The world felt so far away, as if you're peering through a window watching everything happen from a distance. Like it was happening to somebody else.

Your body ached, it burned, you could feel the blood dampening your clothes and sticking to your skin. You weren't dead, but you are dying. And that was an awful feeling.

This was really it wasn't it? Goldie had been here with you not that long ago, and promised he'd get you out of here. But, shadow had other plans. This was an elaborate trap. (And you the perfect bait.)

Your breathing felt slow. It was hard to take a breath with the way your lungs wheezed in your chest. (Or so it felt like.)

Shadow was back, his presence a sickening reminder that you were trapped, you didn't know where he had gone. He briefly mentioned something about leaving for a moment. But your mind was too jumbled to properly understand what he had said at the time.

"Well dove," shadow loomed over you with a smile, "it seems our game of cat and mouse is about to begin."

You slowly lifted your eyes up, you wanted to scream. Beg him not to go out there, your friends were out there. Goldie, was out there.

"No-" your voice was hoarse, just as it had been not that long ago. You couldn't talk, not after all the screams of pain. But still the defiant no found it's way to your lips. Shadow just smiled at you, amused with the fire that still burned deep inside of you. (The desire to save them.)

"It's inevitable now dove, so just play the game with me and we'll finish this little show together." Shadow hummed leaning down, and you knew there was no way to argue with him. He was getting exactly what he wanted. (Though what precisely you weren't sure. But there was a him involved and you knew he can't come back.)
"Now just sit and wait. Your friends will come fetch you in a moment."

Shadow seemingly disappeared. The last thing you could see were his eyes, gleaming in the darkness. Then he was gone. You had to warn them. You had to find some way to warn them. But you didn't have enough energy to cry out to goldie. You barely had enough to crawl towards the door. But you had to. For them.

You whimpered, pushing your body forward, slowly crawling along the floor. Making your way to the door digging your nails into the wood for extra momentum.

Tears blurred your vision as you moved. Your body hurt so much. It hurts to breath. You bared your teeth to the pain, grinding them against one another with each pull forward.  You had to get to Goldie. You had to warn them all.

Suddenly the room felt different. As if someone else was inside with you making you no longer alone. You winced expecting it to be shadow. After all who else could have a presence like that, but then...

"Oh (Y/N)." Goldie's voice echoed in the silence. Soft and remorseful. You gasped, pain shooting down your spine as you tried to turn and see him.

Goldie was at your side in an instant scooping you up into his arms and holding you close. Softly shushing you as words tried to reach your lips. There he was just like he promised. But he looked so sad.

"I-" Goldie's voice wavered as his white eyes stared down at your mangled body, "I'm so sorry."

Goldie hung his head low, closing his eyes. You felt too weak to move, only watching as he clenched them shut allowing a few stay tears to fall and run down his face. Still you hate seeing him like this. Hate seeing him suffer.

"G-goldie-" you rasped. Trying so hard to reach for his face. Moments like this where he allowed himself to be weak in front of you were rare. And yet you hated seeing him like this. He was tearing himself apart with guilt. He shook his head at your soft voice trying to talk to him. Taking your hand but not allowing you to make it to his face. (He knew just how weak you were.)

"No, do not make excuses for me. I am the only one out of the whole group who could have at least protected you." Goldie opened his eyes to be able to gaze into your (E/C) one's. His jaw clenched in his frustrations now.
"If I hadn't of been so desperate to get you to remember me then maybe, this wouldn't have happened."

Is that how he really felt? His words felt distant. Like a hazy dream trying to escape after just waking up. But that's not the truth. This wasn't his fault. None of this was. You didn't want him to think that way!

"N-no!-" you wheezed, moving too suddenly to try and get your point across. You coughed turning away, fighting the blood that came up from your throat to be swallowed back down. You didn't want to spit it out on the floor in front of him, not that he'd care about you spitting. (He's more worried there was blood to begin with.)

"Shh, it's okay, you don't need to talk aloud." Goldie clenched his hand more around yours, gently intertwining your fingers together.

It's not your fault! It's not your fault!

Hearing you thinking made Goldie's heart twist into knots. He didn't have to hear your thoughts to know the sort of shape you were in, but with seeing physically and now hearing mentally he knew you didn't have much longer. You needed help. Human help.

