Forever To Be Free. (Finale of That Time in 1987)

The Park

(A/N I'm so sorry about the lack of updates! My dad took my phone and my tablet (AND MY SKETCHBOOK NUUU!) so I won't be able to update for a while. Plus, the computer at my house isn't working, so I'm basically just running off of the library. I'll try and make these updates quicker. AKA visit the library more.

Hope you enjoy the chapter! Love y'all. ^w^)

Foxy's POV

The landing from the portal was much smoother than usual.

Instead of the usual "smash into the ground", Foxy managed to land on his feet. It was rough, though. He felt his legs buckle under him, but instinctively he rolled out and sprang up to his feet. Bonnie also seemed to have as smooth a landing, but Chica crashed into the grass. Once Freddy was out, he flapped his wings and soared up into the air. Freddy landed softly on the grass, which was a crusty yellow.

The area looked different. Many of the trees were bare of leaves, and the playground had a dark presence lurking about it. Of course, the main difference was the grass. Two years ago, the grass had been a lively green, but now it was like a small forest full of dead trees. Foxy still felt the ghost of their prickly ends all across his back.

"He's here?" Freddy asked.

Chica nodded sharply. "Yup. I don't know where exactly, but I do know he's somewhere under the trees."

"We need to hurry," Fred cut in. "Every second wasted is a second that boy could die."

Foxy didn't know what to expect. When they would find Ben, what would the young boy look like? Chica had described Ben to him, but that wasn't enough. He had a slightly grotesque image in his mind, but it was only a brushstroke.

"Alright," he said. "Bonnie and I can use our powers to make a crater in the ground. In that crater we might be able to find the cell."

"Wouldn't that be damage to city owned property or something?" Chica suggested.

"Please," Foxy said with an exaggerated tone. "We have much more to worry about than damaging city property."

Chica gave a hesitant nod and turned around, her shoulders shrugged in.

"Let's get started." Bonnie began walking briskly in front of Foxy.

Then, something in Foxy's head began to trigger. A pump of adrenaline? No. More like a signal. A warning. His eyes went to Chica, mostly where her feet were. He noticed a small patch of uprooted dirt from the ground. Why would it be uprooted . . . ?

One word flashed in his mind.

Mine.

"CHICA, STOP!" he screamed. He conjured a bright red ball of energy and tossed it at the small patch of dirt. Chica stared with shock and stepped back as the ball zipped across the air and in a split second, it made contact with the patch of dirt--

BOOOOM! Red flame erupted from the spot. Chica screamed as she was tossed back through the air like a rag doll. Bonnie held her ground daintily, and Freddy was already soaring through the air with his wings spread out wide.

Foxy fell into a bounding sprint toward Chica. She squirmed on the ground, desperately trying to get up. "Chica!" Foxy screamed. He grabbed her arm and brought her up to her feet.

He looked around, trying to regain the higher ground. Bonnie was running toward the forest. Freddy had landed on the ground and was sprinting to Foxy and Chica.

"Chica, are you alright?" he huffed through heaving pants.

The blonde nodded sharply. "Yeah, I'm okay. Let's get to the forest before we trigger any more mines--"

A violent shudder shriveled the air. Foxy stumbled and looked up, seeing another burst of flame being shot up into the air.

"BONNIE!" he screamed, his throat ripped raw. He instantly exploded into a mad sprint.

"Foxy, stop!" Freddy yelled from behind. "Foxy, it isn't safe! FOXY!"

He didn't care. All Foxy cared about was Bonnie. He couldn't see her through the massive wall of flame and smoke. All he heard was the frantic screaming of his friends behind him. The redhead still knew about the fact that he needed to watch the ground for mines. Foxy still sprinted as fast as he could, bounding through the wall of smoke.

Another loud boom sounded through the air, and Foxy's hearing went numb. His vision filled with hot flames, the heat radiating onto his face. An unknown force shoved him backward, and he crashed into the dry grass. Foxy's head smashed across the ground, and his hearing went even more numb, replaced with a distinct ringing. He could feel people screaming for him. Screaming for him to be okay. But Foxy was too stunned to get up. Too stunned to move a finger.

His vision was blurred and smoked, black from the thick explosion. It all was so strange, that in a fraction of a second, he could be--

Pain. Immobilizing pain. It suddenly zipped through every part of Foxy that had been close to the flame, which was almost his entire left side. A sudden thought came to his head. 

I've been burned and I can't get up.

The feeling of worms snaked under the side of Foxy touching the ground. Then, he was lifted. These must be some strong worms . . . he thought. 

No. Worms couldn't pick up a human. It was Freddy and Chica! Or it could have been Fred, but he didn't seem the type to pick up someone. Well, maybe.

Those were Foxy's last thoughts as the arms of unconsciousness stole him away.

*   *   *   *

Foxy had been knocked out several times. This time felt no different.

His eyes suddenly fluttered open as consciousness entered his system again. He didn't see anyone at first, but after what felt like an eternity, people were all Foxy could see. Chica, Freddy, Bonnie, Fred. They were all here.

"Thank goodness, you're up!" Freddy laughed. "You were burned a ton while we were gone. I wouldn't recommend looking at your left side."

Foxy's gaze stayed stationary, focused on the unclothed branches of the many trees that surrounded them. 

Trees . . .

They'd made it!

"Guys!" Foxy cut in. "We made it back to the forest? How?"

Bonnie laughed. "I was able to make it through the mines, but I triggered a few on my way. I wanted to go back and help you guys, but I was too late. Foxy was passed out on the ground by the time the smoke cleared, and there wasn't anything I could do; just sit and stare. Like some sort of stuffed bird. But I knew that you would see. You would see, and you would know that there wasn't anything I could do." Her gaze focused on Foxy's. "But . . . but I'm so glad you're alive!" 

Foxy smiled, suddenly remembering their kiss. He wanted to kiss her now, but he didn't feel it was the appropriate time at the moment.

Fred's face appeared above Foxy. His gaze was thrown across the group softly. "We need to find Ben. Chica, you said that he was somewhere here, correct?"

Chica nodded. "Yeah. He's underground, and I don't know how much longer for."

"But how will we get him out?" Foxy asked. "Dig? Explode it with our power? I don't think that's in my range of ability."

In response, Fred held up a single landmine and grinned.