Chapter 7: Times Change
Things weren't looking all too swell for Toy Bonnie, Toy Chica, or Toy Freddy. Between their aimless and seemingly endless wandering, and their newfound trouble with the Law, the nice, hopeful journey that they had embarked upon only a few hours ago had quickly devolved into a drawn out and overall fruitless search for the pizzeria they had so loved. As they slowly walked down yet another quiet sidewalk, illuminated only by the nearby streetlights, Freddy began to voice his thoughts.
“Why did you have us run from that policeman, Chica?” he asked, with a slight edge of confusion in his voice. He didn't understand why the other bot had pulled him away from that pizzeria in such a hurry, or why Bonnie had distracted the cop in the first place. Sure, that particular cop had a weird way of showing it, but policemen were supposed to be helpful! Freddy knew this! After all, it was in his programming! As far as the bear knew, the policeman could've helped the three find their home!
…Assuming that that wasn't their home just then!
“Because he didn't seem right! Anyone who's handlin' you like that shouldn't be trusted!” Chica responded matter-of-factly, crossing her arms. “Besides, did'ja see that sign? Whoever was on there was not us.”
And whoever built you as leader should'a been fired..., she continued. She intended to say it to herself, but she made the mistake of voicing that particular thought aloud. She flinched and put her hand to her beak, hoping that Freddy hadn't heard.
Unfortunately, he did.
“I guess you're ri-- Wait, what?”,Freddy responded. It took him a moment to register what Chica had said. “What's that supposed to mean?”, he asked.
“W-Wha'd'you think it means?”, Chica asked, silently regretting what she had done at first. But, the more she thought about it, the righter and more frustrated she felt. To her, all the bear's done is lead them on some aimless journey. A journey to nowhere! It made her think back to the 'old days', when Freddy would always leave the stage last. And out of all four toys, he'd do the least in their efforts to get that endoskeleton!
What kind of leader is that?
“You're a terrible leader, Freddy!”, she said outright, scowling the best her plastic face could allow. Freddy was taken aback.
“H-How so?”, the bear asked, frowning.
“Well, for starters, you're the reason we've been wandering out here for the past two hours!”, she exclaimed. “You've got no idea where our own home is, so now we've gotta find it! And surprise surprise, we have no idea where to look!”
“None of us've ever even been outside the pizzeria 'till now, Chica! How would any of us know where it is?” Freddy replied. “A-And, keep it down! People're trying to sleep...”, he said, whispering the last sentence.
“Forget about the people! What about us?! We're in a completely different place to where we're supposed to be! We're separated from our home, ten years in the future, and worst of all, we've been lied to! By that guy, Scott! Who knows what he was gonna do to us? He had that weird air about 'im! He tried keepin' us in that house of his! He was gonna keep us from where we belong! Heck, he probably still has Fo--”
"Chica!”, Freddy yelled, stopping in his tracks and turning towards Chica. The chicken was rendered completely silent by the bear's outburst and she, as well as Bonnie, stared at their leader blankly. Freddy sighed. He didn't mean to raise his voice...
“Chica... Chica, listen. Forget about Scott, at least for now. I know you're sad and frustrated, but you need to calm down. I promise, we're gonna be home soon. I have a great feeling about where we're going right now, okay? Just... bear with me,” he said. Bonnie chuckled at the pun.
“Good one, boss!”, the rabbit exclaimed happily.
“Yeah... Yeah, okay...” Chica replied. “Sorry, Freddy,” she said, looking down slightly. Freddy smiled, before pulling her and Bonnie into a hug.
“Apology accepted, Chica,” he said, before releasing the other two.
“Now, let's get home, alright?” he asked rhetorically, before turning back around, and continuing to walk. Chica nodded in agreement, before following.
“R-Right!”
Bonnie was happy. Though he hated it when his friends argued, he loved it when they made up afterwards. That was why he loved his friends. No matter what happened, he and his friends were inseparable! He, Freddy, Chica, and Foxy! Even though he didn't know where Foxy really was! Maybe she was at the pizzeria, waiting for them! Though, despite all of that, Bonnie couldn't help but feel just the slightest bit...
