Scootaloo and the Slendermane

"This is going to be the best weekend ever!" shouted Scootaloo as she travelled on the path towards the campsite.  Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity were taking Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom for their second annual camping trip.  "I get to spend a whole weekend with my best friends and Rainbow Dash," she continued.

Sweetie Belle, who was once again carrying all of Rarity's travel supplies, said while panting, "I wonder... pant... what kind of story Rain... pant... Rainbow Dash will tell us at the campfire today?"

"Hopefully one that is REALLY scary," Apple Bloom shouted.  The three fillies still did not have their cutie marks,even after trying many different things.

"Maybe I'll get my cutie mark for being a wilderness explorer," Scootaloo said with hope.

The ponies arrived at their campsite, which was the same one that they visited a year ago on this weekend.  "Hey squirt, go get some firewood," Rainbow Dash instructed Scootaloo.

"Yes ma'am," the young orange pegasus replied while saluting.

Rarity and Applejack set up two logs as benches, Scootaloo was out gathering firewood, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were setting up the tents.   "Darling, I hope you won't scare the fillies too badly with your story tonight," Rarity pleaded with Rainbow.

Rainbow Dash responded, "Oh relax, Rarity.  The fillies are smart enough to know it's only a story!"

"Here you go Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo said eagerly while placing a grand total of six sticks in the spot where they were going to have a campfire.  It was an improvement from the amount she had gathered the year before, as her mouth was a little bigger.

"Meh, it'll do," responded Rainbow while giving Scootaloo a pat on the back.  All of the ponies sat on the logs around the campfire while Applejack lit the fire with sticks and a rope.

"And now it's time for the story!" said Rainbow while flying over the fire.  "Those with weak stomachs may want to leave the campsite!"  Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom looked at Rainbow Dash with wide, eager eyes.

Rainbow continued, "This is the story of the Slendermane.  Once there was a little filly, about your age actually.  She was at a campsite just like this one.  The moon was full and the sky had a few clouds in it.  The wind was howling.  She couldn't sleep because of the wind hitting the branches and making noise.  She decided to go outside to see the area, and the only thing she brought with her was a flashlight."

"Why only a flashlight?" Scootaloo interrupted.

"Just listen to the story," Rainbow Dash answered while still flying in the air.  "Am I allowed to continue?" she asked.  The three young fillies nodded their heads.

She continued, "After a few steps she found herself lost in the forest.  She had no idea where she was, how to get back to the campsite, or even how far she wandered off.  Shaking and scared, she started to run while looking for her previous steps.  But something caught her eye and made her stop.  It was a paper that was nailed to a very large tree.  She went up and grabbed it, not knowing what trap she was falling into.  All the paper said was 'Help me'.  This frightened the little filly and she jumped back.  She kept the paper with her as she kept trying to find her way back to the campsite.  However, she didn't know where to go!  The sky was getting darker and darker.  Looking behind her, she suddenly hit her head on something."

"What was it?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Was it a tree?" Scootaloo asked.

Rarity reminded the fillies, "You three ask so many questions.  You need to just listen to Rainbow and she will answer all the questions in her story.  Go ahead, darling."

Rainbow went on, "It was a gas truck.  What it was doing in the forest was beyond her comprehension.  But it had another paper on it.  This time it read 'Don't look or it takes you!'  What that meant she didn't know.  Who 'it' was was a mystery.  But she needed to keep going in order to find her way back to her loved ones.  The sky was now darker and her mind was playing games with her.  She could hear the light sound of a drum playing only one beat every few seconds.  She could see something in the distance.  Upon getting closer, she saw that it appeared to be a shed, and it had another paper on it.  She picked up the paper, which was now her third. 'Always watches... NO EYES,' is what it said.  As she turned around, she saw it!"

"What... What was it?" asked Apple Bloom, who was now trembling.

Rainbow Dash disappeared into the sky.  As the three Cutie Mark Crusaders were looking at the sky for Rainbow Dash, she appeared behind them and shouted, "The Slendermane!"  The three fillies all let out a scream and then a girlish chuckle.

Rainbow continued, "The Slendermane was just looking at her, or it appeared like it was.  The little filly could not tell because it did not have any eyes.  It only had a white face and was wearing a suit.  It was just standing there, menacingly. The little filly started to run.  She found herself up against a wall with yet another paper on it.  Upon grabbing it she read, 'Leave Me Alone!'  'Leave you alone?!  You're the one following me!' she yelled as she continued to run with her four papers and flashlight.  The beat of the drum was now accompanied with a long sound that was new to her.  It was long and creepy."

Looking over at the three fillies, Rainbow could see that they were all hugging and scared while listening to the story.  "Do you really want me to continue?" she asked them.

"Uh-huh," they all responded while nodding their heads up and down.

