Too Familiar
The blue rabbit stretched his arms above his head and stared through the darkness at the ceiling for several silent moments. Beside him he could hear the soft, peaceful breathing of his one-night partner, sleeping the night away. Slowly, he sat up and looked over at the lonely, curious woman who had shared her bed with him.
She was pretty by many standards. Not gorgeous, not sexy, but pretty. She was a petite, dark-furred mouse with narrow hips, thin waist, and long legs. She was pretty and she wasn’t looking for anything serious; she just wanted a night to satisfy her fantasy. The fur on the side of her neck, faintly stained red, was the only evidence of her fantasy- the only hint to what kind of place she had gone to seek it out and what kind of monster she had let into her home.
His tongue flicked across his fangs as, silently and without waking the mouse, he slipped out of the bed and grabbed his clothes. No, he mused wryly to himself as he dressed in the darkness of the early morning, he probably wouldn’t have looked twice at the girl had he not been… hungry. She wasn’t exactly his type, after all. Too small, too thin, too fragile, too… well, too female.
However, it was always better to go for someone he knew wouldn’t try to bite back- someone who even he could keep control over. It made things less… messy. Less… lethal.
Fastening his cloak back into place, he considered just stepping through the closet to go home, but it was such a nice night out… he closed his eyes, remembering the sight of the moon high above, the stars twinkling as they watched him from however far away they were… Yeah, I think I’ll walk home tonight.
With that decided, he turned to the door and slipped out of her bedroom. He didn’t leave a note- she had already known he’d be gone by morning, he had told her when she first suggested it- but he did make sure the front door was locked as he stepped into the night. It was early morning- barely past five if he had to guess, nearly an hour before sunrise.
“I guess that was fun,” he mumbled to himself as he turned away and walked down the front path, pulling his hood up over his fur. He didn’t want to ruin her reputation with her neighbors, after all, and a black cloak was much harder to spot than bright blue fur. “Tasty, though,” he added with a small grin. “And easy.”
Lakeview Road was on the opposite side of the city. It would be at least a forty minute walk, meaning he might have to finish the trip through the shadows, but it would be nice to just stroll through the moonlit streets. He headed towards the downtown portion of the city that was close to the mouse’s home. A walk by the river doesn’t sound too bad either.
A sigh escaped his lips; the June air was warm but not overbearingly hot. It was definitely cooler than the daytime, he knew. He had woken up plenty of times in the middle of the day to kick off his blanket and whine about how damned hot it was and bemoan the fact that none of them had the ability to freeze things because he would so love to be an ice block right now…
He hummed happily to himself and skipped a bit on the sidewalk, glancing out towards the water. Oh, at the river already? Cool. Around him some early-morning strollers were giving him strange looks but he paid them no mind. Ah, it’s so pretty… Mangle would love to paint this scene. Maybe one night I can get her out of the house and down here. Heh, we all could get out of the house for a night without Hunting.
Blu closed his eyes, knowing from experience that people would move aside for him, allowing him to pass with more than a little space to spare. It was something natural, the air around them seeming... off. People always stepped aside for him and his brothers and sisters. Downtown was rather dead at this time of the morning, so as he left the park and entered the old, grid streets the presence of people and their scents faded behind him. As his eyes were closed, though, something flashed through his mind.
It was an image, causing him to pause midstep. It was a purple rabbit, he noted as the image faded away only to be replaced by a spiking headache. He groaned softly and put a hand to his forehead; sometimes he really hated having visions.
“No sense in just standing here,” he muttered, continuing to walk down the sidewalk as he rubbed his temples. He pondered over the vision for a little while.
Purple rabbit? He only knew one purple rabbit, but there was no way that little bunny had grown up into such a cocky-looking adult. I do wonder how those kids are doing…Ugh, Blu, stop it. It was a single night after you pretty much tormented them.
It had been nice, though, to have real company. To have a “friend” outside of each other, at least for that one night. Even if he had to watch his words around them, it had been nice to be treated somewhat “normal” for once.
After all, a kid who doesn’t believe in vampires wouldn’t know when they faced one.
“Blu, you’re dressed... strangely. Where are you going?”
“Just downtown to that weird club again. It’s so much easier to Feed there.”
“Right… well… you have fun with that. Meanwhile, we’re just gonna Hunt the traditional way, alright?”
“Yeah, and hope they don’t die.”
“Oh come on, we haven’t accidentally killed anyone since, uh, ‘87 was it?”
“We don’t talk about ‘87, Spring.”
“Right, sorry, Mangle, sorry.”
“Besides, that was almost thirty years ago now, Blu, just drop it already.”
“Fine, fine. Just saying, it’s so much easier when your partner is willing.”
“... You mean victim.”
“Not for me~ Seeya in the morning, guys!”
