Perspectivesby NecromanCREEEEEEChaptersIntroductionDefine, Lich.Define, Sapient.(A part 1)Defined Slender(Part 2)IntroductionPrincess Luna, warden of dreams, demigod of the unconscious mind. She stands before the door to the dreams of a human. This isn't your usual human, she reminds herself. Humans are transformed as they pass the barrier between their world and Equestria, but often retain a transformed article of clothing. The article in question is usually a favorite jacket, maybe a hat, always something that defines the human that crosses over. Usually though, it was never anything more than one or two items. Almost never was it a device, or something other than cloth. This human, however, appeared fully garbed, fully dressed... ...and fully armed. The human surrendered without a fight to the guard, their masked face keeping their emotions secret to even the most empathic of their army. It was the mask that threw many of the interception force for a disturbing loop. Maybe upon a flat surface, the half smile, half frown of the mask would seem almost comical. On the elongated snout of a pony though, the mouth looks lopsided, the eyes missmatched, the ears malformed. Everything about the face makes even Luna's most trained night guard shiver with disturbed thoughts. The mask alone would throw up red flags for what the human was in their past life, the full suit and unit patches further made the guard suspicious. Luna had seen magicians from the human world come wearing tailed coats, but many a businesspony came wearing something much simpler, more modern. Tailed coats weren't the usual fashion for humans, especially not one as extravagant as the one this human wore. The pants were further confusing, as no human had come wearing pants as of yet. Pants were not unheard of to Luna, the minotaur wore them during formal occasions. Even some ponies wore them, though emphasis should be placed on 'some'. It was not common enough to be written off. From the outfit, one would gather this is not a civilian. Many of the humans who she has met come with fantastical stories of 'superheroes' and 'supervillains', whether from first hoof experience or their world's modern mythology. This human matches the descriptions of those 'supervillains' perfectly. Right down to his massive arsenal of weapons. five of the human ranged weapons called 'guns', ranging from the small 'handguns' to the disturbingly long 'sniper rifle'. These weapons were quickly confiscated from the human upon being brought in. He has yet to make a move against them, but everything about this human puts up flags in Luna's head. Upon the suspected villain was also a truly disturbing number of knives. From heavy headed throwing knives, to cikle style blades meant to stab into the flesh and hold on. From this alone Luna knew they were at least dealing with a mentally unstable being, surely capable of using at least most of these weapons. That finally brings Luna back to the present. Beyond the imaginary door lays the mind of the human, the human they needed to confirm the stability and... Moral standing of. Beyond this door could lay in wait the cruelest of dreams, the most disturbing of nightmares, a white room with but a table and two cushions... There he was, sitting with his elongated legs cross on the cushion, a nice looking set of shot glasses and a bottle of what looks to be a foggy white wine. The fact he was human in his dreams made sense to Luna, many didn't start seeing themselves as ponies until they had accepted the fact they would never see home again. Many never saw themselves as ponies within their dreams. What surprised her, was the setting at the table clearly for her. "Sit, if sake isn't your style I can always switch to whisky. I was never a fan of sake, though Lupin distilled it as a hobby and I could never say no to sitting down with him to speak through the differences between Western and Eastern society." The man says, waving to the seat across from him. "Something about taking in a culture foreign to you while talking about your own makes for interesting conversation." "How did you know I was coming." Luna curtly replies, taking the seat cautiously while eying the presumed alcohol with barely concealed suspicion. "When looking at the entrance to my subconscious, you technically are already within the space. I haven't slept properly in centuries, this is the closest thing I can sustain without shutting everyone off. Though that itself comes with complications that I'd rather not incur." He replies, pouring Luna some of the 'sake' he mentioned. Alcohol is not a prevalent thing in equestrian society. It's seen as unhealthy, and generally not a wise thing to partake in. Saltlicks weren't seen in a much better light, but that was a recreational activity steeped in tradition from long before her time. "I shouldn-" The man raises a hand to stop Luna's objections. "This is still a mental landscape, you will not suffer any ill effects of alcohol while here." "Ho-" "Everyone who has ever interrogated me asks why they should partake in the drinks I have. I never had a good answer until today." He looks up, a gleam behind his barely visible eye. "Neither of us will be affected by the drink today." Luna takes a breath, this was the human's plan. To knock her onto her back hooves, to make her unsteady. She needs to steady herself. "What-" "You may call me Slender. One day I may give you my true name, but that name holds a power over me you're not allowed to have." Luna growls, how does he do- "I have been interrogated many, many times. I know what questions you want answered, what questions you don't want me asking, and how to avoid the questions that would lead to my death. You are not the first, you are not the cleverest, the only thing you're the first to do is..." He leans forwards, somehow she can tell he's grinning under that mask "Is actually enter my mind." She's stunned into silence, she doesn't know what to do now, aside ask one final question. "Will you give all those answers willingly?" 