"(Y/N)." Goldie couldn't help but whisper. Lowering his head to rest against your own. He felt you relaxing at the contact. Even if his skin was cold to the touch due to him no longer being alive it was clear the contact relaxed you.
"If only I had been more powerful than I am now. You wouldn't be suffering like this. I could have locked your memories away, I don't care what that puppet says. You don't deserve this fate. I wish you could go back to how your life was before and forget about us. Forget about me."

But I don't want to forget about the others. Especially you.

You squeezed your hand around his. An attempt to remind him that you're here with him now and not at home like he'd want. To him this felt bitter sweet. Goldie laughed leaving away from you. Distance in his eyes as he shook his head. His shoulders slouched.

"You say that but you don't really know me anymore. You have no idea how much of a monster I've become. I've killed so many innocent people. All because they were security guards. I allowed my anger to go unchecked for years, shamelessly slaughtering guards id keep a close eye on solely because they reminded me of him." Goldie laughed under his breath. Clearly sarcastic and not out of genuine happiness. He turned his head, purposely avoiding your gaze.

I don't think you're a monster for that. You were hurt. At the time you were still a kid. We both were. You got cheated out of a real childhood. As long as you're trying to do better now isn't that what really matters?

Your breathing was slowing down, and your body began to lightly shake in his touch. Had this been back in the pizzeria with you in perfect health hed of mistaken this for fear. But he knew that this wasn't. Maybe that's what made him so bitter to begin with. You didn't know. How could you? Your mind was so strained.

"Open your eyes (Y/N). I am a monster. Even now everything I do is out of selfish intentions. I-I just wanted you to remember me the most. I-I just wanted to hear you talking to me again. Saying my name again even if it's different now. I'm a selfish being. A monster." Goldie whispered, lips brushing against the knuckles of your hand that he held so close. Each word a heavy breath against your skin.

There was a moment of silence. You were trying to think of what to properly say, and those moments were clearly awful for him. The anticipation was killing him. He thought for sure you'd say you hate him now. After all how could you not upon hearing what he's said?

I still don't think you're a monster. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. My hero.

Goldie glanced at you, eyes wide in shock. Did you really think that? His heart thundered in his chest, and his face turned a soft shade of red. It was obvious that embarrassed him. (Especially with the way you tried to smile.)

I love you.

You squeezed his hand. Your thoughts like bullets through his chest. Surely you didn't mean that. You, love him? You really did? Somehow goldie had a hard time believing that. But for now he'll let himself delve into his selfishness. His real selfishness and accept that you really meant that. That you love him.

"I love you too." His words were sincere even if he didn't feel like you could love someone like him, as he stood up with you in his arms. His eyes glancing around the room for a place to set you. (If his plan was going to work to get you out of her. Not that you knew that though.)

Finally propping you up in a corner close to the door, goldie brushed your hair from your face observing you. You tried to muster a smile for him. But your lips wobbled and your chest became tight. He knew you were dying and yet somehow you still desperately hung on to life right now. You really need to get to a hospital. Pressing a soft kiss to your head, goldie sealed your hiding spot allowing you to seemingly go completely invisible.

You had no idea what he was doing as he stood up looming over you and turning his back towards you. You wanted to reach out to him, ask him what was going on, but you couldn't muster up the strength as you laid back. Shaky breaths still leaving your lips.

Goldie...

"Well, well." You knew who the keeper of that voice was and while you wish he'd just go away and leave you alone you knew that wasn't possible right now. Shadow revealed himself from the darkness on the other side of the room. A smirk adorning his features, or well as much as his skin could move given his sharp canines.
"I wondered how long it would take you to find your little dove. I must say I'm a bit impressed I'm not sure where you've hidden her in the room now."

"Cut to the chase shadow. I'm tired of playing your sick games." Goldie adjusted his vest, narrowing his eyes carefully watching as shadow prowled around in circles around goldie. Like a vulture about to dive in on a dead animal.

"So you'd prefer I speak aloud?" Shadow laughed, his voice now filling the room instead of yours and Goldie's head. It was an awful sound. Like nails on a chalkboard. Or maybe like furniture dragging against unpolished tile. A screeching that rang your ears and left you to curl up.

"I'd prefer if we finally end this." Goldie huffed, clearly loosing the little patience he already had.

"Ah, end this you say," shadow stopped in his tracks shaking his head looking up towards the ceiling longingly, "yes I'd like that too."

Shadow looked back towards goldie, allowing his jaw to slacken revealing the multiple rows of teeth hidden behind the giant ones in the front. His eyes widened in craze and blood lust was clear in his body language.

