The Darkness Within

by Brony103

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Tragedy, Human, Dark
Length: 7393

A human who is cursed comes to Equestria, will he be it's savior or it's destroyer?

Shadow is a human with a troubled past. No family, being hunted and to top it all off he is also cursed. But one day while taking refuge in the woods, he is whisked away to Equestria. He makes a few friends and maybe even something more. But not everypony is so kind. Will Equestria learn to accept him? Or will they unleash his bent up fury?

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-08-16 04:13:45 UTC

Chapter 1: Arrivel

Chapter 1: Arrival

“Hey freak come back here!”  Yelled one of the boys following me.  This is the daily routine for me, go to school then get chased on my way back through the park.  Good thing I’ve got my stuff at the campsite.  Why mention the campsite?  Well it’s where I’ve been living for the past year.  I was just coming back from hanging out with my brony friends.  And now in my brony shirt I’m being chased by a group of bullies who want to beat me senseless and possibly kill me.

“Come back here witch boy!”  Oh and the fact that I’m a Wiccan doesn’t help.  Everyone thinks that I cast curses and stuff, when they don’t realize that Wicca is a nature religion, but I’m getting off topic.  Now where was I, oh yes fleeing for my life.  “Why do they always do this?  All I want is to camp out and enjoy nature!”  I growl with anger.  And then I see it finally!  I have reached my campsite!  I rush inside the tent and then start gathering everything in my bags but then a rock hits the ground next to my tent.  “We’re gonna get you pony witch freak!”  Yells one of the bullies.

“No not now!  I barely escaped last time!”  In fact last time they attacked me it ended with them waking up in the middle of the forest.  “We know your in there!”  He sings in a mocking tone.  “Please God and Goddess, please help me.  They have knives this time, big ones!”  I pray through tears of terror as I gather things in my bags as quickly as I could.  Then just as I can here them coming up to the tent, a blinding white light shines like the sun.

I wake up in my tent, I sit bolt upright remembering what had happened.  But the bullies aren’t making any noise, so I poke my head out to see.  And would you just know my luck when I see…  the Everfree forest!  I am speechless, I think maybe I am dreaming, so I get my pocketknife out of my pocket and prick my finger, and it hurts. “Ow!”  I suck on my finger as blood starts to seep from it.  “So I guess I’m not dreaming.”  I mutter as I work to stop the bleeding from the small cut.

Suddenly I hear a rustling and then voices, I listen closely so I can catch them.  “I told you it appeared with a flash of bright light a couple hours ago.”  Came a shrill tomboyish voice.  I run into my tent, and gather my three knives.  My short pocket knife is already in my pocket and I grab my boot knife with it’s leather sheath and strap that to my pants and I grab my baby, my 22 inch dagger shaped like a serpentine dragon with it’s body making the battle ready blade.  I hear them coming closer, I can’t make out what they look like but it looks like there are six of them.  I get my dagger ready. I’m not going to run away, from this point forth I will not cower away. “Looks like they’re going for the front, well then I’ll just slice through the side and surprise them.”

I wait until they are close enough and then, SLICE!  I burst through and rush out at blinding speed.  If there are a few things I am, it’s fast and precise which makes me deadly with a blade.  I turn towards them only to be met with a blue blur.  I swing but my dagger is deflected out of my hand.  “Damn it!”  I say through clenched teeth.  I pull out my shorter boot knife and my pocket knife.  But they are soon knocked out of my hands before I can even swing.  “That’s it!”  I grab my enemy’s leg and then with all my strength I slam my assailant down into the hard ground with a pleasing CRUNCH.  “Ahhhhhhh!”  I hear it wail in pain.  But then when I get a good look, what I had perceived as threats are in fact… ponies.  The mane six from My little Pony Friendship is magic in fact, and the one laying at my feet gritting her teeth in pain is none other than Rainbow Dash.

“Oh crap!  I, I thought you were all going to attack me and, Oh man!  Did I hurt you too bad I didn’t mean, Oh maaaaaaaaan!”  If you can’t already tell I am completely freaking out.  Luckily for me they didn’t take this as an opportunity to beat the crap out of me.  “ We need to get her to the hospital!”  Twilight says almost as freaked out as me.  “No, this is my mess and I’m gonna fix it.”  Twilight looks like she is going to protest but I set to work anyways.  I put my hands on Dash’s body, take a deep breath and concentrate.  I feel and gather the energy from the earth and forest around me, drawing on the power of nature and focusing it so that it is programmed for one thing: healing Rainbow Dash.  I feel the intense heat that lets me know that my magic is working.  I open my eyes and there is that familiar green glow of healing magic coming from my hands.  As I work none of the ponies talk and Dash’s pain seems to subside until she opens her eyes and sees what I’m doing.  Eventually Her moving lets me know that I am done.

