls

Freddy, having split from his friends looking for whatever could help him figure out where he was, now found himself in front of a shop. On the front entrance, above the doorway, was a sign. It read 'Sugarcube Corner.' He got closer, wanting to see inside. Crouching beneath a window, he leaned in for a closer look. Inside, a pink-haired girl was standing by the counter, her back to the window. In her arm was a mixing bowl full of some batter. Still mixing the dough, she turned around. Freddy, not wanting to be seen, darted away from the window.

On a hunch, Pinkie Pie looked out the window. For a moment, she spotted a faint shadow that looked like a bear outside the shop. But just as she saw it, it was gone. Her Pinkie sense was tingling, so she knew that it was something. Knowing that ignoring would most likely be a bad idea, she set the mixing down on the counter. She dusted the flour off her hands and walked out the front door.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" asked Pinkie Pie in a sing-songy fashion.

She looked around, trying to find anything out of the ordinary. But there was nothing. Not even an odd dog was walking out of the old building nearby. She was about to walk back inside when she turned to look at the alleyway near the shop. Looking down the alley, she saw what appeared to be eyes staring back at her. They were white, glowing in the darkness that surrounded them. She blinked, and the eyes disappeared as if they had never been there. Shaking her head, she continued walking back inside the store.

"Hmm, must've been nothing," mumbled Pinkie Pie as she picked up the mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of town, Bonnie was making his way towards Carousel Boutique. As he turned the corner, he blinded himself, walking towards the fluorescent glow coming from the store. Holding his hand, Bonnie managed to regain some of his eyesight back. With his hand blocking some of the light, he walked closer to the building, staying in what little shadows remained.

Rarity was busy working on her next outfit creation. She had been under increasing pressure from her boss, Ms. Hemline, to make a new outfit. A few years ago, she signed up for an apprenticeship under Ms. Hemline, thinking it would help her to better herself in the fashion industry. Yet, it had been much harder than she anticipated. Struggling to think of anything new, she set her pencil down and took a sip of her tea. Looking out the window, she decided to take a breather. She walked out the front door, sitting on the bench outside.

Bonnie, meanwhile, hid behind the corner of a building as he watched a girl exit the shop. Her hair was a mix of dark purple and blue. Though, in the darkness, it was hard to tell. Wondering who she was, he decided to approach her. With his movements being more natural, he managed to be quiet with his steps. But he accidentally bumped into a nearby trash can.

Rarity heard the sound of the trash can falling, prompting her to look up. Her eyes widened as she spotted a big bluish-purple rabbit in front of her. It was at least 7 feet tall and very clunky. She blinked a few times, unsure of whether or not she saw things. Sure enough, the rabbit was still there. This time, it seemed to have gotten closer to her. That was enough to frighten her, and she ran for the door.

Bonnie stopped moving when he saw Rarity get up and move. Puzzled, he looked at her through the glass windows. His curiosity grew, making him step closer to the shop. This human girl didn't seem like the kids he was used to seeing running around the restaurant. He remained cautious as he decided to act upon his curiosity. He approached the big windows, leaning against the glass.

Acting upon the feeling of someone watching her, Rarity turned around. To her shock, she saw that the animatronic rabbit was now staring at her through the windows of the shop. Her breathing quicken, becoming fast and heavy. She rested a hand over her racing heart, trying to calm herself down. She hoped that whatever that thing was, it would disappear. And soon too, she did have a job to finish as it was. Having a creepy rabbit robot watching her was not on her to-do list. Yet, the thing remained, staring at her with unblinking eyes. His plastic eyes made him seem every creepier than usual. Her panic rose, causing her to hyperventilate. As her breathing quickened, she became dizzy, and black spots appeared in her vision. Gripping the table behind her, she struggled to keep her balance. A few seconds later, her hand fell from the table, her body collapsing to the ground.

The next morning, Rarity woke up. She opened her eyes, only to find the bright morning sun shining at her. Blinking a few times, she looked over at the table, where her boss was standing. Though she was still groggy, she could make out the glare her boss was giving her.

"Miss Rarity, I am shocked and disappointed to see that you are sleeping on the job." Her boss said as she crossed her arms.

Rarity jumped up, dusting off her skirt, and cleared her throat. "I am so sorry, Ms. Hemline."

Ms. Hemline walked over to the front door, glancing back at Rarity. "Well, apology aside, I still need that new outfit design by sunset today."

Rarity gulped. The pressure to make the outfit now became doubled. All thanks to the stupid rabbit thing from last night. She heard the door close as her boss left the shop. Looking over her designs from the night before, she kept thinking about what happened the night before. Did she see a giant purple rabbit? Or was it a hallucination caused by too much herbal tea and sheer exhaustion? She wasn't sure, but the rabbit wasn't there anymore.

"It must've disappeared during the night. But, that could be a hallucination. It had to be. I wouldn't be seeing giant purple rabbits anywhere. That would be ridiculous." thought Rarity, picking up one of her design plans. "I mean, one of my best friends is a magical pony princess from another world. But seeing a purple rabbit? That is insane."

Shaking the thought from her mind, she went back to focusing on her outfit design. She had to finish it before sunset, which wasn't going to be an easy task.

*** *** *** ***

Across town, Fluttershy had just arrived at the animal shelter. It was getting close to the time to feed all the animals. Parking in her usual spot, she turned off her van. Getting out of her van, she saw broken glass on the ground. That made her look at the entrance, wanting to know where the source of the glass was. She was in shock as she saw the broken door and windows.

"Oh, dear! Someone has broken into the shelter. I hope the animals are okay." said Fluttershy as she approached the shelter.

Swinging the door open, she bolted to the back area where the animals' kennels were. To her relief, nothing was out of place, and a quick check of the animals showed that they were unharmed. Looking at the clock, she saw it was time to let the puppies out for their bathroom break. Opening the kennel doors, she led them into an area called the 'The Puppy Palace.' It had earned its name from the girls when they saw all the puppies playing in the playpen. The name stuck as it was popular amongst the visitors to the shelter.

With the puppies safely in the playpen, she walked over to the storage room. Opening the door, she slipped the light switch on. A loud, glass breaking scream escaped from her when she came face to face with an 8 foot tall, yellow chicken that towered above her head. She noticed that it had its eyes closed as if it were sleeping or recharging. Swallowing hard, she backed away from it, unsure if it was going to attack. Behind her, she heard the front door open. Getting the food was going to have to wait.

"What the hell? How did that get in here?" asked a voice coming from behind her.

The animal lover spun around to see a familiar face behind her. It was Sunset Shimmer, someone she had asked to help her with the shelter. And the one who agreed to help her. Nonetheless, she was happy to have the company with her. Being alone with the giant creepy chicken wasn't something she liked at all.

"I-I don't know, Sunset. But maybe it was the thing that broke in," replied Fluttershy, pointing to the broken door and window.

