The Hunters
Special Thanks to Mad Hattie (for Mad Hattie), Rubycast (for Ruby), RushingAutumnLeaves (for Icy Ink), and vader10001 (for Thunder Spark). I hope I did your OCs justice.
Thanks also to Swirling Line (for Swirling Line), nickwengz (for Soda), Leo Heartship (for Leo Heartship), the Princess Rarity (for Disk Spin), and High Tide (for High Tide).
Appleloosa was never really seen as some great bastion of modern society. It was a frontier town full of ponies just trying to find their way in the world through hard work and sweat.
That was the old world.
Now, Appleloosa was a town of refugees. Once word got around that nopony in Appleoosa had been having nightmares of a certain faceless stallion of impossible proportions, the ponies had flocked there in great herds. The town itself was now surrounded on all sides by small encampments and shanty towns. The ponies had nothing in common save one undeniable truth; they were all terrified.
New refugees came in everyday, so nopony was surprised when the carriage pulled into the town limits. The great red stallion stopped pulling just in front on the local saloon and tapped the side. A door in the rear popped out and a rather motley crew of refugees stepped out one by one.
There was a tan pegasus stallion with a strange, jagged tail.
Next came a pale white unicorn with a jagged broken stub jutting up through her pink mane where the horn should be.
Behind her came a second pegasus, this one an icy blue.
Bringing up the rear was an orange pegasus with shifty eyes. She looked around suspiciously and tugged her tall top hat tighter against her head.
Without a word, the five stepped through the saloon's swinging doors.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Every eye in the place fixed on the band as they entered and wordlessly grabbed an empty table. The male pegasus confirmed everypony's drink order and headed for the bar.
Normal conversation quickly resumed.
Two ponies, a unicorn mare and a pegasus colt, entered the saloon, quickly located the table of newcomers, and headed over as quickly as they could. The mare sized up the red stallion and smiled. “Macintosh Apple?”
'Big' Macintosh Apple gave her a slight nod. “Help you with somethin,' ma'am?”
The mare nodded quickly. “Yes. My name is Disk Spin and this is Soda.” She motioned to the colt who also tilted his head in greeting. “We hear you've been wandering the wastes, going from town to town...”
“Eeyup.”
“We wanna come with you!” Soda blurted out before covering his misbehaving mouth with a hoof.
Mac shook his head. “Nope.”
“But... but they say that none of you have had the dreams.” The colt was desperate. “They say that anypony that rides with you is safe!”
The pegasus with the top hat giggled. “Oh, c'mon Mac.” She said in her foreign accent. “Kid's got some spirit. He might be useful.”
The blue pegasus shushed her friend with a disapproving look. “Stop that, Hattie. Don't get his hopes up.”
The unicorn with the broken horn leaned down and gave her gentlest smile to the colt. “Believe me, little one; you want no part of where we're going.”
Before Disk Spin could speak again, the saloon doors swung open once more and a hassled looking unicorn burst in. He spotted Disk Spin and Soda and rushed over to them. “The blazes are you doing in here?”
“Tide, I was just...”
“There a problem here?” The pegasus had returned with a tray of drinks balanced perfectly one one outstretched wing.
The pony called High Tide sized up the newcomer. “Just don't like my friends talkin' to outsiders is all.”
The pegasus smirked. “Kinda hard, considering more than three quarters of the ponies here are 'outsiders.' Or are you an Appleloosan yourself?”
Mac gave him a withering look. “Spark...”
“Give Ruby her drink, Mac. The vets are talking.”
The white unicorn, Ruby, frowned. “No one needs to hand me anything, Thunder Spark.”
“How'd you know I was a vet?” The yellow pony asked.
“Just a hunch. You deserters always have the same look about you.”
High Tide visibly tensed. “Say that again.”
“I said...” But High Tide had rushed him. Without missing a beat, Spark flipped the tray of drinks, covering the upstart stallion in all manner of liquids. Tide had barely finished wiping his eyes clear when he saw the dangerous sparks flickering in the pegasi's feathers.
“What in the name of Celestia...?”
“Answer me this, sailor boy; you ever see what happens when a pony gets struck by lightning while standing in a puddle?”
