Puppet x Ballora Oneshots I Wrote at 3am (Ao3 Edition) - TrenchToatMafia (2024)

Chapter 1: Buckle Up (Ao3 Edition)

Chapter Text

I have urges, ya' know? I haveso many hecking ideasand absolutelynowhereto put them! Welp, that's gonna change! I can stuff all of my Puppet x Ballora AUs into this book,aNd No OnE cAn StOp Me!

[*Insert evil, not-so scary laugh*]

Like I said in the description,it's going to get weird in here.

I'm not kidding. I've been making these AUs for over five years by now and they are based off of so many things, like:

• Animated Memes

• Comics

• Games

• Movies

• Simple sentences said around me that sounded too good to pass up["Because of vast armies of Hitler" is the best one I've heard so far. What's the most random thing you've ever heard?]

• Other fanfictions or AUs

• My dreams and nightmares

• Songs that I listen to

• And so much more!

[•Batteries not included!]

Imighttake requests here and there, but no guarantees that I'll do it. I learned my lesson on taking oneshot requests 24/7 with the28unwritten requests still sitting in the editing folder.

Feel free to ask questions, though!

Expect some of my terrible art to accompany some of the chapters, as well as reference sheets!

A character that you may not recognize that will probably appear here often isthismurder bean!

This is my son. As stated on the page, his name is Havoc. I originally designed him to be a drawkill animatronic, but I thought that being a twisted animatronic would fit him better. He's supposed to be the twisted version of the Puppet Master. There are some AUs where the two are actually different animatronics, but there are ones that have them as the same person.

I have no clue if he counts as an OC, to be honest.

AnYwAyS!Subject change!

Who here likes to start fires? (OwO)

[Also like 99% of these are human AUs so—]

Chapter 2: Adrift

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[In which the animatronics are all humans and stranded in the middle of the ocean with no hope of getting home!]

"Well this is just great!" Belle hissed under her breath, then yelled, "Fantastic!"

"Belle, can you not shout so loudly?" Lillian asked from beside her. Richard (Lillian's brother) wiped water droplets off the lenses of his glasses and nodded, "You might attract sharks if you cause too much racket."

Belle glared at the both and pointed to the sinking cruise ship out in the distance. "Like that isn't?" She spat. Elizabeth looked at her and raised her hands harmlessly, "Now, Belle, I know you're probably angry—."

"— Probably?!"

"Okay, definitely angry. But listen, you just need to let it go. He was a jerk to you anyways." The redhead continued. This "He" that she was referring to was Belle's ex-boyfriend. They all went on a cruise to relax and enjoy a themselves for a week and even invited him to join them. Then today, around an hour before the cruise ship sank, that slimeball broke up with her and walked away with another woman. The others said good riddance. He never praised her or tried to please her. He would make her do all the work around their apartment and would argue with her a lot. Belle saw that the break up was going to happen, but that didn't make it hurt any less. So instead of crying like she really wanted to, she chose to be angry and spiteful of him.

"I hope he gets eaten by a shark." Belle grumbled. Ethan, who was Elizabeth's brother, nodded, "He deserves it after what he did to you. I can't believe he had the gall to break up with you when he did. Don't think about him, Belle. He's not worth your time."

Belle crossed her arms and slouched a bit, leaning on the side of the raft they were on. It was pretty big, actually. They had used rope to fasten a bunch of stuff together that was floating on the water, making sure it was big enough for all of them. There was non-perishable food and blankets that they managed to salvage from a floating barrel, as well as a first aid kit.

The first few days were... alright. There was not another raft or survivors to be seen, and they had no clue as to where the current was taking them. Richard said that the current was definitely taking them somewhere warm, though. Everyone trusted the bookworm's knowledge and started thinking of a game plan for when they reach land. It was around midday on the third day when Lillian smacked Elizabeth's arm and pointed at something. The redhead was about to reprimand her when Lillian said, "Hold up, my dudes! Is that another raft?"

When they all looked, sure as a shanty, it was another raft that was heading towards them. There were people on it, though none of them seemed to have noticed them. Ethan looked at the others, "We should get their attention and see if they need help."

Richard and Elizabeth nodded. Lillian raised an eyebrow. "Um, how? We don't exactly have a megaphone, you know." She asked. Ethan thought for a moment then smiled. "No," he said, "But we have a very angry Belle, who can be just as loud when she's triggered."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Richard asked. Ethan smiled wider, "Nope! Now quick, someone wake her up and make her angry."

Elizabeth looked at Lillian who nodded in understanding and leaned in close to Belle's ear. "Oi," she shouted, "William, the hell are you doing on our raft?"

Belle shot up immediately and screamed at the top of her lungs, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Belle paused for a moment then looked at Lillian grumpily, "Why the hell did you do that?"

Lillian pointed to the other raft so that the bluenette could see it. "That's why! We needed to get their attention, and you can be pretty loud when you're furious." She said proudly, "And look, it worked."

Belle huffed and leaned back again, watching as the other raft came closer, the people on it using makeshift oars to steer it. When they were close enough, Ethan threw them a line of rope. They caught it and tied it around a part of their raft. Then they pulled on the rope until the rafts were touching. "Hey," Ethan said as he and one of the guys on the other raft tied the two together, "My name is Ethan."

Ethan gestured to his friends and sister as the other people looked at them. "That's Elizabeth, Lillian, Richard, and Belle. Our cruise ship went down and now we're stranded out here. Who are you?"

The one who helped tie the raft together smiled and nodded once in acknowledgement. He was tall with black hair and beautiful blue eyes. "I am Mason. My friends are Flynn, Myckenzie, Tyreke, and Fredrick. We were on the same cruise, but we must have been riding a different current than you." He said. Flynn was a redhead who was missing one of his eyes (he wore an eyepatch to cover it). Myckenzie was Flynn's cousin with bleached hair and amber eyes. Tyreke had a smaller build, with sky-blue hair, freckles dusting his cheeks, and brilliant emerald-colored eyes. Fredrick was like Tyreke, but taller and dark skinned with blue light blue eyes.

Over the next few hours, the groups got to know one another and became friends. Flynn has a pirate accent and loved to tell tales of the sea. He said that this actually wasn't the first time he'd been shipwrecked and showed them something he called his "Pirate Survival Kit", which contained: a map of the world's oceans, a small book about edible plants and animals (which Richard asked if he could read sometime), a journal with an ink pen, a hunting knife, a spyglass, a compass, a flare gun, a loaded revolver (with extra ammo), and matches. He said it'd all come in handy, too. "Just you wait and see!" Everyone else would sit and listen because he was a good storyteller and there was really nothing else to do. With the way the rafts were tied up, they couldn't be separated, so everyone just spread out without a care as to who goes on which raft. Mason took a seat next to Belle. He was curious about her. She hardly said a word since they joined the rafts together, and no one else really forced her to talk. "Hello." Mason smiled at her. Belle looked up at him with tired pink eyes, "Hello."

Mason smiled at her. "Hm... I thought that it might have been you who caught our attention, but I wasn't sure until you started speaking. Why did you threaten someone?" He asked. Belle sighed, too tired to be stubborn at the moment. "An hour before the cruise ship sank, my boyfriend broke up with me and walked away with another woman. I was sleeping when Lillian shouted in my ear that he was on the raft."

Mason's smile faltered a bit, "I'm sorry if that hurts. He must have been a real scumbag if he cheated on you like that."

Belle nodded and gave the bottom of the raft a malicious smile, "I hope the sharks got him."

Mason's smile grew wide again in amusem*nt. "Easy there, killer. You're getting kind of scary." He told her in a friendly voice. Belle looked up at him with a good smile, "Why, thank you."

Lillian elbowed her brother and gestured over at the two on the other side of the raft. Richard knew that look and sighed in disappointment. "I don't think that'll happen, Lil. I don't think Belle will want to date someone again for a few years... If at all."

"But you have to admit it's cute." Lillian said smugly. Richard looked at Lillian and actually gave her a small smile, "Maybe. But you'll never know."

Lillian giggled under her breath. Flynn leaned over to the two and whispered to them, "Aye, the sea can do that to ye. It has th' power ta bring people together... or tear them apart."

Lillian smiled at him. "True." She stated. Richard looked up at the sky. "It's going to be dark soon, everyone. I suggest we prepare for the night." He called out. Everyone nodded in agreement. Ethan got out the blankets and passed them out to everyone. He earned a series of "thank you"s in return. "I'll keep watch in case of anything." Flynn volunteered. Richard nodded, "I'll stay awake with you in case one of us falls asleep."

Flynn nodded in appreciation and smiled at the others, "Get some shut eye, lads and lassies. Tomorrow is another day."

As everyone settled down and began to doze off, Mason turned to Belle and smiled at her again. "Goodnight, killer." He said with a chuckle. Belle looked at him and responded, "Goodnight, tree."

"I'm not that tall."

"Sure, you aren't."

Chapter 3: Adrift (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Belle woke up feeling weird. It was like she was both comfortable and unsettled and her sleeping brain was like, "wAKE UP I DON'T LIKE THIS-"

It was still a bit dark out, but not much. The sun was starting to rise. The bluenette looked around and say that Flynn and Richard both fell asleep. At least they were in calm waters, otherwise the rafts could have overturned and everyone would drown. Belle made a move to get up when something stopped her. She looked to her side and bit her tongue so she wouldn't yell. Apparently, she and Mason had accidentally started cuddling in their sleep. He had his arms wrapped around her, while she probably used his chest as a pillow. 'How in the name of Scott did that happen?' She questioned. 'And how did I not realize this sooner?'

After internally debating on how to get herself out of this, she nodded in approval at doing the most logical thing. She pulled her arm forward, then rammed her elbow into the tall man's stomach. Mason shot up with a pained grunt and doubled over, looking at her. "What the heck were you doing?!" She yelled at him, a burning blush on her cheeks. "... Do... what,... killer?..." he wheezed. Belle actually kind of felt bad but kept glaring at him, "You got way too close to me!"

Mason nodded slowly. "... Sorry... about that... I tend to... latch onto things... in my sleep..." he looked at her apologetically, "... Didn't think... that it would happen..."

Belle's glare eventually faded and she sighed, "Sorry for knocking the wind out of you."

Mason nodded again to say that it was alright. "Don't... worry about it... I can breathe again soon..." he said with a faltering smile. Belle frowned and looked away. Then she noticed Lillian looking at the two smugly. Belle quickly glanced around, but everyone else was still asleep. Lillian wiggled her eyebrows mischievously, "Hey, Belle-."

"Another word, and I'm throwing you overboard." Belle interrupted before the woman could say anything else. Lillian just laughed in response to her friend's threat.

}-----{

[Hours Later...]

Now that everyone was awake, the linked rafts became active. Richard was talking to Tyreke and Fredrick, while Elizabeth and Lillian were talking to Myckenzie. Ethan was watching the water carefully to make sure everything was going smoothly, and Flynn was standing up with his spyglass to his eye, looking far away to see if he spotted an island. Belle and Mason were just sitting quietly in the same spots they were this morning. "Is your stomach alright?" Belle asked Mason quietly. He was back to normal by the time the others woke up. He hadn't told anyone about it, so she made sure to whisper her question to him. Mason nodded, "Yeah. It'll leave a bruise, but I'm fine."

He smirked at her. "So, killer," he asked her, "Are you always so aggressive, or is it just because you're still angry at a certain someone?"

Belle narrowed her eyes and growled, "Don't make me elbow you in the gut again."

Mason raised his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright. Calm down. I got my answer." He said with a slightly nervous smile. He looked away with a neutral expression and sighed.

Suddenly, Flynn bellowed, "LAAAANNNNND HOOOOOOOOO'!"

Everyone covered their ears as he grabbed oars and started frantically passing them out to some of them. He handed one to Mason and pointed to the other side of the raft. "There be an island over there!" He said excitedly. Richard took Flynn's spyglass and squinted through the lense to see it, "It looks good. No visible volcanic peak. Lush forests. I think that's a river entrance over there, which could mean easy-to-acquire freshwater. All of those mean wildlife, which means food."

Richard looked at Flynn. "Flynn, you may have just saved us all." He said to the pirate proudly. Flynn grinned widely at them all. "Ah, shucks laddies."

}-----{

The group worked together in the shallow water as they hauled the linked rafts ashore. It was difficult, but they managed. Lillian walked a few feet away before collapsing dramatically on the beach. "Land! I can feel the sweet, beautiful soil under my feet again! Dirt has never looked more appealing, my dudes!" She yelled her joy. The others either smiled or shook their heads in amusem*nt Flynn gathered up his kit and looked around the beach. "We cannot was any time, lads!" He called to them, "We must set a camp for the night, an' start lookin' around the place ta' see what's here. Who be coming with me to the woods?"

Elizabeth, Myckenzie, and Tyreke walked towards him. Elizabeth nodded at him, "I may not look like much, but I'm strong and I know how to handle wild or aggressive animals."

Tyreke smiled at his friend, "I know first aid, and you and I both know Myckenzie has the most common sense among the four of us."

Myckenzie grinned at the young man's words. Flynn nodded at them all. "Alright, off we go!" He cried out, charging into the woods as the other three ran behind him. Mason chuckled, "Flynn is like an overgrown child."

"Children are quite wonderful, actually, if they've been raised properly." Belle chimes in from behind him. Mason looked at her with a smile. "Sure, they are." He said skeptically, "You won't know until you have a kid of your own."

The woman stuck her tongue out at him playfully, making both of them chuckle. "See?" Lillian whispered to Richard as he looked out at the ocean, "They're already getting along so well."

Richard sighed and shook his head. "Give up, Lillian. You're never becoming a godmother." He told her quietly. Lillian rolled her eyes and muttered "ship wrecker" under her breath.

It was almost sunset when Flynn's group returned from the woods. They brought with them some fruit, two squirrels, three birds, and logs for the firewood. The others who stayed on the beach had built a camp like Flynn said to do. They set it up near a semicircle of large boulders to shield them all from the wind. Richard and Fredrick built a fire pit large enough to roast meat with to both cook food and keep them all warm. Ethan, Mason, and Belle has set the supplies from the raft around the camp and made makeshift shelters out of what they could find. Since the raft that Ethan's group made was simply lots of wood, tarps, and floatation devices tied together by a bunch of rope, the three carefully dismantled it and used it to build the shelters. They used four of the largest planks and stuck them vertically out of the ground, then used the rope and tied the tarp tightly around the planks to make a roof. It would help keep them from getting cold and protect them all from any rain while still being tall enough to safely allow smoke from the fire to filter out of the camp. When they were done, Richard had stepped back and observed what they had made. "Beautiful, everyone! I'd say that this camp is the beginning of success!" He clapped.

It was dark out when they all settled in and started a fire to cook the birds and squirrels. "How did you get these without using Flynn's gun?" Belle asked curiously as she munched on some of the fruit. Myckenzie fished a slingshot out of her back pocket and smiled, "I've got one hell of an aim."

Flynn smiled proudly. "Aye, she learned from the best!" He boasted, pounding his chest with his fist. A collective chuckle sounded throughout the camp as everyone continued eating. Elizabeth spoke after swallowing a mouthful of squirrel meat. "I say that we build some good weapons tomorrow, so we can hunt bigger animals and gather their meat and fur." She suggested. Mason and Flynn nodded in agreement. "That would be best, considering weapons also offer protection." Richard offered, "And perhaps we could start mapping out the area? We aren't going anywhere anytime soon, after all."

Ethan smiled, "That's a good idea too. Who here is good at mapping? Anyone got any paper?"

Flynn raised his hand before he took another bite of his food, "I have a journal and a working pen, but I can't draw maps for the life of me."

"Belle, you're pretty good at sketching. Could you do it?" Elizabeth asked. Belle nodded. Myckenzie pointed a thumb at herself, "I have an outstanding sense of direction. I can help you, if you'd like?"

"I would like that, actually." Belle smiled at her, "Thank you."

Elizabeth spoke up again, "Ethan and I can build the weapons. Anyone else is welcomed to join if they want. We also need to build and gather more for the camp, if we're gonna be stranded here for months."

Fredrick raised a hand, "I might not be able to do much, but I'm good and crafting things. I can make satchels, baskets, fishing rods, and ropes, to name a few things?"

Lillian grinned, "A fellow craft maker? Now we're talking! You're more advanced than me, though."

"It's not a problem," Fredrick smiled, "I can help you, too."

"Alrighty!" Flynn declared, "We have tomorrow planned out! Now we must finish dinner and get some shuteye!"

There was a round of agreements said as everyone continued eating.

Chapter 4: Adrift (Part 3)

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[Cue the montage!

Elizabeth and Ethan helping Flynn make axes, spears, and other tools for hunting and gathering.

Fredrick teaching Lillian how to make bags and fishing poles, while Lillian helps Fredrick improve his weaving and sowing skills for baskets and articles of clothing.

Flynn, Mason, and Myckenzie showing everyone how to properly prepare fur to be used as clothing and bedding.

Belle, Fredrick, Tyreke, and Lillian showing everyone how to properly sow things together.

Tyreke informing everyone of basic first aid. He shows Richard, Ethan, and Mason how to handle more extreme cases and how to make medicine using certain ingredients.

Richard and Flynn teaching everyone about the different plants and animals of the island that they know of so far, and how to avoid danger such as falling rocks and quicksand.

Belle and Myckenzie wandering through the forest. Myckenzie is holding her cousin's compass while Belle sketches the area in Flynn's journal, making sure to include things like ponds, dangerous areas, and landmarks for help with directions.

Myckenzie teaching Lillian and Elizabeth how to properly make and use a slingshot. She made sure to work on aiming as much as possible.

Richard showing everyone how to acquire clean, drinkable water.

Ethan and Mason planning things for the camp. They include Flynn and Richard on the decision making, then put the final results up to a vote if it isn't deemed a necessity.

Everyone pitching in as they improve the camp by adding small walls to block the wind and rain. They collect things such as neat rocks, beautiful seashells, and animal bones to decorate the place. They made an "S.O.S." message using large rocks placed on an open area of the beach, in case if any aircraft fly over the island.

Everyone remains hopeful and become close, like a family. They have disagreements here or there, but in the end they are all in this together. All is well, until one day...]

Belle was in the forest on her own today. Myckenzie has to stay behind to help Tyreke with something and apologized for it, but Belle simply smiled at her and said that it was alright. She understood that medicine is definitely more important than adding small details to an area of the map. She should probably not be out here on her own, but there's nothing else for her to do today and Belle has a hard time sitting still when the sun is out. Myckenzie made her swear not to go anywhere they haven't been to yet, and to immediately come back if something was wrong. Belle had promised that she would and left before anyone else could stop her from going. She smiled mischievously as she knew Mason would reprimand her for going somewhere alone without anyone or anything to protect her. He'd stomp his foot and throw a fit and it would be hilararious.

She giggled quietly and looked around. Belle didn't take the compass with her since she already had this area mostly memorized, and counted her steps to make sure she'd mark things down properly, making small notes in the margins of the paper to help her remember what certain things mean. Walking a bit farther to a thicker part of the forest, she began to get an uneasy feeling in her stomach. 'Maybe I should turn around and go back to camp...' she thought. Belle sighed and shook her head, 'No, you're just being paranoid. You've never been out here on your own before.'

It was approximately another ten minutes of walking when she almost fell down. She caught herself on a fallen tree next to her and let out a startled swear word. She lifted herself back up to a standing position, then the feeling over an her again. Something was definitely off. She turned to the left...

And then she froze.

Standing only a few feet away from her was her ex-boyfriend. He looked like he had been through Hell and back. His clothing was torn and he had mud on him. He had a few wounds that were already healed over, and his hair was slick with sweat. "Belle?..." he asked with a fake smile, acting like he was hopeful and happy to see her. Belle narrowed her eyes at him. "William Afton..." she hissed, "I didn't realize you survived the wreck, too."

"Of course I did!" He boasted, "Nothing can best me! So, how have you been? God, I'm happy to see you."

Belle straightened her posture, trying to beat back the feeling of anxiety creeping in. "I was good until you showed up. I see the sharks didn't eat you. What a shame."

William forced himself to smile wider. He took a step towards her. "Aw, come on! Are you still angry about that? Look, dear, I am sorry about that. But let's not act like complete animals here!" He took another few steps towards her, and Belle could feel the anger getting replaced by fear. William appeared to have gone insane since she last saw him aboard that ship. He could do anything to her, and she might not be able to stop him. She took a step back, instantly bumping into the fallen tree. 'I forgot about that...'

"Think about it! You and I are all alone. We can become a couple again! You and I can be closer than friends! I can take you back to my shelter, we can eat and drink plenty of water." He eventually stood right in front of her, making Belle feel trapped. "What do you say? Maybe we could even start a family while we're here?"

Okay.

That does it.

He just crossed a line that she laid out for him when they first became a couple. "Absolutely not!" She yelled at him. "Hell no! If you think that you can just—!"

William interrupted her by slamming into her and pinning her to the fallen tree. He grinned evilly at her and leaned close to her, whispering in her ear. "Come on, Baby," he said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "When's the last time you had some fun?"

Belle was panicking now. She had to run. She had to get away from him, or bad things would happen. Keeping the journal and pen in one hand, she reached out behind herself with her other hand and felt around the ground. William put a hand on her side as she grabbed onto a good-sized rock. She gripped it tightly and swung it at him, hitting him hard in the head. William cried out in pain and got off of her, holding his head in his hands. Belle dropped the rock and made a break for it. She ran as fast as she could, not even hearing William as he screamed a series of curses at her. She lost him immediately by taking the long, difficult way back to camp. She even waited an hour before heading to the beach just to make sure he didn't follow her.

She was in tears. She just wanted to be with everyone else. To go back to the camp and forget that he was here. To realize that maybe she ate something that wasn't cooked properly and simply hallucinated the entire thing. He can't be here! There's no way he's here! The chances of them being on the same deserted island are almost none!

When she finally got back to camp, everyone seemed to be panicking. "She should have been back by now! She should have been back over an hour ago!" Mason's voice yelled, "Something went wrong! Why did you let Belle go by herself?!"

"She can handle herself fine!" Myckenzie yelled back at him, "I made her promise to come back if something happened! I didn't think that she'd have to since she wasn't exploring by herself! She was just adding details to them map because she had nothing to do!"

"Will ye' both quit yellin'?!" Flynn interrupted them, "We ain't gonna find her by fighting each other! If we have to go get her, we have to get th' weapons and leave now!"

Belle stumbled out into the open and almost fell over in shock, dropping the pen and journal to the sand. "There she is!" Lillian's voice said suddenly. Mason ran over to Belle and gently held her arm to try and help her balance. "Belle, are you alri—?" Mason asked before Belle just let herself collapse into him. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and sobbed into his chest. The man was startled for a moment, then put his arms around her in a comforting manner. "I'm sorry." Belle told him, "I'm sorry. I'm s—so sorry."

Everyone else just stood behind Mason, unable to think of what to do. Why was she crying? What on Earth happened to her in the woods? "I got away... H—He tried to get me, and I hit him..." the woman's voice cracked, "I—I h—hit him..."

"Hit who?" Elizabeth asked. The others began to gather around the two on the sand. Belle looked up at Elizabeth, scared. "H—He's here. William's h—here!" She cried. "H—He wanted to—... he t—tried to..."

Mason heard enough and pulled Belle into another tight hug, doing his best to soothe her. She trembled and shuddered in his arms as her tears slowly stopped streaming. He looked at the others. Richard was frowning deeply, Ethan and Lillian looked angry, and Elizabeth looked like she was about to rip someone's head off. Fredrick cleared his throat as quietly and politely as he could. "I'm sorry about this being a delicate topic, but may we clueless ones ask as to who this 'William' is?"

Richard responded in a deceptively calm tone, "He's Belle's garbage excuse of an ex boyfriend. He cheated on her and broke up with her right before the cruise went under."

Mason growled low in his throat, "I'd like to meet this guy in a dark alleyway."

Belle relaxed a bit and smiled at him, "Thank you, Mason... I'd appreciate it if you did."

Mason smiled back at her, "Of course I would. Cheating on someone is an evil in itself. But cheating on you? That son of a b===h doesn't realize what he's done or who he just messed with."

Elizabeth smiled tensely, 'Not only is he obviously in love with Belle, but Mason's also eager to put that scumbag in his place. I definitely approve of him.'

Belle still kept her arms around Mason. "He tried to hurt me, so I hit him with a big rock." She mumbled. "Just one?" Mason asked, "You should have hit him with at least three."

His words made her giggle, and she felt better. Myckenzie pounded her hand and her fist together. "So, where is this dead man walking again?"

Belle let go of Mason, but still held his hand. "In the denser part of the forest between the hills and the river. Next to the big fallen tree."

Tyreke cleared his throat like Fredrick had done. "As much as we'd all like to give this man a good beating, I'm afraid that we can't. The sun will go down in less than half an hour."

After going inside of the main structure of the camp and talking about anything to keep their minds off of the unwelcome survivor on the island while cooking the catch of the day (a few large fish, a fox, and a fat boar), the group ate their dinner and decided to get some sleep. Myckenzie and Elizabeth kept watch out tonight, making sure to bring some of the more wicked-looking weapons with them.

While the fire's embers still glowed softly, Belle remained awake. She was restless after being so stressed out and afraid that it was getting to her. After basically warring with herself, she made up her mind and quietly got up. She grabbed her pillow and blanket and silently crawled over to the area where Mason sleeps. She set her bedding down and laid beside him, thinking that he might be asleep.

Mason felt her presence, though and turned over so that he was laying on his back. He offered an open arm to her, which Belle gratefully took. She snuggled up beside him like the first night on the raft (but on purpose this time) and rested her head on his chest. Mason put his arm around her after he pulled the bluenette's pillow up next to her head, just in case if she slipped off of him while they slept. Belle was now comfortable and felt herself start to doze off. Mason fell asleep not long after her. The both of them had a peaceful sleep that night with each other's company.

Chapter 5: Adrift (Part 4)

Chapter Text

Belle was still laying on top of him when Mason woke up. She startled him at first but then he relaxed when he remembered why she was there. He put his arm around her again, using the other one to brush some of her hair back. 'Don't worry, I won't let that man touch you.' Mason silently promised her. Belle shifted in her sleep, moving her arm to wrap around his stomach. He smiled and closed his eyes in an effort to try going back to sleep. He heard a soft "awwww" and frowned. Mason opened his eyes and lifted his head up to look at the people staring at the two. Lillian covered her mouth to muffle her giggling while Ethan and Flynn just smiled. "Mornin'." Flynn whispered. Mason nodded at him as if to say "good morning" back. He glanced around at the practically empty structure and tilted his head. Ethan understood quietly informed him that everyone else was already awake and outside. Lillian finally uncovered her mouth and spoke with a malicious grin, "Lizzie, Myckenzie, and I are forming a hunting party. We're gonna bag a piece of garbage. Wanna join?"

Mason gestured to Belle. "As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid that I can't. She needs to rest, you see." He whispered. "But please, feel free to kick him in the kneecaps for me."

Lillian nodded and quietly walked outside, Flynn following her. Ethan continued to smile at Belle and Mason. "She really likes you, you know." He said as more of a statement than a question. Mason raised a brow at him. "Really?" He asked. Ethan nodded, "She wouldn't do that with anyone else. You must have grown on her quicker than William ever did."

Mason smiled back at him. "Well, thank you for telling me this. I'll make sure not to overstep my boundaries, though."

Ethan nodded and turned away, going to join the others outside as well. Mason and Belle were now alone. Mason sighed silently and laid his head back down. 'Ethan said that I grew on you,' he thought, 'but I know for a fact that you are the one who grew on me first. I've never let anyone else this close to me in a long time... How did you make me care about you so much?'

The man turned his head and closed his eyes again with a smile.

}—————{

It's been five days since Belle encountered William in the forest, and there hadn't been a single sign of him anywhere. No luck with the hunting parties, no tracks or blood, not even a campsite or smoke from a fire during the day. It was like he completely vanished...

... Or like he wasn't there at all...

"I swear that he was!" Belle promised the others on the fifth night, "It couldn't have been my imagination! He—!"

"No one is accusing you of lying," Fredrick told her calmly, "but we're just asking you if you're sure that it was real?"

"I know it was real. He has to be here." Belle said in a strained voice. Everyone looked at each other uncertainly. Richard sighed and looked up. "No one else is saying it, so I'll bite the bullet." He spoke up. The man fixed his glasses and held his hands together. "Belle.. there was nothing by the tree. There's no sign of William anywhere on the island. No footprints, no disturbed areas in the woods, no evidence of hunting or another survivor. Nothing... Belle... We think that you might have hallucinated the encounter." Richard told her with a straight face. Belle managed not to look hurt. 'They don't believe me?...'

"Hallucinated?" Belle asked him. Tyreke nodded, "You were almost hysterical when you came back to camp. You couldn't walk straight, and you looked almost disoriented... Belle, you couldn't even talk until you started to calm down."

Flynn looked at her apologetically. "Lassie," he asked, "Are ye' certain that you were alright when ya' first saw him? Did you eat anything weird or undercooked before you went out into th' woods? Maybe ye' ate from a berry bush while you were sketching and didn't think about it? Did you hit yer head on the tree when you fell?"

"I..." Belle tried, them looked down, "It has to be real..."

'Maybe they're right... Maybe I just thought I saw him when I really didn't... But... I was so sure that he was real...'

"We're sorry, Belle." Mason said, "But the evidence is not in your favor... William's not here..."

Belle's shoulders dropped in defeat. "I'm sorry..." she mumbled, "I didn't mean to cause panic and waste your time..."

There was a collective sigh, and they wrapped up the conversation for the night. The group went to bed after dinner, but Belle couldn't sleep. She started at the ceiling for hours, thinking. 'I was so sure... It... I couldn't have hallucinated the entire thing. He pinned me to the tree... He actually spoke to me... But maybe the others are right... What if I really did eat something or hit my head?'

Belle waited to make sure that no one else was awake before getting up and walking out of the structure. She walked over to the water and sat down on the sand. She put her feet in the ocean, watching calmly as the sun's light barely peeked over the horizon. It would rise soon. Maybe an hour or so from now? The bluenette hugged her legs and rested her head on her knees, sighing deeply. "William wasn't real after all..." she whispered to herself, closing her eyes.

"You wish."

Belle's eyes flew open. She tried to stand up and turn around, but she over balanced and fell over. The woman almost yelped in surprise as she landed in the saltwater. William reached down and snatched her arm, pulling her towards him. He leaned down and pointed a stone dagger at her throat, "Don't make a sound, or you're dead."

She reluctantly obeyed him, staring at the dagger. "Look at me and stand up." He commanded. Belle looked at him stood up like she was told. He had a nasty gash that went from his temple to his eyebrow on the left side of his head from when she struck him with the rock. He scowled at her, "You are almost more trouble than you're worth, I'll give you that. Now,—" he got behind her and jabbed the dagger into her back without breaking the skin "— walk forward. Don't even think about running away."

'Why am I having such terrible luck this week?' she internally complained. Belle nodded shakily and took a trembling step forward, then another, then another. William steered her off the beach and through the woods. The man paid no mind to the campsite, which Belle was grateful for. At least he wasn't threatening the others.

}—————{

An hour later, the others started waking up most of them noticed immediately that something felt... off... "Hey," Tyreke said as he cracked his back, "Anyone else have a weird feeling that something's not right?"

Fredrick nodded. Richard looked around and did a head count (himself included), muttering under his breath. "One two three four five six seven eight nine..." he said quickly as he looked at each person. He narrowed his eyes and looked a Ethan, who just sat up and yawned, "Where's Belle? She's not in here."

Elizabeth stood up and shuffled to towards the exit, "She's probably just outside. I'll go check on her."

Lillian, Myckenzie, and Flynn followed after her, leaving the others to finish getting up. Flynn walked over to the water's edge and took in a deep breath. "Ah... nothin' like the smell of the sea in th' mornin'!" The pirate declared with a large smile. Elizabeth only needed to skim over the beach to realize that Belle wasn't there. "Huh." She said. Lillian frowned and walked along the shore, calling out for their friend. By the time everyone else made it outside, Flynn and Lillian had gone back to stand by Elizabeth. "Where is she?" Mason asked. Myckenzie shrugged in thought, "She's not here."

"Where could she be?" Tyreke asked, "This is the second time she's disappeared on us."

"The first time doesn't count as a disappearance if at least one of us knew where she went." Richard pointed out. Fredrick inhales sharply, "Do you think she's upset with us because of last night?"

Lillian shook her head, "No, Belle's not that kind of person. She can get angry, but not over something like us not believing in her."

Flynn looked out over the ocean warily. Mason took notice and asked, "Is something on your mind, Flynn?"

Flynn snapped his attention to the taller man. "I don't think this is it," he said to the group, "but... maybe the lass went out for a swim? The ocean can be very enticing when you're alone."

Ethan nodded, "Makes sense. She wouldn't want to go into the woods by herself again— at least not for a while. And she wouldn't walk too far away if she stayed on the beach."

Fredrick took a long glance at the water. "I don't see her anywhere." he said after a moment. Tyreke frowned, "She wouldn't swim too far away from the shore, would she?"

Richard shook his head. "Flynn and I explained to all of you about the dangers of open water at night." He told them. Flynn nodded. "Aye. There be rip currents and hungry beasties on the prowl. And we all know by now that the lass is to stubborn to get tired an' drown... She's probably nearby."

Myckenzie nodded at them all, "Maybe she is in the woods, just not far away. She might just need some time to herself. I say we let her have the day."

Lillian nodded back, "She'll be back by the evening, before dinner."

Everyone made up their minds and dispersed, getting ready to work for the day.

Chapter 6: Haunted House

Chapter Text

"Aaaaaand, done!" Mason declared, throwing himself down on one of the armchairs. He looked around proudly at the towers of boxes that surrounded his new living room. Most of them were heavy, so now he was taking his time to relax before he started unpacking them. All of the large furniture in the house had takenhoursto move, but he got it done. The man sighed, thinking about what he had been told about this house. It was a large house, with lots of rooms and tons of space. It was located in a rural area, surrounded by farmland for miles. It was a beautiful one, too. He was genuinely surprised about how little it costed compared to what it's real value is. The previous resident was very desperate to get out of it. Why? Mason would never know, and honestly, he almost didn't care. He was satisfied with the place, and was determined to live a happy life here.

He sat on the armchair for a few minutes before standing back up and walking around the house. He had a notebook and pen with him so that he could mark down which rooms were to be used for what. After the next hour of him doing this chore, he went back down to the living room and grabbed a few light boxes. He carried them up to his bedroom on the second floor and placed them down next to the bed. He repeated this process until all of the necessary boxes were in the bedroom. He looked out the window. The sun was about to start setting, so he figured that he may as well rest for tonight. He opened the box that was labeled "BEDDING" and took out a couple of pillows, a comforter, and some sheets. He made the bed in five minutes. He made a move to get under the comforter, then paused and thought out loud, "I should probably make sure everything's locked before going to sleep."

He walked out of the room and made two rounds around the house, double-checking to make sure that all the doors and windows were locked. When he was satisfied, he went back upstairs, got under the covers, and went to sleep.

}—————{

There was aBANGsomewhere in the house. Mason woke up with a startled jolt. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, muttering, "The hell?"

There was some more noises that were made, like someone walking along the hallways and up or down the stairs. The man quieted his breathing and got out of bed. He silently walked around the bedroom, peering at the labels on the boxes until he found the one he was looking for. It was labeled "WEAPONS", and contained a few guns, some wicked-looking knifes, a tactical shovel, and a hatchet or two. He reached his hand in carefully before pulling out a handgun. He checked to make sure it was loaded before quietly opening his door and slowly walking into the hallway. There was another sound, this time from downstairs. Mason tip-toed down the steps. Partially raising the gun in front of himself, he started to check around the house. After about ten minutes of thoroughly investigating the house, he lowered the gun and sighed. 'No one's here...' he internally grumbled, 'Maybe I just need some water.'

He made his way over to the kitchen and set the handgun down on the counter. He reached up into the cabinet and pulled out a glass. He shuffled over to the sink. He filled the glass with tap water and drank some of it. "Much better." He thought aloud again. He turned around with his glass to go sit in the living room, but stopped suddenly as his heart leapt into his throat. Standing only a few feet away from him was a woman. She looked young; maybe in her early thirties? She had blue dyed hair and startling pink eyes, which were dulled over. She had blue and purple makeup with pink lipstick on, and she was wearing a ballerina outfit (which he found odd). She was a head shorter than him, too. Mason didn't hear her come into the kitchen at all, so seeing her there was quite a shock. He let go of the glass in surprise and jumped again as it shattered on the floor. He slowly started backing up towards the counter where he set his gun. The woman tilted her head at him and furrowed her eyebrows, "You are by far the weirdest person I have seen so far. Who are you?"

"Who areyou?!" Mason snapped back, "And why are you inmyhouse?!"

The woman straightened up and blinked at him. "Wait," she asked, "can you hear me?" She sounded so hopeful when she asked him that Mason almost felt bad for yelling at her. He simply stared at her and slowly nodded. Her eyes widened a bit, and she asked in an even more hopeful voice, "Can... Can you see me?"

Mason frowned at her, giving up on trying to get his gun. "Yes," he said, "Now answer my question. Who are you and what are you doing in my house?"

The woman smiled brightly and her eyes lit up. "Finally! Someone knows that I'm here!" She cried out in joy. Mason was now perplexed by this girl. Why was she acting like she hadn't talked with someone in years? She shook her head rapidly and looked back up at him. "I'm sorry for scaring you," she said, "My name is Belle. I'm one of the people who lived here before you moved in."

"Alright. But that still doesn't answer my other question... Why are you here?" He pressed. Belle scratched her neck nervously. "Uhm... yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaah, about that... I'm dead." She told him. Mason narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm sorry, please repeat that." He asked. The woman brought both of her hands together and sighed, "I'm dead. I died at least a year or two ago. I'm here because I can't leave the house. Something like 'my soul is bound to my final place of living residence' or something."

Mason raised his hand and gestured to her, "I bought this house from the man that lived here. He never said anything about you."

"Yep. That's my deadbeat ex-husband." She said as if she didn't care. The man looked at her in surprise, "Ex-husband?"

Belle nodded and pointed at her outfit. "You're probably confused about the costume, too, so this will help explain it. I used to be a performer. I had other jobs, too, but this one was my favorite. One day, I came home from work and found him sleeping with another woman. I died before I thought about filing the divorce papers, but the afterlife is like another world in itself, so I was able to get it done about... ten months ago? Eleven?" She explained. Mason was becoming more interested in her story. He tilted his head, "You died right after that? Did he kill you or...?"

"Oh... erm... ah... About that, too," Belle chuckled more nervously than she had before as she tried to smile at him, "You see, I wasn't known for being able to control my emotions and how they affected my actions. When I came home that day and saw those two together, I got unbelievably angry. So then I left and might've... sort of... kind of... impulsively jumped off a bridge?"

Mason's eyes widened. "Suicide?" He asked in surprise. Belle nodded. "It wasn't exactly quick and painless, but I went unconscious a couple of minutes after I hit the ground. So I didn't suffer too badly, I guess."

Mason balled his hands into fists. "The next time I see your ex-husband, I'm going to slug him in the jaw." He growled. Belle giggled. "Thank you, I'd love to see that." She happily. She sighed with a smile, "It's so good to finally have someone to talk to. Please tell me that you're going to be here forever? I might go crazy if you don't"

Mason nodded at her, "That's the plan."

Belle clapped her hands together, "Sweet!"

The man cracked an amused smile at her enthusiasm. "So, Belle," he asked, "can I offer you a place to rest for the night?"

Belle giggled again. "I'm a ghost, silly. I don't need to sleep. I can try, though?" She speculated. Mason shrugged his shoulders, "You can have the bed, if you want."

Belle shook her head. "Nah, you need to rest your back. I saw you lifting all those heavy boxes and furniture earlier."

"You did?"

"Mhm. You're strong, you know. I'd say that it's impressive."

Mason smiled at the compliment. "Thank you." He said politely. "If you saw me earlier, how come I couldn't see you then, if I can see you now?"

"I was hiding in the wall." She answered, "I may have thought that you'd never see me at the time, but I was still kind of shy."

"You were a performer, how are you shy?" He asked. The woman merely shrugged at him. Mason just shook his head and started carefully picking up the glass from the shattered cup. "Like I said earlier, though," Mason told her as he picked up the largest pieces first, "If you want to, you're more than welcomed to take my bed... Are you able to sit or lay down on things, actually?"

Belle nodded, "I can still do a lot of things that I used to when I was alive. And Imightwanna try sleeping on a bed again. But I'm not about to steal yours."

"I insist, though. You are a lady, and I think this is technically both your house and mine."

"If you're so determined for me to take the bed, them I'm not going to unless we share it." She told him stubbornly, crossing her arms. Mason reached behind himself to grab a wet hand towel, using it to pick up the smaller shards. After he picked up the last bit of broken glass and threw the pieces away in a plastic bag, he turned back to Belle, "Wouldn't that be weird? You probably don't even know my name."

Belle grinned at him, "It's only weird if you make it weird. And no, I don't know your name. Who are you, strange man from the city?"

Mason did a sort of bow, "I am Mason Salacil. A man who truly takes pride in his work and his home. And you are...?"

Belle did a curtsy, "My maiden name is Belle Tanzen, my good sir. A dead girl who likes music and loves to talk. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

The both of them smiled and shared a laugh, genuinely enjoying each other's company.

Chapter 7: Adrift (Part 5)

Chapter Text

[Abuse and Cannibalism Warning!]

Belle shivered, still being cold and wet from falling in the ocean earlier this morning. She was sitting on the ground and tied to a tree. Well, more like her wrists were tied together while her arms were wrapped around the tree, but hey, who's counting? William had guided her to his camp and forced her to hold still while he made sure she couldn't get up and run away. He might've tied the rope a bit too tight, though. A pins-and-needles feeling was slowly but surely overtaking her hands. She swallowed and tried to ask without being afraid, "W—William?"

William was over by the fire, drinking some clean freshwater. He turned his head to glare at her, "What?"

"Uhm... could you maybe l—loosen the rope tied around my wrists? I c—can't f—feel my hands..."

William looked at her impatiently before getting up and stalking over to the other side of the tree. He undid the ropes and retied them quickly, making sure that the blood flow wasn't cut off but the ropes were still tight enough to keep her there. Belle sighed in relief as the normal feeling started coming back to her hands. "Thank you..." she said to the man. William simply glared at her and sat down in front of her. He pointed to the barely healed over gash on his forehead. "You know, you've never lashed out at me like this before." He mused, "So, tell me my dear... what changed?"

"You being a dirty, lying cheater. That's what's ch—!" Belle began to snap. He interrupted her with a hard slap to the face. Belle recoiled and held onto the tree tightly to shield her head. "From now on, only say good things about me. If you don't, I'll hit you. Understood?" He threatened her. Belle bit her cheek and nodded.

Meanwhile, the group was building another raft. It was going to be a large one, with lots of room for them to bring supplies on board. They weren't going to leave the island yet. The raft is just in case of an emergency. Mason wiped the sweat off his brow and paced over to the trees to stand in the shade. He leaned against a tree and sighed. Flynn walked over to him and smiled, "Tired?"

"Worried." Mason responded. Flynn nodded. "Don't worry, th' lass is goin' to be fine." The pirate reassured his friend. Mason nodded back, "I can't help but worry, though. Even if there's no trace of that man, there's always the chance that Belle was right."

Flynn looked to the ground, "If she be upset with us fer not believin' in 'er, then we should apologize to the lass when she— ... Erm?"

Mason furrowed his eyebrows at Flynn. "What?" He asked and looked at the spot on the ground that the pirate was staring at. There were two sets of footprints, both looking like they had been made this morning. That wasn't what was odd about them, though. What was odd was that one of the people who made the footprints was walking in their bare feet. Everyone in the group had at least one pair of sown leather shoes to protect their feet. Mason looked at Flynn, "... You don't... think that...?"

Flynn nodded, and the two ran towards the others in a panic.

}—————{

Belle was fed up with William already. He would drone on and on about himself and how he was the best, and he would try to show some things off for her. He would demand her to respond to him and threatened to hit her again if she stayed silent. If she was honest with him and told him that there's no way she's interested in him anymore, he'd hit her anyways. It was only a matter of time before she unleashed verbal fury at him. "You know, I couldn't help but notice your little group of friends." He said to her, "They've been looking for me and I've stayed hidden from them for the past couple of days. I don't think they were eventryingto find me. Do you think they ever believed you in the first place?"

That struck a nerve in her. She bit her tongue to keep from snapping at him. "That tall one that won't leave you alone... who is he?" William asked with a dark tone, "... You didn't replace me already, did you?"

Belle shook her head. 'There's no replacing someone who walked out on you.' She growled internally. "You are the one who broke up with me, not the other way around. If I did like that man, it wouldn't be replacing you. It would be moving on and trying again." She told him. William hit her again, cracking her in the jaw. She held back a shout and glared at him. "The answer isno." He said to her, "No, you didnotreplace me with some stupid tree of a man. You are stillmine."

"You walked away from me! I'm not a lost pet that you can claim at a moment's notice!" She yelled at him, "What ever happened to your new girlfriend, by the way?! Did she walk away from you, too?!"

William practically snarled and kicked her in the stomach. Belle doubled over with a pained wheeze, the wind being knock out of her. The man kneeled down in front of her and grabbed her by the hair. He pulled on the blue mop that was still a bit wet from falling into the ocean, forcing her to look up at him. Something about how he looked at her now made her want to run away and cry again. He was definitely planning something for her, and it wasn't good. "If you must know," he said to her, "that woman was only good at a few things. Those things were not very useful when it comes to survival. She was using too much supplies and didn't give back enough. So, like any starving survivalist would do, I took her out of the equation by roasting her over the fire."

Belle's eyes widened in fear. "And if you don't do as I say when I say to do it, that just might happen to you, too. You'd be surprised how much human flesh tastes like pork. It's quite delicious." He finished with a malicious smile.

}—————{

Mason led Flynn, Elizabeth, Myckenzie, and Tyreke through the woods. They each had their own homemade weapon, and Flynn even brought his gun with him. The others stayed back at camp in case if Belle managed to escape again and came back. Flynn and Myckenzie were now in front of everyone else, tracking the footprints that would lead them to Belle and William. Elizabeth set a hand on Mason's shoulder as the man was obviously thinking hard about something. He looked at her. "Something else is eating away at you, I can tell. Do you want to talk about it?" The redhead whispered. Mason nodded slightly. "We didn't believe her." He said quietly, "She was scared. She told us that William was here, and we didn't believe her. Now she's trapped with that monster of a man, and he could do God-knows-what to her... What if he's done something to her already? I... I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something horrible were to happen to Belle that I could've prevented..."

Elizabeth gave him a reassuring look. "Try not to think like that. She may not be able to fight like a trained soldier, but she's strong. She can hold him off until we get there. Trust me, Belle will be alright. You can even kiss her when we get her back... And we all owe her an apology for not believing her, which I think that we are all more than happy to give her." She told him. Mason smiled, feeling a bit better. "Thanks, Elizabeth." He said gratefully. Elizabeth nodded at him and smiled back. She clutched her favorite spear and held it up, "Now, let's continue our little hunt, shall we?"

[Oh heck Willy's in trouble now]

Chapter 8: Haunted House (Part 2)

Chapter Text

The sunlight filtered through the windows, making the house's interior glow with a warm, golden light. Mason sat up in the bed and yawned. He stretched and cracked his back before looking at the sleeping ghost beside him. Belle actually meant it when she said that she wouldn't take the bed unless the two of them shared it. He smiled at her, 'Do I wake her up? Does she want breakfast? Wait, no. That's a stupid question.'

He sighed and got out of bed. He stretched again and made his way over to the door. He opened it carefully, walked through, then closed it behind himself. He quietly went to the kitchen and opened the fridge to look for something to make for breakfast. He groaned softly as he looked at the empty fridge. "Right, just moved here. I need to buy food." He muttered.

"Want me to watch the house while you're gone?"

Mason jumped and turned around quickly. Belle giggled at him. "Sorry." She apologized with a smile. "No worries." Mason told her as he straightened his posture, "I'm just not accustomed to the whole 'Ghost' thing. Give me about a month and we should be golden."

The ghost nodded and tilted her head at him, "So, is that a yes or a no?"

"You can if you want to." Mason said, "Or you can relax and have fun. Can you... I don't know, manipulate objects? Like picking things up and moving them?"

Belle nodded, "I don't do it very often, but I can."

Mason nodded back, "There's a box with some board games and decks of cards somewhere in the living room. I can get it out for you if you'd like?"

"That would be quite nice of you." She thanked him. Mason cracked a smile and went to the living room. He looked around, then grabbed a box labeled "ENTERTAINMENT" and set it down on the coffee table. He looked around the living room and noticed that there were a few things he didn't have. "Hey, Belle?" He called out, "Do you think I should get a couch?"

"If you want to." Belle called back from somewhere else, "That's up to you"

Mason thought for a moment, then responded, "Alright! I'm going out to get groceries and look for a couch! I'll be back in an hour or two! There's games on the table in case you get bored!"

"Thank you!" She hollered as he walked out the front door. Mason got in his vehicle and drove down the road, Belle watching from the window as he disappeared. "Do you think he'll bring back some donuts?" She wondered out loud.

}—————{

[About Noon]

Mason was driving back from the store. He had four bags of groceries in the back of the car and a paper that shows the official delivery time of the couch he bought. While on his way back, he crossed over a bridge and frowned. He pulled of the side of the road and got out of the car. He carefully walked along the railing of the bridge. He crossed it a few times already, but he never really paid attention to the writing carved in the wood. He stopped at read it under his breath. "Tanzen Bridge. Named after beloved local performer Belle Tanzen, who fell from here one tragic day. May she rest in peace and find happiness from beyond the grave." He mumbled. He looked over the edge and his eyes widened a bit, "That's a long way down... Why would she...? I mean, I know why... but..."

Mason shook his head and went back to the car. "If I see that damned ex-husband of hers, I'm going to rip him a new one." he muttered and drove off. When he pulled into the driveway, he could see Belle waiting for him in the kitchen window. She waved enthusiastically at him, so he smiled and waved back. He grabbed the paper and stuffed it into one of the grocery bags, then got out of the car, grabbed the bags, and brought them inside the house. Belle was already by the front door. "Hi! Welcome back!" She cheered, "Did you have fun seeing the outside world?"

"I did..." he trailed off, 'Until I crossed the bridge...'

He shook his head and walked to the kitchen. "So, what did you do while I was gone?" He asked. Belle smiled. "Well, I went through the notebook you had and saw the different arrangements for the rooms that you had. Then I thought, 'Hey, how about I save him tons of work and put the boxes in their selected rooms?'"

Mason looked at her as he put the cold foods in the fridge. "You moved the boxes? By yourself?" He asked. Belle nodded, "It took awhile, but I got the hang of it."

Mason smiled at her, "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome!"

When Mason was done putting the groceries away (and setting a box of fresh donuts on the counter, which made Belle ecstatic even if she couldn't actually eat them), he and Belle went around the house and started to unpack everything. Mason arranged the rooms accordingly.

It was over an hour later, after they completely set up the living room and dining room, when they heard the doorbell ring. "Hold on a moment!" Mason called down the stairs as he went down them quickly. When he got to the front door, he turned around to see if Belle followed him. Seeing that she didn't, the man turned towards the door and opened it. "Hey there, Mason." Said a woman's voice. Mason blinked in surprise and looked down at the shorter woman, also taking notice of the taller man beside her. "Mom? Dad?" He asked, "What are you doing here? Nevermind, I think I know. Come on in!"

He stepped out of the way and let the two through. They walked into the house and Mason closed the door behind them. His mother looked around in surprise. "This is a big house. How on earth did you managed to afford this?" She asked him. Mason shrugged. "The guy who lived here wanted to leave really badly, so I got a really good deal on the purchase."

Mason's father raised an eyebrow at him, "How much?"

"A couple thousand or so, no big deal. I was saving my money for years to get a place like this, so I already had the cash for it."

His father nodded. Mason walked ahead of them and led the two to the living room. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. That must have been a long drive for you to get here." He told them. "Anything to see my baby boy." His mother teased him. Mason blushed, "Mom, come on. Sullivan's the baby brother, not me."

"Yes, but you were my first child, so you'll always be my baby." She smiled. Mason sighed and gave her a hug, "I love you too, Mother."

"New visitors!" Belle cheered from the living room. She was innocently sitting in the armchair by the window. She waved at him and asked, "Who are they?"

Mason nodded slightly and asked, "So, Mother, Father, can I offer you a drink? You can stay for dinner, too, if you'd like?"

His mother smiled and nodded. "Thanks." His father grumbled. Belle rolled off the chair and bounced over to the trio. "Oooooooooh! They're your parents!" She said. She made a thinking face, then said, "I see it! You got your hair and your charming smile from your mother, and you're tall, dark, and brooding, like your father!"

Mason shot her a playful glare and walked away from the living room. He gave his parents a tour of the house and ordered Italian food for dinner. Belle followed them around the entire time. She actually made being around his parents rather exciting. She would comment on things and tease him sometimes, but he loved it when she sort of verbally attacked his father. "The more I'm around this guy, the less he seems like you. Are you sure he's not made of stone? Is his name Rocky? I'm calling him Rocky from now on." She said once, and it took all of Mason's will power not to chuckle at the comment.

Tonight at dinner, they all sat around the dining room table and ate pasta, lasagna, and rigatoni with meatballs. There was also a loaf of bread and carbonated drinks, curtesy of the restaurant. Belle sat on the counter, not too far away. She listened intently while they all talked. "So, son." His father stated, "When are you planning on getting back together with Sierra?"

Belle and Mason both did a double take. "Who's Sierra?" Belle asked him. Mason shook his head rapidly. "I amnotgetting back together with my ex-girlfriend." He put his foot down. Mason's father narrowed his eyes. "And why not?" he hissed. His mother looked worried. "Pete, not now—."

"Quiet, Mary!" His father, Peter, yelled. Mary, his mother, closed her mouth and lowered her shoulders. She gave Mason an apologetic look. Mason glared at his father. "Do not speak to my mother that way. And I'm not because there's a reason I broke up with that thot." He growled. Belle looked back and forth between Mason and Peter. She blinked, then pushed herself off of the counter. She stood beside Mary, wishing that she could calm her. "Besides, I'm not going to date a woman that I don't truly love." Mason added, "You were the one that forced me to be with her."

"She needs you!"

"She does not!"

"Her friend is a bad influence on her, and you need to help set her straight!"

"Her friend is a criminal, of course he's a bad influence on her! There's not much that I can do about it anyways!"

"I am your father! You will listen to me and do as I say!"

"Wow! How original, Dad!"

"That's it!" Peter screamed. He stood up from the table and stomped over to Mason dangerously. He grabbed him by his shirt collar and was about to do something. But before he could, a plate of rigatoni flew through the air and hit him right in the side of his face. Peter stepped back in surprise and glared at Mary. "You—!" He got cut off by another plate (this one with lasagna) being thrown at him. It hit his stomach, making the food go all over his chest and abdomen. He shouted angrily and growled, wiping the rigatoni sauce away from his eyes. "What?!"

An empty plate levitated in the air, hovering menacingly above the table. Peter's eyes widened as he and Mary stared at the plate. Mason looked at Belle. She was furious. "Get out." She hissed at his father, even if he couldn't hear her. The plate lunged forward. Mason's father ducked as the plate soared over his head and crashed into the wall. It broke on impact. Another empty plate began lifting itself off of the table, and Pete got the message. He ran out of the house, screaming about how the place was haunted. The plate gently floated down, placing itself back onto the table with a softthump. Belle looked at Mason apologetically. "I—I'm sorry... I thought that he was going to hurt you..." she whispered. Mason gave her a small smile. "It's okay. I'm glad you did that. I'm going to be honest, that was kind of funny. The look on his face waspriceless." He told her. Mary looked up at her son in confusion. "Mason, w—who are you talking to?"

Mason smiled at his mother. "Mom, I know this is going to sound crazy, and it might be hard to believe, but I have a friend. Her name is Belle, and she's the ghost of the woman who lived in this house before me. She's the one who threw the plates at father." He explained. Mary looked around the room, "Is she nice?"

"She's got a heart of gold." Mason told her. "She only threw the plates because she thought that Dad was going to hit me."

Mason kept a smile on his face as he looked back at Belle, "I promise you, she's a really good friend."

Chapter 9: Sorry, Love!

Chapter Text

[Based off of a comic that I made last year, which is also based on my FNaF SL Monster AU! Possible blood and gore warning?]

It was another blood moon out tonight. Ballora didn't even want to see how bright it was. Shehatedthe moon. She hated the blood moon and everything that came with it. How it changes her into something else. How it controls her emotions. How it controls hermind.She wants it to go away. She wants it to leave and never come back. She didn't care about how fast or graceful or powerful becoming a vampire made her. Nothing was worth the hell it was. She hated it so much.

'Don't get hungry...'

The part she hated the most was the hunger. It was unbearable. No matter how much she cries and begs to whatever power there is above to let her control it, she always loses in the end. The hunger takes over and someone dies. It could be anyone. It's always a gamble on who's next. Why must it be like this? Why can't she just be free from this curse? Why can't—?

Her stomach clenched in burning anger, making her wince. 'Don't get hungry... Don't get hungry...'

Ballora was supposed to stay locked up in her gallery. She doesn't like being isolated, but she has to be if she doesn't want anyone to get hurt. "Not anyone important..." she mumbled with a glance at her arms. They were covered in scars shaped like bite marks. If she snapped and went hungry, she would try to escape to find someone to eat. If she couldn't get out, then she'd eat herself. What's the difference in the taste? At least no one else is getting hurt.

'Don't get hungry... Don't get hungry...'

The doors to her gallery opened with an almightyclank. She froze at the sound of the Puppet Master's voice. "Oh, Bal, there you are! I've been looking for you all night!"

"No..." she whispered, her voice box cracking, "Please... No..."

'Don't get hungry. Don't get hungry. Don't get hungry. Don't get hungry.'

"I was wondering if you'd like to come watch the moon with me. It looks beautiful, and I thought that you would love it. We can go on the roof, if you'd like? Sounds like fun, doesn't it?"

He got closer. Too much closer. Just being in the room was way too close. He can't be here. He has to leave. Her stomach clenched again, and she felt herself slipping. "No..."

'Don't get hungry don't get hungry don't get hungry don't get hungry.'

"... Bal?..."

She gripped her head desperately. She's losing control again. Someone's going to die again. And this time, it's going to hurt worse than ever before.

'Don't get hungry don't get hungry don't get hungry don't get hungry don't get hungry don't get hungry don't get hungry don't get—'

"... Ballora?..."

Her eyes changed from white and pink to black and red. Her fangs sprouted from her teeth, and she pulled her lips back to show them.

"Huuuuuungryyyyyyyy..."

She stood up and stalked towards him dangerously. The Puppet wasn't aware of what was about to happen. Someone should have told him. Really, they should have. He looked at her with worry in his eyes, "Are you alright?..."

Ballora was close enough now. She lunged forward and bit into the crook of his neck, the metal giving way to her fangs with a horribleCRUNCH. The look of horror on the Puppet Master's face was awful. The force of the impact sent the two to the floor. Ballora landed on top of him and pinned him down, grabbing his forearms and holding them away from her. She continued to dig into the marionette's neck. He tried to let out a scream, but dark red oil bubbled and gurgled from his throat. The vampire hungrily tore through him, feasting on the metal and oil that flowed from her partner's wounds. By the time she was able to stop herself, a few minutes had flown by, and the Puppet Master was already dead. She looked at his body in horror and despair. Her eyes returned to normal as tears began to stream from them. She screamed and cried. She begged for this to be some horrible nightmare. She prayed that she'd wake up in his arms at any moment and he'd comfort her and kiss her and tell her that it was all just a bad dream.

But it was real.

It had to be real.

There's no way that it isn't.

No nightmare could make her physically sick to her stomach and heartbroken all at once.

"Bal?"

She sobbed uncontrollably and choked on her own tears. "N—No... P—Ple—ease..." she whimpered through her crying. "Pl—Please... this c—can't—can't be h—hap—pen—n—ning..."

She looked away, unable to stomach the sight of his corpse anymore. His eyes that were dull and lifeless. His body torn open as the poor guy had been eaten alive. Ballora couldn't take it. She can't live with herself knowing what she just did. Puppet had loved her, and this is how she repaid him? By draining the life out of him when all he wanted to do was watch the moon with her? Some girlfriend she was.

"Ballora?"

"O—Oh m—myGod... I'm s—so s—sorry, Mare! I'm sorry!" She wailed, "This sh—shouldn't have happened! You weren't supposed to be here!... And now you're dead... because I couldn't control it... It's allmy fault..."

Her hand drew in on itself, making her sharp nails scrape and scratch the bloody tiles. She sobbed again. He was gone. Forever. Marionette's not coming back, and it was all her fault. She was responsible for his death. Now, she'll pay the price.

"Ballora!"

Her heart stopped at she heard him scream her name. She looked back at the Puppet Master's body and saw his hand twitch.

"WAKE UP!"

The corpse quickly sat up and lunged at her. It viciously gripped her forearm with its new claws. Its blood-colored eyes looked into hers, full of malice. It smiled wickedly at her, showing off its shark-like teeth.

Ballora screamed and tried to get away.

}—————{

"Wake up!" The Marionette almost screamed at the ballerina. He shook her awake. The poor animatronic flew up in her seat, terrified. She looked around wildly, seeing the rest of the animatronics on the roof of the pizzeria. Most importantly to her, the Puppet Master was there.

And he was alive.

Ballora threw herself into his arms and cried. "Y—You're alive!" She said with joy, "I—I didn't kill y—you! You're h—here!"

Puppet's eyes softened in understanding. "Same nightmare?" He asked her gently. Ballora nodded, burying her head in his chest. The others murmured and whispered to each other, confused. Was this normal for the couple? The ballerina turned her head and looked at them apologetically, "I—I'm sorry if I startled any of you..."

"It's alright, Ballora." Gold said, "You just fell asleep and had a bad dream. It happens to everyone."

Ballora nodded gratefully and looked up. The moon was shining brightly in the sky. It was a dark crimson color, like a shimmering puddle of blood in the sky. Ever since the end of the underground fiasco, the circus animatronics could finally stop worrying about the powers of the blood moon. They could stay on the surface and look at it in wonder like everyone else did. The ballerina sighed and snuggled into the Puppet Master's embrace as everyone else turned back to look at the moon. It really was beautiful when you weren't afraid of the monsters it would bring.

(Behold, the old artwork!! I look back on this, and all I have to say is "ew!!")

Chapter 10: Mom, I think I Brought a Demon Home!

Chapter Text

"Lian, I can't believe this is happening!" Belle cried, "W—What do I do?!"

Lian put a hand on Belle's shoulder and sighed, "If the exorcism didn't work, then I don't know what will."

[*Record Screeches*]

"Yep. This is me. Hi, my name is Belle Tanzen. I bet you're all wondering how I got here? Well, let me recall the past month and a half of my life for you. This is Lian Foxxe. She is by far one of the best friends that I've had in my life. We're like sisters. And thinking of her as my sister, of course I help her out when she's in trouble.

"One day, we were walking home from school when these guys just started chasing us. Don't ask me why, I don't know myself. Anyways, we ran into the woods and lost them there, but then we got lost ourselves. After a while of walking in god-knows-what direction, we came across an old abandoned house in the woods. We knew we shouldn't have gone in there, but something was calling to us. So, we did the most illogical thing and entered the house. We took a look around the place and I eventually ended up in one of the bedrooms, where I found a ring that looked like it was made out of silver. It was carved to look like a cat, and I love cats, so me being me, I took the ring and wore it. The house was abandoned after all. No one would miss it, right?

"Well, that night, when I finally got home, something weird happened. And when I say weird, I meanweird.I tried taking the ring off, but it wouldn't budge. I went to take a shower, and when I got out, someone wrote 'You're mine now' on the clouded mirror. When I tried making dinner, the microwaveblew up when there was nothing in it! Finally, when I went to bed, I looked at the corner of the room and someone waswatchingme! I panicked and screamed and my parents came running in. They turned on the light and no one was there.

"After that, weird things started happening around the house. Things would fall off of places that they weren't even in before. We'd find random notes with terrifying drawings on them taped to the doors and the walls. The weirdest thing of all happened a few weeks after I acquired the ring, which I still can't take off, by the way. I came home from school and there was a little marionette sitting on my bed. Its strings were cut off, and it looked like it was both happy and sad, as it was smiling with tears running down its face. My parents had no clue where it came from. Skip ahead about a week, my parents had to go on a business trip for a few days and left me home alone. After they left, doors would open and slam shut on their own, and I'd keep seeing a man standing in the corners of the rooms I'd walk in. On the second night of being alone, I was in my bed trying to go to sleep when thisdemonsuddenly appeared on top of me. I was so terrified that I just froze and stared at him. He looked almost exactly like the marionette that I was given, which stays on my nightstand. What scared me the most about him, though, was that Iknewwhat he was the moment he appeared.

"He caressed the side of my face with one of his clawed fingers and told me that the ring is his. And since I'm wearing the ring, I belonged to him too. He said that I was his little puppet, and that he would do as he pleased with me, because he now owns my very soul. Then he laughed and disappeared. I didn't sleep for the rest of the night, and I made sure to keep all the lights on. You can believe how much I regretted ever laying eyes on that ring in the first place. The marionette follows me with its eyes, and I can't help but take it with me wherever I go. He'd cause trouble whenever he wanted, and even gotmein trouble a few times. One time at school an upperclassman took the marionette from me and teased me about it, saying that he'd 'break my dolly' and that I can watch him do it. I don't know what came over me, but I knew that He had something to do with it. I scratched the boy's face and snatched the marionette back. The boy actually had to get stitches to close the wound.

"Sometimes He would appear at my home and cause mayhem. My parents eventually realized what was going on and chewed me out for it, then they called an exorcist to get rid of it. The exorcism happened a few days ago. Nothing else happened the day after that, we thought the demon was gone. Lo and behold, last night, the demon visited me again. He teased me and said that nothing can separate me from him now, that I'm his forever.

"So now here I am, crying to Lian about what happened last night. She knew about the demon before my parents did, as I always tell her everything. I was hoping and praying to God that there was something that could be done. Lian has been researching 'demonic attachments' for the past couple of weeks to try and help me, but even she couldn't find anything... Now, back to the present, where I have never been so scared in my life..."

"Lian... Am I going to Hell for this?" Belle jumped up and gripped her friend's shoulders tightly. "I—I don't want to burn in the pits!"

"Belle, please, calm down. We can figure this out. It just takes time." Lian tried to soothe her friend. "Can you hang on for just a little bit longer? I need you to stay alive for me while I find out how to stop this for you."

"But what if that's not whatHewants? What if he just decides to kill me and get it over with? He said that I'm his puppet. He can control me. What if me makes me kill myself?! H—He could make me jump in front of a schoolbus or cut my own throat or—!" Belle was cut off by her own sobs. Lian could only give her friend a tight hug and attempt to comfort her as she was breaking down.

Chapter 11: Mom, I think I Brought a Demon Home! (Part 2)

Chapter Text

It was dark outside by the time Belle left Lian's house. She wiped away whatever tears that remained and started the walk home. The streets were cold and empty, so she determined that it was alright to try talking to the thing that took her over. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the marionette. It stared up at her with its white irises, watching her intently. "I know you're there. I know that you were listening to my crying." She said to it, "I don't know if I'm even prepared to see you again, even though I should get used to it for whatever remaining time I have left alive. But I need to know... why me? Why are you doing this to me? Is it just because I took the ring from the abandoned house? Or do you just like watching people suffer?"

The marionette said nothing. It just kept staring at her. 'Looks like I'm not getting any answers anytime soon...' she sighed shakily and put the thing back in her pocket. She turned down an alleyway to take a shortcut, only for it to be a dead end. "... Wrong alley." She mumbled. Belle turned around to leave, but stopped in her tracks when there were three men standing at the alley's mouth. They grinned evilly and the one in the middle spoke to her. "Hello, pretty lady. What are you doing out here by yourself?" He asked with a smile, showing that he was missing a few teeth. Belle shivered, getting bad vibes from the trio immediately. "I—I was just going home..." she said, trying not to sound scared. "I just went down the wrong alleyway. I can leave if you don't want me here..."

"Oh, please," the third one tilted his head, signaling the other two to advance on her, "My friends and I would like you to stay for just a bit longer."

Belle tensed up and took a few steps backwards. "P—Please don't h—hurt me, I'm just a t—teen!" She pleaded. The other two rushed forward and grabbed her firearms before she could run. She was about to call out for help when one of them hit her over the head. "Shhh, don't want to draw anyone's attention now, do we?" The one with missing teeth said. "And just a teenager? That means you're pretty young. Perfect for a good butchering."

He pulled out a large, wicked-looking blade that shined in the moonlight. Grinning at her, he began to stalk forward. "Don't take this personally," he told her, "but it's been a long time since we've killed someone, so you'll do just nicely."

Belle struggled in their grasp, trying to get away. On of the men wrenched her from the other's grasp and threw her into the wall. She hit her head against the bricks and slid onto the ground. She put her back against the wall, looking up at the men fearfully. The one with the knife came over, while the other two picked up their own weapons (a wrench and a pipe) and followed behind him. "Sorry, lady." The one with the knife said as he raised it above his head, "but it's time to—."

The man stopped speaking when a hand ripped through his chest. He stared at the inhuman hand in horror. The hand viciously tore itself out of his torso, letting the man fall in front of Belle, dead. Belle looked up and saw the demon. He had his back turned away from her and was staring the other two men down like a predator would to its prey. "No one breaks my toys except for me." He said in an echoey voice, grinning maliciously at the two. They charged forward at the same time, holding out their weapons. The demon simply picked them both up by the throats, making them drop the pipe and the wrench. He strangled the one who had the wrench, the man's eyes bulging their sockets as his windpipe was being crushed. There was a sickeningcrack, and the man was dropped. He fell limply to the ground, his eyes glazed over. The last guy looked terrified as the demon's grip on him tightened. The guy swallowed and tried to sound intimidating. "Y—You wanna piece a' me, you freak?!" He hollered. The demon thought for a moment before his grin widened into a smile. "No," he said. He used his other hand to grab the man's waist. He twisted and pulled harshly, ripping the human in half. He then gave the torn corpse a mocking smile, "I want two."

He shook off his bloody hands and frowned, remembering the woman that was behind him. He turned around and crouched down, then picked her up with both hands, making her gasp in surprise. He held her tightly and then something weird happened. Belle felt dizzy and cold at the same time, then snapped out of it as she was put on something soft. She looked around and realized that she was now in her room, laying on the bed. "H—How did I...?"

"I brought you here." The demon said. Belle held back a startled yelp and looked up at him. He was on the bed, sitting next to her on his hands and knees and he was leaning over her. "I believe you humans call it 'teleportation'." He continued. "Are you alright? They didn't break you, did they?"

Belle was unsure about how to feel. This demon actually saved her life and was asking if she was okay. This is either really good or really bad for her. Belle slowly nodded. "Yes, I'm okay now... Thank you for saving me from those men..." she thanked him. The demon nodded at her and reached out to her, lightly skimming his claws across her face. It felt oddly good, which made her worry a bit more. "I don't like it when mortals think that they can just breakmyplaythings and get away with it. I tend to overreact sometimes." he informed her. Belle couldn't bring herself to look away from his eyes, which burrowed themselves deep into her soul. "... Is that why you claimed me as yours? Because I took your ring without thinking about the consequences?" She asked him. The demon tilted his head at her a bit, then responded, "At first... but the longer I kept you alive, the more interesting things that I found out about you."

Belle swallowed, "... What about me could possibly interestyou?"

He continued caressing her face as he spoke. "Well, you are quite innocent for your age, which is rarer than you'd think. And you have a pretty face, which is also rare for someone who manages to get tangled up in a mess like the one you're in."

Belle didn't know if she should take those as compliments or not. Surely those couldn't be the only reasons why this was happening? The woman absent-mindedly leaned her head into the demon's touch and closed her eyes. The demon looked surprised at first, but his eyes softened and he continued to pet her. "I believe that the reason why I'm making you mine forever, though, is because... I may have gotten very attached to you." He admitted, "You are mine. You aremyinnocent, pretty little girl. And because you're mine, it is also my job to protect you and keep you alive."

Belle made a noise that was somewhat equal to a cat purring. He had moved his hand from her face to her neck, and it felt even better to her. She probably didn't even hear that last part. 'I guess he's not too bad...' Belle thought as he continued to pet her affectionately. She reached out and hugged his arm as he went to pull it away. The demon allowed himself to be pulled down to the bed and laid next to her. He was pressed up against her and wrapped his arms around her. Belle didn't know why she wanted this, but for once she knew it wasn't Him making her do this. She buried her head in His chest, ignoring the smell of smoke and blood that came from Him. "I suppose that I should give you a name to address me by." He thought aloud, "You may call me your 'Puppet Master', or 'Master' for short."

"Why can't it be something simple that doesn't sound like a kink? Can't I just call you something like 'Sheldon'? Or 'Tim'?"

The Puppet Master furrowed his eyebrows. "What? No! None of thoseboringnames will work for me." He told her almost defensively, "If you must call me by something else, then choose the name wisely."

Belle giggled at his slight frustration and mumbled, "Alright, give me some time to think about it."

The demon sighed and ran his fingers along her spine, making the girl shiver. "Fine."

Chapter 12: Mom, I Think I Brought a Demon Home! (Part 3)

Chapter Text

"So, let me get this straight," Belle said, putting her hands in front of her with a disbelieving expression. "You're a demon who's been around the earth for Lord-knows-how-many centuries, has deceived thousands of people, caused disastrous events marked in history yet refuses to admit which ones, and has literally been through the nine realms of Hell and back... and you don't know what a cupcake is?"

The Puppet Master shuffled awkwardly, "I don't exactly have time for human treats if I'm too busy doing... stuff."

Belle's parents were away on another business trip, which left her as the only living being in the house. The demon doesn't count as alive. So far, He had kept his presence hidden from anyone and everyone else (except Lian, who knew that he was still there). Her parents genuinely thought that the exorcism from two weeks ago worked.

Boy, were they wrong.

It was Saturday and Belle had nothing to do, so she decided to bust open her grandmother's old cookbook and bake a batch or two of cupcakes. She had just iced the first batch when her friend appeared. He stared at the cupcakes like they were aliens from outer space. Apparently, he had never even seen one before.

"Cupcakes have been around for a while. How have you not even heard of them?" Belle interrogated him. The tall creature just rolled his eyes and looked away from her. Belle scoffed, "Rude."

"Be quiet, or I'll force you to never speak again."

Belle snapped her mouth shut and sighed through her nose. She shook her head and turned around to put the second batch in the oven. The demon reached over her as she bent down and plucked one of the fresh cupcakes out of the pan. He took a bite of it before the girl noticed and attempt to get it away from him. As soon as he did, he burned his mouth and yowled. Belle jumped back from the oven and looked at him in surprise. "This thingattackedme!" He growled, quickly swallowing the piece that was in his mouth. Belle looked at the cupcake in his hand and failed to hold back a giggle, "It's still hot. It didn't attack you, you just burned your mouth. Common sense, Mare."

The Puppet Master huffed and set the half-eaten cupcake on the counter. "You know, you could have warned me." He grumbled. "I didn't think that you'd steal one or that you couldn't handle the temperature of it. Isn't Hell always on fire or something?" Belle shot back, crossing her arms. The demon half-heartedly glared at her, "Or something. And no one ever said that demons can handle fire like it's nothing."

"I guess that's true."

A while later, after the cupcakes had cooled down, he tried eating one again. The demon actually smiled as he was chewing. "How dare you keep these..."

"Cupcakes."

"...How dare you keep these cupcakes to yourself and not make any sooner. They are so satisfying to eat." He shouted playfully. "There are more flavors out there. These ones are chocolate with mint icing." Belle told him with a smile. Oh, how the demon has changed. He went from intimidating to harmless quickly since the night he saved her in the alley. Mare looked at her with wide eyes as he finished the cupcake in his hand. "You must acquire them all for me." He said in a different tone of voice. Belle's eyes glazed over for a second as she repeated, "I must acquire them all for you."

She snapped out of it and put her foot down, "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes."

The teenager narrowed her eyes at him with a frown. "If you're like this over cupcakes, then I'd hate to see how you'd react to cookies." She told him. He looked at her in confusion. "What are cookies?"

"Oh my—."

"Don'tfinish that sentence."

}—————{

"Belle, we need to talk about your new cupcake fetish." Lian said to her friend with genuine concern. "It's not a fetish, it's a task!" Belle countered. Lian raised an eyebrow and pointed at the seven containers of multi-flavored cupcakes in her grocery bag. "That's the fifth time this week we've stopped at the local bakery because you needed to buy cupcakes. Iknowthat your parents don't eat them, so that only leaves you and that demon of yours, and I can't imagine him wanting to eat baked goods."

"Believe it or not, he has the largest sweet tooth that the world has ever seen. He literally eats an entire tray per every few hours."

Lian looked surprised. "Damn." She said. Belle nodded. "Ever since I made two batches of chocolate-mint ones last week, he's been commanding me to get him all the flavors of cupcakes I can find. I literally cannot say no to him." She explained. Something moved in her coat pocket and Belle gasped like she'd been hit. She frowned and pulled the marionette out of the pocket. "Yeah, I'm talking about you. Deal with it." She told it in a stern voice. The marionette stared at her with intense eyes. "Uhm, Belle... I think you made him angry." Lian said hesitantly. Belle shook her head and kept her frown on, "No, he's just getting impatient. He wants the cupcakes as soon as possible because he ate the last container this morning."

Lian just deeply inhaled and looked at the marionette. "Hey, Mister Demon, sir?" She asked, getting its attention, "Why are you making my friend buy you a thousand cupcakes per week? Can you take it easy on her?"

The doll just looked at her, then back to Belle. Belle looked at Lian, "I'm guessing that means 'no'."

She sighed and put it back in her pocket. Belle managed to hold the bag in one hand while fidgeting with the silver ring on her finger. It's a habit that developed recently, and she only does it when she's worried or nervous. "I can't keep up with these purchases forever. I may have a job, but I'm not going to be able to keep my paychecks if I spend them all on cupcakes." She said anxiously. "I'm going to go broke soon. How can I save up for college if I run out of money?"

Lian shared a worried glance with her. "I'm sure we can figure out something. This fetish can't keep going forever."

"It's not a—!" Belle started before pausing. She stood up straight and quietly walked into the alley next to them. Lian's eyes widened and she ran after Belle. "Hey, dude, are you alright?" She asked. Belle didn't answer. She stopped a few feet ahead and faced the wall. Suddenly, a black shape formed, and the demon appeared in front of them. 'Yikes! Belle wasn't kidding when she told me before that he was big. That guy's like nine feet tall!' Lian thought with alarm. The demon bent down and stared Belle in the eyes, "Is that true? This could make you go broke?"

Belle snapped out of her daze and nodded, repeating, "I can't keep up with it forever."

The demon eyed her. He slowly nodded. "Alright. You don't have to acquire every single flavor, but you still have to get me cupcakes every once in a while. How does that sound?" He said to her. Belle smiled, "That's perfect. Thank you."

Lian blinked at the fast interaction. "Does he have a soft spot for you or something?" She asked before she could stop herself. The two turned to look at her and said "or something" at the same time. Lian grinned at the two. "Riiiiiiiiiiight..." she teased. The demon narrowed his eyes at her, "I will murder your family if you don't shut up."

"Bet." Lian said with a shrug, still grinning. The demon turned to Belle and rudely asked, "Did someone drop her?"

Belle looked offended, "Don't speak about her like that! She's my friend! And no, no one 'dropped her'!"

The demon narrowed his eyes again and snatched the bag of cupcakes from Belle. "Enough of this chit-chat," he said, "I'll see you in ten minutes."

The demon then disappeared.

"... He totally has a soft spot for you."

"Lian, not now!"

Chapter 13: Masks

Chapter Text

[Body Horror Warning?]

Quick Descriptions:

• Belle wears skinny jeans with a white long-sleeved shirt that has old blood stains. The bottom of the jeans' legs are tucked into a pair of old combat boots. She has two belts strapped around her waist to help her carry things, and she has elbow and knee pads to protect her joints from rough surfaces. She has a black bulletproof vest on (like what cops wear) and studded leather sleeves on her forearms and calves to protect her from getting bitten. She always carries a wooden bow (rests on her shoulder when she's not using it) with a couple dozen arrows (strapped together on her belt), and an old revolver with extra ammo (both of those also strapped to her belt) to defend herself. She almost always uses the bow and she can make her own arrows. She'll only use the revolver in case of an emergency (like a someone's-about-to-die kind of emergency). The number one thing she always wears is a black surgeon's mask with a whiteXpainted over the mouth area (William gave that to her after she freak out when zombie blood got in her mouth. She had a heart attack for days because she thought that she would become a zombie too.).

• Mason has on a white T-shirt with almost no stains or rips on hit (it will drive him crazy because zombie germs are a bucket of ew) with a pair of dark blue jeans. He wears a thick trench coat that hides all sorts of weapons and tools on the inside pockets. He wears a pair of old tennis shoes and has leather straps with shield-like padding that wrap around his arms and legs underneath his clothes. He wears one of those things that football players (or rugby players, name of sport depending on which country you are in/from) have underneath their jerseys to protect their bodies that goes on top of his T-shirt, but stays under his trench coat. He carries two pistols with suppressers on them (the king of dual wielding over here) and multiple packages of spare ammunition, and he always has a machete with him in case he isn't able to use his guns. Mason almost always wears a white surgeon's mask that has two vertical purple strips painted under each eye. He also wears a golden cross necklace under his shirt, and never takes it off as he is deeply attached to it.

[In a world where zombies reign supreme...]

"Alrighty. Does everyone know the plan?" Elizabeth asked her crew before the group would disperse in search of supplies. Everyone nodded. "Lil and I will go to the old pharmacy and search for any remaining medical supplies." Richard pointed to himself and his sister. "Kenny, you, and I are scouting around town to see if there are any new survivors and to do a walker count." Ethan gestured to Elizabeth and Kenny. "Brandon and Bernadette are coming with me to check the water." Freddy recalled, looking at his 'children'. "I'm going to the old factory to get more food." Belle said with a bit of a sad tone. Freddy frowned understandingly and put a hand on the bluenette's shoulder, "We know how bad it was for you to watch William and Henry get eaten... but you have to move on sometime."

Richard nodded. "You must remain focused and alert if you're going out to get supplies... Perhaps she should accompany on of us instead?" The man suggested to Elizabeth. Elizabeth sighed and shook her head, "Belle needs to get over it sometime. Belle, you know that someday all of us will be dead. You have to stop mourning over every single loss or else one day it'll knock you over and you might not get back up."

"I understand." Belle told them with a slight nod. "Good." Elizabeth finalizes, "Same rules as always: don't get separated from your partners, don't get chased by a horde, try not to get hurt, and for the love of God,don't get bitten. Remember that it's okay for you to come back empty-handed, and try counting any walkers that are unmarked, alright? If they run, kill them if they spot you."

Everyone nodded again and they all grabbed their weapons and dispersed. Belle sneaked her way to the factory, she thought about what the others said. She kept the safety of her revolver on as she moved the empty burlap sack from hand to hand while thinking. The day that William and Henry died was absolutely horrible. The two were like brothers to her. They were friends before the apocalypse started. The three of them would work as a team whenever they were sent on one of their 'missions'. The last time they were sent on a mission together, a pair of runners caught them by surprise. Henry was trapped by them and was fighting desperately to stay alive. William had shoved her in the direction of the base and told her to run, to keep running and never look back, no matter what. She ran like he told her to, and William went to save Henry. That night, neither of them returned to the others. It went without saying that the two were never coming back.

Belle bit the inside of her cheek and adjusted her mask.

They never killed the runners that ate William and Henry. The pair of undead beings were still out there, and although they were mindless, they were still dangerous. They were a threat, and Belle wanted them got. She'd give almost anything to kill them... The only problem is that she's not skilled enough to fight of one runner, let alone two. She can handle walkers easily, but that meant nothing if she was trapped by a runner. 'If only...' the woman thought morbidly. 'Those monsters will be taken down one day... I just wish William and Henry were here...'

When she reacted the old factory, she hesitated outside of it. There were no walkers nearby, but an old factory that the group hasn't sent anyone in before? The place could by crawling with them! Belle grit her teeth, 'Looks like I'll have to be even quieter.'

She made sure the revolver's safety was still on before strapping it onto her belt, tied the sack to her waist, pulled out her bow, and plucked an arrow from the holder full of them. She prepared to fire the arrow, then took a deep breath and stalked inside the factory. She stuck to the shadows and stayed quiet, pausing at every noise and keeping alert so that nothing could surprise her. She only had to shoot a few walkers along the way, so that was a good sign, since they usually move in herds. When she got to the area with the conveyor belts, there was lots of canned food. She silently cheered and carefully filled the burlap sacked over the course of five minutes. She tied the end of it tightly (making sure that it was still light enough to run and climb with) and turned around in time to suddenly be tackled by a zombie. The woman and the walker went down to the ground, Belle dropping the sack of cans with a surprised scream. One of her arms was trapped beneath her while the other was latched onto the zombie's throat as she tried keeping its head away from her. The zombie grunted and groaned at her hungrily, snapping its mouth open and shut. 'I'm trapped!' she thought in a terrified manner, 'It's going toeatme!'

She thought of William and Henry. About how they were brothers, and how they treated her like the little sister they never had. About how the trio watched out for each other and fought to keep each other safe. About how when Henry went down, William went down with him in an attempt to save his brother. This must have been what it felt like. Being trapped underneath something that wanted to devour you, being helpless and alone in your final moments. She could see a few more walkers entering the room from the hall, alerted and lured by her struggling. 'I'm going to die here.' her mind repeated. The zombie on top of her reached for her head and nearly grabbed ahold of her. Belle closed her eyes to protect them and turned her head away, waiting for it to grip her face harshly.

Then something else happened.

There was a softclickand the sound of something flying through the air, and the one pinning her to the ground toppled over as its head practically blew up. Blood sprayed all over Belle, making her grateful that the mask was still on and that her eyes were closed in that moment. She immediately shot up from the ground and grabbed her bow and a few arrows. She shot two of the walkers in the head, while the rest fell to the ground, dead. She let out a sigh of relief and looked around to make sure there were no more. There were no walkers in sight, but there was a man standing about ten feet away from her. He had two guns in his hands, but they were raised to the ceiling in an attempt to show that he was harmless. He was wearing a mask like she was, as well as jeans and a black trench coat. He slowly put his guns away so she wouldn't think he was trying to shoot her, then he took both hands and lowered his mask with them. He smiled at her, "Hello."

"Hello." Belle said back warily after lowering her bow and pulling her mask down too. The man gestured to her. "I saw you were in trouble, and I couldn't just leave you to die. I'm Mason. Who are you?" He asked her. She started to relax as he kept the conversation as casual as it could be. "My name is Belle... Thank you, Mason. You saved my life." Belle smiled at him, "I... I owe you one."

Mason shook his head, "Nah, you don't owe me anything. I was more than happy to help. Now, how about we get out of here before more of those things come back?"

Belle nodded and picked up the sack of canned goods, following him out of the factory. "That was pretty brave of you, going in there alone." He said to her after they made it outside. Belle smiled shyly. "Thank you." She responded. "What were you doing in there?" Mason asked. Belle gestured to what she was carrying, "Supply run. You?"

"I heard you scream."

"Oh..." she looked away with a slight blush, "Was I really that loud?"

"Maybe. I was pretty close to the room you were in, and the windows were busted out." He told her. As they passed under a bridge, two more unfamiliar people appeared. One was a short male with short light-blue hair, the other was a female that was few inches taller than Belle and had long white hair. "There you are." The female huffed impatiently, "We've been waiting for a whole five minutes."

"I'm sorry, would you prefer it to be six?" Mason smiled in amusem*nt. The girl rolled her eyes. The one with blue hair fixed his emerald-eyed gaze on Belle. "Who's this?" He asked the taller male. Mason smiled and stuck a thumb at her, "This is Belle. She was in the abandoned factory and almost got eaten. I saved her from getting mauled."

Belle waved at the two, "Hello. Like Mason said, my name is Belle. It's nice to meet you."

The girl snorted, unimpressed. The boy smiled nervously back at her. "Hi there, I'm Tyreke. The grumpy one is Myckenzie." He greeted her nicely. Belle smiled back at him. Tyreke looked at Mason with a hidden question, and Mason nodded at him. "Hey, Belle," the tall man asked, "there are more of us back at camp. You can join our group, if you'd like? It's better than being alone, you know."

Belle was surprised at how quick he offered that, and a bit more surprised that he had just admitted that there were others in his group. She shrugged her shoulders in an innocent gesture, "I'd like to, but I'm already a part of another group."

Myckenzie raised a brow, finally somewhat interested, "How many of you are there?"

Belle shuffled a bit uncertainly. "I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say, actually." She admitted, "But there are a lot of us... there were more... but..." the woman trailed off with a sad frown. "I'm sorry for your loss." Mason immediately caught on. "Thanks..." Belle mumbled. She sighed and adjusted the sack to rest comfortably over her shoulder, "... I better get going. Thank you again, Mason. You saved me back there. I don't know what I would've done without you."

"It was no problem, really." Mason told her, "I hope to see you again."

Belle smiled at him and put her mask back on, "Me too."

She waved goodbye to the trio, then walked away from them. She didn't think that they would follow her, but she took the long way back just in case. She couldn't keep her mind off of Mason, though. Why would he help a total stranger who was 110% willing to shoot him with an arrow if she found him to be even the slightest bit shady? She sighed silently and walked back into the large house they all used as a base. Any place if free if it's the apocalypse[It's free real estate]. She put the food in the pantry by the kitchen and waited for everyone else to come back.

Chapter 14: Graveyard Shift

Chapter Text

Belle was terrified. No, not terrified like that time her cousin decided to mess with her by putting a snake in her lunchbox. She was terrified because she forgot the most vital thing to her survival as a security guard. The first night at her new job was spooky enough, with the animatronics roaming around and all. Eventually, as the week progressed, she started realizing that not everything was as it seemed. The animatronics wouldn't just roam around randomly and pop by the office whenever they thought they heard her in there. Oh, no. Theyknewshe was there, and they showed just how badly they wanted to get to her. Sometimes the animatronics would make a beeline for the office the moment the phone started ringing. She would wear the Freddy mask to make them think that she was one of them, and she would use the half-dead flashlight in order to drive the old Foxy away. Belle would constantly check to make sure that the music box was still playing, keeping the one animatronic she never saw at bay. That was where she went wrong tonight, though. For the first four nights, she was doing so well. Tonight, on the fifth night, she became overwhelmed. The animatronics were relentless and she hardly got a moment to breathe. Amidst the chaos that was in the pizzeria, she realized rather quickly that something had changed when the clock struck three. The animatronics halted their attacks. Some would stand around the office walls or in the rooms nearby, watching in anticipation to see what would happen. The woman was confused at first and tilted her head at the robots' odd behavior. That's when she heard it.

Half a pound of tuppenny rice...

Half a pound of treacle...

Her eyes widened greatly as her face became filled with horror and dread. She now realizedexactlyhow badly she messed up. With everything going on and absolutely no time to think, Belle forgot to wind up the music box. The final animatronic was coming to tear her apart. There was no way out of this. She wasroyallyscrewed.

That's the way the money goes...

Belle saw something moving in the hallway. She closed her eyes, not being able to stomach what was about to happen. She braced herself, waiting in fear for the animatronic to finally arrive and kill her. She heard the chiming get closer and closer, until—

Pop goes the weasel!

— A mechanical roar tore through the air as something lunged over the table at her. It grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. She instinctively took ahold of (what was probably) the robot's wrist to keep herself from choking. Her eyes remained shut, but Belle could tell that whatever it was had to be big enough to lift her a few feet off the ground. She could feel the thing pull her closer to its face and thought with panic that it was going to bite her head off. It growled at her, causing her to accidentally let out a whimper. When she did, she felt it stop. The thing loosened its grip on her neck, allowing her to breathe easily and possibly even speak.

"Who are you?" A masculine voice asked her. She slowly opened on of her eyes to look at it. It was a black and white marionette, with rosey cheeks and purple tear tracks that streaked down its face. It raised a pale brow at her in curiosity. Deciding that it was ultimately best to appease the creature, she answered his question in a shakey voice, "... M—My name is B-Belle..."

It narrowed its black eyes at her, "I can tell by your name tag. Now I'll ask you again. Who are you?"

"... T—The s—security guard?..." she tried. The animatronic looked a bit more irritated and said, "Wrong again. This is your last chance to give me the correct answer.Whoare you?"

"I—..." she was at a loss for words. Who else could she possibly be, other than herself? The thing's grip started to tighten around her throat again. "I don't know!" She raised her voice in panic, "I don't know what you want me to say! I am me! Who areyou?"

It looked surprised that she yelled at it. "I am one of the lost." It told her, "I helped the children get a chance for revenge, and I intend on making sure they kill the one who took their lives. Who are you?"

Belle thought for a second. "... I'm an innocent like you are..." she said to the animatronics. The one holding her looked around at the others, asking a silent question. Most of them nodded. The robot made a sighing sound and slowly set her down. It let go of her neck, and she took a deep breath to satisfy her lungs. "Thank you." She said with a nervous smile. The thing nodded at her, "The others agree that you are not the enemy. Make yourself the enemy, and I will personally make sure that you burn in Hell."

Her eyes widened a bit a the threat, but she understood. She nodded back and did her best to give it a polite smile, "You already know my name... what's yours?"

"I am the Puppet Master." It said importantly, "And do not let the makeup fool you, I am a male, despite what the employees like to believe."

"It's nice to meet you, Puppet Master." She gave him a small bow, like the one she would do after doing ballet. The other animatronics started leaving the office. The Puppet Master tilted his head. "Did you just bow down to me?" He asked. Belle nodded, hoping that she didn't somehow offend him. "Yes... I thought that it would be polite." She said. He nodded back and smiled at her, "Well, thank you. Are you a performer? That bow was a bit too theatrical to be casual or an imitation."

"I used to be a ballerina." Belle answered with a frown, "I injured my legs a couple of years ago, though. Now I can't dance..."

"Did you like dancing?" He asked her. She nodded and looked away, "It was pretty fun, and I would get paid sometimes, which was a bonus."

"How do you injure your legs?"

"I broke them in several places."

"Ouch. Did you fall from a high place?"

"I got hit by a car."

His eyes widened. "That must've been terrifying." He said. She nodded at the marionette. "It was. Imagine what I felt when I woke up in the hospital in a body cast. The doctor told me that I broke my legs and one of my arms, fractured several ribs, and had internal bleeding. He told me that I was lucky to survive." She told him with a shudder. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then gestured for her to come forward, "Follow me."

He brought her over to the music box in the prize corner. He reached in and pulled out a gift box. He held it out to her. "Open it." the Puppet said to her. She hesitantly took it and opened it. There were long strands of soft string inside. She looked up at him in confusion, "What are these for?"

"You eat them."

Belle blinked at him. "What?"

"I said 'you eat them'. Eat them any way you'd like, and by tomorrow night, you'll be able to dance again. Those strings have supernatural properties, and they'll hold you together while you move in ways that your normal body won't allow you to." He explained. Belle looked at him for a moment, then smiled. She suddenly gave him a tight hug. "Thank you." She said, "I really appreciate you helping me."

The Puppet Master felt awkward in that moment. He hesitantly returned the hug, giving her a "You're welcome."

That morning, when she returned home, she made a soup and slipped the strings inside of it. She ate the soup and the strings together, making sure that she actually swallowed them like he told her to. She then fell asleep. When she woke up and got ready to go to work again she felt different, but in a good way. An hour after she got there, her shift started and she looked around the desk as the phone rang out. The recording played as she spotted a hidden sticky note. It said "Let the music box unwind. I want to see how you are doing.", so she decided to do as it said, figuring that it was the Puppet Master who left the note somehow.

Half an hour later, the music box unwound completely and he was standing next to her in the office. "Did you eat the strings?" He asked her. Belle nodded, "Just like you told me to."

"Do you feel any different?"

"I feel healthier."

The Puppet Master nodded thoughtfully, "Have you tried dancing yet?"

Belle shook her head. "I didn't want to get my hopes up too early, then try only for it not to work yet." She told him. He smiled at her. "Smart thinking." He complimented her. The woman smiled as a "thank you" and stood up. "Should I try now?" She asked. He kept his smile on, "I think you can. Go on, give it a shot."

Belle stretched as a warm up. She did some of the basic dances[Not gonna describe them because I cannot ballet :,)]before stopping. "Is something wrong?" the marionette asked with a small frown. Belle looked at her feet sheepishly, "It's been a while since I've done anything complicated... I think I might need a partner to help me get on track..."

He nodded and smiled again. He stepped forward and took her by the hands. She looked at him, startled a bit. "I may not know ballet," He said with a grin, "But I do know how to dance. Perhaps we could try together? I can guide you, if you'd like."

Belle smiled in nervous anticipation. "I would like that. Thank you again." She said happily. "You're welcome." He responded, "Now, let's give it a go, shall we?"

[Lost motivation here :P]

Chapter 15: Expecting

Chapter Text

[Something mostly wholesome (uwu). One's blind, the other can see the spirits of the dead.]

Mason smiled and wrapped his arms around his wife, brushing a hand lightly over her large stomach. "Only two more months to go, and we'll officially be parents." He whispered to her, "Isn't it wonderful?"

"It is." Belle said with a smile. She leaned into his embrace and sighed happily. Mason gave her a small kiss on the cheek. "Remember when we first met?" He asked her. The woman gave a slight nod, "How can I not? You were the craziest person I ever met at first."

The man chuckled. "Hey now, I proved myself, didn't I?" He asked her. "Yes, in a very creepy way." Belle recalled, "Your friends told you about my entire childhood within the first five minutes of me knowing you."

"How else was I supposed to show you that I understood why you were so upset? I couldn't just get your hopes up then stomp on them. You're much too precious to me for that."

"I wasn't at the time." She pointed out.

"You were still precious, just not as much as you are now." He said before giving her another kiss, this time on her nose, "And now you are the most fragile thing on earth, so I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Belle brought a hand up to the side of his face. She cupped his cheek and brush her thumb over his mouth area to find his lips. She stood on her toes and kissed him sweetly on the lips. Mason kept his arms around her to hold her steady as he kissed back. He heard someone shout "Get a room already!" from behind them. He pulled away from the kiss and frowned slightly. He turned his head and asked, "Why did you ruin the moment?"

The ghost only laughed and disappeared. Mason sighed turned back to Belle, resting his head on top of hers. "Another spirit shouting something suggestive?" Belle asked. "Yup." He responded. "They just don't get that you're already pregnant. Though, I wouldn't mind having more children with you." He teased her. Belle flicked him on his neck, "I love you, but sometimes you wish for the craziest things. We're having quadruplets, remember?"

"I know, but maybe they'd like a younger sibling or two in a few years?"

Belle reached up and squished his cheeks, "No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Mason—."

"Pretty pretty please with a cherry or four on top?"

"... I'll think about it."

Mason gave her a quiet cheer and a peck on the lips. "Thanks, Love." He said to her. Belle sighed and shook her head, "I don't know how old you are anymore."

"Old enough to be your loving husband." He told her with a grin. She smiled and buried her head in his chest. "You're a big teddy bear, I'll give you that." She said, "But you are far from pure."

"Hey, being 'far from pure' isn'talwaysa bad thing. If we were both pure, we wouldn't be parents in a couple of months."

"True. But then again, weren't we drinking that night?" She asked him. "We were at a party, yes." Mason told her, "But you only took a sip of alcohol, and I didn't touch the stuff. We weren't drunk, we were just both in the mood."

"Okay then, Mister Details." She shot at him.

"It actually wasn't that hard to get you to—."

"I saidokay!" Belle interrupted him with a massive blush, "No saying what happened that night! It's weird to just openly talk about it to that degree!"

Mason laughed and did a spin with her, "But the look on your face is the best!"

"Again with eyesight?" She asked as she gripped onto him a bit tighter, trying to change the topic. "Again with eyesight." He confirmed without missing a beat. "It's not like it's a curse for you. Being blind is what makes you unique. If I had the chance to, I wouldn't change you to be any other way than who you are now; blind and all." He nuzzled her cheek as he spoke. Belle smiled again and brushed a hand through his hair, "Thank you... I love you."

"I love you, too, Belle. More than anything in the entire world. Nothing can ever change that." He told her. He rested his hand on her stomach again, "Well, except for these little ones. I'll love them just as much when they come out into the world."

"Have you picked names for them yet?" Belle asked, "Or has the list gotten longer?"

"I think I narrowed it down to four names, but your opinion matters too. You are the one who's carrying them, after all." He said. Belle nodded thoughtfully, "Which ones?"

"I was thinking of Max and Matthew for the boys, and Charlotte and Bernadette for the girls. Do you like them?" He asked her with a smile. She nodded in agreement, "I like those names. You did well."

"Thanks, honey." He said, kissing her again on the forehead. Belle smiled playfully, "You can't stop kissing me today, can you?"

"Nope. Are you really complaining though?" He asked her. "Nope." She repeated him, pulling his head down towards her and giving him a second kiss on the lips. Mason smiled and melted into the kiss. He held onto her tight, still keeping one of his hands on her belly.

Chapter 16: Assassin

Chapter Text

[An assassin behind bars gets a chance at seeing the outside world again, but only if she completes the mayor's task...]

The guards moved the assassin through the halls of the mayor's office. They led her to a door before taking off her handcuffs and roughly shoving her in the room, slamming the door shut behind her. She glared at it, then huffed and used her pink eyes look around the room. The mayor himself was standing over by his desk on the far side of the room. He was a tall man with black hair and blue eyes. He wore a black suit with white stripes on the forearms of his sleeves. He smiled at her and gestured to her in a formal greeting, "Hello there."["General Kenobi, you are a bold one."]

She frowned at him, not wanting to say anything until she knew what she was here for. 'Does he want me to kill someone? Or is this like the Suicide Squad movie, and they need me to do a crazy mission for them?' She narrowed her eyes in thought. "Not a talker?" He asked her with a shrug, "That's alright. You don't have to speak if you don't want to. However, I do need you to come closer."

She eyed him warily and walked over to him, unsure if she should take extra caution or not. He didn't look like he was planning on trying to harm her, but you can never be too careful. She stood a few feet away from him and looked him in the eye. "Why am I here?" She finally asked. "You are here because I have a job for you." The mayor answered. She raised a brow at him, "The mayor of Scott City is paying to have someone killed? Now that's interesting."

His eyes widened. "What? No! No one is going to be killed!" He was quick to clear that up. "I just need you to get information." He told her. "Information?" The assassin questioned, "What makes you think that I can— or will— do that for you?"

The mayor sighed and turned towards the desk. He grabbed a file and passed it to her. "I'm offering you a chance to be a free woman." He told her in a firm tone. Said woman looked surprised at the statement. Now she was definitely suspicious. "You're offeringme, anassassinwho has killedmultiple people, the opportunity to be free again? There has to be a catch to this." She said darkly, "So tell me. What are you expecting to get from this?"

"There are no strings attached. I'm not trying to control you... Though we will need to keep an eye on you, of course, to ensure the safety of yourself and those around you." He told her calmly. She looked him up and down, pondering on grabbing the bone that he threw at her. On one hand, she had no clue what he was about to get her into. For all she knows, she could be getting sent off to die. On the other hand, if she completed this, she'd be free. No more being forced to live in a cramped cell without ever leaving it, no more terrible food, no more perverts in the prison's walls trying to hit on her. "What do you need me to do?" She asked him as that last thought crossed her mind. It's not like the men could touch her, but it creeped her out on how relentless they were with their suggestive gestures and explicit words towards her. If she didn't have to deal with that again, then she's already onboard with the plan. The tall man smiled again, "Thank you. As said before: we need you to gather information."

"Who's 'we'?"

"The city counsel, the law enforcement, and even the governor and a few other important officials of the state."

"That's a lot of people."

"I know. Does it feel good or bad to be recognized by so many officials of the city, county, and state?" He asked, not meaning to be teasing or mocking her. "Please, continue explaining the job." She dodged the question uncomfortably. The mayor nodded. "There's a gang that's been terrorizing the state for a few years now. Everyone's doing their best to catch them and put an end to their game. This plan was actually suggested a month ago, but it was never actually considered until recently. We need you to find them, infiltrate their ranks, possibly sabotage their operations, and give us the main location and identity of their leader and any other important figures that would run the gang if the head were to be taken out of the equation." he elaborated for her. The woman looked curious, "That's a lot to ask for. What did they do to make everyone desperate enough to ask an assassin for help?"

The mayor looked at her in slight surprise, "... Have you heard about last week?"

The assassin shook her head. "I'm not housed with the other prisoners. I have my own cell. I'm not permitted to leave it at any time unless it's an emergency, so I can't go down to the cafeteria and look at the news on television, and I can't hear what's happening from anyone else. The officers don't tell the inmates anything, either. So no, I don't know what's happened outside since I've been locked away." She informed him. He looked almost sorry about that, but took a deep breath and put on a neutral face. "When they first started to draw attention to themselves, the gang members did things that you'd expect low-rate criminals to do. They'd vandalize areas, hurt people, murder a few citizens, and rob someplace every now and then... but last week..." he told her, his voice starting to get a bit unstable, "It must have been some sort of sick initiation for them... Last week, a few of the members shot up a school."

The woman's eyes widened greatly. "Not only was it a school, which automatically makes it not okay, but it was anelementary school." He continued. His voice was shaking and he looked to be in anger and despair at the same time. "Those children were so young... they all had lives ahead of them... bright futures and happiness..." he clenched his fist in anger. He looked at her, "These peoplehaveto be stopped. You will be rewarded greatly for helping the state by bringing the gang to its knees."

The assassin looked like she was about to tear someone's head off. "They shotchildren?" She growled, "CHILDREN?I killed people for a living, and not even I am that cruel! Those aren't people, those aremonsters." She looked him in the eyes again, "Are you sure that you don't want me to kill them?"

"As angry as I am, I must be adamant that you do not kill anyone unless you absolutely have to." He told her. "Does this mean that you are taking the job?"

"Yes." She said firmly. "When and where do I start?"

The mayor looked at her gratefully. "As soon as possible. A place of residence will be provided for you, as well as money and supplies needed to carry out the mission. You will have a meeting with the governor himself in two days at the house given to you. He will have other important people with him, as well as armed guards, just as a precaution. I will be there, too, since this was my idea." He reaches his hand out to her, "My name is Mason, by the way. Mason Salacil."

The woman took his hand and shook it politely, "You already know my name from the file you handed me, but I'll say it anyways. Belle Tanzen, at your service. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Salacil."

[Writing this just brought back a few emotional memories, so Imma leave this here for now.]

Chapter 17: Choosing A Queen

Chapter Text

Mason sighed and looked out the window of his bedroom on one of the upper levels of the palace. The sun was beginning to rise. The kingdom was quite lovely this early in the morning. He frowned and thought about his life so far. Ever since he was born, Mason was the heir to the throne. Because he was so important to the kingdom, he was never to leave the palace without a guard or two (let alone exit the borders without the entire round table on his heels). When he was ten, his parents finally let him out of the palace. He chose his favorite knight— Sir Golden— to go with him. The two went to one of the near villages and found themselves in the market. They were dressed in peasant garments so that no one would know who they were at first glance. Within the first hour, Sir Golden pretended to lose sight of the you prince and let him wander around the village. On the outskirts of the Market, Prince Mason wandered over to the edge of the woods, were he found a girl about his age throwing pebbles into the stream nearby. "Hello," she greeted him, "I'm Belle. What's your name? I've never seen you around here before."

"I am Mason." He told her importantly, choosing to keep his last name and title hidden. The girl smiled at him and the two had stayed together for hours until Sir Golden had to fetch him and bring him home. Belle never knew who he was, but asked if she'd ever see him again. "I live here in the village. I'll always be here, if you want to play again sometime?" She offered hopefully. Mason was happy, knowing that he had made a friend without meaning to, and told her yes. A month went by before he could see her again, but she recognized him almost instantly, and they picked up where they left off. Years went by, and Mason would leave the palace to visit Belle in secret. He brought her gifts. He would show her things he's learned, such as how to read and write, and how to sword fight. He even taught her to be able to read and write herself, which she was very grateful for. In return, she'd bring him things from far away places— like the outskirts of his father's kingdom, as well as others— and show him different tricks that her own parents taught her, like sowing and carving wood. All the while, Mason still kept his true identity a secret. When he turned sixteen, he decided that it was time to tell Belle who he really was. One day, he had confessed to her that he was the prince of the kingdom, and that the man who would bring him to see her was his most trusted knight. Belle was shocked at first, but it quickly subsided into awe. Her best friend was the heir to the throne this entire time? Better yet, hewantedher to be his best friend. The prince himself had set aside some of his own time to see a peasant girl in the name of friendship. He asked her to keep it a secret. She promised him that if he wanted her to never tell anyone, it would be a secret that she'd take with her to the grave.

The two would still meet up like normal, and Belle never treated him any differently than she did before he told her who he was. Slowly, he felt himself fall for her. He was confused why at first, but then he knew why. It was small things, really, that made him want to be with her. Her warm pink eyes and sapphire-blue hair that made her unique, the fact that she saw him as an equal and not a superior, the way she looked at him like he was important even without being the prince, the way she valued his opinion like it really mattered... it made him grateful that he had met her all those years ago. Almost half a year ago, he turned eighteen. He would soon take his father's place as king. While it made him feel proud that he'd be the leader of his kingdom and help guide his people to a bright future, he was also dreading it.

A king needed a queen.

He won't be coronated until he's married or engaged. While most princes would be eager for this, Mason was not. He knew who he wanted to choose. He wished for Belle to be his queen. She was precious to him, and he'd be damned if he let anyone take her light from his life. The only problem was something he knew from the beginning: his parents would never approve of her. Belle was a peasant, born from a family of peasants. Her entire life was centered around hard work and helping her family gain currency by— you guessed it— working. She was not a blue blood. She had little to no money. She most certainly would not be enough in their eyes. To them, she would be nothing more than their son's manipulator. They'd try to turn him against her, or they'd simply have her 'taken care of'. He would never let that happen, but he always feared that if he wasn't careful, his parents would find Belle and throw her in the deepest, darkest dungeon they have, or simply sentence her to death.

'I can't let that happen.' He vowed, 'I won't let them hurt her, no matter how bad things get.'

The last time he saw her was a week ago. They met out in the woods, right next to the old creek where they first became friends. Mason told her about his situation a few months back, but he never told her why he disliked it or that he wanted her to be his queen. That night, however, he knew he had to tell her. He admitted his feelings to her. He told her about his desire to marry her, which left her absolutely speechless. She accepted his feelings, and she even genuinely liked him back. He knew she truly felt the same way just by looking into her eyes. He had been so caught up in the moment that he kissed her.

And she kissed him back.

Back to the present, Mason sighed again. He looked longingly in the direction of her village, wanting to be by her side in a moment like this. Today was the day. His parents were forcing him to choose someone to marry. He couldn't escape it, and he knew it. The prince pondered on what to do. He stayed in his chambers the entire day. When he finally figured out what to do, it was time for supper. He talked to his mother and father alone in the dining hall. "Mother, Father, I know who it is that I will marry." He told them bravely. His father looked at him with a smile. "That's great, son." He said, "Who have you chosen?"

"I would like you to meet her first." He requested. "Tomorrow night."

His mother was suspicious of him but looked at her husband before the two nodded. Very well, tomorrow, then." The king declared to the prince and the queen.

The next night, he was secretly scheduled to meet with Belle. He couldn't wait to see her again, but he was nervous that his plan to introduce his her to his parents could go wrong. So for her protection, before the trio left the palace, Mason was adamant that no one else was to accompany them. No advisors, no knights, no even so much as an insect on someone's shoulder. His father was confused, but knew there must be a good reason why he asked this of them so he did as his son requested and made sure that no one would follow. They took a few horses and rode out towards the village. Before they reached the outskirts, Mason turned his horse and led them towards the woods. They got off of the horses and Mason tied the reins to the trees before gesturing for his parents to follow him along the forest edge. "Mason, why must we come all the way out here to meet this girl? And why are you taking us into the woods?" His mother asked, more suspicious than ever. Mason was supposed to be marrying a princess, why would there be one in the woods?

His father put a hand on the queen's shoulder, "It's alright, my dear. Have faith in our son."

Mason thought about that as they almost reached the meeting point. He stopped and turned around to face his parents. "Mother, Father, I ask that you remain hidden until I say you can come out to meet her." He asked them. His mother looked almost outraged, so he elaborated, "I know what you will think of her at first. So I want you to follow me quietly and watch silently while I talk to her. She doesn't know that you two are here, so you will see the real her as long as she doesn't know that you are watching. Is that alright?"

His parents nodded, and the king had an idea of where this was going. Mason walked into the woods with his parents right behind him. A few moments later, he stopped before a clearing and gestured for the king and queen to stay put. Making sure that they won't move, he walked into the area and went by the creek. Belle was already there, sitting on a log while throwing pebbles in like the day they first met. "Hello there, my lady." He said to her, "Throwing stones at the water again, are we?"

Belle turned around and smiled at him. "Well, it helps me relax." She told him. "I was starting to get worried when the sun was going down and you hadn't shown up yet." She explained. Mason sat down beside her and nodded thoughtfully at her. "Thank you for being concerned, but you know I'm too strong to be taken down easily. I can fight off ten bears with one hand tied behind my back!" He boasted jokingly. Belle giggled. "Yes, great prince, you are very brave." She laughed. Mason cracked a smile at her. He looked at her outfit, seeing that she had actually dressed nicely for tonight. "You are dressed nicely," he voiced, "What's the occasion?"

Belle looked at the ground glumly, "... My parents introduced me to a man today... I think they want me to marry him..."

Mason's eyes widened. He impulsively reached out and grabbed her wrist while she went to snatch another pebble from the ground. She looked at him in surprise. "You aren't going to be married to anyone except for me." He told her sternly, "I want you to tell your parents that you are already the apple of someone else's eye."

Belle smiled again and blushed a bit, "Mason..."

"I mean it." He said. "You aremine.I won't let another man have you. I can't lose you in any way. I love you, Belle."

Belle's eyes softened and she wrapped her arms around him, "I love you, too, Mason."

Mason embraced her, resting his head on top of hers as she buried it in his chest. "I want to stay like this forever," He told her, "but I've brought someone here to meet you tonight." Belle lifted her head up and gave him a confused look. "Really? Who?"

Mason looked over at the trees and nodded hesitantly. Belle followed his gaze and gasped quietly as the king and queen stepped into the clearing. She immediately stood up and bowed down to them, showing them a large amount of respect. Mason never saw her change tones that quickly before, and it startled him. His mother looked unimpressed with Belle, while his father looked like he was curious about her. "Thisis the girl you've chosen?" His mother asked. "I expected better of you, Mason. Why have you not chosen a princess instead of this peasant?"

Mason looked like he was about to argue with her, but did his best to bite his tongue. "I have chosen her because she sees me as a real person and values my opinion. I've known her for nearly eight years, and she never once treated me like I was above or below her.Shewas there for me in times whereyouwere not, mother." He told them somewhat calmly. "I only recently told her who I was, and she still saw me as her friend. She promised me that she wouldn't tell anyone and she still shows me great amounts of trust and respect." He added. His father nodded, "You, young lady, what is your name?"

"I am Belle Tanzen, my lord." Belle said, still bowing. The King smiled at how polite she was being, despite the queen pretty much insulting Belle to her face. "Miss Tanzen, you may rise."
[Can the real Slim Shady please stand up?]" He said to her. Belle stood up straight and held her hands together. Mason could tell how nervous she was and stepped beside her to let her know that he was there for her. Belle seemed to relax a bit when he did that. It also relieved Belle that the king didn't look like he was about to throw her in the dungeon, so that must have been a good sign. The queen, however, was definitely not in favor of Belle. "Miss Tanzen, what are your feelings towards my son?" The king continued to ask questions. Belle smiled a bit as she talked about him, "The prince has always been my closest friend when I was a little girl. He protected me from the other children in the village and taught me many things, such as how to read and write. I feel that I owe so much to him, but I can never give him enough. The prince is a good man, and I care for him dearly. I only wish for Mason to be happy..."

"Pardon me for not believing in you." The Queen hissed. Belle's anxiety was starting to go through the roof. The queen was terrifying. She's the one who'll sentence you to death if she wants to. She glared daggers at the poor woman, and Belle felt the urge to make herself look smaller. Mason was getting agitated at his mother's behavior, but still managed to keep his voice calm. "Mother, she's—."

"No, Mason. You need to listen." The queen cut him off. "Mary..." the king warned her. "No, Peter. Let me speak my opinion." The queen looked at Belle and hissed. "You. You are nothing but a peasant who wants our family's power and wealth." She accused. Mason grit his teeth. "You are a miserable creature that is trying to manipulate Mason into believing that you both love each other. You are deceiving the prince and trying to take control of the kingdom, and I will not allow it!"

"Mother,please." Mason growled. The queen continued, "You are nothing but a harlotte! A lying, deceiving, gold-diggingwhor—!"

"Mother!" Mason snapped at her. His mother looked at him in surprise. He's never raised his voice at his parents before. "You knowabsolutely nothingabout her! Belle is not that kind of woman, and I will not have you stand here and call her horrible names! You willnotspeak tomy future wifelike that, or Iwillretaliate!" He yelled in anger. The king gently pulled her away and said, "Mary, we need to talk about this."

The queen refused at first, but decided to hear what he had to say. Mason turned to Belle and held her hands gently. He smiled at her, trying to keep her calm. His mother may have been forced to stop screaming at her, but the damage had already been done. Tears slipped down the sides of Belle's face as she began to cry silently. "Shhhh, hey... It's okay..." Mason whispered to her, "I'm sorry about her, mother's just—."

"—I think I should go..."

Mason's face fell. He was about to asked her to stay when she continued quietly. "I'm only causing trouble... I think it'd be best if I left... I'm sorry, Mason..." she looked at him apologetically, not letting a single sob escape her. Mason looked down and sighed, then looked back up at her and cupped the side of her face gently. "I'll see you soon, alright?" He told her. Belle smiled and shakily nodded. She turned around and left, disappearing into the trees. Mason sighed again. He heard his parents arguing behind him and whirled around. He stormed up to them and snarled at his mother. "Look at what you just did!" He said angrily, "I ask you to be understanding, and you dothis!She's run away now because of you,mother!"

The queen looked at him, the fire in her eyes dimming as she listened to her son. Mason actually had tears in the corner of his eyes. "I've done everything you told me to! I learned to become literate! I practiced fighting with a sword! I was kind to others and obeyed your commands! I listened to what you had to say for the pasteighteen yearsof my life, no matter how badly it hurt me! And now, when I askone thingfrom you, youstomp all over it!" He cried. He stopped and gripped his head in his hands, "... I just want this one thing... I just wanther..."

His body shook as he held back his sobs, tears streaming from his eyes. His mother looked like she was starting to regret what she said. Her son was right. She really was being a terrible person. The king looked at his wife, we slowly nodded. He walked up to their son and hugged him tightly. "Go find her, bring her back, and we'll take her with us. She's perfect for you, Mason. She'll make a great queen one day." He said to him. Mason looked at his mother, then to his father. He smiled at them, "... Thank you..."

His father let go of him and jokingly shoved him, "Now shoo! Go find her before you both get lost in the woods!"

Mason chuckled and turned around, running into the woods to go get Belle back.

Chapter 18: This is Our Get-Along Dungeon!

Chapter Text

[Ack, this one needs to be rewritten sometime in the future—]

Edit: Made some pictures of these two (uwu)

[Getting along shirts just got an upgrade]

"This is your fault!" The dragoness roared at the male. Said male roared back at her, "Myfault?! You're saying this ismyfault?!"

The male had pitch black scales with white stripes on him. He had a purple stripe that fell from each eye like tear tracks and sharp spines that trailed over his spine. He also had large wings, and was a very fast flier. The female was white with blue markings and pink eyes. She had fur that ran down her spine and ended in a mass on her tail. She had smaller wings as well, which allowed her to run faster. The two had been fighting over a certain territory for almost a year by now, both of them refusing to back down. The dragon and dragoness had been engaging in another fight when humans appeared out of nowhere. There was enough of them that the dragons were overwhelmed and captured. They were hauled off to a nearby kingdom, where they were then chained up and locked away in a dark dungeon. The room was large enough for the two of them, and the chains that held them were strong. The chains themselves extended enough to allow the dragons to touch each other, but it wasn't enough for them to fight, so they exchanged hostile words instead of actually trying to kill one another.

The female growled and squinted her eyes, barely being able to see him in the dark. "Yes, it is! If you hadn't kept trespassing in my territory, then we wouldn't have been fighting each other, and we wouldn't have been caught!Nowlook at us!" She snarled. The male hissed at her in distaste. "It'smyterritory, not yours!Youare the one who was trespassing!" He shot back. The two remained at each others throats for days. The humans would drop animals into the room through a hole in the ceiling, and the dragons would physically fight over the meals. The male won every time, since he was stronger and there was no room for the female to dodge. One day he snatched up a cow that was thrown in and crushed it in his talons, killing it. The female hadn't even attempted to get the mammal, which satisfied him at first. He initially thought that she finally learned her place and didn't want to fight him, but then he realized that she actually hadn't eaten since the two were brought down here. She most likely doesn't have the energy to fight anymore, and she certainly looked exhausted from lack of fuel. The dragon looked at the cow in his talons, then threw it over to the dragoness. She looked up at him in confusion from were she was laying down. Was he really helping her? He doesn't have venom, so he couldn't have poisoned it. The dragoness nodded slightly in thanks before grabbing the cow and digging into it. Beef had never tasted more satisfying.

A while later, another thing like this happened. The female was closer to the place where their water came from, so she was the only one to have constant access to it. The male couldn't reach it unless he stretched his neck out far enough to drink from it. He didn't want to risk the female trying to slash at his throat while he was busy trying to get water, so he never drank the water. The female noticed how dehydrated he seemed, and decided that she'd rather not be alone if he dies from the lack of water. "You know, you can drink the water. I won't attack you." She told him. The male nodded in relief and got up to get some water. The female kept her promise and didn't move to attack him. Perhaps weeks or months later, the female actually gained enough strength to break her chains, which were old and rusted. The male's chains were newer, so they were stronger and still held him. She was able to move around and started looking for a way out.

As more time passed by, and the sun rose up and down faster, the two eventually warmed up to each other enough to where their constant fighting turned into a small argument here and there. One night, the male finally broke down. It's been so long since he's been in the sun. He hasn't been able to fly and stretch his wings or even feel the soft grass beneath his feet in forever. The food was becoming tasteless and the water never seemed to be enough for the both of them, despite an underground river being it's source. The female felt bad for him. She silently walked over to him and laid down beside him. He opened up his wing and she pressed herself up against him. He used his wing like a blanket for her, and she allowed him to feel the fur on her back. He buried his face into it and slowly began to calm down. The two fell asleep like that, their tails twined together.

After a long time, the two became very close. They would cuddle each other every night and share everything they were given. There was an incident that sent them both back to the beginning before the dragons calmed down and talked it out. While they were at it, they shared their life stories. The male was a tortured soul, who had next to nothing for his entire life except pain and sorrow. The female's life was difficult. She was always undermined by others and had to fight constantly to keep what was hers (which is why she absolutely refused to back down when they fought over their old territory). The discussion brought the two even closer than before. A week or so after that, the female woke up one morning feeling quite odd. She felt sick, nervous, and satisfied all at once. She was confused at first and decided to keep it from the male, deciding that she was probably just under the weather. Later, she accidentally figured out the problem. Apparently, she was carrying his eggs. She was almost terrified to tell him about it. How would he react? What would he do to her if he was angry? To the eggs if she lays them beforehand? When she finally admitted it to him, she was relieved to see how ecstatic he was about it. Him, afather?This was great! He felt complete when he heard the news. And he felt a new sense of hope. Gathering as much strength as he could, the male finally broke out of his own chains. He wrapped his wings around the female, nuzzling the side of her face affectionately. The two worked together and broke down the large metal doors that kept them trapped in the dungeon. They stormed out of there, throwing flames in all directions in an attempt to damage as much as they could before they stopped dead in their tracks. In front of them was the kingdom in ruins. There were skeletons strewn about the place, most of them appearing to have been killed violently.

They had been imprisoned for nearly a century.

It was a shock at first, but the two decided to go home and get over it. The two went back to their (now shared) territory and discovered that another dragon had claimed it. The male and female looked at each other and nodded in sync. They worked together, eliminating the threat by chasing the strange dragon away. Afterwards, they found a cavern to live in. Not long after that, they built a nest and the female laid the eggs. There were six eggs in the clutch, and they would all take a year to hatch. The female would always stay with the best while the male went out to get her things like food and water, as well as things for the dragonets to play with during the last few months before they hatch (such as animal bones and treasure from the fallen kingdom that once held him and his mate prisoner. When the dragonets finally hatched, they were absolutely beautiful. Perfect in their parents' eyes. Some of them liked like their father, some of them looked like their mother, almost all of them had soft fur instead of spikes. The sixth egg turned out to have twin dragonets inside. There was a total of seven little dragons; two males and five females. The parents were so happy and proud, and they stayed to raise the dragonets together. One night, while the babies were asleep in the nest with their mother curled protectively around them, the father laid down right beside them and spread on of his massive wings to cover them all. The female opened on of her eyes and smiled at him, "Thank you."

"Anytime, love." He said back to her. He looked at the sleeping dragonets with affection, "This is the happiest I've been in my entire life."

The female extended her neck towards him and nuzzled his face. "Remember when we used to hate each other?" She asked him, "Who knew that it'd only take us about a hundred years that actually care about each other?"

"Not you, and certainly not me. I'm grateful that we are together now, and I will make sure that nothing separates us... I swear that I will protect you and the dragonets with my life, and I will slaughter anyone or anything thatdaresto try and break us apart." He vowed to her, holding her talon in one of his. The female looked at him and nuzzled him again. He nuzzled her back, and the two fell asleep.

Chapter 19: I Need A Doctor

Chapter Text

[Based off of something from the other oneshots book! (Part 1 is just a copy n' paste deal!)]

"Good morning, Miss Belle. Welcome to the Scott Cawthon Asylum for the Mentally Insane."