Sunset Shimmer knelt by the broken door, careful to avoid cutting herself on the broken glass surrounding it. Looking down, she knitted her eyebrows as her mind tried to figure out why this happened. It was odd that a robotic chicken would break into an animal shelter. That wasn't something anyone would typically see. What happened wasn't normal behavior for any animatronic, even one that bore a striking resemblance to a character from the game Five Nights at Freddy. Even those animatronics had a code to follow, despite the kids' souls being in them. So why did it select the shelter? And why wasn't it running now? She didn't know, but she was determined to find out.

"Maybe. But I don't get why it would break in here. It's just a shelter for animals." said Sunset, walking back over to Fluttershy.

"I wish I knew," replied Fluttershy.

She grabbed a nearby broom and handed it to the redhead. "Mind cleaning up the broken glass? I don't want any of the poor sweethearts getting cut by it or eating it."

Sunset Shimmer smiled. "Sure, Shy.”

Fluttershy gulped. She wasn't looking forward to having to go back into the storage room. Gathering what courage she could, she walked up to it and opened the door. She walked in, avoiding any contact with the animatronic chicken, not sure if it would attack her if she did touch it. Reaching around, she grabbed a bag of food and headed right back out of the room.

After an hour had passed, Sunset's phone alarm went off. She set the broom against the wall, grabbing her phone from her jacket pocket. Turning off the alarm, she turned to Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, it's time to go to Sugarcube Corner. Remember that we had promised to help Pinkie Pie with the bake sale?" asked Sunset as she joined Fluttershy in the back area with the kennels.

Fluttershy had just finished pouring the final cup of food for the last dog, a cute chihuahua named Nugget. He was a little light brown bundle of joy. A small yip of joy greeted Sunset as she knelt next to the kennel.

"There you go, Nugget." Fluttershy was giving the little pup a scratch behind the ear. "Enjoy your food."

"Nugget?" asked Sunset Shimmer, raising her eyebrows.

"Look at his coloring and tiny size," said Fluttershy as she pointed to him. "He is just such an adorable bundle of happiness and love, who looks like a little nugget."

The little dog looked up from his bowl, his wide eyes meeting their gaze. His body was shaking from his excitement to have all the attention on him. As they continued to pet the small chihuahua, they were unaware of what was happening in the storage room. The chicken's eyes blinked open, eyes glowing red. Its circuits roared to life, making the magic flow inside of it. It could hear their voices just outside the door as they passed by. Fluttershy had carried the food bag to the doorway, setting just outside it. She wasn't going to step foot in the storeroom until the giant chicken was gone. Seeing it once and up close was more than enough. Grabbing her jacket, she double-checked the Puppy Palace to make sure the door and gate were secure. Seeing that it was, she joined Sunset in walking outside to her van.

Sunset Shimmer hopped onto her motorcycle, putting her helmet on. She revved her engine as she waited for Fluttershy to get into her van. Knowing Fluttershy had her safe driving ritual, she drove off first. Just as she got down the street, she saw Fluttershy's vehicle appearing in her side-view mirror. Smiling, she continued driving to Sugarcube Corner.

*** *** *** ***

At Rainbow Dash's house, the athlete was waking up. The sun was already shining into her room, lighting it up. Turning her head, she sat up and looked at her alarm clock. The time on it was 10:37 am. Letting out an exaggerated sigh, she flopped back onto her pillows. Right now, she didn't want to get up to do anything.

"Good thing today is Sunday. It's a lazy day for me," mumbled Rainbow Dash as she rested her hands on the back of her head.

Just as she got comfortable, she heard her phone vibrate on her dresser. Grabbing it, she saw that it was a text from Sunset.

SunShim: Hey, Lazy! Get your ass over here! We'll need help delivering some of Pinkie's baked goods.

Dash: Okay, okay! I will go there now.

SunShim: Good!

After reading the text, she got out of her bed. Putting her geode on, she raced around her room, using her speed to get dressed much quicker than usual. She stopped in front of her mirror, making sure all her clothes were on right before she made her way downstairs. As she entered the kitchen, she ran past the toaster just as a piece of toast popped up. Grabbing it, she ran out the front door, deciding to run the block to Sugarcube Corner.

Running out the door, she spotted a metal object glinting in the morning sun. Making her way to the bushes, she kicked it. Seconds later, a red fox head popped up from the bushes. As the rainbow-haired girl met the fox's gaze, she saw an annoyed look in its yellow eyes. Watching the fox rise to its full height, she gasped. He was about twice her height, and his hook was sharp, too sharp for her taste. Today was a bad day for deciding to kick some random shiny object in the bushes — a horrible idea.

"Hehe, sorry?" said Rainbow Dash, shrugging her shoulders nervously.

Turning around slowly, she sped off, away from Foxy. Behind her, she could his metal feet hitting the asphalt. She made a quick turn down a corner, narrowingly missing his hook going into her arm. That near-miss made her pick up the pace even more. She continued to run, not wanting to stop until she reached Sugarcube Corner and was safe.

Foxy tried to chase after the rainbow-haired menace that had kicked his hook. He chased her up the street, not noticing the incline of the hill. He ran as fast as he could manage. He was the fastest of all his friends, including Chica, when she saw a pizza. Yet, the girl was much quicker than him, managing to keep a reasonable distance between them. There was one chance for him to get her when she had slowed to round a corner carefully. But in his attempt to hook her, his one foot slipped, causing him to fall to the ground. His defeat worsened when his body started to tumble back down the hill.

Amazingly, Rainbow Dash arrived at the Sugarcube Corner shop in one piece. She had become so caught in keeping herself from Foxy; she failed to notice that his footsteps had disappeared long ago. Looking behind her, she saw that he was gone. That was a relief. She didn't feel like explaining why there was a red animatronic fox following her. Approaching the front door, she walked in and immediately saw all the girls glaring at her.

"Dash, where exactly were you?" asked Applejack, her hands on her waist.

Rainbow Dash looked away, hiding her flushed cheeks and growing embarrassment. She knew that she had messed up big time. Her friends had counted on her to be there, and she ended up late. Though, it had to count for something that she showed up, right?

"I'm sorry. I overslept, and my alarm didn't go off as planned," explained Rainbow Dash as she sat in one of the booths.

The cowgirl rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yeah, sure it didn't," mumbled Applejack under her breath.

Sunset Shimmer, who was washing the various baking pans that they had used, looked over at Rarity. Her friend had been dozing off every so often as she sat in one of the booths. When she was awake, the redhead could see that she had bloodshot eyes and dark circles underneath them as well. It appeared that she hadn't slept well or at all for that matter. A look of concern crossed her face.

"You okay, Rare? You seem like you didn't sleep at all last night," asked Sunset Shimmer as she finished up with the last baking pan.