'Slender' blinks behind his mask, then begins laughing. The laughter of someone who tries to have full control of everything, and yet didn't expect this question to be asked. "You surprise me, most would try and force my name out before just asking other questions. Most would try and trick me. You are not most, you just ask me nicely to comply!" He begins laughing again. Minutes pass before he finally calms down enough to speak once more. "Very well. Might I know a name I may call you by, or shall I just call you 'Apollo' for the mark on your haunch and your strangely colored mane?" "If you think that to be a fitting name, then I suppose I have no reason to refuse your nickname for me. Afterall, if you will not give me your true name. Why should I give you mine?" That line makes 'Slender' snicker once more. "Very well, dearest Apollo, shall we continue talking?" "We shall." Author's Note I don't have any real plan for this. Next chapter will probably be some philosophical shit about 'what is evil'. Define, Lich."Apollo, to what do I owe the visit. I hope you're taking good care of my body, not that you necessarily need to." Luna had once more crossed into the mind of Slender, they have had several conversations since their first meeting, but something bothers Luna, something about his body. "I've kept you asleep for four weeks now, and yet the doctors say none of your muscles have atrophied. The doctors have also noted that you don't take in nutrients from the 'IV Drip' they have in your foreleg. I must ask you this..." Luna pauses for a moment, thinking of how to phrase this. "Are you... A lich?" Slender stays silent for a moment, thinking. "To my knowledge, the definition of a 'lich' is one who has cheated death by sealing their soul in a phylactery, allowing them to revive an unlimited number of times." Luna quickly stands up, very wary of the man in front of her now. Not many know how liches exist, the fact he answered the question makes her suspicions seem closer to reality than superstition. "Sit down, Apollo. By that definition I am not a lich. For my soul is still firmly planted within my body... I think. No, I am something... Different. Something closer to you, I would think." He leans forwards "You are ageless, aren't you. One who is not affected by natural ways of death, rather the unnatural. Swords, spears, bows. These will harm you, these will make you bleed. You aren't immortal, but sickness and age do not catch you off guard. You, dear Apollo, are ageless." Luna slowly sits back down. "How do you know these things, Slender." "You may have forced my mind down, but that doesn't mean I am not disconnected from my body. You've simply shut off my ability to... send signals back as it were. I can still receive though." Glowing boards appear around the duo, one showing a strange, squiggling line and produces sound, another with red, barely recognizable pony shaped blobs. "I can still hear, I can still see.. to a degree, only the infrared spectrum that passes through solid matter. I still have access to a source of information outside of you." "Why would you tell me this..." Luna asks, looking at the screens. She hears the doctors talking around his body, she would need to tell the doctors to keep mention of her and her sister to a minimum. "This is an important source of information for you, one we can easily shut off." "Yes, but I do have other ways of gathering information. The point here is trust, Apollo. I can do nothing with that information from in here, you know this. Why is there any point in hiding the fact that I can get it?" "You know what a lich is, yet you claim not to be one 'by that definition', then go on a side tracked conversation about my mortality. Are you saying you are like me? Ageless as you called it?" "Oh, so much more than just ageless, dear Apollo." She could feel the grin under his mask. "There's only one, very specific thing that can kill me. Something you ponies just don't have yet. I guess you could call it a reverse phylactery." Luna growls. She's figured out his game, he's untrustworthy on purpose. Is he telling the truth, or is this a bluff to knock her off her hooves? She can't figure it out and she can just feel the shit eating grin underneath the mask. He knows it, and he abuses it. "You've figured it out, hm~?" He sing songs, making Luna further infuriated. "I could be telling the truth, or I could be telling a lie. You know I can tell the truth from what I've shown you, and yet you can't trust a single word I say without proof." He brings his hands up and out, spreading his arms like a majestic bird. "My greatest weapon is here, Apollo. The mind of a human is a scary thing to behold isn't it, it's our greatest weapon on top of all our natural weaknesses. But tell me Apollo, what happens when you remove the terror of weakness from a creature? When they are no longer scared of anything?" Luna stands up, refusing to play Slender's game any further. Leaving without another word. Though the question does burn in her mind. What does happen when somepony is no longer afraid? When all they have left is their strengths? Author's Note Another chapter within the day?! To be fair, the other chapter sat in unpublished hell for a good week before I rewrote it and published it. Define, Sapient.