Left Behind

Independence Day/ 4th of July

Moon could confidently say that the 4th of July was high up on their list of 'worst human holidays'. The holiday itself wasn't bad, there were cookouts, grilling, sparklers, and a mildly concerning amount of other fire-related items, or so they'd heard at least. But the costumes were insufferable.

Some might think that they'd be used to ridiculous and humiliating clothing, considering their main outfit was themed after that of a jester after all, but at least they were able to function in it! Sure, the idea of a flag-themed cape seemed cool, but the sheer number of times it had led to them being yanked, tripped, or completely ensnared by their wire made the novelty wear off exponentially.

Even now, after the Pizzaria had long since closed and they were alone in their room, the thing was a nuisance. Fed up after their fourth close call of nearly tripping off their balcony down into the ball pit below, they tore the thing away with the sound of ripping fabric and Moon was free from the, admittedly ironic, prison of stripes and stars. They'd get in trouble for it soon enough, whether it be by the now late technician who was supposed to take help them in taking the rotten thing off and back to storage, or Sun when the other awoke from sleep mode, but for now they walked out to the edge of the balcony without the worry of suddenly hurtling off the edge.

The latch of their wire attached itself to the hook on their back without hindrance and their permanent smile felt slightly more genuine as they took a step off the ledge. They put their arms together in front of them as if they were diving into a pool, the mechanisms in their torso seeming to tangle and swirl inside of them in a mimicry of a stomach drop as they fell farther and farther down. The sensation only fueled their excitement as they dropped farther and farther until the line tightened just a foot or two above the ball pit and they spread their arms out as they curved back up into the air with an airy giggle.

It was no secret that Moon loved to fly. The feeling of weightlessness; the way the world was mapped out below them, it was a beautiful thing; they were addicted to it. They were unanchored, no longer tethered by something as demanding as gravity. Allowed to defy, if only just for a moment, what the world commanded of them. They were free.

There were times when they'd fallen, when the literal thread they were hanging by would snap and they'd plummet down like Icarus into the sea, only to return the next night as if nothing had ever happened. That might be why Sun wasn't as fond of flying as them, they mused. They feared the fall.

As if summoned by the mere thought a shrill yell echoed through their mind, startling them into pulling up from their low sweep towards to ground until they were safely above the Daycare, wire wrapped around their arm securely. The realization of what had happened sank in and Moon burst into laughter. 'It's not funny Moon!' Sun exclaimed, clearly flustered. 'How many times must I tell you not to do that, you nearly gave me a heart attack!' They only continued to laugh, pulling themself back up to the balcony as Sun fumed. They scoured their room, absent-mindedly tidying what they could as they searched for their plushies, and- Moon made a soft noise of victory as they uncovered their Sun plushie, settling it down across from them as their laugher tampered off.

"It's not like I meant to scare you," Moon defended, playing with the doll's tiny arms, "That's just when you so happened to wake up!" Sun huffed, seemingly not convinced in the slightest, twitching their fingers just enough that one of the arms hit Moon's cheek. Moon chuckled at the pettiness of the action, lazily bopping the doll with its own arm in retaliation. Sun gasped in mock offense and Moon tried to recreate the flabbergasted arm gestures they knew the other was making as they sputtered in exaggerated indignation.

They were about to say something to rile the other up further when there was a muffled pop from somewhere above them. They startled, pulling the plush closer to them out of reflex as they looked around. Everything seemed normal, yet seconds later there was a second, then a third, and by the fourth pop they could hear Chica yelling something from outside the Daycare. Curious, they slipped out of their room. Peeking around corners and arching low to the ground like a child attempting to be stealthy. They made it to the main Lobby and allowed the wire to reattach itself to their back so they could float above the crowd of animatronics steadily gathering near the entrance.

The pops were louder now, and more frequent they noticed, painting the crowd in color before fading away with a crinkling sound. Moon peeked out the window to try and see what it was that was causing all the commotion and what they say gave them pause. It was everywhere, reds, whites, blues, even a shimmering gold from time to time. They coated the sky in clouds of smoke as they faded only to cover it once again moments later. Moon watched it in amazement and they could almost feel Sun next to them, similarly entranced. They could've stood there for minutes, maybe hours, the only sound being more and more bots joining the crowd below them. They briefly wondered if any of the human workers were among them, was this a normal occurrence for them? Did they do this every year? Why? How? They had so many questions. Before they could even think to share their questions the lights switched back on, a sharp pain startling them as the switch began without warning.

Robots and animatronics alike complained below them, whether it be in actual words or low staticky beeps of annoyance until a yell startled them all into looking up where Sun was scrabbling for purchase on their wire, legs kicking wildly as they pulled themselves higher up the cord away from their imminent doom. "MOON!" they cried out panickily but all they met them was startled laughter only they could hear.