Rainbow kept telling her story, "She soon found herself around a group of large boulders with yet another paper on it that had a drawing of the Slendermane on it with the words 'NO NO NO NO NO NO' along the edges of the paper.  She kept running while looking back.  The Slendermane was hiding behind the trees.  As she stared at the Slendermane she could feel herself getting dizzy and her vision starting to get fuzzy.  She ran towards a large, red pillar with a sixth paper on it that was just a drawing of the Slendermane in the trees.  She turned around to find herself staring the Slendermane right in the face!  A loud noise that sounded like a bell was ringing.  She turned around and bolted towards an area without many trees.  She found herself surrounded by gas tanks with a seventh paper on it.  Picking it up, she read the only word on it, along with another drawing.  'Follows.'  'Yeah, I already know that,' she said as she saw the Slendermane just a few steps away from her.  She bolted into the nearby bathroom.  There were a few hallways in it, and one of the rooms had an eighth paper.  Picking it up, she read it out loud, but in a quiet voice of realization, 'Can't Run.'  Just then everything changed.  Her flashlight went dark!  She screamed and ran for the exit!  But it was too late.  The Slendermane was waiting for her at the door.  She slid on the tile floor right into the grasp of the Slendermane, who grabbed her with its many tentacles that came out of its back.  She let out a final scream to see if anypony else could hear her... But it was too late.  Her cries were never heard."

Rainbow Dash looked over to the three young fillies to see them hugging and trembling together.  She tried to comfort them by reassuring, "Hey, girls... It's... It's just a story!"

"Yeah," said Applejack with her southern accent.  "Besides, how could a pony with no face know where it's going?  It just don't add up."

"Come on you sweet little fillies, it's time for bed," Rarity said.

"Yeah, Ah'm tired," Apple Bloom said while yawning quite loudly.  Sweetie Belle and Rarity went into their deluxe two-story 'tent', that was more like a castle, the Apple sisters went into their modest tent, and Scootaloo just sat there on the log, shaking.

"Aw come on, squirt. It's just a story!"  Rainbow said while putting a wing around her little orange pegasus friend.  "If the Slendermane was real and always killed its victims, nopony would be able to tell the story to anypony!  It's only a story, and that is all it ever will be.  Besides, we went over this last year."

Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow while still within her kind grasp and said, "I hope you're right, Rainbow Dash.  Your stories really scare me!"

"It's ok Scoots," Rainbow Dash said while grasping Scootaloo even harder to reassure her.  "Even if they were real, I am more tough than any stupid Slendermane.  How smart can a pony be without a face?!"

"I guess you're right," Scootaloo said.  "Can we go to bed now?"

"Of course we can," Rainbow replied while messing up Scootaloo's mane with her hoof.

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo went into their tent.  The young filly was still scared from the story, so she slept up against Rainbow.  Rainbow kept her arm around Scootaloo's head for comfort as Scootaloo laid down against Rainbow's chest.  Even though she still felt a little scared, Scootaloo had a calm come over her as she leaned against her honourary older sister.  She felt so content being able to sleep in the grasp of Rainbow Dash.  She felt a love that she hadn't felt since her parents used to hold her as a baby when they were still alive.  "I love you, big sister," she said as she fell asleep with a smile.

As Scootaloo woke up, she realized that she was no longer in the arms of her hero.  "Rainbow? Where are you?" she yelled out.  There was no response.  It was still night, in fact the night was very dark.  Scootaloo grabbed a flashlight from inside the tent and went out to investigate.  Upon coming out of the tent she saw Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.  Both were just coming out of their tents with flashlights in their hooves as well.

"I can't find Rarity," Sweetie Belle said nervously.

"Ah can't find mah sister neither," Apple Bloom added.

"We have to go find them!  They may need our help," Scootaloo said while leading the three of them into the forest.  Scootaloo was willing to put her fears behind her in order to save her hero.  They continued walking.  They stumbled upon an area with many large wooden poles.  One of them had a paper on it.

Sweetie Belle picked it up and read out loud, "'Don't look or it takes you.'  Oh no!  It's just like in the story!"

"It can't be from the Slendermane," responded Scootaloo boldly.  "It doesn't exist!  It's probably just Applejack or Rarity playing a prank on us or something."

"Uh, Scootaloo?  Do you notice something wrong?" asked Sweetie Belle very nervously.

"What?" Scootaloo responded.

"Apple Bloom is gone!"  Sweetie Belle yelled out.  The two looked down to see Apple Bloom's flashlight on the ground.  Apple Bloom was indeed gone.  There was no sight of her at all, not even a scream.

"Ahhhhh!" yelled the two young, scared fillies.  Scootaloo grabbed the paper and Sweetie Belle grabbed the dropped flashlight as the two ran into the woods even further.  They found themselves now in the middle of all trees, nowhere near the camp site.  Scootaloo could see a paper on a large tree in the distance.