(A part 1)Luna once more sits before Slender. Slender once again sits before Luna. The silence has been only interupted by soft 'sips' from Slender as he enjoys what Luna assumes to be a glass of what he calls "Whiskey". One day, when this is all over, she'll ask what the significance of drinking alcohol is to humans. For now though, she had a pressing question to ask. "Slender, are you a soldier?" "I thought that much was obvious, but surety is a quality many lack." Slender replies, punctuating his sentence with a sip of his liquor. "How many have you killed." "How many what? I've killed many animals in the interest of self preservation." "How many... Thinking beings have you killed..." "All creatures think." "Sentient creatures." "Sentience is only the ability to know one's surroundings and to act upon that information. That does not narrow the question down." Luna slams her hooves onto the table "You know what I am asking, Slender! Answer the question!" "I have" He replies, once more taking a sip of his drink. "'I've killed many animals in the interest of self preservation.'" It suddenly clicks for Luna what Slender means by that, as she slowly sits back down. He's far more dangerous than she thought if every life he's taken he's never seen as anything more than an animal that threatens him. "If you mean how many sapient lives I've taken. I would have to say one. The day my hubris finally caught up to me and my invincible facade came crumbling down." He leans forwards, looking Luna in the eye. "But I've done my time for that death. Several centuries over have I done my time." He leans back, taking an actual swig of his drink, as if the alcohol would affect him this time and let him forget. "He was a private, doing his job. Probably had never fired his gun at a live target. I was scared, cornered, trapped. My other eye was gone, my hand was barely on by a thread, and my cover was blown sky high. He never once shot at me, but he was dead before the door was closed behind me. The first human life I'd ever taken, but the only innocent one. I've argued with myself day in and day out about weather that private deserved to die that day or not. Maybe he kicked puppies during his childhood, maybe the mere fact he was in the military meant his life was already forfeit." Slender looks up from his glass and at Luna "My one regret in life. I do not regret my mistakes leading up to my capture, I do not regret any of the lives I've taken after that point. I don't regret taking in a little girl to turn her into a monster like myself." He looks right up at the ceiling. "But that one death, that one killing. It's the thing I will never let anyone forgive me for. Even if God himself came down and told me 'you are forgiven, come home my son', I would call him a liar to his face." He looks back to Luna "I will burn in hell for that one atrocity, I've served my earthly time for the crime, and I will serve my eternal time for it once I am dead." Luna by this point, looks at Slender with almost pity. In the back of her mind, she knows this man probably has killed many more innocents in his time, but she can't help but resonate with him somewhat. She knows there's more to his story, that he wasn't always the man she sees her. He wasn't always the killer or monster he claims to be. Ultimately, she sees herself in him. A poor filly left alone in a world after her parents died, a filly who was shunned because of her birthright, a filly who was outshone by her sister, a filly who would've brought death to the world just to be recognized. She doesn't know his past, and this shows at least some ponanity left in him. This leaves her with much to think about, but she has one more question. "What lead you to kill 'Private'?" TO BE CONTINUED Author's Note Ponanity- Pony pun of 'Humanity' By the way, please point out any times Luna doesn't use pony puns. That includes in the narative text. This is supposed to be told from her perspective. Along with pony puns, point out any perspective shifts. I might've done those on accident and would like to rectify them. Defined Slender(Part 2)"I was a young, promising boy. I was never quite right in the head, that much is true, but I did my best to carve out a life for myself. I had it all really, a beautiful voice, good looks, well off parents. That is, till one day I was coming home from school." Slender pauses, as if to collect his thoughts. "My homeland was in the middle of a civil war. Not one of death and physical destruction, but one of culture and reputational destruction. There were people considered underdogs, and people considered well off by the system and no merit of their own. It was the media big wigs preying on the smaller man, to make them into news or a talking point. I was still innocent at the time, till the day I was talking about earlier." Slender takes a swig of his drink, staying silent till Luna prompts him to continue with a small cough. "Right, sorry. I was heading home, I think I was maybe ten or eleven years of age. I lived in the big city so it was ultimately faster to walk home, I really should've used a bus that day... I walked passed an alley, and a man pulled me in. The man was... let's call him part of the underdog group I was talking about before. He pulled me into the alley and ripped my pack off my back, when I started screaming he shot me, right through the throat, right here." He tilts his head up, and pulls up the covering on his neck revealing a massive amount of scarring along his neck. "Thankfully, there were law enforcement nearby, and the man was captured and I was transported to jail. But then, the culture battle begun around me and the man. You would think the evidence around me would clearly see the man thrown into jail, right? Well, because of his 'underdog status' culture and morality was somehow on his side." Slender takes another swig, grunting as it doesn't work to help him forget. "He lied to the court, saying I asked him for directions then pulled a knife on him, he did what any human has the right to do and protected himself. A group of people known as warriors in this time believed his story, and began harassing me, my family, even my friends. When everybody left me except my family, I finally snapped." "I was never stable. But I had reasons to stay that way, I had it well enough so there was no reason to be the way I was. So I ignored it, pretended to be normal. But I just lost two of the things I held as boons. My voice, and my looks. By the age of twelve I was done with it all and decided to fake my death and start life as someone new, someone who would fight with the same dirty