Animatronics Awaken

Spirits (The Final Chapter)

Cheyanne's POV

I stood over my father's dead metal corpse, rotting from the inside out. Golden Freddy was standing next to me, also peering down at it silently. He had one arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him in comfort. I dug my face into his side and wrapped my arms around him, appreciating the gesture. I closed my eyes and silently cried, hiding myself from the world and the activity outside it. I allowed the hollowness in my heart to grow until I felt nothing else. Since all the Nightmares had been dealt with, the room was in absolute silence. My friends and the other animatronics were standing across it, panting and processing the ordeal they had just gone through, utterly oblivious to what just happened.

Memories flooded me as we stood in grieving silence. Bittersweet flashbacks of Springtrap when he was evil and intended harm toward us. I remembered all those guilty and regretful looks he gave as he injured me whenever his demon was in control, and all he could do was helplessly watch as it hurt those he loved. Then, the horrifying adventure we've all gone through trying to banish that demon. The first hug I got from my father when he was set free...I recalled the warmth and safety I felt, the love I received, knowing that his evil was finally gone. Then, all of the happy memories that came after that, the laughs that my family shared with him, seeing how loving and funny my father was when he wasn't possessed. The wise story he told me of their backstory and my birth. I regret all the times I was skeptical about who he really was. Maybe if I had been more trusting, I could've gotten to know him better before his final moments. How I really wish we could've had more time to spend together...

I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry for all of this; it's all my fault. Springtrap's voice echoed in my head from the day that he had raced to free my friends and me the moment he was set free from his demon. He always blamed himself for the events happening ever since then, and my heart twisted in pain, thinking that we couldn't relieve him of those thoughts before it was too late. I audibly sobbed into Golden Freddy's side, and he responded by hugging me tighter.

Suddenly, a wail arose from the other side of the room, and I heard mechanical, rushed footsteps come our way. I looked up to see what was happening, blinded by tears. Mangle had noticed the scene and ran over, crying out in grief. "What happened?! Is he...?" She looked down at Springtrap's still form in the state he was in, and her spirits were immediately crushed. For a moment, she joined us in grieving, the thick silence hanging in the air like dark rain clouds hovering above our heads in the night. Then, without warning, she turned on Golden Freddy, "You have to fix him!"

The anger in her tone surprised the golden bear, and he stared at her blankly, shocked by her behavior and unable to speak through grief. Mangle lashed at him again, growing more outraged, "Why are you sitting there? Do something, Tyler!" Although she wasn't shedding tears, I could hear the pain in her voice. Her tail thrashed wildly, and I noticed it had been pulled out of its socket, most likely from the struggle with Nightmare. But it was in no state to fall off, nor did it stop her from using it.

Golden Freddy was even more shocked by the use of his old name, and now his eyes drifted to the ground in reminiscence. It put him in a state of more profound grief as his childhood and adulthood washed over him, and his gaze kept wandering back to Springtrap. The aggression died from Mangle, and she stepped back, surprised by her own words. She, too, looked at the ground with the same expression as Golden Freddy. Her tail still swished, but more slowly now.

"Mom," I stated calmly as a warning to get her to back off and to ease tensions. Mangle's raised her gaze again, and her expression turned remorseful when she spotted me, seemingly for the first time. She bent down to hug me, and I moved away from Golden Freddy to accept it. "Oh, love..." she murmured. "I'm so sorry what happened to your father. I'm sorry you had to witness it."