Belle Dance was a new psychiatrist to the aforementioned Scott Cawthon Asylum, as it was her first day. She was currently speaking to the head of the asylum, Fredrick Fazbear, about what she was supposed to do and who to care for. They were in his office, Belle sitting in a chair on the other side of his desk. "Thank you, Mister Fazbear."

"Please, call me Fredrick!" The man smiled at her, Belle reciprocating the gesture, "And now that introductions are done, let's discuss the patients you are assigned to..."

Fredrick handed her a file, and she took it carefully as she looked into his eyes. He had a troubled look on his face. Belle opened up the file as Fredrick began to speak, her eyes catching on a picture of a young man. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes. 'Oh Lord, my patient is grade-A eye candy... This'll be fun...' Belle thought, the last part being sarcastic. After a minute, Fredrick stood up, startling Belle as she realized that she had been staring at the man's picture for so long that she hadn't heard a word that he said. "Now," he said with a hint of gloom in his tone, "Let's introduce you to your new patient."

Belle stood up to follow Fredrick, but as he got one foot out the door, the phone on his desk began to ring. "I'm sorry, but it looks like you'll be on your own..." he said, worried. Belle was a bit concerned, but didn't voice it and settled for an "it's alright". Fredrick looked at her, "He's in room 113, on the top floor."

"Thank you. Have a good day, Fredrick." Belle said with a small smile. "Good luck!" Fredrick called to her as she closed the door, 'You're really going to need it...'

Fredrick sighed deeply before answering his phone, mumbling, "I hope she'll be okay, it's too dangerous for a girl to be interacting with that man..."

}—————{

"Room 113..." Belle thought out loud as she made her way up the stairs, "Top floor..."

As she reached the top floor, she looked at the numbers of the doors beside her and turned right, missing the sign with "Caution: Highly Dangerous Prisoners!" painted in bright red. She hummed to herself, as she walked, then stopped and opened the file, 'Probably should've read his name before walking up here...'

Her eyes landed on the man's picture again. She stared for a moment, then snapped out of it and began to read the pages of the file. "Mason," she mumbled under her breath, "Last name and age unknown. Home unknown. Case unsolved. Highly Dangerous, great caution recommended. Do not engage in any hostilities whatsoever..."

Belle flipped through the other pages without reading most of them, "It looks like this is all from his time here... He's been here for years..."

She closed the file, the looked up, seeing that room 113 was only a few doors down to the right. Belle walked up to the door, took a deep breath, opened it, then walked inside. Her eyes caught on a tall figure standing in the far right corner. He wasn't waiting a strait jacket, so she took that as a good sign and turned around and close the door. She backed away from the door and ran into something, her heart skipping a beat out of surprise. She turned around and looked up. Mason was standing only a foot away from her, looking down with his crystal-blue eyes.

'Oh, he's really tall..' He must have been about seven feet tall, given that she was about five-feet-six-inches. Belle looked into his eyes, giving him a nervous smile, "H-Hello, Mason! My name is Belle, I'm-!"

"My new doctor?"

"Yes," She said without missing a beat, "I am."

"You're new to this place, aren't you?" He asked, still looking her in the eyes. He chuckled darkly as she nodded, "That explains why you don't seem afraid."

Belle paused for a moment, "Pardon?"

He gave her an unsettling smile that gave her butterflies in her stomach, "Did they ever tell you why a job opened up here?"

Belle shook her head. "Well," Mason said, leaning towards her face, only inches away, "It's because I killed my last doctor. Tore his head clean off his shoulders."

Belle took a step back, her eyes wide, "O-Oh my, that's- uhm- that's very..."

"...surprising, isn't it? Good Ol' Fredrick never tells anyone about what happened here. Not my last doctor, or the one before that, or the one before that... Wow, I actually go through quite a few of them! Each one meeting a worst end than the last!" He said, his eyes eyes crazed and smile wide. He took a step forward, a shadow being casted over his face as his eyes glowed, "Now, tell me, my dear..."

He grabbed Belle and slammed her against the wall, pinning her. He covered her mouth to keep her from screaming, lifting her a foot off the ground as he leaned close to her face, "What horrible death do you think awaits you?"

Belle remained frozen, staring horrified into his eyes. 'Please, don't!'

His looked at her for a minute, his face fading into a calm expression, "On second thought," he said, slowly lowering her to the ground, "Maybe it'd be nice to have you around..."

He let go of her then turned to walk away, calling back to her over his shoulder, "After all, it's been a good ten or so years since I've been in contact with a woman."

Belle stared after him in shock, a light blush dusting her face. She quietly took a deep breath, calming her nerves, and smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow, Mason."

She turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Mason looked at the doors, "I doubt it, after what just happened..." He looked at the ceiling and gave a genuine smile, "Maybe it really would be nice to have her around..."

}—————{

True to her word, and despite everyone's best efforts to convince her otherwise, Belle returned the next day.

Chapter 20: I Need a Doctor (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Over the past few months, Mason has started acting more and more aggressive towards Belle. He wouldn't physically attack her, but it always seemed like he was about to at a certain point. Belle would leave him alone before he actually snapped and hit her, trying her best to gently say that she'll be back to make sure he's okay tomorrow. The other doctor's had started frequently warning her to stay away from him. Even Fredrick had told her that she should consider only entering his room when he's put in a straight jacket, since Mason has also been threatening to kill her after she left for the day. Belle had actually shot that down. "Don't put him in one of those things!" She demanded, irritated on Mason's behalf, "It will only make the problem worse!"

Later that day, Belle was in Mason's room. He wasn't acting hostile towards her yet, so she made sure not to do anything that would aggravate him in the slightest. Before she left, she decided to face the music and ask him something. "Mason?" She asked carefully, "... Have you really been threatening to kill me when I'm not here?"

That was a mistake. He was in front of her in an instant, grabbing her shoulders (though he didn't actually hurt her). "I don't think you want to hear the answer to that." He said to her with a smile, "You should probably leave now, before you physically can't."

Belle gulped and nodded her head, backing away from him and leaving the room. When Belle returned home that night, she almost couldn't sleep. Fredrick wasn't making that up just to scare her? Were the other staff members right when they told her to keep her distance[Oh God the quarantine flashbacks—]? It's not Mason's fault that he's like this. The poor man has been in that asylum for over a decade. If anything, she should have expected the threats he made. She finally went to sleep around midnight.

}—————{

Her alarm blared in her ears at five in the morning. Belle groaned tiredly and slapped her hand down on the button. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, yawning in the process. She didn't sleep well, so she felt terrible. She sighed and got out of bed, the cold air of her apartment making her shiver. She got ready for the day, grabbed her keys and her satchel (purses are overrated), and walked outside. She got in her car and drove to the asylum. When she arrive to the asylum she got out of the car— forgetting that she didn't lock the doors— and walked to the front entrance. The moment Belle stepped into the lobby, she was swarmed by her coworkers. Everyone was shouting and panicking so she couldn't decipher what they were saying. She took a deep breath and raised her voice, "Everyonecalm down!You're all speaking at the same time and I can't understand awordyou're saying! One at a time, please! What happened?"

"Belle, you need to leave." Fredrick said to her urgently. Belle's heart sank, thinking that she was being fired. "Are you letting me go?" She asked hesitantly. Fredrick shook his head quickly. "No, you're still an employee here. This is for your own safety. Go home. Lock the windows and lock the doors. Don't let anyone in unless you know who it is. And for the love of God, be careful." He told her. Belle was relieved that she wasn't getting a pink slip, but now she was concerned. "Why do I need to leave? What happened?" She asked. Another employee— one of the security guards that she was friends with stepped forward as the others went back to running around. "Belle, this place is on lockdown. Mason escaped last night. He might try to kill you like he's been threatening to. He almost killed a few of the night guards and broke into your office. We think he was trying to find out where you live, and it looked like he got into your computer since there were failed password inputs." he informed her. Belle's eyes widened, 'He—?'

"You need to go home." Fredrick repeated himself. "This won't be taken out of your paycheck, and I'll call you to let you know when you can come back and work safely. He might still be inside the asylum." He added. Belle gulped quietly and nodded. "I'll stay in touch." Belle said to them. Fredrick nodded back in thanks and watched as Belle walked out of the building. She got back in her car and pulled out her keys from her pocket. The woman paused in thought, slowly laying her hand on her head in worry. "Please, be alright, Mason. I know you're not the most passive individual, but I don't want you getting hurt." She spoke quietly. She started up the car and drove home.

}—————{

That evening, Belle got in the shower to try and relax herself. When she was done, she felt refreshed and relaxed. She went to her room and got changed into a pair of pajamas. She dried her hair and brushed it, pulling it back up into a bun like usual, then walked out of the room and went down the hall. She was thinking about what to make for dinner when she smelled something delicious. She became confused and looked at the dining room table before she passed it, stopping in her tracks. There were two plates of fresh spaghetti on the table, complete with a plate with a stack of sliced garlic bread[the food of thegods]in between them. She couldn't help but feel unsettled, "I didn't make—."

She stopped talking as a pair of arms gently wrapped around her from behind. She froze, her heart pounding against her chest. "I hope you don't mind that I made us dinner." Mason's voice said, "You like spaghetti, right?"

"I—... I mean, yes, I do like spaghetti— but—" Belle was a stuttering mess, "H—How did you get in here?"

"Hitched a ride in your car, then I used the spare key that you hide above the front door. You should lock the car doors before you leave the parking lot and hide the key somewhere less predictable." He told her, shrugging his shoulders. He let go of her and led her to the table. She sat down and he pushed her chair in. Belle was in shock, so she just went along with it. This man who threatened her life since the moment he met her was in her dining room and serving her a dinner that he made, and he was being gentle with her like she was delicate. She wasn't complaining about the difference, but she didn't know whether or not to trust it. While eating dinner, the two just talked about different things, Belle taking mental notes while she was at it (she is his doctor, after all). After dinner, they sat down on the couch and watched a movie. Mason leaned back and relaxed. He put an arm around her and pulled her closer to him, letting her head rest on his chest. Belle decided not to risk making him upset by moving away, so she stayed like that until the movie was over.

It was almost eleven at night when she carefully stood up and stretched a bit. "I think I should go to bed." She nervously told Mason. Mason nodded and stood up too, "I'll join you, if that doesn't bother you?"

Belle shook her head, "Not at all..."

The man frowned slightly at her. "It does bother you." He said to her. Belle held her breath. 'Please don't be angry...' she silently prayed. Mason sighed and hugged her waist, "I owe you an explanation."

"For what?" She asked. "For the way I've been treating you." Mason responded. He looked into her eyes to show that he didn't intend to do anything bad to her, and Belle relaxed. "I've discovered after the first month of knowing you that I somehow acquired...feelingsfor you. You're not like the other doctors I've had or any of the people that I remember meeting outside of the asylum, except for one... You're sweet and innocent for someone who works with me all the time, and you're genuinely nice because you believe everyone deserves to be treated well. I guess I felt like I had to protect your innocence because of that... and because he's always watching..." he told her with constantly mixing emotions, "I knew that if he saw how much I cared about you, he'd hurt or kill you. I had to make it seem like I wanted to hurt you more than anything in order to protect you."

Belle did her best to understand what he was saying. Who was "he"? Mason's hold on her grew tighter and tighter as his emotions got stronger. "I love you, Belle. I want you to be safe. If I didn't threaten you, he'll know that I'm attached to you. If I'm not with you, then I can't stop him from killing you. That's why I escaped last night. Now I can be with you. Now I can protect you. Now..." Mason leaned closer to her face, "I can be as close to you as I want."

With that, he kissed her on the lips. It was a gentle kiss. Belle's chest felt warm and fuzzy as she kissed him back. She loved him too; she just thought that she'd never have a chance to be with him. Looks like things were going in both of their favors. As they both got more courageous, the kissing went from sweet and gentle to fiery and passionate. When they separated, Belle was panting a bit, a deep blush on her face. "Would you care to join me tonight?" She asked him with a weird smile. Mason grinned and caressed the side of her face, "Anything for you, doctor."

Chapter 21: Guilty Conscious

Chapter Text

[Warning For Mentions of Abuse!]

There was a sharp knock at the door, making Belle freeze.

She knew that knock.

She hated that knock.

But she opened the door anyways. Mason stood outside, holding a bouquet of white lillies and pink roses. He looked sad. "Hey..." he greeted her. "Hey..." she greeted back. The man shuffled his feet a bit awkwardly. "I brought these for you." He said, offering her the flowers. Belle flinched as his hand came close to her, but she took the flowers and gave him a small smile. "T-Thank you..." she said, "They're beautiful..."

Mason sighed deeply at himself. "Belle... I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry... for everything." He apologized, "I know that I can never make it up to you. I know that you'll never forgive me, and that's okay... I just wanted to tell you that I regret everything I did to you."

Belle didn't know what to say. Whatcouldshe say? After everything that he did, Mason just randomly showed up after years of her not seeing him and even more randomly apologized. It was bizarre to her and she didn't trust it. 'Apologizing for all the times he's hit me or thrown me into the wall. Every time that he-.' She slammed a wall down on those thoughts. "It's alright..." she said. Mason frowned at her, "No, it's not alright. I hurt you for years... you can't just forgive me like that. I-."

A high-pitched wailing sounded from somewhere in the house. Belle jumped and nearly slammed the door shut. Setting the flowers on the table, she ran to the back room to check on him and sighed in relief when she saw that he was alright. She carefully picked up the baby in the crib and rocked him back and fourth, humming a lullaby. The baby's crying eventually stopped and he cooed, smiling at her. He reached up to her, trying to grasp something with his little hands. Or rather, something behind her. Belle turned around and managed not to look startled when she saw Mason in the house. 'Must've forgotten to lock the door...'

He was staring at the baby with wide eyes, shocked. "I-I'm sorry. I wanted to make sure that you were okay... Belle?" He asked her, "Is-... Is thatmybaby?"

Belle looked down and hesitantly nodded. "... Why didn't you tell me?" He asked quietly. Belle glared at the floor, "You know why... I was scared that you'd hurt him, too..."

She froze, thinking that maybe she should have worded that differently. Mason sighed, mumbling a "you're right" under his breath. "... Am I allowed to hold the him?"

Belle held the baby tighter unconsciously. Mason looked down and sighed again (quieter this time). "It's okay. I understand." He said. He looked at the baby, thinking. "... Belle?" He asked in a strange tone of voice, "I... I know that this is going to sound stupid... and you have every right to say no... but please, hear me out on this one."

Belle eyed him up and down in worry. "I... I want to start over again. I'm a better person now, I promise. I want to be there for my son. I want to be here foryou." He told her honestly, "I want us to try again. I don't know how I could possibly prove it to you, and I don't know if you'll even consider it. I understand if you don't, and... and that's alright... But please... Just one last chance? To make everything right?"

Belle was scared. This could be a trick. He might be planning on hurting her again- killing her, even. And what about the baby? His life would be in danger, too... But there was something in Mason's eyes that told her it was the truth. It told her that she could trust him this time, that they might actually have a chance to make it better. "... How do I know that you're not going to drink again?" She asked him. Mason looked her in the eyes to show her how open and truthful he was being. "I've been sober for almost a year now. I can't even stand the sight of alcohol anymore, let alone the taste of it." He answered her, "And if you even so much as feel threatened... You can call the police. I'll wait for them, and I'll let them take me away. The last thing I ever want is to hurt you again."

Belle thought about it for a few minutes. He really was being honest, but could they really try again? To be a happy family and raise the child together? She looked at the baby in her arms and made the final decision. She looked at Mason, "... This is your last chance... Please don't make me regret it..."

Mason couldn't help the smile that cracked itself onto his face. He was so happy and excited that she said yes that he wanted to pull her into a hug. He didn't though. That would be stepping over the line. Maybe he could in a month or two? Maybe he could hold the baby after a year? "Thank you... What's his name?" Mason gestured to the sleeping infant. "Luke." Belle said a bit shyly, "I'm sorry if it's a terrible name. I just-."

"-Luke is perfect." He reassured her, "Just like you are... Sorry, I probably just made you uncomfortable with that..."

Belle let out a soft laugh, "It's alright. I remember your cheesy pickup lines like it was yesterday... I miss those."

Mason's smile grew more and more warm by the second, "Really? Well don't worry, you'll be hearing a lot of them now."

Belle smiled back at him, finding a bit of peace.

}-----{

[One Year Later]

Mason was laying down in their bed. Belle was sleeping on top of him. He had his arms around her to keep her from falling off. He stroked her head and back to keep her soothed in her sleep. He smiled gently, remembering the past year. He honestly thought that it would take longer for Belle to trust him, which he was okay with. He knew that she needed time to heal. But Belle let him move in at the end of the first month. She let him hug her and kiss her a week or two before that. He was allowed to hold the baby after the second month, which he couldn't be any happier about. He would take Belle on a few dinner dates and helped out whenever he could. There was only one time where things got complicated, and that was when Belle's mother came over. She screamed and chewed Mason out for being there, which made Belle scared and Luke cry. She then proceeded to call Belle several names for even considering letting "that no-good, horrible, psychopathic man" into her home. He was already close to snapping when she said all those things to Belle, but when she tried going after the baby, Mason flipped his lid. He raised his voice for the first time in two years and he ripped Belle's mother a new one. He threatened to call the police and report her for harassment if she didn't apologize to Belle and leave. Her mother complied and even called the next day to sincerely apologize. During that whole time, Belle did her best to keep Luke calm. When it was over, Mason came over and gently held Luke. He kissed Belle's forehead and told her that everything was alright. "I'm not going to hurt anyone. I'll never hurt you or Luke again."

He proposed to her and they got married a few months ago. Luke's first birthday was the week after that. Mason was ecstatic when Belle told him she was pregnant again last week. She wasn't showing yet, but he still put his hand on her stomach whenever he got the chance. Mason caressed her cheek, accidentally waking her up. "What is it? Is something wrong?" She asked groggily. The man chuckled and lightly squeezed his wife in a hug, "Nothing's wrong, Belle. Nothing's wrong at all."

Chapter 22: Adrift (Part 6)

Chapter Text

[Blood and Gore Warning]

"I'm starting to think that you don't like me anymore."

"What gave it away?" Belle said quietly, not wanting to get hit again, but also beginning not to care. If her friends couldn't five a single trace of him in five days, then they'd never find her and William before something bad happens. If she was going down, then she was going down a pain in the arse. William growled and kicked her in the ribs, making her yelp at how hard he did it. "I'm also starting to think that you look better cooked." He said smugly. He pondered something, then made up his mind. "You know what?" He asked getting up, "I'm done with you. I thought that I'd enjoy having you here and having a family with you once you've warmed up to me again, but now I've decided that maybe you really are more trouble than you're worth."

Belle felt a bit of hope. Was he going to let her go? Did she really have a chance of seeing the others again? Seeing Mason, who she realized only hours ago that she truly loved? But judging by the evil grin William gave her, that wasn't going to happen. Belle's face fell all the way in horror at the realization of what William was about to do to her. "Let's play a little game, shall we? This is how we'll do it." He told her, "I'm going to go in my shelter and grab a weapon. You're going to try to escape. If you escape before I get back then you get to live a bit longer, but you have to run. If I catch you, you're dead. If you give up, you're dead. If you fight back, then I'll kill you for sure... but you're welcomed to try."

William stalked towards his hut as Belle began to tug viciously at her ropes. "We start...now." He said with a smile and disappeared into his hut. Belle could feel her fear and adrenaline taking over. She tugged in the ropes harder and harder, not caring about how excruciating the pain was becoming. A minute later the ropes snapped. She got up and bolted in the direction on the hills, not wasting any time as William came charging out of the hut with his knife. She ran as fast as she could, not remembering how he brought her to his camp. It was too dark out that morning and she was tired and scared. Who could blame her for not thinking about paying attention to where he was taking her? If she got to the hills, then she might be safe. She could find her way back to the others and they could protect her. Mason could protect her, like he promised her that he would. She hopes that she could slowly lose William. He may be stronger, but she was faster. She kept running, no matter how tired her legs were or how winded she got. If he caught her, he was going to kill her. She wouldn't able to escape him and she knew it.

}—————{

It couldn't have been more than half an hour later when Belle thought that she finally lost William. She noticed a while ago that her hands began to ache terribly and her wrists were bleeding, which must've been from pulling herself out of the rope. The gal had been running so much that her legs felt like they were going to fall off. She slowed to a stop and looked around carefully and quietly. She couldn't hear or see William, so she took it as a good sign. She had to turn around and change routes so often that she became lost. She could no longer see the hills, which was also bad. The woman quietly sighed in relief, thinking that it was over. Suddenly, something hit her over the head and she fell over on her stomach. She tried scrambling back to her feet and was kicked in the gut so hard that she fell onto her back and couldn't breathe. She looked up in horror as William stood over her. He looked at his knife and smiled as he had an idea. He threw it at the nearest tree and let himself fall on top of Belle. He pinned her to the ground, making sure that she couldn't get up. "A knife's too good of a way out for you. I think I'd rather kill you with my bare hands." He said to her with a malicious grin. "I wonder how good you'll taste once I roast you over the fire."

He took his hands and grabbed Belle's throat. She tried with every last bit of strength she had to kick him or throw him off of her, but her body just couldn't do it. She couldn't fight anymore. But that didn't stop her from trying. William pressed down on her neck harder, digging his fingernails into her flesh. She tried crying out in pain, and managed to force out a strangled scream of fear. Tears were already forming in the corners of her eyes as she prayed that someone would save her. Her anxiety was already through the roof.

She couldn't breathe.

Her lungs ached and her throat burned.

It was getting harder to see with every passing second.

She felt any strength she had leave her body.

She was beginning to give up.

It would all be over soon.

}—————{

The group heard Belle's scream from nearby. Mason immediately ran in the direction of the sound, hearing whimpering and laughing. The others were close behind him. He gripped the axe in his hand so hard that his knuckles turned white. They broke into a small clearing, and Mason's heart dropped. A man— who he assumed could only be William— was on top of Belle. He was strangling her, and she couldn't fight back because she was too weak in that moment. Mason saw red and was there in an instant, kicking the man so hard that he was practically thrown off of Belle. William grunted in surprise, but was quickly punched in the side of the head. Mason then kicked him in the gut hard enough to knock him a few feet away. He was going to continue, but heard Belle whimper. Elizabeth, Flynn, and Myckenzie were already standing in front of William with looks that could kill.

Mason ran over to Belle and dropped his axe, falling to the earth beside her. He picked her up by the shoulders and panicked. "Belle? Belle, can you hear me?" He whispered to her. Belle suddenly had her arms around him, practically squeezing the life out of him in a hug. "Mason!" She said in relief, "You're here! You saved me! I knew you would!"

"I'd do anything for you." He smiled at her. He heard William groan and narrowed his eyes at a tree behind Belle. He gently pulled her away and looked at her. She had multiple bruises and was bleeding from a few different places, her hands and wrists having the worst of it. Her neck would surely bruise, and her hands looked like they were broken. Belle was really roughed up. Mason grit his teeth and let go of Belle slowly. He snatched his axe and turned around, stalking over to William. He stood in front of the man and raised the axe, bringing it down on the man's back. He drove it in deep, hearing William gasp in horror. Blood bubbled up from his throat and leaked from his mouth and nose. Mason pulled the axe out viciously and smiled at William, "This is what happens when you mess with the wrong girl."

No one stopped him as he swung the axe again, decapitating William. His body crumbled to the ground. Mason breathed in and out, calming himself down. He heard Belle whimper again and looked to see Tyreke helping her stand up. "It's okay. We'll get you back to camp and I'll patch you up. Try not to use your hands, alright?" He said to her. Belle nodded and stumbled a bit as she stood up. Mason looked at his axe, then passed it to Myckenzie. He walked over to Belle and bent over, sweeping her off her feet. He carried her bridal style, being careful not to hurt her. She smiled at him and rested her head on his chest, whispering a soft "thank you". Mason smiled back at her and kissed her forehead gently, "Anything."

Chapter 23: Choosing A Queen (Part 2)

Chapter Text

That hurt.

Thatreallyhurt.

Belle was grateful that Mason was there for her and that he stood up for her, she really was, but she couldn't stay. She knew that Mason had good intentions with bringing the king and queen to meet her, but she felt that she was the one who ruined it. She couldn't help that she wasn't someone the queen wouldn't approve of. She couldn't help that she was such a pushover. 'Maybe the Queen Mary was right...' she thought brokenhearted, 'Maybe I really am nothing but a—.'

She stopped thinking and continued walking home, tears pouring from her eyes. The queen had been right about one thing. Bellewaslying to Mason, but not lying about anything that would matter to him. It was about her parents. Her real parents died years before she met him when their home caught on fire. The people she lived with now were two other villagers and their son. They weren't the best towards her and their son constantly got her in trouble, but that was fine. She always had Mason to cheer her up and keep her alive. 'And now I can't even have that...' she almost sobbed. The queen would make sure that Mason never left the palace again, she had no doubt about it. Mason will eventually lose any and all interest in Belle and being her friend, and will break all connections to her. He'll think she's as worthless as everyone else thinks she is and then she'll be alone again.

}—————{

It was almost morning by the time she got to the house she lived in. She wiped away her remaining tears and walked into the wooden structure. She was immediately greeted with a deep "Where have you been?" when the door closed. She flinched and turned around. There stood her "father" and brother behind her. Her brother looked sad, like he was guilty of something. "I was by the creek..." Belle told them. The man glared at her, "What were you doing there?"

"I was throwing stones into the water." Belle was a horrible liar, but that was technically the truth, so maybe that would work. Her "father" smirked at her, "Oh really? Are you sure that this wouldn't happen to be about a certainprince?"

Belle's eyes widened in fear. "That's what I thought." The man said in satisfaction. "H—How—?" Belle sputtered. "I followed you." Her brother told her, ashamed, "I know the prince's face anywhere."

"Why didn't you tell us, Belle?" The man demanded. Belle remained silent, not wanting to say the wrong thing and anger him. It was the wrong thing to do anyways since he stepped forward and slapped her. "Answer me when I speak to you!" He yelled. "I'm sorry!" she blurted out. She wasn't actually sorry for that, but she had to say it if she didn't want to get in any more trouble. "I—I didn't know that he was the prince at first! I thought that he might just be one of the wealthier—!"

"What did I tell you about lying to me?" The man growled at her. "I let you into my home, feed you and clothe you, and you repay me by lying?"

Belle lowered her head in shame. Now she really felt terrible. He used this trick all the time whenever he wanted something from her, but it always worked. 'Queen Mary was right...' her mind repeated as a tear slipped from her eye again. "I—I'm sorry, Mister—."

"Don't use my name! You are to call mefather, do you understand me?"

She was digging herself into a deeper hole with every passing moment. She just wanted to run away at this point. If she left, though, she'd get smacked or punched again. It was almost a relief when there was a knock on the door when "father" was done scolding her. "Get to your room and don't come out until I say that you can." Belle did as he said, going down the hall and entering her room, closing the door behind her. She slid down the wall on the other side of the door and listened closely. "Excuse me," asked a familiar voice, "is Belle Tanzen here?"

It was muffled, but she knew who was there. 'Why is Mason here?' She thought in a slight panic. She heard her brother gasp from right outside of her door. He opened her door and slipped inside, looking sorry. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "He noticed that you've been going somewhere and I wanted to make sure that it wasn't someplace bad so that he couldn't hurt you. I didn't think that father would hurt you since it was with the prince... I hoped that he would be happy for you...."

"It's okay, Bradley," she told her brother with a smile, "You were trying to help."

Her "father" may be horrible, but she always saw Bradley as a real brother. He was nice and would do things because he genuinely thought that it would help others. This was one of the few times where it went wrong. "The prince came for you," Bradley whispered to her with a smile, "He actually brought knights with him! I think that King Peter and Queen Mary might be here, too!"

"Oh, goodness! Is the whole palace here?" Belle whispered back to her brother. Bradley quietly laughed as the two listened in on the rest of the interaction with the prince and their father figure. "No. Sorry, your majesties. Belle isn't home. I hope that she didn't cause you any trouble." Their father said, undoubtedly smiling. "Oh... she does live here though, correct?" Mason asked. "That is correct. Would you like for me to tell her something when she gets back?" Their father asked. "No thank you," the prince said, "I'd much rather tell her this in person. Thank you, though, kind sir. Have a good day."

The front door shut, signaling that he took his leave. There was stomping coming down the hallway, making Bradley hide under Belle's bed. The door was thrown open, catching Belle by the leg. Her "father" grabbed her by her dress and practically dragged her to the front of the house. He threw her onto the floor and she scramble backwards so that he wouldn't stomp on her hands. "You listen to me, and you listen good!" He yelled at her, "I don't knowwhatyou did to anger the royal family, but whatever it was, it better not bring consequences down on the whole house! I swear to the Lord, you will never see the light of day again!"

"Father, wait! Don't be mad at Belle!" Bradley ran up beside her, trying to calm their father down. "I don't think she did anything wrong!"

There was an almighty slap and Bradley crumble to the floor, landing on Belle's lap. "Bradley! Father, why did you hurt him?!" The woman screamed, cradling her brother in her arms as he cried. "Shut up! You're next!" Her father screamed back. Just then, the door was broken in. Knights in black armor marched into the home. They stood in a circle around them all, intimidating the man to stay still. Mason walked into the circle angrily, his parents right behind him looking just as cross as he did. "Y—Your majesties! I—I'm terribly sorry for—!"

"—Save it." Mason interrupted their father's babbling. He looked at Sir Gold and smiled dangerously, "Put this man in the dungeon. Keep him there for at least a month."

"With pleasure, Prince Mason." Sir Gold said, he and a few other guards smiling at the man's disbelieving face as he was cuffed and hauled out of the house. The prince walked over to Belle and Bradley. He held out his hand for one of them to take. Belle took his hand and he pulled her and Bradley onto their feet. Belle smiled at Mason. "Thank you, great prince." She said with a curtsy. Mason smiled back and did a small bow in return. Then he stood up straight and wrapped his arms around her. Belle was surprised at first, but hugged him back when she thought it was okay. He hugged her tighter, then let go and stepped back to look at Bradley. The poor boy was shaking, but he stopped crying, wanting to look brave in front of the prince. "Hey there, little man. Are you alright?" He asked. Bradley wiped his face and nodded, smiling gratefully. "It's an honor to meet you, sir." The boy said. "Please; the honor is mine." The prince smiled back.

The king stood beside Mason, making sure that Bradley was alright. The queen stood in front of Belle and sighed. "I apologize. What I said before was uncalled for and untrue." She apologized, "I should have given you a chance before jumping to conclusions like I did. I hope that you might find it within yourself to forgive me, but it is up for you to decide whether you do or do not."

Belle smiled at the queen. "It's alright, your majesty. I understand that you were upset, and you wanted to protect your son and your kingdom. If anyone should apologize around here, it's me. I've done nothing but cause trouble for the past day." She said. The queen shook her head. "No, this is solely on me. I was the only one standing in the way of your marriage to my son... but now... you and Mason have mine and the King's blessings."

To say that Belle was surprised was an understatement. Mason came to her from the side and took her hand. "Belle, will you come with me to the palace? I promise that you will be happy there. We can even bring Bradley." He asked her. Belle looked at Bradley, who was excited. "Yes." She said, "I will."

Mason smiled widely and hugged her again. The king gestured for his wife and Bradley to follow him outside, leaving the two alone. "I'm so happy." Mason told her, "I've been waiting for this moment for so long... and now, I finally have you in my arms. We can be happy together. We can rule the kingdom together."

Belle snuggled into his chest, "I love you, my prince."

"I love you, too, my princess."

Chapter 24: Right In Front of Me

Chapter Text

A blonde woman was literally kicked out the front door, a man without his pants on being thrown out after her so hard that it looked like he flew into the front yard. "Andstay out!" Shouted an angry voice before the double doors were slammed shut. Belle locked them and turned around with an agitated huff, dusting off her black and white outfit. She took a few deep breathes and calmly walked up the large staircase in the foyer. She made her way down the hall and took a left. Sitting on the floor with his head in his knees and his back against the wall was Mason, the man who employed her. The poor soul had just been cheated on for the fifth time this year, and it was only May. Anyone could tell at this point that he had just given up on everything. She sat down beside him and rubbed circles into his back. "Master Salacil, everything will be alright." She whispered to him gently, "That woman wasn't good enough for you, anyways."

"What do you mean bythat?" He tried snapping at her, but the anger quickly gave way to grief. Belle wasn't fazed by it, seeing this side of him before. "She would do terrible things while you weren't home. There wasn't enough for me to prove it to you, but I know it was her." She explained to him. "I wanted to warn you, but I was also hoping that I was wrong about her."

"Be careful, Belle." Mason did his best to sound menacing, "I can still fire you at anytime. It won't take long to replace you"

"I am sure that you will, Master, given that I cross you." Belle said with a nod. Mason shuddered in despair. "... What have I been doing wrong?" He asked in a shakey voice. His maid's eyes softened, "Nothing. It isn't you, Master. It's them. Those women didn't deserve you before, and that one sure doesn't now. You are an amazing, kindhearted man who is nothing but caring."

"But there must besomething..." he pressed, leaning against her without realizing it. "I thought I did everything right. I bought her gifts. I gave her money to buy whatever she wanted. I never missed a single event that she wanted me to attend. I dideverythingfor her... I did everything for them all..."

Belle didn't mind that he was leaning on her and let him stay like that since it seemed to comfort him a bit. "The only problem there is, is that your exes never loved you." She told him. She gave him a hug, continuing to soothe him. "The joke's on them, though. Those gold diggers don't know who they're missing out on." She smiled at him. Mason wiped his tears away and hugged her back, "Thank you, Belle... At least I have you here... Your husband must be a very lucky man to have married you."

"I don't have a partner, Master Salacil." Belle pointed out to him. Mason looked at her strangly. "Really? I thought that you'd at least havesomeonein your life?" He questioned. The bluenette shrugged her shoulders, "Any of the boys I was interested in called me a freak and laughed in my face. I'm used to it now, but I'd rather it not happen again, so I've stopped trying to find someone to be with."

Mason looked upset by that, "You're not a freak, Belle. You're a beautiful girl with a heart of gold and a fierce temper. You are strong and I can respect that."

Mason cupped the side of her face, making her blush without realizing it. 'Don't think like that. You're just misreading him.' She told herself. Mason continued on like it was nothing. "Besides, you're literally as strong as an ox. That in itself is pretty impressive." He told her. Belle gave him a small smile, "Thank you, Master."

"Don't thank me. It's the truth." Mason smiled at her. He lowered his hand and looked at it sadly. "I wish that I could just find someone who genuinely loves me... Someone that I've known for a while, and who I can share everything with instead of just giving to her. I need a woman who'll understand me and tell me how she feels so I know if she's okay. I want the perfect someone that I'll live the rest of my life with..." Mason looked at the opposite wall, "... I just don't know where to look."

Belle kept her smile on. "Why don't you start with the road ahead of you?" She suggested helpfully, "Someone will be there, I'm sure of it. You'll know who it is once you see her."

Mason nodded and thought for a moment. 'The road ahead... I have to move forward... Forward...' Mason considered the paths, finding and using synonyms while he thinks. 'Forward... In front of me...' his eyes slightly widened as he looked up, meeting Belle's eyes, '...Right in front of me...'

Mason straightened himself out and smiled at Belle again. Belle began to smile back until she realized what that smile meant. Her facial expression dropped into one of worry. "Master, you can't possibly be thinking of me, can you?" She asked with a nervous tone. Mason kept his smile on. "Of course I am. Think about it, Belle. Everything I said describes you perfectly." He said to her. "I've known you for years. You understand me and you're not afraid of my emotions. What I give to you, you give back in other ways. You are every bit of what I'm looking for."

"But Master Salacil, I can't. I- We- It wouldn't work." Belle backed up a bit as he started leaning over her, "I'm merely your housemaid. To have any romantic feelings for me would be... be..."

She trailed off as he leaned closer to her. "What's so wrong about it if the feelings are genuine? Besides, I know you care about me, unlike all those other girls." He told her.

"How to you know that?" She asked him.

"Because you'll close your eyes and won't pull away."

With that, he closed the distance between them and kissed her with his eyes closed. Belle was still shocked, but she melted into the kiss and closed her eyes, too. 'How predictable am I?' She asked herself. Mason wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. He tilted her head upwards and deepened the kiss. They stayed like that for a few minutes. When they pulled away from each other, both were panting slightly. "... Master Salacil?... What-... What was that?" Belle asked him, a massive blush on her cheeks.

"Please," he asked her with a smile, "Call me Mason."

[Ran out of creativity here. :P]

Chapter 25: Deep Below Ground

Chapter Text

Ballora heard the elevator doors open as the sound travelled through the vent. She was scared. That meant the nightguard was coming, which also meant that she was going to be electrocuted. She knew that she didn't have to be, but she didn't want the others to be shocked, too. She always let herself get shocked at least once so that the others will hear it and have time to retreat to the safety of their stages. This didn't come without consequences. She would constantly break down because of it. Breaking down meant that she would be scooped.

Shehatedgetting scooped.

The ballerina sighed and listened for the handunit to speak again, bracing herself for what was about to happen. Instead of silence coming from the guard, she heard multiple voices. "Are you sure about this place, Puppet? It seems deserted." Asked a voice. "Of course I'm sure." Replied another voice. "You sure you're not just down here to find that ballerina animatronic on the poster you were staring at on the way down here?" Asked a third voice. "Sh—shut up!" Said the second voice defensively, "I wasn't staring at the poster! I was thinking hard and just happened to be staring off in the poster's direction!"

"Sure you weren't." replied the third voice. Ballora tilted her head at this. 'What?' She questioned. She flinched when the handunit's voice echoed loudly through her gallery. "You are now in the primary control module! It is actually a crawlspace between the two front showrooms. Now, let's get started with your daily tasks! View the window to your left." It droned monotonously. It was starting. It would happen. She'd get shocked, and then she might break down. Then she'd get scooped again. Over. And over. Andover."This is the Ballora Gallery Party Room and Dance Studio, encouraging kids to get fit and enjoy pizza. Let's turn on the light and see if Ballora is on stage. Press the blue button on the elevated keypad to your left." It continued. There was a sound from the module as the lights shown through her room, originating from her stage. She stayed back far enough not to be seen, but still close enough to be able to make it to her stage before the second light. "Hey, Puppet, you think that animatronic you like is in there?" Asked a fourth voice. "Spring, I swear to—!"

"Uh oh! It looks like Ballora doesn't feel like dancing. Let's give her some motivation. Press the red button now to administer a controlled shock. Maybe that will put the spring back in her step." The handunit interrupted the second voice. It was silent for a moment before this "Spring" shouted, "Wait, Toy Freddy, don't—!"

Ballora slammed her eyes shut as a humming noise filled the room. A bright light flashed through her gallery as electricity coursed through her body. She couldn't hold back the high-pitched scream that tore itself out of her voice box. It's not like it matters if she did or didn't scream anyways, the humans either can't hear it or just don't care. The moment it was over, she bolted for her stage.

"Let's check the light again."

She landed on it just in time to catch the next light. "Excellent! Ballora is feeling like her old self again and will be ready to perform again tomorrow. Now, view the window to your—!" The handunit's voice cut off as a staticky hiss went through the speakers, killing the voice. 'Looks like Freddy decided to cut the power to the handunit... Thank God...' she thought. It was silent in the control module for a long moment. "...What was that?" Asked the first voice. The second voice suddenly shouted "Puppet, where are you—?"

"I'm going to see if she's alright!" The third voice snapped. Ballora stayed still on her stage as a rumbling noise went through the vents. The vent cover was kicked off and a tall, slender animatronic dropped out of the shaft. Ballora's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at him. 'Another animatronic?'

Three more animatronics came out of the vent after him: a green rabbit, a brown bear with rosy cheeks, and a golden bear with black eyes. That tall one was by her in an instant, staying on the floor to give her some space. "I'm sorry about that. Are you alright?" He asked her urgently. Ballora was still surprised, but nodded. "I'm alright. It happens every night... you get used to it, eventually." She told him with what was supposed to be a reassuring smile. It was safe to say that the smile didn't work based on the look of shock on his face. "You... get used to... every night?" He asked sadly. Ballora nodded, "We can't stop it, so we might as well prepare for it..."

The tall one offered his hand out to her. He only had three fingers. "Come with us... You and anyone else that's here... We can get you out of this place..." he said to her with a worried look. Ballora looked at his hand. 'I've literally only known him for less than a minute. I don't know his name or where he came from. I know next to nothing about this animatronic... but... I feel like I can trust him...' she debated before taking his hand with a small smile. He lightly pulled her towards him, and she stepped off of the stage. Two of the three animatronics behind him were smiling at her to say "it's okay". The third one was looking in the direction of the breaker room. "W—Well loo—ookie there, Bon B—Bon! New f—frien—nds!" Funtime Freddy's voice shouted cheerfully. All eyes turned to the bear and his hand puppet, and Freddy had a mischievous smile on his face. "H—H—Hey, Ballora! I nev—never knew that—at your type w—was tall, dar—dark, and creepy! Or tha—that you were in—into girls!"

The tall one opened his mouth to say something with a smile before he frowned deeply and put a hand on his hip. "I beg your pardon?!" He exclaimed, offended. "I am amale, thank you!"

"Sure you are!" Funtime Foxy called from the double doors of the gallery's entrance, Circus Baby standing right behind him. The fox grinned at the bear, "Hey, Freddy! Try not to upset the poor guy further, alrighty?"

"Al—Alrighty!"

Ballora giggled at the Funtimes' shenanigans, and the tall one smiled. After a while of discussing things over with their ringleader, the strange animatronics were able to get Circus Baby's trust to bring her and her crew to the surface. Everyone went in the elevator and started chatting excitedly as it went up. "Do you think we'll see trees?" Bon Bon asked with wide, wonder-filled eyes. The golden bear smiled at the little rabbit, "Of course you will. We can take you to see all the different types of trees in the world."

Bon Bon cheered. Ballora looked at the tall animatronic, who was still holding her hand after all this time. She only now noticed, but didn't make a move to point it out or get her hand back. 'I should probably ask him for his name, so that I can stop calling him "the tall one".' She decided. "Hey, Tree," she asked him quietly, gaining his attention. "What is your name?"

The tall one smiled at her, "I like Tree, but most people call me the Puppet Master— Puppet or Marionette for short. And you?"

"I'm Ballora." She said with a giggle. The Puppet Master grinned at her, giving her hand a light squeeze, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Ballora."

Baby and the golden bear shared a knowing smile at the two.

Chapter 26: Predator and Prey

Chapter Text

[Different AU than "Sorry, Love!"]

Belle sighed with contempt. She was out hunting with Elizabeth for the night and the two caught a large deer. They took turns feeding off of the animal, making sure that one of them was keeping watch for anything suspicious. It was a full moon out tonight, so the vampires had to be careful. They could outrun a werewolf, sure, but the werewolf had far more stamina and a superior sense of smell. Even washing yourself in a river can't get it off your trail if one decides to hunt you. "Sweet, my turn!" Elizabeth said with a smile. She swapped places with Belle, who had the advantage of being tall enough to see farther away. She thought she saw a flicker of movement and looked through the trees.

'... Nothing...' Belle shrugged her shoulders. She turned her head this way and that way, making sure to not disturb Elizabeth while she was eating. When they were both done, Elizabeth smiled at Belle with bloodied fangs. "So, have you chosen a partner yet? You're old enough, now." The redhead asked her. Belle shook her head. "No. I need more time to think about it." The bluenette responded, " We're vampires. We only get one partner for our whole time of existence... I want to make sure that I'll be happy with who I ask to be my life partner. Have you chosen who you're going to ask, Lizzie?"

"Yup. But I'm not telling you!" Elizabeth said back jokingly. She pat her stomach. "Well, I'm full. I'll head back to the coven. See you there, slowpoke!"

Elizabeth sped off through the forest, laughing. Belle shook her head at her friend's childlike behavior. She looked up and smiled at the moon. She sat down on a fallen tree nearby and started humming a song. It was a slow song, almost like a lullaby. Halfway through the song, something stepped on a twig behind her, causing it to snap in half. Belle stopped humming and stood up, turning around. She couldn't see anything. "H—Hello?" she asked warily, "Is someone out there?"

It was silent. Not even the crickets were chirping. Belle was starting to get scared. Something's up. She backed up slowly, keeping her eyes peeled. Suddenly, she heard growling from her side and looked in that direction. Two eyes were staring her down, a massive black wolf behind them. Belle screamed and ran away. The wolf ran after her on all fours. Any other vampire would have stayed and fought the beast, but Belle herself wasn't a fighter. She'd rather run and hide than even lift a clawed finger to attack something (the only exception being when she hunted). Belle looked at the sky, hoping that she could find a clear spot to turn into a bat and fly away. Her heart sank when she saw the sun starting to rise. 'How long have I been out here?' She asked herself, glancing back and seeing the wolf still after her. What Elizabeth teased her about was right. Belle was one of the slower-running vampires, but she was still fast than the wolf. If she remembered correctly, there's a safe place nearby for vampires who can't make it back to the coven's castle before sunrise. A small cabin by the lake. If Belle made it there, she'd be safe.

She just had to ditch the wolf first.

She brought that thing on a wild chase around the forest as long as she could. She wound her way through thorn bushes and dipped herself in the rivers and streams that she crossed in an attempt to make it difficult to find her. It sun was almost out when she finally made it to the cabin. She thought she lost the wolf and breathed a sigh of relief when she closed the cabin's door. She let her guard down, believing that there was nothing to worry about. She made sure that everything was shut before transforming into a bat and flying up to the ceiling. The rafters were made so that vampires could rest there in bat form. She hung upside down and lightly began to doze off.

There was sounds of the morning forest practically hypnotized her, since it began to rain. Her ears twitched at the sound of running. Belle peeked open one of her eyes and looked around the cabin warily. Did she not lose the wolf? The cabin door was opened and slammed shut as a man ran inside. He was tall with black hair, and he wore a black fur coat of some sort. He was panting and stood up straight, fixing his coat around himself to be more comfortable. "I hate rain." He muttered, "It makes me feel gross and dirty."

He paused suddenly and took a deep breath. He looked around the cabin, carefully scanning each surface and corner. He paced around the floor, being very quiet as if he were looking for something. He took another deep breath and looked up. His eyes locked with Belle's. Her eyes widened in surprise. His eyes were a beautiful shade of blue, like the crystals or diamonds that she kept back at the castle. "Hello there." He said to her, "Would you like to come down here for a chat? We'll be stuck in here all day, and I'd rather get comfortable than just stand around awkwardly."

Belle looked at him for a long moment, debating on whether or not to trust him. He knew she was a vampire, so maybe he was a vampire too? He seemed like he could be, and those eyes and calmness of his told her that he wasn't a human. If he was a vampire hunter, he would've tried to kill her already. 'I think he's alright. Don't let your guard down, Belle. If he's another vampire, you should still be careful.' She told herself. It was true, though. Any vampire outside of the coven could willingly harm her simply because they didn't know her.

After another moment, she spread her wings and lowered herself down to the ground. She transformed into her humanoid form and stood up straight. She made eye contact with the tall male and pressed her lips together to form a small smile. "Hello." She greeted politely. "Hello." The male greeted back, "Do you live here with someone?"

"That really depends on who's asking." Belle answered him a bit nervously. The male gave her the same small smile back, "My name is Mason. I'm from around here, but I've never seen you before, so I was curious. What is your name, by the way?"

"I'm Belle." She said quietly. "And... I don't actually live around here, but I visit the forest a lot."

"Ah, that explains it." He told her, smiling wider, "I've smelled your scent around here quite a bit recently. And now I finally found you."

"What?" Belle asked in confusion. Her eyes landed on his teeth. The canines were large, but they weren't fangs. 'They're not fangs.' She thought. 'He's not a human. He's not a vampire. He's a monster like me for sure, but what is he? He's large and his eyes are like a predator's... His canines...'

Belle's eyes widened in terror as she quickly came to a realization. She began to back away slowly. "Y—... You're a werewolf..." she gulped. Mason's smile grew even wider as he took a step forward, then another. "You're pretty observant," he complimented her, "Normally, most others don't recognize what I am until I say it. Tell me, what gave it away? Was it the teeth?"

Belle couldn't talk. A werewolf. Awerewolf!Werewolves and vampires are supposed to hate each other like no tomorrow. They killed each other constantly. This werewolf had her trapped like a sheep in its claws. Was it going to kill her, too? 'That's a stupid question. Of course he is.' Belle panicked. There was no way out of this. He's too close for her to transform into a bat. He's too strong for her to transform into a wolf to attack him. She doesn't want to bite him (Lord only knows where he's been), and the place is too small for her to dodge him until sunset, not to mention that she's already tired. And on top of that all, even if she made it out of the cabin alive, the sun would kill her. That was just a fact.

She interrupted her own morbid thoughts when she felt something behind her. A quick glance told her that she had backed herself up against the wall. She looked forward again, and the werewolf was already pressed up against her. He held her by the throat to make sure that she couldn't bite him. Mason leaned over her and looked into her frightened eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you." He said in a calm voice ('Yeah, like I'm going to believe a wolf when he says that to a vampire'), "I just want to look at you."

He raised his other hand to her face, resting it just below her mouth. "I've never been this close to a vampire before without him trying to kill me, so I thought that I'd take advantage of this moment." He told her. "Who knew a vampiress would be more docile than a vampire? I thought you all were hostile."

"Th—That's just me..." she said a bit shamefully, "I d—don't like to fight..."

"Which explains why you ran away from me." He concluded from that. His wide smile faded into a satisfied grin. "You know, I wasn't just saying things when I said that I wanted to look at you. I want to see and learn as much as I can before you leave. Now, open your mouth for me, will you?" He asked. Belle hesitated before reluctantly agreeing, slowly opening her mouth. "Good girl." He said to her. 'Was that a dog joke?!' The vampire thought with mild offense. Mason used his free hand to pull her lips back, revealing her fangs. They were still bloody from her feeding earlier, judging by the look on the werewolf's face. "Messy eater, or did you forget to brush your teeth?" He asked her with a smirk. Belle blushed a bit, but it showed clearly on her pale skin. She remained silent as he looked around her mouth. 'This is weird...' she thought. Her eyes widened instantly the moment she felt him touch her fangs. He brushed his index finger against her left fang, then curled his finger around it as he spoke to her. "Are your fangs sensitive?" He asked her, "Does it hurt or does it feel weird?"

"... Eawy ... wearhd." She managed to say with her mouth wide open. Mason hummed in response and placed his thumb and index finger on each side of the fang. 'Please don't yank it out please don't yank it out please don't yank it out!' She silently prayed, her eyes widening more. The male made sure that his grip was very loose on the large tooth in order not to actually hurt her. He rubbed the fang in between his fingers and gave in to his curiosity. "Tell me as well, do you want to bite me?" He asked her. Belle furrowed her brows, but relaxed when he pulled his hand out of her mouth. She closed her mouth quickly and moved her jaw around. 'That wasn't so bad...'

She remembered Mason's question and looked at him to show that she was being truthful. "No. I don't want to bite you. That's just gross. You're a humanoid." She said to him. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't you drain humans for breakfast?" He asked again. Belle stuck her tongue out. "Ew! No! Human blood is all fatty and you have no clue where it's been! Do you know how many diseases vampires would have if they drank human blood?"

That made Mason chuckle. "What else do we have wrong about you? Do vampires like vegetables, too? Are you guys really killed by garlic? What are your thoughts on garlic bread?"

"First of all, no. Second of all, it's not death, it's just an allergic reaction. And third of all, what kind of monster puts garlic on bread? That's just witchcraft." Belle answered him. Mason cracked another smile at her. He hummed in thought. "I guess I rather like talking to you. Belle, was it? How about I get you out of here? There's a human town a little bit away... I can get something to carry you to a cavern you can rest in while the sun is out? Much better than staying in a cramped cabin, am I right?" He asked. Belle genuinely thought about it. One one hand, her nerves were screaming "DON'T TRUST HIM HE'S A WOLF YOU CAN'T TRUST HIM HE'LLEATYOU", but on the other hand, if he wanted her dead he'd have killed her already.

"... Fine." She agreed warily, "But that's it, right? Just to a cavern or something? No funny business?"

"Just to a cavern. No funny business." He confirmed. He walked towards the door and made sure that she was out of the sunlight's path before opening it. "I'll be back in less than an hour." He called over his shoulder before leaving.

}—————{

True to his word, Mason returned less than an hour later. He came back holding an oddly made bird cage with a thick cloth on top of it. She eyed the cage up and down uncomfortably. "... Why is it a cage?" She asked, getting a bad feeling about this. "It'll make sure that I don't drop you on the ground, and you'll still be able to breathe. Plus it was cheap, so..." he explained, "I also got the cloth so that you won't get burned by the sun. I want to keep you from turning into a pile of dust, after all."

Belle sighed. "Yeah. That makes sense... And for the record, I won't turn into a pile of dust. I'll just burst into flames and disintegrate into nothing. Even my bones will catch fire." She told him. Mason nodded in acknowledgement. "Noted. Now c'mon, I know just the right cave to take you to." He said. Belle knew that this could end horribly— that she'd never see the coven again if she made the wrong choice— but there was something about this wolf that begged her to trust him. She sighed deeply and jumped, transforming into a bat again and flying into the cage. She landed on a perch that was in the middle of it and watched as Mason gently closed the door to it. He put the cloth on top of the cage, and the world became pitch black. She could tell that he was already walking towards the door. "Here we go, Belle." Mason said out loud. Then he opened the door and took her outside. She could see just a bit inside the cage, her night vision helping her, but Mason was right. The sunlight didn't touch her. She was safe.

Belle yawned and got comfortable. She was pretty tired, and it wasn't like she could go anywhere at the moment, right? Right. She rested her eyes and began to doze off like before. The sound of the light raining lulling her to sleep.

}—————{

"What did you do?!" A deep voice bellowed, startling Belle out of her sleep. She looked around wildly and saw that she was in an even larger cage than before. The bars were crafted so that she couldn't get out no matter what form she took. The cage was in a room with walls made of stone. It looked like she was in a cave. The cave had been set up like a large bedroom. There was a king-sized bed in the center of the wall to her left, with dressers and shelves built along the walls. Various animal furs were placed along the floors and walls as both carpeting and decoration. There was light coming from lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The door to the room was on the opposite wall from her. Standing in front of the cage was Mason and a man who was even bigger than him. Mason has his back turned to her, facing off with them man. "It's perfectly safe, father. Even if she managed to escape, she won't harm anyone. This one doesn't like fighting."

Belle transformed into her humanoid form and grabbed her head, trying to process what was going on. Where the hell was she? Why the hell was she in a big cage? Who the hell was Mason fighting with? Why the hell were they arguing about her? The bigger male got in Mason's face and snarled, showing off his large canines. "If that pest gets out of her cage without permission, she'sdead."

He looked her dead in the eyes and bared his canines at her, "You better behave yourself, or there will be dire consequences."

The man turned around and stomped out the door, slamming it shut behind him. Mason sighed and turned around to face Belle. "Good evening." He greeted her with a small smile. Belle shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. "Mason, where am I? Why am I here? And w—who was that?" She asked, the awful feeling in her stomach building up until she felt like vomiting. Mason put his hands behind his back. "That was my father, the pack's alpha. He's royally ticked off because you're in the heart of the pack's den. You're also here because I brought you here." He told her. Belle shakily shook her head, "You lied to me... Y—You said that you were bring me to a c—cavern... N—No funny business!"

"Ididbring you to a cavern. And you never specified what you meant by 'funny business'. Personally, I think this is rather serious business." He answered her without missing a beat. "That doesn't matter! You lied to me! Mason, I want out!" Belle yelled at him, the tears starting to stream down her face. Her heart hurt and her stomach turned to ice. She felt cold. "You don't want me to do that." He told her with a frown. "That cage is the safest place for you in the entire cavern. If I let you out, literally everyone will try to kill you if they see you and recognize you as a vampire. I'm sorry, Belle, but you're stuck in that cage until I have a better one for you."

"I don't want to live in a cage! I want to be free! Why are you doing this?! Do you think that it's funny to watch a vampire cry?!" She screamed at him now. She was growing hysterical. Why did this happen? No, here's a better question. Why didshelet this happen? She knew she shouldn't have trusted a werewolf, yet she did anyway, and now look where it's gotten her. She's trapped like a rat. Mason frowned at her and sighed. "You're safe in that cage, Belle. You don't realize what I'm doing for you right now, but you'll understand one day... I'm going hunting... I'll be back soon..."

With that, he turned and left.

Belle cried for hours that day, wishing that she never made the mistake of even talking to that wolf.

Chapter 27: Adrift (Part 7: The Finale)

Chapter Text

The others were relieved to have Belle back, and even more relieved to hear about William's death. Most of them apologized for not believing her, and Belle smiled at them all and told them that it was alright. Tyreke patched her up immediately when they got back. He gave her a weird cream for the cuts and warned her that it would probably itch. He wrapped up her hands and was able to have Fredrick and Lillian build a cast for each of her wrists. Struggling to get herself out of the ropes had actually made her dislocate her wrists and break her hands. Tyreke also warned her that broken bones aren't his cup of tea when it comes to medication, so there was a chance that they wouldn't heal properly. Belle frowned at the thought of not being able to use her hands again.

Mason was nowveryoverprotective of her and wouldn't let her out of his sight. He even went with her when she had to bathe, but he made sure to respectfully turn his back to her when that happened as to not be intrusive. He would make sure that she was alright and slept well at night. He'd even sleep beside her at night just to reassure her that she was safe (though he mostly did that last one for himself). One morning, Belle woke up and found that the two of them were alone in the shelter. She looked at Mason's face, leaned over to him, and kissed him on the lips thinking that he was still asleep. It startled her when he started kissing her back, wrapping his arms around her. When they separated, Belle was blushing madly. "Y—You're awake..." she stated. Mason nodded and smiled at her, "I'm awake. Thought that you could just steal a quick kiss from me while I was sleeping, Killer?"

"... Maybe..."

Mason laughed at how cute she was being. It was adorable when she was embarrassed and he loved it. He let go of her and sat up, petting her head affectionately before standing up and walking out of the shelter. Belle smiled in his direction and stood up to follow him. She walked out onto the beach and saw everyone loading things into the large raft they built while she was "away". "What's going on?" Belle asked Flynn and Richard, who were looking at one of Flynn's maps. "We've all voted to head for the nearest country." Richard told her, "The island is becoming dangerous with the rising water levels and the rising temperatures. We made sure to pack anything and everything that we need, and now we're putting the raft on the water's edge. We'll leave tomorrow morning, though, just make sure that we're all ready for this."

"Aye, th' ocean can be far more dangerous than the land. So we be going along te' fishing routes to meet any ships that'll be passin' on by." Flynn confirmed. "Can I help in any way?" Belle asked. Richard shook his head, "You can't use your hands. Tyreke's orders."

"Aw, c'mon! I want to help!" Belle almost pleaded. Richard smirked as he had an idea. "Wait... No, Richard don't—!" Belle tried, but it was too late. "Mason!" Richard called, "Your girlfriend's trying to use her hands again!"

Mason was in front of her in less than five seconds. "No." He told her sternly, poking her nose. "Don't make me kiss you in front of everyone." He added as a threat. Belle pouted in defeat. He knew how to win. Belle grinned evilly as she thought of a way to get back at him. "Hey, Mason!" Belle called to him as he walked away from her. Mason turned back around with a questioning look. Belle made a suggestive face and stuck her tongue out at him. Mason's eyes widened and he attempted covering his nose as it started bleeding. "Oh my God!" Belle laughed. Flynn and Richard started laughing too. Belle closed her eyes and leaned over while continuing to laugh, "That worked better than I expected it to!"

Mason just grumbled and wiped his nose, then went to the water to clean himself off. Lillian clapped a hand on Belle's shoulder, breathing hard, "Holy schnitzel dudette, you got him good!"

}—————{

That night, everyone was outside. They were singing songs and having a good time. Some were nervous about leaving tomorrow, while others were excited. There were a few who actually didn't want to leave the island at all. "Think about it my dudes; no more taxes!" Lillian told them, causing a wave of laughter. When it was nearly time for bed, Belle was looking out at the ocean with Mason. "Do you think that we'll see each other again, once we go home?" She asked him hopefully. Mason put an arm around her waist. "Of course we will. I'll make sure of it. I love you, Belle."

"I love you, too, Mason." Belle smiled and kissed him on the lips again. He kissed her back. They separated and Belle leaned into his chest, hearing his heartbeat. He rested his head on top of hers and put his other arm around her. They heard a few "awww"s, but both decided to ignore it. Belle closed her eyes and listened closely.

Then she heard something in the distance. She pulled away from Mason quickly, startling him. "Belle?" He asked with concern. Belle ignored him and stood up, looking out across the water. She squinted her eyes, but she couldn't see anything. She gained a few of the others' attentions in the process. "Mason, can you see what's out there? My eyes aren't good at night." She asked him. Mason stood up beside her and did as she asked with a "sure thing". He concentrated hard, then his eyes widened. "A ship! Guys there's a ship!" he hollered and pointed. "It's over there!"

Myckenzie smiled widely at her cousin, who smiled back, "Flynn, get the flare gun!"

Flynn pulled the flare gun out of his survival kit on the beaches raft. He loaded it and stood firmly on the ground. "Everybody cover yer' ears!" The pirate shouted. Everyone plugged their ears (Belle covered hers with her arms, since she couldn't use her hands). Flynn aimed at the sky and fired. A loudboomtore through the air as a bright red light shot into the sky. There was silence for a few minutes before they heard the ship's horn blow from across the water. "They saw it!" Elizabeth shouted gleefully. "The ship stopped! I think they're getting lifeboats!" Mason reported. He grabbed Belle and spun her around, "We're going home!"

"Shoot! Now I have to pay taxes again!" Lillian joked. They whooped and cheered, celebrating until the lifeboats came. Everyone silently said goodbye to the island as the boats took them to the ship. "Thank God you guys had a flare," said one of the guys on the lifeboat that Belle and Mason were in, "We were going to pass the island when the captain saw it. Mighty thankful, we all should be."

Mason kept his arms wrapped around Belle the entire time. "We are. We are very grateful for this luck." He told the man. The man smiled at him. "M'name's Bonnie. Bonnie Hare. We're bringing ya' to the SS Cawthon. Fishing vessel." He looked at Mason and Belle, "You two a thing?"

"Yep." Belle responded before Mason could. Mason smiled at her and hugged her tighter. "What're y'all doing on the island anyway?" Bonnie asked. Ethan was in the same boat as them. "We were on a cruise. The ship sank and we managed to get to the island before we ran out of supplies. We don't know how long we've been there." He told him. Bonnie widened his eyes and scratched his head. "Dayum. You were on the Fazbear cruise?" He asked. "That's the one." Ethan replies. Bonnie looked at them with a bit of admiration. "Y'all been on that island for a while. The ship sank over a month ago. You guys are the some of the only survivors." He told them.

Bonnie looked back at the SS Cawthon, "Doesn't matter now. We're bringing ya' to Spain. I can get y'all a ride back to the 'States when we get there. I just have to tell the captain so he can cut my paycheck."

"Thanks, Bonnie." Mason said. "We really appreciate it." Tyreke added from beside Ethan. Bonnie winked at them all, "No problem!"

}—————{

[Two Years Later...]

True to his word, Mason made sure that everyone remained in contact with each other. They all lived in the same county, which was a funny coincidence. They would go on camping trips and constantly joke about how they'll never get on another boat again in their lives (except for Flynn and Myckenzie, since the sea is Flynn's life and he tends to drag Myckenzie with him on his crazy adventures). Belle's wrists and hands fully healed, so she could use them now. Mason and Belle became engaged after their third month back in civilization, and they got married a month after that. Less than a few months ago, the loving couple had two beautiful twins, a boy and a girl who they named Max and Lily. Lillian immediately made it known to everyone that she was right and Richard was wrong when Belle and Mason named her the children's godmother. Mason was still protective over Belle, and that protective mode of his became even more present when Belle told him about her carrying the twins. Now that they were born, the man always kept an eye or two on them and spoiled them whenever he could.

Belle moved on completely from William, choosing to forget what happened with him on the island. The large group remained with each other like one big, happy family.

Oh, and Lillian may or may not have gotten the phone number of the captain from the SS Cawthon, Kenny Baker.

(The two may or may not also be secretly dating.)

("Thank you, Fazbear cruise!")

[Good God, thereisan ending to this!]

Chapter 28: Predator and Prey (Part 2)

Chapter Text

It's been a few months since Belle last saw the moonlight. Mason kept her under lock and key the entire time, being careful to make sure that he was keeping her safe. Belle slowly started to understand her situation, but it didn't help her too much since she started becoming a bit depressed. She missed the coven. She missed being in contact with other vampires. She especially missed her friend, Elizabeth. Mason would bring her things to cheer her up, which usually worked. He'd bring her live animals to eat (like foxes and hares, since those were small enough for him to carry home to her), and he was able to get her cage expanded, allowing her to have enough space to lay down and sleep comfortably. The vampiress would be given pretty animal furs and small pieces of jewelry, as well as other things like paper and ink to draw or write with. Once, Mason actually brought her a little white mouse to do what she wanted with since he caught it in the cavern. Despite what he thought she would actually do with it, Belle chose to keep the little mouse as a pet. She even named it Marvin.

"Hey, Marvin." Belle greeted the little mouse when she woke up from her recent nap. She stroked Marvin's back with her clawed fingers and the little mouse played with his ears. The vampiress smiled at her pet. She looked outside of the cage and saw that Mason was preparing for something. He was making himself as presentable as possible and even pulled out a nice dress for her. He also got out some thing that resembled a collar and a leash.

Now that was just dehumanizing.

"I'm sorry, Belle." He apologized to her when he saw her eyeing the last two items as he handed her the dress through the bars, "But this is necessary... I want to take you out of the cage today so that you can stretch your legs. If you have those on, the other werewolves won't attack you because they'll know that I want you here."

Belle nodded, keeping her eyes on the dress. It was a nice purple color and it covered almost her entire body when she put it on. "I'm ready..." she told him. Mason nodded and handed her the collar. It was made of a strong and lightweight metal so that it was easy for her to wear. She put the collar on and felt it with her hand. There was a pattern carved into it. "Can I bring Marvin?" She asked before he opened the cage door. Mason smiled at her and nodded. Belle picked up Marvin and held him in her hands. Mason took his skeleton keys and opened all the locks on the cage. He opened the door, placed the keys on his belt, then took the rope and gestured for Belle to come to him. Belle obeyed and stood still as he tied the rope tightly around a pat of the collar that stuck out. He then tied the other end around his wrist and smiled reassuringly at her. "Please don't try to run away." He pleaded with her, "The cavern is huge. Another wolf will kill you before you find the exit, and I'd rather not lose you. Remember when I said that I like talking to you? I mean it. I like having you around and I don't know what I'd do if someone killed you."

Belle nodded, silently agreeing not to attempt an escape. Mason kept smiling at her and lightly tugged on the rope for her to follow him. He led her out the door and down a shirt tunnel before coming out into the open. Her eyes widened. Mason was right. The cavern wasmassive!It was like an entire underground city, too. There were people bustling about with food carts and clothing. There were small children playing, and a small group of teenagers (she thinks they were teenagers, but they might be young adults) were painting a mural of the moon on one of the walls. There were at least a few hundred werewolves that she could see. 'And there has to be more. They outnumber the coven twenty-to-one...' Belle thought with awe and worry. 'What if the werewolves find the coven? Will it be my fault? How many vampires would die? Everyone?'

Belle was snapped out of her thoughts when Mason greeted someone. "Hey there, Gold! I want you to meet someone!" He said. Belle looked at Mason. He was talking to a male that was the same height as him with golden-blonde hair and grey eyes. "Hey, Mason!" The male greeted back. He looked at Belle, "Is this the vampire that everyone says you're hiding in your room?"

Belle gave him a small smile to be polite while Mason spoke for her. "She is. Also, quick note, she's a vampiress. Gender difference, my friend." He pointed out. The male smiled a little awkwardly at her. "Oops. I'm sorry about that. Did I offend you, Miss?" He asked her. Belle shook her head and kept her smile on, "No, it's alright. You'd be surprised at how many people don't actually know about the different terms for vampires."

The male smiled at her and Mason. "Ah. I see why you keep her with you, Mace. She's polite like you are." He said. He stuck his hand out to her, "My name's Gerald Spring, but my friends call me Gold because of my hair. Please, feel free to use my nickname."

Belle shook his hand and smiled wider, "Thank you. My name is Belle. It's nice to meet you, Gold."

"It's nice to meet you, too, Belle." He pulled his hand away and looked at Mason. "Well, I better get going. Those furs aren't going to hunt themselves, after all. See you around, Mace. Have a nice night, Belle."

Mason nodded and Belle waved goodbye at Gerald as he left. "Why does he call you 'Mace'?" Belle asked. Mason shrugged. "It goes with my name... plus I might've hit him with a wooden mace when we were pups." He told her. Belle tilted her head, "Pups?"

"Right, you don't know these things." Mason realized out loud as they continued walking. "Most of us call younger or newly transformed werewolves 'pups' since... well,werewolves. Need I say more?"

"Oh. That does make sense." Belle said. Speaking of the pups, many of them stopped what they were doing and stared at Mason and Belle whenever they passed by. Some of them actually started following the two, never seeing a vampire before since they can only be told about them at this age. Belle would glance every now and then at them to see how many were there. Mason hummed. "What do you call young vampires?" He asked her curiously. Belle shrugged a little. "It depends, really." She told him, "If you were transformed, you're called a newborn or a fledgling. If you were born, you can be called a fledgling, a batlet, a pup, or simply a child. I don't understand the batlet one, though, since that's not what an actual batlet is."

"Ah." Mason responded. "Do you still have Marvin?" He asked her. Belle nodded, "I put him in one of the dress pockets when we were talking to Gerald."

The little mouse poked his head out of the pocket as if to say "Yep! I'm right here!". Belle smiled softly and pet the mouse before he retreated back into the pocket. "Excuse me?" Asked a small voice from behind them. Belle and Mason turned around and saw the small crowd of children. A little girl was in front of them, twiddling her thumbs nervously. "Ma'am? Are... Are you a real vampire?" She asked. Belle smiled at her and nodded, "I am. But don't worry, I won't bite anybody."

The little one looked relieved and smiled back at Belle. She was missing one of her canines. The other children tarted asking her questions. "Do vampires have packs?" One asked. "Some do." She answered. "Do you drink lots of blood?" Another asked. "Only when I'm really hungry." She answered. "Can vampires have babies?" A third child asked. "It's up to the individual's biology." She answered. "Canyouhave babies?" The third one asked again. "I'm... one of the few that can." She answered shyly this time. "Do vampires hate garlic bread?" Another one asked. Belle looked at him weirdly, "What is with everyone and garlic bread?"

The little boy giggled. "Can we see your fangs?" The first girl asked excitedly. Belle looked nervously at Mason for approval. He nodded his head and she looked at the pup again. "If you want to." She answered before opening her mouth for the little ones to see. Some of them gasped and she heard a few awed words that made her feel a bit proud to have her fangs. She closed her mouth and smiled at the children. "They're so cool!" Said a little boy. "They're so pretty!" Said a little girl. "Your fangs are long!" Commented another boy. "Are they sensitive?" Asked a pup with glasses. "Very sensitive. I have to be careful of bones when I feed so that I don't break my fangs or get them stuck and accidentally pull them out." Belle answered. "Have you lost fangs before?" The same one asked. Belle nodded. "How?" They asked. "I lost one when I was learning to fly and crashed into a tree... I broke the same one's replacement on an elk's shoulder blade when I was hunting, and my friend had to help me pull it out..." she counted with her fingers as she recalled these moments, "I lost two of them because another vampire wanted to mess with me and plucked them out... and the most resent one I lost got broken when I was hunting a rabbit. I lunged at the rabbit and missed, then I broke my fang on a rock that was on the ground were I fell."

"Ouch!" Said one of the boys. "Gross!" Said another boy, "Why would another vampire rip out your fangs? I thought vampires were nice to each other like werewolves are?"

That one actually caught Belle off guard. "Don't werewolves fight with other packs over land and food?" She asked them. The little ones shook their heads. Mason put a hand on her shoulder. "Is the life of a vampire hard?" He asked her. Belle thought about it for a moment, "I... I guess it is... The males fight for the coven and are very... harsh with everything, and the females are always thought of last when it comes to food so they must always hunt for their own. There aren't many offspring, so if one is lost, it can damage the coven greatly... Even the-."

"Mason!" The alpha's voice echoed through the cavern. The pups scattered immediately and Mason pulled Belle closer to him using the rope. He hid her behind him and faced his father, who was storming up to them. If looks could kill, Belle would already be dead. "What did I tell you about letting thatvampireout of her cage?!" He yelled. He stopped right in front of Mason and looked a Belle, sho had her eyes slammed shut and was holding onto Mason's back tightly. "I said that she wasn't allowed out unless she was permitted to be!" He continued. Mason looked his father in the eye. "She does have permission. She hasmypermission. I can't keep her locked in that cage forever. She needs to be able to walk and stretch her legs like any other living creature." He told his father calmly. "She'snota living creature! She's avampire! She doesn't need to be let out of her cage if she's not alive in the first place! Now, you're going to take her back to that cage of hers right now, or I'llkillher!" His father scolded. He glared daggers at Belle, who was terrified of him. "I think not." Mason said. "What?!"

"I think she's proven herself to be trustworthy around here. I wouldn't have this rope around her if you weren't present in the den." Mason explained. "Think about it, father. Any vampire would have already tried to fight his way out and kill as many wolves as he can along the way, right?"

The glare from his father was enough confirmation. "I'll take that as a 'right', then." he continued. Mason felt Belle's grip on his starting to relax as the tension wore itself down. "Belle told me herself that she hates fighting. She's not going to attack anyone, not even if they attack her first. She's shown no hostility towards anyone whatsoever, and has remained rather submissive for the past few months. I believe that she deserves some trust and respect, don't you?"

The alpha looked at her, then back at Mason. "...Fine...But she still has to sleep in the cage!" He said after a moment. "We can work with that." Mason smiled and nodded.

}-----{

[One Week Later...]

'The Lore of Werepeople...' Belle read from the dusty old book that she pulled off of a shelf. Mason took her to explore the rest of the cavern several times since last week. The alpha trusted his son enough to keep her under control while she was walking about. Today, he asked her if she minded telling the librarians a few things about vampires for them to write in their scrolls. She agreed, excited to go out again. As it turns out, just like vampires don't know a lot about werewolves, werewolves don't know a lot about vampires. While Mason was talking to the librarians about Belle, the vampiress was checking out the oldest section of the library. What fascinated her about it is that all the books were written in Latin. All vampires know Latin by some sort of instinct, so Belle was able to read it without problem. The books were ancient yet so well preserved that she couldn't help but be impressed.

'Long ago, it was only rumored that men and women of the moon could take another shape under its full glow. These people were known as the Lycanthropes, or Werepeople. Their place of origin determines the shape they take. If they are from the far reaches of Asia, they can be weretigers or werepandas. If they are from the jungles of Africa, they can be wereleopards or werehyenas. The most common thread of these unique shape-changers, however, originate from the continent of Europe. Members of this dominant breed are known as the Night Howlers.

'Werewolves.

'They have massive, strong bodies and a far more superior sense of smell than any species on the face of the Earth. They are known for being quite violent, and are rumored to have no control over themselves when they morph. Werewolves are-.'

"Belle! Belle, come here! The librarians are waiting! If you have a book that you want to read, bring it with you!" Mason's voice called her from the other side of the library. Belle looked up and smiled in his direction. "Coming!" She called back. She closed the book and took off towards the werewolf.

Chapter 29: Predator and Prey (Part 3)

Chapter Text

[Slight Torture Warning!]

"What did you find?" Mason asked as Belle took a seat beside him. The table was oval shaped and made from dark-colored marble. The room they were in was dimly lit and the walls were lined with shelves. There were three librarians on the other side of the table. They had open books in front of them with blank pages, and there were inkwells set aside with writing quills in them. Belle set the book next to him on the table. "I hope it's alright if I read this...I understand if not..." she said shyly. She might have accidentally intruded by reading a book about werewolf origins, but hopefully Mason would forgive her if that were the case. Mason looked at the book in confusion. "What is it?" He asked. Belle raised a brow at him, "It's a book."

"Yeah, I can see that. I mean that I can't read the cover. It's pretty beaten up." Mason specified for her. The librarians looked at him and Belle as they spoke. "It's not beaten up, silly. The book's written in Latin. Can't you tell?" She told him. One of the librarians— the oldest one— looked at her with interest. "Latin, you say? Would that book be from the untouched section of the library?" He asked her. Belle turned to him and twiddled her thumbs. "I guess it is... but... I hope I'm not doing something bad by reading it..."

"No, that's not bad at all, actually." The librarian told her, "There aren't many werewolves that understand Latin. There certainly aren't any in this pack— not anymore, at least... You can read Latin?"

Belle nodded, "I can fluently speak and read Latin. All vampires can. It's something we know from the moment we start existing as a vampire or vampiress."

The librarian to her far left— a younger male— wrote down what she said in the book in front of him. "All of them?" He asked while he was writing. "I think so." Belle said, "All the vampires I talk with know Latin as well as I do."

The librarian to her far right was a middle-aged female. "Are there any other special talents or unique abilities vampires can acquire?" She asked. Belle nodded. They spent hours talking and getting information from her. Belle would make sure not to say or talk about anything that could be used against her fellow vampires, but still answered enough questions to satisfy the librarians. "If you kill the head vampire, any half-vampires bitten by them will return to their original being." She finished another question. The older librarian tilted his head at her. "May I ask you something personal?" He asked. Belle nodded, "If it's not too personal, sure."

"Earlier you mentioned something about partnerships being very complicated among vampires when it comes to offspring. How come?" He readied his quill to write more. Belle gripped her wrist as she answered, looking down at the table. "Vampires don't produce many offspring because of the biology of most individuals. The ones that are able to don't want to pair with the wrong spouse for them. They want to be happy and live peacefully together for as long as they both exist."

"Why is that?" Mason questioned, "Can't two vampires who are in an unhappy marriage get a divorce?"

Belle shook her head and looked at him. "Tradition forbids it. Once a vampiress chooses a partner, she's stuck with him for the rest of her life. She must also do as he says when he says it, no matter how badly she doesn't want to. Most males can become abusive partners without realizing it, which is why most females are very hesitant when deciding who they want to ask." She said sadly. "... I'm worried about my friend... She recently turned the appropriate courting age before Mason brought me here, and she told me that she already decided who she wanted to ask to be her life partner... I can only hope that she'll be alright..."

Belle's heart ached at the thought of Elizabeth being unhappy. The poor vampiress deserves a good partner. "What's the appropriate courting age?" The female librarian asked her. Belle blinked before answering. "One hundred-eighty years for females, two hundred-twenty-one years for males— for my coven, that is. It depends on where a vampire is from and if they live in a group. For example, a coven's Primus can decide what age is appropriate for his constituents, while any rogue vampires will try to find a partner whenever they feel like it and not care for the partner's age."

"How old are you?" The younger male asked. "I'm not entirely sure right now. How long have I been here?" Belle asked. "About three months." Mason answered for her, "Today's the sixth of October."

"Then I'll be turning one hundred-eighty tomorrow." Belle informed the werewolves in the room. Mason's eyes widened a bit. "Have you decided who you want as a partner yet?" He asked her. Belle hesitated, unsure if she wanted to answer that for him or not."... No." She said finally, "I haven't decided yet. None of the males that were available at the time caught my interest."

"Have you thought about any of them now?" He asked her again. Belle furrowed her brows at him. "No. Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

}—————{

[A Few Weeks Later]

Ever since that happened, Mason's been acting weird. Whenever he's around Belle, he seemed to be trying to impress her. He'd have stand-offs with other male werewolves and would make sure that she was watching when he pounded them into the dirt. He'd bring her all sorts of things, varying from more jewelry and exotic animal furs to hunting trophies and things that he thought she'd like. Belle would talk to Marvin or Gerald about it whenever Mason went hunting. "I don't know, Gold." She told him as she stroked Marvin's ears, "I just don't understand what's going on with him. Mason's been acting weird ever since the librarians had me tell them more about vampires... Do you think that he pities me for being a vampiress, since we usually draw the short straw in life?"

Gerald just smiled at her weirdly, "Don't worry, Belle. I think I know what's going on. Just hang on tight and you'll see it too."

Belle was more confused than reassured by Gerald's answer, but Gerald probably knew Mason better than anyone, so she could trust his opinion. A few days later, Mason took Belle around the cavern for another walk. One of the other male werewolves actually made a flirty comment at Belle, but the moment he looked behind her, he looked like he just ate his own tail. Belle looked behind herself and saw Mason giving the male a deadly glare, like he was just majorly offended and was ready to bite the offender's head off. He took her away and brought her to the highest point in the cavern. "What is this?" Belle asked him. "I thought you'd enjoy the view." He told her, "The cavern is quite breathtaking from this high up."

Mason certainly was right about that. They stayed there and talked for hours. When they went back to Mason's room, he told her that if she behaved and promised not to run away, he'd take her outside to run around until the sun came up. Belle smiled widely and instantly agreed. She was so excited that she almost couldn't sleep. The next night, Mason let Belle out of her cage. He took her by the hand and made her close her eyes before he led her through the cavern. When he told her to open them, the two were standing in the cavern's entrance. The sun was almost done setting, and the moon peeked out from behind the mountains. "It's almost time, Belle. Are you ready?" He asked her with a smile. Belle smiled back at him, "I'm ready!"

Mason held both of her hands and looked into her eyes. "Belle, I'm giving you a lot of trust and respect by letting you do this. Please, don't make me regret it. I'll be in the forest, too. It's a full moon out tonight, so I'll be out there, as well as other wolves. The wolves in my pack know your scent by now, so they shouldn't attack you, but I'll be nearby just in case. If there's any trouble, or if you run into any bad vampires, please come find me... and promise me that you'll come back. Do you promise?"

"I promise, Mason. I'll come back before the sun is up... If I don't, I probably just got lost and found a cave or a tree to spend the day in. I won't leave the forest." Belle promised him. Mason nodded gratefully. He let go of her, and she took off in a full sprint as the male began to change his shape. She ran for an entire hour, keeping her promise of staying in the woods. She went in various circles and literally ran up and down hills and tall trees. This was the best feeling in the world! She had been stuck in that cavern and cage for so long, and now she can run as fast as she wants to without someone hawk-eyeing her! Hallelujah!

One of the hills had a startlingly steep slope— almost like a miniature cliff. She stood on the ledge and took deep breathes. The night are was crisp and refreshing, and the moon shone brightly. 'Let's see how rusty I am.' Belle thought, challenging herself. She backed up about twenty feet, then took a running leap and transformed into a bat. She literally did summersaults in the air, she was having lots of fun! She eventually calmed down and flew at a slow pace. She stayed within the forest's borders, keeping herself aloft in the night sky. She enjoyed this so much. 'I miss this...' she longingly glances at the moon. The vampiress was enjoying herself so much that she didn't hear another bat sneak up on her in the sky. It crashed into her, sending them both tumbling out of the sky. At first Belle thought it was a real bat, then she thought it was Elizabeth by chance, but then she realized that this bat was too big to be either and panicked. It was another vampire for sure, but he didn't feel familiar to her, so she had to assume that he was either a new member of her coven or a rogue. His bat form was larger than hers and it grappled her to keep her from trying to fly again. 'Fine then, I'll just have to try to make it even!' She thought defiantly and morphed back into her humanoid form. She grabbed the other bat and hissed at it as they both plummeted to the ground. Belle let go of him as her face hit a large tree branch. She felt something break and let out a loud "Ow!".

She crashed onto the forest floor, landing on her stomach. Thankfully, there wasn't anything hard or sharp that she could have gotten more injured on. She groaned and scrambled onto her feet as quickly as she could, looking around wildly. The large bat landed gracefully on a boulder that jutted out of the ground a good distance away from her. He transformed into an unfamiliar vampire. "A vampiress? All the way out here? Tonight must be my lucky night." He said to her with a smirk. 'Yep, definitely a rogue.' She confirmed. "Who are you?" She called to him, "What are you doing here?"

She wondered if the werewolves smelled him. According to the book she's been reading from the library, they should've caught his scent a few minutes after he entered the forest. "My name is Abraham." He told her proudly, "AndIam the most desired vampire on this side of the continent. I am in search of a life partner, and I do believe that I may have just found her— that is, if you think we are worthy enough of each other?"

Belle simply looked at him like he annoyed her. "Really? I know rocks that are more appealing than you." She told him in an irritated voice, making her realize just how bold that sounded. Abraham frowned deeply at her, then he smirked again. He looked like he was up to something. Belle slowly took a step backwards. "You are funny. I like that in a woman. I just need to teach you some manners, and you'll be perfect. Come with me, or I will do this the hard way." He said to her in a deceptively sweet voice. She started walking backwards, her eyes widening. Abraham grinned at her, "Oh well! I gave you a chance to make this easier on yourself."

Belle sped away as he sprang off of the boulder and ran after her. The trees whipped by her as she weaves through them. 'If I can make it to one of the werewolves, I'll be safe!' She told herself. She silently prayed that she'd find Mason or Gerald, or maybe even Mason's father by a small chance. The big wolfman may not like her, but even he wouldn't give her to another vampire. She'd glance behind herself every ten seconds or so to make sure that he wasn't too close. He was a vampire, so he easily kept up with her. He was faster than her, too, but she was able to keep him at bay by constantly turning in different directions and tricking him into running into walls.

Abraham caught her eventually. He was able to predict which way she would turn and cut her off. The vampire slammed into her side, practically throwing her into a tree. She tried to get up and run again, but he pinned her before she could move. "That was annoying." He said to her with a devilish smile. He forced her mouth open painfully and looked at her fangs. He tsked. "I was going to rip them out to show you what happens when you talk back to me, but one of them is already broken. What a shame." He told her. "However, I can still have some fun with this."

He held his other hand up to her eyes to show her how thin and sharp his nails were. 'Oh no!' She regretted snapping at him. She should have just politely declined, and now she was going to be hurt because she insulted him. He took one of his nails and lined it up vertically with her broken fang. Then he rammed it into the center of the tooth, tearing through the exposed nerves. Belle shrieked, the sound being carried far through the forest. Abraham twisted his finger to scrape the inside of it, making Belle whimper loudly. She could taste blood in her mouth. She grabbed his arm and tried to get his hand out of her mouth. His grin grew more smug by the second as he carelessly pulled his nail out of her fang. She was about to close her mouth and cover it with her hands when the vampire gripped her other fang tightly. Belle whimpered again and tried to beg him not to continue. This was too much. Her mouth was so sore. "This is what happens when you defy me~." Abraham sing-singed to her. Another scream erupted from Belle's throat as the vampire ripped her other fang out.

The forest echoed with her agonized cries. He took his bloodied hands out of her mouth and let her double over in pain. She whined in pain. Abraham grabbed her again and twisted her around so that he had access to her neck. He bared his fangs in a malicious smile. "Now that you've learned your lesson, I think it's time to put on the finishing touch."

He opened his mouth wide and went to bite her neck. Right before he sunk his fangs into her, a shape barreled out of the trees and slammed into him, sending the vampire flying. He crashed into a tree with a grunt and slid to the ground. He looked back up and froze. There was a massive black wolf with crystal blue eyes standing between him and Belle. Two more wolves ran out of the bushes behind the first one. One had a golden-yellow coat, while the other looked like the first one, except older and larger. The first wolf snarled at him with a burning hatred in his eyes. Abraham knew that he would get mailed if he didn't get out of there. "Fine! Eatherinstead!" The vampire shouted before transforming into a bat and taking to the sky. The black wolf wanted to go after him so badly...

The other two wolves morphed into Gerald and Mason's father. The first wolf looked at them and morphed into Mason. He went to Belle's side and gripped her shoulders. "Belle?! Belle are you o— nevermind, that's a stupid question. U—Uhm..." Mason was panicking, "What did that slimeball do to you?"

Belle lunged at Mason and pulled him into a fierce hug. Mason held her as she shivered in his arms. "Belle, what did he do to you?" He asked her gently. The smell of her blood was overwhelming with her this close to him, but he ignored it as best as he could to focus on her. Belle looked at him and opened her mouth a tiny bit. Mason looked inside and noticed immediately what happened to her fangs. He held her tighter and whispered to her. "It's okay... You'll be alright... Let me help you... Please?" He asked her. Belle nodded, shutting her mouth again.

"Mace, what happened?" Gerald asked. "... Is she okay?" His father asked, genuinely concerned. Mason kept his eyes on Belle as he spoke to them, "That monster tore one of her fangs out and broke the other. We need to get her back to the cavern and get her to the infirmary. Gold, can you run ahead and have them prepare for her?"

"Of course." Gerald responded. He turned back into a wolf and dashed towards the cavern. Mason's father crouched down to help him lift Belle up, "Let's get her out of here."

Chapter 30: Predator and Prey (Part 4)

Chapter Text

Belle was laying down in Mason's bed. The werewolf was in his humanoid form, wearing his black fur coat. The vampiress with him snuggled herself into the soft fur and relaxed. The two became closer after Belle was attacked in the forest. The medic who tended to her had to pull out her remaining fang so that a new one could grow in its place. It would take around six months for the fangs to grow back in, which meant that she had to go six months without being able to get blood on her own. When she explained this to Mason, he was more than willing to help her with feeding. She was honestly relieved that it was him who volunteered to help her. That made it less awkward when she had to drink blood from a metal bowl. This also allowed Mason to figure out what her favorite animal is (to feed off of, specifically). She loved it when he brought her rabbit blood.

"Hey." Mason caught her attention, "How's your mouth? Are you hungry yet?"

Belle smiled unto the fur coat and shook her head a little. "Not hungry?" He asked to confirm it. "Nope." Belle mumbled. Mason hooked one of his arms around her waist. He pulled her closer to him and relaxed with her. Belle smiled more. "Hey, Belle? Can I ask you something weird?" Mason asked suddenly. "Ask away." Belle said.

"How do vampires court one another?"

Belle opened her eyes and looked at him weirdly. "That's a strange question to ask me. Why do you want to know?" She asked him. "Just curious." Mason covered. Belle didn't know whether to believe him or not, but answered anyways. "It starts with the male or female asking their chosen partner if they wish to be courted. If they say 'yes', then the courting begins. If they say 'no', then both go their separate ways and wait until someone else asks them again. Courting a vampire or vampiress can be pretty difficult, since it always depends on the interests of the one being courted. For example, a vampiress who likes to collect jewelry made of animal bones can be won over by a vampire who brings them bones of prey every time they go hunting and makes it into jewelry for her. When the one who is being courted gives in to the other's desires, that is when the courting is deemed successful. After that, the vampire and vampiress become life partners and can produce offspring if their biologies allow it."

Mason listened intently to every word and nodded when she was done explaining it to him. "Is that it? Is there anything crucial that you left out?" He asked her again. Belle shook her head. "That's it. Simple, yet complicated."

Mason nodded again, "Alright. Thank you."

}-----{

Things got even weirder after that.

Other male werewolves started avoiding her (except Gold and Mason's father, they were okay with her still). The pups would whisper and giggle whenever she and Mason were nearby. The females would look at her and talk amongst themselves about something that excited them. It was like the whole cavern knew something about her that she herself didn't. Today, Mason's father sat down with her and talked to her. Not like he did before, though, where he's just say things at her and she'd listen. He actually had a legitimate conversation with her. "I wanted to get to know you." He explained to her. Belle smiled at him. "It's nice to talk with you for once."

They talked about so many different things that they got lost by the time Mason came back. They talked about each other's traditions and past memories. Things they were fond of. Things they were afraid of. Once, Mason's father- Peter, as she was now allowed to call him- told her about how one day he hoped to have grandpups of his own ("I think you'd make a fine mother, if I'm to be honest. You have a caring, gentle nature that I've never seen before in a vampiress."). When Mason brought her back to his room to sleep, Belle immediately noticed that the cage was gone. All of the things that were hers had been placed around the room and organized neatly. "You don't have to stay in the cage anymore," Mason told her with a smile, "You can sleep in my bed, too, if you'd like. I hope you don't mind if we share it."

"I don't mind at all." Belle smiled at him. Her fangs were starting to poke through her gums. Mason cupped the sides of her face and looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry that I couldn't save you in time..." Mason embraced her, "You wouldn't have lost your fangs if I was there to help you..."

Belle embraced him back, "Hey, it's okay, Mason. You didn't know that it would happen. You wouldn't have been able to save the first fang anyways. I fell out of the sky and face-planted into a tree. The second fang wasn't your fault either.Iwas the one who made him angry." Belle brushed one of her hands through his hair, making him smile a bit. "Youdidsave me that night. If Abraham was able to mark me, then I'd be force to become his wife. I would be stuck with him forever, and you stopped it from happening. I owe youso muchjust for preventing him from taking me."

Mason nuzzled the side of her face without meaning to, but she didn't point it out and let it happen. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I lost you." He whispered to her, "You mean too much to me, and I would tear apart anyone who would dare to try and take you from me."

Belle looked surprised. Thinking about what he said, she finally realized why things were weird. She figured out why he was being overprotective and constantly showed off for her and brought her things or rabbit blood whenever he could. It wasn't just to make her happy, it was because he was trying to win her over. 'Have I really been clueless this entire time?' She wondered. "Mason... are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Mason nodded and held both of her hands in his. "Belle, there's something that I should've asked you a while ago, but didn't realize that I had to before I started trying. You are beautiful and amazing in so many ways that I can't even begin to count them. You've made me feel happy ever since I've brought you here, and I've tried desperately to make you feel the same way. I don't care about the physical barrier in between us- that I'm a werewolf and you're a vampire. I want to be with you for the rest of my life." He told her, affection shining purely in his eyes. "Belle... May I ask for your permission to court you?"

Belle's shocked face turned into a bright smile. She blushed as she choose what to say to him. "Mason," she told the wolfman, wrapping her arms around him again, "You already won me over. I feel so happy and at peace with you, and you make me feel special every day. I'd be honored if you had a genuine interest in me."

Mason smiled widely and lifted her up to spin around the room with her. He let go of her mid-spin and she landed on the bed with a startled laugh. He jumped on the bed after her and laughed with her. He held her in his arms, keeping his large smile on. He nuzzled the top of her head and waited patiently for her to fall asleep.

Chapter 31: A Big Family With Bigger Teeth!

Chapter Text

[A different take onPredator and Prey]

The vampiress let out a frustrated groan, recalling how she got stuck in this situation. Picture this. The night air was crisp and refreshing. The vampiress just finished feeding off of a raccoon she caught, when suddenly a net had been thrown over her. She was overpowered by humans and knocked unconscious. When she woke up, she in the dungeon (she wasn't chained up, which was good for her).That wouldn't be a problem for her if it weren't for two things. The first thing was that the stone trapped the cold air, making it absolutelyfreezingin there. The second thing is that she shared her cell with a werewolf. He was in chains, granted, but she still hated werewolves. This one insisted that he meant her no harm and offered her his name. "I'm Mason," he said, "and you are...?"

"Staying far away from you." She answered back coldly. Mason grinned at her with amusem*nt and sat back against the wall. It was like this for a while. He would make ridiculous jokes, then he'd ask for her name and she'd snap at him, then he'd laugh and try again later. Eventually the wolf gave up. It probably took days or weeks, but he left her alone. The vampiress was surprised to find herself missing the conversations and jokes. She tried her best to make it seem like she started conversations on accident, but Mason payed more attention to her than she thought. As a being who can't speak when in wolf form, he was able to fully read and understand body language. He secretly knew that she did this on purpose. He thought it was adorable , so he acted like he had no clue at all.

Weeks went by, and Belle began to get used to him being there. Mason truly didn't mind her presence from the very beginning. She fascinated him. She made it look like she hated him, but the look in her eyes and her tone of voice said otherwise. The two had conversations regularly. Mason would ask her if she'd be willing to help him out of the chains from time to time, and she'd tell him to eat a bar of soap. For some reason, that made her warm up to him quicker. She still acted like she hated him, though. On the first full moon since they were stuck together, Mason warned Belle to stay away from him and told her that she might want to brace herself for something horrific. Belle was going to laugh at him ("Do you think I can't handle a wolf in the same dungeon as me?"), but stopped short when the man suddenly underwent a painful transformation. He was screaming the entire time. Belle really didn't expect it to be that agonizing for him and was sort of in shock. The massive black wolf that took his place snapped and growled at her, pulling against the chains in an attempt to get to her. Now she sees why he warned her not to go near him, and possibly why he was the only one chained up. She couldn't relax that night, remaining on edge as the wolf eyed her up and down hungrily.

The next morning felt strange. The wolf transformed back into Mason the moment the moon went away. The first thing he did was ask if she was alright. The next thing he did was to sincerely apologize to her about anything he might have done to make her uncomfortable last night. He explained to her that when someone turns into a werewolf, they supposedly have no memory of who they are and are unable to control themselves. There are some who are lucky to be able to remember or keep themselves under control, and then there was the rest who would maul their own friend without realizing it. He seemed to be deeply upset by that last example, and Belle understood why it was oddly specific. The poor man had done it before. He was scared that he'd do it again. After the next couple of nights the full moon completely passed and Mason was his old self again. Belle decided that maybe it wasn't so terrible having him around and eventually told him her name. "Belle?" He laughed, "I was expecting something with more of a dramatic flare to it, but Belle works for me."

Belle threw a pebble at his head. "I'm trying to be your friend! You should bethankingme, not making fun of me, you fleabag!" She shouted at him. That made him laugh even harder. "Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!" Mason said to her as his laughter died down, "I should have made a better joke. I didn't mean to upset you."

Belle just grumbled and crossed her arms defiantly, which Mason thought was kind of cute. On the night before the next full moon, Belle actually had a nightmare. She thought she was the only one awake, and she was actually shaken up from it. The last thing she wanted was to be alone. She went to Mason's side and reached out to wake him up before stopping herself. 'I shouldn't bother him. He'll just laugh at me and make a lame joke about it.' She thought. She was pulling her arm away when he suddenly grabbed her by the wrist. He pulled her towards him and had her lay down with him. He kept his arms around her tightly, smiling as he told her that everything was going to be alright. He promised her that whatever it was that she saw, it was only a nightmare. It would never happen. He would keep her safe. Belle smiled softly at that and got comfortable, falling asleep in his arms. The vampiress heard a deep growling sound when she woke up the next night and gulped when she saw the werewolf standing above her. She prayed that he wouldn't hurt her. She cautiously raised her hand at stroked the side of the wolf's face. She went behind the ears and traced the jawline, secretly enjoying the feeling of his fur. The wolf slowly stopped growling and leaned his head into her touch. He laid down right beside Belle after a while, letting her use him as a pillow. Belle smiled and snuggled into the warm, soft fur. When she woke up after accidentally falling asleep, she noticed immediately that she was with Mason again, not the wolf. The man was letting her lay down on top of him and he was gently petting her shoulders and back. He blushed and pulled his hand away the moment he saw that she was awake. "I don't know what you did," he told her after clearing his throat, "but the beast likes you now. I think he won't try to hurt you anymore, but you should still be careful just in case."

Belle smiled and laid her head back down on his chest. "Thank you... Why did you stop petting me? It... felt good..." she mumbled that last part, but Mason caught it anyways and smiled at her. He began to pet her again, feeling her relax under his touch. He really wished they could stay like this forever. Belle eventually fell asleep again. The wolf didn't bother her that night, and he even let her stay asleep. The next night, he had an idea. The wolf looked at Belle with a glint in his eye, and she understood. She messed with the chains and they broke with a metallicsnap. He stood up on his legs. The beast loomed over her, but he didn't threaten her. Belle understood him again and stepped away from the bars. He grabbed two that were together and tore them out using brute strength. The wolf then walked over to her and loomed over her again. This time she was confused, 'Shouldn't we be getting out of here?'

The wolf saw her confusion and rested his neck on her shoulder. His fur was like a lion's mane around his neck. 'Oh.' Belle got it. She transformed into a bat and cling tightly to his neck, practically burying herself in his fur. The wolf got them out of the human castle that night. He left a bloody trail behind them, but made sure that he wouldn't kill anyone or bite them and turn them into a werewolf as well, despite how much he really wanted to. He ran far away, checking every minute or so to make sure that Belle was still there. When he stopped running, they were in a small cave system and the sun was coming up. Belle detached herself from the wolf and they both turned back into their humanoid forms. Mason led her through the place, and she noticed that it was set up like multiple people were living there. "Mason, what is this place?" She asked him. Mason smiled at her, "This is where I live. I'm sure the pack won't mind if you stay for a bit... or forever, if you'd like..."

Belle smiled softly at him and stood on her toes, kissing him on the cheek. Mason wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on her cheek. They stayed in each other's arms for a little bite before Belle yawned. "You don't suppose you have a box or something that I can sleep in, do you?" She asked him. Mason shook his head. "No boxes for you. You're sleeping on a bed. You can take mine. I'll make sure that the pack doesn't find you and try to kill you in your sleep." He smiled at her and led her to his "room". It was nice and cozy, and the bed was soft. She fell asleep right as the pack ran in through the entrance. They took their humanoid forms and looked at Mason in surprise. "Oh? And justwheredid you disappear off to, Mason?" Asked Myckenzie with an attitude. The other four- Tyreke, Baron, Flynn, and Sierra- stood behind her. He was about to respond when he noticed her freeze. Tyreke looked alarmed, while Sierra and Flynn narrowed their eyes and glanced around the main cave. Baron growled deeply. 'They smell Belle.' Mason knew, 'Time to explain myself before they try tearing her to pieces.'

"I was held prisoner by a castle full of humans. Nothing I couldn't handle. While I was there, though, I met someone interesting." He told them with a casual smile, catching their attention again, "Maybe a few days after I was locked in the dungeon, the humans threw a vampiress in with me."

Tyreke looked worried, "Did you kill her?"

"Heavens, no. I showed her empathy." Mason sighed, "She and I helped each other escape last night. I brought her here to stay with me while the sun was out... I hope she stays longer, but that's up to her."

Myckenzie growled. "Youwhat?"

"Lad, she's a vampire. She be tricking ye." Flynn said. Mason shook his head. "No, she's not. She even tamed the wolf inside of me. She-..." Mason paused, "... Where did Baron go?"

A shriek sounded through the cave, making Mason's heart skip a beat. He bolted for his room, the others following behind him. He kicked the door open and something literally flew right into his chest. Belle was in her bat form. She gripped onto his chest, shaking with fear. Baron was right in front of him, holding a wicked-looking dagger with a cross carved into the side. "Hand it over." He growled. Mason stepped back out into the main cave, holding Belle like a mother would hold her toddler. "What did I tell you all?" Mason growled angrily, "She'snota threat! She helped me out of my chains and made it easier for me to control my wolf form. She's my friend. A very close friend, at that. If you want to hurt her, you have to go throughmefirst!"

Myckenzie was not pleased, but growled at Belle. "You getonechance. You mess it up, and you'll be eaten alive."

Belle nodded, her bat ears perking up at the word "chance".

}-----{

Within the following year, Belle got to know the pack better. Sierra liked spending time with her since Belle understood the girly things that Myckenzie didn't. Tyreke liked having someone to practice medicine and medical operations with that wasn't brutal (cough cough Baron cough) and wasn't squeamish. Myckenzie accepted Belle as one of the pack and told her that she could stay as long as she wanted (which she would have done anyways since Mason sure as hell wasn't letting her go). Flynn would tell her tall tales and she'd sit down and listen intently, which instantly won the redhead's friendship. Baron warmed up to her eventually and was the first to find out just how innocent-minded she was (which was very surprising), and became a sort of father figure for her. He would always check in on her and would literally loom over them when Mason did anything even remotely suggestive ("Mason, what the hell do you think you're doing to her?"). He wasn't watching closely enough, though. One day, Belle started getting hungrier. She'd drink triple the amount of blood that she usually does and it looked like she was gaining weight. Mason was very concerned. "Belle? Are you alright?" He asked her as she was draining a deer in the main cave. Flynn brought it to her and asked her to help him make deer jerky by taking away the blood, which she was more than happy to do. Tyreke was watching her carefully as he wrote things down on a clipboard. Mason asked him to come since he couldn't diagnose anything. Baron, Flynn, Sierra, and Myckenzie were in the dining cave. "'M fime..." The vampiress mumbled past the deer's throat. She slid her fangs out and swiped over them with her tongue before looking at Mason, "Why do you ask?"

"Well... you've been gaining weight."

Belle glared at Mason and he realized that was the wrong thing to say. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It came out wrong. What I mean is that you've been getting hungrier and you're acting unusual."

"Don't forget the mood swings." Myckenzie said as she entered the main cave, "She's been acting nearly bi-polar since a couple of weeks ago."

"It's kind of scary." Tyreke said quietly. Belle half-rolled her eyes. "Come on you guys. Nothing's wro-ow!" Belle yelped and clutched her stomach. Mason was next to her in less than a second. He put an arm around her back and she hissed at him. Mason ignored it and stayed by her. "What happened?" Tyreke asked. Belle looked at her stomach weirdly. "Something just...kickedme..."

Tyreke inhaled sharply, "Yep. That's what I thought."

"You have a diagnosis?" Mason asked. Tyreke nodded. "There's really nice way to sugarcoat this, so brace yourselves." He looked Belle in the eyes, "Belle, you're pregnant."

Belle looked shocked. Mason paled a little. Baron was right behind him in less than a second and nearly smacked him. Belle hugged Mason tightly and smiled at him. "I guess we should've seen this one coming." She whispered. Mason nodded and hugged her back. He put a hand on her stomach and looked at it. "When can we tell how many there are?"

"That depends on how long she's been pregnant. When do you guys think it started?" Tyreke asked them. "Maybe four months?" Mason tried. Tyreke nodded, "Then we should be able to tell right now."

The next day, Tyreke was able to determine that Belle was having twins. Mason smiled so widely that his face almost split in two. The cave was buzzing with excitement for the next five months. Everyone was hyped for the new arrivals. Mason was overprotective of Belle and didn't let her do anything throughout the rest of her pregnancy, much to the vampiress's dismay. "I'm getting fatter because you won't let me walk." She complained, "This is your fault!"

"I'll gladly take the blame." He said with a charming grin, making Belle go quiet and kiss him on the cheek.

"I'm still mad at you."

"I know, Love. I'm sorry."

When Belle woke up in pain one morning on the last month, everyone was ecstatic. Not that she was in pain, of course, but because the babies were coming. After hours of waiting with the others and pacing around, Tyreke said that everyone could come into the room and see the children. Mason was holding one child (a girl) while Belle was holding the other (a boy). Belle eventually passed out from exhaustion and Baron held the child she was holding. The baby boy laid snuggly in his little blanket, making the big man smile. "Congratulations." He said to Mason, "I've decided not to throw you to the wolves."

"Okay, Pops. I know you act like her father, but-." Mason stopped short with wide eyes. "Oh God." He muttered. "Oh sweet Lord in Heaven have mercy on my soul... Baron?" Mason asked him with a terrified expression, "How am I going to tell my parents?"

Chapter 32: Bad Jokes!

Chapter Text

[Just for laughs!]

Afton: "I always come back."

Puppet Master: (*Pulls out an axe*) "I can fix that."

}-----{

Puppet Master: "I'm a strong and independent being until the music box winds down."

}-----{

Funtime Foxy before UCN: "I am a yes. Not a "he". Not a "she". Ayes.

Fandom: "You're shipped with Funtime Freddy now."

Funtime Foxy: (*Hisses*)

}-----{

Ennard: "Babs, we need to talk about your ice cream fetish."

Circus Baby: (*Standing defiantly in front of a room full of melting ice cream*) "It's not a fetish!"

}-----{

Bon Bon: "Calm down and go back to sleep! No one is here!"

Toy Freddy: (*Points at Bon Bon*) "Where can we get one of those?"

}-----{

Mrs. Afton: (*laughs*) "They say that laughter heals the heart; and my heart is severely damaged..."

Mrs. Afton: "... So William if you're out there-"

}-----{

Toy Bonnie: "To all you haters out there, you're just jealous that my makeup better than yours!"

}-----{

Lolbit: "It's only a matter of time before I break the fourth wall."

}-----{

Golden Freddy: "Come on; where's your imagination?"

Puppet Master: "I left it with my corpse."

Golden Freddy: "Mare what the fu-"

}-----{

Ballora: "I'm a single mother with twenty kids,-" (*points to the Minireenas*) "- I could use a little compassion!"

}-----{

Toy Bonnie: "My sexuality does not define me."

Toy Freddy: (*Breathes*)

Toy Bonnie: "My nAmE iS GaY-"

}-----{

Scrap Baby: (*huffs*) "All the hot guys are either taken or gay."

Lefty: (*Punches wall*) "I AMRIGHT HERE!"

}-----{

Canon: "They never met."

Fandom: "I can fix that."

Canon: "They hate each other."

Fandom: "I can fix that."

Canon: "One of them is dead."

Fandom: "I can fix that."

Canon: "They're from different timelines."

Fandom: "I can fix that."

[Ohsheanman here comes the fanfics-]

}-----{

Child: "Have you ever heard of peace on Earth and good will towards men?"

William: (*Holding a knife*) "No."

}-----{

Freddy: "Iam the original Fazbear!"

Toy Freddy: "Bet."

Withered Freddy: "Double bet."

Fredbear: "Triple bet."

Phantom Freddy: "I'm not even going to try."

}-----{

Dark Side of the Fandom: (*Exists*)

Any Character: "Oh sweet Jesus what fresh hell is this-"

}-----{

Absolutely No One:

Funtime Freddy at 3am:

Photo not mine! :)

}-----{

Orville: "Hello there. Do you want to see a magic trick?"

Molten Freddy: "No."

}-----{

Scrap Baby: (*Forced to listen to Mr. Hippo for five hours straight*) "Oh my God he's still going-"

}-----{

William: "That's it! You're in a time out! Get on the fridge! Get up there!"

Micheal: (*Climbing on top of fridge*) "This house iS AF===INGNIGHTMARE!"

}-----{

Afton: "Oh hi. Thanks for checking in I'mstill a piece of garbage~!"

}-----{

Freddy: "Guys, there's a nightguard in the office and we should probably get him."

Bonnie: "Wait. Why do we even go after the guard anyway?"

Freddy: "Because this guard watches FNaF ships, and likes it."

Bonnie: (*drops guitar*) "Let's kill him."

}-----{

Spring Bonnie: "What would you like to eat Fredbear?"

Nightmare Fredbear: "The souls of the innocent."

Fredbear: "A bagel."

Nightmare Fredbear: "No!"

Fredbear: "Two bagels."

}-----{

Nightmarionne: "I'll use your spine as a xylophone."

}-----{

Crying Child: (*Gets bitten by Fredbear*)

Scott: "This is why we can't have nice things."

}-----{

Shadow Bonnie: "Dude, I need your help. How do I ask a girl out?"

Shadow Freddy: "Just do what I do and say 'follow me'."

}-----{

Puppet Master: "Springtrap, why did you do this?"

Springtrap: "It's fun to toy with the bodies, which is why I stuffed them into a suit."

Puppet Master: "Okay; next question! Springtrap, do you know what necrophilia is?"

}-----{

Mike: "When is 6am going to come?"

Foxy: "Right after I pay ye' a visit."

}-----{

Mangle: (*Static*)

Mangle: (*Static cuts*) "And now, the weather."

}-----{

Ballora: "So, Puppet, I've heard that you and Ennard are dating-"

Puppet Master: "Bal, you know I'm straighter than a plank of wood. How else do you think we got the Minireenas?"

}-----{

Plushtrap: "Okay, so tell me your names again?"

Max: "Sure thing! My name is Max, and these are my siblings! That's Odette, there's Clara, here's Orchid, over there is Charlotte, Starla's right next to you, Bernadette is right next to her, Día and Ninette are behind me, Diana is with Juliet, Juliet is with Diana, and Nova, David, John, Rob, Matthew, Hans, Abraham, Tony, and Gregory are all right behind me!"

Plushtrap: (*Still overwhelmed*) "Uh-huh. And what'syourname again?"

Max: "I'm Maximus, but you can call me Max! You should know all our nicknames too! There's-!"

Plushtrap: (*whispers*) "Oh no.."

[F in the chat for Plushtrap, 1 F = 1 prayer]

Chapter 33: Max and Charlie

Chapter Text

[Ew ew Charlie's design needs work ew]

"Charlie, it looks like we're not in Kansas anymore." The little animatronic said to his sister. Charlotte agreed with her brother, "Where are we, Max?"

"Don't know. It looks like the pizzeria, though. Just... different." Max said, "Maybe we're in an older location?"

Max looked a lot like their father. He was slender and tall, and his body was a shade of purple so deep that it looked black, and he had pale-violet hair. He had three white stripes on each of his arms and a white face with blue tear tracks and red cheeks. He had a bright red bowtie with three white buttons that trailed under it. He has his father's eyes as well, which were black with white pupils. Charlotte, also known as Charlie, looked more like their mother. She looked more human, with a pale complexion, blue eyes, purple hair, and pink cheeks. She wore a black dress with white polka dots, black dress shoes, and a big pink bow, and her hair had a braided crown that was tied in the back, under a red and white flower. Both of them were part funtime animatronic, so they had deep lines that divided parts of their bodies (like their faces) into segments.

"Nice theory," His sister commented quickly, "but maybe we should actually try to find somebody that can help us."

"Good point."

The animatronic siblings moved through the building cautiously, doing their best to be aware of their surroundings. There were posters with familiar faces on them, with words like "party", "eat", and "play". There were also drawings made by children about one animatronic, which stood out to them. "Hey," Charlie caught her brother's attention and pointed to one of the drawings, "Doesn't this one look like Dad?"

"What?" Max asked and took a step closer. In the drawing, a child was receiving a present from a long, slender, black and white figure with purple lines and red circles on its face. "Yeah," Max agreed, scratching his head, "it actually does. Just... different again? What's with his legs?"

"Maybe it's an old drawing? Dad once said that he used to have different legs before he and Mama had us." Charlotte pointed out. Max nodded. A music chime reached their ears, snagging the children's attention. "Is that...?" Max started. "Dad!" Charlie shouted happily. She took off down the hallway, Max sprinting after her. "Charlie, wait! What if it's not Dad?" Max called. Charlie either didn't hear him or ignored him because she just kept running. "Come on! At least slow down and wait for me!" Max called again. "NOPE!" Charlie called back, giggling. As they were nearing an intersection someone walked out in front of Charlotte, causing her to collide with them. A metallicBANGechoed through the hallways. Charlie fell backwards with a yelp, but Max managed to catch her before she hit the floor. The animatronic she collided with stumbled backwards, but managed not to fall over. He stood up straight with a bewildered look, "Who-?"

He paused and looked at Charlie and Max, who were staring back in a shocked manner. The animatronic they ran into was- without a doubt- the Puppet Master. He was very tall and had a black body with white stripes on his arms and legs. He had three white buttons on his chest and a white face with purple tear tracks and rosey cheeks. He stared at the children (mainly Max), thunderstruck. "You... You look likeme..." he said, confused. 'How are there animatronic children here? That shouldn't be possible...'

Max and Charlie looked at each other, sharing a thought. Since they were technically twins, they had a connection that could link their minds so they can talk to each other in private at any time. 'He IS Dad!' Charlie thought to her brother. Max nodded slightly, 'Yeah, but he's different. Dad looks... younger.'

Charlie's eyes widened a bit, 'AH CRAP DID WE TIME TRAVEL AGAIN?!'

Max frowned, 'Looks like it. Try not to say anything about ourselves and the future for now, okay?'

'Okay.'

Max smiled nervously at thePuppet Master. "Sorry about that, Mister! My sister and I just couldn't figure out where we are, so we were looking for someone that could help us." He apologized and explained. Puppet sighed and smiled. "It's alright; no need to apologize. As for where you are, you two are in Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria." Puppet's smile then faded into a somewhat worried frown, "What are you doing here, if it's okay for me to ask? This place isn't exactly...safefor children..."

Charlie shrugged, "Sorry, Mister, but we don't know. We just woke up here."

The older animatronic sighed. "You don't have to call me 'Mister'. I'm the Puppet Master, but you can call me 'Puppet'. Now, you're sure that you don't know why you're here?" He clarified and asked again. The kids nodded in response. Puppet frowned and looked around in thought. His frown relaxed itself as he looked back at the kids. "Well, I can't let a couple of kids wander off on their own... How about you two stick with me? I can show you around and introduce you to the others, if you'd like?" He offered. Charlie looked at Max for approval since he had a better sense of judgement. Max nodded at her, then they looked at the Puppet Master and smiled. "That sounds awesome! Thanks, Mister Puppet!" The two agreed in sync. Puppet looked a bit taken back, but smiled at them nevertheless. "You're welcome. Now please, follow me." He waved a hand and turned around. Puppet walked away, Max and Charlie trailing behind him.

He led them to the main stage room, where Toys Freddy, Chica, and Bonnie were practicing for their performances tomorrow. "Okay, Bon, you go on my right. No, the other right!Now you're going backwards!" Toy Freddy raises his voice. 'Looks like he doesn't have a sense of direction.' Max said jokingly to Charlie, making the both of them giggle. The corners of Puppet's mouth turned upwards in a small smile. "Hey guys!" Puppet called to them, "We have some guests, so get your metal butts over here and introduce yourselves!"

All three turned their heads to see Puppet and the two robotic children. "Awwww! They're so cute!" Toy Chica said enthusiastically, shoving Toy Freddy off the stage in her rush to see Max and Charlie. "Hi there! My name's Toy Chica! How about you guys?" She asked them with a big smile. Toy Bonnie and Toy Freddy walked over and stood behind the chicken, the latter looking annoyed but interested enough in the kids not to care. "Hello. My name's Max, and this is my sister, Charlie." Max introduced himself and Charlie. Toy Chica was silently squealing with excitement. Sheloveskids! Toy Freddy nodded respectfully at the two. "Hello, Max and Charlie, it's nice to meet you. I am Toy Freddy, and my friends here are Toy Chica and Toy Bonnie. I assume you already knew Cece's name, though."

Max nodded. "Cece?" Charlie asked, curious. "My nickname!" The chicken said proudly, "My nickname is Cece, and Toy Bonnie's is TB! Toy Freddy doesn't approve of any of the nicknames we gave him so far, so we call him Fredrick for now."

"Oooooh!" Charlie said, "It's nice to meet you guys, too!"

Puppet smiled, glad they were already warming up to the others. "Hey, do any of you three know where everyone else is at?" He asked the toys. Toy Bonnie nodded. "Mangle and BB are in the arcade, and the Withereds are still asleep. I'm not sure where Gold is, though." The blue rabbit told him. Puppet nodded. "Thank you... Can you do me a favor? All of you?" He asked them another question. "Sure, what is it?" Cece answered with a smile. "Can you guys to take Max and Charlie and introduce them to the others?" He requested, "I think I might know where Goldie's at."

Toy Freddy nodded, "Of course, go on. We got this."

'They ARE aware that we can hear what they're saying, right?' Charlie asked. Max nodded slightly, 'They know. They probably just think that we don't mind.'

As Puppet left the two to the toys, Toy Bonnie smiled and winked at them, "Y'all wanna play some video games with BB and Mangle?"

}-----{

Puppet found Golden Freddy in the manager's office. The bear was looking at a sheet of paper in his hand. "Thereyou are, Gold. I was looking for you." Puppet greeted his friend with a smile. Gold looked up and nodded back with a smaller smile. "Hey there, Puppet. What's going on with you?" He asked in a friendly tone. Puppet sighed, but kept his smile on, "There's a couple of kids in the pizzeria, and I have no idea where they came from."

Gold looked up from the paper again with wide eyes. "Say what now?" He asked quickly, most likely worried since the last time human children were here alone didn't go to well. "Calm down, their animatronics, not humans." Puppet assured the bear, "I have the toys looking after them while I'm busy. I thought that you should meet them. You are good with kids, after all."

Gold smiled, at ease. "Really now? Alrighty then. Have they met the withered animatronics yet?" He asked Puppet. The marionette shook his head, "Not yet. Tb, Cece, and Toy Freddy we're taking them to meet BB and Mangle, but I think that's who all they're going to see for now if the older ones sleep through the whole day again."

Gold nodded, "Where are they staying?"

"I'm not sure yet. Maybe in one of the old saferooms or the backstage area? Or they could just hang around the carousel with Balloon Boy. Hedidsay that he wished there were more animatronics he could play games with." Puppet responded. Gold nodded again. "That makes sense... Speaking of staying, I think this is something you might want to hear." He said to Puppet, looking at the paper in his hand again. "What is it?" Puppet asked curiously. Gold hummed as he thought of a way to summarize what he just read, "According to this paper, we're having transfers arrive in a few days to a week. Their pizzeria is falling apart, so the head honchos of the pizza chain told the managers to move them here. More animatronics means more money, I guess."

"Any idea who it is?"

Gold skimmed over the page again, "Doesn't say."

"Does it say how many there'll be?"

"Nope."

Puppet sighed. "Looks like we have to set up some of the saferooms after all." He said, disappointed. Gold hummed with a smile. "Hey, at least then we can set up a room for those kids, right?" The bear pointed out. Puppet nodded, "Yeah, I guess we can... It's a lot of work though..."

"Everything is a lot of work around here." Gold pointed out again, "Especially for you and me; we're the ones who have to fix the bigger problems."

Puppet smiled, "You're right again."

"Curse these powers."

"Curse these powers indeed."

The bear and the marionette shares a moment of laughter. "Actually," Puppet said as soon as he was done laughing, "maybe weshouldgive them one of the saferooms. I don't know why I just thought about it, but we don't want the security guard to find them. He might try to take them away. Not to mention our little...gamethat we play. I don't think that they should see it yet."

"Don't want them scared of us?" Gold asked. Puppet nodded in confirmation. "Alright then," Gold said, setting the paper back down on the desk, "Let's go set up their new room."

}-----{

After being introduced to Balloon Boy and Mangle, Max and Charlie had a fun time playing the arcade games. When it was about 10:30 in the evening, the Puppet Master returned and told them that they should find a place to sleep. He made a point, though, that they can't leave the room they choose once it's 11:30pm until it's 6:30am. Why he chose that specific time frame, the children didn't have a clue. Charlie, surprisingly, just went with it. Max was the one who was curious, but he didn't press for answers. They chose the smallest saferoom they could find, which also happened to be the cleanest. It looked like someone used to perform there; there were tables scooted to the sides of the room, an mountain of chairs in the corner, and an old wooden stage in the center of the wall opposite to the way in. There were also some boxes lined up under the tables labeled "party hats" and an assortment of other things. The floor looked old, since the tiles looked dull compared to the ones in the hallway. There was a clock on the wall to the left of the door so they could know what time it is. "You guys want this one?" Puppet asked. Max and Charlie nodded. "It's perfect." Charlie said with a smile. Puppet smiled back. Something as innocent as a child's smile is always able to make him happy. "If you guys say so. I'll get some pillows and stuff. I'm sure we have them. The restaurant usually sells themed pillows and blankets. Do either of you have a preference?"

"Pizza!" Max said happily.

"Cake!" Charlie said afterwards.

Puppet's smile widened and he laughed, amused by their excitement. "Alrighty, one pizza and one cake coming right up!" He winked at them, then left the room to go get the things. He knewexactlywhat to get them. While he was gone, Charlie hopped up on the stage. "Be careful up there." Max said, flipping the closest light switch. The room became dimly lit, since there was only one light in there. Max frowned. "Maybe we can fix that." Max thought out loud. "Just use your powers." Charlie offered from her spot, sitting at the edge of the stage. Max shuffled his feet, "Do you think it's safe to use them now? What if I accidentally use too much?"

Charlie shrugged, "It's worth a shot."

Max thought about it for a minute while Charlie got up and continued to poke around the stage. Just as he made up his mind and raised his hand towards the light, the Puppet Master came back. "I got the bedding for you two. Max, is something wrong?" He asked, slightly concerned. Max put his hand down and shook his head. "Nah. It's just that there's barely any light." Max told him. Puppet smiled, somewhat relieved. "Oh, I thought you were upset." He said, looking over at the flipped switch, "It's dim because that's the setting it's on."

"Oh..."

Puppet set the pillows and blankets down on the stage and went over to the wall. There was a dial next to it, like what humans would use to raise the volume of a radio in their cars. "When you want it to be brighter, just turn it to the right, okay?" He said, increasing the brightness of the light. Max smiled. "Okay. Thank you!" The child said. Puppet nodded at him as a "you're welcome". He went back over to the stage and separated the different pillows and blankets, setting them up for each child to use. There were two of each blanket. One pair of blankets was light blue with pizza slices scattered on it, while the other pair was light pink with slices of cake placed here or there. The pillows are what really got the kids' attention though. One pillow was made to look like a big birthday cake. The other pillow was made to be a huge pizza. "Yes!" Charlie's smile grew wider. "These are so cool!" Max commented. Being children, anything unusual can be impressive, apparently. Puppet had a big smile on his face, "You guys like them?"

The twins nodded with sparkling eyes. "Thank you, Mister Puppet!" They thanked him in unison. "You're welcome." He replied, his smile relaxing and turning into a small frown when he looked at the clock. "... I have to go now. Remember what we talked about. No leaving this room until six-thirty in the morning."

"Okay, Mister Puppet."

"Goodnight, Mister Puppet."

The smile returned to Puppet's face, "Goodnight. Sleep well."

He turned off the light and left, closing the door behind him. Max smiled at his sister, 'He already acts like he's our dad, doesn't he?'

'Yeah,' Charlie replied, 'He's super nice to us! I wonder if he thinks we're his responsibility since we ran into him first.'

'I mean... we technicallyarehis responsibility. We're his kids, after all.' Max reasoned. 'His kidsfrom the future,' Charlie pointed out, 'So technically we're not his responsibilityyet.'

Max chuckled and turned away from his sister, burying his face in the pizza pillow. 'Fair point.' He responded with a small smile. "Goodnight, Charlie." Max said. Charlie smiled and turned her head to the wall, "Goodnight, Max."

The two would wake up every couple of hours and hear metal footsteps outside the door. They didn't know what was going on out there, but the animatronics sure seemed busy that night.

Chapter 34: Kindness

Chapter Text

"It won't be much longer now." The tall creature told her, "Soon, all the pieces will fall into place."

"Why are you doing this?!" Ballora hollered at him. The ballerina was angry. She wanted nothing more than to get out of the cage she was forced into, to throw things and scream at the creature that dared to hold her here and tease her about what he's going to do to the others. The cage itself wasn't what kept her trapped. The bars were far enough apart to where she could walk through them, as it was meant for animatronics larger than her. It was was the monster in the room with her that kept her inside the cage. If she stepped out, he would capture her again. He's probably keeping her in the larger cage to discourage or demoralize her, with the chance of escaping right in front of her yet so far from her grasp.

