Chica awoke slowly, her surroundings a blurry haze. She yawned, then took in the scene around her. She was still backstage. Then, she remembered. The Life Giver!

Peeking around the curtain, she watched the Toy Animatronics creak slowly to life. She would have a few minutes before they noticed her absence. Without a second thought, she sneaked out of the performance area and through the double doors that led to the main hall. Chica dashed all the way down to the Storage Room, ignoring the ominous second hallway that led directly to their greatest enemy. Purple Guy could wait.

Arriving at the large closet, she knocked rapidly. After a moment, she heard him. "Chica?" Freddy whispered through the door.

"I'm here." she said, "And I don't have much time."

"What is it?"

"There's something the Toy Animatronics have trapped in a music box. They call it the 'Life Giver.' It could stop them!"

"What?" Freddy asked, "How do you know?"

"They're so adamant about keeping it locked away. Freddy, this could be what takes them down! We have to-"

Chica stiffened at a noise behind her and whipped around, taking an offensive stance. Before her sat a large tool box, full of hammers, screwdrivers, and other items. She looked around to see what had planted it there, but saw only a vent cover closing.

"Chica! What's happening?" Freddy called worriedly. Just as he was about to call again, the doorknob rattled violently. He stepped back as the door flew open, revealing Chica, holding a screwdriver and beaming.

"I think we have a guardian angel." She smiled.

---

"So, wait, what's the plan?" Foxy asked skeptically.

"Chica's going back to distract the Toy Animatronics while we take this tool box and bust open the music box. We free the Life-Giver and beat the Toys."

"And then what?!" Foxy yelled, "What about Purple Guy?"

Freddy shrugged, "We'll figure that out later."

"Are you even hearing yourself? You guys think I'm crazy, but you're the ones charging in with some half-baked plan!"

"Well, what do you propose we do?"

"Nothing right now!" Foxy growled, "We stay in here, Chica stays out there until-"

"Until what?" Freddy stepped forward, getting angry himself, "Until she gets caught and killed? Or maybe until they force her to confront Purple Guy alone!"

Freddy grabbed Foxy's shoulders and stared into his eyes.

"We're not safe here. We're not safe out there. But we can't just sit here and wait until everything suddenly gets better. We need to do it ourselves."

Foxy's aggression died down slightly. "Well... well then... what about Bonnie?"

"What about me?"

A quiet voice startled the two, and their eyes moved to the form laying down in the corner of the room. Bonnie smiled, wincing slightly. Foxy and Freddy didn't move at first. Foxy's eyes looked Bonnie up and down as he struggled to find something to say. He gave up on words and threw himself forward onto the ground, enveloping Bonnie in careful hug. Bonnie hugged back as best he could.

Freddy knelt down and patted Bonnie's arm, smiling broadly. Bonnie smiled back, and pulled away from Foxy to give Freddy a quick hug as well.

"How do you feel? Is your face okay? I tried to reattach it but I'm not sure if I-" Foxy rambled.

Bonnie put his hand on Foxy's mouth. "Shut up. You sound just like me." He laughed lightly, but Foxy's concern didn't fade. Bonnie's face softened, "Yes, it's fine. I mean, it hurts, but not as much."

"Well, I guess that decides it." Freddy stated. Foxy, still unconvinced, looked at Bonnie.

Bonnie gave him a thumbs-up. Foxy groaned and crossed his arms.

"If this goes horribly, I blame you two."

---

Chica marched back up the corridor, three toy animatronics in tow. Halfway to the Storage Room, another hallway loomed to the left. It was dark, and empty. But what lay at the end was surely a fate worse than death.

She halted mid-turn, the terror nearly overcoming her. Toy Freddy chuckled, "Not losing your nerve on us, are you, darlin'? Wouldn't want you to have to take some time in the closet again." Chica turned and greeted him with a seductive smile.

"I was hoping you would show me how it's done, muffin." She added a wink, just to top it off. Toy Freddy ate it up, and sauntered forward, taking the lead. Toy Bonnie quickened his pace to stay close behind him. Chica couldn't remember if she had ever seen him blink. Finally, Toy Chica pouted and started walking as well, slamming her shoulder aggressively into Chica's as she passed. Chica breathed a sigh of relief as she saw her friends sneak past towards the stage room.

'Now to keep the Toys distracted.' she thought, following the plastic horrors down the hallway.

She passed a few party rooms on her left and right side until she caught up with the ruthless animatronics. Toy Freddy motioned to the end of the hallway. "That's the night guard office." Toy Freddy said, "That's where that bastard watches us from every night."

"Purple Guy." Chica breathed.