...Worried.
He thought back to earlier, when he and the others were at that other pizzeria. He was sure that that was their pizzeria! Their home! He thought that they would all return to the place after they were sure they lost that evil policeman, but it's been quite a while now...
Though, all of that did make him think about what he saw inside of their supposed home...
He saw Freddy when he was at the other pizzeria, this he was sure of! He saw Freddy's face, peering out at him from behind that glass door. He saw Chica too! And even...
Himself?
Bonnie rubbed the back of his head. That couldn't be right. He, Chica, and Freddy were outside of the pizzeria at the time! How could he and the others be inside and outside at the same time?
Not to mention, when he thought about it, they didn't quite look like him or his friends. For one thing, the Bonnie he saw inside the building was purple! The Chica he saw was much chubbier, and didn't have that weird pink panel his friend had! Not to mention the fact that the Freddy he saw was much bigger, and a darker brown than his beloved friend and leader! In fact, they kind'of reminded him of those three he saw in the Parts & Services room all those years ago!
Bonnie looked up slightly, remembering those days. He always felt bad for those poor fellahs in that room... It must've been terrible, being shut up in there all day. They never even got to perform for the children, as far as he knew!
Though, that was probably because of how scary they looked...
Regardless, he always made sure to have Chica unlock the door to the room every night so they could have some time to walk around! Imagine his joy when they even joined in when he and his friends would pursue that endoskeleton every night!
But, wait, why would they be in that pizzeria? It was surprising to see, to say the least! Equally as surprising was their state of repair! They looked absolutely stellar compared to their state back in '87. He almost didn't recognize them until just now! He also wondered where the fourth, the red one, was. If he recalled correctly, his name was Foxy... Kind'a like the pink Foxy, but less... pink!
“Whoever was on that sign was not us...”, he remembered Chica saying.
Bonnie tilted his head slightly, recalling that additional piece of information. Those four, he saw them on the sign on top of the building!
He grinned. Lucky them, being featured on the sign and being allowed to walk around like that! He even saw the purple Bonnie with a nice, red guitar! Almost...
...Almost like his own...
The Chica also had a cupcake!
...Kinda like his friend's...
And the Freddy, he had a microphone...
Just like his leader's...
Bonnie began to worry. From what he remembered, the Parts Gang was, well, just that! The Parts Gang! He didn't like it, but they were only kept in the pizzeria as spare parts! Relics from days gone by!
But then, he saw them in the same positions that he and his friends formerly held! They were on the sign, they had all of their accessories, and it was almost as if...
...He and his friends were replaced...
Bonnie shook his head a little. Of course that wasn't the case! How silly! Maybe Management simply opened a new location, to compliment the old one! Yeah, that was it! Bonnie nodded to himself, really liking that idea. Though, he was saddened just the slightest bit by one thing...
He wouldn't have the chance to talk to the old Parts Gang anymore, what with them being at a whole different location now!
“Hey, hey, hey! We're here!”, Freddy soon exclaimed proudly, putting his hands on his hips.
“Haha! Alright!”, Chica exclaimed happily. Bonnie opened his mouth to voice a similar exclamation of approval, but found himself silenced and enamored by the sight he saw before him.
Compared to the building they were at earlier, this one had a much different style. It was much larger than the other pizzeria, and had a more sloped roof. It was more brightly colored, consisting of a mixture of blues, greens, and browns. It had a large, white sign on top, with balloon-like letters spelling out the establishment's name. And unlike before, the characters on the sign actually looked like Bonnie and his friends!
Though, the actual state of the property left much to be desired...
The parking lot was barren and in disrepair, allowing grasses and weeds to grow between the cracks. The building itself didn't seem much better. Windows were cracked, paint was faded and peeling, and the sign itself was missing quite a few letters...
Worst of all, it was all surrounded by a chainlink fence!
“Hrmm...”, Freddy said quietly, putting a hand to his chin. “How're we supposed to get past this? ...And who even put it up?”, he quietly asked. Chica shrugged.
“I'onno. Hey, Bonnie, how d'you think we should get over th--...” Chica looked around, realizing that the rabbit was missing. “...Bonnie?”