Rainbow Dash flaps her wings and hovers in the air just staring at me in shock.  I’m the first to break the silence.  “I’m sorry Rainbow Dash, everypony, I didn’t know it was ponies that were approaching, I thought it might have been hungry creatures.”  I apologize as I pick up my fallen knives from the grassy ground.  Dash gets up in my face with, a smile?  “Nopony has ever as fast as me!  Well cept for Pinks but that’s just Pinkie.”  She rambles with her muzzle inches from my nose.  “So you’re not upset about me slamming you against the ground?”  I ask hoping for the best.  “Nah besides you patched me up 120%!”  She says flying high into the air just to prove her point.

I turn to the rest of the main six.  “What about you guys?  You mad?”  Applejack is first to speak, “Ah don’t really know if Ah should trust a thing that attacks out of no were like a snake in the grass, but ya do look like yall are telling the truth, and ya healed Rainbow so, I guess I aint mad at ya.”  “You may have been fighting but you moved with such grace, and I would love to make you a gift more healing poor Rainbow Dash, and as an apology for scaring you of course.”  Rarity surprisingly doesn’t have any comments saying I am brute.  Fluttershy nervously rubs her front leg with her hoof.  “I know that if you approach an animal the wrong way it could attack, and the same is true for some ponies, so I’m sorry if we frightened you.”  She says with a cute little smile.  I return her smile  “ And I’m sorry if I frightened any of you.”  But on the inside I am squeaking at the cuteness.

I turn to were Pinkie was, or were I thought she was.  “Hey where’s-  “HI!”  Pinkie just appears right next to me and scares the living crap out of me.  “What the crap!”  “Oh sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”  She giggles and then gives me a bone-crushing hug.  “I should throw a welcome the Ponyville party!”  Pinkie screams at the top of her lungs and bouncing.  And finally there is Twilight Sparkle.  “Hey Twilight, um are you mad at me?”  I ask kind of nervous.  “No not any more I am.  I just have a question.”  I brace myself for yelling of some sort.  “Can you show me what magic you can do!”  The purple mare asks with sparkles in her eyes.  “Um, sure.”  I reply with a smile.  “Hey are you coming?”  Rainbow Dash asks me while hovering above the trees.  “Where?”  I ask completely confused.  “Why to Ponyville of course.”  Says Twilight with a chuckle.

Chapter 2: New Home

Chapter 2:  New home

It was kind of weird explaining how I know all about their world.  “So your telling me that were you are from, you are called humans, and we are a show created for your human entertainment?”  Twilight asks while taking notes.  (Yes I mean she is taking actual notes.)  “Yes, but believe me when I say this, there are people like me called Bronies that have built an entire culture around this so called show.  We strive to take lessons from your peaceful world.”  I say satisfied with my little speech.  “Well I’ll be, we are really that popular?”  Applejack seems slow to accept what I’ve just explained.  “Eeyup.”  I say imitating her brother.  “Ok when yall do that it sounds so weird.”  She says cringing a bit.  “Sorry, couldn’t help it.”  I say with a sly smile.

“Hey look the town!”  Twilight says pointing with her hoof.  Indeed as we are coming out of the Everfree forest, right in front of us is the town of Ponyville.  “I hope that know one freaks out when they see me.”  I start to imagine them running away and then attacking me in a giant angry mob.  “ Oh don’t worry darling, just stick with us and everything will be fine.”  Rarity muses while giving me a wink.  I hope so looking over at the lowering sun.  “Oh hey, um I have something to show you girls.”  I say with obvious nervousness.  “Oh really, what is it?”  Twilight looks like she is trying to hold in bubbling curiosity.  “Yeah, but you will have to wait until sundown.”  They look at me confused but otherwise seem to think nothing of it.

So as I am walking through Ponyville as I expected I am getting stares.  But unexpectedly they are almost all stares of curiosity and not fear.  “Town Hall is just around this corner.” Explains Twilight.  “Why are you taking me there?”  “Because we are going to invite you introduce yourself to all of Ponyville!”  Twilight says with a clap of her hooves.  “And that thing that you wanted to show us at night can be witnessed by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”  Twilight says with glee as I begin to panic.  Damn it!  What if everyone thinks that I’m a monster?  But my thoughts are interrupted by Mayor Mare coming over.