Toy Freddy nodded, and smirked. "He can't see us in this hall, but once we're close to the door, he can turn on his flashlight and see us coming. Then he has enough time to shut the door."

Toy Chica groaned, "It's so annoying, we try to get him through the vents! We try to get him through the doors! We send Balloon Boy in but that little shit only cares about stealing the guy's batteries!"

Chica quirked an eyebrow. "Batteries?"

"Yeah, he's kind of a dumbass."

"Balloon Boy is... challenged," Toy Freddy began, "but he does know the ins and outs of this restaurant the best."

Toy Bonnie giggled, "Otherwise, he'd be in time-out too!"

Chica thought back to poor Mangle. Then, she pushed that thought out of her mind. Getting sentimental could give herself away. "What's the plan, then?"

"Glad you asked." Toy Freddy replied menacingly, "The Purple Guy likes to outsmart us, you see? He thinks it's real fun! Well, we'll be the ones laughing when this week is up."

"What do you mean?"

"We've been working on a... secret weapon of sorts." Toy Freddy started.

Chica's eyes widened. The Life Giver?

Toy Freddy pointed at Chica. "You are the extra manpower we need to distract him tonight. Throw him off balance. The real fun starts tomorrow, when he's too busy accounting for you to expect what we have coming."

He turned to the other two. "Bonnie, enter through the left vent. Chica, the right. I want you two on top of each other." Then he turned to Chica. "I'm going to the door. Once he closes it, follow me there as quietly as you can. Then, I'll explain the rest."

The other Toy Animatronics nodded, and soon, all were off in their separate directions. Chica stood still, waiting for her signal.

Hopefully, it would never come.

---

Freddy, Foxy, and Bonnie sneaked across the entrance to the second hall, seeing Chica briefly as she watched them pass. Freddy said a quick prayer that she would be alright.

The three made it into the stage room, Freddy and Foxy each supporting one side of Bonnie. Despite his numerous protests beforehand, saying his legs weren't injured and he didn't need the help, Bonnie quit complaining after he nearly passed out standing up. While, neither liked the idea of moving him, Foxy and Freddy agreed it was better than leaving Bonnie alone and defenseless.

Now they were nearly in the Prize Corner, where Chica said it would be. The giant gift-wrapped box sat unguarded.

"You think Chica is right about Balloon Boy? That he could be a good guy?" Foxy asked suspiciously.

Freddy thought for a moment. "Well, he doesn't have anything to gain from helping us, but why would he tell Chica about this? Why would he leave us the toolbox?"

Foxy frowned, "It seems mighty sketchy to me."

"He could be under their thumb." Bonnie suggested, "Like we are. Maybe he wants to get out of here too."

The music from the box slowed and stopped, causing them all to go silent.

Cautiously, Freddy inched forward. "Hello?" he called, "Um, Life Giver?"

Nothing.

...

...

First one.

Freddy jumped back slightly. The voice was quiet. It was a child's voice...

Good heart... couldn't waste it.

The lid of the box rose slightly. Two small, glowing white pupils pierced through the darkness inside.

Third one... energy... fourth one... kind.

I thought I'd lost you all.

"Lost us?" Bonnie asked. They tensely awaited as a form slowly rose out of the box.

It was a tall puppet, with long black and white striped limbs and a white mask. The mask was carved into the shape of a smile, but painted under the eyes to resemble tear tracks. The eyes themselves were gaping black holes, the only light coming from the pupils inside. It looked down at the three, and none of them expected what it said next.

I'm sorry.

Freddy swallowed hard, realizing. "You're sorry you made us."

Foxy and Bonnie stared at him wide-eyed, but Freddy kept eye-contact with the Puppet. It stared back.

Yes.

"Why?" Foxy asked.

And the Puppet told them.

I found you. Five of you.

The monster did awful things.

Five gone.

I gave gifts.

Nothing happened.

I gave more gifts.

Nothing.

Gone.

But one more gift.

The greatest gift.

Life.

Life without knowing the awful things.

Life and everyone was happy.

But one did know.

And then the monster came back.

I thought I'd lost you all.

Then five more.

Five more right here.

I had to try again.

But I had to try it different.

...

I failed.

All was quiet. Then, Foxy growled. "You did this to us! We're stuck here because of you!" He tried to lunge at the Puppet, but Bonnie held him back. "Foxy, stop!"

Freddy was glaring. Staring down the Puppet as it loomed overhead. Then, he sighed.

"You can't beat them, can you?" The Puppet didn't answer. Freddy continued, "You can only give us life, but you can't control what happens to us once we're alive. Or what they do."

They are angry.

They want to kill.

It doesn't matter who.