tactics the other side was using, to end the environment that allows these spineless creatures to survive and become this way. To harass a young boy and his family." Luna squints at the age, even pony foals with their cutiemarks can say they hold such thoughts, yet this man says he did? "I succeeded, they never found a body because there was no body to be found, but the clues lead to them declaring me dead within the month. I had to rely on the knowledge I had already gained before dropping my old life, and so began honing the art called 'hacking'. I knew there was no way I'd be able to take my revenge if I stayed within the boundaries of the law, so I stole what I needed to live, and stole what I needed to thrive." "I sewed anarchy into the system, no one could find me, it was exhilarating. I was in my prime but I knew I'd need to go bigger in order to completely break the country, break the system that allowed me to become who I was. Allowed people to do what they did. I had to use its basic principles to break it down. But for that to happen, I needed to make something and I needed to be an adult." "So, I waited and I waited till the day came that I could reveal my new persona to the world and begin to destroy it. I was now Connor Moore, a businessman and inventor. I made advancements in the medical field and robotics and was soon world renowned, and I soon had all the money I could dream of to further my underground plans." Luna is doubtful at this point, by his own admission he's uneducated and has been living on the streets since he was a mere twelve years old. None of his story makes sense and yet... The way he acts while telling the story, the way he pauses as if remembering hard events. There's at least some truth, she knows that, but she's not sure how much is truth and how much is a lie. "I took over the dying mafias first. Their times were drawing to a close and only the quietest and smallest survive in my home country. But I had lived with the dark underbelly for years, I knew everyone and I offered a deal they couldn't refuse. Then came the gangs, the clubs of low life thugs that got away with petty crimes or a couple years in prison. By that point I had about fifty percent of the underdark, so I left the rest alone. I kept it to connections only, and I kept their connection to me to only a thin thread known as 'Anarchy'. A name coined by the media I despised, but I had to admit I liked the name, so I began using it after the media coined it." He laughs slightly, apparently remembering something funny "I framed a few of those news casters, using the name and timing of my adoption of the name as a base. Only one survived but never covered me again, the others were sent to jail for decades for their 'involvement' with the notorious terrorist Anarchy." "By that point, I had also assembled a team of the downtrodden, people like me who were destroyed by the system and wanted revenge on it. Except one, but she was a wild, insane woman that couldn't resist the lure of my proposition." He chuckles "Sarah was a strange, strange girl, but she sure as hell knew how to run recon." "There was five of us in total, and we went on heist after heist, now sewing distrust in the system for people, making them believe everyone around them was corrupt, was in on it, or was useless. Soon it came time for our greatest heist, a heist on a military base that held the country's supply of gold." Slender's mood sours, having gone from apparently good memories to terrible ones. "Then, came my slip up. The way we were going to get in was I was invited to a special event there as Connor, there were placing my new security systems in place and wanted me there to flip the switch. I let some info slip from my Connor persona to the wrong person and we were caught in a trap. One by one, my team was captured leaving me in a room with a dead private. Ultimately I was captured and sentenced to death. As you can see, I survived, but that story is for another day I believe." He finishes, taking a bottle of the alcohol and chugging it. Luna is silent for a moment, before responding. "That's a rather sob story, Slender. But it's rather hard to believe. Were you truly that smart as a mere child? Smart enough to fool your world's guard into believing you were dead? Smart enough to avoid detection flawlessly throughout your entire criminal career?" Slender shuckles "Believe it or don't, it's up to you. But the extraordinary do exist, we're just extraordinary because you don't meet us often, or in person. But you have your answer now, don't you." Luna nods "Yes, I can see the events leading to Private's death, but that does no-" Slender raises a hand, stopping Luna. "Apollo, not to that question. The one you came looking to answer, but never asked. The question of my morality." He looks her dead in the eyes "You have the answer to that question." Luna is confused for a moment, then her face pales. She got so wrapped up in figuring out Slender, that she completely forgot why she was trying to figure him out. By his own admission, he is evil, he is morally wrong, he is a villain in his own story. "Y-You know what this means, correct? What this means for you to be evil..." Luna stammers, unsure why Slender, for all his presumed and postured genius, would just give up this information in such a damning way. "I wouldn't say evil, I would just say my morality is one of.... Anarchy." Luna slowly begins making her way out, Slender calling out something along the lines of a 'come back soon' but here mind was too busy to hear it. There must be more to his story, to his plan. She knows he does have a plan, that he's at least somewhat competent at forward thinking. But... If all this is true, she can't take any risks. She has to come to the decision that, the former human who goes by the moniker "Slender" cannot be allowed to go free. FINISH Author's Note Hmmm, seems like a good place to stop this fic. The next book will feature Slender properly imprisoned, with Luna visiting for more proper conversations.
