The Everfree Darknessby HumanarianChaptersPrologue: The ArrivalChapter 1: Asleep and awakeChapter 2: The hunger unleashedChapter 3: Face-to-no-facePrologue: The ArrivalI'm awake now. But something is different. My senses are not the same. Where am I? I open my eyes. I have no eyes. That's strange. That's not supposed to be. I focus. Suddenly, I become aware of my surroundings. I can sense them. It works like eyes. But I get to see 360° around me. That is highly unsettling. But I don't feel disturbed. I don't feel. Thinking is different now. No feelings. Only mind and senses. Satisfied. Always wanted to be this way. I "look" around. I'm in the middle of a forest. It's the night. Looks strange. And familiar. I want to breath in a cool night air. I can't. I have no nostrils. I sense that the air is cool. Doesn't distrub me. Strange. I inspect my body. Now I see what has changed. I am not a human. Supposed to be, but not. I am a horse. But I'm not. I look like one, but I know that I'm a pony. I've seen it before. I know where I am now. But... I don't know what to do. I'm not a regular pony. Can't communicate with others. Why am I here? I don't know. How have I come here? I don't know. What was my life before? Details are vague. Something is blocking my memory. Not important now. I inspect my body once more. I am a tall slender figure of a pony. As tall as their princess. Have no coat. White smooth skin. Not naked. Wearing darkest suit and... No, the tie is bright red. There is a classic white shirt too. The mark on my flanks... A black circle. Roughly drawn. Crossed with a large X. Just as rough. There is no doubt it. I'm the entity known by many names... and one of them is Slender Pony. Walking is strange. I move through the forest. No creatures nearby. But I sense them. No... Not them. Their fear. The sensation is... like eating, but not with a mouth. My motions are slow. But I move fast. Making another step. It is as if I have made ten. Every step teleports me. Focusing. Making another step. Teleports farther. Meaning: can control it. Good. Another step. Right in front of the creature. Looks like a strange hybrid of a chiken and a snake. Full of fear. Tries to run. Don't want it to run. Need to feed on it's fear. Need to stop it from escaping. Something moves. The creature stops. It's tied. The black tendrils surround it. Done completely on instinct. Focusing now. Moving it towards myself. Tendrils obey. Can control them. Good. The fear is growing. Turning it to face me. The fear doubles. It's a feast. Pressing it's face against the front of my head. It grow silent. The fear tripples. The fear stops. The creature has fainted. Disappointment. Dropping it to the ground. Is it dead? Leaning down to check. Can sense it's life. Still there. Just unconsciousness. Good. Might feed on it again. But no time for that now. Tendrils retreat. They disappear in my back. Was a cognitive experience. Must move on. Feed again later. I'm sensing fear again. Not too far away. Much stronger. Much more... tasty. Must investigate. I'm taking another step. A far teleport. Inspecting the area. Can see the source: the three little fillies. Recognize them. Sweetie Belle is shaking like a leaf. Apple Bloom is hugging her. Scootaloo is between them and... a creature. It looks like a wolf. But at the same time it's a timber golem. I remember now. It's a timberwolf. He's got the fillies cornered. He's about to have a feast. He's not alone. The others come out of the shadows. They form a circle around the fillies. No way for them to escape. I remember that Scootaloo can't fly. The timberwolves stop. They all move their heads to look in one direction. My direction. I've not revealed myself. Meaning: they can sense me. Most likely, all the animals can. Must remember that. The fear is growing. Less from the fillies, much more from the timberwolves. Much less tasty. But very much digestible still. Good. Might save the fillies and have a feast. I make another step. Right in front of fillies now. They sceam. Don't care. I look around again. Now I'm in the middle of the circle of timberwolves. Only with one difference. They are the prey now. The tendrils shoot in all directions. Their number is as big as I want. All of the timber creatures are tied instantly. They struggle, trying to bite. Their fear doubles. But the fear of the fillies is decreasing. They stop screaming and look up at me, the confusion is clear on their faces. I'm not moving my body. The tendrils are doing their job, strangling the wolves more and more. Their fear is growing, so I continue. Soon, the cracking sound is heard. Then another one. And another one. The fear tripples. The tendrils do not stop. Not until the very core of each of those creatures is broken. Their fear is not so useful. And they are an obstacle. It's logical to destroy them. The fillies remain silent. They are still too scared and confused to try and stop me. They remain silent as the broken pieces of the last timberwolf in the pack drop to the ground. My tendrils retreat, no need for them right now. The Cutie Mark Crusaders are still silent. I stay there for a bit longer. No move from them. I turn away. No need to scare them futher... for now. I'm about to take a step. A quiet and shaken voice calls me. It can still be recognized as the voice of Sweetie Belle. "T...th...thank you, mister..." I can't answer. I can't talk. I turn back to face them again instead. They jump a little. I can sense their tasty fear again... but it's far from being as strong as a few minutes ago. Still tasty. But it doesn't last long. "Thank you... for saving our lives." Then the other filly joins in. This time it's Apple Bloom. "We're sorry... We went tah see Zecora, but then... Well, we've got lost." There is a blush on her face. No doubt. She's the cause. Scootaloo confirms that. "That's because we went looking for your stupid herb!" "It ain't stupid! Ah need it to make a potion for our apple trees!" "We'll, now you got it! And also almost got eaten by the pack of hungry timberwolves!" They keep argueing. As if I'm not here. I'm watching silently. "Ehm... Mister... We don't know the way out." Sweetie Belle is looking up at me. Doesn't pay attention to the other two. "Could you guide us out, please?" Her eyes are watering. She's stressed. Tired. Perhaps, hungry. I'm leaning my head down. That gets the attention of all three. I can't talk. Must find a way. I'm staring at them. Focusing on just one word. Making it echo in my head. FOLLOW! They're frozen in place. I'm tasting fear again. Tasty. A minute passes. I'm waiting. Finally, they're nodding their heads. The fear is dying. Meaning: I can use telepathy. Good. I'm turning around. Making a step. A short teleportantion. Looking back. They're following. Another step. Then another. But where am I going? Don't know. They're safe with me though. Need to keep moving. I'm feeling fear again. Taste is different. Something new. Expanding my senses. The six mares are ahead. Easy for me to recognize. Twilight Sparkle. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Applejack. Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie. The mane six. Perfect. I'm taking another step. Leading the crusaders to those mares. No doubt they're searching for them. Meaning: the fear I tasted was a fear of loss. Cognitive. Must keep that in mind. Another step. The fillies are surprisingly quiet. Didn't say a word during the long walk. Curious. Another step. I'm focusing my vision on the fillies following me. Their motions are slow... and somehow united. Their eyes are staring forward. Barely bilnking. Not a single spark of any kind of fear. Another step. It's strange. They don't act like they normaly do. As if they are... in trance. Now I understand what I did. Meaning: need to learn to control it better. Practice later. Another step. We're close to the searching mares. One of them stops. It's Fluttershy. She's staring in my direction. Despite the crusaders and I are still out sight. Meaning: she has animal senses. Not good. Solution: wake up the fillies and make them finish the rest of their walk on their own. Tendrils of shadows are springing back to life. They're coiling the fillies and giving them a shake. All three are slowly waking up. "Ugh, I just had a really weird dream..." They all speak in unison. Then stop and look around themselves. They are confused. Then... "AHHHH!!! IT WASN'T A DREAM!" ...that. The scream is successful at getting the attention of the mane six. No need to stick around any longer. Making a step now. "Girls!!! Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" "What in tarnation were ya'll thinkin'?!" "Whaaaahahaaaah! Sweetie Beh-eh-elle! I thought I would never... EVER SEE YOU AGA-A-A-A-IN!!!" The six mares throw themselves on the fillies. Group hug. They are safe now. But I decide to make sure of that. Another step is getting me closer. "Girls..." "THAT was not cool! Or awesome! Or even okay, squirt!" Another step. "Girls." "Oh! Oh! I should throw you all a "Thank goodness you're okay after getting lost in the Everfree Forest" party!" Another step. "Girls!" "Now, let's not get too excited, Pinkie. I say we all go back to our homes and discuss it tomorrow." Another step. A sound of a deep inhale. "GIRLS!!!" The booming voice sends a shiver through every tree. Impressive. The mares recall from their shock. Fluttershy isn't giving them a chance to speak before she does. "We need to get out of here... There's something new. Something... dark. All of the animals are scared. And I can feel it too..." "What are you talking about, Fluttershy? I can feel any sort of dark magic miles away, now that I'm an alicorn. And I don't feel anything like that." "It's not magic... It's something else. I don't see it... but I can feel it staring into my... my..." She's gulping. The fear is rising. Tasty. "...soul." Precisely. The mares are leaving the Everyfree Forest. Good. The fillies are with them. They are safe. No danger here. I'm watching them go. One of them is turning around and staring into the darkness of the forest. "Sweetie Belle, what are you doing? Let's go get you into your nice comfy..." That's right. She can't know I'm near. No way she can feel me like Fluttershy does. But then, what is she going to... "THANK YOU FOR SAVING OUR LIVES!!!" I see... ... You're welcome. Author's Note Yes. CMC. In the Everfree Forest. Lost. Chased by timberwolves. Cliche. I know. Anything else? Chapter 1: Asleep and awakeWalking through the dark corridors. The walls, floor and ceiling are made of stone. No bright source of light. But even the eyes of a pony would adapt to it. Though seeing far would be a problem for them. Speaking of ponies, I'm chasing one. She is full of fear. A really tasty fear. She isn't only afraid of me. She's afraid of being afraid. That makes my meal so much more sweet. There's no better way to describe it to those who never feed on the fear of others. The corridors seem to be endless, so she keeps running... no, flying away from me. Or so she thinks. I follow close behind. There is no way to escape from me. Even for her... Even for Rainbow Dash. The meal is finished. It's time for the dessert. I appear right in front of her face. She shrieks. Tries to escape. Too late. The tendrils are already all over her body. She's struggling. The fear triples. They say those who are one moment from their death experience the strongest fear. Time to check if that statement is true. The tendrils pull on her wings. She screams. The wings get ripped from her body easily. The tendrils wrap around her muzzle and muffle her screams. Nopony is going to save her. I'm looking into her eyes. She is looking at my lack of face. There is nothing in her eyes but a pure fear and despair. What a wonderful dessert... "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rainbow Dash jumped from her bed, her wings flapping rapidly in a chaotic way, her eyes full of tears rolling down her soaking wet face, her breath is fast and shaky. There were a whole minute before she had realized that it was... "...just a dream..." A dream... A dream?! No way that qualifies as a dream. It was a nightmare! Never before in her entire life she was so shaken and full of fear. Not even before performing at the Best Young Flyer competition. Not even when her wing got stuck under the giant rock and she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life on the bottom of that pit. No... that was something entirely new. Something far beyond the usual "cool adventure" stuff. Something way more... dark. She spent a whole hour crying into her pillow that day. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Luna jerked awake from the bed in her private chamber. That dream... that nightmare! She had seen it all. And she was powerless to interfere... to stop that monster from inflicting those unspeakable horrors on the poor pony. Needless to say, the Princess of the Night weren't happy about that at all. She was angry, she was worried, and most of all... she was terrified. "What was that... thing?" Purging nightmares and guarding the dreams of her little ponies was as much of Luna's purpose as rising the Moon and decorating the sky with millions of beautiful stars. That's what she was born to do. That's what she did for centuries... But this. This was the first time she was powerless to do what she was meant to do. What kind of dark magic could possibly block her way into the dream? And more importantly... How could someone else visit the dreams of the others? Unless... "No... that can't be." There could be no way she was back... No, that was impossible. The Elements of Harmony purged Luna from her darkness. But still... that situation had her hoofprints all over it. "Nightmare..." The sun has risen. Suddenly, my power is much weaker. That's logical: night is the time for the creatures such as myself. Must wait for the night patiently. Meanwhile, can reflect on the past night's events: waking up in the forest, figuring out a few things, saving the Cutiemark Crusaders. Invading the dream of Rainbow Dash... The last thing was the most tasty. Somehow, I'm thankful I can't feel any emotion. Otherwise I'd starve myself due to the feeling of guilt. However, it was still a much better choice than doing those things to somepony in real world. I am well fed. And the pony is alive. That seemed like a logical decision. Mustn't repeat it to the same pony often. Otherwise their mental health will be destroyed. I don't have a different reason for attacking ponies. Only my hunger. And certainly, no reason at all to kill them. I concentrate. A single tendril appears. I wiggle it to attack the imaginary targets. It obeys perfectly. Looks like I'm getting better at it. I repeat. Two tendrils this time. Then four. Then eight... Sixteen... The three little fillies were spending a day under Fluttershy's care. Again. They didn't cause her much trouble this time. Mostly because they were too busy discussing their previous night in the forest on her back yard. "And what do you think was that creature? Did you see how fast those shadow... things moved? That was so cool!" As the last of her fear died down yesterday, Scootaloo was really excited to talk about their savior. Wasn't it cool? The creature that looked like the worst thing you could run into inside the Everfree Forest actually ended up saving their lives and showing them the way out! "Ah dunno... Maybe it's some kahnd of the forest spirit?" "He didn't look like something forest-related..." - Sweetie Belle countered Applebloom's guess, - "He was really tall. And white... Those things looked like the living shadows. And, oh! Do you remember? He had no face!" A yelp had made the trio turn their heads to it's source. Which, surprisingly, wasn't Fluttershy. The rainbow-maned pegasus stayed there, looking at the Cutiemark Crusaders with the face expression of a pure horror. "Um... Rainbow Dash?" The raspy voice of the orange filly had managed to put her out of her stupor. Only for the tears to appear in her eyes once again today... She quickly jumped and darted into the skies. That didn't look like her at all... The three little fillies exchanged a worried look and ran into the cottage. "FLUTTERSHY!" An hour later the whole Friendship Council plus three little fillies and one dragon were in the main hall of Twilight's castle. And the visibly shaken rainbow pegasus was the reason why they were there. Obviously enough, her friends didn't let it go and made her spill the beans. Her own mental state was in no condition to put up much resistance. So, she has told them all of it... All details about the nightmare she had last night. Needless to say, everypony (and the dragon) were aghast at the revelation. Even Twilight Sparkle, who still tried her best to seem calm and collected. A group hug had managed to ease up the heavy mood, but only a little bit. "But ah don't understand!" - Applebloom was the first to interact, - "The same creature from your nightmares had saved us from the whole pack of the timberwolves yesterday!" That caused a long pause before... "WHAT?!" The reaction was pretty much expected. "Oh, yeah... We haven't told ya'll about that yet. Sorry..." - the yellow filly offered a sheepish smile. "What do you mean it saved you?" "That must be what I felt..." "Why in tarnation haven't ya'll said anything?" "It saved you? We should invite it to your party then! But it attacked Rainbow Dash in her sleep! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO!" Rainbow Dash remained silent. And Rarity had chosen to faint straight into Spike's arms... Who was so aghast that caught her completely on instinct. A moment later he was brought out of his stupor by burping the scroll. That had caught the attention of everypony (except for unconscious Rarity) in the room. Twilight took the scroll with her magic and unrolled it. "It's the letter from Princess Celestia. It says that she and Princess Luna will be here to discuss an important matter... in a few moments?!" Before a pregnant pause could hang in the air, the loud pop sound could be heard. The princesses had teleported straight into Twilight's castle. "My little ponies," - Celestia began, - "How convenient that all of your are here. It's good to see you... I just wish the circumstances were better." "We're here to bring you the dark news..." - Luna continued shortly after her sister fell silent, - "It appears, the enemy you all know is back. Nightmare Moon." That caused a loud gasp. "Nightmare Moon?!" - Twilight was the first to recover, - "B... but... But how?! We used the Elements of Harmony on her... We have reversed your transformation and purged you of the darkness in your heart. How could she be back?... And if she is, how can you be standing here? And... and..." Luna had to raise her hoof to silence seemingly endless torrent of questions. She, however, had chosen to answer the all at once... "...I don't know." Now it was the time for a pregnant pause. Nopony knew what to say. Luna was the first to break the silence. "But the evidence is clear. Rainbow Dash, would you care to share with us what happened to you last night?" "I've just got it over with." "Oh... Then surely you can see that such unspeakable horrors happening in the dreams of another pony could only be the doing of my evil counterpart. That is why we must find and catch her before she..." "It wasn't her." Rainbow Dash's answer had just earned the achievement of effectively shutting Luna's speech up. "...Pardon me?" "It wasn't her," - Rainbow repeated, now looking directly at Luna. "B... but how can you tell it wasn't...?" Before she had the chance to finish her question, Rainbow Dash's hoof pointed into the direction of three little fillies. Another pause. That time, Celestia had come to the rescue. "I believe some explanation would be nice." Author's Note Well... At least something for you, guys. Not much. Better than nothing. Edit it later. Chapter 2: The hunger unleashedFive hundred and twelve... One thousand and twenty four... Getting better at controlling my tendrils. About time too. The sun is starting to set. I can feel my powers slowly returning to their full strength. And I'm starting to feel that hunger again. Soon it will be the time to hunt... But who? Luna and Celestia were the royal alicorn sisters that ruled Equestria together for centuries. They have seen many things. By that day, there was nothing that could surprise them or trully catch them off-guard... Or so they thought. It's not everyday one happens to witness the royal jaws hitting the floor. That day was the case though. As for the others, Rainbow Dash sat there with her eyes closed and her body shaking slightly. Twilight's eyes had almost turned blue as her mind returned an error after error while trying to process the information. Applejack was crying, her thoughts focused on the fact of her little sister being that close to what seemed to be the most deadly of all creatures existent. Pinkie's mane deflated a bit. Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen, which, most likely, was exactly what she wanted. Spike joined Rarity in the la-la land. "That... was most disturbing," - the Princess of the Night had finally broken the silence, - "I... can see why you three were quick to trust that creature, but still, it was..." "I don't think getting further lost in the forest would be a much better idea, sister." After recovering from the initial shock, Celestia was quickly back to her stoic figure and calm, soothing voice. "Perhaps, you're right, sister. And it's a good thing that these three little fillies are back to their respective homes safe and sound. But that creature... must be dealt with. We cannot simply ignore the horrors it is spreading!" "Princess Luna, are you... Are you suggesting that we must go into the Everfree Forest and start a search for that creature?" - Twilight was quick to see the meaning behind Luna's words. "Indeed so, young princess. Moreover... don't you have another friend to worry about now, besides Rainbow Dash?" - she arched an eyebrow, emphasizing her point. That had caused a nervous glance between those who were still conscious in the room. "Oh, no..." "ZECORA!!!" A house... No. A hut. In the middle of the forest. Not abandoned. Remember now. A zebra named Zecora lives there. Should stay away. But the hunger is growing... even faster now. It isn't a desire. It is a physical need. Must eat. Must shut that hunger up before it grow worse. Must not let it cloud my thoughts. Feelings that interfere with mind are what I always hated. "Ugh... I'm so bored! Why didn't they let us come with them?" Scootaloo wasn't happy about being left behind. Neither were the other two fillies. But the certain dragon wouldn't have any of that. "You three are not going anywhere. What? Do you want to get hunted by the timberwolves again?" "No!" - Sweetie Belle was unusually assertive, - "I want to tell mister Slender how thankful I am for saving my life." That had earned a pause. "Mister Slender?" - Applebloom raised an eyebrow at the white filly. She was really following her big sister's hoofsteps... "What? That sounds like a fitting nickname. He was really tall, but also really thin." "Look," - Spike was not going back on his duties, - "I'm not letting you to take a single step out of this castle, you hear? Don't even think about t-that... that thing!" Sweetie Belle furrowed her eyebrows at his choice of words, then her face changed into a smile. A dark, evil smile that could only mean a nasty idea suddenly coming to her mind. She stood up and walked closer to Spike, looking him in the eyes. "You know, we didn't pay much attention to the details during our story earlier today. That must've been because of the Princesses being here and making us nervous. But now, that they're gone, I can remember more. Escpecially about those... things," - she then started to slowly walk in circles around Spike, whose bravery was leaking out and fading away quickly, - "Yes, those living shadows... It was so amazing how the infinite amount of them shot right from Mister Slender's back and coiled those timberwolves before they could even yelp. And then... then they started crushing them. Slowly," - the poor dragon gave a huge gulp at such a detail, - "Even I could see how afraid they were. They looked into the eyes of their death. And you know what was the worst? Their death had no eyes! And then... their bodies were crushed to the core." Spike's unconscious body hit the floor. Sweetie Belle turned to face her two rather confused friends and gave them a smug smile. "Nailed it!" Hungry. So hungry. So very hungry. And even hungrier now. Have I mentioned that I am hungry? I'm wandering around Zecora's hut. She was quick to notice. I remember she acted like a shaman. Perhaps, she could feel me on a spiritual level. Not important now. Standing in front of her window. Staring inside. Feeling fear. Tasting fear. Tastes good. But hardly enough. Strange. Haven't felt that hungry yesterday. The fear is increasing. Still not enough. Taking a step. Inside the hut now. She shrieks. Reminds me of invading Rainbow's dream. But this is the reality. Must remember: no harm. The hunger keeps growing rapidly. Must eat. Zecora is on the floor, coiled by my tendrils. The fear tripples. And it keeps increasing... But not just from her. Something... somepony else is afraid. And they are coming here. "Focus, girls. We must be ready to use the Elements of Harmony any second now. They might be our only chance if that creature proves to be hostile," - Twilight was lecturing the girls all the way to Zecora's hut. But she didn't do that only to give them a briefing, but also to distract them from their new found fear. She turned to yawning Rainbow Dash, - "Boo!" "AHH!" "See? You weren't ready for the incoming attack." That earned a chuckle from the princesses. "Gee, Twi," - Rainbow was quick to recover, - "You're trying to think ahead, as always. Doubt it'll work this time." "I'm afraid young Rainbow Dash is correct, Princess Twilight Sparkle. With the creature of such... dark nature, you never know what to expect." "Well," - Applejack had chosen a perfect time to interfere, seeing as they've finally reached Zecora's hut, - "Ya'll are about tah fahnd out." An opening door. A shriek. A thump. A source of fear is out cold. I see it is Rarity. The others are with her. And the princesses too. One of them is first to react. "Thou shalt free the poor zebra this instant!" The beam of magic is fired at me. Taking a step. Avoiding it. Behind them all now. Hunger is not satisfied. Notice: being attacked increases the hunger. Could just get away. Or could use these mares to satisfy it. What to do? A yelp. I am reminded: Fluttershy can feel me. The others are quick to follow her signal and turn their heads to face me. The fear is increasing. Tasty. "Princesses! Friends! Oh, I could not be happier. I am afraid, it's no longer safe here." Zebra's voice was shaky, but loud. "'Tis a pleasure to see thou art safe, Zecora. But now is not a good time to talk." "No turning from the path this time, Applebloom," - Scootaloo was trying to act as brave as she could inside the Everfree Forest, - "Knowing Twilight and her friends, they will find what they are looking for. We just need to follow them to Zecora's hut." "Ah know that, Scootaloo! We, Apples, learn from our mistakes." Sweetie Belle, however, remained silent the entire time. A part of her felt guilty for scaring Spike like that. The other part of her was occupied with the thoughts about Mister Slender, as she called the creature. For some reason she was certain it was him, and couldn't help but frown every time the others called her saviour an it. Three little fillies continued their way deeper into the forest. Zecora's hut wasn't that far away, after all. I am not amused. The night princess keeps trying to attack me. Keeps making my hunger grow. It's getting insane. It's starting to cloud my mind. Got enough... "Standest still, thou foul creature! Thy execution shall be swift!" Got enough. "Nopony darest to invade the dreams of our subjects and remain unpunished!" Got enough! "Thy fate is already..." ENOUGH! The tendrils shot. All of the ponies are too slow to react. All of them are caught in the coils of my darkness. All of them are afraid... It will be a feast! "Shhh! Did you hear that?" - Applebloom whispered to her two friends. "I heard that, but also I..." - Sweetie Belle had finally broken her vow of silence, - "...felt it. It somehow felt... familiar." She closed her eyes and focused on the feeling. She knew that she had experienced it not so long ago... Why didn't she think about it until now? What did it remind her of. After a minute of thinking just one word popped up in her mind. One word that had told her everything she needed to know. "FOLLOW!" She jerked up from her crouching position. "It's him! It's his voice, his presence! I remember now! Come on, girls!" The two confused fillies didn't seem to think of any better course of action but to follow their friend. However, soon all three of them were aghast. The picture in front of their eyes was something they've never seen even in their nightmares: their saviour was standing there, just like the nigh before. With one major difference: instead of the wild and hungry timberwolves, he was holding their sisters, also Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Zecora and the two elder Princesses of Equestria. And the three fillies knew all to well what was going to happen next... Before they knew it, their legs were galloping towards the dark creature. "STOP!!!" Author's Note Two chapters in two