Hearing Sunset calling her name, Rarity jolted awake. She hadn't realized that she had dozed off...again. Blinking, she turned her gaze to the redhead. The semi-bright lights that lit up the room stung at her weary eyes. It was almost like she was staring at the sun.

"I-I didn't, darling. I think I saw a giant purple rabbit robot...thing," replied Rarity as her eyelids slowly drooped.

Hearing that, the redhead looked at Fluttershy. She could see they were both thinking the same thing. Two animatronics, in one day? That can't be a coincidence. The description Rarity gave them made Sunset's thoughts shift to Bonnie, from the game. With a very accurate Chica look alike running around as well, it made her wonder what was going on.

Rainbow Dash, hearing what Rarity said, rushed over to her.

"Wait, you saw a purple rabbit robot thing?" asked Rainbow Dash, realizing that maybe the fox that was chasing was a part of this robot apocalypse or whatever it was.

Rarity tried to shake off her sleepiness as she looked at her friend. "Yes, Dash, I did."

"Why do you ask, Dash?" Sunset joined her friends in the booth they were sitting in once she dried off her hands. "Did you see something as well?"

"Yeah. On my way here, a fox-like robot chased me. The thing was fast as hell. Nearly matched me in speed with my geode." replied Rainbow Dash, turning to Sunset Shimmer.

Hearing what Rainbow Dash said, something clicked in Sunset's mind. There had already been three different animatronic appearances. All of which happened within hours of each other. Something strange had happened last night. But what? She was going to need to know more if this was going to be solved. Turning to Pinkie Pie, she found her frosting a few cupcakes.

"Hey Pinkie, did you see anything strange last?" asked Sunset as she walked over to her.

"Yep. My Pinkie sense was tingling, so I followed it. When I walked outside, I saw two glowing eyes staring at me from the alley." replied Pinkie Pie, acting if that was a regular everyday occurrence. "I wonder who that was."

Just then, the bell above the door rang. All the girls turned to see Twilight Sparkle walking in. She chuckled nervously, not expecting to have all eyes on her. She made her way over to where Sunset was, sitting down on one of the stools by the counter.

"Di-did I miss something?" asked Twilight Sparkle, glancing over at Rainbow Dash.

Applejack set down her apple pies and walked over to Twilight. She swung her arm around her shoulders, giving her friend a warm smile. "You didn't, sugarcube. We were discussin' the strange events that have been happenin' recently."

"You mean like that?" asked Twilight Sparkle, pointing out the window just as a golden version of Freddy ran past.

Sunset Shimmer walked out the front door, watching the animatronic run past, disappearing behind a corner. She recognized the animatronic as Golden Freddy, from the first of the Five Nights at Freddy's games. "Okay, something is going on here."

Walking back into the shop, she was met with her friends, all looking at her. "What?" asked Sunset, not sure of what was going on.

"Um, did you just try to chase after that thing?" asked Rainbow Dash, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I just wanted to get a better look at it," replied Sunset Shimmer.

Walking towards the chairs by the counter, she grabbed her jacket. With it in hand, she walked back to the door. "Girls, I am going to head home and figure out what the hell is going on," Sunset said, turning to her friends before walking out of the shop.

The girls all exchanged worried and confused glances. To see four animatronic animals running around town was weird. Though, they had seen stranger, like having two she-demon friends, battling sirens, a magically crazed camp director, and one very enraged teenager with a magic mirror. Yet, robots running around the city was a new one. They all hoped that Sunset could find some answers for what was happening.

Climbing onto her bike, the redhead sped back to her apartment.

"First a Chica look-alike, a Golden Freddy one, and if Pinkie Pie and Rarity's accounts are correct, there are two others, one being most likely Bonnie or something like him." thought Sunset as she turned onto her street, careful not to hit the curb. "This cannot be what I think it is."

Arriving at her apartment, she ran in, almost yanking her door open. Carelessly crossing her keys on her desk, she ran into the living room. What she saw in front of her confirmed her worst fears.

"It is. Great," muttered Sunset Shimmer as she walked up to her game console.

Her console had sustained severe burns on the outside of it. The game inside it presumably became destroyed as well. Turning it over, she saw that the bottom too was also cracked, exposing the inside. Looking, she could tell that there had been a small fire, which damaged all of the wires and electrical parts of it. That told her there was no way she would be able to repair it. She would have to buy a brand new one.

"Great. More money I have to spend on getting a new one because of rouge equestrian magic. Sweet Celestia, I fucking hate magic." thought Sunset as she set the destroyed console down on the table.

"How the hell didn't I notice this last night?" muttered Sunset, looking at what little remained of her game console.

"Because you spent almost all night at Twilight's house last night. That's why lover girl." her inner voice answered the question.

Looking around, she noticed there were some scorch marks on her floor. They were barely visible. One could easily overlook them if they weren't paying attention. The scorch marks lead in the direction of the power cable, reaching the wall where the plug was. After that, the streaks became even fainter, following the main powerline in her building. She followed the scorch marks until she saw them heading towards the main power meter near the side of her apartment. As she looked out the kitchen window, she could see the cord leading from her house to the meter was burnt to a crisp, same as her console. Still following the scorch marks, she saw that they traveled up the meter, going onto the main power lines that passed by her apartment.

"What the?" whispered Sunset as she saw the burnt wire now stretching across the power line.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed her keys again and rushed down the stairs, running faster than she had ever. Hopping back onto her bike, she followed the path of the burnt wire. Once, she had to swerve to avoid hitting a road worker that had just started crossing in front of her. Several times she narrowly missed being hit by cars because she paid more attention to the wires than the road. She wasn't drunk, but the drivers might have thought that when she drove right past them, not even paying any attention. Sunset finally arrived at the part where the marks stopped near a transformer that was next to a wooded area. Getting off her bike, she saw that the transformer's door was gone, exposing the charred wires that sent small sparks falling to the ground.

"Woah, that is damaged," said Sunset Shimmer as she examined the broken transformer.

Walking behind it, she saw that the marks stopped. There were no more except for what was on the transformer itself. That only frustrated her more. What caused this to happen? How did the animatronic animals get loose in Canterlot City? Why wasn't the trail of burnt wires giving her more clues like she had hoped? She didn't know, but there was no reason to stick around if the trail ended here. Turning to go back to her bike, she saw something on the ground further into the wooded area.

"Is that a…" Sunset approached the strange indent in the ground. Sure enough, it was a footprint just as she suspected. "But what is this footprint doing here?"

Pulling out her phone, she snapped a few pictures of the footprint. One of which was with her foot next to the giant one. It was bigger than any human or animal could make. And judging by the shape, it most likely belonged to one of the five animatronics running around town. Once Sunset had finished taking photos, she put her phone away. Looking around the area, she noticed that there were numerous footprints scattered all around. Upon closer inspection, she realized that there were six different types of prints on the ground.

"Wait, there's six animatronics running around?!" shouted Sunset, backing away from the footprints. "What the fuck?"