IntroductionPrincess Luna, warden of dreams, demigod of the unconscious mind. She stands before the door to the dreams of a human. This isn't your usual human, she reminds herself. Humans are transformed as they pass the barrier between their world and Equestria, but often retain a transformed article of clothing. The article in question is usually a favorite jacket, maybe a hat, always something that defines the human that crosses over. Usually though, it was never anything more than one or two items. Almost never was it a device, or something other than cloth. This human, however, appeared fully garbed, fully dressed... ...and fully armed. The human surrendered without a fight to the guard, their masked face keeping their emotions secret to even the most empathic of their army. It was the mask that threw many of the interception force for a disturbing loop. Maybe upon a flat surface, the half smile, half frown of the mask would seem almost comical. On the elongated snout of a pony though, the mouth looks lopsided, the eyes missmatched, the ears malformed. Everything about the face makes even Luna's most trained night guard shiver with disturbed thoughts. The mask alone would throw up red flags for what the human was in their past life, the full suit and unit patches further made the guard suspicious. Luna had seen magicians from the human world come wearing tailed coats, but many a businesspony came wearing something much simpler, more modern. Tailed coats weren't the usual fashion for humans, especially not one as extravagant as the one this human wore. The pants were further confusing, as no human had come wearing pants as of yet. Pants were not unheard of to Luna, the minotaur wore them during formal occasions. Even some ponies wore them, though emphasis should be placed on 'some'. It was not common enough to be written off. From the outfit, one would gather this is not a civilian. Many of the humans who she has met come with fantastical stories of 'superheroes' and 'supervillains', whether from first hoof experience or their world's modern mythology. This human matches the descriptions of those 'supervillains' perfectly. Right down to his massive arsenal of weapons. five of the human ranged weapons called 'guns', ranging from the small 'handguns' to the disturbingly long 'sniper rifle'. These weapons were quickly confiscated from the human upon being brought in. He has yet to make a move against them, but everything about this human puts up flags in Luna's head. Upon the suspected villain was also a truly disturbing number of knives. From heavy headed throwing knives, to cikle style blades meant to stab into the flesh and hold on. From this alone Luna knew they were at least dealing with a mentally unstable being, surely capable of using at least most of these weapons. That finally brings Luna back to the present. Beyond the imaginary door lays the mind of the human, the human they needed to confirm the stability and... Moral standing of. Beyond this door could lay in wait the cruelest of dreams, the most disturbing of nightmares, a white room with but a table and two cushions... There he was, sitting with his elongated legs cross on the cushion, a nice looking set of shot glasses and a bottle of what looks to be a foggy white wine. The fact he was human in his dreams made sense to Luna, many didn't start seeing themselves as ponies until they had accepted the fact they would never see home again. Many never saw themselves as ponies within their dreams. What surprised her, was the setting at the table clearly for her. "Sit, if sake isn't your style I can always switch to whisky. I was never a fan of sake, though Lupin distilled it as a hobby and I could never say no to sitting down with him to speak through the differences between Western and Eastern society." The man says, waving to the seat across from him. "Something about taking in a culture foreign to you while talking about your own makes for interesting conversation." "How did you know I was coming." Luna curtly replies, taking the seat cautiously while eying the presumed alcohol with barely concealed suspicion. "When looking at the entrance to my subconscious, you technically are already within the space. I haven't slept properly in centuries, this is the closest thing I can sustain without shutting everyone off. Though that itself comes with complications that I'd rather not incur." He replies, pouring Luna some of the 'sake' he mentioned. Alcohol is not a prevalent thing in equestrian society. It's seen as unhealthy, and generally not a wise thing to partake in. Saltlicks weren't seen in a much better light, but that was a recreational activity steeped in tradition from long before her time. "I shouldn-" The man raises a hand to stop Luna's objections. "This is still a mental landscape, you will not suffer any ill effects of alcohol while here." "Ho-" "Everyone who has ever interrogated me asks why they should partake in the drinks I have. I never had a good answer until today." He looks up, a gleam behind his barely visible eye. "Neither of us will be affected by the drink today." Luna takes a breath, this was the human's plan. To knock her onto her back hooves, to make her unsteady. She needs to steady herself. "What-" "You may call me Slender. One day I may give you my true name, but that name holds a power over me you're not allowed to have." Luna growls, how does he do- "I have been interrogated many, many times. I know what questions you want answered, what questions you don't want me asking, and how to avoid the questions that would lead to my death. You are not the first, you are not the cleverest, the only thing you're the first to do is..." He leans forwards, somehow she can tell he's grinning under that mask "Is actually enter my mind." She's stunned into silence, she doesn't know what to do now, aside ask one final question. "Will you give all those answers willingly?" 