Chapters This is my last Letter
My dearest princess Celestia. I fear that this will be my last letter to you. Not regarding friendship, but my last written words period. Because I fear that after this...I will be going away for quite a while. With who I cannot say, his...It's presence has been slowly draining me of my sanity. I can no longer sleep, the insomnia has driven my appetite into nonexistence. The absolute fear I have been bearing has become overwhelming. The days have been melding into one another. All because of...him. He has no eyes, He never moves, I can only run...run...but he's always there, right behind the next tree, across the street. Always staring but never seeing.
It all started roughly three months ago, shortly after the the events concerning Queen Chrysalis. Fluttershy and I had been wandering about Everfree forest searching for new plants and animals to classify. I know we don't normally go there, and if we do its usually not too far. But this day seemed to be one for adventure, and we made our way rather deep into the forest, in a direction we had never gone before. The farther we got inside the woods the darker the tree cover made it, until it appeared as the though Celestia and set the sun early, and Luna had moved into the sky.
As if this weren't uncanny enough, a vision obscuring mist began to roll inwards, lending a sickening chill down my spine. It was at this point I nudged Fluttershy, positive she would be shaking in fear. What I saw forever scarred my soul, however short it remains mine. Her eyes had been sewn shut, along with her lips. Blood flowed freely from the now empty sockets of her eyes. She made muffled noises in my general direction, as if telling me something important. I no longer cared, as the screams ripped themselves from my throat I galloped off in the opposite direction as fast as my legs could take me before the teleportation spell made itself prominent in my head before my fear.
The last thing I saw before casting the spell was a creature I had never seen before, blending so well with the wooded area he appeared nigh invisible. The only thing that I can describe him as is...slender...his limbs where so slender...graceful even, I barely caught a glance before vanishing. Upon returning to my home I began to hyperventilate, and passed out. As luck would have it Spike was organizing my books, and was nearby when this happened.
The moment I woke up that night I rushed to the library, eager to find anything at all on the...being...that I had seen. Thoughts of Fluttershy’s well being had taken a backseat in my pursuit of knowledge. Even Spike's pleas to know what had happened fell upon deaf ears. Only when I had used every resource available to me, with nothing to prove from it, had the brutality of the situation occurred to me. Once the revelation passed I burst from the library that had become my home, making a mad dash to Fluttershy's home near the Everfree forest. Tears began streaming down my cheeks as I made it to her door, after pounding on it for what seemed like ages the door opened...revealing a completely normal Fluttershy.
I didn't understand it...nor did I want to. I broke down sobbing, hugging Fluttershy as hard as I possibly could, I asked her what happened in the woods. She told me that after about 15 minutes of walking I began to freak out and disappeared. When she asked me what happened I couldn't respond...I didn't want her to think anything was amiss, so I lied...the lie I told didn't matter, what matters is that I lied about something I needed a fiend to talk about with. But something held me back from telling the truth...even to this day I cannot place a finger on it...but I suspected it had something to do with the creature I thought I saw in the woods. I had no idea at the time...but I was going to get very much acquainted with...him.
After that initial encounter nothing really happened for quite a while, just regular (for ponyville anyways) run-of-the-mill days spent gathering information and helping my friends. Despite the peace that I had come to enjoy, it felt that something was always nagging me, that feeling that you've forgotten something, but can't place your hoof on what exactly it is. No matter what I read, or who I interviewed not a single pony had ever heard nor seen this creature. After a while I just brushed it off, thinking I was simply seeing things. Over a month had passed by like this, with nary a thought concerning the events that transpired.
As the days passed on I began to sleep less and less, I started lashing out at my friends for trivial things, and slowly lost touch with my studies. And the dreams....the bucking dreams...they all started the same...i was either in that forsaken forest, or an abandoned hospital. I wandered in them...always wandering in the darkness. A type of pure inky blackness that seemed to leech upon your very soul, all the while the unshakable feeling of being followed. But every time I turned back there was nothing there...
I awoke covered in sweat and freezing cold after wards. At first they came far and in between. Until eventually they happened every night, causing me to stave of sleep for days on end in an effort not see those terrible nightmares....those horrid, despicable dreams. Eventually Spike moved out...he couldn't take who I had become...a withered shell of a mare...the more my psychosis came out, the more my friends stopped coming round to cheer me up, until they quit coming altogether...I haven't even written you in these past months. The constant battle against him...has left me a shadow of the twilight you once knew.
