Tracy stared at Nightmare.... But Nightmare no longer detected fear within Tracy.

"Do I need to use a puppet to get it through to you that I am in control here?" the bear snarled, his face conveying that he would use any means necessary to make sure Tracy never slept again.

"You're just as pathetic as Freddy is..." Tracy tried to keep her bravery steady.

"You are WEAK. you snivel and whine over the death of people you hardly knew."

Tracy assumed Nightmare was talking about Aaron, which filled her with even more rage, "I have empathy, you have nothing."

Nightmare smiled at her anger, "Your emotions run rampant. There is nothing you can do, Tracy. You can't best a GOD."

Michael stared at the bear, blankly. He thought the bear died in the fire... and yet here the demon was, staring a pissed Tracy down.

Michael's head started to hurt again suddenly, as the deeper recesses of his mind churned and stung, until he was blinded by a memory that wasn't his own...

Michael awoke in a very familiar bedroom. The clock chimed 12 AM as he got up from the white bedsheets and onto the blue carpet...

Michael began to sweat as he stared around the bedroom.... Two doors sat adjacent to each other while a big, bulking closet laid in the middle. Michael had seen this bedroom millions of times before... his heart started to race. It was his brother's old bedroom...

He was about to go into the hall when he heard a soft chuckle coming from the left doorway. Michael would look at the door, a little afraid of what he would find if he checked the source. As he neared the door, he clicked on the light.... And instead saw, not the orange hallway like he would've expected... but the West Hall of the pizzeria they were just in, except it was how it looked in 1993, complete with posters and drawings.

Michael stared, confused, and then back at the door, which led to the bedroom, then back at the West Hall. Whatever mind game Nightmare was playing with him, he intended to beat.

Tracy kept her ground as she stared at the black ghostly bear, who was getting frustrated at her lack of fear.

Truth be told, Tracy did feel afraid, but her sudden loss of Aaron quickly killed that fear. If this was the end for her, then she was taking Freddy and this demon with her.

Nightmare had begun to get frustrated, it seemed Tracy felt as if he had no control over her, but Nightmare masked his anger with a look of triumph.

"You can't win this, child."

"....You can't win, either." Tracy commented. She was right, Nightmare wasn't letting her leave and Tracy wasn't showing any visible fear for Nightmare to feast on. They were at a standstill, one that wouldn't seem to end.

"Perhaps... I need to use a puppet."

Tracy just kept him stared down. Matthew and Gary just watched, knowing the severity of the danger their friend was in.

Nightmare let out a raspy chuckle, and changed form into one Tracy would recognize.

A small boy with a twisted neck and glassy eyes. Her brother, Aaron.

Tracy went cold, unable to move or say anything as goosebumps trickled through her skin... but she had to fight on.

"C;mon Tracy, don't you want to see your brother again?"

Tracy stayed silent, as Matthew and Gary would step forward to her side.

"Don't you miss me, Tracy?" The specter asked, his glassy eyes staring into Tracy's eyes, his awkwardly bent neck, cracking slightly.

Tears filled Tracy's eyes, but she knew what she had to do, "I see through the disguise you've worn...."

"Don't you want to go home, Tracy?"

Tracy would motion for Matthew, to give her the flashlight, an idea had spawned in her head, if this thing truly was darkness...

Tracy waited for Matthew, all the while staring down Aaron.

Matthew whacked the flashlight against his thigh to get it to turn on, and handed it to her. That was when Tracy shined the light at the amalgamation of Aaron.

Nightmare snarled as he stepped out of the beam, his form broken by the brightness.

Tracy would shine the light again at the black bear. Nightmare hissed louder, glaring at her.

Tracy returned the glare, "Now that I take a good look at you.... You're pathetic."

She genuinely meant it too, she was unsure how she let herself get so scared by something as weak as this.

Nightmare's eyes went wide, and his mouth curled into a smile. "WEAK!? WEAK?!?"

Nightmare laughed, and the flashlight battery finally died as it sputtered out, leaving Nightmare free to close in.

Michael stared at the hallway of the 1993 pizzeria , the rotting rabbit corpse in the saferoom. Michael found himself glaring at the rabbit suit. Despite it all, he found himself glad his dad was dead for good. He shot one last look at the suit, nobody deserved that fate, not even his father. It gave him more of a reason to take down that bear.... both bears.