'Slender' blinks behind his mask, then begins laughing. The laughter of someone who tries to have full control of everything, and yet didn't expect this question to be asked. "You surprise me, most would try and force my name out before just asking other questions. Most would try and trick me. You are not most, you just ask me nicely to comply!" He begins laughing again. Minutes pass before he finally calms down enough to speak once more. "Very well. Might I know a name I may call you by, or shall I just call you 'Apollo' for the mark on your haunch and your strangely colored mane?" "If you think that to be a fitting name, then I suppose I have no reason to refuse your nickname for me. Afterall, if you will not give me your true name. Why should I give you mine?" That line makes 'Slender' snicker once more. "Very well, dearest Apollo, shall we continue talking?" "We shall." Author's Note I don't have any real plan for this. Next chapter will probably be some philosophical shit about 'what is evil'.
Define, Lich."Apollo, to what do I owe the visit. I hope you're taking good care of my body, not that you necessarily need to." Luna had once more crossed into the mind of Slender, they have had several conversations since their first meeting, but something bothers Luna, something about his body. "I've kept you asleep for four weeks now, and yet the doctors say none of your muscles have atrophied. The doctors have also noted that you don't take in nutrients from the 'IV Drip' they have in your foreleg. I must ask you this..." Luna pauses for a moment, thinking of how to phrase this. "Are you... A lich?" Slender stays silent for a moment, thinking. "To my knowledge, the definition of a 'lich' is one who has cheated death by sealing their soul in a phylactery, allowing them to revive an unlimited number of times." Luna quickly stands up, very wary of the man in front of her now. Not many know how liches exist, the fact he answered the question makes her suspicions seem closer to reality than superstition. "Sit down, Apollo. By that definition I am not a lich. For my soul is still firmly planted within my body... I think. No, I am something... Different. Something closer to you, I would think." He leans forwards "You are ageless, aren't you. One who is not affected by natural ways of death, rather the unnatural. Swords, spears, bows. These will harm you, these will make you bleed. You aren't immortal, but sickness and age do not catch you off guard. You, dear Apollo, are ageless." Luna slowly sits back down. "How do you know these things, Slender." "You may have forced my mind down, but that doesn't mean I am not disconnected from my body. You've simply shut off my ability to... send signals back as it were. I can still receive though." Glowing boards appear around the duo, one showing a strange, squiggling line and produces sound, another with red, barely recognizable pony shaped blobs. "I can still hear, I can still see.. to a degree, only the infrared spectrum that passes through solid matter. I still have access to a source of information outside of you." "Why would you tell me this..." Luna asks, looking at the screens. She hears the doctors talking around his body, she would need to tell the doctors to keep mention of her and her sister to a minimum. "This is an important source of information for you, one we can easily shut off." "Yes, but I do have other ways of gathering information. The point here is trust, Apollo. I can do nothing with that information from in here, you know this. Why is there any point in hiding the fact that I can get it?" "You know what a lich is, yet you claim not to be one 'by that definition', then go on a side tracked conversation about my mortality. Are you saying you are like me? Ageless as you called it?" "Oh, so much more than just ageless, dear Apollo." She could feel the grin under his mask. "There's only one, very specific thing that can kill me. Something you ponies just don't have yet. I guess you could call it a reverse phylactery." Luna growls. She's figured out his game, he's untrustworthy on purpose. Is he telling the truth, or is this a bluff to knock her off her hooves? She can't figure it out and she can just feel the shit eating grin underneath the mask. He knows it, and he abuses it. "You've figured it out, hm~?" He sing songs, making Luna further infuriated. "I could be telling the truth, or I could be telling a lie. You know I can tell the truth from what I've shown you, and yet you can't trust a single word I say without proof." He brings his hands up and out, spreading his arms like a majestic bird. "My greatest weapon is here, Apollo. The mind of a human is a scary thing to behold isn't it, it's our greatest weapon on top of all our natural weaknesses. But tell me Apollo, what happens when you remove the terror of weakness from a creature? When they are no longer scared of anything?" Luna stands up, refusing to play Slender's game any further. Leaving without another word. Though the question does burn in her mind. What does happen when somepony is no longer afraid? When all they have left is their strengths? Author's Note Another chapter within the day?! To be fair, the other chapter sat in unpublished hell for a good week before I rewrote it and published it.
