Flawed Harmony

Abigail and Screwball arrived at the club house and found the CMC preparing for their next attempt to get their marks. "Hi girls."

The fillies looked aver to her and smiled. "Hi Abigail and Screwball, whatcha doing all the way out here?" Asked Sweetie Belle.

"We were wondering if we could borrow SweetieBot for awhile."

Sweetie Belle smiled and nodded. "Sure, she's in the clubhouse, go nuts." With that the three fillies ran off. Walking into the club house, which proved a little difficult for Abigail, the pair saw the mechanical filly they were looking for dusting a desk with her tail.

"Hey SweetieBot." The robot looked to her friends and smiled.

"Hello friends, what can I do for you?" On one of Sweetie Belles attempts to get her cutie mark she had wanted to try her hoof in engineering. She spent months studying mechanics, rules of robotics and gathering the necessary parts. With a little help from Screwball and Abigail's uncle, SweetieBot was born.

Although this didn't get Sweetie Belle her mark, but it seemed cruel for her to just scrap the robot, so she let it be her assistant. Over time though it gained sentience and for some reasons installed weaponry it had built, when everyone asked why she said that she wanted to protect the CMC whenever they went into the Everfree Forset.

"We were wondering if you wanted to join us on a little adventure." SweetieBot stopped dusting and looked to her friends unsure.

"Explain." Abigail told SweetieBot everything, after calculating the odds of success without her going with them she nodded her head. "Ok, I'll join you. Just let me finish my work here then I'll meet you at Golden Oaks Library."

"Thanks SweetieBot, knew we could count on you." With that Screwball and Abigail left the robot to her businesses.

"I have a feeling in my circuitry that this will only end badly for Abigail."

Badlands, Empire Castle

As Thanos and Mist Hunter returned from their missions and having any recruits placed in the underground settlements, they returned to the throne room and bowed before Anon.

"Hello again my trusted generals, I take it your missions were successful?" Anon asked with a confident smile.

"Yes, ninety two percent of the inhabitants from the settlements I visited have agreed to join the Shadow Empire." Thanos replied in a neutral tone.

"What of the other eight percent?" Anon asked with interest.

"They were free to do as they saw fit, no one was seriously harmed other than a few of the inhabitants that had protested with violence."

"Excellent work Thanos." Anon praised, he then turned his attention to Mist Hunter. "And how did your mission fare my friend?"

"The surviving Shadow Ponies have agreed to ally with our empire, although the wish to stay in their settlement under our flag until needed. Ninety one percent of the inhabitants from my visits have agreed, some still wishing to remain in their towns but a large number of them are traveling to us as we speak." Anon applauded his two generals.

"Outstanding work gentlemen, you have served me greatly today. Mist Hunter, have any willing Thestral scouts deliver the flags to the allied settlements during the night, as to not fall under the watchful eyes of Celestia." The two generals nodded. "Also, I have a special announcement." The two looked at their King in interest. "Princess Luna may be returned to us."

Both look d to each other in shock. "Our Queen is returning to us?" They both asked.

"Yes my friends, although she is feeling conflicted with having to choose between us and her sisters. I don't want you to say a word about this to the other generals, I want it to be a surprise." Both nodded and bowed.

As Anon was about to give the two their orders he was interrupted by a voice from the shadows. "So, you are the legendary King Anon, leader of the Shadow Empire." Queen Chrysalis walked out from a dark corner and smirked. "I will say I am impressed with what you and your subordinates have done in just a day."

"They are not my subordinates, they are my friends and equals, King Anon is merely a title that gives those that serve the Shadow Empire someone to follow." Anon slumped back in his throne and twiddled his thumbs while looking at the changeling. "You are Queen Chrysalis, am I correct?"

"So you've heard of me then?" She asked with a genuine smile.

"I've heard of how your kind was treated unfairly when you were in desperate need of food for your people." This just caused Chrysalis to smile brighter.

"So you really do take everything into account then? That's someone I can follow." She walked up to the throne and the two generals stepped out of her way watching her carefully. "I would like to have the Changeling Kingdom and the Shadow Empire become allies." Anon smiled, stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Consider it done my dear, anyone is welcome under our flag. I promise you kind will be treated with the same level of respect as the others." Chrysalis smiled and wiped a tear from her cheek, she then brought Anon into a hug.

"Thank you." Anon patted her on the back and nodded to his generals who then relaxed.

"Follow Mist Hunter and he will help you make the arrangements, it is great to have you on board Chrysalis." The changeling nodded and began walking beside Mist Hunter who turned to Anon.

"My liege, after this I must talk to you of something of great importance." Anon nodded and he walked out the door with the changeling queen in tow.

Anon then turned to Thanos. "Go down to the underground settlements and help organise the people into their new homes and try to set up some staff. I will send Sonar when she returns to aid you."

Thanos nodded and walked out of the room.

Ponyville, Everfree Forest

Slendermane walked slowly through the forset that he called home. Being feared by everyone had drove him to seek refuge in the forest of thorns. He was just misunderstood, that seemed to be a common trend in Equestria, if someone was different from normal ponies then they were feared and shunned.

His life was hard, he sustained himself by eating various fruits that grew in the cursed forest, although now that he had a friend outside of the forest he was often brought a basket of some of his favourite treats. He sat down in his cave and looked at the basket he had just found. He read the label, 'Here you go Slendy, I made sure to get them freshly baked for you, love Abigail.'

