Choice
“Sir?”
The bear didn’t even look up, staring ahead of him with a frown tugging on his lips. The nervous girl standing before the throne took a shaking breath before trying again, saying, “M’Lord?”
After a few seconds, the bear turned his dark red eyes to the girl before him. After a moment or two he sighed and sat up straight in his chair. “Yes, madam?”
She fidgeted. “Has Sir Ferris reported to you yet?”
“If this is about the Fischbach Family, Emilie, I am already aware. I’ve already Seen them and it has been reported to me by three different sources.”
“O-oh,” the girl stammered, stepping back nervously. The bear’s ear twitched, somewhat annoyed as he noticed that she didn’t bother to leave. “Then you know-”
“That they have revealed themselves to Mortals, yes.”
“And... what... what do you plan to do with the Mortals, S-Sir?”
He leveled the Vampire with a stare, watching her violet eyes widen. “Tell me, Madam,” he began slowly, “how that is any of your concern.”
“I-It’s not!” she squeaked fearfully, holding her hands up. “It- I just, you see, these Mortals- when they were young I- their parents- I would babysit-”
“And we know how that one turned out,” the bear snorted, turning his gaze towards the ceiling. “Why should you care about these Mortals, Madam, when you are the one who took one of their brothers from them?”
“I-I,” Emilie stuttered, averting her gaze, “I know they’re good kids- were good kids- it’s just- I think- they have potential- they-”
“You fear we will have them killed.”
“Y-you... won’t?”
He looked down at her boredly, barely considering her question. “My dear,” he drawled, leaning on his hand, “if we had every Mortal who found out about us killed, we would start a mass hysteria in the Mortal world and run low on food.” He gave it a moment of thought, watching the nervous girl. She seemed very... worried. Worried for the lives of mere Mortals. “Tell me, you know much about these... children,” he snorted. “Do they have any ties to Hunters?”
“N-not that I am aware...”
“Would they have any interest in destroying our world?”
“N... no, in fact they might h-have the opposite interest...”
“Are they any threat to my subjects, Isolated or otherwise?”
“O-of course not... they-”
“Then they are no threat to me,” the king interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. “I trust Marion will take care of the problem- correctly this time,” he added, rolling his eyes at a fleeting memory. “Keep an eye on them, of course, wipe their memory if needed, kill them if they become dangerous, and if you’re really so worried make them take the Oath.”
“A... a Blood Bind, Sir?”
“Yes.” He let his gaze fall down to Emilie again. “Those five are working to keep them safe, you are asking that they be spared, Ferris has indicated he’d prefer them to stay alive, two of my Daywalkers work with one of them and get along... well,” he sighed, running a hand over his face. “And Marion just gave me that look- it seems like everyone but me is fond of these five, and I don’t understand it but for now I will let it be... so long as they’re kept an eye on.”
“How do you wish we do that, Sir?” Emilie asked, her nerves seeming to have melted away upon realizing her king wasn’t about to murder someone.
The bear leaned back in his seat, considering it. He was just going to let Marion deal with it however he saw fit- Marion Saw even more than he himself did, after all, but...
Slowly, a smirk grew on his face.
“Send Marion to them,” he commanded. “After the Mortals are at the Fischbach Mansion, of course. Have Marion refresh their memories about the Law, and give the Mortals a choice; erase their memories or Blood Bind. If they choose the former, the Fischbachs are to leave for another town- I don’t care about their ties to Durmont so shut your mouth, Madam Emilie, you know what will happen if the Mortals see them again- until the last one has died.”
“And... if they choose the latter?”
His smirk widened. “Then the Fischbachs are assigned with their Watch.”
Emilie sputtered, eyes widening in horror. “You want the Fischbach children to do the Blood Bind?!”
“Yes.”
“B-but they’re- Sir, they’re not even half a millennia old- they only just started being able to Feed without killing- they-”
“Made their bed,” he finished, cutting the girl off with a dangerous grin. “Now they are to lie in it.”
“Sir, I really-”
“Madam.” Her teeth clacked together as her mouth snapped shut, the air in the room suddenly feeling different- charged. The king lifted his hand again and waved her away. “My decision is final. No more arguments. Repeat my command to Marion, if he has not already Seen it, and be on your way.”
His tone left no room for argument, and as Emilie realized she had just made things worse for the five Mortals who had until then been no concern to her king, she clenched her teeth and bowed politely.
“As you wish, m’Lord.”
Nightmare watched as the girl walked away, slowly shaking his head and frowning to himself. Sometimes he really didn’t understand why everyone seemed to think he would just... kill for no reason.
Killing five people who were just barely adults seemed like such a waste, after all.
Does everyone think I’m some crazy bloodthirsty megalomaniac?