Define, Sapient.(A part 1)Luna once more sits before Slender. Slender once again sits before Luna. The silence has been only interupted by soft 'sips' from Slender as he enjoys what Luna assumes to be a glass of what he calls "Whiskey". One day, when this is all over, she'll ask what the significance of drinking alcohol is to humans. For now though, she had a pressing question to ask. "Slender, are you a soldier?" "I thought that much was obvious, but surety is a quality many lack." Slender replies, punctuating his sentence with a sip of his liquor. "How many have you killed." "How many what? I've killed many animals in the interest of self preservation." "How many... Thinking beings have you killed..." "All creatures think." "Sentient creatures." "Sentience is only the ability to know one's surroundings and to act upon that information. That does not narrow the question down." Luna slams her hooves onto the table "You know what I am asking, Slender! Answer the question!" "I have" He replies, once more taking a sip of his drink. "'I've killed many animals in the interest of self preservation.'" It suddenly clicks for Luna what Slender means by that, as she slowly sits back down. He's far more dangerous than she thought if every life he's taken he's never seen as anything more than an animal that threatens him. "If you mean how many sapient lives I've taken. I would have to say one. The day my hubris finally caught up to me and my invincible facade came crumbling down." He leans forwards, looking Luna in the eye. "But I've done my time for that death. Several centuries over have I done my time." He leans back, taking an actual swig of his drink, as if the alcohol would affect him this time and let him forget. "He was a private, doing his job. Probably had never fired his gun at a live target. I was scared, cornered, trapped. My other eye was gone, my hand was barely on by a thread, and my cover was blown sky high. He never once shot at me, but he was dead before the door was closed behind me. The first human life I'd ever taken, but the only innocent one. I've argued with myself day in and day out about weather that private deserved to die that day or not. Maybe he kicked puppies during his childhood, maybe the mere fact he was in the military meant his life was already forfeit." Slender looks up from his glass and at Luna "My one regret in life. I do not regret my mistakes leading up to my capture, I do not regret any of the lives I've taken after that point. I don't regret taking in a little girl to turn her into a monster like myself." He looks right up at the ceiling. "But that one death, that one killing. It's the thing I will never let anyone forgive me for. Even if God himself came down and told me 'you are forgiven, come home my son', I would call him a liar to his face." He looks back to Luna "I will burn in hell for that one atrocity, I've served my earthly time for the crime, and I will serve my eternal time for it once I am dead." Luna by this point, looks at Slender with almost pity. In the back of her mind, she knows this man probably has killed many more innocents in his time, but she can't help but resonate with him somewhat. She knows there's more to his story, that he wasn't always the man she sees her. He wasn't always the killer or monster he claims to be. Ultimately, she sees herself in him. A poor filly left alone in a world after her parents died, a filly who was shunned because of her birthright, a filly who was outshone by her sister, a filly who would've brought death to the world just to be recognized. She doesn't know his past, and this shows at least some ponanity left in him. This leaves her with much to think about, but she has one more question. "What lead you to kill 'Private'?" TO BE CONTINUED Author's Note Ponanity- Pony pun of 'Humanity' By the way, please point out any times Luna doesn't use pony puns. That includes in the narative text. This is supposed to be told from her perspective. Along with pony puns, point out any perspective shifts. I might've done those on accident and would like to rectify them.
Defined Slender(Part 2)"I was a young, promising boy. I was never quite right in the head, that much is true, but I did my best to carve out a life for myself. I had it all really, a beautiful voice, good looks, well off parents. That is, till one day I was coming home from school." Slender pauses, as if to collect his thoughts. "My homeland was in the middle of a civil war. Not one of death and physical destruction, but one of culture and reputational destruction. There were people considered underdogs, and people considered well off by the system and no merit of their own. It was the media big wigs preying on the smaller man, to make them into news or a talking point. I was still innocent at the time, till the day I was talking about earlier." Slender takes a swig of his drink, staying silent till Luna prompts him to continue with a small cough. "Right, sorry. I was heading home, I think I was maybe ten or eleven years of age. I lived in the big city so it was ultimately faster to walk home, I really should've used a bus that day... I walked passed an alley, and a man pulled me in. The man was... let's call him part of the underdog group I was talking about before. He pulled me into the alley and ripped my pack off my back, when I started screaming he shot me, right through the throat, right here." He tilts his head up, and pulls up the covering on his neck revealing a massive amount of scarring along his neck. "Thankfully, there were law enforcement nearby, and the man was captured and I was transported to jail. But then, the culture battle begun around me and the man. You would think the evidence around me would clearly see the man thrown into jail, right? Well, because of his 'underdog status' culture and morality was somehow on his side." Slender takes another swig, grunting as it doesn't work to help him forget. "He lied to the court, saying I asked him for directions then pulled a knife on him, he did what any human has the right to do and protected himself. A group of people known as warriors in this time believed his story, and began harassing me, my family, even my friends. When everybody left me except my family, I finally snapped." "I was never stable. But I had reasons to stay that way, I had it well enough so there was no reason to be the way I was. So I ignored it, pretended to be normal. But I just lost two of the things I held as boons. My voice, and my looks. By the age of twelve I was done with it all and decided to fake my death and start life as someone new, someone who would fight with the same dirty tactics the other side was using, to end the environment