Last week was the last time I slept at all...I swore it would be the last time I closed my eyes for rest. For I saw him...the one who is slender...the unmoving...THE FACE, THERE IS NONE, FOREVER GAZING INTO MY BEING. The tentacles protruding from his back...the emptiness that surrounded me. DONT LOOK AT HIM, ITS RUDE TO STARE. I just want him to go away...why is he doing this...HE NEVER MOVES, HE NEVER MOVES, YET YOU MUST ALWAYS KEEP AN EYE OUT.
A foe worse then any we have ever known
Not because of stature but of unparalleled fear
It matters not what seeds you have sown
He never moves...but he is always near...
Slender...Slender, terror made real
Around the corner, through the Hall
sanity...the only thing he wishes to steal
He will catch you...as he catches all.
It's rude to stare...It's rude to stare...It's rude to stare...It's rude to stare...It's rude to stare...It's rude to stare...It's so rude to stare. THE FACE, I CAN'T FORGET THE FACE. IT'S NOT THERE...ITS SIMPLY NOT THERE.
I'm sorry Celestia...I have to leave now...and in a hurry, if I don't then He will surely get me. I'm positive of it. I beg you...please don't let anyone into the Everfree forest ever again. Please...I can't bear knowing that anypony else suffering the same fate I am. I don't know when this letter will arrive...soon I hope, soon enough so that this can be prevented.
HE CANT BE STOPPED, NO USE IN TRYING. JUST RUN, RUN AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE.
I really have to go now...
Your Faithful Student
SlEnDeR,sLeNdEr,SlEnDeR,sLeNdEr,SlEnDeR
End A/N : this was definitely fun to write, and if I end up getting enough positive reviews or follows I just might end up continuing this story. Slowly bringing each of the mane 6 into the fold. I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it. That is, after an all nighter of slender and hospice :3
Kind Young Heart, Darkly Haunted
Kind Young Heart, Darkly Haunted
It was a bright golden day out, one of Celestia's finest this year. While not particularly hot, or damp. It was these days that the yellow pony looked forward to the most. For it allowed her more time with her animals, for she loved her animals, and her animals loved her in return. But of all the creatures under Fluttershy's care, there was one who held a special place in her heart. He was a white bunny named Angel. And while he usually had a rather sour attitude towards most things, and was quite spoiled at times, Angel was with her through thick and thin.
Fluttershy hummed a merry little tune to her animals as she went about feeding them for the last time that day. Since her and the others had agreed to stop visiting Twilight she had been feeling much better. She loved her friend dearly...but ever since that day in the forest...something didn't feel quite right. She had reasoned it down to something only unicorns could deal with, as they had a higher propensity for magic. Yet in the end...it had a sinister aura to it, something deeper...primeval in nature, barbaric, and exceedingly complex.
She completed her simple and final task. Looking about she noticed something rather odd. None of the animals had so much as touched the various food stuffs she had given them, and opted to gaze with rapt attention out her back window. From her angle she couldn't see through the window clearly, curious as to what had made her animals act in such a way she nervously took a couple steps forward. The change in viewpoint gave her the faintest sight of a shadow cast along the glass.
She immediately fell to the floor with a whimper. Her uncontrollable shivering only made worse as the stares of the animals slowly fell upon her. Gathering the merest scraps of courage she had left, she peeked between her hooves back at the window. The ominous shadow had disappeared, and with it, her animals peculiar actions. They finally began to eat, seemingly oblivious to the events that had just taken place. However, whenever Fluttershy got near one of the animals they would shy away from her, while some of the more brazen ones even daring to bite at her. As if they had never been domesticated. Even her darling Angel took up arms against her, beating her sobbing form back with a wooden spoon into her bedroom. He gave Fluttershy one last glare before slamming the door shut.
Fluttershy was too shocked at the reactions of her animals to do...well...anything at all really. Her voice had caught, only coming out in pitifully quiet whimpers. The noise of various cages being unlocked and opened pounded against the door. It was if she had treated them horribly...which she knew wasn't true...and only plunged her kind heart to the floor. These animals where the only things she had besides her friends...she had reached a depth of despair she had never thought possible...abandoned by the things she loved. Animals where her special talent for Celestia's sake! This was all she had...her friends where important...but this, this was her entire world. And it all came crashing down in one fell swoop.
But out of it all...it was her little Angel that surprised her the most, of all the animals she had helped raise, nurture, mend, and provide shelter for, Angel had remained the one constant and intelligent companion she relied upon. He might not have always been nice, but he was there, and that's what mattered.
She curled into a ball amongst her covers, she only wanted this to go away. Her eyes grew heavy as she cried. Eventually blissful sleep granted her a reprieve from her now meaningless life.
