Ponyville, Equestria. One and a half hours before sunrise.

At Sweet Apple Acres, the air was thick with an unnatural fog. Dawn's weak light started to show on the horizon. The normal sounds of farm creatures were replaced by silence. The wind had stopped, and an unnatural darkness was settled over the town, only just letting dawn's glow escape. A dark, horrible creature was moving silently, prowling the farm for his prey.

Upstairs, in the main farm house, it was deathly still. Three little fillies had just woken up, and realized that Applejack was nowhere to be seen. They started worrying, and looked all around the house. They collapsed on the floor, boards creaking under their weight. They sighed in frustration and desperation. "Where do you suppose she went, Apple Bloom?" asked Sweetie Belle. The farm filly just shrugged, turning to the Scootaloo.

"Well, we can NOT stay here, that monster will get us for sure!" Scootaloo went to the door, only to be grabbed by Apple Bloom.

"Haven't you ever heard the legends?! It feeds off of your fear, and it'll do anything to get what it wants. You're NOT GOING OUT THERE, at least not alone. Mah sister keeps an emergency flashlight in her room, I'll go get it." She ran upstairs, to find the flashlight just where she remembered it. She grabbed it in her mouth, then headed back downstairs. She unlocked the door, and the three of them filed out. They failed to notice a strange figure standing there, watching them as they went.

:::

"How much longer until sunrise, Twilight?"

Twilight Sparkle looked at the horizon, then to the Ponyville clock. It had stopped three hours ago. "Well, since it's been at least an hour and a half since dawn started, I'd say maybe, twenty-five minutes." They all looked hopeful at this, especially since they hadn't seen anything all night. They had passed the time telling each other stories, talking across the distances. The cool dawn air tousled their manes, and leaves crunched under their hooves. Slowly, painfully, the sun rose a bit more. They jumped up in glee.

Daytime meant safety.

:::

The three fillies trod through the debris from the storm yesterday, and their flashlight illuminated the trees. It was odd, not seeing them move. They seemed to have no life, when they were still like this. A sound was made a little bit away, making them turn their heads in fear.

The creature was there, watching them.

They screamed, and started to run. They ached to be free of the farm, and to find Twilight and her friends. At least then they wouldn't just be three defenseless fillies. They saw the path to the road, and bolted, the thing right on their heels. Sweetie Belle had dropped the flashlight when she screamed, so they could just barely make out the entrance. The passed through it, just in time. Another second, and the creature would have been right on top of them. They ran faster than they ever had before, as fear does miraculous things to the body. They spotted Twilight, then Applejack, then the rest. They had not noticed that as soon as they left the creature, the wind picked back up. They ran into the sextet of ponies, and hugged them tightly. The older mares were confused at this, but confusion turned to dread, at what they saw in the distance.

It was a black outlined pony, standing tall. And pale as death itself.

"Everypony, get behind me!" Twilight ordered, The others didn't need any more prompting, and quickly got behind the alicorn. Twilight faced the evil, and readied her horn. She was careful not to look it in the eyes, as she still had a special tool coming...

"Package for Ms. Twilight Sparkle!" A grey mare had crashed right into Twilight, and it appeared she had a severe case of strabismus. Twilight looked at Ditzy Doo, the mailmare, and took the package. It was her anti-vision glasses. Just then, she heard a raspy, faded voice.

"You know you want to run. Do it. Flee.

Twilight shook her head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. Had Slendermane just... contacted her? She looked worriedly up at Applejack, who was trying to comfort her little sister. She met Twilight's gaze, and in her eyes were a mixture of fear, sadness, and desperation. Twilight shivered, knowing what this mixture could do to a pony, if provoked enough. She again turned to face the thing. It had moved at least five feet from where it originally was, slowly, painfully closer. She readied her Element on her head, and put on the glasses. Now, they stood a chance. They could beat this thing, and save Equestria from it, once and for all.

"Pinkie was giggling madly, trying to go to Slendermane. But every time she got within two yards, she turned grey, no trace of color left on her coat. She would then walk back, only to have the effects reversed. Then the cycle began again. Rainbow Dash finally sighed, then grabbed Pinkie's tail. She sat there dejectedly, but realized she had to stop. Twilight's magic was growing brighter, stronger. The wind had stopped, but as soon as her magic started growing, picked up again, fiercely. She aimed at the abomination, and let her magic loose. It created a small mushroom cloud, and all was silent. But when the mushroom cloud disappeared, it still stood there, unwavering. His tentacles had appeared, and waved around him, almost lustfully, and retracted, then repeated. Twilight was about to try again, but Rainbow Dash had started flying towards it. "Rainbow, wait!"

Before Rainbow hit, however, she seized up and began to spasm. Dragging herself to her feet, she retreated, tears in her eyes. Twilight had a look of pure, unadulterated rage. Her eyes glowed, and the rest of the mares attached their Elements, knowing what this meant. A swirl of bright light rose, colored in all shades in the spectrum, and hit the spot where the target stood. This mushroom cloud was bigger, but had the same effect. Then, Twilight remembered things from time ago. Giggle at the ghostly... it feeds off of fear... Suddenly, she knew how to banish the abomination, back to the plane of existence from whence it came.

"Girls, I want you to laugh as loud and hard as you can, now! Don't ask why, just do it!" They all took deep breaths, and unleashed a torrent of fake laughter. It had no visible effect. "Uugh! Why isn't it working?!" Then, she had an idea.

'Hang on! The laughter has to be sincere! Pinkie, do something random, or just do what you normally do to laugh!"

Pinkie Pie nodded. She took a deep breath, then looked at Rainbow Dash. Dash rolled her eyes, knowing what she had to do.

Rainbow dash pulled the face. It was the embodiment of joy itself. Pinkie couldn't contain herself any more. She laughed her hardest laugh ever. A wave spread over them, and they all laughed along. The wave closed the distance between them and Slendermane. Then the wave hit him. It was like acid hitting a mound of flesh. His very form dissolved into nothingness before them. They cheered and hollered, but then stopped. It still stood there, forming itself anew. They lost all hope then. All attempts had failed. Just as soon as all of this started, Twilight blacked out.

She woke up in a white room. She got up and walked to a door. Upon opening it, she gasped. This was the realm that Celestia had Twilight ascend in. She then felt another entity's presence. She turned to fight, but then relaxed. It was Princess Luna. She descended upon Twilight, and spared no time getting to the point. "Twilight Sparkle, the creature can not be destroyed, only banished back to the forest that is its home." Luna created a magic screen, which looked out on a forest. "This is the most ancient forest in our world. This is where it resides. You must find a way to get it back there, or all life in Equestria shall diminish."

Twilight gulped, looking at Luna, her ethereal mane billowing. "How? It won't top it's pursuit, and I don't even know where this forest is." She started tearing up at the thought of her friends being killed, or worse, by that thing.

"You do know this forest, for you were in it once yourself. Do you remember your dream about the first manticore? That is the forest it inhabits. Go, you have little time left. Even though Alicorns are immortal, we can still be taken. I once witnessed such an instance, and it haunts me still." Twilight nodded, and closed her eyes, drifting away, so far away...

A light slap to the face greeted her as she awoke.

Author's Note

I probably missed spelling Alicorn in the other chapters with a capital, but I'll find it at some point, when I'm not fuzzy eyed.