Ballora's not reallythatupset about being in her current prison, if she was to be honest. If anything, she was secretly grateful that he didn't stuff her into one of the cages that hung from the ceiling. Those ones were small and compact, all of them shaped like a bird's cage. There would be no room for her to move and they were so high up... She forced herself not to shudder at the thought, trying her best to stay angry. "What are you even trying to accomplish?!" She raised her voice again.

The monster washuge, easily towering over her and everyone else in the pizzeria by at least ten feet. His exoskeleton was black, with four arms, two long tails, and rows of large spikes that marched down his back. His face was white with red cheeks and purple tear tracks. He had black eyes with white pupils. The creature walked like he was carrying something heavy on his back, and each of his tails had a large blade attached to the end of it. The only colorful part of him besides his face were the white stripes that lined his arms.

The creature stalked over to the cage and looked over her, his massive height casting a large shadow over the ballerina. "Because theydeserveit!" He hissed at her, "My twisted brethren and I have been shunned and cast aside! For decades, we were thrown out of our places and marked as a disgrace!" The monster looked at her with a fire in his eyes. "We werealllike you! Once, we were all the same! Perfect! Accepted by our fellow animatronics and loved by others!" His voice rose from a menacing hiss to an angry roar, "Then something happened, and look at us now! Look atme!The moment my so-called 'friends' saw me, they decided that I wasn't worth the dirt under their feet! I was nothing more than afreakto them!"

Ballora felt her confidence slowly start to dwindle. She just poked the bear, didn't she? No- wait- more like she threw a rock at it. Oh well. She asked, didn't she? The creature looked into her eyes and gave her a wicked, shark-toothed smile. "But now,we'llhave some fun. The animatronics won't even know what crushed them-!"

"- I think you mean 'hit' them."

"Shut up! I know what I said!" He snarled at her and slammed one of his hands down inside of the cage. Ballora flinched when it nearly hit her, keeping her head down. "My brothers and sisters will come forth from the shadows we were forced into, and we'll make all of you regret what you've done to us. We'll showyouwho the real freaks are!" He told her harshly. The humanoid animatronic felt her anger leaving her. 'They're not attacking us because they're monsters...' she realized, 'They're attacking us because of what happened to them...'

He looked at the smaller animatronic, still angry, but tilting his head slightly. "The Hell's that look for?" He asked her, "You're not angry anymore and I don't sense your fear..." Ballora looked up at him apologetically and he his eyes widened with another snarl. "You're mocking me, aren't you?! Mockingus?!You look at me like you suddenly care when webothknow that no one does!" His voice bellowed. He used the hand that was already inside the cage and seized her, pinning her arms to her sides and pulling her out. He growled, the sound filling the room. "Perhaps you'd like to be in one of the other cages?" He hissed sickeningly sweet at her, gesturing to the bird cages suspended from the ceiling. Ballora couldn't help the scared look of dread that found its way onto her face. "N-No! Please!" She said a little too quickly. The monster brought her closer to his face and tightened his grip on her to let her know just how much stronger he is and that he can crush her at any moment he pleased. "Maybe you should've thought about that before you acted like you were sorry."

"Iamsorry!" She yelled at him, continuing before he interrupted her, "I'm sorry about what happened to you and your family! I understand why you're all so hateful! But I didn't know about any of this, I swear it! I just thought that you were attacking us because... you're a monster... I didn't know about any of you until I sawyoua month ago, when you first appeared..." The monster's grip seemed to relax a bit as she looked away. "None of you should have gone through what the other animatronics did to you.... To be abandoned and discarded, like unwanted parts... I'm so sorry... You have every right to be angry..."

The creature was at a loss for words. He has many abilities, one of them being able to sense another being's emotions or true intent. The ballerina trapped in his hand was being honest, and was even angry at the other animatronics because of what happened. She would probably hit one of them if she ever saw one again. A picture of a green, decaying rabbit and a golden bear came to her mind. 'I bet Springtrap and Gold knew about this, and decided that it's better to have us fight instead of telling everyone the truth...' she thought with irritation. The tall monster sighed and gently set her back down on the cage floor. He hadn't felt someone else's sympathy since before he was turned into this...abomination.

He looked at her, waiting for her to speak. After the ballerina's initial surprise of his sudden niceness faded, she finally looked back up at him and spoke. "... My name's Ballora... what's yours?" She asked quietly. The creature was now utterly confused at why she was acting like he was a new friend. 'Isn't she afraid of me, or angry at me still?' He thought before responding. "My twisted name is Havoc... my original name was Puppet Master." He said. Ballora's eyes widened in surprise, "P-Puppet Master?ThePuppet Master? As in...?"

Havoc nodded. "How the tables have turned on me once I became this... thing..." he stated as a joke at first before looking away, feeling betrayed all over again. 'Fredbear and Springbonnie let everyone think that I was corrupted... that I was ademon...' he thought bitterly, 'Some friends they turned out to be...'

He was startled out of his thoughts when he felt a small hand on his face. He had lowered his head without realizing it, and Ballora had reached out to pet him along his jawline. "You don't have to be alone, you know..." she told him. "Everyone was told that you were dead since the Eighties, that's a long time without a friend..."

Havoc let out a small breath that he didn't realize he was holding. He had been alone all these years. No friends, no family, and only the other twisted ones to keep him company (and they were always hellbent on revenge, which eventually rubbed off on him before he could convince them that violence isn't the answer to everything). For once, someone truly cared about his story. Abouthim.

He'll be double-damned if he lets this moment go.

Without another word, he laid down on the floor and leaned his head into the ballerina's touch.

Chapter 35: Kindness (Part 2)

Chapter Text

It had been a few months since Ballora and Havoc befriended each other. Havoc was finally happy after being alone for so long that he didn't even join the other twisted animatronics in their attack on the pizzeria (it failed, by the way). Even though he didn't fight with the other animatronics, he still kept Ballora with him. She washisfriend. The other animatronics are never getting her back, and anyone who dares to try and take her from him will be six feet under when he's through with them. It helped that only he knew where they were.

At least, that's what the twisted animatronic thought.

He's shared his bed with the ballerina since the day she became his friend so that she'd be comfortable at night. It wasn't really a bed, though. He was covered in sharp spikes capable of shredding any mattress. So instead, his 'bed' was as actually a large pile of quilts, comforters, and blankets on the floor, with pillows here and there. It was surprisingly comfortable, Ballora had admitted to him the first night.

Havoc had also become very protective of her, too. Every day, he goes with her everywhere to make sure the other twisted animatronics don't appear and try to hurt her. Each night, he would curl up like a cat around her in a big, spikey circle. She would sleep in the middle, using his arm or one of his tails as a pillow (also surprisingly, she wasn't bothered by his spikes). Last night, he affectionately wrapped his arms around her to make sure that she'd be safe. She smiled up at him and told him that she loved him. He had been so shocked at first that he didn't even respond for a whole two minutes. Then he nuzzled the area between her neck and her shoulder and hummed an "I love you, too". Everything was perfect, and he was happy.

So it was no wonder why he was so upset when he woke up and she was gone. He searched the enter building for her and couldn't find her anywhere. It's like she disappeared. "Ballora?!" Havoc called out for the hundredth time, worry lacing his voice. "Ballora, where are you?!"

He hoped and prayed to whatever god there is that she was alright. Maybe this was a misunderstanding? Perhaps she woke up early and took a walk, then fell asleep again? 'No, she would have heard me and woke up again. Something's wrong.' He thought. 'Ballora's not here. She wouldn't leave on her own... and the other twisted animatronics would have woken me up to ask about her before trying to take her...'

His tails started to whip back and forth as he realized who took her. He felt the rage that boiled within him. He stomped over to the room that held the portal he'd use to travel from place to place. Oh, when he gets to that damned pizzeria, there'll be Hell to pay.

}—————{

"Why are you upset?" Springtrap asked the ballerina calmly, his arms crossed as he raised a brow. "We only want answers. Tell us what you know about that...thing." Withered Freddy told her with a concerned look. All the animatronic leaders (Freddy, Withered Freddy, Springtrap, Ennard, Circus Baby, the Shadows, and Gold) were in a large party room that was commonly used for meetings. After Gold found where Havoc took her and teleported there and brought her back, the leaders brought her to the party room to ask her about the monster that she was with. Circus Baby mostly just latched onto Ballora in a tight hug because the smaller humanoid thought that the ballerina was dead for the past few months.

Ballora gritted her sharp teeth and glared at the golden animatronics, "I'm upset because of what happened."

Freddy took that the wrong way, thinking that she was angry because she was taken in the first place and trapped with that creature for months. He also mistook that as her way of saying that the creature had hurt her in some way. "Ballora, it's alright." He tried to be reassuring, "That monster can't hurt you anymore. He can't touch you here."

Ballora's glare was then directed at Freddy. "You know that's not true, and he's no monster! He's my friend!" she tried not to raise her voice. Ennard gave her a look, "Ballora, remain calm. Think about this rationally. That thing took you almost four months ago. He manipulated you and tried to turn you against us. He's not your fr—."

"You don't understand." She stood her ground, "No one does. Heismy friend! He cares about me, and I care about him! He has a heart! He—!"

"— Monsters don't have hearts." Springtrap interrupted her in irritation. Ballora was quick to yell at him, "He's not a monster! You're one to talk about not having a heart!"

"Ballora," Circus Baby said, trying to keep her friend from screaming at everyone. "We've all forgiven Springtrap for what he's done. You know this."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

The Shadows watch silently from the corner of the room, their interests peaked at what the ballerina was about to say. "What are you saying, then?" Freddy asked. Ballora looked Gold dead in the eyes and said in a low, angered voice, "You told us all that he was dead. You and Springtrap were his friends, and you threw him away."

Gold's eyes widened in surprise. Springtrap suddenly seized her forearm and tried to twist it painfully. "Now, tell me," he said as she winced, "Where did you hear aboutthat?"

Ennard came up behind Springtrap and set a hand on his shoulder[Dad Mode: Activated], "I suggest that you let go of my crew member, before we both do something that we'll—."

There was a loudCRASHand a deafening roar sounded throughout the pizzeria. You could hear the other animatronics screaming and shouting. Ballora looked at the door in surprise, 'I know that roar. He came for me!'

Everyone suddenly ran out of the room, Ballora trailing behind them. When they reached the main room, they were met with an enraged twisted animatronic that was throwing an absolute tantrum. The furniture was broken and thrown all over the place. Some of the other animatronics tried fighting him off, but it wasn't going so well for them. Havoc had Funtime Foxy trapped under his claws. "Where is she?!" he bellowed. The fox glared at him, "As if I'd tell you, you freak!"

Havoc growled and was about to roar at him when he heard someone else shout, "Ballora, don't—!"

He snapped his head around and saw the ballerina approaching him. She stopped ten feet away and looked at him worriedly. The twisted animatronic instantly leaped over to her. He ignored the shouting and the threats of the others and quickly picked Ballora up, being careful not to hurt her. He cradled her to his chest to reassure himself that she was really there. "I'm here." She said as she touched one of the buttons on his chest, understanding what he was doing. The other animatronics all stood still in shock. This twenty-foot tall creature came in here, guns-a-blazing, and now that he's found who he's looking for, he's as tame as a baby[He's a SIMP—].

Everyone could see him starting to relax as he nuzzled the area between her neck and her shoulder like he did last night. "I thought I lost you..." he whispered in a hurt voice, "I was afraid that I'd be alone again..."

"I'm not leaving you." She whispered back to him, petting the side of his face. "I'm right here."

Havoc slowly sat down on the floor, still holding her. His shoulders started to shake as his eyes welled up with tears. He gripped her like a child would their teddy bear. "I can't be alone again... not again...neveragain..." the animatronic's voice cracked as he failed to hold back a sob. Ballora reached her arms up and did her best wrap them around Havoc's neck.

Gold's ears lowered and eyes softened at the sight. The bear felt absolutely terrible, realizing for the first time exactly what was happening. His former friend had been alone since the Eighties, with no one to talk to or someone that cared about him. Springtrap's anger started to dissipate, '...What did we do?...'

Gold took a shakey breath and slowly walked forward. He stopped in front of the twisted animatronic and waited for him to realize that he was there. Havoc looked up at Gold with hurt eyes, no longer having the energy to be angry at him. "... I'm sorry... for everything..."[Stoick, is that you?]the bear said to him, "What we did to you was wrong... Ballora was right... You're no monster..."

Funtime Foxy shuffled awkwardly, "I'm sorry about what I said. It wasn't right."

"We're all sorry for what we did to you," Springtrap said, the other animatronics nodding in agreement. The rabbit walked forward too, stopping beside Gold. He reached out a hand, "You don't have to be alone anymore... It's okay if you never forgive us for hurting you like this, and we can only hope to try making it up to you... our friend..."

Havoc's tear-filled eyes widened in shock. They were all being honest. No one was lying. They cared about him. He looked down at Ballora, who smiled affectionately at him. He smiled back at her and reached out to Springtrap, shaking the rabbit's hand. "I forgive you."

Suddenly, Havoc coughed up a bunch of purple smoke. His body hurt all over and you could hear his endoskeleton crack and snap as it broke and reformed inside of him. He and Ballora were both enveloped in the thick cloud while the others backed away. A minute later, when the smoke cleared, everyone's jaws dropped. The Puppet Master stood in Havoc's place, carrying Ballora in his arms. The ballerina looked up at him in shock, "Havoc?"

The animatronic opened his eyes and looked around, then at himself. "... I'm back..." he said, then cheered, "I'm back!"

He set Ballora down and gave her a tight hug, which she happily returned. Gold and Springtrap joined in on the hug. Then Circus Baby shouted, "Group hug!"

The Puppet Master had never been more happy as everyone gathered around him.

That night, he was given his own room and everything. He had a real bed, too! But of course, no bed is complete without the ungodly amount of covers and pillows he had back at the other building, so he made a quick trip and brought them over. Ballora laid down with him in the large blanket nest. The Puppet held her close to him. "This is out of a dream," he told her, "I never thought that I'd be happy again... and then I met you." He smiled at Ballora, who smiled back at him. He gave her a short, sweet kiss on the cheek and rested his head on top of hers while she nuzzled into his chest.

Tomorrow morning, he was going to tell the twisted animatronics about this. He might have just figured out a way to help them all.

Chapter 36: My Happy Place

Chapter Text

[Trigger Warning!]

Mason was sitting on his bed, holding his head in his hands. He was tired of everything. He was tired of his miserable life. He was tired of his parents' abuse. He was tired if getting up every day only to go back to sleep feeling worse than before. He was tired of it all. "I'm sick of it." He muttered. He would be crying, but he didn't have the energy to. He had no tears left to cry. He sighed deeply. This is it. This is the last straw. He's had enough. This is all going to end tonight.

One way or another.

He stood up and walked over to his door. Opening the door, Mason sneaked off to the bathroom. He took his father's sleeping pills from the medicine cabinet and went back to his room, ignoring his parents' intense fighting in the living room. He closed the door silently and and stalked over to the windowsill. 'No use leaving a note. They won't even notice that I'm gone.' He thought sourly as he climbed out his bedroom window. He tip toed on the roof, then jumped off and landed in his front yard. He looked around for any witnesses. Seeing that there were none, Mason stalked off into the night. He decided to do this in the one place that he could be happy. The old treehouse that he and his friends found back when they were all close. Mason sighed longingly, remembering how good things were back then. His friends were still here, of course. They just stopped talking to each other over time. Now it's only a simple "hey" in the hallways at school.

The male narrowed his eyes a bit. Ah yes, school. Or as everyone else calls it: eternal damnation. High school was a bit of Hell, but everyone else seemed to be fine going there. Thinking back to it, the only reason that he still went to school was because of the one person in this world that he loved more than anything. Belle, his girlfriend. The bluenette was beautiful. She had pink eyes that glittered every time she was with him. She was the only one who saw how broken he was on the inside. He never told her anything about it, though. He was afraid that she would leave him if he told her. 'Except now I'm the one leaving her...' he thought grimly. It was hard to imagine her face when someone told her that he was dead. His friends faces, too, were hard to picture. Would they care? Would they even think once about it; let alone twice? 'Probably not.' His eyes softened again, 'I'm probably the one that drove them away, after all. Belle would probably be relieved to hear that I'm gone. No more emotional boyfriend to drag down her reputation.'

It was nearly eleven O' clock. He was almost there. He just needed to get through this one neighborhood to get to the park, and then he can walk through the woods to get to the treehouse. Death was holding his hand out to him. He just needed to take a few more steps before he could take it. He was too busy thinking about his own death that he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him. "Mason?" Asked the familiar voice of his girlfriend. Mason froze and looked up, quickly hiding the pills behind his back. A few feet ahead of him was Belle. She looked surprised and genuinely happy to see him. "Oh. Hey, Belle." he greeted her with a fake smile, "What are you doing here?"

"I live in this neighborhood, silly. Remember?" Belle giggled a little. Mason scratched the back of his neck. "Er, right..." he chuckled with her, "I Uh— I meant what are you doing out here? It's pretty late out."

"Oh. In that case, I'm just going for a walk. We don't have any school tomorrow, so I thought I'd come out and enjoy the moonlight for a bit." She informed him. "Don't worry, my parents know I'm out here." She added quickly. Mason still looked a bit concerned. "You still shouldn't be out here by yourself. It's dangerous out here at night. Someone could try to hurt you." He said to her in a worried tone. Belle stepped forward and hugged him, "Not if I have you with me. Do you want to—?"

The girl paused when she heard the pills rattle in the bottle. She slowly let go of him and looked at him. "Mason... What are you doing out here? What are you hiding behind your back?" She asked. Mason frowned and looked away from her. 'Make up an excuse. Tell her you were running a task for someone.' He quickly thought of a way to avoid telling her the truth. He pulled the pill bottle into her view and looked back at her. "My dad needed a refill on his pills. I went to the pharmacy to get them." He lied. Belle looked a bit upset. "I know you're lying, Mason. Your house is the other way." She told him with a sad expression, "Mason, please tell me that there's a good reason why you're heading for the treehouse with your father's sleeping pills."

Mason's frown deepened. He held the bottle a little tighter. 'Just get past her. She's making me wait to do this, and I won't let her stop me.'

"It doesn't matter." He told her in a frustrated voice, "It's not like I'm trying to get high or something."

"Then what are you doing?" She was getting desperate now. "Just tell me!"

"Just go home, Belle! Nothing matters anymore! When the sun comes up, you'll see why I'm out here!" He snapped at her. Belle looked like she was about to yell back at him when her jaw dropped. Mason's eyes widened a bit, realizing what he just said. 'Damn it!' He swore himself out. "Mason..." Belle looked afraid. "... Please don't tell me that—"

"—That I'm trying to kill myself?! Yes, Belle! That's exactly what I'm doing!" He admitted. He grit his teeth as a tear slid down his face. "You don't understand why I'm doing this, but it'll be better for everyone if I go. Goodbye, Belle. Have a nice life." He nearly growled. He had to get away from her. Mason stormed past her, practically stomping his feet as he ripped off the lid to the pill bottle. A couple of the pills dropped to the ground from the force of it. Belle snapped out of her shock and scrambled to catch up to him. She ran and stopped right in front of Mason. He kept moving forward in an attempt to ignore her, so she walked backwards at a fast pace to stay in front of him. "Mason, don't do it!" She she pleaded, "You don't know what you're doing!"

"I know what I'm doing! Stay out of it!" He yelled at her, stopping abruptly. Mason had tears slowly streaming from his eyes by now. "I'll be happier this way—!" He tried justifying his choice. "—ButIwon't!" Belle interrupted him, "Mason, please! I love you so much! Just tell me what's wrong so I can help you!"

"You know what?!" He nearly screamed, "I don't see why I have to do this at the treehouse! I can just swallow them right now!"

"Mason, no!" Belle cried. Mason threw the bottle up to his mouth and dumped most of the pills inside. "Mason,please!" Belle practically screamed. He tilted his head back down to look at her. Belle lunged forward and seized the sides of his head. She smashed her lips onto his and kissed him as passionately as she could. Mason froze a second time. He dropped the pill bottle and it fell to the ground with a rattlingclack. Belle continued, and Mason eventually rested his arms around her waist. He kissed her back as he started to calm down. After a minute, Belle pulled away from him slowly, keeping her hands on the sides of his face. She quickly spat out the half of the pills she managed to get out of his mouth. Belle met his eyes, and he noticed for the first time that she was actually crying. She looked as heartbroken as he did in that moment. "Mason...please...just spit them out..." she begged him, "I love you so,somuch... You don't know how bad it's going to hurt me if you do this... Please; don't swallow thosedamned pills..."

Mason's face fell. Belle really meant it. She loved him. '... I can't leave her like this...' he thought, 'I can't do this to her...'

The male put his open hand up to his mouth and he spat the sleeping pills into his palm. He moved his tongue around to make sure he got them all out and threw them into the road. He watched as the pills spilled into the storm drain nearby. Mason looked back at Belle. She looked at him with relief. Mason stepped forward and hugged her again, collapsing into her and dragging them both to the ground as he wept with her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He apologized to her over and over again as he sobbed, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Belle held him as tightly as he was holding her. She rested her head on top of his and cradled him in her arms. "Shhhhh... It's okay..." she gushed him. "I love you." She said to him repeatedly, "I'm so grateful that you're alive."

Mason sniffled a few minutes later, finally calming down completely. He lifted his head up and spoke with Belle again. "I'm so sorry, Belle... I just couldn't take it anymore... I'm so tired of everything... You're the only reason why I'm still alive... I would have died years ago if it weren't for you..." he confessed to her. Belle held his face gently, "Don't say that. I forgive you, but you have to promise me that you'll never try to take your life again. Do you promise me?"

Mason gave her the world's smallest smile and swore to her, "I promise."

Belle smiled back at him. "Thank you. Now, please tell me why you're in so much pain. What have you not been telling me?" She asked him. His smile immediately fell as a look of shame rose onto his face. "You're the only living thing on this Earth that gives a damn about me. I drove any friends I had away from me almost a year before I met you. My parents don't care about me and beat me if I ask them for something. No one has ever tried to help me before... Except for you..." he told her, wiping the tears away. Belle rubbed her thumb on his cheekbone and frowned sadly. "Mason... why didn't you tell me?"

"I was scared. I didn't want to drive you away, too."

Belle tried to smile at him again. "You don't have to go back to them." She said. "You can stay with me. My parents will understand if we tell them about what happened to you. You can live with us and be happy."

Mason set his hands on top of hers and smiled back at her, "Thank you, Belle. I would love to."

"Do you need to get anything from your house before we go?" She asked him. Mason shook his head. "Anything I value is at the treehouse. I won't let those monsters destroy what I treasure." He told her, "I check on them almost every day."

Belle's smile widened and she wiped her tears away too, "Are you ready?"

"... Give me a second." He said. He looked behind him and spotted the pill bottle. There was still a small handful of pills inside. He frowned at it. Belle watched silently as he crawled over to the vile things. Mason grabbed the pill bottle and smiled as he threw it and the cap into the road. The bottle, the cap, and the pills went down the storm drain. Even if someone found the bottle, the water in the drain would have already dissolved the pills. The wretched things were gone. He was finally free, just not how he expected. And it feltgreat. Belle stood behind him and offered her hand to him. Mason took it gratefully. The two kept their hands intertwined as they walked towards Belle's house. Neither of them looked back.

Chapter 37: I Married A Serial Killer

Chapter Text

Mason gave his wife a sweet, gentle kiss on the forehead while hugging her from behind, leaning over to do so. Belle smiled and relaxed in his embrace. He rested his hand on her stomach and whispered, "How many are we having again?"

"You know how many, silly." The bluenette giggled softly. Mason hummed, "I know. I just want to hear you say it."

Belle put her hand on top of his. "Three." She told him. The man cracked a smile; the one that only showed when he was around her. Belle sighed contemptibly, remembering the first time she ever met her husband. It was on a Friday night a couple of years ago, and Belle had recently broken up with her (now ex-) boyfriend. She discovered that he was cheating on her and decided that she was better off without him. It hurt like hell at the time. She sat down on the floor and cried for hours. She was a hiccuping, tearful mess. There was a sudden feeling of dread that creeped through her and she looked up. The woman was frozen as she locked gazes with a masked man wearing all black clothing. He held a sharp knife in his left hand, which was gloved. Tears kept rolling down her face as she stared at her reflection in the blade. Just by looking at him, she could tell what he was doing in her house. He was there to kill her. A serial killer had been on the loose for months, and the police weren't even close to catching him. He only killed people when he knew they were home alone. She kept her head down and closed her eyes, miserably accepting her fate. "Go ahead," she told him in a wobbly voice, "I don't have much else to live for now."

Although she couldn't see it, the man tilted his head at her curiously. Why was she just giving up? Why did she say that? He glanced around the room and spotted a picture that was torn off the wall. The glass was shattered and a part of the picture was torn. The part that was ripped away had a man's face on it. He was able to guess that he was her old boyfriend. She didn't looked like she was grieving, so he probably isn't dead. The only other thing that would make her destroy a photo of them together was that the guy either cheated on her or left her. The masked man looked back down at the woman. She really did want to die in that moment. He let out a quiet sigh and held out his hand for her, finding sympathy in his black heart.

Belle looked back up, sensing the change. It surprised her to see him reaching for her. She tried looking into his eyes, but her vision was too blurry and the mask kept them hidden. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes with one arm, hesitatingly taking his hand with the other. He slowly pulled her up and gave her a tight hug, making sure that the knife was pointing away from her back. He rubbed circles in her back to ease the crying woman. Belle eventually calmed down and was slowly nodded off, finding peace in the masked man's arms. When she woke up again, he was gone. He set her on the couch and covered her with a blanket so she wouldn't be cold, and he left her a small note saying that everything would be alright. She was confused, but let the entire thing slide and decided not to call the police. The very next day her ex was murdered. He and his mistress had both been gutted like fish. It made Belle shiver knowing that it was probably because of her. Since then, the amount of murders slowed in frequency. A few months later, at the food court of the local mall, she met a tall man with black hair and blue eyes. He had a charming smile and subtly flirted with her whenever he got the chance. He introduced himself as Mason Salacil. Belle was flattered by how kindly he treated her and how he showed her respect. She gave him her phone number the next week, and the two went on a date the next day. They hit it off immediately. Belle would go on walks and dates with him and Mason would buy small gifts for her. The number of murders kept decreasing more and more the longer they would hang out with each other. One day, he asked her to be his girlfriend. Belle smiled and told him that she would love to. They shared their first kiss that day.

The murders then stopped completely.

After spending so much time around him, she realized that there was something oddly familiar about Mason. It had her a bit on edge at first, but she eventually got used to it. One day, though, she realized why. She was cooking in the kitchen when she slipped and fell on the tiled floor. Mason ran into the kitchen to make sure that she was alright. He had been unboxing things in the living room and brought a big knife with him since he forgot to put it down. He offered his hand to her to help her get up. As Belle rubbed the back of her head, it finally clicked. The way she was looking up at a man with a knife in his left hand. Mason was holding his knife the same way. He was as tall as the masked man and even had the same build as him. Belle gave him a small smile as she took his hand. If he really was planning on killing her, then she'd already be dead. She never told him that she knew who he was, deciding that it was best if he told her himself (if he ever wanted to at all).

Back to the present, the day turned into night. Belle and Mason were peacefully laying down in their bed. Belle was cuddling into his side, resting her head on his chest. She felt how distressed he was and looked up at Mason's face. He was staring at the ceiling, wide awake. The man looked almost afraid, and he made a face every now and then like he was arguing with himself. "Mason?" Belle tried to get his attention. Mason snapped out of it and looked at her. "Yes, dear?" He asked her. Belle asked him worriedly, "Are you alright?"

Mason has this guilty look in his eyes. He sighed deeply and swallowed. "Belle... there's something that I need to tell you..." he started slowly, "I should have told you this a long time ago. I understand if you hate me for it, but... please... I don't want to lose you because of it..."

Belle had a feeling of where this was going and waited patiently for him to continue. "You can tell me. I won't judge you for it." she reassured him. Mason was grateful that she was more concerned over him than suspicious. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I... I'm not who you think I am." he admitted, "The first time we met wasn't at the food court. It was here, in your house. I-... I was going to-..."

Belle reached up and gently cupped his face in one of her hands. She rubbed her thumb over his cheek with a small smile. "It's okay." She repeated herself. Mason smiled back at her as a tear slipped down his face. "... I'm a murderer, Belle. A serial killer. I was going to kill you that day- but- I just couldn't." He hugged her tightly, pulling her closer to him. "I couldn't do that to you. You were so upset and helpless... a-and I-!"

Belle kissed him on the lips to make him quiet down. He was surprised, but kissed back. Belle pulled away slowly and wrapped her arms around his neck, laying comfortably on top of him. "I forgive you, Mason. I already knew." She whispered to him gently. Now Mason was definitely surprised. "H-How did you...?" He asked in shock. Belle nuzzled his collar, "I've known since we first lived together. The day I fell in the kitchen and you brought the knife with you on accident, that's when it all clicked. Your height and build, and the way you were holding the knife was so familiar to me that I recognized who you were."

"... And you're not mad?... Shouldn't you be afraid of me?" He asked, baffled. Belle shook her head. "You treated me kindly after realizing why I was crying. You stopped killing people the day we became a couple. You may have a bloody past, but you've shown me how gentle and compassionate you really are. And now that we're having children, you're more kind than ever. I'm not mad at you. I'm not afraid of you. I love you, Mason." She told him. Mason was so relieved that she wasn't going to leave him. He hugged her even tighter and smiled, nuzzling her collar like she did a few seconds ago. "I love you, too, Belle."

Chapter 38: Not on the Menu

Chapter Text

The halls of the castle were filled with the screams of dying soldiers. It was chaos. The day had gone completely normal until mere minutes ago. Everyone was minding their own business when a dragon dropped out of the sky and wreaked havoc on the large building. It crashed through walls, mowing over the crumbling stone as it spewed flames all over the place. It bellowed furious sounding roars that echoed throughout the castle. Another wave of soldiers readied their weapons as the dragon broke into the throne room. The dragon saw one of the soldiers in the back push something behind the tall throne. Whatever the humans were trying to hide, he will get it and keep it all to himself. Perhaps it was a chest full of treasure? Or something else that was priceless? The dragon charged as another roar tore from his throat. He batted two of the guards out of his way with his forearm, then whirled towards another cluster of them while swinging his tail on a low arc. His tail swept three of them aside as he bit down on one of the soldiers in front of him. He tore the soldier in half, then let go of the top half in his mouth and lunged forward, crushing the rest of the humans in front of him. The final group of soldiers behind him threw spears at him. He turned his head and looked at them evilly, taking a deep breath as smoke started to rise from his nostrils. The men's eyes widened in horror as the dragon blasted them with his fire. The throne room was filled with agonized screams while the last of the soldiers were burned alive.

The dragon snorted mockingly. That was too easy. Humans really are pathetic and weak creatures. Their bodies are easily destroyed; it's a miracle that they even make it out of infancy. He stalked over to the throne. He heard a whimper over his own heavy footsteps. The dragon knows that he killed all of the soldiers here, so there was only one place that the noise could be coming from. He peeked his head around the throne and saw another human there. This one was sitting against the back of the throne, shivering and hugging her knees to her chest, hiding her face so that she wouldn't see him. He moved his head closer to her and growled threateningly. The female flinched hard and fell onto her side in panic. Something fell from the top of her head and clattered to the ground. It was a tiara. The dragon narrowed his eyes at her, 'She must be a princess, or else she'd have a crown.'

There was no treasure that he could find, but he could claim the princess as a prize. If he got bored of her, he could always just eat her or drop her while he was flying. Making up his mind, the dragon hunched over as he stood on his hind legs. He reached out and grabbed the human (and her tiara, since it was technically a piece of treasure). She screamed in fear and held on tightly to his talon as the massive reptile spread his wings and lifted off of the floor. He glanced around and spotted a large window made of stained glass. He flew towards it and busted through it with a horrible shattering sound. The princess was screaming and crying for help as he flew higher and higher into the sky, heading away from the castle with a loud and triumphant roar. The farther they got from her home, the quieter the princess became as she gave in to the realization that she may never see the kingdom again. It was a long flight and the princess remained silent after they reached the halfway point. When they arrived at his lair, the dragon flew inside. It was a large cavern that had an entrance resting in the highest peek of a tall mountain. He landed on his hind legs and stalked towards the deepest part of the cavern. It was the cave that held all of his treasure. He tossed the tiara onto one of the large piles of gold, then looked around the area and spotted a high ledge that he could easily access but was impossible for the princess to escape from.

He looked at the human in his grasp and set her down on the ledge. She slid onto the stone and curled into a fetal position. The princess whimpered again as tears streamed from her eyes. The dragon simply huffed and hissed at her, "Stop crying. It's not that horrible unless I want you to suffer."

The princess looked at him with surprise, "Y-You can talk?"

"Yes, I can." He confirmed for her a little rudely. "Now do as I say and stop crying. You're making a mess of yourself and it's annoying." He added to that. The princess looked up at him and wiped away her tears. She kept her eyes on him as he moved away from the ledge and stalked over to a large pile of gold. It was low, but wide. He laid down on top of it with a loudthump. The dragon curled up around his treasure and began to doze off. The princess knew that it was futile, but still looked for a way off of the ledge. So far the only option she had was jumping off- but judging by how far away the floor was, it wouldn't end well for her. "Why did you bring me here?" She asked the dragon quietly. "Because there was no treasure hidden behind the throne. Instead, there was you." He grumbled with his eyes closed, "You are still a prize, just not the one I was looking for."

"So I'm just an object for you to collect? Is that it?" She said bitterly. The dragon scoffed. "What else could I possibly use you for? You're not much of a royal feast, so I don't want to devour you." He said, waving his tail dismissively. "You're no different form everyone else, then." She spat suddenly. That made the dragon open one of his eyes. "Excuseme?" He growled, "I'll have you know thatIam an almighty,powerful, fire-breathing dragon! I can set anempireon fire and watch it burn from above.Youare a small, pathetic human princess. No claws or fangs, and certainly no fire. You're not strong. You don't even have a tough hide! I have scales harder than any armor! And what doyouhave? Nothing! I could step on you and you would die!"

"So tell me," the dragon hissed, getting up from his pile of treasure, "whatwere you saying about me being the same as youweakhuman beings?"

"You're just like everyone else!" The princess repeated herself, yelling at him. The dragon's mouth twitched. He sort of didn't expect her to snap at him. "Youallthink of me as one thing: an object! A trophy or some prize to win by proving that you're the best! For so many years, I had to live my life without a say in what happens! I still do! My father decides what happens to me, and he doesn't care as long as it benefits him!" Her yelling slowly started turning into screaming. The large reptilian may or may not've winced. He just opened up a whole new can of sardines by trying to intimidate her. He opened his mouth, trying to find the right thing to say. "NO! I'M NOT DONE!" She silenced him, "Since the day I was born, it was always a life of expectations! I'm supposed to do as I'm told when I'm told to do it, and if I don't, there are severe consequences! That palace wasn't a palace! It was acage!And do you know what my only way out is?!Marriage!And you know what?! I can't evenchoosewho I want to marry! My father is just going to hand me to the man who can pay the highest price! Then he'll take me away and put me inanother damn cage!"

The princess was starting to cry again. "I'll be forced to listen tohiminstead! It'll beworsethan my father, because then the punishments will bemuch more severe!I don't have an opinion, and I most certainly can't do what I want! I'm supposed to just keep my mouth shut and do whatever my 'loving husband' wants me to! I'll be forced to have his children, and because we're royalty, we're supposed to have a lot of them! I don't want that! I don't wantanyof it! That's not love! That's a prison sentence! I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT!" She became more hysterical, "I DON'T HAVE MANY OPTIONS LEFT NOW! TO LIVE OR TO DIE, THEY'RE BOTH THE SAME! IF I STAY HERE, YOU'LL EAT ME SOONER OR LATER! IF I MANAGE TO ESCAPE AND GO BACK TO THE KINGDOM, I'LL BE BACK TO LIVING A LIFE OF MISERY!"

The dragon can't even process what to do right now. 'What thehelldid I unleash?' He thought with concern (which surprised him, honestly). "... So why don't you do it now?..." she whimpered. "What?" He asked. The princess looked into his eyes, furious and despaired. "You heard me you winged lizard!Do it now! Eat me!" She screamed. The dragon's eyes widened. 'What?!' The wheels in his head turned, '...Did she just ask me to-?'

"Go on! What are you waiting for! Just kill me now!Eat me!" She screamed again, crying a river. She slammed her fist on the stone beneath her, "What?! Do I have to insult you or something?!Eat me you fat, flying crocodile!"

The dragon couldn't even take offense from that. 'Shewantsme to kill her?' His eyes glanced from left to right to the princess in the middle while she continued to insult him and call him names. She screamed a variety of creative and colorful insults at him, saying this and saying that, constantly repeating the words "eat me". In the end, her throat was burning painfully from raising her voice so much. "Please... why don't you just eat me already?..." her voice cracked. She sank lower to the stone ledge and cried, holding her head in her hands. The dragon stood there, listening to her sobbing. 'I just made a big mess, didn't I?' He honestly felt a little bad. Here he thought that she was just a bratty princess (which she technically still is), but instead he found a girl who wanted her life to end. He thought for a moment, shifting his weight from talon to talon. Then he turned around and stalked away. He carefully scanned the silver and gold piles in the cave. 'No use, the tiara's lost...' he thought, frowning. He looked back at the princess, who was crying so much that she didn't even notice he left for a moment. 'Well... she sort of said that she doesn't want to be a princess anymore...' he debated on what to do. Finally he walked over to the ledge and stretched his neck, turned his head to get over the princess's head.

The dragon used his teeth and carefully picked her up by the back of the collar of her extravagant dress, like a cat would to carry her kitten. He lifted her off the ledge, making her open her eyes and look down. It was still a long drop if the dragon lets go. But he didn't. Instead he walked away from the ledge and carried her farther into the treasure cave. The dragon brought her to a warmer area, where there were more piles of silver objects than gold. He used one of his large talons to move some of the silver, making a large nest of precious metal. The dragon then walked onto the pile and curled up to sleep. He craned his neck and gently placed the princess on the silver medallions. She was laying down on her side, tears still dripping from her eyes as she looked at the dragon in confusion.

"Sleep now, princess." He told her calmly, "Tomorrow we'll do whatever you want."

The princess's confusion slowly turned into a sad smile. "R-Really?..." she asked hopefully. The dragon hummed, "Really."

He moved his arms so that they'd circle around her like a protective barrier, then laid his head down to where he could still see her if he opened his eyes. The princess sniffles and wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her dress. Once they were gone, she crawled over to one of the dragon's arms. She crossed her arms and placed them on the dragon's, using them as a pillow. "... Thank you..." she whispered quietly.

She couldn't see it, but there was a hint of a smile on the dragon's face.

Chapter 39: Robotics

Chapter Text

[ForAnim_The_Ghost]

"C'mon, Papa! Lets's gooooooo!" Charlie cheered as they walked into the library. "Hold on, kiddo." Mason called after the little girl. He followed her with a small smile on his face. Charlie wasn't exactly his daughter, but that didn't stop him from acting like she was. His friend, Henry, was like a brother to him. When Henry died in a tragic accident, it was decided that the responsibility of raising and protecting Charlie fell onto his shoulders. Mason didn't mind one bit. If it was Henry's last wish to have him take care of the dead man's daughter, then he was more than happy to do it. It was a difficult adjustment to make to his life, but the two managed to work things out between them. Charlie, although young, was hugely into robotics. 'Just like her father.' Mason thought with a slight shake of his head in amusem*nt. Charlie wanted to check out the library to see what they had on robotics, since her father wasn't able to teach her very much before he died.

The girl smiled widely and ran ahead of her adoptive father, dodging people and zoning through the aisles to find the books she was looking for. She knew where they were of course, but it was a lot more fun to do this. The librarians knew her well, so they didn't stop her, and Mason currently didn't have the energy to keep up with her. Charlie made a turn and ran through the opening to the aisle with the robotics books. She slowed to a stop in the middle of the aisle and looked around, taking note of which books she was waiting to read or already did. Mason caught up to her a minute later, walking up to Charlie and ruffling her hair. "You're getting faster, Charlie." He said with a smile. Charlie shook her head, "Nuh uh, you're getting slower."

"Well, that's what happens to a frail old man like myself." Mason joked. Charlie giggled, making his smile grow wider. "Which one are we getting today?" He asked her. The child glanced at the shelves for a moment. "Over here." She skipped over to one of the bookshelves near the very end of the aisle. Mason walked over and waited patiently for her to choose a book. 'I'm pretty sure that she'll be building robots in middle school at this rate.'

Charlie was pretty smart for her age. She already knew how to build and fix small things like computers and animatronic toys. Every time Mason sees her building something new, he has that "proud father" feeling. The sound of Charlie struggling to reach a book snapped him out of his thoughts. Charlie was standing on her toes in an attempt to grab a book from one of the higher-up shelves. "Do you need some help?" He asked. Charlie shook her head, "Nope, I got it!"

The girl jumped a couple of times, finally snagging the book and quickly pulling it out as she went back down. The book itself was pretty heavy, so it made her loose her balance when she landed on the ground again. Charlie stumbled back a couple of steps, Mason hurrying to catch her in case she actually fell over. He didn't want her to hit her head. Someone else was in the aisle with them and Charlie accidentally bumped into her, startling them both. Luckily bumping into the stranger wasn't a bad thing because the woman helped her regain her balance by letting Charlie grab her hand. "Are you alright?" The woman asked. Charlie nodded, "Thank you for helping me. That was really nice of you. I'm sorry I ran into you."

"You're welcome, and it's okay. No harm was done, right?" The woman said with a smile. Mason stood up straight and let go of the breath he was holding. "Thank goodness." He muttered. Charlie stepped over towards Mason and stood in front of him with a smile. "I'm ready to go, Papa." She told him. Mason nodded, "Alright, give me a minute."

He looked back up at the stranger and held out his hand. "Hello, my name is Mason. Thank you for helping my daughter." He said to her. The woman took his hand and shook it, smiling. "It's nice to meet you, Mason. I'm Belle. It wasn't a problem. I was worried that she might hit her head on the other shelf." The woman responded. Mason grinned, "You and me both."

Charlie sat down on the ground and opened up the book, already starting to read it. Belle looked at the book in Charlie's hands. "That's a pretty big book." She commented. Charlie hummed. "Yep! It's okay though. That means I have more to read." She said enthusiastically. Belle looked at Mason, surprised. "She can read that entire book?" She asked. Mason nodded with a proud smile, "Indeed she can. Charlie's into a lot of science and robotics, so she loves it when I bring her here to check out a book. She's read almost all the books in this aisle."

Belle looked at the books on the very last shelf. They were all college-level books. That was odd since the girl definitely isn't in college. "How old is she?" Belle asked curiously. "She'll be ten in about a month." Mason said.

"Really?"

"Really. She's incredibly smart for her age."

Belle went quiet, trying to process this information. A nine year old girl— anelementary schoollevel student— was reading things meant for people who are advanced in robotic classes. That was a lot to take in for her. "Shocked?" Mason asked, derailing her (already scattered) train of thought. Belle could only nod in response. Mason's smile went from casual to amused, "Yeah, a lot of people are shocked when they hear it."

"... She's so young..." Belle finally managed to find her voice, "How did she get so smart?"

Mason's smile faded. "Well, her father got her into robotics when she was old enough to help him work." He told her. Belle had a "hold up" moment in her head. "Oh... you're not her father?" She asked. 'Didn't the girl call him Papa?' She wondered. Mason shook his head. "No. Her father died a few years ago. He was a close friend of mine, so he asked me to take care of his daughter if anything ever happened to him. Charlie calls me her Papa because I treat her like she's my daughter." Mason informed her. "I'm sorry for asking about something so personal." The woman apologized. "It's alright." Mason said with his smile returning, "Like you said earlier; no harm done."

"I guess so..." she was quiet for a moment, "... I divorced my husband last year because he made terrible choices."

"What?" Mason asked, caught of guard. "Sorry, I just thought that since you told me something personal about yourself that I should tell you one of mine in return." She apologized for the sudden drop. "Oh. That makes sense." Mason agreed. "... Was he a jerk?" The man asked. Belle frowned. "He could be a huge jerk whenever he wanted something, but that's not the reason why I filed for the divorce." She told him, "I won't get too into detail since this isn't an appropriate place for that, but I can tell you most of it. He did something horrible, something so...awfulthat the moment I knew about it, I divorced him and moved as far away as I could."

"Woah..." He said, "It was that bad?"

Belle nodded. "It was unforgivable." She muttered. Mason looked away for a moment before putting his hand on Belle's shoulder. "It's alright." He told her, "You had nothing to do with it, right? His actions don't reflect on you for being married to him."

Belle smiled at looked up at him, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Charlie listened to the adults' conversation while she pretended to read, a smile on her face. Mason looked at a watch that was on his wrist. "Oops." He realized, "Charlie, I think we're missing your favorite show."

Charlie closed the book quickly and bolted for the front desk so she could check it out. Mason smiled at Belle. "I'm sorry to suddenly up and leave, but I promised that I'd watch it with her tonight." He apologized. Belle smiled again, "No worries, I get it. Spending time with your kids is important."

Mason nodded in agreement. "It was nice talking to you." Belle said as a goodbye. "It was nice talking to you, too." Mason reciprocated the goodbye, "Maybe I'll see you around?"

Belle's smile grew a bit wider, "Definitely."

The two parted ways, Mason following Charlie while Belle went to the next aisle. After Charlie checked out her book, she speed-walked outside. Once they were out of the library she grabbed his hand and started running. "Run, Papa, run!" She commanded him. "I—I'm running! I'm running!" Mason told her, doing his best to keep up with her.[This man needs an energy drink.]

Meanwhile, back in the library, Belle finally found the books for how to properly cook and bake. "About time. I thought I'd never find these." She muttered. While Belle looked for which books to check out, she thought back to Mason and Charlie. 'Even thought she's not his actual daughter, he still loves her like she is.' She thought with admiration, 'It's pretty adorable... He's kind of cute...'

Belle paused while reaching for a book, 'Wait, what?'

'No, don't think like that. You're not even close to ready to ask someone out yet.' She scolded herself, 'Not after William... But Mason's different. He's a good father and... really nice... and he is kind of cute...'

Belle facepalmed, very annoyed by her logic, 'Fine, I'll ask him for his phone number next time.'

Chapter 40: Feeling Blue

Chapter Text

[Depresso Expresso Warning!]

No one had seen Ballora in a couple of days. The animatronics were relieved to have the stuck-up ballerina go away for a bit. The ballerina always acted mean or snotty to everyone, making herself appear above everyone else. They were all growing sick of it. One morning, on the third day of her disappearance, someone made a weird discovery in the pizzeria.

}—————{

This was unbelievable. She can't find any way to sugarcoat what just happened to her. Ballora the Ballerina was just turned into acat!"Unbelievable!" She hissed from her hiding spot in the vents. She hid up there because she didn't want anyone to see her like this. It would be humiliating and she couldn't bear the thought of becoming another laughing-stock at a pizza place. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side. She was in the middle of taking a nap when a long, black tentacle with white stripes snatched her by one of her back legs. She woke up with a startled yowl, her claws scraping against the metal shaft as she was dragged out of the vent. Two hands grabbed her as she was pulled out of the wall. She saw the number of fingers and the color of the hands, knowing exactly who it was that had caught her. "Let me go, Marionette! Put me down!" She demanded. The Puppet Master didn't speak cat, so he didn't know what she was saying. He simply gave her a perplexed look and put the vent's cover back on.

"Hey, you found something! Where'd it come from?" Golden Freddy spoke to his friend. The Puppet shrugged. "No clue. I just thought that the guard was trying to hide in the vents and I reached in and pulled out this thing." Puppet told him. Ballora squirmed in his grip as he walked towards the main stage room, probably to show her to the other animatronics. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get away from him. The Marionette had a strong hold on her, but made sure that she'd be able to breathe. He walked into the stage room, where everyone was gathered. 'Oh lord... they're all here... Wait! Maybe they can help me! Someone's bound to recognize me!' She thought hopefully.

"Hey, look what Puppet found!" Gold called out to the others. "More like 'look what Puppet dragged out of the vents'." Ballora hissed. The Puppet Master looked at the cat in his arms with a small frown. "Hey, be nice." He told her.

The others crowded around her as they all went to pet the cat. She tried scratching at them— demanding that they stopped—, but her claws snagged painfully on the metal limbs. She hissed and growled at them all, despising how "weak" she was at the moment.

}—————{

A few weeks went by of this new torture. The animatronics would find or make little things for her to wear, and they'd try to play with her or tease her and feed her actual cat food. How they got bags of cat food, she'll never ask. The only thing that allowed her to tolerate everything was that she was constantly being showered in attention. But there were times where the attention was too much. Whenever that happened, she'd retreat to the Puppet Master's room. It was nice and cold and dark and quiet. No one was allowed in there without his permission, so visitors were a rare sight. She'd usually find him laying down on the bed, so she would curl up and fall asleep on his chest. Sometimes he would be asleep and let her be, other times (like right now) he was awake and would stroke her back. He knew just where she liked getting petted and it made her purr every time. 'Nowthisis paradise.' she thought with satisfaction. However, paradise was short lived when the door to his room opened. "Yo, Pup! Crew meeting. Freddy wants everyone there." Gold said. The bear narrowed his eyes at the two, "And how come Molly likes you more than me?"

"Jealous?" The Puppet Master asked jokingly. He sat up and made sure that he was holding Ballora— aka, Molly— in a comfortable way. When she yawned, he took that as a good sign and stood up to follow Gold to the meeting. When they got there, everyone seemed to be a bit on edge about something. "What's so important that everyone had to get up atonein the morning?" Bonnie asked Freddy. Freddy cleared his throat. "There is no easy way to announce this, so I'm just going to say it now." The bear looked around, "Ballora is missing."

'It took you guys THIS LONG to notice?!' Ballora internally shouted. "It's about time!" She meowed. The Puppet Master held her tighter, looking genuinely worried about the news. "For how long?" He asked. Funtime Foxy nodded at him. "The last time anyone saw her was a few days before you found Molly." He informed the marionette. "Does anyone have any idea where she might be?" Asked Puppet.

"I'm right here!"

Everyone shook their heads. "Honestly, good riddance!" Toy Chica exclaimed, "She just caused trouble and made everyone upset. I'm glad that we don't have to deal with her anymore!"

Ballora was about to hiss at her, but then some of the other animatronics started nodding in agreement. "... What?" She asked, caught off guard by this. She knew the others could get annoyed with her, but did they really feel happy that she was gone? "You guys don't really mean that, do you?" Puppet asked. Baby scratched the back of her neck, "Well... the circus was stuck with her more than you guys were, so you probably haven't gotten as fed up with her as we are."

"But she's your crew member! You're not supposed to just abandon her the first chance you get!" Puppet argued, "Cece was just like her before we met you, and look at her now! She's learned to be nice, so Ballora could have learned, too!"

Ballora stayed quiet in the Puppet Master's arms. She really must have been terrible. Even the circus didn't want her around. She felt awful. 'So this is karma's way of teaching me a lesson? Do they really hate me that badly?' She asked herself. Her ears flattened against her head and she snuggled herself deeper into Puppet's chest.

}—————{

Another couple of weeks went by, and almost no one went looking for her. The only few who did were the Puppet Master, Golden Freddy (who only did so because Puppet was his friend), and Toy Bonnie and Mangle (since they were literally the nicest animatronics in the entire pizzeria). However, the last three gave up just a few days ago, with Puppet giving in to the realization that she was "gone" shortly afterwards. Ballora stayed in Puppet's room for most of the time after that. She started accepting the fact that she was now stuck as a small feline. A few months passed by after that. Some of the animatronics started noticing how she slowly went from an aggressive little spitfire to a calm and quiet cat. It was worrying to a few of them, but the others claimed that she finally got used to being handled by mechanical beings. The real reason why this was happening, though, was because Ballora didn't want them to hate her even more. She didn't want to upset them or even try to tell them who she really was anymore— that Molly the cat was the missing ballerina they started to forget about. She decided that ifMollywas who they liked... ifMollywas who theywanted... then that's who she was.

She was Molly.

Ballora isn't here anymore.

It was just her: Molly the cat.

A cat who the other animatronics love and adore with all their hearts.

Not a ballerina that nobody likes.

'If this is what makes them happy, then this is how I'll make up for being such a pain in the—'

Puppet walked into the room and slammed the door behind him, startling Molly out of her thoughts. He had a few tears running down his face and tried wiping them away with the back of his hand. He plopped down onto the mattress of his bed, digging his sharp fingers into the sheets. "Why?!" He growled, "Why do they not care?! She was one of us! We're supposed to be a family, no matter how terrible any of us can be! How can they justeraseher like that?!"

Molly sat in front of him for a moment, unsure of how to handle this. It appears that the marionette was so mad he started crying. She can only assume it had something to do with Ballora, but she also didn't know what he meant by "erase". The cat jumped onto the bed beside him and started nuzzling Puppet's side. He blinked and looked at her with a hint of remorse. "O—Oh... Hey, Molly... I forgot that you're in here..." he chuckled sadly, a few tears slipping from his face. He wiped them away again and softly scratched under her chin, "Don't mind me... How're ya' doing, girl?"

Molly didn't respond, settling for purring instead. She climbed into his lap and curled into a ball. Puppet smiled. 'At least he feels better now.' the cat thought with a small smile of her own. There was light knocking on the door, then it opened, revealing Goldie with a sad frown. "Hey, bud... I'm sorry this is happening, but you've gotta accept it." He told Puppet. Puppet nodded, "I know..."

'DAMN YOU GOLDIELOCKS I JUST GOT HIM TO SMILE!'

Gold's frown turned into a worried look. "I understand why you're so upset... You still have that tiny crush on her, don't you?" He asked. Puppet slowly nodded. Molly was too busy being mad at Gold to acknowledge and process what he said. "It doesn't matter anymore... I don't think she'll ever come back..." Puppet mumbled. Gold opened the door a bit wider. "Come on. Why don't we get some pizza and coffee? That always cheers you up, right?"

Puppet sighed and nodded. He stroked Molly's ears before picking her up and placing her on the bed. "I'll be back, Molly. Please don't get fur everywhere."

"I won't. Now go eat your pizza you sad sack of potatoes..." the cat mewed. Gold snorted, amused. "I have a feeling she just mildly insulted you." The bear said to the marionette. Puppet grinned, "It's probably nothing compared to what she might say about you."

Molly listened to the two as they walked away, teasing each other. 'Might as well keep myself entertained.' She got up and jumped off the bed, then went into the ventilation system via the small shaft in Puppet's room. He knew how much Molly liked the vents, so he took the cover off ages ago. Somehow, just by avoiding the other animatronics, she wound up in the security office... Well, more like above it. She was about to get out of there went the vent beneath her gave way. She plummeted and landed on the table with athud. She landed on her feet, but she still had to get over the shock. "Whoa, a cat?" The guard said as he reached over and picked her up, "What're you doing in here?"

Molly blinked at him, not knowing what to do. The guard held her in front of him and he looked at her closely. "Awww, you're actually pretty adorable. I can't be mad at you for scaring the life outta me." He cooed with sparkling eyes. 'Yuuuuuuck!' She thought, 'Is this guyflirtingwith me?'

"My name's Jeremy! And you are...?"

"Not in the mood for this." The feline grumbled. "Aw, don't be mad atme. How about I take you home?" He asked her. "HOW ABOUT NO?" She meowed. "See? I knew you'd love me!"

"No, I don't!" She argued back. The human then did something rather stupid. He gave her a kiss on the nose. Molly just sat there, mild confusion on her face. "Oh no, I think I broke her." The guard joked. Molly suddenly snapped out of it and leaped at the guard, knocking him out of his chair. She stood on his chest and hissed at him, "WHAT ISWRONGWITH YOU, HUMAN?!"

"Whoa whoa! Calm down kitty! I just... I... just..." Jeremy trailed of looking at her wide ever-widening eyes. "What now?!" Molly snapped. Then she felt a searing pain in her bones. It felt like her skin was being ripped apart. The cat let out a yowl and fell to the floor beside the guard. She kept yowling, until that yowl turned into a long, ear-splintering scream. She felt a hot liquid run down one of her cheeks. The pain quickly faded, and she opened her eyes. Then, Molly immediately noticed that she wasn't tiny anymore. She had metal skin, not fur. She had blue nails instead of claws and wore a decorative ballerina outfit.

Molly wasn't Molly anymore.

She was Ballora again.

Ballora and the guard stared at each other, thunderstruck. Then the guard fainted. 'No.' She thought, panicking, 'No. No no no NO NO NO!'

"What did you do?! Wake up! Change me back you hairless ape!" She cried, "Whatever you did, undo it! I want to be a cat again!"

No matter how much she shook him or how upset she got, she was an animatronic again, and nothing could change it. Ballora slowly came to accept it. 'I'm not Molly anymore. The animatronics are going to find me. They won't like me anymore. They'll go right back to hating me again!'

After a few hours, she stood up from the floor and slowly left the office. She had to face the music. One of them was bound to find her sooner or later; what's the point in delaying the inevitable? The first animatronics she found— to her "luck"— were Circus Baby and Funtime Foxy. The two looked almost horrified to see her. 'Gee, I wonder why...' she internally mocked herself. "B—Ballora?" Baby asked, "You're... You're back?"

Ballora shrugged. Funtime Foxy looked at her weirdly. "... How have you been?" He asked, preparing to be snapped or ranted at. "I'm alright... You?..." the ballerina mumbled shyly. Both of the others' faces went from shocked to double-shocked. They weren't expecting her to be nice. "We're fine, thank you." the pink fox responded. After a bit more of conversation, the clown and the fox decided to drag the ballerina back and reintroduce her to the others. This time she paid attention to how they looked at her. Some looked relieved that she was alright, most of them looked disappointed that she even returned. A few animatronics looked like they were annoyed or wanted to punch her for coming back. There was no one who looked happy to have her back. The closest to it was Puppet, who welcomed her like a long lost friend from high school. He was mostly relieved, but with a small touch of guilt and awkwardness to it.

Later that night, Ballora went back to what once was her old room. I say "what once was" because the other animatronics cleared most of it out. Like, totally completely cleared it out. There was a bed and a dresser, and that was it. All of her other stuff was gone. 'That's what Puppet meant earlier when he was upset... They erased me by acting like I wasn't here...' If being a cat and hearing their words wasn't punishment enough for her, this one did it in. When an animatronic is gone and their friends miss them, their things are normally left untouched. To have everything thrown into the darkest corner of the pizzeria's warehouse showed the complete opposite of that. No one was going to miss her, and they still don't like the fact that she's back...

... No matter how hard she tries to be different.

Again, more months passed by. She couldn't tell if they were going by too fast or too slow. Life was pretty dull for her. Everyone was so worked up over everything, mainly about looking for Molly. Whenever she asked someone why they were so anxious, she was simply told that they were looking for someone important. She knew they were looking for the cat, but she didn't want to tell them thatshewas Molly all along. She wanted them to see her in a different light, so she acted like a more useful version of Molly. She was quiet and stayed out of everyone's way. If someone snapped at her, she wouldn't dare to snap back. She kept her mouth shut and did as the others wanted. Whenever anyone asked a favor of her, she did it immediately. If someone demanded that she helps them, that's exactly what she did. She knew there were certain animatronics (most of them, really) who didn't notice the change. It was like no one did. Everyone was still angry at her and yelled at her to satisfy themselves. She would leave the room when it became too much. Most of the time, she'll leave the room if someone entered or she wasn't invited in. This became tiring, so eventually the ballerina stayed in her room most of the time. If no one else was there, then she wouldn't be able to bother anyone just by breathing the same air as them. The only times she went out was to eat or if someone needed her to do something.

Once she ran into Withered Chica in the middle of the night. Ballora was hungry and decided to eat some pizza, but there wasn't any leftovers in the fridge for once, so she had to make an entirely new one on her own. She didn't want to wake anyone up because of how late it was, so she went to work with it and came up with an abomination ("Looks like I'm not much of a cook."). That was when the broken chicken entered the kitchen[Hey, that rhymes!]and went flying off the handle at the ballerina. It wasn't so much about trying to make a (charred) pizza at two in the morning as it was that Ballora could've burned the whole pizzeria down. The ballerina ducked her head and apologized repeatedly, then Withered Chica told her to put some gloves and an apron on "because I'm going to teach you how to make pizza properly". The result of this was a delicious cheese pizza that the two shared. They exchanged small talk and even had a laugh or two, but the next morning Withered Chica carried on as if nothing happened, so Ballora did the same (but hey, at least now she knows how to make her own pizza).

Today was a rough day for her. First Circus Baby needed her to help round up the Bidybabs. Then Funtime Foxy and Funtime Freddy needed her to chase Bon Bon through the vents so that she could bring him back (she sort of hit her head while she was at it). Then Mangle asked Ballora to help her fix herself, but the normally kind and sweet fox had a really short fuse today and bopped her over the head for accidentally breaking one of the more important parts.Thenshe had to help the withered animatronics catch the night guard, only to end up failing and getting electrocuted by af===ing tazer gun.And finally, to top it all off, Toy Freddy asked her to organize the warehouse for him so that he could ask someone out on a date. That last one wouldn't be so hard for her if most of the stuff in the warehouse wasn't big, heavy, falling apart, or simply too dangerous to move. The hardest part, though, was when she found her old things. It was all crammed into an average-sized box.

She still doesn't know why she bothers herself to cry about it. Ballora thought that she already accepted it; but apparently seeing the box opened the wound all over again. When she was finished sorting the warehouse, she was thoroughly exhausted, but it didn't stop her from practically dragging the box back to her room. Some of them yelled at her to be quiet when moving it, so she apologized and told them that it was hard for her to move by herself at the moment. In the end she managed to get it to her room, but she was so tired that she didn't even unpack it. Instead she fell onto her bed and passed out.

When she woke up again, her alarm clock told her that it was a little after midnight. She groaned and sat up, holding her head because of the dull ache that pulsed through her. Looks like those couple of hits to the head actually did some damage. "Not much anyone can do about that." She whispered to herself. She got off the bed and went over to the box, but she didn't open it, stopping due to a familiar hungry feeling from her stomach. 'I did miss dinner...' she walked away from the box and out of her room, heading for the kitchen. When she got there, she closed the door behind her and went straight to the fridge (making sure that no one else was there, of course). She frowned when there wasn't a single crumb to be found. 'Looks like I'm not eating leftover pizza.'

She closed the door with a sigh and looked away, her eyes catching on the cabinets about the counter. Ballora tip-toed over to them and opened them up. She spotted a box of dark chocolate cookies. Those have been up there for a while, but they should still be good since literally no one eats them. 'Shouldn't bother anyone that they'll be gone by tomorrow.' She convinced herself. The only obstacle was that they were on the top shelf. The reason why it was an obstacle was that the ceilings are over ten feet above the floor, and Ballora was barely six feet tall. She grumbled something about her height and began to climb up on the counter when a voice suddenly said, "You know, you could just ask someone else to get it down for you."

Ballora yelped and nearly fell on the floor. She turned quickly to see who was talking, then relaxed when she realized that it was only Puppet. "Hey, Puppet. It's been a little while." the ballerina greeted him shyly. Out of everyone who was upset by Molly's sudden disappearance, Puppet took it the hardest. When he wasn't looking for the cat or eating, he was locked up in his room. He looked like he hadn't slept well in a while. "Hey, Ballora." He greeted her back properly, then raised a brow at the concerned look on her face, "... Is something wrong?"

Ballora snapped out of the mini trance she put on herself and shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong! I just— uh, I noticed that you look tired, is all!" She panicked slightly. Puppet furrowed his brows. "Relax. I'm not gonna bite your head off. You look pretty tired yourself. What did you do to make yourself look you've been through the war?" He asked. Ballora held her hands behind her back. "I didn't do much, really. I was helping Circus Baby contain the Bidybabs." She responded. Puppet gave her a suspicious, somewhat judging look. He hated it when people lied to him, and she knew how dangerous he could be if he was the bad type of angry. Ballora cracked an anxious smile and looked away from him, "A—And maybe I chased Bon Bon through the vents to get him back to the Funtimes... And I tried to help Mangle fix herself... And I probably tried to help the Withereds get the nightguard but just got shocked instead... And... I might've... also... organized the entire warehouse for Toy Freddy..."

Puppet's eyes widened. "That's quite a lot for you to do by yourself." He pointed out. "It's not Toy Freddy's fault. He just had something more important—." she began only for him to cut her off. "More important my arse, he didn't even do anything today. If he was going to ask someone out like I heard he was, he chickened out way before dinner." the marionette argued, making her snap her mouth shut and curl in on herself. "And I wasn't talking aboutjustthe warehouse. I was talking about everything. Mangle was instructing you on what to do, and the Withereds were all over the place when they were hunting the guard. They were more of a distraction so you could get him. Everything else was all you. Did Circus Baby help you catch the Bidybabs? Did Funtime Foxy and Funtime Freddy evenattemptto enter the vents to try cornering Bon Bon for you?" He continued, his voice getting a little bit louder at the end. Ballora kept her eyes on her ballet shoes, silently giving him his answer. "Is this the first time they've done this to you?" He asked her with a frown. Ballora shook her head. "No, but I'm just doing them favors—."

"You're doing themfavors?Favors that they ask you to do by yourselfall the time?And they never give youanythingin return? That doesn't sound like a good thing to me, I'll have you know." He growled. The Puppet Master stepped closer to her, making Ballora look up at his face. "That isn't doing your friends a favor, Ballora. They're taking advantage of you. What else have they been doing that goes over your head or rolls off your back?" He asked harshly. "Do they yell at you and say mean things to you?"

"S— Sometimes..." she mumbled. "'Sometimes'?Please, define 'sometimes' for me." He snapped. Ballora's smile dropped into a nervous frown. If she continued to try to get out of this, he might get angrier. "I—It's whenever I get on their nerves. I understand it, though. I can be irritating."she tried her best to defuse the building tension. "And?" He prompted roughly. "And when I mess things up..." she answered wanting to look away again, but forcing herself to keep looking at him. "And?" He prompted again. "And..." she finally looked down again, "... And when I do something they don't like... Like making too much noise when I'm moving something for them..."

"Do you see what I'm seeing?" Puppet gritted his teeth. Ballora didn't respond. "I'll tell you what I'm seeing." He said with a deep, angry frown, "I see someone who's letting the others walk all over her. A livingdoormat. I see someone who doesn't want to do anything for herself and who's given up on who she used to be. She wants to be nice but she doesn't have the heart to say 'no',especiallyat times where she desperately needs to say it!"

The more he talked, the more Ballora tried making herself look smaller. "I see someone who doesn't know what to do because she wants to please everyone, no matter the cost to herself. I see a ballerina who won't dance because she thinks the audience will throw things at her, even though she's possibly one of the best. I see only a fragment of who you used to be, and it makes meveryangry when I can see what's been going on. Iknowthis isn't your first time eating while everyone else sleeps. Iknowby looking at yourfacethat you've cried before. Iknowthat you want to strangle yourself sometimes for how you are, but you'retoo afraidthat the others will laugh at you if you tell them that you've changed, so you let yourself be a pushover so that they can see for themselves that you're different now!" He yelled that last bit. His hand came a bit too close to her in the midst of his rant and it was impossible not to notice how she flinched. Puppet stopped and took his time to look at her. Tears were running down her cheeks and she held onto her arms with an iron grip, looking absolutely scared and miserable. "I—I—I'm sorry..." she whispered shakily. Puppet hooked one of his fingers under her chin and carefully made her look back at his grief-stricken face. "Ballora... do they hurt you?" he asked her softly. Ballora sniffled and nodded. The sniffling slowly turned into sobbing and hiccuping as she began to cry again. The marionette bent down and gently pulled her into a hug. Ballora wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her head in her chest like she used to whenever Molly was sad. Puppet's eyes widened again for a moment, having a brief flashback of a similar situation. He stroked her back to ease her and whispered easy hushes into her ear. Ballora cried for so long, then the crying turned back into the occasional sniffle. "Th—Thank you... for everything..." she thanked him with a sad smile. Puppet smiled back softly. "You're welcome..."

Ballora separated from the hug and shuffled her feet awkwardly. "... Puppet?" She asked politely, "Could you please help me get the cookies down?..."

Puppet nodded and walked over to the cabinet, reaching up and plucking the cookie box off the top shelf with ease. He carefully placed the box in Ballora's hands and closed the cabinet door for her. The ballerina smiled wider. "Thank you again." She said gratefully. "You're welcome." He replied. The two sat at one of the tables and shared the cookies, munching away row after row until the whole box was gone. "Oops," Ballora said, "I think we should've left some for the others..."

Puppet chuckled. "Nah, those cookies were too good." He said with a charming smile. Ballora giggled quietly and got up, throwing the empty box in the garbage can. Puppet frowned as a new thought crossed his mind. He stood up and pushed his chair in, leaning over to push Ballora's chair in too as he spoke. "Hey, Ballora?" He asked quietly, "Why won't you tell the others about how you feel?"

Ballora paused and a small frown plastered itself on her face. "You said it yourself earlier... They won't care at all, not even if I'm crying my eyes out in front of them..." she whispered. Puppet pulled her into another hug from behind. "That's not what I said. I said that it was something you fear will happen— that they don't care about you in the slightest." He told her gently, "You don't have to be afraid. You have no reason to fear them..."

"We both know that's a lie."

"Allow me to correct myself then. You don't have to be afraid, because I'll be with you. I'll be right by your side, standing there for you. If anyone starts anything, I'll throw them into the wall. You know I will." He told her confidently. Ballora smiled at that last bit. She relaxed into the hug and leaned her head on Puppet's arm. "You're right. Thank you, Puppet. I really mean it. If you're sure I can do it, then I will. I'm not going to be a doormat anymore."

Puppet smiled again, "Tomorrow, we'll tell them."

}—————{

Tomorrow came, and sure enough, Ballora was nervous as hell. She really,reallywanted to back out of this plan, but the thought of the Puppet Master's disappointed face is what kept her going. She didn't try to hide that she was distressed by it, but luckily Puppet was in her room. He insisted that they meet up before telling the others to prepare her nerves. He calmed her down by assuring her that no matter what, he will always be there for her.

Cat or not a cat.

That shocked Ballora to the point where she actually froze. "H—How did you...?" She tried asking him. Puppet smiled and held her hands in his. "I really thought about it for the past few weeks, and it made sense to me. The time of yours and Molly's appearances and disappearances, how you both behaved in the beginning and slowly changed to please everyone, the intense need for both positive attention and quiet alone time... What really clicked was when I gave you that first hug. You tried burying yourself in my chest, just like Molly would when she was upset over something, and petting your back is what made you calmer, just like Molly. If that doesn't scream 'connection', I don't know what does." He confessed. Ballora's shock turned to a heartwarmed feeling. 'He's not upset.' The ballerina fidgeted with her hands. "I don't want the others to know yet... They'll be upset if they learn that I was Molly the whole time..."

"I understand. I won't tell anyone." Puppet promises her. One their way down to the cafeteria for breakfast, they passed several animatronics who gave them weird looks. Funtime Foxy even approached them with a question. Well, more like approached Ballora with a question. "Ballora, can we talk for a moment?"

Ballora knew that he'd ask her to do a favor, but so did Puppet. He responded before she could even open her mouth. "I'm afraid not, Funtime Foxy. She has something important to do." the marionette said calmly. The fox looked perplexed, but left it at that. The only other one to stop them was Mangle. The broken fox came to apologize for hitting Ballora yesterday, saying that they had no excuse to do so and understood if she didn't want to help her from now on. Ballora smiled and thanked her for apologizing, saying that it was alright. Ballora fidgeted with her hands as they got closer to the cafeteria, a thought crossing her mind. "Puppet, what if there's barely anyone there?" She asked, worried. Puppet smiled. "Yeah, about that... I already took care of it. I told Gold to have everyone in the cafeteria by eight-thirty because of an important announcement." He told her. Ballora looked surprised. "Does Gold know about... you know?..."

Puppet shrugged, "I wouldn't be surprised if he figured it out, but he hasn't tried helping you yet, so I doubt he does."

Speaking of the golden bear, he appeared the moment they reached the cafeteria doors. "Ah, there you are, old friend. I was beginning to think that you slept in." he greeted Puppet, then threw a nod at Ballora as if he was silently saying "hi". Puppet chuckled. "For something as important as this, I would never." He said, trying to act like the ballerina next to him wasn't surprised by him calling her an "important matter". 'He really cares about this? Aboutme?After all that I've done... the way I acted... the things that I said...' Ballora thought, feeling a new emotion bloom inside of her. It felt... warm and fuzzy, yet it seemed to want to suffocate her...

Whatever it was, she likes it.

Gold nodded at them again with a goofy smile, getting the wrong idea. "Ah, I think I know what this is about. Have you—?"

"NO!" Puppet shouted, panicked. The bear and the ballerina were both surprised by his sudden loudness. Puppet cleared his throat and pounded his chest awkwardly. "No, it's something completely different, Gold. Something that I feel is much more important at the moment." He clarified. Gold was confused but decided to let it slide, "Alright then, let's go. Don't want to keep the others waiting for too long, now do we?"

Puppet smiled, grateful to get off topic for once. He put a hand on Ballora's shoulder, taking notice how her hands were shaking. She snapped out of her dread and looked at Puppet. "Are you sure about this?" She asked. "Of course I'm sure," he responded, "You deserve another chance at this. It's not your fault; they see what they want to see and nothing else."

"What doyousee?"

"Now?... I see a brave girl, facing one of her worst fears. She's taking the monster head on, and she's not alone, no matter how it feels to be on the stage again."

Ballora looked at Puppet with glistening eyes. If she wasn't careful, she might cry again. This time though, it will be tears of joy, not pain. Ballora pulled Puppet's face down towards her and kissed his cheek. Puppet blushed, but covered it up with a happy smile. "Thank you, Puppet. I don't know what I'd do without you." She said to him. Puppet's happy smile turned into a charming smile, "Anything for you. Now let's go tell them what's going to happen. They need to know that you're not taking their s=== anymore."

Ballora giggled. They walked into the cafeteria unnoticed. Gold beckoned them to the stage. Ballora took a deep breath before moving with Puppet, her footsteps synced with his. When they got up there, Gold cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Good morning everyone! As you all know,—"

As Gold continued to prep everyone, Ballora couldn't help but worry. 'Thirty.' She thought, 'Almost thirty animatronics are here.' This was nerve wracking. What was she going to say? Will it sound good or will she humiliate herself? WAIT, WHERE'S PUPPET? She panicked for a moment again, but quickly calmed down when she realized that the Puppet Master was in front of her. He merely moved to shield her from any unfriendly stares while he waited to speak. "Without much else to say, here's Marionette with his announcement."

There was some clapping, making this feel more like an organized school assembly than an important announcement. "Good morning again, all of you. As you know, an animatronic went missing quite a while ago, but she was found again a few months ago." He said. There was a hushed murmur, and Ballora felt more eyes on her than before. She unconsciously grabbed her left wrist, holding it tight and squeezing it as hard as she could to keep calm. "Again, as you know, that animatronic was Ballora." Puppet continued. He gestured for her to move forward, so she did. He had her stand right next to him again so that everyone could see her. She heard a couple animatronics snicker.

"Miss superior has stage fright"

"Look at her, she's terrified"

"Now that she's got everyone's attention, she doesn't want it anymore"

Those were the ones she was able to pick out.

"Look at her hand, she's practically crushing it"

"Is she okay?"

The only two concerned ones she heard were from the back of the group. It sounded like they were genuinely worried for a moment. Puppet cleared his throat to hush everyone. "Before she disappeared, her behavior wasn't the best. She was mean and rude, while every one of us were afraid to talk to her because we didn't want to start a century-long argument." He said. Ballora internally winced when he said that. She hated her old self. "However, when she returned, her behavior was completely different." Puppet pointed out, "She was quiet and shy, she was kind and listened to what others had to say. She showed that she cared about us, and would do anything we asked of her without a single complaint."

There were nodding heads and a few words of agreement. "This May be good in your eyes, but in my eyes, there's something else hiding beneath it. Not everything is what it appears to be." Puppet said suddenly. The harsh glares returned. 'Wrong thing to say...' she shivered. Puppet noticed immediately and glared at anyone who looked unfriendly. "I'm not talking about Ballora's behavior being horrible." He clarified, "Far from it, actually. The complete opposite. It'suswho are now misbehaving."

"What?"

"You're joking, right?"

"Is he serious?"

"SOME OF US," Puppet said loudly to gain their attention again, "don't have a clue what I'm talking about because they genuinely don't know. I'm going to water it down as much as I can to avoid being here all day."

Puppet growled that last bit, making a few pairs of eyes go wide, including Ballora's and Gold's. 'How much does he know about?' She asked herself. "Lots of you constantly ask her to do you favors. Lots of the favors prove to be a challenge for her, especially since she completes several of them consecutively, one after another, each day. Some of you are actually grateful and a couple of you even thank her. Most of you, however, like to pretend she never did anything and instead treat her terribly. You ask her to do another one. You yell at her and insult her, calling her horrible names simply because she didn't do it right, made too much noise, or even had difficulty completing her task. I know that a certain number of you have even gone out of your way to physically hurt her." It sounded like he was getting angrier the more he talked, just like last night. She saw Mangle wince when Puppet mentioned the hitting. "No, I'm not talking about just once from a few of you. I'm talking aboutseveral timesthroughout the past few months. Have you all forgotten that this place islitteredwith security cameras?" He said harshly. "Ballora may have been a bad person before, but she's changed. The way that you all treat her for it sickens me. She's one of us. We're supposed to be afamily. A good family wouldn't do this to one of their members." He told them, "Now, I know some of you have something to say about this, so I'll let you speak. Be careful how you arrange your words, though. You'realltreading on thin ice right now."

The others were quiet, taking in everything that was said. "If all of this is true, th—then why didn't she ask for help sooner?" Toy Bonnie's voice called. "She didn't ask for help at all.I'mthe one who confronted her about it. She didn't want help because she believed that you would laugh at her if she said something." Puppet answered him. "When did all of this suddenly come forward? And has it really been going on that long?" Withered Bonnie questioned, tilting his head. "Yes, it has been going on for quite a while. I figured it out and brought up the matter to her just last night... not even last night, it was early this morning. A little more than five hours ago." Puppet responded with a frown.

"She really changed?"

"Yes."

"Everything bad we say or do actually bothers her?"

"Yes."

"If she's upset, then why won't she say anything herself? She's letting you do all the talking!"

The Puppet Master's neck made a snapping sound as his head turned quickly to see the animatronic who said that. His strings shot out from his hand and wrapped around Toy Chica's arm. He pulled and flicked his wrist to the side before letting go, causing her to get thrown into a wall. Ballora jumped when he did that, not expecting him to have been serious when he said that he'd do that for her. "I already answered that question! Hearing you ask that tells me that you haven't been listening! Has anyoneelsedecided that this is a waste of their time?!" He snapped. Ears lowered and eyes went wider than ever. Now everyone was afraid of him. "P—Puppet, please, you don't have to..." Ballora trailed off when he sent a glare her way. "Idohave to, Ballora! This needs tostopright now!" He yelled, making her wince at the volume. She knew he was just trying to help her, but acting like he was going to kill someone wasn't the right way to do it. "I know it does, but becoming angry and threatening to hurt them all isn't helping. You're putting the fear of God in them, not telling them to stop." Ballora whispered to him. Puppet frowned. He thought about it for a moment. Then he sighed and put his strings away, "You're right. I'm sorry."

Ballora gave him a small smile, which he instantly returned. He turned back to the others, his smile dropping. "Sorry about that. I hope Toy Chica's alright, but do you understand what I'm saying?" He asked them. The animatronics were silent again. "Imagine what it would be like if you were in Ballora's shoes. You're constantly trying to please everyone, nearly working yourself to death just because you want someone to like you. It doesn't matter who, as long as at leastoneanimatronic is nice to you and wants to call you their friend. We may never knowwhatit was that made her have a change of heart, but shedidchange. She has a heart and can feel emotions, just like all of you. Can anyone tell me what they think she's been feeling ever since she came back?"

The others remained silent. Some of them hung their heads. Some even looked ashamed. She never thought she'd see them look sorry for her. "I think I finally got the point across." Puppet said with a nod, "I want you all to think about what was said. I want each and every one of you to think about what you've done to hurt her. Knowing Ballora— how she isnow—she's already forgiven all of you. I assume that none of you have to apologize to her, but it better not happen again, or therewillbe consequences. Thank you, that'll be all."

Some of the animatronics moved out of the room, but most of them sat down at the tables and started eating their breakfast. Ballora went to go sit down at one of the tables, but Puppet stopped her. "Why don't you sit with me today?" He offered with a smile. Ballora smiled back and sat down next to him. There was a slice of fresh pizza on her plate already. "Is this mine, or did I just steal someone's seat?" She asked somewhat as a joke. Puppet shook his head. "Nope. That's yours. Gold normally sits here, but he threw in another chair while you weren't looking."

The two are, a comfortable silence between them. Just because they were quiet doesn't mean the others were. The Withereds were discussing their latest plan to mess with the guard, while the Funtimes were bickering about who's the better performer. The toys and the originals most chatted away with each other, while Freddy, Gold, and Toy Freddy talked about what they planned to do today. Ballora ate her pizza quietly, hearing her name brought up by the others now and then.

"I feel awful now. Did we really hurt her that bad?"

"I guess she really did change. I expected her to go flying off the handle at one of us, not the marionette."

"I already apologized to her for yesterday, and now I want to apologize to her again. TB, what do I do?"

"Apologize again. She'd understand why you keep saying you're sorry, right?"

"I still don't entirely believe them, but seeing Puppet like that makes me think that we should be nicer."

"Ha, I bet he's only defending her because he's in love with her."

That one made her feel bad, but it also brought a blush to her cheeks as she took another bite.

"My room's right next to her's. I thought I heard her crying the other day, but I didn't think it was actually her I was hearing. Makes sense now, I guess."

"That explains why she goes in the kitchen at night instead of eating with us. I'm glad I showed her how to make pizza a while ago."

"Does that meanshe'sthe one who ate the chocolate cookies?!"

"Let it go, Toy Chica. Those were there for a month and you didn't even touch 'em."

'Oh no, they're onto me!' She thought jokingly, a giggle slipping through her. Puppet grinned. "What's so funny?" He asked her. Ballora shrugged, "Nothing. Just a silly thought."

Puppet hummed and took a big bite out his slice. "Oh ho ho, nice try my friend, but no one is better at eating pizza than me!" Gold chuckled. Puppet smirked, "Oh yeah? Well, I challenge that."

"Eating competition?"

"Eating competition."

Ballora giggled again as the two got up to inform Chica about their antics. 'She's going to throw a rolling pin at them.' her smile widened. Someone cleared their throat to her left, catching her attention. "Hey, Ballora," Toy Freddy said, one of his ears down awkwardly, "I wanted to apologize for leaving you to do the warehouse by yourself yesterday. I forgot what all was in there, so I nearly had a heart attack when I read the item placements you wrote down."

"It's alright." The ballerina gave him a soft smile. Toy Freddy shook his head. "No, it's not alright. Some of the things you moved could've killed you if they fell over. The rest would take one of your limbs if it caught one of them." The bear told her. Ballora smile faultered for a second. The thought never actually crossed her mind yesterday. "Oh... uhm... that's... scary." She said slowly, fumbling for the right words. Toy Freddy nodded, "I promise, if there's a next time, I'll help you in any way. It's the least I could do for possibly nearly getting you killed."

"Thank you, Toy Freddy. I appreciate that."

"You're welcome."

Toy Freddy went to sit down while Ballora finished her pizza. Little did she know that that was the start of a long string of apologies today. The only time she actually got a break was during the pizza eating competition between Gold and Puppet. Ballora (of course) cheered for Puppet. That gave him a big confident boost, allowing him to with by downing slice after slice in a single bite. He was congratulated and Gold shook his hand. "It appears that I have met my match." The golden bear said with a smile, "However, your victory will come at a price."

Puppet looked at him suspiciously, "The hell does that mean?"

"You'll see." Gold told him cryptically. Puppet and Ballora looked at each other for a brief moment, thinking about what he said. Later that night, Puppet was vomiting quite violently in one of the bathrooms. Ballora patted his back to comfort him as his pale white face turned green. "I—I'm sorry." He apologized quietly before vomiting again. "Shhh. It's okay. Just try to breathe." Ballora hushed him. Puppet nodded, then vomited again. "WHY IS THERE SO MUCH OF—?!"

Ballora winced as he interrupted himself with another vomit fit. This is probably the fifteenth time he's upchucked his pizza. 'He's not going to eat for a week after this.' She shook her head at the thought. "This is what Gold meant earlier." She thought aloud. Puppet hummed miserably. Ballora rubbed circles in the poor marionette's back. "It's okay, I'm right here." She did her best to keep him calm. "I'm never...ever... eating pizza again..." he mumbled, holding his stomach. "You look like death." The ballerina commented. "You look like a clown." Puppet replied. Ballora put her hand over her heart in mock-offense, "Wow, Pups. That's very creative."

"It's better than nothing..." the marionette mumbled before groaning and attempting to stand up. "Can you get up by yourself?" Ballora asked. Puppet tried to smile at her, "I'm sick, not dying. I'll be fi—"

He promptly vomited again.

"Whydid you agree to the competition?!"

"I don't know!"

[This damn thing is 8659 words long. This is BY FAR the longest part I've written.]

Chapter 41: The Steel Mill

Chapter Text

"Please, somebody help me!" Belle cried.

"Be quiet, or we'll throw you into the machine!" One of her captors threatened her, grabbing her harshly by the chin. Belle Tanzen was the daughter of a senator and a famous actress. Her family had a lot of money, which is exactly why she was here. Five men had kidnapped her and were holding her for ransom. They demanded to be paid hundreds of millions of dollars in cash, or else Belle would be killed. They kept her at the abandoned steel mills area of the city. It was dark and creepy already, but these men made it even more terrifying for her. She didn't want to die like this. No one should die like this. It was such a horrible way to go. They said that they were going to let her go once they had the money, but Belle knew better. She'd seen their faces. She can tell the police what they looked like and identify them if they did a line up at the station.

There's no way that she's getting out of this alive.

Belle whimpered and closed her eyes, praying for someone to come save her. The men left her alone in a locked room, slamming the door shut behind them. She was tied to a chair, her arms and legs stung because the ropes were so tight. "P—Please... Someone... Anyone..." she whispered under her breath. At this point, she might even be willing to take the Devil's hand if he offered it to her. Tears slid down her face, even though she wasn't sobbing. Now she felt a presence with her, but no one else was inside the room. Who else could be here though? It was just Belle and her captors. She blinked her tears out of her eyes and saw the silhouette of a tall man in front of her. She kept blinking, her vision clearing with each one. Her jaw almost dropped when she looked back up at the silhouette.

Except it wasn't a silhouette now, it actually was a man. She didn't recognize him, and he couldn't be one of her captors since she was able to confirm that there were only five of them. He looked irritated, but also like he pitied her. "W—Who are you?..." Belle asked after a moment. The man frowned at her. "That's none of your business." He said in a hollow, echoey voice, "Just like it's none of your business being here."

Belle felt another tear escape her eye. "I'm s—sorry..." she told him, "If I could leave, I w—would... I want to gohome..."

The man huffed and searched her eyes with his own. There was so much fear and pain. He stalked behind her and muttered under his breath. Belle felt something cold on her hands. She felt the ropes come loose and fall. "There. Now untie your legs." He told her. Belle pulled her arms in front of her and rubbed her wrists before leaning over and untying her legs. There were marks where the rope had rubbed her skin raw, but she didn't mind it too much as long as she still had a pulse when she left this place. The woman shakily stood up and smiled at him, whispering, "Thank you. Thank youso much."

The man simply nodded at her. He walked forward, gesturing her to follow him. Belle cautiously trailed behind him as he opened the door. Her eyes widened, then she realized that none of her captors were in the hall. "They're all in one room, not too far from here. Keep your voice down if you must speak. Be as quiet as you possibly can. If you want to get out of here alive, you will listen to me and do as I say when I say it. Are we clear?" He demanded. Belle nodded. "Good. Now come on." The man gestured for her to follow again. Belle walked closely being him, tip-toeing through the empty halls. She shivered every now and then. It was cold and creepy, and she felt like spiders were crawling up her back. Suddenly he stopped and put his hand up. Belle stopped behind him and listened carefully. "They're in that room," he said monotonously as he pointed to a door up ahead, "They won't hear you if you're quiet, but they'll see you if you're not fast enough. I'll create a distraction. You have to sneak up to the door and wait until there's an opening. Run as quietly as you can when they start yelling. There's a hallway intersection up ahead. You'll turn left and wait for me around the corner, okay?."

Belle nodded again. She snuck up to the door with him like he told her to. The man walked casually into the room, making Belle nervous for him. Was he going to get stabbed or shot? But nothing happened, as far as she could hear. It's like the bad men didn't even notice his presence. There was a loudcrash, and the men started hollering in alarm. Belle did as the man said and quietly ran to the intersection, making a left turn and waiting for him around the corner. A minute later, he walked up to her and nodded. "Good job. Now keep going. It won't be long until they go to check on you and see that you're not there." He told her as he kept walking, making her follow him again. After a few minutes, Belle felt a breeze in the hallway. The man led her outside of the crumbling building and through the yard. He brought her to an area were there was a hole dug under the chain-link fence that surrounded the place. "This is where we part ways. You've done good so far, so don't mess this part up." He said sternly, "You need to start running. You'll go in that direction.—" he pointed to the woods "— Don't make any turns. Don't look back. But don't run in a straight line either. Make sure to keep your hands were everyone can see them, or else they'll think you have a weapon."

Belle nodded and smiled at him. "Thank you... What's your name?" She asked softly. The man looked at her like it didn't matter. "Mason Salacil. Now scram, before they catch you." Belle nodded again and climbed through the hole under the fence. She ran up to the tree line and looked back to were Mason was standing. Except Mason wasn't there. The yard was empty.

"There she is!"

"Get her!"

"Don't let her go!"

The men were now chasing after her in the woods. Belle ran as fast as her legs would let her. She stumble and tripped a lot but that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was getting far away from here. There was shouting from behind her the entire time. She could hear bullets flying past her, some where dangerously close to her. There were voices yelling up ahead, too. She remembered what Mason said. He gave clear instructions for vague situations, but she actually got this one. She raised her hands high in the air and ran up a hill. At the top of the hill was the city's entire police department, it seemed. She could spot her parents behind them. 'Thank God!' She cheered in relief. "Freeze!" Shouted one of the officers. Belle stopped running and kept her hands in the air.

Then she heard a gunshot.

She felt like something punched her in the back really hard. A small trail of blood started to trickle from her mouth and she fell forward. There were more gunshots. They were so loud that it sounded like fireworks in a thunderstorm. Her vision started to blur and a coppery taste came to her mouth. Belle tried crawling forward, but gave up. There was screaming and shouting, and she felt someone pick her up. The woman was exhausted now. She felt drained. It's probably the blood loss. Everything was disappearing from her vision as she fell into a void of black.

}—————{

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Belle slowly blinked her eyes open. The room was so bright that it hurt. Someone must have noticed and turned the lights off, letting the sunlight illuminate the room. "Belle? Can you you hear me?" Her mother asked from beside her. Belle remembered what happened. She smiled and reached out to her, "Mom?"

Her mother took her hand and squeezed it. "It's me, sweetie. I'm here. Your father's here, too. He's right outside the door." Her mother said with relief. As if one cue, her father walked through the door, followed by a nurse. The nurse went to the other side of the bed to check her vitals and medication. Her father was next to her mother. Belle could tell that he was crying earlier. "Dad?" She asked, her smile growing bigger. Her father nodded and put his hand on top of hers and her mother's. He squeezed their hands lightly as well. "How's my baby girl doing?" He asked in a choked voice. "I... I think I'm alright... I feel alright." She answered. A tear slipped from her eye. "I thought I'd never see you again..."

Her mother held the side of Belle's face with her other hand, wiping the tear away with her thumb. "You're safe now. The men who kidnapped you died in the shootout. They can't hurt you anymore." She reassured her daughter. Belle nodded again. "I didn't escape on my own... I had help..." she admitted. Her parents both looked concerned. "Help? From who?" Her father asked. "A man. He said his name was Mason.... Mason Sal—... Salie— Sala—...?"

"... Salacil?" The nurse asked in a strange tone, "Was that his name? Mason Salacil? Tall, black hair with blue eyes?"

Her parents watched as Belle an the nurse were talking. "Yes, that's him. He saved me from that place. He got me out of the steel mill and told me to run through the woods. That's how I found my parents and the police." Belle confirmed. The nurse slowly shook her head. "Miss Tanzen, there must be some mistake. He's... He's dead." The nurse told her in a haunted tone. Belle's smile fell. "... What?"

The nurse looked at her hands as she fidgeted with a small device. "Mason Salacil was an old friend of mine. He used to work in the steel mill... He died there thirty years ago; crushed by a machine..." the nurse looked her in the eyes, "It couldn't have been him. It was so long ago..."

Belle looked down, confused and anxious. "I... I don't know then..." she whispered.

A few hours later, her parents had to go home. They promised her that they'd be back first thing in the morning. Belle smiled at them, "Alright. I love you, Mom and Dad... Goodnight..."

"Goodnight, Belle."

"We love you sweetheart. Don't be afraid to call us if you can't sleep, okay?"

"Okay."

After they left, the nurse told her that she'd be alone for the rest of the night. She closed the door and told Belle to get some sleep. Belle tried to, but she kept getting scared. She'd come so close to falling asleep several times, then she'll hear a noise or see something in the corner of her eye that scares her awake. She whimpered after hearing a crash from somewhere outside. 'Probably a cat or a raccoon in the dumpster...' she thought, although it failed to make her calm.

"Can't sleep?"

Belle barely managed not to yell, recognizing the hollow voice. She looked to her left and saw the man that got her out of the steel mill. "It's you..." she whispered. He nodded. "I watched your conversation with Bernadette. You are right. I am Mason Salacil... or Iwas..." he scratched his neck a bit nervously. Belle tilted her head at him. She understood that he was a ghost now, but that's not what confused her, despite how creepy it was. She was confused about his behavior. He was snappy and a bit harsh before, so why is he shy and quiet now? "So you really are dead?" She asked quietly. "Yeah," he answered, "It wasn't a pleasant way to go, but it was quick for the most part. Barely felt a thing."

Belle was unsettled. "What's it like?" She asked. Mason raised an eyebrow, "Dying? Or being dead?"

"Being dead."

"Ah." He said, "It's strange, but you get used to it after a couple of years. You can't feel anything unless you make your body physical for a brief amount of time. It can get pretty lonely, too. It gives you a lot of time to consider the life you had. You think of those you loved, of your career and the choices you made... everything that you regret..."

"What do you regret?"

Mason looked at her questioningly, "Why do you want to know that?"

"So that I can understand the man that saved my life."

Mason looked like he wanted to say something about that, but sighed and looked away instead. "Fine— but only because I miss having conversations with someone who won't scream 'DEMON' at me when they hear or see me." He told her, "I regret not being a kind person. I feel like I could've had a girlfriend or a child by the time I died. I despise myself for not taking the steps to having a family and finding true happiness in life. I blame myself for the day I died, too. I could have saved myself, but I froze instead of running away like everyone else did. That machine was falling apart already, so I thought I prepared myself for when I had to run from it, considering that I worked with it every day... Apparently I wasn't."

"That's... pretty deep..." Belle commented. Mason nodded, "I guess it is. Not much I can do about it now, though."

Belle frowned and yawned. "Are you seriously bored right now?" Mason asked, acting like he was mildly offended. "No... just super tired... they put me on pain meds for the bullet wound and the rope burns." Belle responded honestly. Mason winced, "Oh... You got shot?"

"Yes... What's wrong?"

"That wasn't part of the plan." He admitted. Belle frowned again, "Well, shoot."

"Be careful what you wish for." The ghost reminded her jokingly.

[Oops I ran out of creativity]

[I'll add more in the future sometime (maybe)]

Chapter 42: Starting From Scratch

Chapter Text

[The Mutante Figura is actually Molten Freddy, just as a note.]

[Cliché Warning!]

T'was a dark and stormy night. There was no rain, but the thunder roared like a lion having a bad hair day. In an abandoned warehouse, a battle was taking place. Ennard, a strong villain with a brilliant mind and a bad temper, was building a doomsday device. Ballora, his only underling with powers, was standing behind him. She had the ability to enter and exit another dimension at will, thus her role of being Ennard's escape plan if things went south. The two were on a balcony, watching as three heroes united against the rest of the henchmen. These heroes were the Puppet Master, the Mutante Figura, and William Springlocke. One with the power to control, one with the power to change shape, and one without powers that relies on his inventions, respectively. As the last of the henchmen fled from the heroes, Ennard let out a furious growl. He was trapped, but he had another way out of the warehouse. Taking Ballora with him would only slow him down. 'So I'll use her as a distraction.'

The Puppet Master glared into Ennard's eyes, Figura and Springlocke doing the same, ready to strike. "You won't get away this time, Ennard! You will fall!" He declared. Ennard smiled wickedly and roughly grabbed Ballora by the collar of her coat, making her gasp in alarm as he held onto her tightly. "If you're so insistent of falling, then here," he mocked them all, looking into Ballora's terrified eyes, "Catch!"

Ballora screamed as Ennard threw her off of the balcony. He turned tail and disappeared, leaving the heroes to deal with the mess. All three had lunged forward in an attempt to save the falling woman. "No!" the Puppet Master cried. He may not know her, but he knew what a horrible way to die that was. Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough. Ballora hit the ground at an angle, her body landing with a thud and a sickening crack. She was instantly unconscious as blood trickled from her mouth and nose and oozed from the back of her head. Springlocke stopped and reached up to his comms system, calling an emergency crew. The Puppet Master practically threw himself to the ground to check for her pulse. It was faint, but still there. He looked up at the Mutante Figura, "She's still alive, but not for long. We have to get her to a medic as soon as possible for any chance of her surviving."

"It's a good thing I radioed the infirmary back at base, then. They're the only ones that can help herandkeep her contained." William told them, rushing over to them, "But we can't wait for an ambulance. We have to get her out of here now- a helicopter would be best."

"And where, pray tell, do we find a helicopter just laying around?" Figura huffed. The Puppet Master and Springlocke looked at him, then at each other, then at him again. Figura realized why they were looking at him like that and held his hands up.

"Wait-"

}-----{

"You guys owe me for this one." Mutante Figura hissed at the Puppet Master and Springlocke as he cracked his back. They were in the infirmary, waiting in Ballora's room for her to wake up after having multiple surgeries. It looked like a regular hospital room so that any villain patients wouldn't realize where they were. Normally an enemy who was brought here was handcuffed to the bed, but they were certain that she probably wouldn't be able to stand up for a week, so there was no need to cuff her. She was breathing steady and her heart rate was normal, so that was a good sign. "Yeah, we definitely do, Marty." The Puppet Master- Mason was his name- said to the shape-changer. William nodded his head in agreement, "Andsheowes us one for saving her life."

The men waited for hours. Marty already started to fall asleep due to exhaustion, but was quickly woken up again when the bluenette in the hospital bed took in a deep breath. The heroes' attention was snagged on the woman as she slowly opened her eyes before wincing and closing them again. William understood why and dimmed the lights so that she could see again. She opened her eyes again and groaned before looking at them. "Wh-Where am I?" She asked in a quiet voice, "Why do I feel like I got hit by a train?"

"Easy, now." Mason raised and lowered his hand in a calming gesture, "You're in a hospital. You fell off of a balcony. Do you remember that?"

"... No." she said after a moment of thinking. She tried and failed to sit up, her muscles being sore. "I said to take it easy." Mason reminded her after she gasped. "I'm sorry." She apologized. That caught them by surprise. "Did she just apologize to us?" Marty asked. William tilted his head curiously at her. He was observing her carefully and wanted to test a hypothesis. "Ballora, do you know who we are?" He asked her. She looked carefully at each of their faces, confusion etched on her face. "No. I'm sorry. And who's Ballora?"

Mason's eyes widened a bit. "That's you. Your name is Ballora." He informed her. The woman slightly shook her head. "No. My name's Belle, not Ballora. What kind of a name is that?" She asked them with a frown. Marty furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you sure about that?" He asked. "Of course I'm sure. That's the name I was given at birth, is it not?" She confirmed, getting the tiniest bit annoyed at their insisting on another name. William nodded, listening intently, "Well then. Belle, what's the last thing that you remember?"

Again, Belle thought for a long moment. She shook her head after a minute. "I'm sorry, but I can't remember anything important. Just bits and pieces here or there." She admitted. Mason was starting to actually worry. "How old are you?" He asked. Belle thought again, "I... don't know? I think I'm an adult. I don't feel like a teenager."

Mason and Marty both inhaled sharply. "Just as I thought." William said. He looked at his companions and told them his thoughts. "We'll have to have a doctor examine her to see if she's faking it, but I think she might have amnesia."

Chapter 43: Beware of Vampires

Chapter Text

[I'm pulling out the old switcheroo on this one!]

[Also in this one werewolves can change shape at will. They normally are able to control what they do, though. It's on a full moon when they can't control themselves and are a threat to everyone and each other.]

Tonight was the new moon festival. Belle and her pack were excited about it all day. Tonight the werewolves were supposed to party hard and have fun. Instead, halfway through the festival, vampires attacked. They set the hidden town on fire and killed as many werewolves at they could. Belle chose to run and hide. She was never a fighter. She hid in her secret place in the woods, not too far away. The she-wolf's secret place was a small cave with an even smaller entrance. Not a lot of werewolves liked crawling into cramped places, so she'd come here to be by herself a lot. She curled into a ball and shivered with fear, leaning against the stone walls. She hoped and prayed that this was all just a horrible nightmare; that she didn't actually just watch vampires attack the town and kill a lot of her fellow lycans. Belle whimpered. She watched one of her friends get slaughtered. It happened right in front of her, not even ten feet away. She'd never be able to get that out of her head. Belle listened as closely as she could. The screaming ceased. She can smell the blood and the burning fires in the distance. 'Is it over? Is it safe? No, it's not safe. It'll never be safe again. I can't leave until the sun comes up.'

A twig snapped from outside the cave entrance. Belle's entire body tensed. She should turn into a wolf and run again. She can hide somewhere else if she can't stay here. She just had to be sure that no one followed her this time. "Belle? Belle, are you in there?" A familiar voice barely whispered. Belle felt like she could collapse with relief. She slowly crawled out of the cave and came face-to-face with Elizabeth. "Lizzie! You're alive!" Belle whisper-yelled. The shorter werewolf smiled sadly at her friend. "I barely made it out of there... Belle, have you seen any of the others?"

Belle shook her head. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she thought back to the carnage. "I think Lillian and Richard are dead. Ethan's dead, too." She choked out. Elizabeth looked devastated. "I... I saw Kenny and Freddy fighting back, but I don't know if they made it either..." the redhead told her, "Belle, almost everyone is dead... The vampires didn't even spare thepups..."

Belle shivered and looked down. "... Why are they doing this? Why can't they just leave us alone?" She asked in despair. Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know, but we can't stay here." She answered, "We need to keep running. If we head for the mountains, we can reach Thistledown by noon tomorrow- maybe by sunrise if we run in wolf form."

Belle nodded. Thistledown was another hidden town for werewolves. It was located in a valley in the mountain range nearby. If they reached the wolf town, they'd be safe. Elizabeth and Belle were about to transform when a new voice spoke, "Hello there."

Belle looked at the vampire that was standing behind them. He was tall, with black hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. He wore a coat so black that it looked like a void that someone would fall into. Belle remembered watching Ethan die next to her and quickly pulled Elizabeth behind herself, shielding the shorter werewolf. 'Stay behind me. I won't let him hurt you.' She internally promised. As said before, she wasn't a fighter. But that didn't mean she wouldn't protect her friend when she had to. 'If only I looked more intimidating than afraid.'

The vampire smiled at her. "Protecting your friend? How cute. So, what are you two ladies doing in the woods by yourselves?" He asked almost sarcastically. Elizabeth let out a soft growl from behind her, but the vampire either didn't hear it or ignored it. "Don't you know that the forest can be dangerous at night? I heard that there were werewolves around here." He mocked them. "Can it, blood breath!" Elizabeth shouted angrily, trying to get around Belle, "You're one of the vampires who killed our friends and burned our town to the ground! You're lucky she's not letting me near you!"

The vampire's smile widened, making his fangs gleam in the moonlight. Belle was nearly frozen, Elizabeth being the only reason why she's still moving. Every nerve in her body was telling her to get the smaller she-wolf out of there. Vampires are fast runners, however. He'd sink his fangs into her the moment she turned around. Belle shushed her friend in a scared whisper, "What are youdoing?Don't make him angry!"

"Makehimangry?!" Liz shouted, "That no-good flying bucket of dog vomit just killed ourfriends!Why aren'tyouangry?! Why don'tyoufight back?! I lost mybrotherto those demons! I have every right to tear this one apart!"

"Elizabeth, when you see one vampire, there's bound to be five more watching you from behind." Belle warned her. What Elizabeth said hurt, but it was true. The vampire kept his eyes on Belle during the entire argument, paying Elizabeth no mind. There was something about the taller she-wolf that begged for his attention. He stalked forward, dismissing the growl that rose from Elizabeth's throat. "Well, I can't just let you go, now can I? You can either come with me peacefully, or we can do this the hard way." He told them. The moment he was close enough, Belle shoved Elizabeth backwards and lunges at the vampire. She transformed into a wolf and the two came tumbling to the ground. "Belle!" Liz shouted. Belle and the vampire rolled on the ground, Belle kicking at his stomach as she desperately tries to keep him distracted. "Go! Get out of here!" Belle howled at her friend in wolftongue. Elizabeth looked at her friend with wide eyes, knowing that this was probably her only chance to get away. The redhead reluctantly transformed and ran away as fast as her legs could carry her. Belle wrestled with the vampire for several minutes. Finally, he got on top of her and held her down. The vampire grabbed the she-wolf's throat and pressed down on it. Belle transformed back into a humanoid and pulled at his wrists to get him off of her. "I warned you that we'd have to do this the hard way, but you dogs just don't listen." He snarled mockingly. Belle coughed and choked, tears pricking at her eyes. "Why- did you- attack us?" She asked, struggling to breathe, "We- did nothing- toyou!"

The vampire tilted his head at her, "Excuse me?"

"The- town- was- h-happy," she barley managed to say as she started to pass out from lack of air, "You-attackedus...why?"

With that final question out, Belle was unconscious. The vampire would have broken her neck, but he waited until he knew she wouldn't wake up soon and let go of her. He remained on top of her, but made sure that she could still breathe. 'She's... right...' the vampire thought. 'They actually didn't do anything to us... Why did father have us attack them?'

He gently brushed a finger through her hair as he thought. 'Quite a shame that she's a wolf. She's actually a little pretty. I like her eyes.'

"Mason!" His friend called him. Mason turned his head slightly and nodded in greeting. "Hello, Gerald. Fancy seeing you this far from the wolf town." He said to the blonde vampire behind him. Gerald's eyes widened at the sight of Belle. "You caught one alive?" He asked curiously. Mason nodded and looked back at the she-wolf's face, "... Gerald, would you be willing to help me with her?"

"We are friends. Of course I would... but for what?"

"... I think I'm going to keep her. Father did say that I can have a pet. I'd say that a werewolf is quite the upgrade from a simple canine." Mason informed his friend. Gerald took a deep breath. "Please don't get us executed for this." He asked Mason. Mason stood up and bent over to pick Belle up. He chuckled, "My father's the Primus. He won't harm me, and he won't harm you since you're like my brother. It's perfectly safe, Gold."

Gerald scratched the back of his neck and sighed, "If you say so."

Chapter 44: Assassin (Part 2)

Chapter Text

It was a few years since Belle completed her task. As promised, she was rewarded greatly for helping the state. She was pardoned from prison (so long as she swore to never commit another crime), paid a handsome amount of money, she was allowed to keep anything and everything not used during the mission, and she could call in favors from the mayor (within reason, of course). She would have meetings with the Mayor Salacil and the governor every few months, as well as anyone else who would join. Today was one of those days. Mason was in the same car as the governor and the county sheriff. Belle lived in a rural area now, since she moved in with her fiancé. The two used to meet up regularly during the mission. Masonwasgoing ask her out on a date, but before he could, she told him about her boyfriend. 'How nice he was and that he was a great guy... He got to her before I did...' The mayor sighed as they pulled into the driveway. Henry— the governor— put a hand on the man's shoulder, "You still have feelings for her?"

Mason frowned a little, "They never go away, old friend. I regret passing up the many opportunities I had to ask her out. And now she's engaged, so now Iknowthat she'll never be interested in me."

William, who was the sheriff, smiled at the two. "Come on, now. At least you still get to see her, right?" He asked. Mason nodded and smiled softly as they got out of the vehicle. Two more police cars pulled in behind them. They were there for back-up if something goes wrong. The mayor, the governor, and the sheriff walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. The door opened to reveal Belle in a semi-formal outfit that covered nearly her entire body. She smiled at them and greeted them with a respectful "hello" as the ex-assassin invited them in. As they were brought into the living room, Mason noticed a large lump in one of Belle's sleeves. "What's on your arm?" He asked her in a concerned tone. Belle looked confused for a second before registering the question. "Oh. That's just a cast. I fell on my wrist and broke it." She said barely pulling up the sleeve to reveal her wrist in the cast. There was also a large bruise that trailed back more, but she quickly covered it back up before he could ask about it. The four took their seats around a glass coffee table and talked for nearly an hour on how things were going and what she planned to do in the future. Mason would notice how she would do small nervous ticks (like tapping the arm of the chair she was in, or tapping her foot to a familiar rhythm). She was jumpy, too. 'Something's not right.' Mason concluded, 'She was never nervous being around us before. Why would she be now?'

"Is everything alright, Belle?" He asked her suddenly. Belle stopped talking and looked at him. Henry and William both nodded, thinking the same thing. "Of course everything is alright. My life couldn't be better." She forced a smile at him. Mason frowned. "I've been around you long enough to know when you're lying. Tell us what's really going on." He told her. Belle's eyes widened and she look away from him. "Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine." She said calmly. Mason wasn't buying it. He was about to say something else when Belle's fiancé walking into the room. "Hello, gentlemen. What can I do you for?" He greeted the men and sat down beside Belle. He wrapped an arm around Belle's shoulders, making the woman stiffen. Mason was growing more suspicious of the couple's behavior by the minute. The man was acting overly kind and casual, while Belle was even more nervous than before— practically terrified, even. William observed how the ex-assassin's hands were shaking, even though they were folded in her lap. "Miss Tanzen, is there anything else that we should know about?" He asked, basically repeating Mason's question. The fiancé narrowed his eyes while Belle shook her head and forced another smile, "No. I believe that I've covered everything. Will that be all?"

The sheriff thought for a moment before nodding. "That's all." He said. "Well then, if that's it, we have to go. I have another meeting in a few hours." The governed said as he stood up and shook hands with Belle. The sheriff and the mayor did the same. "Would you like me to walk to the door with you?" She asked politely. 'Yes.' Mason wanted you say so badly. But he knew better than to ask that in front of her fiancé, as it can be taken the wrong way. William came to his rescue by shaking his head. "No thank you, Miss Tanzen. We can see ourselves out." He said kindly. Belle gave a genuine small smile at the three as they walked out the door, but Mason was probably delusional when he felt like it was directed more at him. He smiled back at her and waved before shutting the door. He sighed again and hung his head. "Miss her already?" Henry whispered to the mayor. Mason opened his mouth to confirm it when there was loud shattering sound from inside the house. Even the other cops heard it, and they were still in their vehicles. Mason instantly turned on his heel and ran for the door. It was still unlocked so he violently twisted the knob and speed-walked inside, the sheriff and governor (and a couple of other officers) trailing behind him. "—They were suspicious of us! You nearly gave it away! I should kick you for that; and now look what you did!" The fiancé's voice tore through the air, "You broke the table! Maybe I should break your other wrist while I'm at it!"

They ran right into the living room. Mason's heart dropped. Belle had been shoved, causing her to fall onto the glass coffee table and break it. Her arm was bleeding through the shredded sleeve while her hand had a cut or two in her palm. Tears were slipping down her face as she cowered submissively to the man looming over her. "Freeze!" William shouted, pulling out his gun. The other two officers followed his example and pointed their guns at the man. He froze almost instantly and raised his hands in the air. The sheriff went behind him and put him in handcuffs while Mason ran over to Belle and gently lifted her off the table. "Are you hurt badly? What did he do to you?" He asked worriedly as the fiancé was escorted outside, undoubtedly on his way to the police station to be charged for domestic violence. Belle shook her head slowly, "It was my fault. I'm the one who caused the problem. He was just angry and needed to show me why he was upset and to never do it again."

Mason gently cupped her cheek to make her look at him. "It's not your fault. It was never your fault, was it?" He asked her rhetorically. Belle looked down, ashamed. Henry walked over to the two and smiled sadly at them. "I say it's time we all go. Are you coming with us, Miss Tanzen?" He asked her. Belle hesitantly nodded, "I don't have anywhere else to go, though. I'll have to come back tonight."

"You can stay with me, if you want to." Mason offered, "You can choose any of the bedrooms to use."

Belle looked surprised, but smiled softly at him. "Thank you." She said gratefully. Mason smiled and nodded at her, gently tugging her arm to get her to follow him outside. They got inside the car and Belle leaned against Mason while it drove away from the house. "How long has he been abusing you?" Mason asked quietly. Belle looked down again, "A few months before we got engaged, so about five or six months."

Mason slowly hooked an arm around her and carefully patted her back in reassurance. "It's okay now. He can't hurt you anymore. I won't even let himnearyou." He told her, "You're safe."

Chapter 45: My Happy Place (Part 2)

Chapter Text

After Belle introduced Mason to her parents and explained to them what was going on with him, they were more than willing to let him stay with them. It made Mason's heart beat to know that the two wanted to help him, too, even though he never actually met them before. It had been so nerve-racking for him. He nearly collapsed in relief on Belle's bed once they got to her room. Belle laid down on the bed next to him and snuggled into him in a loving manner. Mason kept an arm around her at all times and kissed her sweetly every now and again. "I love you." He whispered happily. "I love you, too." Belle whispered back with a big smile, "I'm so grateful that you're here with me now. Please don't ever leave me like that."

"I won't, Love. I'll stay with you forever if you want me to."

Mason stayed with the Tanzen family for over a week by now. He shared Belle's room with her (on her parents condition that he doesn't do anything funny to her) and got everything from the treehouse to place around the room. Missus Tanzen would cook every meal for the family and they quickly learned that her spicey chicken was Mason's favorite. Mister Tanzen had a well paying job and would support the entire family, so Missus Tanzen was a housewife (stayed home, took care of everything, etcetera etcetera). He would teach Mason about different morals and values a man should have; like taking care of his family and living his life to the fullest. "If you really want to stay with my daughter for the rest of your life, you need to find out what your morals are. What do you value most?" He asked Mason. The two were having a conversation upstairs while Missus Tanzen prepared dinner. Mason thought for a long moment. "... I value those around me. I value your family more than my own. I value your daughter's safety and happiness more than myself." He admitted to Mister Tanzen. Mister Tanzen smiled, "You must still value yourself at the very least, kiddo... Please, call me Justin. My wife's name is Julia."

Mason nodded with a small smile. "Thank you, Justin. I appreciate everything that your family has done for me... I just wish that mine were the same... They probably haven't even noticed that I'm not there anymore." He told him, his smile wavering. Justin put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't dwell on what's in the past. Those people aren't even worth your time if neither of them cared about you in the first place. You're with us now, and my family couldn't be more happy to have you here. Belle especially."

Mason's smile widened at the man's words. He nodded gratefully and the two continued with their night. Mason eventually went to Belle's room to take a quick nap before dinner. Belle sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hand through his hair before he fell asleep. "Mom's making spicey chicken tonight. You like that, right?" She asked him rhetorically. "I love that." He responded anyways. He reached up and caressed the side of her face. "Wake me up when it's time for dinner, please." He asked politely. Belle nodded with a small smile and stood up, leaving the room. Mason fell asleep not too long after. He slept peacefully for the most part.

Until he was woken up by crying.

He sat up on the bed, confused. Who was crying? Why were they crying? He got out of the bed and tip toed his was downstairs. He stopped in the hallway, a few feet away from the living room entrance. "Give me all the money you have, and the girl lives." demanded an unfamiliar voice. "We'll give you anything! Please, just don't hurt our daughter!" Justin's voice cried. Mason inhaled sharply. He peeked around the corner and saw a glimpse of what was happening. Justin and Julia were standing ten feet away from a man that had Belle by the throat and was pointing a loaded gun to her head. The family was scared. Belle tried to look brave, but Mason could see how she was shaking. It made his blood boil to see this. Another person who wanted to take away someone's happiness? 'Not on my watch.'

The man was close enough to the entrance for Mason to grab him, and his back was turned to the teenager to make it easier. Mason took his chance and lunged forward, snatching the gun and pulling it away from Belle as the man pulled the trigger. The bullet soared past Belle's head and went through the wall. Belle screamed and fell to the floor while Mason ripped the gun out of the man's hand. He shoved the man hard, knocking him onto the ground as Mason pointed the gun at his head. The man froze, looking up at him with panic in his eyes. "Whatwere you saying?" Mason growled with a sinister smile, "Were you about toshoother?"

"Pl-Please, I-!"

"-Quiet!"

Julia was calling 911 while Justin comforted his daughter. Belle had tears gently streaming from her eyes, but she had a grateful smile on her face. "Thank you." She said to Mason in a shakey voice. Mason nodded at her, his smile turning into a frown as he looked the man in the eyes, "If you evenmove, I'll put a bullet between your eyes."

}-----{

The police cruiser drove away, the robber safely stored in the back of the vehicle as he was on his way to the police station. Belle and Mason watched them go, standing on the front porch. Belle had a blanket wrapped around herself and leaned into Mason as he hooked his arm around her. "Thank you for saving us." She said to him, "I don't think he would've just shot me, but my parents and you, too."

"I can't believe he had the nerve to do that. What a f===ing idiot." Mason growled, still frowning. Belle smiled at him and stood on her toes. She gave him a peck on the cheek. Mason turned to her and smiled, his eyes softening. "I was so angry when I saw him pointing that gun at you. I wanted to murder him for it, but I knew you'd never forgive me for killing an unarmed man." He told her in a sad voice, "It scares me that I wasn't afraid. He could have shot you before I even got the chance to save you. I think we're blessed that I was able to stop him before anything truly bad happened."

Belle nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "Mom should be finished with dinner now. Do you want to go inside and eat?" She asked him. Mason shook his head and rested it on top of Belle's, "Not yet. Just five more minutes like this and I'll be good."

"Okay, handsome. But if I get eaten alive by mosquitos, it's your fault." She joked. Mason chuckled and kissed her temple, rubbing her arm affectionately.

Chapter 46: Starting From Scratch (Part 2)

Chapter Text

After confirming that the bluenette had amnesia, Mason, Marty, and William were talking outside her room while she slept again. "What do we do with her? We can't just take her to prison once she recovers if she doesn't even remember that she's a crook." Marty pointed out. William and Mason nodded. "We still can't let her get away with it, though." William said, "We need to punish her somehow, even if she has no clue why[Rude-]."

Mason thought for a moment before asking, "Why don't we just have her work with us?"

It was silent for a moment. "... Eh?" Marty questioned. "Think about it. She has powers, too. Being a hero is a lot of work, so that should be a passive-aggressive punishment of some sorts, right?" Mason explained. William considered it before nodding thoughtfully. "True, but we'll have to teach her how to fight with her hands. Her power isn't exactly useful for combat, other than her seemingly appearing out of nowhere." the inventor pointed out, "She'll also need a room to stay in once she can get off that bed. However, I don't think we can trust her to be alone. She'll have to live with one of us for the time being."

"Mason's the one that got us into this mess. I volunteer him." Marty said. Mason sighed, "Should've seen that one coming. Alright, she can be my roommate."

"Excellent." William smiled. "Now, let's prepare everything, shall we?"

}-----{

Mason made arrangements so that Belle could stay in his room. She had her own bed and a dresser full of clothes that some of the female staff members picked for her. Her training began the moment she could stand up. William was always harsh on her, though she didn't know why. Mason was nice to her but she always felt like he was watching her carefully, waiting for her to do something and observing any changes in her behavior. Marty, however, was like the cool uncle she doesn't remember having. He can be grumpy sometimes, but he'd always tell her funny stories or jokes, and he made sure she knew to give herself a break every day (though they have two very different definitions of "break"). When she was strong enough to run and jump around, William and Marty have been teaching her how to fight using weapons and her bare hands since they were accustomed to melee combat. Mason took her outside every day and helped her with relearning how to use her power to travel into a pocket dimension. The portals she could open were invisible to others, but Belle could see them since they're hers. The first time she opened a portal she was incredibly excited and ran inside of it only to immediately run back out yelling "HOLY HELL IT'S COLD". As it turns out, she's a freeze baby. Mason chuckled at her and patted her back. The second time she opened up a portal, she stood still and smiled. Mason saw how she wanted to go in, so he took off his black trench coat and striped scarf and let her put them on. She grabbed his hand excitedly and ran with him through the portal. The other dimension really was cold, but Mason didn't mind it at all. It was dull with a grey sky. There were snowflakes that floated in the air, making it seem like they were in a snow globe. "It's beautiful." She said, awestruck. After a few minutes Mason's coat wasn't keeping her warm anymore, so they exited the dimension and stood in the sun for a bit.

The next day, Belle was excited again. Mason and the others had an outfit made for her over night so that she could fight crime with them. It was a cream colored, bulletproof jacket that had long sleeves and grey fur to keep her warm (since she always got cold whenever entering the pocket dimension) with gloves and boots (also with fur). She wore her casual clothing underneath it. That evening, they were all chilling in the break room. Marty was hoarding all the vending machine candy bars for himself, making Belle actually wrestled him for a few of them. She won and cried a victorious "Aha!" before snatching three of the candy bars. She tossed one at Mason and offered the other to William. Mason caught his and smiled at her, while William simply plucked his out of her hand and nodded at her. Marty groaned and sat up. "Damn, Belle. You hit like a man." He said. "Thank you." She responded. William's phone suddenly went off. He looked at the message and stood up. "It's Twisted Wolf. He's on a rampage in the middle of Scott City." He told them, "Suit up, guys. Belle, you're coming with us this time."

Belle ran for her and Mason's room to get her suit on. "This is totally epic!"

}-----{

"This is totally not epic." Belle said as she observed the monstrosity. He looked like a buff werewolf[BORIS-], only angrier. He was incredibly strong and unbelievably fast for his size. "This is what we signed up for." Mason reminded her, "Now show us what you can do the moment an opportunity presents itself."

Belle gulped and nodded. She went into the pocket dimension and observed the battle, waiting for her moment. She sighed, watching as the Puppet Master used his strings and Figura transformed into powerful machines. She kept a close eye on Springlocke, too, since he was the only powerless one there. She felt like by watching him, she'd have an idea on what to do. The man used his machines to get the upper hand. The bluenette frowned, unable to form an idea. The fight went on for another few minutes before something went wrong. Mason's strings shot out at the monster to grapple him again. Twisted Wolf saw it coming and snatched the strings. He pulled Mason off of his feet and swung him[You spin me right round baby right round like a record baby right round round round-]at the other two as he yelled in alarm. The Puppet Master collided with Springlocke and the Mutante Figura, and the three now lay in a heap on the ground. Twisted Wolf charged at them, ready to tear the heroes apart. Belle thought fast and opened up a portal right in front of the bipedal canine. The wolf slid to a stop, confused as all hell at the sudden change. He swiped his claws at Springlocke (who was closest to him) and his arm went right through him, as if he wasn't actually there. It howled in fury. "Yes!" Belle accidentally cheered about her plan working. The monster snapped his head around and his eyes locked with hers. He snarled and and crouched down, preparing to pounce on her. "No!" She yelled and made a run for the nearest wall. Twisted Wolf snarled and charged at her. He almost had her when Belle opened up another portal in front of her. She leaped to the side as the wolf lunged at her. He went through the portal and crashed into a brick wall that was on the other side. He fell over. 'Looks like he hit his head too hard. Hope he doesn't forget his entire life.' Belle thought, mocking herself. She walked over to the heroes and appeared in front of them. She smiled excitedly, "Look, guys! I knocked him out! Who knew you could use a wall as a weapon?"

The Puppet Master brushed himself off as he stood up, then attempted ruffling her hair. "Smart idea, or blind panic?" He asked her jokingly. "Uhm... Maybe both?" She shrugged her shoulders awkwardly. Mason chuckled and looked at William. "See? I told she could do it." He said. William simply waved him off, "Alright. Don't rub it in. Let's get Twisted Wolf to a containment cell before he wakes up."

}-----{

Belle was walking around the base with Mason and having a nice conversation with him. Ever since she was able to "defeat" Twisted Wolf, she was allowed to go on missions with them. The missions always varied in difficulty since threats can range from an armed robbery to a legitimate supervillain. There was one time where she and Marty had to detain a crazy citizen with telekinetic powers, and Belle got the wind knocked out of her by a flying stop sign in the middle of the battle. Mason and William busted up laughing when Marty told them about that part. "It's like the sign wanted her to stop fighting!" Marty chuckled at her. Belle simply made a "hmph!" noise and crossed her arms, not finding it funny at all. Right now, the two were talking about Belle's habit of bringing home a ton of blankets. "It's driving me nuts. You have a mountain of blankets on your bed!" Mason said, waving his hands in the air for emphasis. Belle grinned, "And I'll bring in another mountain! Your room is freezing! I could literally freeze to death in my sleep one night, and you won't ever forgive yourself for my death because we're best friends!"