“U-us?!” Chii stammered, eyes widening in shock. Spring just closed his eyes. “But we- we don’t even- how-”
“I’ll go pack my stuff,” Blu deadpanned, turning around.
“Wait- what?” Goldie started, standing up. “What’s even going on, what the hell’s a Blood Bind and why are you five freaking out about it?”
“Blood Binds are super tricky,” Mangle sighed, running a hand through her fur as she glanced towards the ceiling. “It’s so easy to mess up- amateurs are advised to never actually do it with a Mortal unless they’ve been thoroughly trained in it.”
“Which we have not been,” Alfred finished, shaking his head. “I advise you to take the memory wipe. It is far less dangerous.”
“What’s a Blood Bind?” Goldie repeated.
The five Vampires fidgeted and Blu glanced their way. “It’s a... “relationship” between a Vampire and a Mortal,” he started slowly, choosing his words carefully. “A bind made in blood. It would, in a way, bind your life to a Vampire’s. It’s... an ancient magic that is only legal under the King’s command- like Turning someone,” he added almost thoughtfully. “They can only be done legally with the King’s permission...”
Alfred shifted slightly, his gaze flickering towards the wall. “It’s incredibly dangerous. You’re better off not remembering.”
“I think that’s up to us to decide,” Bonnie snapped, annoyed that the Vampires seemed so insistent on them giving up their memories. “You know damn well why we don’t want to forget.”
“It’s a hell of a lot safer forgetting than risking a Blood Bind.”
“Just tell us what a Blood Bind is and what it means,” Freddy responded simply, quietly- in that way that his family knew would get anyone to listen to him.
Apparently it worked on the Vampires just as well.
They shared uneasy looks before Blu crossed his arms and looked away. “What would happen,” he started, “is you would essentially share blood with a Vampire- not drink it or anything like that, that would actually turn you into a Vampire- but you would share blood. Like... I don’t even know how to describe it,” he groaned, covering his face. “It’s just- a magic thing with blood and- and magic, just, you know!”
“We don’t.”
“It would mean you and the Vampire would essentially be each others’ keepers,” Alfred picked up from his brother’s sub-par explanation. Before any of them could question what he meant, the bear continued, “The Vampire would basically watch over you and protect you as they can, as per the Bind, and you would help the Vampire if needed, and make sure they don’t go... Crazed.”
“If they do go Crazed, you’re expected to kill them,” Mangle added flatly. “Your death or the Vampire’s death is the only way to break the Bind, but you can’t kill each other in cold blood- the only way you can kill the Vampire is if they go Crazed or otherwise break their side of the Oath. And the same on the flipside- if the Mortal, that would be you, broke their side of the Oath through abandonment, the Vampire would be forced to kill you.”
“And if one kills the other without the Oath being broken,” Chii added nervously before any of them could question that word forced, wringing her hands together, “then both the Vampire and the Mortal die. They’re literally bound by blood, which is one of the more powerful dark magics there is...”
“It’s really dangerous magic,” Spring sighed, shaking his head. “Just...”
“Even the Bonding process is dangerous,” Blu cut in, kicking lightly at the ground. Spring glanced over at him, noting that he refused to look towards the Mortals. “One small mistake and someone could easily die, and even if it’s successful those two people will literally be bound to each other until one of them dies. If it’s two Vampires- which is rare as, like I said, it’s a relationship between a Vampire and a Mortal- that could be for eternity. If it’s between a Vampire and a Mortal like it’s meant to be, then there’s just a lot of factors that are... unpleasant, to say the least.”
“Like what?” Chica asked, crossing her arms and raising a brow at them.
Blu glanced over at Spring, an uneasy gleam in his eyes. Nervously, Spring answered for him, “Like we said, a Mortal in a Blood Oath is expected to make sure a Vampire doesn’t go Crazed. And... Vampires go Crazed when they go too long without... Feeding...” he trailed off, unsure if he wanted to just come out and say it or not.
Apparently he didn’t need to; when he glanced back over at the Mortals, they seemed to understand. The only one who didn’t look even somewhat disturbed at the news was Bonnie, who just raised a brow at him.
It was just so different from that little boy that broke down crying the first time they met that once again, Spring almost couldn’t believe it was really him. They’re all so grown up now...
“It’s supposed to be a mutualistic relationship,” Alfred sighed, clearly realizing Spring wasn’t about to continue, “where the Vampire offers the Mortal protection and the Mortal offers the Vampire... security, I suppose is a good word.”
“And that’s why it’d be better for you guys to choose the memory wipe,” Mangle concluded, crossing her arms and glancing at the ceiling. “It’s less dangerous and you won’t have be stuck with us the rest of your lives.
“Stuck with you?” Bonnie repeated questioningly, confused. “You didn’t mention that before.”