“Oh so is the strange creature that somepony told me about?”  Mayor Mare says with a giggle.  “Yeah that’s me I guess.”  I say nervously rubbing my neck.  “Well come on in all of you!”  “And let us begin discuss what it is that you wanted Twilight Sparkle.”  She says leading us into town hall.  “Yes Mayor Mare, I would like for… hey I never asked you your name!”  Twilight says looking over at me in panic.  “Oh, it’s, Shadow.”  I reply with only a small hesitation.  “Thank you, yes I would like for Shadow here to be introduced to the town of Ponyville and after sundown I am planning on a visit from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”  Twilight says finishing her statement.  “Well I don’t see why not, how about you give me about the rest of the afternoon to get this ready?  That way right after introductions the Princesses can visit right after words, this is going to be fun!”  The Mayor of Ponyville squeaks as if this is the first piece of something interesting to happen in a while.

“Well Shadow, what do you want to do?”  Fluttershy finally speaks up again with her quite voice.  “Well I-”  “Oh no you don’t!”  I was interrupted by Rarity with a determined look on her face.  “We need to get you ready for the introduction and your meeting with the Princesses!  I’m taking you back to my boutique to take your measurements and then I’m taking you to the spa!”  She says with what I can only describe as hunger in her eyes.  I am about to say maybe later but then Rarity flashes me her pleading filly eyes.  “I don’t see why not” Is my answer.  What am I getting my self into?

A short walk later Rarity and me arrive at the boutique and to a very excited Filly.  “Well here we are, home sweet home.”  Rarity barely got the words out of her mouth before we hear the sound of running hooves and next thing I know I’m on my back with a white fluff on top of me.  “Hey Rarity I herd about a strange creature walking around town with you guys!  So is this him?”  I finally get a good look at the pony on top of me.  “Is that you Sweetie Bell?”  She jumps back in surprise and falls flat on her butt.  “How do you now my name?!”  She says with a small awe in her voice.  “Oh I think that is Rarity’s job to explain.”  I just don’t want to spend to long explaining it to her.  “Yes, I’ll explain later but for right now I need to measure him.  So if you would just take of your clothes.”  I start to get nervous and my cheeks start to get hot.  “Yeah um about that, the thing is that we humans wear clothes because we aren’t covered in fur and that means that certain, parts of our bodies are not hidden.”  I manage to say with burning cheeks.  “Huh?  Oh. Oh!  I am sorry I didn’t know I, do you have any thing to cover your…”  “I got you covered.”  I say as I take off my shirt and pants, but not my underwear.

Then Rarity lets out a gasp.  “What’s wrong?”  She raises her sacking hoof.  “Y-your back!  Were did you get those scars!?”  She is pointing to the symbol carved into the flesh on my back.  “It looks like a circle with an X through it!”  Sweetie Bell’s voice rings through the room.  Maybe I should tell her, but then again she may just blab to the rest of the gang.   I look at the ground avoiding their eyes. “I’ll tell you and the others when we can get them all together, how about after the visit from the princesses?”  I try to make my voice not shake.  Bad memories, telling them is not going to be easy.    “That will be just fine.”  She says putting her hoof on my shoulder.  “Now, let’s get you measured!”  Rarity cheers!  “Sweetie Bell!  Get me the measuring tape!”  she says with that same look of hunger in he eyes as before.  Again, what have I gotten myself into?  I think with an eye twitch.

Needless to say being measured by Rarity was horrifying.  The touching and the measuring, and even the standing still for long periods of time I could handle.  But what scared be was the look on Rarity’s face while she was doing it.  She looked like she wanted to eat me or something.  But she did end up making an awesome outfit for me.  She asked me for a general design that I would like, and it is flawless.  A hooded cloak as black as night with timber wolfs that have glowing yellow eyes and the full moon glowing in the sky above them.  I love it!  It is so awesome!

“Thank you again Rarity for the cloak.”  I say for probably the what, 16th time.  “Thank you but darling please no more, I’d do anything to help out a friend.”  She says, which I think was a polite way of saying shut up.  So I did.  “Ah here we are, the Ponyville spa.”  We walk inside and apparently the spa ponies Aloe and Vera were expecting us.  “We already have a room ready for you both.”  “Yeah and as a request from Rarity you will both be getting the full treatment, which for you miss Rarity is the usual.”  They say leading us to a room.  And when they say full treatment, oh boy do they mean FULL treatment.  I’m talking mud bathes, saunas, messages, acupuncture, the works.

We are in the mineral bath when Rarity nudges me with her hoof.  “Yeah, what’s up?”  She bites her lip as if she is thinking.  “Shadow, you know that thing you want to show everypony?”  “Yeah?”  I cock an eyebrow.  “It doesn’t have anything to do with your scars, does it”  She asks in a worried tone.  Damn, and even after I managed to hide them from Aloe and Lotus.  “To tell the truth yes, it does.  But please, I would like to tell everypony when the time is right.”  I say still avoiding her eyes.  A pause makes me look up, and to my surprise Rarity is smiling at me.  “That’s okay you tell us when you are ready.”  And for the first time I came to Equestria, I get a hug from a pony.

