00.26 | end

ONE YEAR LATER__________________

IT WAS DEFINITELY a very long patch of trial and error. Some days I really just want to give up. Learning about animatronics and all the techy stuff was a LOT harder than it looked.

Horribly long days of classes that dragged on and on, along with extremely difficult tests, and studying for hours. Some nights were spent with tears, slamming the laptop screen down then proceeding to curl up into a ball; others, frustration, and even on some rare occasions, happy endings and feelings of satisfactory when I'd ace a test. The hard nights really paid off.

I sit with a frown creasing my face. I know I promised Gregory that I'd get Freddy back in working order, but I also told him that it would be after I fix Sun and Moon. I've been working on both, Freddy and Sunny. It's just been difficult to manage both at the same time. But, the thing is . . I managed Freddy before the duo. He was back up in working order, and I even fixed his battery life!

I've learned coding, wiring, and everything in between, from my college classes. This has been going on for a year now, I'd say. And yet, I've still gotten scratched, bit, and tackled by the celestial duo. Nothing has seemed to work. Nothing I did for Moondrop was helping in any way positive.

I just want to give up.

This is taking so long! I've been doing everything right! Or at least, I think I have been. Clearly not though, if they haven't started working properly yet.

I'm kneeling on the floor beside Moon's lifeless body. The only time I got them to turn on was for maybe a total of one minuet, and the only things that happened was Sun fully changing into Moon, and then him lashing out on me. I needed to fix whatever it was that was causing his hard drive to act that way. I figured Afton was up to no good, but this was all going to change—! . . Eventually.

I let out a loud, very loud, groan in distress. I ball my fist up and smash it down onto Moon's chest plate. He laid beside me, not moving. A part of me just wished he'd twitch even a tiny bit.

Why can't I do it? What is it that I'm doing wrong?

"Why the fuck are you guys so hard to fix?" I ask aloud, turning my vision back over to the celestial duo beside me with furrowed brows. They don't answer me but I wish they would.

"Y/N?" I hear Freddy speak up from over my shoulder. I jump, slightly startled by his voice entering my head, and then I look to him.

"What?" I ask softly. I exhale a heavy sigh from me. It was filled with all of my disappointment.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

I look up to the tall bear and flash him a soft frown. "No. I'm frustrated. I don't know why I can't get this virus out of their system." I shake my head and stand to my feet."The only thing I've gotten to fix properly is their outer appearance. Like, what is it that I'm doing wrong?" I begin to vent out my problems with a tinge of annoyance lingering on my words. Freddy frowns, then places a hand on my shoulder in sympathy. His grip tightens slightly. I look him in the eyes.

"It will be okay, Y/N. Do not worry, you will eventually figure it out." Freddy removes his hand and walks over to the duo and lifts Moon up to his feet, leaning his body against the wall.

I let out a sour huff in return. "If he lets me." Then, I smile a little jokingly. "I think Moon is trying to be stubborn on purpose."

Freddy chuckles a little. "That may be true."

______________________

ALL OF THE tests were ran through. Every wire had been fixed. I've made sure I did every single little thing right. If this doesn't work now, I don't know what else will. And if it doesn't, and I failed again . . ? Well, I'm done.

I'm done getting beaten. I'm over getting attacked and hurt. I'm SO sick and tired of feeling like I did all of this for nothing. For what?! An animatronic? Was he just supposed to have feelings for me, and we fall in love?

I fell in love with a piece of metal. An AI unit. Stupid emotional, pathetic, little me. A true idiot. Thinking that this could possibly work— HA!

I stand here, in front of Sun. The lights were on. I don't want Moon to lunge at me again if this doesn't go right. Scratches and bruises covered my skin from last week's trial run.

I still hadn't been able to get Sun to turn on, only Moon. And he was worse than ever the last time I tried. So, here's to hoping.

Inhaling a deep breath of air, I flip the switch in the back of Sun's chest plate. My lungs stay on hold for a brief moment before I back up and stand in front of the animatronic in front of me. I exhale, not seeing any signs of movement.

Again, that feeling of frustration jives into my veins. And then, it's gone. All hope is lost. I've put myself through way too much stress for absolutely NOTHING. There was nothing to show for all of the schooling I've gone through. All of the restless nights, stressed out days where I was fighting against the clock to finish my homework on time. Staying up for over eighteen hours just to work on Moon and Sun.

Gregory and Isabella had been so worried about me. But, I moved out, and Gregory came with me. Freddy was still here as well, operating just as great as ever. Lucky for him.

I'm glad Gregory was happy with him. I'm just ungrateful that my duo wasn't working properly like they should have been.

Tears self up in my eyes as I wait for a couple of minutes. I'm searching for anything. A twitch, or movement, a sound, hell, even an attack.

But there's nothing. No sign of life.

I grip the screwdriver that rests uncomfortably in my hand, and I chuck it so hard against the wall, I thought it was going to make a hole.

I don't care. I'm done. I'm over all of this.

I sit on my bed and hold my face in my hands. And as I tip onto my side, I lay my head to the pillow, and cry. And cry. And cry, cry, cry.

Why did I think I could do it?

My head stays buried into my pillow, though I can't tell how many minuets have passed. The crying has finally calmed, and now I'm a sniffling mess with a stuffy nose and red cheeks.

I keep my head in the dark of the pillow.

Then, something touches my shoulder. It's warm, heavy, and doesn't feel small. The strange familiarity I felt just through the touch alone made me feel something nostalgic. Like I knew that hand on my shoulder a little too well. It was too thin to be Freddy's, and way too massive to be Gregory.

I lift my head with a frown, sniffling my nose again. My eyes widen. As I stare at the ever lasting smile on the golden animatronic face, I lift myself from my curled position and stare silently. His hand lingers to my cheek for a minuet.

"Gumdrop?"

________________________

HI HI HELLO ALL !

This is the last chapter SADLY —But I really really want to thank everybody who stuck around till the end to read this. I felt really attachedto this book, and I couldn't help myself but to make the ending angsty, yet satisfying. I had two ways I was going to have this end but I wanted to go for this one. I hope it's good.

I WILL have a bonus chapter after this one though 🌚 so stick around for that ! don't go anywhere too quick <3

and also, check out the sequel !