To Chica's surprise, Bonnie was already running through the parking lot and toward the front door. No fence was going to stop this rabbit! He was home! He was finally, finally home! Who cares about how long it's been? After all, it had only been a decade. Ten years isn't that long, is it? Surely, everyone will remember him and his friends! Everyone'll be at the pizzeria when he and his friends enter! There'll be Mr. Faz, the manager of the establishment, as well as the rest of the staff! There'll be the Balloon Boy, and even the Marionette with his wonderful music box!
It took a bit of pushing and shoving, but Bonnie managed to shove open the front door of the establishment and ran inside, sliding to a halt as he looked around the room he was in.
Oh, the Main Room! Oh, how he missed it! There was the stage! And the carousel! And even the arcade machines! A permanent grin encompassed his face as he turned slightly, catching sight of the Prize Corner! The Marionette's home! Even though he never got to know his, or her, name, the Marionette was one of Bonnie's best friends!
“Hey! Mary! Marion! It's me! Bonnie!”, he exclaimed before he ran into the Corner. “Say, Mary, where's the music? You always have somethin' on!” he asked, then remarked, noting the odd amount of silence in the room as he entered it.
Where's his, her... their box?, Bonnie wondered. It's usually right here! He approached the spot where the Marionette's present box normally was, stamping his foot on the ground to emphasize his confusion. He then looked at the counter and the shelves behind it, expecting to see the plushies that were normally there.
Not even the plushies were present!
“Weird...”, the rabbit commented aloud. He wondered why neither the toys nor the Marionette were where they were supposed to be. It didn't make any sense! But then...
“...Wait, what if...”
Bonnie remembered that he and the others used play a game as they pursued the endoskeleton every night. They would try their best to hide from the endo's cameras, while also trying to get to the office the fastest. Bonnie chuckled. He was always the first one there...
But, that made him realize something. Maybe everyone was playing hide & seek!
“Hey, guys! Don't play without me!”, Bonnie exclaimed as he exited the room and ran deeper into the pizzeria, making a beeline to the old Parts & Services room. He threw open the door, happily peering inside.
“Hi, guys!”, he exclaimed into the darkness. His expression fell slightly as he received no response.
“...Guys?”, he uncertainly uttered, walking into the room. He flipped the lightswitch, and took a moment to note the room's state.
The room was dusty. Very dusty. There were shelves on the far side of the wall, holding boxes and various odds and ends. Bonnie looked up as the yellowed lightbulb above him flickered and ticked. He began wondering why nobody was here...
Then, it hit him.
“D'oh! Of course! This is the Parts Gang's home! And they're at the other pizzeria!”, he said, putting his hand to his face.
If the others aren't in here, or in the main room, then maybe they're in...
“The party rooms!”, Bonnie shouted, snapping his fingers. “Of course!” It made sense to him. If they weren't anywhere else, they'd be in the party rooms for sure! That's where all the cool things happened! So, he turned around and ventured out of the Parts & Services room!
Bonnie quickly made his way down the hall toward the party rooms. He stopped as the reached the entrances of the four room, and turned about a little.
“Let's see... Eeny, meeny, miney, mo!”, the rabbit playfully exclaimed, pointing one of the four rooms with each word uttered. As his finger landed on a room with the final word, known only as Party Room 4. Bonnie chuckled to himself, glad with his choice. That was his favorite room!
As he entered the party room, the bunny immediately made a beeline toward the camera mounted on the wall. He put his face exceedingly close to it, waving.
“Hi, Mr. Endoskeleton! Your name's, uh... Jeremy, right? Hi, Jeremy! I'm hoooome!”, he happily exclaimed. He almost expected the camera's light to come on, and blind him like it always seemed to do.
However, that didn't happen.
Bonnie tilted his head in confusion, then shrugged.
“A-Alright, well, I'll be right at that office of yours in a jiff! And I've got an extra-special suit juuuust for you! Just you wait!”, Bonnie jovially said, before making an effort to locate the rest of his friends. He looked under the tablecloths, he looked under the tables themselves! He even looked under each of the party hats that were so neatly lined up on each table!