(Fluttershy Yay!)

“Now what do you say we go and visit Twilight hmmm?  I hear she still wants to ahem, study you.”  Rarity says with a chuckle.  “Yeah, maybe I can check out her books, I’ll have you know I am quite the bookworm.”  I say while Rarity continues her giggling.  “Well I think you two will get along just fine, although I did not expect you to be this laid back with going to the spa with me.”  “Oh that, well I used to take mineral baths every now and then to take the edge off from the pressures of everyday life.”  I say with a grin.  “Well then I look forward to more visits, maybe you could join me and Fluttershy some time.”  She says returning my smile.  “Sure, I’d love too.”  “Oh looks like we’re here.”  And we stop right in front of the house/tree that is the Ponyville library and also the home of the one and only Twilight Sparkle.

Chapter 3: Painful secret

Chapter 3: Painful secret

The minute we walk into the library I know something is up.  The lights are off and no one is making a sound which makes it eerie.  “Hello?”  I say to the darkness around me and as soon as I say it the door slams shut behind me.  The lights illuminate to reveal Twilight and the rest of the mane six.  “You have some explaining to do Shadow.”  She says with a stern voice.  “What do you mean?”  I say already having no idea what she is getting at.  “I Mean this symbol that is supposedly a symbol for a curse.”  She says levitating one of my books and revealing the symbol in question.  Rarity who is behind me looks at the book and stares wide eyed at me in shock.  “But that looks like the symbol on your back!  Shadow what is going on?”  They all look at me accusingly and I turn pale. I think of just running, just to run and never look back.  But no, I’m tired of running I've been running all of my life, I will take a stand.  “You really want to know?  Do you really want to fucking know!?”  I scream with tears streaming down my face, much to the mane six’s surprise.  “I’m cursed.  With the curse of the Slenderman.”

“What’s the curse of the Slenderman?”  Twilight asks with a gentler tone then before.  I sniffle a little before continuing “There is this creature that looks human like me, but it’s not.  It is a being of pure darkness that feeds on fear.  It wears a dark suite and tie, with a body and limbs so thin they resemble a tree and it’s branches.  It can grow tendrils and extra limbs of countless number.  And the creepiest part, it has no face.  It’s just a blank mask of nothingness.”  I look up to see everypony is pretty much terrified, even Rainbow Dash looks a little scared.  “And what’s this curse?”  Rainbow asks next.  “Well the curse is well, I can become Slenderman.”...........“What!”  I hear everypony yell.  “Yes, but unlike anybody else I can control it, I can control when I transform and everything.  You see when you get afflicted with the curse it makes you lose your sanity.  Every bit of you is destroyed until you truly become the Slenderman, hollow, empty, void of feeling.  But because I had help that didn't happen with me, I can fight it.”  I smile a little.  “Then why is it a curse?”  Another question from Twilight.  “Because I can still lose control if I'm not careful, in fact…that’s what happened to make me run away from home.”  I try to say under my breath but somehow Fluttershy catches it.  “You ran away from home!?”

“I suppose you all want to hear the story right?”  My answers are nods of heads and Pinkie pulling a bowl of popcorn form out of nowhere.  “Well it all started when I was twelve.  I was always different from the other kids.  I liked when the others would Shriek in terror about a scary story, I would be smiling like a goofball.  I also loved to be outside at night, and was never afraid of the dark, in fact I liked the dark.  I was told of my curse by my mother, I never met my father because he left me when I was born so my mother was teaching me to control my powers.  She was a renowned occultist and powerful witch and through careful research, experimentation and a few... mishaps, she discovered that if my magical will is strong enough then I could control the curse, and maybe even turn it into a blessing.  So she taught me witchcraft and other types of magic to help me with the curse.  I was performing one of my lessons  When IT happened.”

Flashback:

“Look mom!  I’m doing it!”

“No Shadow it’s too soon!”

“Mom! Help me it’s not listening!”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”

“MOMMY!”

........................................Kill

End flashback.