Mason smiled at her. "You have a point there. Alright, you can keep the blankets- but no more buying them without asking! Deal?" He offered. "Deal." Belle replied, shaking his hand. The two were about to continue when the base's alarm went off. Belle flinched hard and nearly fell on Mason. "Woah, easy there. It's just the security system." He said. Belle nodded in acknowledgement, silently asking why it was going off. "Let me radio in to see what's up. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small, handheld communicator. "For emergencies only." He pointed out for Belle as she looked at the device curiously. He held it up to his mouth and pushed a button on the side. "This is Mason. What's the problem? Over." He asked. There was static before a panicked screeching came from the device. It was loud enough for Belle to want to cover her ears. "Springlocke, is that you? Over." Mason asked again, worried. There was more static, then William's voice came over the comm link. "He's gone! I can't find him anywhere!" The inventor cried, "Honeybun is gone! Over!"

"... Honeybun?" Belle asked. Mason sighed and relaxed. "Honeybun is Will's pet rabbit. He gets out of his cage from time-to-time; but it always gives Will a heart attack." Mason informed her. "Oh." She replied. A scratch came from the device again before another voice spoke. "Holy hot fries, that's why you woke me up? Will, you seriously need to get a better lock for his cage. Over." Marty said grumpily. Mason frowned and pushed the button in again. "Alright, guys. Same as last time. Split up and look for the rabbit. Anybody finds him, catch him and radio in. Fill us in on where he is if he runs from you."

Chapter 47: Feeling Better Yet?

Chapter Text

Belle recently returned home from her business trip. Her fiancé said that he had something to show her when she got there, and she couldn't wait to see what it was since the three-year anniversary of them being a couple was in two days, so (knowing him) it had to be something special. She opened the door using her key and stepped inside with her suitcase, closing the door behind her. She opened her mouth with a big smile to greet her fiancé when she noticed half of the things in the house were gone. Her smile turned into a worried frown and she let go of her suitcase. "Will?" She called. The house was silent. "William?" She tried again. There was still no answer. 'He's not here?' She thought with dismay. Belle's mind was frantically spinning in circles to find out what was going on. She had a feeling that she already knew, but she denied it. If that's what's truly happening, she had to hear it from William himself. Belle pulled out her phone and called William's number. It rang three times before he picked up. "Hello?" He asked like he didn't know who was calling. "Will, what's going on? Why is the house half empty?" Belle questioned him immediately. There was a pause, then a deep sigh on the other side of the line, "Yeah, that's what I wanted to show you. We're done, Belle."

Belle's stomach flipped. "I—I'm sorry?" She said, hoping that she heard him wrong. "I said we're done. I've called off the engagement and moved out already. I found someone else to be with, and I'm more in love with her than I am with you. I'm sorry, but whatever we had wasn't enough for me, so it's over." Will elaborated. Belle can't believe this.Thisis what she came home to? He wasleavingher for another woman! That explains why he asked her to leave her engagement ring here for the trip. Belle bit back her tears. "... Alright... I guess... have a nice life William..." she said quietly, "... I hope you're happy."

"Thanks for understanding. Goodbye, Belle."

William hung up. Belle's heart splintered in two. That hurt. How could he hurt her like this? It was even worse that he did it behind her back! But it was already done and over with. William was gone now, and he made it clear that he didn't love her anymore. Belle let herself fall back onto the couch and cried.

So much for love.

}—————{

Two days later, Belle was absolutely miserable. Today was supposed to be special. Instead everything she did reminded her about what happened. She already had tears running down her face by lunch time. She took deep breaths to calm herself down and wipe the tears away. 'Just let it go,' she told herself, 'there's nothing you can do about it.Whyare you still crying?'

She sniffled, then got up and got a glass of water. Then she got another glass because the first one didn't help. Belle shakily let out a breath and sat down on the couch, not even watching the television as it played her favorite show. It seemed like nothing would be able to cheer her up today. A few minutes later, someone knocked on the front door. "Who...?" She muttered. There was another series of knocks. She walked up to it and opened it quietly. It was a guy with a restaurant uniform on. "Yes?..." she asked. "Hello, ma'am..." they greeted her, "I uh, I have an order here that was prepaid for a couple weeks ago by a 'William Afton'. Am I at the right house?"

'He either forgot about it or didn't care and left the order with me...' she thought somewhat bitterly. "Yes, you're at the right house." She confirmed for him. The guy nodded and said, "Fantastic. I'll bring the order in for you, if you'd like?"

Belle nodded back, "That's fine."

After the guy brought the order in and left, Belle actually took her time to see what all was there. It was a big order, with lots of different meals made with pasta. It was something that they used to eat together because it's the one food she and William used to agree on. 'Guess I have to eat this all by myself.' She thought, 'I'm probably going to have a heart attack because my cholesterol is about to skyrocket.'

Belle eventually decided not to eat the food yet. She wasn't hungry. The woman just laid down on the couch and tried to sleep the day away. When she was almost asleep, someone else knocked on the door. She was startled by it and was wide-awake again. 'Damn it...' she facepalmed, 'Who is it now?'

She stomped over to the door and opened it quickly again. Her angered expression dropped when she saw that it was just her friend, Mason. The two knew each other since elementary school. They got along well and cheered each other up when the one of them is sad. "Oh... Hey, Mason..." she greeted him awkwardly. "Hey, Belle." Mason said back to her, "Are you okay? You looked pretty upset for a moment."

"I'll be fine, I just... didn't want to be bothered today." She told him. "Oh... If that's what you want, I can—" he started, a little hurt by that. "— I didn't say thatyouare a bother. Come inside, before you get a sunburn." Belle interrupted his sadness with a small smile. Mason's facial expression relaxed and he nodded once. Belle stepped out of the way and let him through the door. She closed it, then turned back to him. "So, what brings you here?" She asked him. "I sort of had this feeling that you were upset, so I wanted to make sure that you're okay, otherwise I would've given myself grey hairs for worrying so much." He answered with a smile. That makes sense. Somehow he always knew when she wasn't feeling the best. "Like I said, I'll be okay." She told him, smiling softly, "I'm just having a bad time right now."

[*megalovania intensifies*]

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. Belle thought for a moment, then nodded and gestured to the couch. "Sure. Please, have a seat." She said. Mason smiled a little bit more before walking over to the couch and sitting down. Belle sat down beside him and turned the tv volume down with the remote. "Okay, I'm all ears." He told her gently. Belle couldn't think of any other way to start, so she just skipped to the main part and said, "... William called off our engagement and left me for someone else..."

Mason instantly looked mad, "Hewhat?"

Belle was surprised by his tone. She hadn't seen Mason upset for so many years, the last time it happened they were in high school (some fool tried starting a food fight and threw mashed potatoes in the cafeteria, which landed on his head with asplat). The guy rarely ever got mad (at least in front of her), but when he did, oh boy, whoever upset him better watch out. "When did this happen?" He asked more gently. "Sometime during my business trip. I called him when I noticed the house was half-empty." Belle said, "He asked me to leave my engagement ring here before the trip, and now I see why."

"... I'm going to kill him."

"Please don't; I don't want my friend behind bars for the rest of his life." Belle said half-jokingly. Mason took a deep breath and calmed down a little. "Alright, but I only do this for you." He said, his smile returning. Belle's smile grew a bit wider. She gave Mason a big hug, "Thank you, tree."

[Y'all remember the tree marionette?

The one from Final Nights 3?

This one:

(I had to draw the picture because I couldn't find the one I was looking for)

Okay, back to the oneshot (uwu)]

Mason blushed. "You're welcome." He averted his eyes from her and hugged her back. His eyes landed on the ungodly amount of pasta on the dining room table. "... That's a lot of carbs..." he mumbled. Belle hummed questioningly before saying, "Oh... William ordered that a couple weeks ago, but it got here today because... well... you know..."

Mason nodded, "You have to eat that all by yourself? You'll have a heart attack because your cholesterol will skyrocket."

"I know right? That's exactly what I said."

Mason grinned. "Wow. We're so much alike in so many ways that it's scary." He joked. Belle nodded. She thought of something and pulled away from the hug slowly. "Hey, Mace?"

"Hm?"

"Could you... maybe help me with all the pasta?" She asked. Mason smiled happily, "I will gladly help you with that. Which dish are we tackling first?"

"How about the spaghetti? Or we can do the rigatoni? It's up to you." Belle said. "Spaghetti it is then!" Mason cheered and jumped off the couch. He suddenly picked Belle up and started carrying her over to the table, startling her. "Mason what are you doing oh my goodness please don't drop me!" She said quickly. Mason laughed, "Don't worry, Belle! I wouldn't dream of it!"

He set her down when they got to the table. Belle tried giving him a stern look, but the blush on her face took it away. "Aw, come on, B; I know you enjoyed that." Mason goofed. "Well, can I at least have a warning next time?" She asked. Mason hummed, pretending to think. "Nope!" He said after a moment. The bluenette sighed. "Your antics are going to kill me one day... Do you want cheese on your spaghetti?"

Mason nodded, "I need lots of cheese for my cheesy jokes."

"Oh my lord."

}—————{

Mason and Belle are on the couch. They were watching cheesy movies to make Belle feel even better. Halfway through the sixth movie, Belle fell asleep. She was leaning against Mason's shoulder, sleeping peacefully. Mason turned off the tv with the remote and smiled at her. 'Operation Make Belle Happy was a success!' His smile softened, 'I hope she doesn't get sad again when I leave tomorrow.'

He sighed quietly. "Goodnight, Belle." He whispered. "Goodnight." Belle mumbled in her sleep. It took everything Mason had not to laugh again.

Chapter 48: Spared

Chapter Text

In a world of life, peace comes at a terrible price. Almost three quarters of a century ago, a terrible war broke out between the sentient animatronic population and the human race. The animatronics were intelligent and had a major advantage on endurance. They can survive hostile conditions that most humans can't, making it harder to defeat them. Eventually, the animatronics won, and humans were wiped off of the face of the Earth. The animatronics that now ruled the land divided it into countries. Most countries continued to be peaceful after the war, offering new hopes and opportunities to the population. There are a few countries, however, that become fierce and harsh towards anyone it resents. The reason behind this is something that developed approximately fifty years ago. It was discovered that a good chunk of the animatronics has supernatural powers, including being able to manipulate the fabric of reality itself. Thinking back on how humans were, one animatronic leader became jealous of their abilities that all animatronics lack. He gathered all the "connected" animatronics that he could and made them preform a ritual to give animatronics human traits. Now animatronics could eat, sleep, and have children, but the most important thing of all was that most were given souls. Key word: "most". There were still animatronics that didn't have souls. To the leader that forced the ritual to happen, this was unacceptable. Over the course of several years, he had turned his country against animatronics who were labeled as "soulless". The soulless animatronics who were caught were almost always given terrible punishments for something that they cannot help, the rare percentage that don't is the small amount that could escape.

A couple of decades passed by, and this behavior did not cease. About five years ago, the old leader died. His body could no longer function and rusted away. He left his most important general in charge, who became the new dictator. His name was the Puppet Master. He wasn't as cruel as the old leader was, but you should still never cross him if you didn't want to die slowly and painfully. Unlike him, the Puppet Master was kinder to his citizens and would help those in need. However, being raised to hate soulless animatronics, he still had a "natural" resentment for them.

At least he thought he did.

Mere months ago, he met one of them at a prison camp (one of the old leader's first ideas on getting rid of soulless animatronics). She was a humanoid ballerina with blue hair and pink eyes. She literally ran into him, falling on the ground with a yelp. She looked up at him after recovering from the fall and went pale, recognizing who he was. She tried to stutter out an apology, but her fear overwhelmed her and she was unable to form the correct words. He wasn't too happy with the collision, but he also didn't yell at her. He was too focused on the group of soldiers that were chasing her. The jackal animatronic at the head of the group was aiming a gun at her back and looked furious. He stopped immediately and put the gun away at the sight of the dictator, giving him a respectful salute. "Tell me, what has this female done that warrants her death?" The Puppet Master asked the jackal. The jackal explained how the ballerina had embarrassed him by calling him out on his "terrible" treatment of "innocent" prisoners. The leader frowned deeper and concluded, "So you're trying to kill her simply because she damaged your inflated ego? You have no idea how petty that is."

The group went away, the jackal being too humiliated to stick around. Since it was obvious that the jackal would try to kill the ballerina once he left, the dictator decided to spare her life by taking her with him. The ballerina stayed with him in his mansion (passed to him by the previous dictator) and would have to wear a steel collar or bracelet at all times to be identified. She didn't complain since it stopped others from trying to hurt her, but he quickly noticed how she was very skittish around him and anyone from his chain of command. The ballerina (Ballora, he would learn her name) was submissive and would do anything that he asked her to as to not anger or displease him. She made sure to stay on his good side. Because of this she became less irritating to be with, so the Puppet Master would let her stay near him if she felt unsafe. There were still times where other animatronics would glare at her and insult her, but she got used to it eventually (even though it still hurts). To avoid this, she would be close to the leader. Nothing bad ever happened to her while he was around. The only times where she couldn't were if he was meeting with his chain of command. Today was one of those days. The staff working in the mansion basically told her that she was useless and to get lost, so she hung her head and walked away. Ballora was on her way to one of the smaller rooms when she nearly collided with a soldier who was walking down the hallway. Her heart leaped into her throat when she recognized him as the jackal from the prison camp. Judging by the look of anger on his face, the jackal recognized her too. "You!" He shouted, lunging at her. Ballora turned on her heel and ran, barely dodging the jackal as he tried to grab her. He chased her up and down the mansion's corridors. The staff that they ran past actually looked shocked and worried. A few of them even ran off to find the leader so that he could stop it. "Come back here you glitch!" The jackal hollered at her, "You won't get way from me this time!"

Ballora was now in the massive foyer. She turned and tried to run down the stairs, but she wasn't fast enough. The jackal caught up to her and grabbed the collar of her shirt. She choked as he pulled her off of her feet and threw her against the wall. The soldier then pinned her to the floor and wrapped his hands around her neck, pressing his thumbs on her throat. "I'll finally show you what happens when someone defiesme!" He taunted her as he began to strangle her. Ballora struggled and writhed to get him to let go. She had an idea and decided that it was better than nothing to try it. She scratched his chest as hard as he could with one hand and tried to scratch his face with the other. The jackal growled in pain and loosened his grip enough to were she'd be able to bring her knee up. Ballora cracked the jackal in the jaw, making him let go of her completely as his hands went upwards. She then used her legs and kicked him as hard as she could to get him off of her. When he reeled back, she thought her plan was a success and was about to start running again. However, her plan worked a little too well and the jackal was about to fall down the stairs. Ballora tried to grab his uniform to pull him back up, but it was too late. The jackal screamed as he rolled down the staircase. The ballerina could hear his endoskeleton breaking and see the oil coming from his body as he landed on the floor. Her hands made their way up to her face; one covered her mouth while the other gripped onto her scalp. She didn't mean for that to happen. The jackal groaned loudly and snarled. "You... Youf===ing b===h! I'm going tokillyou for that!" He threatened her as he stood up, leaning against the railing for support. A gunshot sounded through the foyer, and the jackal suddenly dropped to the floor. Ballora's head quickly snapped to the right. The Puppet Master was there, and he looked angry. His glare was focused on the jackal's body, and a smoking gun was in his hand.

He killed the soldier.

"That should send a message to others who think about not following my orders." He growled. He looked at her, locking his black-eyed gaze with her pink orbs. The ballerina was trembling. "I-I-I'm s-sorry... I-I didn't m-mean to-..."

"I know. I saw everything." He reassured her, putting the gun away, "You may not have meant to push him down the stairs, but you had the right to defend yourself."

The Puppet Master looked at his staff, who observed the ordeal from behind. "You may resume your activities... The current meeting is now dismissed. Someone needs to clean up that mess down there. If he had a family, notify them that his death was justified because of attempted murder." He commanded them all. As the others listened to him and did as they were told, the dictator slowly lifted Ballora off of the ground and guided her to somewhere else. They ended up in one of the lounges. The Puppet Master made her sit down with him on the red sofa as he checked her neck for any sign of damage. Ballora's eyes shifted away shyly, her nervousness getting to her. She's never been this close to him before, excluding when they first met at the camp. "Your throat looks fine. Does anything hurt?" He asked. Ballora shook her head, "My shoulder aches, but that's probably because he threw me onto the floor."

He nodded at her in acknowledgment. Ballora twiddled her thumbs. "Thank you for stopping him... and for keeping me safe for the past few months." She thanked him. The animatronic leader simply nodded again. "You're welcome." The Puppet Master told her, "I apologize that wasn't there to kill him sooner. I'm sure that you knew I was in a meeting."

It was Ballora's turn to nod, "I... kind of wish that you didn't kill him..."

"He disobeyed a direct command to leave you alone. He tried to kill you when I specifically have you here to keep you alive. That is considered treason and insubordination- neither of which is tolerated. I was going to kill him whether or not you already pushed him down the stairs." He said to her. Ballora looked away again and hummed quietly to let him know that she understood. She was remembering things while he was speaking to her. Seeing the dictator shoot the jackal reminded her of the prison camps. Soldiers would kill anyone if they so much assneezein front of them. Soulless animatronics dying by starvation, exhaustion, or simply being murdered, and being buried in mass graves that surrounded the camps. That was one of her jobs being there, burying the bodies of dead prisoners. The ones who were still alive have death constantly looming over them as they were treated like animals. Hell, they were even transferred from camp to camp whenever one needed more prisoners to work. She had been transferred several times, and she's seen the horrors of what happens to animatronics like her that are trapped in the claws of the soldiers.

"Are you alright?" The Puppet Mater asked as he put a hand on her shoulder. Ballora jumped and looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry... What were you saying?" She asked. "I asked if you were alright." He told her, "I was talking to you went you stopped everything and stared at the wall."

"Oh... Sorry... I, uhm... I could be better. It's just... seeing you kill the jackal brought back some unwanted memories." She informed him. The Puppet Master raised a brow at her, so she had to elaborate. "I'm sure that you're aware of how soulless animatronics are treated here." She said shamefully. He frowned to hide his curiousity. He never paid attention to that, so he didn't know what could have been through that was so bad. "Animatronics like me aren't welcomed in most places. We aren't cared for, either. No one will help us, and we are never shown compassion. Instead, many soulless animatronics are killed by soldiers for anything they do. If it's not a soldier that kills you, working in the camps will- if you don't starve or catch a disease first, that is..." Ballora told him, looking at the floor, "You're treated like an animal. You get taken from your family and transferred to camps that need more prisoners. You literally work yourself to death, and if you so much as trip on a pebble, the soldiers will shoot you."

The animatronic leader watched as Ballora dug her nails into her palm. "I don't even remember my family because of the system. I don't know if I evenhavea family. I can almost guarantee that all my friends have been killed by now... Life becomes so dull and painful that... it's not uncommon to hear about a soulless animatronic taking their own life. I see the appeal in it, too. No one ever cared in the first place, so no one will miss you when you're gone."

The Puppet Master's frown deepened. He didn't know the world wasthatcruel to animatronics like her. The last sentence kept repeating in his head.

"No one ever cared in the first place, so no one will miss you when you're gone."

Those words put a weight on his heart. It shouldn't, but it did. He tried imagining what his life would be like if he was soulless. No one giving a damn about you was definitely something he hated thinking about. He saw a tear slide down Ballora's cheek out of the corner of his eye. 'Did she ever try taking her life before?' He pondered, his eyes softening. He hesitantly reached out to her and slowly pulled her into a hug. She froze for a moment, then proceeded to cry on his shoulder. He thought about it again. If what she said was true and not an over-exaggeration, then life as a soulless animatronic truly was unfair and miserable. He even considered the thought of it being pure luck that he met Ballora before she could have been killed. She didn't even tell him half of the cruelty, but it really got him thinking about everything. As the ballerina in his arms calmed down, he made his final decision about it and held her chin carefully. He gently lifted her eyes to meet his. "I promise you that starting tomorrow, everything will change."

Chapter 49: Comatose

Chapter Text

The beeping of the monitors echoes through the room seemingly forever, like a broken record repeating in Belle's head. To give the details on what's happening, let's go back to eight months ago. Belle was on her way to a burger place, she was supposed to meet her boyfriend there on her lunch break (since the place is right next to where she works). His name is Mason, and the two have been together for seven years. She was so looking forward to seeing him, especially since it was his day off, so they could eat there for her entire break without him needing to hurry. She was right outside the doors to the restaurant when she got a phone call. It was the hospital.

The person on the phone said that Mason was in a horrible car accident and now in the emergency room. Belle, extremely terrified, excused herself from work (thank god her boss was understanding[either that or he was corncerned because of her being nearly hysterical]) and drove to the hospital. A few days after the doctors got him in a stable condition, Mason fell into a coma. The doctors said that he might not make it because of the damage to his head, but Belle was confident that Mason would pull through. Belle's been with him since, talking to him in hope that hears her and only leaving the hospital for work and other necessary things.

Back to the present, Belle was sitting in the chair next to his bed, holding his hand. She had a sad smile on her face. "The doctors said that your chances are looking good." She whispered to him, a tear running down her face, "I'm so happy that you're getting better, but they also told me that a number of different things could happen to you... They said that you might've lost your memory, for what it's worth..."

She squeezed his hand gently, losing the smile. "I hope and I pray that you're okay. I wish so badly that when you wake up, everything will be okay... I just want to see you again... I want to hear your voice and talk to you so that you'll talk to me.I want to see your smile and I want to be able to kiss you and give you an endless amount of hugs. I want you to hug me back and tell me that everything will be alright... I... I don't care what it costs me... Mason,.... I want you back... I don't care if you have to stay here for a few more weeks. I don't care if I have to help you walk and eat for a month. I don't even care if you lost some of your memories, because we can make new ones... As long as you're awake and okay, I'll be alright...Please, Mason... wake up..."

There was soft knocking on the door. Belle quickly wiped her tears away with her sleeve and sat up, sadly letting go of Mason's hand. The door opened and Mason's parents walked in. "Hello, dear. Are you alright?" His mother asked softly. Belle nodded, "I'm fine... Thank you."

His mother nodded back while his father sat down in one of the other chairs. "Any news?" His father asked hopefully. Belle nodded again. "The doctors said that his chances of waking up are increasing significantly." She told Mason's parents. Both of them looked relieved and worried at the same time. "Do they know when he might wake up?" His mother asked. Belle shook her head, "It's anyone's guess."

"I see..." his mother replied sadly, "... How do you think he'll react when we tell him how long he's been asleep?"

Mason's father smiled, "He's going to freak out, but I'm sure he'll eventually handle it well. He's our boy, after all."

Belle smiled at his father's words. "... I hope he wakes up soon...." she whispered, looking at the floor. The mother and father looked at one another, knowing what she's probably thinking. "It's not your fault, sweetie." His mother said, "No one knew what would happen."

"But it never would've happened if I didn't ask him to eat lunch with me." Belle pointed out, another tear sliding down her face. "That may be true," the father said, earning a glare from the mother, "but no one blames you for the accident. You're not the one who caused it. You should quit thinking that it's your fault, because it really isn't."

Belle smiled gratefully at him, "Thank you..."

There was a soft groan from the hospital bed, pulling their attention.

Mason was waking up.

The man took a few deep breaths before very slowly sitting up in the bed. The smile on Belle's face widened ear to ear. Mason's mother and father had tears in their eyes. "Mason?..." his mother called him. Mason looked around the room a bit, perplexed, then he smiled at his mother. "H—Hey, mom. Hey, dad." He greeted his parents in a raspy voice, "Am... Am I in the hospital?"

His mother nodded. "Yes. Do you remember what happened?" She questioned. Mason looked like he was thinking for a moment. Suddenly he grabbed his head and curled in on himself, a pained expression on his face. Belle was the first to run into the hallway and call for help. The doctors and the nurses were there in less than a minute, kicking Belle and Mason's parents out of the room to avoid complications. Now all they have to do is wait and keep their fingers crossed that Mason will be alright.

}—————{

Barely ten minutes passed before they were allowed back into the room. The nurse who let them in told them that it was just a migraine caused by the injury to his head. "He should be fine now, but call if anything goes wrong." She said sternly. The three let out the breath they were holding, extremely relieved. They entered the room. Mason was sitting up again, smiling at them. "So, welcome back." He joked. He's alive. He's awake. He's okay. His parents and Belle couldn't be any happier. His father shook his head, "It's not the right time to make a joke, Mason. Don't you realize how long you've been here?"

"... No. Isn't it still Tuesday?..." Mason asked, "And... what happened to the car?"

His face suddenly looked alarmed, then sort of sad and concerned. "What's wrong, Mason?" Belle asked from beside him. Mason looked at his parents, then looked at Belle with worry in his eyes.

"Has anyone seen Belle? I was supposed to meet her today."

Chapter 50: What Are You?

Chapter Text

The Puppet Master fell back into the wall with a deep sigh, smoke drifting off of him as electricity crackled from his fingers. He just teleported from Fazbear's Fright. The children's souls were free, and the killer was burned alive after he set the place ablaze. It was truly a happy moment. 'For them, at least.' The marionette thought with a sad shake of his head, 'For some reason, I'm still here.'

He let out a mechanical hiss and felt one of the gashes in his frame. The killer may be gone now, but he went down with one hell of a fight. He wielded an axe like the madman he was and managed to put quite a few tears in the Puppet's body. Pitch black oil oozed from the wounds, barely visible in the dark space he was in. He looked around the room with his eyes. He appears to have accidentally teleported to another Fazbear location, judging by the poster with a pink and white fox animatronic on the wall next to him. 'Ha. Foxy would be furious about the recolor.' He thought with amusem*nt. He could just hear the pirate fox yelling about how his counterpart looked like a girl. If Puppet pointed that out to him, Foxy would probably make Bonnie play a country song on his guitar to get back at him. To anyone else it would be pointless, but the Puppet Master is controlled by music. Joking matters aside, he didn't exactly recognize the Foxy on the poster. The Puppet didn't know the model, nor did he have any idea of where he was. Granted he was in a storage room with mountains of crates and dusty tarps, but that wasn't much help. 'Should I look around or should I stay hidden?' He debated, 'I should probably stay hidden until I know who or what's here. Don't want another monster to fight so soon, now do I?'

It was either fate or a coincidence, but at that exact moment the door to the storage room opened, and someone walked inside. The Puppet quickly hid behind a tower of large boxes and crates. He didn't think that he was very well hidden, so he knew he had to stay absolutely quiet if he wanted to remain unseen. His eyes widened as a feminine humanoid animatronic holding a small box stepped in and closed the door behind her. She was designed as a ballerina with blue hair and purple and pink makeup. There were thin lines that divided her face into segments, which he found odd. She was an average height and shockingly beautiful to him. He held still and watched as the ballerina made her way to the center of the room, pausing every now and then and tripping over things several times. When she made it and set the box down, she glanced around the room. Her eyes passed over Puppet's, and he inhaled sharply as he came to a realization. Her eyes weren't bright like an animatronic's should be, meaning that they didn't work. This ballerina was blind. She couldn't see him at all.

But she could still hear him.

"... Hello?... Is someone there?..." she called out nervously. 'She heard me.' Puppet thought, feeling frustrated at himself for giving himself away. He remained silent and continued watching her. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet, securing her arms around herself, "... I guess not..."

The ballerina took a step back. There was a softclickand her tutu began to slowly spin. A musical chime rang softly through the room. She visibly relaxed, listening to the music to keep herself calm. Puppet froze. His body moved on its own, obeying the trance that the music put him in. The music was like a lullaby, just like the one that used to play at the prize corner. Unlike that one that was meant to keep him subdued, this one is meant for the ballerina to dance to. He couldn't do anything except watch as his body walked over to the ballerina. She looked startled to hear him again. 'No! Stop it! You're scaring her! Stay hidden, you idiot!' He mentally screamed in a failed attempt to stop himself. The poor ballerina was definitely scared. "Foxy?... Freddy?... Please tell me that it's one of you?" She asked nervously, "Ennard?... Baby?... Lolbit?... Somebody-!"

She stopped as the Puppet Master gently took her hands in his. Some of his oil smeared onto her, but she probably wouldn't notice. He slowly swayed side to side with her, his body doing its best to dance ballet. The ballerina went with it, not knowing who he was and not wishing to anger him in case if he was someone that would hurt her. He did a soft twirl with the ballerina in his arms. He kept her closer to him than he probably should. 'At least this song isn't so bad.' He thought gratefully, 'Lord knows what's my body would do then.'

The ballerina slowly started to relax. Perhaps him dancing with her made her feel happy or confident that he wasn't going to hurt her. She seemed to at least be enjoying this a bit. She held onto him as he did another spin, then he dipped her and pulled her back up. Puppet continued swaying with her and doing short spins and twirls, keeping her in his grasp. Eventually the music slowed to a stop and the ballerina slowly reached for his face. Puppet intercepted her hand by grabbing her wrist and pulling her arm away slowly. The ballerina suddenly looked worried, most likely thinking that she just did something wrong. "I-I'm sorry; I didn't mean to..." she apologized shyly. Puppet shook his head and blinked several times to make sure that he was out of the trance. "It's okay, Miss. I'm the one who should apologize for suddenly dancing with you." He told her while letting go of her and taking a few steps backwards, "My programming commands me to listen to music, so I loose control of myself when a song of any type is played. My body was moving on its own when it heard your lullaby."

The ballerina looked curiously towards him. "Really? How interesting. I've never met anyone like that before- well, you never meet much of anyone around here, honestly." She said with a shrug. "Where is 'here'?" Puppet asked, thinking of how to get out of this situation. The ballerina tilted her head at him, "Wouldn't you know by now if you were transported here? How did you even get into the storage room?"

"It's a long and complicated story, which I'm in no mood to tell right now- but no, I really have no clue where I am except that this may be another Fazbear pizzeria." He told the blind female (maybe with a tiny bit of irritation as his wounds bothered him again). The ballerina frowned. "I guess I shouldn't ask then. You are correct about that last part, though. You're in Circus Baby's Pizza World. We're one of the older sister locations, long forgotten by the higher-ups of the series' chain." She answered him. "Are you Circus Baby, by any chance?" He asked again. The ballerina shook her head. "No, I'm not. My name is Ballora. Circus Baby's one of our ringleaders." She told him. Puppet nodded, then felt foolish remembering that she couldn't see him. "I see. Well then, it's nice to meet you, Ballora. I am the Puppet Master, but you can call me 'Puppet' or 'Mare' for short."

"May I take a moment to say that you have an ominous name?" She asked him with a smile. Puppet chuckled, "It's not like I chose it anyways."

Ballora's smile became smaller and softer. Her hand twitched a little, like something was driving her crazy. "I'm sorry for how impolite this may sound," she asked, "but may I feel your face?"

That surprised Puppet a little, but that's probably what she was trying to do before. "I don't mind." He said after a moment. He carefully guided her hand to his cheek. She gently felt around his face, then brushed her hand along his jawline and down his neck. "You're bending over a lot, aren't you? I can tell by the angle of your neck. How tall are you?" She questioned. The Puppet Master looked at the floor and then at the ceiling and stood up straight. "I'm at least a few feet taller than you... Maybe nine feet tall?" He said uncertainly. "You must be taller than Ennard, then." She said to him with a surprised look. Puppet looked into her eyes again. They were so dull... It was almost saddening at how colorless they were. He could tell that they were supposed to be pink, but that didn't help at all. "What is it like to be blind, if you don't mind me asking?"

"... I never know how to answer that question, no matter how often someone asks it." She admitted. "I guess the closest words I can use to define it are 'constant uncertainty'. I never know what's going on unless I can hear or feel it. There could always be someone watching me, and I'd probably never know. If I can't see what's happening, I could get hurt or worse. It's always a gamble if I run into things or not, too."

Puppet hummed in response. Ballora shrugged her shoulders. "Well, blind topic aside, you should come with me. I can introduce you to the others." She offered. Puppet shifted, debating. "I don't know," he said, "I think it's best if I remain hidden-."

"Nonsense." Ballora told him. "Besides, you're hurt and I know someone who can take care of your wounds." She added. Puppet looked at her strangely. "How did you know that I was leaking oil?" He asked her. "I can smell it, and your hands were coated in something when you danced with me. Now come on, let's go say 'hi' to everyone."

'Am I seriously trusting an animatronic that I literally just met?' Puppet sighed and hesitantly followed her out the door.

Chapter 51: The Ocean

Chapter Text

[Blood and (Somewhat) Descriptive Violence Warning!]

Belle swam peacefully in the ocean, not minding the waves that gently eased her back to the shoreline. She and her friends recently graduated college, so one of them decided to throw a beach party at the ocean. They had plenty of sunscreen and drinkable water, so what could possibly go wrong? Well, many things, apparently. Belle was too wrapped up in having fun in the beautiful water that she didn't realize how far away she swam. She could still see the shore, but her friends were nowhere in sight. Then, the waves started to wear her down. She was becoming exhausted and had little energy to fight with the water. The final thing was when something bumped her hard under the water. The next thing Belle knew, a shark grabbed her leg out of no where and pulled her under the water. Belle shrieked, a stream of bubbles rushing out of her mouth as the creature's teeth sliced through her flesh. The salt in the water made her eyes and leg burn. Red clouds were swirling away from her, making her panic even more. The shark shook her roughly, then bit down again. It bit her hard, and Belle felt the bone in her leg break from the pressure. She gurgled another scream and hit the shark as hard as she could. She didn't want to die like this. Alone and exhausted, drained of blood and eaten alive. It was a terrible way to go. "Help me!" She tried to call, knowing well how futile it was in the first place but too scared not to. The water swept her words away, and Belle screamed again as the shark tried to bite off a chunk of her leg. It probably cut through something important by now, so she'd most likely bleed to death even if she got away from it. She whimpered. She needs air. The monster suddenly thrashed around and let go of her. She still had her leg, thankfully. She was almost scared to see what chased the shark away. Belle tried swimming to the surface, but her body just wasn't having it. A pair of arms hooked onto her and she was propelled upwards. Her head broke through the water and Belle coughed and choked before taking in a big breath of air. She coughed again and cried. "It hurts." She whimpered, "It hurts so much."

Whoever was behind her shushed her gently and pulled her way. Belle eventually fainted due to her exhaustion and blood loss.

}-----{

When she woke up, Belle was in a dimly lit place. There was glowing algae stuffed into clay pots strewn about, and the walls were made out of textured stone. It looked like something out of a movie. At first she thought that the entire thing with the shark was a nightmare, but a quick glance at the dull ache in her leg assured her that it was real. Her leg, however, was wrapped up tightly with... seaweed bandages? There was also rounded driftwood used to help with the broken bone. Who would use medical supplies like these? She also realized that she was laying down in a bed made of driftwood and seaweed, like a cot. This confused her more. Surely she wasn't at a hospital? She couldn't be in someone's home, either.

"Are you sure that she's going to be okay?" Asked an anxious voice. "Yes, Marion. The human will be alright." Another voice calmed the first one, "That bull may have damaged her, but I'm confident that she'll pull through. It just needs time to heal."

Belle slowly sat up and looked around, listening to what they were saying. The first one- Marion- was worried about if she'd bleed to death or not and when she's supposed to wake up. The second voice- probably a medical assistant- said that she would wake up soon and make a full recover if she wasn't in shock. After a few minutes, Belle thought that it was probably rude to eavesdrop in the two like this and decided to announce that she was awake. "H-Hello?" She called. A few moments later, two men walked into the cave. One was taller with black hair and blue eyes, while the other was an average height with purple hair and red eyes. The taller one's hair faded from black to white at the tips, while the shorter one had freckles that were sprinkled on his face and arms. The tall one smiled at her. "Hello," he said, "I hope you're comfortable. Do your wounds hurt?"

Belle smiled shyly back at him. "They ache, but that's okay... the shark didn't take too much, right?" She asked. The shorter male shook his head. "I believe everything's still there. Human anatomy is different compared to ours, but I'm sure that your limb is still in one piece." He said to her. Belle sighed with relief. She tilted her head a bit, "What do you mean by different anatomies? Aren't you humans, too?"

The tall one coughed before the shorter one could answer. "It matters not. My name is Marion, and my friend here is Bonnebell. I brought you here after that shark attacked you." He said. Belle nodded in acknowledgment. "Where exactly is 'here'?" She asked the males. Bonnebell frowned at Marion, "Can we at least tell herthat?"

Marion shrugged, "She'll find out sooner or later, but it's probably best if we tell her."

Marion then looked at her. "You're in a sea cave, far below the surface. This is where I live." He informed her. Belle blinked at him. "You're... you're kidding, right? 'Far below the surface'? That's a joke... right?"

"No, I'm not joking. You really are below sea level."

Belle felt anxious. Exactly how far down are they? Is this place even safe? How the hell did Marion even get her here? Humans can't swim that deep without the proper gear, and she didn't see anything in the cave that suggested he wore a breathing tank. He said that he lived here, too, so that's a red flag. "H-How am I- How are we even down here?" Belle questioned suspiciously. "I'm not sure if we can tell you right now. Everything will make sense later, alright?" Bonnebell told her. Belle gave a short sigh and looked away. "Can you at least tell me how you found me and stopped the shark?" She asked Marion. Marion shrugged his shoulders. "I saw you swimming from a distance, and I just had a feeling that something was going to happen, so I stuck around. When you started screaming bloody murder, I grabbed a sharp object and swam as far as I could. I landed a good few hits on the shark, but he let go of you as soon as I took his eye out. You must have been exhausted since you passed out right after that." He explained. Marion raised a brow at her, "What were you doing out there anyways?"

"Like you said; I was swimming. My friends were having a graduation party at the beach, and I just decided that swimming in the ocean was better than drinking beer and partying hard." Belle said. The two looked at her weirdly. "What?" She questioned. "What's a 'graduation'?" Marion asked. "What's a 'beer'?" Bonnebell asked as well. Belle held up her hands. "Hold on a second. You don't know what those are?" She asked rhetorically. They looked at each other awkwardly. Belle sighed, "You two really are strange. Graduation is when you move from one level of learning to the next, or finish your learning completely. Beer is an alcoholic drink that makes you drunk. You know, barely able to stand and a poor sense of judgment?"

"Oh. The first one makes sense... Why in the seas would someone drink a beer then?" Marion said. Belle shrugged, "Everyone has their reasons."

After another twenty minutes of holding an awkward conversation, Bonnebell left to attend to other patients in need of his help. Marion sat on the floor beside her and smiled again. "This entire time I've gone without asking the most obvious question. What is your name?" He asked. Belle smiled back at him. "My name is Belle... Thank you, Marion, for saving my life. I really owe you one." She thanked him. Mason nodded, "It was nothing, really."

[This one was dragging on too long, and I couldn't work with what I had any longer. I already wrote so much for it, so I'm just going to publish this instead of deleting it. I'll have a better version of this oneshot out in the next batch.]

Chapter 52: The Ocean (Rewrite)

Chapter Text

[Basically a mermaid AU. We all knew this would happen at some point. If merfolk go out of water, their tails turn into legs.]

"I'm finally going to do it, Bon! I'm finally going to talk to her!" Marion pounded a fist against his chest proudly. Marion was one of the merpeople of the sea. He lived in a large sea cavern, which served as a well populated city since it was also a massive air pocket. They lived next to each other in the big cavern. "That's great buddy. Can I come with you?" Bon- also known as Bonnebell- asked, smiling supportively at his friend. Marion smiled back, "Of course you can. I'd be lost without you."

The two chatted excitedly at each other as they walked to the water exit of the cavern. Marion was excited to finally speak to the female he's basically been stalking, while Bonnebell was excited to finally meet her. Marion has been talking about her nonstop since he's first seen her. "Her voice is so enchanting. She sings like a siren!" Marion exaggerated. Bon chuckled, "You're swimming in circles over this girl, Mare. You'll drive yourself crazy if you're not careful."

They dove into the water and watched as their legs turned to tails. Marion had a pale body with a black tail, black hair, and blue eyes. His tail had white stripes that shown beautifully against the inky black. Bonnebell, meanwhile, had a tanned body with a plain purple tail, purple hair, and red eyes. The two smiled at each other and swam out of the deep, Marion leading the way. After a little while, they arrived near on of the large land masses- continents, as humans called them- and swam rather close to one of the sandy beaches. Bon went beside Marion. "Hey, I thought you said we were meeting the female you've been watching?" He asked. Marion nodded. "We are. She's not over here, but there's another area we can check. Follow me." Marion responded. The mermen went farther, staying within sight of the shore. Eventually Marion spotted the place he was looking for and swam closer to it. It was a wall of boulders that made a natural stone dock in the water. It went out pretty far, finally stopping in a very deep area of the water. On the very last boulder sat the female they were looking for. She had a slim build with pale skin, blue hair, and pink eyes. It was obvious that she wasn't a mermaid, especially with the clothing that she was wearing. It was made out of things found on land, not in the water. Bonnebell held onto Marion's shoulder before he could swim out to her. "Hold your seahorses! You never said anything about her being ahuman!" He whisper-shouted. Marion smiled casually at the male. "I didn't think that it was worth mentioning." He said with a shrug, flicking his tail back. "Not worth-!" Bon started disbelievingly, "Mare, you can't just present yourself to a human! It's dangerous!"

Marion kept his smile on, "Which is why I know you'll come with me. I believe she's perfectly harmless. Now come on! Let's talk to her before she leaves!"

Marion dove back under the water and swam towards the human. Bonnebell groaned and swam after him. "You're going to get us in trouble." He complained as he went under. "Hush, it'll be fine. If things go south, no one will believe her, right?"

}-----{

Belle relaxed on the hot rocks, finding peace near the water. She looked at the satchel she brought with her, thinking about eating the lunch she packed. "I can stay out here for a while since I remembered to bring sunscreen this time." She muttered. The girl laid back against the stone and let one of her legs slip into the water. She sighed deeply. It was wonderful out here. Her friends knew that they'd find her here if she was nowhere else- it's where she always went to escape the chaos of humanity. The pollution, the politics, the people themselves, everything. "Too bad I don't have an excuse to come out here whenever I want. 'Oh, where do you think you're going Miss Tanzen?' 'To the beach, Missus Hersh. Half the students already fell asleep!'" She mocked her algebra teacher, then herself. "Ha ha, you'resofunny, B."

She kicked her leg that was in the water and frowned at herself. 'Too bad there's nobody I can talk to about this...' The girl thought a little glumly. There was a big splash that drew her attention. The ocean waves were going in multiple directions in front of her, like they couldn't decide which way to go. 'Probably just a big fish.' Belle told herself, observing the size of the waves, 'Areallybig fish.'

There was something big under the water. Maybe two somethings? She peered down to get a closer look when a human face popped out of the water in front of her. Belle screamed in surprise. "Hello there!" It said with a smile. Belle took a deep breath and frowned. "Hello." She said plainly, almost bored, "You know, it's not nice to sneak up on people like that. Who are you?"

The male came a bit closer and set his arms on the rock. He rested his head on one of arms that he propped up. "Is it? I'm sorry." He apologized. "As for who I am, my name is Marion." He added. Belle sighed softly, "I guess it's alright. No offense, but the name Marion sounds a little strange. Where did you even come from? I'm Belle, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Belle. I came from the water." Marion said casually. Belle tilted her head at him. "Are you messing with me?" She asked. Marion shook his head. "No." He said. The girl was about to question him again when another face popped out of the water. This one was another male, and he looked younger than Marion. Belle was going to say "hello" when she spotted something underwater. A long, black tail was drifting in the water next to the second male. For a moment she panicked thinking something was behind Marion, then her panic turned to shock as she realized that it was attached to him. Marion has a tail, not legs. Neither did the other male, now that she looked. The girl fell backwards in surprise. "You-!" She stammered, "Y-You're-... You have a... You have atail!"

"Yes."

"You're not a human!"

"It appears to be that way."

"Are you a-... A...?" Belle trailed off, unsure if she was even having an appropriate reaction. "A merman? Yes." He finished for her. Belle closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead like she had a headache, "This can't be real. You can't exist. I just had too much sun today. I'm going to open my eyes, and when I do, you'll be gone and I'll head to the minute clinic for a check-up."

She waited a moment before opening her eyes again. Marion was still there, the end of his tail waving subtly in the air as he sat patiently. "You're still here!" She groaned. "You... You really are real?" The human asked. Marion nodded. "I'm as real as the rock you're standing on." He confirmed for her with a charming smile. Belle sighed quietly and looked at the one behind him. "What's your name? And why are both of you here?" She asked again. The one with red eyes frowned anxiously, "My name is Bonnebell. We're here becausethisidiot-" he gestured to Marion "- dragged us all the way out here so that he could talk to you."

"Why would you want to talk tome?" Belle questioned Marion. "Well, I've been wanting to talk to you for a while." He told her, "I admire your singing, and I was hoping to hear you sing again."

"My singing? But I'm not very good at it..."

"I beg to differ with that. You have a beautiful voice, and I've never heard any quite like yours." Marion complimented her. "Maybe because she's the only human you've heard." Bonnebell grumbled. Marion shot him a half-hearted glare. Belle actually smiled at that one. She believed now that it was safe to stay here and talk to them. It didn't seem like they would try to harm her or pull her into the water to mess with her. The girl sat back down on the stone and relaxed again, bringing the satchel closer to her so that she could lean on it. "Well, thank you for the compliment. It makes me happy that someone enjoys my singing."

Marion smiled at the human, "You're quite welcome."

They spent the next few hours talking to each other. The sun was setting by the time Belle realized how long she was there. "Oh... I have to go now." She told Marion and Bonnebell with a small frown. Marion's smile faded. "Will you be back tomorrow?" He asked hopefully. Belle thought for a second. "I'm not sure. My parents could have something planned tomorrow that I don't know about- but I come here a lot. I'll definitely be back in the next few days." She told him. Marion nodded and backed away from the boulders. "Alright, then. Farewell, Belle. See you in a few days." He called, waving goodbye as the human grabbed her bag and headed back towards the shore.

When she was gone, Bonnebell punches him in the shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?!" Marion demanded. Bon threw his hands in the air. "'What was that for'?! I'll tell you what you sea slug! That was extremely dangerous! We could have been caught in a bad situation! Do youknowwhat humans used to do to us?! We'rebothlucky that she was actually nice!" The purple-tailed merman cried. Marion frowned, rubbing his shoulder. "I thought that you trusted me?"

"Idotrust you!" He groaned, calming down, "It's just that sometimes you do stupid things... but I'm your friend, so therefore your stupid things are my stupid things, too."

Marion smiled, "Nowthere'syour voice of reason!"

"Iamthe voice of reason!" Bon said, starting to sink in the saltwater. Marion nodded at his friend. "That's true... Come one, we should go back."

Bonnebell nodded back tiredly. "You better have a good explanation for your father when we get home." He warned Marion as the two slipped under the surface, leaving barely a ripple on the water.

Chapter 53: Survival

Chapter Text

[This is gonna be a long one.]

The little lightning wyvern on Belle's shoulder sniffed the air and hissed. Belle was out gathering resources with the baby in the forest. "What's got you so riled up?" She asked the wyvern. It looked at her, then to the area ahead of her. "The swamp's over there. That's not where we're going." Belle told her winged friend. The island itself was brutal, but the swamps were unforgiving. They were even worse than the redwood forests, which were full of terror birds and thylacoleos galore. The swamps have dangerous creatures like sarcosuchus and kaprosuchus, giant leeches and titanoboas, baryonyx and spinosaurus, and hungry piranhas that would love to tear you to pieces. That was only a fraction of everything that wants to kill you. Belle shivered at the thought of going in there. It was a death-trap.

The lightning wyvern hatchling cooed at her and rubbed it's head against her cheek in reassurance. Belle smiled softly and reached up, scratching the baby below his chin. "Thanks, Staccato. I needed that." She whispered. The wyvern cooed again. Belle continued to gather things until the ground began to shake. It wasn't sudden and continuous like an earthquake, but rhythmic and even. It was a large dinosaur, and it sounded like the thing was coming from the swamp. Belle quickly ran for cover and hid behind a large tree. Staccato knew what was up and snuggled himself closer to her, hiding behind her shoulder with shaking wings. As the two watched, a large spinosaurus came rumbling out of the swamp. It was black with red stripes and white spots that marched down its back. Its face had a rosey-pink tint to it. The spinosaurus had algae that clung to its scales, which it promptly shook off. As it passed by them, Belle noticed that the carnivore had a saddle. Right before she lost sight of it, she saw a man with black hair and dark clothing driving the creature forward. After Belle was sure they were gone, she let go of the breath she was holding and looked at Staccato. "That was a close one." She said, "Did you smell them earlier? That's why you weren't too thrilled to be here, wasn't it?"

Staccato simply rubbed his head against hers again and purred. Belle smiled. "Alright little one, I think we have enough for now. Let's go home." The little wyvern squeaked and held on tightly as Belle ran through the forest, eager to get as far away from the man and his large dinosaur as possible.

}-----{

The next morning, Belle was up and watched the sun rise from the mouth of the mountain cave she was camping in. The island was cruel, but the rising sun always made her feel better. She glanced back inside of the cave to check on her friend. Staccato was curled up next to her sleeping bag, still asleep. The ridge of his back rose up and down steadily with the hatchling's breathing. Belle sighed and looked back at the sun, 'We should pack up and head out soon. This camp isn't going to move itself.'

Call her paranoid, but she believed that living nomadically was safer than settling in one place for an extended amount of time. She and Staccato would move their camp every few days to make sure that no tribes could plan a coordinated attack on them. So far, the method works. 'I think that we should head for the highlands, but it's been a while since we've seen the ocean. We can go to the coast, or maybe we could head for the frozen lake.'

After a few minutes of debating, Belle decided which was best and went back inside of the cave. She smothered the fire and started packing everything up. After filled her traveling backpack up with the essentials and anything else they'd need, Belle went to roll up her sleeping bag. Staccato's eyes blinked open and the little wyvern yawned. "Good morning, Staccato. Did you sleep well?" Belle asked him. Staccato blinked again and squeaked at her. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Get ready, buddy. We're going to the frozen lake." She told him, "We'll stop there for a few days, then we'll head for the highlands and eventually make our way to the coast. Does that sound good?"

Staccato jumped and climbed up her back as she tied the sleeping bag onto the backpack. Belle put the backpack on as the hatchling moved to hang onto the front of her. "Attaboy. Are you ready for another adventure?" She asked him. He scuttled up more until he was draped across her shoulders like a scarf. Staccato squeaked again. "Alrighty then. Off we go!" Belle cheered quietly and marched out of the cave.

The frozen lake wasn't that far away, but it would be one hell of a hike. It was tucked inside of a snowy mountain range, guarded by direwolves, mammoths, wooly rhinos, ice wyverns, giant hawks (also known as argentavises), feathered rex dinosaurs known as the yutyrannis, and saber-toothed cats (to name a few creatures). Belle had to sneak around and try her hardest not to be seen. The mammoths and rhinos wouldn't do anything as long as she didn't provoke them, but most of the other creatures of the mountains were aggressive and would try to eat her the moment she was spotted. There was a close call with a yutyrannis that could smell her and Staccato, but it was quickly distracted by a rather plump looking sabertooth and went after the cat instead. It was nearly dusk when they were almost there. Belle could see the frozen lake from the hill they were standing on. "We're nearly there, buddy." She said with a smile. Staccato squeaked and sniffed the air, then hissed again and looked to their right. Belle was startled and thought that she would have to start running, but Staccato flew off of her shoulder and landed near a hole in the snow. No, wait, a few holes. 'Wait a minute. Those are footprints.' Belle realized. She walked over cautiously, keeping an ear out for any noises. As she peered at the prints, she noticed how they were from a large carnivore with webbed feet. "A spinosaurus? All the way out here?" She thought out loud, "... I wonder if it's the one from yesterday. You know, the one with the rider?"

Staccato sniffed the closest footprint and snorted. He climbed back onto Belle's shoulders and settled himself as she began to move again.

}-----{

A few days later, the two were on the move again. Belle heard the spinosaurus roar every now and then while they were staying near the frozen lake. It terrified her that something that big and dangerous was closer than comfortable. While Belle was climbing a wooded slope (Staccato on her shoulder again), she noticed something dark in the distance. Something with a big sail on its back. 'The spinosaur...' Belle paused. She watched it carefully for a minute. The massive beast was sniffing a few large gashes in its arm. There was a bloody and clearly dead yutyrannis a few yards away. "Looks like we missed the fight." She whispered to Staccato, who kept a curious eye on the stranger and his dinosaur. The man was wrapping large fur "bandages" on the legs, neck, and forearms of the spinosaurus. It was most likely to stop the bleeding and keep the reptile warm.

"... We should go. If they see us, they might come after us." Belle whispered to Staccato again. The hatchling curled himself around her shoulders again as the woman started to walk deeper into the woods, heading for the highlands.

}-----{

The pair were finally out of the snowy mountains and in a dense forest. Belle was taking them to a cave that she knew about that wasn't very far away, when all the sudden two raptors, one carnotaurus, and an allosaurus charged out of the trees and stopped right in front of her. The four carnivores had riders on them. The carnotuar and the allosaur both had males on them, while one of the raptors had a female rider and the other had a male rider. They all had armor and weapons on them. 'A tribe, or their hunting party?' She thought with panic. She was about to book it when one of the guys shouted, "Halt!"

Belle froze and looked at them. The female on her raptor snorted. "'Halt'? Really?" She questioned him. "What? Isn't that what we want her to do?" The man argued defensively. If this wasn't somewhat amusing, Belle would be terrified right now. Oh wait, she was. The guy on the carnotaurus clapped for her attention. "You! Who are you, and what are you doing here?" He interrogated her. Belle gave him a tense, anxiety-coated smile. "Oh, I'm no one, really." she tried, "I-I was just passing through. I'm sorry if I was disturbing or agitating anyone..."

The man frowned and peered closely at her with narrowed eyes. "What's that on yer neck?" The male on the other raptor asked for him. Belle subconsciously put a hand on Staccato to comfort him and herself. "This is Staccato. He's my friend." She explained. The bluenette decided not to say that he was a wyvern. From the distance the riders were away from her, Staccato probably looked like a dimorphodon. The man on the allosaurus- who has yet to speak a word- leaned forward and rested his head on the beast's. He looked at her curiously, but mainly kept his gaze on the hatchling. "What is he?" The girl asked in a snappy way. "He... um... H-He's a lightning wyvern." Belle told them. 'So much for not telling them what he is...' she mentally slapped herself. Judging by the way the four were looking at the wyvern wrapped around her collar, Belle knew that this wasn't anything good. "It won't listen to us if it's imprinted on her, so killing her isn't an option." the allo-man said finally, "Bring her in alive, and we'll see if she's useful enough to keep around."

All hell broke loose as the other three rushed at her. Belle screamed and took off as fast as she could. She can't outrun them, but she can probably outmaneuver their dinosaurs. The raptors shreiked and the carnotaurus roared as the riders chased her through the trees. Belle took a running leap over a small ravine, managing to ditch the carno-rider since his dinosaur wasn't meant for jumping. The raptors were hot on her tail, so she weaves in and out of the most dense areas she could find. At one point she ran into a cave and blindly scrambled around while the riders and their raptors promptly got lost in the dark. Belle came out of there like a bat out of Hell and sped through the forest before either of them realized that she was gone. "Hold on!" She warned Staccato before she jumped into a lake. It was cold, but at least the water would hide their scents from the reptiles. Belle heard the raptors coming again and ran away, Staccato clinging painfully tight to her. The two hid in the tree line, watching carefully as to not alert the riders. The raptors stopped at the lake and hissed, tapping their large talons furiously on the ground. The carnotaurus came out from the opposite end of the clearing, and his rider looked thoroughly peeved. The allosaurus strolled into the clearing, and the man on its back clicked his tongue. "You've lost her?" He asked calmly. The woman frowned in irritation, "She took a plunge in the lake. The raptors can't sniff her out anymore."

The allo-man though for a moment. "She doesn't have a mount. Not until that wyvern grows enough." He said, "She can't run for too much longer. If we have everyone keep an eye out, we'll find her and we'll get her."

"She'll need to be conditioned when we finally have her." The carnotaurus rider said devilishly. Belle shivered at his words. They were talking about her like she was an animal to be trained. She glanced at Staccato for a moment. 'They want me because I have a wyvern. That's all they want.' She thought fiercely, 'Well I'M NOT GIVING HIM TO THEM. Those monkeys can eat mud!'

She frowned distastefully as the riders went away. "We have to get out of here, now." She whispered to her friend. 'And we're never coming back. This isexactlywhy I live the way I do. Tribes just have you so that they can use you and your creatures whenever they please.No thank you!'

Belle was fuming mad, but she was scared. What if they actually find her and Staccato? It would be bad news bears for the two of them. "We have to be careful." She whispered gently, "We don't want them to find us. No campfires tonight."

Staccato looked like he wanted to complain, but he didn't make a sound. "I know, buddy. I don't like it either." She told him quietly. Belle snuck away in the opposite direction that the riders were going. They would have to creep along them mountains and probably cut through the swamplands to get to a safe distance. Belle shivered again. 'The swamps...'

They shouldn't go there, but they had to. 'Maybe as a last resort.' she tried consoling herself, 'There's no telling what'll try to eat us alive the moment we step foot in there.'

Belle sighed quietly and looked at the setting sun, sending a silent prayer to the spirit in the sky.

Chapter 54: Cat And Mouse

Chapter Text

"Hello? Hello hello? Hey, uhm... Belle?" Her manager's voice spoke through the phone. Belle adjusted her badge and tried to sit comfortably in the chair as she listened. Thunder rumbled overhead, and she put a hand on her stomach. "Err... I don't know how to tell you this, but you really shouldn't be here at night. This isn't a job for a pregnant woman." That part might have offended her. "I get that Jeremy's sick, but I'd prefer it if no one came in at night. You should leave immediately, before midnight. I can't tell you why, and I can only hope that you heed my warning. Leave and come back tomorrow. It will not be cut from your check." He went further, "If you don't leave then listen closely. The animatronics-."

The thunder boomed and the lights inside the office flickered. Belle watched worriedly as the lights flickered again, then completely going out. The phone hissed and short circuited, killing the manager's voice before he could tell her something important. "Looks like the storm took out the power..." Belle whispered to herself. She looked down at her belly and patted it gently, "It's okay, little one. A night without power is nothing that we can't handle."

Something clattered in the hallway.

'It looks like I spoke too soon.' Belle thought as she stood up in her chair. She grabbed the flashlight and checked to make sure it worked. Satisfied that it turned on, she pointed it down the hallway. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the old Foxy animatronic. 'What's he doing out? Wait. HOW is he out?' Belle worried. Theoretically, the fox shouldn't even be able tostand; yet he stood tall, his head tilted so that his eyes met hers. The vents creaked as if something was inside of them. She looked to her right and saw the mangled toy fox from Kids Cove. It froze and stared at her, teeth gleaming in a smile like it just found the lost chicken nugget from last week. Belle was deeply unsettled by this. Was this normal? Did she do something wrong?

The Foxy animatronic moves again, stalking towards her as another animatronic- the new Freddy- watched from behind. The vents creaked again and the new Chica stood only five feet away from her. 'Something's wrong; I have to get out of here!' The woman thought with panic as both foxes lunged at her. She ducked and ran, making the two collide with a screeching sound. That was when chaos erupted. All the animatronics in the building were after her. The newer Bonnie simply watched as the old one nearly grabbed her. She got away at the last second. 'WHAT DIDIDO?!' She internally cried. She had to get out. Now. 'I can't run from them forever.'

She eventually ended up in the prize corner, hiding beside the large music box and listening to the animatronics as they searched for her. She wanted to sigh in relief, but held it back in fear of them hearing her. She was terrified that they'd find her. If they caught her, it most likely won't end well for her. Belle wanted to go home. She wanted to make sure that her child was safe, and the only way to do that was by leaving the pizzeria. She felt uneasy, like something was watching her. She heard a soft creak and looked up. Looming over her was the Marionette. He was leaning over the side of his box to glare at her. He looked like he wanted to hurt her. Belle jumped and ran away. She realized her mistake too late as the animatronics cornered her in the main stage room. Her head turned rapidly as she looked for a way to escape.

There was only one way out. It was the backstage area. The door to it stood on the wall on the main stage. She could reach it, but she needed to get past the animatronics first. The old Freddy tried to grab her, but she dodged him and ran towards the Marionette. The old Foxy chased her in a circle around the surprised robot. The Mangle swung down from the ceiling to bite her, but she ducked again, causing it to crash into the old Foxy once more. Foxy growled loudly in (presumably) irritation. Belle jumped away from the new Bonnie and ran past the old Chica before hopping on the stage. She made a beeline for the door and practically slammed into it. The woman twisted the knob violently, only for it to stop short. 'No.' Belle realized with despair, 'No. No. It's Locked.'

She tried again, but knew it was futile. She turned around and watched the old Foxy climb on stage, smiling angrily at her. His hook never looked more sharp as he held it up for her to see. 'You see this?' The look on his face said, 'This is the tool I'm going to use to cut you open.'

Belle whimpered and backed away, putting herself in the corner of the stage. Some of the other animatronics came onstage too. 'This is it.' A tear slipped from her eye as Foxy came closer, 'I'm going to die. We're both going to die. We'll both be killed. I'm so sorry, little one. I'm so sorry.'

The withered fox was about to lunge for her when a hand stopped it. It was the Marionette. The old fox looked at him, confused. The Marionette stepped closer to her and bent down. His hands reached for her and Belle slammed her eyes shut. 'I'm so sorry.'

... But nothing happened.

Belle fearfully peeked one of her eyes open. The Marionette was staring at her stomach, his hand hovering over it like he was checking something. She opened her other eye. It looked back up at her and locked gazes with her, a knowing look in its eyes. 'He knows. How does he know?' She thought uncomfortably. The Marionette lightly brushed a cold finger across her cheekbone. He then stood up and turned to face the others. "Leave her alone." It said, clear as day. "What?!" Foxy practically roared. Belle didn't know if she was more terrified of the animatronics, or the way the animatronics acted sentient. The Marionette frowned, "I said to leave her alone. Let her be."

"Forget that! I'm going to cut her stomach open and-!"

"- If you kill an unborn child, then you are no better than the purple man."

The fox instantly snapped its mouth shut looking at Belle with wide eyes. The other animatronics looked surprised, too. Maybe even a little sorry. 'Purple man?' Belle was confused now. At least they won't attack her, though, if the Marionette is their leader. "I thought so." A golden bear that she's never seen before said from next to the old Freddy, "I didn't know for sure, but I thought that I felt a child's soul."

The Marionette nodded, "It's faint, but it's there."

'They can feel souls?' Belle was even more confused, 'What is this;a fanfiction?'

Some of the animatronics left, but the others lingered around. Belle stayed in her corner for the rest of the night, not daring to move near the mechanical beings.

}-----{

The animatronics returned to their places as the clock struck six times. Belle still didn't move. She didn't trust it too much, but she hoped that she would be okay. The woman held onto her stomach protectively, pondering what the Marionette meant by a "purple man". 'William and Jeremy both wear purple suits... could they be talking about one of them?' she thought. Another hour passed by before the manager and Jeremy both ran into the building. "Belle?!" Henry cried, "Belle, are you here?!"

"I-I'm over here." She called to them. Jeremy and Henry both ran over to her and dropped down beside her. "Are you okay?" Henry asked. "What are you doing on the stage?" Jeremy questioned. Belle smiled nervously at them. "I'm alright." She told the males, "As for the other question, the animatronics chased me up here. It would have been helpful if you told me that they come to lifebeforeI took this job, by the way."

"I know. I'm sorry." Henry apologized. Jeremy looked concerned. "Didn't they try to kill you?" He asked, somewhat confused on how she wasn't harmed. "They almost did... but..." Belle looked at the music box, Henry and Jeremy following her gaze, "... The Marionette stopped them..."

Later that morning, Belle went home. Henry paid her extra for her troubles and gave her the rest of the day off, while Jeremy gave her an apology speech for not warning her in advance. She ate her breakfast and sat down on the couch, slowly nodding off. 'It's going to be awkward going back to work tomorrow.' She thought before rubbing her stomach with a smile, 'You saved us both, little one. I've never been so grateful to have you here with me. I can't wait to meet you once you come into the world... Goodnight.'

Chapter 55: Kindness (Part 3)

Chapter Text

It's been another few months after Puppet was accepted into the pizzeria. He told the other twisted animatronics about how he became his old self again, and now most of them had been accepted back home as well. Though there were still some times where the former twisteds would all wonder if it was worth it. Puppet heard a story or two of someone having an 'episode' where they snapped and tried to kill someone, but at first he kindly shoved those out of his mind and and told himself "That'll never happen to me". Now, however, he's beginning to worry. So far in the past month, he's heard voices in his head. Dark thoughts telling him to let his anger go wild, to let the irritation of being too nice turn into something else. 'N̓o͇ ͉onȩ ̘͂ͧwͦo͠u̓l͇͇d ̸͎̈ m̿̉in̜̫dͫ j͐u̶͟͝st̵ ͠a̠͉ ̏l̷͕it͇̀t͒̓͠l̳ͧ͞ȅ҉͠ ḃ̗lȯód...͜'

Sometimes he'd feel himself slipping, and then he'd blink and realize that he blacked out. He would do things that weren't like him at all. He became afraid and untrusting of himself. He even distanced himself a bit from Ballora. This made the ballerina upset. She didn't want her partner to be hurt and alone again, so today she planned something for the two of them to do together. "Where are we going?" He asked in a tired voice. Ballora smiled at him and held onto his arm, "No where, really. I just thought that it'd be nice to walk and talk."

Puppet yawned and pet her head with his other hand. "I love you." He said affectionately. "I love you too." She replied. After a while of talking and walking aimlessly around the pizzeria, Ballora finally bit her lip and and asked, "Why are you pushing the others away?"

That caught him by surprise. She continued before he could dodge the question, "Don't lie to me, Mare. I know that something's going on. I noticed that you even tried to pushmeaway, and now I'm worried sick about you."

Puppet gently took his arm out of her grasp and looked at her. "It's not that big of a deal, really. You just wouldn't understand." He told her. He realized he must have used the wrong tone of voice as Ballora's eyes widened. "Why wouldn't I understand?" She asked, "I just want to know—."

"Because you just wouldn't!" He snapped at her, ignoring the hurt look on her face. "It's not your business anyhow!"

"You're my partner! If you're hurt or upset, itismy business!" She raised her voice a bit. Neither of them noticed Gold and Springtrap walking towards them from another hallway. The two stopped short at the sight of the couple in an argument. "Are they...?" Springtrap whispered to Gold, who simply nodded in return. "No, it doesn't!" the marionette practically snarled at the ballerina, "I love you, but sometimes you need to mindyourowngod-damned business!"

Ballora took an alarmed step back. "Mare—." She tried. "—Don't you 'Mare' me!" He shouted, making her flinch. The Puppet Master's eyes twitched and large, sharp teeth started to sprout from his mouth. Ballora took another few steps backwards. "You don't understand what could happen to me if Ile̪ṭ͏ ͇mͤy̥se̻͖̺ĺ̑fͮ ̯sͩl̼̠̓i͎ͬp!" He said in a deep, rough voice. He leaned into himself as thousands of spikes started to rise out of his body. The three animatronics around him looked at him in shock. The process was slow and it sounded painful, but after a minute, the Puppet Master was gone, and Havoc appeared. He stalked towards Ballora, ignoring Springtrap and Gold, who were at a loss for what to do. "All the anger— all of thish̷̟͝a̡̓ͮtê̿ͥthat I feel— it just builds and builds and builds until I can'ttakeit anymore!" Havoc smiled wickedly, "No one will understand... because I was beingẗ́oó ̈́̄f=̀̔=͇ͅ=̧iͦng͂͢ ͝n̲ͯi͕͆c̡e̶ͯ̆!It talks to you! It drives younuts!When's the last time I slept without hearing thev̹ͯo͎̱ͬì͈ͫc̥̆͡es͎̞ͯscreamingat me?"

Ballora was scared. What happened? She pressed him too hard for answers, and now she's in trouble. She just wanted to make sure that he was okay. She saw the malicious glint in his eyes. "Mare?" Ballora tried to get through to him, only to be ignored. He showed no signs of hearing her. "P—Puppet?" She tried again. No response. He was getting closer. "Puppet Master?" She tried, getting desperate at this point. Gold and Springtrap were rushing to get over to them now. What will he do to her? What if he hurts her, then hurts himself? What if—?

The beast suddenly lunged at her. Ballora jumped out of the way in time to not get mowed over. Havoc landed less than ten feet behind her, then swung the back of one of his hands at her with force. She didn't duck quick enough and was sent flying into the wall. He then turned towards the two springlock animatronics and merely batted them aside, knocking the wind out of them painfully. The ballerina barely had time to catch her breath when the creature used the same hand to pin her to the floor. "Puppet, don't!" Gold shouted over to him, wheezing, "You don't know what you're doing!"

Havoc ignored the bear's warning and the ballerina's pleas. He raised another hand and gripped the two fingers around her head, lifting his thumb above her face. "You have pretty eyes." Havoc told her sweetly, "What a shame it would be if someone were to gouge them out..."

He maneuvered his thumb until it was hovering above one of Ballora's eyes, the claw being way too close for comfort. In one last-ditch, panicked attempt, Ballora screamed "HAVOC!"

Havoc seemed to falter a bit, pausing after hearing his twisted name. In his mind, everything was dark. He couldn't see and could only hear a high-pitched ringing noise. He became confused when he heard Ballora call him Havoc. 'Why would she use that name, after not saying it for months?' He questioned. He got his answer when he could suddenly hear and see again. Taking in the scene around him, his heart dropped at the realization of what he was doing.

Havoc let go of Ballora and backed away. His body shrank and folded into itself until he was the Puppet Master again. He looked at his partner with a horrified face. "I'm sorry..." his voice cracked. Then he disappeared.

Chapter 56: More Bad Jokes!

Chapter Text

Mason and Belle: (*Chilling in the living room quietly*)

Mason: "Hey, Belle."

Belle: "What?"

Mason: "Hush."

}-----{

Minireenas: (*Practically destroying the pizzeria*)

Toy Freddy: "WHERE DID THESE DEMONS COME FROM?!"

Puppet: (*Raises hand*) "My bad!"

}-----{

Springtrap: (*Helping Puppet move his music box*)

Springtrap: (*Arm suddenly snaps and falls off*)

Puppet: "... Well that's disarming."

}-----{

Ballora: "So what if we have twenty kids? Puppet and I love each other."

Circus Baby: "I think you mean that you can't keep your hands off each other."

}-----{

Any Minireena: (*Breathes*)

Toy Freddy: (*Holds cross*) "THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU-"

}-----{

Belle: "Good morning, Mason!"

Mason: "Good morning, girl that I love so much! Though, there's going to be another in a few years."

Belle: (*Sadly*) "R-Really?"

Mason: "Yep. And she's going to call you 'Mommy'!"

Belle: (*Throws sandal*) "MASON, YOU SCARED ME SO BAD I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA LEAVE ME-"

}-----{

Minireenas: "Mom, where's Dad?"

Ballora: "I don't kn-"

Puppet: (*jumps in by breaking a window*) "WHO SUMMONED ME?"

}-----{

Puppet: (*Smoothly*) "May I compare thee to a summer's day?"

Ballora: "You mean when it's so miserable and hot and humid out?"

Puppet: "..."

Puppet: "... Who's my special snowflake!"

Gold: (*Slides next to Puppet, whispering*) "Nice save."

}-----{

Puppet: "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

Ballora: "No, because you caught me."

Mangle: "Awwww! This is so sweet!"

Toy Chica: "If they kiss, I'm going to vomit."

}-----{

Nightmarionne: "Hello, dear~."

Ballora: (*Visible confusion*)

Puppet: (*Pulls out an axe*) "You have five seconds."

}-----{

Minireenas: "Dad, we're hungry."

Puppet: "Hi, Hungry! I'm Dad."

Minireenas: (*Attacking Puppet and repeating "we're hungry"*)

Puppet: (*Overwhelmed*) "OKAY OKAY I'LL MAKE SOME SANDWICHES!"

}-----{

Puppet: "I have a loving family."

The Family: (*Kills the nightguard*)

}-----{

Puppet: "Hey, Bal! Want some ice cream?"

Ballora: "Sure! I'll have strawberry!"

Puppet: "Okay, how many scoops?"

Ballora: (*Eye twitching*) "..."

}-----{

Puppet: "Well, it looks like my work here is done!"

Springtrap: "Ballora gave your kids candy."

Puppet: "I suddenly remembered that I have more things to do!"

}-----{

Minireenas: "Now that we've stolen Jeremy's tablet, we can finally see what the dark side of the fandom is!"

One Minireena: "Hey, what's a lemon?"

Puppet: (*Running at them*) "NOOOOOOO-"

}-----{

Puppet: "What are you doing?"

Ballora: (*Holding a rose*) "Smelling the flowers."

Puppet: (*Whispers*) "I wish I was that rose."

Ballora: "Did you say something?"

Puppet: "I SAID YOU'RE GROSS!"

}-----{

Vampire Ballora: (*Basically starving*) "I'm going to eat you alive!"

Puppet: "... I was going to say something, but I'd rather not voice it because there's kids here."

Vampire Ballora: (*Thinks for a second*) "... Wait a minute-"

}-----{

Puppet and Ballora: (*Watching a scary movie*)

Puppet: "You know if you get scared, you can always hold my hand~."

[One Hour Later...]

Puppet: (*Hiding behind Ballora, shaking with fear*)

}-----{

Villain Belle: "Ha! You've fallen right into my trap, Puppet Master!"

Hero Mason: (*Frowns*) "You went from damsel in distress to damselofdistress."

}-----{

Belle: (*Crying*)

Max: (*Patting Belle's back while looking at Lefte*) "You made Mama cry."

Lefte: (*Scoffs*) "So what?"

Max: "You made Mama cry."

Mason: (*Looming behind the two with an axe*)

Lefte: (*Eyes widen*)

Max: (*Still looking at Lefte*) "You made Mama cry."

Chapter 57: Exploring

Chapter Text

"Sothisis the surface?" Circus Baby said as the group of four (five including Bon Bon) stepped out of the elevator. Funtime Foxy looked at the walls of the building and frowned, unimpressed. "It's not like we thought it would be." Funtime Freddy spike for himself and Bon Bon. "I thought that it would be brighter... more cheerful..." Ballora was disappointed. Baby sighed, "I think we're trapped in another building. We should look for a way out. I say we stick together and find the exit as soon as possible."

The others nodded in agreement and went to find the exit. Baby was in the front, while Funtime Freddy and Bon Bon walked behind her. Funtime Foxy was behind Funtime Freddy, and Ballora stayed at the back of the group. She walked silently, so Foxy glanced behind himself every five minutes to make sure that the ballerina was still there. When the crew finally found the double doors of the building they were in, Fred couldn't help but cheer, "Yay! We made it!"

"Shhhhh!" Baby scolded him. Foxy looked behind himself again to say something to Ballora, then snapped his mouth shut when he saw that she wasn't there. Baby and Freddy noticed it too. "Uhm... guys?" Foxy asked, "Where did Ballora go?"

Meanwhile, Ballora was wandering down one of the dark hallways. She heard a lullaby from a distance while walking with the others and became drawn to it, so she suddenly forgot to stay with the group and followed it with a smile. It sounded so calming and she justhadto find where it's coming from. She thought that she heard whispering around her, but she paid it no mind and shrugged it off. She eventually reached an area of the building with prizes, collectible plushies, and a large blue box with a false handle and purple "ribbon". The music was apparently coming from the box. Being closer to it, the lullaby was louder- but it was still calming. It made her feel groggy and lethargic. Ballora looked at the plushies. There were yellow chickens, blue rabbits, and brown bears. There were also white and red foxes, a boy holding a sign that said "BALLOONS!", and a black and white marionette plush that reminded her of sock monkeys. The white fox plushies looked a lot like Funtime Foxy, but the marionette plushies are what caught her interest. They looked so cheerful, yet the plush toys had tears running from their eyes. Ballora gently picked up one of the marionette plushies before suddenly swaying on her feet. 'I need to sit down. If I fall asleep of my feet, I'm going to fall over.' She thought slowly. The ballerina carefully and quietly sat down by the wall next to the music box. She held the plush in her lap and started dozing off. 'Wait, shouldn't I be with the others?' she asked herself, '... Nah... it'll be okay...'

Ballora yawned, "...Maybe... Just five minutes... They won't mind...'

With that last thought, the metallic humanoid fell asleep.

}-----{

It was 3am.

The music box unwound completely.

The nightguard made a big oopsie.

The Puppet Master emerged from his box and drifted through the pizzeria, making his way to the office. When he got there, he lunged at the guard with a screech and wrapped his sharp fingers around the human's neck. With a twist of his hands, he snapped their neck in a clean break. "Ignorant swine hustler." The marionette hissed insultingly at the corpse. He turned around and went back to the Prize Corner. Along the way, he saw some of the toy animatronics. They smiled and waved at him, and he smiled and waved back. He always liked the others. They were like his family. Puppet sighed, 'Too bad I don't have a reason to come out of my box more often.'

As he got to the Prize Corner, he was about to step back into his box when he practically did a double-take. Beside the music box was a ballerina animatronic. She was sleeping peacefully with her head tilted slightly to her left, holding a plushie of him in her lap. 'Who isthat?' Puppet wondered. He stepped in front of her and crouched down, looking at her curiously. She had a slim frame (most likely because she was built to dance) and blue hair with pink cheeks. Her body was a pastey white, much like himself and Mangle, and her outfit was a mix of pink and blue or purple. Her face and limbs had thin lines carved into them, dividing her body into different segments. 'How did she get here? Why didn't I notice her here when I got out to get the guard?'

He reached out to tilt her head towards him for a better look when the ballerina's hand went up to her mouth and hovered over it while she yawned. She blinked her eyes before jumping with a startled shout. The ballerina then scrambled into the corner, keeping her eyes on him. The Puppet frowned slightly to hide his surprise. "It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you." He told her calmly. He looked over to where she was sleeping and picked up the plushie of himself. He then crawled a little closer to her and held the plushie out to her, "Here. You dropped this."

The ballerina looked at the plushie, then at him, then back to the plushie. She warily reached out and took it from him, pulling her arm back to hold the plushie close. She smiled shyly at him. "Thank you..." the ballerina said to him. Puppet smiled back, "You're welcome. What's your name?"

The ballerina smiled more confidently, "My name is Ballora. You?"

"I am the Puppet Master, also known as the Marionette," he told her, "but you can call me 'Puppet' or 'Mare' for short."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Puppet. I hope we can be good friends." Ballora said to him, shaking his hand. Puppet's smile widened, "Please, the pleasure is all mine."

[I don't know how to continue this one, so imma just leave it here for now.]

Chapter 58: Survival (Part 2)

Chapter Text

The next few days were difficult. There were people on fast, dangerous dinosaurs hunting for her. Belle had to move slowly and carefully as to not draw attention to herself. Staccato was becoming restless, wanting nothing more than to get out of there. Belle did her best to comfort him, but she was barely stable herself. It was absolutely nerve-wracking.

And just to top it all off, the spinosaurus and it's rider was back. She could hear the familiar roar as the riders presumably ran into it. The creature's tracks were thrown about here or there, like it was running in circles. Belle thought she saw the rider once, but she didn't risk going anywhere near another human being in fear of it being someone from the tribe. 'Ihatethis.' She thought tensely, balling her hands into fists as a tear left her eye, 'I hate thisso much.Why can't they just leave us alone?!'

The pair were almost to the mountains. Her backpack felt heavier than usual, and she could feel the stress weighing down on her. The further away they got, the more the tribesmen were closing in. 'It won't be long until they find us. They'll find us, and everything will be over. Why did this have to happen?' She looked to the sky as more tears fell, 'Was it something that I did to anger you? Am I being punished? Is this even supposed to be happening?'

Belle closed her eyes and folded her hands in another prayer. 'Please, Lord, save us... If I'm to fall, then please, save Staccato. He's only a baby. I can't live with myself if something were to ever happen to him...' she begged, "Please, save us, or save him. Or lives are in your hands... Amen..."

It felt odd to her. She's never prayed like this. It was always something akin to hope for good luck. But now, in this time of anxiety, she beseeched Him for a helping hand. 'Can he even hear me?' she questioned herself. The only thing she could do was wait to see what His answer was. Either help would come,... or they were both doomed to a life of servitude...

}-----{

They were on the move again. The pair was almost to the swamp. 'Leeches and piranhas...' Belle thought with dread, 'Sarcos and titanoboas...'

But even facing the swamp was a better option than getting captured.

That was a fact.

Belle took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She couldn't think straight. Staccato was able to eat and sleep, but she couldn't even blink. The stress was eating her alive. 'They're going to find us. We can make it unless we risk it all.' She told herself. She looked ahead, seeing that the trees were getting increasingly close together. They looked more wirey, and some had vines on them. 'Nearly there...'

"Over there!" A masculine voice cried. A horn was blown. It trumpeted throughout the forest, and there were rumbling footsteps that made her heart drop. Belle whirled around and saw- much to her horror- five tribesmen, mounted on carnivorous dinosaurs, barreling towards her. She screamed and ran away like last time. There was the sound of snapping jaws behind her as she practically flew into the swamp. She splashed down into the shallow water and scrambled to get back to land. The mud tried to pull her down and she had to abandon her backpack. Staccato launched himself from her shoulders, taking to the air. He watched as Belle fled in terror. The carnivores were practically at her heels. The upside is that the tribe was having just as much difficulty as her. The carnivores with fur- a sabertooth and a direwolf- dank into the mud and could barely pull themselves out. The other three were reptilians: a raptor, an allosaurus, and a kaprosuchus. The kapro is what she was truly worried about.

They were made to run through swamps.

If she didn't find a way to get away from it, that was the one who would get her.

Staccato followed her as closely as he could. It took a while, but she nearly lost the tribesmen. The kapro-rider was out of sight, but she could still hear the commotion of it charging through the water. Belle looked to her left and saw somewhere she could hide. It was a thicket of trees on a small, muddy island. It wasn't good, but it was better than nothing. She did her best to move quietly in the water as she moved towards it. Right as she started climbing the bank, sharp teeth sank into her leg, near her foot. Belle let out a high-pitched shriek and fell into the mud. A piranha the size of a chihuahua was digging into her flesh. It hurt so much, and she struggled to rip it away from her. She flailed and kicked the fish, and it left with a small portion of her leg. It was sure to leave a nasty scar. She barely had time to recover before the tribesmen were in front of her. The one riding the allosaurus gave her a smug smile. "You nearly gave us the slip. Too bad that thing decided to take a bite out of your leg." He teased. Staccato dropped down on top of her and hissed protectively. "Aw! Look at the little warrior!" The one on the raptor said sarcastically. Sparks crackled from the wyvern's mouth as he snarled at them. Belle held onto Staccato, wishing that she could hide him more than anything. "Please, don't hurt him!" She pleaded. The man on the kapro smirked, "Oh, it's not the wyvern that we're gonna hurt."

The allo-rider moved forward to have his dinosaur grab her. She thought it was over. She thought with a breaking heart about what was going to happen to her. Then a roar bellowed through the swamp. It was loud and intimidating, and it make the three dinosaurs back away from her. A very familiar spinosaurus crashed through the trees and loomed behind her on its hind legs. It landed heavily on its front feet, standing over her. "Sorry, fellas!" Called the rider, "I hope I'm not interrupting something!"

"You!" Shouted the raptor-rider, "The Hell areyoudoing here?!"

"That, my friend, is none of your concern." He replied coolly. The spinosaurus leaned down so that Belle could access the saddle. The rider looked at her. "Climb on." He said, holding a hand out to her. Belle looked at him hopefully. He may be questionable, but going with this man was definitely a better fate than being controlled by the tribesmen. She held onto Staccato with one hand and took the man's hand with the other. She sat down in the large saddle and cradled the wyvern hatchling to her chest, letting out a sigh of relief. The man gave the other three a very unapologetic farewell and made the spinosaur take her away. As the spinosaurus moved through the swamp, the man smiled at her reassuringly. "It's nice to finally talk to you, though I'm sorry that we had to officially meet like this. My name is Mason, and this-" he gestured to the spino, "is Rosie. Who are you two?"

Belle smiled back gratefully. "I'm Belle. This is Staccato." She told him shyly. He nodded. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Belle."

They made small talk for a little while, but the events of the past few days (and the swamp chase) really wore her down. Belle became tired and started nodding off. "Don't worry. I'll help you when we get back to base." Mason noticed her semi-conscious state. Belle couldn't even respond, and she soon fell asleep.

Chapter 59: Hugs For Your Mental Health, Sir?

Chapter Text

[Because I can't go for long without making her get abducted!]

The basem*nt was dark and cold, and the occasional clatter of the chains weren't helping the feeling of dread that buried itself in Belle's stomach. At least whoever brought her here had the decency to give her some pillows and blankets to lay down on. No matter how much she wanted to scream and cry for help, she couldn't. She was a mute[for anyone who doesn't know what a mute is, they're someone who is physically unable to talk]. It wasn't anything that she could help, it was simply the permanent result of an unfortunate accident. A part of her thought that maybe that's the reason why her abductor chose her for this: because it made her easier to hide. She breathed in and out, curled into a ball on the pile of blankets. Why did they bring her here? What did this person want from her?

The chains clattered again as she rubbed the shackles on her wrists together. She winced at the metallic scraping noise and stopped. As if she summoned them, the kidnapper opened the door to the basem*nt and allowed light to flood the dark area. Belle sat up and looked at the man on the stairs in alarm. He was tall with dark hair and pale skin. He looked... not happy. The man seemed to be angered, frustrated, and pained all at the same time. The man sort of stomped over to her, making her flinch as he fell to the ground while lunging at her. Belle thought that he was going to hurt her, but instead he embraced her. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and buried his head in her shoulder, crying. Belle was very confused.

The more he cried, the tighter his grip became. Belle was very hesitant about it, but hugged the man in hopes of stopping...whateverit was that he was doing. The tighter she hugged him, the more effectively he started to calm down. The man stopped crying and merely sniffled a few times. He then left her with a shakey "thank you" and went upstairs.

If Belle could talk, she would probably say something like, "What the hell?"

That was not even close to what she expected would happen. She won't complain about it though. He did this nearly every day. Sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for an hour or more. There was once or twice when he was there for what felt like half the day. Belle slowly started to understand what was going on after a month or so. The man that had her chained up was keeping her here because he needed something (or someone, in her case) to calm him down. He would manage to become incredibly upset and go to the basem*nt so that she could keep him from doing something drastic. Belle thought more on why he was like this once she realized what he was doing this for. She concluded that it was probably something like a medical issue that messes with his brain. He certainly wasn't acting normal. The most normal moments he had with her were when he would bring her food and fresh water. 'At least he's taking care of me...' Belle thought morbidly, 'It really could be worse...'

Every once in a while he'd bring her a treat. Chocolates, baked goods, candy, and blueberries and strawberries were the usual treats for her. He'd also get her some other beverages than just water, like milk and orange juice. Once he brought her a batch of absolutely delicious chocolate chip cookies, which he said that he made only for her. She didn't know what to think of that. Today was strange enough- he came down to the basem*nt looking like he wanted to kill someone, then he cuddled her like a teddy bear and fell asleep on top of her. 'Well, looks like I'm stuck here.'

Belle started brushing her fingers through his hair after a few minutes, listening to the sound of her chains. 'He acts like a lost child... I wonder what happened to him...' While combing through his hair, she found a large scar on the side of his head. How she never noticed it before will remain a mystery. It looked like something once impaled him in the skull. It probably didn't get very far in his head since he's alive, but that's most likely why he's messed up the way he is. 'Abducting me and keeping me here like it's no big deal...'

When he woke up, he cuddled her again. "I wish mother could meet you. You're the best friend I've ever had." He said with a smile. Belle looked at him strangely, unable to speak her mind. 'Friend?'

Friend?

He thinks of her as his FRIEND?

'WHAT?'

As mad as she wanted to be, she felt bad for him. 'He doesn't even realize that what he's doing is wrong. I shouldn't be so angry at him if he can't stop himself.'

Belle breathed out a silent sigh and rested her head on his chest, hugging him back. She had to admit, he did have beautiful blue eyes. Too bad she had to meet him like this. Then again, at least it was her he kidnapped instead of another girl; one that would probably be far less understanding than she is and make him feel worse. The man smiled wider and held her tighter, letting his head sit on top of hers. "Why are you so quiet?" He whispered like a curious kid. Belle frowned. She slowly pulled away from him and pointed at a large, faded scar that ran across her throat. The man's eyes widened and he reached out to her neck, gently tracing the scar. She flinched, but he didn't seem to notice. "You... you can't talk?" He said sadly. Oh no, here comes another episode.

He hugged her again, gently this time. "I'm sorry... What hurt you?" He asked. Belle just shook her head and leaned into him again, trying to tell him not to worry about it. He must have gotten the message because he relaxed before he could become more upset. He impulsively gave her a small kiss on the forehead, making her pause. He froze immediately afterwards, actually catching what he did. He quickly got up and apologized, "I-I didn't mean to do that!"

He held his head in his hands with a large blush on his face. "I have to... go make food... Uhm... see you in a few hours..." he said, shuffling up the stairs. A light blush dusted Belle's cheekbones. 'That was different.'

That night, he brought her peanut butter and honey sandwiches for dinner. They were really good, and he even brought her more strawberries for dessert.

This man was practically spoiling her with food.

Was cooking a hobby of his? He's amazing at it. She's actually kind of enjoying being here. The one thing she wished for was that he would take these shackles off of her. Her forearms were probably raw and bruised underneath the metal bands. Belle settled herself in her blanket pile, grouping the pillows around herself like a nest. She thought about how life outside the world must be now. Her family was probably worried sick. How long has she been here? When was the last time she's been in the sunlight? Her skin was probably incredibly pale from being in the dark for this long. Her eyes would be aching like crazy if she went outside one day after this- they've adjusted to the dark so well that she can see everything in the room.

The man came back the next morning with toasted poptarts and two mugs of hot chocolate. "I thought that it'd be nice to eat with you for once." He explained. Belle smiled and nodded at him. The two ate the poptarts and drank their cocoa in comfortable silence.

}-----{

One day, Belle woke up feeling sick. She felt miserable and stuffy, and was so nauseous that she wouldn't eat or drink in fear of vomiting. Her temperature was all over the place and she had a horrible headache that made her want to cry. When her friend came downstairs to give her the lunch he made, he found her curled in a ball and shivering with her blankets strewn about the place. The chains rattled ominously. He panicked and ran upstairs as fast as his legs could carry him. A few minutes later, he dragged someone else down the stairs. "This better be good, Mason." the new man growled. The man she would comfort- Mason, as she now knew- had tears in his eyes, "I think she's sick! We have to get her some medicine!"

The one that Mason brought to her was familiar, but too far away for Belle to see clearly. He took one look at her and sighed. "Damn it." He mumbled under his breath. He turned around to walk up the stairs. "She has the flu. Stay with her while I'm gone so she doesn't choke to death on her own vomit. Donottouch her, or you'll get it too." He hissed as he ascended the stairs. Mason ran and grabbed a bucket off the nearest shelf and set it down beside her. He then ran upstairs and came back with a few bottles of water, tissues, cereal boxes, and more pillows and blankets. He carried them all in a big box and dropped the box next to the bucket. Belle smiled gratefully. "I'm sorry!" He said with tears still slipping from his eyes, "I didn't know that you would get sick! I'm so sorry!... I-I would give you a hug to make you feel better, b-b-but Ican't..."

Belle gave him a nod and a thumbs up to say "it's okay". When the other man came back, he threw the medicine at Belle. "Take it like the bottle says." He said grumpily. Belle caught the bottle of medicine and looked at the man. Her eyes widened in shock. 'Iknowyou!' she internally screamed. It was Peter Strings, her boss. She worked in his company building and encountered him often during work hours. He always looked angry, but thoughtful and alert. Explanation of how she knew him aside, Belle was horrified. Herbossis the one who kidnapped her and chained her to the wall?!

WHAT?!

She can't even chew him out for it!

'Is that why I was taken instead of someone else? Because he knew me?' She questioned, suppressing a glare. "Looks like you finally know why you're here. Don't be mad, you should be thanking me. Now you don't have to work in a packed building anymore." Peter said with a smirk. Mason looked at Peter with confusion. "You know her?" He asked. Peter nodded. "She's an employee of mine. She's mute, but that's all I know. I think she's a few years younger than you are." He said dismissively.

'You son of a-!'

"Oh, don't look at me that way, sweetie. At least you're cared about here. No one's even reported you missing yet."

Belle just got angrier. "Dad, don't be mean to her!" Mason told Peter. Peter looked at his son and tsked. He went upstairs and let them be. When the door was closed, Mason reached up and turned on one of the few lightbulbs that dimly lit the basem*nt. "I'm sorry about him. Dad's just not taking his pills." He said apologetically. Belle just frowned and looked away. That was a lot to take in.

}-----{

After Belle's case of the flu was over, Mason acted fidgety and nervous. He would still come downstairs every day to cry with her, but the episodes were getting more controllable for him. Belle was starting to consider the possibility that this is what the rest of her life will be like. She's going to spend her remaining days as a human emotional support animal for Mason. She didn't entirely mind it anymore, but now that she knew who really brought her here, she didn't know what to think anymore. At least she had someone to keep her company whenever she felt lonely. Today he almost fell down the stairs on his way to her. He whined and cried and shivered in her arms. "I don't know what to do!" He told her, "I can't even tell you about what I'm s-so upset about this time because I don't want something bad to happen to you!"

Belle wanted to know, but didn't try to press him for answers. The poor guy was already deeply upset by whatever it was. She rubbed circles in Mason's back and held onto him tightly. 'It's okay. I got you.' she wanted to tell him. Mason slowly calmed down after a little while. He sniffled, wiping the last of the tears from his eyes. "I'm terrified, Belle. What can I do to stop bad things from happening?" He asked, looking her in the eyes. Belle smiled softly and gestured to her right hand, holding it up. Mason thought for a moment. "... Are you telling me to do the right thing?"

Belle nodded, smiling a bit wider. Mason nodded back, finally showing that nice smile of his. "Thank you." He pulled her into another gentle hug, "I really wish mother could've met you. You're the best friend I ever had."

Belle hugged him back and relaxed. Mason really wasn't a bad guy. It was just his father. She partially blamed Peter for why Mason was like this. She wouldn't be surprised if that scar on Mason's head came from him. 'I should kick that bastard in the family jewels when I see him again.' She thought fiercely. Mason laughed and combed his fingers through her blue hair, "You look like you want to smack someone."

'Close, but no cigar.'

The next day, Mason made waffles and bacon[EW BACON-]for breakfast. He brought some toast and orange juice, too. They ate together again. Mason smiled and cupped the side of her face. "I'm going to do the right thing today." He told her. Belle smiled at him. He smiled calmly at her and slid his hand down to the shackles on her wrists. "We just have to wait for Dad to go to work."

Belle leaned into him an another hug. 'Please be careful.' she internally pleaded. Mason patted her back, "It's going to be okay."

An hour or so later, Belle could tell that Peter left. Mason ran throughout the house, his footsteps sounding like thunder from above. It sounded like he was tearing things apart. Eventually his footsteps ceased for a moment, then he ran to the basem*nt door. He opened it and went down the stair quickly, carrying a large key. He dropped in front of her and immediately got to work. "When we get upstairs, I have to grab something." He told her. He unlocked one of the shackles and it fell to the floor with aclang. He looked in her eyes as he unlocked the other one, "Then we go to the woods and run. We don't look back. We keep running until we're both safe. It's the only way we can escape from him."

There was aclick, then the other shackle fell off. Belle froze for a moment, wide-eyed. The chains were gone. She can do anything now. She can run away and find help. She can set the house on fire if she wanted to. Her gaze lingered on Mason's fearful eyes. '... I can't leave him behind...' she thought, giving him a hug. Mason squeezed her tightly, then stood up with her. He stopped hugging her and grabbed her hand. "Come on! We have to go! He'll be home soon!"

They ran up the stairs together, bursting into the kitchen. The light hurt her eyes and she had to shut them for a moment so that they could adjust. Mason led her to the living room. He stopped and picked up a photo from one of the tables. It was a picture of himself as a child with- who she could only assume it was- his mother. A tear slipped from his eye and he tucked the frame into a large pocket of his coat. "Let's get out of here." he said to her. Belle smiled sadly at him and he led the way to the back door. They stepped outside into the bright sunlight. The woods were close to the house.

Mason squeezed Belle's hand tightly. "I want you to know something before we go." He told her, looking in her eyes. "I wouldn't have made it this far without you... I'm starting to remember everything- who I am now, what I'm suppose to be- and I realize that this" he gestured to the marks on her arms, "is wrong."

Belle looked at him with a newfound emotion. Mason was about to say something else when the front door opened and slammed shut. "Mason! Where are you?!" Peter's voice hollered. Mason held onto her hand tightly and the two made a mad dash through the woods. They didn't know if he saw them, but neither were willing to look back.

}-----{

The two ran until they reached the city. They found a police officer, who immediately recognized that Belle was supposed to be a missing person. The pair was then hauled to a police station, where it was determined that Mason was to be taken to a hospital. He didn't want to go, but he was forced to. They practically hogtied the poor man and took him by ambulance. Mason was practically crying for her the entire time, terrified that they would call his father. Belle was kept in a separate room, so she couldn't hear or see him. She was being questioned by a few of the officers while one of them contacted her family. It was confusing, but she managed to clear everything up by the time her family came to see her.

Peter was arrested the following hour and charged for his crimes.

A week later, Belle walked through the doors of the hospital Mason was in. The doctors were working with him and giving him his old medicine to see if they could bring his conscious back completely. He was in a small area where the patients were able to socialize with each other and meet their friends. Mason was sitting at a table and eating steamed vegetables. She stopped and took a seat across from him. He paused mid-bite and looked at her strangely, "Can I help you?"

Belle actually felt bad about that. 'He doesn't remember me?'

She accidentally gave him a heartbroken look, and he narrowed his eyes in thought. His eyes managed to catch onto the scar on her neck. Mason slowly came to the realization, inhaling sharply and tensing up when his memory got kickstarted. "... It's you..." he said, putting his fork down. Belle smiled sadly and nodded. She came prepared for a conversation and pulled out a notebook and pencil. 'You scared me for a moment there. How are you doing?' she wrote quickly before showing him the page. He visibly relaxed, seeing that she wasn't mad at him. "I'm doing much better... thank you." He answered her. She smiled and nodded. Mason scratched the back of his neck somewhat awkwardly. "Hey... um... Belle, right?" He asked. Belle nodded again. "Okay, Belle. I um, I'm sorry for any time that I made you feel weird or uncomfortable. I didn't know what I was doing was bad, and I'm really sorry that that happened to you."

'Don't worry about it. You were going through something and it drove you over the edge. I don't blame you for anything.' She wrote down and showed him. Mason smiled nervously. "Thank you for understanding..."

Belle gave him a cheerful smile. 'I was hoping that we could still be friends?'

Mason looked surprised. "You... you want to be my friend?"

'Of course. You opened yourself up to me, and I want to do the same in return. Besides, it really isn't your fault. Your father is the one who kidnapped me, not you.'

Mason's smile grew more confident. "Thank you for being there... You weremuchbetter at being nice than my father was, especially since I had the mindset of an eleven-year-old at the time." He said to her. Belle wrote down another response. 'So... is that a yes on being friends?'

Mason chuckled. "Yeah. We're friends."

Chapter 60: Dinner Sitcom

Chapter Text

Puppet: Calm, serious, middle child, will wreck your day before you wreck his.

Nightmarionne: Jokester, rude, oldest brother of the bunch. His toes are crunchy.

Security Puppet: Youngest brother, innocent and pure, a child on all levels of mentality. Logic does not apply.

Ballora: Switzerland.

}-----{

[Puppet, Nightmarionne, and Security Pupper are at the table eating dinner.]

Nightmarionne: "So, Puppet, we heard that you and Ballora finally got together. Is that true, or did you chicken out again?"

Puppet: (*Glares at Nightmarionne*) "I didn't 'chicken out', I strategically backed out and waited for another time. AndYES, I did ask her to be my girlfriend."

Security Puppet: "Did she say yes?!"

Puppet: (*Smiles*) "Yes, she did."

Security Puppet: "Yay!"

Nightmarionne: (*NOMS PIZZA*) "So, when can we expect the baby?"

Puppet: (*Rolls eyes*) "Give up before you start trying it, you're never becoming an uncle."

Nightmarionne: "That's what they all say."

Security Puppet: "CAN I BE AN UNCLE?"

Puppet: "..."

Puppet: "You know what? Sure."

Security Puppet: (*Points at Nightmarionne*) "Ha! In your FACE!"

Nightmarionne: "Pup-?"

Puppet: "I know, just pretend."

Security Puppet: "So will I have a niece or a nephew?"

Nightmarionne: "How about both?"

Security Puppet: (*LE GASP*) "Really?!"

Puppet: (*sternly*) "No."

Nightmarionne: (*Smug*) "Okay, several of both."

Puppet: (*shocked*) "No!"

Security Puppet: (*happy*) "This is awesome! I can't wait to meet them all!"

Nightmarionne: "That's easy. Just go talk to Ballora!"

Puppet: "NO!"

Security Puppet: (*jumps out of chair, excited*)

Nightmarionne: (*laughing*) "Too late!"

[The door to the room opens and Ballora walks in.]

Ballora: "Hey, Puppet, it's getting pretty late. I think we should-"

Security Puppet: (*runs up to Ballora and grabs her arm*) "WHEN ARE THE BABIES COMING?!"

Ballora: (*startled*) "What?"

Nightmarionne: (*smiles*) "Hey, Ballora! How many kids are you having with our brother?"

Puppet: (*somewhat disturbed*) "Guys! Seriously, stop it! Leave her alone!"

Ballora: (*visible confusion*) "Mare, what's going on?"

Puppet: (*sweats*) "It's nothing, Bal."

Security Puppet: "Are they boys or are they girls?!"

Ballora: "... Are you asking if I'm pregnant?..."

Puppet: (*facepalms*)

Security Puppet: (*nods rapidly*) "YES!"

Ballora: (*looks at Puppet*) "Puppet-"

Puppet: "I know, Ballora."

Ballora: "It doesn't even make sense-"

Puppet: "I know, Ballora."

Ballora: "Why is this happening?"

Puppet: "I'm sorry, Ballora."

Nightmarionne: (*grins evilly*)

Puppet: (*snaps*) "Don't you f===ing dare!"

Nightmarionne: "Puppet here was just telling us about-"

Puppet: (*jumps out of his chair and tackles him*) "SHUT UP BEFORE YOU MAKE IT WORSE!"

Chapter 61: Say Goodbye

Chapter Text

[Ew ew this art sucks ew]

Havoc was curled around Ballora like a big, spikey, overprotective cat. He purred as he relaxed with her. Ballora was half-asleep, using one of his arms as a pillow. "You really are just a big, spikey teddy bear, aren't you?" She mumbled. Havoc simply smiled and hummed, the soothing feeling of her soul close to his was so calming... The ballerina yawned and drifted to sleep, leaving the twisted animatronic to his thoughts. Ballora wasn't wrong, but she's not entirely right either. Yeah, he was a big softie— butonlyfor her. Literally no one else can see this side of him. Well, except for children. Any child is worthy of his kindness, in his opinion. He wanted children of his own one day, but he had to talk with his wife before he even asked Gold to come up with some blueprints. That was actually a conversation that he may or may not be dreading. How awkward would it be if he asked her? How muchmoreawkward would it be if she said no? 'Looks like I'll have to wait longer. Oh, well. Patience is a virtue, right?'

His smile faded as he started nodding off. He told her earlier that he had to leave for a bit, but he promised her that he'd be back before the sun went down. That made him smile again. At least he's going to be back home earlier, because he'll bedamnedif he ever broke a promise to Ballora. 'Hell, I'll be home before lunch! It's only a quick visit to see how the other twisteds are doing. What's the worst that could happen?'

}—————{

Havoc coughed, oil spewing from his mouth as it leaked from his wounds. The deep slashes across his throat would surely kill him, so long as the large rip in his torso doesn't get to him first. The monster standing in front of him smiled victoriously. "Getting tired, are we?" He mocked the spikey beast, a dark chuckle passing through his lips. Havoc shook his head as his vision began to blur. 'Damn it!'

He didn't even have to look at the clock to know what time it was. He was fighting this monster for a few hours by now. 'I'm sorry, Bal... Looks like I broke my promise...' he thought morbidly. Havoc stumbled on his legs, swaying side-to-side as he got dizzier. "Your wife must be worried." The monster taunted him, "Too bad she's not here to say goodbye."

Havoc growled and lunged at the monster, talons outstretched. His opponent leaped out of the way and let him fall. He then landed a few hard hits while Havoc tried to get up. A final, powerful blow crippled the twisted beast. The force of the hit itself send him reeling backwards. The long claws that tipped the other male's fingers tore more deep lacerations in Havoc's throat. Havoc collapsed to the ground, unable to get up. The other's laughter echoed in the room and pounded through his head. "The great twisted puppet, falling lower than to his knees. What awonderfulsight." He teased. His voice was fading. The opponent was getting harder to hear as Havoc lost more oil. He coughed, oil splattering on the tiled floor. 'This can't be it... You have to get up...' Havoc tried, but could no longer move his limbs. A picture of him and Ballora the night before flashed through his mind. 'I'm so sorry, Bal... I...' he thought as he took his dying breath, 'I love you...'

}—————{

Ballora was worried sick. Havoc hasn't come back yet and it's almost midnight. 'Where is he?' She panicked as she speed-walked through the hallways of the large pizzeria. 'He never breaks his promises. Is he okay?' she thought anxiously. 'What am I saying? Of course he's okay. He's a giant, spikey dinosaur. Nothing can stop him, right?'

She was so worried about finding her husband that she nearly ran past an open pair of double doors. It was an old party room— a massive one— but it was still worth checking. She quickly peeked in, then sighed with relief. Havoc was there. It looked like he was asleep, but that was odd considering that he wouldn't just randomly take a nap. "Havoc, there you are!" She said with a smile, "It's getting late; I was starting to... I was... to... I..."

Her smile faded and she had a hard time speaking as she saw oil pooling on the floor and splattered on the walls. Her heart dropped. She stepped closer to Havoc, taking in the carnage. "Havoc?..." she whispered. His eyes were closed. He wasn't moving at all. He wasn't even breathing.

Havoc was dead.

Ballora started crying and ran over to his body, dropping to the floor next to his chest and trying to hug him. "H—Havoc... Oh m—my god!... I'm—... I'm so— sorry!" She whimpered, hiccuping and stuttering. Ballora didn't even notice that she was accidentally smearing his oil all over herself. She was too heartbroken to even care. "Who... who would do this?..." her voice cracked. Ballora looked at the large gashes that were ripped into his chest and slashed into his throat. She also saw the deep bite marks on his arms and one of his tails. "W—What kind ofmonsterwould do this?..."

Ballora touched the last of the three white buttons that were supposed to be lined vertically down Havoc's chest, her own chest aching. "Havoc... even though you can't hear me anymore... I..." she whispered, her voice cracking again, "I love you..."

}—————{

That night, Ballora stayed with Havoc, even though he was dead. She didn't want to leave him alone, afraid that something would happen to his body while she was gone. She moved from in front of his chest to the crook of his arm[or whatever the hell that part of yourbody is that's on the other side of your elbow], where she laid down and stroked his forearm. 'I'm so sorry...' she thought, 'I know I should get someone... but... I can't leave you alone again...'

Ballora began to cry again. What did either of them do to deserve this? Why did it have to happen? The couple were perfectly happy together, but now their happy marriage was torn apart. The ballerina sobbed. The smell of Havoc's oil made her realize that she was covered in it. She ignored it, not caring for it at all.

[Damn it I almost cried writing this]

[A quick note away from the depresso, I managed to write "NOM" in Twisted Wolf's mouth]

[I'm so proud (uwu)✨]

Chapter 62: Did That Zombie Just Talk??

Chapter Text

[Body Horror/Gore Warning?]

"Mason, hang on!" Tyreke yelled, then turned and ran for the stairs. Mason just fell from the second floor to the first floor of the shopping center they were in. He looked at the white-haired zombie ahead of him while clutching his injured leg. He wasn't bitten- not yet- but he needed help to move. The zombie in front of him looked like it was around for a while, with its insides showing and half of its face missing. It used to be a blind man, judging by the white cane strapped to its wrist. The cane swung around as the zombie floundered it's way over to him. Mason looked for his machete, spotting it about ten feet away. 'I have to get to it, or I'm done!' He thought in a panic. Mason tried dragging himself over to the weapon, but the zombie was faster than him. Just as he grabbed the machete's handle, the zombie was leaning over him, snapping its jaws. He tried kicking it away, but it held onto him, "NO!"

Suddenly the other zombie started screaming. It wasn't a human scream, but it could still curdle the blood of the bravest man alive. Mason's shocked eyes landed on another zombie. This one looked like it used to be a girl with blue hair, maybe one his age? It also looked... "fresher", for lack of a better word, there were almost no rips or tears to expose her insides (except that she was missing an eye and one side of her face was torn to reveal some of her teeth). The female zombie had her teeth buried in the neck of the other zombie, her fingers digging into the other's shoulder and ribs. She dragged the other zombie backwards and continued to munch on it. To say that Mason was scared would be an understatement. Was the new zombie trying to eat him, and the older one got in her way? 'But... she's not even paying attention to me...'

The first zombie- the blind one- finally croaked when the female grabbed its head and smashed it on the ground, splattering bits and pieces of it across the tiled floor. The female zombie then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and shook her head like the other one tasted horrible. It would almost be amusing if she didn't lock eyes with Mason right after. He gulped and scooted backwards, trying to put as much distance between him and the other zombie as possible. She tilted her head curiously at him. Mason never took his eyes off of her, not trusting this one a bit.

The zombie looked at him, then her gaze traveled down to his injured leg. Mason held up the machete, daring the zombie to attack him. Her eye lingered on him for a long moment...

... Then she turned around and walked away.

'What?' he was confused, 'She's not going to try to eat me?'

Maybe the awful taste from the first zombie made her lose her appetite? Despite his confusion, Mason wasn't complaining. She technically saved him from that other zombie. "How on Earth am I going to explain this one to the others?" He thought out loud. The doors to his left were thrown open and Tyreke ran through them. "Mason! Mason, you're okay!" He yelled. Mason put a finger to his mouth in a "SHUSH" gesture. "There are still zombies here!" he whisper-shouted. Tyreke gulped and nodded. He helped Mason up and looked ahead of them, his eyes landing on the mutilated corpse. "What... happened?" He asked Mason. Mason shook his head, "I'm not sure myself... but... I think another zombie just saved me..."

Tyreke furrowed his eyebrows, "What?"

"You heard me." He said. The two left the room, Mason leaning on Tyreke for support. Tyreke frowned, "Care to tell the story, then?"

"When we get back to base." Mason answered him, "I think everyone deserves to hear it."

Tyreke nodded again in understanding. He and Mason exited the building, unaware of the being watching them leave.

'That man... why did I save him?'

}-----{

"No f===ing way." Baron snorted disbelievingly, "You expect us to believe that a zombieateanother zombie to save your a==?"

"No, I don't." Mason replied, "But that really is what happened."

"Do you think she used to know you?" Myckenzie asked. Mason shook his head, "Doubtful. I didn't recognize her at all."

"Maybe she thought you needed help and pitied you?" Tyreke tried. Mason frowned, "She didn't show any sign of pity. She just looked at me and left."

Baron raised a brow. "That's impossible," he grumbled, "zombies don'tfeelanything. They don't think. They don't have emotions."

}-----{

'DAMN IT I FORGOT THE SPAM!' The undead bluenette internally raged. Out of anything that could go wrong on her little "shopping trip", forgetting her favorite brand of canned ham had to be one of the worst. She needed that stuff! That's her main dish for every meal! She threw her hand on her face (humans called it a "facepalm", she thinks). She let out a long huff, 'At least I still have my bag of animal bites.'

She looked at the old bag that took up most of her basket. It was a small one, but it weighed a bit more than she thought. It looked delicious, escpecially with the assortment of different foods on the front of it. It was odd and new to her, so she couldn't wait to try it. She's never seen this stuff before either, since humans constantly raided the shopping centers (like the one she was at earlier to save that man from certain death) for anything even remotely edible. She's pretty sure that she once saw a human eat something called "bleach", but something must have went wrong because he was a zombie the very next day. 'Probably consumed an expired package.' The female concluded.

When she returned to her dwelling, she locked the door (a useful invention from humans, she would admit) and set her findings out on the table. She sat down in one of the chairs and dragged the bag in front of her. She already had a plate and a spoon set out, so she didn't have to get back up. The undead bluenette poured some of the bag's contents on her plate. She took a moment to look at them strangely. Shrugging the look of the pellets off, she dug her spoon into the pile and took a bite.

She immediately spit it back out.

'EW!' She wanted to scream, 'WHY?!'

She looked at the bag, horrified. The female picked it up and turned it over in her hands. 'Humans eat THIS?' She thought. It was disgusting! Absolutely revolting! It was so bland and dry! The female zombie took her time to thoroughly examine the bag in her hands. Looking closely, she finally realized that it was meant for a small, furry animal with short ears, a long tail, and big green eyes. '... Oh...' she relaxed, 'It'sanimalfood; not human food.'

The bluenette scraped the rest of the cat kibble out of her mouth. She got up and threw the bag out the window, which ironically landed on a cat. The feline let out a loud shriek and ran. 'Not makingthatmistake again.' She thought with a nod. She looked to the counter and spotted a single can of spam. 'I STILL HAVE SOME?!' She huffed, 'Fine, I'll go to the food place again next week or so.'

Exactly a week later, she went back to the abandoned downtown area. She made sure to go to a different place this time in order to avoid contact with humans. She scored big time while she was there, too. There was LOTS of spam! 'Yes!' She smiled victoriously, loading her basket with as many cans as she could. This is PERFECT! She's going to eat like a QUEEN tonight!

When she was finally home and set her delicious spam on a plate, she picked up her spoon and dug in. 'MUCH better!' She thought with satisfaction, remembering last week's mistake. When she was halfway through eating her dinner, her door was suddenly busted down. "Quick, get inside!" A masculine voice said. 'REALLY?! HUMANS, NOW?!'

The zombie got out of her chair and stood fiercely, clutching her trusty spoon like a dangerous weapon. Four humans ran inside of her home and closed the door behind them. They didn't even notice that she was standing behind them. The one closest to her looked like the one she saved at the food center. 'Himagain?!' She frowned. There were three males and one female. The female has white hair, while the other male has black hair. The difference between the two black-haired males was that the one she saved before had blue eyes. The one next to him, a younger looking male with bright blue hair and green eyes, turned around and screamed at the sight of the zombie. The undead bluenette pointed her spoon at the male threateningly and screamed back. His was an "OH MY GOD THERE'S ONE RIGHT BEHIND US", while hers was an "<THE F=== ARE YOU DOING IN MY APARTMENT>". "Shoot it!" The female yelled at the red-eyed male. The red-eyed male then turned around and aimed his gun at the zombie's head. "Wait!" The blue-eyed one yelled as the red-eyed one pulled the trigger. The zombie ducked barely in time to avoid getting killed. She ran to the kitchen while the red-eyed one reloaded his weapon. "Baron, wait!" blue-eyes said. Red-eyes looked at him ridiculously, "Wait for what?! For that thing to kill us?!"

"If she wanted to kill us, she was close enough to get me before Tyreke saw her. Also, what kind of murder machine runs away when you shoot at it?!" Blue-eyes argued. Red-eyes sighed. "What are you going to do? Something stupid?" Red-eyes asked rudely. Blue-eyes smiled, "Yep. Something very stupid and very crazy."

"Don't you f===ing die." The female hissed. Blue-eyes shrugged it off and walked towards the kitchen. "Hey, I hope you don't mind that I'm coming over here." he called, hoping she won't jump out at him. The blue-haired male closed his eyes and looked away, red eyes scoffed, and the female shook her head. "Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to-." Blue-eyes was then cut off as the zombie chucked a can of spam at him from the doorway. It hit him right in the stomach, making him double over with an "oof!". "Wait! I'm not-!" He shouted before another one got his knee. "Ow!" He yelled. "Stop it! I'm trying to help you!" He hollered at her, dodging one of the flying cans as it soared past his head. The zombie stopped, still clutching the can in her hand. She stared at him, unsure if she should trust them. The undead bluenette kept her eye on the man as he stepped closer. "You remember me from the shopping center- you're the one that saved me, right?" He asked, keeping his hands in the air and away from his weapons. The zombie hesitated before nodding, earning a satisfied smile from blue-eyes. "I never got to thank you properly," he said calmly, "so, thank you for saving my life."

The zombie nodded again. The man gestured for her to come forward. "It's okay. If you don't try to attack us, then we won't try to kill you. Does that sound good?" He asked. She shifted on her feet for a moment, genuinely thinking about it. 'I did save his life, so he technically owes me one... I guess this is his way of paying me back... Please don't let this be a trap...' she worried. The bluenette took her time and moved out of the kitchen, coming out into the open where red-eyes would be able to shoot her again. She slowly extended her hand out to him for a handshake, which he gladly shook in return. "See guys?" He said to the other humans, "There's nothing to be afraid of. She's nice."

Red-eyes scoffed, "Unbe-f===ing-lievable."

Green-eyes waved nervously at her, and she waved back shyly. Blue-eyes wrapped his arm around her shoulder and guided her towards the other humans. The zombie stayed weary, not wanting to drop her guard just yet. "Do you mind if we just chill here for a bit? We were kind of getting chased by a bunch of baddies." Blue-eyes asked her. She huffed and shook her head then bent down and grabbed her spoon, then she went back to the table and sat down, eating the rest of her food. "I can't believe we're trusting a rotting corpse." Red-eyes commented. "I can't believe I'm trusting a group of fleshies." The zombie retorted slowly.

All eyes were on her in an instant.

"Di-... Did she just talk?..."

Chapter 63: The Magician and the Assassin

Chapter Text

[A quick note: They look different in the beginning of this. Belle has black hair and green eyes, while Mason has blonde hair and grey eyes.]

Belle was an assassin. She didn't ask to be, but the people who "raised" her made her this way. She underwent harsh training since she was a toddler, and quickly learned to do as she was told. By the age of eighteen, she was already a deadly killing machine. She was owned by a big corporation who would rent her services to anyone willing to pay big money. Her jobs ranged from simple take-outs to big-deal assassinations. Just because she was taught to be heartless doesn't mean that she doesn't have emotions. She was tortured on the inside. Belle was now in her early twenties. She barely remembers the family she was stolen from, and she doesn't have anyone to talk to. She wants out. For people in her situation, the only known way to leave is death. But she knew that maybe, just maybe, there was another way out.

Mason was a magician. No, not one of those street performers that do little card tricks and pretend to sneeze colorful tissues. He didrealmagic. He could make things appear and disappear right in front of you, no tables or mirrors or smoke. He can walk through solid walls and create portals that'll take you to places he's already been (though it thoroughly exhausts him every time). He can enchant objects to do things for him, no matter how big or small the task may be. He can even change one thing to look like another. Mason works for the same people as Belle, though much less willingly. While Belle was there from the near-beginning, Mason was brought in as an adult, almost thirty, handcuffed and chained. He was forced to accept the boss's offer, or else he'd face death. Mason now entertains groups of higher-ups with his magic, doing as they ask while they had their outings (basically, he was the court jester). He's wanted freedom since day one. He stopped trying to plan an escape after the first two years, but he never gave up hope that he would be free again.

One day, he met Belle for the first time. She claimed that she was tired after finally coming back from her latest job. Mason had no idea what she meant by that, but since she worked for the same people and she didn't have a temporary room readied for her, he let her stay in his room. The magician did a little bit of magic to make sure that she was comfortable just in case she was more tired than she looked. She woke up the next morning feeling better than she has in years. When she asked why his room was so comfortable, he shrugged it of and said, "If no one minds it, you can stay here whenever you want.

The two started talking to each other after that. They got to know one another and learn what each other does in this twisted game of life. Belle learned that Mason had a real life before becoming trapped here and being forced to perform for everyone's enjoyment. Mason learned that Belle was the corporation's top assassin, meaning that she was constantly being hired to kill people. He felt horrible when he was told that she doesn't know who her family is and that she has no one in her life to even ask if she's okay. "I can be your friend, if you'd like?" He offered her. Belle looked at him as if the word were foreign. "You... want to be my friend?..." she asked hopefully. Mason nodded. Belle wrapped her arms around him in a small hug before quickly going back to how she was. After a talk with one of the bosses, Belle was granted permission to stay in Mason's room. The room was small, so they shared the same bed. It was awkward at first, especially since they had to be so close to each other, but they got used to it.

Belle recently returned from another assassination. "Just a bigwig that owed a bunch of money." She told Mason as the two were laying on the twin-sized bed. Mason was on the left side, his right arm opened so that Belle could use it as a pillow and lay down on the other side. Belle settled for his shoulder instead, letting him hook his arm around her waist so she didn't fall off. "What'd you take 'em out with?" Mason asked curiously. Belle smiled, "I got creative this time and used a frying pan."

Mason smiled, "That must've made a mess."

Belle hummed. She looked at Mason curiously, "Why did you ask? I thought you didn't like violence."

Mason frowned. "Any rich son of a gun who willingly deals with them deserves a lesson. I hate this place everyone who works for it." He said bitterly. He paused when he saw the hurt look on Belle's face. "I mean... uhm..." Mason winced as he fumbled for the right words, "I mean the ones who work willingly that weren't trained to be obedient like you are..."

Belle still looked kind of hurt. Mason wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her into a hug. "You're good, Belle. I could never hate you, because you're just like me: trapped." He whispered to her as she hugged him back, "Besides, we're friends. Friends aren't supposed to hate each other. We stick together, no matter what happens."

}-----{

Sirens blared and the lights in the building changed from warm colors to blood red. Belle held Mason's hand tightly, leading the way as the two ran as fast as they could. They're escaping. Not trying; they're actually escaping. Here's some details on how this started.

Mason got back from one of his forced performances and found Belle on the bed, crying. He's never seen her break like this before, so he ran over to her to ask what happened. Belle told him that one of her trainers tried to force her to something bad, but she managed to get away; killing him on accident in the process. "He was one of the important ones; I'm going to be killed for this!" she whimpered. Mason looked her in the eyes and held her shoulders tightly. "You're not dying today. I'll make sure of it." He told her firmly. After that, the man grabbed his things and pulled her off the bed. "What are we doing?" She asked him. Mason looked her in the eyes, "We're leaving."

Now they were almost free. If they got to the vehicle hanger, Belle could start up the motorcycle and they'd be out of there. Mason's words to convince her repeated in her head.

"You're their best assassin, I'm a real magician. You're offense, I'm defense. If we work together, we can pull this escape."

Belle felt a burst of courage and ran faster, practically dragging Mason into the hanger. Once they were inside, Belle quickly found the motorcycle she normally uses and started it up. "Get on!" She commanded Mason. The magician did as he was told and hopped on the back of the bike, holding onto Belle's waist tightly. Belle immediately took off at full speed, scaring the life out of him. "Don't let go!" She yelled at him, "No matter what, don't let go!"

"Alright!" Mason yelled back to be heard over the loudness of the vehicle. He looked behind them and saw two black jeeps following them out the hanger door. "Belle, we got tails!" He told her quickly. Belle kept her eyes on the road, but nodded to let him know that she heard him. Without warning, she turned off of the road and drove the bike through the woods. She wasn't going to let this be a long chase like you'd see in an action movie. If there were people chasing her, she's not giving them the chance to catch up. One of the Jeep's drivers got co*cky and went in after them. He immediately ran into a tree. With how fast the Jeep was going, the crash actually caused an explosion, killing everyone inside. Mason looked back at the fire with wide eyes, "Holy s==t, Belle!"

"Relax! You'll see more of those if they keep chasing us!" She told him. They continued to go through the woods until they reached an area where no one could get to them if they needed a break. Mason hopped of the bike, his legs wobbling from being on the vehicle for so long. "I think we lost 'em." Belle told him. "Don't jinx it." Mason reminded her. Belle nodded. She took out a long, slim knife and held it up to the back of her neck. "What are you-?!" Mason yelled. Belle shushed him. "Quiet! Let me focus or I might puncture the wrong area!" She said sharply. Mason quieted down. He watched carefully as she slowly dug the knife into the middle of her nape. He thought it was getting dangerously close to her vertebrae, but didn't speak up so that she wouldn't lose her concentration. She paused, her eyes losing a bit of their narrowness. Looks like she found it. With a grunt, she quickly stabbed whatever it was she was looking for and pulled it out of her neck. She showed it to Mason, but it was hard to make out because of the blood on it and the knife. "What is it?" He asked, his eyes flicking to the small trail of blood that trickled down the back of her neck. "It's a microchip." Belle told him, "They use it to track us and check on our vitals. You should have one too, so we need to get it out quickly."

Mason looked uncomfortable. "Don't worry, I'll clean the knife before I get your chip out." Belle assured him. The magician sighed and nodded. Belle pulled the microchip off of the knife and set it down on a big rock, then got out two somethings from one of the pockets in her coat, which were a hand towel and a small container of rubbing alcohol. He dipped the small towel in the container of alcohol, then closed the container and cleaned the bloody knife with the rag. She waited for it to dry, then approached Mason with the knife. "I'll need you to hold still, you dummy." She told him, watching him squirm. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" He asked nervously, "I know you got yours out just fine, but-!"

Belle pulled him down lower so she had access to his neck. "I told you before to just relax. Trust me, I'm an assassin, so I know what areas to avoid when using a knife. Just don't move and we shouldn't have a problem." She assured him, feeling out the area behind his neck. Mason breathed out to steady his nerves. "If you say so..." he said quietly. Mason resisted the urge to jump when he felt the knife slowly puncture his nape. His hands were shaking, but he held as still as he could so that Belle wouldn't cut something on accident. It felt like five or ten minutes passed when she stabbed the chip in his neck and pulled it out. She revealed the chip to him, holding the knife close to his face from behind. "Got it." She said with a smile, "See? I told you that you could trust me."

Mason nodded and shakily stood up. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry I doubted you." He apologized. Belle walked up in front of him, pulling his microchip off of the knife and placing it close to hers. She grabbed another rock and slammed it down on the chips, smashing them to bits. She turned around to look at the motorcycle with a frown. "It's chipped too?" Mason guessed. Belle nodded, "We have to continue on foot. You start, I'll catch up to you."

"What will you do?" He asked her. Belle walked over to the motorcycle and sorted through the weapons it had on board. "I'm going to destroy the bike. Can't take any chances, you know?" She said. Mason sighed. "Yeah, I guess." He agreed, "I'd prefer to stay with you, though. You're bringing some of that stuff, so I'll help you carry it."