"After she's gone there will be nothing to stop him from coming back and all your little efforts will go to waste. Such a shame I really enjoyed your creativity in your kills." Shadow laughed enjoying the stiffness Goldie's body displayed.

Goldie clenched his jaw, unwilling to glance back to where you were hidden in fear it would reveal you. Shadow was just messing with him he couldn't possible know what Goldie's done.

"You always wonder why the others beside your own brother hate you, right?" Shadow hummed creeping up behind goldie grabbing his shoulders. Goldie was frozen in place. Shadow was playing his cards too well. The one subject goldie always had a hard time hearing the truth about was himself. He always thought the worse.
"Have you ever thought about all those innocent security guards you've slaughtered? Or led your own "friends" to believe that the one they were killing was the man behind it all? All the suffering. You're no different to me goldie. You're just like me. A demon. Thirsty for more blood and despair. You and I are the same."

Goldie jerked his body back and away from shadow, taking sharp steps back after turning around the face the dream demon. His breathing hitched and for a moment he felt like a terrified child trying to hide from the man that killed his friends. (Only to fall to his own death inside a suit that's been decommissioned for years.)

No!

Your mind cried from the corner. Your body fell forward in an attempt to reach him. Arm extended out revealing your hidden location as you moved towards goldie. Tears swelled inside your precious (E/C) eyes. You couldn't believe that you heard, even if it was partially true. You didn't want to believe goldie was the same kind of monster as the demon before you.

"G-goldie-" you gasped aloud trying to crawl forward yelping as shadow plucked you from the floor, one of his shadowy appendages that reminded you of a tentacle grabbing your ankle and allowing you to hover above the ground. Dangling like a lifeless marionette.

The room was spinning. All the blood you had left began to rush to your head blurring your vision. But even still you wanted to reach for goldie. You wanted him to realize he isn't the monster he makes himself out to be.

"You're wrong. You and I are nothing alike." Goldie finally spoke up clenching his hands into fists careful not to make any sudden movements as shadow dropped you to the ground chuckling at the cry that left your lips in your pain.

"Oh? Is that so? And how exactly are we nothing alike." Shadow mused over Goldie's thought, your dying body long forgotten as he got closer.

Goldie narrowed his gaze again, finally awake to defend you like he should have done, better, in the beginning.

"I have human emotion unlike you. I may be a dream demon but we are not the same. I was born a human, and with my humanity comes resilience. You're nothing compared to me." Goldie sneered. He glanced behind shadow now hearing the footsteps he was hoping for.

You were still trying to get to him. Crawling on the floor reaching out. An act of final love, but you can't die here. Goldie refused to let you.

"(Y/N)." Freddy whispered out to you quickly picking you up off the ground.
"I'm here to help!"

You gasped as the familiar friend held you close beginning to stand nodding once to his brother before running off with you in his arms.

"W-wait!-" you tried to speak. Turning as much as you could reaching out towards goldie. You can't leave him! Wait turn around Freddy! You wanted to cry that out scream it out. You couldn't leave the man you love alone!

In your attempt to fight Freddy your body finally gave in to the sleep that's been knocking at the door since shadow finally finished with you. Your body slacked immediately unable to handle anymore strain.

Goldie....

It was the last thing you could think before drifting off into an endless sleep.
__________________________
Now goldie was alone with the monster under his bed. No one else was in the cabin but him and shadow leaving the two to have a fight that would determine the fate of either side.

Goldie knew what you were thinking. Knew that you called to him in your final conscious moments wanting his presence and that's what drove him right now. Facing a dream demon down with no hesitance. He was going to fight. Not just for his lost childhood, or his brother. But for you.

"That's pathetic." Shadow laughed, it was clear he was getting irritated with Goldie and his words.
"I'm the higher being here! Compared to me your powers are nothing! NOTHING!"

Shadow flared his hand open, sharpening his nails allowing them to grow as his appendages on his back lifted from their hiding place. Like a cobra warning a predator approaching not to come any closer.

"If that is what you think fine by me. I know my worth now, and the only reason I'm fighting is for her." Goldie felt his eyes hallow out, unable to control his anger as he lunged at shadow screaming at him.

It wasn't a normal cry, it wasn't born of fear or sadness but anger. His scream could rupture eardrums depending on who heard it and was enough to make shadow recoil and attempt to fight goldie off of him.