"Here, hold this," she said as she handed her flashlight to Sweetie Belle, who was now holding three flashlights: one in both front hooves and one by her teeth.  "Keep the light on the tree while I go pick up that paper," Scootaloo said.

"Mmm hmm," Sweetie Belle replied with her mouth full.

Scootaloo went over and picked up the next paper.  She read it out loud, "'Can't run.' Oh no!"  She turned around to see Sweetie Belle holding the flashlight.  The light flashed into Scootaloo's eyes.  "Hey! Point it down you big dummy," she yelled to Sweetie Belle.

However, when the light was pointed down she noticed that it wasn't Sweetie Belle holding the light.  Scootaloo now found herself face to face with the Slendermane!  She screamed at the top of her lungs while running as fast as she could without even thinking about what could have happened to Sweetie Belle.  She tried her best to fly, but she could only get a few feet above the ground and hover only for a few seconds.  "Stupid wings, when will I ever be able to fly?" she asked out loud.

Scootaloo was now running in the forest, dark and alone.  She could hear a fast paced drum going on in her head.

Panting, out of breath, and scared out of her mind, she stopped and looked through an empty space in the sky that was clear of trees.  The moon was full, and she could see the face of Princess Luna looking upon her in the moon.  Scootaloo stopped in place to look up at Luna's face.  It was just like last year.  Was this a dream?  Or was this Luna appearing to her in real life?

Luna looked down on her and said, "Do not fear, young filly.  Fear will make you weak.  To conquer fear, young Scootaloo, you must become fear.  You must feel it deep inside you.  Feel it cloud your senses.  Feel it's power to distort, to control, and know that this power can become yours.  Embrace your worst fear.  Look it straight in the eyes and fight it!  You did it before, and you can do it again."  Scootaloo remembered that Princess Luna had entered into her dreams before.  Luna also appeared in the moon to Scootaloo when she was awake.  This did not feel like a dream though.  This felt too real.

Scootaloo turned around to see the Slendermane staring directly at her.  Scootaloo gulped, and looked the Slendermane straight in the eyes, or at least where its eyes should have been.  "I'm not afraid of you!" she yelled out.  "You are trying to use fear to get me!  You can't do that! I AM FEAR!"  Suddenly a bright light flashed.  The Slendermane was gone.  In its place was Rainbow Dash.

"Oh Rainbow Dash! You're okay," Scootaloo said while running to give Rainbow Dash a hug.

Her hero pushed her back.  "Back off kid, I don't care about you.  You're not brave enough to be my little sister.  You're not even good enough to be called my friend."

Scootaloo, now with a tear running down her cheek, looked at Rainbow Dash in the eyes, "Rainbow... But... You... You are my sister... I love you!  How could you turn me away?"

Rainbow Dash turned around and said while walking into the darkness, "You are a nopony, Scootaloo.  You will never be loved by anypony."

Scootaloo, now completely alone in the forest, started to cry her eyes out.  She realized that the Slendermane was not her worst fear.  Her worst fear was being alone.  Alone, with nobody to care for her, with nopony to love her.  That was true fear.

"...Aloo... Ootaloo... SCOOTALOO!"

"Huh... What?" asked Scootaloo while waking up from her nightmare. "It... It was only a dream?"

"You were dreaming about the Slendermane, weren't ya kid?" asked Rainbow Dash, who was still holding Scootaloo tightly in her grasp in the middle of the night.

"I was dreaming of it, and it was horrible," said Scootaloo while looking down.  "

Kid, let me tell you something.  You need to stop letting stories scare you this bad.  You need to look fear in the eyes and say 'I'm not afraid of you!'  That is how you can conquer fear."

Scootaloo looked at her big sister straight in the eyes and said, "But it wasn't the Slendermane that I was truly afraid of... It was you."

"Me?!" asked Rainbow, who was shocked. "How could you be scared of me?  Were you scared of my awesomeness?"

Scootaloo, with watery eyes, replied, "I was dreaming that you came after I defeated the Slendermane.  You said that I am a nopony and I will never be loved by anypony.  You left me in the forest, alone and crying."

"Scootaloo... I," said Rainbow, who could hardly get out the words.  "I would never ever say that to you.  You are my little sister, and I love you.  I want you to be by my side for the rest of my life.  And you ARE a somepony!  You stared a creature without eyes right in the eyes.  How is that even possible?  You are the coolest little filly I have ever known, and you will always be special to me.  I will always be here for you even if others aren't."

Rainbow grabbed Scootaloo tight and the two shared a very strong hug.  "I love you, Rainbow Dash," said Scootaloo.

"I love you too,” replied her hero.