That was hard for Belle to argue with, so she hummed a "thank you" and pulled things out of the bike. "They chip their people and their vehicles, but they never chip the weapons in case the police get ahold of 'em. It could lead the cops back to the higher-ups, which is really bad for business." She explained, "That's also the reason why they don't track their money, so this-" she gestured to the thousands of dollars in the bag she got out, "- we can use to our heart's content."

Mason nodded. He realized something and became nervous. "Belle,... do they have trackers in our clothes and stuff?" He asked. Belle finished what she was doing and looked at Mason. "Not your clothes. The trackers can't handle the washing machines or the dryers. But they can chip your objects, so it's worth checking." She told him, "Do you want me to help you?"

Mason nodded, "It's better to be safe than sorry."

Mason pulled out the things from the bag he was carrying. It wasn't much, just his hat, one of those black-white magic sticks that you see other magicians use (that's just a prop, honestly), a few stacks of money (given to him for his well-done performances), a red bowtie, and some keepsakes that he gathered before he was taken in the first place. The money was quickly dismissed. The bowtie and the hat were thoroughly checked, as well as the keepsakes. Mason didn't want to chance it with the stick and had Belle destroy it like she did with their microchips. "Okay, that's everything." Belle said. "Wait, what about our shoes?" Mason asked, kind of paranoid now. Belle ruffled his hair. "Calm down, Mason. Same thing as the weapons and the money." She smiled, "It's too risky to chip them in case we lose a pair, as well as too expensive considering the amount of shoes some can go through in a month."

Mason nodded, let out a relieved breath. "Are we safe to keep moving now?" He asked her hopefully. Belle nodded back. "Safer than it was before. Now we have to be careful, because what I'm about to do to the bike is like setting off a beacon." She told him, pointing off to his right, "There's a highway not far from here. If we get there, we can as someone to give us a lift to the nearest city or truck stop."

"Is it safe to hitchhike?" He questioned. Belle frowned. "Sometimes. It shouldn't be since there's two of us, but we should still be careful." She told him. Mason looked at the direction Belle pointed to, thinking about something. Belle was already setting up the bike's self-destruct system when he spoke up again. "Hey, Belle... What if we disguised ourselves?" He offered the idea. The assassin looked at him thoughtfully as she set the timer. "Disguises would definitely be a huge help." She told him. Mason fidgeted with his hands. "I can make it happen... I just haven't tried it on humans, so... it might not work..." he admitted. Belle smiled assuringly at the tall man. "It's okay if you don't want to do it. I'm not going to force you to do anything, just like you promised me a long time ago." She said calmly. Mason smiled gratefully. "Let me think about how I should do it." He said to her. Belle's smile turned into an excited grin as she started the countdown. She ran up to Mason and grabbed his arm, running in the direction of the highway while pulling him along, "We got two minutes, so hurry up and run!"

Mason started running with her as fast as he could, eventually taking the lead. He stopped just before they reached the highway. A loud explosion could be heard from the direction they came from. "Why are we stopping?" Belle asked him. Mason made sure they were out of sight before answering. "I'm going to change how we look. You said that disguises help is disappear, so disguises it is." He told her with a small frown, "It's going to be tricky, but it'll be worth it."

'I hope...' chimed the back of his mind. Belle nodded at him, "If you're sure that you want to, then do it."

Mason nodded back and took a deep breath. "This could get weird, so bare with me." he started, holding both of her hands, "I need you to close your eyes with me. Alright?"

"Alright." She replied, closing her eyes. Mason closed his at the same time. "I need you to concentrate. Think about yourself. Think about how you want to look. Plain and boring, or colorful and exciting? Do you want to stick to traditional genetics, or do you want to be exotic? Choose what you want, but keep it to yourself. Think of the colors."

Mason squeezed Belle's hands lightly, hearing her inhale and exhale while she focused like he said to. He smiled, thinking about how he wanted to look. "Are you ready?" He asked after a moment. "I'm ready." Belle confirmed. "Okay, here we go..." Mason said. "One... two... three..." he waited a few moments, feeling a weird sensation come over his skin. His eyes watered a bit, feeling like he poked them in accident. He heard Belle inhale sharply and guessed that she felt it too. "... Now open your eyes, and see your new self." He said, opening his eyes. Belle opened hers too, and they both looked at each other with amazement. Mason went with a somewhat plain look. His hair was black and his checks were dusted with light freckles, while his eyes were an unnatural shade of blue, like a pair of crystals. Belle on the other hand went for exotic. Her hair was a dark shade of lavender, and her eyes were a bright, warm pink. "You look... beautiful..." Mason complimented her, awestruck. Belle blushed and responded surprisingly shyly, "Thank you... I like your eyes..."

Mason smiled, nodding as a thanks. The one thing they both shared is that they had pale complexions. The cuts in the back of their necks were healed as well. "Hey, we match." He joked, making Belle giggle. She shifted the bag she was carrying from her shoulder to her hands, drawing Mason's attention to it. "What all did you take from the motorcycle?" He asked as a quick subject change. "A couple of guns, money, a few knives, some other small weapons, a road map, and a bunch of granola bars." Belle told him, opening the bag up to show him some of the things. Mason nodded and turned his head in the direction of the highway. "... Mason?" Belle said quietly, making him look back at her. "Hm?" He hummed. Belle slowly walked up to him, then pulled his head down and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for helping me get out of there... I really owe you one."

Mason blushed, smiling as casually as he could to hide it. "You're welcome, but that was mostly just you. You're the one who physically got us away from those people." He pointed out. Belle smiled softly at him, "Maybe, but I wouldn't have tried escaping if you didn't convince me that we could do it."

After a minute of friendly arguing on who got who out of that hellhole, the pair decided to call it even and hurry up to get to the highway. Once they were there, they walked along the side of the road until a big truck pulled up next to them. "You two need a lift?" The driver- an old man- asked them. Belle nodded at Mason, who smiled at the old man and said, "Thank you, sir. A lift would be very appreciated."

After they climbed into the back of the truck, the old man asked them where they were going. "We were planning on going north, but whatever way you're going works too." Belle said. The old man smiled at them. "I'm actually heading to the coast. Right now we're going west, but I can drop you off somewhere in Utah. That's as north as I can get ya'." He told them. Mason and Belle agreed and thanked the man for his kindness. Almost a day later, the man kept his promise and dropped them off at a truck stop in Utah. "You two take care now. Maybe I'll see you guys around." He said his goodbyes. "Thank you, again, sir!" Mason called back to the guy as he pulled away and got back on the highway. Mason and Belle smiled at each other and walked inside the large building. They went to the restaurant area and ordered a pizza. "I can't wait to dig in. I'm so hungry that could eat a horse." Mason said jokingly as he carried the pizza to a table, Belle following behind them. The only table available already had a person sitting there. It was a girl with green eyes and red hair that was pulled into pigtails. She looked a little younger than Belle, and she had this cheerfully mysterious feeling that surrounded her. "Excuse us, miss, do you mind if we sit here?" Mason asked politely. The redhead smiled, "I don't mind at all. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you." Mason smiled back and set the pizza on the table. He and Belle sat down and each took a slice. "So, we're you from?" The redhead asked curiously after a few minutes of silence. "We're from the east." Belle answered nonspecifically, "You?"

"I'm a local. I live in a city not far from here." the stranger responded. After a couple of more questions from the stranger (which were all answered with as little detail as possible), the redhead finally went straight to "business". "Okay, I think I gathered enough." She said, folding her hands neatly on the table. Belle and Mason looked at her with worry and suspicion. "For what?" Mason asked kind of rudely. The redhead didn't seem affected by the edge coming from the two. "You two are running from something." She said quietly, so only they could hear her. Belle's eyes widened a bit. Mason held her hand under the table to keep her steady. "What would you know about something like that?" Belle asked her. "I know plenty about running." The redhead told them, "... What would you say if I told you I can help you?"

Belle didn't like the possibility of deception so she stayed quiet. Mason didn't trust the stranger at all, narrowing his eyes. "What do you mean by that?" He asked in suspicion. The redhead leaned forward so she could talk quieter. "My name is Elizabeth. I own a pizzeria in the next town called 'Circus Baby's Pizza World'. Not a very appealing name, I know, but don't let that get to you." She informed them, "The pizzeria is pretty big. I've met a lot of runners in my time owning it, and I always try to help them... Basically, I'm offering you two a place to hide."

Mason and Belle looked at each other, not sure whether or not to trust her. "... If we were to accept your offer, what's the catch?" Mason asked another question. Elizabeth nodded. "You're one of the suspicious types. I get that." She responded, "There's really no catch, unless you think of the following as one. Let me explain before you say no."

Belle frowned, holding Mason's hand tightly. "If you stay in the pizzeria, there's a large area set aside for housing. You don't have to leave the building for anything, since the groceries are always delivered. In order to live there, I ask you to do one of three things. It's important to keep a stable income-slash-budget, so I can't just let you stay for free." The redhead explained patiently, "Option one is that you can work in the pizzeria. You can choose whatever position you want, unless another one needs more members really badly- though that's never an issue. The second option, if you don't want to work in the pizzeria, is that you find a way to earn money somewhere else and pay a small 'rent fee'. It's not a lot. The place makes a good amount of money, so the rent's only fifty dollars a month. The third option is if options one and two aren't something you can do, we can talk and work something out so that you still give some effort into living there."

Elizabeth looked at the two calmly, "That really is all that I ask of the residents. Everyone who lives there are just like you; they're trying to escape something that they want nothing to do with. I won't ask anyone to tell me their story unless they want to share it, so everyone respects each other's privacy. You can wear masks and costumes as well if you don't want people to see your face. I'm not going to force you into doing something you don't want to. You always have a choice."

Belle and Mason kept looking at each other, silently debating on what to do. After a while, Belle nodded at Mason, gesturing for him to make the final decision. Mason nodded back and sighed. "How do we know that this isn't a trick?" He asked Elizabeth seriously. Elizabeth looked him in the eyes. "I don't know how to prove it to you without showing you first; you'll just have to take my word for honesty. Plus, why would I want to trick you guys? I don't even know who you are."

Mason looked at Belle. 'It's up to you.' said the look in his eyes. Belle smiled softly at Mason, then went serious like he did a moment ago, "Alright. We'll take your offer... Thank you..."

"Don't mention it." Elizabeth smiled at them, happy that she was able to help someone again.

}-----{

"And here's the rooms for everyone to stay in." Elizabeth said, pointing to an area on the pizzeria map spread out on her desk. She took Mason and Belle in through the back earlier so that no one would see them (as Mason's request). She brought them into her office and sat them down in front of her desk, pulling things out to explain it to them and showing them different areas through a map that she had. "As you can see, there's a lot of rooms. The walls are really thick, so they're pretty much soundproof. Most of them are meant to fit one person, but we got a good portion that can fit between two-to-four people." The redhead continued, "Behind the housing area is the warehouse- or storage unit, depending on what you want to call it. There's lots of costumes and props there, so you can decorate your rooms or assigned stages, that latter being for if you want to work here."

"This place is massive." Belle commented, "How many people are here?"

"I don't know off the top of my head, but it's a lot compared to normal pizzerias." Elizabeth said proudly, "Almost all of them are people who are hiding from something, which I'm really happy to say. It makes me grateful that I'm able to help this many people."

"It's a good accomplishment to have." Mason agreed. Elizabeth dug through her desk and pulled out another map and a few sign up forms. "Okay, you both said you want to work here?" She asked for confirmation. Belle and Mason nodded. The redhead nodded back and handed the things to them. "Alrighty then, let me grab some of the keys and we'll go pick out a room for you two." She told them, pointing to the right, "Over there's a box full of masks. You can pick a couple of them out right now if you don't want the others to see your faces."

"Thank you, Elizabeth. It means so much that there are people like you who are willing to help others..." Belle admitted, "We're sorry for not trusting you earlier."

"No worries; I understand why you were on edge. Whatever you're running from has to be pretty bad for you to instantly be suspicious." Elizabeth nodded, grabbing her keys. "It's not the first time that's happened, actually. I've had a knife pulled out on me once or twice." She added. Mason's eyes widened as he looked through the box of masks. "Really?" He asked. Elizabeth hummed. "Like I just said, I understand why. I won't ask what happened unless you want to tell me." She said to them. Mason smiled and pulled out a mask that he liked. It was white with red cheeks and purple tears. There was also rosey red lipstick, but he didn't mind it. "Hey, B, check this one out." He said to Belle with a grin, "It speaks to me."

Belle smiled at her friend's goofiness. "Alright, you tree. Did you get one for me?" She asked. It was more of a joke, but Mason's grin widened and he nodded. He reached into the box and pulled out another one. This one was the same color white as the one Mason had, but it had blue cheeks, purple eyeshadow, and pink lipstick on it. Belle tilted her head at the mask, 'It'll do for now, I guess.'

Mason handed the mask to her with a wink and a smile, "Something creepy to go with your cuteness."

Belle blushed. Elizabeth secretly gave the two a knowing smile as they put on their masks. "Alright. Time to go pick out a room. You're most likely going to see some of the others, so please don't panic when you see people in full body costumes or something." She told them. "Don't panic. Got it." Mason repeated as he linked arms with Belle, making her blush more under her mask.

Chapter 64: My Loving, Ex-Villain Husband

Chapter Text

"Please, I need you all to understand! My husband isn't a bad person!" Belle pleaded with the three heroes- two men and a woman- that were "interrogating" her. It wasn't a full-scale torture interrogation, it was more of asking questions and hoping that she answers truthfully. Heroes had morals, and one of them was to never harm or endanger civilians in any way (and considering that Belle was heavily pregnant, she practically got the royal treatment). "If you want us to believe that, ma'am, you need to tell us everything." The leader, William Springlocke, told her. Belle looked at her hands, not wanting to betray her husband in any way. 'What if I say something that reveals who he is?...' she worried, 'Though I probably already did that by telling them that he's my husband.'

"My husband and I returned home from the store a few months ago. When we got out of the car, someone was waiting for us in the front yard. There were... three men and a woman, I think. They asked my husband to join them in some great evil plan." Belle told them. Springlocke nodded. "And let me guess; the man said 'yes' the moment they stopped talking?" the other male asked rudely. Belle felt the urge to glare at him. "No," she corrected him, "my husband refused their offer at first. When he told them that he wouldn't do it, those brutes forced him to join their ranks."

"How did they do that?" Springlocke asked. Belle internally winced as she thought about it. "They threatened me." She admitted, "It was already obvious at the time that I was pregnant, so they must've thought that threatening mine and the the baby's lives would make him do what they wanted."

Springlocke nodded again. "You claim that your husband isn't committing crimes of his own free will. Am I getting this correct?" He asked, tipping his fedora up to look into Belle's eyes. The bluenette nodded. "My husband is only acting like a villain to protect me and his unborn child from the other crooks." She confirmed for them, "Even though he already agreed to it, the other villains still kept me under watch just to discourage him from quitting again."

"Again? He was a villain before?" Asked the woman. Belle nodded in confirmation. "He refused to commit any more crimes after he and I first became a couple, and he officially left all villainy behind when we got married." She explained. Springlocke looked deep in thought. "Your husband... is he one of the more dangerous villains? He must have been powerful if the other baddies threatened you and the child to get him to join." He speculated. Belle looked at her hands, "I can't confirm or deny that. I don't know what they're making him do, so I don't know if he poses a threat to you heroes or not. What I can tell you, however, is that by keeping me out of the villains' reach, you've made it possible for him to attempt to get away. Without leverage, the other bad guys can't make him stay."

"What if they threaten to kill him?" Springlocke questioned. Belle shook her head, "My husband would probably tear his own arms off before he let himself be intimidated by them."

At that moment, the alarm went off. The lights in the base flashed red and white, alerting the personnel of danger. The other male hero quickly grabbed the communication device off his belt and held it up to his face. "What's going on?" he yelled into the mic. "We're under attack! The elite villains sent one of the strong ones and he's tearing through our defenses!" Screamed a panicked voice on the other side. Springlocke looked at Belle as the other two heroes rushed outside. "You may want to stay here. It could be dangerous." He offered. Belle shook her head, "I need to see who it is."

Springlocke nodded in understanding and let the bluenette to the entrance of the base. There was screaming and gunfire (non-lethals, don't worry), as well as the sound of objects being thrown and exploding. Belle and Springlocke stepped outside, seeing all the heroes at the base and in the area trying to fight of the villain in the sky. The villain was able to manipulate large, glowing string threads that allowed him to grab and throw things, grapple opponents, and suspend himself and others in the air. You didn't have to see the look on his face to know that he was royally angered. "Stay here, donotmove!" Springlocke commanded Belle, running off to join the fight. Belle looked at the man in the air with worry and concern. While he held the heroes back with ease, he was getting more angry and unpredictable by the second.

"Give up!" One hero shouted. "Evil never wins! You'll only fail in the end!" Another taunted him. The villain used his strings to grab the hero and throw him into a wall. "I'm not leaving until I have what I came for!" the angry man screamed, venom in his voice. Belle knew she had to stop the fight before someone gets seriously hurt. During an opening in the battle, she ran closer and stopped when she was nearly below it. "Stop! What are you-?!" Springlocke barely had time to ask before the bluenette cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed, "Mason!"

The entire battle seemed to halt. The heroes didn't want to fight in case if she got hurt because of how close she was, and the villain stopped fighting altogether, all of his attention on Belle. Judging by the increasingly relaxing posture of the man, he was calming down. The strings that kept him in the air quickly lowered him to the ground, making him land right in front of her. "Don't hurt her!" Hollered a couple of the heroes (which he completely ignored). "Is it really you?" He whispered quietly. Belle nodded and held his hand in one of hers, "It's me, Mason. I'm here. We both are."

The villain- Mason- abruptly wrapped his arms around her in a protective hug. He pulled her as close to himself as he could and rested his head on top of hers. "Thank God." He whispered, "I was so scared that they would hurt you... Is the little one okay?"

"He's alright, don't worry." Belle assured him, "No one here would harm us."

Mason sighed, "And I just caused chaos for nothing?"

"You caused chaos for nothing." She told him. The heroes just sat by and watched the interaction, confused. Springlocke and the female hero from before smiled, quickly realizing what was going on. "Ah, hell! Don't tell me thathe'sher husband!" Shouted the other male that questioned her earlier. Mason gritted his teeth, letting go of Belle and turning around. "Is there aproblemwith that?!" He yelled at the hero. The hero huffed and looked away. Mason huffed in return and brought his attention back to Belle. "Sorry, lovely." He apologized. Belle hummed and held his hand again.

[Okay, this one sucks duck feet, so I'll stop it right here :')]

Chapter 65: Oh God, Who Woke Up The Mummy?!

Chapter Text

["Damiya" is the equivalent of "Puppet", according to google translate. If I got it wrong, please destroy google translate and not me because I was lied to :,)]

[Also here's a quick gore warning]

Belle Tanzen was a researcher in the Scott Cawthon Museum of World History. Her job was simple, really. All she has to do is study any and all artifacts presented to her by the higher ups and write down everything she knows and/or speculates. Recently she's been looking at things brought back from Egypt. The museum wanted to add something new, so they added an exhibit dedicated to an ancient and mysterious pharaoh. Not much was known about him, so Belle was one of the first people to say "yes" when asked to take a look at his life. The bluenette learned by now that he was powerful and ferocious, and was rumored to have the power to give and control life (as well as take it away). She wanted to learn more, so she put herself into overdrive and worked extra hours. Tonight she accidentally stayed later than usual and got locked inside the building. It wasn't all that bad, honestly. She wasn't alone either, both of the museum's night watchmen were patrolling the halls and checking the cameras as they usually do. The cameras had built-in audio systems, so she could have a conversation with the guards without leaving the room she was in. "Hey, Belle, anything new on that ten thousand year old dead guy?" The older guard, Mike, asked. Belle smiled, "Not yet, Mike. I'll let you know when I do find something, alright?"

"Alright. Jeremy should be walking down the hallway near you in a little bit, so don't freak out like you did last time." He joked. Belle gave the camera lens a playful glare. "I only got scared because I didn't know he was there! Plus he fell and made a whole bunch of noise!" She defended herself. Mike laughed, "Well, I'll go join him now. See you then."

"See you later." She said with a smile. There was a buzzing noise before the audio cut off. 'Those two always like to pick on me when they get the chance.' Belle shook her head before getting back to work. She used a brush and dusted off the stone tablet that sat in front of her. The bluenette wrote down the translations as she read the hieroglyphics. When she looked back at what she wrote, she scoffed. Even though whoever wrote the tablet said that he could be pretty harsh, they also thought it'd be worth mentioning that a lot of the women really liked him. Like- oh dear Lordy, that's a large amount. "Jeez, this guy was a real ladies' man, wasn't he?" She mumbled. There were a few odd things written on the tablet as well, but the most notable was what was scribbled on the back. "When the time comes, the Pharaoh will awaken. He will bring death to those who challenge him, but spare the ones who obey and claim what is rightfully his." She read out loud. Belle shivered, pushing the tablet away from her slightly. "Good God Almighty, that's ominous."

Normally a pharaoh's tomb would contain threats of a death curse and eternal suffering, but this pharaoh threatens to personally kill whoever disturbs him. "I don't even know if that's supposed to be creative or a different way of wording things..." she talked to the air. Something else caught her eye on the tablet. It was pretty small, so she had to grab a magnifying glass to see what it said. "Damiya." She read out loud again. She frowned at the unfamiliar word. 'Maybe it's his name.'

There was a thundering crash from somewhere nearby.

'WHAT WAS THAT?!' Belle jumped nearly two feet in the air. A moment later, the lights in the research room flickered out. Belle felt around the room until she got to the door. She opened it slowly, as quietly as she could, and peeked out into the wide hallway. Jeremy was about to run past her, so she called to him softly with a wave. He stopped right in front of her. "Jeremy, what's going on?" She whispered. The young guard shook his head, "I don't know; Mike and I'll check it out. You should wait here and stay safe; it could get ugly if someone else is here."

Belle shook her head. "I want to see what happened." She told him. "Plus it's pretty dark in there and I could hurt myself just by walking." She added quickly. Jeremy nodded and signaled her to follow him. They walked down the hallway, heading towards the new exhibit. The sound of shattering glass reached their ears. Jeremy grit his teeth nervously. Mike suddenly rounded the corner to their left, nearly running into Jeremy. "I'm here. Any idea what's happening?" The old man asked almost immediately. Jeremy nodded. "I think we're being robbed." He whispered. Mike nodded once and took the lead. As the three came up to the mummy's exhibit, Belle had a terrible feeling in her gut, like something was terribly wrong. When they got there. Jeremy immediately noticed the broken glass on the floor. He pointed his flashlight at the shattered jewelry casing right about it. "They took the jewelry." He muttered to Jeremy and Belle, "I can't tell which way they went afterwards."

"Should we split up?" Jeremy asked. Mike nodded. "Take Belle with you." He told the younger guard, "If something happens, you can run faster than me."

"That's morbid..." Belle whispered. "That's Mike for you." Jeremy replied as the two watched the older guard walk away. Jeremy nodded at Belle to head back the way they came from. Belle paused in the middle of turning around. "Jeremy, can you point the light at the sarcophagus?" She asked him tensely. Jeremy hummed and directed the flashlight, pointing at the now empty sarcophagus. "... It's empty..." he whispered. Belle was about to ask about who would steal a mummy from a museum when she thought about old monster movies. Those movies had the dead pharaohs come back to life and terrorize people. 'What the tablet said... I have to be paranoid to believe that! Think rationally!' Belle's thoughts were interrupted when Jeremy coughed. "Hey, you think he's walking around?" The young male asked, trying to be funny to hide how unsettled it made him. It wasn't even ten seconds later before they both heard Mike yell. "Hey, you!" The old man shouted, "Jeremy, get over here!"

"Mike!" Jeremy called back, taking off. Belle ran after him, not wanting to leave either of the guards alone. Not far from the Egyptian exhibit, Mike was pointing his flashlight at a tall man. The man was covered in torn bandages and wore the pharaoh's jewelry. He turned to look at Mike. Belle's eyes widened, realizing that maybe the tablet's words and Jeremy's joke weren't so ludicrous after all. "M-Mike!" Jeremy said, stopping a meter or two behind him, "Mike, don't go near that thing!"

Mike looked at Jeremy questioningly. "Whynot?" He asked with a frown. Jeremy pointed at the pharaoh as he stalked closer. "Dude, that's the mummy! He'salive!" He whisper-yelled harshly. "So what? We can take him." Mike scoffed. Jeremy looked at the mummy before looking back at Mike, "No, I'm pretty sure we can't take him."

"You watch too many movies." Mike said stubbornly. He smiled at Jeremy, "Watch how an old man like me takes a co*cky b=====d like him down."

"Mike, no!"

Mike walked up to the pharaoh (who was now noticably taller than any of them), stopping right in front of him to yell at him. The pharaoh wasted no time in practically tackling the old man. Mike yelled as he accidentally dropped his flashlight. He wrestled the mummy, shouting loudly. Belle and Jeremy watched in fear as the pharaoh quickly overpowered Mike, knocking him to the floor with a harshsnap!"Mike!" Jeremy screamed. Mike coughed out blood as the pharaoh advanced. "Jeremy, get Belle outta here!" He screamed back as the mummy stomped on his ribs. Jeremy disobeyed Mike's order, running full-speed at the mummy. He snatched Mike's flashlight from the floor and ran up behind the pharaoh. Jeremy swing both flashlights in an arc, clocking him in the back of the head. The pharaoh stumbled to the side and growled angrily. Jeremy paused when he saw that Mike was already dead. "No... Mike..." he whispered. Belle watched horrified as pharaoh grabbed Jeremy by the collar of his uniform and lifted him up, then threw him back onto the floor. He strangled Jeremy, digging his nails into the young guard's neck. "Belle, run!" He cried, throwing one of the flashlights at Belle. It landed in front of her with a loudclunk, momentarily snapping her out of it. She looked at it and shakily picked it up. The sound of bones cracking made her look up again. The pharaoh let go of Jeremy's body, revealing that the dead man's neck was broken as his head twisted horribly to the side. 'Jeremy... Mike...' a tear fell from her eye as she looked at the maimed bodies of her friends. While she was in her terror trance, the pharaoh leaned down and ripped Jeremy's eyes and tongue out, putting them inside of his own eye sockets and mouth. He stood back up and blinked, his new blue eyes landing on Belle as he looked around. He began stalking towards her, a long hiss coming from between his teeth as he breathed out. Belle's knees started shaking when she locked eyes with the pharaoh. 'He killed them,' she panicked, 'He killed them, and now he's going to kill me too!'

She took a few steps back, then turned on her heel and ran, clutching the flashlight like a lifeline. She didn't dare to look behind her, fearing that the pharaoh was right on her heels. She wasn't sure how long or how far she managed to run from him until she realized a little while later that she was in the natural history section. She heard thundering footsteps behind her and turned her flashlight off, quickly hiding inside one of the displays. It was the cave inside the smilodon exhibit. It wasn't very big, but it was just enough to hide her from sight. Belle sat down on the floor with her back against the wall as she tried steadying her breathing so that he wouldn't hear her. Her heart rate skyrocketed when she heard the pharaoh stomp into the exhibit area.

She glanced at something reflective outside the cave. It showed that the mummy was in the middle of the room. He tore off the remaining bandages and scanned the area, a hard look on his face. Belle felt her heart skip a beat. 'He knows I'm in here. He can't tell where, but he knows that he's close to me.' Belle shakily covered her mouth in hope that she won't make a sound. Her body trembled with fear and dread. 'Please go away please go away please go away please go away please go away.' The sound of Jeremy's neck breaking played through her head again. It was such an awful, bone-splintering noise. The poor guard's head had been twisted all the way around because of how strong the mummy was, Belle was convinced that he could easily tear her in half. She shuddered. She could hear her heart beating as the sound hammered her ears. Any louder and the mummy would probably hear her.

Belle shivered at the creeping feeling on her back. The feeling then travelled to her shoulder and onto her neck. It wasn't until the feeling went onto her face that Belle realized there was a spider on her. The spider was close enough to her eyes that she could see the detail in its face. Belle screamed and flipped out, slapping herself and squirming to get it off. The thing scrambled across her face and tangled itself up in her hair in an attempt to get out of her reach. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her by the throat. It held onto her tightly, making it hard to breathe as the pharaoh lifted her off the floor. He dangled her in the air, the woman's toes feeling for the ground that was a foot below her. The pharaoh's blue eyes buried themselves in her pink orbs, making Belle stop moving and shiver. His gaze gained a hint of curiosity as it flicked from her eyes to her hair. He's probably never seen the colors of pink and blue on a human before. His other hand slowly lifted itself up to her scalp, making Belle (and the spider in her hair) flinch. The pharaoh narrowed his eyes as he plucked the arachnid out, making Belle wince as he accidentally pulled some of her hair loose. Belle watched with dread as he threw the spider over his shoulder and reached up again. His facial expression relaxed a bit as he curled one of her blue locks around his finger. It looked like he was fascinated by it. The longer the pharaoh held her like this, the harder in became to breathe. It eventually came to the point where Belle's face was turning blue. She audibly choked and tried to pry his hand off of her, making the pharaoh frown deeper. Then he saw her face and realized that he was suffocating her without actually meaning to. '<If she dies, then that's her own fault for being here and displeasing me.>' he thought stubbornly. Belle was weakly kicking her legs. "P-Please..." she whimpered, making him pause, "Please don't k-kill me..."

It wasn't so much the fact that she was begging for him to spare her life- since he can't actually understand her- that made him pause, but rather just hearing her voice. '<That's the same voice that called my name. It washerthat woke me up.>' the pharaoh tilted his head at Belle as she began to slow down, her face turning from blue to a deep shade of purple. The mummy huffed and let go of her, letting Belle fall to the floor with a thud. Belle scrambled backwards to put as much distance as she could between her and the pharaoh as she kept gasping and taking deep breaths. The bluenette looked at him in terror and confusion. Yes, she did plead for her life, but she didn't expect him to actually spare her.

The pharaoh looked at her expectantly and impatiently. 'What does he want?' Belle averted her eyes to anywhere but his face. She remembered what the tablet says. It said that the pharaoh would spare the life those who obeyed him, right? If he decided not to kill her, was he expecting her to do as he wants? 'Maybe...'

Belle shakily took in a breath and moved herself onto her hands and knees, then sank as low as she could on the floor in a bow. Judging by the satisfied hum that escaped the pharaoh's lips, Belle guesses that she did the right thing. She peeked one eye up at him, watching as he stalked closer to her again. Belle froze, not wanting to anger him anymore. The pharaoh had a frown fixed onto his face, but crouched down and continued to mess with Belle's hair like a distracted child. 'Does he think it's my natural hair color?' Squeezed out the only calm thought she had. The bluenette tried looking into his eyes from her position, catching the mummy's attention again and causing him to lock gazes with her again. Jeremy's eyes shined back at her, as if they were never removed from the poor young man. The sound of his neck breaking echoed through Belle's head again, making her shudder and look away. The pharaoh's frown deepened. He pulled his hand away from her and took a deep breath. "<Thank you for awakening me. Now I can do what needs to be done.>"

Belle looked back at the pharaoh in confusion. "I-I don't understand..."

[Some reader: "Didn't she translate-?"

Me: "HUSH."]

The pharaoh tilted his head at her. "<Your tongue is foreign. I cannot understand you.>" he said in something like disappointment. Belle's confusion had a new hint of amusem*nt in it. 'I guess we both can't understand each other.' She concluded. The mummy suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto her feet, making her gasp. He started pulling her out of the cave and into the exhibit. "W-wait! What are you doing?!" She asked with alarm, letting herself get dragged along. The pharaoh didn't say anything, but understood why she was distressed. He stopped and turned his head, his eyes piercing through any courage she might have. He gave her a stern, commanding look.

'Is he making me go with him?!' Belle's eyes widened, dread building in her stomach. Her theory was confirmed when he continued to drag her through the building. "Y-You can't take m-me with you! I have my own life, you know!" The bluenette futilely protested. The pharaoh paid her struggles no mind and kept leading her away. "Hey! I know you don't know what I'm saying, but you have to get the point!" She yelled, planting her feet firmly on the ground. The pharaoh huffed in annoyance and glared at her again. '<Keep this up, Idareyou.>' he internally growled. The fierce look in his eyes made Belle look at the floor and try to make herself look smaller. The pharaoh's deep frown faded into a neutral expression as he once again pulled Belle away.

Chapter 66: Accidents Happen

Chapter Text

[Prepare for Edge]

Somewhere, on another plain of existence, lived the kingdom of monsters. They were creatures made from your worst dreams. Literalnightmares. Decades ago, one of these nightmares left their realm to live a life of his own. He is name was Nightmarionne. Nightmarionne was a powerful nightmare animatronic, and was feared by many. The reason why he left was because of this fact. He disliked being strong because it made him a target for competition. He hated being feared when he didn't mean to do anything wrong... He especially hated that nightmares feed off of the fear of children.

Nightmarionne loves children.

Deciding what was ultimately best for himself, he went to a place where children would gather in happiness. A local pizza restaurant that absolutelyradiatedpositivity and cheer. The two animatronics that lived there, a golden bunny and a golden bear, treated each other like brothers. They entertained children during the day and played games with each other during the night. He wanted nothing more than to be like them. One day, after hiding in the shadows for so long, he finally introduced himself to them. They were frightened of course, but quickly learned that he was a nice individual. Nightmarionne told them about his admiration of the place and how badly he wanted to be a part of it. The rabbit and the bear- Springbonnie and Fredbear as they introduced themselves- gladly welcomed him into their little animatronic family.

Nightmarionne was finally happy, especially when he was able to take a much more appealing form and entertain the children with his friends. The childrenlovedhim. This was infinitely better than feeding off of their nightmares. Over the years, he acquired the name "Puppet Master", and was moved from location to location with his friends. Currently, they were in a place with many animatronics from many different locations. Most of the animatronics don't know about the Puppet Master's origins. Out of the few that did, only two know what his true form is. These two were Fredbear and Springbonnie (obviously), and the others that knew about him were Withered Freddy and Toy Freddy. It was a big secret that he would rather leave buried.

However, not all secretsliketo be kept hidden.

"WHATISTHIS?!" The Puppet Master practically screamed. One morning he woke up with an odd feeling that itched at the back of his mind. Over the past few weeks that feeling kept growing and growing. Now it was in his face and driving him crazy. He felt like there was something he needed to do, but he didn't know what it was, when he needed to do it, orwhyhe needed to do it. He felt like he needed someone or something, but he also felt like he'd destroy any animatronic that dared to come close enough. For f==='s sake, he felt like he was about toeathis own arms! "WHY AM I LIKE THIS?! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

Someone knocked on his door. "WHO IS IT?!" Puppet snapped. Whoever it was shuffled their feet. "It's Fredbear and Springbonnie. May we come in?" Fredbear's voice came through the door. Puppet took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "Come in..." he said with a hint of edge in his tone. The door creaked open, then Fredbear and Springbonnie stepped inside. Springbonnie shut the door behind them for privacy. "Hey, bud... Are you okay?" Fredbear asked calmly, "You told us what you were experiencing a while ago, but we think it's getting worse. Especially since you broke your music box. Now you don't have an immediately effective way to calm down."

"It'sworse than worse!" Puppet complained, "I don't have a clue what this is and Ihate it so much!"

"... Is that a hint of your old voice I hear?" Springbonnie asked hesitantly. Puppet paused his dramatic movements and looked at him. "What?" He questioned. Springbonnie scratched his neck nervously. "Every time you emphasize something, your voice gets rougher and deeper. It sounds a lot like your old one. Y'know, when you were still... spooky."

Fredbear looked at Springbonnie, then back at Puppet. "Spring may be onto something. What if whatever's going on is related to your past?" He pointed out. Puppet frowned deeply, pressing his fingers to his temples. "If it's a nightmare-related thing, then that explains the aggressiveness." Springbonnie added quietly. "I know." Puppet growled, "What can I do about it? It makes sense, but it also doesn't. What could possibly make me so hateful and isolated that I want to rip my own head off?!"

"Do you know anyone that can help?" Fredbear asked him. Puppet thought for a moment. He really did my want to feel the presence of another nightmare animatronic right now, but he might not have a choice. "One." He muttered. He stood up and looked at Fredbear and Springbonnie, "I knowonenightmare. He might know what's going on, and he's a good secret keeper... especially if it's bad."

}-----{

"Thanks for coming on such a short notice." Puppet greeted the large black bear. Nightmare smiled back at him, "Anything for an old friend. I can already feel that something's off with you, so you better be honest with me or things can get ugly."

"Is that a threat?" Springbonnie worried. Nightmare shook his head. "It's a prediction. If a nightmare goes berserk, there's bound to be a few deaths and a lot of damage." the bear explained, "... Okay, that may be an exaggeration. It depends on how bad his problem is, andthatdepends onwhathis problem is."

"This is already sounding bad." Puppet muttered. Fredbear sighed. "Can we try to stay positive?"

"That won't help you if he snaps." Nightmare commented before focusing on his friend. "Okay, based on what you said in your message, I have a few answers in mind. If you tell me more, I can narrow it down for you." He told them. Puppet grit his teeth. "As long as it's not going to kill me." The marionette grumbled. Nightmare sat him down on the bed and talked with him for over an hour. Fredbear and Springbonnie stayed in case of Nightmare needed extra information or any help.

"Okay. So you have... mood swings, increased aggression, unknown desires, you feel lonely and overcrowded, and you feel like you're going to tear yourself apart?"

"Yes. I believe that's everything. Do you have a diagnosis?" Puppet confirmed. Nightmare stood up and fixed his tie. Puppet raised a brow, knowing his old friend's nervous tick. "A diagnosis is when you're sick." Nightmare said monotonously, "I just know what's happening to you, and I also happen to know that you won't like what I tell you."

Puppet's eyes narrowed. "Tell me. I deserve to know why I'm like this."

Nightmare sighed after a moment of silence and looked away. "There's no easy way to tell you this, so I'm just gonna say it." He told Puppet awkwardly, "Your body is telling you to uh... to... hell, how do I say this?"

"Spit it out already!"

"You need to bond your soul with someone."

Puppet felt like his oil turned to ice. "...WHAT?!" He screeched, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Nightmare said calmly. Puppet growled. "You can't seriously expect me to believe what you're saying." He hissed. "I don'twantto bond my soul withanyone." He added. "You don't exactly have a choice." Nightmare told him. "Yes, I do! It's just temporary, I can do nothing and wait until it's over!"

"If you do that, you could die!" Nightmare snapped abruptly. Puppet stopped, looking at him angrily. Nightmare glared at him, forcing him to listen. "The reason why I'm urging you not to ignore it is because of how your body will react. As a nightmare, your soul isn't stable to begin with. The more you age, the more unstable your soul becomes. If your soul becomes unstable enough, your body could have a critical reaction thatno oneis going to like. It will tear itself to shreds, as well as anyone else within a certain proximity of it." Nightmare told him sternly. Puppet's angry stare faultered. "How large is the proximity?" He asked in a low voice. Nightmare shook his head. "It's different for everyone. Sometimes it's a few feet, sometimes it's a few yards... this one is pretty rare, but there are accounts of it being a few miles..."

Puppet had a look of fear on his face. "Is there a way to avoid that?" He asked. "Not likely. If there is, no one knows what it is yet. There's an alternate, though, but it's not much different." Nightmare answered. Puppet frowned, "Spill it."

"Your body can have any number of different reactions, but if you focus it enough, the only real damage will be what's up here." Nightmare said, tapping the side of his large head, "Your mind will devour itself. It won't leave you brain dead like you might think, but it will revert you back to a feral state. You will behave like a rabid animal and would probably attack anything that moves."

"... So my options are... soul bonding, self destruction, or becoming a savage beast?"

"They're all awful for someone like you, Nightmarionne, but they're the only cards you've been dealt. You can't run from them, and you certainly can't hide. Every nightmare goes through this phase, and most of them survive." Nightmare turned to go, a red portal opening up in front of him. Before he stepped in it, he looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with the Puppet Master. "I can't stop you, no matter what decision you make... I can only hope that when we meet again, you'll be alive and well... I'd rather not lose a close friend..."

No one said anything for a few minutes after Nightmare left. Even Puppet was now speechless. He didn't want anything to do with soul bonding! But what Nightmare said got to him. 'If that can really happen to me, then there's nothing that I can do...'

"Sooo... this is really bad?" Springbonnie asked uncertainly. Puppet nodded. "What does he mean by 'bonding your soul'? Do you have to take someone's soul from them?" Fredbear asked. He sounded like he was ready to give his own soul up on the spot. 'Always worried sick about his friends. That's what makes him family.' Puppet smiled softly, then erased it with a frown. "No." he explained, "When a nightmare bonds their soul with someone, it's a deep connection that will last even after death. It's... It's like human marriage. Our souls are the rings. To bond my soul with someone means that I make them my husband or wife."

"Oh..." the springlock animatronics said at the same time. "You don't want to make that type of commitment yet?" Fredbear asked, relaxing. Puppet nodded again. "I'd prefer to never have to. If I bind my soul with anyone, then there's a chance of me becoming a father a few years down the road as well... I'd rather not bring more nightmares into the world... They'll feed off of the fear of children just like I had to..." Puppet huffed, balling one of his hands into a fist. Fredbear sighed and stood up. He put a hand on Puppet's shoulder, "It's going to be okay. Spring and I are here for you. Right, Spring?"

"There's no way I wouldn't be." Springbonnie said, putting his hand on Puppet's other shoulder. Puppet looked surprised by this. "Guys... thank you..." he said with a smile.

}-----{

It was a few weeks later, and Puppet was already losing his mind. He had Gold and Spring tell Withered Freddy and Toy Freddy about what was happening to him, and the four of them told the other animatronics to keep their distance from the Marionette for the time being. He was grateful for that. Now he just had to keep himself contained in his room. Puppet mostly stayed under his bed, hiding from anyone who might try to see if he's alright. His nightmare form, much to his dismay, was slowly tearing itself through his body. His suit was torn in many places where his tentacles and ribs came out. He felt the oil that constantly oozed from the bite marks he made trying to keep control of his body. His arms and legs became longer and disproportionate, his fingers growing longer and sharper every day. His teeth sprouted from his mouth a long while ago, so he guessed that his mask had changed too. 'I can't keep myself like this for much longer.' He thought, looking at his arms, 'Nightmare was right. If I keep hiding, I'm going to die.'

'But I don't want this.'

He can barely think anymore. Why does it have to behim?He would gladly live the rest of his life without a significant other, and he'd definitely be relieved to never have to have little nightmares. It would kill him all over again if he had to teach them to attack children in their dreams. 'Maybe if I did, I could teach them a much better way of gaining sustenance. Maybe I can have them eat regular food, like I do.' He prayed. He knew that no matter what, it wouldn't work. Even the plan on how to feed them was flawed. He ate pizza and fries to satisfy his hunger as much as he could, but even he needed to devour someone's fear every once in a while. Fredbear- being the concerned mom-friend that he is- lets Puppet feed off of his dreams every once in a while so that the poor guy doesn't drive himself crazy, but he doubts that Fredbear can handle any more animatronics doing the same. 'I hate this.' Puppet internally screamed, biting his arm again, 'Ihatethis!'

There was light knocking on his door. He froze, listening carefully. "Puppet? Are you okay?" A voice came through. It was muffled and quiet, but he knew who it was. 'Why is Ballora here?!' He wanted to scream again. "I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you," she apologized, "but I know that you're going through something bad, so I fixed your music box as quick as I could... I was hoping that maybe it would help..."

That explains it. A month ago, when Puppet broke his music box, he asked Ballora to fix it. He figured that since she had one of her own, maybe she knew what to do. Puppet was about to turn her away, but the words got caught in his throat. "I'm sorry that it took so long, too. I was waiting for the parts to come in, but they won't arrive until next week, so I used my own." Ballora continued. "I tested it already, so I know that it works now... If you want, I can just leave it here..."

Ballora reminded him of Fredbear. She was like him in the concept of wanting to help others, but hers goes much farther than simply helping out a friend. Literally anyone can ask her for help and she'll say yes. You can always count on her to help. That's one of the things he liked about her. The ballerina always smiled and stayed as positive as she could, even if times were really bad, which was another thing he liked. Puppet guessed that she was nice to have around. He didn't really have anything to complain about her. Suddenly his body felt like it was on fire. 'Not again!'

He held back a shriek as he curled in on himself, chomping down on his knee. 'I can't keep doing this.'

Time began to slow down as he felt his mind go down the drain. His body seemed to be moving on its own. One of the tentacle-like appendages slithered across the floor and latched onto the doorknob. It twisted the handle and pulled back into the shadows as the door slowly opened. He saw Ballora's silhouette standing in the doorway. She looked a little creeped out. "Does... Does this mean I can come in?" She asked with a moment of hesitation.

"Come in..." his voice whispered.

Ballora took a few steps into the room before the door slammed shut behind her. She jumped and looked back over her shoulder, clutching the music box tightly so she wouldn't drop it. Puppet took that moment to appear in front of her. Ballora's head turned back towards him and she froze, startled at the near monster that towered over her. "P-Puppet?" she asked with wide eyes. Puppet didn't hesitate. He lunged at her, wrapping the striped tendrils around her so that she couldn't move. "You'll do nicely..." he hissed, a twisted smile on his face. He grabbed both sides of her head and tilted it upwards. "Wait, what are you- mfph?!"

The Puppet Master interrupted her with a rough kiss. 'What am I doing?! Stop it!' He growled while snapping at himself in his thoughts. He could feel how Ballora's emotions were all over the place. She was scared and confused, yet... there was something else... After a few minutes of him nonstop kissing her, Ballora slowly started to kiss back. Her eyes closed and she relaxed. Then her eyes shot open and she tensed as an immense pain tore through her chest. It felt like she was having a heart attack. Something floated out of her chest and in front of her. It was a light pink sphere, but it wasn't entirely there either since she could see through it. 'What's happening to me?!' she panicked. The same type of sphere came out of the Marionette's chest, except while hers was pink and smooth, his was white and jagged. The two spheres touched and slowly, painfully meshed together. There was a bright light, and then it was over. The pain quickly faded, and the tendrils that were holding her went away. Puppet's arms dropped to his sides as he collapsed on top of Ballora.

}-----{

Ballora was sitting on the floor, holding Puppet's head in her lap. She caressed his head, waiting patiently for him to wake up. The gal doesn't know whether to be happy or mad at him. Above anything else she might be feeling, she was worried. He looked thoroughly exhausted and starved. 'I should get him some food when he wakes up.' She decided with a nod. Her head turned to the music box beside them. It was playing a gentle tune. She figured that it might help him relax while he was asleep. Ballora sighed. "I hope you didn't just die on me, you tree."

There was a couple of knocks on the door. "Come in." Ballora called. Whoever was on the other side of the door froze, probably surprised to hear her voice coming from Puppet's room. The door opened quickly and Fredbear and Springbonnie rushed in. "Ballora?" Spring asked, "What are you doing in here?"

"I came to give Puppet his music box. I fixed it because I thought it might help him." Ballora answered him. "Did anything happen?" Fredbear ask, taking notice that Puppet looks completely normal (albeit tired). The ballerina nodded. "I'm not sure what happened. He opened the door to let me in, and then he just... started kissing me..." she said, "He did something else, and then he fainted on top of me... Do either of you have any idea what happened?"

Fredbear and Springbonnie were both shocked. "Did he...?" Spring asked Fredbear. "I think he did." Fredbear confirmed. Ballora was confused. Why were they being so secretive? "Did he what?" She asked. Before either could answer, there was a soft groan and Puppet's eyes blinked open. "What... happened?" He asked, holding his head as he sat up.

His attention was caught on the music box. His face slowly dawned with a newfound horror as he remembered everything. He whirled around and locked eyes with Ballora. "You!" He yelled, furious. Ballora was surprised by his sudden anger, "Pup-?"

"Do you haveany ideawhat you just did?!" He screamed. Ballora stood up and took a step back. She put her hands in front of her, trying not to start a fight. "Puppet, I don't understand!" She tried to tell him. The Puppet Master clenched his hands in fists. "If I didn't have self control, I'd-!"

"Puppet, calm down!" Fredbear said, stepping in between the two. Springbonnie stood behind Fredbear like another wall. "It's not her fault," the rabbit defended the ballerina, "she doesn't know. She had no clue what was going to happen."

"WELL, WHAT AFAT LOADOF HELP THAT IS!" He screamed again. Ballora took another few steps back. "What did I do?..." she asked Springbonnie. The golden bunny just looked at her apologetically. "What's going on here?" A deep voice asked. All four heads turned as Nightmare stepped out of his red portal. "Well? Is someone going to answer me or-?" He paused when he saw that Puppet was completely fine. "Ah, I see. You've chosen someone?" He asked with a small smile. Puppet's head would be smoking if it could. "NO, I DIDN'T!SOMEONEHAD TO COME IN ANDRUIN EVERYTHING!" He screeched, glaring daggers at Ballora. Said ballerina was looking at the ground and flinched when Puppet yelled at her again. She felt horrible. Whatever it was that he was mad about, it must have meant a lot to him. Her mind went back to the glowing spheres. 'Is that why he's so angry?'

Nightmare looked at Puppet, then at Ballora, then back at Puppet. He connected the dots and his smile dropped. "Well then... this is going to be very complicated..." the bear said with a sigh. He looked back at Ballora. "Do you understand what's happening?" He asked her. Ballora shook her head, making Nightmare frown. "You two calm him down," he said, nodding his head at Fredbear and Springbonnie, "I'll inform her on the situation she's in."

He pointed a claw at the ballerina. "You, what's your name?"

"Ballora."

"Alright then. Ballora, walk with me. We need to talk."

The ballerina and the bear left the room. Fredbear put a hand on Puppet's shoulder. "You need to calm down. You wouldn't have done anything if you were in control, so it's not your fault... but Ballora didn't know anything, or she wouldn't have risked coming in here, so it's not her fault either." He stated calmly. Puppet facepalmed, dragging his sharp fingers down his mask. "It doesn't matter whose fault it is. I'm not happy with it, and Irefuseto accept that Ballora's now my soulmate!" He hissed, "I told you two why I hated the idea of bonding my soul to someone else's. I told you two why I mustneverdo that! Youbothshould be just as upset as I am! Do you evenknowhow dangerous a partnership with me could be?!"

"Even if it's that bad, I still think you're being a bit harsh on her." Springbonnie said sadly. Puppet's head snapped to look him in the eye. Spring flinched, and his voice shook a little as he spoke again. "No matter how you look at it, there's one thing that's true about this. Neither of you meant to bind your souls. Ballora didn't know, and you couldn't control yourself at a time where shejust-so-happensto be here. You're not at fault, and neither is she. If you take a glimpse at your behavior from her perspective, you're angry enough to strangle her just because she tried to return your music box to you."

Puppet stopped glaring and grit his teeth. As much as he hated to admit it, Springbonnie has a point. "You should at least apologize for threatening to hurt her." Fredbear said quietly, "And when you think about it, she has the right to be mad at you, too. Any second from now Nightmare's going to tell her about what you did, and when he does, he'll have to break the news that she can never be with anyone else or have her own children because you and her are bonded."

"If she wanted any of those, she would've had them by now. She doesn't desire that kind of future."

"And that right there tells me that you know nothing about her."

"Excuse me?"

"Ballora likes to talk with Spring and I a lot because we share common interests. One of the things we talked about was what we wished for the future. She told us both that she wanted to be a mother and have a loving husband more than anything."

"She's had crushes before."

"And the ones she admitted her feelings to rejected her. She did mention that there was one animatronic she didn't confess to because if he said no, she wouldn't be able to live with the feeling that he hates her."

"Oh really? Who couldshepossibly fear rejection from?"

Fredbear's face made a stern glare, "You."

Chapter 67: Into The PuppetVerse!

Chapter Text

[Fair warning, the timing in this oneshot makes absolutely zero sense.]

Puppet went to visit his many counterparts and decided to bring Ballora with him this time. The ballerina was curious and wanted to meet them, so he said "why not?" and held her hand before teleporting them both to a big, rundown building. "This is where you guys meet up?" She asked. Puppet hummed in response. "It's not much, but it serves it's purpose. Why don't you go look around for a bit while I talk to some of the others?" he asked her. Ballora smiled and nodded. Puppet smiled as he watched her leave and shook his head, "Like a child."

"Iheardthat!" She yelled at him playfully. Puppet's smile turned into a wide grin. "So, that's the girlfriend that we heard so much about?" Nightmarionne asked, poking Puppet in the side, "Didn't think that she was your type."

"Shut it, Dude." Security Puppet smacked Nightmarionne's back, making the larger animatronic let out an "oof". Security Puppet looked at the Puppet Master, "I think she's lovely. Pop will be super proud when he meets her."

"Thanks, Security. At leastsomeonehere appreciates her." Puppet frowned softly. "Where is everyone, by the way?" He asked. Nightmarionne's usually twisted grin faded into a neutral expression. "The others are going to be a bit late, since most of them have things that need to be done." The nightmare waved one of his hands. "They'll get here eventually, though." Security Puppet offered. Puppet nodded, "Okay. Who else is here right now? Do I have to worry about someone stealing Ballora while I'm not looking?"

"I don't think that's necessary." Security Puppet laughed, "As for your first question, Phantom and Blue[the puppet from Final Nights 4, they call him blue because of his bowtie]are already here. Vinnie was here too, but she forgot something and had to go back to Candy's for a little bit."

Puppet nodded again. He was about to say something else, but Phantom Puppet suddenly appeared in front of him. The silent phantom grabbed Puppet's shoulders and shook him like a madman. "Hey, calm down!" Puppet shouted, pulled the phantom off of him, "What on earth are you so panicked about?"

Phantom Puppet quickly glanced around the room, trying to find a way of telling them what was wrong before it's too late. He stopped then pointed at Puppet. He then made a heart with his hands and did a spin on one leg. "I think he lost his marbles." Nightmarionne grumbled. "No, he's trying to tell us something important." Security Puppet defended the phantom animatronic. Phantom Puppet held out his hands in frustration, curling his fingers tensely. "Wait a second, are you trying to tell us about a ballerina? That's just Ballora. I brought her here to introduce her to you guys." Puppet explained. Phantom Puppet shook his hands in a nervous "yes but no" manner. Puppet tilted his head. The phantom looked at his hands, then held them up higher, shaking them back and forth. "Is she dancing or something?" Nightmarionne asked boredly. "Is she talking to someone we don't know?" Security Puppet asked. Phantom Puppet was about to silently scream. He pointed at Puppet, then held his hands up again, making them dance and "talk" like he was putting on a show. The other three took a moment to process what he was doing. "Is he trying to say something about a performance?" Security Puppet raised a brow in concern. "I think he's talking about Blue and Ballora." Nightmarionne huffed. Phantom Puppet stopped what he was doing and pointed at Nightmarionne, rapidly nodding his head. Nightmarionne grinned in satisfaction of being right.

"Okay, what about them?" Puppet asked. Phantom Puppet started calming down, but he was still on edge about it. He acted like he was putting on another puppet show, then did another twirl, then made a "watching you" gesture. "Okay, so... Ballora and Blue... are they talking about doing a show together?" Security Puppet asked in confusion. "Are you seriously asking if she might be cheating on him?" Nightmarionne growled at Security. "What?! No! I'm just asking if they're doing a show!"

'Doing a show... Or maybe they're watching a show... but that doesn't make sense because we haven't been here long enough for her and him to actually have a conversation...' Puppet was perplexed, but continued trying to understand Phantom. "Both of you hush, I'm trying to think." Puppet snapped at his arguing brothers. Both of them stopped and glared at each other. "Ballora and Blue. Something to do with a show, right?" Puppet asked Phantom, who quickly nodded again. "Okay, so, are they watching a show?... No, that's not it. Are they putting on a show for each other?" He asked. Phantom Puppet looked like he was about to explode (in a panicky way, not an angry way), which meant Puppet was getting pretty close. "Okay, I'm close to it. Is she performing for him?... No, she doesn't perform for just one person. Is Blue performing for her?"

Jusdging by Phantom Puppet's reaction, the marionette hit the jackpot. "Okay, but I don't see the problem." Puppet said. Then something clicked and he slowly came to the realization of what was wrong. "OH F==K!" He yelled, then bolted into the hallway. The other three decided to follow him. It took almost a minute, but when they reached the area the two were in, it was already too late.

Blue ended the puppet show, closing the curtains with a malicious grin. Ballora, completely unaware of the danger, applauded his performance with a nice smile. "That was great! You're better than Funtime Freddy![Funtime Freddy and Bon Bon would like to know your location-]" She complimented him. "Ballora, get away from him!" Puppet yelled. Ballora only had time to give Puppet a startled and confused look. Then Blue's eyes flashed a bright white[Omae wa mou shindeiru]. Ballora became engulfed by the light, then the entire room lit up. There was a startled shout from Ballora, then an even brighter flash, and then the entire room went dark.

The lights came back on a moment later. Blue was slouched over, leaning on the little stage he uses, but Ballora was gone.

"Blue!" Puppet screamed, livid. The puppet with the blue bowtie instantly shot up from the ground, very confused and scared. "Wh-What?! What happened?!" Blue cried out. Puppet stomped over to him and grabbed his shoulders, "You just teleported my girlfriend to God-knows-where!"

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I-I-I thought that she was ahuman!"

Puppet growled loudly. Security Puppet grabbed one of Puppet's forearms and gave him a stern look. "Pups, we know you're upset, but you need to calm down." He told his brother. Puppet let go of Blue, but continued to glare at him. "Now that we're not trying to kill each other, how about we find a way to fix this?" Security Puppet suggested. "HOW?!" Puppet yelled, "WE CAN'T FIND HER BECAUSE BLUE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHERE SHE WENT!"

"I can find her." Nightmarionne sighed. The others looked at him weirdly. "What? I can still smell her." The nightmare said unapologetically, "It's not too hard to find someone with a familiar scent of fear, inter-dimensional travel be damned."

"And since Nightmarionne can find her, and you and Blue can take turns teleporting us, we can look for her and be back before Pops gets here." Security Puppet smiled. The Puppet Master sighed, "Fine, but we better work fast because Ballora could be in danger."

}-----{

Ballora sat up quickly, rapidly spinning her head in terror and confusion. 'What happened?! Where am I?!' She panicked. Ballora's eyes scanned her surroundings, making her quickly realize that she was in a security office. There were two open doors that were on either side of her, with a desk in front of her. On the desk was a bunch of papers, an old computer that displayed the power, a phone, a light, a clock, a coffee mug, a pencil, a tablet, and a rather adorable looking burger with a pair of eyes. Over the desk was a window with a heavy-duty cover/door she could probably close. On the left side of the wall next to the window was a poster with unfamiliar animatronics on it. It read "Candy!" and "Cindy!", and showed a male and female cat, respectively. On the other side of the wall was a calendar that had the days marked off. The ballerina looked curiously at the tablet as she picked it up off the desk. She turned it on, somehow knowing that it was for the cameras. If the posters and the office weren't enough of a hint, then flipping through the different cams is what confirmed that she was in an unfamiliar place. "Where am I?..." she repeated. The phone suddenly went off, startling her again.

[One long phone call later...]

Candy was almost at the office door by the time the call was over. Ballora now knew that she had to close the door when the feline was right outside the door. However, sadly enough, she didn't close the door on time. Candy came into the office. His eyes glowed brightly in the dark, making him more intimidating than he actually was. Ballora stood up and balled her hand into a fist. "St-Stay back! I'm warning you!" She tried to threaten him. If he's doing this then the cat must think she's a human, just like the other version of Puppet did. "Thank you for visiting Candy's Burgers and Fries!" Candy smiled with gleaming fangs, "Please come again soon!"

Ballora quickly lunged to the side, landing on the desk and grabbing the closest thing to her (she hoped it would be the coffee mug, but instead she grabbed the burger with the eyes). A mechanical shriek tore out of Candy's voice box as he jumped at her, ready to bite. A bright light flashed in the room again, blinding Candy as he bit down on something hard. When the light faded, the feline opened his eyes to the Reverse Puppet looking at him weirdly. "Candy," Vinnie asked, "why are you eating the desk?"

"Huh?" Candy responded, then looked at what he had in his mouth. The weirdly dressed lady was gone. Instead of tearing her limbs off like he wanted to, he just took a nice chimp out of the desk. Candy spat, letting go of the object and falling on his tail. "Ew! What in the Sam Hill?!" He hollered. Vinnie covered her mouth, trying and failing to smother a giggle. "What's so funny?!" Candy hollered again, slightly embarrassed, "There was a guard here just a second ago!"

"Surethere was. I didn't sense a human presence." Vinnie waved her hand. "I'm telling you there was one here! She was dressed like a-!" Candy started, then got cut off by another bright light. Standing behind him were Puppet, Nightmarionne, Blue, Security Puppet, and Phantom. "Oh, hey guys!" Vinnie called, "What's wrong?"

"Vinnie, there's no time to waste!" Puppet told her urgently, "Have you seen a female humanoid animatronic? She's a ballerina with blue hair and pinkish eyes; she's aboutthistall and she has a tiara on her head."

Vinnie blinked twice while processing what Puppet said because he said it very fast. "No, I haven't seen anyone like that. Sorry, Pups." She said finally. Candy rubbed his eyes before narrowing them. "...Hold up..." he raised both paws, then pointed one finger at Puppet. "Does she wear a blue top and a pink tutu? And have weird lines on her face and arms?" The cat asked suspiciously. Puppet immediately gave Candy his attention, "Yes, that's her! You've seen her?"

Candy huffed and nodded. "She was here just a minute ago. I thought she was the security guard at first, so I tried to attack her, but then she kinda disappeared." He frowned. "I can't believe I got duped... that explains why she looked odd for a human..." he grumbled afterwards. Puppet can't snap at Candy because he understood why the cat tried to attack Ballora, but also because he literally cannot waste any time trying to fine her. "Thank you, Candy!" the Puppet Master turned to Vinnie again, "Vinnie, can you help us look for her? You have teleportation powers too, so it'd be a huge help!"

"Sure, I can tag along." Vinnie smiled, standing next to Puppet as the group gathered closer. "Nightmarionne, do you know where she is?" Security Puppet asked. Nightmarionne shook his head. "We need to wait for her to get scared again. It's the only way I can track her." the nightmare said. Puppet sighed, "Knowing Ballora, that won't take long."

}-----{

"Wh-Where am I now?" Ballora asked with a small stutter. She looked around, taking in the room that surrounded her. She was laying down on a hospital bed, oddly enough. Across from the bed was a silver-colored cabinet that was low to the floor. Across the foot of the bed was an open door, and across from the door was a sliding glass door. Outside, there was a storm raging. The wind made the raindrops hit the side of the building at the speed of bullets as lightning crackled and lit up the sky. The thunder boomed overhead, making her deeply unsettled. Ballora got out of the bed and tip-toed over to the open door. Opening it a bit wider, she stuck her head out and looked left and right. The doorway led into a broken hall. It gave off seriously creepy vibes, with the flickering lights and the sound of heavy, mechanical breathing from around the corner. The ballerina silently gulped and pulled her head back in, closing the door as quietly as she could. 'Okay, calm down. Maybe this is like what happened last time. All's you have to do is figure out how to survive.' Ballora told herself. The thunder suddenly roared louder than it had before, a bright flash of lightning lighting up the room she was in. Ballora gasped in surprise, jumping and landing on her feet in another direction as she faced the sliding glass door. She drew in a sharp breath. Standing tall with his mask pressed against the door was another version of Puppet. This one looked more like a mutant, and had tentacles instead of two legs. His limbs were long and gnarled, like twisted branches from a dead tree. He was there for one second, then disappeared, sending shivers down Ballora's spine. She heard a deep laugh and turned around to look at the other door. Standing in the doorway was a burly rabbit with monstrous teeth. He laughed again at the terrified expression on her face. Ballora backed up a few steps, then was lifted off her feet by the puppet-like creature. He had appeared behind her and grabbed her by the arm with one hand. Ballora screamed, "No! Stop!"

The puppet kept her suspended in the air, tilting his head to look at her curiously. His neck made a cracking noise every time it moved, like it was broken. Ballora whimpered, "P-Please don't kill me!"

The puppet tilted his head back to its original position, never dropping his smile. He set her down on the ground and let her back up a few steps. Then a bright flash of white appeared and faded, and Ballora was gone again. The puppet looked at the rabbit in the doorway. "... I'll take care of things for you while you're away." The rabbit said, understanding his companion. The puppet nodded appreciatively, then disappeared as well.

}-----{

After getting zapped around a few more places (one with a weasel and a couple of other animals like squirrels and a badger, one where she was in an office with two vents on either side of her head, and one where she had to sit and survive terrifying animatronics in a child's room [and spotting the mutated puppet in every one of them as he watched her like a stalker]), Ballora came to in a rather odd looking office. In front of her was a monitor. To her left was another monitor and a poster with a pig on it. To her right was two open doorways. They looked like warehouse doors. Between those doors was a poster of a white rabbit with purple eyes. Ballora shivered and turned on the cameras and looked around. "A rabbit, a dog, a pig, a bull... is that a raccoon?" she mumbled to herself, "Why does this keep happening to me?"

The phone suddenly rang, startling her and making her yell.

"S==t, F===ing Damn it. Uh... hello? Uh, hi! Welcome back to Doug's and Rachel's... and... um... yeah." a man's voice came through, "The company didn't really want me to record any more phone calls after your first night. But I figured why not? After all, they don't monitor the calls after the first one so I'm safe to say whatever I want. Heh."

Ballora found it odd for an employee to say such a thing, but continued to listen. "Well, for starters, which I'm sure you know by now, the animatronics are REALLY jumpy." he continued, "Easiest way to say it is something like, preforming after hours, but with a bit more of a kick. They seem to actually move around and no one knows why... actually... one of the night guards started some investigating himself, which was probably the dumbest idea ever... poor kid."

"That's... something..." she mumbled. "It's safe to say that it didn't end particularly well... hah. Other than that, nothing really happened recently, although I really shouldn't say that yet. You're our 4th... er... 5th... 5th night guard right now... um... the others being in an unnatural state." Ballora looked at the phone with an uneased glance. Then she heard something move and jumped to look at the doors. She didn't see anything, but remained alert. 'Why am I calmer this time? Am I getting used to doing this?' she thought as the voice droned on,"One of them even stopped talking... and some sort of burgled communication problems... very strange."

At that moment, Ballora was grabbed from behind and pulled out of her chair. She was thrown backwards, down a narrow hallway that she hadn't even noticed was there. She hit the floor with aclangbefore rolling into a wall. She hit the hard surface with a deepclunkand gasped. Standing by the chair was a marionette. He was tall and thin, with long arms and a sharp look. His head was shaped like a skull, with sharp teeth in a wicked smile, and purple tears running down his face. He was black and white like Puppet, with the horizontal stripes on his arms and legs. He stopped smiling and looked at her thoughtfully, though it was still disturbing to her. The marionette creeped forward as Ballora looked to her right. There was a large music box shaped like a coffin that was once hidden behind a pair of curtains. 'That must be where he came from...' she concluded with dread. The marionette stalked closer to her, making the ballerina flinch and slam her eyes shut, covering her face with her arms to protect it. The marionette then stopped and stood over her, watching her carefully for a moment. Then he gently took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Ballora balances herself before nervously looking at the puppet. "There's no need to be afraid anymore," it said, "I won't harm you."

Ballora waited for a moment to be sure that she heard him correctly, then relaxed a little. "Y-You won't?" she asked warily. The marionette shook his head, "No, I won't."

Ballora felt like she could collapse in relief. Finally, someone who won't attack her! She almost felt like giving him a hug, but held the urge back and smiled. "Thank God, I finally meet someone who won't try to kill me." she told him half-jokingly. The marionette cracked a small smile, "I guess so."

His smile dropped and he tilted his head at her again. "Who are you?" he asked. The ballerina's smile faded into a soft one. "My name is Ballora. I'm a funtime animatronic from Circus Baby's Pizza World." Ballora told him. The marionette nodded at her. "Hello, Ballora. Welcome to Doug and Rachel's. My name is The Thing, but you may call me Thing." He introduced himself and the location, "May I ask why you're here?"

"I don't know why I'm here." she told him helplessly, "I got here by something I can't even begin to explain."

Thing looked at her strangely. "What happened?" he asked. "I'd rather not talk about it too much." Ballora shook her head. She glanced to her right again, then behind Thing. "What is it?" he asked her. Ballora hesitated for a moment. "There's something following me. I don't know who or what it is, but it's been watching me ever since I first met it." she admitted with a bit of fear, "I don't know what it wants from me..."

The Thing smiled calmly at her. "Don't worry," he said, "I won't let it hurt you. I can keep you safe."

Somehow his words both eased her and unsettled her. The last time she remembered hearing those words, someone lied to her and tried to control her. "T-Thank you." she said. Thing smiled wider, his pointed teeth making her shiver inside.

}-----{

Three more "days" pass by, and Ballora's still stuck in Doug and Rachel's. It was odd, since this was the longest she's been in one of the dimensions. "How am I still here?" She wondered. She thinks that maybe it was because she wasn't afraid. Even when Thing was attacking her at first, she felt more panic than fear. Every time she was teleported to another dimension, it was because she was overwhelmed with fear. Ballora started to panic just thinking about it and began humming a soft lullaby to calm herself. The Thing watched her from the shadows, being careful not to be seen. 'Such a beautiful tune... and her voice...' he admired her, 'Quite fitting for a lovely ballerina like her...'

The Thing curled his needle-like fingers inwards, like he was trying to grab something. 'If only... Maybe I could... No, it's too early... She'd never like me...' he argued with himself, feeling helpless, thus making him agitated. He sighed to himself. 'Well, it's now or never. If that really is Blue's powers that I sense on her, she'll be taken away at any moment.' he scolded himself. He ground his teeth together and flexed his fingers, then disappeared from the corner and reappeared in the hallway. He sighed and made sure that he looked presentable, then walked in as confidently as he could. "Hello, Ballora." Thing said with the nicest smile he could muster. Ballora stopped her humming and looked at him with surprise. "Oh! Good evening, Thing. How was your day?" she asked politely, a soft smile on her face. Thing instantly felt a hole poke through his confidence and suddenly became more shy. "My day was fine. How was yours?" he returned the question. Ballora let out a small sigh. "It could be better." she admitted. "What's wrong?" he asked, hoping it was something that he could fix for her. "It's... It's just that I miss my home..." the ballerina said quietly, "I miss my family and my friends, and I worry if they're okay..."

Thing put a hand behind Ballora's back and rubbed circles into the area between her shoulders in an attempt to be reassuring. "It's okay to miss your loved ones," he told her in a calm voice, "I understand that you feel lost without them."

Ballora nodded, hiding her unease. She felt that something was off with Thing today. He acted different... more collected... The Thing coughed a little awkwardly and put his hand down. "Ballora, I wanted to talk to you about something... important..." he requested. Ballora looked at him and nodded. "I don't know quite how to say this, I'm really new to this whole thing, but... I think I've developed feelings for you." Thing admitted to her. "I know that it's only been three days, but I wanted to tell you before I never got the chance to." he added, "You're a really nice person, with a beautiful voice and a good heart..."

Ballora's eyes softened as she looked at Thing. "Thank you, Thing. That was really nice you to say... but... I'm afraid that I can't love you back..." she told him, hesitating as she tried to find the right words to say. The Thing felt a little sad... but then something in him turned. "Is it because of the way I look?" he asked monotonously. Thing has been rejected before, anyone he admitted his feelings to made sure to blame it on how he looks. Ballora's eyes widened at the question. "What? N-No!" she tried to tell him. Thing began feeling frustrated and angry. "You're stuttering." he said, "You'relying."

Ballora quickly shook her head, "No! That's not it at all! Why would I-!"

"Because everyone else has!" he yelled, alarming her. Ballora took a step backwards. "Th-Thing..." she tried. "No! Don't try to reason with me! That's the only possible explanation!" he interrupted her. Ballora was going to keep trying to tell him why she was refusing, but froze quickly as she spotted something behind him. There, leaning into the doorway to watch, was the mutated marionette. His smile seemed more neutral as he tilted his head at the two. Ballora snapped her mouth shut, and began to get scared. Thing was yelling at her. The creature from before was here, still watching, still following. She's been gone for so long, and she might never get home by the look of things. She's doomed to never return.

"Why can't things just be easy in life?! Why do people have to beso-... SO-...!" Thing kept going grabbing his head. Ballora backed away as slow as she could. "Thing..." she whispered. Thing didn't hear her. "Th-Thing?..." she tried a little louder. "What?!" he yelled. "What could be so important that you reject me, too?! Is it my appearance?! Is it my emotions?! My teeth?! What's wrong?! Am I tooscaryfor you?!"

"I'm already in a relationship!" Ballora shouted. She immediately regretted it, as this apparently made the problem worse. "WHAT?!" The Thing screamed, outraged. This was becoming too much too quickly. The mutant puppet looked like he was about to come running at them. Ballora's fear started to overcome her. She whimpered and covered her head, curling into herself as a bright light filled the room. In a flash, she was gone. The mutant followed her immediately, not wanting to loose her trail. Thing began to calm down as he quickly realized what just happened to her. "DAMN IT!" he yelled. Rachel, as is summoned by his anger, walked into the room. "Thing?" she asked for his attention. The Thing turned around and glared at her. "What?" growled. Rachel realized how angry he was and tried making herself seem smaller. "N-Nevermind, it can wait..." she said quietly. The Thing took a deep breath and sighed. He stood up straight as another bright light filled the room. Appearing near him was the other puppets. The Puppet Master seemed to be the one guiding them. "Salutations." Thing said calmly. "Thing, there's not much time!" the Puppet Master started, "We're looking for an animatronic ballerina. Have you seen her?"

Rachel looked like she wanted to say something, but Thing held up a hand like "don't say anything". "What does she look like?" Thing asked. "Blue hair, pink eyes, blue top, pink tutu, lines on her body." Puppet described quickly. The thing looked cold and calculating, like he was thinking about something. "No, I haven't seen her. Why? Who is she?" he asked. Puppet looked upset. "She's my significant other. We've been looking for her for a while, because ofsomeone." Puppet said, looking at Blue for that last part. The Thing nodded. "I see." he told them, "Well then, if you think she's here, feel free to look around the place."

"Thank you." Puppet said. After the other puppets left to search the restaurant, Thing turned to Rachel and spoke quietly. "I'm going. I have more important things to do." he looked her in the eyes, "She wasn't here."

Rachel looked at Thing like he was nuts. "But... she's the Puppet Master's loved one... He's been looking for her..." she said sadly. Thing narrowed his eyes at her. "We had no visitors. Make sure the others know that before they can be asked." he told her, monotone again. And like that, Thing was gone, leaving a very disturbed Rachel behind.

}-----{

Ballora dug her hands into the dirt. She was in the woods now. Where exactly, she didn't know, but she was still shaken up from what just happened. The atmosphere was creating a pit of dread deep inside of her. 'Should I call out to see if someone's there? Should I stay quiet?' she wondered silently. In the distance, she could see a house on fire. "You're safe now, that's all that matters." a far-away voice repeated over and over, followed by a woman's scream. Ballora wanted to help her, but there was nothing she could do. The ballerina heard heavy breathing behind her and slowly turned around. There was nothing there. She turned her head a little to the side and saw the mutant Puppet. He wasn't close to her, just a building's length away as he hid his body behind a tree. Ballora felt unsettled. 'Should I just ask him what he wants from me?' she shivered. The heavy breathing returned from the direction of the house. Ballora turned around again and came face-to-face with a mangled bear animatronic with a hook for a hand. It looked at her curiously, like a toddler trying to understand something. The ballerina breathed out unsteadily, terrified. What should she do? Should she try talking to it? The animatronic leaned its head in closer and sniffed at her face and down her neck. Ballora's mechanical heart was hammering against the ribcage of her endoskeleton. 'I don't think this is right...' she worried. The mangled bear's head then sniffed over to her shoulder and along her right arm, finally stopping at her hand. It paused there for a few seconds...

Then the creature went back and chomped down on her forearm.

Ballora let out a pained shriek as its flat teeth almost crushed her arm. That's all the time the creature had to do something to her, as someone else grabbed both of them and tore it off of her. They gently set Ballora on the ground, then threw the abomination bear into a thick tree a good distance away. Ballora grabbed her arm and looked up, seeing the back of the mutated marionette. He slowly turned around and met eyes with her, then offered her a hand. Ballora was confused. Wasn't he going to kill her when she met him? Maybe that's why he let her go and was following her. Maybe he realized that she was an animatronic too and wanted to see why she was there. Ballora reached out to take his hand when she was suddenly teleported somewhere else. The puppet creature looked at the mangled bear one last time before following the ballerina again.

}-----{

Meanwhile, while the other puppets were searching Doug and Rachel's, Security Puppet and Nightmarionne spoke quietly to each other. "Did you notice that Thing was acting weird?" Security Puppet asked. Nightmarionne nodded, "What I'm more concerned about is... he said she wasn't here, but I smell the faintest scent of her fear..."

"That's because she was here."

Nightmarionne and Security Puppet looked at Rachel, as well as Blue, Vinnie, Phantom Puppet, and the Puppet Master himself. "What?" Puppet asked. "The ballerina- Ballora-... she was here..." Rachel said guiltily, "Thing didn't want us to tell you."

Puppet felt himself getting angry, but took deep breaths to calm himself down. "Why would he do that?" Security Puppet asked for his brother. The white rabbit shuffled her feet nervously. "I'm not sure, but... I think he might be in love with her..." she said nervously. "WHAT?!" Puppet hollered. "Figures." Vinnie commented. "Where is he?! I'm going to-!" Puppet yelled, only for Rachel to cut him off.

"He's gone. I think he's following her."

}-----{

Now she was in some weird, crazy-fun looking place. Ballora thought that it looked like a mall, but the entire thing was themed like a concert. Above her was a roof made of glass, which provided the only light she had. To her left was a huge, colorful stage. "Where am I now?" she voiced tiredly, holding onto her aching arm. "Where I can finally talk to you." Thing's voice said. Ballora turned on her heel looked at him, panicked. "I need to talk to you, it's very important." he said, walking towards her. Ballora became nervous and backed up slowly. "Isaidthat I needed to talk to you." The Thing growled. Ballora's hands began to shake. "Stay back, please." she requested as politely as she could. Thing narrowed his eyes at her. "Why should I? Are you afraid of me now?" he spat. Ballora didn't know how to answer. She shook and shuddered as he got closer. "P-Please, I just want-"

"Shut up!" he yelled, "I'm tired of this! I'm tired of being rejected over and over again just because of the way I look! I want you to feel this! Thispainthat I feel!"

Ballora has tears in the corners of her eyes. So far she's been taken to random places, attacked by random animatronics, nearly got killed by one or two of them, has at least one going crazy and threatening to hurt her. Ballora was tired- exhausted even. She just wanted to go home. She wasn't fearful; she was in despair. The Thing got even closer to her, continuing to raise his voice. "I can't help the way I look! I don't have a choice to be charming like Nightmarionne or attractive like the Puppet Master! I just wanted someone to finally love me back! Andyou," he hissed, "you are the last straw!"

"Th-Thing,please-" Ballora's tears slipped down her face. Thing took one last step towards her and raised his hand. His fingers extended themselves as they bent into claws. "I SAID SHUT UP!" he swung at her. Ballora slammed her eyes shut and flinched hard. There was loudBANGnear her ears and she whimpered loudly, however, she felt nothing. After a moment of dread, Ballora peeked one of her eyes open. Thing was frozen, staring at something begin him, his arm still raised. Ballora opened her other eye and looked behind herself.

Towering over the two of them was the mutated puppet again. His smile was as placid as ever. One of his arms was reaching out past Ballora, and as she looked, she realized that it was right next to her head. The big marionette blocked the hit, using his own arm as a shield. Ballora was surprised. This is twice in a row now that he's protected her from more harm. The puppet creature looked down at her, and his facial expression twisted into something else. Empathy. He reached his other arm out to her, like he was offering her a hug. "Come here, child." he spoke softly in a smooth voice, "It's okay, I promise. He won't hurt you while I'm here."

Ballora blinked once. Again, she was tired and deeply upset by everything that happened. Finally, at the first true sign of someone understanding how she feels, she took the offer. Ballora stepped closer to the big one, and he leaned over and gently wrapped his arms around her. He patted Ballora's back as she quietly cried into him. "Shhhhhh... There, there... You're going to be alright..." the nightmarish puppet said as gently as he could. He slowly pulled Ballora closer to him and looked at Thing, who was still staring in shock. "Thing," the mutated marionette said, his voice on the edge of anger as his smile flipped into a frown, "whathave you done?"

"I-"

"Don't try to defend yourself. I have seeneverything.I asked you a question, now answer it." the puppet demanded. Ballora could feel the tension in the air, but leaned more into the hug, feeling perfectly safe. "I... I don't have an excuse..." Thing answered, his posture going from tense to defeated, "I wasn't thinking straight..."

"Clearly." the bigger marionette said distastefully, "Are you proud of yourself? Of what you did?... You should feel ashamed of your actions. Not only have you tried to physically harm your potential sister-in-law, but you've also tried to get her to like you- even though youknewthat she was taken- which would have made her leave Puppet for you instead. You were nice to her at first, the snapped and tried to attack this young lady. You even lied to your siblings about where she was so you could follow her and try to persuade her again. Not only is that unacceptable, but it is a complete betrayal to your brother... I thought that I raised you better than this."

The puppet looked at Ballora, then at Thing again, "I amverydisappointed in you."

The Thing began to feel guilty and hung his head. "I... I'm sorry..." he whispered. "Tell that her." the bigger one said. Thing tried to meet Ballora's eyes, but the ballerina kept her head buried so that she wouldn't see him. "... I'm sorry, Ballora..." Thing apologized louder. "And do you mean it?" the mutation asked sternly. Thing silently nodded his head.

"Good."

Another bright flash of light appeared. Ballora held onto the bigger marionette tighter, fearing that she was going to be teleported again. When the light faded, Ballora looked around, and was relieved to see that she was still there. A few meters away stood the other puppets. "Ballora!" the Puppet Master hollered, immediately running over to her. The big marionette gently let Ballora go so that Puppet could hug her instead. "Puppet!" Ballora cried happily as they wrapped each other up in a tight hug. Ballora resisted the urge to kiss him. Puppet almost refused to let her go, only doing so when he finally realized that Thing was standing just a few feet away. "You!" Puppet yelled, practically stomping up to him. Thing flinched as Puppet's hand nearly smacked him. "Who the hell do you think you are, trying to take her from me!?" he screamed in Thing's face. Thing looked at Puppet, a regretful and shamed looked in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Puppet..." Thing whispered, then looked at the ground. Puppet wanted to keep yelling at him, but he knew Thing well enough to know when he truly meant an apology. Puppet let out an aggravated sigh, "... Never do that again."

Puppet turned back to Ballora and the big one. "I'm so sorry that this happen, Ballora." he apologized to her next. Ballora gave him a small smile. "I forgive you." she said, not even wanting to start an argument by saying "it's okay". Puppet then looked up at the mutated marionette and nodded at him, "Thank you for keeping her safe."

"Of course, Puppet." he replied. Ballora didn't know why, but she had a strange feeling that she knew who the bigger one was now. "Ballora, before we go home, I want you to meet my family..." Puppet told her, holding one of her hands and gesturing at everyone while he spoke. "That's Nightmarionne. Next to him are Security Puppet, Phantom Puppet, and Blue. Behind Blue is Vinnie and Lefty, Vinnie is also known as the Reverse Puppet. Also, Lefty looks like a bear on the outside, but he's actually a marionette on the inside. You've already met Thing, he's the oldest of me and my siblings." Puppet introduced them one by one, then he gestured at the bigger marionette with a small smile, "And this is Reaper Puppet, but we all call him 'Pop' because he's the one that raised us."

"Please, you can call me Reaper for short. You can call me anything you'd like." Reaper Puppet said with a happy smile. Ballora smiled back at him, genuinely happy now. "Everyone, this is Ballora, my girlfriend." Puppet finally introduced her to them.

}-----{

Back where it started, the marionette family and Ballora stayed and talked in the old building. Thing sincerely apologized to everyone for his behavior. He mainly stood in the corner for awhile until Nightmarionne challenged him to a spaghetti eating contest to cheer him up. Blue made sure to tell Ballora just how sorry he was about everything that happened and promised that it would never happen again. Lefty came over to her once to apologize about trying to kill her in the vents and Reaper told her that he was sorry about almost hurting her when they first met. Vinnie talked with Ballora for a long time, excited to finally have another girl to talk to besides Cindy. "Candy's pretty sorry about trying to bite you. He wanted me to tell you that whenever I could." she mentioned once. Ballora smiled at her and replied, "Can you tell him that I said it's okay?"

Vinnie nodded and they continued to chat away. When it was finally time to go, Ballora got a hug from almost everyone. Thing tried to keep his distance, but Ballora ended up going up to him and giving him a hug. He froze, but slowly returned the hug. "I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings, I should have mentioned something beforehand." Ballora apologized. Thing's eyes softened, "I'm sorry too. It was wrong to do what I did. I'm happy for you and my brother."

Reaper was the last one to leave them. "I can't tell you how excited I am that one of my children have finally found their other half." he said proudly, "Welcome to the family, Ballora. I promise, we'll make a better impression next time."

Ballora giggled quietly, "Thank you, I look forward to seeing you guys again."

After Puppet and Ballora finally got back to their pizzeria, her exhaustion finally made the ballerina give in. She collapsed into Puppet's side with a big yawn. Puppet chuckled and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style to the bedroom. He set her carefully on the bed and covered her with the comforter. He then got in on the other side and pulled his part of the comforter over. Ballora began to snore softly, making him chuckle again. 'Sleep well, Bal...'

Chapter 68: Max and Charlie (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Max and Charlie left the saferoom at seven in the morning. They figured that they'd give the adults time to do whatever it was they needed to do. The went to the Prize Corner first to see the Puppet Master. "Mister Puppet?" Charlie called, knocking on the side of his box. Puppet was instantly up, a big smile on his face. "Good morning, children. Did you sleep well?"

"Yep!" Charlie smiled back, Max nodding in agreement. "It was kinda hard to stay asleep with you guys walking around though." Max commented, "What were you doing all night?"

Puppet got a little nervous, but played it off like it was nothing. "We just have a very important job at night. We need our focus because there's a lot we all have to do. That's a why we ask that you two stay in the saferoom." he answered. "I'm sorry if the noise bothered you." he added apologetically. Max had a small smile on his face. "It's okay, we were just curious is all."

Puppet smiled and pointed at the ceiling in a "listen here" gesture. "I get it, but please understand that you must be careful with curiousity. Do you know the saying, 'curiosity killed the cat'?" he asked the children. Max nodded. "Good thing cats have nines lives!" Charlie laughed. Puppet chuckled, "Definitely."

"Knock knock, Pups." said a voice from behind the kids. Max and Charlie turned around, seeing a golden bear. "Oh, hey. Good morning." Puppet greeted him, "Max and Charlie, this is Golden Freddy. He's a good friend of mine."

"Hello, children." he smiled. "Hi!" Charlie said back. Max settled for waving at the bear. Golden Freddy smiled. "As Puppet said, my name is Golden Freddy. If you want to, you can call me Gold for short." Gold told them. Max smiled at the bear. "It's nice to meet you Gold. I'm Max, and this is my sister, Charlie." he introduced himself and Charlie politely. Gold nodded at them. After a little bit of conversation, the toys came in and snatched the kids away. "We're taking these now, there's nothing you can do about it!" Toy Chica called, making Max and Charlie giggled. Puppet and Gold cracked an amused smile and waved. When they disappeared, Gold turned to Puppet, "They're really sweet kids. I wonder who their parents are."

"Me too." Puppet replied. Gold gave Puppet a weird look. "What?" Puppet asked. Gold shook his head. "I thought that they were your kids at first. It's impossible not to notice how much Max looks like you." he told the marionette. Puppet scoffed. "Come on, Goldie, you know me. I don't want any type of relationship with anyone, let alone have my own offspring." he told Golden Freddy. Gold frowned, "That's actually a shame... I was hoping to become an uncle for a long while."

Puppet rolled his eyes, "I might change my mind later, but I still think that it's never going to happen."

}-----{

After a week of staying in the pizzeria, Max and Charlie got used to being there. Their room was now decorated to make it look more welcoming, they've officially met all the animatronics, and the animatronics have now secretly agreed to adopt the two. Max and Charlie both have been curious on why the adults are always walking around at night, but neither could actually muster up the courage to open the door and ask. This morning, at exactly six-thirty, the two races out of the room, laughing and giggling like they were playing a game of tag. They ran into the main stage room on their way to the prize corner, but stopped short when they noticed four empty crates in front of the stage. 'What's this?' Max asked. Charlie shook her head, 'I don't know, but where are the others?'

Max glanced around the area, realizing that his sister was right. Toys Bonnie and Chica and Freddy weren't on the stage, nor was Mangle in Kids Cove. Balloon Boy wasn't near the carousel, and the music box's lid was wide open, meaning that the Puppet Master wasn't in the prize corner. 'They're gone...'

There was a gasp in Charlie's thoughts. 'DO YOU THINK THEY'RE BEING SHIPPED SOMEWHERE?!' the child robot panicked. 'Calm down, Charlie. They would've taken us with them if that was happening. They're probably just in another room. Why don't we check the party rooms?' Max suggested. Charlie gasped again, 'You're a genius!'

Apparently Max hit the nail on the head. They found the other animatronics in the third party room. The adults were in a semicircle, where there were just enough of them to hide whatever they were looking at from the doorway. 'What's going on?' Charlie asked Max through the connection. Max quietly shrugged, 'I'm not sure. Do you want to stay and see, or should we go away and ask later?'

'I wanna see.' Charlie smiled. Max nodded. "Hey, guys. What's going on?" He asked, scaring a few of them. "Jeez!" Withered Bonnie exclaimed, startled as he put his hand up to his heart. Puppet turned around and addressed the children from his position. "Oh, Max and Charlie. You two are up early..." he said strangely. Max furrowed his brow. "What do you mean? We're always up by now!" Charlie voiced his thoughts. Max nodded in agreement. "I know but-" Puppet was interrupted by a softclick. Everyone turned around as the click was followed by whirring gears and a soft groan. "Where are we?" asked a tired voice. It sounded very familiar to the animatronic children. 'Did that sound like Aunt Baby to you?' Max asked Charlie. Charlie nodded while no one was looking. The Puppet Master and Golden Freddy stepped closer to the new voice. "Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria." Gold told them, "My name is Golden Freddy, and this is the Puppet Master, but you can call him 'Puppet' or 'Marionette' for short."

The new voice hesitated, "... Can I trust you?"

Puppet nodded quietly. Gold smiled reassuringly, "We are trustworthy, I promise. No one's going to harm you here."

There was another pause before she spoke again.

"The curtains are open. It's time to wake up..."

Three more clicks were heard and the sound of shifting metal alerted Max and Charlie that there were more animatronics. One by one, four tall animatronics stood up, making the gathered animatronics part a little bit to give them space. Standing a mere three meters away from Max and Charlie was the two's circus family. Their Aunt Baby, their Uncle Funtime Freddy and Uncle Funtime Foxy, and- most importantly- Ballora, their mother. Max and Charlie were thunderstruck. 'This is when Mom and Dad first met...' Charlie thought with wonder. 'Yeah...' Max agreed. Ballora felt their eyes on her and turned her head to meet their gaze. She smiled and waved a little as a friendly "hello". Max and Charlie waved back. Puppet, not yet knowing the animatronics, became overprotective in that moment and stood in front of the two to partially hide them. 'The hell was that for?!' Puppet internally scolded himself. "What an interesting band you have. What are your names?" he asked, clapping his hands together to cover what he just did. Ballora had a hint of sadness in her posture, but looked like she understood why he did that. "My name is Circus Baby." their aunt replied, "These are my friends; Funtime Foxy, Funtime Freddy, Bon Bon, and Ballora."

Puppet nodded as he listened. "Again," Gold said kindly, "welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. We look forward to working alongside you."

The circus animatronics smile at the golden bear, believing what he said. "Thank you." Ballora said. Circus Baby nodded, "I'm sure that our time together will be... quite interesting."

Max and Charlie looked at each other, 'Interesting indeed.'

Chapter 69: Competition

Chapter Text

It was no secret that the Puppet Master likes Ballora. Well, it was no secret to everyone but her because she can be really dense when it comes to that stuff, anyways. He'd always be around to cheer her up whenever things got hard, and he was able to make her laugh. A few of the other animatronics noticed right away that the two would be an adorable couple. There were others that quickly noticed his affection towards her and became jealous.

Nightmarionne always liked the sound of her music box, and wanted her so she can play it for him.

Music Man thinks that he and Ballora would be perfect together since they were both music spiders.

Nightmare Bonnie would run into her in the hallways every now and again. She was always nice and polite to him unlike the other nightmares, making him slowly fall for her.

Ennard personally didn't fancy Ballora, but he'd rather die than let anyone else have her. It was very contradicting, but he didn't care.

Springtrap and Afton constantly fight each other because they both believe that Ballora was their wife from when they were alive.

Puppet didn't know that he wasn't the only one trying to win Ballora's heart, but when he found out,boyhe was jealous! He tried to spend as much time with her as he could, but in the end Ballora would still talk to the other guys. Music Man often invited her into the roster room to do spider things- not in the weird way that some dirty-minded people think, but actually hang upside down from the ceiling and tell each other funny stories and jokes. Whenever Nightmarionne wasn't in the office, he would just suddenly appear in front of her and do goofy things to make her laugh and smile. Nightmare Bonnie, as classic and cheesy as it sounds, would give her little gifts and have nice conversations with her. He did small things here or there in hopes of her liking him back. Ennard, Springtrap, and Afton werebyfarthe worst about it- and the meanest. Ballora would literally be pulled into rooms or the vents just so she couldn't hang out with anyone else.

All of this made Puppet furious. How can those three be so rude and arrogant with her? Do they even care about her feelings? Why did Music Man and Nightmarionne even consider trying to make her fall for them? He didn't really question Nightmare Bonnie's reason since it was pretty valid, but he was still jealous. 'If it's a war they want, then it's a war they're going to get.' He narrowed his eyes as he watched Ballora and Music Man talking in the distance. Right before they went out of sight, Music Man looked at Puppet with the world's most smug smile.

That made his oil boil.

He was now in the most terrifyingly tense competition that the animatronics have ever seen. Even Ballora got scared sometimes, even though she didn't know why the guys were at each other's throats. Sometimes there would be physical fights between two or three of them, and the other animatronics would have to hide in the rooms to avoid becoming collateral damage. Tonight was one of those nights. Nightmare Bonnie always stayed out of the fights, but this time he was sort of forced to fight (*cough cough* someone uppercutted him *cough*). Nightmare Bonnie and Ennard were throwing hands by Funtime Foxy's stage. Springtrap and Afton both had fire axes and were swinging them at the Puppet Master like madmen. Puppet was using his strings to block the hits and deliver some of his own. An almighty crash came from nearby, where Music Man had just tried to crush Nightmarionne's head between his cymbals. Nightmarionne backed up with a ferocious snarl before lunging at the spider robot again. It was getting out of control. Ballora and Funtime Foxy were hiding inside the stage curtains (they were having a decent conversation when the fight started), both of them feeling dread. "What do you think's going on out there?" Funtime Foxy whispered. Ballora shook her head and whispered back, "I don't know... Why do they fight like this? It gets worse every time it happens!"

Funtime Foxy looked at her, genuinely surprised. "Have you really never noticed?" He asked her. "Notice what?" Ballora tilted her head. The funtime fox looked somewhat disturbed by what he was about to say next. "Okay, what I'm about to tell you, you didn't hear it from me." He whispered. Ballora listened as Funtime Foxy took a deep breath. "Ballora, they're fighting overyou."

Ballora looked at the fox, dumbfounded. "I'm sorry?" She asked, thinking that she misheard him. Funtime Foxy nodded. "I know it seems ridiculous, but it's the truth. They've been at each other's throatsmonthsbefore they started fighting." He told her. Ballora looked at the curtains, seemingly unable to full process this information, "Why would they fight overme?"

"Puppet Master and Nightmare Bonnie are genuinely in love with you, and Springtrap and Afton still think that you're their wife. I don't know why Ennard and Music Man are fighting, though. As for Nightmarionne, he has his own weird reasons." Funtime Foxy said with a frown. Ballora's facial expression went from shocked to angry. "So, they've been hurting each other and scaring everyone just because they all wanted me?" She hissed. Funtime Foxy immediately saw the storm that was brewing. "Ballora, don't try to stop them. You could get hurt." He said calmly. Ballora gave him a frustrated look, "And I'm supposed to justlet themkilleach other?"

"Well, no, but-!"

"I'm putting an end to this." The ballerina interrupted the fox, standing up and stomping over to the curtains. "Wait, Ballora! Don't go out there!" Funtime Foxy called as she walked off the stage. Nightmare Bonnie received another uppercut from Ennard and stumbled backwards, almost trampling Ballora. The ballerina jumped out of the way, only to accidentally body-slam Nightmarionne, who was practically doing the tango with Music Man. The nightmare puppet turned on his toes and swatted Ballora away, not even realizing that it was her until she staggered into Springtrap. Nightmarionne and Music Man were the only two who watched in shock as Springtrap swung his axe at Ballora. The blade hit her on the side of her face, breaking one of her faceplates. Ballora's hand went up to her face and she got knocked backwards again. Springtrap froze, realizing what he just did. Ballora removed her hand from her face. She looked at him,veryangry. "B-Ballora, sweetie, I'm sor-!" Springtrap tried to apologize. Ballora kicked him in the shin as hard as she could, making the rabbit grab his knee and scream like he was dying. Springtrap's agonized howls made the rest of the fighting animatronics stop.

Afton dropped his axe and backed away slowly, while Puppet stayed paused, his strings freezing with him. Nightmare Bonnie and Ennard both looked at each other, then back at the scene. Music Man just shook his head, while Nightmarionne kept his distance. "I'm sorry, Ballora. I didn't know it was you." The nightmare apologized. "And that's supposed to make me feel better?!" The ballerina stomped her foot, "You shouldn't be hittinganyone!You guys shouldn't even befighting!"

"But-!" Music Man tried to defend their actions, but received a glare that shut him up. "I don'tcarewhat you're fighting over! None of you even realize the damage you do to the others and this place! Last week, Scrap Baby nearly lost an arm trying to separate Ennard and Afton! The day after that, Nightmarionnewreckedthe entire office! This week alone, you've all have three fights! You've destroyed the roster room and the prize corner, as well as damaged some of your fellow animatronics who weren't involved in the fight!" She scolded them, making most of the males feel bad. Afton shuffled his feet awkwardly. Nightmare Bonnie scratched the back of his neck, almost ashamed. " All of you need to stop it,right now!" She continued to yell, "The damage your fights cause get progressively worse with each passing day! If you don't cut it out, this entire place will be destroyed!"

There was a minute of tense silence before the Puppet Master sighed deeply. "You're right, Ballora. What we did was unnecessary and inappropriate... I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused." He apologized. "... Yeah... I'm sorry too..." Nightmare Bonnie apologized as well. "I'm sorry..." Nightmarionne mumbled. One by one, they all said that they were sorry. Ballora, not being entirely satisfied by this, continued to chew them out some more before finally apologizing for kicking Springtrap and walking away. Things were definitely different around the place after that. While the guys wouldn't get into physical fights anymore, there would always be an uncomfortable amount of tension whenever two of them were in the same room. As a result, the other animatronics would bring Ballora to them so she could defuse the situation. Fired up or not, they would listen to her because she knew just the right words to say (mostly). Nightmare Bonnie and the Puppet Master were the ones to see her the most after that. Ennard has given up by now, and Music Man was starting to re-evaluate his choice of trying to be with Ballora. Nightmarionne was still trying, but not as bad as he was before. Springtrap and Afton, however, remained the same.

Currently, Ballora was with Puppet. The two were having a nice conversation for the first time in a while, since they used to get interrupted by one of the other guys barging in and riling up the marionette. Ballora laughed softly at a dopey joke he told her, making Puppet crack a smile. "See? I like this version of you better than the one I had to yell at." She told him with a smile, talking about what happened a little bit ago. Puppet's smile faltered. "Was I really actingthatdifferent?" he asked in an odd tone. Ballora's smile dropped, "It was like you were a completely different person. It... honestly scared me..."

Puppet leaned forward and gently hugged the ballerina. "I'm sorry... I promise that you won't see that again- at least not if something goes horribly wrong, with my luck..." he told her. Ballora hugged him back. "Thank you." She said, her smile returning, "I'm sure nothing can go seriously wrong; not while I'm here."

Puppet looked at her in confusion. He was about to ask her what she meant when Ballora suddenly kissed him. At that moment, Puppet's heart started to freak out, feeling warm and fuzzy and beating faster than it normally does. The marionette started to kiss back when the surprise wore off and his system finally processed what was happening. A minute must have passed by before he pulled away from her with a grin. "Does this mean you like me too?" He asked. Ballora gave him a sarcastic glare, "What else is it supposed to mean?"

Puppet's grin widened into an amused smile, then faded back into a worried and confused expression. "I'm not complaining, but... why me? I honestly thought that you'd choose Nightmare Bonnie..." he asked. Ballora's facial expression softened. "While Nightmare Bonnie is really sweet, I have a feeling that he'd be happier with someone else. Music Man isn't my type, though it's fun to hang out with him. Nightmarionne is pretty goofy and sweet like Nightmare Bonnie, but he's a bit too childish for me. As for Ennard, Springtrap, and Afton, those three are just a nope. Ennard doesn't really care, Springtrap's violent and rude, and Afton's a very toxic individual as it is." the ballerina explained, "You, however, I feel a real connection with. You make me smile and laugh. You're always there to make me happy when I'm feeling sad or hurt. You constantly check to make sure I'm okay, and we do talk a lot- not to mention that we both like music."

Puppet visibly relaxed. Hearing her say those words made him smile again. "Do you mean it?" he asked hopefully. Ballora reached up and pulled him into another kiss. "Of course I do. Have I ever lied to you?" she said quietly. Puppet smiled again and hugged her, "You have a good point... What do you want to do now?"

"Can we stay like this for a little bit?" Ballora asked. Puppet hummed, hugging her tighter.

Chapter 70: Accidents Happen (Part 2)

Chapter Text

After Nightmare broke the news to Ballora, the ballerina couldn't have felt worse. It was more out of guilt than anything. She just sat in her room and stared at the ceiling for hours after the black bear left. He made sure to give her a way to contact him in case something happens, telling her that the road ahead is going to be a very difficult one. Puppet paid her a visit the next day, explaining to her that yes, he was still angry, but that he didn't entirely blame her for what happened. He also made sure to tell her about how he was a nightmare animatronic and that only a selected few knew about his past, and he really pressed for her to keep it a secret. He didn't want a lot of the animatronics to know that he was literally a creature from their worst dreams. Ballora, of course, agreed to keep his secret. She apologized to him as much as she could, telling Puppet how she never meant for things to go so wrong. Puppet didn't say much on that part, but something told her how he really felt about all this. She wasn't sure what it was, but she could physicallyfeelhis emotions, even if they were the complete opposite of hers. At the end of their conversation- which had been cut short in all honesty- Puppet said that it would be better if they stayed away from each other from now on. That made Ballora's heart drop. She agreed to it, trying not to look upset. It must have worked since he didn't seem to notice. A few tears fell minutes after he left.

A couple of months go by, and most of the others have noticed how the two deliberately avoided interacting with one another. Things got awkward and maybe even tense whenever they were in the same room together. The funtime animatronics noticed quickly how Ballora acted different. She was more nervous and was less willing to help others now (due to it going wrong last time, unknowingly to them). Puppet started acting different too. He seemed to get angry more often over something. He would shoot death glares at the walls and floors when he remembers something he dislikes, as well as occasionally directing his glare at Ballora (but that rarely happened, and he usually did that unconsciously). Besides that, everything else continued to be normal. The animatronics still hung out with each other and had fun and throw parties. They all still laughed and danced to the music when they got into it. Everyone was having a blast.

And then some news came.

It wasn't good, but it did sound bad either.

When looking through the manager's desk, Fredbear and Springbonnie found an official paper stating that the circus animatronics would be moved to a newly built sister location. Right now, the two were briefing the funtimes on what was going on. "Does it say what the place is like?" Baby asked the golden robots with curiosity. Fredbear frowned. "It doesn't say much. The only noticeable thing is that the attraction is supposedly underground." He told them. Funtime Foxy tilted his head, "Underground? What on earth for?"

"Probably cheaper to have an underground establishment than a normal one. Either that or the company wants to try something new." Springbonnie answered. "It can't be so bad! It actually sounds pretty cool!" Funtime Freddy smiled happily, "I can't wait to see this place!"

"Me either!" Baby said excitedly. After her friends left the room, Fredbear and Springbonnie asked Ballora to stay for a few minutes. "Do you think that you and Puppet can handle being separated like this?" Springbonnie asked with concern, "We don't know if your guys' connection will tolerate the distance."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Ballora answered. 'He'd probably like having me away for a while.' She thought gloomily. Her chest ached constantly, feeling the anger and annoyance that Puppet had built up throughout the week. Sometimes the pain stabbed at her heart, making her want to to yell and cry. "Do you want to tell him ahead of time?" Fredbear asked. Ballora thought about it, then shook her head. "Why don't you tell him? He'll listen to you guys." She suggested. 'The last thing he wants is to talk to me.'

A week later, it was time to go. The circus animatronics were in the main stage room with everyone, saying their goodbyes. The other animatronics were going to miss their friends. "You four take care, alright?" Toy Freddy smiled at Circus Baby. Baby nodded her head happily, "Thank you, we will! I'm sure we'll love it where we're going. I betcha it'll be bright and super colorful!"

Meanwhile, Puppet and Ballora were having a private conversation in the corner of the room. "I know that things aren't good between us, but... I still want to say 'goodbye'." The ballerina told the marionette with a small, sad frown. Puppet sighed, "Yeah, that makes sense. Goodbye, Ballora. It was nice having you and the others here."

Ballora nodded, her heart slowly breaking. She could feel how relieved he was that she was leaving. 'He really does want me gone...' her heart broke. "Goodbye, Puppet. It... was good to be your friend." She said to him. 'I hope you're happy...' her mind whispered.

At the end of the night, the circus animatronics were packed into wooden crates. They were shipped to the new location the very next morning.

Chapter 71: One Week

Chapter Text

Sunday night, 10pm...

The Puppet Master gave a long, annoyed sigh. No matter how many times he tells the othersnotto attack the nightwatchman,they attack him or her anyways.Seriously, what will it take him to keep them away from the guard for justone night?Apparently a lot, because this was the third time he had to throw Withered Foxy back down the hallway that he leaped from.

"When will they ever listen?" Puppet muttered under his breath.

"Never, considering their listening skills." Said Shadow Bonnie, appearing beside him in all of his glory. Shadow Freddy appeared near Puppet's other side, "I can second that one."

Puppet gave them a small smile and chuckled, "Yeah, I suppose you're right about that. Thanks for helping me keep the guard alive, guys."

Both shadows simultaneously gave the Puppet Master a thumbs up from both hands, then disappeared. Puppet's smile was replaced by a rather bored look as he turned to go back to his room, where his music box was waiting. His new andimprovedmusic box, to be more precise. Though, the only improvement was that it was now pocket-sized, so he could now take it with him if he was going somewhere.

The music box was placed on the nightstand next to the Puppet Master's bed, it's soothing chimes being the one thing, possibly theonlything that would help him to fall asleep at night.

So it's no surprise that he was beyond furious when he came back to his room to find his music box on the floor, playingveryloud,verybroken notes. It sounded almost like a mix between Mangle's static and Chica when she's using pots and pans for her drum solos. Seeing as how he didn't want to suffer listening to a broken music box, he pulled out the small wind-up handle, stopping the sound from escaping. He huffed and put it back on the nightstand, muttering about it probably falling off from being too close to the ledge.

Great.

Fantastic.

WONDERFUL.

As he quietly voiced just how annoyed he was with the situation, he sat down on his bed and tried to sleep.

The next morning...

It was 8:31am, and almost all of the pizzeria's residents were in the dining area for breakfast. Toy Chica walked in with her head held high, and half of the animatronics in the room altered their demeanor. She sat down at her seat and looked at her plate, then scoffed and said, "Pizza,again?"

"Wow, how-." Circus Baby began, before being shushed by Withered Freddy. Withered Chica looked at her toy counterpart and said in a modest voice, "Cece, please understand that pizza doesn't last forever. The expiration date is coming up, so we need to eat as much pizza as we can before it goes bad."

Toy Chica scoffed again, brushing off what the older chicken had said. Some of the animatronics were shaking their heads and muttering under their breath, for they were getting tired of the way she behaves. Just then, the doors opened, and the Puppet Master walked- no,draggedhimself over to his seat beside Golden Freddy. Everyone watched in silence, except for Toy Chica, who started to make herself look prettier. Puppet plopped down in his seat and dropped his head onto the table.

"Good morning, Puppet~." Toy Chica said in a flirty voice. Puppet payed no mind to her tone and simply waved to the entire room while keeping his head down. Toy Chica "tsk"-ed and went back to improving her looks. Golden Freddy leaned down and asked, "Are you alright, Mare?"

"...I feel like death." Was the only reply he got. Golden Freddy frowned, then looked at the other animatronics and waved his hand dismissively, and the others went back to whatever they were doing prior. Gold patted Puppet's back with a smile, "Cheer up, old friend! Today's a sunny day!"

"...Whoop-... de heffin' do..."

"...Are you that tired?"

Puppet lifted his head up and looked Gold tiredly in the eyes, "What doyouthink?", before slamming his head back down on the table. The result of the impact was a loud noise that startled the remaining animatronics (Toy Chica, Withered Freddy, Balloon Boy, Mangle, Ballora, Baby, and Funtime Foxy) in the room, making them jump.

While Gold was talking to Puppet (who most likely wasn't listening), Mangle and Baby noticed Ballora giving the Puppet Master a worried look. Mangle reached over the table and put a hand on her shoulder, making the ballerina avert her gaze to the fox. "'You worried about him?" asked the toy fox. Ballora nodded.

"Do you like him?" Baby said to Ballora as the redhead casually slid over to the two animatronics, wiggling her eyebrows before laughing to herself. Ballora had a small blush on her face without knowing, "No, but I am concerned about him. He's never been this tired before..."

"And how would you know?" Baby said while wiggling her eyebrows again. Ballora tried to ignore the hilarious look Baby was giving her, as well as the daggers that Toy Chica was glaring at her[Yandere mode activated-]across the room.

"I don't," she said calmly. "I'm just saying that it's worrying."

"Yeah, because you-."

"Babs, stop teasing Bal." said Funtime Foxy sternly, looking up from the book he was reading, "You're making Cece more agitated, and the last thing we all want to hear is her voice when she rants at us."

Toy Chica slammed her hands down on the table, making everyone in the room (including Puppet and Gold) jump again. "Excuse me?" she screamed, "I beg you pardon,but my voice is BEAUTIFUL!"

"No it's not." Mangle grumbled under her breath. "Your voice is annoying." Said Circus Baby at the same time. "No it's not!" cried the chicken. She turned to Puppet and Gold (but mainly Puppet), "You won't get tired of my voice, will you?"

Puppet remained silent, pretending like he hadn't heard her due to how tired he was (which she totally fell for, because she stormed out of the room while glaring daggers at the others). Finally, when she was out of earshot, Puppet mumbled, "I did two years ago.", causing Ballora to giggle. Puppet looked at her and smiled, and she smiled back. Gold whispered something to Puppet and the two stood up and left the room.

Baby looked at Ballora, a mischievous smile that runs from ear to ear on her face, "You like him."

"So, what's got you so tired?" Asked Gold, to which the Puppet Master gave him a blank look. "Three words." He said, "Broken. Music. Box."

Golden Freddy nodded, "I see. No music, no sleep?"

"Not even an hour."

Gold gave him a look of 'oh yikes', then asked, "Can we fix it?"

"No... There are no spare parts for music boxes in this building." Puppet said in an irritated tone. Gold knew that it wasn't directed at him, but he also couldn't understand why people needed music boxes to sleep.

I mean, seriously, why is it so important? It almost sounds ridiculous because he's probably the only one here who needs it. Well, him, and then there's Ballora-.

Gold suddenly stopped, an idea hitting him.And then there's Ballora..., Gold's train of thought became derailed as Puppet stopped in front of him with a questioning look. "Are you alright? You just stopped." Asked his friend. Gold gave him a smile- not one of those "I'm all sunshine and rainbows and I can make anyone feel better smiles", it was one of those smiles that scream "you're gonna hate me but I'm doing this for you". "Oh no," Said Puppet. "No,no. I know that look, I don't like that look. Get rid of that look."

"What look?" Gold said in an almost smug tone.

"Thatlook." He said again, pointing at the bear's face. "The look you always give me before something crazy comes out of your mouth."

Gold chuckled, "Look, I think I have a solution to your problem."

Puppet raised an eyebrow[Does he even have eyebrows-?]at his friend, "Go on."

"Did you know," the bear started, "That you're not the only one who listens to a music box to fall asleep at night? Specifically, one that plays a lullaby, just like yours did?"

Puppet thought for a moment, "Too tired to recall, but I don't think I do. Where are you getting at?"

"What I'm saying is that if you ask that person if you can borrow her music box, she might say yes."

"She?" Puppet questioned. Gold nodded, "Ballora has a music box, not sure where she keeps it, but the others and I have heard her with it at night before. She's pretty good at understanding others, so chances are that she'll let you borrow it for the night. What do you say?"

Puppet thought for a moment, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You know what?" He said, "I'll do it."

"Wait, really?" Gold said, honestly surprised that his friend agreed. The Puppet Master nodded, "Really. I'm only doing this because there are no other options at the moment, and I don't want to stay up all night again. If just one sleepless night can do this to me, what do you think would happen if I went a wholeweekwithout sleep?"

Gold laughed him, "You would look horrifying."

Hours later, lunch time...

"Pizza, again?" Cece said in a snobby tone.

"Not this again." Funtime Foxy said to Lolbit, who nodded in agreement. "Toy Chica, we're not going over this with you again, now eat your pizza." said Withered Chica. She sighed and glared at her plate. Ennard and Toy Freddy just looked at one another and shook their heads in complete and utter disappointment.

Puppet and Gold entered the room unnoticed by the others this time, except for Cece, who noticed immediately[Because she's a th-]. And just like this morning, she tried making herself look prettier. Gold went on ahead and took his seat while Puppet scanned the room for Ballora, finally spotting her sitting next to Circus Baby and Mangle, in the same seats as this morning. He casually walked over to the girls, clearing his throat when he was directly behind them, catching their attention.

"Excuse me, but, Ballora, May I speak to you after lunch?" He asked politely. The ballerina smiled at him and nodded, "Certainly."

Puppet nodded back with a small smile, then walked away and took a seat near Gold. Baby coughed, and Ballora looked at her, the redhead had the most smug look on her face as she raised an eyebrow. "Are yousureabout you two beingjustfriends?"

Ballora rolled her eyes happily at Baby, smiling at her friend's consistency with her joke. "Yes Baby, I'm positive. We're just-." Ballora was abruptly silenced by a plate (with a slice of pizza on it) that had been thrown at her hitting her on the left side of the face. Now, keep in mind that these are heavy glass plates, therefore, they'regoing to hurt.The bluenette fell out of her seat with a pained scream, landing on the floor with a loud thud and startling others around her. Baby, Mangle, and Toy Bonnie helped her up off of the floor, Ballora covering her face with her hands as oil seeped through her fingers in small amounts.

The realization of what just happened caused everyone to stand up and rush around to find something to help the ballerina. Puppet and Gold were standing beside Circus Baby to check the damage that had been done. Ballora still had her hands on her face, refusing to put them down. "Bal, come on, we need to see if you're alright." Funtime Foxy said as he tried to pry her hands away by the forearms. Of course, he was unsuccessful, with a muffled whimper coming from the bluenette due to her aching face.

Puppet took a step forward and tapped on Foxy's shoulder, "Let me try." Funtime Foxy nodded and took a step back. Puppet walked in front of Ballora and gently held her wrists (but not attempting to take them off by force, as Foxy had done). "Ballora," he said in a soft and calm voice, "Please, let us help you. We just want to see if you need anything fixed. Please?"

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded and slowly took her hands off of her face. The others' (who were close enough to see her face) eyes widened. There was a large dent in Ballora's left cheek, as well as a crack where a human's cheekbone would be that was leaking oil in small amounts, and there was oil quickly coming out of her nose. She was crying of course, but looked more sad than anything. Puppet growled and addressed everyone in the room, "Who did this?"

Balloon Boy and Balloon Girl both stepped forward, "We think it was Cece." they said at the same time.

"You saw her throw the plate?"

"No, but we saw her run out of the room before everyone stood up." BB replied. Puppet glared at the doorway and thought,Gold and I will deal with her later.

Baby and Mangle sat Ballora down in a seat while Funtime Freddy fixed her face using some spare parts. When they were done most of the other animatronics left the room already to search for the chicken bitc- I mean, Toy Chica. Ballora gave everyone a small smile and said, "Thank you."

A simultaneous "You're welcome" sounded throughout the room before the others started leaving. Ballora got up to leave with the others when she remembered something. She looked around and saw Puppet talking to Gold before both went their separate ways, Puppet going by himself. Ballora followed him and tapped on his shoulder, "Puppet?"

The Puppet Master turned around, "Hm?"

Ballora smiled at him, "You said that you wanted to speak with me?"

"...Oh! Right- I, um," he interrupted himself with a false cough, "You see, I... My music box broke, and I need it to help me sleep, but Glod told me that you had one somewhere in your room. So, I was wondering if I could maybe borrow it until I get a new music box?"

Ballora's smile faltered and she had a light blush on her face. Marionette looked at her with slight confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Well...," She said, "You see... the thing is... my music box was built into me, so it's not exactly like I can lend it to others, no matter how much I wish I could... Sorry..."

He nodded in understanding, "Alright, thank you anyways, though."

Ballora turned around to leave when an idea struck Marionette. "Wait!" He called to her. She turned around and looked at him questioningly, "What is it?"

"I think I have an idea. It might sound weird, but hear me out." he said. Ballora tilted her head, "I'm listening."

"Maybe... if it's not to much trouble, perhaps you could stay in my room? I mean- just until I fall asleep or something, then you can leave."

Ballora considered his idea for a moment, having yet another unnoticed blush, then smiled, "Alright, starting tonight?"

"How about tomorrow night?"

"Are you sure? You looked pretty dead[You have no idea what you just said-]this morning when you walked into the dining room?"

Puppet hesitated for a moment, then smiled at her. "Yes," he said, "I'm sure."

They shook hands as Ballora smiled back at him. "Alright then," she said happily, "I'll see you tomorrow Puppet."

"See you tomorrow. Wait- what? But it's not even One O'clock yet?"

She shook her head, "I just want to lay down for awhile."

And with that, she left, heading towards her room as Puppet stared after her. He was slightly concerned, wondering if maybe some of the wires in her head had been damaged by the[FLYING SAUCER-]airborne plate. While lost in thought, he failed to notice that Gold walked up behind him. He also failed to notice how close the bear was getting.

The result?

Puppet Master had been jumpscared by his golden friend, jumping with a panicked expression before realizing who it was. "Fredbear-!"

"Howdy." Gold said with a smirk, not even dazed by the use of his old name, "How'd it go?"

"If you were watching the whole time like I think you were, then you know how it went."

"Yep. And I also saw that you and her were both blushing."

Puppet looked his friend in the eye, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"When someone likes another person," he said teasingly, "They blush when the other is around."

Puppet raised an eye, "And?"

Gold made eye contact with him, "Admit it bro,you like her."

"No, I don't."

"You're in denial."

"I am not! We're just friends, that's all."

The Puppet Master walked away with an irritated expression. "Besides," he grumbled, "Partners and relationships are complicated and can be quite the headache. I'm not interested in anything like that,whatsoever."

He disappeared around a corner of the hallway, leaving Gold to silently laugh to himself.Oh boy,the bear thought,He has no idea about what he just threw himself into.

Chapter 72: One Week (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Cece had eventually been found and dealt with, but because she's an animatronic like everyone else, there was nothing that they could really do to punish her for attacking Ballora with a plate[I mean, there's always the scooper-]. Nothing really happened after that, the rest of the day was kind of boring. Puppet Master had went to bed early in hopes of maybe getting some sleep, and he did. Though, it wasn't much because he actually passed out instead of sleeping, and had only been out for an hour, so when he woke up, he was just as tired as yesterday.

{Begin Day 1}

It was now early in the morning, and a few animatronics were already in the dining area setting up the tables and chairs, while a few others were in the kitchens helping to prepare breakfast. Withered Chica was putting two cheese pizzas and one pepperoni pizza in the oven, when (much to everyone's surprise) Cece walks into the kitchen. Toy Freddy (who was counting the plates and cups for each animatronic) walked up to her, "Uhm... Cece, what are you doing here? You're never up this early."

Toy Chica scoffed and retorted, "I'm supposed to help you guys in the kitchen for the next week as punishment for what happened yesterday."

"And you're really helping?"

"Of course! I don't want Puppet to be mad at me for not listening to him!" Cece said with genuine distress, causing everyone to roll their eyes. "Well," Withered Chica said, "I'll need help with taking the pizzas out of the oven?"

"Fine." Cece replied, waving her hand dismissively before walking over and taking two sausage-cheese pizzas and one sausage-pepperoni pizza out of the second oven.

Despite being such a snob, Cece (like all Chicas) is a surprisingly good cook.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pizzeria, the Puppet Master was walking through the halls looking for Golden Freddy. As he was passing the corridor with the Funtime animatronics' rooms, he saw Baby and Ballora heading towards the hall he was in (though they didn't notice him because they were talking to each other). Puppet stood up straight and smiled, waiting for them to notice that he's there.

"I still can't believe she threw a plate at you." Baby stated in an agitated tone.

"Oh, well, just forgive and forget, right? It's always- Oh, good morning Puppet." Ballora interrupted herself with a smile, Circus Baby greeting him as well.

"Good morning to you girls as well." He nodded politely.

"We were heading to the dining hall, would you like to join us?" Ballora asked. Puppet smiled again, "Yes. Thank you."

I can talk to Gold later, he thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Baby wiggling her eyebrows with a smug smile on her face at Ballora, and had to keep himself from chuckling at the ballerina's facial expression.Those two can be hilarious sometimes, his train of thought faltered as he remembered the face Gold had made yesterday. It was the same face that Circus Baby was making now.

Wait...

Oh Dear God...

Once they arrived at the dining area, Baby went to the kitchen while Ballora helped Funtime Foxy, the Balloon Duo, Mangle, and Bonnie set up the tables and chairs. Puppet saw Gold walking- no, more like sneaking out of the kitchen with two slices of cheese pizza in his hands. He sighed at the bear's behavior, then strolled over to him and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, Gold," he said with a joking smile, "Mind sharing?"

Gold flinched in surprise, then looked at his friend with a grin before handing him a slice of pizza.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

The Puppet Master chuckled and took a bite of the pizza. Then Gold looked him dead in the eye. "Seriously, don't mention it." He said, "If Withered Chica found out that I snuck out some pizza, she'll have someone hit me over the head with a frying pan."

Puppet laughed as he finished off the pizza slice, "Now, that would be bad, wouldn't it?"

Before Gold could respond, Funtime Foxy cleared his throat to announce his arrival. "I'm sorry to interrupt... whatever it is you're doing," the fox said, his voice quiet and booming at the same time, "But it appears that the nightguard has had... an unfortunateaccidentlast night."

Then, catching the deeply angered look on Puppet Master's face, he hastily added, "But fear not, he is still alive. It wasn't caused by an animatronic, he simply fell off of a ladder when working on the stage lights. Lolbit took him to the restaurant's first aid station, but we thought that you both should know immediately as to make sure there is no more..." The fox's gaze lingered on Puppet for a second, "...accidents."

Puppet's face visibly relaxed and he nodded thoughtfully towards Funtime Foxy, "Thank you, Foxy. Is there anything else?"

"Oh, yes. Cece somehow managed to catch herself on fire in the kitchen, we don't know what caused it yet."

Gold had a startled face, while Puppet's face remained relaxed, "So, nothing important was damaged?"

Gold looked at Puppet with an 'I thought you were a pacifist'face. Puppet chuckled, "Oh come on, Gold, you know I'm kidding."Mostly, muttered the darker part of his mind.

"Gentlemen, I was just kidding." the fox pointed out. "That was actually kind of funny." Gold commented. Puppet, being so tired as to not be able to stay standing at the moment, walked over to his seat and sat down, resting his head on his arms as he slouched over the table. Funtime Foxy cast a look of concern at Gold, "It's only night two without sleep, and it's already getting to him... I hope you have a solution to this, tiredness can affect one's judgement."

"And?" Gold inquired. Funtime Foxy shook his head, "Need I remind you of the last time someone killed one of the nightguards?"

Gold shivered as he remembered the sight of Springtrap getting his arm ripped off[Springtrap - One Arm = Afton], "Well, luckily, we do have a solution. And it starts tonight."

The fox nodded and walked to his seat, and Gold looked around realizing that most of the animatronics were sitting at the tables now. He sighed and walked back to his seat.

[Timeskip, 2:30 PM]

"Heck." Lolbit shouted angrily as she stubbed her toe, all but one of the five animatronics that were with her laughed. Baby, Mangle, Gold, and Withered Freddy were helping Lolbit move a few crates into another storage room, Funtime Foxy (the one who didn't laugh) was directing them to Warehouse 2a using the book of the pizzeria's blueprints.

This place is seriously enormous.

"Oh," said the vixen in mock betrayal, "I help y'all live by blessing you with my cheesy jokes, and this is the thanks I get? I see how it is."

"Actually, knowing you it wouldactuallybe considered as an 'un-blessing'." Baby commented, and Mangle (seeing the opportunity to make a joke) said, "Hail Satan."

Funtime Foxy pinched the bridge of his nose while Withered Freddy shook his head, both highly disappointed in the animatronics around them. The another voice chimes in from out of nowhere, "I swear to the Lord, I will burn you at the stake once I've drowned you in holy water."

The Puppet Master walked into view from one of the side corridors, startling all but Foxy and Gold. "Howdy partner." Lolbit greeted.

"Howdy."

"What are you doing over here?" asked Gold.

"Nothing, really. Just looking for someone."

Baby and Gold looked at each other, as if communicating through an unspoken language, before both looked at Puppet with smug expressions. "Seriously?" He said, "Again with the faces? What is your guys' deal?"

