Disclaimer: I don't own Poppy Playtime (Video Game). I don't own the picture (cover). Or the song if I put one in.

(qwertuno and SilentReadersMatter)

(Originally written on March 18th. So before Bunzo Bunny was introduced. Don't give me flack for not including him.)

(Hope you enjoy.)

Everything is always trying to kill them. Whether it be Huggy through the vents or Poppy sharing their location, every creature in this God forsaken place seemed to have have it our for their blood. Slashing and clawing their skin to have a taste they suddenly decided them to be even if it was voluntary or chosen.

Poppy tried apologising with every trick in her book. Giving tips, offering advice, keeping an eye out for them incase there were invisible enemies in the prowl only her abilities allowed her to see since she was technically a toy acting sentient.

"I am sorry for that little mishap. It seems there are more toys ever since I went into dormant. My mind is currently trying to remember the past and present."

The ex-employee shrugged their shoulders in return. Truthfully, they weren't afraid of the concept of death. They were afraid of the pain they came before the demise. Dying a painful death was wasteful if you played the cards of life and did everything you could jot to be sinful.

And they did-

Until now.

Traversing through the halls of the lower levels, they kept an eye out for the enemy Poppy warned them about. Though they didn't know the specifics, their best guess was a bigger, much more threatening toy guarding all the others down in this area.

"She will stop at nothing to hunt you."

They knew what gender to keep an eye out for.

"HEEEH!"

Freezing on the spot, the ex-employee turned their head left and right to search for the source of the noise. Even Poppy looked confused at the wailing for help as the toys were usually independent and not...trustworthy with helpfulness.

"What was that?"

Poppy inquired, nudging them a little. She wasn't as aware as she let on. Needing help from them occasionally to give an updates of events that happened during her long slumber. They shifted her more onto their back between the sitting space of the grabpack. Their silence spoke volumes.

They had no idea.

"We need to see whoever made that noise. Friend or foe, it's best to be safe than sorry."

Gulping nervously, they headed toward the source of the noise hoping it wasn't someone going to try and kill them like the others. They just wanted a break. A breather for at least a minute to regain their stealth. It had been quite a bit since they had eaten or had something to drink.

They were so exhausted.

No time for breaks right now! They needed to check to see if they had a new enemy in the premises. Nearing the source of the noise, they stepped into a hall filled with the same pipes and looked at the ceiling to check if the spider entity had appeared.

Luck said not yet. Thank God.

The next sight is abnormal to say the least.

A miniature sized Huggy (though taller than the tiny doll still, Jesus Christ), layed in the floor covered in blood. The mini Huggy was covered in light blue fur, a red lined mouth, and they presumed their eyes were a blank, black colour like their predecessors.

Their eyes closed eyes forming a rather neutral expression. Not smiling like a manic, no implanted smile caused by nasty people. Their mouth is drawn is a normal line and they look to be just sleep. If it weren't the fact they had slash wounds, stab wounds, and near a cut off arm. Motionless as the red stuff spilled from their injures, the human felt something possess them as they picked the injured form, carried it bridal style (the littler Huggy was the size of their chest), placing them on a table.

Observing their injuries, they almost missed Poppy's confused, yet intrigued look as if she knew they were capable of sympathy. Fixing the doll wouldn't be the issue. Keeping an eye for their friends were the problem. If you had one of these things, there were bound to be more.

A faint hiss hinted they had maybe a few minutes to fix this little one. All they needed anyway. Working their skills to fix them would be a piece of cake even if they did try to kill them. They weren't going to be petty and let them die. They weren't cruel-

"Heeeh!"

The little Huggy regained consciousness, their eyes filled with fright upon finding themselves strapped to a table and a human standing over them with the intentions is seeing them, finding them, discoveringexactlyhowatoyisalive-

"Calm down. They are helping."

They thrashed, then screeched for their pack to come and help take them away from the horrible people in white. Mommy described them as the bad people who placed them inside these bodies-

"They are fixing you."

The mini Huggy stopped, inquiring further with their state and curious eyes. The little thing could understand and do something other than smile. They probably kept the mask to hunt down their prey.

