//------------------------------//
// Six Ponies and Eight Pages 
// Story: The Mane Six Play: Slender 
// by Enfield 
//------------------------------//


The Mane Six Play: Slender



By Enfield


"Fine Rainbow Dash, I'll do it!" Twilight shouted at Rainbow Dash. 
"Good, wouldn't want to let down a good opportunity to see you scared," Rainbow Dash said, she was as cocky and confident as ever since she thought of this dare. It was too easy, Twilight had bet Rainbow Dash that she couldn't get scared by something as pathetic as this. But Rainbow Dash had asked around and had found out that her little dare was rather scary, she knew that Twilight would never be able to stay vigilant throughout. 
"Ah was thinkin', Twilight," Applejack chimed in, "Is this a good idea?"
"Who cares?" Pinkie Pie said, "Sleepover at Twilight's house!" 
"But...um...I have to take care of the animals," Fluttershy stammered.
"Oh no you don't," Rainbow Dash said as she flew behind her, halting her escape, "We're all in this together." 
"I really wish you would have done this another day, darling," Rairty said.
Twilight shot Rarity a glance.
"I've had enough of Rainbow Dash bragging on how scary this is, I'm going to prove that I won't be scared." 
"You will be scared," Rainbow Dash said. 
"So what's the name of the scary thing?" Pinkie Pie asked. Rainbow Dash smiled and looked over to Pinkie Pie.
"Slender, The Eight Pages." 
Pinkie Pie's eyes widened in curiosity while Fluttershy cowered in fear.
"I, um, don't like the sound of this," she said. 
"It's okay sugarcube," Applejack said, "We all agreed to this."
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash said, "If Twilight loses the bet then she has to do whatever we want for a week."
Twilight frowned and stood firm.
"But if you lose then you have to wear that frilly dress that Rarity made for the rest of the week."
"Deal." 

Several hours of preparation and one downloaded game later, Twilight had everything all set up for the sleepover. She paced around her bedroom and was making checks on a list.
"Okay, drinks; check, food; check, game; check." 
"Uhh Twilight," Spike said groggily, "You've been walking around for two hours making that list, can you give it a break?"  
"No can do Spike," said Twilight, "I've got to be ready for this."
"Do you know how creepy that game is?" Spike asked as he swept up some of the floor. 
"No but I'm going to show Dash that I'm not too easily scared." 
Spike sighed and went back to tidying up the place, he didn't like it when this sort of thing happened. He hoped that he could sleep through the night without being woken up by the frantic screams of the coming night. Spike knew how scary Slender was and he wanted no part in the dare.
A half hour later there was knocking on the door, Twilight ran over to the door and threw it open, standing outside were her friends all carrying sleeping bags and various other items in their saddle bags.
"You ready to be scared?" Rainbow Dash said to Twilight.
"Let's get this over with," Twilight replied. 
Rainbow Dash glided in followed by Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and a fear filled Fluttershy. 
"Oh, why did I come?" Fluttershy said.
"It's okay sugarcube," Applejack said comfortingly, "We're all here." 
"But what if this is scary?"
"Ah don't think it will be." 
Fluttershy squeaked and slowly followed the five up the stairs. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were still arguing when they reached Twilight's room. 
"So where's the computer with the game?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Just over here," Twilight replied. She led them over to a desk with a Lunaware 3000 desktop computer, one of the most powerful in Equestria. On it was the game itself, ready to be played.
"So are we going to do this bet or not?" Twilight asked Rainbow Dash.
"No, not until it gets dark."
"Why dark?" 
"Because it's more scary."
"Oh joy," Rarity muttered. 
"So what can we do while we wait for it to get dark?" Applejack asked.
"I know!" Pinkie said, "We can tell scary stories."
Flutterhshy "eeped" and sank down in her sleeping bag. 

The six sat and talked about what to expect in the game while they waited for night to fall, outside a storm had started and every now and then lightning would arc across the sky and a thunderclap would follow. The debate of the dare became much more heated as the minutes passed.
"So tell me Rainbow Dash, where did you hear of Slender anyway?" Twilight asked. 
"I heard it from Soarin," Rainbow Dash replied.
"But did you play it?" Twilight asked.
"No, but Soarin told me how he and Spitfire were scared to death when that freak Slender turned up, they almost cried."
"Ah ha!" Twilight exclaimed, "I knew that you were hiding something."
"No I'm not," Rainbow Dash said angrily.
"Look can you just tell us the truth?" Applejack asked.
"Yeah!" Pinkie said after drinking an entire bottle of cider, she belched loudly and continued, "Have you ever seen the game?"
"Do say, Rainbow Dash, we only want to know," Rarity added.
Rainbow Dash huffed and took a deep breath, she had to tell the truth.
"Okay, I'll say it," she said, she then sighed and said, "I've never seen the game before." 
"I knew that there was something about you," Twilight said.
"So were you lying about the game?" Applejack asked. 
"Yes I was," Rainbow Dash said.
"So why would you?" 
"Because-because I didn't want to play this on my own," Rainbow Dash.
"Is it really that scary?" Fluttershy asked.
"I heard that Luna screamed after Slenderman showed up," said Pinkie. 
"If it can make the princess of the night scream, then there must be something sinister behind it," Twilight said as she rubbed her chin. 
"Why don't we find out then?" Rarity asked. 
"Yeah, it's getting dark anyway," Applejack asked. 