Before either could respond, an irritated squaking sound reached their ears, "Where is he?"

Puppet looked frightened and glanced at Golden Freddy. Golden Freddy got the message, turning over the big crate that he and Withered Freddy were carrying and letting the silverware inside clatter to the floor. As everyone heard quick stomping, Puppet leaped into the crate and Gold and Withered Freddy held it up high again. Then, as if on que, Cece rounded the corner[*A wild Cece has appeared*]with a glare.

"Have you guys seen Mare?" She demanded.

"Nah my dude," Lolbit replied, "But I thought that I heard something about him going into the old pizza oven to repair it."

Cece nodded a thanks before wheeling around and running towards the direction of the kitchen. Lolbit managed to smother her laugh, "Holy Fu-." Foxy glared at her, "...-udge, is she seriously going to climb into that pizza oven?"

Puppet peeked out from the crate, "I take it she's gone?"

"Yep." said Baby. Mangled then held a hand in the air, "Wait, guys... didn't we already repair the oven?..."

Lolbit stood with her mouth open for a moment, then dropped her crate and ran after Cece.

[Timeskip, 8:39 PM]

"Are you sure you don't mind being here?" Puppet asked Ballora, who nodded her head. They were in the doorway to Puppet's room, Puppet stepping aside to invite her in.

"I don't mind at all. It was either this or waiting for your music box to get fixed, whenever that'll be."

Puppet smiled at her, "Thank you."

"Anytime." she replied. Ballora glanced around the room, trying to familiarize herself with it. The bed was in the far left corner with a nightstand beside it that displayed the broken music box Puppet owned, there were two dressers in the room, and a desk (it was cleared off) that was put at the center of the right wall from the doorway. She looked at Puppet and smiled again, "Your room seems a bit empty, it's kind of sad."

Puppet chuckled, "I know, depressing, isn't it? Most of the stuff in here is for decoration anyways."

He walked over to the dresser and pulled out a spare blanket, "Here, take this."

He tossed it in her direction and the ballerina nearly missed catching it. She inspected the dark red blanket, then asked, "What for?"

"I've been told by others- mainly Gold- it gets cold in here at night, so I figured you might need it."

"Oh, thank you." She smiled again.

"What is with you and smiling so much?" Puppet asked, genuinely curious. "It is physically impossible for someone to be that happy all the time."

Ballora shrugged her shoulders and sat down at the desk, wrapping the blanket around herself. Puppet dimmed the lighting and sat down on his bed, "I'm sorry, this is probably really awkward for you."

Ballora smiledagain, "A little, but it doesn't bother me that much. You're my friend, and I want to help you. Even if it means being here all night."

Puppet smiled back, "Thanks Ballora, but you really don't have to stay all night, you can leave if you want to."

Ballora nodded in acknowledgment, then rested her head on her arms and began playing her music box. It took a bit over an hour, but eventually, they both fell asleep.

Chapter 73: One Week (Part 3)

Chapter Text

Puppet woke up feeling very refreshed that morning. He yawned and stretched as far as his limbs would go, then sat up and cracked his back. He looked over to the desk, taking notice that Ballora was still asleep and snoring softly. The ballerina was in the same position from last night, with her head in her arms laying on the desk. Puppet smiled and got out of his bed. He quietly made his bed before silently writing a note for her and leaving the room. He made sure to add in a "thank you" or two to express how grateful he was for her help.

When Puppet arrived at the dining area, he took his seat next to Gold and started eating the hot slice of pizza that was already on his plate. "You look good." Gold commented, "Feeling better?"

"Much better, thank you. Ballora's music box is quite soothing." he replied. The golden bear smiled at his friend, "Did you remember to thank her?"

"Of course I did. I also left her a note for when she wakes up." Puppet waved Gold's concern off. Gold raised a brow. "Kinda rude to just leave a girl like that. You should be there to thank her in person." He told the marionette. "Nothing I do satisfies you anymore?" Puppet frowned. Gold shook his head, "It's not that, I just think that she deserves a better 'thank you'."

"Fine," the marionette sighed, "I'll thank her again tonight."

"Why not when she gets here?"

Puppet looked Gold dead in the eyes, "Do you know how many animatronics will get the wrong idea if they hear that she slept in my room last night?"

"... Fair point..." Golden Freddy muttered awkwardly, looking forward again.

}—————{

Later on, Puppet decided to go see if Ballora was awake yet. He was on his way to his room when he got cornered by a certain toy chicken. "So, how was your breakfast?" Toy Chica chirped from beside Puppet. Puppet hid his annoyance and smiled. "It was delicious, thank you." He told her. Toy Chica grinned and skipped away, a smug aura all over her. "Wh()re." Puppet grumbled. "That's not appropriate language for a pizzeria animatronic." Ballora giggled from behind him. Puppet jumped like a cat, throwing a hand over his chest. "Sweet Jesus, you startled me." He chuckled. Ballora giggles again, "Sorry."

"It's alright." He assured her, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"It was alright." Ballora shrugged, "It wasn't exactly comfortable, but it's nothing, really."

'Uncomfortable?... Gotta fix that soon, then.' the marionette smiled at her. "I'm sorry about that. I promise I'll find a way to fix it." He told her, smiling softly. Ballora smiled back, "Thank you, Puppet. I appreciate that."

"No, thankyou.I appreciate what you're doing for me, and I pretty much owe you for every night that you do this." Puppet said. Ballora look a little surprised, "You don't have to owe me anything; I'm glad to help you."

"But I insist! Perhaps I could do you favors." he said. Ballora smiled softly. "Well, if you really insist... I need help finding the Minireenas..." she tapped her pointer fingers together nervously. Puppet raised a brow. "The mini-who-whats?" he asked. "The Minireenas." Ballora explained, "They're like my children. They usually hid in the vents and stuff because they can be pretty shy, so I'm not surprised that you don't know about them."

"Oh... Okay. I'll help you look for them, then." Puppet said. Ballora let out a breath of relief, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. What do they look like?" Puppet asked. "... Oh, right! There's five of them." Ballora answered, "They're small and thin. They kind of look like you, expect they're tan and white with little white tutus."

"Alright then. You said that they might be in the vents?"

"Correct."

Puppet smiled at the ballerina. "Okay then, I'm off to find them. See you then!" he waved at her as he turned and left. Ballora waved back. Puppet continued on his merry way, deciding to go to check on the guard first. He arrived at the office and smiled at him. "Hey, Jeremy!" Puppet said. "Oh, hey..." Jeremy greeted him. Despite Puppet being the animatronic who protected him while the shadows weren't around, Jeremy still felt uneased being near him. "Don't worry, I'm just checking on you. I heard you fell off of a ladder yesterday." Puppet told him. Jeremy nodded, "Yeah, it was kind of embarrassing. The orange funtime fox said that I didn't break or twist anything, luckily."

"That was Lolbit. She normally tends to wounds, so I trust her." the Puppet Master nodded back, "I have a question for you, too. Could you check the vent cams for me?"

"Sure." Jeremy said, flipping up the tablet screen. He checked the rough the different ventilation shafts and frowned. "Are you looking for the ballerina's little devil children?" the guard asked jokingly. Puppet chuckled, "I'm pretty sure. You found them?"

Jeremy hummed, "They're sleeping— I think— in the vent by the parts and services room. You should be able to reach in and pull them out."

"Alright. Thank you Jeremy." Pupper waved time him and left. "You're welcome." Jeremy called down the hallway. True to what Jeremy said, Puppet found them and pulled them out of the vents, one by one. The five little animatronics clung to him in their sleep, each of them giving a little yawn or a snore every now and then. They were so tiny and adorable, making Puppet smile softly at them. 'When Ballora said they kind of look like me, I didn't expect them toactuallylook like me.' he thought with a bit of surprise. Puppet carried them over to Ballora's room and knocked quietly on the door. Ballora opened it and smiled at him, hiding her surprise. "That was fast." she whispered. Puppet nodded, "I had some help."

Ballora nodded back and opened the door wider for him to come in. Puppet stepped inside and she closed the door behind him. The ballerina gestured over to her bed. "You can set them down over there." she whispered. Puppet nodded again and gently placed the little dolls on Ballora's bed. They shifted and squirmed a little, but other than that the Minireenas stayed asleep. "Thank you so much, Puppet." Ballora thanked him. "You're welcome." Puppet smiled at her. He turned his attention back to the Minireenas. They were quite adorable. He became curious about them and decided to ask Ballora more questions. The two proceeded to whisper and talk to each other about the Minis for a while then, being careful not to wake the little ones up.

}—————{

Later on it was lunch time. Ballora took her normal seat next to Circus Baby. "So, what'd I miss this morning?" she asked the redhead. "Nothing much. Where were you this morning?" Baby asked back. "Asleep." Ballora answered shortly, avoiding the dirty joke she sensed coming from her friend. Circus Baby made a huffing sound, "Damn."

Mangle smiled at the two. "Well played." the fox commented. "Thank you." the ballerina replied. Ballora snuck a glance up at Puppet. He was smiling and talking to Gold and Toy Freddy as if he was at peace with the world. Ballora smiled too. She really was glad to help him. The marionette was such a kind and caring individual. He was so nice (and the mother side of her was definitely into how he cared for the Minireenas, even if it was just the tiniest bit). She was happy to have him as a good friend. "You're staring." Baby smirked. Ballora blinked and looked at her, "What?"

"You're staring." she repeated. "I was thinking about something." Ballora explained. Baby's smirk turned into a grin. "You were staring and smiling at Puppet." the smaller clown rubbed in. Ballora rolled her eyes jokingly, "Whatever, Liz."

Circus Baby wanted to tease her friend more, but decided against it because it'll get old if she does it too much. Across the room, Toy Chica was glaring at Ballora, irritated. There's no way that Mare would choose that ballerina over her, right? Right?! Right. 'So I shouldn't be so worked up... yet...' the chicken internally growled. She stopped glaring and looked up at Puppet. He had sat down and began eating his pizza. 'I should come up with a way to talk to him and tell him before she eventriesto take him from me.' she decided. Toy Chica put her plate away, having scarfed down her pizza already, and walked out of the cafeteria. Withered Bonnie followed her out with his eyes. "Has anyone else noticed that Cece's been acting jealous of Ballora?" he turned and asked his fellow withereds. Withered Freddy and Withered Chica both nodded. "As if the flying plate wasn't enough of a hint." Withered Freddy deadpanned. "What could she be so jealous about?" Withered Bonnie asked another question. Withered Chica shook her head, "She's in love with Puppet. My best guess is that she thinks Puppet likes Ballora more than her."

"I mean... the lass ain't wrong..." Withered Foxy pointed out. "Very true." Withered Chica nodded at the pirate fox. "Did you see Puppet with the Minireenas earlier?" Withered Bonnie asked, suddenly remembering it. Puppet hadn't known, but Withered Bonnie was in the parts and services room earlier when he got the Minis. The other withereds shook their heads. "He was very careful and gentle with them. He had to get them out of the vents while they were asleep. It was quite adorable." Withered Bonnie vaguely described what he saw. "I guess looking out for us made him into a father figure of sorts." Withered Freddy suggested, "Maybe because they look like him, he instantly felt like there was a connection between them?"

"That has to be it," Withered Chica agreed, "Puppet's not usually like that now-a-days, and he's never met the Minireenas before."

"That be a valid point." Withered Foxy agreed, too, "The Puppet Master may like the lass more than we think."

"Don't tell me you're on the shipping train too." Withered Freddy asked. Withered Foxy was about to say something in his defense when Lolbit came up behind him and hooked an arm around his neck. "He sure as hell is." the vixen grinned, "Babs and Gold aren't the only ones who see the chemistry between them."

"Good afternoon, Lolbit." Withered Freddy greeted her, Withered Bonnie and Withered Chica nodding in a "what he said" gesture. "Good afternoon, Fred Man." Lolbit greeted back. "As for the train, we have our own reasons for shipping them. Ever notice how they both like music boxes and how they always smile and blush at each other?" she asked. Withered Bonnie nodded. "Yes, but that might not mean anything." Withered Freddy said. "Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. We won't know until the ship has sailed." Lolbit shrugged. "He doesn't even know hew that well, though." Withered Chica said. Lolbit frowned. "True, but that doesn't mean anything." the funtime vixen used Withered Freddy's words. "Maybe that's why it makes more sense why he won't like Cece like that, though." Withered Bonnie suggested, "The Puppet Master technically raised us all, save for the circus animatronics. Maybe he sees us all like children?"

"That also be a valid point." Withered Foxy spoke up. While the five continued to debate the topic, Puppet and Gold had their conversation. "So, I heard you helped Ballora find the Minireenas?" Gold brought up. The marionette looked at the golden bear dangerously. "Stop it." he said. Gold raised his hands in the air. "C'mon, Pups, I'm just messing with you." he chuckled. "That doesn't excuse what you're implying." Puppet said annoyedly. Gold sighed. "Y'know... It wouldn't hurt to get to know her more, at least." the bear suggested, then continued before Puppet could say something. "The galisgoing to be sleeping in your room for a while. Especially since there's no progress in fixing your music box so far." he pointed out. Puppet closed his mouth and thought about it for a moment. "... Fine." he huffed, "But if you dare think of it as something else even for amoment, I will make you regret it."

"Fair enough." Gold smiled.

}—————{

"What are we doing again?" Ballora asked curiously. Puppet had brought her back to his room for the night. They decided to treat this more as a slumber party now, apparently. "Just telling each other stuff, I guess. I wanted us to know more about each other. Maybe then it'll be less awkward..." Puppet answered. Ballora nodded. The two sat down in the floor, facing each other. Ballora was wrapped in the same blanket from last night, finding it very comfortable. "What do we start with?" Ballora asked. Puppet hummed in thought, tapping one of his sharp fingers on the floor. "... How about we start with what we like and dislike?" the marionette suggested. Ballora nodded her head again. "That sounds like a good start." she agreed. "Okay then. I'll go first, since I dragged you into this." Puppet declared, sitting up straight. Ballora leaned forward a little, giving him her undivided attention. "I like music and I love to see children happy. I also like that almost everyone gets along with each other and that some of you even help me keep the nightguard safe." Puppet told her, struggling to put his words together, "What I dislike is when one of us gets hurt, whether it be from an outsider or one of our one. I don't like that my music box is broken, and that most of the others try to kill Jeremy. "

Ballora looked a little confused, but smiled at him and said, "I guess you really are a pacifist."

Puppet smiled back at her, deciding not to tell her the full truth. "What about you?" he asked Ballora. The ballerina nodded in response. "I enjoy singing and dancing, and I love my Minireenas. I like it when everything's good and there's nothing to worry about." she told him, "I don't like it when someone gets hurt or fights, and I dislike that I'm paranoid over the Minireenas' safety."

Puppet tilted his head at her. "You don't strike me as paranoid." he stated curiously. Ballora nodded, "I try not to be. They're small, but they can put up a good fight on their own. I know that they'll be fine, but the mother in me always worries."

Puppet nodded his head once to show that he understood her. Ballora tapped her nails on the floor as she thought about more. "... I like having fun. I really like it when I see others caring for the Minireenas... I... I hate the place that the circus came from." she admitted. Puppet frowned, "Hate's a strong word."

Ballora stopped tapping her nails, sat up straight, and looked him in the eyes. "I hated it there." she said monotonously. Something unspoken went through their eyes, letting Puppet know that she didn't want to talk about it. Puppet nodded at her with a neutral face, "Alright... what next?"

Ballora remained quiet. "... How about you tell me more about the Minireenas?" Puppet asked. That made Ballora smile again. "Really?" she asked. Puppet nodded, "I'd like to know them better."

Ballora relaxed again. "They're normally very well behaved." she said, "but they can be little monsters when they want to. Remember when Toy Freddy woke up with children's drawings all over him?"

"That was them?" Puppet chuckled at the memory. "That was them." Ballora confirmed. The two talked about the Minis for what seemed like an hour. "I'm sure they'd like you a lot." Ballora told him, "I can just tell that you'd have a good bond with them."

Puppet smiled at that. He looked at the clock in his room. "Oh, we should probably get to bed. It's almost one in the morning." Puppet suggested. "You're right." Ballora said with a yawn. Puppet got up and cracked his back, startling the ballerina. "What?" he asked. "Nothing, I just... didn't expect to hear that sound coming from you." she responded. "Makes sense." Puppet nodded. He helped her off the floor and smiled at her, "Thank you again for helping me. I really appreciate it."

"It's not a problem." Ballora smiled back, wrapped up in the red blanket. Puppet looked thoughtful for a moment as he glanced at the desk. "... Why don't you take my bed for tonight?" he asked, "I can try sleeping at the desk?"

"Are you sure?" Ballora asked. Puppet nodded again. "As long as I have music, I'm comfortable enough to sleep. And besides, you're technically my guest. I should've given you the bed last night, now that I think about it." he told her. Ballora blinked at him. "Alright. If you insist." she gave him a small smile, "I appreciate your offer."

And so they swapped places. Puppet took one of his pillows. sat down in the chair, and rested his head on the pillow on the desk. Ballora laid down comfortably in Puppet's bed, instantly sinking into the plush mattress. 'Oh my. His bed isreallysoft.' Ballora thought in somewhat amazement. "You like it?" Puppet asked. "Mhm." Ballora hummed with a smile, "This feels so nice..."

"Good." Puppet relaxed. Ballora relaxed too and played her music box for him. The melody was soft and calming. It was such a relaxing lullaby. Puppet felt his eyelids get heavy. "Goodnight, Ballora..." he mumbled. "Goodnight, Puppet Master..." Ballora replied.

Chapter 74: These Bad Jokes Are Getting Worse!!

Chapter Text

Lefte: "You can't resist me!"

Happy: "I've seen turds that look better than you."

}-----{

Elizabeth: "Mom, can we get pizza from Freddy's?"

Mrs. Afton: "We have food at home."

The Food at Home:

}-----{

William (as Springtrap): "You may not recognize me at first, but I assure you, it's still me."

Micheal: "Yeah, Dad, I remember your f===ing fursona."

}-----{

Circus Baby: "Everyone please stay in your seats. The show will begin momentarily."

Child: (*Stands up*)

Circus Baby: (*Pulls out a glock*) "I said stay!"

}-----{

Rockstar Freddy: "Please deposit five coins."

William: (*ignores*)

Rockstar Freddy: "Please deposit five coins."

William: (*Flips up tablet*)

Rockstar Freddy: (*Rips tablet out of William's hands*) "PAY YOUR F===ING TAXES WILL."

}-----{

[Puppet Master has started a group chat!]

Puppet Master:

Puppet Master:Someone's going to die again.

}-----{

Ballora: (*smells the air*) "Is something burning?"

Puppet: "Only my burning passion for you~."

Springtrap: (*literally on fire*) "HELP ME!"

}-----{

Golden Freddy: (*smiles and waves*) "Morning, Puppet!"

Puppet: (*monotone*) "Morning, Goldie."

Golden Freddy: (*pauses*) "Um... Puppet,... what's that?"

Puppet: (*pouring bleach into a bowl of Cheerios*) "My breakfast."

}-----{

Springtrap: "Like father, like son."

Micheal: "I think the f=== not."

}-----{

Everyone @ William's Shady A==: "DON'T TOUCH DA CHILD!"

(*slapping intensifies*)

}-----{

Rockstar Freddy: "Tax evasion." 👏👏👏

}-----{

Pig Patch: "This ham is delicious."

Nedd Bear: "But... it's ham..."

Pig Patch: "Yeah?"

Nedd Bear: "Y-You're apig."

Pig Patch: "That appears correct."

Nedd Bear: "You're eating apig!"

Pig Patch: "So?"

Nedd Bear: "..."

Nedd Bear: "You know what, forget about it."

}-----{

Balloon Boy: (*laughs*)

Jeremy: (*punts BB like a football*)

Jeremy: (*le tear*) "It hurts so much but it's so damn worth it-."

}-----{

Ballora, Mangle, and Music Man: (*creates spider cult*)

Phantom Mangle and Nightmare Mangle: "What are we; chopped liver?"

}-----{

Puppet: " Vibe check." (*snaps fingers*)

William inside the Springbonnie suit: "Wha-" (*gets springlocked*)

}-----{

Minireena 1: "CAN Y'ALL STOP?! WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC!"

Legit Everyone: "What pandemic?"

Karen: "IT'S NOT REAL! THE MASKS ARE MIND CONTROL DEVICES!"

Minireena 1: (*points to Karen*) "YOU'RE THE REASON WHY IT'S GETTING WORSE!"

}-----{

Puppet: "Can I have some of your fries?"

Ballora: "No."

Puppet: "Why not?"

Ballora: "Because I said no."

Puppet: (*sad*) "Do you... not love me anymore?"

Ballora: "No, I just don't feel like sharing my McDonald's with you."

}-----{

Anti-Vaxxer Parents: "Vaccines are full of dangerous chemicals and metals that give you autism. My kids will pass."

William Afton: (*pulls out knife*) "Oh they'll pass alright."

}-----{

Circus Baby: "Ballora, why don't you swear?"

Ballora: "Puppet always finds a way to make me regret it."

Circus Baby: "How?"

Ballora: "Do you really want to know?"

Circus Baby: "Yes."

Ballora: "... Just be near me the next time I hurt myself and you'll figure it out."

}-----{

Puppet: "Hey, Lora, have you seen my sandwich?"

Ballora: (*eating a BLT*) "Oh, this is yours?"

Puppet: (*eye twitch*)

}-----{

Springtrap: "YOU CAN'T EAT AND KILL SOMEONE AT THE SAME (*clap*) DAMN (*clap*) TIME (*clap*). TRUST ME, I'VE TRIED BEFORE AND ENDED UP GETTING MAYONNAISE ON THE BODY."

Scrap Baby: (*grossed out*) "You eat mayonnaise?"

}-----{

Animatronic Inventory; ScrapTrap

Intelligence: 7/10

Voice: 9/10

Attack: 5/10

Body: 1/10

Arms: 1/2

}-----{

Any Minireena: (*falls*) "mOTHERF===ER!"

Puppet: (*peeks head through doorway*) "You rang?"

}-----{

Funko: (*screws up again*)

Funko's Phone: (*rings*)

Funko: (*picks up the phone*)

Scott's Voice on the Line: "Hello? Hello hello? Well, if you're hearing this, then chances are you've made a very poor career choice."

}-----{

FNaF 3/FFPS Guard: "Is it hot in here or is it just me?"

}-----{

[Continuing From Joke 19: Why Ballora Doesn't Swear]

Ballora: (*dancing on stage*)

Baby: (*throws a wrench, clocking Ballora in the back of the head*)

Ballora: (*grabs head*) "F=== ME!"

Puppet: (*Appears behind her*)

Ballora: (*realizes her mistake*) "WAIT NO-"

[Baby is now terrified]

}-----{

Ballora: (*trying to dance with Puppet*) "You are by far the worst person with two left feet."

Puppet: (*pauses*) "I don'T HAVE FEETAT ALL!"

}-----{

Funtime Freddy: (*caps lock*)

}-----{

"INTRUDER ALERT! A RED SPY IS IN THE BASE!"

Glamrock Freddy: "A RED SPY IS IN THE BASE?!"

}-----{

Foxy: "Ahoy!"

Mangle: "Ahoy!"

Withered Foxy: "Ahoy!"

Phantom Foxy: "Ahoy!"

Nightmare Foxy: "Ahoy!"

Nightmare Mangle: "Ahoy!"

Funtime Foxy: "Hello!"

Lolbit: "Howdy!"

Rockstar Foxy: "Both a' ye broke the cycle."

}-----{

Malhare: (*eternal screaming*)

}-----{

Ennard: (*activates blue lightsaber*) "There can only beonemade of spaghetti!"

Molten Freddy: (*activates red lightsaber*) "IT SHALL BE ME."

}-----{

Puppet: "I'm a male, yet I can give life. Scott, why did you do this to me?"

}-----{

Ballora: "Roses are red, meth is blue; William, you must be high to think that I still love you."

}-----{

Montgomery Gator: "tO tHe HoLy GrAiL-"

}-----{

Funtime Foxy: "I can assure you that I am100%noT A FURRY."

}-----{

Nightmarionne: "My toes hurt."

Puppet: "Because you keep chewing them you dumb f===."

}-----{

Puppet: "Goodnight everyone."

Circus Baby: "Not so fast! We have to make sure that you didn't kidnap your girlfriend again! Has anyone checked his box?"

Puppet: "What kind of guy do you take me for?"

Ballora: (*tied up inside the music box*) "GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

}-----{

Ballora: (*telling the Minireenas a bedtime story*) "The cow says 'moo', the dog says 'woof', the cat says 'meow', but Fenny Fox is confused on what to say. Darlings, what does that the fox say?"

Lolbit: (*bREAKS DOWN THE DOOR*) "RING DING DING DING DING DA-DING DA-DING!"

Ballora: (*screams*)

}-----{

Ballora: (*Telling the Minireenas another bedtime story*) "The Wolf then said, 'Fine! If you won't open this door, then I'llhuff, and I'llpuff, and-!'"

Twisted Wolf: (*sLAMS THE DOOR OPEN*) "-I'LL BLOW YOUR HOUSE IN!"

Ballora: (*screams*) "NOT AGAIN!"

Minireenas: (*screaming bloody murder*)

}-----{

Ballora: (*telling the Minireenas another bedtime story, keeping a close eye on the door*) "Then Little Red-Riding Hood said, 'My, grandma, what big teeth you have! And what big ears you have! Ew, and what badbreathyou have!'"

[*After the Minireenas fall asleep*]

Ballora: (*sneaks out of room and closes the door quietly*)

Ballora: (*sigh of relief*)

Puppet: (*hugs her waist from behind*) "My, Ballora, what a nice body you have~."

Ballora: (*screams*)

}-----{

Max: "Dad? How did you and Mama meet?"

Mason: "Well, Max, that's a long story. I'm not sure you're quite ready to hear-."

Belle: (*reading a book*) "Your dad abducted me before Christmas."

Max: "What?"

Mason: "Belle!"

Belle: "Yeah, he didn't like me at first."

Mason: "Come on, he's too young!"

Belle: (*looks up from book*) "To be fair, I didn't like you, either."

}-----{

Puppet: "I'M TOO HOT!" (*finger guns*) :D

Ballora: (*deep sigh*) "Hot damn."

}-----{

Circus Baby: "Want to see the scooping room?"

Funtime Freddy: "No thank you."

Bon Bon: "No thanks."

Funtime Foxy: "I'd rather not."

Ballora: "Hell no."

}-----{

Puppet: "Hey, hun? Where are the Minireenas?"

Ballora: (*casually*) "Setting up the baby shower."

Puppet: "Ah, alright."

Puppet: (*realizes*) "Wait, what?"

}-----{

Puppet: "Ballora? Are you a balor?"

Ballora: (*opens eyes*) "What?"

Puppet: (*screams because the tables are now on fire*)

}-----{

Poppy: "Your wife will be mine."

Puppet: (*grins evilly*) "I like trains."

Poppy: "Wh-?" (*gets hit by a train*)

}-----{

Malhare: "Do you trust me?"

Child: "Not in the slightest."

}-----{

How it feels to chew 5 gum:

Molten Freddy: "FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-"

Chew 5 gum; stimulate your senses.

}-----{

[*Buff Helpy appears*]

}-----{

Ballora: (*breathes*)

Havoc: (*Simp_Mode: Activated*)

Chapter 75: The Magician and the Assassin (Part 2)

Chapter Text

A few months after they met Elizabeth, Belle and Mason knew for sure that they made the right choice. The two settled in the pizzeria, both choosing to become entertainers. Mason stuck to what he did best: magic. He was known as the great "Puppet Master" because of some of the tricks he did, and wore a classic magician outfit. Belle chose to be Mason's assistant during his shows. She would let him use her for funny tricks and "illusions" (aka, disappearing/reappearing and shapeshifting), but refused to volunteer for the old "box-n-saw" act. "I don't want to die today, you tree." she would defend herself. Mason would then smirk and think of a way to make her participate in the aforementioned act, though he failed to persuade her every time. Right now, that is what was happening. Mason and Belle were on their stage in uniform, passively "arguing" in front of the crowd. "Aw! C'mon, my lady! The kids are counting on you!" He tried, gesturing to the children in the audience. The children got the message and played along, giving her puppy-eyes. Belle sighed deeply. "Sorry, kiddos, but I can't. I don't entirely trust this guy. He's just too sketchy with some of his tricks!" The bluenette said to them, earning a small giggle from some of the kids. Mason gave her an exaggerated frown, thinking on what to do. He usually does something silly or goofy to wrap up the show. After a quick glance, his eyes landed on Belle's lips. He turned to the audience with a devilish smirk, "Alright, everyone! I'm sorry that the show has to end, but please, allow me to try one final trick!"

The children smiled brightly and cheered, excited for another magic trick. "For the final act of this performance, I will turn my lovely assistant red from head to toe!" Mason smiled mischievously. The audience watched closely as the magician walked up to his assistant, expecting an funny word or a bop on the head from his stick. Instead, while Belle watched him warily, Mason quickly grabbed both sides of her head and pulled her into a sweet, gentle kiss. Belle froze, instantly turning a bright pink color all over. After Mason pulled away, he looked her up and down and loudly said, "Oops, wrong color!"

The entire crowd busted up laughing as Belle blushed harder and hid her face. After the show was wrapped up and the magician and his assistant were in the back of the pizzeria, Belle slapped Mason upside the head. "Ow! What was that for?" The man asked, gently rubbing the area that the ex-assassin hit. "What was that for?! You know exactly what that was for! You don't justkissme in front of an audience!" Belle scolded him, a dark blush still on her face. Mason smiled charmingly at her, making the bluenette try (and fail) to look angrier. "Aw, come on, B! I know you liked it~. You wouldn't have blushed like that if you didn't like it~." He sing-songed to her. Belle managed to blush an even deeper shade of pinkish-red, making Mason smile wider and laugh. "It's not funny, you jerk!" Belle scolded him again. Mason just returned her fire with a smaller smile and a tender kiss on the nose.

Belle then promptly stomped on his foot.

Later that day, about an hour before their last show started, Richard and Lillian came up to the two for a conversation. Richard and Lillian were known as the Funtime Foxxe Duo. They are by far two of the funniest entertainers in the entire pizzeria. Their shows mainly consist of stand up comedy and fun pranks that they pull on each other while in fox costumes. Sometimes the pair would help Belle and Mason with their shows. "Hey!" Lillian said with fingerguns, gesturing to Belle. "Hey." Belle smiled and greeted her. Richard and Mason nodded respectfully at each other. "How's the prank shows today?" Mason asked the twins. Lillian grinned widely, "They're fan-f*ckin-tastic! I slammed this dude with a banana-cream pie earlier!" the gal said proudly. Mason grinned, "Oh yeah? That's nothing compared to what I did earlier!"

"Oh, really?" Lillian challenged. Mason nodded, "For my finishing act of last show, I turned Belle pink from head to toe!"

"Using paint doesn't count." Richard pointed out, making Mason look even more smug. "Paint? What kind of first-rate magician do you think I am?" he pretended to take offense, "I didn't use paint, I kissed her!"

Richard and Lillian both got a chuckle out of that, watching Belle's face heat up for the second time that day. Also for the second time that day, Belle stomped on Mason's foot. "OW!" The man cried, jumping on one foot. Belle huffed and walked away to get her costume on. "Damn, that hurts." Mason muttered. 'Of course she knows where it hurts. She was an assassin after all.' chimed the back of his mind. The poor man kept holding onto his aching foot. "Dude, that was risky." Lillian said to him, "If she keeps stomping on your foot, you're gonna lose it sooner or later."

"He doesn't know when to quit, so I doubt he'll listen to you." Richard commented. Mason forced himself to let go of his foot and stand up straight. "When you have someone that you're literallythisclose-" the magician said in a dignified manner, pinching his fingers together, "- to asking out, then you'll understand."

"Like that'll ever happen." Lillian rolled her eyes, "The only thing my brother is attracted to is a book."

"Rudely stated, but not wrong." the entertainer said to his sister. Lillian grinned wider. "Say, speaking of attractions, we have something to ask you and Belle." she said. Mason raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead." he prompted. Lillian nodded. "Okay, so you know how we help out with your shows every now and then?" the Foxxe sister asked. Mason hummed. "Okay, well, Richie and I were wondering if you and Belle could help us out tomorrow. One of our shows start half an hour after yours, so you two would have time to prepare." she asked as a statement. Mason thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sure we will. It'll be fun." he smiled. Lillian and Richard smiled back. "Glad to have you on board!" Lillian cheered, "Remember, we don't use scripts or anything, so you and Belle just have to wing it or follow along."

"Sounds good to me. I'll let Belle know after today's last show." Mason told them. "Thanks, my guy!" Lillian gave him fingerguns. Richard nodded, "The kids will be excited to see you two performing in one of our shows."

Mason nodded back, "They'll love it, I'll make sure of that."

}----------{

The lights of Funtime Auditorium went out, and the stage lit up as a woman in a white and orange fox costume strolled casually onto the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to have some FUUUUUUUUUN?!" Lillian yelled into her microphone, which she promptly threw one the ground once the kids started to cheer.

"WE ARE WE ARE WE ARE!" the children screamed. Belle and Mason watched from behind the curtains as Richard snuck up behind his sister and hit her over the head with a balloon full of pudding. As he ran off the stage, Lillian pulled out a water gun from seemingly nowhere and "shot" her brother in the back with super cold water. Richard yelped in alarm as the cold dihydrogen monoxide hit his shouders. "Sweet junebugs that's cold!" he yelled, diving onto the floor. Lillian jumped off of the stage and chased him down as he crawled across the floor. "You can't escape from me, Foxy!" Lillian shouted. Richard looked at the kids. "Please, save me!" he begged, "That water's colder than my stepdad!"

A couple of the older kids got a good chuckle out of that one. Belle frowned, Richard's pleas bringing back an old memory.

...

It was her first job.

Still in training, Belle didn't know what to expect. She was only seven when they thought she was ready. She had to kill a man, a simple businessman who wouldn't pay his debt. She only had her trainer and a hunting knife to help her. She found him in an alleyway, much to her surprise. She tried her best to finish him quickly, but the man's cries and begging for his life slowed her down, making her stop every time she tried to land a killing blow. Instead of killing him as quickly as she wanted to, she tortured him to the very end. Without meaning to, she gave him death by a thousand cuts. The big boss was pleased once Belle's trainer brought her to him for a mission report. He gave Belle a pat on the head and a lollipop, much to her surprise. After the boss's praise came her trainer's wrath. He scolded her, smacked her, and yelled in her ears about how miserably she failed the mission. Herobjectivewas to make a quick and clean kill, not splatter the man's blood on the brick walls and give him multiple chances to call for help. She was given a harsh punishment, leaving her back sore the following day.

...

"Hey, you okay?" Mason asked her softly. Belle was pulled out of her memory and blinked at Mason in visible confusion. "What?" she asked. Mason just smiled and shook his head. "Adorable." he said like he was thinking out loud. He pulled his foot away as Belle went to stomp on it. "Ah ah ah!" Mason waggled his finger at her, "I learned."

Belle smacked him upside the head. "Ow!" he whisper-yelled. "Why?!" he asked Belle as she smiled innocently at him. "Would you rather it be somewhere else?" she asked sweetly. Mason gulped and shook his head. Back to the show, Richard was now drenched in water. He crawled onto the stage begged for mercy. Lillian aimed the water pistol at her brother. "Say your prayers, Funtime Foxy!" she called victoriously. Richard looked up and yelled loudly, "Please, to anyone listening! Send forth your greatest defenders to protect me from this witch of the corn!"

"That's our cue." Mason said with a smile. He rubbed the back of his head again, then stepped forward and came out of the curtains, trying to make it look dramatic. Belle followed in his shadow, being small enough that she wasn't able to be seen. Lillian looked very confused and pointed at Mason. "You, villain of the funny hat! Are you alone?" she called. Mason grinned and whispered to Belle, "Now."

Belle jumped out from behind Mason and threw a beanbag at her, then another. Lillian dodged the first one with a laugh. "Ha! Missed m-!" she was interrupted by the second one hitting her in the stomach. Lillian doubles over and played dead, sticking her tongue out for good measure. The children laughed, loving the show. Throughout the performance, Mason and Belle did a few tricks to help Lillian and Richard make the show hilarious. His proudest moment was when he made it rain pie on the stage, and Belle purposely caught a pumpkin one to save it for later. For the rest show, she held the pie and drop kicked anyone in the shin who dared to try and take it.

After the pizzeria closed, the four talked about how well their show went. Lillian and Belle shared the pie at one of the tables, while Richard and Mason chatted. "The show was more than a success!" Richard praised, "The children absolutely loved it! Even the older ones!"

"Of course they did, I was in it." Mason joked. Richard chuckled, "Actually, you're somewhat right. It turns out that customers like seeing two different acts meshed together."

"Really? We should do this more often, then." Mason suggested. Richard nodded. "I'm dowm fa' ih!" Lillian said around a mouthful of pumpkin pie. "Count me in, too." Belle said.

The four shared a few more laughs and finished the pie before cleaning up the place. Mason took care of Funtime Auditorium, since his magic caused most of the mess. After that, they all called it a night and went to their rooms. Mason and Belle took a smaller room and still shared a bed, since that's what they were used to. Belle used Mason's arm as a pillow while Mason used his magician's cape to cover them both. He put his hat and wand on the nightstand beside him, then relaxed. 'I should ask her sometime.' he thought of Belle, 'Just not now. Later, when I have it more thought-out.'

With those last worries, Mason slowly started drifting off, Belle staying awake a bit longer to make sure that no one needed them for something.

Chapter 76: Accidents Happen (Part 3)

Chapter Text

[Eight Years Later...]

Fredbear sat in the manager's office, shuffling through the paperwork. "Bills... Bills... Bills... Oh, an advertisem*nt!" his voice droned boredly, "Bills... Bills... More Bills..."

About three quarters of the way through the paperwork stack, the golden bear paused. "Notice of Entertainment..." he read aloud. Fredbear scanned the pages thoroughly, stopping at a very familiar few words- or rather, a few names. He grinned from ear to ear, then hopped out of the chair and fast-walked out of the office. 'The others are going to be so excited to hear this!' His grin faded into a happy smile. Fredbear waltzed into the main stage room, where most of the animatronics were gathered. Springbonnie stood up from his seat at one of the tables and joined the bear's side. "What's got you so happy?" he asked with a curious look. Fredbear's smile widened into another grin. "I found something that I think everyone's going to like. Here, hold this for me." he answered, thrusting the small stack of papers into the rabbit's hand. Springbonnie read as he and Fredbear walked to the stage. By the time they were both front and center, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Is this real?" the golden rabbit asked hopefully, "Are they really coming back?"

Fredbear smiled softly at his friend, "That's what the paper says."

Springbonnie smiled brightly. "It's been so long..." he said. Fredbear hummed in agreement. He cleared his throat, then took a deep breath. "Attention, everyone! I have an important announcement!" the bear called out. The animatronics in the room stopped what they were doing. It wasn't very often that Fredbear would give an announcement, so this had to be interesting. Even the Puppet Master paused his activity and turned his head towards the main stage. Fredbear looked around the room once before starting. "I notice that not all of you are here, so I kindly ask that some of you to spread the news after this." he started, "Do any of you remember our friends from the circus? They left here eight-or-so years ago, moved to another location by the Fazbear chain. Funtimes Foxy and Freddy, Circus Baby, and Ballora?"

There were a few nods. A couple of animatronics looked confused on why he would bring them up. Puppet inhaled sharply, already knowing where this was going. Fredbear's ears perked up as he smiled at his fellow animatronics. "Well, today I was in the restaurant's management office and found some very interesting papers." he told them all, grabbing the papers from Springbonnie and holding them up for the others to see. "These papers," he said, "say that we are getting them back! And much sooner than any of us think!"

As Fredbear watched, most of the animatronics in front of him became happy or excited. Mangle smiled widely, showing her fangs without meaning to. Toy Bonnie and Toy Chica whispered excitedly to each other with wide eyes. Balloon Boy and JJ looked at each other and laughed merrily, while Withered Foxy and Toy Freddy both smiled softly. The only one who didn't have a reaction to the news was the marionette. Fredbear resisted the urge to frown. He sort of understood why Puppet wasn't thrilled by the news. 'I guess some things can't be forgotten, no matter how long it's been...'

"According to the assigned dates, our friends should be here in two days time!" he finished, "Thank you, that will be all."

The moment Fredbear and Springbonnie left the stage, the room became filled with voices.

"They're really coming back?"

"I can't wait to see Baby again! Do you think she might still want to play with us?"

"It'll be nice having Funtime Foxy to talk to again."

"Yes! I can finally teach Ballora how to make cupcakes like I promised!"

"Funtime Freddy'll be here! Now the parties are going to be off the hook!"

"We can sing on stage with Baby again! It'll be great!"

"Two days is too long! I wish they were here now!"

"Should we clean their old stage room? Y'know, like a 'welcome home' present?"

"Everyone's so excited, most of them probably won't sleep tonight." Springbonnie laughed. Fredbear chuckled, "I think we'll all be happy to have Baby and the others back."

Spring nodded slowly. "Well... Most of us..." he said quietly. Fredbear nodded. "Puppet has a reason to dread their arrival." He pointed out. "I know, but I still think that we should talk to him." Springbonnie frowned in Puppet's direction. The marionette was already walking to his room, having left once the announcement was over. "I think you're right. Let's go." Fredbear agreed. The golden rabbit and bear followed the Puppet Master, catching up to him a bit before they got to his room. "Hey." Spring greeted him with a small smile. "Hey." Puppet mumbled, clearly upset over something. "We know how you feel about this... Do you want to talk about it?" Fredbear asked cautiously. Puppet thought about it for a moment, then huffed, "When we get to my room. I'll only talk about it in there."

Fredbear nodded, "Understandable."

Once they were in Puppet's room, the marionette closed the door behind his friends, locking it. "Okay, so I'm not happy about this. Big deal." the marionette crossed his arms. Fredbear and Springbonnie looked at each other, then back at Puppet. "This is about Ballora, isn't it?" Fredbear asked, skipping straight to the point. Puppet frowned. "You still haven't forgiven her, even though she-?" Springbonnie asked, only to get interrupted. "It doesn't matter how many times she apologizes or tries to make up for it. She ruined my life." Puppet hissed with a small glare. "But she also saved it, too." Fredbear pointed out, "Remember? You would've torn yourself apart if you two didn't bind souls- even if it was a bad accident."

The Puppet Master scoffed, not wanting to listen to that bit of information. "I didn't need to be saved. I had it all under control until she showed up." he growled. Fredbear frowned. "Even if that's what you believe, you should still be happy to see them all again. It's been eight years." Springbonnie treaded carefully. "It doesn't matter if it's been eight years, eight decades, or eight centuries! What she did was completely unforgivable!" the marionette hissed again, "I had to lie to her before so that she wouldn't think that I hated her, and it nearly killed me just being in the same room as her!"

"You don't seriously hate her that much, do you?" Fredbear asked. The marionette glared in his direction, silently giving the bear his answer. "At least try to welcome her back." Springbonnie requested hopefully, "Time changes everyone. Who knows how different the others could be? For example, maybe Circus Baby has matured while Funtime Freddy learned how to be responsible."

Puppet facepalmed, dragging his fingers down his mask. "If I say yes, will you stop trying to make me forgive her?" he asked grumpily. Fredbear and Springbonnie glanced at each other again. The two nodded, then looked back at him. "We'll stop trying to convince you to forgive her, but if something bad happens again, we will both be on your a== about it." Fredbear warned him. Puppet let go of his face, "Thank you."

Fredbear nodded. "Now, Spring and I are going to make preparations for the funtimes' arrival. I suggest that you get a good amount of sleep tonight. We don't want you being grumpy for the next two days, now do we?" the bear smiled. Puppet sighed, "Fine."

After the two said their goodbyes and left, Puppet turned off all the lights and flopped down on his bed. He's had to go to sleep at early hours as a result of not using his music box. He hadn't touched the thing in years. He tried listening to it for a while after the funtimes left, but it was just a painful reminder of what happened. "I just wanted to help!" Ballora's words echoed in his mind, "I'm so sorry, Puppet! I didn't mean for it to happen! Please, please forgive me!"

"Never." the disguised nightmare hissed to himself, "Even if it's been years, I still can't forgive you. It's bad enough that I have to act like I do, and now that you're coming back, I can never forget what happened."

Puppet truly dreaded the next two days. He knew that no matter what it was going to be awkward. He sighed quietly. 'Springbonnie has a point, again. The least that I could do is give the funtimes a good welcome... even if it involves being nice to Ballora.' He crankily agreed, rolling onto his side to face the wall. If his thoughts kept bugging him like this, then it was going to be a long night.

}-----{

The next two days passed like a hurtling comet. It seemed like only yesterday Fredbear had given his announcement, yet now four large crates lined the stage. The toy animatronics and the original animatronics gathered around the stage, whispering excitedly to each other. The withered animatronics mainly hung back by the tables, watching from a small distance. "It's really them!" someone cheered. "They're really here!" whispered another merry voice. "Can't we just open the boxes now?" someone else asked impatiently. "That's the big guys' job." another someone said, pointing at Springbonnie, Puppet and Fredbear. Said three were standing right in front of the crates, ready to open them. Puppet dreaded this. 'With my luck, the first one I open will be hers...' his mind grumbled. "Is everyone ready to welcome back our friends?" Fredbear asked. The others smiled, some of them shouted "heck yeah", and one or two of them nodded. Fredbear turned back to the box in front of him with a smile. "Are you ready, Puppet Master?" he asked quietly. Puppet nodded, "Ready as I'll ever be..."

Springbonnie opened the front of one of the crates. Inside was Funtime Freddy, though something was different about him. His hand was replaced by a rabbit puppet. Fredbear opened his crate, which actually turned out to be Ballora. Puppet opened the crate he was in front of, revealing Circus Baby. And last but not least, Springbonnie had made is way over to the last crate and opened it, revealing Funtime Foxy. Something seemed different about all of them. Ballora looked tired, and Circus Baby had gotten bigger. Funtime Foxy seemed to have singed fur on the tips of his ears, fingers, and tail. All four of them and deep, yet faint scars on their stomachs.

Fredbear dropped the lid of Ballora's crate in accident, waking the circus animatronics up. One by one, they powered on and looked out at the animatronics in front of them. The first one to step out of their box was Circus Baby. She held her microphone, standing almost as tall as Puppet. Her size astonished the others. "Circus Baby, Ballora, Funtime Freddy, and Funtime Foxy." Fredbear greeted them as the other three got out of the crates silently, "Welcome back. We all missed you while you were gone."

Ballora suddenly curled up her lip, like she was angry at someone. "Oh, I bet." she said bitterly. Springbonnie looked at her like she threatened to bite someone. Puppet frowned. "BETTING? I DI-DI-DI-DI-DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE WE-ERE ALLOWED TO BE-BET!" Funtime Freddy screamed, then had a maniacal laugh fit. "Will you SHUT UP?!" Funtime Foxy yelled at him in a scratchy, booming voice. He snapped his teeth and growled at the bear, making the rabbit puppet on his hand activate. "Calm down~!" it said in a sing-song voice. "All of you calm down." Circus Baby said in a monotone voice, "We don't have time for your behavior to go off the rails."

Ballora and the Funtimes stopped and stood up straight. The other animatronics looked at them with concern. "They're different." whispered someone. "A lot different." agreed another. Circus Baby turned her attention back to the others in front of her. "I'm sorry about that. It's been a long while since we... saw new faces. It'll take a little bit for us all to mellow out."

The other animatronics didn't know what Circus Baby meant by that, but one thing was for sure. This was a disturbing surprise.

Chapter 77: Puppet Vs Puppet

Chapter Text

[Quick explanation!

Anim_The_Ghostand I are friends on Discord. We tend to roleplay every once in a while on our server and this is one of the ones that he and I did. It was pretty fun and it was absolutely beautiful, so I felt that Anim and I need to bless you all with this Puppllora roleplay. Credit goes to Anim for helping me create this.

• Anim roleplayed the Puppet Master.

• I roleplayed Ballora and the Reverse Puppet.

• We both took turns roleplaying Lolbit.

Enjoy (uwu)]

Puppet: (*peeking out of his box*) "Hmmm..."

Reverse Puppet: (*talking with Ballora, looking smug*)

Puppet: (*glaring*) "I don't know who the hell he thinks he is. That's my girlfriend for god sake."

Ballora: (*giggles)

Reverse Puppet: (*sees Puppet out of the corner of his eye and gives him a sh*t-eating grin*)

Puppet: (*his tentacles are almost ready to burst out*) "Just relax, Puppet. Happy thoughts."

Reverse Puppet: (*tells Ballora something else, making her laugh*)

Puppet: (*gets an idea as he gets up and walks over to Reverse and Ballora*) "Hey, hun. How's it going?"

Reverse Puppet: (*frowns*)

Ballora: (*smiles*) "It's going great! How about you?"

Puppet: "Just dandy. I just wanted to ask if you wanna do another dinner date?"

Ballora: "I'd love to. Are we doing the date tonight or some other time?"

Puppet: "If it's alright, could we do it tonight? No pressure."

Ballora: "I'm good with tonight."

Reverse Puppet: (*frowns deeper*)

Puppet: "Okay then. I'll go get you and your pal some pizza." (*points to Ballora*) "The usual, right?"

Ballora: (*smiles wider*) "Yep!"

Reverse Puppet: (*calmly*) "Can I get a pepperoni?"

Puppet: "No problem." (*kisses Ballora's cheek*)

Ballora: (*giggles again*) "Thanks, dear."

Puppet: (*taunts in a sing-song voice as he walks away*) "You know you love me~"

Reverse Puppet: (*eye twitch*)

Puppet: "Alright, I'll get out of your pretty lavender hair now. Love you, sweetie." (*blows a kiss as he leaves the room*)

Ballora: (*calls back*) "Love you, too!"

Reverse Puppet: (*looks at the doorway*) "So, is the Puppet Master annoying?"

Ballora: "No, he's actually really gentle."

-When Puppet's out of earshot-

Puppet: (*drips the smile*) "Lolbit! Get your kawaii ass over here now."

Lolbit: (*pokes head out of ceiling vent*) "You called?"

Puppet: "I need a status report of the pizzeria. How's everybody doing? I need something to distract me."

Lolbit: (*pulls out tablet and narrows eyes at the screen*) "Alright. TB, Cece, and Toy Freddy are challenging the OGs at arcade games. The withereds are just chilling with Goldie, while Withered Foxy and Mangle are having a pirate tea party. BB just got punted into the office by Funtime Freddy, and Funtime Foxy and Circus Baby abducted Bon Bon so he could get away from Funtime Freddy. Oh, and this really sketchy guy is trying to pull a move on Bal while you're away."

Puppet: "... This guy is really starting to tilt my towers."

Lolbit: (*looks at Puppet*) "If it helps any, she's not even reacting to it like he wants her to. You'd think by now that he would realize how dense she is to pick-up lines."

Puppet: (*sweatdrops*) "Believe me, I know from experience."

Lolbit: (*smothers a laugh*)

Puppet: "Still, I don't trust him around her. Can you do me a favor?"

Lolbit: "Sure. Whatcha need me to do?"

Puppet: "It's only gonna be so long before he cracks and starts getting very forward with her. Just show up if things get too heated. You're good at deception, so I'm trusting you." (*salutes her*) "Good luck, soldier."

Lolbit: "Understood." (*salutes Puppet*) "He won't know what stopped him." (*disappears into the vent*)

Puppet: "... I better get that pizza."

-Meanwhile, with Reverse and Ballora-

Reverse Puppet: "So, would you like to go somewhere more private?"

Ballora: "Nah. Puppet should be back with the pizza any moment, and Springtrap tends to be in all the private areas and I'm not in the mood to argue with him today."

Lolbit: (*peering from the vents and watching Reverse*)

Reverse Puppet: "So, I can't seem to remember my phone number. Can I have yours instead?"

Ballora: "Sorry, but I don't have a phone for you to borrow. Maybe you could ask someone else?"

Reverse Puppet: (*sighs*) "This is getting nowhere."

Lolbit: (*whispers to herself*) "Don't you fig-fragging dare..."

Reverse Puppet: "Something must be wrong with my eyes. I can't take them off of you."

Ballora: "Are the eye mechanics okay? If you need repair, it's best to see the withereds."

Reverse Puppet: (*facepalms*)

Ballora: (*somewhat concerned*) "Oh no, you have a headache too?"

Lolbit: (*still whispering*) "Lol."

Reverse Puppet: (*getting desperate*) "Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk past you again?"

Ballora: "Maybe, since I thought Puppet was pretty cute the first time I saw him. What about you and walking?"

Reverse Puppet: (*thinking*) 'WHY are you like this?!'

Lolbit: 'Maybe Puppet doesn't have to worry. Nobody's a match for Ballora's density when it comes to flirting.'

Reverse Puppet: (*definitely desperate by now*) "I'm in the mood for pizza. A pizzayouthat is!"

Ballora: (*casually*) "Again, Puppet should be back with the pizza any moment."

Lolbit: (*holding back her laughter*)

Reverse Puppet: (*annoyed*) "What do you think about me and you together?"

Ballora: "I think you're a nice person. Would you like to be friends?"

((F R I E N D Z O N E D))

Lolbit: (*is trying so hard not to laugh or slam her fist on the vents*)

Reverse Puppet: (*about to lose it*) "Hey, I have another question. Do you like kisses?"

Lolbit: 'Oh, you did not pull THAT cheap trick.'

Ballora: (*innocently*) "Of course. Puppet is anamazingkisser."

Reverse Puppet: (*frowns deeply*)

Lolbit: (*holds in her laughter*) 'You go, girl!'

Reverse Puppet: "How messy do you like your bed?"

Ballora: (*confused*) "I prefer my bed to be made, actually. Why? Do you not like to make your bed in the morning?"

Lolbit: (*biting her knuckles to hold in the laughter now*)

Reverse Puppet: (*monotone*) "At this point it'd be easier for me if I just kissed you."

Ballora: (*pauses*) "Excuse me?"

Lolbit: 'HOW ABOUT A "F" TO THE "U" TO THE "C-K-NO"?!'

Reverse Puppet: (*grabs Ballora's shoulders*) "I've been dropping hints all day, y'know?!"

Lolbit: (*pops in, acting like her natural, meme-y self*) "What's up, f*ckers?!"

Reverse Puppet: (*stops and lets go of Ballora out of surprise*)

Ballora: (*recognizes meme*) "Why do you have my phone?!"

Lolbit: "f*ck you! That's why!"

Ballora: (*laughs with relief*) "That one never gets old, does it?"

Reverse Puppet: (*dumbfounded* "Who the hell are you?"

Lolbit: "I'm the right hand gal of the memelord." (*pulls out a picture of Sand*) "We salute you, oh great memelord!" (*puts it away*) "By the way, the name's Lolbit."

Ballora: "She's also the bestest friend a ballerina could ask for. Lolbit's the one who got me to tell Puppet that I liked him, as a matter of fact."

Reverse Puppet: (*realizes that he's actually been co*ckblocked*) (*agitiated*) "Really now?"

Lolbit: "Puppet and Ballora are one of the few people who keep up with my weirdness, so I got them together. No need to thank me." (*proud-as-f*ck smile*)

Reverse Puppet: (*tense, angry smile*)

Ballora: (*smiles happily*) "We both still thank you whenever we get the chance, though."

Lolbit: "Naturally. Only the best for my buddies."

Puppet: (*walking in while singing, having relaxed and gotten the pizzas*)

Ballora: (*relaxing again and smiles*) "Look, Puppet's back with the pizza."

Reverse Puppet: (*grits teeth*)

Puppet: "Hello, beautiful." (*winks at Ballora*)

Ballora: (*blushes lightly*) "Hey, handso-."

Reverse Puppet: "Thank you, I know I'm gorgeous."

Everybody except Reverse: "..."

Lolbit: "Ma dude, I'm pretty sure she was referring to her bae."

Reverse Puppet: (*irritated*) "Oh, sorry."

Puppet: (*handing them the pizza*) "So, what were you and Reverse talking about, Ballora?"

Ballora: "Oh, not much. Just about our different interests, I think."

Reverse Puppet: (*internal screaming*)

Puppet: "That's nice. And how are you, Lolbit?"

Lolbit: "It's all sunshine and rainbows for me."

Reverse Puppet: (*bitterly thinking*) 'Yeah, you probably got a good laugh out of my struggle.'

Lolbit: "Anyway, I've blessed you all with my memes enough." (*leaves but points at Puppet and Ballora*) "Don't have the fifth one while nobody's watching you two. Got it?"

Puppet: "They aren't my biological kids, y'know!"

Lolbit: "That still remains to be proven!" (*leaves*)

Ballora: (*blushes*) "Okay, bye Lolbit."

Puppet: "I still can't believe she's still been holding onto that theory after all this time."

Ballora: "I know, right? I didn't even carry the Minireenas, they were built!"

Reverse Puppet: (*freezes*) "Wait, you actually have kids?!"

Puppet: "Yep. Mom of the year right here." (*points at Ballora*)

Ballora: (*smiles at Puppet again*) "If I'm Mom of the Year, then you're Dad if the Century."

Reverse Puppet: (*eye twitch*)

Puppet: "Lolbit thinks that the Minireenas are our secret love children."

Ballora: "To be fair, thedolook like you."

Puppet: "Yeah, but they do have your cuteness."

Ballora: (*pokes Puppet's cheek*) "Hush. They look more like you than me. If anything, they haveyourcharisma."

Puppet: "Why, thank you, gorgeous."

Ballora: (*blushes and mutters as she takes a pizza slice from him*)

Reverse Puppet: (*annoyed*) "So, where's my pepperoni?"

Puppet: "Right." (*hands him a plate of pizza*) "Chica made it herself. Freshly made."

Reverse Puppet: (*smiles smugly*) "Ah, treating me like a king? No wonder it took so long. I suppose I should thank her later."

Puppet: "I treat my family and their friends with manners. Most people also know to not exploit my kindness."

Reverse Puppet: (*sets his plate down on a table nearby and glares defiantly at Puppet*) "Oh, really? Should I be worried, then?"

Ballora: (*backs up a few steps with wide eyes*)

Puppet: "No. I'm not gonna get violent. It's not worth my time and beneath me."

Reverse Puppet: "And what ifIget violent? Will you just stand there and take the beating?"

Puppet: "I'm not gonna stand there and take the beating. Not to mention, Ballora wouldn't condone it." (*points at Ballora*)

Ballora: (*takes another few steps back*) "I-I don't know-"

Reverse Puppet: (*grins*) "So youwillfight back?"

Puppet: "... No." (*walks to Ballora and offers his hand*) "Come on, hun. We're leaving."

Ballora: (*takes his hand, relieved*) "Thank you..."

Reverse Puppet: (*growls and clenches fist*)

Puppet: "Of course. Now, let's-"

Reverse Puppet: (*uses powers to block the exit*) "I won't let you off that easily!"

Puppet: "Let us leave. Now."

Reverse Puppet: (*boldly*) "What are you gonna do? Put me down with yourwords?"

Puppet: (*deep breath*) "Ballora? My box."

Ballora: (*nods shakily and walks towards the music box*)

Puppet: "I gave up these powers a long time ago, but if you insist on me using it, then I guess I will."

Reverse Puppet: "That'sthe spirit! Now come on, show me what you've g-!"

Puppet: (*whacks him with a lightning quick tentacle*)

Reverse Puppet: (*gets knocked into a wall*) "You son of a-!" (*sets out his tentacles*)

Puppet: "Don't try it."

Reverse Puppet: "Don't trywhat?!" (*targets Puppet as his tentacles shoot forward*)

Puppet: (*dodges and grabs his tentacles*) "Don't try that." (*slashes the tentacles*)

Reverse Puppet: (*screams angry pained noises*)

Ballora (in the music box): (*covers her ears*)

Puppet: (*looks at his box*) "I'm wrapping this up. She doesn't like this stuff."

Reverse Puppet: "Forget that! I'm going to tear your arms off!"

Puppet: "... Don't..." (*hand chops Reverse in the stomach*) "Ignore..." (*uppercuts him*) "My queen!" (*slams him into the floor with his tentacles*)

Reverse Puppet: (*practically dies in a pit on the floor*) "She'd... bebetter off... withme!"

Puppet: "That's where you're wrong." (*lifts him out*) "I love her. And she loves me."

Reverse Puppet: (*glares daggers*) "She'll lovememore onceI have her!"

Puppet: (*deep breath*) "Gold? You there?"

Gold: (*appears*) "Yep."

Puppet: (*gives him reverse*) "You know what to do."

Gold: (*grabs Reverse Puppet's neck*) "Yeah. Make sure your lady is okay."

Puppet: "Done."

Gold: (*nods and disappears*)

Puppet: "Ballora? You can come out now."

Ballora: (*muffled*) "Is he gone?"

Puppet: "Gold's taking care of him now. You're safe."

Ballora: (*opens the music box and stands up*) "You didn't... kill him, did you?"

Puppet: "No, I beat the sh*t out of him, but not enough to kill him. Besides loosing some tentacles, he's gonna be alright."

Ballora: (*sighs in relief, then gets out of the box and goes over to Puppet, giving him a big hug*) "Thank you for putting him in his place. He was getting pretty creepy."

[Me: ((I consider it a good fight he put up.))

Also Me: ((Not really, it was actually quite pathetic.))

Anim: ((BANJO SOLO))]

Puppet: "Hmm..." (*over-snuggles*) "You're comfy."

Ballora: (*smiles and blushes*) "Thanks, but you're the soft one."

Puppet: "Guilty as charged."

Ballora: (*boops Puppet in the center of his face [since he doesn't have a nose]*)

Puppet: "Mmm... You know I don't like being reminded that I don't have a nose, regardless of its upsides."

Ballora: (*giggles*) "Sorry, Mare."

Puppet: "Hmmmm... Maybe I should tangle you up in my tentacles again."

Ballora: (*giggles more nervously*) "Be careful, Lolbit might be in earshot and you know how she is."

Puppet: "Do I ever." (*looks at the pizza on the ground*) "Looks like we'll have to get more."

Ballora: (*still hugging him*) "Mhm."

Puppet: "But... Maybe later..." (*uses his tentacles to move them into his box*) "I like this..."

Ballora: (*relaxing*) "Yeah, this feels good."

Puppet: "Mhm." (*snuggles her even more*) " I love you, Ballora."

Ballora: (*kisses his cheek*) "I love you too, Puppet."

Chapter 78: Multi-shot Chapter!!

Chapter Text

[Multiple oneshots that were too short for their own chapters]

Together Forever (Animatronic AU)

Ballora hid in the warehouse, scared and confused on what was happening. Well, it was less scared and more I'm-so-terrified-I'm-pulling-my-hair-out. She found a place near the storage area. One of the large crates on the third shelf was full of soft merchandise like plushies and pillows, and she hid inside of it. 'He won't find me here... Not for a while, at least...' the ballerina thought, holding back her tears. If she started crying, it might give her away. 'They're gone... All of them...' she shook her head. The other animatronics had been slaughtered. She didn't actually know who did it, only that somehow she had been spared. Ballora shivered, holding down a whimper.

Her friends.

Her family.

They were all torn apart.

'Only a monster could have done this.'

Eventually it was six in the morning, and the human employees came in to see the mechanical carnage. The manager was having a freak out. "What the hell happened here?! Where's the guard?!" he screamed. "He's dead, sir." answered an employee. The manager growled. The humans had to clear the place up and shut the building down. They eventually found Ballora in the crate and sent her to another storage unit. She powered down so they wouldn't find out she was conscious the entire time. When she powered on again, her internal clock system told her she'd been off for three days. That much wasn't new or strange to her. What was strange is that she was laying down. It wasn't even on a smooth surface either, it was like someone was carrying her like a bride. Ballora looked closer at her surroundings. She originally thought that it was too dark to see, since all she could see was pitch black and a faint pink glow from her eyes, but now she could tell that she was in a box. 'It's not wide enough to be a shipping box, so the humans couldn't have put me in here without taking me apart... Why am I in here?'

Ballora got her answer when she saw a figure in the box with her. It was still pretty dark, but from what she was able to make out, she was in the Puppet Master's box, because right in front of her was the Puppet Master himself. He was holding her in his lap, so he must have fallen asleep waiting for her to wake up. Ballora smiled widely, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes. 'Someone's alive!' she thought with joy. Forgetting how the marionette could be when he gets woken up, Ballora lunged at him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, startling him awake. "Puppet! Oh, thank God you're alive!" the ballerina almost cried, "I was so scared that I was the only one who escaped..."

Puppet's look of frustration turned into one of relief... and... was thatvictory? He slowly hugged her back instead of scolding her. "What do you mean you were scared?" he asked her, tilting his head like a curious child. Ballora shivered as she thought about what she saw. "S-Someone killed the others... They were all torn apart and hacked to pieces... I was so scared that I don't even remember what happened to me during the whole thing. I don't think I ever saw the murderer... I hid in the warehouse until the humans found me..."

Puppet smiled devilishly. "Oh,that'swhy I couldn't find you." he said, a glint in his eye. Ballora separated from the hug and looked at him, unsettled. "What?..." she asked. Puppet pulled her a little closer to himself. "I knew you were alive. I was trying to find you all night. I finally got you once you were brought here." he answered. Ballora felt uncomfortable with the way his eyes pierced her, like he was pinning her down. "... How did you know that I was still alive?..." she asked in a wavering voice. Puppet chuckled darkly, "Because I'm the one who killed them."

Ballora's voice left her in that moment. She felt heartbroken and betrayed. When she found her voice again, she swallowed hard. "... You... you what?..." she asked, hoping that he didn't actually say that. Puppet's smile turned into a satisfied smirk. "I killed them all." he said wickedly, "I killed them all for you."

"What?!" Ballora cried. The world around her went dark, even though that's how it already was. It was just her and Puppet. The things he did as he kept talking blurred and meshed together, until she couldn't register it or feel what was happening. He kissed her multiple times and squeezed her in a hug or two, he got a little handsy but stopped before he went too far[at least he has some restraint]. His words became fuzzy and quiet, and she could only listen as all of it happened.

"We have a connection. You and I are supposed to be together, we're meant to be."

"The others were trying to take you away from me. They didn't know how to leave you alone."

"We were trying to be happy together and they got in the way, so I took care of the problem."

"Now that they're gone, it's just you and me."

"Nothing can keep us apart."

"We'll never be separated again."

"It will only be you and me from now on, at least until we have our daughters."

"I can use my powers to see what will happen. We will have four beautiful daughters in the future, and we'll love them more than anything. Would you like to see that future too?"

"Until then it'll be you and me."

"Me and you."

"Just us."

"And we'll be together forever."

}—————{

H̗̯̗͒͌̇͏e̷̥̿ͣ͘͟Returns? (Animatronic AU)

Ballora was asleep in the Puppet Master's arms. The Puppet Master, however, was wide awake. His thoughts haunted him, keeping him from enjoying the sleep he needed. He hasn't been himself lately. Physically he's been fine but on the inside he knows that something was definitely wrong. He's been hearing and seeing things. Feeling emotions that he was startled to find out were his. Anger and hate. Despair and desire for death.Bloodlust.How could those belong to him?

Puppet sighed quietly and pulled Ballora closer to him, resting his head above hers in an attempt to reassure himself that she was fine. The ballerina groaned softly and her eyes fluttered open. "... Pups?..." she asked, concerned. Puppet smiled and kissed her temple, shushing her. "Go back to sleep, love. I'm fine." he insisted. Ballora did not look convinced. She raised her hand and cupped his cheek from an odd angle, looking into his eyes. "Don't lie to me; I know that you're not fine. Please tell me what's wrong. Is it why you're not sleeping?" she asked, more concerned than before. The Puppet Master looked at the ballerina for a moment with sorrow. "I'm sorry..." he apologize, "It's just... something's not right... I'm not myself... and it scares me... What if I hurt you or the others?..."

Ballora twisted herself so that she could directly face him and kissed his lips. She then cuddled into him as close as she could. "Don't be scared. The others and I will always forgive you. Whatever this is, you can make it through. You're strong, Puppet. We all love you, and will help you when you need it." She told him sincerely. Puppet smiled, relieved, before kissing her forehead. "Thank you, Bal. I really needed to hear that." he said with a small smile, hugging her tighter. Ballora hummed and relaxed with him, "Anything for you, tree. Now come on, let's go to sleep. Would you like that?"

Puppet grinned, snuggling her even more. "Yes," he said, yawning, "I would love that."

Weeks have passed and it's getting worse. Before he could only see blurs of motion and the occasional sinister face lurking around every corner. Now, he can actually see what it is that his eyes landed on.

It was the purple man.

He was back.

Every time that Puppet saw him, he would disregard everything and chase after him. When he would catch up to the man, he'd round a corner or run into a room, only to be greeted by a very startled animatronic. "Woah!" Gold once said. "You good there, Puppet?" Toy Bonnie once asked, raising his hands harmlessly. "Are ye' alright, captain?"Withered Foxy asked him yesterday. Puppet would always brush it off and say that he heard a weird noise, then walk away and slap himself in the head. "What thehell?" He growled more than once. Today he was going to tell the others. Ballora especially needs to know, since she might be in danger. If William Afton truly has returned, then who's to say that his late ex-wife isn't a target? 'I should probably keep her closer to me, just to be sure...'

As he was on his way to their room, Puppet looked in the hallway ahead and froze. His heart stopped, then started beating harder as pure hate ran through him. There, in the center of the corridor, walking towards him, was the purple man. He had a smug grin on his face, holding a fire ax in his evil hands. "You!" Puppet yelled. The man froze, looking startled, then smiled and waved at him. The purple man opened his mouth to say something when Puppet yelled again. "It'syou!You dare to return here?! Youdareto bring a weapon with you?!Youdareto try to hurt us again?!"

The purple man looked confused, but started backing up as the Puppet Master approaches him. He opened his mouth again, and Puppet silenced him like before. "No!You don't get the right to speak! Everything that comes out of your vile purple mouth is poison!" he screamed. Puppet felt the electricity crackling between his fingers as he summoned his strings. "I'm going to make you regret everything you've done to us." he hissed. Afton seemingly ran away in panic. "You won't get away this time!" Puppet yelled, his strings shooting out and wrapping around the man's legs. The purple man tripped over them and fell, getting dragged backwards. In a state of panic, as Puppet drew him nearer, the man used the sharp end of the axe and tried jabbing it into Puppet's stomach. Puppet swiped at the handle and hit it, breaking the axe in half. Wooden splinters flew in the air, getting in the man's face and over Puppet's chest before clattering to the ground. The purple man covered his face to shield his eyes from the chips and the Puppet Master took this moment to grab him by the throat and lift him off the ground. Oddly enough, when he did that, he couldn't seem to choke the man. "You will die at my hands, the way we all died to yours." Puppet hissed. The purple man smiled sadly as Puppet got in his face. "You can't—!" Puppet was cut off by the man grabbing both sides of his head. He pulled hard, then brought Puppet in for a kiss. Puppet dropped him immediately, disgusted, "YOU—?!"

Puppet paused. He took a closer look at the broken axe on the ground.... except it wasn't an axe. It was a mop. A simple, broken, otherwise harmless mop.

'... What?'

Puppet then looked at the purple man. Slowly, as Puppet watched, with every single breath he took, the image of William Afton became fuzzier and fuzzier, until Ballora took it's place. The world fell apart as the realization of what happened came crashing down. He didn't attack the purple man. He attacked Ballora. The ballerina on the ground had tears in the corners of her eyes and a dent or two on her legs. She looked very alarmed. "... Puppet?..." she asked warily. The Puppet Master took a step forward and fell to his knees, wrapping his arms tightly around Ballora as he started to cry. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Please, Ballora. Please forgive me." he begged. Ballora hugged him back and kissed his cheek. "Shhhhh... It's okay..." she hushed him gently, "Something was wrong with your system. Your facial recognition scanners are probably bugged. It's not your fault."

"Bugged?! I SAW you as him! That wasn't a bug! That was a full illusion!" Puppet argued. Ballora was worried even more. "... Do you think we should tell Goldie about this?" she asked softly. Puppet choked an a small sob and nodded. "Yes..." he whispered, "Please take me to Gold."

}—————{

Perfect Bride (Human AU)

Belle was once like the other nobles in this unstable kingdom. She would behave like a lady and always minded her manners whenever around people, making sure to keep her posture and pay attention as much as possible. It really counts now more than ever. The kingdom has been plunged into hell for eight years by now. The old king and queen perished at the hands of assassins, leaving their son in charge. The son, Prince Mason, was then crowned king in order to keep the kingdom stable. Unfortunately, until his first month of being king, no one knew how twisted and cruel he could be. He was a brutal ruler who enjoyed watching his citizens suffer. He's burned down a few villages for not meeting his requirements, publicly executedhundredsof those who disobeyed him, and even killed most of his royal court for disagreeing with him.

Now, you may be asking (or perhaps you already know) "what does this have to do with Belle?". You see, with everything going on around them, and since Belle lives in the castle as part of being nobility, it has become increasingly obvious that the king is getting more tyrannical with each passing year. Many citizens were terrified of him, and wanted something to be done. They couldn't force a revolution because then the kingdom would be completely destroyed. They couldn't try to assassinate him because he's the last known man that carries his family's royal blood. Asking for mercy was useless, because then you were tortured and thrown in the dungeons. No, none of these would work. They had to try something else.

One day, while Belle was on one of the upper levels of the castle, she encountered the king for the first time. He was tall, with pitch black hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore black clothing, with a black cape and black boots that made athunkevery time he stepped down. His very presence intimidated her, and Belle did her best to keep her head down so that he would pass by without noticing her. Unfortunately for her, the king noticed her immediately. "Hello." he greeted her, an unsettling smile on his face. "Hello..." Belle managed not to stutter. She kept her head bowed, being careful not to make eye contact. The king stopped and actually talked with her for a little bit. He asked her simple questions ("how are you?", "how was your day?", "are you a subject of mine or a visitor?", etc.)From the questions he asked, Belle could tell that he planned on talking to her again. When she returned to her chambers, Belle put a hand over her heart to steady it. Her friend, Elizabeth, was there, and asked her what was wrong. "I... I just met the king..." Belle told her, "He's so...terrifyingto be near..."

"I take it that more than just a simple passing by took place?" Elizabeth asked. Belle nodded. "He actually talked to me, as if I were someone important." Belle admitted. Elizabeth looked interested by this, but didn't say anything more on the matter. Sure enough, the king managed to find her and spoke with her again. The king asked her if she knew his name. "You are King Mason." she said nervously, avoiding eye contact with him again. "That's correct. And what is your name?" he asked. The intimidation of him came over her again, making Belle's heart beat faster. "Belle Tanzen, My Lord." she answered him. This pleased him, for some reason.

These conversations would happen every time they crossed paths. The king's questions became increasingly nerve-wracking for her to answer.

"Who is your family?"

"Where are they?"

"What do you think of my kingdom?"

One day, he asked her what seemed to be the most difficult question of them all. "What do you think of me?" he asked. Belle drew in a sharp breath. She was hoping that he wouldn't ask that. "You can be honest. I will not harm you for your answer." he said. Belle didn't trust this. He was a tyrant; one who loved to kill. If she says something wrong, she has no doubts that she could be executed or beaten until she can't breath. However brutish the king may seem, though, he was smart and perceptive. He would know if she lied to him, and that would probably make him angry. The best thing to do would be to answer him honestly. "... I think that you are a sad*stic man." Belle finally admitted, "And even though you have burned villages and executed hundreds, you are the only thing keeping this kingdom from falling apart."

Belle braced herself for something, whether it be an order to the nearest guards (who looked pretty shocked that she answered), a dagger in her eye, or a simple smack to the face. Instead the king chuckled. "Now was that so hard?" he asked. Belle was surprised. He wasn't angry at all. The king continued to talk with her, then subtly mentioned that she was the first person who was honest with him an a long while before he left. Belle was astonished. Never once was he angry at her for answering. Months went by. The king found the time to talk to her most days. While Belle was clueless as to why, Elizabeth knew what this could mean. "He may see you as someone that he can trust." she said to the bluenette one night. Belle tilted her head. "Me?" she asked disbelievingly. Elizabeth nodded. "You said that you were honest with him, and you never once told him a lie to keep yourself safe." the redhead stated. Belle nodded. "I guess that makes some sense... but... I'm not sure that I feel the same way." Belle told her, "You know how His Majesty can be. Intimidating, terrifying, cruel..."

Belle really could go all day listing the things that terrify her about the king. "That doesn't matter, my point is that he trusts you, so maybe he'll listen to you." Elizabeth offered, "Maybe you could talk him into being less violent, or at least to stop burning down villages and crop fields.Youcould try to protect the citizens by telling him that it's wrong to be so cruel."

Belle stopped and thought. "I can't," she said finally, "I'm not brave enough."

One day (again), the king stopped talking to her. Belle didn't see him for almost five months. There were rumors, whispers that travelled through the castle's walls, that he had disappeared— whether he shut himself in his chambers, was off to a meeting across the borders (which was doubtful), or maybe even abducted or assassinated. It was almost as unsettling as being watched by the king himself. Then, after a long while of dead silence, the king was present again. And the first thing he did? Well, he demanded that he be told Belle's current location before tracking her down himself. He found Belle in the castle garden, which he always forgot was there. It was like a sanctuary for her, a place away from the horrors of the king's reign. He approached Belle[casually approach child]and stood in front of her. Belle herself was sitting on a small brick wall that outlined one of the flower beds. Belle stopped admiring the flowers once she realized that he was there. "O—Oh! Your Majesty!" she scrambled to her feet, then did a curtsy, "My sincerest apologies. I didn't realize that you were here."

"No need to be alarmed." he responded. Belle relaxed, still avoiding eye contact with the man. He still intimidated her, even though she should know by now that he wasn't going to hurt her. "What brings you to the garden, My Lord?" Belle asked a bit anxiously. The king smiled at her. It wasn't the dark, unsettling smile from when they first met. It was a serious yet small and warm smile. "I'm here because I needed to ask you something important. More important than anything else I have asked you before." he said. Belle shifted her weight from one foot to the other, silently praying that whatever it was wouldn't be too horrible. "When I first saw you, I became curious. I had never seen you before, and you stood out to me. After talking with you and asking you questions, I was able to see that you were an honest person. You never once lied to me." he started, "You know who I am and respect me. You never once went behind my back, and not ever have you tried to tell me to stop talking to you, though I clearly made you uncomfortable."

'Why am I surprised that he knew?' Belle asked herself. She was glad to hear what he thought of her, but she also knew what he could be about to ask her. She dreaded it, and hoped that she's just misreading his words of praise. "I feel myself trusting you, and I feel something that I've never felt before when I'm near you." he finalized, "I feel a warmth in my chest that was never there before. I almost feel complete. I feel... happy. What I long for is more of that feeling, that you complete me. I understand now that I feel that you are what I'm missing when I'm on my throne. It makes me realize that you would make a perfect bride for me, and so, I've come to ask you to be my wife."

The entire world seemed to freeze when he asked that. Belle looked at the king's face for the very first time. He had this look on his face, like he already knew what her answer would be and was already coming up with a way to persuade her. The bluenette almost broke into a cold sweat. She knew what she wanted to say, but she didn't have enough courage to say it. The longer she stayed silent, the worse the tension became. "I—I..." she finally forced out, "I'm sorry, My Lord, but... I'm afraid that I have to say no..."

The king tilted his head. "Are you sure? Think about it more." he said sweetly, "You can have anything you want. Power, wealth, protection... You don't have to worry about anything ever again. You will be respected, and I will make you happy."

Belle held back a shiver. He was persistent, she'd give him that. "I'm sorry, but I must refuse your offer." Belle insisted, "I don't have special feelings for you, Your Majesty. If I was to marry y—"

"Well then," he interrupted her, "It seems that you leave me no choice."

Belle's eyes widened as she expected the worse. The king pointed at her and spoke with clear authority. "Belle Tanzen, as your king, I hereby order you to marry me, or face severe consequences." he commanded her. Belle didn't know what to do. She tried being nice, but now he used his crown to try to get what he wants. 'I tried to warn him that I don't love him...' she thought dreadfully. Belle lowered her head, looking at the long skirt of her dress as it suddenly became the most comforting thing around her.

"... I accept..."

Chapter 79: Oh Boy, Cheeseburgers!

Chapter Text

[Inspired by a story done by an old friend of mine!]

[This story is set in the 50s, I think]

After a vicious war between the humans and monsters of Earth, the monsters, being the victors, now occupied and took over the human countries. The humans lost many of their rights (if they had any at all), and were merely treated like pests.

"You filthy fleshbagstouchedme!"

"Howdareyou speak out against us?! You should be grateful that you're still seen as citizens and not slaves!"

"Aw, is da big bad hooman gonna cwy? Ha! You're all weak!"

Life for the humans went down in a continuous spiral. The monsters were now in charge, and they were very strict with their rules (though this only applied to humans). The monsters who occupied the human countries would not get in trouble for small crimes against humans, either. It wasn't uncommon to find a poor soul getting harassed or beaten up by one of them. The humans, having lost miserably in the war, either couldn't or wouldn't defend themselves in fear of making the problem worse.

One day, a group of monsters (a fox, a wolf, a marionette, and a bear) decided to try out a burger restaurant in a coastal human city. They sat at their chosen table and waited for service. Their waitress— a pale woman with pink eyes and blue hair tied into a bun— came up to them on roller skates, a smile on her face. "Good afternoon, sirs. What can I get for you?" she asked politely. The wolf, having woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, grumbled, "Some menus would be a good start."

The smile on the waitress's face faltered a bit. "Oh, my bad. I'll go get your menus, then. Four, correct?" she asked. "You can see, correct?" the wolf snapped again. The waitress deflated a little and nodded, heading off to grab the menus for the group. "Hey, Wolf. That wasn't very nice." the bear reprimanded his friend. The wolf huffed in annoyance and looked out the window. "She's the one being uppity and annoying." the wolf grumbled. "She's just being polite. It's a part of her job." the bear pointed out. The wolf huffed again. The fox looked at him like he just swore in front of a child, "What's your damage, dude? You've had that stick up your a== all day."

"Shut up, Foxy." Wolf growled. Foxy flicked his tail in displeasure. "Both of you calm down." the marionette said calmly, "We can here to enjoy food, not argue. Settle down and be patient. You'll feel better after we eat."

The wolf and the fox both huffed and looked away from each other. The bear sighed, "Thanks, Puppet."

The marionette nodded in acknowledgment. A moment later, the waitress returned with their menus. "Here are your menus. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, sirs." she said with a nervous smile. "I'll be back in a minute to write down your drinks." She added before going away again. "Something's off about her." Foxy commented. The bear nodded, "Perhaps she's afraid of us."

"Ha, maybe she's just afraid of Wolf." Foxy replied. Wolf glared are him. "I don't know why she'd be the scared one,she'sthe one that looks like a freak of nature." the canine growled. Across the restaurant, Puppet could see their waitress pause what she was doing and glance at her reflection in the window, a shamed look on her face. Puppet turned his head back to his friends, focusing his attention on Wolf. "That was uncalled for." he told the wolf, "You should apologize when she comes back."

"It's not like she heard me." the wolf snapped. "Shedidhear you, and you made her feel bad." Puppet snapped back. Wolf's ears twitched. "...Fine." he growled. Puppet relaxed a little. After another thirty seconds, the waitress came back and wrote down what drinks they wanted. Before she left again, Wolf stopped her. "Hey, lady... Sorry about what I said. It wasn't very nice of me." he apologized awkwardly. The waitress was caught off guard by his apology. "It's okay, sir. There was no harm in it." she said with the world's smallest smile. Wolf, not realizing that she really was hurt by his words, turned to look at Puppet and gestured hard at the human female. Puppet frowned in return. After the waitress brought them their drinks, everything seemed to finally calm down. "Here are your drinks. Two co*kes, one doctor pepper, and a root beer." She told them with a polite smile. "Thanks." Foxy and Wolf said at the same time. Puppet and the bear nodded at her. "Thank you." Puppet added. The bluenette nodded. "Of course. Are you ready to order your food, or do you need a few minutes?" She asked pulling out a small notebook and flipping it to the first blank page. "I think we're ready." the bear said, the other three silently agreeing with him. The waitress nodded, "Okay, what would you like?"

After taking their order, the waitress left them and skated over to the kitchen. Puppet watched her go with his eyes. "You should ask her out." the bear said casually. The marionette's head jerked in his friend's direction. "Fredbear!" he hissed. "What? You keep looking at her." Fredbear grinned. Puppet shook his head, "No. I look because I can feel that something is different about her. She's not like other humans."

"Yeah, because she got your attention." Foxy commented. Fredbear nodded in the fox's direction, "See? They see it too."

Puppet shook his head with a deep sigh. "Even if I did have eyes on her like that, what makes you think a monster like me can ask a human like her on a date?" he asked dully, "It's impossible. Humans and monsters don't mix anyways."

"That's not entirely true. I know a human-monster couple." Fredbear said, "Remember Ennard? He found a nice human that he really liked and they got married. I think they even have a child or two."

Puppet looked him in the eye. "No means no. Leave the subject now." he commanded him. Fredbear raised his hands harmlessly. Half an hour later, the waitress brought them their food. "Enjoy, sirs." she said with a smile. They all thanked her. Fredbear stopped the waitress before she could leave again. "Excuse me, Miss. May I ask what your name is?" the bear asked her politely. The human was surprised, and maybe even nervous. Usually customers only ask what an employee's name is so they can complain about something they did wrong. "My name is Belle." she said with a hint of nervousness. Fredbear smiled softly. "Belle. That's a nice name. Who picked it? Your mother or your father?" he asked. Belle relaxed, realizing that he meant no harm in asking her for her name. "My adopted mother picked it, actually. I... never got to know my parents..." she said, getting a bit morbid at the end. The monsters at the table were caught off guard by that. "Humans adopt children without parents too?" the fox asked. Belle nodded, "It's actually more common than you think, especially after a war."

Puppet thought that that might have been a jab at the human-monster war, but let it slide and told himself that she's allowed to do that. "... Anyways! Enjoy!" She said, then skated away. As the monsters ate the food, they were impressed. "This is pretty good." Fredbear said, munching on a sub sandwich. Wolf nodded in agreement as he ate one of the hamburgers he got. "Not bad, for human food." Foxy said, pulling out a tomato slice from his sub sandwich. Puppet looked around his plate, trying to decide what to try first. He got more of a surf n' turf platter, with chicken and beef and two fried fish sandwiches (with some fries on the side). "This looks delicious... what should I start with?" he asked openly. "Starting a conversation with her regularly would be good." Fredbear said, now just picking on him. Puppet flicked one of the bear's ears, making him bite his tongue on accident. Foxy and Wolf chuckled. Fredbear gave them an overly betrayed look, "Traitors."

"How about the beef or the chicken?" Foxy suggested. "I'd go for the sandwiches first, but whatever floats your boat." Wolf mumbled. "Or sinks your ship." Fredbear muttered. Puppet ignored him.

They at their food in relative peace, the waitress still dropping in here or there to check on them. "Hey, Puppet?" Fredbear caught his attention from his food. "If you say another thing about her, I'm going to—"

"Just talk to her." he pleaded, "At least let her know that we're sorry for any trouble Wolf caused."

Puppet frowned, but nodded. Later, when the others already got up and left, Puppet went up to the register. He paid for their meals, tipped the cashier, and then requested that he speak with Belle. "Uhm... I'm sorry, sir, but Belle's shift ended a little bit ago. She's probably on the bus by now." the young man at the register said. Puppet sighed. 'Didn't even get to apologize for wolf's behavior.'

"If you want, I can write down whatever you need to tell her?" he offered. Puppet shook his head. "It's better if I talk to her in person. Thanks anyways."

"N—No problem, sir. Have a good night."

"Thank you. You too." the marionette called on his way out. 'Wait, night?' he looked up. Sure enough, the moon was out. 'Jeez, how long were we in there?'

"Sooooooo, any luck?" Fredbear asked curiously. Fox and Wolf's ears perked up with interest. Puppet sighed again, "No. Her shift ended earlier; she's already gone."

"That sucks, bro." Fredbear sighed with him.

"Yeah... I'll talk to her next time we're here."

Chapter 80: Longing For Something

Chapter Text

Puppet and Ballora were a very happy couple in a loving relationship. They did many things together. They watched cheesy movies. They danced and sang together when they wanted to. They ate ice cream and pizza with each other. They even entertained children together whenever the others needed a break. One day, while they were entertaining children, Ballora felt something inside of her melt. She held a small child in her arms, softly singing a lullaby to the child as they slowly fell asleep. Ballora then handed the sleeping child over to his mother, who had watched from nearby. She watched the mother and child walk away, a sad feeling coming over her.

That night while they were in bed, Ballora couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about the mother and the child. She thought about how much she cared for the child in that moment, and how sad it made her when she watch him leave with his mother. She wondered why she felt this way- empty with longing for something. Ballora looked up at Puppet's sleeping face. He fell asleep with his mouth open, so she gently shut it for him, making him turn his head in her direction and snuggle into her in his sleep. Ballora smiled, then frowned a little. 'I thought that I had everything I wanted once Puppet and I became a couple... What else could I possibly want?' the ballerina thought sadly. As she kept thinking about it more, her mind constantly went back to the mother and the child.

Suddenly, it clicked.

'That's what I want...' Ballora realized, 'I want to be a mother again. To have another child and raise it, like Elizabeth and Chris and Michael...'

Ballora cuddled one of Puppet's arms and looked at his face again. 'I need to ask Puppet first. But... how? How do I ask him for this? Do I just go up to him after hours and say "Hey, hun! I want a kid!" like it's no big deal? Do I go slow with the question and work my way up to asking him?' she struggled, 'Or do I wake him up now, before I become too afraid to ask?'

Eventually Ballora worried herself to sleep. The next morning, she never mentioned anything to Puppet. Nor the next day. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. Weeks went by before she finally gathered enough courage to ask him. One night, before they went to bed, Ballora hugged Puppet tightly and nervously asked him what his thoughts were on having a baby. Puppet was definitely surprised by her question. After a long conversation on what this could mean for both of them, Puppet told Ballora that he wants her to be happy, and if that means that she wants a child, then he'll give her a child. Ballora couldn't have been any happier in that moment.

Two years later, nothing changed. The two have been trying for months at a time, and so far nothing seemed to work. No matter what, it seemed impossible that the two would get a child. Ballora was heartbroken. Day and night, her longing for a child grew and grew, and it started to haunt her. Puppet could do nothing but be there for her when she would break down. Recently, Ballora had the biggest break he's ever seen from her. They were in bed again when she started crying. Her cries quickly turned into heavy sobs and hiccups as she held onto him like a lifeline. "What are we doing wrong?" she asked him through the tears, "Why can't we have one?"

"I don't know, Bal..." Puppet said as gently as he could, hugging her tightly, "I'm sorry..."

Ballora continued to cry for half an hour.

After that night, Puppet decided that no matter what, he'd find a way for them to have a child. He went to work immediately. Months came and went as he made his plan. What he would do is build a small animatronic, then use his supernatural powers to bring it to life. If that didn't work, then he'd literally go through Hell and back to find a child's soul to put in it (the child would be a volunteer, of course). The withered animatronics were more than happy to lend him the parts and services room, and even offered to help. Puppet was grateful, and asked them to bring him parts. He only used spare parts from himself and Ballora, wanting to put as much of both of them into the little one as he could. After the first week, he was able to sort out enough parts to make more than one. 'That's good, in case the kid needs repairs.'

When he went back to Ballora the following night, he asked her how many children she wanted. "I want as many as we can have." she whispered with remorse, "I want all the children in the world, because it's impossible to have one of our own... I don't care how many we have, as long as we can have one... at least one..."

She nearly started crying again, but Puppet comforted her before it could happen. He kissed her on the cheek, "I love you, Bal."

"I love you too, Pups."

}-----{

A month later, Puppet began his journey through Hell. He went from the other side of the gate, all the way into the pits. He searched for what felt like hours, and even asked a few demons whether or not he was on the right path. Most of them lied or said something rude or gross, of course, but there were a few that were genuinely nice and told him that yes, he was looking the the right area for children's souls. Eventually he had to stop and take a breather, so he went back up to the pizzeria's kitchen and took a coffee break. He stood by the counter, drinking straight black coffee from his mug with loud sips. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Ballora was sitting at the table, glaring at him from across the kitchen. "What is it, dear?" he asked politely. "Are you cheating on me or something?! Why have you been absent all week?!" she suddenly yelled at him. Puppet paused, dumbfounded. "I was gone for a few hours..." he said more as a statement. "You've beengone" Ballora hissed, "for aweek."

After that mini fiasco, Ballora calmed down and went back to their room. Puppet went back to hell and started searching again. In the end, he found twelve little souls who were longing for a second chance at life. Puppet didn't want to leave any of them behind, so he brought them all to the surface and had the withereds babysit them in secret. Using the parts he had, he made twelve little animatronics. When I say little, I actually mean little. They were all about the size of a kitten or a puppy. The souls would take a little while to rest, so he needed to wait before showing Ballora. One by one, he rested his hands on each of their small heads and whispered, "Thank you. This would never have been possible without any of you, and I will always be grateful."

The very next day, Puppet asked Ballora to follow him to the parts and services room. The ballerina was instantly suspicious since he never once told her what he was doing in his absence. "Puppet, please don't tell me there's an axe waiting for me on the other side of that door." she said as a joke. Puppet shook his head and took ahold of her hands. "Ballora, there's something that I need to tell you. I knew how distressed it made you that we couldn't have any children of our own, especially the night you broke down in my arms. I want you to be happy, no matter what. And so, I vowed that I would find a way for us to become parents. A month or two ago, I finally did." he told her. The shocked look on Ballora's face told him that this wasn't what she was expecting. "Pups... you really...?" she had a hard time asking. Puppet simply nodded. "H-... How many are there?" she asked. "Twelve." he answered with a soft smile, "We have twelve little ones, and they're made from our parts."

Ballora started to smile. The smile got wider and wider until her face almost split in half. She lunged at him and pulled him into a fierce hug. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Pups! I love you... so much..." she almost cried into his shoulder. Puppet smiled a little more and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You're welcome, love. Would you like to meet them now?" he asked. Ballora nodded, trying to hold back her happy tears. Puppet reached over to the door and pushed it open, leading Ballora inside. Sitting on a table were twelve little animatronics. They looked a lot like Puppet, but they had different colors. To Ballora, they were so small and precious. One by one, they powered on and looked at Puppet, then they looked at her. "Who is she?" asked one of them.

"This is your new mother, Ballora. She's very sweet and kind, and I can tell that she already loves each and every one of you." Puppet told them. Ballora slowly walked up to the table, a soft smile on her face. "Hello," she greeted them. The little ones all smiled happily at her and jumped onto her, startling the ballerina at first. They each found their own spot on Ballora and held onto her, hugging her. "Hi, Mama!" a couple of them said. "We love you, Mama!" a few more of them said. Ballora's smile widened again, and she did her best to hug them all back. "I love you too." she whispered happily. Puppet smiled with pride, happy to have made Ballora's wish come true.

Everyone was quick to welcome the children, who call themselves the Minireenas. They were instantly a part of the family. Lolbit declares herself as their aunt, which Ballora and Puppet didn't really mind. Puppet would always keep an eye on the Minis so that they wouldn't get hurt. Ballora- paranoid of losing one of them- was quick to become overprotective.

Once one of the nightguards threw a Minireena down the hallway because they were crawling on him. Ballora heard the little one wailing and was there faster than Foxy. When the Minireena told her what happened, Ballora attack the guard and literally ate him alive (she may or may not have intimidated everyone else in the process).

Don't mess with the mama bear.

Ballora and Puppet were now laying in bed, relaxing and cuddling. The Minireenas were on the bed as well. They were either using their parents as pillows or sleeping at the foot of the bed, wrapped up in small blankets that Ballora had made for them. One of the Minis was sleeping on Ballora's stomach, and Ballora stroked their back and listened to their soft snores. She smiled, 'Children at last.'

She tilted her head to the side and rested it on Puppet's arm. 'Thank you...'

Chapter 81

Chapter Text

[I co-wrote this with two of my friends!]

"You bitch!"

"You're the bitch!"

Erika and Ballora were arguing. Again. The two blue-haired women hissed and screamed at each other, both trying to get the other to back down. "I'm done with your bullsh*t! Here Martin and I are, taking the time to visit you and your friends underground, and you are completely ungrateful!" Erika screamed, "I should kill you right now!"

"Go ahead! You'd be doing me a f*cking favor!" Ballora screamed back.

Yeah, this is what normally happens.

"Fine then! Maybe I will!" Erika yelled harshly, then grinned, "Or maybe I'll get Martin to deal with you!"

Ballora's eyes widened, "You wouldn't!"

"Oh, I would!" Erika smirked victoriously. She took a deep breath and screamed for her husband, her voice echoing loudly in the gallery, making Ballora cover her ears. Less than three seconds later, Martin teleported in between the two and looked at Erika. "Is something wrong?" he asked politely. Erika jabbed a finger in Ballora's direction, "I want her gone!"

"Very well." he smiled at Erika. Ballora was about to shout something else when she entirely disappeared. Erika blinked. "She's gone now." Martin smiled a little wider. "No! I meant that I wanted her dead!" Erika yelled at him now, "I want you to find her and I want you to kill her in the most painful way possible!"

Martin put both of his hands on her shoulders and smiled warmly at her. "It's okay, babe. Calm down. Please? I promise you'll get what you want, even if I don't follow her." he assured his wife. Erika did not look convinced. Martin sighed. "The place I sent her to is filled with horrible monsters that will want to kill her and maybe even eat her. Trust me, she'll be dead before you know it."

}—————{

[A few days later]

Ballora wasn't dead, though by now she wishes that she was. The first thing she saw when the teleportation was done was a lot of greenery (trees, bushes, grass, moss, blah blah blah) and a river. '... Am I in a jungle?' she thought with mild confusion. She didn't know what to expect, so she tried staying in the same area. It went... relatively well for her the first couple of days. She was able to stay out of trouble. She learned that there were monsters that roamed this jungle. She's seen giant bears with mouths sliced into their stomachs, a fox who was covered in needles from head to toe, and once, she even saw a bird the size of a mountain that had teeth growing out of its beak. Ballora shivered just thinking about them. 'I wish that I could go home...' she lamented on the fourth night, 'I should never have fought with Erika... That was stupid...'

After that, things didn't seem to be going well for Ballora anymore. She went out in search of food on night, hoping to find something edible, when she ran into one of the monsters. It was huge, with a black body, two tails, and a white head. The body was covered in pikes, and each tail had a blade on the end of it. It had a face that looked a lot like Martin's mask; with the red cheeks and purple tear tracks that stopped at the mouth. The monster looked angry, like it hated that she was there. It attacked her and gave her a good beating, nearly killing her in under a few minutes. Ballora was screaming and begging for mercy the entire time. In a final moment of overwhelming fear, she curled up into a ball and cried loudly. The monster, for some reason, was effected by this. He stopped attacking her and just...lookedat her. Staring, like he was trying to figure something out. It was like that for a few minutes, then the monster gently picked her up and carried her over to the river, Ballora whimpering from the pain. He dipped her in the cold river a couple of times, making her yell and shiver. Once he determined that he had gotten all the dirt and mud and oil off of her, the monster then carried her away. He switched her from hand to hand a couple of times, eventually settling for holding her in the bottom right hand as it scaled cliffs and climbed mountains. He brought her to a deep cave and set her down somewhere in the back. It dark and uncomfortable. The rocks jabbed at her already sore body, making her whimper again. The creature looked at her in pity. He looked back at the entrance and walked over to it, pushing a boulder to block it. The cave went pitch black. It was impossible to see him, but Ballora could hear the monster moving. He picked her up again and laid down, then set her down in the space between his arms. He made a low rumbling sound from his chest. It took Ballora a minute to realize that he wasn't growling at her. After a while the monster fell asleep, but Ballora stayed wide awake, fearing that something bad would happen if she slept.

The next morning— much to Ballora's horror— she woke up and found the monster gone. It wouldn't be so terrifying if she knew where he went. He left the entrance open, so anything could've came in and killed the ballerina while he was away. Shortly after she woke up, the monster came back, carrying something dead and rotten-smelling in their jaws. He set the meat down in front of her, then nudged it towards her more. "Y—You... you want me t—toeatthat?..." she asked. The monster tilted his head at her. He doesn't understand what she's saying. He nudged the mutilated carcass closer to her, making Ballora scoot herself back. "I—I can't eat this..." she tried. The monster huffed and pushed it closer. He growled threateningly. Ballora flinched and looked at the meat pile in disgust. With a trembling hand, she ripped off some of the flesh and put it in her mouth. It tasted like rotten meat and the ballerina had to use every bit of willpower she had not to spit it out. She reluctantly chewed and swallowed it, shuddering as she felt the food go to her stomach. 'Oh my god, that's disgusting!'

The monster seemed satisfied that she ate a bit of it, but pushed it a little closer to practically pressing the body up against her. They want her to keep eating. "No!" Ballora glared, "That was so gro—!"

He growled at her again, louder this time. The glare fell from Ballora's face as she looked at the meat. She wanted to cry. It was so disgusting and it tasted so horrible. She hated it. Shereallyhated it. She shook as she ate more of it, gagging at the smell and the taste. She'd eaten a third of the corpse when she couldn't take it anymore. She pushed the thing away from her and scooted back. "There, I ate it! Are you h—happy now?!" she yelled at the monster. He looked at the carcass, then looked at her, then back at the carcass and back to her and back at the carcass again. He lunged forward and chomped into the meat, spraying blood all over the ballerina in front of him. The monster wolfed it down, tearing up the flesh and messily eating every last bit of it. Ballora screamed in outrage and disgust as she looked at her blood-covered body. The monster heard her cry and swallowed the last bit of it before pushing his face into her arms. Ballora didn't like it one bit. "Wh—What the hell are you doing?!"

He made the low rumbling sound again. It sounded like... likepurring...

Ballora looked at the monster in shock. Was hepurring?"What?..." she whispered. The monster gingerly picked her up with his teeth and set her in his hand. "Ow!" Ballora hissed. He moved over by the wall and sat down, then cradled her in his arms like a baby. "Ow, hey! Watch it!" she hissed again, "I'm still sore from yesterday, blockhead!"

The monster continued purring and rubbing his face on her, making Ballora whine and complain. She slapped him. "Put medown, you damn animal!" she yelled at him. The monster stopped and narrowed his eyes at her. "WHAT?" she yelled, "FIRST YOU ALMOST KILL ME, THEN YOU KIDNAP ME AND HOLD ME CAPTIVE, THEN YOU FEED MEROTTEN FLESH, AND NOW YOU'RE ACTING LIKE NOTHING'S WRONG! YOU SHOULDKNOWTHAT I'M MAD AT YOU."

The monster roared in her face, making her audio receptors throw a fit. "OW!" she screamed, "WAS THAT REALLY f*ckING NECESSARY?!"

He looked at her in irritation and nipped her arm. "Hey!" she protested and bit his arm in return. Her jaw ached and throbbed, but she didn't care. She was trying to make a point. Apparently that actually did something as the big creature stopped what he was doing and stared at Ballora. His tongue slid out and he proceeded to lick the blood off of her face. "Ew!" Ballora squirmed. He continued licking her, cleaning the blood off of her like it didn't bother him. "GET YOUR TONGUE OFF OF ME YOU CREEP!" she yelled, grabbing his tongue and yanking on it, "CUT IT OUT!"

[CUT MY LIFE INTO PIECES—]

The monster took his tongue back and nuzzled her again. The ballerina groaned in annoyance. "What is wrong with you?!" she snapped at the beast. He didn't respond. "AND I KEEP FORGETTING THAT YOU'RE TOO STUPID TO UNDERSTAND ME!" she hollered. Ballora pushed his face away and crossed her arms defiantly. The monster looked disappointed. "Too bad, ya big baby!" she frowned. The monster huffed and made a low groan. "What do you wantnow?" Ballora asked rudely. The monster then flopped onto the ground and cuddled her like a teddy bear. "Come on!" she complained, nearly getting squished, "Not again!"

This happened every day. Ever since he brought her back to his cave, the monster would feed her gross stuff, cuddle her and annoy her, give her water, nip her somewhere (much to Ballora's dismay), and keep her in his arms while both of them were asleep. Ballora felt herself getting more and more irritated with him. Somehow, it was the food that was the worst part. She felt herself get angrier and more upset with each bite. The monster would bother her while she ate and finished whatever she didn't eat. It was a cycle that happened for weeks. One fateful day, that cycle broke.

Ballora changed.

It wasn't a personality change or an odd turn in her behavior. She transformed into something else. A monster. It wasn't peaceful and painless like some might think, either. The pain Ballora experienced during the transformation wasexcruciating. She screamed and begged for help. She screamed and begged for the pain to stop. You could hear her bones breaking and snapping into place, growing and expanding and multiplying to form wings and a tail. Her oil splattered all over the cave walls as the new limbs tore themselves out of her back. She shrieked and wailed. "You!" she blamed the monster, who stared at her in shock, "This isyour fault!What did you do to meeeEEEEAAAAAAAAAH!"

Her legs bent and broke, then reformed themselves. Her nails grew into claws, cutting up her fingers and her shoulders as she desperately held onto them. Her mouth exploded with pain as her teeth were forced out, replaced immediately by larger, sharper ones. Her new tail whipped and flailed around, the ballerina unable to control it. Ballora has enough and threw herself into a wall repeatedly, eventually knocking herself out.

When she came to, she was a fully transformed monster. "W—What... What...happenedto me?!" she yelled. She got angry and pointed at the monster across the cave. "You! This has to beyourfault!" she screamed. "Myfault?!" the monster growled back, "I've kept you safe, fed you, and even gave you fresh water, and you're saying that this ismyfault! Talk about being ungrateful!"

Ballora paused. "Did you just... talk?" she asked. The monster nodded, "Yes, I did! You are being UNGRATEFUL and RUDE. What makes you think that this is all MY fault?"

Ballora quickly overcame her shock and yelled back at him. "It was probably that rotten meat you fed me!"

"ROTTEN?"

"IT WAS SO GROSS! IT SMELLED AND TASTED HORRIBLE! HOW WAS IT NOT ROTTEN TO YOU?"

"IF YOU CAN DIGEST IT, IT'S STILL EDIBLE!"

"LIES!"

Chapter 82: Housewife

Chapter Text

Her pink eyes opened right on time, revealing the dark room she was in. Laura got out of her bed. She yawned and stretched, hearing some of her bones pop. She swiped her tongue over her teeth because she thought she felt something caught in them, then reached her fingers in and pulled out a strand of hair. Ew. Gross. Laura hates it when that happens. She held onto the strand and walked over to the corner of the room, throwing it into the small bin before moving over to her closet. The bluenette passed the light switch along the way, not bothering to turn it on. She didn't need it.

Opening the closet, she hummed and felt through the different outfits. She chose one and pulled it out. It was a more modest dress than usual. It was white with golden frills on the collar and hem. It didn't have any sleeves and the bottom of it went just below her knees. She took it with her and closed the closet door. She picked up her feet and made it to the dresser, where she got everything else she needed (like undergarments and maybe some accessories). After putting everything on, she slipped into a nice pair of white flats and walked over to the small table against the opposite wall. On the table was a basket with her hair stuff and makeup. She shifted through it until she found her hairbrush. She took some spare cloth bands that she came across as well and felt her way over to the bathroom next to the table. Flipping on the light switch once she found it, Laura stared at her reflection in the mirror. Messy hair, dark spots under her eyes, and she still needed to brush her teeth. Laura silently set the bands and the brush on the sink and went back to the basket. She reached in and pulled out the concealer that matched her pale complexion. Walking back into the bathroom, Laura set the concealer down by the hair stuff, then picked the hair stuff up again. She brushed through the blue locks, counting each stroke until she was ready to pull her hair up. She grabbed her hair and twisted an turned it, eventually rolling it up into a tight and neat bun. She used the hair bands to keep it in place. Laura then reached over the sink and opened up the back of the mirror, showing the medicine cabinet. She grabbed the pink toothbrush and the minty toothpaste and closed the cabinet before proceeding to brush her teeth. The toothpaste burned her mouth. Once she was finished, she opened the cabinet and put the toothbrush away and put the toothpaste away and closed the cabinet. She grabbed the concealer, opened it, then proceeded to put it on over the course of a few minutes. When she was done with that, she went over to the basket and put the hairbrush and the concealer back in, as well as the spare bands that she hadn't used for her hair. Laura walked over to the staircase and began climbing up it. She opened the door as quietly as she could and slipped into the kitchen. The bluenette closed the door quietly and crept deeper into the kitchen. She reached into the top cabinets above the sink and pulled out two plates and two cups. She placed them on the nice wooden table in the center of the dining room . She the went back into the kitchen and pulled open a drawer. Inside was the silverware. She reached in to grab forks or maybe spoons, then paused and looked at the open cookbook next to the sink. It was opened to the page with French toast. Laura turned her attention back to the drawer and got out two forks and two knives. She hesitated, then shut the drawer and went back to the table. She set the utensils on napkins that she had set out beside the plates. Laura breathed in and out. She backed up and looked at the table from a distance. It looked perfect, exactly like it should be. How he likes it. She turned around and went into the next room. The foyer. She looked outside the windows that outlined the door. Still dark out. Good. That means she wasn't behind. Laura moves into the family room, which was next to the foyer, and felt around for the television remote. He usually keeps it near his spot on the large couch. Laura found it in less than a minute, dipping her fingers into a crevice in the cushions. She turned towards the large screen and clicked a button, turning it on. She then flipped through the channel until she found the one he usually watches. The news. Nothing new there. The missing person's report flashed onto the screen for Laura to see. A young girl who was abducted sixteen years ago. She was only five. How sad. Laura looked at the plump face, and felt herself staring back. She looked away with a shiver, then set the remote back down and returned to the kitchen.

It took a little bit longer than she liked, but she got out everything she needed to make breakfast, ingredients included. She even got out some bacon as a side. She didn't have to look at the book, having memorized it and many others over and over again. She washed her hands thoroughly to avoid contaminating the food with germs. Laura got her mixing bowl and wisk and made a thoroughly mixed mixture of eggs, milk, and cinnamon. She dipped a large large, thick slice of Texas Toast bread into the batter and placed it down on the pan. She waited until it was time to turn the toast over, then flipped it to the other side and waited until the slice was fully cooked to put it on the serving plate next to the stove. Laura repeated this process until halfway through the mixture. She took a tiny break from the toast (though still keeping an eye on it) and got started on the bacon. He liked his sweet, so she got out the brown sugar beforehand and placed it next to another serving plate. She opened up the package of bacon and carefully placed each slice on another pan. The bluenette washed her hands again because she touched raw meat. After drying her hands with a clean hand towel, she returned to the pans and turned on the burner for the bacon. Resuming the process of making French toast, the bacon and the toast should be done at relatively the same time. Once the French toast was done, she placed the serving plate towards the center of the dining room table. She then went back into the kitchen and got the pan of cooked bacon. She set it down on a thick wooden cutting board next to the brown sugar and the mixing bowl and dragged the other serving plate over. Pouring half a cup of brown sugar in the mixing bowl, Laura then went into the pantry and grabbed some Dijon mustard and went back to the bowl. She put one tablespoon of the mustard in, then went back into the pantry and put it away. She heated up the bowl, then mixed it thoroughly as most of the sugar melted. She dipped the bacon slices in, then placed them each on the serving plate and and poured the rest of the mixture into a condiment dish. Taking the bag of brown sugar, Laura took a second condiment dish and scooped out more sugar. She set the dish down, rolled up the top of the brown sugar bag, put it away, then grabbed the serving plates and the condiment dishes and brought them to the table. She went back to the kitchen and opened up the fridge and got out the orange juice and the milk, then closed the fridge and went back to the table and set the breakfast beverages on the table in two separate pitchers. She went back to the kitchen again and put the gallons of milk and orange juice away, then started up the coffee pot and made a fresh batch of black coffee. She took the container of coffee and placed it down on the table, then went back to the kitchen and washed her hands again. Perfect. Breakfast was ready now. All she had to do was sit and wait. She took her seat across from his, folding her hands in her lap to be nice and ladylike.

She waited.

After roughly five minutes, she heard footsteps coming from the foyer. This footsteps then travelled through the family room, to the kitchen, and finally, to the dining room. A man appeared from the kitchen doorway, calmly walking in and taking his seat.

There he was.

Her husband, Mason Salacil.

He smiled at her, and Laura smiled back. "Good morning." he greeted her. "Good morning." she replied.

"Breakfast looks delicious."

"Thank you."

"You even made my favorite bacon."

"I did."

"Thank you for waiting for me."

"You're welcome."

"You woke up on time?"

"I did."

"And you turned on the news?"

"I did."

"What did you see today?"

"A missing girl.... Someone familiar."

Mason frowned at her empty tone, "Was it you?"

"Maybe."

"Did it upset you?"

"I don't know."

"It did upset you."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"Thank you."

Her husband nodded. He started eating his food. Laura stares at her hands in her lap, suddenly losing her appetite.

"Eat."

Laura looked at Mason again. "Eat. You're hungry." he said, pointing at her clean and empty plate. Laura nodded and reached over, getting herself some French Toast and pouring a glass of milk. Mason got himself a mug of coffee and took a few sips after putting in some of the brown sugar. The two at in silence for a moment. Had it have been anyone else, the silence would be tense or awkward, but Laura was used to it. She only speaks when spoken to. Mason took another sip of his coffee, then set the mug down and bit one of his toast slices. "The company is gaining more currency." he said. "That's good." Laura responded. "It is. That means more money for us and the employees." Mason said. Laura nodded again. More money meant that he would be richer. Being richer means that he will buy more to expand the company and make even more money. It's a rinse and repeat process that has helped him gain status among other multimillionaires. The more he buys, the more he makes. He donates often so that he's not seen as a Rockefeller. Many charity organizations are pleased that he's willing to help. At least, the good charities...

Not like the "charity" that Laura came from.

Her pupils shrank. She remembers the first time she saw Mason. It was three years after her abduction. Mason was just a few years older than her, and his parents decided that he needed a set marriage for a successful life. Being the pompous rich sh*tlords that the two were, they decided tobuyhim a fiancé. Guess who the lucky winner was?

Mason had only stepped through the doorway to where the children were kept. Laura's cage was right next to him. She could tell by looking at him that he was physically uncomfortable. He muttered something under his breath, then looked in Laura's direction, making the young girl flinch. He looked at her hair, and then her eyes. He saw how weak and despaired she was, and got closer to the cage. Mason knelt down and nearly pressed his face up against the bars. "My name's Mason... Who are you?" he asked softly. "... M—My name... is Belle..." she answered in a miserable voice. "Belle?" He asked, "That's a pretty name... It's okay Belle. I'm going to get you out of here."

Of course, at the time, Laura didn't know what he meant by that, but it gave her hope. After Mason's parents paid for her, she was given a clean dress and shoes to wear and guided to the backseat of their car. Mason was there with her. He smiled at her and held her hand like a friend trying to comfort her. "... Where a—are we g—going?" she asked him quietly. "We're going home. You're going to like it there. It's abighouse with abigyard and a lake in the woods behind it." Mason answered with a smile. Laura smiled back, hopeful. Sadly, her life went down a dark path after that as Mason's parents forcefully taught her to be an obedient housewife for their son. She learned to cook and clean and take orders without complaining. The mother and father changed her name shortly after bringing her home.

"What's wrong?" Mason's older voice suddenly asked. Laura snapped back to reality. "Pardon?" she asked. "Something's bothering you."

"I'm sorry."

"What was it?"

"Bad memories."

"How bad?"

"Before I met you."

Mason stopped talking. He ate another bacon slice and avoided her eyes, making Laura divert hers as well. Mason changed since she first met him. He was quieter and more reserved. He could still be really sweet with her, but other than that, they mainly avoided each other. Especially after his parents' deaths. They perished in a plane crash. Mason offered to let Laura sleep upstairs with him, but the bluenette politely declined, preferring to sleep in the basem*nt like she always did. "I'm sorry." Laura apologized again. "It's alright..." Mason said softly.

"It's not aright. I upset you. I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay. I'm the one who asked."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

They ate the rest of breakfast in silence again. After Mason got up to brush his teeth, Laura cleaned up the table and put the leftovers away. She began washing dishes in the sink when Mason came back down. He was wearing a fancy black suit and a white tie. He hugged her waist and kissed her neck from behind. "I don't want you working today. I have something special planned for tonight. It's our anniversary." he whispered smoothly. Laura nodded. "Would you like me to order dinner, then?" she asked him. Mason hummed and squeezed her a little. "I'm feeling like something German or Italian tonight. Maybe French." he told her. "Alright. I'll see what I can do." Laura responded.

"Thank you, Laura."

"You're welcome."

Mason kissed her cheek and let go. He fixed his tie and grabbed his suitcase before walking out the door. "Remember, no working today." he called back before closing the big double doors. Laura inwardly sighed. Looks like it'd be a slow day for her. Maybe she can read over some of the books again? She finished washing the dishes and put them away, then went back downstairs. She flipped on the light switch and went over to bookshelf in the corner of the room. Skimming through the different titles, she eventually selected on about how to properly prepare a fancy meal. Why there were books like this, she never understood. Oh well. It doesn't matter. She went over to her bed and sat down, opening it to the first page and reading the introduction. Today would be a slow day, and tonight would be a busy night. No doubt she'd be exhausted by morning, if Mason planned what she thinks he planned. She sighed again.

It would be so easy to just run out that door and call for help. It would be so easy. The nightmare would be over. She would be free. But something in the back of her mind whispered to her.

You're safe here.

You're happy here.

No one's looking for you out there.

You're dead to them.

Here, you are wanted.

He takes care of you here.

He's a loving husband, even if your marriage was "arranged".

He saved you from that place.

Surely you'd have been dead years ago if Mason hadn't of chosen you.

He saved you.

He takes care of you.

You owe him your life.

Him and his damned parents.

Laura shook her head.

No.

Don't think about that.

Just stop thinking and read the book.

Read the book and wait for Mason to come home.

Make sure to order dinner before you eat lunch.

Do what Mason wants, including his plans for tonight.

Do what he wants, and everything will be okay.

Chapter 83: Dense

Chapter Text

[Belle Trying to Be Seductive Warning]

Mason was an Angel.

Belle was a demon.

Two completely different entities who stand for two completely different reasons.

Yet they still managed to get along.

Mason was visiting a living friend when he met the blue-haired demon. She was causing misery for some poor soul who worked at a hot dog stand. "WHY do they keep disappearing?!" the man hollered, unaware of the demon who was eating a relish-smothered hot dog beside him. "That's not very nice, you know." Mason said with a frown, his feathered wings drawn closer to him. The demon looked at him and flicked her tail, taking another defiant bite out of her hotdog. The angel scoffed at her, "You could at leastpaythe guy. He's been working in the sun for hours, he deserves to be paid. For all you know, this could be his only job and how he provides for his family."

The demon stared into his eyes with a frown, then snapped her fingers. A small pile of quarters appeared on the hot dog stand, catching the man's attention. "... Eh?"

Mason looked surprised, then smiled at the demon. "I... didn't expect you to actually listen to me. Thank you. That was a good thing you did." he thanked her. The demon rolled her eyes, clearly not believing that she let an angel convince her to do something nice. She took another bite of the hot dog. After that, the two frequently crossed paths. They saw each other on the street for the most part, but there were a few times where they were in the same building or area of the woods. "Are you stalking me?" Mason would ask casually. The demon would only stare at him with a frown or roll her eyes. "Okay. Do you mind if I stalk you, then?" he asked once. That actually caught the demon's attention, making her look very surprised that he asked that. "What the hell did you say?" she questioned him. Mason smiled, "Aha!I finally got you to talk!"

She frowned deeper and looked away again. He got her to talk more after that, eventually finding out that her name is Belle. He learned that she was also part succubus. When he asked what exactly that meant, Belle just smothered a laugh. "You were agrown man.Howdo you not- you know what? Nevermind."

As the two kept talking and hanging around each other, Belle quickly became flirty with him. Mason was usually confused by her flirts though. They went from nice and subtle to full-on innuendos and jokes, and her overall just trying to get him to do what she wants.[How in the hell does one word that?]

}-----{

Belle and Mason were in an alleyway, eating ice cream. Belle was standing unusually close to him for the first time, purposely being a messy eater and hungrily licking the vanilla ice cream off of her face. She smirked when she was done and looked at Mason. Her smirk fell when she realized that he wasn't even watching her. Her tail flicked in annoyance.

}-----{

Mason bought Belle a popsicle, and the two of them enjoyed the frozen treats in the hot sun. While hers started dripping, Belle got the idea to try flirting with Mason again. She started licking and sucking on the popsicle louder than she was earlier, getting his attention. He watched awkwardly as she ate her popsicle slowly. When she was done, Belle looked at him with a satisfied smile. "So you like pineapple flavor?" Mason asked. Belle went from satisfied to irritated. "Sure," she spat, "I like popsicles."

}-----{

Belle and Mason were in a warehouse. Belle brought Mason inside, saying that she found the world's most comfortable bed while crashing there one night. She was right, honestly. When they got there, Mason agreed that the bed was very comfortable and laid down on it. Belle then jumped on top of him and pinned him to the bed. "What do you think~?" she asked in a seductive tone. Mason smiled at her, making Belle smirk triumphantly. Then Mason grabbed her and pulled her down to him in a hug. "I think that it's really cozy. I might use you as a pillow." Mason snuggled her. Belle wanted to scream and throw him out the window, but settled for smacking the top of his head. "Ow! What was that for?"

}-----{

Belle took a break and tried going back to subtle. Keyword "tried". She was dancing with Mason when the two started to get extremely close to each other. Eventually, their bodies were touching the rest of the time. At the end, Belle tried to pin Mason to the wall, but ended up stepping on his foot because he was tired and started falling asleep.

}-----{

Mason was sitting on a white brick wall. He was observing the lake in front of him, enjoying it. Then Belle landed on the wall beside him. She shook her leathery wings and pulled them closer to herself, then sat down beside him, her tail wagging playfully. "Hey, handsome~." Belle said with a smile. "Hello, foul fiend." Mason joked. Belle bit her tongue to hide a giggle. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously, leaning towards him. "Hmmm... Not much." Mason told her, "Just looking at the beauty in front of me."

"Why, thank you." Belle grinned, her sharp teeth showing. She scooted a bit closer to him. Mason smiled at her, his wings fluttering a little as he spread them a small bit. "You know, you really are kind of handsome. I like it." Belle said with a sly smile, using two of her fingers to make her hand walk up Mason's chest. Mason raised an eyebrow at her. Belle then moved and sat in his lap. "Ireallylike it~." she purred. "Thanks, I guess?..." Mason responded. Belle wrapped one of her arms around his neck and let her tail snake its way around one of his legs. Mason became even more confused when she started drawing circles in his chest and licked her lips. "Belle, are you okay?" he asked with concern. "Oh, I'm okay." she whispered. Mason's forehead creased with worry, "Are you sure? You're acting weirder than usual."

Belle paused. "Weirder?" she echoed. Mason nodded. "Your voice got all weird and you started getting really...touchyand slow... Are you sure you're okay?" he said. Belle's look of surprise turned irritated. "Did you just ask me if I'm sick because I'm trying to flirt with you?" she growled. Mason dropped the worried look, "Oh... you were flirting?"

Belle slapped his chest, "Of course I was, you ass! What did you think I was-?! Just-! Ugh, nevermind!"

The demon got off of him and sat a little farther away. She crossed her arms and hunched her shoulders while looking in the other direction, her tail flicking in annoyance and her wings tented over her. "Are you pouting?" Mason frowned. "So what if I am? You're hopeless." Belle shot back. "What did you want me to do?" Mason asked. Belle glared at him, "Me!"

"What?" Mason was confused again. "See?! This is my point! You'rehopeless!" Belle snapped.

}-----{

Belle and Mason were on the comfy bed again. Belle was starting to feel like giving up. She tried jumping on him again to see if he'd finally get the idea, but she overbalanced and nearly fell if it weren't for the angel extending one of his wings to catch her. He pulled his wing back in and trapped her, making the demon cling to his side as he kept his wing around her. "Are you okay?" he asked sweetly. Belle looked at him, slowly relaxing after nearly getting hurt. "I-I'm fine..." she whispered with a small blush, "You're really strong..."

"I have to be strong to fly with these." Mason said. Belle's blush slowly faded. "O-Oh..."

}-----{

"Pssst! Mason!" Belle whisper-yelled from a bush, "Come here! I wanna show you something!"

Mason was startled to hear Belle's voice out of now where, but quickly relaxed and walked over to the bush she was in. He was about to crouch down and whisper a response when Belle reached out and grabbed his shoulders. With a mighty heave, the demon pulled him through the bush and threw him onto the ground, making the angel let out an "oof!". Belle jumped on top of him before he could get up and used her bat-like wings to hold his feathered ones down. Mason gave her a look of "ah crap, here we go again". "Uhm, Belle? Are you trying to flirt with me again?" Mason asked nervously. "That'spreciselywhat I'm doing." the demon said, her tail flicking and curling behind her as she gave him a cattish smile. Mason tried to move, but Belle grabbed his hands and pinned them on either side of his head. "What are you trying to...?" he tried asking uncomfortably. Belle's smile widened as she wrapped her tail around one of his legs again. "I'm going to-" Belle then cut herself off with a high-pitched scream. She sprang off of Mason and took to the skies, her wings beating the air to keep herself above him. The angel looked around in confusion. "Belle, what's wrong?" he asked with concern, hiding his relief of being out of that awkward situation. Belle pointed at something past his head, "It's right next to you! Are you an idiot?! Fly! Get away from it before it kills you!"

Mason looked in the direction of where she was pointing. There, on a beautiful pink flower, was an innocent little honeybee. It sat there, drinking the sweet nectar, not bothering a soul. "It's just a bee?" Mason said in confusion. Belle dropped to the ground behind him and used him as a shield. "It's not a bee! It's a flying assassin!" she hissed lowly. Mason felt a small smile work its way onto his face. "It's a honeybee," he told her, "they're really not that bad. They're nice and humble, and they pollinate the earth so that plants and crops can grow."

"THEY'RE MONSTERS!" Belle claimed, tightening her grip on Mason's arm, "They tried to kill me when I was alive!"

"Are you sure those weren't wasps or hornets?"

Belle smacked the back of his head, "They're all the same!"