It doesn't matter if it's the monster.

They want death.

Bonnie's head shot up, and he winced slightly when it did, but continued nonetheless, "Then the night guard isn't Purple Guy?"

Foxy looked at him quizzically, "What?"

"If this thing is right, the Toy Animatronics are deluding themselves. They say they want to kill the night guard because he's Purple Guy, but maybe they just want to kill."

"Because of what they lost." Freddy finished.

"Exactly." Bonnie smiled, "That's one less thing we have to worry about."

Foxy snorted. "Yeah, except that means they have absolutely no problem torturing us until we fall apart. Like... like Mangle." His eyes darted to Kid's Cove, the entryway just at the end of the room.

"We need to stop them." Freddy said, "The Toy Animatronics won't stop until they have blood. Even after that..." he shuddered, "We've got some tools. We've got each other. They took us by surprise last time but we can end this!"

"Not tonight." Bonnie remarked, observing the clock, "It's nearly six a.m. We have to get back to the Storage Closet before they notice we're gone."

Too late.

The three of them froze and looked up at the Puppet. It's eyes had gone hollow.

They're coming.

---

Chica nearly jumped when she heard a metal door slam shut. Then she listened. Through the piercing silence, she could make out a low whistle. Recognizing this as the signal, she walked as quietly as she could up to the door, meeting Toy Freddy there.

"Great job." he said with a wink. Chica hated how close to him she had to be. "What now?" she asked, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice.

"I'm going to walk back." Toy Freddy whispered, "Chances are, he didn't hear you approach, but he'll hear me leave. When he feels safe, he'll open this door..."

Chica froze.

"Y-You're leaving me to attack him a-alone?"

"Don't tell me you're losing your nerve, now?" he said in a low tone. Chica quickly realized her mistake. "Of- of course not!" she replied, almost too loudly.

Toy Freddy paused for a long moment, then grinned.

"Good luck."

He walked back up the hall, letting each footstep clang loudly against the hard floor. With every step, Chica breathed a little faster.

"Calm down, calm down." she whispered to herself.

CLANG.

"You can do this, you can do this, you can do this."

CLANG.

"For your friends, do it for your friends."

CLANG.

She looked at the door. Through it she could almost see his white, pupil-less eyes.

CLANG!

His demonic smile.

CLANG!

His voice...

CLANG!

"Does the nice little girl want to come to my party?"

CLANG!!!

Chica couldn't take it anymore. Fear gripped her heart and lungs so tightly she would suffocate. Without a second thought, she bolted.

A few moments flew by in which she couldn't process anything. Then, a strong arm around hers snapped her out of it as it pulled her to a halt.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Toy Freddy roared in her face. His grip on her arm didn't falter. "WE NEARLY HAD HIM!"

Toy Chica and Toy Bonnie approached from their own rooms, and the former laughed. "I told you, the slut is nothing more than a poor, prissy pu-" Toy Chica was cut off when Toy Freddy's hand came down on her face.

"SHUT UP!" he yelled. Toy Chica went silent, holding her cheek. Toy Freddy turned back to Chica. "We are going to try this again, and if you mess up one mo-"

"Wait." Toy Freddy stopped, and they all looked at Toy Bonnie. His ears stood up straight, and his eyes were aglow. With haunting certainty he whispered.

"   Some   one   broke   my   mu   sic   box   .   "

The blue psychopath dashed down the hall, heading to the stage room. Toy Freddy stood confused until the realization dawned on him.

"You."

His eyes met Chica's in a rage that was only matched by the fires of hell. Chica knew he might very well kill her on the spot. So, she did the only thing she thought was appropriate at that time.

She smiled in that bastard's face. "Eat shit, asshole." she said with a satisfying amount of mirth.

Toy Freddy threw her to the floor, and let loose a terrible scream. He pointed at Toy Chica and shouted, "I want her in pieces the next time I lay eyes on her or else you get to sleep with Mangle. Got it?!"

He thundered down the halls, swinging right. Chica didn't have time to breathe a sigh of relief before she caught sharp movement in the corner of her eye and rolled to the side. Where she once lay was a crater in the floor, Toy Chica's fist inside. The Toy's lips curled into a deranged smile.

"Time to die, bitch."

Chica scrambled up as Toy Chica lunged at her, dashing deeper into the hall. She swung quickly into a party room and dove under a table. The other followed her into the room and walked around, throwing each table out of the way. Right before Chica's table, she stopped. Chica realized she couldn't move either, and everything was slowly going dark. The night was over.

"I hope you have sweet dreams." Toy Chica struggled to say as the two slowly shut down, "Because I'll be here when you wake up!"