days? That's an academy record! Chapter 3: Face-to-no-face"STOP!!!" Didn't expect to see them here. Didn't feel them coming. Caught off-guard. My tendrils freeze. They are not tightening their grip on the ponies anymore. I look down to face the well-known trio. "Please, let them go, Mister Slender! They didn't mean to hurt you. They're just super afraid of you!" Sweetie Belle... Her voice snaps me out of a hunger trance. I'm thinking over the past few minutes. That was a bit too close. Meaning: must find a way to keep the hunger at bay. But how? Perhaps, the answer... the answers are already staring at my lack of face. And hugging my forelegs. I'm noticing something that is different. That wasn't there before... I have a mouth now. How did it appear? And for what purpose? It shouldn't be there. As I'm thinking those thoughts now, the mouth is disappearing. Meaning: my body can transform. Must figure out what else can change about it. But not now. My tendrils are slowly lowering the mares to the ground. Uncoiling them. I've already had a good snack. Plus, those fillies have just demonstrated the ability to supress my hunger a bit. Their facial expressions are much more relaxed now, since those ponies are no longer in danger... ...They aren't? A sound of a cracked branch is echoing somewhere nearby. I'm expanding my vision. The place is surrounded by a hundred of timberwolves. Didn't feel them coming. Meaning: they don't fear me. The cause? Appears to be revenge. Must warn those ponies. But how? If my telepathy can easily hypnotize, then the effect should be weakened if I don't focus it on one target. Instead, I'll try focusing it all around me. "WE ARE SURROUNDED BY THE TIMBERWOLVES." My announce seemed to work. The ponies have already recovered. They have heard my voice. Their faces are expressing a confusion first, then an alert. They're looking around. Nopony dares to say anything. Until... "Mister Slender?" - the sweet little voice is calling to me again. She knows my name. How? - "Could you save us again? Please..." I don't need to save them. Those timberwolves have come for me. They are closing in. "DON'T MOVE." They're launching their attack. They are stopped by the tendrils. Their bodies will be easy to crush. "Please, stop doing that," - another voice is calling out to me. The voice that is assertive only under circumstances like these, - "They don't deserve to die just because they attacked you." No need to reason with her. Can ignore. "Stand back, young Fluttershy. Let the creature destroy them for they are no ordinary timberwolves," - the voice of the lunar princess is calling to the yellow pegasus. If what she's saying is true, then it explains such an aggressive behaviour, - "They are touched and corrupted by the dark magic. We are lucky the opportunity to destroy them at once has presented itself!" And destroying I provide. The cracks and howl are filling the area. Half of the present ponies are averting their eyes. I am feeling a fear coming from them again. Good. Should silence my hunger for the rest of the night. Zecora had a nice collection of wonderful tea in her hut. She always loved the tea. Such a tasty drink that always helped her calm down the nerves and relax... That is why she had never thought that one day a tea party was going to make her feel so tense. Most likely, the same thing applied to all of the other ponies in her hut. All, except for one. The one with no face. That creature was a pure mystery. Never before in her life had Zecora witnessed anything like that. She heard many legends, fairy-tales and spooky stories. But that "Slender", as Sweetie Belle called him, didn't fit any of them. Now, after spending a whole hour trying to communicate with the creature, she and the other ponies knew the reason behind the two attacks: one in Rainbow Dash's dream, and another one in Zecora's hut. It appeared, that creature had no control over the hunger for somepony else's fear. That piece of news has put the royal sisters into a deep thought. As for the others, Pinkie Pie was the first one to adjust, if you don't count the three little fillies, of course. She was trying to get the creature to enable it's mouth again, so she could feed it a cake. Despite the fact it told her that it doesn't feed that way, she didn't give up her attempts. Good thing the creature claimed to experience no emotions at all... Who knows what would it's annoyance cause? Speaking of no emotions, the creature had managed to earn some respect from the royal sisters by explaining how it had prefered to inflict the horrors inside a pony's dream instead of reality due to finding it a logical solution, however temporal. It wasn't a good solution, of course, but the attempt to minimize the possible damage didn't go without notice. "If I have understood your explanation correctly," - The Sun Goddess began, - "Then was it not for your hunger, you wouldn't attack anypony at all." The dark creature wasn't very talkative... Perhaps, that was a good thing. Every time it spoke, Zecora, along with the most of other ponies, couldn't help but flinch. It's voice dominated the air around it, and Zecora felt as if something ancient and all-powerful was talking. That time, however, the creature had simply nodded. "And the hunger you experienced today was much stronger than yesterday..." Another nod. "And you don't remember anything about your origins and how you've managed to stay unnoticed until now." "I WASN'T IN THIS WORLD." That answer had earned a pause, but Celestia was quick to recover. "I don't suppose the other... inhabitants of your original world have managed to find a way to live peacefully with you." The creature shook it's head in response. "Then, I believe, it wouldn't be wise to expect you to stay away from my little ponies while we're searching for a permanent solution. However... I do have a temporal one." Everypony in the room, including her own sister, looked at the alabaster alicorn with awe. It's barely been an hour, and she already had a solution! "Recently, I have received a report from Appleloosa about the Diamond Dogs attacking the ponies, stealing their food and other possessions. Here, in Equestria, we do not approve of any drastic measures like execution or inflicting serious harm, but I do believe a good scare could prove to be a perfect solution." "It better be!" - the voice of Applejack rang through the hut - "Those good'fer'nothing critters will leave mah cousin out of business if nopony stops 'em!" "SOUNDS LIKE... A FEAST." The grim phrase has taken all the rage straight out of the Apple pony, who visibly gulped. Most likely, her thoughts had changed into the direction of the part of her family being so close to such a deadly creature. The Princess of the Day nodded and turned to her ex-student. "Twillight, I want you and your friends to try and think of a permanent solution. So far, there has never been a pony in Equestria, who understood the Magic of Friendship better than you. I believe, you and your friends can solve this problem better than anypony else." "I promise I'll study this problem inside out, Princess Celestia! I'll pass your word to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash tomorrow." Celestia gave the Princess of Friendship a warm smile. And yes, that reminded her that not everypony was in the hut right now: Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash went to guide the Cutiemark Crusaders back to their homes. The poor yellow pegasus had experienced enough terror for a whole month. And the brave cyan pegasus still wasn't over her last night's dream. In fact, it was the creature itself who offered her to accompany Fluttershy. The fact which didn't go unnoticed by the other ponies. "Slender Pony, is it?" - Luna had finally decided to speak up, summoning a map and showing it to the creature, - "How long will it take you to get to Appleloosa?" The creature studied the map carefully, which proved it's intelligence. "THE NIGHT." - it had finally answered. "Very well then... I shall make sure to lower the moon later than usual today. Is that alright with you, sister?" "It shall have to do," - Celestia replied, giving her trademark polite smile, which most likely meant that she wasn't very happy about the decision, but found it inevitable. She then turned to the only zebra in the hut, - "Zecora, I thank you for letting us inside your hut to have this... meeting. I am sorry that we took your sleep hours away." Zecora couldn't help but give a bow to the Sun Goddess. "Don't worry, Princess, it's alright. I don't think I can sleep this night." "Can you believe Sweetie's nickname turned out to be his real name?" - Scootaloo's wings were buzzing in excitement, - "And have you seen how awesome his counter-attack against those timberwolves was? Just... BAM! And they all are caught and tied!" "Gotta admit, squirt, it is pretty awesome, unless you were "caught and tied" just like that a few moments earlier..." - Rainbow tried to support her favourite filly's excitement, but her voice betrayed her, getting shaky at the end. Scootaloo didn't hesitate to take her chance to look awesome in the eyes of her idol. "Worry not, Rainbow Dash! He likes me, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. He even listened to us! As long as you have me by your side, he won't attack you again. I promise!" Both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy chuckled at that. But it wasn't destined to last longer than just a moment, because a second later an all too familiar dark figure appeared in front of them. "Mister Slender!" - three excited fillies called as soon as they got over the shock. "NO TIME," - it spoke, - "MOVING TO APPLELOOSA." And then it had disappeared, leaving two mares and three little fillies to their own guesses, which were soon interrupted by a thump near them. Spike had fainted... again. Author's Note Slender Pony. In Equestria. Not going to turn it into a bloody mess? Time for dislikes!