“Uh... Spark?”
“I'm just scarin' him, Icy. I'm not going to...”
“We should leave now.”
The tone in her voice made him turn and find every pony in the place glaring daggers at him. Several had left their chairs and were now advancing on the table. “Right. Leave. Good idea.”
The posse stood and hastily made for the exit. No one, not even the sputtering High Tide, made to follow them.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Icy Ink finished helping Mac reset his harness and scowled at Thunder Spark as he floated overhead. “It really should be you pulling, you know.”
“Yeah.” Hattie chimed in. “Some of us actually were thirsty, y'know?”
Spark rolled his eyes. “Did you see the way he was treating that mare? Punk had to be put in his place.”
“He's just scared, Spark.” Ruby looked at the shanties sadly. “They all are.”
“Somepony just check the map.” Mac muttered, casting a thankful glance to Icy.
Hattie lifted her hat from her head and pulled a rolled up map from inside. Together, she and Spark pulled it open and held it aloft so everyone could see it.
“Look, Mac.” Icy said, her eyes lighting up. “Ponyville's just two days away.”
Mac said nothing.
“I don't like the look of those woods.” Ruby observed. “Maybe we should find the river and follow that. It should take us all the way to Neigh Orleans.”
“Neigh Orleans is dead.” They all turned to find the speaker was a strange sort of pony; she appeared to be purple with white stripes... or was that white with purple stripes? She smiled gently. "Sorry to break the news to you.”
Hattie eyed the mare cautiously. “I know I went barmy some time ago, but I can't never recall seeing a purple zebra before.”
“Hattie's right.” Icy stepped unconsciously in front of Mac. “What... I mean, who are you?”
The visitor bowed her head slightly. “My name is Swirling Line. I'm here representing somepony who would very much like to meet you, Mr. Macintosh.”
“And why's that?” Came the gruff reply.
Swirling's answer was to toss a piece of paper at the stallion's hooves. “It concerns that.”
Mac's eyes widened slightly at the picture, but he tried to show no emotion. “Icy? Help me get this thing off. We've got somepony to meet.”
As Icy Ink helped to remove the harness once again, she found her eyes drawn again and again towards the scrawled image; an impossibly proportioned stallion with a black coat and no visible face.
/////////////////////////////////////
The lime green earth pony looked up from the book he'd been reading and smiled at his visitors. “Ah! So you decided to come! Welcome, welcome!” He jumped down from his seat and rushed over to shake Mac's hoof as the others filed in behind him. “I was so worried you wouldn't accept my invitation.”
“Couldn't rightly resist.” Mac felt a smile tugging at his lips against his will. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister...?”
“Heartship. Leo Heartship, at your service.” He motioned towards his large table, covered in books, scrolls, and maps. “Swirling, would you be a dear and bring my journal? I believe I left it in the other room.” Once she was gone, he motioned to the table again. “Two room shanty and I'm always misplacing my things. Please, sit.”
Mac introduced each of his comrades as they took their seats. Leo poured them water and made small talk until Swirling Line returned with a huge tome emblazoned with an image of the Elements of Harmony. He opened the journal to it's first page and smiled across the table at his great red guest. “You have no idea what an honor this is for me; the last living citizen of Ponyville here in my shanty.”
Mac nearly choked on his drink. “What exactly do ya mean 'last living resident?'” He managed to choke out.
The pages of Leo's journal were actually long sheathes of paper enchanted to stick together. He pulled the first page and all watched as it stretched out to the middle of the rounded table.
Hattie snickered. “Nice trick.”
“Thanks. Favor from a unicorn friend before she...” He trailed off in mid-sentence as he revisited the unpleasant memory. He returned his gaze to Mac's. “Anyway, as you can see here...”
The collected ponies looked at what appeared to be a multitude of newspaper clippings from all across Equestria.
“I managed to snag a census from the Canterlot Archives before they burned. Using it, I was able to keep track of ponies who disappeared and where they'd come from.”