"They have fixed you. They just need to do the final touches. You were attacked. Do not fear us, little one. I can ensure as an original that this intruder won't hunt a single hair on your head."

The mini Huggy settled. Stilling as they worked in their injuries, sticking and putting them back together. Admiring the technique as Poppy hurried them in hush whispers.

"You will need to be faster. They heard the call of a hurt cub. The parents and others related-..Don't give me that look, I don't know how it works either. They will hunt you down. Be quick to fix them."

Finally finishing in the toy, the ex-employee released their restrains (they weren't risking the toy attacking), taking off the cuffs binding them to the table. Awaiting the results to see if the mini Huggy would be grateful enough to not want their demise.

To their surprise, the mini Huggy got on all fours, crawled around the room curiously, eventually coming over to them and just sitting there. Staring. Watching. Waiting for them to make a move.

"This is...most surprising. They aren't usually so loyal. You've earned yourself a companion. It will not desire for your death. Be warned it will choose its pack over anything else. Mommy doesn't appreciate disobedience."

They glanced at the toy nervously. Extending their hand, the mini Huggy butted their hand before leaning into the touch and crooning as their cheek and face were stroked for a couple of seconds.

"Heeh!"

A sudden shriek stopped their moment as more of its kind appeared. Looking hostile and ready to attack using the hood and darkness as cover for the kill.

"Prepare to defend-"

"HEEEEH!"

The light blue furred mini Huggy screeched at the rest of its pack. Rushing in front of the ex-employee, crawling on all four limbs standing protectively in front of the one who saved it from certain death.

"...A turn of events. It is protecting us."

The pack seemed confused. Passing unsure glanced, mewling curiously as approached the mini Huggy observing its fixed state before look before pulling it off by both their arms back to the rest of them. It followed without complaint whilst keeping an eye on the red mini Huggy hiding within the halls watching the whole thing as a show. The blue watched the red slowly approaching them all. The ex-employee noticed how large it seemed in comparison.

Not the largest like the actually mascot Huggy, but still massive enough to tell it sort as some sort of alpha guarding them all as the pack leader. Haunted emotions such as despair, tiredness and rage showed itself as the light blue furred mini hissed in warning at the red furred one to not step any closer toward any of them.

It didn't listen to them. Crawling closer, it gazed between the mini Huggy and the ex-employee, even looked around the injuries and how they were patched, catching the hint of who exactly fixed them up. With half lidded eyes in bored, they bent down, carrying the littler lighter furred mini in their back to the holes fitting it's size in the walls. The pack took one last glance last at the ex-employee of Poppy before returning to the holes as well. The red stuck another second as the light blue furred mini Huggy smiled at the ex-employee before waving as the red one took it back in the darkness.

They decided to follow momentarily. Scanning the shadows in the darkness, they spotted a lit room full of the mini Huggies surrounding the light blue furred one curled up next to the red who seemed a giant in comparison to the tiny thing.

Curled in their lap and near their chest. Others inspecting their injuries, keening and mewling in concern as their hands prodded and poked the new red spots. The light blue one growled in their sleep, curling even further next to the massive red mini Huggy protecting it as it held them tightly in their arms, not letting them out of their sight. A look of protective and contentment shone within those eyes as all of their pack mates and friends were unharmed and safe.

Oh. Oh.

They were the baby of the pack! That explained a lot! The mentality and trust they instilled in the parent meant they saw them as a new friend! Heh, they weren't actually trying to kill. That made a change!

"I always thought they were all hostile. More lurk in these halls. They come in packs. We happened to be lucky they maintain some level of intelligence."

Maybe they weren't so feral as they thought.

***

The Caterpillar is just hanging there. So still watching its prey. In the darkness, the ex-employee never saw it stalking them and Poppy as it travelled with its long body stretching and supporting it'd weight in the beams. It couldn't hang off the ceiling like Mommy, but it can stick to the upper level if necessary for survival.

It doesn't know what this prey desired.

Attachedtothelongbodyofacaterpillarlikecharacterandexpectedtolearnitscharacteristics-

Lines of texts crossed it's eyes as it watched the intruder stalking the halls near is designated area. Sneaking around for reasons unknown to the Caterpillar as if Mommy was going to kill them if they were caught. Mommy wasn't cruel. She'd only place you in a web or force you through some type of punishment if you were a bad  child. And this intruder acted disobedient.