No sooner had she felt sleep wash over her did her eyes snap back open, revealing the last beams of light shining on her face as they disappeared over the horizon. And now...well...now she was completely and utterly alone. She tried closing her eyes again to no avail, it looked as if this was now her life a bleak existence with nothing to care for.
Despite how she felt at the moment her stomach could no longer be ignored, she was absolutely ravenous. She slowly eased the wooden door open, the creaking from the hinges grated against her ears. “U-um...h-hello?” Fluttershy whispered out to the empty living room...the emptiness magnified her voice...though it was for naught, as nopony answered her in return. She then made her way as silently as possible to the pantry. The animals where in such a rush to get out they hadn't disturbed it contents. She opened the pantry door and grabbed the first thing her hoof found, a nice fresh apple. As soon as she began to withdraw her appendage the light upon the counter flickered for a few seconds before going dim and slowly brightening back up again.
Fluttershy slammed the pantry door shut. Waves of fear began to pulse through her mind, she knew that whatever she did. She must not look behind. “Eyes straight ahead, won't be dead, eyes straight ahead, won't be dead, eyes straight ahead, won't be dead.” Fluttershy chanted this to herself as she dropped her apple and carefully made her way to the hallway that led to the front door. She had an irrepressible fear that if she looked other than where she was going, something extremely bad was going to happen. Concentrating solely on what was in front of her, Fluttershy finally reached the hallway that led to her front door.
There was only one problem...in order to get to the front door she had to maneuver around a corner. And she had absolutely no idea what was behind that corner. Whatever it was that was behind her was clearly playing with her. Fluttershy hid her face between her hooves as she deliberated over what to do. Each passing moment a living agony as she was forced to choose. The was no bucking way she could fly, the pure, raw, emotion of fear flowing through her made sure of that. So she did the only thing she could do. Close her eyes and blindly charge for the door.
As she galloped through that narrow little hall way she could have sworn to Celestia that she felt something...otherworldly brush against her wing. She didn't have time to dawdle on this however. She made no effort to slow down as she completely busted down her own front door and hysterically made her way towards Applejack's farmhouse as quickly as she could.
This wasn't nearly as fast as she hoped, that feeling of utter hopelessness clung to her as she made her way down towards the orchard. She hadn't paid attention to where she bounded off to, and was now in an unfamiliar part of the rather large apple orchard. She had never seen this area before, the apples appeared black, almost rotten, without the sunlight shining on them. And these trees grew a lot closer to one another.
Fluttershy forgot her chant, and began desperately looking for a way out, a flicker of light from a warm home, anything to help from this plight. Her breathing became heavy and labored. Every once in a while she could have sworn she spotted a limb on a tree that was unnaturally...slender. She galloped through those forsaken apple trees, whose branches seemed to hang down just to whip her as she ran by.
It was here she came to a circular clearing in the middle of the apple forest. Where the trees were most pleasantly...slender. The thoughts in her head became those of anger, not fear. She had faced a full grown dragon. What match could this trickster be? “Come on out and show yourself!” Fluttershy declared valiantly amongst the trees. “Where are you?!” Fluttershy made sure she was heard by the creature before she gathered herself. She stood in this clearing, waiting for the beast to show. Deciding that this time it was truly gone, she turned around to head back ho-
Her entire life flashed before her as her eyes where forced upward into the slender beings...face...
HOW CAN HE SEE, NO HOPE, NO NO NO NO N-
And the element of kindness faded from existence.
A/N :Well, the surprisingly huge amount of positive reviews I got definitely made this a reality. I entertained the idea of continuing the story whether my audience liked it or not, but you guys definitely pushed me into doing it, and as a gift, I forced myself to play slender. So that I would stay awake and give you another chapter. And really, thanks you guys. I know this ones a bit different using a third person limited POV, but I really wanted to stick to the spirit of the myth, the games and of course, to the overall theme of the story. Just tell me what you didn't like this time around. Now I do want you to know that I indeed have an actual plot figured out for this story, but its really undeveloped, and it will come into focus later, I just really want to let slendy have his way with the mane 6 at the moment. So bear with me, that means at the very least six chapters of slenderman stalking goodness. Or maybe ill just ship a couple ponies and have them be taken at the same time, I don't know. Just, tell me what you peoples think, and I promise I will keep you guys in mind when I begin the next chapter. And I know that the chapters are rather short, I'm just trying to get rid of a couple characters and get a real feel on typing the scenes involving slenderman before I really start hammering down on the keys.