"That girl is too kind for her own good sometimes." He reached a tendril into the basket and pulled out a rainbow cupcake. Smiling (as best he could) he took a bite out of it with his invisible mouth. Savouring the taste of the warm pastry he started drawing with another tendril. "Hope I can actually get it right this time." The notes that were found around his area in the forest were actually just some doddle she had drawn up to scare away anyone that wanted to harm him so he didn't have to do it himself.

As he drew a detailed sketch of his friend he sensed her approaching. He hid the piece of paper in his suit pocket and walked outside the cave to greet his friend, though he sensed another pony with her.

"Abi, what are we in Slendermane's territory? Don't you know who Slendermane is?"

"As a matter of fact I do, he's my best friend and you are not going to hurt his feelings by running away screaming bloody murder." Scolded Abigail as she enter the clearing in which Slenders cave was located.

Slender hesitated before stepping out into the open. Screwball covered her mouth and held in a scream while Abigail smiled softly at him.

"Hi Slendy, did you get the basket I left?" She asked while walking up to give him a hug which he returned.

"I did, thank you again Abigail for treating me to those delicious sweets." Abigail was about to say something when Screwball interrupted.

"Hey! Mind telling me how you two know each other?" Screwball looked to each if them, "Well?"

Abigail rolled her eyes and sat down beside Slender. "Fine, if it'll stop you from asking a never ending stream of questions, honestly you're worse than Twilight when it comes to this sort of thing."

10 months earlier

Slender sat alone yet again in his cave with no one to talk to during the blistering storm that raged outside. Just then he heard something hit the ground and he peeked his head out of the cave. There lying in the middle of the clearing was an unconscious human girl. Thinking fast he stretched a tendril out and wrapped it around her. He then gently brought her into the cave and lay her against the wall, adding some sticks to fire as to help her dry off.

He looked her over and placed a hoof to his chin in thought. 'Clearly female, but what kind of species is she?' He began inspecting her, but keeping clear of any private areas, he may be a monster but he's still a gentleman. 'Some kind of hairless ape I think, she's wearing clothes so either she's someone's pet or she's a sentient being.' He looked to her hip where a rapier sword lay in its sheath. 'Ok, that disproves the pet theory. When she wakes up I'll ask her some questions, right now she needs to warm up.' He then looked her over again and sighed. 'It's going to be difficult getting her warm with soaking wet clothing... Ok, I'll take as little off as I possibly can, it's for her health.'

After taking off her hoodie, socks, and jeans he wrapped her in a blanket and set her closer to the fire, with a makeshift clothes rack close by to help her clothes dry.

'I could use some sleep myself, I should try to wake up before she does so she doesn't run off alone if she sees me first thing.' With a yawn Slender lay his head down and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

The next morning Slender woke up, after stretching like a cat he looked around and spotted the sleeping girl.

'So it wasn't a dream then.' He slowly walked towards her and gently shook her with his hoof. She started to stir, noticing this Slender backed up to give her some room and sat down.

Once she opened her eyes she looked around the cave confused. "Where am I?" Sitting up she took in her surroundings. As she slowly turned her head her vision fell on Slendermane. She rubbed her eyes and looked back at him. "What the?" She tilted her head and looked him over. 'Is that seriously Slenderman... as a pony?'

"Hello, um... miss. Did you sleep well?" Slender asked, causing the girl to freeze.

'Did it just talk?' The girl looked around and saw some of her clothes by a dead fire. "Um, why are my clothes off my body?"

Slender looked from her to her clothes. "Oh, I found you outside soaking wet and unconscious, I brought you in here to help warm you up, but your wet clothes made that difficult. I left as much on as I could, I had a feeling you wouldn't want to be naked with no fur."

'There is so much I can misinterpret there, but luckily I'm not the kind of girl that jumps to conclusions.' Sitting up fully the girl rubbed her face and yawned. "Well, thank you for getting me out of the rain, um..."

"It's Slendermane, nice to meet you."

"Right, Slendermane. Um, don't take this the wrong way but, I'm having a hard time trusting you." Slenders happy composure faltered.

"I don't blame you, who would trust someone like me anyway? I mean, look at me." He slumped back against the cave wall. "I'm just some faceless freak."

The girl suddenly started to feel guilty. "Hey, if I really am here, that means I'm going to be treated like a monster by the inhabitants." Slender just looked at her.

"What do you mean?" The girl gestured to her body.

"Tell me, do I look like your everyday pony to you?" She asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"I guess not." Both looked to each other with sorry smiles (well as much as... You know what you get the points I'm not pointing this out through the entire damn story).

"Well then, looks like we're stuck with each other, I'm Abigail by the way." She held out her hand and Slender stretched a tendril over to shake it.

"Very nice to meet you Abigail. I have a feeling we are going to become good friends."

"And ever since then Slendy here has been my guardian angel of sorts." Abigail wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged him. "Eventually he encouraged me to go and talk to the townsfolk here, and you know the rest." Screwball just looked at the girl dumbfounded.

"Ok, I'm gonna need a quick second to process all that." Abigail rolled her eyes as Screwball began repeating the story to herself.

Little did they know at the top of the cliff that shadowed the clearing, Anon stood looking down at Abigail.

'Another human, Mist Hunter was right.' He looked to his hand and clenched it into a fist. 'I have to try and get her on my side, she may have the answers of where I came from and who I was before.'

Suddenly he felt a small magic surge come from his castle, an alert system he had put in place to let him know that his generals had returned.

'My meeting with this girl will have to wait, I must focus on regaining my empire's strength.' He held the crystal that Eris had gave him and returned to his castle, where a very special visitor had arrived alongside the generals.