My mother died, because of my stupid mistake, and I can never undo it!  I killed her with these horrific powers!”  I yell through streams of tears.  “Everybody in my family rejected me tried to kill me!  I had no choice but to live in the woods.  I received help from some friends, but they never knew my secrete.  That… that I’m a monster!  And then to top it all off I was being cosntantly hunted down by a group of monster hunters.  But at least I managed to gain control of the curse, my mother would be so proud.”  I just can’t hold it in any longer as I burst into a fit of sobbing as I fall to my knees and let my river of sorrow that is my tears flow onto the floor of the library.  I sink to my knees and just cry for what seems like an eternity.  But then I feel a hoof on my shoulder, and a warmth that haven't felt in ages.  As I look up something I would never expect happened to me.  Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight had all enveloped me in a huge, warm hug.  The last person to hug me had been my mother.  I hear one of them whisper “Your not a monster, you’re a kind and caring soul that deserves a second chance.”  Says one of them, and I am not surprised to see that it is Fluttershy.  Element of kindness for sure.  “Thank you, I… I’ve never told anyone else this I just, thank you!”  I say hugging them all back.  About a minute passes until I feel ready to face what lies ahead.  “Now let’s get ready, you still have to introduce yourself to the whole town on the stage at town hall!”  Twilight says opening the door with her magic.  But as I walk through the door I feel a familiar sensation at the symbol carved into my back.

..................................Kill

Authors note! (I know this is short but have my finals to study for so it might be slow for a couple weeks.  Don't worry though I am not going to abandon this story!)  Rate comment and whatever!

Chapter 4: It part one

(Author's note Sorry for the delay you should be able to read my blog to find that out.  I am breaking this chapter into two parts because I felt it would be better if I do, also new writing style!  Should be easier to read and more pleasurable.  Well see ya later when I get part two up!  Bye)

Chapter 4: It part 1

As I walk to the stage in the middle of town hall of Ponyville I steadily get more and more nervous.

What if I lose control?  What if they fear me?  What if they run, or worse...

But my thoughts are interrupted by Twilight.

"So how are you feeling, about meeting the Princesses?"

"Oh I'm fine, just fine."  I reply with a bit of nervousness creeping into my voice.

Twilight giggles.  "Oh don't worry, I'm sure you'll do wonderful."

I don't know why but for some reason I blush. I mean I know a lot of bronies clop and I myself belong to that group, but it still felt a bit weird.  I just brush it off, I mean come on, she will never go for me anyways.

"I just hope that this goes well and nothing too bad happens."  I say so Twilight and the others can't here me.

As we enter town hall from the back entrance the mane six go through the curtains to the front of the stage.  Although Twilight turns around to me.

"Aren't you coming?"

I shift a little nervously.  " Actually I need to tell you something Twilight."

"Yeah what is it?"  She says walking away from the curtain.

I take a deep breath and let it out.

I hope I'm not making a mistake.

"Twilight, you remember when I told you that even though I can control the curse, sometimes I lose that control?"

"Yeah, what about it?

"When I lose control, you can tell by my appearance.  Normally when I have full control only half of my face is covered and featureless.  But if I lose control then my entire face is covered, and if you see that...  I want you to get that dragon shaped blade that I used earlier, and kill me."

Not surprisingly Twilight looks horrified and starts to protest, a little more than I expected her to I might add.

"Are you insane!  I can't do that, I mean we can find a better way! I can use my magic to try and subdue you or even better take the curse away!  Yeah we ca-"

I stop her by putting my hand to her mouth.

"You don't understand, when I lose control whole cities are wiped out.  Mothers, fathers, ch-children, they are all slaughtered.  No matter how strong your magic is, even the Princesses would be powerless to stop me.  Nothing can stop me, save for two things: When my will is strong enough to subdue the curse and even by then people are already dead...  and that blade.  The blade is blessed with extremely powerful magic that was conceived at the moment of creation.  So please, I'm telling you this because I trust you.  Just promise me."

Twilight bites her lip a little but then finally decides.

"I... I promise, but only if I have too."

I sigh some held in relief.

"Thank you."

And with that taken care of we walk through the curtains into the spotlights.

Chaper 5 It part two

Chapter 4: It part 2

The intense glare of the spotlights blind me momentarily so all I can do is blink until I can see.  And then I wish I was blinded permanently.  It seems as though not only all of Ponyville and the princesses had showed up, but also both of the Princesses guards had also showed up.  Celestia's guards intermixed with Luna's night guards doubled the size of the crowd!

I almost shit myself!

But as I look over to the others.  Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy are all giving encouraging smiles.  So I gather my courage and step forward.

"Hello ponies, my name is shadow.  Any thing that you need to know I will answer."  I say with the most genuine smile I can muster despite being scared as hell.

Surprisingly one pony raises a hoof, then another pony and another.  Pretty soon almost the whole crowd seems like they have questions.

"Uuuum, ok I'll have to do all of you one at a time so just gunna start with... ah over there Twist isn't it?"