The unknown
A certain princess Celestia was gazing out her window, the sky was a brilliant one this evening. Luna had certainly outdone herself with this one, as the moon shone brilliantly. The day had exhausted her, despite being over a thousand years old, the day to day managing of the kingdom still took their toll. Not only that but her student, twilight Sparkle, hadn't updated her on her studies in over three months! Three months...that's the longest she had been without talking to her devoted student, even through letters. Now that she finally had some time to think, she realized how much she missed the purple unicorn.
The night drew on as Celestia mulled over her thoughts, eventually, the call to sleep became too much as she settled into her bed. Yet, something didn't feel quite right. She waved it off to the back of her mind, it could wait until later. It was at this moment that a blinding flash of purple light filled the room, leaving behind a single scroll. Celestia was rather shocked to say the least, as only Spike and Twilight Sparkle had been granted the right to send her reports directly. As her shock subsided, she became concerned, normally Spike sent the letters, appearing in a burst of green flame, Celestia slowly climbed out of bed, curious as to what reason Twilight sent the scroll herself.
As the scroll was picked up by her magic and reached the princess, she noticed a few things odd about it, the paper itself was crinkled and torn in places, there wasn't a seal on it at all, and most intriguing out of all this, was the symbol scratched haphazardly on the outside of it, a simple circle with a cross going through it. The rather disheveled look of the scroll made Celestia hesitant to open it, even if it was from Twilight. After deliberating on it for a couple minutes, she finally decided to take a look, this could be an emergency after all.
What was written upon the pages made the blood drain from her face. The absolute terror that her student had gone through, and the fact that she had done nothing at all...it caused her to burst into tears. She wiped them away and regained her composure, as princess it was her duty to protect her subjects. She notified her guards, telling them to send a courier to Pony-ville, she would be arriving there the next day. But first, she needed to research exactly what this slender creature was.
She canceled all of her engagements for the following day, and locked herself in the castles library. The information she needed was more then likely located in the bowels of the restricted section. Here was all the knowledge that had been forbidden to pony-kind over the years, history books on war, lethal spells, all types of things that not only had been outlawed, but completely buried and hidden.
She focused on the only description that her student had given her. “Slender...slender...slender...” She spoke the word aloud, as if it would help her search. Whatever Slender was...it definitely had a horrible effect upon Twilight. Perhaps her erratic writing style and psychosis where symptoms from the creature as well...she now began scanning through the books, looking for anything that would give her a starting point.
The hours flew by as Celestia found nothing at all to help her. She became so lost within her studies she nearly forgot to raise the sun. Shaking the sleep from her system she made her way to the balcony, where her sister was already waiting.
“Well...your quite late aren't you?” Luna inquired of her sister. “By about two minutes I should say.” Celestia Ignored her sister's chiding remark as she concentrated on the raising of the sun. Celestia finished her task and waited for Luna to finish hers, as she wanted to ask Luna about the creature.
“Luna...I received a letter from twilight today.” She began nonchalantly, she didn't want to worry Luna straight away. “She hasn't written you in quite some time has she not?” Luna asked...she was also quite worried about the purple filly.
Celestia lowered her head “No...she hasn't...and I fear...this letter bears some terrible news.” a tear slowly made its way down her cheek. “Does...Does the word slender mean anything important to you Luna?” The princess of the night's eyes widened as Celestia mentioned the word Slender. “Umm...no...Slender...don't be ridiculous Tia, what meaning would such a common word have to me?” Luna's voice shook slightly as she spoke, the nervousness in her speech became more and more pronounced. Amazingly, Celestia was so caught up in her own ideas that she was completely oblivious to Luna's body signals.
Much to Luna's surprise Celestia suddenly burst into tears and pulled her into a hug. “W-whatever is the matter my dear sister?” Luna stammered out, she had never seen her display such raw emotion, not for millennium. The alicorn threw her hooves around her sister in a reassuring hug, feeling tears starting to dampen her shoulder.
“L-luna...I think its better if you read the letter I received...it would explain the situation better then I.”Celestia choked out these words as if they physically hurt her to speak them. She released her sister and led her to the library where she had left the accursed paper. Upon entering the royal library Luna noticed it was in a state of dishevel, from the newest text books to their most ancient and valuable scrolls strewn about carelessly. “Tia...what is going on?” she asked, now quite afraid to get an answer.
“Here...just read, we'll discuss this when your done.” Celestia gave the scroll to her, immediately she began to read. As she read a dread fear began to creep from the dark recesses of her mind, there was a reason this particular creature had been left out of all the texts Celestia had read. This was the one thing Luna had been tasked with when she had been named princes. Luna finished up the scroll and immediately destroyed it. “Luna!” Celestia began to protest at her actions. “Tia...it's for the best that I do this, not just for you and I, but for the whole of Equestria...” Her voice began to shake as she spoke, knowing full well what the appearance of such a creature entailed.