"Terrible things have happened here. Where do I even begin?"

Guests translated to intruders.

"I will admit I am going to be useless in...physical combat. This body isn't designed to fight and defend. It is designed to please and play. Even if the terrible people in white didn't think it through. Nothing knows of the intelligence I inherited of the original host. Her name is...non-existent now. Poppy remains in her place."

The ex-employee registered the information. Walking through the once again as they tried observing the next enemy of their adventure. The last they encountered was that stupid flower wanting them to complete their puzzle of colourful button prompts. It attacked them everything they got a single thing wrong.

The caterpillar watched in fascination as the human solved a puzzle using their hand-pack thingy, launching a blue to trigger the motion sensor and let them pass into Mommy's domain.

Bang.

Something landed next to it. The caterpillar was accompanied by one of the mini Huggies staring curiously at their new guests.

"We are hers."

It crooned like a cat, rubbing its fur against the Caterpillar's neck. Hands clasping it's next as it allowed them to do whatever they wanted. Trusting them enough to not desire their demise.

"Mommy will never let us leave. Do not interfere."

It left as the flower crawled from its flowery domain. The caterpillar tilted its head curiously. The flowery toy hung there like Mommy did except it's claws only kept the hands steadied, so it could only stay in certain areas.

"A shame, really. I had so much fun forcing them to play my game. Mommy wants them to herself to make them one of us. She doesn't desire their death. Mommy isn't capable of hate. But a twisted desire to find and keep haunts her soul."

The flower left before the caterpillar could question their motives. Observing the intruder and Poppy teaming up against them, it couldn't help but think it was a bit cool to see an original not killing off the first intruder they saw entering their territory.

Poppy decided they had some good use. And her instincts had been right.

"You are perfect. Too perfect to lose."

She caressed their hair. Strands loosened into her fingers as she played, twisted, massaged their scalp to try and calm them down. The Caterpillar felt disappointed upon seeing the intruder melt like butter in the doll's hands. She had them in her grip.

Another intruder, another victim manipulated.

What a poor, poor soul.

***

"YOU CAN'T JUST BRING HIM HERE."

"Yes, I can. He's one of mine."

Poppy cocked her head as the ex-employee hid behind the wall as a defence mechanism. There were toys arguing on the other side. Darkness hide both their forms, so the doll took the opportunity to see what exactly happened to going on.

"You bring a monster back to life, you will regret it."

"He isn't a monster if I took him in. Huggy is one of more...unstable ones. But he defends the others and still had some usefulness unlike you who wanders around these halls, mooching off my supplies and affection. Your intentions are misplaced, Sunny."

Two figures were shown by the faint red lighting in the halls. One hidden in the darkness and one barely visible as some kind of flower clinging to the upper level pipes. The other toy was out of sight. Though, a hidden feminine undertone the gender of the second person.

"Mother."

Bang. Bang. Bang.

An object slammed against the walls, the second toy coming into view little by little until the flower became almost afraid and backed up against the pipes, aiming for the ceiling before they were pulled in someone's hand, squeezed, and positioned in front of someone twice their size.

"Listen, my little sunflower-"

The smile placed permanently on the toy flower's mouth (they had white yellow petals, a green stemming body along with adjustable hands and feet to shape into proper if needed), somehow twitched against their programming, their holes in the stem releasing some kind of neurotoxin which forced the female figure, ex-employee, and Poppy to cover their mouth even if the latter two were toys and somewhat immune to the gas.

"Don't call me one of your own. I took care of the kids in the garden, nature, you resonate in the locked up area. Smothering these toys, teaching them violence is okay if they ARE JUST PLAYING!"

The ex-employee now knew that the toys clashed on some level. They weren't all just allies out to kill them. Some were enemies and had different views points on the lives of intruders trespassing on their territories. No one agreed on the same thing.

"...YOU ARE ALL MINE."

The hand pinned the flower to the wall. Sunny, as they heard the other figure refer to them as, grew terrified as their mouth opened to reveal sharp teeth, hissing at the other who copied the gesture return. Both like feral cats trying to win an argument. Their non-existent noses nearly touching as they kept eye contact.