“Be sure to get here before six o’clock, the sun rises around five-fifty.”
“I know, I know, I’ll be careful and not get Dusted. Geez, Spring, I’m over two hundred, do you think I’m a novice?”
“Sometimes I wonder about you, Blu.”
“Oh come on, Goldie, you’re being ridiculous.”
“I’m telling you, it was real,” the golden bear insisted, frowning as he walked through the store. It was almost three in the morning but he needed to get something now and had, perhaps unwisely, decided to talk to Bonnie about it.
“Goldie, there was nothing there,” the rabbit on the other side of the phoneline huffed. “It was just an empty room.”
“But I swear I saw something!”
“Your mind was playing tricks on you. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
The golden bear grit his teeth, just barely biting back his retort. No, he knew it was real and that was good enough, he told himself. Good enough. Besides… none of them had mentioned that in nearly four and a half years.
“Bonnie, I’m telling you, there was something in there with us.”
“Look, I need to get back to work, Gold. Do yourself a favour and get these crazy ideas out of your head. I thought we got past this.”
“Fine,” Goldie growled before hanging up, not bothering to say goodbye. He silenced his phone and dropped it in his pocket before finally exiting the store, three bags of groceries in hand. He stalked down the road.
The roads were rather empty at this time of night, the only light coming from streetlamps, a few passing cars, and the shops he was passing. He knew that if he stuck to the main road he would reach his apartment in ten minutes, but a cut through an alley could cut that down to three. It wasn’t exactly safe but Goldie wasn’t exactly weak, either. He knew self defense, and if he needed he did have a knife he could use.
With that thought in mind, he crossed the road quickly towards the alley he knew connected the main road to his neighborhood. It was a long alley, admittedly- very long, not very wide, and very dark- but it was quicker than walking all the way down the road and all the way down the side road and all the way down the street again just to end up somewhere he was nearly parallel to already.
He sighed as he stepped into the alley, glancing around. From what he could see, the alley was empty. Good news for me, he mused as he walked further down. The sounds of the streets, the last few stragglers, faded the further into the alley he went. When the last sound faded away, it happened.
It being that someone suddenly grabbed his shoulders from behind, whirled him around, and shoved his back against the wall, all faster than he could register and react to.
His head collided painfully with the bricks as his groceries fell around him and he let out a groan, opening his bright blue eyes to look at his assailant.
It was a rabbit- a golden rabbit who was nearly a foot shorter than himself, but his grip on the bear was strong. His green eyes were narrowed and his ears were flat, his fangs bared-
Wait. Fangs? Goldie’s head was swimming and the image of the rabbit doubled and tripled but- yes, those were fangs. And… an ear cut halfway down… green eyes, gold fur, half-cut ear, fangs, scar across the face-
It’s Spring, he realized suddenly, eyes widening in shock. It was Spring who was standing in front of him, pinning him against the wall with a strength no rabbit his size should possess, looking as though he were about to attack. Maybe he is.
But- no, maybe he was wrong, he thought wildly. It was too familiar- too same. Spring would be at least thirty-two by now, he wouldn’t still look like a teenager. It was impossible, there was no way it could be… but… he only knew of two rabbits with fangs like that.
Through his muddled brain, time seemed to have slowed down. What felt like five minutes had been no more than three seconds; his thoughts, shooting rapidly around his mind in those three seconds, decided to make themselves verbal.
“S… Spring…?” he let slip, despite the fact that there is no way this is Spring, Spring wouldn’t attack me, Spring is twice this age now, Spring isn’t-
The rabbit paused and Goldie realized he had been about to strike- with what, though? His fangs? Like a vampire? His fangs were still bared and his eyes narrowed as he studied Goldie, and Goldie’s heart began to suddenly race; something wasn’t right with this scene.
Several tense, silent seconds passed before the rabbit’s eyes widened- shock and horror flashed through them within the same moment- and his mouth snapped shut, blocking those fangs from view. He jerked back, away from Goldie as though he had been burned, and the sudden loss of leverage sent the dizzy bear tumbling to the ground.
Goldie groaned and pushed himself up onto his knees, looking up at the rabbit- at Spring, he was positive now. From the ground it was so obvious. It was the view he remembered clearly from his childhood; looking up at the rabbit looking down at him. The horrified expression was rather new, though.
Spring slowly backed away from him, hands cradled against his chest. “G-Goldie?” he stammered, staring down at the golden bear with wide, horrified eyes. I knew it!
Shoving himself to his feet, Goldie said, “I knew you were real!” Then he remembered exactly what had just happened- the way the rabbit bared his fangs, pinning him against the alley wall. That wasn't an innocent action. “You just attacked me!” he cried, pointing accusingly at Spring. The golden rabbit, however, didn’t seem to plan on sticking around to explain himself. He suddenly whirled around, facing the shadowed wall, and Goldie remembered- just a flash, but he did- a blue rabbit disappearing into the shadows of a darkened room. “Oh no you don’t!”