It was then he realized Tracy and the others were still stuck with Nightmare. Michael hoped she was faring well against that demon, but he had to hurry just in case the kids were in trouble. He hobbled as fast as his old man legs would carry him, wheezing a bit. He wasn't as in shape as he was a few years ago.

He ended up in the hall of the 1987 pizzeria as he went through the backstage door, the four doors to the party rooms greeting him. He walked down the hallway, and stared at the parts and service door.

Where it all began for him personally, where he lost a friend, and made a new enemy. The first tragedy that bear had caused, in that room. He knew he couldn't focus on that anymore, he needed to get out of here, he needed to put the past behind him. When he walked to the main party room, he was met with an empty stage, and tables galore. He saw the door to Kids' Cove to his right.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

He didn't know where it'd lead, but alas, he walked over and stepped through the door.

Back at Fredbears, he could tell by the small, dingy stage at the far end of the party room. But unlike the other rooms, Michael was startled to see an animatronic here.

It was Fredbear, sitting down and twiddling his thumbs on the stage....

Tracy looked at the flashlight as it died, then back at Nightmare.

"Such a pity you will die here." Nightmare chuckled as he stepped over the shattered form of Aaron he used as a puppet.

"It's not my time to die yet." Tracy said, tears in her eyes. She wouldn't die just yet, despite her tears, she still had no visible fear for Nightmare to leech off of.

Nightmare walked closer to Tracy, and smiled, but instead of going for her, he grabbed Matthew by the throat.

"You need to be convinced, I see."

Gary instantly jumped back in horror as he watched his friend get grabbed. Tracy watched in shock as well.

Matthew punched Nightmare to no avail. Tracy didn't know what to do, but looked at Gary, gave him the flashlight and motioned for the backstage. Gary nodded, and ran off as Nightmare turned to Tracy, looking like he was a child who just got a bar of candy.

Tracy sighed, "Alright.... It's me you want. I'll go with you if you let him go."

Matthew shook his head, and squeaked a bit in pain when Nightmare tightened his grip, although he seemed pleased with Tracy's defeat.

Something sailed over Nightmare's head, almost knocking his tophat out of the air, and landed at Tracy's feet.

Tracy was startled, and stared down at the object. The flashlight, hopefully with new batteries. That's when Nightmare realized too late why Gary had run off and why Tracy had suddenly called defeat.

Tracy flicked the light on, and aimed for Nightmare's eyes, causing him to drop Matthew, who ran back toward Tracy, in shock and anger.

Tracy kept the light held on the growling Nightmare, and spoke, "You're not hurting anybody anymore."

Michael stared at Fredbear, who turned toward him in surprise, as if he hadn't seen a visitor in a while, but he looked pleasantly surprised to see someone. Fredbear tipped his tophat at Michael, in a friendly greeting, and stood up.

"Excuse my manners, haha." Fredbear apologetically brushed himself off before walking over to Michael, "What brings ya here, buddy?"

Michael wasn't too sure what to say, but he managed to tell Fredbear what he was looking for.

"Trying to find the way out."

"Oh.... hmm.... I haven't seen an exit recently." Fredbear commented, his voice sounding soft and pleasant. It drew Michael, but also made him suspicious. He knew Nightmare was a trickster.

Fredbear suddenly smiled, "We can find it together!"

More suspicion arose in Michael's mind, but something about this felt... genuine, almost. Fredbear would begin looking around the area for any signs of an exit, and couldn't find one.

Fredbear quietly pondered where the exit could be. It was then he started to walk around the parlor, letting Michael follow if he chose to. Michael obliged, following the golden bear.

Fredbear turned to Michael and repeated his question from earlier, "What brought ya here, buddy?"

Michael wasn't sure how to explain it. He couldn't just tell random people that a ghostly black bear sent him here.

Fredbear seemed to catch on a little, "Are ya lost or confused?"

"A... little lost, yeah." Michael responded.

Fredbear pondered then nodded in agreement, "I...I figured, you seem troubled. I sometimes feel that way, too."

Michael nodded back kindly.

"Well.... If you need some advice, you can always turn to ya good ol' friend, Fredbear!" Fredbear smiled, genuinely.

Michael paused, but returned the smile. Fredbear and Michael walked down the increasingly long hall, and it was then Michael wondered just why Fredbear was helping him. Every animatronic he met had been hostile. Well, except those plastic looking ones back in '87... those ones were just misunderstood, didn't seem to know what they were doing. Fredbear, however, seemed to know exactly what he was doing, almost as if he actually wanted to help. Michael decided to try and explain a little bit of his situation to Fredbear, maybe he could know what to do, after all.