"Little sunny, sunflower, my flower. You are a growing child and perhaps it is natural for you to want to rebel. But you do not go against Mommy."

"Oh, fuc-"

"Ah, Ah, little one, no cursing."

"Yes, Mother."

The flower toy pushed the hand away, clambering off into the darkness leaving the toy by herself as she screeched in frustration and grief at her situation. The Huggy doll was squeezed in her hands as if it were greatly important. Poppy fed a bit of information that helped them understand why the tiny thing seemed necessary for the toy to have in their grasp.

"I remember a time Kissy Missy was hurt. She reverted back into her toy form due to her consciousness leaving momentarily. Huggy wasn't happy with the employee responsible. Tore him a new one. Intruders were then considered as guests. Mommy doesn't like guests."

Silence reigned after Poppy's statement. They decided to head forward, not realising the mess on the floor would trigger something they would rather not see.

Buzz.

Their foot caught in the weird, the ex-employee accidentally falling on the floor which a loud bang followed, echoing through the halls. Poppy stayed silent, but her hitching breaths gave away her growing fear of the unknown.

"A NEW PLAYMATE!"

Immediately they began running for their lives. Clutching Poppy in their arms so she wouldn't slip, the ex-employee never looked back to see what, 'Mommy.' Looked like, appearance wise anyway. They had a feeling they weren't going to regret it.

Hell no, they weren't dealing with this.

***

Dealing with the toys desensitised the fear of being killed. The little Huggies decided it was their time to shine. Charging at the last second, the ex-employee watched them tackling another clan of Huggies before all hell broke loose with their fighting.

"The leaders are fighting over territory. Strange, they usually get along. Hunting employees and creatures as their personal hobby. Something must've triggered their emotions."

Poppy's soft voice reminded them of the presence of the one leading the current clan driving the other out the way of the play area. The caterpillar did nothing to stop them, not bothered by the noise as long as it didn't disturb it's nap.

"What are you doing, young ones?"

All the Huggies froze on the spot, then multiple minis began whimpering. Some scampered off, some's eyes glazed as if going into a trance. And the alpha hackles raised protectively as it backed up against its pack. Even the other giant green alpha did the same. A temporary unsaid alliance formed against whatever this new monster was to them.

"Now, Now, don't be rude to like that. It's impolite."

A hand reached out, a pinkish, giant hand cupping the cheeks of the alpha minis as her other extended out the shadows. Keeping her identity hidden, the toy figures looked to be clambering on the ceiling somehow managing to stick herself in them like a spider or any other creature.

"...They disobeyed not to disturb the peace. Quiet is the best thing for these toys. You wouldn't understand."

The hands moved to their chins, tilting their chins to face the toy and look her in the eyes so she'd be able to tell their emotions. Clever strategy. Especially since the Huggies were shown to be seen able do something else than smile all the time.

"What's been going on?"

The green alpha of the other mini Huggy clan swatted the toy's hand off their face. Drawing blood from the incoming wounds, the spider thing hissed, teeth gleaming in the darkness as she grabbed the giant green one barely the size of the palm, dragging what appeared to be a male over as they struggled from their instinctive attack to defend themselves.

"I don't appreciate disobedient adults."

The green shrieked with all their might as they called for their clan, only for them to not obey since Mommy was the authority figure ruling over all in the area.

"Mommy doesn't like violence.."

This even peaked the interest interest of the flower creature the ex-employee saw in their last trip to the area. Sitting there next it a long elastic swirly caterpillar thing. Their expression didn't change, but their body language revealed their curiosity.

"Someone's messed up."

The flower toy hissed in pleasure, showing its own sharp teeth before elbowing the caterpillar they think was named PJ or anything similar to keep watch. It showed a chuckle of its own as its body gave the impression of someone dying off laughter of watching something too funny to say in words.

"...We best take our leave."

Poppy was right. The ex-employee fought the bile building up in their stomach. Sneaking out the room and into the next area on their journey.

Nevertheless they never saw the mini Huggy again.