He leapt at the rabbit, tackling him just as he reached the shadow. With a startled shriek from the rabbit, they both tumbled through the shadows…
And they were at the end of the alley. Goldie, disoriented and still dizzy from the hit on his head, stared out towards the road. It was far enough away that no one would notice him lying face-down in an alley but close enough that he could actually see his apartment complex. And his window.
It took him a moment longer to notice the soft body beneath him, trying to wiggle away. “Get off me!”
He blinked and looked down at the rabbit under him. The rabbit, stomach to the cobbled alley floor, was trying to crawl away. No.
“No,” he said aloud, frowning and suddenly grabbing the rabbit’s arms- effectively pinning him to the ground, much to the rabbit’s shock. “No,” he repeated, staring at the rabbit glancing at him over his shoulder. Spring didn’t look scared, per say, but worry was evident in his gaze. “No, dammit, I’ve been waiting fourteen years to get answers about that night and don’t think I’m gonna just let you go after finally seeing you again,” he growled, grip tightening on the rabbit’s arms. The rabbit just barely winced at the pressure- or was it his tone of voice? Goldie wasn’t quite sure.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Spring stuttered. It was obvious he was lying.
“I’m talking about that night everyone tells me was just a game,” he deadpanned, scowling. “Are you real or am I crazy?”
“Uh, maybe both…?”
“I’m not crazy!”
“Then obviously it’s the other one, of course I’m real!” the rabbit groaned, dropping his head against the ground. “Is this really how this is gonna go? Fourteen years ago my friends and I scared you half to death and then gave you cookies, strawberry pancakes, and sweet tea, and then we played games in the living room until all of you fell asleep. That’s all it was!”
“We never saw you again,” Goldie accused, glaring at the rabbit who was no longer looking at him.
“We don’t get out much.”
“You don’t look a day over eighteen. Hell, you don’t look a day over seventeen. But it was fourteen years ago.”
“Thanks, I look great for my age,” the rabbit stated flatly, still not looking at him. “Now seriously, get off of me before someone walks past and thinks this is much worse than it actually is.”
Well that hadn’t even crossed Goldie’s mind, but now that the rabbit pointed it out the position did seem very… er…
Goldie frowned. “I want answers, Spring. I’m tired of second-guessing myself and I’m tired of my friends and brother thinking I’m a delusional nutcase.”
Spring was silent for several moments before glancing up at him, frowning slightly. Then he hesitantly said, “If I agree to answer your questions, will you let me go?”
“You have to do more than agree, you have to actually answer them,” Goldie immediately responded, eyeing the golden-furred Animal.
“Not out on the streets, surely,” Spring sighed, his gaze shifting towards the road in front of them. “Anyone could hear anything out here.”
“Well that’s my apartment complex right across the road so it’s your lucky day,” Goldie informed him, sarcasm slipping into his tone. The way the rabbit’s ears twitched told him that he hadn’t been anticipating that. So he was just trying to get away. Ha, can’t slip past me, old ‘friend.’
“Fine,” the other groaned, dropping his head against the cobbles again. “I’ll answer your questions but you have to let me go afterwards.”
“I have no plans on kidnapping you,” Goldie snorted, now standing up though he still didn’t release the golden-furred Animal’s arms. He didn’t exactly trust him, really.
“Funny, this feels a lot like kidnapping.”
“Just walk, rabbit, or I will take drastic measures.”
As he marched the rabbit across the street, he considered pulling his phone out and texting Freddy, Chica, Foxy, or even Bonnie about it. However, as he considered it, the purple rabbit’s words flashed through his mind and he scowled, ignoring the person at the counter’s suspicious gaze as he lead Spring up to his apartment on the fourth floor.
Fuck them. They don’t believe it was real so why should I tell them about this? If I get killed then that’ll just show them won’t it.
“Get home and rest, Bon, you look like death warmed over.”
The purple rabbit rolled his eyes. “Aw, Mikey,” he chuckled as he picked his bag up from his work locker. “You know that ain’t true. I’m hardly even tired.”
“It’s five in the morning, if you’re not tired you need to be shot,” the human complained as he straightened his uniform and pulled his cap on. “Why are you always out at night, anyway? You just finished university, you can’t have changed your habits that fast.”
“Au contraire,” Bonnie said, closing the locker. “In university, I did everything at night.”
“Lemme guess, the night before it was due?”
“Hell yeah,” he laughed an agreement and looked at the clock. 5:17. “Well, I’m gonna head out. Jeremy’s manning the front right now, better get in there before Scottie rips us a new one for letting the newbie run the register on his own.”
