Author's Note

((This chapter isn't too eventful, I'm hoping to make up for it in the next))

The Collection

When our master had come to us he spoke beyond just being a lost legend to buried and forgotten. He wanted more. We needed proxies and a lot of them. Loyal followers and servants who would be willing to put their lives on the line to please our master. We got to work; day after day, week after week, we all went out. We found potential proxies and welcomed them into our ranks so long as they passed inspection. However, those who didn't were given a five minute head start. So far, none have made it home. We worked our way up from Ponyville to more popular areas. Dodge Junction, Fillydelphia, Baltimare, Las Pegasus, Manehattan, and so many more. Word of my disappearance and many others was in the papers everywhere I went. The girls were looking for me and they were being persistent. My only assumption was that they believed that I had been kidnapped along with the large number of missing ponies and they felt responsible. I know Applejack was definitely going all out on the search. There was a photo in the papers of her handing out Have You Seen Me fliers with a drawing of me on them to everypony that came to Sweet Apple Acres. Poor girl. Getting so attached to a guy like me and making me look like another victim of the ever growing vanishings list. A small number of proxies were doing the usual job of giving little fillies and colts to our master for his collection, but most were traveling all over Equestria, finding more proxies and recruiting almost everypony they could get their hooves on. We had to, for this plan was something much larger than just a spreading of my masters influence. He wanted more than to just be another legend, he wanted to rule. He wanted to dominate this land and claim it as his own. But, to do that, we would need an army. And that was exactly what we were building.

Both proxies new and existing were being put through training far more difficult than ever. My master even had me go through it and I hate to admit it, but it kicked my ass. I've had to endure a lot of physical trauma from beatings to being launched into trees. This was meant to hurt, it was supposed to help us to learn to better deal with pain. It was a way to build up our endurance. We were put through exercise routines to build our strength, but if you asked me these ponies didn't need much of it. They were completely capable of handling their own. I've seen them lift boulders almost bigger than they were and I couldn't even get close to that. I expected a lot of criticism, but my master could understand my disadvantage and so did the ponies. Whenever we had time off we would sit around a fire and they would ask me what my world was like and I could sit and tell stories for hours about my world without having to leave anything out. These ponies were proxies now, they were family. We live and die by the same codes and our one purpose is to serve Slender Man. Or in their case Slender Horse. Sometimes they asked about what kind of jobs our master would give me, I gladly told them. I even went on about how in my world my master wasn't a horse, it looked like a much taller version of me. They wondered why its form changed when it came here and mine didn't, making it a point to address their curiosity. I honestly couldn't answer them, I didn't even know. I assumed it had something to do with magic, but I wasn't too sure.

It had been almost six months since I was taken from the castle, through all of this with the jobs and intense training we became powerful. Our numbers had grown significantly and although the ponies were still stronger than me I wasn't far behind. The master pushed me harder than the ponies when it came to exercise for obvious reasons. I now had the strength to kill ponies, those who didn't make the cut and go through training mainly, with my bare hands. I seldom had to pull my knife on them, it was mostly just used for my own personal pleasure now. I had just finished mutilating a stallion who had not passed the inspection, my hoodie was soaked with fresh blood and my mask had red stains coating it almost completely. I could feel my master watching me and turned to face him.

"Greetings and Salutations, master." I used to say this constantly back in my world when I was discovered by my victims to toy with them, but when I said it to my master it was a sign of respect from me to it.

"Greetings, child. I see you've made quick work of our failed initiate..." I had, it only took me maybe three minutes to kill this one, even less to bring him down and make him immobile.

"I live to serve to the best of my abilities." I could tell it was impressed by my improvement, but it would never say it aloud.

"That is pleasing to hear... I smiled to my master, he wouldn't be able to see it, but I knew it could tell. "I have another job for you..."

"Your wish is my command, master." It nodded at me before simply telling me...

"It's time..." My smile couldn't help but grow. My grin would have been ear to ear if my face were capable of it. I knew what my master wanted, I knew what I had to do.

I was standing outside of the Twilight's castle, still with blood coating my body. The ponies had all gasped and stared at me as I walked to the castle, shoulders hanging and legs dragging with every step. Now here I was, looking bloody and beaten. I made my way to the door and weakly slammed my fist against it three times. Rarity came to the door and opened it.

"Would you please refrain from knocking so-AHHHHH!!!" She screamed and almost fainted from seeing me. The others could hear Rarity's cries and came to her aid. They all swarmed rarity, asking her if she was alright and all she could do was point in my direction. They all looked over at me and screamed in unison. They backed away and glared at me with fear in their eyes. I fell to my knees and caught myself with my hands so I wouldn't fall further. I could feel their eyes scanning my body, it was weak and coated with blood. Applejack was the first to come up to me.

"James? What? What...?" She couldn't finish her question, I took it upon myself to answer her anyway.

"I...I got away....I know what's happening. I know what's taking them..." They all gasped and surrounded me.

"What's happening? Who's taking them?" Of course Twilight would be the first to try and get answers.

"Are they okay? They're not hurt are they?" Fluttershy was always so sweet, so concerned for the well-being of others.

"Take us to this big mean meany pants!" And Pinkie was being Pinkie. I had no other way to describe it.

"Twilight..." I wheezed, "I need to...get to the...princesses. This is beyond me, beyond you... I was lucky to get away with my life. We have to go, now!" It's time for the world to know of my masters presence and soon enough they would...