***

They remembered that wackamole isn't supposed to be terrifying. Hell, it's supposed to be fun more than anything. Slamming a hammer on whatever creature's head was supposed to let out your loose, yet playful side of childhood.

The game only enhanced their instincts to survive. No matter the cost. The incoming mini Huggies sent the ex-employee into a fight or flight scenario where they were forced to fend for them-self and Poppy if they wished for her not to be taken. Heeding her words of her physical form useless in a combat, they needed her intelligence and knowledge of the factory if they wanted any increase in surviving this deadly place of hell.

"They are more aggressive than usual. Mommy must've killed their leader. They reverted to a mental instability without a leader to give them guidance."

Guidance, huh? They'd guide them back to the little tunnels the little assholes were attempting to crawl through to get through to the ex-employee. Their eyes dilated as they focused and relied more on instinct than intelligence to guide them through this particular section of mistakes they'd committed during their journey far.

And during their little battle, they accidentally hit the one mini Huggy they had fixed up. The majority were now angry, confused, and in grief of their leader murdered by the toy. Now they were taking it out on whatever was an outlet. Another mistake the ex-employee never realised being placed near another area and conveniently regaining their health before entering a big, empty room.

How had they not seen the signs of this segment?

***

Last, and finally, Mommy Long Legs herself appeared at some point during the Ex-employee's journey when they exited the play are after narrowly escaping the caterpillar thing who refused to let them leave.

Really, really weird. It hadn't been hostile. Clingy like a needy partner and willing to knock them unconscious to keep them from leaving the play pen meant for children-

"...She's somewhere around here."

Anyway, the ex-employee found themselves backed against the wall as they set off an alert which drew the spider toy thing closer to their location. Mommy was in her way over to assess the situation.

"What do we have here?"

A head poked itself and they finally got a look at the creature that had been stalking them all this time during their unwilling visit.

A large, slender creature similar to Huggy Wuggy, but with more human-like features and also beared a resemblance to a spider with light pink skin. She had a tangled and noodle-like hair, which is tied into a ponytail using a baby blue hair tie. Her face was decorated with plastic green eyes with three eyelashes on each eye, hollow mouth decorated with a pink lipstick of a darker shade, and the presence of a nose is absent. Her body was composed of a torso and a lower body, which is colored with a dark shade of pink to resemble a sweetheart-bodice dress. Unlike a spider, she had only four limbs, all of which are were maybe elastic and bendy in nature.

"IT'S BEEN SO LOOOOONG~"

Shooting out the red hand, Mommy simply caught the annoying thing within her grasp, inspecting it as a curious creature, seemingly sniffing and examining the strange new object, indulging her more animal based instincts. Then she realised what exactly she was doing and cleared her throat, throwing back the hand as it landed back in its socket.

"Forgive me, I simply had to examine the new visitor! I would have found you sooner, but one of my children were...acting a bit naughty. They loved your performance!"

Didn't Poppy say she never like guests? The ex-employee passed a confused glance to the cowering doll hiding behind their back to make sure she wasn't seen. Her eyes hadn't landed in them yet. So maybe they were in the clear? They were so divided if they should run or converse if Mommy was showing them enough mercy to not kill them at their lowest-

Wait, she could have found them sooner?

"You are perfect. Too perfect to loose to the twisted beings who reside in these parts."

Suddenly, a hand picked them up by their throat. Mommy's eyes sharpened into slits, a warm sensation pricking through the ex-employee bloodstream as Mommy's sharp teeth launched themselves into their throat, sending some type of venom to send them into a helpless sleep in which Mommy's plan to put up her caring front worked as usual.

"All you humans are naive. But you seem different somehow, little one. Maybe you'll last longer than the others."

Mommy tilted them upside down. She started climbing up in the walls heading toward the ceiling that obscured the ex-employee's vision more as it blacked into the unconscious stage of a sleep-induced kidnapping. Tossing the human over her shoulder, Mommy grabbed their back hand-pack thingy, admiring it momentarily before starting on her merry way back to her children to present a new gift.

"Not failed. Never failed. Can take care of my own. More than a mere experiment."

Poppy and the employee exchanged looks, a thought running through their heads as she clung to their back and the venom forced them to give in.

What the hell was wrong with these toys?