Prologue: The ArrivalI'm awake now. But something is different. My senses are not the same. Where am I? I open my eyes. I have no eyes. That's strange. That's not supposed to be. I focus. Suddenly, I become aware of my surroundings. I can sense them. It works like eyes. But I get to see 360° around me. That is highly unsettling. But I don't feel disturbed. I don't feel. Thinking is different now. No feelings. Only mind and senses. Satisfied. Always wanted to be this way. I "look" around. I'm in the middle of a forest. It's the night. Looks strange. And familiar. I want to breath in a cool night air. I can't. I have no nostrils. I sense that the air is cool. Doesn't distrub me. Strange. I inspect my body. Now I see what has changed. I am not a human. Supposed to be, but not. I am a horse. But I'm not. I look like one, but I know that I'm a pony. I've seen it before. I know where I am now. But... I don't know what to do. I'm not a regular pony. Can't communicate with others. Why am I here? I don't know. How have I come here? I don't know. What was my life before? Details are vague. Something is blocking my memory. Not important now. I inspect my body once more. I am a tall slender figure of a pony. As tall as their princess. Have no coat. White smooth skin. Not naked. Wearing darkest suit and... No, the tie is bright red. There is a classic white shirt too. The mark on my flanks... A black circle. Roughly drawn. Crossed with a large X. Just as rough. There is no doubt it. I'm the entity known by many names... and one of them is Slender Pony. Walking is strange. I move through the forest. No creatures nearby. But I sense them. No... Not them. Their fear. The sensation is... like eating, but not with a mouth. My motions are slow. But I move fast. Making another step. It is as if I have made ten. Every step teleports me. Focusing. Making another step. Teleports farther. Meaning: can control it. Good. Another step. Right in front of the creature. Looks like a strange hybrid of a chiken and a snake. Full of fear. Tries to run. Don't want it to run. Need to feed on it's fear. Need to stop it from escaping. Something moves. The creature stops. It's tied. The black tendrils surround it. Done completely on instinct. Focusing now. Moving it towards myself. Tendrils obey. Can control them. Good. The fear is growing. Turning it to face me. The fear doubles. It's a feast. Pressing it's face against the front of my head. It grow silent. The fear tripples. The fear stops. The creature has fainted. Disappointment. Dropping it to the ground. Is it dead? Leaning down to check. Can sense it's life. Still there. Just unconsciousness. Good. Might feed on it again. But no time for that now. Tendrils retreat. They disappear in my back. Was a cognitive experience. Must move on. Feed again later. I'm sensing fear again. Not too far away. Much stronger. Much more... tasty. Must investigate. I'm taking another step. A far teleport. Inspecting the area. Can see the source: the three little fillies. Recognize them. Sweetie Belle is shaking like a leaf. Apple Bloom is hugging her. Scootaloo is between them and... a creature. It looks like a wolf. But at the same time it's a timber golem. I remember now. It's a timberwolf. He's got the fillies cornered. He's about to have a feast. He's not alone. The others come out of the shadows. They form a circle around the fillies. No way for them to escape. I remember that Scootaloo can't fly. The timberwolves stop. They all move their heads to look in one direction. My direction. I've not revealed myself. Meaning: they can sense me. Most likely, all the animals can. Must remember that. The fear is growing. Less from the fillies, much more from the timberwolves. Much less tasty. But very much digestible still. Good. Might save the fillies and have a feast. I make another step. Right in front of fillies now. They sceam. Don't care. I look around again. Now I'm in the middle of the circle of timberwolves. Only with one difference. They are the prey now. The tendrils shoot in all directions. Their number is as big as I want. All of the timber creatures are tied instantly. They struggle, trying to bite. Their fear doubles. But the fear of the fillies is decreasing. They stop screaming and look up at me, the confusion is clear on their faces. I'm not moving my body. The tendrils are doing their job, strangling the wolves more and more. Their fear is growing, so I continue. Soon, the cracking sound is heard. Then another one. And another one. The fear tripples. The tendrils do not stop. Not until the very core of each of those creatures is broken. Their fear is not so useful. And they are an obstacle. It's logical to destroy them. The fillies remain silent. They are still too scared and confused to try and stop me. They remain silent as the broken pieces of the last timberwolf in the pack drop to the ground. My tendrils retreat, no need for them right now. The Cutie Mark Crusaders are still silent. I stay there for a bit longer. No move from them. I turn away. No need to scare them futher... for now. I'm about to take a step. A quiet and shaken voice calls me. It can still be recognized as the voice of Sweetie Belle. "T...th...thank you, mister..." I can't answer. I can't talk. I turn back to face them again instead. They jump a little. I can sense their tasty fear again... but it's far from being as strong as a few minutes ago. Still tasty. But it doesn't last long. "Thank you... for saving our lives." Then the other filly joins in. This time it's Apple Bloom. "We're sorry... We went tah see Zecora, but then... Well, we've got lost." There is a blush on her face. No doubt. She's the cause. Scootaloo confirms that. "That's because we went looking for your stupid herb!" "It ain't stupid! Ah need it to make a potion for our apple trees!" "We'll, now you got it! And also almost got eaten by the pack of hungry timberwolves!" They keep argueing. As if I'm not here. I'm watching silently. "Ehm... Mister... We don't know the way out." Sweetie Belle is looking up at me. Doesn't pay attention to the other two. "Could you guide us out, please?" Her eyes are watering. She's stressed. Tired. Perhaps, hungry. I'm leaning my head down. That gets the attention of all three. I can't talk. Must find a way. I'm staring at them. Focusing on just one word. Making it echo in my head. FOLLOW! They're frozen in place. I'm tasting fear again. Tasty. A minute passes. I'm waiting. Finally, they're nodding their heads. The fear is dying. Meaning: I can use telepathy. Good. I'm turning around. Making a step. A short teleportantion. Looking back. They're following. Another step. Then another. But where am I going? Don't know. They're safe with me though. Need to keep moving. I'm feeling fear again. Taste is different. Something new. Expanding my senses. The six mares are ahead. Easy for me to recognize. Twilight Sparkle. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Applejack. Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie. The mane six. Perfect. I'm taking another step. Leading the crusaders to those mares. No doubt they're searching for them. Meaning: the fear I tasted was a fear of loss. Cognitive. Must keep that in mind. Another step. The fillies are surprisingly quiet. Didn't say a word during the long walk. Curious. Another step. I'm focusing my vision on the fillies following me. Their motions are slow... and somehow united. Their eyes are staring forward. Barely bilnking. Not a single spark of any kind of fear. Another step. It's strange. They don't act like they normaly do. As if they are... in trance. Now I understand what I did. Meaning: need to learn to control it better. Practice later. Another step. We're close to the searching mares. One of them stops. It's Fluttershy. She's staring in my direction. Despite the crusaders and I are still out sight. Meaning: she has animal senses. Not good. Solution: wake up the fillies and make them finish the rest of their walk on their own. Tendrils of shadows are springing back to life. They're coiling the fillies and giving them a shake. All three are slowly waking up. "Ugh, I just had a really weird dream..." They all speak in unison. Then stop and look around themselves. They are confused. Then... "AHHHH!!! IT WASN'T A DREAM!" ...that. The scream is successful at getting the attention of the mane six. No need to stick around any longer. Making a step now. "Girls!!! Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" "What in tarnation were ya'll thinkin'?!" "Whaaaahahaaaah! Sweetie Beh-eh-elle! I thought I would never... EVER SEE YOU AGA-A-A-A-IN!!!" The six mares throw themselves on the fillies. Group hug. They are safe now. But I decide to make sure of that. Another step is getting me closer. "Girls..." "THAT was not cool! Or awesome! Or even okay, squirt!" Another step. "Girls." "Oh! Oh! I should throw you all a "Thank goodness you're okay after getting lost in the Everfree Forest" party!" Another step. "Girls!" "Now, let's not get too excited, Pinkie. I say we all go back to our homes and discuss it tomorrow." Another step. A sound of a deep inhale. "GIRLS!!!" The booming voice sends a shiver through every tree. Impressive. The mares recall from their shock. Fluttershy isn't giving them a chance to speak before she does. "We need to get out of here... There's something new. Something... dark. All of the animals are scared. And I can feel it too..." "What are you talking about, Fluttershy? I can feel any sort of dark magic miles away, now that I'm an alicorn. And I don't feel anything like that." "It's not magic... It's something else. I don't see it... but I can feel it staring into my... my..." She's gulping. The fear is rising. Tasty. "...soul." Precisely. The mares are leaving the Everyfree Forest. Good. The fillies are with them. They are safe. No danger here. I'm watching them go. One of them is turning around and staring into the darkness of the forest. "Sweetie Belle, what are you doing? Let's go get you into your nice comfy..." That's right. She can't know I'm near. No way she can feel me like Fluttershy does. But then, what is she going to... "THANK YOU FOR SAVING OUR LIVES!!!" I see... ... You're welcome. Author's Note Yes. CMC. In the Everfree Forest. Lost. Chased by timberwolves. Cliche. I know. Anything else?
