Author's Note

This was a pretty fun chapter

The First Step

I ran as fast as I could. After my master had approached me he spoke of a mare in the Everfree forest, a potential proxy. I needed to find her as soon as possible. A lot of proxies didn't follow through with the ritual and would attempt to back out, but by then they had sealed their fate. They were either its servant or his prey. I stopped when I got to the forest and took a second to catch my breath. Now, to find her. I closed my eyes, I knew my master was close to her, I just had to find out where he was...Found him. I could feel his presence. He wasn't too far in, but he was moving. Fast. I sprinted through the trees until I was sure I was standing in the direction she was going. The sound of a pony running became clearer by the second. I crouched down so I wouldn't be seen and sure enough there she was. A young red mare with a black running desperately, as if her life was depending on it. When she was close enough I stood up, catching her by the neck before I threw her to the ground and pinned her. She choked a bit from the impact but as soon as she recovered she screamed and yelled, demanding that I remove myself or she'd hurt me.

"Shut up!" I couldn't take it, it was getting annoying. She looked up at me with fear in her eyes, but tried to cover it up with anger.

"Get off of me! Who do you think you are!?" She said that while trying to throw me off of her. I'll admit, these ponies are a lot stronger than I thought, but luckily I was able to keep her pinned.

"Stop struggling and listen or I'm going to feed you to it!" She stopped dead in her tracks and despite the dirty look she was giving me, she seemed like she was ready to hear me out.

"We both know what you're running from, but right now I need you to tell me why you're out here." I have to be sure she was trying to become a proxy. If she was then there's a chance at her surviving, if not then I'll be forced to keep her here until my master shows up. After that she's history.

"What does it matter to you?" Stubborn, hard-headed, and strong-willed...

"Answer now or I'll kill you before you can so much as blink!" I am even more so. She growled at me, but her face fell, she was ready to cooperate.

"I came out here to find the Slender Horse..." Now we're getting somewhere, I just have to press a little bit harder.

"Why?" I asked this while making my voice as threatening as possible so she would get scared and wouldn't start struggling again.

"I...I wanted to be one of his followers. They say those who do can do what ever they want. That they can break free from the confines of the world around them and become something...more..." This one hit a little too close to home, she reminded me a lot of myself in a way.

"You've found little satisfaction in the world. You feel like a pawn in the game of life, just following the rules and running a predestined course. However, despite all you've done you still feel empty, washed-up, useless...You want a purpose..." She stared at me as if she was a lost soul who had just found God.

"How did you..." No time to let her talk, my master was almost here and if I didn't work fast she'd be as good as dead. I quickly released her from my grip and pulled her back on her hooves.

"Listen, we don't have time for that right now. I just need you to stand still and close your eyes." It's getting closer, I can see it not even 10 feet from us, but I can't tell her that, she'll try to run again.

"But it's trying to"

"Zip it!" She tried to look behind her but I grabbed her muzzle and pulled it towards me.

"Trust me...hold completely still, no matter what you hear or feel, don't move...and do NOT open your eyes!" She was obviously very hesitant to listen to me, but obeyed.

"Good...now as long as you do as I said, you have a chance at surviving this." My master was now standing directly behind her. I found it hard to see my master as something frightening with this new form, but I know what my master is capable of. This wan't a force to be reckoned with, this was an entity you cower in fear of and pray goes away. Its tendrils extended from its back and started wrapping around the mares form. She shuddered from its touch and for a moment I thought she was going to bolt, surprisingly she kept her cool.

"What's happening? What's it doing?" I looked to my master for confirmation. He nodded, letting me know it was okay.

"My master is currently inspecting your body to see if you are physically capable of being a proxy." She gasped which led me to assume my master had accidentally touched her inappropriately.

"Did you...call it...your master?" Oh. Why did I assume that other thing? Never mind, she's already being felt up by my master, so she's at his mercy. No point in hiding it from her since she's either going to have to follow the same rules as I do or die.

"I did, I am a proxy. I hold undying loyalty to my master and follow his orders without question." My master retracted his tendrils, a sign that his inspection was finished.

"Is it over? Can I open my eyes?" My master looked at me again. I knew the routine, he wanted me to ask her why she wanted to be a proxy. It could do its on his own, but part of my job is to serve it and sometimes it found it necessary to have us speak for him. Above all it's a way of reminding proxies of their place. Moving on, I already knew why she wanted to be a proxy.

"She wants to be a proxy for the same reason I did. Right down to the last dot..." It nodded. I watched as my master's face tore open and revealed a large demonic looking mouth. It lowered its mouth to her shoulder and bit down. She screamed in pain and I could hear the sound of her flesh burning. When it finally released her she fell to the ground, unconscious. I lowered myself to her and ran my fingers over where my master had bitten her. There was no wound, no teeth marks, not a trace of anything even touching her. But if you looked close enough you could see a scar beneath her fur that was black as night, the operator symbol, a sign of my masters ownership. I stood up straight and faced my master.

"You've done well, child.." That was a relief. It's good to know I'm not going to be doing all of the work on my own now and with her actually being a pony she would be able to work in public without causing a panic or immediate suspicion. Speaking of...

"Is there anything else you would like me to do?"

"Go to the Town Hall in Ponyville, do not be seen, and carve my symbol into the wall." Town Hall, it's the most popular spot in this area and if the ponies were to see the master's symbol they would get curious. Some might even research its origins and they would find stories of my master. That would allow "My influence to spread" I looked up at my master, forgetting that when he's near he can tell what I'm thinking.

"Once word spreads that I have returned then ponies will either begin to follow me or fear me..." I couldn't help but smile, this would definitely be an adventure to remember. I made quick work of the Town Hall, it was dark so no ponies were able to see me. Afterward I made my way back to the castle. I wondered what the mare from earlier would be like. I didn't really have time to get to know her with the situation being what is was. I'll get to see her again, she is a proxy now after all. My master has marked her; now it will return her to her home and tomorrow night it will retrieve her and begin the training.

It was still pretty late when I got back to the castle so after I got in and quietly made my way back to my room I collapsed on the bed and went out like a light. My nightmares used to keep me up all night, but after this I think I can live with a bit of late-night convulsions.