But, alas, he found absolutely nothing! None of his friends were here! None of his friends were anywhere! He was starting to worry...
Being ever hopeful, however, he knew that there were three more party-rooms to search!
And so, he searched the rest of the rooms! However, aside from the usual things that were there, such as the tables, party hats, and some oddly deflated balloons, he found absolutely nothing!
Bonnie frowned, sitting in one of the chairs. He was really, really confused now...
If they weren't in the main room, the Parts & Services room, or the Prize Corner, maybe they'd be in...
The Office itself!
It was the manager's office during the day, and it doubled as the hiding spot for that endoskeleton at night! Maybe, just maybe, everyone was waiting there! Maybe they've caught that Jeremy fellow and are preparing to get him all suited up! Fully satisfied with his theory, the bunny took off his guitar and left it leaning against the wall. He got on his hands and knees, and began to crawl through the vent that led out of the room. He was so excited! Everyone'll be there! Everyone! And they'll cheer for him! They'll say how much they've missed him and his friends! The children'll be there too! Oh, yes, the children!
Bonnie peeked out of the vent, poking his head into the Security Office. He slowly looked left, then right, using his nightvision to peer through the darkness. There was usually a light on in here...
Maybe they were concealing the surprise!
Wiggling his way out of that tight space, he stood up and flicked the switch on the wall. Like the one in the Parts & Services room, the room's light flickered and turned on with some difficulty, illuminating the room in a deep yellow light. He turned around and around, looking about the office. Where were his friends? Where was Jeremy? Where was...
Where was anyone?
Worriedly putting his fingers to his mouth, Bonnie slowly approached the security desk, glancing at the old tablet in the nearby chair. As he put his hand on the desk, preparing to look under it, he hesitated. He had a feeling, just a dreadful inkling of a feeling, that if he were to look under this desk, he'd find...
...Absolutely nothing...
Bonnie's ears began to droop. Nobody was here. Nobody except for him, Freddy, and Chica. Where even was Foxy? Where were the rest of his friends?
Bonnie wanted, needed, answers! He thought, and thought, and thought, until...
He realized – It was after closing time! Of course nobody would be here! But, that didn't explain the endoskeleton's absence... That guy was here every night!
Bonnie glanced at the security chair once more, taking note of the old, dusty tablet sitting there. He tilted his head a little, noticing his reflection in the black screen. In fact, he could also see...
“...W-Wow!”
Bonnie wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed it before, but the back wall of the security office was absolutely covered with rows of framed papers! As Bonnie took a closer look, he noticed that they were newspaper clippings! Growing increasingly curious, he began to read through them.
'Grand Reopening!'
After a two year absence and an acquirement by an up & coming robotics manufacturer - Fazbear Entertainment - Fredbear's Family Diner reopens its doors at a new location and under a new name!
---
'Records Broken!'
The 'New and Improved' Freddy Fazbear Pizzeria breaks record after record as customers flock to the establishment just to get the slightest look at the establishment's animatrons!
If it weren't for their metallic parts, Bonnie Bunny, Chica Chicken, Freddy Fazbear, and Foxy LaFox would almost lead you to believe that they were merely people in suits! These robots and their groundbreaking artificial intelligence are attracting quite the attention, both positive and perhaps even negative! What do we mean by that, you may ask? Well, just see below.
On August 15th, a rival company had even opened its own Australian themed restaurant in an attempt to cash in on these recent events!
Dundee Dingo's Dandy Diner!
Unsurprisingly, the Diner's own robots were designed with similar goals to the Fazbear Gang! With the Diner already attracting customers, this may sow the seeds for some heated competition, competition that may never see closure!
---
'Closure!'
On the 19th of September, The 'Quadrupal-D' had to close its doors. The CEO of Dingo-Corp, Derrick Brown, delivered a solemn speech to a small audience today.
'We just couldn't do it,' he said. 'I don't know how they do it, but those [Fazbear] robots. They're like people. It doesn't make any sense! How can a company, in the dawn of the age of robotics, achieve this sort of thing? My colleagues and I may never know'.