Chapter 1: Asleep and awakeWalking through the dark corridors. The walls, floor and ceiling are made of stone. No bright source of light. But even the eyes of a pony would adapt to it. Though seeing far would be a problem for them. Speaking of ponies, I'm chasing one. She is full of fear. A really tasty fear. She isn't only afraid of me. She's afraid of being afraid. That makes my meal so much more sweet. There's no better way to describe it to those who never feed on the fear of others. The corridors seem to be endless, so she keeps running... no, flying away from me. Or so she thinks. I follow close behind. There is no way to escape from me. Even for her... Even for Rainbow Dash. The meal is finished. It's time for the dessert. I appear right in front of her face. She shrieks. Tries to escape. Too late. The tendrils are already all over her body. She's struggling. The fear triples. They say those who are one moment from their death experience the strongest fear. Time to check if that statement is true. The tendrils pull on her wings. She screams. The wings get ripped from her body easily. The tendrils wrap around her muzzle and muffle her screams. Nopony is going to save her. I'm looking into her eyes. She is looking at my lack of face. There is nothing in her eyes but a pure fear and despair. What a wonderful dessert... "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rainbow Dash jumped from her bed, her wings flapping rapidly in a chaotic way, her eyes full of tears rolling down her soaking wet face, her breath is fast and shaky. There were a whole minute before she had realized that it was... "...just a dream..." A dream... A dream?! No way that qualifies as a dream. It was a nightmare! Never before in her entire life she was so shaken and full of fear. Not even before performing at the Best Young Flyer competition. Not even when her wing got stuck under the giant rock and she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life on the bottom of that pit. No... that was something entirely new. Something far beyond the usual "cool adventure" stuff. Something way more... dark. She spent a whole hour crying into her pillow that day. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Luna jerked awake from the bed in her private chamber. That dream... that nightmare! She had seen it all. And she was powerless to interfere... to stop that monster from inflicting those unspeakable horrors on the poor pony. Needless to say, the Princess of the Night weren't happy about that at all. She was angry, she was worried, and most of all... she was terrified. "What was that... thing?" Purging nightmares and guarding the dreams of her little ponies was as much of Luna's purpose as rising the Moon and decorating the sky with millions of beautiful stars. That's what she was born to do. That's what she did for centuries... But this. This was the first time she was powerless to do what she was meant to do. What kind of dark magic could possibly block her way into the dream? And more importantly... How could someone else visit the dreams of the others? Unless... "No... that can't be." There could be no way she was back... No, that was impossible. The Elements of Harmony purged Luna from her darkness. But still... that situation had her hoofprints all over it. "Nightmare..." The sun has risen. Suddenly, my power is much weaker. That's logical: night is the time for the creatures such as myself. Must wait for the night patiently. Meanwhile, can reflect on the past night's events: waking up in the forest, figuring out a few things, saving the Cutiemark Crusaders. Invading the dream of Rainbow Dash... The last thing was the most tasty. Somehow, I'm thankful I can't feel any emotion. Otherwise I'd starve myself due to the feeling of guilt. However, it was still a much better choice than doing those things to somepony in real world. I am well fed. And the pony is alive. That seemed like a logical decision. Mustn't repeat it to the same pony often. Otherwise their mental health will be destroyed. I don't have a different reason for attacking ponies. Only my hunger. And certainly, no reason at all to kill them. I concentrate. A single tendril appears. I wiggle it to attack the imaginary targets. It obeys perfectly. Looks like I'm getting better at it. I repeat. Two tendrils this time. Then four. Then eight... Sixteen... The three little fillies were spending a day under Fluttershy's care. Again. They didn't cause her much trouble this time. Mostly because they were too busy discussing their previous night in the forest on her back yard. "And what do you think was that creature? Did you see how fast those shadow... things moved? That was so cool!" As the last of her fear died down yesterday, Scootaloo was really excited to talk about their savior. Wasn't it cool? The creature that looked like the worst thing you could run into inside the Everfree Forest actually ended up saving their lives and showing them the way out! "Ah dunno... Maybe it's some kahnd of the forest spirit?" "He didn't look like something forest-related..." - Sweetie Belle countered Applebloom's guess, - "He was really tall. And white... Those things looked like the living shadows. And, oh! Do you remember? He had no face!" A yelp had made the trio turn their heads to it's source. Which, surprisingly, wasn't Fluttershy. The rainbow-maned pegasus stayed there, looking at the Cutiemark Crusaders with the face expression of a pure horror. "Um... Rainbow Dash?" The raspy voice of the orange filly had managed to put her out of her stupor. Only for the tears to appear in her eyes once again today... She quickly jumped and darted into the skies. That didn't look like her at all... The three little fillies exchanged a worried look and ran into the cottage. "FLUTTERSHY!" An hour later the whole Friendship Council plus three little fillies and one dragon were in the main hall of Twilight's castle. And the visibly shaken rainbow pegasus was the reason why they were there. Obviously enough, her friends didn't let it go and made her spill the beans. Her own mental state was in no condition to put up much resistance. So, she has told them all of it... All details about the nightmare she had last night. Needless to say, everypony (and the dragon) were aghast at the revelation. Even Twilight Sparkle, who still tried her best to seem calm and collected. A group hug had managed to ease up the heavy mood, but only a little bit. "But ah don't understand!" - Applebloom was the first to interact, - "The same creature from your nightmares had saved us from the whole pack of the timberwolves yesterday!" That caused a long pause before... "WHAT?!" The reaction was pretty much expected. "Oh, yeah... We haven't told ya'll about that yet. Sorry..." - the yellow filly offered a sheepish smile. "What do you mean it saved you?" "That must be what I felt..." "Why in tarnation haven't ya'll said anything?" "It saved you? We should invite it to your party then! But it attacked Rainbow Dash in her sleep! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO!" Rainbow Dash remained silent. And Rarity had chosen to faint straight into Spike's arms... Who was so aghast that caught her completely on instinct. A moment later he was brought out of his stupor by burping the scroll. That had caught the attention of everypony (except for unconscious Rarity) in the room. Twilight took the scroll with her magic and unrolled it. "It's the letter from Princess Celestia. It says that she and Princess Luna will be here to discuss an important matter... in a few moments?!" Before a pregnant pause could hang in the air, the loud pop sound could be heard. The princesses had teleported straight into Twilight's castle. "My little ponies," - Celestia began, - "How convenient that all of your are here. It's good to see you... I just wish the circumstances were better." "We're here to bring you the dark news..." - Luna continued shortly after her sister fell silent, - "It appears, the enemy you all know is back. Nightmare Moon." That caused a loud gasp. "Nightmare Moon?!" - Twilight was the first to recover, - "B... but... But how?! We used the Elements of Harmony on her... We have reversed your transformation and purged you of the darkness in your heart. How could she be back?... And if she is, how can you be standing here? And... and..." Luna had to raise her hoof to silence seemingly endless torrent of questions. She, however, had chosen to answer the all at once... "...I don't know." Now it was the time for a pregnant pause. Nopony knew what to say. Luna was the first to break the silence. "But the evidence is clear. Rainbow Dash, would you care to share with us what happened to you last night?" "I've just got it over with." "Oh... Then surely you can see that such unspeakable horrors happening in the dreams of another pony could only be the doing of my evil counterpart. That is why we must find and catch her before she..." "It wasn't her." Rainbow Dash's answer had just earned the achievement of effectively shutting Luna's speech up. "...Pardon me?" "It wasn't her," - Rainbow repeated, now looking directly at Luna. "B... but how can you tell it wasn't...?" Before she had the chance to finish her question, Rainbow Dash's hoof pointed into the direction of three little fillies. Another pause. That time, Celestia had come to the rescue. "I believe some explanation would be nice." Author's Note Well... At least something for you, guys. Not much. Better than nothing. Edit it later.