“I literally said abandonment breaks the Oath,” Mangle muttered under her breath.
Apparently they don’t understand...
Spring took a breath and explained as simply as he could, “A Mortal bound to a Vampire has to stay close, and vice versa.” He paused, trying to think of how exactly to word it. He really hoped the Mortals were smart and took the memory wipe... “You’d never be able to leave Durmont for any long periods of time... not unless the Vampire went with you,” he told them, watching as they all shared unreadable looks. “Because the idea of a Blood Bind is that they can be there in moments when the other is powerless and in danger.”
“So basically they have to stay close to each other,” Freddy summarized. “For their entire lives.”
“And if either kills the other without the Oath being broken- that is, if the Vampire has not gone Crazed and the Mortal has not abandoned the Vampire in some way, shape or form- then both die,” Mangle added, “so it’s not like they can just decide they’re tired of it and end it.”
“But what about if both mutually decide to, uh, separate or whatever?” Bonnie asked, raising a brow.
It was Marion who answered, flatly stating, “They can’t.”
Spring shared a look with Alfred as the Mortals looked toward the masked man. “Why not?” Goldie asked, confusion lacing his voice.
“It’s not like an emotional relationship,” Spring silently informed the bear. “It’s a physical relationship- not like that- and they’re physically tied together by-”
“Because the blood of the Vampire is in their system,” Marion explained and the Vampires looked over at him again. Spring bit his lower lip as Marion added, “If the Mortal physically abandoned their bound Vampire, the Vampire’s blood would react with the magic of the bond and the lack of the Vampire’s passive magic- that is, the Vampire’s presence- and would essentially poison the Mortal, killing them slowly from the inside out. This is, of course, only over a period of time, not days but months.”
“Okay, and what happens to that blood if the Vampire is killed somehow?” Chica asked warily, eying the masked Vampire.
“It fades away,” Marion answered simply, shrugging. What a weird sight that was, too. “The Vampire dies and the bond is broken- the magic sustaining the Vampire’s blood in the Mortal’s system is removed, and the blood filters out naturally without the magic sustaining it. It’s a... complicated process, but magic often is.”
After a few moments, Freddy spoke up, saying, “Excuse us a moment.” The bear grabbed his brother’s arm and practically dragged him to the dining room, and their friends were quick to follow.
Spring quietly sighed, hoping the more sensible Mortals would lead them in the right direction. As much as he’d miss those not-children-anymore and their home, it was better than-
“I’m guessing you already know what choice they will make,” Marion spoke softly, getting Spring’s attention. The masked Vampire was looking at Blu, whose gaze was stubbornly on a curtained, boarded-up window.
“There’s only one reason Arden would be after them,” Blu spoke softly, and Spring took in a sharp breath as he realized Blu was right.
There was only one reason Arden would be after those Mortals. There was only one reason Blu would have had that vision- visions from events that he would personally witness...
I guess they won’t, then.
“So the choice is either have our memories erased and live the rest of our lives unknowingly around people who could kill us in seconds flat, or go through with some magic process that not only has the potential to kill us but if successful could still kill us, and knowingly associate ourselves with people who could kill us in seconds flat.”
“When you put it like that, Freddy, we sound pretty fucked,” Bonnie commented, crossing his arms and leaning against a wall.
“Because we are,” Freddy answered, shaking his head at Bonnie. “Don’t you understand? We agreed that memory erasure was not okay, but the only alternative we’re being given is to literally be tied to the vampires, so literally that we can’t even change our minds and if we go a few months without seeing them this “magic” thing will view us as abandoning them and kill us.”
“I don’t want to forget,” Goldie immediately stated, despite Freddy’s words.
“It doesn’t matter what we want individually, what we want collectively is what matters,” Chica huffed, sending a glare over at Goldie. “The problem here is, we don’t know if having our memories wiped will actually stop that demon thing- that was living in our apartment- and whatever it worked for from trying to hurt us, like that vampire’s claiming.”
“In fact,” Foxy started, “we agreed that it was stupidly dangerous to not know about it.”
“But it’s also stupidly dangerous to go for a “blood bind,”” Freddy argued, shaking his head. “We can’t even leave or else their blood kills us!”
“This seems like a shitty choice,” Foxy groaned, rubbing his forehead.
“It is.”
“So forget and be in danger, or remember and still be in danger,” Chica summed up, shaking her head. “I dunno, I kinda agree that I don’t want to forget. But then again, I also don’t fancy the thought of being bitten just because someone forgot to eat,” she added dryly.
“Technically they never said you have to be the one to give them the blood,” Bonnie pointed out, though he knew damn well that was what had been implied- he assumed it would be the fastest and safest way to get the Vampire out of the... danger zone.
“Still.”