Celestia looked questioningly at her sister “There's something you aren't telling me is there?” Luna nodded and spoke “Indeed...do you remember the old foal's poem we listened to so we wouldn't go out at night?” Celestia merely stared at her sister “So...there is absolutely no reference to this...thing in all the library...but there's an entire foals rhyme about it?” Luna merely bobbed her head in agreement “But...its simply a rhyme meant to scare children, like nightmare night!” Luna's head dropped when she said this. “I'm sorry Luna...but...Isn't that what it is...a simple rhyme?”
“The little rhyme mother use to tell us is all but dead in today's Equestria...save for one version that changed the antagonist to nightmare moon.” Luna shivered as she said this, those nights spent upon the moon weren't easily dismissed from her head. “Can you recall the old lyrics as mother told them?”
Celestia shook her head reproachfully “No...but, I do remember the storyline...it talked about how fear itself had gained form...and prowled about on dark nights...looking for bad little foals who stayed out to late to snatch...is that right?” Luna bit upon her own lip, nodding. “Thats...one way to look at it...although...not entirely true, He...it...I should say...isn't a creature like you or I.” She sighed and looked away from her sister before she continued. “ It doesn't hunt...it doesn't see, or smell, or hear...it doesn't have a purpose...it just...follows and...does whatever it does.”
“Before I let you continue, how do you know this much?” Celestia interrupted “I've only heard what mother told me, and even that I thought I grew out of until now, why isn't it in any of the history books, why isn't there so much as a foot note, and you have all this knowledge about something that threatens our subjects?”
Tears glistened in Luna's eyes as her sister said this. Seeing she had fallen silent she spoke in a barely audible whisper. “Because...It's going to kill you.” Luna began to tremble uncontrollably as she uttered the sentence, falling to her knees. “Ever since I came back...I've felt it's terrible grasp on my mind...the unrelenting whispers, instilling the feeling of hopelessness within me even when I was still Nightmare Moon...It won't stop Tia...even now...here where I stand before you...the most powerful being in all of Equestria and all her magic, second only to yourself, I thought I could stop it...I was sure I could stop it...but Tia...when it finds you...” Luna slumped forward. Struggling to raise her head to look at her sister.
Celestia knelt down and helped her sister raise her face to be level with her own. “What do I need to know, anything at all will help...Luna?” Bloodied tears fell from Luna's face, pooling on the library floor. “When it finds you...whatever you do...Don't look at its face...DON'T LOOK AT IT'S FACE, I'D RATHER SPEND ETERNITY ON THAT MOON THAN GAZE UPON ITS VISAGE AGAIN.” Luna's voice shook the library, it's tone flat, and devoid of life yet impossibly loud. “RUN MY SISTER, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.” The trembling of Luna's body stopped, and she fell to her side, unmoving, yet her eyes stared lifelessly into the distance.
Celestia nudged her sister with a tentative hoof “L-luna...Luna?” The lack of response caused Celestia to fear the worst for her beloved sister, even more disturbing was the fact that her tears were no longer red with blood, as if they never had been to begin with. “Guards...come quickly, we need to get the princess to a hospital!” Celestia shouted to her guards, in no time flat they burst into the library, a runner sent to get a doctor. Celestia followed them the entire way to the hospital, her head held high despite her emotions. 'I can't let the citizens know about this...not yet, I'm sorry Luna...but I have to find out more about this...Slender...even if it does kills me.'
Celestia sat by her sisters hospital bed for a long while. The remaining princess turned away all visitors, wishing for it to be only her sister and herself for a while. She spent hours gathering her thoughts and thinking about the creature that had taken her student and now her sister. All the while a boiling rage filled her mind, thoughts of mindless destruction and harm towards the creature manifested themselves. Growing and feeding off the sorrow she felt for the two closest to her.
Eventually she returned to the castle for the lowering of the sun, and raising of the moon. As the final rays of light disappeared over the horizon she swore she felt the slightest hint of fear, whispering in the darkest crevices of her mind. Poking the tiniest amount of doubt through her thoughts. In the end she found herself too tired to contemplate it. Retiring to her chambers she collapsed atop the sheets, sleep was a welcome escape for her from the days events.
Author's Note
And so, we finally get to the meat of the story. Will luna ever wake up? will Celestia kick the bucket? what happened to Twilight?
My apologies for taking so long to update. I actually might have wrote the ending to this story after a brainstorming session lasting days. Not only that but I've been kept busy with military work, boring stuff I assure you. but, I appreciate feedback as always, and I bid you all good day or night, as the situation requires.
