The Best... Mao Face?

I walk around the Everfree, late at night. There have been unusually strong magical residue around this area. Not to mention the scent of 096 and 049 that permeates the air. How I can smell them, I don’t know, but I’m glad I can. Those two I don’t worry about, it’s the unknown magical signatures I’m worried about.

A group that appeared in a clearing due west of here, a duo who’s signature was particularly dark to the north, many different signatures that spread out to towns around here, exactly where they went I can’t tell. One particularly large one in the far north, near where the Crystal Empire was. And the one I’m the most worried about.

A signature that was bright, not dark like the others. One that screamed ‘peaceful and not violent’ when I felt it. I don’t trust that, odds are it was something that was just really good at constructing these signatures. This is the one differnt from all the others, so it concerns me the most. That’s why I’m moving through the forest, I caught onto where the source of this is, and I’m moving towards it, fast.

I have a bad feeling about this, no matter if that’s cliche, it’s true. This burst of the signature right in the middle of night? Right in the middle of my most powerful? Now that just screams trap to me. No matter, I would be able to tear through any trap they have set. They’re foolish for showing their position, but clever for what their obvious plan is. It gives me a tiny modicum of respect for whomever did it.

Right up ahead, in this clearing. Let them come at me, I’m ready.

I rush to a stop in the middle of the clearing, and look around me, “Well, go ahead and set off your trap, I’m waiting.”

I hear a gasp from behind me, “Oh, Slendy, you actually spoke to a supposed victim! Wonderful progress we’ve made indeed!”

I spin around to see... something standing there. It looks kinda like me, but has a face, and a hat, and a suit with polka dots on it. And a red bow tie, instead of my beautiful black tie. I look right at it, “What the hell?”

The...man I think, sweeps me into a hug, “Oh, brother, you sound so confused!”

My mind rushes to catch up with what’s happening, and I dumbly respond, “What.”

He smiles, well, he smiles bigger, “Oh, I was so concerned when you disappeared like that! But, I found a way to find you!”

I say from the embrace, “I’m sorry, but I think you’ve got me confused for someone else.”

He let’s go of the embrace, and sniffs around me, “Huh, yeah, your scent is slightly different.” Then, I have a cane near my head, “What did you do to my brother?”

I reach out with one of my tentacles, and lower his cane, “I can call for him if you want.”

He looks directly into my face, “Then do it.”

I reach out telepathically.

Hey, Slender, there’s someone asking for you.

Is it urgent? I’m a bit busy.

Well, I don’t want to get hit with a cane, so yeah.

A cane? Oh... i’ll be over right away.

And like that, Slender appears, walking out of the woods, “Hello, brothers.”

The weird guy takes a sniff, and nods, “So, mind explaining this guy here, brother?”

Slender nods, “Me and him shared a body at one point until we were both given one of our own. He’s actually your brother as well, since he would technically be a part of the family.”

He looks towards me, “Well, I’m sorry.” He offers a hand, “I am Splendorman, pleasure to actually greet you!”

I shake his hand, “Just call me Slendy, and don’t worry, I forgive you.”

He smiles friendlily, and looks over at Slender, “So, still collecting fear?”

Slender rubs the back of his head awkwardly, “Well, no, not anymore. I do it a better way, to put it simply, and he introduced me to that path. Not to mention he introduced me to someone else as well, even if accidental.”

Splendor looks between us two, “Well I’ll be! You actually managed to get him to stop scaring and killing people! I’ve been trying to do that ever since he was born!” Then he looks closer at Slender’s face, “Did you polish your face!? My, I can guess why your acting so happy!”

I look between the two, “Does it have to do with him being busy?”

Slender sheepishly rubs the back of his head, “Well, I haven’t had the time to tell you. But, I’m becoming the Grim Reaper in a month!”

Oh, that’s what, “So, things with Death have been going good?”

Splendor hugs Slender out of happiness, “Oh, brother, you’re finnaly getting married! I’m going to be a brother in-law!” He then stares right into Slender’s face, and says, “Where was my invitation?”

Slender tries to pull his head back from Splendor, “Well, I was so busy, I didn’t have time.”

Splendor uses his hand, making the ‘i’m watching you’ sign, and then pulls away, “Okeydoky then!”

I chuckle to myself watching them. Three Eldritch Creaturss speaking about marriages. It’s so oddly humanizing, as it sounds like something I would hear back home. My old home, home no longer, I can’t go back.

They notice my chuckle, and Splendor skidaddles over to me, “What you chuckling at?”

I look around, “Well, here we are, three Eldritch near Gods, said to be able to comprehend everything and understand stuff that would drive mortals insane. And we’re talking about an upcoming marriage, talking about the most mundane things. Three immortals meet up in the woods in the middle of the night, and we talk about things the average pony would. It just struck me at how odd my life has become, now that normality is odd. To be honest, it reminds me of my old home.”

Splendor shudders when I mention home, “What happend to your home?”

I sigh, “There’s no known way to go back there from Equestia. I just wish some days that I could actually say goodbye to my family, my human family. And seeing my new family of you two acting so normal just brings up memories of back then.”

Splendor hugs me, “It’s fine to remember that, as long as you don’t dwell on the past, you shall live in the present. And you seem to be the protecter of this world, so you need to live in the present.”

I nod, “I know, I know.” I see the sun starting to rise in the distance, “Slender, go ahead back home, I can show Splendor around.”

Slender nods, “Good luck, he’s quite energetic.”

He dissapears, and I look at Splendor as he stops his embrace, “Well Splendor, let’s introduce you to the town of Ponyville.”

Splendor starts to smile, and clap his hands together quickly, “Oh boy, sounds fun!”

I nod, and start to walk towards town, “There’s my Proxies you should meet. And this one pony named Pinkie Pie, I have a feeling you’ll get along just fine.”