The clippings were all essentially headlines;
FAMOUS SEAMSTRESS TAKEN IN THE NIGHT
ROYAL FAMILY ABSCONDS AFTER STUDENT VANISHES
SEARCH FOR CAKE TWINS CALLED OFF AFTER PARENTS DISAPPEAR
And on they went.
“Going by census information, it' become quite clear that every single resident of Ponyville has been taken in the past year.”
Mac's hooves shook. “They all ran... and it didn't do 'em any good at all...”
Icy laid a hoof on his back. “Mac...”
“It's not just Ponyville.” Swirling Line chimed in. “Neigh Orleans, Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus... completely dead. Every resident taken no matter how far they ran.”
“What is this thing?” Ruby asked, her heart breaking at all the loss and devastation.
Leo sighed and retracted the page of clippings. He turned the journal's pages to the middle and pulled out a new sleeve. “What do you know about it?”
“Just what my Granny told me.:” Mac took in the scrawled images, mostly done by fillies and colts, of the mysterious menace that was killing Equestria. “She said it was old and that it fed on children.”
“And fear.” Hattie broke in. “Don't forget about fear.”
Leo nodded. “From what I understand, this... this thing has been wandering Equestria for many thousands of years. It's stayed in the shadows, only feeding enough to keep it alive. To us ponies, it was always a boogeyman. Many names, one creature.”
“Mr. Thin.” Spark muttered.
“Slendermane.” Hattie spat.
“The Thin Pony.” Ruby shuddered.
“The Tall One.” Icy added.
“I've taken to calling it the Slender One, myself. Seems appropriate.” He chuckled. “Whatever you call it, it was content with it's quiet life... but something changed.”
“What?”
Leo shook his head. “Not sure... but I have a few theories...”
Mac sighed. “Forget why it's doin' all this. I wanna know where it is.”
“Why?” Swirling Line asked.
Spark snorted. “Isn't it obvious? We're taking the fight to it.”
Swirling gaped. “But... that's suicide!”
“Nopony's ever gone looking for it.” Hattie smiled madly. “Maybe we can throw it off, catch it by surprise.”
“To be fair, there was at least one pony who went looking for it.” Leo said into his cup.
Mac silenced him with a warning glare. “She went alone. We're going together. Now do you know where it is or not?”
Leo looked up with knowing eyes. “Where it's always been, Mac; the Everfree Forest.”
The only sound in the silence that followed was Leo's continuing sips.
“But... but why?” Mac's resolve faded for a moment.
“Think about it. This thing has wandered to and from all the dark corners of Equestria because it didn't know any better. What if it found a place that inspired so much fear from ponies all over? Do you really think it would leave that special place?”
“But that doesn't make any sense!” Ruby caught her cup just before it tipped over.
“Yeah.” Icy added. “If it's still in that forest, how is it taking ponies from all over Equestria?”
“It's stronger now. Stronger than it's ever been.” He retracted the page and closed the journal. “It's reach is beyond your comprehension.”
A mysterious wind seemed to blow through the room and dimmed the candles.
“I'm...I'm going to get some more to drink.” Swirling announced. She stood and hurried from the room.
“I'll join you.” Icy hurriedly followed the strangely colored mare.
Once they were gone, Leo looked again to Macintosh. “I take it you're still going after it?”
Mac could only nod.
“Could you do me a favor then?”
Another nod.
“When you find it... if you beat it...”
“When we beat it.” Spark interrupted.
Leo ignored him. “Send word that it's over.”
Mac nodded a third and final time. He extended his hoof across the table.
With a smile, Leo touched his hoof to the farmer's. “As much as I hope you succeed, Macintosh... I hope you don't find it. I'd rather you survive.”
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Inky peered into the darkness of Swirling Line's room. She watched as the purple mare lit a candle and illuminated the walls; they were papered with sketches on the Slender One. “Did you do all these?”
Swirling nodded as she poured another cup of water. “Drawing makes me feel better. Safer, somehow.”
Icy crossed the room and laid a hoof on the other mare's shoulder. “We're going to stop it.”
Swirling smiled sadly. “You don't really believe that, do you?”
The question caught the pegasus off guard. She pulled back her hoof and headed for the exit. She looked back and sighed. “No, I don't. But I'd believe anything... for him.”