Twist looks a bit surprised that I called her by name, but she asks her question anyways.

"Yeah umm, where did you come from, and what are you?  thorry if I theem mean."

I was expecting this question.

"Well I come from a place where ponies can't talk and we humans have built civilizations all over the world.  I think it's from a completely different dimension than your own, oh and I am one of those humans, we are a lot like you ponies.  We form societies, care for our families and all that."

I see another pony raise her hoof and I recognize her as Ruby Pinch.

"Yes Ruby Pinch, your question?"

Ruby fidgets a bit with her hooves.

"I, umm herd a rumor that you were a monster, you know that this isn't how you really look like."

WHAT!  How was that leaked out so quickly!?

"Ummm, we're did you hear that?"  I manage to say without too much fear creeping into my voice.

"From Ponyville's resident reporter Feather Weight!"  She says with a smile.

That little fuck!  I'm gonna rip him to shreds!

I quietly fume for a couple seconds but regain my composure.

"So, I guess I should spill the beans eh girls?"  I look over to the mane six with a little chuckle.

Applejack looks a bit distraught, probably about somepony going behind my back.  "Well no sense in going back now sugarcube."

...

"I hate it when others are right."  I say feeling my back.

"Well I can't really just tell you, so I will have to show you.  Starting with my mark."

I look at the crowd and they seem to be very eager to see my other form.  Just sitting on the edge of there flanks like they are at a movie theater, and I am the performer.

Well then, I guess I'll give them something to look at!

I smile then I turn around and proceed to take off my shirt to reveal the mark on my back.  I've seen it in a mirror before so I already know what it looks like.  A circle with an X through it that looks like it has been carvd into my skin.  Like a cut that never heals.  And as I throw my shirt to the stage's ground, I hear the frightened gasps and even a few ooooh's and wow's.

Oooooooooooh the show hasn't even began fillies and gentlecolts.

"The symbol you see before you is the symbol of my curse, I am branded by it's evil.  And now, you shall see my other form.  So you can see all of me, and the darkness I fight every day."

I turn back around to face the crowd and to my surprise none of the gaurds haven't stormed the stage, but they sit there with the same mix of looks as the rest of the crowd.  Some are merely shocked, others look genuinely frightened, and still others look very curious.

"All right, if anypony wishes to leave do so now."  I say before closing my eyes and I begin to call, IT."

You request my appearance?  Why should I perform for these pastel colored rejects?  Maybe it would be fun to cut one open maybe... the purple unicorn?

Shut it!

Oooh temper, temper.  You like that one best don't you?  Yes I can tell, keep an eye out boy lest you see her taken from you.

Just shut it!

...Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Finally I have access to the Slenderman powers deep with our shared mind.  And I begin to relese them.  As I do I can feel the dark energy beginning to pour out of my back.  I open my eyes to see it forming a puddle of black around my feet, slowly getting wider and wider like a black hole growing in size.  And as I feel that only half of it has been released I quickly shut the mental door and seal it.

"This is anypony's last chance to leave."

I look up at the crowed once more, and not a single one moves they all look so curius.  But you know what they say: Curiosity killed the cat.

"Alright then, here it is."

Quick as a flash the black puddle beneath my feet shoots up as tendrels and begin to cover my body.  first my legs which elongate as the blackness continues up my body.  It covers my torso and starts to morph into a black suit with a red tie and continues down my arms makig them longer as well and making my fingers to resemble long claws.  Then the final peice my eyes are blackend with red glowing irises and a black ink like substance leaks from my eyes.  As I look around with my new found vision I can feel the mask begining to form over my face.  It begins from the left and slowly advances to the right of my face thentning to engulf it compleatly, but I simply blast it with a mental force and hault it to keep control.

Welcome back old friend, it's been a while.

...shut up.

Chapter 6: Mixed Feelings

Chapter 6: Mixed feelings

I just stand there for a couple seconds taking it all in.  It's funny, I think of these powers as a curse and yet I always get such a rush when I use them.

"Well ponies, give me your take on my powers."

My voice has the quality it always does when I transform, like there are two of me talking at once.  As I scan the crowd with my one eye I stop on one raised hoof, a dark blue hoof with a silver hoof shoe.

...It's Luna.

"Y-yes Princess Luna?"

"What is the nature of this so called curse?"  She is pretty calm, if only she knew.

"It is an entity that requires a host that it chooses at random. It infects them, tainting them with madness then taking them over while feeding on that madness from their corrupted minds.  But for unknown reason I can fight it and use the powers with complete control, most of the time."

"What do you mean, most of the time?"  Luna says narrowing her eyes.

Shit.

"If I am put under a great deal of emotional stress then the curse can take complete control, and after that..."  I just can't bare to say the rest.