With her worry building, Sunset Shimmer ran back to her bike. Six very dangerous animatronics running around town. That didn't make her feel good. Despite her instincts saying that the animatronics were loose because of her, she knew that it wasn't the truth. Equestrian magic was known to be haywire in this world. After all, it did cause a mirror to grant the wishes of the beholder. Sitting on her bike, she decided to warn her friends about the sixth one.

Just as she was about to start her engine, she glanced down. Her shirt was covered in a layer of flour from the baking frenzy with her friends. It made her look like she had just lost a fight with a snowman. There was also some dried icing from the mini-battle between her and Pinkie Pie seeing who pour icing on a cupcake faster. That ended up being a who could decorate who quicker battle. But first, a change of clothes. She didn't want to get flour everywhere, after all.

*** *** *** ***

Racing up her apartment steps for the second time that day, she made her way into the apartment. Without wasting a second, she bolted up the stairs leading to her room. Well, it was more of a loft than an actual bedroom. There were no walls, but there was a big window at the foot of her bed. At least she always got a good view of the sunrise every morning. Pulling off her jacket, she tossed it on her bed. She quickly pulled off her flour-covered shirt and set it in her hamper. As she walked past a full body mirror that was sitting next to her dresser, her eyes caught the sight of her scars. A barely audible gasp slipped from her lips. They were similar in placement to where Twilight Sparkle's were, but that was where they ended. They were longer in length and width as well a bit deeper as the transformation had been unsuspected.

Gingerly, she reached back, running her hand over one of the scars. She flinched as she felt her hand brush against the edge of it. Staring at them, she knew that Twilight didn't know. That had been her personal choice. If she told her about them, it would lead to questions about how she got them. And that would inevitably lead to her explaining the Fall Formal, which she wasn't ready to do yet. She even went as far as not to have the girls bring up to the event. They protested against it but reluctantly agreed. Whenever anyone mentioned in a conversation, she would immediately change it to something else to avoid Twilight asking anything. After a few seconds, she lowered her hand slowly, looking down.

Memories of the Fall Formal, the transformation, and what she did, played over in her mind again. Her body shook as she struggled to keep herself from giving in to the fears that wanted to be free. She fell to her knees, letting her tears go as she did. Slow cries turned into sobs as each painful memory replayed itself in her head. It had taken months of talking to the girls, writing to the princess, and just trying to make amends to get past the pain and guilt. Yet, as much progress as she made, some days like today, made it all come back. And when it came back, it stung like a thousand hot needles being shoved into her back all at once.

"No...that's not me. Not anymore. I have changed." thought Sunset Shimmer as she tried to slow her sobs. "I am not a monster…"

Lifting her head, she glanced back at her reflection. She could see the scars from where her wings and tail had sprouted from. Even now, she could still feel the leathery wings on her back, their flapping causing her to use her new muscles that had formed back then. Yet the feeling of her tail twitching behind her happened every so often. That was the most annoying thing, especially when she was so scared that she was going to transform back into that monstrous form. Shaking her head, she glanced at a picture of her and Twilight Sparkle that sat on her dresser.

"Should I tell Twilight? What if she hates me for what I did? I can't-I don't want to lose her friendship." Sunset muttered to herself.

"You have to tell her, and you know that. She is your friend, she'll understand. But you have to be honest." said Sunset's inner voice, offering some support.

Not sure if she believed her conscience's words, she got up from the floor. Deciding to see if she could manage to touch her scars, she reached back again. As she felt her fingers graze the edge, she realized that she didn't flinch in response. Smiling, she walked over to the closet, pulling out a new shirt. Slipping it over her head, she grabbed her jacket and headed back downstairs. She had wasted enough time already, and she needed to head back over to Sugarcube Corner.

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle had just left Sugarcube Corner and was heading home. She had helped Pinkie Pie and the girls finish the rest of the baking while Rarity took a well-deserved nap. The conversation had been about the robots each of them had seen. It was disturbing to think that creepy animatronic robots were wandering around the city for no apparent reason. Thankfully, it seemed that they weren't going to endanger anyone, well except the fox one that was. Her thoughts turned against her as her mind wandered to Sunset and the realization that she could be attacked by one of them and be severely injured. Maybe even die from the attack. Thinking about that made her stomach grow queasy. She had said she wanted to go home and rest for a bit because it was getting harder to fight the urge to throw up.

Making a quick excuse that she needed to rest for a bit, she had managed to get away from the girls. She had promised to be back later to help out once she felt better. As she turned the corner, her mind thought about Sunset. For the last few months, she had been feeling something different about her friend. It was more than friendship; it was something else. Something that every time Sunset came around became much stronger and more constant. Around the redhead, she felt a sense of safety. There was always a feeling of warmth and comfort. Her heart raced with every embrace she had with Sunset Shimmer. It was like an adrenaline rush every time their hands brushed up against each other whenever they sat next to each other.

"Yet, despite the obvious, you can't seem to admit it," said Twilight's conscience, making a point.

"It's not easy for me. This is the first time I have ever felt this way for anyone." thought Twilight Sparkle, not wanting to discuss that with herself. Not right now.

For a while, she struggled with her new feelings. Sunset Shimmer was the first person that made her heart race with even the slightest touch of a hand. She also struggled with keeping her yearning to be in the redhead's embrace in control. It was hard when her friend was also so close to her, close enough to kiss…

"Woah, slow down, Twilight. Don't get ahead of yourself." thought Twilight, trying to keep her thoughts from wandering.

Deep down, she knew what those feelings meant. Yet, she kept herself from really giving into them until she knew for sure that Sunset felt the same way about her. That was a hard task to do with the redhead being around her so much. If anything, she wanted to stop holding back entirely and scream, "I love you, Sunset Shimmer!" at the top of her lungs. But there was also always one thing that stopped her, fear of rejection. If she dared to give into something like this and it cost her, it would hurt in ways that not even her traumatic experience with equestrian magic could ever do. And that was a cost she couldn't afford. She couldn't risk the close bond she had with the redhead over a gamble of feelings.

Twilight Sparkle wasn't sure of what she should do. Should she decide to tell Sunset? Or wait until Sunset made the first move? It was so confusing and frustrating. Why the matters of the heart had to be so hard, she didn't know. But she wished that there was a clear path for her to choose.

"What if she says no?" thought Twilight Sparkle as she knitted her eyebrows together. "But what if she says yes? I don't think my heart would handle hearing that…"

"If she says yes, isn't that a good thing?" asked her inner voice.

"Well, yes. But I can't tell if Sunset feels the same way. I mean, she has always been there. As have the other girls," replied Twilight Sparkle, not realizing that she had stopped walking and was now standing in front of her house.

"Well, none of the other girls look at you the way she does. Bor does their touch make you act like a lovesick puppy," added her inner voice.