She left Swirling Line surrounded by the scrawled images. They waved slightly in the ambient air. The sound seemed familiar to Swirling's ears.
It sounded like laughter.
/////////////////////////////////////
When the wagon and it's travelers crossed Ponyville's town limits two days later, the sun was just beginning it's descent on the horizon. The fading light gave the town a mystic, otherworldly life. The windows and doors remained as tightly boarded and barred as they had been left a year ago. No movement came from the town save the occasional leaf borne on the wind.
At Icy Ink's urging, Mac detached the wagon and left it at the town limits.
Something told her they wouldn't be needing it anymore.
“You ever come to Ponyville, Spark?” Ruby asked her companion as he floated overhead. The trio of pegasi had decided to remain aloft in case of emergency, leaving the unicorn and earth pony on the ground.
“Nah, but I came to Cloudsdale once on leave. Ponyville just looked like another backwoods hick earth pony town.” He bit his tongue when he realized what he'd said. “Er... no offense, Mac.”
“None taken.” Mac replied, the ghost of a smile on his face. The familiar setting seemed to be brightening his normally dire mood. “We might not have been some big city, but we got by well enough.” He started to point out various sites, giving an impromptu tour of sorts to pass the time. “That there's Carousel Boutique; Miss Rarity was quite the seamstress. Over there's the school; I used to date the teacher. And that's the library over there; dated the librarian awhile too.”
“Quite the stud,weren't you Maccy?” Hattie giggled despite a warning look from Icy Ink.
Mac ignored the remark and continued the tour. “That over there was Sugarcube Corner; best cupcakes in all Equestria. And the park, a'course...”
“I don't mean to interrupt, but is that a quill and sofa store?” Spark asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Sounds like my kinda place.” Hattie added cheerfully.
They passed the town proper and soon came to a faded white fence. Mac's good mood faded instantly as he came to a stop just at the squeaking gate. “Sweet Apple Acres.” He muttered. The farm was in shambles. The barn and storehouses were wrecks, pieces hanging off in every which way. The apple trees, the ones still standing, were covered in choking vines and surrounded by weeds.
“Oh Mac... I'm so sorry.” Icy said as she landed next to him.
He shook his head sadly. “I always hoped that somepony would still be here. Granny refused to leave and I...”
A flash of movement from the back of the farm-house caught his eye.
Mac was off like a shot, bursting through what was left of the gates and barreling at top speed toward the house he'd grown up in. The others hurried behind him. He skidded to a stop around the corner of the house and looked up to see...
...a softly creaking rocker on the old porch, empty.
Granny Smith's rocker.
Mac looked down in sadness... and saw. “Look.” He told the others when they'd caught up.
They looked to find a series of hoof-prints leading away from the house and out towards the pasture.
Spark shot up to get a better view. “Looks like they go all the way into the forest!” He shouted down.
“It's... it's never left hoof-prints before...” Ruby whispered.
“What do you s'pose it means?” Hattie asked, trying to ignore the chill that suddenly filled her bones.
“It's an invitation.” Icy Ink growled.
Mac looked from the empty rocker over to the distant tree-line. “It's be rude to ignore it.” He stamped his mammoth hoof onto one of the dusty prints and felt a grim satisfaction as it vanished beneath his weight.
The sun continued to set behind the Everfree Forest casting long shadows that reached the posse and encircled them like tentacles of darkness.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
It watched them as they entered the house.
It was ready for them.
It waited.
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Cool. Spark seems a bit more of a jerk than how I designed him, but I guess that's what apocalypses do to you.
Been waiting for this one for a long time...and it's finally here.
Also, are we going to get back stories on these OC's or are they just there for Slender bait?
yay conclusions.
I hope (crosses fingers)
He really is Mr Exposition
*waits for part II*
3426817 A wee bit of backstory... but mostly Slender-Bait. Sorry guys.
I'm not sure what to think. If this posse is just going to their doom, we'll just be left with a reiteration of the "Just Before the End" note that the last story played. If they did somehow manage to kill the Slender One... well, you just don't usually do a Slender story like that. Still, it should be interesting either way.
Oh no... Please let them live!