"No they're not." Mason walked forward and held his hand out to the bee. "Hey there, little lady... My friend here is afraid of you. Can you come with me for a minute to show her that you're a good soul?" he asked the honeybee. Belle watched in astonishment as the bee crawled into the angel's hand. Mason came back over to Belle, holding the bee. "Here, hold her." he offered. "Fire and Brimstone, no!" Belle hissed, "It'll bite my fingers off and sting my face!"

Mason offered the bee again. "It's okay, Belle. I promise that if you're gentle with her and treat her with respect, she won't try to sting or bite you." he told her. "Yeah, right, like I believe you." the demon snapped. Mason calmly smiled at her, "Would I ever lie to you?"

Belle went quiet. She didn't know if he would lie to her or not. Yes, he was an angel, but Mason personally could lie to her. Belle thought about it for a moment longer, then reluctantly held out her hand. Mason smiled and cupped her had with his, slowly putting the bee in with the other. Belle's wings trembled. The demon really was afraid of the insect. "It's okay," Mason reassured her, "remember, treat her with respect."

Belle swallowed nervously and took a shakey breath in. The bee in her hand moved around in circles, fluttering its wings every now and then. The little things was kind of fat and actually pretty fuzzy. The longer she kept the bee in her hand, the less afraid of it she was. "She's... actually not that bad..." Belle admitted. She relaxed, letting the honeybee explore more of her hand. "Mhm..." Mason hummed. Belle sighed, "Okay, can I put her down now?

"You can." Mason said with a gesture towards the pink flower. Belle gently set the bee down on the petals, and the little thing went right back to work. "See? You just have to give them a chance." Mason said, patting Belle on the back. Belle flicked her tail. Now that she's calm, she finally realized that her plans were foiled again. 'f*ck!'

}-----{

Belle had given up. Mason really was hopeless. He was soinnocentanddensethat it drove her insane. NOTHING she did made him realize why she was so flirty with him. It was as if he didn't even know what the birds and the bees was! "DAMN IT ALL!" she screamed in the woods, "WHY CAN'T HE JUST SEE HOW CUTE HIS STUPID FACE IS AND LET ME HAVE IT?!"

Oh, how she wanted to kill him for it. It was almost as if he was teasing her. She just wanted him, a burning desire that she didn't understand. She knew from the beginning that it'd be difficult because Mason was an angel, but she didn't realize that it would bethathard. Belle lashed out at the wall next to her to avoid tearing up her bed. "NOTHING'S WORKING! WHY CAN'T HE BE MINE?!" her voice cracked.

"Why can't who be yours?"

"f*ck!" Belle screamed, whirling around to see Mason standing right behind her. There he was, the cute angel she was complaining about. He had a dopey smile on his face. "Aw, come on. There's no need to curse." he joked, "I know you're happy to see me."

Belle took a deep breath and calmed down, something she picked up from being around Mason so much. She gave him a stern look, "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"I'm sorry." Mason apologized, earning him a sigh from Belle. He looked around the warehouse. "Hey, Belle? Can I talk to you about something?" he asked. Belle frowned. "One, what are you looking around for? Two, is this something important? It better be, or I'm going hit you." she ended with a threat. Mason smiled nervously. "It's really important. I think that you might want to hear it." he told her. Belle flicked her tail and crossed her arms, "... Well? Go on."

"Okay, it's now or never, so... I'll try to make this quick." Mason started, making Belle raise a brow at him. The angel was suddenly blushing. "When I first met you, I didn't think you'd be... well, you. Uhm, that's pathetic. I'm sorry." he fumbled, "You we're actually a nice person and you became my friend and I really appreciate you. Even when you got all touchy and flirty, you were still a fun person to hang out with."

Belle bit back her impatience. It seemed like Mason was speaking from his heart. His wings fluttered once or twice as he spoke, the gorgeous white feathers brushing against the bed behind them. "I had been thinking about you for a while, I will admit. I wanted to get to know you better, and I did. I found out a lot about you and decided that I... Ireallylike you..." Mason blushed more, "I-I guess what I'm trying to ask is... Belle,... will you go out with me?..."

Belle blinked at him, astonished. Did he really think that about her? Was he actually in love with her? "... Are you really in love with me?" she asked. Mason nodded, "I am."

"This isn't a cruel joke?"

"It's real. I love you, Belle."

Belle gave Mason a hug, her tail swinging back and forth out of happiness. "I'd love to go out with you." she answered him. Mason hugged back, giving her a big smile. "I love you." he said. "I love you too." she replied. Mason squeezed her a bit tighter in the hug, making Belle blush a little. There it is again. That needy feeling that made her want Mason so badly. 'Stop it.' Belle scolded herself. Her tail slowly topped wagging, settling for a simple idle hovering. Mason pulled his wings around her, letting them brush against her smaller ones. 'STOOOOP!' she blushed more. "Hey Belle?"

"Hm?"

"Can I... Uhm... Can I maybe... Can I kiss you?..."

Okay. That does it. The feeling's becoming too much.

She quietly stared at Mason for a moment, making the poor angel nervous. Did he do something wrong? He should probably try to get her attention. "... Uhm-Belle?!" Mason cut himself off with a startled yell as Belle suddenly lunged and him. She practically tackled him, dragging him onto the bed. The demon pinned the angel down with a smug, commanding look. "You and I are gonna have some fun~." she told him in a seductive voice. She straddled him, making Mason blush madly. He gulped, 'Oh God, I think I made a big mistake...'

Chapter 84: Prince Charming? Nah, He's Just a Tree.

Chapter Text

[Happy fourth birthday, Sister Location]

Belle has been looking for her soulmate ever since she first realized what the word on her wrist meant. Unfortunately for her, it's just "Hey". That's it. "Hey". Nothing more. The only thing she had to go off of, and it was unbelievably unhelpful. The poor girl realized early in life that she might never find her soulmate because of it. It seriously put a damper on her mood, but she stayed as positive as she could. She went through school and got a job and her own apartment and everything without finding her significant other. The bluenette has many friends that did their best to help her, but so far nothing was working. She was despaired. Now was the worst time ever for her. Her parents died recently, her friends were too busy to hang out with her, she lost her job last night (budget issues, according to the manager), she's given up on finding her soulmate, and to top it all off today was her birthday. She decided to go to her favorite coffee shop to cheer herself up. Unfortunately for her, again, there was a familiar face who worked there. Her old bully from school. She never thought that he would work at a small café. It was honestly kind of funny. Belle sat down and ordered her drink. "Wait a minute, I know you." the meat-headed brute said. "It's you! That girl with the useless word!" he snarked with a smug grin. Belle sighed deeply and gave him a hard look, "Please just get me my order."

The brute would continue to harass her throughout her stay there, saying "hey" every time he came up to her or passed by her. It grated on her nerves, making her feel like if this didn't stop soon, she was going to explode.

}—————{

"Your Majesty, you shouldn't be so... exposed and unadorned..." Tyreke whispered, a noticeable accent in his voice. The blue-haired and green-eyed servant looked worriedly at his prince, as he always does. "Calm down, Tyreke. Everything will be fine." the tall man sitting across from him waved his hand dismissively, having the same accent as his servant. Prince Mason was visiting from another country, deciding to take a break from the royal scene for a while. His parents were so uptight about him leaving that they nearly smacked him with a mini army as an escort. Mason, luckily, was able to make a deal with them. As long as he had Tyreke nearby he was allowed to do what he wants to, so long as he doesn't embarrass himself. Today, the prince decided to try some of the finest coffee that the city had to offer, so he went to an adorable little café for lunch. "This is quite delicious, Tyreke. You should try it." Mason smiled at him, offering a peanut butter blossom cookie. Tyreke nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"You shouldn't be so uptight, Tyreke. And please, call me Mason when we're in public." Mason requested. Tyreke nodded again, taking a bite of the cookie. The servant's eyes lit up as the taste came over him. "These are amazing." he said in astonishment, looking at the cookie before taking another bite out of it. Mason nodded in agreement. "Hey." said a masculine voice tainted from behind them. "S—Stop it..." replied a low feminine voice. Mason and Tyreke looked over towards the entrance. Seated in a booth nearby was a girl with blue hair and pink eyes. She looked upset over something. The man serving her order had a smirk on his face. "Aw, what's the matter?" he whispered evilly, "Are you about to cry like a little kid?"

"You don't understand what I'm going through right now." the bluenette said in an unsteady voice. "Oh, I understand perfectly, Hey." the man laughed in her face, "Hey, you like that? Hey? Hey?"

Mason frowned deeply. He moved to stand up, but Tyreke stopped him. "Your M—... Mason, you shouldn't!" he whispered panicky, "That could draw attention! And it's none of our business anyhow!"

"It doesn't take a scientist to know what's right or wrong. If I want to be a good king one day, I need to start by helping others. Why shouldn't I help that woman when she's clearly upset?" Mason asked Tyreke with a stern look. The blue-haired male became intimidated and fixed his green eyes on the table. Mason gave him a slight nod. "Stay here."

"But—!"

"I said 'stay here'."

Mason went to stand up again when the bluenette lost it. She took her cup of coffee and smashed it on the server's head. "What the hell—?!" he screamed. Mason and Tyreke both stayed still. The woman had tears streaming down her face. "You shouldn't harass someone when you don't even know what they're going through! I lost my family! I lost my job! I've given up on ever finding my soulmate and this has been the worst birthday I've had in my life! And as the cherry on top, I have to deal with you!" she screamed at him, "I can't help what can't be changed! I tried to come here to cheer myself up, and you've made it worse! So thanks a lot, blockhead!"

The woman grabbed her things and stormed off, slamming the door behind her. The server just stared after her, genuinely looking sorry. "That wasn't cool, man." piped up one of the other employees. "Yeah... I..." he tried to respond, then gave up and started cleaning up the mess. "Sir... what just...?" Tyreke tried asking Mason. The prince wasn't paying attention. "I feel like I should say something to her." he said plainly. "Why?" Tyreke asked. Mason shook his head. "I don't know... I just want to tell her something that'll lift her spirits." he answered unsurely, "I feel obligated to do it."

"That's really weird to say, Mason."

"I know."

Mason finally stood up and went to follow the woman. "I'll pay for the food, Mason." Tyreke called as he walked out the door. The woman was near the street, directly in front of the entrance. She looked like she was shaking from holding back sobs. Mason felt bad. He approached the woman as cautiously as he could. 'How do citizens greet each other again?' he pondered, 'Something casual, I'm sure. What if it's different for this country?'

Mason stopped right behind the woman and fumbled for what to say. Eventually, he just settled for what sounded the least intrusive. "Hey." he said, his accent heavy from the discomfort. The woman spun on her heel and gave him an angry glare. "WHAT DO YOU WANT, YOUf*ckINGTREE?!" she yelled at him. The prince took a step back, bewildered. The woman then deflated. "I—I'm sorry, I just..." she stomped and let out a frustrated sound, then stomped away. Mason watched after her. "That was... something..." he mumbled as he just stood there. Tyreke came out of the coffee shop with a bag of the peanut butter blossoms. "Is she gone?" he asked. Mason nodded slowly, "I think I made it worse for her."

"Maybe we should follow her then." Tyreke suggested. "Is that even allowed?" Mason asked.

"You're the prince, of course it's allowed."

"Not in this country."

"Fair point, but it's for a good reason." Tyreke pointed out. Mason didn't respond. His wrist started to itch. Something strange and new, an odd sensation. The prince pulled down his sleeve a bit, thinking perhaps he got a rash from something, when he skimmed over the words that have been with him since his birth. He looked at his wrist in shock, then looked in the direction where the woman left. "What is it, Mason?" Tyreke asked. "Tyreke," Mason said in awe, "I think... I think I found her..."

}—————{

Later that night, Belle was at the park. She still hadn't calmed down and decided that she needed some air. The bluenette sat on a park bench and sighed deeply, feeling awful. She shouldn't have smashed her cup again that guy's head. She shouldn't have yelled at the stranger, who was probably trying to see if she was okay. She shouldn't have stormed off like that either. What she did was rude and uncalled for. Her parents would have been disappointed. She looked somberly at the ground, having no more tears left to cry. The temperature started to fall the longer she sat there. The October leaves swirled in the wind as the could air turned her cheeks pink. Belle shivered. "Excuse me, Miss?" called a familiar voice. Belle looked up and met eyes with the stranger from earlier, the one she called a tree. "Oh, it's you..." Belle said awkwardly. "Is it okay if I sit next to you?" he asked in a lovely accent. Belle's cheeks gained a deeper tint of pink as she nodded. The man sat down beside her, looking at her curiously with his crystal blue eyes. "L—Listen, uh..." Belle said before she could get distracted, "I'm sorry for yelling at you like that earlier. It was wrong and I should've been nicer."

"It's quite alright. We all have a tough time every now and then." he assured her with a small smile. Belle smiled back. "What's your name?" she asked shyly. "I am Mason Salacil. I'm visiting from the neighboring country." he said proudly. "It's nice to meet you, Mason. You have a nice name." Belle complimented him. Mason's smile widened a bit. "Thank you. And your name?" he responded. "My name is Belle... Belle Tanzen..." she replied. Mason looked at her with glittering eyes, "What a lovely name. Tanzen means 'Dance', does it not?"

Belle finally started to smile back. "Yes, so I've been told." she answered him. "Do you like to dance?" he asked. Belle shook her head. "I used to... not anymore..." she explained. Mason nodded in acknowledgment. "Miss Tanzen— May I call you Belle?"

"You may."

"Thank you. Belle... I don't know how else to ask this, but may I see your wrist?"

Belle looked a little surprised. "My wrist?" she echoed. Mason nodded again. "Your wrist. What does it say?" he confirmed. Belle looked at the ground and held her arm out to him. She slowly pulled down her sleeve to reveal the "hey" that she hated so much. "It's nothing helpful..." she mumbled. "Oh, but it is." Mason contradicted her thoughts with a wide grin. "How on earth can a stupid "hey" be helpful?" Belle pressed. "Because it confirmed something for me." he said, revealing the words on his own wrist for her. Belle read the words once. Twice. A third time over. "Hey." Mason said again. "What do you want, you f*cking tree." Belle said back, the world's largest smile growing on her face. Mason held his arms open for her, and Belle immediately embraced him. She squeezed her arms around his waist and buried her head into his chest. "It's you!" she nearly cried. Mason stroked her back comfortingly. "It's you." he whispered back, "I can't believe that I met you... here of all places..."

"I've waited for so long to meet you..." Belle whispered, "All my life, the one thing that I wanted most was to meet my soulmate."

"I'm here now. Do you feel any better?" Mason asked, genuinely enjoying this. Belle nodded, "I feel so much better..."

She stayed in his arms for a long time, not wanting to let go. "You like this?" Mason asked, rubbing circles in her back. Belle hummed and purred. "It feels so good..." she mumbled. Mason chuckled. He looked up and saw Tyreke standing under a nearby tree, giving Mason two thumbs up and a smile. Mason smiled down at Belle. Then he thought of something. "What attachments do you have to this place?" he asked. "Just my friends." Belle mumbled sadly, "Why do you ask?"

"Would you like to come with me?" Mason asked. Belle looked at him with surprise. "If it's okay with you, of course. I don't want you to be uncomfortable." the man said with a small smile. Belle thought about it for a moment. "Will I be able to see my friends?" she asked him. Mason nodded, "Of course."

"Then yes, I'll go with you." Belle said. Mason smiled. "You'll love it in my country. It's nice and warm, and the palace is very comfortable during the summer." he told her. "Palace?" Belle gave him a confused look. "Oh, right, silly me!" Mason said, pretending to be forgetful, "I forgot to mention. I amPrinceMason Salacil, and I came here to get away from palace life for a while."

Belle's jaw dropped. "A p—prince?" she said, thunderstruck. Mason hummed. Belle looked away from him. "This is too good to be true..." she mumbled. "If you don't believe me, then perhaps it's best if I show you. I'm going home in two days. If you meet me here tomorrow, I'll take you with me to the palace." he smiled at her calmly. Belle looked so conflicted. On one hand she's been wanting this forever, but on the other hand this was too good to be true. For all she knew, he could be trying to abduct her and kill her for swearing at him earlier. She thought about it. After a minute of silence, Belle took in a shakey breath. "What time?"

"Is eight in the evening good for you?"

"Eight is fine..." Belle said, giving him one last hug, "Thank you..."

The next night, Belle met Mason in the park. The prince then introduced her to Tyreke. He took Belle back to the hotel room that he and Tyreke were staying in and told her that they were leaving for his country the next morning. Belle was ecstatic and held his hand the entire way. The next morning, they got on a plane. Mason and Belle sat next to each other and told each other about their lives during the ride. When they got to Mason's country, they were given a royal welcome. A lot of the people stared at Belle like she was from another world, making the bluenette feel self conscious for a bit. Mason smiled and assured her that they just didn't expect her there. "They'll be thrilled to see you once they know who you are." he said, squeezing her hand and accidentally giving her a light peck on the cheek. Belle blush at that, but fixed a small smile on her face and stuck close to Mason and Tyreke. When they got to a certain point on their journey to the castle, a group of men wearing black suits gathered around the three and escorted them. A couple of the men snuck a questioning glance at Belle, but no one said anything.

When they got to the palace, they were met by the press. "Your Majesty, how was your trip?" asked one reporter. "What happened while you were in the neighboring country?" asked another. "Who is she?" asked several of them, gesturing to Belle. The bluenette became shy and unconsciously hid behind Mason. Her soulmate let out a light chuckle at that and brushed his thumb over her knuckles in reassurance. "Please, if you have any questions, ask Tyreke here. As for her, you'll soon find out." he told them calmly, "Now please, I'd like to speak with my parents. It's very important."

After they managed to get into the palace (leaving poor Tyreke to deal with the reporters' questions), Mason brought Belle to a private room and told her to wait patiently. Belle stayed in the room and patiently waited like he told her to, looking around at the portraits and the intricate designs on the floor and the ceiling and the walls. 'This place is so beautiful... I can't believe this is really happening...' There was a creak from behind her, and Belle turned to look. She froze.

It was Mason's parents, the king and the queen.

They both looked happy, like old souls who see a future full of hope. Mason was right behind them. "Mother, Father, this is my soulmate, Belle." he introduced her, "Belle, these are my parents. There's no need to be afraid, I promise they won't bite."

The queen smiled kindly at her. "Such a pretty face." she commented. "Thank you." Belle blushed a little. The king and the queen welcomed Belle with open arms. Apparently Mason has called them the day before to let them know about her. They accepted her into the family and gave her royal adornments as a welcoming gift. Belle thanked them both, and she was told that she could call them by their names instead of by their royal titles.

}—————{

[Eleven Months Later...]

Belle really couldn't be any happier. Her life made a turn for the better ever since she met Mason. She was in bed with Mason, cuddling him because he was the warmest thing around her. The prince curled around her smaller frame, holding her as close as he could while he was asleep. Belle smiled at his sleeping face and stretched, giving him a sweet kiss on the collar. Mason made a noise and shifted in his sleep, pulling her closer. Belle had to stop herself from giggling. Yes, life really was getting better. The handsome man proposed to her a week ago (she said yes, obviously). After he put the ring on her, Belle shared something else special with him. She was carrying his child. The prince was ecstatic beyond belief, nearly fainting on top of Belle as he practically tackled her in a hug. "My beautiful princess, with my beautiful child." he teared up, "I have never been so grateful to have you here, the love of my life, my soulmate."

Belle smiled fondly at the memory and slid a hand onto her stomach. 'And to think that almost a year ago, I was about to give up on everything. Now... I have nothing to worry about...' Belle snuggled her head into Mason's chest, earning her another contempted noise from the sleeping prince. 'Everything's going to be okay now...'

[Oof yes this is rushed but ey nothing I can do about it :p]

Chapter 85: Multi-shot Chapter #2!!

Chapter Text

Together Forever (2)

"Mama, Mama! I made a picture of you and Papa!"

"You did?" Ballora asked, gently taking the very colorful drawing from one of her daughters. It was actually pretty good for a small child's work. "This is very good, Clara. I love it." the ballerina smiled warmly. The world's largest smile stretched across Clara's face. "Thank you, Mama!" the Minireena said with pride. "... Why don't you go show Papa? I'm sure he'll love it too." Ballora suggested. Clara nodded her head rapidly, then carefully took the picture from her mother and went to go find her father. The smile on Ballora's face quickly faded away.

After what happened a few years ago, her afterlife was never really the same. The marionette had determined a little while after that, that they would find another location to settle down in. "A cramped box in a dark warehouse was hardly a home anyways, especially if we plan on having daughters." he argued then, "Besides, you're a social butterfly, so you need some new friends, too."

It was nice of him to think about her and the Minireenas first, but at the time, she never said a word to him. How could she talk to him when he just slaughtered everyone she cared about? How could she look at him when he's clearly off his rocker? The Puppet Master certainly had no problem with her being silent. In fact, it almost seemed like he preferred it. Even when they found the restaurant they were in now, she still wouldn't talk to him— she'd just talk to the animatronics that were already there and completely ignore Puppet. This changed quickly, though, as she soon realized that he might get jealous of the others and dismantle them, too. 'Candy and Cindy, Penguin and Blank and Rat and Cat and Vinnie— they'd all be in danger...'

To avoid loosing her new friends, she gave the marionette anything he wanted. She slowly started to talk to him, she began to spend time with him, and (completely against her will, but she forced herself to for the sake of the others) gave him the children he wanted.

Yeah, it wasn't easy.

Not one bit.

She never told anyone. Not even Cindy, who instantly connected with her and became the person that Ballora would always talk to.

It wasn't all bad, though.

Ballora loves her daughters more than anything. She never once had any resentment for them, and always cared for them. Yes, Puppet was there and offered her help quite often, but she didn't really trust him to be alone with the Minireenas. What if he decided that he didn't want them after all? Would he kill them, too?

It took a long while before she let him be alone with the minis. He was so gentle and happy to be holding his little children that Ballora almost forgot about how dangerous he is.

She didn't though.

She was still a little iffy with leaving Puppet by himself for a while, but she is slowly learning to trust him with certain things.

He would never— not in a million years— hurt his daughters. They were more precious to him than anything, and he will tear apart anyone who even looks at them the wrong way.

He swore that he'd never hurt Ballora (despite that fact that he already has), so she started spending more time with him to keep him as happy as she could without fearing that he would snap one day.

He knew how much their new friends meant to her, so Puppet summoned every bit of willpower he had and suppressed any hint of aggression towards them.

For now, life was smooth.

At least Ballora hoped it was smooth.

For all she knows, Puppet could have snapped a few minutes ago.

'Should I have kept Clara with me, then?' the mother side of her panicked. 'You know he'll never hurt them.' she wanted to argue, but her maternal instincts kept picking and pulling until she finally left the room in search of the Puppet Master or her daughters.

She eventually found him in the dining area. He was sitting at one of the tables, holding the drawing that Clara made while Clara herself was sitting on his lap. They were both smiling. "Well done, Clara. You got everything just right." the marionette praised his daughter as he hugged her with one arm, "I can tell you spent a lot of time on this. You even captured your mother's beauty."

Clara giggled happily. Ballora relaxed. He didn't look like he was worked up or planning something, so he must be doing fine. The marionette caught her out of the corner of his eye and smiled at her. "Good evening, lovely. Would you care to join us?" he asked smoothly. Ballora smiled back and nodded, then went and sat down beside him. "Hi again, Mama!" Clara beamed. "Hello again, Clara."["Hello, Clarice"]she grinned, where are your sisters?"

"They're with Aunt Cindy. I think they want to prank Uncle Candy." Clara giggled. "Sounds like fun." Puppet chuckled. Ballora nodded again. "Do you think they'll ask Blank for help again?" the ballerina asked. Puppet shrugged his shoulders. Clara took her drawing from her father and jumped down. "Imma hang this on the fridge!" she said, running away. Puppet stood up and stalked over to Ballora, making the ballerina's heart beat faster. "How are you today, my love?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her. Ballora tried to relax herself, but those predatory eyes always snared her in their web. "I—I'm alright, Pups." she said unsurely, "I'm more concerned about you though. Are you alright? You're usually not this calm."

The Puppet Master smiled at her. "I have some news, love. Very, very good news." he said, excitement in his tone. "What is it?" she asked curiously. It must be something good if he's actually smiling and excited about it. The tall marionette took ahold of her hands. "We're having another baby." he told her. Ballora's eyes widened. "A—... Another one?" she asked. Puppet's smile turned into a frown. "Are you... not happy about this?" he asked. She panicked, "No! I mean, yes! I—!"

"Calm down and take a deep breath, wifey." He told her calmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Ballora did as he said, which pleased him. "Okay. Now explain to me why you don't want the baby. I'll be patient." he cupped her face to be reassuring. Oddly enough, the action did reassure her. "I—It's not that I don't want the baby." She explained, "I do. I'm... I'm not excited yet... I'm just surprised, is all."

"Surprised?"

"Yeah... I thought that we would wait until the Minireenas are older before trying again. I... I don't want to divide my attention from them so I can watch the baby. It'll upset them more than you know."

"Why would it upset them?"

"It'll end in sibling rivalry, Pups. I want them to love each other, not—... not hate each other."

Puppet's eyes softened and he enveloped Ballora in a hug. "I understand." he said. Ballora was surprised, but hugged back. "Y—You're not upset?"

"No, just disappointed. I get it, though." he smiled at her, "My brothers and I used to fight all the time. We still do... except Security. He always tries to break up the fights."

"Brothers? You have brothers?" Ballora asked curiously. Puppet waved a hand dismissively. "A few of them. Not important." he excused the subject. Ballora tilted her head. "Okay..."

It was silent for a moment. "What do you want to do tonight?" Ballora asked. Puppet shrugged. "Maybe we can cuddle?" he suggested. Bal smiled at him, "Alright, softy. We can cuddle tonight."

}—————{

H̗̯̗͒͌̇͏e̷̥̿ͣ͘͟Returns (2)

"Oh my."

"Not good?"

"Definitely not good."

Puppet sat on the table with his hands folded in his lap. Ballora was standing next to him, linking her arm with his to comfort him. Golden Freddy stood in front of Puppet, his arms crossed. He had a serious look in his eyes. "This isn't you're ordinary glitch-in-the-system virus, Mare. Based on what you're telling me, it sounds like you're getting a warning from the other side." the bear said with a frown. The Puppet Master's eyes widened greatly. "So he really is coming back?" he asked with panic. Gold shrugged his shoulders. "Truthfully, I don't know. That's just my guess. I could be wrong, you know."

"And since when have you ever been wrong?"

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. "... S—So what now?" Ballora asked, trying to fill it. Golden Freddy shook his head. "I don't think there's anything we can do to stop Puppet from having illusions, but we can prepare for Afton's return in case the sour grape really is coming back." he answered her. Ballora nodded. "Should we tell the others right now?" Puppet asked, getting ready to stand up. "Not yet." Gold stopped him, "We need to figure out how to tell them first. This isn't exactly something that should be taken lightly, nor dropped on their heads."

"What do we do then?"

"We tell them tomorrow. Think of what to say before you say it, old friend. How they react to the news entirely depends on how it's presented to them."

Puppet sighed, "Alright then."

Puppet stood up to leave. He jabbed a finger at Gold's nose, making it honk like Freddy's does. "Don't think you won't be there, too, you walking mustard stain. You have to help me with this." he said half jokingly. Golden Freddy grinned at his words and silently nodded.

Puppet linked his arm with Ballora's again, then guided her out of the room. "Are you okay?" he asked her once they were alone. Ballora shook her head. "Not at all." she whispered. Puppet pulled her into a hug to comfort her. "It'll be alright. I'll protect you and Elizabeth. He won't touch you." he told her. "Pups, you shouldn't make promises you can't keep. If William finds out about me and Elizabeth, Lord knows what he'll do." she said, muffled by the hug. "I..." he didn't have a response for that. "Just promise me one thing." the ballerina asked, looking up at his face, "No matter what happens, please promise me that you'll look after Elizabeth."

"I promise." he swore to her. Ballora smiled. "Thank you."

}—————{

Perfect Bride (2)

Belle's hands were shaking so violently that she had to fold them to get them to stop. "I can't do this..." she whispered woefully to Elizabeth. The redhead gave her a hug. "You'll be okay, Belle. Look at the bright side! You look so beautiful in that dress!" she assured the blueberry. Belle shivered and looked into the tall mirror in front of her. The white dress was beautiful, she won't deny it. It had lots frills that made it look very fluffy around her neck and shoulders, and there were blue and pink jewels embedded in the seams and designs. The bridal cape was very long and dragged on the ground (she thinks that some of the king's servants are supposed to carry it for her). It was all sewn together with silver thread. Her veil was white with a silver crown. The crown had pink and blue gems.

The dress was beautiful, but Belle didn't feel beautiful. Belle felt trapped, like king had his claws digging into her skin. The blueberry let out a shuddering sigh. She didn't want this. She never would have wanted this. Not in a million years. "Liz, I might be done for." she said grimly. Elizabeth frowned deeply and grabbed Belle's hand, giving it a squeeze. "Don't say that, girl. You still have a future." she assured her friend. "But how much of a future is it if I'm spending the rest of my life with a man I don't love?" Belle asked.

"He can't be that bad. He loves you, doesn't he?"

"I don't know." she said, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Elizabeth quickly wiped them away. "Listen to me, Belladonna." the redhead forced the bluenette to meet her eyes, "I'm sure the king is in love with you. If he's in love with you, that means that he won't hurt you. I'mpositivethat he'll treat you like royalty."

Belle's frown turned into the world's smallest smile, "I have no idea how to feel about that."

Elizabeth grinned, "Just laugh and tell me that it was a good joke."

The girls shared a small giggle. Outside of the room, church bells started ringing. The smile was wiped off of Belle's face. "... It's time." Liz told her. Belle nodded and stood up straight. "Wish me luck?" she requested. "Good luck. I believe in you. Just don't have a breakdown in the middle of the vows." her friend tried to assure her. "Wow, thanks." Belle smiled. Elizabeth nodded and reached up, pulling the veil over Belle's face. "Now go out there and shine like a diamond!"

Belle's smile softened. She made sure to keep that smile on when she walked out the door. As she predicted earlier, a few of the king's servants picked up the edges of the cape and carried it for her. She fixed her gaze on the floor and followed the rose petals on the ground. 'I'm going to spend the rest of my life with a man I don't love.' she thought, pitying herself, 'King Masonknowsthat I do not love him... yet... he still forced me to accept his proposal.'

She wanted to close her eyes and let this day disappear. 'Does he expect me to eventually love him back?' she wondered. Her eyes widened as another thought crossed her mind. 'Am I going to be forced to love him?' she panicked, 'What if I don't learn to love him? Is he going to kill me? Sentence me to death, just like he did to my parents?'

The petals disappeared under a large, elaborately decorated set of double doors ahead. She remembered what Elizabeth said, and steeled her nerves. 'No. Don't think like that. Breathe.' she told herself, 'He promised to keep me happy and safe... I'll be okay...'

She quietly swallowed her fears and stopped at the doors. 'But for how long?' whispered the back of her mind. Two more servants appeared at her sides. They pushed open the doors and gestured for her to walk inside. Instantly, everyone who was sitting stood up. Belle was glad the veil hides her face, because she's trying her best not to look around at all the people who were attending the wedding. It was oddly quiet. 'The king probably doesn't like music.' she guessed. Her eyes travelled to the alter. The king stood next to it, wearing a large, intimidating suit. It was almost completely black, with white fur around the collar. He had a long cape the color of night with more white fur around the hem. His crown was made of black metal that was twisted into several sharp points, with two larges ones that looked like dragon horns on either side of his head.

Belle felt that same nervous feeling. The one when she first met him. She wanted to run and hide until she disappeared from the face of the earth. 'My god... Even at his wedding, he still makes it a point to be the scariest one in the room...' the bluenette thought, casting her gaze back to the ground until she reached the alter. She quietly took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm. 'Try to be happy. You always dreamed of your wedding day.' she persuaded herself. Belle stood across from him, and he reached out and lifted up her veil. He smiled at her. Belle took another deep breath and smiled back at him. "You look lovely today, my lady." he complimented, taking her hands in his. Belle's smile became more genuine as she responded shyly, muttering a small "thank you".

The priest behind the alter skipped right to the vows, probably wanting the devilish man out of the church as soon as humanly possible. The king's eyes stayed locked onto hers the entire time. 'This man is already giving me grey hair.' the blueberry smiled through her distress. The king suddenly gave her hands a light squeeze. They must've been shaking. "I do." he said. Belle finally focused on what the priest was saying. "Do you, Belle Tanzen, take Mason Salacil as your lovingly wedded husband?" he asked, looking genuinely sorry for her. Belle nodded slowly, "I do."

The priest nodded back, a silent sigh escaping him. "Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife... You may kiss the bride..."

Mason was on her in less than a moment, pulling her into a deep kiss. Belle reluctantly kissed back, trying to hide the way her body trembled before him.

Chapter 86: The Mantis and the Moth

Chapter Text

The morning sun rose high into the sky. The fresh dew on the grass sparkled in the light like glitter. Tucked away in the blades is a collection of small villages and towns. They were build from the earth, and few and far between. The residents in these little towns were tiny humanoid-insect creatures-- basically humans with the characteristics of different bugs.

One such resident rose from his bed with a glare on his face. He had long, spiked arms with three clawed fingers at the ends, and sharp teeth and mandibles made for ripping and tearing his fellow bugs apart. Two long antennas sprouted from his head, the bottoms of them lost in his messy black hair. As a bonus for being a male of his species, he had long, leaf-like wings build for quick flying.

His name was Mason, and he was a mantis.

He also wasn't a morning person.

Mason growled low in his throat, glaring at the nearest wall. He hated waking up. It was always so annoying to be woken up by light from your windows or your neighbors being loud. The glare became a focused scowl as he heard a child's scream from outside. Sometimes he just wanted to bite the heads off of his neighbor's children. Those brats never shut up. He's pretty sure they never even sat down. Maybe they didn't even now the definition of sleep. "I shouldn't have to tolerate this." he grumbled. 'What I should do is teach them a lesson.' he seethed. He could already see himself tearing the little roaches to bits, their blood splattering on his clothes and smeared across his face. His jaws dripping with the sweet taste of iron. Small chunks of flesh stuck in his teeth that he might pick out or keep chewing.

Oh yes, he had something planned for those little monsters.

'But they're just kids.' whispered the back of his mind, 'They don't even know how to read yet. How could they know any better?'

The mantis growled, then he huffed. Maybe he was going overboard with this. 'But they know nothing about common decency. They could at least respect their neighbor by letting him sleep in peace.'

Mason sighed roughly through his nose and got up. He wasn't going to kill them today. Their parents would be devastated and call him a monster (even though it's just how the food chain works), and it wasn't really fair to snuff out a life before it truly lived (even though the world is anything but fair). The mantis-man trudged through his house, grabbing and throwing on his clothes. He wore a raincoat with the sleeves torn off, as well as a pair of old black sweatpants and beaten up tennis shoes. The raincoat was long and lose-fitting, which was mainly for keeping his wings partially (and comfortably) covered. He also wore a pair of gloves to hide his long claws. It wasn't easy finding gloves with only three fingers instead of five, but he managed to get ahold of a pair (via an unnaturally kind spider).

He messed with his hair while he walked, trying to make it look more presentable and less like he just got out of bed. Mason was going to go over to his neighbors, knock on their door, and give the parents a piece of his mind. "Your children need to learn some respect!" he grumbled what he was planning on telling them, "You better take care of this problem before I do!"

That seemed like a decent threat. Not too harsh but not too subtle either. Mason stalked out of his home, not even bothering to close the front door. He was a mantis on a mission.

Then that mission suddenly halted when someone smacked into something beside him."What the..." he mumbled. Mason stopped and turned to look at them. It was a moth. She was short with large, blue wings. Each wing was as big as her. Her antennas were about average size, and they looked like fluffy white feathers. She had lots of white fluff on her— on her shoulders and chest, her wrists, and at the bottom of the shirt she was wearing. The shirt had long sleeves, and it was pale blue with dark blue stripes (or maybe it was dark blue with pale blue stripes?) to match her wings. She wore black jeans that flared out at the ends. The jeans covered most of her shoes, but he could guess that she was wearing dress shoes or maybe the compact type of tennis shoe that can be worn with nice outfits. She had blue hair and freckles that dusted her cheeks. He couldn't really see the color of her eyes just yet. The moth apparently ran into one of the taller flowers surrounding his house. She didn't look like it affected her though. She merely stumbled back and rubbed her forehead. Mason was about to ignore her and go on his way, but the moth tried to walk forward and could only stumble and stagger. She had a hard time keeping herself balanced and fell over on the ground. The mantis raised an eyebrow at her. It really wasn't any of his business, and he wasn't exactly the curious type of mantis, but he went to see if she was alright anyway. Did she hit her head harder than he thought?

"Excuse me? Are you alright?" he asked, keeping a few feet between them. The moth mumbled something that he didn't understand. "Hey, moth, I'm talking to you!" he tried again. "Ah said 'm fine!" she shouted like she was drunk. One of Mason's antennas twitched. Was she drunk? "Are you drunk?" he asked with an irritated growl. The moth yawned and tried to grab the nearest flower or blade of grass to pull herself up, but it was at least twenty feet away from her and her hand slapped back down on the ground. "Noh. Jussssst... blah~..." she said as the pitch in her voice went like a roller coaster. Mason looked at her face closely. It wasn't red, so the chances are that she didn't drink anything. She's not high either, or else she'd either be hyper or too relaxed to say anything. Something was definitely wrong with her though. She was clearly out of it. She might be hallucinating for all he knows. "What's wrong with you?" he asked. "Bright~..." she mumbled. "Bright?" the mantis asked in confusion. The moth hummed lazily and slowly rolled over into her back. She stared at the sky with a smile on her face, dazed. 'Bright... Like the sky? Wait. The she might be talking about the sun.' Mason glanced at the bright ball of fire in the sky. Now that he thought about it more, he remembers someone telling him about moths having a light fetish or something. He also vaguely remembers someone asking what moths do during the day. The answer was something like "sun drunk" or "light high". Maybe that's what was happening to her. If moths are effected by light, then the sun was probably like an overdose to her. "So you are drunk. You just didn't drink." he muttered. "Eeeeeeeee..." she smiled. The moth rolled back onto her stomach and sat up on her knees, slowly figuring out how to stand up again. She stood, then fell over again. "Ow..."

'She literally can't do anything. Like shooting a fish in a barrel. Easy prey.' the back of his mind whispered. "Easy prey?..." he whispered to himself, 'She's vulnerable right now. Anyone could try to kill her or take advantage of her and she wouldn't stand a chance. She can't run away. She can't fight back. Completely defenseless...'

Normally he wouldn't care, but there was something about leaving this moth alone that didn't sit right with him. "Why don't you come with me for now?" he asked her. The moth took a moment to realize that he asked her a question, then answered with a happy and drawn out "sure". "Great. Now let's go. I'm..." Mason trailed off. Now that he was more calm than before, he didn't really feel like paying his neighbors a visit. Maybe he would if there were others living in the area, but it was just him and a single family of beetles that lived here. 'The brats will never learn anyways. It's a lost cause.' he huffed with annoyance. "I'm going to the tavern." he decided quickly, "Some of the people I talk to might be there, and I need a drink or something."

"Okay." the moth said before she yawned while trying to stand up again. "Here." he offered her his hand, "Try to stand up."

The moth clumsily gripped his arm and pulled herself off of the ground. "There. Now follow me." he said, heading in the direction of the tavern. It wasn't long before the moth fell on her face again. "W—Wait for meeeeeeeee!" she whined. Mason's antenna twitched. The tavern was a long walk, and she's going to make it twice as long by constantly flopping over. 'Son of a—' he huffed. The mantis went back for her and picked her up. After a quick mental debate, he set her on his back. "Don't fall off." he told her sternly. "Oooooookiezzzzz." the moth lazily gave him a thumbs up. Mason huffed again. 'This is going to be a long day.' the mantis trudged forward with the smol moth on his back.

[End of Part One]

Chapter 87: Duality

Chapter Text

Ballora sighed. Yet another day of entertaining children, yet another night of being ignored by her fellow animatronics. She knew it wasn't their fault, though. Everyone is just too busy. 'Too busy every night...' she internally grumbled. Ever since the circus animatronics moved in with everyone else, no one's had time to hang out with each other because everyone had tasks to do (or simply because they didn't want to do anything). Ballora only had one thing to do each night, then she'd wallow in her own boredom. She was so bored that she would come up with different things to try to keep herself entertained, even if it only lasted a minute. She tried everything; helping Chica cook (which she was bad at), climbing around the ceiling, kindling a small crush on a certain animatronic who shall not be named, coming up with imaginary friends that never lasted long (rip Pan Stan and Mr. Hugs)... literally everything that she could think of.

Ballora was in the warehouse, rummaging around for something. Literally anything would do. Even a pillow or a children's toy would do. "Oh, come on! There has to be something in here!" she huffed, "Hell, I might even try one of Toy Freddy's video games if I have to!"

When it became evident that she wasn't going to find anything, Ballora turned around and left. Turning right, she walked away. An aggravated sigh escaping her lips. 'Why does being alive have to be so hard?' she rolled her eyes at whatever forces brought her to life. 'There's nothing fun to do. There's not even a single board game that I can play here.'

Ballora stopped, leaned on the wall, and sighed, "I wish there was something fun I could do. I just want to be entertained, even if it's just for a moment."

...

Whispering.

Ballora heard whispering.

It was very, very faint, but it was there. 'What?'she was confused, "Who's there?"

She looked behind her and ahead of her, but no one was there. There was a hallway to her left a bit farther up, so she walked over to it and peeked around the corner. There wasn't a soul in sight. Ballora facepalmed. "I knew it. I'm going nuts." she muttered. The whispering was a little louder now. It came from somewhere next to her, but she was only surrounded by two hallways and one wall. '... The wall...' she thought, vaguely remembering something. She recalled Golden Freddy telling the funtime animatronics about saferooms. He said that they're very well hidden, and very hard to get into. Maybe there was one behind the wall? It was worth a shot. "I did say that I'd take anything..." she mumbled.

Ballora set to work. She tried for a few hours, failing multiple times to open the wall. "Damn it!" she hissed. The ballerina backed up and took a long look at it. She knew for sure that it was a saferoom. She could see the near-invisible lines that separated the wall into segments. She just couldn't open it. Ballora thought for a moment, then turned around and gave up for the day. She decided that she needed to sleep and refresh herself before she tried again. A tired feeling quickly crept into her. "For the love of Scott, please be easier to open tomorrow." she sighed.

"What?"

"Jesus!" Ballora hollered, jumping like a cat. Funtime Foxy looked surprised that she got startled. "Are you okay?" He asked with concern. "No, I'm not okay! You nearly scared me to death!" Ballora scolded him, then stopped herself and sighed again. "I'm sorry. Yes, I'm fine. Just... bored..." she admitted to him. The funtime fox nodded his head, understanding her. "I know what you mean." he told her, "We barely see each other anymore."

Ballora nodded. "Does it frustrate you, too?" she asked. "Of course it does, but there's nothing we can do about it." he answered. Ballora frowned at him. "You know it's true." Funtime Foxy pointed out. "Yeah..." she said begrudgingly, "It's just... everyone is so busy with these chores and they're not even important. It's so frustrating and infuriating, I hate it so much."

Funtime Foxy gave her a hug, and Ballora gratefully welcomed it. "I know it's hard. It's been months, and none of us have adjusted to it." he told her, "But we have to keep holding on. They other day I asked Gold if there was ever going to be an end to it, and he said that it will get much better once the season's over. He told me that it normally gets busy around this time of year, but this is the busiest he's ever seen it."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Itwillget better, we just have to wait. I know that you're taking it harder than the rest of us. You barely have anything to do to keep your mind off of it."

Ballora laughed emptily, "You got that right."

Funtime Foxy pulled away from her and patted her head. "I have to go now. I still have stuff to do. Just hang in there, alright?" he smiled reassuringly. Ballora sighed, "Alright... See you later, pinky."

"See you later, blue."

They laughed a little, then parted ways. Ballora went to her room and immediately flopped onto her bed. "Stupid tasks. Stupid door. Stupid boredom." she muttered tiredly, rolling over and covering herself with her blanket. "I think I hate it here. It's better than being trapped underground, but at least I had someone to talk to..."

Ballora stopped everything, thinking. 'Talk to...' if she wasn't so tired, she would have jumped right out of bed. 'Golden Freddy is the one who told us about the saferooms, maybe he knows how to open it! I...' she yawned, 'Ineed to talk to him tomorrow... Save memory: Talk to Gold about opening doors.'

*Memory save successful: Talk to Gold about opening doors.

Immediately after the memory was saved Ballora's systems powered down, and she fell asleep.

}—————{

"Good morning, Golden Freddy! Do you have a moment?"

The older bear stopped walking and acknowledged the ballerina standing to his right. "Of course. Is there anything you need, Ballora?" he asked with a smile, fixing his glasses. Ballora smiled politely and did a small curtsy. "Sort of, yes." she said, "I was curious about something and hoped that you could answer a few questions for me."

Golden Freddy's ears perked up. "Well then, please ask as many as you like." he smiled a little more. Ballora nodded in thanks. "I remember when you told us about the hidden rooms in the pizzeria. I... I just wondered how you found them and got them open." she said more as a statement than a question. Golden Freddy scratched the back of his head. 'Why would she want to know about that?' he wondered, but decided to answer. "I'm not sure how to find them, so I don't know how many we have here, but to open them, you need to look for nine tiles lined up like a padlock. From left to right and up to down, each tile will correspond to the numbers one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine. If you punch in the right code, the room will open." he explained to her. "Code?" she prompted, "What would the code be?"

"Most likely, the code will be something of importance to the restaurant or the Fazbear chain. The date of a restaurant opening, the year of a significant event, etcetera..." he told her. Ballora nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you so much for answering my questions." she cut their conversation short, "I guess I should leave you be now; you must be terribly busy."

The golden bear sighed, "Unfortunately, you are correct. I must be going now."

"Okay. Have a good day, Golden Freddy."

"Thank you, you too, Ballora."

Later, after the pizzeria closed and she finished her single task, Ballora went back to the saferoom. 'I'm going to open this door.' she thought with fierce determination, 'I'm going to open it, and I'll find out what's on the other side.'

It wasn't hard to find the tiles— they were directly in front of the door. She put in a couple of different codes that she knew, such as 1-9-8-3 and 1-9-8-7, but eventually had to go deeper into the information bank that she had in her head. "Maybe it's something specific about this restaurant... Maybe..." she wondered.

Finally, after what felt like hours, she found the correct code. 2-0-1-8. The door opened with a heavyclunk, but the way in was a small, two foot gap. Ballora sighed through her nose and attempted to squeeze through the gap. It wasn't very comfortable, but she managed to get inside the room, nearly falling when she pushed herself off of the wall.

She did it.

She's finally in the room.

But the room was so small and so bare that she felt that her efforts were for nothing. 'How disappointing.' she groaned, 'Looks like I'm bored again.'

The only thing evenremotelyinteresting was the half-broken crate that was shoved into the corner next to her. The ballerina stared at it, a frown on her face. She looked at the door, then looked back at the crate. She might as well look at whatever's inside since she went through all the pain and irritation of opening and entering the saferoom. She slowly walked up to it, a small feeling suddenly building up in her stomach. She didn't know what kind of feeling it was. 'Am I excited?' she wondered, peeking through the top of the crate, 'Am I worried? Maybe I'll get in trouble for being in here.'

There were only a few things in the crate. A virtual reality headset, the headset's two controllers, and a small box containing a VR game.

"Help Wanted?"

Sounds interesting.

Looks interesting too.

Ballora turned the game over in her hands multiple times. Freddy and Funtime Foxy were on the cover, which interested her a lot. 'It's a Fazbear's Pizza game,' she concluded, almost awed, 'I didn't know they made these...'

Ballora looked back at the door. 'I can't wait to try it!' she smothered a happy giggle. It wasn't hard to sneak the stolen goods back to her room. With everyone working and no one walking the halls, she had no trouble. She carefully set the goodies on her bed, then turned and closed the door. She locked it for good measure. 'Don't want anyone to come in here while I'm having fun, right?' she smirked. She could feel her excitement shooting through the roof.

She inserted the game ('aren't they supposed to be on your phone or something?'), turned on the controllers, then readied herself for the headset. It was odd, with multiple cables and plugs. 'It looks like I can plug these into my head.' she thought with awe. Her smile grew incredibly wide as an idea crossed her mind. Why watch a game through a screen, when you can physically interact with the world?

Without a second thought, Ballora opened the plates on her neck. She guided each cord in, connecting them to her "brain" one by one. 'This is going to be awesome!' she giggled again. She missed the feeling of having something to do. Ballora made sure to set a timer before pulling the headset on.

Warning! External device detected!

Proceed?

• Yes

• No

Ballora grinned, proceeding with the program. The game loaded up, and she opened her eyes to the opening menu.

It worked.

She was actually in the game.

She stared at the environment around her. She was in the main stage room of one of the old restraunts. 'This is so beautiful...' the ballerina almost cried tears of joy, 'I'm going to love this.'

Too caught up in her excitement, Ballora didn't feel a single pair of eyes burning into her back.

Chapter 88: Cannibal Island

Chapter Text

[Art below done by the ✨fabulous✨ CreatorEm! uwu]

"Miss Tanzen, for your comfort and convenience, the pilot himself hand-picked the meals that will be served to you."

"Thank you, I look forward to it." Belle gave her butler a shy smile. Boris smiled back and walked to the back of the plane, leaving her alone.

Belle wasn't used to this- the whole "going to another country for democracy" thing. She was only distantly related to the royal family (literally at the farthest branches of the tree), yet the king and queen themselves chose her to represent their country. She's never attended a single council meeting, she's never been invited to a royal event (not that she can remember, anyways), and the only time she ever interacts with them is when she just-so-happens to be in the same room. When her parents received word of her trip a couple of days ago, it was almost an unwelcomed surprise. Why her? Why so soon? Couldn't they have been notified at least a month before hand? Not to mention that no one asked her if she knowshowto do this. And as a matter of fact, she doesn't. 'No one briefed me on the situation.' she silenced a groan, 'I don't know how to negotiate without knowing what we have to offer. I don't know how to speak any language besides English. I don't know the schedule, where I'll be housed-- dear god, I don't even know where I'm GOING.'

The frustrated little blueberry pinched the bridge of her nose. 'This whole arrangement is a mess. The king's advisor said that everything would be provided for me, but lord knows how true that is... Does that include a translator? Please, at least give me a translator.'

It was like being in school and the mean old teacher springs a surprise test about something the class never even learned. It sucked. The sudden sound of silverware being set down in front of her grabbed her attention. Boris then placed a hot bowl of garlic chicken and rice on the table, along with some napkins. "Be careful, Miss Tanzen. It's very hot." he told her kindly, "Good food takes away any headache."

Belle smiled more comfortably. "Thank you, Boris, I appreciate it. It smells divine." she thanked him again. Boris gave her a nod and a polite little smile, "It was no problem, really. I understand that you're out of your comfort zone."

"You can say that again. I have no clue what to do. Why would the king and queen sendmeof all people? I don't have any experience with this kind of thing!"

Boris hummed thoughtfully, "You're right. That is rather odd. Wasn't the princess herself supposed to go to this meeting?"

"She normally does, so I wouldn't be surprised."

"Boris, get up here!" yelled the pilot's voice suddenly. He sounded like he was panicking. The sound of the plane coming to life filled their ears, and a glance out the window told Belle that they were taking off. Boris was caught off guard, but gave Belle another nod before disappearing in the front of the plane. Belle watched him go before picking up her silverware and going for a bite of the chicken and rice bowl. Right as she opened her mouth, a loudBOOMshook the ground beneath the plane. Belle bit down hard and hurt her teeth, but that was the last thing she was concerned about. 'What was that?' AnotherBOOMsounded as the small plane began to pick up speed. Belle saw an orange flash through the small window beside her. 'Was that...?' her hands started to shake. "Miss Tanzen, please fasten your seatbelt! We need to get in the air!" Boris ran back to her, his eyes wider than saucers. He was definitely shook. More so than her. "What's going on?" she managed not to trip over her words as she quickly did as he said. The man in black fell into the seat across from her and hurried to fasten his own seatbelt. "We're being attacked!" he cried. "Oh my god..." Belle's lip quivered. Boris saw her distress and reached over to set his hand on top of hers, but yet another explosion went off, making him grab the seat instead. "Don't panic! Remain calm! The pilots are getting us out of here!" he attempted to keep her from crying. It didn't help very much, but she appreciated his effort.

"HOLD ON BACK THERE!" the co-pilot yelled from the front.

Finally, very much to everyone's relief, the plane lifted off the runway. It flew in the direction of the ocean, leaving behind the fiery chaos and burning metal of the other planes.

•●•

"Miss Tanzen, the plane has been rerouted for your comfort and safety. We will be arriving at an allied country in a few hours." Boris informed Belle, spreading a shock blanket over her shoulders. "Th--Thank you, Boris..." the noblewoman gratefully accepted the soft object. 'Soft things always comfort me... I really need it right now...'

"Are you alright, ma'am?" he asked sympathetically. Belle shook her head, knowing full well that she couldn't hide how shaken she was. "Why were we attacked? Wasn't the princess supposed to be here, instead of me?" Belle asked him. Boris inhaled sharply, "Do you think it was an assassination attempt?"

"That would explain why the king and queen sent me instead of their precious daughter." Belle said bitterly. Boris didn't respond to that, merely looking at the floor. "I understand your frustration, however, if that were true, then that would mean that the king and queen have sent you to die. I don't believe that they would do such a thing." he reasoned. Belle exhaled, crossing her arms on the table and sinking into them. "But what if theydid,Boris?" Belle argued. She knew she was probably just being difficult now, but she needed a way to vent out her anger. Apparently, this was how. Thankfully, Boris understood what she was going through. "Then rest assured that we will do everything in our power to keep you alive." he spoke kindly, "... Perhaps you really should rest. It will help."

Belle gave him a slow nod, "Yeah, maybe it will..."

•●•

Belle woke up when Boris pulled her out of the chair. She barely had time to ask questions when he started dragging her towards the front of the plane. "Miss Tanzen, we have to get you off the plane!" he yelled. Belle looked ahead and saw the co-pilot with a couple of parachutes. He was standing in front of the door. "What's happening now?!" Belle yelled to be heard. "There's a bomb on the plane! We have to jump!" Boris answered, "The pilot's getting as low as he can so that we can get out of here! There's an uninhabited island ahead!"

Belle glanced out the windows and saw the green trees below. "Where are we?!" she asked. "Not sure! Somewhere in the Atlantic!" Boris informed her. A parachute was thrusted into her arms, and she fumbled to put it on. The door was opened quickly, and she almost got sucked out. "Go!" Boris yelled. Belle jumped out of the plane and pulled the line to open the parachute. Just as Boris was about to follow her, the plane exploded. Not just one part of it, but the whole plane. It went down, engulfed in flames, Belle screaming as the entire thing happened. Parts fell from the sky, one of them ripping through her parachute and nearly impaling her. Belle now fell at a more rapid pace, screaming her head off in fear for her life. She plunged into the thick green canopy of the forest, continuously falling until the parachute snagged on some of the branches. Being strung up like a marionette wasn't good at all, but it saved her from broken bones at the price of making her feel sick. Or maybe that's just the feeling in her gut after witnessing death in action. 'I'm going to be stuck... for a long time..." she whimpered. She twisted and turned, trying to get out of the parachute, but it was hardly working. Not even pulling at the buckles helped.

She was trapped.

"No! No, please! Let me down!" she yelled futilely, "Someone, please, get me down from here!"

Of course, nobody answered her.

"Help me!"

A moment later, and not a single response. Only the noises of the animals in the thick jungle.

"Get me down from here! Please!" she gave one last big struggle. Pulling as hard as she could, she heard something snap, and almost immediately after a segment of vine-wrapped wood came and hit her on the back of the head. Belle yelped and squirmed, then slowly fell limp as she teetered on the edge of consciousness.

•●•

When she came to, Belle was on the ground. Her head pounded, and she felt cold and wet, but she was grateful to be out of that tree. 'I must have fallen down when I was unconcious.' she guessed, observing the lack of broken tree branches on the ground. As her headache began to quickly fade away, she also took notice that it wasn't the entire parachute that was on the ground with her. 'Wait a minute...' she tilted her head. It was only the parts of the rope that were tied around her that had come down. 'What?' she tilted her head the other way while lifting one of the ropes for a closer look. The end, instead of being frayed as it should in this scenario, look as if had been sliced. Belle's eyes widened at the next realization.

The ropes had been cut, and not by her.

A shiver ran down her back. 'Someonewas here...' Belle looked around the area she was laying in, trying to find anything that might signify another person's presence. There was nothing, though. Just the sounds of the still forest. Belle opened her mouth to call out to whomever it may be, but closed it soon after, ultimately deciding that that was probably a bad idea.

Once she pulled all of the ropes off of her figure, Belle looked at her clothes. They were dirty, of course, but they also had rips and tears, as well as some blood. There was even a singe on her shoulder and the hem of her skirt from the hot metal of the plane that had grazed her during the fall. 'Any spare clothes I had probably went up in flames on the plane.' she breathed out, 'Though, modesty is probably the least of my concerns right now.'

Truthfully, she'd sacrifice her entire wardrobe if it meant that she could survive a plane crash like this. 'Boris... The pilots...' sinking guilt hit her in the stomach, 'I'm all alone, and I have no idea where I am.'

She sank to the ground and leaned against a tree, 'I'm doomed.'

•●•

That night, Belle stayed under the tree, curling in on herself for warmth. She didn't dare leave her one spot of comfort, nor did she dare to explore where the feeling of being watched was coming from.

•●•

The next day came, and sunlight flooded through the trees. It was a godsend for her. when the forest seemed more awake than she was, Belle lifted her quivering, aching body and stumbled over to the ropes. 'I can't stay here forever. I need to find someplace better.' she decided. Belle didn't know much about forest survival on an uninhabited island, but she might as well try to learn on her own. 'Everything is a valuable resource, right?' she bit her lip, collecting the ropes from the parachute and anything else that was scattered around the area. Most of it was trapped in the branches above her, though, so once she was done with the ground she set her sights upwards. 'Anything that I need?' she asked herself before honing her sight on the parachute's sail. 'I could use that to carry stuff, like a sack.' she nodded her head once. Belle went up to the tree and set her hand on it. 'Can I climb this?' the bluenette looked for where to start. There were thick woody vines that snaked around the tree, and she took ahold of them to hastily pull herself up. When Belle got up to the branches she was aiming for, she carefully removed the parachute sail and tossed it to the ground. On her way bad down, Belle noticed something in the tree trunk.

Small, deep gashes.

Not gashes made by an animal's claws, but more so made by a small tool that could assist a person in climbing.

Despite the rising temperature, Belle felt a chill run up her spine. If someone was here earlier, and they helped her, then why didn't they stay with her to make sure that she was fine?

Once Belle was done gathering everything into a pile and wrapping it up into a sack with the sail and rope, she heaved it over her back and trudged through the forest.

By the time she found a suitable clearing, it was only a few hours before sundown.

Belle got to work trying to tie the parachute sail around a few low-hanging branches for shelter from any wind and rain. 'I need a fire.' Belle realized when she somewhat succeeded. It took her hours to collect sticks and stones to make a fire, and when it was finished, she was a little impressed with herself. Granted, it was probably the worst firepit in the known world, but for a noblewoman who had never been in the great outdoors before, it was something. 'I am NOT a fan of how filthy the woods are,' Belle clicked her tongue distastefully, 'But for now, I just have to endure it.'

Belle looked up at the canopy, staring at the vast blue sky and cotton-colored clouds that glimpsed through the thick leafy trees, 'Hopefully someone finds me soon.'

She took another look around her humble camp. 'I need more sticks to keep the fire burning, and leaves to feed it. And something to lay down on and keep me warm.' Belle held her head, feeling stressed as she made another realization, 'And I need food, and water. I also need something to defend myself with.'

The bluenette inhaled sharply, 'I need to defend myself.'

That would be a bit of a problem. Birds and rodents, she could handle. If there were crocodiles and jaguars in this jungle, then how could she possibly defend herself? 'I better learn quickly.' she sighed heavily.

Just before sundown, she managed to get more sticks, dry leaves and plants to use as tinder. Of course she couldn't find something to lay down on besides melted and warped metal from the plane, so she settled for the softer ground. She couldn't find food, nor water, let alone something to defend herself with. 'I'll just have to look again tomorrow, assuming I make it through the night.' she breathed in and out, nervously watching as the sky got darker. 'I should start the fire.' Belle got up, grabbed a bunch of leaves (while feeling averyuncomfortable sensation on her hands) and placed them in the firepit. She then grabbed the two driest sticks she had and started to rub them together.

By the time Belle almost couldn't see, she still didn't have a fire. 'How muchlongerdoIhave to keep doing this?' she frowned with a bit of frustration. Was she that incompetent, or was she not doing this right?

Eventually it was too dark for her to see, and Belle couldn't help her frustrated yelling. "Oh, come on! Why won't you light?!" she hissed at the innocent firepit. Her hands ached and itched, and she leaned back under her parachute canopy in defeat. "Stupid fire." she muttered.

Suddenly she heard something.

It was an animal, because she's sure that it was walking. It sounded like it was approaching her, and unfortunately, it sounded bigger than what she was hoping for. 'Oh no.' she held still, hoping it would walk right past her.

There was a sharp click, making her flinch.

Then there was another, and another.

One more time, and she saw sparks.

Then the fire ignited with awhoosh, startling her into backing further under the canopy.

Standing on the other side of the clearing, behind the fire, was a man.

He was tall with black hair, and he was wearing simple clothing made from animal hide and fur. There was a necklace of bones around his neck, and a few more around his arms, making it look as though he had white stripes that ran down his limbs. There was a primitive spear that was strapped to his back, and as he leaned forward, the fire's light reflected in the polished blade.

Belle stared at him, shocked. The man looked at her with curious blue eyes. He then began to slowly approach her, stalking around the fire. Belle backed up a bit more, making him stop. He crouched low to the ground and extended his arms out, offering her what he was holding in his hands.

It was fur.

'Is he... offering me something warm?' Belle swallowed her courage before it left her and ever-so-slowly reached for the wrapped-up fur. She then paused, noticing something terrible in the firelit, and shrieked. A horrible rash was on her hands. 'Did I get that from trying to start the fire?' she panicked. She looked at the kindling she had gathered, taking notice of the man looking between it and her hands uneasily. 'It must have been one of the plants.' Belle shivered, 'Why didn't I think of the plants here being poisonous?'

She looked up at the man again, still wary. He seemed to have backed away a little. He held out the fur to her again. Belle shakily took it and pulled it to herself. She didn't entirely trust him, but she wouldn't turn down the offer of warmth after last night. "T--Thank you." she thanked him shyly. The man only blinked at her, seeming pleased that she accepted it. They sat and stared at each other for a bit. Then the man looked at her hands again and frowned. He turned around and went through the trees, vanishing past the clearing. 'Where is he going?' she sat still, clutching the soft fur. Belle then startled herself with yet another realization. 'There ARE people here!' she felt relieved at first, then suspicion seeped in. 'But if there are civilized people here, then why did Boris tell me the island was uninhabited?' she questioned, 'Unless...'

She began to unfurl the fur and wrap it around herself, 'Uncontacted people, who the modern world knows nothing about...'

Beginning to feel like the protagonist in one of those "adventure island" novels she's heard about, Belle couldn't help the sinking feeling that whatever was happening was only going to get more strange, and even worse, more dangerous.

[End of Part One]

Chapter 89: *Flirt~

Chapter Text

Footsteps in the distance.

The same stupid voice.

The same stupid command.

A gentle hum.

Then a controlled shock.

Ballora startled herself awake. She would've fallen off the stage if she didn't stomp her other foot on the ground. 'Jesus!' she shivered, 'what a nightmare!'

The ballerina glanced around her room. 'Not a soul in sight. Figured.' she sighed, combing her fingers through her hair, 'I wonder if the others are awake yet.'

She stepped off the stage and walked to the double-doored entrance of her gallery, opening them and closing them behind her as she walked through. If the others were awake, there's no doubt that they'd be in the big top. They were probably waiting for her.

The big top was a very large room. It had four multi-colored stages that rose from the ground like pillars, all arranged next to each other in the shape of a diamond and got taller towards the back (Ballora was lucky being assigned to the tallest pillar in the back). There were stars and balloons all over the floor and the walls, and the tables and chairs were all pushed to the sides. The ceiling was pretty far off the ground and always shrouded in black shadows because the lights were embedded in the walls and never reached that high. In the shadows were wide rafters that someone could easily lay down and sleep on (as proven by Lolbit and Yenndo, at least whenever they decide on leaving the saferooms). The rafters were accessible via the large cables and wires that were tangled around them and hung from the ceiling.

Basically, the ceiling of the Big Top was their treehouse.

She quickly made her way past the empty rooms and dark corridors, looking around and listening carefully to make sure that the nightguard wasn't here. He hasn't returned in five or so years, but they should still remain cautious. After all, no one's going to repair them if one of the shocks go haywire (Foxy tried studying their blueprints, but without proper training and with the chicken-scratch writing on the paper, he simply couldn't do it).

When she finally reached the big top, she pushed the doors open and was greeted by a sudden round of applause. "Wow! When's the last time you were the late one?" Funtime Foxy called with a grin. "This is the first time, considering that you're the one who always sleeps in." the ballerina shot back, used to the fox's poking. The fox brushed her comeback off and shrugged, "I need my beauty sleep! Clearly, you haven't gotten any!"

"Oh no, whatever shall I do?" Ballora struck a dramatic pose, then calmly walked towards the fox, "Perhaps I shall hide away in my gallery, or perhaps I should simply run away! Or perhaps... I can make you just as ugly!"

Funtime Foxy was promptly tackled by the ballerina. "No! I refuse!" the fox cried playfully, "Freddy, help me!"

"DON'T WORRY, FOXY! I'LL SAVE YOU!"

"Wait, no!" Ballora tried to scramble away. Both were then nearly squashed as Funtime Freddy landed noisily on top of them.

Circus Baby watched in laughter from the safety of the stages. "You guys are entertaining." the short clown giggled. Ballora managed to successfully crawl away, leaving Foxy and Freddy tied together like a pretzel. "Why, thank you!" Foxy called proudly, "But uh..."

"A LITTLE HELP, PLEASE?" Funtime Freddy finished for him. "Nah, this is hilarious." Ballora shook her head. "Agreed." said Baby, "You two are on your own for the next two minutes."

"Noooooooooo!"

"AW, MAN!"

The girls laughed and watched as the pair of animals struggled to free themselves for five minutes. When they were finally free, they both shook hands, nodded at each other, and reached their arms out while stalking towards the two humanoids. "Okay," Foxy started. "YOUR TURN!" Freddy cheered. Baby yelled and ran to climb on one of the higher stages. Ballora made to quickly follow after her, but froze at the faintclankshe heard from the elevator. "G--Guys?" she asked, making Baby and Freddy pause. Funtime Foxy stood still, staring at the direction of the door. "I heard it too, Bal." he nodded. It was dead silent for a moment, then the handunit's voice came on over the speakers, sputtering and glitching from ages of not being used. "W--What do we do?!" Freddy whispered loudly.

Ballora could hear many footsteps. "There's a lot of them." she warned. Circus Baby looked around in a panic. It was understandable, though. 'We're not supposed to be off our stages, let alone in another room. We can't act like we were deactivated in here.' the ballerina thought uneasily. "It's getting louder," Foxy said quickly, "Baby, they're heading this way! What do we do?!"

The small clown paused and came up with a quick solution.

There were only two doors that led in or out of here, one of which is locked while the other is where the humans about to walk through. There is a secret passage somewhere in here, but only Baby knew where it was and it took too long to open. The vents were too big for Freddy, not to mention that they were too high for baby to reach and had their covers on. They can't exactly phase through the floor. The only way was...

Baby pointed at the ceiling.

"Everybody, up!" she ordered. Ballora had no trouble in climbing the wires. Neither did Baby or Foxy. The only one who had a bit of difficulty was Freddy, but he's climbed them enough to do it in under a minute. When Ballora reached the rafters, she clinged to one that she could hide behind and peered down at the massive room below them. In the silence and shadows, the performers waited and watched.

Then the big top's doors opened, and in walked a group of colorful animatronics.

There was a golden bear, a fox that looked like Funtime Foxy, a yellow bird, a blue rabbit, a brown bear, and a small child. There was also another brown bear, a purple rabbit missing its face and arm, another yellow bird without hands, and another fox— this one with a hook.

Ballora was shocked and in awe. More animatronics? Alive, just like them?

But then one more entered the big top, and the ballerina had to tighten her hold on the rafter to avoid falling off. It was a humanoid like her, but taller. Much, much taller. He was thin and black with white stripes on his limbs. His eyes scanned the room carefully, and he even looked upwards, though it appeared that he didn't see her or her friends. She could see his face, rosey cheeks and all.

'Wow...' she thought in a near daze. Ballora just couldn't keep her eyes off of him. She felt...drawnto him. The ballerina felt herself blush. What could she say? She liked them tall. She found that out when the crew first met Ennard. The pile of wires was even taller than Freddy and Yenndo, and Ballora had felt herself instantly attracted to the guy.

Well, that was a mistake on her part. Ballora's actually sort of glad that their little "date" never actually grew into something. It wasn't long after Ennard had introduced himself that everyone quickly learned how absolutely terrifying the clown could be.

Back to the now, the ballerina silently took a deep breath. 'Stay focused,' she reprimanded herself, 'you have no idea why they're here. They might be your replacements. What if they're aggressive? What if they want to hurt you? Your friends?'

Ballora glanced at Circus Baby, and saw the same thing on her face. The redhead was conflicted, then worried. The newcomers didn't exactly look friendly. 'What do we do, Liz?' she frowned, glancing back down at the animatronics and looking back at her friend again. Baby looked at Ballora, then at Foxy and Freddy, and then shook her head.

Ballora swallowed. 'Sneak away it is.'

Baby pointed to a vent that was up in the rafters. It looked big enough for them to squeeze through, but Freddy might not fit. Ballora hoped that he would, but chances are that he wouldn't. She could tell by the nervous look on his face that Freddy was afraid of the same thing. Foxy went first, as he was the closest. He carefully undid the vent cover as quietly as he could and gingerly set it on the rafter. He pointed at it to make sure the others knew it was there, then cautiously slipped inside the vent.

'One out, three to go.' Ballora counted as she moved from her hiding spot. Circus Baby was next. She made a leap of faith and made it (with the help of Foxy, who reached out to catch her). There was a small ping that echoed through the room, making the animatronics below them paused and look around. "Hello? Is someone there?" called the golden bear. Ballora froze and watched as he met eyes with the tall humanoid, who looked just as suspicious at the lack of response.

Ballora swallowed again. 'It's okay Bal, just get out of here.' she told herself. Freddy made it to the vent before her. He scrambled to get inside, then froze as the world's softestthunkwas made when he tried getting his stomach through. 'Oh no.' Ballora's eyes widened. Just like they feared, Freddy got stuck. She could tell that the bear was trying not to panic. His legs hanging tensely in the air.

"Hello?" repeated the golden bear, louder this time, "Who's there?"

Ballora could feel her mechanical heart beat faster. She pushed on Freddy's legs, feeling that Baby and Foxy were pulling his arms. Little by little, the bear budged. With a loud, metallic scrape, he slid into the vent. Ballora jumped for the vent as quickly as she could, but suddenly white strings snagged her and ripped her away from safety. The ballerina hollered in surprise and alarm as she plummeted toward the ground. No, wait. She was being hurtled towards the new animatronics. Everything flashed by in a blur until she was abruptly stopped. She felt a tight grip under her arm and on her waist and cautiously opened her eyes once she realized that she was in the open for everyone to see.

Instantly, she was face-to-face with the tall animatronic. He looked surprised. Ballora knew she probably had the same look on her face, considering that she was close enough to kiss him. 'Wait, kiss him?! Why kiss?!' she blushed. Averting her eyes to the animatronics around them, Ballora instantly felt small under the unfriendly and intimidating glares. She wanted to find a hole to disappear into just so she could escape them. The blush faded from her cheeks.

The tall male caught her attention again as he cleared his throat and relaxed his grip on her. "Hey there, cutie," he said, making direct eye contact, "did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

Instantly, the blush rushed back to her cheeks. 'Is heflirtingwith me?!' she nearly had a heart attack. Thinking quickly for a response (and going back to when she was goofing around with the others a bit ago) Ballora accidentally responded with "No, but I scraped my knee crawling out of hell."

The tall one looked at her in amazement.

"Oh my god, seriously?! We try to be intimidating, and youFLIRTwith her?!" scorned the smaller yellow bird animatronic (she wore a bib that said "let's party!" on it).

The tall animatronic paid her no mind and simply gave Ballora an apologetic smile. "Sorry about this." he said to her. Ballora was about to ask what he meant, then everything went black.

><><><><><><

When Ballora came to, she immediately noticed that her arms and legs were tied. 'What the—?'

"Oh good, you're awake!" said a masculine voice. Ballora looked up from her wrists and made eye contact with the tall animatronic. Then her eyes widened as she remembered what happened. She looked around, taking in that the room was dark and that most of the other animatronics were asleep. She also noticed how she wasn't gagged, which was nice. "W—What happened?" she asked him meekly, "Why am I tied up?"

"Because my friends don't trust you." he waved it off. Ballora nodded in understanding. It's not like she trusted any of them, after all (especially with what just happened). "Doyoutrust me?" she asked cautiously, realizing he only said "my friends" and not "we". The tall animatronic hesitated, then shrugged. "Not sure," he answered, "but I have a feeling that you'll be great company, even though I had to tie you up and shove you in the corner of the room."

Even though the room was dark, the animatronic in front of her was no more than two feet away, and she could finally see his details up close. His face was white with two purple lines connecting his eyes and mouth, with two bright red cheeks on either side of his face, much like her own. He had three large buttons that lined down his chest, and only three fingers on each hand. The main thing that caught her, though, were his eyes. They were black with white pupils. Even though she wouldn't expect eyes like those to express emotions, she stared into his eyes and felt a comforting warmth in them.

Ballora shifted. "Good company how?" she questioned. "Well, I uh... Remember when I kind of snatched you off the ceiling and caught you?" he asked with a nervous smile, "Sorry about that, by the way. I didn't mean to scare you half to death."

"I—It's alright." she said, blushing, "and yes, I... remember you flirting with me..."

His smile got more confident, and Ballora tried to think of something to ground herself because of how dazzling it was. "So, tell me... are you single?" he asked, noticing her blush in the dark. Inside her head, Ballora was screaming. 'WHY WOULD HE ASK ME THAT?' she panicked. 'I mean, I am, but... what if Ennard....? No, no, don't think like that. You don't belong to anyone—well, except maybe this guy now— WAIT, WHAT?!'

"N—No," she finally responded, "I'm not d—dating anyone."

"Really? A girl as pretty as you should be married by now."

And the internal screaming intensifies.

"Speak for yourself, hot shot."

And it will continue to intensify, because apparently Ballora didn't know how to keep her mouth shut.

The tall animatronic blinked in surprise, then cracked a smile and chuckled appreciatively. "I'd get us some rings, but I don't think we'd need them." he winked at her. "Oh?" she blurted, then shut her mouth before finishing the sentence. The tall male in front of her waited for a moment, then his smile faltered when she didn't continue. Was that... disappointment she saw in his eyes? Nevertheless, he still smiled at her. "You know, you're actually kind of adorable." he complimented her. "... R—Really?" she asked shyly, "Y—You think I'm... a—adorable?..."

"Mhm..." he hummed sweetly, adding to the ballerina's blush. "Th--Thank you..." she said, earning a thumbs up. 'Tall, cute, flirty, nice...' she listed different traits she saw from him in her head, her shy smile slowly turning into a frown, 'mysterious, no name yet... suspicious...'

'Oh my god, I can't trust him.' she deflated.

Of course this would happen! It's like Ennard all over again!

'Damn it!' she seethed halfheartedly, 'Of course he's untrustworthy! Just my luck!'

The ballerina looked back to her feet with a solemn stare. The tall animatronic across from her noticed the change and dropped his smile for a concerned frown. "Is something wrong?" he asked quietly. Ballora thought for a moment, then looked at him again. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Well, there's lots of things I'd like to do to you." he smirked, then looked away with a sigh, "But sadly, that's not my decision to make."

Ballora could hear the sound of a mirror shattering. "W--Whose is it?" she asked. He shrugged. "At the moment, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you." he told her, "I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to tell you my name... But maybe you could... tell me yours?"

He gave her a kind and reassuring smile, and Ballora felt her inner conflict fluctuating. Could she tell him-- no,shouldshe tell him her name? It's not like he can't just get it off of a poster in her gallery or somewhere else, but it was polite at the very least. Then again, he might just be trying to get something useful out of her before he does whatever to her. 'Fine. If he won't tell me his name, then I won't tell him mine.' she decided with a frown. "Sorry, but... I'm afraid I can't do that either." she said apologetically. The tall animatronic sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well, I tried." he chuckled.

And now she felt bad. Just great.

"That doesn't mean we can't be—... be acquaintances, right?" the ballerina tried to smile. She almost said "friends", even though she knew full well that wouldn't be likely. The tall animatronic still smiled at her, though. "That would be nice." he said, flashing the charming smile again.

'hGHSJDKSKSJGSHBSHSKDSVSODG—oh my god I'm having a stroke.'

"Well, I should let you rest now. See you in the morning, beautiful." he winked at her. Ballora was certain that she was pink from head to toe. The tall animatronic stood up and walked away, leaving her to her thoughts.

><><><><><><

"Hey you, wake up!"

Ballora jolted awake, coming face-to-face with the broken rabbit animatronic. His red eyes dig into her, making her want to curl into a ball and hide. "Um... H—Hello..." she greeted nervously. The giant purple-blue bunny took a small step back. "Hello. Sorry for scaring you, but we had a few questions." he apologized to her. Ballora tilted her head, calming down. "Questions?" she asked. The rabbit nodded. He took another few steps back, letting two bears take his place. "Hello." greeted the familiar golden one. "Hello." Ballora said again, hoping they were nice. "What's your name?" he asked. Ballora shook her head, "Sorry, but I can't tell you that. At least not yet."

The bear frowned. "Well... what do you want us to call you?" asked the other bear, brown and broken. Ballora thought about that for a moment. 'Maybe if I let them choose, it'll be easier to figure things out about them...' she wondered. "You can call me whatever you want." she told them. The bears looked at each other. "... How about Bal?" suggested the broken bear. Ballora tried not to freak out about how close that was to her name. "You know, because you're a ballerina?" he asked. "Bal works." she smiled. "Good. Nice to meet you, Bal. You can call us G and F." the golden bear said. Ballora nodded, 'Not trusting me with their names.'

"Do you live here?" the golden one asked.

"Yes. I've been down here for many years."

"Are you alone?" the brown one asked.

"It gets pretty lonely. The dark has that effect on you."

"I mean is there anyone else down here?" the brown one corrected himself.

"Oh. Well, there's you."

The brown bear didn't look satisfied with that answer.

"What all is down here?" asked the golden one, probably scratching the previous question off the board.

Ballora shrugged her shoulders, "Well, there's the obvious stuff. Tables, chairs, party supplies and props... Then there's the other stuff, like tools and food. Oh, and flat soda, if you want to help yourself to the fridge."

The golden bear sighed, "We aren't going to get along, are we?"

"I honestly hope we do." she told the bear, "Because not only will that help me, but it will also help you."

The bear stared blankly at her. 'I wonder what he's thinking...'

"Well then, it looks like we'll have to find another way to get answers." he sighed and turned around.

Ballora didn't like the hostility his words implied. "Are you going to hurt me?" she asked directly, trying to look unfazed. "Pray that I don't have to." he said without looking back at her. The brown bear smiled apologetically at her and followed him. She could hear them go around the stages and begin whispering to the others.

"Did you get anything?"

"No. She's stubborn."

"I wouldn't say stubborn. It's more like she's good at ducking questions."

"So it was a waste of your precious sixty seconds?"

"Pretty much."

"Can't you just— I don't know, beat the answer out of her?"

Ballora bit her lip nervously.

"That won't work."

"Maybe it will. She doesn't look like she can take a pounding."

'Oh wow, is this what it feels like to be offended?'

"If nothing else works, then we'll beat the answers out of her. Satisfied?"

"Very."

"Did you at least get her name?"

"No, but we agreed to call her Bal for now."

"Darn."

"Sorry, Johnny Bravo. Looks like you can't make flirts out of her name."

'Gee, I wonder who asked that one.'

"What about TB and BB? Did you two find anything when you went exploring?"

"Just some posters about safety and having fun. We also found a fridge full of flat soda."

"Huh, so she was serious about that..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

She almost giggled at the plain confusion in both of their voices. 'I wonder who's talking and what they look like...' the ballerina hugged her knees closer, 'I wonder if they'll ever let me go. Maybe I can run when I get the chance? The others must be worried. I hope they don't plan on trying to rescue me... especially since they have someone who can snatch people off of ceilings...'

She shivered as a thought passed by. 'I hope they don't tell Ennard...' her eyes widened, 'He'll be furious...'

"Did you see anyone?"

"No. I thought I heard something, but I think it was just a mouse."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. What else goes 'squeak squeak' in the tiniest voice you've ever heard?"

"He's got a point, Goldilocks."

Ballora bit her lip again.

"Please refrain from calling me that, Marigold."

"Hey now, wait a minute!"

"Oh my god no."

"Otp."

"No."

"Shut."

'What on Earth is going on over there?'

"Anyways!" someone clapped their hands together, "Did anyone think of an idea what to do with her?"

"The ballerina?"

"Who else would 'her' be?"

There was a short pause, so it was safe to assume the two were glaring at each other.

"What do we do with her?"

"We could always just kill her."

Ballora's fairly certain that her heart just stopped. 'Come on, they can't be that evil, right?!' she shifted uncomfortably, 'Besides, they're the ones who are being aggressive, not us.'

"We arenotgoing to kill her." said the tall one that likes to flirt with her. He sounded angry that they even came up with that idea. 'Looks like I do have a friend in here.' she thought, hoping that it wasn't just her being desperate.

"Okay, okay! Jesus, you looked like you were about to throw someone."

"Maybe he would've."

"Probably."

"That's not important right now. What's important is that we figure out how much of a threat she is."

"She's not a threat."

"Okay. I'll ask someone whodoesn'tact like she's destined to be the mother of his children"

A blush spread across Ballora's face. She didn't think about it like that. 'It was just innocent flirting. There's no harm in flirting.'

"I'm telling you, guys, there's nothing to worry about. She doesn't seem like the type to randomly attack people."

"Are you serious? Have you even tried asking her questions?"

"I have, actually. She's a nice person."

"Are you sure that wasn't just her trying to get on your good side?"

A silent pause.

"Exactly."

While they continued to bicker back and forth, Ballora tried mapping the entire place out in her head. The animatronics were on the opposite side of the stages. The doors were both shut. The secret passage was somewhere, but she didn't know where. The vents were still here, too. The one where the others escaped from should still be open, unless one of them came back to check on her and put the cover back on.

"Look, pal. I know you like having a flirting buddy, but we just can't trust her. Not yet at least."

"I know..."

"Last thing before we break off into groups and explore this place. Any news on you-know-who?"

"Nope."

"Nada."

"So far it looks like he hasn't followed us down here. I think we're safe."

Ballora tilted her head. 'Are they hiding from someone?' she wondered, 'Why? They are clearly able to take care of themselves.'

"Okay. Meeting adjourned."

Ballora sat back and stared up at the ceiling, acting like she heard nothing.

><><><><><><

"So, I met this girl, and she's pretty cute, right?"

"Right?" Ballora answered the tall animatronic.

"And the girl is really shy, and she barely talks to anyone, but I like her. Right?" he asked, making a gesture with his hand.

"Uh huh." Ballora nodded.

"Well, I started flirting with her, and she flirted back, so I figured that maybe she likes me too. Reasonable?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, good. I don't want anyone to take her from me, so am I in the wrong for tying her up and shoving her in the corner of her room?"

"I think it's pretty kinky, not going to lie." she automatically responded to him.

It's been two days now, and so far nothing has changed. Ballora was still tied up in the corner of the big top, and the two bears would constantly asked her questions— all of which she managed to duck by the skin of her teeth. The tall animatronic still flirted with her, and she learned quickly that she was growing very attached to him. She's resorted to calling him Sock Monkey, because that's what he reminded her of, and no one in this place has shared their name yet. Sock Monkey volunteered to be the one who watched her, but he acted less like a guard and more like a guardian. He always made sure she was as comfortable and safe as possible. He also fed her pizza and helped her with drinking soda. It was kind of romantic, honestly. It was also nice, because it justified her hopes of having him as a friend.

Sock Monkey let out a startled laugh. "Wait, you're into this?" he asked with a grin. "I don't know. Why don't you come over here and find out?" she teased. She regretted saying that immediately, realizing what it implied. Sock Monkey laughed harder. "You know what, beautiful? I think I'm falling in love with you." his grin softened into a smile. "Hold up... are you telling me it's been one-sided this entire time?" she exaggerated a raised eyebrow. "Uh... maybe?" he joked.

"I feel betrayed."

"Aw, it's okay." he said, then leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek, "You'll be fine."

Ballora blushed madly. Sock Monkey realized what he just did and blushed a little. "Oops." he apologized, "My bad, cutie."

"I—It's okay." she assured him. 'I swear, you better kiss me on the lips next time.'

Sock Monkey fidgeted with his fingers, then did a quick sigh and sat up straight. "I think I might talk to the others. Can you handle yourself for now?" he asked her. Ballora smiled softly. "Go ahead, I'm used to being alone. It shouldn't be too bad." she told him. "Okay," Sock Monkey nodded, "Thanks, Bal."

"You're welcome."

It still freaked Ballora out whenever someone called her Bal. Maybe they do know her name and they're just messing with her? Whatever the case, it didn't matter. She knows that knowing something as small as her name isn't valuable or helpful for them. 'And yet I still refuse to answer any of their questions... at least, all the obvious ones.' the ballerina shifted with slight discomfort, '... What if they asked me something important that I thought nothing of? I couldn't have given away anything important, could I?'

She certainly hoped not. The less things that can be used against her friends, the better.

"Still nothing?" asked the golden bear's voice.

"Not a thing." Sock monkey answered.

"Damn... Not even so much as a name?"

"No. She hasn't even told me where we are. I'm almost worried about how distrusting she is."

"How come?"

Ballora tilted her head, hearing them talk about her. Sock Monkey sighed, "I've never met someone who's social and has trust issues at the same time. You can practically hear the conflict in her voice."

"Maybe it's because we haven't given her a reason to trust us?" suggested someone else, most likely the light blue rabbit, judging by the softness of his voice. "I've tried everything I could think of." Sock Monkey said a little sadly, "Which is mostly flirting, honestly— but still, it seems that she trusts me as much as she did the day we came down here, if not less."

'Gee, I wonder why.'

"Again, maybe we haven't given her a real reason to trust us. We have to make the first move, otherwise she'll never warm up to us."

"And what would you suggest? A bouquet of roses and an apology card?" the golden bear said frustratedly, "And no, Romeo, I'm not serious! So don't get her roses!"

"But what if Iwantto get her roses?"

"Where would you evengetroses?"

"There was a flower shop not too far from the building up top."

"Need I remind you that there's a murder bunny up there?"

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence. Ballora had a small suspicion that this "murder bunny" might be the cause of the animatronics' sudden arrival.

"Look. If you really want to get her something nice, be my guest. Just don't go alone. And don't go to the surface either. It's dangerous."

"Itmightbe dangerous." Sock Monkey emphasized, "And don't worry, I'll be fine. Take care of my candy for me while I'm gone."

The blush from earlier crept back onto her face. To hide from her obvious feelings of fuzziness, she slumped against the wall on her left, no longer listening to their conversation. Most likely they'll leave her be while Sock Monkey's gone. Maybe not, though, if they're impatient. 'Oh well,' she thought with growing disinterest, 'I think I'd rather take a nap anyways. A nice, refreshing nap where I can take a break and relax.'

Moments after she forced herself into sleep mode, Ballora was immersed in darkness.

And then there was a light. A single spotlight aimed a little bit away from her. There was so much dust in the stagnant air that she could see the particles floating in the illuminated space. Ballora took in a breath and stepped forward. The sound of her metal shoes click-click-clicking echoed all around her... No, wait... she was being held— sort of— actually, it was more of being dragged over to the light. It was like an invisible man was holding her hands, like he was trying to dance with her.

Then in the spotlight, she blinked, and Sock Monkey was there. He was holding her hands. She felt so comfortable and safe. Nothing could take her from him. Not like this. He held her hands and gave her the sweetest, most charming smile ever. She wanted to kiss him. "May I have this dance?" he asked in that smooth, silky voice of his. "I'd love to dance with you." she brought herself in closer, leaning into him. He was so warm and inviting. She's not sure what dance they danced, but it was amazing. He never let go.

He leaned into her, going for a kiss. She reciprocated the action, only to be met by empty air. "But happiness can only last for so long." Sock Monkey suddenly said. There was a deep, menacing laugh that echoed across the room.

Then cables and wires fell from the sky, crushing them both under their weight.

...

Ballora blinked, awake. Sock Monkey was ahead of her, but he was talking to someone else. He looked very excited. 'What's got him so hyped?' she wondered. It looked like he was holding something in his hands, but she couldn't exactly see what it was. 'Whatever he has must be pretty interesting.' she looked around, 'But most of the others don't seem to be gathering around him, either. Maybe it's something he likes?'

But as he looked up to meet her eyes, and Ballora finally got a look at what he was holding, her meachanical heart stopped beating. 'Oh no...'

The golden bear carefully took the book from Sock Monkey's hands and strolled towards her. The taller one looked slightly annoyed at that, but followed behind his friend. "So,Bal," the golden bear smirked, "is there anything you'd like to tell us before we open your manual? Such as that your name reallyisBal?"

'Wait, what?' Ballora took a closer look at the cover. Then, as she scanned the brown leather, she felt herself relax. "I'm sorry, Gfuel, but what you have is actually the original draft for my manual. My name's not in that one." she smiled politely, 'And neither is anything useful. Take that, Goldilocks.'

The smile was instantly wiped from his face. Sock Monkey looked between the two, clearly finding this hilarious. The bear quickly opened the book and flipped through several pages, then slammed it closed with an aggravated growl. He shoved the small book into Sock Monkey's chest, then walked away. "Fine then,youread it!" he called over his golden shoulder. The attractive tower smiled at her and sat down so that they were at a relatively even level. "Gfuel. That one's new. I outta save it to my list of nicknames for him." he praised her. Ballora blushed, proud. "Thank you." she smiled back. 'I can make more,' her mind wanted to add. "I really hope you came up with some good nicknames for me." he winked at her. "Don't worry, I got plenty of cute ones for you." she blushed a little more. "Well, it's only a matter of time before they go from cute to hot~." he smirked.

"You'd love to speed that up, wouldn't you?"

"You know me too well, beautiful."

"Hey, strings and stripes!" the white fox called from a bit away, "Get over here! Someone wants to talk to you!"

Sock Monkey looked like he'd rather eat pennies for life than leave her. "I'll be back, Bal... Again..." he set the book down by her, "Since chad over there doesn't want anything to do with this, I think it's safe to leave it here with you."

Ballora nodded once, then watched as he got up an left. Looked at the book. 'Does he expect me to read it?' she raised an eyebrow, 'I hope he realizes that my hands are tied together.'

She moved her hands as much as she could, opening her palms and flexing her fingers. It would feel a lot nicer if she could move her arms and legs. 'Maybe if I ask nicely, Sock Monkey will let me stretch them.'

She looked at the book for a moment, then sighed quietly and tried to pick it up. She had to lean forward to get it, and was pleasantly surprised when she was able to pick it up and open it to the first page. 'Did he loosen the strings while I was sleeping? Could've sworn they were tighter.' Oh well. She won't complain about it.

The book actually had quite a bit in it, to her surprise. 'How long has it been since I've read this?' she tilted her head slightly. According to the table of contents, there were chapters on the different parts and joints inside of her, one big chapter on suit maintenance, two different chapters on how to repair her, a couple of diagrams, one or two blueprints, and a chapter on how to add or take away features. 'This thing is more complete than I thought.' she started to worry, 'Maybe I should hide it.'

She looked around, finding that there was no where to hide the manual. 'I can't just stuff it into the corner behind me.' Oh, well. Looks like she'll just have to keep a fierce hold on it then. 'I'll be amazed if it works.' Ballora sighed again. She closed the book and set it down in her lap. 'That way, I can still read it if I want to.' she thought with a nod. That nod made her look up. In the darkness, nothing stirred. 'I wonder how they're doing. I hope they're okay.' she thought a little glumly. She looked back down at the book and carefully opened it to her blueprints. They were only pictures and unlabeled diagrams. There were a few notes scribbled on some of them, but other than that there wasn't much information. 'This one doesn't show the lures and trapping systems...' she shivered. This is what she could've been, had someone not decided to use her and her friends for a much darker purpose. 'That evil man. Our creator...' whoever he was, she hopes that the man would burn in hell. It's what he deserves after endangering the lives of so many innocent children. 'He's a monster.'

><><><><><><

"I've never heard of that before." Ballora looked at Sock Monkey curiously. He blinked in surprise, "You haven't?"

The ballerina shook her head, "I've heard of cake, ice cream, and cupcakes, but never brownies. Are they good?"

"Bal, brownies are only the most superior of chocolatey food of all time. How have you not had one?" the tall male asked with concern, "If you've never had a brownie, then you're not even alive."

She and Sock Monkey were sitting side-by-side. She's never had him this close to her before— he was even letting her lean on him for comfort. It was like he was anticipating something bad to happen to her. Did they find something else last night? "Hun, I don't think I was ever alive to begin with." She joked lightheartedly, despite the worry brewing within her. Sock Monkey looked like he wanted to laugh, but held it in as a failed attempt to hide it. "I honestly don't know if I wish the same. For me, I mean." he blurted. She knew he blurted it, because he snapped his mouth shut as soon as he finished saying that. Ballora tilted her head at him, curious as a cat with all nine lives, but... despite the itch to ask him what he meant, she didn't want to overstep any boundaries. So, leaving herself aching for an answer, Ballora just stayed quietly by his side. "Hey, Bal?" Sock Monkey suddenly got her attention. "Hm?" she hummed. "Why won't you tell us anything about you? I mean, I know why you don't trust us, but we can't really trust you either until we know... at leastsomethingabout you." he breathed deeply, hoping she'd understand. Ballora stayed quiet again, thinking about it. "... Maybe I will..." she answered softly. The tall animatronic began to smile brightly, but Ballora quickly added, "However, I can't make any promises."

He looked a little bummed about that, but a small, hopeful spark flickered in his smile. "Anything helps." he leaned her onto himself more. Ballora honestly couldn't complain about it. He was pretty comfortable. The comfort was then taken away by the golden bear animatronic appearing in front of them. "Can you two not act all lovey-dovey for two minutes? You, licorice bot, get over here! We have somethingveryimportant to discuss!" he barked. Ballora and Sock Monkey both let out a sad sigh while he walked away. "Sorry beautiful, duty calls, and its name is Winnie the Pooh." he sat her up, "I'll be back, I promise."

Ballora watched him go, wishing more than anything to go with him. It didn't even have to be him, really. Just anyone that would let her move her legs. 'But that's not happening anytime soon.'

Nothing would be happening anytime soon, probably. For all she knows, these animatronics could have found her friends and captured or killed them by now. 'But then they would tell me about it, or even bring them here. No, the others are okay... for now...' Ballora looked up at the dark ceiling, 'The only thing I can do is just... sit and wait for something to happen.'

Chapter 90: The Monster In The Forest

Chapter Text

[Blood and Gore Warning, also possibly Cannibalism?]

[Oh, and there's a lemon]

Belle fell against the tree, panting heavily as tears slipped from her eyes and down her freckled cheeks. The rough bark dug through her sweater and pressed into her back, her spine grating against the trunk painfully in her futile attempt to back away. Her big, pink eyes looked up in horror as the monster stalked closer to her.

He was big. Really big. The monster towered over her, almost as tall as the tree itself. The top half of his body looked like a man. His legs-- long and stiff-- looked broken and bent, like they weren't meant for him. Multiple long, black tentacles writhed from its back and held on to the trees around him. His cold eyes glowed threateningly in the dark shadows surrounding him, and his sharp teeth flashed when he bared them at her. "I gave you a chance." the monster snarled in a clear, deep voice, "You didn't make it."

Belle shuddered, pulling her legs up and holding onto them protectively. She'd rather him kill herbeforehe tore her legs off and ate them. 'I was so close,' she despaired, 'He gave me a head start when I begged him. I ran as fast as I could. I ran... and I ran... and yet... he still caught up to me...'

The monster closed in.

"Don't take this personally. You're not the first person to die here."

He got low to the ground, trapping her against the tree by using himself to block the way. Belle could feel his breath against her skin. It reeked of blood and meat. Those shark-like teeth gleamed, a strand of saliva stretching and breaking right in front of her eyes. She tore her gaze away from him and slammed her eyes shut, not wanting to see what would happen next. The monster, however, kept his eyes locked onto her. He ventured with one of his hands and lightly grazed it through her hair before digging it into the locks. Now holding her by the scalp, he lifted her head up and forced her to look at him again.

"Anyone who enters this forest is a dead man walking." he said, looking her in the eye. Belle held back the pathetic whimper that threatened to escape her throat.

'I'm so stupid.' she wanted to berated herself, 'I'm so stupid for thinking that I could outrun him. I'm so stupid for thinking that I would get to live to see another day. I'm so, so stupid for thinking that crying is going to help right now.'

'But I don't want to die. Not tonight. Not here. Not like this.Definitelynot like this.'

The monster's stare pierced right through her, skewering her thoughts and making her shake even more. "There's a lot going on up there. That's new." the monster tapped her forehead with a single digit, a hint of amusem*nt in his voice. "Most of them were kicking and screaming for help at this part. What's going on up there?" he asked with a raised brow. "I--I..." Belle croaked, "I d--don't want to die..."

"No one does," the monster dismissed her distress, "and that's the best part. They always scream and whine and cry like they think I'm suddenly going to care. They beg me to spare them and plead for me to 'listen to reason' and blah blah blah. They struggle and they fight me like they actually think they're going to win. It gets annoying at first, but then I have my fun, and they're dead as a doorknob that's been mangled and mushed until it's nothing but unrecognizable scraps."

Belle shivered and shook uncontrollably, blinking at him with dilated pupils. A bead of cold sweat trickled down her forehead. "Like what you're going to do to me?" Belle asked in a hushed voice. The monster snorted. "What else am I going to do with you, sweetie? Help you? Wipe your tears and hold your hand until the sun comes up?" he asked mockingly, "Ha! No. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill you, then I'm going to cut you to pieces and take you home. I only get my meals delivered once a week, and since you're so skinny, I'll have to restrain myself so I don't run out of dessert."

Belle felt her stomach flip. Not only was he going to have her violently dead in the next few minutes, but he also told her right to her face what he was going to do to her body. 'So I'm just meat on a plate? A snack for him to enjoy after he gorges himself on something else?' her despair doubled. 'How lovely...'

She felt his grip on her hair loosen a fraction. "You don't seem disgusted." he prompted. "I'm horrified..." she admitted. The monster ran another hand smoothly along her jawline. He smirked at her, "Well, at least you're not spitting at me like the last one did. That fatso was so irritating and he had the gall to spit on my coat. The nerve of some people, am I right?"

Belle nodded, another tear dripping down her face. Maybe if she was nice, he wouldn't make it as painful. The monster wiped her tear with his thumb, smudging a bit of dirt on her cheek. "Shhhh, don't cry, sweetheart." he shushed her, "Everyone dies eventually. Now, it's your turn. Why don't you give yourself a little smile? Hm?"

The blueberry carefully reached up and tried to wipe the rest of her tears away, avoiding touching the creature's hands by accident, and then slowly gave herself an aching smile. "There. That's better." he smiled back with false innocence, "Now, I can tell that you're one of the skittish ones that faint at the sight of blood. You've been a good girl so far and I think that deserves a reward. So I'll offer you a deal,"

Belle's eyes shone with hope. Maybe he'd let her go after all?

She wanted so desperately for it to be true, but she was doubtful.

Why go through the trouble of hunting her down when he was just going to spare her life at the end of it?

"I will make your death quick and clean. You won't feel a thing. Then I'll chop you to bits afterwards. Sounds like fun, eh? Do we have a deal?"

Belle's smile weakened. It wasn't what she was hoping for, but it was the best she was going to get. "You... Y-You promise?" she whispered. The monster nodded proudly. "I'm a man of my word." he confirmed. Belle looked at the ground and slowly nodded. "Deal." she whispered her answer. "Alright then." the monster's smile softened. He tightened his grip, holding her head firmly. "Do you want a countdown?" he asked.

"I--I don't know..."

"It'll be okay," he said in an oddly reassuring voice, "Think of it as a trip to the dentist's, or getting a shot at the doctor's office."

An like that, the reassurance was gone. It was terrifying again.

What would happen to her after she died? Would she go to heaven or hell? Would she be stuck in purgatory? Is there something waiting for her, or is it like staring into a black void for the rest of eternity?

Or maybe it's simply nothing. She bites the dust, and that's the end of it? No light, no dark, no anything? Just a big, fat nothing?

Whatever the case, she sure didn't feel ready to find out. Her heart was pounding. More tears were on their way.

Belle didn't want to die.

"W--Wait!" she yelped, grabbing onto the arm that was holding her jaw. The monster was surprised, then looked at her in irritation. "Didn't we have a deal?" he prodded.

"Can you hold my hand?"

The monster was now puzzled. "...What?" he asked. Belle took a deep breath and tried again. "C-- Can... Can you hold my hand?" she repeated shakily. The creature stared at her, perplexed. She wanted her killer to comfort her? "I need both hands to do this, sweetie." he tried shrugging it off, "I don't have three hands."

Belle shivered, but lightly nodded in understanding and tried to avert her eyes. They drifted from the monster's face and over to the woods, then they meandered over to the tendrils that crawled out of his back. She kept her eyes on them long enough for the monster to notice, though she didn't mean to. The monster stared at her grief-stricken face and sighed. "Alright." he said plainly, curling a couple of the tentacles over to her. Belle let go of his arm and the monster curled the tentacles around her hands, holding them together to keep her calm. "Th--Thank you..." she whispered, yet another tear slipping from her eye. The monster simply nodded his head and readjusted his hold on her. "Are you ready this time?" he asked her calmly. Belle frowned, "I'll n--never be ready... but... y--you promised that it wouldn't hurt..."

"It'll be painless. You won't feel a thing." he said, giving her hand a light squeeze. She squeezed the tentacles in return, finding a sliver of peace in the comforting gesture. "I guess that I'm as ready as I'll ever be..." she mumbled to him, gently closing her eyes.

The monster's breathing suddenly hitched.

Is she... actually comfortable with him?

Is she...trustinghim?

Belle trusted this monster with ending her life, and that's all she knew. It was odd, but—

A sharpSNAP!cut through the silence of the night.

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The monster let go of her and untangled his tentacles from her hands.

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He moved away from her.

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"Well? Aren't you going to get up?"

Belle opened her eyes. It was still night, and she was still pressed against the tree. She could move. She could hear. She could breathe.

Belle was still alive.

'What?' she blinked at him in confusion, 'Did he... spare me?...'

The monster had his hand held out to her, like he expected her to take it. "Come on, we don't have all night. Do I have to carry you?" he huffed in slight impatience. "I—I'm sorry... but... why did you—?" Belle began to ask, but was interrupted by him reaching over and grabbing her arm. She gasped as he yanked her off the ground and threw her over his shoulder. "Wh—What are you—?"

"Don't question it. I'll explain later." he cut her off again. He tightened his grip on her and turned around. Belle's eyes caught on something as he turned. It looked like... a doe. It was a large, slender dough with ghostly white fur and pale red eyes. Two large, floppy ears were perked up behind its head. The two made eye contact for a second, and then the doe... smiled at her?

"You may want to close your eyes." the monster warned her. "Wha--?" Belle asked right as the monster hurdled forward. Belle clutched the back of his coat, her stomach giving a startled heave. "O--Oh my--!" she began to shout, then yelled in terror when the monster started going faster. Belle tightened her grip on the coat, now holding onto it like a lifeline. The tentacles whipped back and forth, grabbing onto trees that were farther ahead and propelling the two forward with every push. His legs pushed off of the roots and the trunks of some of the trees, his feet barely touching the ground. The grass and the trees all whooshed by, most of them blurring together from the monster's speed.

Belle felt like she was going to be sick. Remembering the monster's advice, the blueberry closed her eyes and buried her face into the monster's shoulder blade. 'Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god--' she panicked.

The ride couldn't have ended any sooner.

When the monster finally skidded to a stop and set her down, Belle could barely stand. She wobbled on her feet and fell on her rear, landing with an "oof". She heard him chuckle and looked up at the strange male, still confused, but now too nauseous to care. "Are you still alive?" he smirked. Belle felt the saliva building up in her mouth and lurched to the side, then promptly vomited in the grass. The monster curled his nose and tsked, "That's gross."

"S--Sorry..." she apologized meekly. The monster shook his head and picked her up under the arms. "Come on, let's get inside." he said, lifting her onto her feet again. "Inside?" Belle asked. The monster nodded and pulled her over to a house that she didn't notice was there. Well, it was less of a house and more like a large hut. 'Why is he taking me here?' she eyed the place quietly, letting the monster guide her inside. Belle shivered involuntarily at the many thoughts that crossed her mind. He opened the door and carefully nudged her inside.

The inside of the hut was... cozy. It looked like a hunter's log cabin. The floor was made out of wood and covered in carpets. There was a leather sofa and few small tables that were set around a fireplace. The fireplace, made of bricks and cleaner than a washed plate, was clearly never used. There were a couple of oil lamps here and there, but only one of them was on. Along the walls were shelves that held and assortment of books, figurines, and neat little trinkets that ranged from an old, heart-shaped locket to a silver cross that was broken.

The monster noticed her curious gaze on the different things around his home and let go of her. "Those are different things I got from the humans that entered the forest. Obviously they weren't using these anymore, so I took them as... decoration." he said, sounding bored when he said "decoration". Belle decided not to dwell on the story behind what he just said. "Of course, it's not like I didn't take the humans with me. They're still here, after all." he said with a light chuckle, "They're still holding onto them, actually, if you'd like to think about it that way."

'What?' Belle raised an eyebrow and took a closer look at the shelves. Then her eyes widened and she felt her stomach lurch again. Things that she thought were previously made out of wood were actually made out of bones. The table, the shelves, the tools-- so, so many different things. Belle felt like centipedes were crawling all over her. The more she looked around, the worse it got. There were a couple of skulls that were laying around in the living room alone. "H--How ma--many... d--did you...?" she asked, shaking. The monster frowned at her and shrugged, "Like I said; humans are my food source that comes at least once a week, and I've been here for years. No one leaves this forest alive."

Belle was going to be sick again.

She pushed past him and rushed outside, collapsing to the ground and vomiting in the grass for the second time. She huffed and heaved and dug her hands into the dirt. She heard the monster walk up to her and flinched when he rested a hand on her back. "Not very strong, huh?" he said, "I guess I'll have to let you use the wooden plates instead."

"W--Wh--What do you use?"

"Something tells me that you don't want to know."

Belle shivered again, realizing what he meant. "Done?" he asked. Belle nodded slowly, despite being unsure of how much more she can take tonight. "Good. Now let's get back inside. The mosquitoes are merciless around this time of year. You'll be covered in bites."

Belle nodded again and allowed him to guide her back inside.

Within the next half hour, Belle managed to stop loosing her stomach and actually sit down on the couch. The leather was cold to the touch. The monster told her to wait for a moment, then disappeared. He reappeared a few minutes later, carrying a wooden bowl and a skull with him. Both objects were full of murky red-brown liquids that were thick and gave off steam. "They may be steaming, but they're not hot." the monster said, passing her the wooden bowl. "Eat it. It's soup." he told her. Belle looked at the bowl and cautiously took it from his hand. She looked it over curiously, but remained alert. What if he poisoned it or something? Maybe he was testing her, or maybe he wanted to see how she'd react?

"H—How do I—?"

"Drink it. Chew the hard stuff when it gets to your mouth."

Belle nodded and carefully lifted the bowl to her lips. She did as he said and drank the broth. Then she caught a few veggies— much to her relief— and chewed them up gratefully. The monster wasted no time in devouring his. It greatly unsettled Belle that he was eating from a skull, but she decided not to say anything about it.

"The soup is p—pretty good. Wh—What's in it?" she asked, chewing and swallowing something tough and juicy. The monster smiled at her, noticing how Belle was smiling slightly at the rather delicious soup. "Well, it's my own recipe. There's not much in it. Just some water, a flower or two," he listed, a smirk on his face, "some beans, carrots,... potato slices,... bits of corn,... maybe a squirrel..."

He leaned a bit closer to Belle drawing an all her attention as he smiled sinisterly.

"andhumanmeat..."

Belle tensed, digging her nails into the sides of the bowl. Her stomach churned and her face paled. 'Don't get sick!' she steeled herself, barely hanging on, 'Don't get sick don't get sick!'

"I think I should lay down some rules." the Monster set his soup skull aside and grasped her shaking wrists, a twisted smile cracking across his face. He forced Belle to maintain eye contact with him, making sure that she understood everything he said. "Rule number one, you will not try to kill me. Rule number two, you will not try to run away." he narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on her, making her wince. "Rule number three, you will not damage or destroy anything in my home. Those are the basic rules, and I will make more along the way. Break any of the rules I put out for you, and you'll be the main ingredient of my next meal. Do you understand?"

Belle gulped and nodded her head.

"Good." the monster said, letting go of her. He stood up and grabbed the skull. "Unfortunately, I never thought I'd need a guest room, and I'm sure as hell not giving you my room. You can sleep on the couch. Don't fall off, because I don't know how to fix broken bones."

Belle watched him disappear into the corridor, her eyes lingering on the dark shadows. 'So one misstep, and I'm as good as dead?' she itched her arm uneasily. Belle could tell by now that this monster wasn't going to give her a break.'I should probably learn his name... He might get offended if I refer to him as "Monster"...' she decided. The bluenette set her bowl of soup on the endtable beside her and carefully took off her shoes. She placed them next to the couch, then slowly pulled her legs up. She then laid down on her side, using the arm of the couch as a pillow.

An hour flew by, and Belle was now curled in a fetal position. She willed herself to sleep, but found it impossible. The monster hadn't reappeared or made a sound, resulting in the place being eerily quiet. The forest outside was alive with the chirping of bugs and the shrill cries and screams of birds and animals. An owl hooted loudly from above the ceiling, scaring Belle out of her skin and making her shivering worse. The inside of the monster's home was so, so cold. A little bit ago, the fragile blueberry felt her limbs go numb from the lack of warmth. Her teeth chattered and she had to hold her mouth closed to stop it from being so loud. She rubbed her limbs intensely, clinging on to any heat it provided. She really hoped that she wouldn't get sick from this.

The next morning, the monster woke up in his bed. He tossed and turned before groaning, hating the fact that he had to get up. 'Damn it all!' he growled, 'The sun's not even up yet!'

Nevertheless, he got up and shook himself off. He changed his clothes, messed with his hair, then grabbed a bone from his nightstand and stuck it in his mouth, grinding it with his teeth. 'Today's going to be one of those days.'

He paused suddenly, snapping to attention.

He smelled something.

A living human? Here?!

The monster practically barreled into the hallway, then skidded to a stop as he entered the living room and spotted the female on the couch. 'Oh.' he remembered, mentally slapping himself, 'That's right. I have to deal with her now.'

He sighed at himself and straightened his coat, then strolled over to the couch to see how the human was doing. She actually didn't look too good. She was pale, with smudges of blood and dirt on her arms, legs, and outfit. There was a small smear of mud on her cheek. 'I'll have to give her the tub today. Maybe I can find something for her to wear in the meantime.' he frowned. "Hey." he said loudly, waking her up. She sat up quickly, almost falling off the couch in startled confusion. "Get up. You're dirty." he said bluntly to her, clearly making her self-conscious, "There's a bath tub in the back of the house. If I fill it up for you, will you get in it?"

The human nodded shakily. "Good." he said, "I'll find you some clothes, too."

"Th--Thank you..." she said shyly.

The monster grunted and walked past the couch, grabbing a pair of buckets and walking out the door. He walked over to a water pump that was sticking out of the ground and filled up the buckets. Once they were filled, he went back inside and walked to the tub he stuffed in a back room, then carefully dumped the buckets in. He repeated this process until the tub was full. "Now for the clothes." he muttered, dropping the buckets. He didn't feel like finding her some feminine outfits from old campsites that he tore apart, so he just grabbed an outfit that was small on him and tossed them at the female. They landed on her stomach, startling her again. "Get in the bathtub and do your thing. I'll be out hunting. Remember the rules." he growled simply, then stalked out the door and into the woods.

...

When the monster returned for lunch, the human was still bathing.

"Did you die in there, or are you marinating yourself?" he asked loudly from the other end of the hallway. He heard her jump and frowned. "S--S--Sorry! I didn't m--mean to be in for s--o long!" the female apologized, distressed. The monster huffed and turned towards the kitchen. "Whatever," he called over his shoulder, "I'm making food. If you want some, you better hurry."

The monster took an arm out of the ice box in the corner and threw it onto the small counter next to the stove. He opened a drawer and got a wicked-looking knife out, then grabbed the arm and skinned it. He then brutally cut the meat out, tossed the bones, skin, and arteries aside, and dropped the chunks of muscle into a tall pot he kept on top of the stove. He ignored the pile of blood and flesh on the counter and quickly rinsed off the knife by pouring some water over it, then pulled out a few different types of veggies and chopped them up. He dropped those into the pot as well, then poured water into it and turned on the stove. As the water boiled, he added in salt and pepper.

When the food was done, he poured it into a skull. He sat down at the table and ate out of it, then got up, got some more, and sat down again. He wasn't the best cook, but at least he was good enough to make a decent meal.

There was a light shuffling from down the hall, and the monster looked over and watched as the human peeked shyly around the corner. "Well? Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to eat?" he frowned at her. The human ducked her head shyly and entered the kitchen. She was wearing the clothes he gave her (they were a little big), and was shivering and pale. "What's wrong with you?" he asked roughly. The human just shook her head and grabbed the wooden bowl. She poured some soup in the bowl and sat down across from him. She began to cautiously eat out of it when the monster glared at her. "Rule number four, you will answer me when I'm talking to you." he growled, "Now tell me what's wrong with you."

"I--I'm just... c--cold." she shivered nervously. "Cold? You're acting so weak and pathetic because you're cold?" he asked rudely. Belle nodded, trying not to look hurt by that. "Y--Yes, I'm r--really cold..." she said just in case. The monster narrowed his eyes at her and sighed. "Well, you're going to have to suck it up. This is my house, and I like it cold."

Belle nodded shakily, "I understand."

...

Belle awoke with a start. The monster was standing over her as the bright rays of the sun shone outside. He had a hold on her leg and glared at her. "You need to stop sleeping in." he said. Belle slowly nodded. "O—Okay."

The monster left a bit later that morning. She was still wearing his clothes. Belle tried to tie up parts of it to cover herself better, but it didn't work out too well. She looked like a pirate. Belle went to the kitchen and got herself a nice bowl of soup. Well, the bowl was nice. It was the soup that made her want to gag. Not to bash on the irritable monster's cooking skills, but his soup wasn't exactly the best (not to mention that it had human meat inside of it). Belle smelled iron and something horrendous. She looked over and saw the remains of the human arm from yesterday. "He could at least pick up after himself." she muttered, eying the gross display. She noticed a bucket on the floor and saw that it was empty. 'I could probably get rid of the remains and cook something. I don't mind becoming a vegetarian while I'm here.'

Belle didn't know if that last bit was sarcastic or not, but she can't keep eating other people. It's just... taboo, you know? Belle shuddered and picked up the bucket, then scraped the bloody, fleshy mess into the bucket. She set the bucket aside, then searched until she found another bucket, luckily with a rag. She cautiously stalked outside and spotted the water pump. She stepped over to it (carefully avoiding the mud) and pumped water into the bucket. "That should be good, right?" she asked herself. Giving herself a nod, she carried the bucket back inside and into the kitchen. She got to work almost immediately. Belle only meant to clean the counter, but she ended up scrubbing the entire kitchen. When the monster returned for lunch, he stepped into the kitchen and froze in shock. "... the hell did you do to my kitchen?!" he snapped at her. Belle had felt proud of her accomplishment, but now she's scared that he counts it as "destroying his house". Which rule was that again? Number three?

Belle took a few steps back, gripping the rag tightly in her hands. "Y--You left a m--mess from yesterday, s--s--s--so I cleaned it up." she told him. The monster looked about ready to smack her. "Oh, so let me get this straight. Are you saying that my place is a hog pen, and that I can't clean it properly?" he snipped. Belle shook her head rapidly and waved her hands in a frantic manner. "No! That's not what I said at all!" she panicked, "I just thought that maybe I'd help out around here! What if you have guests over or something?!"

Belle felt stupid halfway through that last sentence. Luckily for her, the monster relaxed and smirked devilishly. "My dear, there are no guests in this forest. There is predator, and there is prey." he said matter-of-factly. Then he added, "Oh, and then there's you."

Belle wanted to pout about that, but decided not to get on the monster's nerves again. She settled for looking down instead. Her eyes were supposed to land on the floor, but instead they landed on the monster's feet. 'Oh,' she raised a brow in surprise, 'they're not mutated or broken. He has rabbit legs.'

Belle's eyes travelled up his body and lingered on his tentacles. 'I wonder what else he has. Does he have gills? Maybe fur on his chest?' she tilted her head in curiosity. "You're staring." the monster deadpanned. "O--Oh, sorry!" she apologized quickly. The monster chuckled, much to her surprise. "Whatever." he said after stopping himself.

[Timeskip: The End of the Month]

The monster had changed dramatically. He had to admit that he never expected that, but if someone where to ask him about it, he wouldn't really care.

One morning he found Belle shivering violently and paler than a ghost. Discovering that humans actually needed heat to survive, he went out and chopped up some firewood. Now Belle has a warm fire going everynight. She can heat up her bath water as well, and she's been given a pillow and some blankets for proper sleep.

The week after that, the monster realized that Belle barely ate anymore. He figured out that she was mortified about eating human meat and would skip out on a lot of her meals, resulting in her losing weight. Now he takes it upon himself to hunt an animal every now and then. Belle became the chef of the house, and now made two separate plates every day: one human meat dish for the monster, and one animal meat dish for herself. She was now back to a healthy weight and happy to eat.

The first time the monster had killed someone since Belle arrived had been awful for her. The monster was hunting and speared a hiking man several times in the stomach and back. Then he returned home and found her outside enjoying the sun. He looked over her and growled at her about staying inside from now on, but she barely paid him any mind, to horrified to listen. Apparently, he forgot to hide the body of the joker behind his back and when he looked over Belle, so did the body. Belle was paralyzed with fear. Then the monster realized what happened and put the body away before going back to Belle and shaking her out of the fearful trance. She screamed, but other than that she was able to calm down quickly.

When the monster learned her name, he was— oddly enough— delighted.

Belle and the monster had learned to appreciate one another in the short amount of time so far. They played board games together, and told each other stories. The monster had the best stories, considering that he was alive during the 1700s. "Holy—... you lived that long?" Belle asked after he told her that. The monster nodded, "Yep."

By the end of the month, the monster had gotten so used to Belle that she had free reign over anything she wanted to do. Mostly she just stayed indoors and cooked and cleaned like a little housewife. Belle— though she doesn't know if she'd ever admit it— actually started to like the monster. He was pretty smart, despite being absolutely feral 90% of the time, and he was pretty fascinating too. Belle managed to talk to him about his animalistic features, and he actually told her all the details. He had legs built like a rabbits for speed and strength, and tentacles that he could summon from his back. He had really sharp teeth and the flexibility of a feline. He had an amazing sense of hearing and smell.

The monster, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone except her, actually started to like Belle. And no, not the "oh thanks for the food" like. He genuinely liked her, and was glad that deer told him to spare her. It was worth it to keep Belle around. The monster did make trips to visit the albino doe. And she would constantly ask about how the human female was doing.

How is she doing?

The monster smiled at the question. "She's just fine. I don't think I'll ever be able to kill her." he answered.

Oh?, The doe tilted her head,Is she your mate now?

The monster almost doubled over. "Hell no, she isn't. Why would she and I do that?"

Well, think about it. It IS that time of the year. Why don't you ask her? You did say before that you liked her.

"I never said that."

Oh please, Marion! I can see it when you talk about her! Your eyes get the hazy, soft look, and see the happiness in your face. You like her a lot.

"I will continue to deny this. I will never ask her, no matter what you say."

The season's been affecting you too. I can tell.

"N-No, I'm not! I'm not that kind of beast!"

Sure you aren't. I expect you to have a fawn of your own, Marion. I want to see it when it comes. Alright?

"Keep dreaming, then. It's not going to happen."

Whatever you say. You should get back to your mate now. She might be lonely.

"She's not my mate!"

The doe laughed and walked away. Marion left as well. The entire way back, he couldn't shake what the doe had said. How was she able to be so perceptive? Yes, he did really like Belle, and yes, the mating season has been affecting him, as he's had to pull his mind out of the gutter more than once. 'DAMN IT!' he wanted to scream as another image popped into his head. He slammed a wall down on those thoughts and forced himself to walk through the door. 'It'll be okay.' he tried to relax, 'It'll be over in a few weeks. You can handle it until then.'

"Hello?" Belle called from the kitchen. "I'm home." the beast called back. "Welcome back." she said, "I'm cleaning the kitchen, so please pardon the dirt on my clothes."

Marion walked into the kitchen and saw Belle scrubbing the counter. She was wearing another pair of his clothes. They didn't exactly fit snugly on her, and it left her neck, shoulders, arms, and a part of her back exposed. A light blush can to Marion's face. 'Stop it.' he demanded, 'You've been hanging out with animals too much.'

Belle glanced over his way and noticed how he was frozen. "Are you okay, Marion?" she asked him. "uH, yeah." he said a little too quickly. Belle raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure? You've been acting weird all week." she pointed out, "Are you sick? Do you need some water?"

🍋🍋🍋[Oop lemon warning—]🍋🍋🍋

"I'm fine." he dismissed her worry.

Ohgod, how we was tempted to jump on her right now.

Belle sighed and turned back to her scrubbing. Marion's fingers twitched. 'It would be so easy.' his mind went into the gutter again, 'I'm stronger. I can grab her and bend her over the counter. I can pin her to the wall or the floor. I can throw her onto the table and climb on top of her before she can say no.'

His eyes lingered on her. The way her clothes perfectly framed her collar and neck. How she leaned over to clean the counter. Those enticing pink eyes of hers. Her lips. Her smile, and the way she laughed. Hell, even the way she walked! The temptation was just too much. She was irresistible.

He couldn't take it anymore.

He slowly approached Belle and carefully hugged her from behind. Belle froze, not used to him touching her. "Marion?" she asked. Said monster buried his face in the crook of her neck. He wanted to savor her for as long as possible. "Hmm?" he hummed, tickling her neck from the vibrations. "W—What are you doing? You never... touch me? Let alone hug me?" she asked. Marion wanted to answer, but was too preoccupied with the thought of having her moaning beneath him. Oh, how he couldn't wait for it.

Marion started to kiss her neck. Belle gasped, not expecting that. "M—Mari?!" she freaked out, reaching up and cupping the side of his face. She almost smacked him out of surprise. He ignored it and continued to kiss her, now rubbing his hands on her stomach. Belle drew in a sharp breath. He caressed her. He wanted her so bad. Maybe he should tease her first, though. Or maybe he should focus on pleasuring her tonight. He will want more, after all. It'd be better for both of them if Belle was actually willing to do it.

His touch went from her stomach to her abdomen. He started to suck and nibble on her neck, finding the sweet spot that made her gasp again. She moaned faintly. "Marion, I—I don't know if we should... if we... Mmmm..." she trailed off with a quiet moan. Marion didn't have to say anything for her to know the answer to that. Marion was getting what he wanted.

By the time a dark hickey was formed, he had her squirming and whispering little words of protest. It was perfect. "I'm going to love you so damn good tonight~" he whispered in her ear. He lifted her off the ground, earning another startled gasp. He easily pulled off her clothing and grinned. Belle quickly tried to cover herself, and alarmed yelp escaping her lips. "M—MARION!" she yelled, embarrassed. Her face turned beet red. Marion gently set her back down. Belle thought she was free to go, but then he moved one hand under her arm and the other under her leg. He lifted her leg up, exposing her to him. "Marion, what are you doing?!" the blueberry was squirming more. Marion summoned his tentacles and lowered one to her, carefully rubbing between her legs. Belle stifled a moan. "I already told you," he kissed her behind the ear, "I'm going to love you so damn good tonight. I'm going to make you scream and moan so f*cking loud."

"Wh—wha— AH~"

He pressed it in more, rubbing her harder. "Give in to me~" he whispered, "Let me show you how much I want you~"

Belle shivered, goosebumps rising on her back. "M—Marion, listen! I really don't know if we should— hMP!" Belle stuttered. She was silenced by another tentacle being shoved into her mouth. "Shhhhh~" Marion started to grope her left breast, "Don't judge it 'til you try it, sweetheart~"

Belle squirmed again. She didn't know if she wanted this or not. She tried talking around the tentacle in her mouth, but he just shoved it in deeper with every word. "I'm sorry, lovely, but this might hurt." he apologized. Belle's eyes widened. Marion pushed the first tentacle into her, making Belle arch her back and squeal. The tentacle was inside of her now. It was moving around, pumping into her. Marion massaged the breast in his hand, and he started to kiss her neck again. Belle moaned, and the tentacle in her mouth started to pump into her as well. It slid back and forth, going in deep then coming back out. She started sucking on it.

The tentacle in her flower started going wild. Belle moaned even louder. The stimulation was becoming overwhelming.

Belle moaned louder and louder, loosing track of time.