Chapter 2: The hunger unleashedFive hundred and twelve... One thousand and twenty four... Getting better at controlling my tendrils. About time too. The sun is starting to set. I can feel my powers slowly returning to their full strength. And I'm starting to feel that hunger again. Soon it will be the time to hunt... But who? Luna and Celestia were the royal alicorn sisters that ruled Equestria together for centuries. They have seen many things. By that day, there was nothing that could surprise them or trully catch them off-guard... Or so they thought. It's not everyday one happens to witness the royal jaws hitting the floor. That day was the case though. As for the others, Rainbow Dash sat there with her eyes closed and her body shaking slightly. Twilight's eyes had almost turned blue as her mind returned an error after error while trying to process the information. Applejack was crying, her thoughts focused on the fact of her little sister being that close to what seemed to be the most deadly of all creatures existent. Pinkie's mane deflated a bit. Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen, which, most likely, was exactly what she wanted. Spike joined Rarity in the la-la land. "That... was most disturbing," - the Princess of the Night had finally broken the silence, - "I... can see why you three were quick to trust that creature, but still, it was..." "I don't think getting further lost in the forest would be a much better idea, sister." After recovering from the initial shock, Celestia was quickly back to her stoic figure and calm, soothing voice. "Perhaps, you're right, sister. And it's a good thing that these three little fillies are back to their respective homes safe and sound. But that creature... must be dealt with. We cannot simply ignore the horrors it is spreading!" "Princess Luna, are you... Are you suggesting that we must go into the Everfree Forest and start a search for that creature?" - Twilight was quick to see the meaning behind Luna's words. "Indeed so, young princess. Moreover... don't you have another friend to worry about now, besides Rainbow Dash?" - she arched an eyebrow, emphasizing her point. That had caused a nervous glance between those who were still conscious in the room. "Oh, no..." "ZECORA!!!" A house... No. A hut. In the middle of the forest. Not abandoned. Remember now. A zebra named Zecora lives there. Should stay away. But the hunger is growing... even faster now. It isn't a desire. It is a physical need. Must eat. Must shut that hunger up before it grow worse. Must not let it cloud my thoughts. Feelings that interfere with mind are what I always hated. "Ugh... I'm so bored! Why didn't they let us come with them?" Scootaloo wasn't happy about being left behind. Neither were the other two fillies. But the certain dragon wouldn't have any of that. "You three are not going anywhere. What? Do you want to get hunted by the timberwolves again?" "No!" - Sweetie Belle was unusually assertive, - "I want to tell mister Slender how thankful I am for saving my life." That had earned a pause. "Mister Slender?" - Applebloom raised an eyebrow at the white filly. She was really following her big sister's hoofsteps... "What? That sounds like a fitting nickname. He was really tall, but also really thin." "Look," - Spike was not going back on his duties, - "I'm not letting you to take a single step out of this castle, you hear? Don't even think about t-that... that thing!" Sweetie Belle furrowed her eyebrows at his choice of words, then her face changed into a smile. A dark, evil smile that could only mean a nasty idea suddenly coming to her mind. She stood up and walked closer to Spike, looking him in the eyes. "You know, we didn't pay much attention to the details during our story earlier today. That must've been because of the Princesses being here and making us nervous. But now, that they're gone, I can remember more. Escpecially about those... things," - she then started to slowly walk in circles around Spike, whose bravery was leaking out and fading away quickly, - "Yes, those living shadows... It was so amazing how the infinite amount of them shot right from Mister Slender's back and coiled those timberwolves before they could even yelp. And then... then they started crushing them. Slowly," - the poor dragon gave a huge gulp at such a detail, - "Even I could see how afraid they were. They looked into the eyes of their death. And you know what was the worst? Their death had no eyes! And then... their bodies were crushed to the core." Spike's unconscious body hit the floor. Sweetie Belle turned to face her two rather confused friends and gave them a smug smile. "Nailed it!" Hungry. So hungry. So very hungry. And even hungrier now. Have I mentioned that I am hungry? I'm wandering around Zecora's hut. She was quick to notice. I remember she acted like a shaman. Perhaps, she could feel me on a spiritual level. Not important now. Standing in front of her window. Staring inside. Feeling fear. Tasting fear. Tastes good. But hardly enough. Strange. Haven't felt that hungry yesterday. The fear is increasing. Still not enough. Taking a step. Inside the hut now. She shrieks. Reminds me of invading Rainbow's dream. But this is the reality. Must remember: no harm. The hunger keeps growing rapidly. Must eat. Zecora is on the floor, coiled by my tendrils. The fear tripples. And it keeps increasing... But not just from her. Something... somepony else is afraid. And they are coming here. "Focus, girls. We must be ready to use the Elements of Harmony any second now. They might be our only chance if that creature proves to be hostile," - Twilight was lecturing the girls all the way to Zecora's hut. But she didn't do that only to give them a briefing, but also to distract them from their new found fear. She turned to yawning Rainbow Dash, - "Boo!" "AHH!" "See? You weren't ready for the incoming attack." That earned a chuckle from the princesses. "Gee, Twi," - Rainbow was quick to recover, - "You're trying to think ahead, as always. Doubt it'll work this time." "I'm afraid young Rainbow Dash is correct, Princess Twilight Sparkle. With the creature of such... dark nature, you never know what to expect." "Well," - Applejack had chosen a perfect time to interfere, seeing as they've finally reached Zecora's hut, - "Ya'll are about tah fahnd out." An opening door. A shriek. A thump. A source of fear is out cold. I see it is Rarity. The others are with her. And the princesses too. One of them is first to react. "Thou shalt free the poor zebra this instant!" The beam of magic is fired at me. Taking a step. Avoiding it. Behind them all now. Hunger is not satisfied. Notice: being attacked increases the hunger. Could just get away. Or could use these mares to satisfy it. What to do? A yelp. I am reminded: Fluttershy can feel me. The others are quick to follow her signal and turn their heads to face me. The fear is increasing. Tasty. "Princesses! Friends! Oh, I could not be happier. I am afraid, it's no longer safe here." Zebra's voice was shaky, but loud. "'Tis a pleasure to see thou art safe, Zecora. But now is not a good time to talk." "No turning from the path this time, Applebloom," - Scootaloo was trying to act as brave as she could inside the Everfree Forest, - "Knowing Twilight and her friends, they will find what they are looking for. We just need to follow them to Zecora's hut." "Ah know that, Scootaloo! We, Apples, learn from our mistakes." Sweetie Belle, however, remained silent the entire time. A part of her felt guilty for scaring Spike like that. The other part of her was occupied with the thoughts about Mister Slender, as she called the creature. For some reason she was certain it was him, and couldn't help but frown every time the others called her saviour an it. Three little fillies continued their way deeper into the forest. Zecora's hut wasn't that far away, after all. I am not amused. The night princess keeps trying to attack me. Keeps making my hunger grow. It's getting insane. It's starting to cloud my mind. Got enough... "Standest still, thou foul creature! Thy execution shall be swift!" Got enough. "Nopony darest to invade the dreams of our subjects and remain unpunished!" Got enough! "Thy fate is already..." ENOUGH! The tendrils shot. All of the ponies are too slow to react. All of them are caught in the coils of my darkness. All of them are afraid... It will be a feast! "Shhh! Did you hear that?" - Applebloom whispered to her two friends. "I heard that, but also I..." - Sweetie Belle had finally broken her vow of silence, - "...felt it. It somehow felt... familiar." She closed her eyes and focused on the feeling. She knew that she had experienced it not so long ago... Why didn't she think about it until now? What did it remind her of. After a minute of thinking just one word popped up in her mind. One word that had told her everything she needed to know. "FOLLOW!" She jerked up from her crouching position. "It's him! It's his voice, his presence! I remember now! Come on, girls!" The two confused fillies didn't seem to think of any better course of action but to follow their friend. However, soon all three of them were aghast. The picture in front of their eyes was something they've never seen even in their nightmares: their saviour was standing there, just like the nigh before. With one major difference: instead of the wild and hungry timberwolves, he was holding their sisters, also Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Zecora and the two elder Princesses of Equestria. And the three fillies knew all to well what was going to happen next... Before they knew it, their legs were galloping towards the dark creature. "STOP!!!" Author's Note Two chapters in two days? That's an academy record!