“Guys, we have to make a choice,” Freddy sighed, shaking his head. “And I have a feeling we have to make it now.”
“I don’t want to forget,” Goldie repeated, but then he added, “but if you guys would rather that, then...”
“Of course we wouldn’t rather that,” Foxy snapped, tail flicking in agitation. “But I also don’t rather bein’ tied to a vampire, dammit!”
“I mean, on the one hand none of us actually had plans to leave Durmont,” Bonnie sighed, glancing at the ceiling. “On the other, none of us planned on getting involved with Vampires.”
“We’re already involved,” Chica pointed out. “Whether or not we remember, that won’t change.”
“I kinda like them,” Goldie admitted somewhat sheepishly. “The vampires, that is. They’re weird but in this... oddly endearing way.”
“Endearing isn’t the word I’d use,” Freddy muttered, shaking his head. Then he sighed and said, “If I’m actually honest, there’re a few questions I have anyway...”
Bonnie raised a brow; it had seemed like Freddy was gung-ho to get the hell out while they still could...
“What d’ya mean?” Foxy asked, frowning over at the bear.
“They’re the Fischbachs,” Freddy answered, looking at them. “Didn’t you hear the masked vampire say it?”
“And that’s significant... how?”
Bonnie didn’t know, but apparently Goldie did as his eyes suddenly widened and he uttered, “Oh my god.”
“Exactly,” Freddy said to his brother before answering Foxy, “Don’t you remember? It’s what led to the discovery of all the bodies in Durmont Lake- five kids went missin’ back in the late seventeen-hundreds, and neither they nor their bodies were ever found.”
“Specifically, the Fischbach children,” Goldie added quietly, shaking his head. Bonnie was more than a little confused- he had no idea what they were talking about beyond the bodies in the lake. Everyone knew about that... “Hell, the old farmland down the road is where it’s thought they died. Bloodstained tools, their clothes, some of their other possessions all found in some weird vault beneath the field... Don’t you guys remember?”
“Nope.”
“Not at all.”
“Not ringin’ a bell.”
The brothers looked at each other in dismay, and Bonnie felt almost stupid- if Goldie knew about it, it must have been something that was talked about a lot around town...
“So,” Bonnie started hesitantly, “you’re saying some kids who have been missing for a couple hundred years are them?”
“It would make sense,” Goldie gave without giving a definitive yes, glancing at the ceiling in thought. “No bodies were found, only their belongings on that old farm in a bloody room... after the farm burned to the ground.”
The five of them were silent for several moments, none of them exactly sure what to say. They did mention being over a century old, Bonnie remembered. Maybe we can ask about it...
“Wait,” Foxy interrupted Bonnie’s thoughts. Bonnie looked up from the floor, watching as his canine friend practically stared Freddy down. “Are you seriously considerin’ takin’ the oath so you can get to the bottom of a two-hundred year old cold case?”
A moment of silence passed where Freddy, though looking sheepish, neither confirmed nor denied the accusation, and Bonnie couldn't help but laugh. It was just so like Freddy... “So basically,” he summed up, “Freddy wants to solve an age-old mystery, Goldie actually likes the vampires, and Foxy and Chica don’t want their memories touched because we’re surrounded every day by things that could kill us and it’s a hell of a lot more dangerous than not knowing.” Honestly, Foxy and Chica's was the more logical reason of all.
“And what’s your excuse for wanting to take the bind instead of the memory wipe?” Chica griped, glaring at him. He didn't even try to deny that he was also on the side of the oath.
Bonnie considered it for a moment. Truthfully, he didn’t really have a reason... but it seemed a hell of a lot cooler than spending his life working night shift at the convenience store and possibly teaching music at the local community college.
Though he wouldn’t admit it, Freddy also had him a little curious.
And it definitely had nothing to do with the cute blue vampire with the bad attitude. Nope.
“It just sounds a lot cooler than getting my memory wiped,” he decided to say with a shrug and a grin, prompting the others to groan and roll their eyes. “Seriously, “I’m a vampire’s keeper” sounds a lot cooler than “I met vampires and got attacked by a demon but I can’t remember it because my memory was fucking wiped,” so...”
“Leave it to you,” Chica mumbled, shaking her head. “So, did we all just basically say “let’s take the blood bind”?”
“I think so.”
“We’re really idiots, aren’t we,” Foxy sighed, dropping down into one of the dining room chairs.
“Probably,” Freddy agreed, frowning. He seemed to be battling with himself. “But...”
“How about we all just come out and say the truth,” Goldie started quietly, somehow silencing anything else that was about to be said. “We’re choosing it because we want to.”
And even though Bonnie had no idea why he or anyone else would want to, regardless of how they felt about the vampires or some age-old mystery that had been haunting the little town, somehow the statement rang true in his ears...
None of them denied it.