“It’s five in the damn morning, no one’s gonna come in.”
“Mm, I dunno, I had a few customers around midnight,” Bonnie contradicted, hitching his bag up on his shoulder. “Seeya, Mikey!”
He didn’t hear what the shorter male had to say as he was out of the employee locker rooms before he could respond. With a brief wave to the freckled redhead at the register, he hurried out of the door. It was still almost pitch black, save for the streetlights, and the sidewalk was completely empty.
Taking a deep breath, the purple rabbit closed his eyes. It was early June. He and his best friends- his family- had just taken their final step into adulthood. At age twenty-two, they had graduated university. Each of them had different degrees but there was one thing that surrounded them; art. Music for Bonnie and the bear twins, graphic for Foxy, and culinary for Chica.
Everything had gone according to plan, but now there was just one question… what now? Sure, he and his friends were all talented and smart, but what exactly did they expect to be able to do? Become teachers? The thought made him laugh; how many times had he and his friends disobeyed their teachers and parents growing up?
Growing up… that had been an experience for Bonnie. Briefly, a certain stormy night flashed across his memory- flashed just as quick and fleeting as the lightning had been that night. That’s when things really started changing, I guess… He could remember the things he saw in the shadows, how they had frightened him. Now he was more likely to attack those shadows than to run away.
All of them were.
It was seventh grade when Bonnie finally realized he was the tallest out of his friends. It was ninth grade before he realized he was different mentally, too; stronger, harder to upset, quick with a retort. But just the same, he was still Bonnie Henderson and he was still the “brother” of Freddy, Goldie, Chica, and Foxy.
You messed with one of them, you messed with all of them.
It was interesting, really, comparing themselves to their childhood selves. They had grown from the children who would stand up and simply take the punch to the adults who would deflect that punch and give it right back.
Bonnie’s thoughts were cut short when a smaller figure ran straight into him, causing the other to fall onto the ground with an oomph. He himself stumbled, more out of surprise than momentum, and opened his eyes to look at the ground where the figure had fallen.
His immediate response was, “Are you okay?” However, as he caught sight of a dark cloak, bright blue fur, long fluffy ears, and sharp fangs his voice trailed off halfway through the final word. He felt frozen as he stared at the familiar rabbit- because yes, that rabbit was very familiar, too familiar- sitting there on the ground, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the concrete sidewalk.
The rabbit on the ground laughed in embarrassment, opening his (emerald green) eyes to look up at Bonnie. “Sorry, wasn’t watching where I was going!” he apologized, picking himself up off of the ground. Bonnie just stared with wide red eyes. The blue rabbit gave him a sheepish smile and he doesn’t recognize me. “Um? Excuse me? Er… Okay, uh, I’ll just go n-”
“Wait!” Bonnie cut him off before he could stop himself, reaching out and grabbing the rabbit’s shoulder before he could pass. The smaller rabbit tensed under his touch and looked at him, green eyes cautious. “Just- you’re- uh, you’re… real?”
He felt almost stupid for asking that. Confusion slid over the rabbit’s face, his brows scrunching together as he watched Bonnie. “Huh? Er, yeah, no duh I’m real. I literally just ran into you.”
“Blu?” he finally dared, staring at the other. The rabbit’s green eyes widened slightly and his ears flattened, staring at Bonnie for several silent, confused seconds.
“Wh-what?” he questioned, eyes searching. He really doesn’t recognize me? As this thought crossed his mind, the blue rabbit’s eyes lit up with recognition... but he looked anything but happy. “Oh my god,” he uttered, immediately jerking away from him. Bonnie didn’t try to stop him. “B-Bonnie?”
“So you do remember me…” Bonnie watched the blue rabbit inch backwards towards an alley, his wide, startled eyes still on him. “You haven’t changed at all.”
“F-Funny, can’t say the same about you,” Blu laughed nervously though no smile was on his face.
“Well it has been fourteen years, you know. Kids grow up.” He was taking this much better than he should be; Blu hadn’t aged a day from what he could remember. Hell, maybe he hadn’t aged a minute. Did he always look so young? Bonnie remembered him looking older back then. Then again, his memories were a little… fuzzy, to say the least.
“H-has it now? Uh, fancy that, how time flies, I gotta go!” Blu cried, whirling around and darting into the alley. Bonnie didn’t even try to stop him this time, just staring after where he had disappeared.
Several seconds of silence passed before he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He hit Goldie’s speed dial and held it up to his ear. It rang several times before he heard, “Hey, you’ve reached Frederick Fazbear! Sorry I can’t answer right now, but just leave your info and I’ll get back to ya ASAP!” The tone rang.
“Goldie? I think... I have a few apologies to make to you.”