Eventually her sweet release came, and Marion was all for it. He shoved the first tentacle in as deep as it could go, savoring Belle's muffled scream of pleasure as she arched her back and spilled all over it. Her juices dripped down her legs and onto the floor. Marion slowly pulled out both tentacles and let go of Belle. The human fell almost instantly, her legs shaking. She panted hard. "Oh... mygod..." she gasped, pressing her legs together. Marion smirked as he brought the tentacle into his mouth and tasted her. "Mmmm... not bad~..." he got closer, taking off his shirt. Belle looked up at him, her blush refusing to fade. "You... how... Good Christ... I... I need a bath..." Belle attempted to get up and go to the tub. Marion's tentacles wrapped around her ankles, forbidding her from leaving. Belle's eyes widened again. The monster's smirk widened into a grin. "Oh, I'm not done with you just yet." he teased. Belle shivered in anticipation. Whatexactlydid he have planned for her? He did say that he'd make her moan and scream.

"Get on your knees." He said, unbuckling his belt. Belle obeyed, her blush spreading to her shoulders. "I'm sorry, but I'd rather not be coughing up hairballs." she said as meekly as she could. "That's not what I was going to do, but thank you for the idea~" he teased again. He crouched down in front of her and grabbed her arms. He then put them together and tied her wrists with his belt. "H—Hey!" she blushed even more. Marion silenced her with a kiss to the lips. "I did say I was going to make you scream, didn't I?" he asked rhetorically. 'Oh my god!' Belle shivered. Marion went behind her again. Belle didn't know if she wanted to look or not. She heard him taking his pants off. Marion came down to her level again and grabbed her hips. "Say when, love~" he whispered romantically. He pushed another long, stiff object into her. It hurt a lot, and she flinched hard. Marion started breathing harder, and whatever was inside of her throbbed. 'Oh my god, he's big.' she whimpered again, realizing what it was. The pain was soon gone, being replaced by the need for pleasure. "Mmm... Move..." she told him. Marion grinned. He pulled out a little, then thrusted in. Belle felt like she was turning into a puddle. He pulled out, then thrusted in again, going deeper. "Ah~" she moaned. Marion grunted. "This is... b—better than I imagined..." he said in between thrusts and moans. "Y—You— Ah~ You imagined... you and I...?" she asked, trying to look at his face. Marion leaned forward mid-thrust and kissed her cheek. "I've been wanting to mate with you all week. Now be a good girl and face forward, will you?" he admitted, following with a command. Belle moaned again and faced forward. Out of all the things she thought she'd do in her life, she never thought she'd get f*cked from behind by a monster.

"Oh, Belle~" Marion moaned her name. Belle was turned on by that for some reason. She then smirked as an idea stuck her. Maybe she could get Marion to do what she wanted? "Oh, Marion~" she moan, "Oh my god, Mari, look what you're doing to me~"

His thrusts came in harder. Belle wondered if it was working. "Do you realize that you're the only one who can do this to me~? The only one we can make mescreamandbegandmoan~?" she pressed, raising herself up a bit to give him more access to her. Marion grunted as he hit a wall. "Oh, really?" he asked. "Oh, yE— AAAAH~" Belle screamed as he knocked her legs wider and plunged into her. He practically beat her g-spot to death. Over and over. Belle was a drooling, moaning mess. "Thought you could manipulate me, didn't you~?" he whispered in her ear, "Thought you could get your way~? Well, I have news for you, sugar.Iam in charge here, not you. You will obeyme, not the other way around. Got it~?"

Belle's response was a scream of ecstasy that hit a whole new pitch. Her walls clamped down on Marion's hard member, and a wave of fluids washed over him. Marion wanted her to ride out her climax, so he continued to thrust into her. Belle gasped for air, her sides and legs trembling so bad that she had to fall on her hands and use her arms to hold herself up. Marion adjusted himself to the new position before continuing to plunge his co*ck into her. Belle moaned again, her throat sore from the earlier abuse and screaming.

Marion was determined to finish. He succeeded in pleasuring his little lover; now it was his turn. Her entrance was wet and dripping, making him slid in and out of her with ease. "Oh my god, Mari~" she moaned for him. Marion held onto her hips tighter. He wasn't worried about leaving bruises. Belle's hair was still pulled up in its signature bun, leaving her neck exposed from every angle. He took full advantage of that and leaned into her. He bit her neck, being careful not to hurt her (aside from her rear, which was now taking on a full-forced assault). Belle yelped, then moaned again as he hit a new spot inside of her. He could feel himself getting close. When the time came, he thrusted a final time, going as deep as his member could reach. Marion unloaded deep inside of her, then pulled out and collapsed to the floor next to her. He reached over and untied the belt, then tossed it over to the table. He retracted his arm and sighed with satisfaction. "That was great." he panted.

Belle stretched as soon as she was free and nodded her head in agreement. She crawled over to him and gently laid herself on top of him. "Uh... are you asking for another round?" Marion asked, puzzled. Belle used his fluffy chest as a pillow. "I'm cuddling with you." she said softly. It was the monster's turn to raise an eyebrow at her. "I don't like 'cuddling' and 'snuggles' you know. I was just resting myself before getting the stuff to clean this mess up."

Belle pouted. "C'mon, Marion! We did what you wanted! Can't you do what I want? Just this once?" she asked. Marion narrowed his eyes at her. Belle sighed and gave him the puppy dog eyes. "Please? Pretty please with cherries on top?" she begged. Marion chuckled. "Like that'll work." he mocked her. Belle stopped, a sad look on her face. "Alright..." she backed down, getting off of him and standing up. "I—I'm going to take a bath..." she whispered. Marion felt a small pang of guilt as he watched her leave. '...Damn it.'

🍋🍋🍋[Lemon over]🍋🍋🍋

While Belle took her bath, Marion cleaned up the kitchen, started the laundry, made diner, and set up the fireplace. When she got out, she was pleasantly surprised and thanked him, but didn't really talk to him. After dinner, she went to the couch to fall asleep like normal. She stopped short when her bedding wasn't there. "Uh?" she furrowed brows. She looked up and down the living room, then sighed. She turned around and walked down the hallway, then turned right and entered Marion's room. "Hey, Marionne? Have you seen my—?" She stopped once she realized the bed was set up for two. The blankets she used were tightly knitted into one big one, and there were two pillows instead of just one. The door behind her closed gently, and she realized that he had been hiding behind it.

"Uh... I'm not good with this kind of thing, but..." he struggled for the words, fidgeting with his hands, "I—I'm sorry, Belle. I didn't realize what it looked like I was doing until after you left. I didn't mean to hurt you and make you feel used."

He came closer and hugged her, making her go stiff. "Belle... Will you cuddle with me?" he asked shyly. A smile slowly worked its way onto her face. She relaxed and hugged him back. "Sure, you crazy rabbit-man."

"Excuse me? I am thebeastof theforest."

"Sure, softy."

Marion was already in his nighttime outfit (literally just a pair of pants). He grabbed something on the dresser next to him and handed it to her. "Here. I found an old nightgown. It's not exactly your style— I think— but it's soft." he said. Belle smiled and took the nightgown, then kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

Belle put it on in the bathroom, then came back into the bedroom to lay down with Marion. He was already under the covers, patiently waiting for her. The moment she leaned over the bed, he snatched her arm and yanked her over to him. She squeaked out of surprise and closed her eyes, then opened them once she felt his arms circled around her. Marion trapped her in his arms and used a tentacle to cover them with the new comforter. It was so warm and comfortable. Belle smiled happily and used his chest like a pillow again. "Thank you, Marion."

"You're welcome."

"I love you."

That took Marion by surprise. He didn't actually expect her to say that. At least not tonight. Whatever convinced her to say it, Marion knew he shouldn't test it by staying quiet.

"I... I love you, too, Belle."

Chapter 91: Ships N' Shanties!

Chapter Text

"Are ye' sure about this, captain?" Flynn asked.

"Of course I'm sure." Mason said, looking at the unconscious female in his arms. The female was wearing a large, pink dress. Her hair was as blue as the ocean itself, and her skin was so pale that she looked like a ghost. 'That can be fixed.' the pirate captain thought with a small smile, 'A couple of months on the deck should do the trick.'

"Do y'need help with carryin' 'er back?" Flynn offered his good hand, then gestured to the other two men beside himself. Mason looked at them, then shook his head. "Nah, I got her." he assured them, adjusting his grip so that he wouldn't drop her, "Just tell me if she starts waking up."

"S--S--She shouldn't." offered Tyreke, "I--I made sure that the servants s--snuck enough drugs into the p--pie she ate."

"You didn't overdose her, right?" Mason asked, looking at her face. Tyreke shook his head. "No, I was careful. She sh—should be out until midday tomorrow."

"Good." Mason said, turning towards the open window of the female's room, "Now let's go."

}----------{

Belle slowly opened her eyes, feeling nauseous and sick to her stomach. 'What happened?' she wondered dizzily, 'Where am I?'

She sat up and her stomach lurched. The woman spotted a bucket on the floor nearby and quickly grabbed it, then promptly vomited into it with a sickening hurl. She shakily set it back down and shuddered. Her stomach didn't feel any better. "Funny. I can never tell if that's the sea sickness or the narcotics." said a strange voice. Belle snapped her head up and locked eyes with the man. "What?" she asked him. "Don't worry about it, lovely. You'll get used to the sea in no time." he smiled at her. Belle felt uncomfortable. "The sea?" she asked, looking around the room. The walls were made out of wood. There was a desk with a chair, both of which were nailed to the floor. On the desk were several items, including a couple of oil lamps, a map, a compass, ink bottles, a quill, and golden coins that were scattered about. Put against the walls of the room were a couple of chests or trunks. One of them was open and filled with clothes, the other was shut. She looked down and realized that she was on a thin bed. The place smelled of old wood and sea salt. It was also rocking back and forth in a steady motion, and she could hear the ocean waves beyond the walls.

Belle was now starting to panic. Was he serious when he said the sea? She looked back at the man. He looked amused, but he didn't look like he was joking. Belle shot up from the bed and almost fell over from a wave of dizziness. The man stood up and strolled over to her with his hands in the air. "Hey, calm down now. There's nothing to worry about." he assured her with that same smile. Belle ignored him and rushed at the door before he could stop her. She flung it open and stopped short. She really was on a ship. There were men on the deck, either busy or just looking busy as they talked and worked at the same time. Belle heard quick footsteps behind her and took a panicked step forward. To her right and left were staircases that led to the upper back of the boat, where the steering wheel should be. She made a break for the left one and ran up the stairs. There weren't many people up there. Just a man at the wheel and someone standing guard behind him. They both looked t her with startled expressions. Belle ignored them and ran all the way to the back. She held onto the rail and looked behind the ship. There, in the very far distance, was land. It was most likely the island her home was on. Belle wasted no time in climbing onto the rail. It as a long distance, but she'd be damned if she just let herself be taken away. "Stop her!" barked a voice from behind her. The men at the wheel made a dash for her as the man from before raced up the stairs. Belle's eyes widened, and she slipped off the railing and fell. "No!" the man yelled, clearly panicking. Belle closed her eyes, but opened them again once she landed on something that wasn't the water. It was a net. The looked to have been deliberately placed there in preparation of someone falling overboard. She looked through the bottom of it and saw the water a small distance below her. She readied herself to jump off when the man she woke up to practically screamed the house down. "No! Don't Jump!" he yelled. Belle ignored him again and almost jumped, then he aimed a gun at her. "God damn it, I said DON'T! Don't jump or I'll shoot you!" he screamed. Belle looked up at him with fear, then anger. "Why should I listen to you?!" she yelled back. He used his gun to quickly gesture at the waves below them. "Look before you leap! There's sharks in the water!" he warned her.

Belle's eyelid twitched, and she took his warning. She looked in the direction his gun was pointing, and sure enough, the man was right. There, mere meters behind the ship, was a shiver of sharks. They were big, and big sharks had big teeth. "Oh my god..." she whispered. "I'm not threatening to shoot you because I don't want you to leave," the man above her explained, "I'm trying to stop you so you don't get eaten!"

"Well thanks for the heads up, Captain Obvious!" she snapped at him, "Nice way of warning people that you have!"

"Well, you didn't exactly give me time to warn you!" he defended himself. The men on either side of him nodded, predictably siding with their friend. Belle pouted and looked at the water again. Look's like she's damn to let them take her. "Hang on. We'll get you back on the ship." He called down to her, now calm and convinced that she's not going anywhere. Belle refused to say anything, looking solemnly at the land on the horizon. 'Great,' she thought sarcastically, 'now I'm stuck on a ship with a bunch of strange men. What could possibly go wrong?'

Within minutes, the crew threw something down to Belle and managed to get her back on board. "I think we got off on the wrong foot." said the first man as he held his hand out to her. "My name is Mason Salacil, and I'm the captain of this ship. And you are?"

Belle sighed quietly as the entire crew stared at her. "My... My name is Belle." she answered, reluctantly shaking his hand. The captain smiled at her. "Belle...?" he prompted. "Just. Belle." she stated stubbornly, refusing to give him her last name. Mason sighed more audibly, "Well, I don't need to moan out your last name too, so I guess that's fine."

The crew laughed. Belle slapped his hand away from her. "You're disgusting." she frowned at him. The man chuckled. "Calm down, sweetie. It was just a joke." he grinned. Belle remained unamused. "Please tell me that I'm not sleeping anywhere near you." she said. "...Well, you could always sleep with the crew?" He offered. Belle looked around at them. "... Yeah," she said, drawing out the word, "you guys seem nice and all, but I guess it's better for me if I stay away from any of you."

"Aw, c'mon lassie!" said a redhead with a hook and an eyepatch, "We're not that bad! An' besides, it's th' captain 'at'll crawl up yer skirt, not us!"

"Excuse me? I may be the captain of a pirate ship, but I'm no rapist." said the captain with mock offense. "X to doubt" Belle muttered. Mason ignored whatever she just said and waved his hand at the crew. "Fine then. It's up to the lady where she wants to sleep, but I doubt she wants to wake up to all of you pointing your pickles at her."

'Dear god, I'm better off taking my chances with the sharks.' Belle realized miserably. "Pirates?" she questioned, wanting to get her mind off of the subject. "Oh, you didn't realize?" the captain teased. Belle glared at him. "Well, we're the best pirate crew on the ship." he bragged. "You're the only crew on this ship." Belle pointed out. "Exactly!" the captain shrugged, "The crew sticks to the ship, and we're all one big, happy family! No need to have run-ins with other pirates if we don't have to. Especially if we don't have to."

"So you're a bunch of cowards with swords?"

"Rule number one! Don't call us cowards, or someone on this ship will call you shark bait." he told her. "Is that a threat?" she glared more intensely. Mason chuckled and held his hands behind his back. "My dear," he said, "that's no threat. It's a promise."

Belle suddenly felt aware as the crew laughed at her.

}—————{

Unfortunately for her, Belle soon decided that she'd sleep better with just the captain watching her (even though he creeped her out). So now she was in the captain's quarters. Turns out that, that was where she woke up.

However, what Belle didn't take into consideration was that he only had one bed. 'Nuh-uh! No way!' Belle rejected the very idea, 'There's no way I'm sleeping in the same bed with that beast!'

"Is something wrong, lovely?" Mason asked. Belle shivered. "I—I—... I'm just... sea sick..." she covered. It wasn't a complete lie. The constant rocking of the ship was still getting to her. She covered her mouth and breathed in deeply. The captain chuckled at her misery. "You could have just said so. Here." he told her, walking over to a barrel in the room. He reached his hand in and pulled out a strange, knotted root. He tossed it to her, and she barely managed to catch it. Belle studied it closely, then raised a brow at the man. "It's ginger root." he explained, "It doesn't taste very good, but it helps with nausea. I carry loads of it in case if my crew and I get sick."

"Oh..." she commented. "Go on, take a bite." Mason prompted. Belle nodded slowly, then hesitantly took a bite. He was right about it tasting awful. Belle was tempted to spit it out, but she kept chewing and swallowed, not wanting to get on his bad side. He was also right about the root helping with nausea, it seems. Belle felt herself getting less dizzy. 'It worked...' she was amazed. Maybe if she can go home, she can convince Mason to let her take some ginger with her. She glanced up at him and noticed him looking at her expectantly. "... Thank you..." she thanked him quietly. "No problem, Boblem." he smiled at her. Belle refused to smile. "Not funny? Alright. I'll try harder next time." he promised.

He strolled past her and sat down on the bed. "Would you prefer the bed, my lap, or the hammock?" he asked with a smirk. Belle gave him an irritated look, but didn't have the energy to insult him. "What hammock?" she asked instead. Maybe there was hope for a peaceful sleep after all? The captain sighed in disappointment and pointed at the opposite wall, "Over there. The large cloth hanging from the ceiling. Didn't you see it?"

Belle muttered a "no" and checked out the hammock. It didn't look like a hammock, but that's probably why she missed it. It wasn't much, but it was way better that sleeping in the same bed as the captain. "So, I'll take that as 'hammock'." he said, enthusiasm gone, "Oh well, I tried. Goodnight, m'lady."

Belle wouldn't even grace him with a response. She turned over in the hammock, facing the wall. She didn't want to look at his irritating face and annoying smirk. 'Seriously, what is wrong with that guy?' she frowned deeply.

Ten minutes later, the captain was already snoring— it's not like Belle could hear him though. She remained wide away almost the entire night, listening to the sounds that drowned her ears. The loudest sound of them all was the ocean's waves pounding against the side of the ship.

}—————{

"Still sea sick?" Asked the captain from the wheel. Belle was sitting on the floor, holding onto the railing next to her. The color was drained from her face. "I hate the ocean." she muttered, suffering. Mason chuckled. "Don't judge it 'til you try it, sweetheart." he told her enthusiastically. Belle frowned at him, "Youforcedme to try it!"

"Forced?"

"Don't try to play dumb! You poisoned me and abducted me!" Belle jabbed a finger in his direction. Mason turned his head and smiled charmingly at her. "I wanted you to see the ocean for all it's worth." he told her. "Oh, really? Judging from your appalling behavior so far, it looks like you abducted me to be your f*ck buddy!" the blueberry accused him. "Oh?" the captain tilted his head, the smile turning into a sly smirk. Belle narrowed her eyes at him. "You better keep your filthy hands off of me, you creep." she hissed. "They're not that dirty, are they?" he asked. Belle didn't have the energy to answer him. She shoved her head through the railing's bars and vomited off the side of the ship. "Ten points." Mason called loudly, earning a laugh or two from the crew on deck. Belle gritted her teeth, "You're sad*stic."

The captain shrugged and went back to what he was doing. Belle sat back and watched the ocean waves. To her benefit, it was quite relaxing. The ocean is as beautiful as it is terrifying. 'Krakens and whales,' she thought uneasily, remembering the stories she's heard from the sailors her father met, 'giant sharks and whirlpools and giant waves...'

Something broke the surface of the water not too far rom the ship.

"Oh hey, it's a whale!" Mason called out suddenly pointing to his right. Fear seized Belle's heart. 'Speak of the devil and he shall appear.' she gripped the railing tighter, digging her nails into it. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see how close it was. She heard the captain lock the wheel and walk over to her. "What's the matter, dearie?" he asked, genuinely concerned. Belle looked up at him in a panic. "Th—The whale!" she said, "Why aren't you trying to get us out of here! It's going to eat the ship!"

Mason blinked. Then he smiled and chuckled. "It's okay, Belle. Those old fishermen stories aren't that true." he told her. "What?" she asked. Mason looked in the direction of the whale, "Take a look."

Belle uneasily took a glance. The whale wasn't as big as she imagined it would be. It actually looked... kind of cute. It swam along the side of the ship, and she could hear it breathe every time it popped out of the water. "They're gentle giants." Mason said, crouching down to her level, "They don't randomly attack ships."

"Randomly?" she prompted. Mason shrugged his shoulders, "Well, it's unlikely, but not unheard of. We'll be fine."

Belle looked back at the whale nervously, but took the captain's word for it. He smiled at her calmly. "Better now?" he asked. Belle slowly nodded. "It's really big." she observed as the graceful creature lifted it's tail in the air. "I can show you something bigger." Mason grinned. Belle smacked his arm. "Worth it." he said, rubbing his arm while going back to the wheel.

}—————{

Belle was on the deck. Mason asked her if she could help out the crew. "Think of it as an exercise to break the ice" he told her. Belle grumbled to herself. Why did he get to stay at the wheel and do virtually nothing all day. "Not fair." she muttered. "Aw, don' be so sour, lass." encouraged the redhead with the ponytail, "Th' captain has a reason fer e'rything 'e does."

Belle looked at him doubtfully. "I'm sorry, but I don't quite believe you, Mr...."

"Call me Flynn." he winked at her. Or blinked. Whatever was correct. "Thank you, Flynn." she said politely. The ship hit a rather large wave, making Belle lose her balance and catch onto the nearest mast. "Hey!" called the captain, "The only mast you should be touching is mine!"

Belle's face grew red as the entire crew laughed. Whether it was from embarrassment or anger, she didn't care enough to know.

}—————{

"I'm tired."

"Hi tired, I'm daddy."

Belle smacked Mason for the third time today. "DO YOU NEVER GIVE UP?" she yelled at him, "YOU THINK YOU'RE SO SMOOTH AND CHARMING, BUT REALLY YOU'RE JUST GROSS! YOU'D HAVE BETTER LUCK SEDUCING A FISH!"

The captain rubbed his cheek, "Well, damn woman. I know you're playing hard to get, but that hurt."

Belle glared at him, then stormed out of the captains quarters, slamming the door close behind her. "Slam my door again, and I'll slam you against the wall!" he yelled playfully. "gRAH—!" came her muffled cry of rage from the other side of the door.

}—————{

"Hey, Belle?"

"What do you want this time?" Belle hissed. She was trying to sleep in the hammock, but the sound of the captain writing something at his desk kept her awake. Mason winced at the unfriendly tone in her voice. "Uh... nevermind..." he said, "It's stupid anyways."

That caught Belle's interest. "No, just tell me what it is." she said in a more neutral voice, turning to face him. He had a small book open in front of him, the fresh ink still drying. The tall male fidgeted with his fingers. "Could you maybe... come here and tell me if this sounds right?" he requested. Belle's curiosity took over and she got out of the hammock. She walked over to him and read what was on the page over his shoulder. 'It's a story.' she realized, 'Maybe a play. Does he write these for fun?'

"I didn't know you write stories." she explored, hoping that he'd indulge her. Mason looked uncomfortable. "Well... it's just a hobby..." he said, opening a drawer and pulling out a few more books. "I try not to start too many at a time, but I always get new ideas." he admitted sheepishly. Belle was amazed. She took one of the books he was holding and started reading it before he could protest. Her amazement quickly turned to awe. "These... These are pretty good, Mason." she told him, "You're actually a good writer."

Mason's face lit up, catching her by surprise. "You really think so?" he asked. Belle genuinely smiled, "Yeah, I really think so. Mind if I borrow this?"

"Mis libros son tus libros." he smiled at her.

Belle took the book and went back to the hammock. She laid down, then started reading it. "... You know, I was going to say something, but I'd rather not ruin the moment." he told her, continuing to write. "Go ahead and say it. I'll allow it this once." Belle muttered. Mason's eyes widened, then became half-lidded with a grin. "Are you sure you don't want to sleep with me tonight? Because I can rock you better than that hammock."

"By god, that was your worst joke yet."

"... but is it funny?"

Belle threw her shoe at him.

Chapter 92: Predator and Prey, and Their Little Offspring, Too!

Chapter Text

[Merry Christmas, y'all!]

Belle smacked her husband awake.

"Mason! Wake up!"

"Huh?!" the werewolf sat up instantly, looking dazed. "What's wrong, love?" he asked her quickly. "I think the baby's coming!" the vampire gasped. Mason was up in an instant. He jumped out of bed, ran over to Belle's side, then scooped her up and rushed out of the cave.

...

"Congratulations, you two. It's a girl." said the doctor, handing Belle the baby. Mason thanked him and the doctor went away, leaving the two with their newborn. Belle looked at the baby with pure love and affection. Mason reached out and gently stroked the infant's head. "She's so perfect." Belle cooed. Mason leaned down and kissed Belle's face, "They're all perfect. You made them."

"I love you, you sap."

"I love you too, batty."

They shared a tender, loving kiss on the lips.

The baby, who had been oddly silent, began to whimper softly. Belle gave her a light squeeze and held her tighter. "She's so adorable. What should we name her?" Belle asked. Mason looked at the pair with slight jealousy (he wished Belle would hold him like that). "Well... what sounds right to you?" he asked back. Belle shrugged carefully. "Maybe... Maybe something musical?" she ventured.

"Beethoven it is."

"I will smack you."

Mason put his hands up innocently. "Okay, okay! You name her." he smiled. Belle narrowed her eyes at him, then looked at the beautiful baby in her arms.

"... Symphony. I want to name her Symphony." Belle declared. Mason smiled proudly, giving Belle another kiss on the face. "I like it." he praised, "I think it fits her."

Belle relaxed. "I was going to say Harmony, but that sounded too cheesy." she explained. Mason held down a chuckle, but nodded in understanding. "Lord knows that she would have been mad at us for it when she's a teenager." he attempted to joke. Belle cracked a small smile. "Mhm. I think we got lucky with Tobias being the oldest. He's so calm." she told him, "I think he'll be the one who keeps the other pups in check."

"I agree with you there." Mason turned his smile towards the baby, "Do you think she'll be a vampire, or a werewolf?"

Belle shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine. It seems like it's always fifty-fifty."

"Hm." the father hummed. Without asking for the okay, he gently took the newborn child from Belle (who almost hissed at him for it) and cradled it to his chest. "She's got your eyes." Mason tickled the little one's cheek affectionately. "And she's got your ears." Belle smirked, "You can tell by the size of them."

"My ears arenotthat big." the wolfman replied with mock offense. "Mason, your ears are the first thing I see in the morning." the vampire's smirk stayed, "Pretty sure that they're the last thing I see at night, too."

"You're just jealous that I have big ears instead of big teeth."

"That's a low blow."

"Is it now?" he grinned.

"If I wasn't in such a good mood right now, I'd make you sleep on the floor when we get back to the cave." Belle told him. Mason playfully rolled his eyes, "I don't think so. You love me too much."

"Do I?" Belle took the child back, earning a sad whine from the father. The vampire reached up and cupped a hand over his right cheek. Mason set his hand over hers in response and leaned into the touch. "Thank you." he smiled and looked from her to the baby, "But did you really have to steal her from me?"

"You stole her from me first."

"I did not."

"You did too."

"This is child number seven, and you two still argue like children over it?" Peter said from the doorway. Mason's smile grew wider. "Hey, Dad. Sorry to wake you up so early, but I figured you wouldn't want to wait to meet your new granddaughter." he looked over to the older man. Said older man walked over and smiled softly at the infant in Belle's arms. "So, this is the little one that kicked her father in the head?" he gestured to the baby. Belle covered her laughter with a nice smile and a small nod, then held the newborn out to him. "Would you like to hold her?" she offered. "Yes, please." Peter replied politely and took the child from her mother. The little one whined a bit of gibberish at him, making the grandfather smile wider. "What did you two name her?" he held the baby up to his chest and looked back at the parents. "Belle decided that she wanted something musical." Mason gave him a quick heads up. "We named her Symphony." Belle answered with delight. Peter chuckled, "Well, that's a new one. Original, I'd say."

"Mhm. Like Veix's name. Maybe Aliza's, too." Mason agreed. Belle managed to rub the back of her neck. "Actually, Aliza's name was inspired..." she admitted. Mason raised his eyebrows in slight confusion. "Do you know someone named Aliza?" he asked her. "She was someone from my coven." Belle explained, "She was also my best friend- we were practically sisters. Her name was Elizabeth."

"Ah," Peter nodded, "the young vampiress you told me about once or twice. Red hair and blue eyes, right?"

"Green eyes. They turned green when she was twenty-something years old. She said it was a genetic thing." Belle responded, "I was hunting for deer with her the night Mason and I met."

The three suddenly fell into an awkward silence.

A moment later, Mason coughed. "Well, now that Symphony and her grandpa met, we can call the doctor back in now." he clasped his hands together. "Are you staying here for a bit, sweetheart?" he asked Belle. The vampire sighed and nodded in response, "I'm too exhausted to move. You go on without me. Tell the pups what happened when they wake up, okay?"

"You got it, love." Mason smiled at her, then to his father, then gently stroked Symphony's forehead before he walked out the door. Peter gave Symphony back to Belle and gave her a polite nod. "I have to escape before the doctor gets in here and gives me a shot. Have a good night, Belle. Mason and I will see you tomorrow." he smiled at the mother. Belle laughed softly, "I completely understand. Goodnight, Peter. Thanks for checking on us so early in the morning."

"No problem." the older wolf called over his shoulder, following his son out the door.

Belle lightly kissed her youngest daughter on the nose, then continued to cradle her to her chest. "My sweet little Symphony..." she whispered, "I love you so much, my little batlet.... Your brothers and sisters have-" she was interrupted by a yawn, "-have been so excited to meet you."

The baby made a small sound and opened its mouth a bit, and Belle's heart melted for the little one. "Goodnight, my wonderful pup..."

}-----{

"Are you sure you should be going outside already?" Tobias asked with concern, tilting his head at his mother. The vampire looked at her son with amusem*nt and appreciation. "I'll be alright, Tobias. Thank you for your concern." she smiled at him. "But you've always waited for a couple of months. It hasn't even been a week." he pointed out. Belle gave her oldest child a hug, "I'll be fine, I just need some fresh air. Your father kept me cooped up in here for the entire pregnancy this time. I need to stretch my legs."

"If you're sure... Does Dad even know that you're going out?"

"Nope."

"Mom," Tobias lowered his eyebrows, "at least tell him that you're not going to be in the cave tonight."

"I'll only be gone for an hour, maybe less. I'll be back long before the sun begins to rise." Belle ruffled his hair, "Anyways, thank you for volunteering to watch your siblings. I owe you one."

The wolfboy only shook his head, "You can thank me by coming back safe and sound, like you promised."

"Understood." Belle turned towards the door, "Make sure that Olivia and Aliza don't start anything too chaotic."

"Got it, Mom. See you soon."

...

The night air was refreshing, just as it had always been. The moonlight felt amazing on her skin, like she could just lay down and bathe in it. She couldn't for too long, though, since she had promised Tobias that she'd be back early. 'Mason should still be visiting Peter and Gerald with Symphony. It's that tradition he always does... what was it again? Letting the baby choose its own stuff?' Belle looked up at the big sphere of light, 'I still don't understand how that works; Symphony can't even open her eyes yet. Back in the coven, a baby vampire is given everything it needsbeforeit is born, not after... Cultural differences, I guess...'

Throughout the past twenty years, Belle's been doing her best to adjust to the cavern's culture. It was difficult, but only because it was so different. Everyone is so nice and open with each other- even to strangers. They have doctors and medicine, negotiations with allies, and even pack feasts. 'Not a single wolf gets aggressive during the feasts. Not that I've seen, anyways...'

The largest group of vampires that she'd seen feeding together was three, including herself, and it had been incredibly awkward since there wasn't enough to share with the third one. Someone had to catch an extra rabbit for them that night. 'Was it Elizabeth and Ethan?' she tried to recall. It was most likely those two, as they had been her closest friends. 'Back in the coven...' her mind whispered. She climbed up a tall pine tree and sat on one of the highest branches, looking at the moon. 'I won't deny that I miss them. That I miss my friends and family... But I don't think I can ever go back.' a sigh escaped her, 'They might not let me in again if they learn who my partner is... Especially if they figure out that he's a wolf.'

The very thought of not being accepted by the same vampires that she was raised by put a dull ache in her heart. 'I miss a lot of things that we used to do. The storytellings, night flights, showing off our powers...' that last one sort of dug at her, 'Though, I've never even used mine.'

There were lots of memories running through her head. They were mainly good ones, like Ethan playing his instruments specifically to annoy someone he didn't like. There were only a couple of sad ones, like when the coven finally told her why her mother and father were never returning to the castle.

That thought always sent a chill down her back. 'It's ironic, really, in a morbid way.' she looked down at the ground. Belle sighed once more. 'I wonder what power father had. I can take a guess as to what mother's was.'

Truly, she didn't know much about her parents. Only that they were ripped apart by wolves.

A cold breeze brushed past her, and Belle suddenly felt like she was being watched. The vampire cautiously stood up with a slightly labored breath. That breath was then almost knocked out of her as Emily, one of her daughters, collided with her. The shorter vampire giggled excitedly. "I bet you didn't see me coming, did ya?!" she hugged her mother. Belle recovered from the shock and hugged her back. "No, I didn't. You're getting sneakier, Emily." the mother smiled before playfully narrowing her eyes. "Which means that your father and I have to be more suspicious of you."

Emily giggled again.

Emily was her third child at only eleven years of age. She turned out to be a vampire, which didn't surprise Belle at the time considering that Emily looked exactly like her, only with a darker shade of blue hair. Usually Emily was seen around her eight-year-old brother, Veix, but so far Belle didn't see or hear him nearby. "Is Veix with you?" she tilted her head. Emily shook hers. "I wanted him to tell me more vampire stories, but he didn't want to. Soooooooo, I ditched him!" the smaller vampire grinned. Ah, that explains it. For some reason, the moment Emily heard the word "vampire" for the first time, she instantly grew obsessed with them. She constant bothered the librarians about vampire books and scrolls, as well as question a lot of the adults around the cavern. Though, mostly, she went to her mother and asked Belle to tell her stories about her times with the coven and her experiences with other vampires. When Belle wasn't available, Veix would be her next target, as he was, admittedly, the smartest, yet also the most chaotic of Mason and Belle's children. Veix had read nearly every book in the library twice, therefore, he knows more about horror stories of vampires and the vampiric wars than actual information on vampiric culture and behavior. "Perhaps because you've exhausted him throughout the week?" Belle teased. Emily smirked. "Maybe I did." she confessed,"Just a little."

Belle held onto her daughter, savoring the warm feeling it brought to her heart... However, the feeling didn't last long as it was overtaken by another one. Once again, it was the feeling of being watched. Belle thought that it was because of Emily being nearby, but now that she's feeling it all over again, it put her on edge. Is someone actually watching them? Why stalk the pair when you could just walk up and say "hello"? Apparently Emily felt it too, because she shifted uncomfortably and gently pulled herself out of her mother's grip. "Mom?" she asked in a low voice. "I know, sweetheart. I feel it too." Belle told her in an equally low tone. "Could it be dad?" the young one whispered now. Belle shook her head, "Your father wouldn't mess with me so recently after helping me through birth. He's too lovey for that." she whispered back. Although, Emily could be right. Was it really just Mason pulling a joke on Belle for going outside right now? If so, does he even realize that Emily was with her? 'No, because Mason wouldn't purposely scare our daughter.' the older vampire concluded. "Emily, I think we need to go." she nudged her daughter in the direction of the cavern. "Y--Yeah, I think so too..." she nervously stepped forward.

Three silhouettes tore out of the shadows and the shrubbery and make a thundering beeline towards the two vampires. The only reason Belle didn't wait to react was because no werewolf could ever move that fast. "RUN!" Belle screamed at her daughter and lunged for the one that was closest to her. With a hiss, the opposing vampire retaliated and swung, cracking Belle in the jaw with the back of his hand. As Belle recoiled, the vampire froze and stared. A second one came up behind Belle and quickly tapped the back of her head twice. A dark magic pulse went through her and her eyes widened, then quickly fell closed, followed by the rest of her body as she collapsed to the ground. The two vampires that worked together against Belle simply stared at eachother. "... Can it really be her?" asked the first one that attacked. "After twenty years, I'm sure that we're all willing to believe anything... but... It definitely looks like her." the second one nodded. "Ow! She bit me!" the third attacking vampire cried out, holding a squirming Emily at arm's length. "Let me go! Stop hurting my mother!" the little vampire hissed, baring her fangs threateningly just as her mother had taught her. All three of the adults looked at the child in surprise. "What is your mother's name, little bat?" the second one asked. "I'm not telling you! Put me down and get away from her!" Emily glared at them. The first vampire drew in a sharp breath. "This pup isdefinitelyhers. Look at her hair and eyes." he pointed out. Emily stopped for a moment. "Who are you? Why are you here?" she asked cautiously. The bigger vampires all looked to one another. Then the third one brought the child closer while the first two knelt down to peer at Belle's face. "... Well I'll be..." the third one said, looking at her too. The first one almost became teary-eye, while the second one tried to process all the emotions running through him. "This has to be it. That's got to be Belle. There's no way that it isn't." the first one said, his voice staying above any threatening wobbles. He then winced, "And... we just attacked her."

Emily was frozen now. How did these strange vampires know her mom?

"In our defense, she attacked us first. We were just going to go up and ask her who she is." the second vampire pointed out. The third one nodded, "Yeah. And this munchkin is the one that did all the damage."

The second one looked over his shoulder at the two. "Oh please, it's just a small puncture wound." he waved it off. "Hey, that'sfourpuncture wounds!" he said defensively. The first one furrowed his eyebrows, "Four? Vampires only have two fangs..."

"Well, I felt it! This one hasfourfangs!" he huffed, gesturing to the arm that was bitten, "Two on the top, and two on the bottom!"

The other two males looked at the other one a little disbelievingly. "Jeremy, stop exaggerating and just hold the kid.Carefully." the second one said. "Don't forget that that's Belle's daughter you're carrying." the first one reminded the third one-- Jeremy. Jeremy blinked and looked a little begrudgingly at the smaller vampire, but nodded. Emily stared back at him, finally done struggling. It hadn't done anything for her besides irritate her captor, so she might as well save the energy. "Who are you?" she asked again, a little more nervous now. The third one answered her while the other two picked up her mother. "Don't worry about it. You'll know soon enough."

...

The moment the vampires took them into the great stone castle, Emily knew that whatever was happening could be really, really bad.

Her mother told her the stories before-- her encounters with bad vampires. Rogues, she called them. Evil fiends who would only hurt others and take what the thought was theirs. However, these three, though sus, never actually tried to hurt the two-- minus that one hit to Belle's jaw, but who's counting?

There was the shrieking of bats and a howl or two coming from the animals inside the castle. The ceilings and floors stirred with life, and as they got farther into the heavy structure, more and more faces started to appear. Other vampires, Emily could guess. Each one stopped what they were doing and watched. If her ears didn't betray her, then one by one, they all started to follow, too. 'Everyone wants to see us... but why?' the young vampire wondered, looking worriedly to her unconscious mother. Now it was obvious to her that they were taken by a coven, not rogues. Does this coven know her mom? Was this... her mother's old coven? 'What are they going to do to us?' she almost bit her tongue in nervous thought. Belle had never told any of her children-- nor anyone, as a matter of fact-- any details about the coven that she belonged to. The closest thing to a detail about the coven that Emily could thing of was just one thing.

A name.

Elizabeth.

If she sees anyone named Elizabeth, then that could only confirm her theory.

However, confirmation might have to wait. The three males stopped outside a set of double doors. "Ethan, you first." the second one said to the first one. Ethan, the first strange vampire that Emily had ever encountered, simply inhaled and adjusted his hold on Belle. "Mike, you know just as well as I do that I can't open a door with my hands full." he deadpanned. "Mike" winced. "Oh yeah... right..."

Jeremy sighed. "Stop being afraid and just open it already. We've kept everyone waiting long enough." he complained. The small crowd behind him all nodded their heads. Almost every single pair of eyes were glued onto the one in Ethan's arms. Some of them even looked to be holding back tears. Mike huffed. "Here goes nothing." he reached for the door and roughly pushed it open. Dozens of voices flooded the hall. Emily jumped, not expecting that.

"But where are we going to get the supplies necessary for expanding the castle?"

"We can have the artisans create the supplies."

"What if they become exhausted? Who will hunt for them?"

"No one ever said that it would be easy, nor fast. Expansion takes time."

Jeremy, though still holding the young vampire outwards, sighed and assuringly muttered "Don't worry, kiddo. They're just loud."

Emily silently swallowed and took in a deep breath as they walked her and her mother through the doorway. The voices that she heard, as it seems, belonged to a massive gathering of vampires. Their numbers were close to forty or sixty. They all quieted down when the three males approached the center of the room instead of taking seats or standing along the walls. Standing in the very center of the room was a noticeably old vampire. He looked to be ancient, and was very intimidating. The previously cold expression on his face melted away into something unfamiliar to Emily as his old eyes landed on her mother. It was something tragic. Disbelieving. Perhaps even shock, like he just couldn't process it completely. All the other vampires in the room, too, started to be overcome by shock and surprise.

The oldest one, who was the one in the center, took a shaky step towards them. "Can... C--Can it... Is it really...?" his voice echoed off the stone walls. Ethan nodded slowly. "We think it is, Primus Vorla. We found her deep in the forest across the lake... Along with this pup..."

The last word snapped his attention away for a moment. "Pup?" he echoed. Ethan nodded once more and gestured to Jeremy. Jeremy finally set Emily down, and the young vampire almost fell to her knees. The old one, called "Primus Vorla", studied her. If it was possible, everyone in the room became double-shocked at the mere sight of her. The old one found himself speechless as he examine every inch of Emily's appearance. "It... It cannot be... This isn't... p--possible..." he started to shake, but steeled himself. Ever so slowly, he pointed to her. "You, little one, please... step forward..." he asked softly. Emily gulped silently. She didn't know why, but she felt compelled to listen to him. She took a nervous step forward, then another, then another, until she finally reached the old vampire. He looked over her and reached out to her, gently brushing his hand over her face and then setting it on her shoulder comfortingly. Whether it be for her or for himself, she wasn't sure. "... It really is true... You look just like her... What is your name, little pup?" he asked. She shifted a little, not knowing if she should answer or not. "E--Emily..." she whispered. "Hm? Could you say that again?" he prompted her to answer again. "... Emily..." she answered, louder and clearer this time. "Emily..." he tried it, "What a wonderful name you have, Emily. How old are you?"

"Eleven years."

"Eleven..."

Whatever the deal was with this old vampire, he seemed... heartbroken, yet curious...

"Wh--Who are all of you?" the sweet child asked, tempted to take a step backwards. As the coven of vampires packed themselves into the room to gather around them, the Primus smiled softly at her.

"We are your mother's coven."

}----------{

If Belle thought that Mason was protective before, then she could only describe him as overprotective now.

"No, I'm not letting you go outside tonight! It's too risky!"

"But Mason--" Belle tried to complain. "No." Mason leaned forward and kissed her on the nose, "It'sforyour own good. Do you have any idea what would happen if I were to lose you AND my pup?"

Belle's frown slowly replaced itself with a smile. "Are you worried that we won't make it back to the cavern before sunrise?" she hugged him. Thewolfmanwent silent, giving her the answer. "Mason, dear, you shouldn't worry so much." she nuzzled his chest, which was covered by the soft fur coat healwayswore. "You know that I'm more careful after what happened with Abraham. I would never put our pup in danger like that." she told him assuringly. "But what if you're not careful enough? WhatifI can't protect you?" he urged. Belle stood on her toes and pulled his face towards hers, "Mason. Stop.Worrying.Everything'sgoing to be okay."

She kissed his cheek, "I love you, and I will never leave you in such a way. Ever."

Masonbreathedin and out, calming his heart before he kissed her back.

"I love you too, Belle."

...

Belle brushed her fingers through the soft fur, finally waking herself up. She blinked her eyes open with a quiet groan, her head pounding. 'What... What on Earth was that?...' she glanced around in confusion. Belle then did a double-take, a loud gasp escaping her.

She wasn't in her and Mason's bed.

She wasn't in her and Mason's room.

She wasn't even inside of acave.

It--... It looked like her old room.

The walls were made from large, carefully carved stone bricks. There were old tapestries on the wall, all of which depicting bats in the night sky. One wall was completely made of doors, which she could only assume led to an exterior balcony. The bed she was laying on was rather big, and it had various blankets, pillows, and furs on it. There were carpets and fur rugs placed on the floor to provide comfort, and torches lit the room up. On one wall, there were a few dressers and a large wardrobe. On the dressers lay carefully piled items ranging from various items. All of them seemed to have a theme tied to them. Not "get well soon", like this kind of set up usually implied, but more of a "welcome home".

Belle sat up as quick as she could, letting go of the fur blankets and listening for someone. Someone...

Suddenly it struck her. "Emily?!" Belle yelled on impulse. She catapulted herself off of the bed and rushed towards the door. Yanking it open, the worried mother ran through and slammed it shut. Belle ran as fast as she could, but slowly started to stop. Everything that she was seeing was so familiar to her. The rich red carpets, the tapestries and paintings on the walls, the layout of the halls--

"BELLE!" screamed an all-too familiar voice. Belle whirled around and was instantly body-slammed by someone. Her red hair and green eyes were what identified her first, but her voice and that smile and those teary eyes as she gave Belle a fierce hug are what gave it away. "Elizabeth?" Belle asked, stunned. The redhead nodded rapidly and squeezed her tighter. "Oh my Scott, Belle! I--I thought that you were dead! That I'd never see you again!" she cried. Belle blinked, her mind finally starting to process what was happening. "Elizabeth... It's..." Belle felt like tearing up herself and hugged the shorter vampire back, "It's so good to see you."

They stayed like that for a moment, then separated, Elizabeth still holding Belle's wrists tightly. "Belle, where have you been? Who were you with? Why did you leave so suddenly?" the redhead asked desperately, wanting to know everything that had happened to her. Belle opened her mouth to answer, but paused before closing it. 'There's no way that I can tell anyone. Not if I don't want to put my family in danger.'

And speaking of family, Belle's panic immediately set in again. "T--There's no time for that now! Elizabeth, have you seen the little girl that was with me?!" Belle asked, equally as desperate as her friend had been. Elizabeth winced. "You mean...yourpup? That you had while you were missing for twenty years?" she asked sadly. Belle winced too at those words, "... Yes, that one... Have you seen her?"

Liz nodded. "Don't worry, she's alright. No one's dared to try and hurt her. The Primus welcomed her with open arms." she assured the mother kindly. Belle breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't let herself relax. "Where is she now?" she asked.

"With the Primus. She's not exactly comfortable though. He hasn't told her much yet, in case if the pup wasn't actually yours."

"Can you take me to them, please?" Belle asked. Elizabeth smiled, "Of course I will, Belle. What are best friends for?"

Belle smiled back, her heart warmed. A short walk later, Belle was standing in front of a familiar set of dark wooden doors. She breathed in deeply, her situation finally setting in. 'After so many years... what will happen? What are they going to think of Emily? Of me?'

She was very nervous, but Elizabeth nudged her side to let her know that it'd be okay. Belle took another deep breath, calmed her pounding heart, then opened the doors and stepped inside, Elizabeth right behind her. The room was big and circular, with lots of fancy red and white carpets on the stone floor. There were more tapestries, paintings, and even trophies on the walls. There were many vampires in the room, and all their attention was now split between her arrival and what was in the center of the back wall of the room. It was a big, almost throne-like chair. On top of that chair was who she was looking for. The Primus, Variamel Vorla, with little Emily sitting beside him on the big chair. Elizabeth was right about the little vampire looking uncomfortable, but the older vampire was also clearly aware of it, hence why he was leaning a little bit away from her. They had been in the middle of a conversation of sorts when the two walked in the room. Everyone then went silent. "Mom!" Emily yelled, immediately jumping off of the chair and running to her mother. "Emily!" Belle held her arms out. Her daughter ran into them, and Belle embraced her. The mother could tell that her daughter was still scared of this new environment, so she continued to let the little vampiress hold onto her. Belle looked up at the Primus, not wanting to deny him of any attention. He had been eyeing her too, but not out of suspicion or interest. He was eyeing her like she was a lost memory. "Belle...." the ancient one stood tall and slowly, calmly,carefullywalked over to her. Belle was speechless. Of course she'd dreamed of meeting him again, but she never knew if it'd really happen. The Primus made his final step forward and hugged her, Emily having let go a few moments before to hide behind her mother. Belle instinctively hugged back. "I missed you, my beloved grandpup." he said softly, almost in tears. Belle leaned more into him, finally letting a few tears fall.

"I missed you, too, grandfather."

Chapter 93: Sing Me To Sleep

Chapter Text

[Blood and Gore Warning!]

[Character Death Warning!]

[SOMEONE WILL CRY WARNING!]

Belle coughed, a small river of blood flowing out of her mouth and down her chin.

It hurts.

It hurts so much.

The gaping wound in her stomach poured blood. The broken fox animatronic that stood over her looked down at her, his ears flicking back and forth, like he was debating on something. The bloody hook on his right arm trembled slightly. His eyes darted from her to the hook, and back again. The animatronic then shook his head and backed away. "Can somebody else take 'er?" he asked roughly. Belle looked up at him in stunned confusion. Was he asking the other animatronics for help? Help with what?

The wound gushed, making a sickeningsquelchas she put her hand up to it. It pulsed and ached, making her groan.

It was hard at first, but now she's starting to understand what was happening. 'He cut me.' she realized, horrified. 'The old Foxy... he cut me... His hook— agh!'

Belle gasped, making more blood gurgle up. She choked, accidentally splattering blood around her lips and the tiled floor. She could see her hand in front of her. It was shaking violently, sitting in a steadily growing puddle of blood. Her blood. There was so much of it. Belle's wound pulsed again, forcing another choked gasp out of her as a burning sensation took over. 'Why does it hurt so bad?' she whimpered. The mechanical animals above her were now crowded around her.

"This isn't one of your better jobs, Foxy." said the old Freddy. The old Foxy nodded slowly. The Mangle moved closer and took a look at Belle's face. "You should've killed her almost instantly. The poor thing's in agony right now." the white fox commented. "I know..." he said almost guiltily. "Why didn't you get her in one of the vital areas? She's suffering, Foxy!" said the new Bonnie. "I know, damn it! It was 'n accident! I didn't mean to get 'er there!" Foxy snapped. Belle shuddered violently. It didn't help at all. Belle tried taking deep breaths, but they were useless and only drew more attention to herself. "I'm sorry, sweet pea." the Mangle apologized to her, "We usually try to make this quick, but Foxy hit the wrong spot."

Belle ever-so-slowly shook her head. It was hard to talk and breathe when there was blood filling your stomach and lungs.

"Who wants to take her to the suits?" someone asked. "How could you think about putting her in a suit right now?" asked another. There was a small argument that Belle couldn't quite make out, but eventually someone sighed deeply and said "I'll do it."

The animatronics stopped and turned to look at someone in the back of the crowd. "Are you sure, Puppet?" asked the new Chica. The tall animatronic stepped forward and nodded, "I can handle it. Give her to me."

The Mangle nodded back and tried to lift Belle up as gently as it could, but the wound gushed blood again, causing her to whimper louder. The fox winced, then gifted her to the Marionette. The Marionette held Belle bridal style and carried her out of the room quickly. Once they were down the hall, the silence became suffocating, and Belle had to speak to get rid of it. "Wh—Where are you... t—taking me?" she asked, barely a whisper. "Oh, so youcantalk." he said, glancing down at her. "Don't worry sweetheart. I'm just taking you somewhere to end the pain." he tried assuring her. Belle vaguely recalled the man on the phone saying that the night guards are always stuffed into an animatronic suit. Belle never paid much attention to "urban legends" like that, but it was enough to creep her out. Now that she worked at the actual restaurant that it happened in, however, she did do some research to see if it was serious or not. Lo and behold, it turned out to be true. "Are you... going to p—put me... in a s—suit, like the o—others?" she asked him, stuttering and shivering. The Marionette looked surprised, then smiled at her. "Ah, one that does her researchbeforetaking the job. I can respect that." he said. Belle shivered, trembling in his arms. It wasn't because of him, though. Belle felt the temperature dropping. Either the pizzeria was cold, or she was loosing too much heat because she lost so much blood. Is this what bleeding to death feels like? Or maybe it is just the Marionette creeping her out. Whatever it was, it wasn't comfortable and Belle tried not to gag up more blood. Her clothes were already soaked, and if she didn't know any better, Belle would've thought that she looked like she bathed in red wine. 'Wine sounds good right now...' she thought tiredly. She wanted to lick her lips, but then remembered that they were drenched in blood. 'Nevermind.' she sighed. "Something wrong?" asked the Marionette. Belle chuckled sadly, "I jus—st wish—sh th—at I had s—something... to drink."

"Really? Right now?" he asked curiously. Belle nodded. "It s—s—so—soothes me." she croaked. The Marionette tilted his head at her, but didn't exactly understand. "Is this all adults think about? Working and drinking?" he asked. Belle shook her head slowly. "Nah... I'm j—just... s—s—so cold right n—now." she shivered again. "Well, that's what happens when you loose a lot of blood." he told her, "Foxy got you good, didn't he?"

"... Yeah... He s—said that he didn't m—mean t—t—to..."

"Yeah, this was an accident. Usually they go unconscious or die almost immediately, but he missed and slashed you somewhere else. So now you're dying slowly. How does it feel?"

"It f—feels s—so awful... I—I'm sick to m—my stomach... I'm c—cold... It... It hurts s—so m—much..."

The Marionette held onto her tighter, trying to give her just a light squeeze. Belle gasped, feeling her blood drip onto the floor again. 'Now I'm making a mess.' she thought uncomfortably. The Marionette sensed her distress and adjust his hold on her. "It's okay. I can clean it up later." he told her. Belle nodded in thanks. She felt herself becoming more sluggish and cold. The animatronic holding her was the warmest thing in the room right now, and she smushed herself against him, hoping to get some of that warmth. "That cold, eh?" he asked. Belle nodded very slowly, almost dazed. "It'll be okay. We're almost there." he said. Belle wasn't sure if she knew what he was talking about anymore. Almost where? What was he doing again? Was he... burying her? Covering her up? Maybe he was getting her a nice, warm blanket... No, nevermind. It was one of his fellow animatronics that got her. Why would he help her then? Was he taking her to her grave? Does she actually get one? Wait a minute... Oh, that's right. He's stuffing her into a suit somewhere. But whereissomewhere? Was he taking her to the stage? Or maybe the part and service room? The kitchen?

Belle's thoughts became cluttered and hazy, and she successfully confused herself. The Marionette looked at her face. It was twisted with confusion, but her eyelids drooped and her muscles kept getting more and more relaxed. "Can you still hear me?" he asked. Belle took a moment to understand what he was saying, then nodded painfully slowly. "I... can..." she mumbled dazedly. The Marionette sighed, actually feeling bad.

He continued to walk, but now there was a deafening silence between them. He couldn't tell if it was comfortable or tense. "Do you have any dreams?" he asked her, hoping she'd be able to respond. To his delight, the human nodded. "I... a—always dreamed... that I would marry s—someone nice... and have a baby..." she smiled sadly, "Th—at I would get a better j-job... Watch that baby grow... Spoil it... Maybe have more... And w—when I'm old, my h—husband and I would get to... spoil the grandkids... Ha... S—so much for dreams now... Right?..."

"Well... It might not matter, coming from me and all, but... I think it's a wonderful dream to have." he comforted her. "What would you have named your baby?" he asked, trying to get her mind off of any remaining pain. The human thought for a moment. "Maybe... maybe Max... or Charlie... Johnny and Sophie sound nice t—too..." she whispered. "Charlie, eh? That's funny. I used to know someone named Charlie." he smiled. "Really? Y—You did?" Belle asked. "Mhm." the Marionette confirm, "She was a nice little child who had a loving family and did very well in school."

"She... sounds nice..."

The Puppet Master stopped and stood next to a wall. It opened up, and he went inside.

They were here.

"She was very nice. A sweet child." he continued, looking around. Two golden suits sat next to each other on the far wall. They were empty, but stained with blood. Though he knows what he was supposed to do, the Marionette actually felt bad. Maybe this one didn't deserve to die. Not like this, at least. He sighed deeply, then slowly and carefully lowered himself to the floor. The human in his arms looked confused as she watched him sit down on the tiled surface. He crossed his legs (think pretzel-shaped) and continued to cradle her. "I... I th—thought you were—?"

"I know." He said, "I know... but you deserve a better send off. There's nothing I can do to stop what's coming. You've lost too much blood anyways... I was thinking that you'd like something more peaceful."

She nodded ever-so slowly. Belle was barely able to keep her eyes open. "Are you still cold? Does it still hurt?" he asked. Belle took a long moment, then shook her head. "It's n—numb..." she whispered to him, "I can't feel anything... I... I can barely move..."

The Puppet Master held her closer, a pitying look on his face. "I'm sorry..." he apologized genuinely, "You deserve better than this..."

"A... Actually... I thin—nk that... this is fine..."

He looked at her in surprise. "Pardon?" he asked. Belle looked at him, giving him the brightest smile she could manage. "It... could have been... so... much worse... So... I'm glad that... I got to... spend my last m—moments... with you..." came the happy, soft whisper from her lips. That struck something in him. That hard, unbothered exterior completely fell apart. "But... you're still dying?" he prompted, "Had I tried to save you back in the office, you could have lived..."

"But... I'm still dying... We all die sometime... And... I guess now... it's mine..."

The Puppet carefully held her face. She seemed so small in that moment. "... It's getting darker..." she told him quietly, "I... I think I see a light... or maybe that's just you..."

"Ha... wouldn't that be something?" he asked.

She nodded slightly. "Y—yeah..." she rasped.

The animatronic felt so guilty. Why? This never happened before. Why does he regret it so much? "My name is Puppet Master, or Marionette, but everyone calls me Mare or Mari. What's your name?" he asked. He waited patiently for her response as she gathered her thoughts. "... Belle..." she said. The Puppet lightly caressed her. "Belle... that's a nice name..." he complimented in a hushed voice. "Th—Thank you, Mari..." she smiled at him. He smiled back.

Belle let out a shuddering breath. It was almost time. "Hey Mari?" she whispered. "Yeah?" he asked. "Could you... Could you hold my hand?"

Without hesitation, the Marionnette carefully held her hand. He brought her closer to himself, and she snuggled into him again. "Thank you..." she whispered. He bit his lip. What could he do to make it better for her? Maybe he could... hug her? Give her a kiss on the forehead and tell her that everything will be alright? Sing to her?

His mind snagged on that last one. 'Sing to her...'

The Puppet Master took a deep breath.

"Wait a second, let me catch my breath.
Remind me how it feels to hear your voice.
Your lips are movin', I can't hear a thing.
Livin' life as if we had a choice."

He began rubbing circles in her back.

"Anywhere, anytime.
I would do anything for you.
Anything for you.
Yesterday got away.
Melodies stuck inside your head.
A song in every breath."

His hand moved from her back and up her neck, then into her hair as he combed through it gently.

"Sing me to sleep now.
Sing me to sleep.
Won't you sing me to sleep now?
Sing me to sleep."

He could hear the other animatronics down the hall.

"Remember me now, time cannot erase.
I can hear your whispers in my mind.
I've become what you cannot embrace.
Our memory will be my lullaby."

Belle snuggled closer into him. He smiled faintly as he heard her softly whisper something to him.

"Sing me to sleep now.
Sing me to sleep.
Won't you sing me to sleep now?
Sing me to sleep."

He looked back down at her.

"A-anytime,
I would do,
Time away.
Yesterday-day.
A-anytime,
I would do,
Time away.
Yesterday-day..."

The Puppet Master combed his fingers through her hair again. "... Did... Did you like it?" he asked. He waited patiently.

No response.

"Belle?"

Another minute of silence.

No response.

"Belle?"

After another few minutes, she still didn't respond. Puppet took a deep breath, then used his strings to search for her soul.

But it wasn't there.

The Puppet Master opened his eyes, feeling tears prick at the corners.

It's done.

It's over.

She was gone.

He sighed and gave her pale body a sad smile.

"Goodbye, Belle..."

Chapter 94: The Monster in the Forest (Part 1.5)

Chapter Text

Belle stopped and hid inside the dark cave system, breathing heavily and sweating. It was a cold sweat. She thought that she was scared before, but now she's terrified.

"BELLE! GOD DAMN IT, BELLE! PLEASE, COME BACK!" Marion roared from inside the tunnels somewhere. It echoed, making it hard for Belle to pinpoint exactly where he was. 'How am I going to get us out of this one?' she panicked. There was no way out of it. Either she has to confront him, or he catches her. "BELLE, I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE! LISTEN TO ME!" he demanded. Belle clenched her fists, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. "NO!" she screamed, "I'M NOT GOING BACK! I WON'T LISTEN TO YOU!"

"FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST, BELLE, IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'GOOD'?! YOU SELFISH, LYING MURDERER!"

"BELLE, I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE IT, BUT—!"

"LIKEIT? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT I'D EVER WANT THAT!?"

"JUST LISTEN, BELLE! I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! I SWORE TO PROTECT YOU, DIDN'T I?! I PROMISED YOU THAT I WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPY!"

"WHAT COULD POSSIBLY MAKE ME HAPPY ABOUT THIS?! YOU WANT TO KILL OUR CHILD!"

Silence.

"OURCHILD, MARION! A BABY, THAT YOU AND I MADE! TOGETHER!"

"... I—!"

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! I THOUGHT WE UNDERSTOOD EACH OTHER! I THOUGHT YOU WANTED THIS! I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME ENOUGH FOR THIS!"

"I DO LOVE YOU!"

"IT SURE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT! WHAT KIND OF A MONSTER DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO KILL A BABY?!"

"I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE!"

Belle stopped, taking a shuddering breath. Marion sounded like he was in pain. "... B—... Belle,please..." he begged, "I know you hate it, and I know that you think I'm a horrible monster for saying all those things, butpleasejust listen to me first..."

Belle remained silent, tears streaming from her eyes. "Belle, that thing growing inside of you isn't a baby. It's a parasite. A horrible monster, just like the beast that fathered it." he tried to explain himself, "If you try to carry it, it willkillyou! The moment you go into labor, it will destroy you from the inside!"

Belle shook her head, not wanting to believe him.

"I've seen it happen before, Belle. I'm not the only one of my kind. The spawn will drain your life away, then rip itself out of your stomach. You won't survive..." his voice trembled, "Please, Belle... I can't lose you... Not like this..."

The blueberry couldn't think straight. She understood now, but that didn't make it any better. She wanted this baby. She knew that Marion would be thrilled to have a mini version of him around. But... this? Was he just paranoid? 'Can I really be killed by my own baby?' she couldn't believe it. She didn't want to. It made her feel horrible, having to choose between her caring lover and her unborn child. 'Maybe there's another way.' she prayed.

"Belle,pleasesay something! I know you hate me right now, but I'm begging you!"

She was silent for another moment. "... I love you, Marion, but... Iwantthis child..." she sobbed softly, "I'm determined to carry it. I will give birth to it. We will raise it together, and teach it everything we know."

"B—But—!"

"Marion, please. I'm begging you now... Let's just talk about this first... I want to talk it out with you before we figure out what to do."

"But what if it's almost done?" Marion despaired. "What if I'm about to lose you, Belle? I can't handle that... I don't even want to think about it..."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Please, Mari? Do this for me?"

Her voice sounded so sweet, yet so tired. Marion sounded defeated. "Okay... Let's go home and rest... And then we'll talk about it... okay?"

"Okay." Belle agreed. She took an insecure step out into the open. She nearly had a heart attack when she saw that he was on the other end of the cave. Marion walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. "I know that tonight was rough, but I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always love you." he whispered to her. Belle hugged back gratefully. "I love you too." she nuzzled his chest. Marion carefully bent over and gently lifted her up. Belle held onto him as he walked towards the entrance of the cavern.

Chapter 95: Accidents Happen (Part 4)

Chapter Text

Fredbear and Springbonnie helped settle the circus animatronics in on the first night. They led them to the old circus stage room, where the Funtimes once performed. "You remember your old stage room, don't you?" Fredbear asked, waving a hand out to the room. Funtime Foxy crossed his arms, "Of course we do. Itwasour stage room."

Fredbear frowned, but didn't say anything. "So, is there anything you guys need? Food? Water?" Springbonnie tried to remain upbeat. Circus Baby shook her head. "No, thank you. We got it from here." she told them, still monotone. Fredbear and Springbonnie nodded in response. "If you change your minds or need any help, don't hesitate to ask." Fredbear gently offered before turning around and walking out of the room. "Goodnight." Springbonnie waves as he followed Fredbear. Normally the animatronics would be active and try to get the guard, but they decided that they had enough...somethingtoday. Whether it was excitement or disappointment, they didn't know. Some didn't even want to find out.

The next morning, the circus animatronics stayed on their stages. Fredbear asked them to come out, but Funtime Foxy (quite rudely) said that they'd rather be left alone. Circus Baby shushed the fox and calmly told the golden bear that they just needed a bit of time to adjust, and not to worry because it shouldn't take very long. It really got the bear worrying, but at the same time, he understands. Well, more like Springbonnie helped him understand after breakfast. "You gotta remember, Fredbear, they've been gone for eight years... It's pretty obvious that they aren't familiar with the place anymore; they hardly remembered their old stage room, let alone their individual rooms in the back of the restaurant..." the rabbit said nervously. Fredbear sighed, "I know, but that's what's hard about it. I don't remember Funtime Foxy being that snappy or Circus Baby talking in such an emotionless voice... Do you think it's something we did?"

"I doubt it... Maybe it's not them? What if they're different animatronics that just look and sound like our friends?" Spring suggested, clearly not believing in his own theory. "No, it's them." the Puppet Master commented from across the table. Springbonnie jumped, "Goodness, when did you get here?!"

"I just sat down." Puppet frowned. "Are you sure it's them?" Fredbear asked with concern. Puppet nodded. "I can feel it, remember? I'm still stuck with Ballora for all of eternity." he growled irritably. Fredbear and Springbonnie nodded. "Then what's up with them? Can you tell?" Fredbear asked. Puppet shook his head, "No, I don't know what's wrong with them."

Fredbear sighed again. Springbonnie put a hand on the bear's shoulder. "Hey, c'mon man, don't feel so down. It really might just be them needing to adjust to this place again. If that's the case, I'm sure they'll be back to normal in no time!" the golden rabbit tried to sound upbeat. "I hope so." Fredbear told him.

Meanwhile, in their old stage room, the circus animatronics were discussing what to do. "I don't want to leave this room yet." Ballora put her foot down. "Neither do I." Funtime Foxy agreed with a growl, "I'm still trying to understand why we're here in the first place."

"WHA—WHAT'S HERE? WHERE ARE W—WE—WE?" Funtime Freddy asked loudly. Circus Baby frowned. "I understand that, and I'm not going to force any of you to socialize with the others here. And Freddy, don't you remember the Toys and the Withereds?" she looked at the white and purple bear. "WHO?" Freddy yelled. Funtime Foxy snorted, "That answers that question."

"I guess it does..." Circus Baby replied, looking at the wall to her left in thought. "What are you thinking about?" Ballora asked her, tilting her head a single degree. Circus Baby thought about what to say, then turned to answer the ballerina's question. "... Nothing. It's just a thought, but I doubt it will happen." the redhead shared. Ballora frowned. "Do we have to eat with them?" Funtime Foxy asked. Circus Baby shook her head. "You don't have to if you don't want to. Just be polite about it." she answered him.

"CAN WE EAT NOW?" Funtime Freddy asked. Funtime Foxy bared his teeth, "For the love of God, please stop yelling."

"Foxy, stay calm." Baby told him. Funtime Foxy frowned. "We have to remain calm and composed. Everyone here is an old friend; the least we could do is treat them with respect."

"Old friend my ass." Ballora growled quietly. Funtime Freddy's smile wavered, Foxy's ear twitched. "What's wrong, Ballora?" Circus Baby asked. Ballora opened her mouth, paused momentarily, then closed it and gave the nearest wall an irritated look. "Nothing." she answered, "Just some bitter memories."

The redhead looked mildly confused, "Did someone harass you while we weren't looking?"

"No," the ballerina told her, "and I wouldn't expect you to understand if I told you."

"So try." Funtime Foxy huffed, almost challenging her. "... I can't." Ballora admitted, "I made a promise years ago. I intend on keeping that promise, even if the one tied into it deserves to get his arm ripped off."

Circus Baby and Funtime Foxy looked at each other, silently agreeing to not press any further. As for Funtime Freddy, he wouldn't press anyways. It's not because he got the hint not to ask, it's because Freddy's just too much of an oblivious idiot to question her. In fact, he probably stopped paying attention and forgot anything and everything that was said. "ARE WE NOT GETTING BREAK--BREAKFAST TODAY?" the bear asked densely, "I D--DON'T MIND IF WE DON'T EA--EAT, I'M NOT HUNGRY ANYMORE ANYWAYS!"

The tip of Foxy's tail flicked. "I think that it's safe to say none of us are hungry this morning." Baby said before Foxy could snap at Freddy for being loud again. Ballora and Funtime Foxy nodded in agreement. "... We're not going to split up, right?" Freddy asked, suddenly very quiet. The room was still. There was a lingering sense of old tension in the air, like something that they'd all rather walk away from. "... No," Baby finally answered, "we're sticking together, because there's nothing that can separate us now. We don't have to be alone anymore."

}—————{

The circus finally crawled out of its cave a week later. Funtime Foxy and Ballora weren't exactly willing to go, but Circus Baby made the point that they couldn't hide away forever. They need to eat sometime, not to mention interact with the others to avoid making everyone uncomfortable. Ballora kept her arms crossed and pouted as she followed her ringmaster down the hall. "I don't like this idea." she huffed. "I despise it." Funtime Foxy agreed. "I know you do, but we have to do this sooner or later... so why not now?" Baby persuaded them. The two performers nodded in sync. 'I don't want to see that stupid marionette again.' Ballora seethed, straining her ears to hear everything around them. The hallway sounded empty, as did the ones attached to it. There might be someone in the vents, but it sounds like almost everyone was in the dining hall. 'Fantastic.'

"Be on your best behavior, everyone. We have an image to uphold... and these are our friends, not our enemies."

"Sure." Ballora spat without meaning to, earning a questioning glare from Funtime Foxy. "What's your damage?" he prodded. Ballora shook her head, "Forget about it."

Circus Baby sighed and turned to the large door. She opened it and went in first, making sure the others followed her in before the door shut loudly behind them. The sound echoed through the dining hall, silencing most of the conversations. Several heads turned as the other animatronics stared at them.

"Look, it's the funtimes." whispered one.

"Where have they been hiding?" whispered another.

"Are they alright? They look... grumpy." someone asked in a hushed voice.

Ballora frowned deeply, holding back a displeased growl. She looked over at Funtime Foxy and noticed that he was irritated too. "Hi, everyone!" Circus Baby greeted with a wave, adding a positive tone in her voice. Balloon Boy smiled and waved his hand rapidly from the table in front of the clown, Balloon Girl mimicking his actions. "Hey, Baby! How are you?" he asked excitedly. "I'm alright. How about you and JJ?" she replied in a friendly voice. The small interaction between the two encourages a few of the other animatronics. Toy Bonnie and Toy Chica waved at Funtime Freddy, and the bear giggled loudly and waved back. The withered animatronics all smiled in Funtime Foxy's direction, and Withered Bonnie waved for him to come over. The pink fox's frown became less irritated, but he shook his head, refusing the invitation. Ballora's eyes quickly combed over the room. Springbonnie was staring right at her, but he looked like he was thinking about something. The golden rabbit then turned and tapped on Fredbear's shoulder, making the bear lean down and listen to whatever he was saying. Fredbear nodded, then looked over to his side. Ballora's eyes followed what he was looking at.

Of course, it was the Puppet Master.

He was sitting in his chair, arms crossed with a glare. The glare was directed completely at her. Ballora's eyes narrowed as she scowled in the tall marionette's direction. 'Up yours, you prick!' she growled. Puppet's glare grew more intense. Oh, how she wanted to give him a piece of her mind. 'I should hit you.' her mind hissed, 'I should walk up to you and scratch your face. I should scream at you and humiliate you in front of everyone.'

'I should kill you.'

The ballerina blinked and looked away. The sting of familiar, bitter hatred brewed within her. 'You'll never let go of that, will you?' she wanted to ask him, 'I bet that you never cared about anyone. I bet that you still wouldn't care. The only one you cared about is yourself, you selfish bastard.'

The marionette looked like he wanted to kill her, and the hatred boiled.

The circus took their seats at a nearby table. Mangle, BB, and JJ were there, too. There was a pizza box in front of Circus Baby, and she gently pushed it towards her crew. "Eat up, guys." she smiled. Funtime Foxy was the first to take a slice. He stuffed the corner into his mouth, pausing at the cheesy flavor. Ballora was the first to actually take a bite and swallow. It was a greasy, cheesy flavor bomb. Her mouth watered and she took another bite. Funtime Freddy scarfed down a couple of slices as Baby carefully took another one and ate it in small bites. 'This is acceptable.' a collective nod ran through the circus animatronics.

All was well until Ballora stopped eating. The ballerina clutched her stomach, a painful gasp escaping her lips. Funtime Foxy followed suit, his ears folding back as he dug his claws into the table. Funtime Freddy's face lost its cheer and he looked down at the pizza slice in his hand. He let go of it, letting it land on the table. Circus Baby seemed fine. "What's wrong, guys?" Balloon Boy asked, very concerned. Circus Baby shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. They probably just ate too fast."

"Yeah," Mangle agreed, "Chica's extra cheese pizzas can do that to you."

Ballora stood up. "Excuse me." she pardoned herself, then walked out of the dining area. "Pardon my rudeness, but I have to go too." Funtime Foxy announced to the table, then followed the ballerina out. Circus Baby sighed and got off of her chair.. "I'll go make sure they're alright. Please tell Chica that we said thanks for the pizza." she requested, then turned to Funtime Freddy, "Come on, Freddy."

The bear stood up and wordlessly followed her out of the dining hall, leaving the three at the table to wonder what that was about.

}----------{

"What the hell was that?" Funtime Foxy growled. Circus Baby shook her head solemnly, tapping her fingers on the edge of the stage. "I'm sorry, guys. I really am." the clown apologized to her comrades, "I was hoping it wouldn't happen."

After leaving the dining hall, the circus animatronics barely made it to the restrooms before they all lost their breakfast. Poor Freddy got the worst of it, having devoured the most pizza. "Hoping that what wouldn't happen?" Ballora asked with a shiver, the taste still in her mouth. "I was afraid that our stomachs wouldn't adjust to the sudden change in diet..." Circus Baby admitted, looking at her feet in shame, "I didn't say anything because it was just a hunch, but it looks like I was right. I'm really sorry, guys. I should have known better than to keep it a secret."

Funtime Foxy and Ballora looked at each other. Funtime Foxy then approached the redhead and put his hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Baby. We all make mistakes."

Circus Baby looked up, caught off guard by their immediate forgiveness. "... Thank you, but--!" she tried before getting interrupted by Ballora. "You didn't know for sure. There's nothing wrong with what you did. What really matters is what we do now." the ballerina smiled at her. The clown didn't know what to say. "W--WHAT DO WE D--D--DO NOW?" Funtime Freddy asked, stepping closer to the three. Baby thought for a moment, then looked up at her crew. "I'm afraid we'll have to adjust quickly. I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not, but the less time it takes for things to return to 'normal', the less questions will be asked when the others are comfortable with us again. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that no one wants to talk about the past."

"And what about eating?" Funtime Foxy asked. Ballora nodded in agreement. "He's right. Won't it be suspicious if we keep getting sick?" she asked. Baby tapped her fingers on the stage again. "... We'll have to eat at separate times, or in separate locations... Or maybe we can eat small portions throughout the day?" she explored the different options, "Maybe if we only eat bits at a time, it won't be as bad? Above all else, we should try to avoid eating around the others... at least until this--" she gestured to all of them, "is over."

Ballora held out her hand, "I can agree with this."

Funtime Foxy held out his hand, putting it on top of the ballerina's. "It's for the best." he said.

Funtime Freddy repeated the action, slapping his hand on top of the fox's, "I LIKE THIS PLAN!"

Circus Baby smiled and added her hand as the cherry on top, "It's settled then. Funtimes forever?"

"Funtimes forever." the other three said in sync.

Chapter 96: Accidents Happen (Part 5)

Chapter Text

"That was strange." said the Puppet Master, closing his door. He watched what happened to the funtimes (mainly because he glared at Ballora the entire time). It could be that they ate too fast, but... all of them? Puppet's gaze went to one of the walls. He will admit that he believed what Circus Baby said for a moment, but it clicked that something else was up a moment after the redhead left with Funtime Freddy in tow.

"I'd almost say it's suspicious." he muttered. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was a knock on the door. Puppet rolled his eyes and growled. "Come in, Goldilocks."

"Was that for me, or for Springbonnie?" asked Fredbear as he opened the door. "Both." Puppet gave them a small smile, then took it away. "Let me guess... You're here to see if I got anything from breakfast, right?" he asked grumpily. "Correct." Fredbear smiled, "Anything new?"

Puppet's frown deepened. "... No... She's got some sort of barrier around her heart. It's like an iron curtain. The only thing that can get through is emotion." he told them, his voice lowering to an actual growl when he said barrier. "So you can feel what she feels?" Springbonnie asked. Puppet held up his hand. "Sort of. My emotions are stronger than hers, so they overpower hers. In other words, she can feel my emotions more than I can feel hers." he explained to the rabbit. Springbonnie fidgeted with his hands. "W—Well... does that mean you feltsomethingfrom her?" he asked nervously. The marionette glanced at the wall, "... Not much. Just something that feels bitter and cold."

"Bitter and cold?" asked Fredbear. Springbonnie looked at him sadly, "Maybe she feels distant from everyone? They've been gone for eight years... Maybe they feel like they don't belong..."

Fredbear nodded thoughtfully. "That would makes sense."

The two were so on board with this quick explanation that Puppet didn't have the heart (or the energy) to tell them that their idea wasn't it at all.

}—————{

There was a knock at the circus stage room doors. "Who is it?" called Circus Baby. "It's Fredbear and Springbonnie. We w—wanted to talk with you." Springbonnie's voice called back nervously. The circus animatronics looked at one another. Circus Baby gave the doorway a suspicious glance. "Do you think they want to talk about breakfast?" Funtime Foxy murmured to the redhead. Baby nodded in response, "Yeah. Remember guys, we ate too much too fast."

There was a collective nod from each of them. "Come in." Baby called to the door. Fredbear and Springbonnie opened it, stepped inside, then closed it. They went to the center of the room, getting as close as comfort would allow. "Hey guys." Springbonnie smiled at them all. Circus Baby and Freddy smiled back. Funtime Foxy kept a neutral expression. Ballora kept a frown on her face. She didn't look angry like before, which was relieving. "So, what brings you kiddies to the big top?" Funtime Foxy asked. "Well, we wanted to have a talk with all of you." Fredbear answered with a friendly smile. Circus Baby nodded. "Alright, you got our attention. The floor is yours." she said. Fredbear and Springbonnie looked at each other for the third or fourth or twelfth time today. "We noticed how odd you've been behaving." started Fredbear, "It was... pretty shocking to see you all like this."

Funtime Freddy giggled, sort of proving the golden ones right. "We've been trying to figure out what was going on all week, and we think we've pinpointed it." Springbonnie told them, "... Do you really feel that distant from us?"

Baby blinked, waiting for another prompt before deciding on how to answer. "What Spring is saying, is that we think you feel almost alienated around us. It's been almost a decade since we've had contact with any of you, and so much is different. It's understandable if you're all uncomfortable." Funtime Foxy and Ballora glanced at each other questioningly. Circus Baby thought for another moment. "Well, we didn't want to intrude on any of you. Especially since we're all grumpy after a long shopping." she said innocently. Springbonnie clapped his hands together. "But you don't have to feel that way! We're all your friends, remember?" he said. Ballora looked extremely doubtful, making the yellow rabbit wince. Baby then elbowed Ballora's side, making the ballerina sigh and smile. "Yes... we remember well..." she told them calmly, catching the pair by surprise. Springbonnie's smile grew and he looked at Fredbear. Fredbear smiled back and waved his arm at them. "So what if you four were gone for so long? We're still your friends. Your family. We care about all of you, and we want you to be comfortable now that you're home." he said, offering a hand to Circus Baby, "So, whaddaya say? Let the bygones be bygones and look forward to the future?"

Circus Baby looked at her crew, then smiled. Slowly, they each began to smile too. She grinned and took the bear's hand, giving it a firm shake, "You've got yourself a deal, old man. The circus is back in town."

"And we're not messin' around!" Funtime Foxy announced with a big smile, striking a dramatic pose. The others laughed merrily with him before Funtime Freddy's ear-busting laugh filled the room.

"bwAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Calm down~!" singed the rabbit puppet. Springbonnie jumped. "Goodness, I forgot you had that." he laughed. "OOOOOOH Y--YEAH, I FORGOT TO INTRO--DU--DUCE YOU!" the purple bear smiled so wide that his face almost split in two, "THIS IS BO--BON BON! BON BON, SAY HI TO OUR FRI--ENDS!"

"Hi to our friends~!" the rabbit puppet sang again, making Freddy giggle again. Ballora's smile turned to a very small, super soft one. Yes, she remembered everything. She remembered every day. Every. Single. Day. Both the good and the bad. She remembered how close she was to the golden ones. She remembered asking Withered Chica for baking lessons. She remembered using her own parts to fix some of the others. Every word. Every sound. Every sight. Every thought.

"I'm so sorry!"

Ballora snapped herself out of it.

'Stop rooting around your memory files.' she scolded herself, settling on another frown. She turned slightly away from the group, looking back at the stage curtains. At the moment, she didn't care if they saw her like this. Then common sense took hold and she turned back with a smile. She just barely caught Springbonnie looking away from her. Her eyes narrowed a fraction.

After the springlock animatronics left, Circus Baby sighed. "Well, looks like play nice now." Foxy frowned. "No. We play innocent, which means we try to act like we did before." the ringmaster told him, "If we keep acting like this, more of them will get suspicious. It's the only way."

"But Ballora and Freddy aren't good at pretending, O Great Actress." the pink fox pointed out. Baby thought about his words, ignoring the offended look that the ballerina was giving the fox. "Ballora may not be the best at acting, but she knows how to control herself." the clown roasted the fox. Ballora smirked at Foxy's eyelid twitching. "I will pretend not to take offense over that." he huffed. "Sure." the leader shook her head, "Anyways, I think we can use Bon Bon to cover for Freddy's behavior."

"Playing the 'went bonkers' card?" Ballora asked. Baby made a half-and-half gesture, "Sort of. He lost his arm because of a system malfunction. The employees replaced it with Bon Bon, and Freddy let his new 'puppet master' persona get to his head."

"WO--WORKS FOR ME!" Freddy grinned creepily.

"Good. Just word it differently every time someone asks. If we all say the exact same thing, they'll think we're hiding something."

"Technically we are." Funtime Foxy reminded them all. Ballora rolled her eyes. "Always correcting someone." she muttered. "I am NOT always CORRECTING someone." the fox disagreed. Ballora smirked, "See? There you go again."

Funtime Foxy flicked his tail.

"Ladies, ladies, you're both ugly. Try to get along." Circus Baby said casually. Freddy belted out his laughter. Ballora and Foxy stopped arguing, now too busy shooting unamused looks at their leader.

}----------{

Another few weeks went by, and things seemingly changed for the better. For one, a new shipment of animatronics was on its way, exciting nearly everyone. And for two, the circus animatronics were slowly adjusting to the new 'normal'. Circus Baby started to express her emotions, Ballora and Funtime Foxy we're slowly becoming friendlier, and Funtime Freddy—... well, he was Funtime Freddy...

Ahem.

The circus animatronics still have their faults, but they managed to push through.

Even though they agreed on a plan for adjusting their diets, the "pizza incident" (as BB innocently named it) resulted in a very unsavory twenty minutes in the bathroom. Since they would much rathernotbarf their guts out, the Funtime crew mostly refused to eat. They tried here or there, but the bile came up the moment the food went down.

Ballora, unfortunately, was having a not-so-fun time herself. It was only a few nibbles of a pepperoni pizza slice, and yet she found herself dryheaving by the end of it. The ballerina wiped her mouth and shivered. 'Oh my god, that's disgusting.' she remorsed, flushing the toilet and standing back up. Her stomach was so sore. 'I regret making fun of Foxy the other day.' she shivered again, remembering how the funtime fox was nauseous and sore for a day. She washed her hands (lord knows what germs could be on every surface) before exiting the restroom. As she stepped out into the hallway, she nearly collided with someone. She jumped back was about to yell at them, but she relaxed when she saw it was Withered Foxy. "Woah!" he said with a start, "Sorry about that, lass!"

"Oh, no. It's no problem. I should have looked before walking out." Ballora smiled at him. The old fox smiled back, then frowned. "Are... Are ye' okay, lass?" he asked softly. Ballora tilted her head. "Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she raised an eyebrow. "That's the second or third time this month ye' lost yer lunch." he told her. Ballora felt her fingers twitch, and then noticed that he noticed it too. "Are ye' sure that you're alright?" he asked again, "I understand if ye don't want ta' talk about it."

'Come up with a lie, mix it with the truth.'

"I—I haven't been feeling good lately. I think I might have a bug or a loose part." she said quietly, looking embarrassed. Withered Foxy patted her shoulder. "Ye' should probably get that checked. It might get worse." he suggested. Ballora nodded, "Maybe I should talk to Fredbear. He'll know how to fix it, right?"

"Aye. Or the Puppet Master."

Ballora's oil froze, then began to boil. She was able to avoid interacting with him all month, and she'd rather keep it that way. "Okay. Thank you, Foxy." she said anyways. The fox nodded again. "Take care, Ballora." he said, walking off. "You too." the ballerina said. 'Now that that's happened, I have to get my systems checked. Great.' her mind grumbled. She left, heading towards the circus stage room. She had to tell Baby before she did anything else. 'Getting to the stage room would be a lot easier if I didn't feel like I was dying.'

Saliva built up in her mouth, and she didn't know if it was out of hunger or the possibility that she'd start dryheaving again. Whatever the cause, both options were less than desirable. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, then closed them. She didn't have the energy to deal with a miserable stomach right now. It's not like she needed to see to get around anyways. She learned long ago how to navigate in dark rooms... But she still needed to see to know where she was going. She begrudgingly opened her eyes and scanned the hallway she was in. There was a turn in front of her, so with a quiet sigh, she took it. Then she halted as she nearly collided with the last animatronic she wanted to see. Doing a quick spin to avoid running into him and get around him, she continued on her way, not even paying him any attention. She heard him pause and guessed that he was watching her walk away, but she didn't care.

Frustration.

Anger.

H̶a̶t̶e̶.̶

She refused to speak to him until he speaks to her. The soft sound of his footsteps told her that he continued to go in the other direction. 'Ha. He doesn't even try to talk to me. He probably never will... Not that I have any complaints about that.' she sighed.

"I heard that!" he yelled down the hall.

"I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING, ASSHOLE!" she yelled back over her shoulder.

She felt the anger and hatred begin welling up. "What did you just call me?!" he yelled. "You look like one!" she snapped. "And how would you know that? Did you look in the mirror recently?" he curled his lip. Didn't have to! I nearly ran into one a minute ago!" she continued yelling over her shoulder. 'He's not even worth my time.' she told herself. He hissed as she kept walking away. "Hey! I'm not done talking to you!" he shouted. "I am!" she shouted back. She heard his fingers scraping the wall of the corner. 'If he comes after me, I'm going to hit him.' she held in a hiss. The Puppet Master growled at her, "If youeverwant to talk to me again--!"

"I DON'T." she cut him off.

She turned another corner, knowing that he'd have to follow her to continue yelling at her. But he didn't, much to her surprise. 'Looks like that shut him up.' she smirked victoriously.

When she finally got to the stage room, Circus Baby was nowhere to be found. "Great." she hissed, "I ran into him for nothing."

}----------{

Ballora ended up waiting around for the others to come back. She didn't feel like running into the marionette a second time today. "You what?" the ringmaster asked with a start. The ballerina fidgeted with her hands like a child that got into trouble. "I'm sorry, but you know that Withered Foxy's going to ask Fredbear himself if I don't. I need to schedule a check-up." she told Baby. Baby sighed deeply. "... You're right. I'll talk to him about it." she said, less of an offer and more of a fact. Ballora nodded "Thank you. I'm sorry if it's--."

"No, no. You didn't do anything wrong... I'm actually impressed that Withered Foxy believed you. I didn't think you knew how to lie."

"Oh please, I lie to myself every day."

Baby let out a startled laugh. "My god, you're not even joking!" the clown laughed more, knowing that Ballora was serious about that part. The ballerina didn't mind Baby's laughter though. She enjoyed it. "It's been a long time since you last laughed, Baby." Ballora smiled warmly. Baby wiped away any tears of laughter and smiled back, "Yeah... I feels good to laugh..."

The clown shook her head and went serious again. "Anyways, I'll talk to Fredbear about your check-up before dinner." she said, turning to leave again.

"Thank you, Baby."

"You're welcome, Ballora."

Chapter 97: Accidents Happen (Part 6)

Chapter Text

"If youeverwant to talk to me again--!"

"I DON'T." Ballora cut him off.

She then turned a corner, leaving him in stunned silence.

'What just happened?' he asked himself. Of all the times he's ever yelled or snapped at her, Ballora never actually yelled or snapped back. She usually kept her mouth shut and let him yell. But to insult him and swear at him, then leave him with a simple "heck off" message? Puppet's facial expression became less and less angry. 'Fredbear and Springbonnie were right about one thing.' he turned and went back to his room, 'They really have changed.'

He closed the door (managing not to slam it) to his room. He decided not to turn the light on, settling for flopping down on his bed instead. 'Nothing I can do about that anyways. Why fix something that's none of my business?' he growled at the ceiling.

Yeah, no thanks. Fredbear can do that on his own.

}-----------{

"This better be good, Fredbear." Puppet grumbled. The bear ignored his unfriendly tone and held out a clipboard. "Mangle needs an emergency check-up, but I'm already busy. Can you do it? Please?" Fredbear smiled. Puppet sighed deeply. "Fine."

"Thanks! I knew I could count on you!" Fredbear thanked him with a large grin as Puppet took the clipboard. "Which room are they in?" he asked. "Repair room 3." Fredbear answered. The bear clapped a hand on the tall marionette's shoulder. "Good luck, Pups. See you later." he said before walking away. Puppet found the golden bear's behavior suspicious. "Good luck?" he muttered, heading in the direction of the third repair room, "Why would I need luck? I'm better at his job than he is."

...

Ballora sat on the table, silently impatient.

Wasn't Fredbear supposed to be here by now? Where was he? She sighed deeply. Hopefully it wouldn't be much longer. She doesn't like sitting still. 'Sitting still is what gets you shocked.' she remembered uneasily, moving herself farther back on the table. She shook her head and stared at the door in front of her. 'Whatever. I do what I want now.' she told herself, 'No one controls me anymore.'

She curled her fingers in, unintentionally scratching four marks on each side of the table. 'What are you doing? Get a grip on yourself.' she frowned. If Funtime Foxy was here right now, he'd probably make fun of her for getting anxious. Then again, maybe not. It was like flipping a coin with him. It really got on her nerves. Ballora sighed deeply in irritation. That brought her back down to earth. "Stupid." she grumbled, unsure of it was directed at herself or the fox.

Her ears picked up footsteps in the hallway, and she sat up straight. 'It's about damn time, Fredbear.' she rolled her eyes. The doorknob turned with a softclick, and the door opened. Ballora instantly scowled at the animatronic who walked in. The Puppet Master's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Ohhellno!" he seethed, gripping the clip board tightly, "Fredbear can do this himself!"

"For once, we agree on something." she hissed at him. Ballora got off the table and began walking towards the door. "Forget this! I'll reschedule the check-up!" she reached for the doorknob. The marionette grabbed her and pulled her farther into the room, making her snap at him. "What the hell are you doing?!" she yelled. "While I'd rather kill you instead of help you, I told Fredbear I'd do this for him." Puppet snarled, forcing her back onto the table. "Oh, like I trust you!" Ballora struggled to break free of his grip. She kicked his leg, making a metallicpangecho through the room. "Stop struggling and power down!" he demanded. "Like hell I will!" she smacked his hand away from her face, "Get off of me, you damn licorice monster!"

"I'm not repeating myself! Do it, or else I'll force you to shut down manually!" he growled at her threateningly. Ballora glared right into his eyes. "f*ck you." she spat. The Puppet Master scowled back at her and lifted her up, then slammed her right back into the table. "Ow!" she yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Shut up."

He turned her onto her side and held her down with one hand while forcing her top right face plate open with the other hand. "I said get off of me!" she yelled again. "I SAID SHUT UP!" Puppet roared in her ear, making her audio receptors throw a fit. She refused to cry out. It's not like anyone will hear her, and the Puppet Master certainly wasn't going to listen to her.

He not-so-carefully searched for the button, then practically smacked the inside of her head when he found it. "Watch what you're doing, youuuuuuu..." Ballora couldn't finish her sentence, powering down before she could've called him another name.

The Puppet Master huffed and grinned victoriously. "It's about damn time." he growled, pulling his hand out and letting go of her. He closed the plate roughly as someone quickly entered the repair room. "Jesus Christ, Mare! What did you do to her?!" Springbonnie panicked, pushing past him to look at the ballerina on the table. "Relax, Spring. She's off." the marionette rested a hand on his friend's shoulder. Springbonnie tried giving him a hard look. "I heard the entire thing, Puppet. What were you thinking? You could've damaged her!" the yellow rabbit worried. "Is that a bad thing?" Puppet growled spitefully. "Marionne!" the rabbit continued to fuss, "I get that you still haven't forgiven her, but that doesn't mean you can go out of your way to hurt her!"

"I didn't hurt her."

"THEN WHY WAS SHE YELLING?" Springbonnie made a point. He sighed after Puppet couldn't come up with a quick response. "Look. Let's forget this happened and check her together, alright?" he suggested, turning back to Ballora and carefully moving her to sit upright. "Do I really have to stay here?" Puppet grumbled. Springbonnie checked Ballora's head for any sign of damage. "Yes, actually. You need to stay here and take responsibility if you damaged any part of her... And did you really throw her onto the table?"

"She swore at me." Puppet said bluntly. Springbonnie gave him a doubtful look. "Really? Ballora, swearing? Now I've heard everything. Next you're going to tell me that she killed someone."

"Please, we both know that's not possible. She's too squeamish for that." the marionette crossed his arms, "Talk about weak."

Springbonnie gave Puppet a hurt look.The Puppet Master then realized his mistake and sighed. "I'm sorry, Spring. I... I didn't mean you, I just..." he struggled to apologize. "No, no. You're right. It is weak." Springbonnie's ears drooped, "But it's not something that can be helped, you know? Fredbear choses not to kill not because he can't do it, but because he doesn't like it. Meanwhile, people like me? I can't stand it."

A small frown fixed itself onto Puppet's face as he listened to the rabbit. "It's something Ballora and I have in common. I can relate to her and show her sympathy because we both want to help people, not hurt them. Ballora would never harm anyone, and neither would I...." Springbonnie stopped, and his left ear twitched, "Enough about that, though. Let's get started."

"I'll take notes." Puppet muttered somewhat guiltily as he grabbed the clipboard again.

}—————{

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<Processing Data...32%>

<Examining System(s)...44%>

<Updating System(s)...78%>

<Loading System(s)...100%>

<Systems Online>

<Initiating Wake-Up Sequence...>

When Ballora regained consciousness, she immediately noticed that she was still in the repair room. However, now she was alone. 'That goddamn brute!' she seethed. Ballora's feet touched the ground as she got off of the table. "I'm going to kill him." she hissed, taking a step towards the entrance. Suddenly she fell onto her knees as an overwhelming sense of nausea and pain overtook her. Her stomach gears were cramping up and there was a buildup of saliva in her mouth. 'Oh shi—'

Ballora heaved as she vomited. It was a small amount— thank god— but still, it was vomit. 'What in the... I didn't eat pizza?' she blinked in confusion at identifying the once-was treat. 'When did I get pizza?'

The gears in her stomach cramped again as she coughed up more fluid.

...

Ballora finally made it back to the funtime stage room, and she was exhausted. Having fought the puppet master earlier, then vomiting, and then having to clean up her mess afterwards, she was ready to take a nap. A nice, long, quiet nap. One that didn't involve questions and violence and drama and blah blah blah. It's not like anyone would stop her, either. It was eight O'clock at night and most of the other animatronics were already in sleep mode. Upon entering the room, she could see the other three on the big stage. Funtime Foxy and Funtime Freddy were asleep standing up. Circus Baby was on Funtime Foxy's left (the very left of the stage), wide awake. "There you are. I was starting to worry." the clown smiled softly. "I'm sorry. I was... powered off." Ballora climbed onto the far right side of the stage. Circus Baby watched curiously as the ballerina took her place on Funtime Freddy's right. "You don't look too good." she pointed out. Ballora shivered, "Ate pizza. Got sick."

"Ah." Baby nodded, "Got it..."

"Are you okay?" Ballora asked the ringmaster. Baby hesitated, then shook her head. "No, not in the slightest." she admitted. Ballora considered going over and sitting down with her. "What's wrong?" she asked her friend. Circus Baby shook her head, "I won't get into details, but I have a lot on my mind."

Ballora hummed a soft response and relaxed. She learned a few years ago to never press Baby for answers. There weren't any consequences, it was just pointless. "Sometimes... don't you feel like sometimes it would have been better... if we'd have stayed down there?" Circus Baby said suddenly. Ballora blinked in confusion a second time that night. "What?" she had a hard time processing the question. "Think about it. At least when we were there, there were no secrets between us. We didn't have to hide, and we knew how to survive..." Baby elaborated, "But now... Here... We hide everything."

Ballora started to understand. "We're tired. We're hungry. We're in pain." Baby continued, "Funtime Freddy and Foxy have gotten better, yes, but you seem to be under so much stress that it's eating away at you— not to mention that my anxiety levels have seen better days."

"I get what you mean." Ballora sympathized with her ringmaster, "But it won't be like this forever. Remember what you taught us? If we have each other, everything will be okay."

Circus Baby slowly gained a small, sad smile. "Yeah, you're right... Sorry about dumping that on you. I just had to tell somebody." the ringmaster apologized. "It's okay, don't worry. You're not the only one who feels this way. We all have our doubts."

"Except Freddy."

"Right. Definitely except Freddy."

They shared a small chuckle.

"Foxy's been riled up lately. I think it's because of you." Baby mentioned quickly. "Bring it, fluffball." Ballora jokingly challenged the sleeping fox. Baby laughed a little bit more, "Not that kind of riled up. I think he's worried about us, but mostly you. You know how he gets when one of us is hurt or under stress."

"He can't do that here, can he?" she asked her taller friend. Baby shook her head, "I'll talk to him about it, but it's not like I can stop him from doing it again."

Ballora gave her a hum in response, "It's like trying to stop a train."

"Impossible without horses and a gun?"

Ballora blew a raspberry trying not to laugh. Baby grinned. "Thanks, I needed that one." the blueberry smiled. Circus Baby have her a soft smile in return. "Seriously though, we gotta know. What's been going on with you, Bal?" she tilted her head. Ballora blinked at her, then stared for a short moment. "I can't tell you. It's... personal." she shied away from the topic. "Too personal to tell your worried family?"

Bal winced. "... Something happened eight years ago. That's all I can really tell you." she admitted. "Yeah, no sh*t." Circus Baby gestured to all of them. A smaller, more grim laugh escaped both of them. "Are you alright, at least? You're not hurting yourself on purpose again, are you?" the ringmaster got serious. "I'll be fine. And no, I'm not hurting myself." Ballora responded, "Freddy and I are working together to make sure neither of us go back to that."

"He made you pinky-promise?"

"Yeah. He almost lost it again when he lifted up the wrong arm."

"Before Bon Bon?"

"Mhm."

There was a silence between them. "We should probably get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." Circus Baby said suddenly. "We do?" Ballora asked. Baby nodded with a hum, "The four of us have two parties tomorrow, then Foxy and Freddy get to go to a third one."

"That does sound tiring." Ballora agreed, taking position, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." the redhead replied, taking her own position.

With the sound of gears slowing down, the ballerina and the clown powered off for the night.

}—————{

"We're telling you, Fredbear! Something's going on!" Springbonnie whisper-yelled to the bear. The iconic trio were in the springlocks' shared room. It was big, and because it was after hours, only one of the lights were on, making it darker than usual. "Is the circus crew still uncomfortable around us?" Fredbear asked. Springbonnie shook his head. "No, it's weirder." the golden rabbit said worriedly. The tall marionette behind him gave a silent not. "When we were giving Ballora her check-up, we opened her stomach plate to see if anything vital was damaged." Springbonnie continued. Fredbear tilted his head, "Go on..."

"Her insides are scarred up, and there was no food in her fuel cell." the Puppet Master told him.

"What?"

Springbonnie gave a slight nod. "There were long, horizontal scars on her endoskeleton, as well as some of the cables and wires. Any that were unscarred looked newer. Much newer." the rabbit glanced at the Puppet, "And didn't it look like they lined up with the scratches on her stomach? Like whatever did that to her suit got her on the inside too?"

"It did." Puppet agreed, "And as for the fuel cell, it's like she hasn't eaten in weeks. Springbonnie dropped some pizza in it for her, so she should be fine for tonight."

Fredbear blinked in surprise, "Are you worried?"

"I couldn't care less." Puppet denied any emotion towards the situation. "No, what I meant was, are you worried that whatever happened to Ballora happened to the other three as well?" the golden bear frowned. Puppet didn't respond, but Springbonnie nodded again, more nervously this time. "I think we should call all of them in for a check-up." he twiddled his thumbs. "Alright. I'll deal with Funtime Foxy. Spring, you'll get Funtime Freddy. Puppet, you'll be checking Circus Baby." the bear organized the appointments aloud, "And should we call Ballora in for a more extensive search?"

"No, she'll be fine." the marionette crossed his arms, knowing full well that the bear would try to stick him with her again. "Alright, then it's settled. They have a busy day tomorrow, so we'll aim for the day after. Maybe the day after that one." Fredbear nodded once. "Sounds good to me." Springbonnie sighed, relieved that the bear listened to them. "Mhm." Puppet hummed plainly, then uncrossed his arms. "It's almost nine. We should get to bed. This place will be crowded tomorrow."

"You're right. Goodnight, Marionne." Fredbear dismissed him. Springbonnie gave him a polite wave goodbye, "Sleep well. Try not to be so grumpy when you wake up, alright?"

"No promises." the puppet smothered a light chuckle.

The rabbit and the bear watched him go, then went over to their stage for sleep.

Chapter 98: A Second Chance

Chapter Text

The Puppet Master used his strings to bind the secret entrance shut. The last gust of wind coming through the doors made his coat billow dramatically before he was sealed into the dark tunnel. He waited a moment for the emergency lights to turn on, then let out a growling shout when they didn't and began walking down the tunnel. He let his hand graze against the wall so that he knew where he was going.

When he got to the end of the tunnel, a pale aqua light illuminated the decontamination chamber. Going through the usual protocol, he exited the chamber a minute later and entered the main control module. It was a big room with a holotable in the center. It also doubled as a "living room" of sorts, with long couches that stretched across the room in circles. There were tables and chairs, and large metal containers were stacked on one side (probably clothes and rations). Most importantly to him, though, is that the other heroes were there.

Well, what was left of them, anyways.

"Mason!" cried Sultan, his little brother who is otherwise known as Security Doll. He had black hair and determined golden-yellow eyes. Sultan ran at Mason and enveloped him in a fierce hug. "Mason, oh my god, I was so worried! Especially after the comms went out! You and Cassidy were—!" Sultan suddenly interrupted himself with dread. "M—Mason... where's Cassidy?" the younger brother asked. Mason slowly hugged his brother back, tears threatening to build up in his eyes. "... Cassidy is dead..." he answered with despair. Sultan took a shuddering breath and hugged Mason tighter. "I'm sorry, Sultan..." the older brother remorsed, "We were ambushed... Cassidy was gone before I could even blink."

Sultan cried into Mason's shoulder while Mason rubbed circles into Sultan's back. Mason looked up at the other heroes in the room. They all had sullen looks on their faces. "How many more are we going to lose to those damn machines?" spat Baron Black, hero name Nightmare. "If we don't end this war soon, we could lose everyone." said William Springlocke, otherwise known as Springtrap. "Oh? And what can we do?" growled Baron, "Line ourselves up for the tin-man firing squad? Plan a suicide charge?"

Springlocke sighed deeply. "The loss of Cassidy is terrible in itself, but it is the least of our problems if we don't do something soon. The technology is constantly adapting and learning new things. It'll only be a matter of time before they find us and wipe us out." he reminded them grimly, "We need to think of something, and we need to think of it fast."

"Why do we need a plan?! I've told all of you a hundred thousand times, we need to strike it at its source! Where the hell do the machines come from?!" Baron roared, making Sultan flinch in Mason's arms. Springlocke got to thinking. "... If we strike it at its source, it'll put a stop to all of this... However..." he pondered, a calculating look on his face. "However?" Mason prompted. "However, if we strike at it's roots, we might be able to alter history and avoid this war entirely." William finished his theory. Sultan slowly let go of Mason. "H—How do we do that?" he asked. "Ever heard of time fishing?" Springlocke answered with a question. Mason narrowed his eyes at the gadget hero, "Time fishing is illegal."

"My dear Puppet Master," William crossed his arms, "this is the apocalypse. Nothing is illegal."

Mason frowned deeply. "Do you even know what you're looking for? Are we going to attack someone, or are we going to destroy a factory?" he questioned. Springlocke nodded at him. "I followed the roots until I found the seed. It all traces back to one person. Should be easy to take care of, right?" he tilted his head. "If this'll work, I say we go for it." Baron huffed, "We don't have much else to lose."

"What about the others? Shouldn't they get a say in this?" Sultan worried. "We don't have the time to convince them to vote. Every second we wait is another second towards our destruction." Springlocke pointed out. Sultan fidgeted with his hands.

"... Fine." Mason agreed, "But we need to do our research on him before we bring him through. Lord knows what he can do to us."

}—————{

Belle didn't know what was happening.

One moment she was in her dorm studying for her upcoming exam, and the next moment she was waking up on a cold floor. Her vision slowly lightened from the darkness that previously engulfed it, but the high-pitched ringing in her ears stayed the same. She felt herself lethargically crawling on the ground. 'What's going on? Where am I?'

There was a warm sensation that trickled down her face, suggesting that she might have a nosebleed or a wound on her forehead. Either her body was numb, or she hit her head really, really heard. 'What's happening?' she whimpered, curling into a fetal position. A blurry pair of legs rushed over to her. Their owner then kneeled on the ground and put his hands on her. He was probably talking to her, but she couldn't hear him. She settled for slowly blinking and rubbing at her ears— not that it would do anything, but it at least made her feel a little better.

Judging by the sudden warmth and loss of solid ground, the person that came over to her must have picked her up. She clung to him, not wanting to get dropped again. 'Was I dropped?Did I fall and land on my head?' If that were the case, she was probably as good as dead. It certainly felt like her bones were rearranged.

'I'm dying?...'

"—amn i— Locke!" shouted a distant voice over the ringing, "Thi— is wh— time fi— hing— illegal!"

She could barely understand, but from the sound of it, the man yelling was very upset. The feeling in her body came back to her in a sudden wave of icey chills, which then turned into a burning pain (imagine cold feet in a hot shower). Belle made a high-pitched whine and buried her face in the nearest solid object. It was soft, thank goodness. "—ed med—al suppl— now!"the voice shouted, closer this time. Belle continued to blink her eyes in a steady attempt to clear her vision. After a little bit, it slowly started working, but now the room was too bright. She felt someone grab at her head and pin her eyelids back. It hurt a little. "She has a concussion." said another voice as the light went away. It was nearby and it made her jump. This one was masculine, and it sounded... echoey? "How do we treat her?" asked the one from before. He sounded closer now. 'I like his voice.' she thought tiredly. The pain in her nerves was finally starting to settle. She could almost feel the texture of the fabric she was holding. "Painkillers and letting her rest— though, because you time-fished her, I'd say that that's the least of our worries." the other voice said. Belle felt a weight on her forehead. "She's got a fever. I bet you that she's sore, too. Her nerves are probably shot to all hell." it told the first one, "You might want to put her down in case she starts to vomit."

"Should we pump her stomach for now?"

"No, that'll make it worse. Not to mention that she has a better chance at vomiting blood."

There was a sharp inhale. "How bad will her health be?" The first voice asked. "For the next few days, I'll be surprised if she moves." the second one responded. 'He has to be a doctor.' her mind finally registered. "William." the first voice growled. "Relax, Mason. If things go according to plan, she won't have to suffer for the next few days." said a another new voice. He sounded shifty, like he was trying to blow off whatever was wrong. "I have a feeling that your plan was to have her die because of the time-fishing." gruffed a deep voice from somewhere nearby. "WILLIAM!" the first voice yelled. "Whaaaaaaaaaat?" the shifty voice asked, "It would've saved us the trouble!"

"It's cruel and inhumane!" the first voice scolded, "Youknowthat time fishing is a horrible way to die! She's suffering because of you now!"

"So let's spare her the pain and kill her now. Seems simple enough."

There was a dead silence in the room. "No, not like this." said the first voice. He sounded on edge. "Why not?!" the shifty voice sounded surprised at his words. "Because she deserves better, no matter what she's done." the first voice argued. "Mason's right." agreed the deep voice, "That's pretty f*cked up, Springlocke."

"But if we—!"

"No. We're healing her first. End of discussion."

"So we're keeping her in the infirmary?" asked a younger voice. This one had a nervous tone. "I'm not sure. Do we have a treatment-compatible cell?" asked the first voice. "We have five." answered the doctor's voice.

Another wave of rapid temperature change hit Belle, giving her pins and needles everywhere and making her shiver. "We need to hurry before it gets worse." the doctor's voice said urgently. "Let's go then." the first voice replied, "Sultan, you're coming with us. Baron, you make sure William doesn't do anything drastic."

"Okay." answered the nervous voice.

"Got it." responded the deep voice.

Belle was becoming dizzy again while she was being moved. 'I think I'm going to be sick.' she accidentally whined. She felt like she was being dropped again, then was thrown into a void of black as the ringing returned to her ears.

}—————{

Belle woke up to a steady beeping. 'What?...' she blinked the fuzziness out of her eyes. She could tell that she wasn't in a hospital room. It was too dark and dull. The ceiling itself looked like it was made of stone. "She's awake. Go find the Puppet Master." said a feminine voice from somewhere nearby. Belle inhaled more deeply and moved her arms and fingers around a little. 'Was all of that real?' she blinked a few more times. The bluenette tried to sit up and managed to do so, but it was a little painful, and it made her dizzy, like she was going to fall back over. "Whoa, hey! Stop moving so much!" the female voice warned her. Belle listened and leaned against the wall next to her. "Wh—... Where am I?" she asked groggily. The female stood in her field of vision. It was a woman about her height. She had yellow eyes and white hair, and she was wearing pink. Belle would admit that she was pretty. "I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you that." she responded to the bluenette's question after a moment. Belle's eyes widened a fraction. 'That's a red flag.' she hesitated on asking anything else. "... O—Okay then... Wh—Who are you?" she tried. "I don't know if I can tell you that one either." the blonde answered. Belle nodded once to show acknowledgement. "Alright... U—Um... Why am I here?" Belle asked uneasily. At that, the woman narrowed her eyes. "You made a monster, that's why." she said with a frown. Belle looked at her in startled confusion, "I what?"

"... What's your job?" the blonde asked suspiciously. Belle didn't know if she wanted to continue talking to this woman. She made her a little uncomfortable. "I—I'm a college student." Belle answered, "This is my second year."

"Major?"

Belle didn't answer for a moment, but was interrupted when she was about to. "She's awake?" asked a masculine voice. The owner was out of sight, but he sounded very familiar. 'The first voice I heard when...thathappened... right?' she guessed. "Yeah." the woman responded, "Want me to stay in the cell with you?"

'Cell?!' Belle glanced around quickly. The ceiling, floors, and walls were made out of stone. She was on a bed, but it was a stiff one, and there were some medical supplies and tools on a table next to it. One of the walls was barred off, with a heavy door in the center of it. There was two chairs and a small box stationed outside of it. 'Oh my god, I'm in jail! Why am I in jail?!' she felt like she was ready to panic. However, she didn't remember getting arrested. Nor did the woman in her cell look like a cop. She was dressed oddly, as a matter of fact— like a superhero from a comic book. There was the jingling sound of keys, and then a tall man walked into view from the other side of the bars. He had black hair, with a big black coat and a long black and white scarf that sat around his neck. He opened the door with the keys and stepped inside, then handed them off to the other woman. "No, you can leave. She's still a little weak from the heavy sedatives that Tyreke gave her." he answered the blonde's question. The woman in pink nodded and left them, closing the door behind her and disappearing behind the corner. "Hello." the man greeted her once she was gone. Belle could tell for sure by now that this guy was the owner of the nice voice. "... H—Hello... Uhm... Who are you, a—and where am I?" she asked in hopes of him answering her. The man had his lips pressed into a forced neutral expression, like he didn't know whether to smile at her or frown at her. "Well, my hero name is the Puppet Master, but you can call me Mason for now." he answered formally, then gestured to her with a nod of his head, "You are Belle Tanzen, right?"

Belle gulped. 'No giving names. No telling me where I am or why I'm here. They already know my name.' she listed the reasons for alarm in her head as she thought carefully of what to say next. "W—What is this about? Am I in trouble?" she asked him instead of answering. "And what do you mean hero? There's no such thing as heroes." she added after a second. "Well, technically not yet, but... we... it's hard to explain." he fumbled for what to say. Belle was confused by what he was trying to say, but let it go because she didn't really have a choice at the moment. Mason cleared his throat and reached into one of his pockets. He pulled out something round and solid. It looked like a silver bracelet. "Here; put this on." the tall man told her. Belle hesitated, but held her arm out. 'What am I doing here?' she wondered, watching him step forward and unclasp the bracelet. He then reclasped it securely around her wrist. The man made sure to tighten it, then used both thumbs to click down some sort of double switch. There was a beep, and then a click. As the click sounded, something pierced through her skin on the top of her arm. "OW!" she flinched hard, yanking her wrist away from him. She cradled her wrist and glared at him, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

He stepped back with a semi-surprised look on his face. "Calm down, it's just a captivity bracelet." he tried to assure her, "The needle will give you sedatives or steroids if you need them."

"SEDATIVES?!" she freaked out. The was sudden sensation in her wrist, like something was being injected into her. "Or serotonin and oxytocin." he gestured to the bracelet with a wave of his hand. Belle looked at the steel bracelet with utter confusion. 'That's not a thing, is it?! Is it something new that's in testing?!' the bluenette panicked, "B—But what if it gives me too much?!" she shouted. "The bracelet is designed to take in some of your blood and adjust the doses to what information its given. You'll be alright." he said calmly. Belle felt herself starting to calm down. 'Serotonin. Oxytocin.' her mind whispered. "Now, we have... something important to discuss. Why don't you follow me?" he suggested. Belle lightly shook her head. "Not until someone tells me where I am and why I'm here." she refused. Mason frowned. "That will all be explained along the way." he told her, turning to the bars and walking to the door, "Now, come."

Belle hesitated once more. 'I don't trust any of this.' she worried, 'What does he wantfrom me? Information? Money?Neitherof which Ihave?'

The blueberry eyed him cautiously, then ever-so slowly edged forward. 'I just really, really hope that no matter what's happening, everything will be alright.'

Chapter 99: The Monster in the Forest (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Marion sighed deeply, having been woken up in the dead of night by an infant's wailing. He got up and trudged from the warm bed to put the door and down the hall. He then opened the door to the nursery and growled as the wailing got louder. He walked over to the cradle and looked in.

A baby with black hair and beautiful blue eyes hiccuped at him. He looked relatively human, in all fairness (which relieved Marion). Two little tentacles writhed from underneath the crying child, having sprouted from its back while he was in a panic. Another loud cry pierced the monster's ears and echoed in his skull. "Alright, alright! Shut up already, damn it!" he growled under his breath and reached into the crib. Carefully, Marion lifted the baby out and cradled him to his chest. He gently rubbed its back. The crying faltered, then ever-so slowly started to cease. Marion sighed again. "Shhhhhhhhh... It's alright..." he assured the baby, not really caring if it understood him or not, "It's okay, I'm here... Shhhhhhhhhhhh..."

It couldn't have been any sooner when the little hybrid quieted down. It sniffled and hiccuped, then let out a little "bwah" and relaxed in its father's arms. Marion looked down at the petite creature with a small frown. It irritated him half to death— especially when it started crying— and he was a little tempted to roar in its face. 'That wouldn't have worked, anyway...' he thought grumpily, 'And I promised I'd be nice...'

Marion remembered that night with painful clarity.

Belle had been screaming so loud that Marion could swear they could hear her from here to Albuquerque. Her stomach was swollen and looked like it was going to pop. Tears ran down her face, and she could hardly breath. Marion had to tear her clothes off in order to help her.

In the end, there was a newborn monster, and a very wounded lover.

Marion blinked, feeling a tear run down his cheek. Before Belle went into labor, she made him promise that no matter what happened, he'd take care of the baby and make sure it grew up to be a healthy, young adult. 'Parasite.' he half-heartedly glared at the innocent being. He knew it wasn't the baby's fault. If anything, it was Marion's. He really should have been able to control himself back when...ithappened. His face relaxed a little as he remembered that intimate moment. He never felt so complete, he couldn't get enough of her. He loved her so much. "I love you..." he accidentally whispered his thoughts out loud. He blinked, realizing what he did.

"Ah wab boo!" the baby suddenly giggled. Marion blinked again. "D—... Did you just...?" he could barely ask. "Ah wab boo!" the baby giggled again, smiling brightly at the adult.

Marion's heart swelled. He smiled softly and nuzzled the infant. "I love you, too..." he admitted quietly. The baby giggled again.

"... Maybe I can share tonight..."

Marion made sure to keep both hands on the child and turned towards the door. He walked slowly and calmly back down the hall, looking ahead to make sure he wouldn't bump into anything and drop the baby. When he got to the bedroom door, he carefully nudged it open and stepped inside, then closed it with his foot. His eyes flicked over to the bed, then down at the baby, then back to the bed against. 'Maybe this could have waited until morning...' he realized a bit late, 'Oh well...'

He sat on the bed, then used his tentacles to pull the blanket over his legs. He set the baby in his covered lap, and it giggled softly.

"Mmm... Marion?..."

Marion looked over at Belle. She looked exhausted; pale with dark circles under her eyes. The monster leaned over and gently kissed his mate on the cheek. "Yes, my love?" he asked in a whisper. The blueberry tiredly attempted to sit up. "I—Is that the baby? Is something wrong?" she began getting anxious. Marion put his arm around her back and carefully, gently pulled her over to him. "Everything's okay, Belle. He was just crying." he nuzzled her head, letting her lean against him for support. "O—Okay... Why did you bring him here? I thought—.... I thought you didn't like the baby?..." she questioned him sadly. Marion winced. He did his best to hide it, but Belle knew that he didn't give the child unconditional love like she did. "... I wanted to show you something." he told her, giving her a very light squeeze. "What is it?" she tilted her head into his chest, feeling his tentacles rubbing soothing circles in her back. "Watch this." the monster smiled. He rested his other hand on the baby's head, earning another soft "bwah". "I love you." he told the infant. "Ah wab boo!" the baby giggled excitedly again. Belle's eyes widened. "Oh my god, Mari! H—He said his first words!" Belle smiled proudly. Marion hummed and peppered her face with soft kisses.

"I thought you'd love it." he said after he was finished. Belle nodded slowly, a happy, satisfied smile on her face. "I love it so much... B-Best s—surprise ever..." she yawned. Marion went in for another kiss, connecting their lips. Belle wasn't even surprised, instantly melting into the kiss. It was tender and loving. Marion slipped a hand under her shirt, cautiously feeling the line of raised flesh on her stomach. "How are you? Is it healing okay?" he asked with concern, gently pulling away and stroking the baby's head and shoulders. Belle nodded, "It's doing good. I think that medicine you made is working."

"Did you ever doubt me?" he teased.

"Do you want me to answer that?" she teased back.

Marion shushed her with a quick peck on the cheek. "Hush, you beautiful creature of enchantment." he told her, giving her another squeeze. Belle blushed in the dark room. The baby cooed softly, as if stealing his mother's response. Marion's attention was instantly drawn back to the baby, making Belle giggle. "Maybe you do like him." she cautiously stretched and kissed his cheek. Marion hummed again, "I will not confirm, nor deny."

It took a bit of convincing, but Marion eventually got Belle to let him keep the baby in the bed. "Be careful with him." she said. Marion nodded and laid back, keeping an arm close to the little one. Belle laid down with him and rested her head on his shoulder. Marion smiled brightly at the affectionate gesture and stroked Belle's shoulders and back again.

I love you."

"I love you, too, handsome."

"Ah wab boo!"

Chapter 100: The Mafioso

Chapter Text

Belle didn't know what she was thinking that night.

Walking down the sloped Main Street on her way to work, she couldn't help but remember. It was only a few of months ago.

...

Going to a bar and hanging out with her friends. That was the plan. Then after a few drinks, her friends left. Belle stayed behind because she loved the music and couldn't get enough of it, not to mention she found a really sweet drink that she thought was to die for— and no, it wasn't alcohol. She didn't know what it was. Maybe juice? Cinnamon milk? Whatever it was, she wasn't sober enough to remember. She stayed at the bar for a few hours, enjoying the music, having multiple cups of the sweet drink, and chatting away with the bartender.

Then she met a man. She doesn't remember what he looked like or what his name was, but she remembered his smooth, calm voice. He also wore a ring. She remembered that it looked pretty expensive, but she would have to see it again to recognize it.

He danced with her. Talked with her. Flirted with her. Complimented her in various ways. Told her that she was too beautiful to be so stressed about her job. He made Belle feel special. Since he did all those things for her, Belle decided to give him a treat and spent the night with him. Oh, how great it felt to be loved. His touch had her melting, and his kisses were like a drug.

...

Belle sighed happily and held her stomach, a small smile on her face.

After they had their fun and went to sleep, Belle woke up the next morning, alone. She was a little sad at first, but then she found a note left on the nightstand. It said that he was terribly sorry that he wouldn't be there when she woke up, but he had something important to do that couldn't wait. It said that he enjoyed his time with her, and that he'd love to get to know her better.

It also said that he'd see her soon.

Belle didn't know what to think about that last part, but it made her smile and threw her into a fit of happy, excited giggles. She couldn't wait to see him again. His passion for her that night lit a new fire inside of her.

Quite literally.

About a month or two later, Belle started feeling queasy and would vomit whenever she smelled cooking meat. It greatly concerned her, but the fact that it was the smell of cooking meat that made her sick gave her an idea of what was up. She visited a doctor, told him her symptoms, and confirmed that she had been intimate with a man recently. The doctor quickly concluded that she was, surprisingly yet unsurprisingly, pregnant. As for how many babies there were and what the gender was, she'd have to wait another few months to find out.

Most women would most likely be upset that they were pregnant after a one-night stand, but Belle was actually quite happy with it. She was happy with her lover, and she was hoping for something new in her life. Granted this wasn't exactly what she was expecting, but the joy it brought her was all the same.

After finding out about her pregnancy, Belle became more aware of her surroundings to avoid anything that might be dangerous. It was weird, and revealed a lot of things she didn't notice before... like how she had the feeling of always being watched.

Belle stopped beside the police station and glanced over her shoulder. The sidewalks weren't very busy this early in the morning, but she could tell that someone was watching her. And no, not the "oh hey look at her hair for a second" type of look. This one had followed her almost the entire way to work, which was a long walk, mind you. 'Was I always being watched, or am I just paranoid?' she wondered uneasily. She shook her head and sighed. 'No use in fussing about it right now.'

"Hey, Belle!"

"sWEET CHEESE—" Belle shouted, nearly falling over. So much for being aware. The familiar redhead in front of her giggled. "Oops, sorry!" Elizabeth apologized, holding out a hand to steady her friend. Belle breathed in deeply and smiled again. "It's okay. Hey there, Liz. It's a beautiful morning out here." she greeted her friend. "Sure is, unlike what awaits us up there." Elizabeth nodded, then pointed at the police station. "Well, work is never fun. Especially if we're late, so we should probably get inside." Belle urged, grabbing her friend's arm and tugging her up the steep stone stairs. "Yeah, you're right." Elizabeth started running up the stairs, now dragging Belle behind her. "Wait, Liz! Slow down!" Belle fretted. Elizabeth stopped after they reached the top of the stairs. "Is something wrong?" the redhead asked with concern, letting go of Belle's hand and opening the door for her. "Uh..." Belle hesitated. She hasn't told anyone yet. She didn't want her coworkers to know that she fell for a man after they left her at the bar, lest they feel guilty and try to charge the man for taking advantage of her.

"Belle?" Elizabeth tilted her head. The blueberry shook her head, "I'll tell you when I tell the chief, alright?"

"Alright. When are you going to tell him?"

"Today, actually. Like, right now."

After greeting the other officers and saying hi to some of the other staff, Belle and Elizabeth headed towards the chief's office. The door was wide open, so Belle knocked on the frame. "Uh, Chief Fazbear?" Belle called. The big, energetic man looked up from his desk and stood up with a giant smile on his face. "Ah, Belle! Just the lady I was looking for! Come in, come in! Have a seat, why don't you?"

Belle politely nodded her head and sat down in one of the chairs. Elizabeth mimicked her actions, ignoring that the police chief forgot to greet her as well. "Mister Fazbear, before we talk—." Belle started. "Ahp! Don't talk! I already know what you're going to say." the chief said goofily. Belle tilted her head for a second time that morning. "Really? You do?" she asked. "You came here to tell me that the investigation is either going smoothly or going roughly. I can't tell by the look on your face though." he tapped his chin, thinking while he talked to her. The blueberry frowned slightly.

Belle was a police consultant. The case she was working on was less of "make an arrest" and more of "prove they exist". According to rumors, a few highly dangerous criminals formed a group devoted to organized crime two years ago. They called themselves the Underground Mafia, and went into dealing weapons and valuable items, as well as offering to be paid hitmen. They have about one hundred members thus far, and new recruits join every week. With their increasing number of members and constant activity, you would think that it'd be easy to prove they're a real threat. Unfortunately, it's easier said than done. The Underground Mafia was frustratingly good at covering their tracks. It took Belle a few months before she found her first piece of evidence.

That's why Belle was drinking with her friends at the bar a few months ago. This job was stressing her out so much that she's surprised she hasn't started loosing hair over it.

"Well, you're not wrong about that. I found a few things after the last meeting we had about it, but other than that, nothing." Belle told him, "But that's not the only reason I'm here."

"Damn!" mister Fazbear breathed, "... Well, I guess I can't always expect solid progress..."

He thought for a moment then shook his head with a sigh. "So, anyways, you had something else?" he prompted curiously. "Yes... I, uhm..." Belle fumbled, fidgeted with her hands, "... There's not way to softly deliver this, so I'm going to try being direct about it. I'll need to apply for maternity leave in a few months."