"I am not a-"

"Honey, what are you doing?" asked Mrs. Velvet as she opened the front door.

Blinking, Twilight finally realized that she was standing at her front door for the whole time. That was embarrassing, especially since her mom had seen her doing that. Chuckling nervously, she walked into her house and was greeted by Spike jumping into her arms.

"Hi, mom," said Twilight Sparkle as she gave Spike a scratch behind the ear.

"What are you doing home so soon, sweetie? I thought you had to help your friend," asked Mrs. Velvet as she joined her daughter by the stairwell.

"Yeah, I just came from there. I just needed to rest for a bit," replied Twilight Sparkle, hoping her mom wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Okay, I hope you are okay." Mrs. Velvet walked into the kitchen. "Let me know if you need anything. I will be in the kitchen."

Setting Spike down, Twilight said, "Okay, mom. I am going to my room now."

Okay, sweetie!" Twilight Sparkle heard her mom shout as she ran up the stairs.

She made her way to her room, located opposite of her brother's, Shining Armor, room. Opening her door, she walked over to her bed. After her long walk from Sugarcube Corner, her feet were sore, incredibly sore. She sat down, her feet enjoying the relief of her no longer being on them. Just as she swung her legs onto her bed, she saw Spike run in.

"Is everything okay, Twi?" asked Spike as he joined her on the bed. "It's unusual to leave the girls, especially when you have plans."

Twilight Sparkle sighed. "No, not really. Five animatronic robots are running amok in Canterlot City. I am worried that Sunset is possibly going to get hurt, and yet all I want to do is tell her to kiss me."

"Um, Twilight?" Spike licked Twilight's cheek. "You're rambling."

"Sorry, Spike." Twilight sat against her pillows, allowing Spike to rest on her lap. "It's just my mind has been a mess of thoughts. Mostly revolving around Sunset."

"I didn't notice," replied Spike, a sarcastic tone in his voice. "You still wondering if you should admit your feelings to her?"

"Yeah…" Twilight Sparkle was glad Spike understood her frustration and concern in admitting her feelings to the redhead. It made it easier to calm down when she had him to vent to.

Spike shifted in Twilight's lap. "Do you remember when she found out about your scars a few months ago?"

Twilight did. It was still like it happened yesterday in her mind, partly because of Sunset's reaction. It hadn't been what she expected. At all. Looking at one of the many pictures she had of the redhead, the memory replayed in her mind.

*Flashback*

Twilight Sparkle was sitting behind the bleachers in the gym, her lunch bag in hand. Today, she didn't feel like sitting with her friends. Not when the day before Sunset Shimmer had almost discovered the scars she had on her back. It was bad enough that she was still struggling to keep herself from becoming a she-demon again. She didn't need her friends to know that there were physical reminders etched into her skin. Pushing the thoughts aside, she opened her lunch back and grabbed her sandwich from it. Just as she was about to take a bite, she heard a very familiar voice as someone walked into the gym.

"Do you think she came here, Shy?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she looked around the empty gym.

"I know I would if I wanted to be alone," replied Fluttershy, her voice barely echoing off the walls of the gym.

"Well, where would she hide?" Sunset walked over to the bleachers where Twilight Sparkle was hiding beneath. "Cause there aren't many hiding spots here."

Twilight Sparkle moved back, trying to keep herself hidden from view. Unfortunately for her, everything beneath the bleachers in a thick layer of dust. Her moving around had stirred some of it, causing it to swirl around her. She breathed in, inhaling some of the dust particles. Seconds later, she sneezed.

"Did you hear that?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she walked even closer to the bleacher that Twilight was hiding behind. "Someone just sneezed."

Sunset Shimmer peered behind the bleachers wondering who was back there. When she looked back, she immediately saw Twilight Sparkle standing there. Her jacket had become coated in some of the dust that she had just disturbed, as well as her sandwich. It seemed she had only interrupted her lunch. But why was she having lunch here and not with her friends? Furrowing her brows, she walked toward her friend.

"Twilight, are you okay?" asked Sunset Shimmer.

"Yeah…" replied Twilight Sparkle as she looked at her dust-covered sandwich. "Just eating lunch."

Sunset Shimmer wasn't sure she believed her friend. Before she could say anything, she heard Fluttershy walk towards them. Turning to face the animal lover, she said, "Shy, can we have some space? Twi and I need to talk for a moment."

Fluttershy nodded. "Yeah. I will tell the others she is okay."

"Thanks, Shy," said Sunset, smiling at her friend before she returned her attention to Twilight Sparkle. "Twi, why didn't you join us for lunch today? You have been acting strange since yesterday since we hung out at the library. Did I do something?"

"No, you didn't Sunset," said Twilight as she put her sandwich back into her lunch bag. "It's just...something personal."

"Something personal? Like what?" asked Sunset Shimmer, leaning against the underside of the bleachers.

"I don't want to talk about it, Sunset." Twilight Sparkle grabbed her backpack and started to walk out from under the bleachers.

Just as she was about to turn the corner, she felt Sunset's hand on her arm, stopping her. Again, just as usual, her heart started to race. The thundering in her ears made it impossible to hear her thoughts. Turning around, she saw that her friend's eyes had darkened over with worry. Seeing that, she sighed and pulled her arm free from her friend's grasp.

"Please, Twilight. I want to help you." Sunset Shimmer's voice became strained as if she struggled to speak without sounding like she was angered. It was hard when she was frustrated at herself for not being able to help her friend. "Please."

Twilight Sparkle, not saying a word, walked past Sunset Shimmer, heading into the girls' locker room. She didn't want to do this, not here. Yet, she could see that she didn't have much choice. Lying to her friend was out of the question. Gathering what strength she could manage, she forced herself to continue through with it. She heard Sunset run after her, following her into the bathrooms. She set her backpack down, pulling her jacket off. As the redhead entered the room, she gripped the bottom edge of her shirt. Keeping her back to her, she spoke.

"Want to see what is so personal?" asked Twilight, readying herself to reveal the scars to her friend.

Sunset Shimmer, not sure of what she should say, stood there with her body pressed against the doorway and nodded. This was a weird position for her to be in. One she had never been in, not since the aftermath of the Fall Formal. She sat on one of the chairs located in the bathroom. Watching Twilight Sparkle lift her shirt, she had to keep herself from giving in to the part of her that wanted to caress Twilight's stunning form. It was like a statue with perfect edges; only it was warm and alive. Pushing her thoughts aside, she saw something dark on her friend's shoulder blade. More was revealed the further up the shirt went. Sunset Shimmer knew just what she was seeing as Twilight had fully lifted her shirt.

"Are those… scars?" asked Sunset Shimmer, pushing herself off the doorway and walking over to Twilight Sparkle.

"Yes." Twilight let her shirt fall back down as she let go of it, hiding the scars once again. "That is why I was acting so strange yesterday."