"You're pathetic! All this for that girl, and to stop him. You disgust me!" Shadow growled finally able to pry goldie off of him tossing him to a wall. Goldie was quicker though, narrowly avoiding hitting the painting that hung to teleport to the ground sliding back upon impact of how quick he was.

"Good. I don't need you to like me." Goldie smirked, quickly disappearing from sight to the hallway. He knew what he had to do. He just hoped that he didn't end up hurting himself in the process.

"I love you..." Your words rang in his head, soft voice reminding him of who he really was and not the monster he's made himself out to be. (Now he understood what Freddy has been saying all these years. It's time for Goldie to come out of the shadows and embrace himself. This was why the puppet chose him to be the demon. He was going to protect like he was supposed to since the beginning.)

"Coward! Why are you running from me? Are you afraid I'll hurt them! Hurt her?" Shadow laughed as he gripped the doorframe, his eyes darted all around the darkness before finding Goldie.
"What are you going to do now?! HUH?!"

"This ends now shadow. The others are under my protection, and I won't allow you to hurt them especially her anymore. He will never come back as long as I'm around! We can stay in hell together in endless suffering!" Goldie backed up as shadow emerged from the room more shouting in anger at Goldie's words.

"YOURE WEAK! YOU CANT STOP US. HE IS COMING BACK AND YOU CANT STOP THAT!" Shadow lunged towards Goldie, flames following his movements as he summoned them. His intent was to burn the cabin to the ground. Goldie swiftly moved to the side revealing a circle of salt behind him trapping shadow as he fell into it due to his blind rage.

"Watch me." Goldie sneered as he glared down at shadow as he cried in agony at the salt that met his skin. It bubbled and popped like rising batter and slowly began to flake off the bone.

"YOU!-" Shadow gazed at Goldie as flames began to engulf the cabin almost obscuring Goldie and shadow from each other's sight.
"YOULL PAY FOR THIS!! YOULL ALL PAY FOR THIS!"

Goldie rolled his eyes, quickly disappearing out of the room as more cries of agony filled the air as shadow began to dissolve into a puddle of flesh. It served him right, but Goldie knew that wasn't the last of him. Just enough to send him back to hell from which he came.

It was over, as soon as Goldie's feet safely landed on the slightly moist grass outside of the cabin the entire home burst into flames in a small explosion. (What ever was causing the smoke to leave the chimney must of caused it.)

Finally shadow was gone for now, but that wasn't the end of everything. There was still the matter of you and your safety. Goldie ignored the look he had gotten from Vincent and marched straight towards Freddy. (To which his brother immediately noticed the difference in his attitude. Goldie knew who he was now after all.)

"Where is she?" Goldie wanted to cut to the chase. He didn't want to wait for answers he had to know where they put you.

"In the backseat." Freddy glanced back, looking into the back seat window.

"She's not doing well." Bonnie spoke from the side, shifting on his feet anxiously. Everyone was anxious.

You needed pure human help, goldie knew that. But there was no way you would make it to a hospital in time.

"We should take her to a hospital." Chica hid behind Foxy as she spoke to Goldie, it was clear everyone was worried about what he'd say or do with your life dangling in the balance.

"She won't make it in time for her to be saved." Goldie approached the window, staring longingly at your limp form as you rested in the back seat.

"What do ye mean?" Foxy glanced at the others nervously as Goldie opened the door to the back seat gently pulling you into his arms.

The only way to ensure you'd have a chance to come back would be to...

"She's dying. By the time we make it over there it'll be too late." Goldie muttered softly as he brushed your hair from your face caressing your cheek tenderly. You looked so peaceful even if this sleep would be your last.

But could he really save you the same way that the others had been saved? You'd have to give up everything. Even a normal after life. Goldie wasn't sure he could do it and yet at the same time he knew it was the only way.

"I'll take her back to the pizzeria you all just get back in the car and meet us there." Goldie held you close to his nuzzling slightly into your neck.

"Since when could you teleport so far away?!" Bonnie narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Could you do that this whole time?!"

"No," Goldie lifted his head from your shoulder to stare at him, "but it doesn't matter. Now I can and I can help us more than I used to."

Goldie didn't give the others time to ask questions finding they'd only slow down the process of saving you. In an instant he disappeared with you tightly in his arms.

He was going to save you. No matter what. He can't loose you after just getting you back. He hoped when it was all over and if it worked, despite the fact this was a risk, you'd forgive him.