But Luna is persistent.

"What happens after you lose control?"

"I, um I try to keep those memories buried."

But Luna just won't take the damn hint.

"After that what, TELL ME!"  She demands.

"Stop!  Their are just, some things that I don't want to remember and I-

My past hits me with the force of a mountain being dropped on me.

I start to tremble a little bit, as the memories come flooding into my mind's eye.  Corpses, corpses everywhere!  Some lying on the ground with there bodies ripped open, blood and organs spilling out onto the ground.  And others impaled on tree limbs with their faces torn away from their skulls. Some where even fully skinned and a couple had their own entrails wrapped around their necks, strangled to death with their own intestines.  The very ground made a sucking sound, from all of the blood and varies innards strewn everywhere.  Men, women, and even children.  All slaughtered for one thing...for fun.

"Stop it Luna! Can't you see you're making him uncomfortable."  I hear Celestia say.

She must not have want me to be upset, but it is too late.  And then the pain comes.

"AHhhhhhhhhhhh!"  I scream in pain and drop to my knees as the curse attempts to rip past my mental barrier.

Twilight is the first to get to my side.

"What's wrong Shadow?  Is it the curse?"

I cradle my head in my hands, the pain is unbearable.  I can feel the barrier in my mind getting weaker.

"Yessss the curse is trying to take over!"

Twilight kneels by me.  "But I thought that you could control it?"

"I can, but when Luna asked me that question and wouldn't stop pressing me, I don't know why but I had a flashback... of something horrible I did a long time ago."

Another wave of pain thunders through me.

"My mental shield is as thin as paper and any second the curse will tear through it and then.... ponies will die!"  I yell through the pain.

Luna takes to the air and looks like she is about to blast me right then and their, until her sister stopped her.

"Wait sister, I believe we should give him a chance."

Kill, KIll, KILl, KILL!

The morbid mantra keeps getting louder and louder in my head until it is almost defining.

No!  You will not hurt any of them!  I might not stop you every time, but at least this time I will!

I pour all of my strength into raising my hand to my face, dig my fingers under the mask that has now spread to cover almost my entire face, and with a hard tug.  I rip the mask off.

As it clatters to the ground and turns to dust, the black suite that covers my body slides off of my body and begins to seep back into my back.  the last thing I remember is a bunch of ponies calling my name, before I fall into blackness.

You are only delaying the inevitable fool.

Yeah?  Well that's good enough for me.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

I wake up feeling... comfortable?  I try to open my eyes but all I get is a blur.  My head is throbbing too but underneath me and over me I can feel a softness of some kind.  So I just wait until my eyes adjust so I can see were the heck I am.

After about five minutes I can finally make out that I am in some kind of bedroom.

"Well now that I can see I guess I can get up and look around now."  I say as I get out of the bed and walk slowly to the door.

As I get close to the door I hear voices, they sound like Twilight and her friends only, they sound as if they are arguing.  I open the door a crack and listen in.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to keep him here?"

"What!  Rainbow Dash I'm surprised at you, I thought you trusted him because he healed you!"

"Yeah well, that was before I found out he is a raging psycho monster thing!  Besides Rarity, I thought you of all ponies would think he was, what a brute?"

"The only reasons I trusted him is because 1: I didn't want to repeat the incident with Zecora, you know how we treated her like a plague!  And 2: because he looked so distraught about hurting you."

"I think he's very nice, he just has some... issues to work out that's all."

"Of course you would say that Fluttershy."

"Well at least she is givin him a chance Rainbow!  Shadow is not just some varmint ya chase out of a barn!  The poor feller has no where else to go!"

"Yeah but what if he goes berserko freako on us!  I don't know about you guys but I for one don't want to see Ponyville wiped off the map!"

"Why can't you give him a chance Rainbow!"

"He already used up his chance Twi, I'm gonna be watching him every chance I get and the slightest sign of something wrong I'll dive bomb him!"

I hear a window open and close, so I presume that Rainbow Dash left.

I stand their, just stand their leaning against the door and wall.

No, No, NO!  I thought that it would be different here.  I thought... that I finally found friends, and a home.

lost in my thoughts I didn't notice me putting too much weight on the door until it is too late.  I fall out the door and down the stairs with a series of loud and painful bumps and bangs.  Finally I land at the bottom of the stairs in a heap with everypony except Rainbow Dash staring at me.

I groan in pain before pulling myself to my feet.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow.  Crap that hurt."

"Are you ok?"  Fluttershy asks as she trots towards me.

I feel her mane as she supports me a little with her head.

"I'm fine, I'm fine Fluttershy, Just a little sore."  I say wincing.