The scars looked very similar to her own. It was almost shocking to see that. Though there were some differences, especially in length and depth, it seemed that she had gotten the worst scars of the two. Sunset looked down, stepping back from Twilight. Seeing her friend's injuries made her more aware of the ones she had. A painful, pinching sensation made her move her shoulder, trying to stop it. But it didn't do anything to alleviate the pain. Deciding not to focus on it, she grabbed Twilight's hand from behind.

"I almost touched them yesterday, didn't I?" Sunset's tone was calm and soothing as her hand gently squeezed Twilight's.

Twilight Sparkle nodded.

"I am sorry. If I had known, I would've been more careful, Twilight." Sunset Shimmer walked in front of her, their eyes meeting. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-I," Twilight Sparkle struggled to get the words out, "was ashamed that I had any reminders of what happened at the Friendship Games."

Sunset Shimmer froze as she heard what Twilight Sparkle said. It was why none of the girls, Twilight included, knew about her scars. It was like a shameful reminder that she had become a monster, a monster that tried to destroy them and the entire school. All because she wanted to prove to her ex-mentor that she did deserve something that she, in actuality, didn't. To hear that Twilight felt the same way made her guilt at keeping her past a secret worsen. Now it was becoming apparent that it was the wrong choice. But what could she do? It's not like she could go back. Swallowing hard, she made herself push her problems aside, knowing Twilight needed her now.

"Twilight, the girls, and I don't mind that you have scars. We care about you." Sunset Shimmer stepped closer to Twilight, her hand letting go of her friend's and wrapping around her waist. "I don't mind them at all."

"R-really?" asked Twilight Sparkle, becoming flustered as Sunset got closer to her.

Sunset Shimmer moved her other hand to Twilight's shoulder, deliberately resting it over the scars. She felt her friend flinch and try to get away, but she kept her grip around her waist. "Yes, Twilight. I mean it."

Sunset leaned even closer to her friend, their lips just inches apart from each other. Keeping her grip on Twilight Sparkle, she slowly moved closer, giving in to her desire to kiss her. As she leaned in, she felt her friend do the same, making the distance between them shrink faster. Removing her hand from Twilight's shoulder, she cupped her cheek. She tilted her head slightly to the side to avoid head butting her friend as their lips touched. Being so close to her, she could smell the lavender perfume Twilight always wore. Its scent smelled so good, which only made the redhead pull her friend closer until their bodies were touching. For a moment, she thought about making the kiss deeper but pulled away instead.

"See?" said Sunset Shimmer, giving Twilight a half-smile. "I don't see your scars."

Twilight Sparkle was unable to speak. Her mind was still processing what had just happened. She couldn't believe it. There was no way she just got kissed by the girl she loved. Right? Blinking, she heard the bell ringing, announcing the end of the lunch period. That jolted her out of her shocked state, enough that she could finally speak again. She was about to say something when she saw Sunset walking to the bathroom door.

"See you later, Twi!" shouted Sunset as she exited the bathroom, leaving a stunned Twilight alone.

"Sun-Sunset?" Twilight Sparkle got the words out, but the redhead was already gone. "I-I just got...kissed...by Sunset…"

*End of Flashback*

"She had kissed me. I still can't forget the feeling of her lips against mine…" replied Twilight, blinking out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, I know. You didn't stop ranting about it and the meaning behind it for a month." Spike yawned. "But, if she did that, maybe that's her way of hinting that she does feel the same."

"You know, Spike, I think you might be onto something." Twilight stifled her yawn. "Though, I will think that over when I have had a nap. Wake me up in an hour, will you?"

"Okay…" mumbled Spike, dozing off with his head on Twilight's stomach.

*** *** *** ***

Back at Sugarcube Corner, Sunset Shimmer was sitting next to Pinkie Pie in one of the booths. They had just finished all the bake sale deliveries for the day. All of them were exhausted, but Sunset wasn't as weary or tired as she still had to break the news about how the animatronics had gotten in Canterlot City. All the girls had a cupcake and milkshakes in front of them. Pinkie Pie insisted they celebrate after their hard work. Having gone over the fact that there was a sixth one, she finished telling them about her burnt game console.

"Woah wait, so you're telling that equestrian magic zapped your game console and brought these characters from a horror game?" asked Rainbow Dash, shocked by what she was hearing.

"Yeah, exactly," replied Sunset Shimmer.

"Why ain't I surprised that equestrian magic is behind this too?" said Applejack as she took a sip of her milkshake.

"How did they get here exactly?" asked Rarity. "I mean, it can't be that they just walked out your front door, can it?"

Sunset Shimmer walked from the booth, out the front door. Pointing to the power lines that ran past the shop, she said, "See those power lines?"

The girls all walked outside, joining Sunset. Looking up, they saw what their friend was pointing at. The power lines were discolored as if some source of heat had destroyed them. The rubber covering around the wires had become burnt to a crisp. Some parts had already crumbled away, exposing the copper wire to the open elements. Even the copper wire seemed to have some discoloration to it. Something powerful had run through there, leaving behind a literal trail.

"Some of the magic I brought to this world must've hit my console and brought the characters of my game here," said Sunset, turning to face her friends.

Applejack, being the sensible one of the group, looked at the lines. They were heavily damaged, yes. But there seemed to be more damage than if characters from just one game alone had mysteriously come to life. It looked like there had been more than one game that had gotten altered than it seemed. Equestrian magic was strong, and when it was trying to manipulate things in their world, it did some substantial damage.

"Which game exactly did the characters come from again?" asked Applejack, looking at the redhead.

"Five Nights at Freddy's, the first one," Sunset Shimmer replied. "Why?"

"Because if it were just the first game alone, the damage on those there lines wouldn't be as extensive. Somethin' tells me that equestrian magic messed with more than your first game, Sunset," answered Applejack, pointing to the warping and discoloring of the copper wires.

That made Sunset wonder if the magic had affected her other games, as the cowgirl said. She had just assumed it only got to her first game. Based on the fact they were the only ones running around, that they could see that was. But if it got to the other games as well, it would explain the sixth footprint set she had seen earlier. The possibility that had happened was pretty high. High enough that Sunset had to check it out.

"You have a point, AJ. I didn't think to check if the magic had affected the rest of my games. But if there is a sixth one running around, it's feasible that it came from one of the other games." Sunset furrowed her brow as she rested a finger on her chin.

Hidden from view, behind some bushes, was Springtrap. He had been watching the girls as they talked. It was odd to hear that he got there because of magic. As he listened to their conversation, a plan was beginning to form inside his head.

"Hmm, all I need for my plan to work is some poor fool dressed as a stupid nightguard to chase those girls. Then, those fucking annoying as hell kids will take care of them." thought Springtrap.

"Okay girls, we can meet at the school's gym tonight. It'll be safer than having them find out where we live," said Sunset Shimmer as she walked over to her bike.