Tracy kept the light shining on Nightmare, not even threatening to take it off for a second. Nightmare snarled and moved closer, even toward the light, which burned even more. He refused to be defeated by a child.

Gary snuck past Nightmare, and stood next to Matthew, who was watching Tracy and Nightmare's standoff in awe.

"...." Tracy remained silent. There wasn't much to say to the beast as it writhed in pain.

Eventually, Nightmare stopped squirming, and stared Tracy dead in the eyes, Tracy meeting the stare off.

"You've played enough."

Tracy didn't dare turn off the light. Nightmare grew tired and irritated, he let out an animalistic snarl of rage as his skin burned.

He wouldn't lose to a child.

Tracy looked in horror as the light flickered. It couldn't have been dying already.

Nightmare's form bubbled. It bubbled and twisted like a shadow being cast from clouds on a sunny day.

And then Nightmare changed. His arms split into 4, and his back grew spined and sharp, until he towered over Tracy, who stared up at him in horror. Matthew and Gary looked up at the beast

"Behold, the perfect form of the herald of DEATH!" Nightmare snarled, his scythelike claws glinting in the dying light. It still kept the bear like stature, but the rest of it had been completely upgraded. His 4 arms were tipped in 5 silvery claws, and his neck seemed to have an almost free range of movement, making cracking sounds every time it moved, taking in his prey. His mouth stretched wide, his bloodstained teeth sharpened and glittering.

Tracy tried to remain her ground, but felt the fear overwhelm her.

Nightmare strolled closer, as Tracy tried to turn the flashlight back on, watching in fear as the demon drew closer. Tracy backed up.

The black bear laughed, "Where's your bravery now!?"

Tracy threw the flashlight at the black bear, not expecting it to do much. It hit Nightmare in the snout, and he just chuckled.

"How ADORABLE."

Tracy stared at the bear, as Matthew and Gary trembled. She felt as if she was seven years old again, and as if this was the same black hooded figure.

"What's the matter Tracy? Too many memories?"

"No... I'm not that little girl anymore..." Tracy found new bravery and stared up at Nightmare.

Nightmare narrowed his eyes. "So be it."

"Seems like quite the cookie..." Fredbear chimed after Michael had told him his story, "I'm sorry to hear about your predicament, pal."

Michael stared at Fredbear, but he silently agreed.

Fredbear continued to think, "Well.... Don't give up, buddy. Your own enemy is ya mind, ya know."

It was the only advice Fredbear knew how to give, especially in a rough predicament like this.

Michael realized he could use that information... this was a labyrinth of his mind, he just needed to remember where he was. Fredbear smiled.

"There you go, buddy!" he beamed, his fur seeming brighter from the wide smile.

Michael began to use that information to his benefit as he remembered his place. As he did, he saw a visible crack appear in one of the walls, shining brightly.

Fredbear turned to Michael, "I guess this is where we part, pal." he said, giving Michael a sad smile.

Michael nodded. Fredbear sighed and tipped his hat once again, "Good luck on your final bout."

Michael gave Fredbear one last smile, and shoulder bashed the wall, appearing back in the pizzeria, being met with a grizzly sight.

Tracy kept staring the demon down, determination in her eyes. She was too focused on Nightmare; she didn't notice Michael reappear from seemingly nowhere, but Freddy did.

Nightmare stood at Tracy, growling, he genuinely couldn't get fear into her.... Had she really bested Death?

Nightmare kept trying his best to implant fear into Tracy, but it was a growl turned into a defeated sigh.

"... you have bested death, just this once." Nightmare hissed, a look of genuine rage and hatred on his face.

Tracy just stared at Nightmare, unsure of what to say. He'd seemed so bent on killing her, and he just... gave up.

"It seems your death was not... imminent. It is not Death's job to force death, merely... collect its remnants."

Tracy stared at the beast. But Nightmare knew better, it just wasn't Tracy's turn to die yet.

It was then Nightmare begrudgingly stared down Tracy, and faded into the shadows.

Before the others could react, the clock chimed 6 times and the sunrise poured into the pizzeria.

Matthew turned to Gary, and laughed in excitement, hugging him out of sheer amazement that they'd survived. Tracy was dead silent....

This wasn't over yet. She had a feeling.