Twilight cringed and slowly walked over to the computer, the game was muted and the computer was in sleep mode. Twilight pressed the space bar and un-muted the sound. The soundtrack started up and the rest of the gang gathered around the computer.
"Ready?" Twilight asked.
"Ready," the rest of the group chimed in. 
Twilight scrolled over the play button and clicked it and everypony leaned closer, eager to see the game. 
"Ooh, what do you think will happen?" Fluttershy said.
"Were about to find out," Twilight replied. 
After the lengthy intro screen the game finally started.
"Find the eight pages," Twilight said reading the screen, "Seems easy enough."
"Woooo, it's spooky in the forest," Pinkie said.
"It's so dark and scary," Fluttshy said.
"There's a flashlight at least," Applejack said pointing out the flashlight. 
"I don't think this will work forever," Twilight said, she turned to Rainbow Dash, "So where's the scariness now?" 
"You need to find a page first."
"So where are they?"
"I see one on that tree!" Pinkie yelled down Twilight's ear. Twilight pushed her off and went over to the paper. 
"Always watches, no eyes," Fluttershy said fearfully as she read the paper.
"How can something watch you with no eyes?" Pinkie asked.
"Who ever drew these must have little fashion sense," said Rarity. 
"One down, seven to go," said Twilight. 

Five minutes into the game and almost nothing had happened. Twilight had found four more pages and was now searching the large bathroom for the sixth page. 
"I don't get it," she said, "Where is this monster thing anyway?"
"Maybe it's hiding," Pinkie said.
"You don't think it's not gonna turn up do you?" Applejack asked. 
"I want to see this thing," Rainbow Dash said, "And I want to see Twilight get scared."
"Be quiet Rainbow Dash," Twilight said, Fluttershy had been tapping her foreleg for the past several seconds, "What?"
"It's there," she squeaked. Twilight snapped her view to the computer and saw that the screen was forming static and standing in front of them was a tall, faceless man wearing a suit. 
"What's that?!" Pinkie shrieked.
"Run for it!" Applejack yelled.
Twilight managed to escape the creature, once they reached a hiding spot Twilight stopped and turned to her friends. 
"What was that?" 
"What was what?" Pinkie asked.
"You two screaming," Twilight replied.
"Ah wasn't scared!" Applejack objected. 
"Yes you were," said Rainbow Dash, "I know when somepony is scared."
"Did any of you see that suit the monster was wearing? Hideous," Rarity said.  
"I-i-i-is it gone?" Fluttershy stammered.
"It's gone," Twilight said turning back to the computer. 
"You're still keeping your cool," Rainbow Dash said. 
"I saw that thing before Fluttershy spotted it," Twilight replied.
Rainbow Dash snorted and turned to face Applejack and Pinkie Pie.
"I can't believe that you two freaked out."
"I was just adding to the mood."
"Like ah said before, ah wasn't scared." 

Within just a few minutes, every single one of the ponies in the room had started to lose their sanity. Slenderman had jumped out at them several times within the few minutes, Fluttershy was quaking in fear, Rarity and Applejack were clutching one another and staring at the computer. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were right up against the screen, waiting for Slenderman to pop out at them.
"Where is he?" Rainbow Dash said, "Where is he?!"
"Why must he be go good at hiding?" Pinkie said under a heap of sleeping bags. 
"Sounds like you're losing it," Twilight said nervously. 
"What about you?" Applejack said, "You don't sound very confident."
"I'm f-fine Applejack," Twilight said. 
"THERE HE IS AGAIN!" Rainbow Dash yelled. 
Twilight panicked and managed to escape Slenderman. She stopped and clutched her heart.
"Don't scare me like that."
"Sorry," Rainbow Dash said. 
"He's behind you!" Applejack said.
"The suit, the suit!" Rarity exclaimed. 
"Be quiet!" Spike yelled from upstairs.
"He's here somewhere," Fluttershy said. 
Suddenly the sound of someone hitting a piano very hard blasted out of the computer and the screen span around, behind them was Slenderman, the screen then cut to the white featureless face of Slenderman.
"RUN!" Twilight screamed.
The six bolted out of Twilight's bedroom and ran out of the library into the storm. They ran through the town still screaming and getting soaked from the rain.
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight said, Rainbow Dash looked at her.
"What?" 
"Who lost the bet?"
"I don't care, RUN!" 

Back in Twilight's library, Spike came down, sleepy and irritated from the commotion.
"Twilight," he said, "I thought I told you to be quiet." 
Spike went to the room where Twilight and her friends where meant to be sleeping. He was a little surprised when he found covers, sleeping bags, food and pillows strewn around the room. Spike huffed and went to clean up the floor, he wanted to leave it until morning but Twilight would have him clean up anyway. 
"Where is everyone?" Spike thought as he piled up the covers and pillows in a corner of the room. The dark room was suddenly lit up by a flickering light, Spike turned around and saw the face of Slenderman on the screen of the computer.
"What is that?" Spike whispered.
Spike continued staring at the flickering screen as the face of Slenderman stared back. Spike was too petrified to move as a small sound came from the computer, Spike listened closer and heard a voice come from the speakers. 
"Hey buddy," the voice said, "You got twenty dolla?"