The girls all nodded. They wanted to figure out how to defeat the robotic nuances, Sunset especially. After all, this was most likely her fault. She had been the one to bring magic into this world. And it was magic that brought these animatronics here as well. If she hadn't brought the princess's crown into this world, none of this would've happened.

"Oh, Celestia, this is all my fault…" thought Sunset as she swung her leg over the side of her bike.

Springtrap watched Sunset Shimmer, waiting for her to leave. After a few minutes of keeping silent, and trying not to fall into the bushes, he saw her pull away from the shop. The sound of her motorcycle engine roaring faded as she got further away. One by one, all the other girls left as well, seemingly unaware that he was watching them. Applejack was the last of the girls to leave. Once her pick up truck left, disappearing from his view, he ventured out of the bushes.

"Gah, that didn't help my shitty joints sitting that way. This body is such a pain in the ass," mumbled Springtrap as he stood up.

Slowly, he walked away from the bushes, a flurry of leaves still falling off of him. His joints creaked and groaned. They hadn't been well taken care of, leaving them to rust and stiffen over time. As he continued to walk, he felt his joints loosen as some of the rust fell away. With every step, his movement became more fluid and human-like. He was headed towards one place to find an abundance of night guards: the police department.

*** *** *** ***

At the police department, one officer had decided to eat his sandwich outside and enjoy the beautiful day. There was a park in front of the police department, and he chose to sit on a bench there. That...would be a dangerous decision on his part. As he sat down, he heard a series of loud, heavy thuds headed his way. He looked up, wanting to see what was causing the noise. What he saw made him drop his sandwich. A yellowish-green rabbit was walking straight for him. It had loose wires hanging from its ears, arms, legs, and chest. Looking down, he noticed that animatronic's legs were exposed from the shin down. But the one thing about the robotic rabbit that caught his attention, it's sheer size and height. From its ears to feet, it was roughly about 8 feet tall.

"What the fuck?!" shouted the officer, reaching for his gun.

Luckily, he had reloaded it before this. Aiming at Springtrap's chest, he fired off a few shots. The bullets did nothing. They just bounced off of the hard plastic and metal that was the animatronic's body. Reloading as quickly as he could manage, he again fired off of another few shots. Unfortunately, the office hadn't anticipated that Springtrap would raise his arm, blocking the bullets completely. A few bounced off and almost hit him. Thankfully, he had quick reflexes and managed to dodge the bullets with being injured himself.

Springtrap lowered his arm once he saw that the officer had spent his ammo. Walking up to him, he gripped the officer's shirt. He watched as the officer's feet flayed beneath him as he lifted him off the bench. He covered the person's mouth, preventing them from screaming for help. Looking around and seeing no one nearby, he spoke.

"You, Mr. Officer, are going to be a part of my plan," said Springtrap, his voice glitching as he spoke.

The officer gulped as Springtrap's grip on his shirt tightened, cutting off his air even more. He felt the animatronic pull him closer, to his disgust. Being close to its mouth, he noticed a rancid smell, almost like decaying flesh. In a futile attempt to get away, he slammed his hands against its one arm that was holding onto him. His hands struck the hard plastic, failing to do anything to weaken the grip on his collar. When he felt the collar loosen around him, he took the chance to scream for help through the filthy, grimy hand that was covering his mouth. Yet, that only resulted in the grip on his shirt returning, even tighter than before.

"I suggest you stop trying to scream for your pathetic friends. Unless, of course, their death is something you wish to bring upon them." hissed Springtrap, his voice sounding similar to nails on a chalkboard.

The office obeyed and stopped screaming. Seconds later, the officer found himself dropped on the ground. With the grip gone from his shirt, he was finally able to breathe again. He took several deep breaths, replenishing his air supply in his lungs. Once he could breathe normally, he looked at the animatronic rabbit.

"What exactly is that you need from me?" asked the office, sitting on the bench.

Springtrap turned his back to the officer. "Do you know who Sunset Shimmer is?"

The officer knitted his eyebrows. The name sounded familiar like he had heard it before. But where? Looking down, he tried to recall his last assignment. It was at the local high school. He was there once after the Fall Formal, helping out with his partner's shift. As he thought about that day, he recalled seeing a certain redhead with that name. From what he could remember, she was one of the students at the school. He remembered that she was being called to the principal's office when he had shown up.

"Yeah, I know of her." said the officer, looking at Springtrap. "Why the hell do you ask?"

Springtrap turned to face the officer. His one ear twitched, sending sparks flying out of the exposed part. His sunken robotic eyes bared down on the officer. There was a creepy human likeness to them, making them appear almost lifelike. That was not natural.

"I need you to follow her and her friends. You'll also keep in your night guard outfit. It's a part of my plan." replied Springtrap.

The officer was confused by Springtrap saying he needed to be in his 'night guard' suit. Couldn't he see that he was a police officer? Not a night guard? Though both wear similar suits, he had the actual weapons, like his 9-millimeter Glock gun. As the questions swirled around in his head, he noticed that there was something pink and flesh-like within the confines of Springtrap's animatronic body.

Jumping off the bench and grabbing his gun, the officer asked in a shaky voice, "Wha-what the fucking hell is inside you?!"

Springtrap rested his hand on the front of the gun. "Oh, that?" He pulled back his head, revealing the mummified skull with the metal rods poking right through. "Is my old body mummified inside this junk ass death trap." He let his animatronic head slip back over the mummified head.

"And what exactly to plan to do with Sunset?" asked the officer, trying to pull his gun free from Springtrap's grip.

"That, officer, is none of your goddamn business," said Springtrap as he smashed the gun, tossing it down to the ground. "All you need to do is be where I say to be."

"What if I decide-" The last thing the officer saw was a giant, jagged first heading straight for his face before everything disappeared and went black.

"You humans talk way too goddamn much for my taste," said Springtrap as he sat down on the bench.

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, in an old abandoned house near CHS, Freddy and his friends had gathered. They had managed to regroup and were discussing what they found.

"So, a rainbow-haired girl escaped from you? The great pirate Foxy?" asked Bonnie, struggling to stifle his laughter.

"Yes, Bonnie. It seemed like she had some super speed or something," replied Foxy, polishing his hook on the towel he had found in the house. "I have never seen a human run that fast, ever."

Freddy, meanwhile, was pacing back and forth. Something about the girls his friends had encountered was off. Something felt different about them. It seemed like they had a connection to whatever strange, powerful force was now powering them. He noticed that when the pink-haired girl walked out of the shop, his circuits got a boost of energy, making him feel like he was on a full charge. But there was also a tug like the force was connected to her somehow.

"Did any of you feel anything when you approached the girls? Like a-"

"Like a tug or magnetic pull? Yes, I did." Bonnie turned to face Freddy. "I felt it when I tried to approach the purple-haired girl," replied Bonnie, interrupting Freddy.