"How was your nap Shadow?"  Twilight says with a tired smile.

"It was fine, until I heard the yelling."

"Oh darling did we disturb you with our little, squabble?"  Rarity says with a little sheepish grin.

"Well, I kinda over heard..."

"How much did you hear darling?"

"....All of it."

"Oh no you poor thing, Rainbow didn't mean it.  I'm sure she's just upset."  Says Fluttershy.

"She thinks that she can't trust you, even though it wasn't your fault that you went bonkers." Applejack says walking over to me with a smile.

"The thing is, it is my fault.  I should have tried harder at controlling the curse.  She's probably not the only one that hates me now."  I say with a load sigh.

"No!  Ya beat it remember?  You stopped the curse from taking control of you to protect us!  Now that is the mark of a good pon--- err what do call your self again?"  Applejack says scratching her head.

I giggle a little at her little mess up.  "It's person, yeah I guess beating the curse does make me good."  I say, a smile beginning to grow on my face.

"Hey since your up do ya wanna help with your re-scheduled welcome to Ponyville party!?"  Pinkie asks me as she is in my face, with a huge smile of course.

"Yeah sure, I got some awesome music that I think most of you would like, that is if your into electronic music."

"Awww yeah I love that stuff!  It's my jam!"  Pinkie says with a little dance.

I can't help but smile more.  Maybe I can still fix things, just have to make sure that the curse dosen't resurface.  "Sure Pinks, I can help with the party."

Maybe this can still be my new home.

THREE DAYS LATER

I am sleeping in my bed when out of no where I hear a familiar voice yelling from downstairs.  "SWEETIE BELLE!"  I hear Rarity scream with shush malice that it actually sends a shiver down my spine.

I better go play referee to make sure she doesn't kill her, again. I mentally grumble as I get out of bed and change my clothes.

"Look what have you done to my dress!"  I can here the purple maned unicorn rage.

Ugh what could that little filly have done now?  I think with a yawn as I decend the stairs.

"I-I didn't mean too!  I didn't now it would catch on fire!"  I hear the small filly whimper out.

As I come to the bottom of the stairs I finally see the sight of the distress that awoke me from my slumber.  Rarity glaring at Sweetie Belle who is cowering under her sisters gaze and what I assume to be the remains of a badly burned dress.

"Can someone please explain what the heck is going on here?"  I ask while stretching my back with a series of load cracks.

"Oh um Shadow I had no idea we were being that load, I'm sorry if I woke you."  Rarity barely manages to say before Sweetie Belle squeaks out,

"I don't know what happened it just caught fire!"

"Sweetie Belle it's rude to interrupt!"

"Ok, ok!"  I shout to silence them both.

"Rarity, please calm down and Sweetie Belle, please explain what happened."  Giving each of them a nod they both comply.

"Well I was bored just drawing and then I got this wonderful idea!  What if I help Rarity with her dress making!  So I picked out my favorite, drew out a design and then tried to improve the dress!"

I guess Rarity still hadn't cooled down because next thing I know she asks in a still threatening tone, "And just how did it catch on fire?"

"Weeeeeeeell, I used those special stones over their and I guess they burned it."  With a point of her hoof Sweetie revealed some very interesting gems.

"Oh my now that explains it!  You used these sunstones!"  Rarity says while smiling and picking them up with her magic.

"Ok now what is a sunstone?"

"It is a magical stone that burns anything that is not enchanted to be fire proof."  Rarity states as she carries the sunstones to a chest and drops them in.

"Oh and that is how the dress got burned huh?"  I eye Sweetie Belle with a little smile.

"Yeah I guess, I just didn't know what they were.  I just wanted to help Rarity and make a pretty dress."  Sweetie Belle looks like she is about to cry.

Dammit!  Why do they have to be so cute!

"Well you didn't know, but next time you might want to ask Rarity or another pony before you do something that you are not sure of, ok?"  I pat her on the head a little and mess up her mane a bit getting a giggle back.

"Isn't that right Rarity?"  I look over to the fashion pony as she trots over.

"Yes, Sweetie if you wanted to improve the dress all you had to do was tell me."  And with a smile she sweeps her younger sister into a warm hug.

"Oh darnnit Shadow now I have to fix Sweetie's mane because you sent it askew."

"Oh come on Rarity!"

"No buts!"

And that was that, another argument solved.  Must be the tenth one since I moved in two days ago.  I have a home for now at least, living in the Carousel Boutique with Rarity and Sweetie Belle.  I admit they argue a whole lot but nothing that I haven't been able to diffuse.

I can get used to living here.

"Ow Rarity stop brushing so hard!"