that allows these spineless creatures to survive and become this way. To harass a young boy and his family." Luna squints at the age, even pony foals with their cutiemarks can say they hold such thoughts, yet this man says he did? "I succeeded, they never found a body because there was no body to be found, but the clues lead to them declaring me dead within the month. I had to rely on the knowledge I had already gained before dropping my old life, and so began honing the art called 'hacking'. I knew there was no way I'd be able to take my revenge if I stayed within the boundaries of the law, so I stole what I needed to live, and stole what I needed to thrive." "I sewed anarchy into the system, no one could find me, it was exhilarating. I was in my prime but I knew I'd need to go bigger in order to completely break the country, break the system that allowed me to become who I was. Allowed people to do what they did. I had to use its basic principles to break it down. But for that to happen, I needed to make something and I needed to be an adult." "So, I waited and I waited till the day came that I could reveal my new persona to the world and begin to destroy it. I was now Connor Moore, a businessman and inventor. I made advancements in the medical field and robotics and was soon world renowned, and I soon had all the money I could dream of to further my underground plans." Luna is doubtful at this point, by his own admission he's uneducated and has been living on the streets since he was a mere twelve years old. None of his story makes sense and yet... The way he acts while telling the story, the way he pauses as if remembering hard events. There's at least some truth, she knows that, but she's not sure how much is truth and how much is a lie. "I took over the dying mafias first. Their times were drawing to a close and only the quietest and smallest survive in my home country. But I had lived with the dark underbelly for years, I knew everyone and I offered a deal they couldn't refuse. Then came the gangs, the clubs of low life thugs that got away with petty crimes or a couple years in prison. By that point I had about fifty percent of the underdark, so I left the rest alone. I kept it to connections only, and I kept their connection to me to only a thin thread known as 'Anarchy'. A name coined by the media I despised, but I had to admit I liked the name, so I began using it after the media coined it." He laughs slightly, apparently remembering something funny "I framed a few of those news casters, using the name and timing of my adoption of the name as a base. Only one survived but never covered me again, the others were sent to jail for decades for their 'involvement' with the notorious terrorist Anarchy." "By that point, I had also assembled a team of the downtrodden, people like me who were destroyed by the system and wanted revenge on it. Except one, but she was a wild, insane woman that couldn't resist the lure of my proposition." He chuckles "Sarah was a strange, strange girl, but she sure as hell knew how to run recon." "There was five of us in total, and we went on heist after heist, now sewing distrust in the system for people, making them believe everyone around them was corrupt, was in on it, or was useless. Soon it came time for our greatest heist, a heist on a military base that held the country's supply of gold." Slender's mood sours, having gone from apparently good memories to terrible ones. "Then, came my slip up. The way we were going to get in was I was invited to a special event there as Connor, there were placing my new security systems in place and wanted me there to flip the switch. I let some info slip from my Connor persona to the wrong person and we were caught in a trap. One by one, my team was captured leaving me in a room with a dead private. Ultimately I was captured and sentenced to death. As you can see, I survived, but that story is for another day I believe." He finishes, taking a bottle of the alcohol and chugging it. Luna is silent for a moment, before responding. "That's a rather sob story, Slender. But it's rather hard to believe. Were you truly that smart as a mere child? Smart enough to fool your world's guard into believing you were dead? Smart enough to avoid detection flawlessly throughout your entire criminal career?" Slender shuckles "Believe it or don't, it's up to you. But the extraordinary do exist, we're just extraordinary because you don't meet us often, or in person. But you have your answer now, don't you." Luna nods "Yes, I can see the events leading to Private's death, but that does no-" Slender raises a hand, stopping Luna. "Apollo, not to that question. The one you came looking to answer, but never asked. The question of my morality." He looks her dead in the eyes "You have the answer to that question." Luna is confused for a moment, then her face pales. She got so wrapped up in figuring out Slender, that she completely forgot why she was trying to figure him out. By his own admission, he is evil, he is morally wrong, he is a villain in his own story. "Y-You know what this means, correct? What this means for you to be evil..." Luna stammers, unsure why Slender, for all his presumed and postured genius, would just give up this information in such a damning way. "I wouldn't say evil, I would just say my morality is one of.... Anarchy." Luna slowly begins making her way out, Slender calling out something along the lines of a 'come back soon' but here mind was too busy to hear it. There must be more to his story, to his plan. She knows he does have a plan, that he's at least somewhat competent at forward thinking. But... If all this is true, she can't take any risks. She has to come to the decision that, the former human who goes by the moniker "Slender" cannot be allowed to go free. FINISH Author's Note Hmmm, seems like a good place to stop this fic. The next book will feature Slender properly imprisoned, with Luna visiting for more proper conversations.