Chapter 3: Face-to-no-face"STOP!!!" Didn't expect to see them here. Didn't feel them coming. Caught off-guard. My tendrils freeze. They are not tightening their grip on the ponies anymore. I look down to face the well-known trio. "Please, let them go, Mister Slender! They didn't mean to hurt you. They're just super afraid of you!" Sweetie Belle... Her voice snaps me out of a hunger trance. I'm thinking over the past few minutes. That was a bit too close. Meaning: must find a way to keep the hunger at bay. But how? Perhaps, the answer... the answers are already staring at my lack of face. And hugging my forelegs. I'm noticing something that is different. That wasn't there before... I have a mouth now. How did it appear? And for what purpose? It shouldn't be there. As I'm thinking those thoughts now, the mouth is disappearing. Meaning: my body can transform. Must figure out what else can change about it. But not now. My tendrils are slowly lowering the mares to the ground. Uncoiling them. I've already had a good snack. Plus, those fillies have just demonstrated the ability to supress my hunger a bit. Their facial expressions are much more relaxed now, since those ponies are no longer in danger... ...They aren't? A sound of a cracked branch is echoing somewhere nearby. I'm expanding my vision. The place is surrounded by a hundred of timberwolves. Didn't feel them coming. Meaning: they don't fear me. The cause? Appears to be revenge. Must warn those ponies. But how? If my telepathy can easily hypnotize, then the effect should be weakened if I don't focus it on one target. Instead, I'll try focusing it all around me. "WE ARE SURROUNDED BY THE TIMBERWOLVES." My announce seemed to work. The ponies have already recovered. They have heard my voice. Their faces are expressing a confusion first, then an alert. They're looking around. Nopony dares to say anything. Until... "Mister Slender?" - the sweet little voice is calling to me again. She knows my name. How? - "Could you save us again? Please..." I don't need to save them. Those timberwolves have come for me. They are closing in. "DON'T MOVE." They're launching their attack. They are stopped by the tendrils. Their bodies will be easy to crush. "Please, stop doing that," - another voice is calling out to me. The voice that is assertive only under circumstances like these, - "They don't deserve to die just because they attacked you." No need to reason with her. Can ignore. "Stand back, young Fluttershy. Let the creature destroy them for they are no ordinary timberwolves," - the voice of the lunar princess is calling to the yellow pegasus. If what she's saying is true, then it explains such an aggressive behaviour, - "They are touched and corrupted by the dark magic. We are lucky the opportunity to destroy them at once has presented itself!" And destroying I provide. The cracks and howl are filling the area. Half of the present ponies are averting their eyes. I am feeling a fear coming from them again. Good. Should silence my hunger for the rest of the night. Zecora had a nice collection of wonderful tea in her hut. She always loved the tea. Such a tasty drink that always helped her calm down the nerves and relax... That is why she had never thought that one day a tea party was going to make her feel so tense. Most likely, the same thing applied to all of the other ponies in her hut. All, except for one. The one with no face. That creature was a pure mystery. Never before in her life had Zecora witnessed anything like that. She heard many legends, fairy-tales and spooky stories. But that "Slender", as Sweetie Belle called him, didn't fit any of them. Now, after spending a whole hour trying to communicate with the creature, she and the other ponies knew the reason behind the two attacks: one in Rainbow Dash's dream, and another one in Zecora's hut. It appeared, that creature had no control over the hunger for somepony else's fear. That piece of news has put the royal sisters into a deep thought. As for the others, Pinkie Pie was the first one to adjust, if you don't count the three little fillies, of course. She was trying to get the creature to enable it's mouth again, so she could feed it a cake. Despite the fact it told her that it doesn't feed that way, she didn't give up her attempts. Good thing the creature claimed to experience no emotions at all... Who knows what would it's annoyance cause? Speaking of no emotions, the creature had managed to earn some respect from the royal sisters by explaining how it had prefered to inflict the horrors inside a pony's dream instead of reality due to finding it a logical solution, however temporal. It wasn't a good solution, of course, but the attempt to minimize the possible damage didn't go without notice. "If I have understood your explanation correctly," - The Sun Goddess began, - "Then was it not for your hunger, you wouldn't attack anypony at all." The dark creature wasn't very talkative... Perhaps, that was a good thing. Every time it spoke, Zecora, along with the most of other ponies, couldn't help but flinch. It's voice dominated the air around it, and Zecora felt as if something ancient and all-powerful was talking. That time, however, the creature had simply nodded. "And the hunger you experienced today was much stronger than yesterday..." Another nod. "And you don't remember anything about your origins and how you've managed to stay unnoticed until now." "I WASN'T IN THIS WORLD." That answer had earned a pause, but Celestia was quick to recover. "I don't suppose the other... inhabitants of your original world have managed to find a way to live peacefully with you." The creature shook it's head in response. "Then, I believe, it wouldn't be wise to expect you to stay away from my little ponies while we're searching for a permanent solution. However... I do have a temporal one." Everypony in the room, including her own sister, looked at the alabaster alicorn with awe. It's barely been an hour, and she already had a solution! "Recently, I have received a report from Appleloosa about the Diamond Dogs attacking the ponies, stealing their food and other possessions. Here, in Equestria, we do not approve of any drastic measures like execution or inflicting serious harm, but I do believe a good scare could prove to be a perfect solution." "It better be!" - the voice of Applejack rang through the hut - "Those good'fer'nothing critters will leave mah cousin out of business if nopony stops 'em!" "SOUNDS LIKE... A FEAST." The grim phrase has taken all the rage straight out of the Apple pony, who visibly gulped. Most likely, her thoughts had changed into the direction of the part of her family being so close to such a deadly creature. The Princess of the Day nodded and turned to her ex-student. "Twillight, I want you and your friends to try and think of a permanent solution. So far, there has never been a pony in Equestria, who understood the Magic of Friendship better than you. I believe, you and your friends can solve this problem better than anypony else." "I promise I'll study this problem inside out, Princess Celestia! I'll pass your word to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash tomorrow." Celestia gave the Princess of Friendship a warm smile. And yes, that reminded her that not everypony was in the hut right now: Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash went to guide the Cutiemark Crusaders back to their homes. The poor yellow pegasus had experienced enough terror for a whole month. And the brave cyan pegasus still wasn't over her last night's dream. In fact, it was the creature itself who offered her to accompany Fluttershy. The fact which didn't go unnoticed by the other ponies. "Slender Pony, is it?" - Luna had finally decided to speak up, summoning a map and showing it to the creature, - "How long will it take you to get to Appleloosa?" The creature studied the map carefully, which proved it's intelligence. "THE NIGHT." - it had finally answered. "Very well then... I shall make sure to lower the moon later than usual today. Is that alright with you, sister?" "It shall have to do," - Celestia replied, giving her trademark polite smile, which most likely meant that she wasn't very happy about the decision, but found it inevitable. She then turned to the only zebra in the hut, - "Zecora, I thank you for letting us inside your hut to have this... meeting. I am sorry that we took your sleep hours away." Zecora couldn't help but give a bow to the Sun Goddess. "Don't worry, Princess, it's alright. I don't think I can sleep this night." "Can you believe Sweetie's nickname turned out to be his real name?" - Scootaloo's wings were buzzing in excitement, - "And have you seen how awesome his counter-attack against those timberwolves was? Just... BAM! And they all are caught and tied!" "Gotta admit, squirt, it is pretty awesome, unless you were "caught and tied" just like that a few moments earlier..." - Rainbow tried to support her favourite filly's excitement, but her voice betrayed her, getting shaky at the end. Scootaloo didn't hesitate to take her chance to look awesome in the eyes of her idol. "Worry not, Rainbow Dash! He likes me, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. He even listened to us! As long as you have me by your side, he won't attack you again. I promise!" Both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy chuckled at that. But it wasn't destined to last longer than just a moment, because a second later an all too familiar dark figure appeared in front of them. "Mister Slender!" - three excited fillies called as soon as they got over the shock. "NO TIME," - it spoke, - "MOVING TO APPLELOOSA." And then it had disappeared, leaving two mares and three little fillies to their own guesses, which were soon interrupted by a thump near them. Spike had fainted... again. Author's Note Slender Pony. In Equestria. Not going to turn it into a bloody mess? Time for dislikes!