Freddy gave the purple-blue bunny an annoyed look. He didn't much appreciate being interrupted. Freddy was their leader, after all. Not that he or they chose that. It wasn't a position Freddy wanted. Yet, here he was, being the best leader he could manage. Someday he hoped to shift to someone else, to lift the burden from his shoulders.

Chica, who was on the lookout, spotted an officer walking past the house.

"Guys, a night guard is walking by!" shouted Chica, pointing out the window.

That grabbed everybody's attention. The kids all clamored around the window, trying to get a good look at the guard as he walked past the house. And sure enough, as Chica had said, a night guard was walking past the house.

"What the fuck is he doing outside now? I thought they didn't show up until midnight," said Freddy, pushing Chica aside. "Why the hell is he out now?"

"I don't know, but let's follow him," suggested Foxy, holding up his now polished hook. "I am dying to kill a guard tonight."

"Agreed," said Freddy.

*** *** *** ***

The sun had just set when all the girls had arrived at the school gym. Thankfully, it wasn't locked. Canterlot City was usually pretty safe. Though, with animatronics running rampaging around, that safeness was threatened.

"Is everyone here?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she walked in from the gym's entrance.

"Yep!" shouted Pinkie Pie in her usual perky tone. "Every single one of us!"

"Good," said Sunset as she sat down on the bleachers.

Rarity was busy filing her nails when she looked up at Sunset Shimmer. "What's the plan, dear?"

"I-I don't know," answered Sunset, sounding worried. "It's hard to figure out a plan when you don't know the enemy you're up against."

Rainbow Dash took a three-pointer shot, catching the ball as it fell through the net. Ball in hand, she raced over to the girls. "Well then, what do we know about these creepy robots?" asked Rainbow Dash, tossing the ball back into the cart, landing the shot.

"They're tall, strong, and terrifying…" mumbled Fluttershy as she hugged her knees to her chest.

"They are robots of some kind, and we've seen five of them," added Rarity.

"That we know, Shy," interjected Applejack. "If Sunset is right, and equestrian magic did bring those damned robots here to our town, there's no tellin' how many it brought with them."

"It was magic that brought them here," said Twilight Sparkle, making all the girls look at her, waiting for her much more elaborate, detailed explanation.

"We have animatronics here, yes, but they are only to move the upper portion of themselves. We don't have the tech to be able to make the animatronics do what these animatronics can. It's beyond our capabilities," continued Twilight.

"Besides, their movements were very fluid and lifelike, almost human-like," said Sunset Shimmer as she sat next to Twilight Sparkle. "That, combined with their appearance, makes it clear they are not of this world."

"Animatronics? I thought they were robots," said Rainbow Dash, looking from Sunset to Twilight. "What's the difference?"

"Robots and animatronics are programmed to follow commands that have gotten programmed into their motherboards," said Twilight Sparkle.

"The only difference being one is supposed to act more like us," added Sunset Shimmer. "While the other is supposed to do a job or something like that."

"Like the robotic massagers at the day spa?" asked Rarity, putting away her file.

"Yeah, pretty much," said Twilight, looking at Sunset and giving her a wink. "Animatronics are usually just mimicking things that are alive, while robots perform jobs and tasks."

"The robotic apocalypse will come one day…" said Pinkie Pie, standing behind Applejack, holding her friend's arm. "They will take control of all of us…" she slowly hid her face behind the cowgirl's back.

The girls all stared at her, blinking at her antics. Pinkie Pie was known to have a silly streak to her. But sometimes it was just plain weird, sometimes even creepy. Yet, she was their friend, so they didn't mind. Applejack saw Pinkie Pie jump out from behind her, giggling as she did a cartwheel. Yep, she was back to her usual perky self again.

"Ah, okay," said Rainbow Dash. "So, they are essentially complex robots built to mimic anything alive? Except for the ones from the game that are advanced in tech as well, and now are running on magic instead of electricity?"

"Uh...yeah, that is one way to put it, I guess," said Twilight Sparkle.

"I am still calling them robots. 'Animatronics' is too long to say, especially when I go whoop their asses." stated the polychromatic haired athlete, crossing her arms.

"The question is, what exactly are those things doing here? And are they dangerous to us and the city? Especially now that it's magic that's powering them, not electricity," said Twilight, turning to Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer looked down, feeling her guilt grip her again. It was hard to think all this was because of her past actions. It seemed that the saying 'what goes around, comes around' was right. And it seemed she was again paying for her bad choices in judgment.

"Yeah, what do they want, Sunset?" added Applejack, looking at the redhead. "What is their purpose in the game?"

"Well," she started. "In the game, the animatronics come to life at midnight, looking for the night guard, which is the player. But they don't know that they are a night guard. They think it's an endoskeleton without a costume." Sunset Shimmer paused, taking a breath. "So, they'll try to shove them into an animatronic suit. The suits' design makes it impossible for a human to fit inside, meaning they'll die. And basically, you survive until 6 am. There five nights of that, six if you can beat all the other levels."

"Oh my, that sounds horrible…" said Fluttershy, going pale as she covered her mouth.

"Woah, that is awesome!" said Rainbow Dash.

Applejack glared at her. "Maybe in the game. But if that is their intention with us, it's a lot less awesome."

"Okay...you have a point there. Being stuffed into a suit in real life doesn't sound as awesome." Rainbow Dash rubbed her neck nervously. "Hehe, don't suppose there is any way we can permanently shut them down, is there?"

"Hmm, maybe if we can somehow reach the kids possessing them, maybe we can neutralize them," said Sunset Shimmer.

"What kids?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"There are supposedly five kids that got killed, their bodies later stuffed into the animatronics themselves," answered Sunset, her voice lowering as she spoke. "That's the backstory to the game."

"That sounds horrible," said Rarity. "Do you think that would work?"

"Assuming their souls got transferred as well, yes." Sunset glanced at Twilight Sparkle. "What do you think, Twi?"

"As you said, if their souls made it through the transfer, that might be possible. With your geode, you could bring them back, and they'll hopefully be on our side instead of against us." Twilight said, making the calculations on her head. "But, there is only a 35.34% chance that is likely to happen."

All the girls looked down, saddened by the chances of their only real plan working. They were hoping it would work, but the odds were against them. Just as Sunset Shimmer was about to say something to cheer her friends up, she heard a loud noise. All the girls looked at the gym entrance, only in time to see the doors flung open. A terrified police officer ran past them, terror in his eyes.

"Get out of here!" he screamed, darting for the other exit out of the gymnasium.

Looking back at the other entrance, they saw the four animatronics standing in the doorway. Thankfully, it seemed Golden Freddy didn't want to join the fight. Yet, that did little to improve their chances of walking away unharmed. As Sunset Shimmer stood in front of her friends, ready to battle them, only one thing came to her mind.

"Well...fuck," she whispered as the animatronics' eyes all flickered to red. "This isn't gonna end well."