'And the company keeps updating them, too! I confess - Every week, I send some of my employees to the place to figure out what makes those bots tick. And every time they come back, they tell me about the increasing intelligence of those things! Every week, they get smarter and smarter. I just don't get it.'
Melbourne Marsupial, Jill The 'Roo, Karen Koala, Kanku Kookaburra, and even Dundee Dingo himself were last seen being trucked off, possibly never to be seen again.
---
Bonnie's smile returned. He remembered all of this fondly! The restaurant's opening, the rise and fall of competition, it was all a whimsical memory to him! The rabbit turned around and hugged himself as he remembered more and more of those years gone by. He really missed those golden days...
He did feel bad about the Quadrupal-D, though... Though he never met them in person, they seemed pretty friendly in the commercials he saw on the pizzeria's television! He also noted the manager's scribbling on some of the clippings, saying things such as 'Nice work guys!!!!' and 'Hahaha!!' on the ones concerning the competing Diner. Mr. Faz was always a really business-driven guy...
Bonnie turned back around, looking the wall over once more. He almost wished he could take some of these with him!
“Oh!”, Bonnie exclaimed. “It seems I've missed a few, haha!”
The rabbit leaned forward slightly as he noticed a few more newspaper clippings. Unlike the others, Bonnie really, really didn't like what these had to say...
He purposefully skipped over one of them, after realizing that it surrounded the murders and the events surrounding them. He was fine with remembering those golden days, but he did not want to remember that golden suit. So, he skipped on to the final clipping!
He soon wished he hadn't.
'Robots Scrapped'
Freddy Fazbear's is Closing
After being open only a few short weeks, Freddy Fazbear's Pizza is closing it's doors. The new animatronics will be scrapped due to possible malfunctions, however the original characters are being kept in hopes of a possible reorganization of the company.
“It's a minor setback. We are confident that we will reopen someday, even if it is with a smaller budget.” - CEO, Fazbear Ent.
Bonnie felt as if he was hit by a train. A train packed with trucks that were carrying buses. He read it again and again, his metaphorical heart sinking with each word.
Robots scrapped...
Closing its doors...
Possible malfunctions...
Bonnie wasn't malfunctioning! At least, he was pretty sure he wasn't! The rabbit knew that that the pizzeria was closing for at least a few days, with the possibility of him and the others being moved to a new building, but he didn't know that this hiatus was more...
Indefinite...
He took a step back, processing what he read. He made a hiccuping noise, freezing as he realized what this meant! It's been ten years, and there's a new pizzeria... A new pizzeria, with new animatronics! He...
He was replaced!
Bonnie covered his face with his hands as he felt himself heat up. He didn't understand! How could they do this to him? How could they do this to his friends? Didn't those few weeks, rather months, mean anything to the company? He didn't want to believe it, he didn't. But, despite his best attempts to think different, he knew he was right...
He forced himself to turn around, looking at the office's walls through the gaps between his fingers. He noticed began to notice some drawings, drawings of him and the others with that very familiar text on the top and bottom of each...
My Fun Day at The
New
Freddy Fazbear's Pizza!
“The children!”, he exclaimed, ripping his hands from his face in sudden panic. His primary function was to please the children, amuse the children, bring all the joy he can to the children! And he...
He failed them!
The children must've forgotten about him after all this time. They don't remember Bonnie. The only Bonnie they know is Purple. Purple, Chubby Cheeks, and Big Fred. And probably that red eyepatch-Foxy too!
Bonnie shivered and shook, putting his hands on his cheeks in distress and despair. Rattling filled the room as his skeleton shook against his suit's panels. His attempts to process all of this made his head feel so, so hot. This must've been how the Parts Gang felt. Nobody to entertain, nobody to talk to except for the others that were in the same position as you!
Finally, with a loud pop emanating from the bot's head, his thoughts began to slow down. He began to feel weak, slow, tired. Why did this have to happen? He didn't do anything to deserve this, this fate! He thought he was performing his duties quite well...
With a creak, then a crash, Bonnie fell.
The lightbulb in the room then flickered, before finally shattering.