Black and White and Pink All Over

by baronessbyron

A Life Worth Saving

Slendermane had worried that conversing with Pinkie Pie would be challenging. He had never interacted with anypony in this way, and the concept of normal conversation was entirely foreign. It was lucky for him that he had run into the most loquacious pony in all of Equestria. A constant stream of questions, comments, and jokes ran out of the bubbly pony’s mouth like a verbal river, providing Slendermane just enough space to answer questions.

“So, Mr. Mane, how’d you end up in the Everfree forest?”

“I have traveled to many lands, and have found this forest to be most hospitable to my needs.”

“Oh, well, that makes sense! I feel that way about Ponyville! You should come visit some time! I bet my friends would love to meet you!”

At this statement, Slendermane felt confused. Friends? He knew the meaning of the word, but had never truly considered the concept. It seemed logical that some ponies would find the safety and warmth of company enjoyable. He was beginning to relish it himself! But the thought of prolonged exposure to other ponies was not something he had ever thought about. He briefly wondered. The cake that had jettisoned out of the wagon had said “new friend”, had it not?

“Pinkie?”

“Yeah?”

“What does this ‘friendship’ entail?”

The pink pony stifled a guffaw at Slendermane’s choice of words.

“Sorry, Mr. Mane. Can I call you Slender? Ooh, or better yet, can I call you SLENDY???”

“I…yes…I suppose.”

“Like I was saying, Slendy, sorry, you just sound so much like my friend Twilight. She always tries so hard to understand things. I guess friendship ‘entails’ making compromises, showing care and compassion, standing by somepony and sticking up for them when they can’t do it for themselves, um…there’s more…being forthcoming and real…giving what you have to those in need...um…aaaaand OH! How could I forget! Sharing a good laugh!”

Slendermane would have grimaced if he had a mouth. She had said the word he resented more than anything in the world of Equestria: Laugh.

It wasn’t that he hated laughter. It was simply that the deathly stallion had NEVER LAUGHED. He had just never had anything to find humorous. An eternity of feeding on the minds and bodies of whoever strayed into his grasp had not left much time or fodder for laughter. After a few centuries, he had found that he had lost the ability entirely. This had never been so acutely painful as in this very moment.

At this point, they reached the clearing that held the plant she sought. He halted, and she kept walking, her side briefly touching his as she passed him. He felt his face grow hot, and his ears start to grow warm. These sensations were new, different…terrifying.

“I…I see. Pinkie, you are a very unique mare. Here is the herb for which you have been searching…goodbye, Pinkie Pie.”

“Where ya--” Pinkie turned, but Slendermane had already disappeared, “goin…”

Slendermane ran, rather than simply sliding into the shadows. Though he was not a unicorn, centuries of experience had taught him the art of teleportation. However, those centuries had seemed to melt away in a few seconds, and Slendermane galloped through the woods, ducking and weaving through the branches and trunks like an expert buckboxer.

Where he was going, when he was going to get there, all these questions had dissipated when he had turned tail on the frizzy haired mare. They were replaced by new, much more pressing questions, with far fewer answers. Why was she unafraid? Why did he feel his cheeks burning as she brushed by him? What would she think of him for leaving her in the woods…leaving her in the woods...he had left her, alone, unprotected, vulnerable, in the middle of a forest where he was only barely the most dangerous beast she could run into.

Pinkie felt an emptiness in her stomach. Where her new friend had stood, there were only the dark silhouettes of the trees around the clearing. She felt her eyes well with tears. Was it something she said? Was it something she sang?!

Flashes of Cranky Doodle Donkey flooded into her head as she tried to refrain from crying. For reasons unclear to her, she had actually LOST a friend. As she gathered the herbs in her saddlebag, Pinkie was lost deep in thought. So deep that she didn't hear the low growl behind her. She turned around just in time to see the charging manticore leap, claws drawn. The world went black.

Pinkie felt the adrenaline pumping through her veins, and noted happily that that implied she still had veins. She also felt a pressure all around her, as if she was wrapped up in something tightly, but with enough room to breathe. Then, suddenly, she was returned to the world of light. She whipped her head around, struggling to comprehend her whereabouts.

She was still in the clearing, but had been set down in a different area than she had been. It was then that she noticed the din going on in the middle of the meadow. Slendermane leaned back on his haunches, tentacles whipping in every direction, each one honed to destroy the oncoming manticore.

She wanted to shut her eyes, but shock, awe, and something much less clear, between admiration and horror, kept them glued on the scene unfolding in front of her. She watched the two predators square off, one feline, one infernal, and she watched as the latter overtook the former with as little effort as a it might take her to frost a cupcake.

As the struggle drew to a close, Slendermane turned to Pinkie Pie and took a few steps in her direction.

"What...what are you...?" There was fear in her voice for the first time since he had met her, but it was overshadowed by curiosity, and, in greater measure, ardor.

"I...I am the most dangerous creature you are liable to encounter in this forest," said Slendermane, experiencing the first tinge of shame and regret at taking a creature's life that he had felt in decades.

"No KIDDING!" Pinkie grasped Slendermane in his first ever hug, tight enough to unnerve even the most stoic of creatures, and warm enough to send this one's mind into a blur of bubble gum, watermelon, strawberry, sweet, pink, confusion.

"You just saved my life! It woulda been lights out for Pinkie Pie if you hadn't stepped in!"

Then pinkie remembered her dilemma prior to the attack.

"Where'd you go anyhoo? I turned around and you just disappeared."

Slendermane looked away. Regardless of his lack of eyes, he couldn't meet the gaze of those turquoise pools with the knowledge that he had abandoned her. Still. She held no malice, no anger, and most shockingly, no disgust for the heinous act he had just performed.

"I...felt confused."

This may have been an understatement. More accurately, this may have been a VAST understatement.

"Oh! that's alright! everypony feels that way sometimes! Especially Derpy...ahhh, that Derpy," Pinkie seemed lost in thought for a rare moment.

"Well, either way, the important thing is that you came back!"

Yes, yes he had. Slendermane had come back, for reasons still somewhat unclear. He was not sure this had been the best idea, and he was not sure what would happen next. The only thing he was sure of was that whatever had happened to him today, it was new, and it was powerful. And after several lonely, monotonous centuries, new was not something to be thrown away thoughtlessly.

"Pinkie..."

"Yeah Slendy?"

"I think I...would like to meet your friends."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Comments

[Witty Joke]

(enter epic slendermane emocon)

[baronessbyron]

1909247 Danke! It might be a little longer than the last update. I've got another project that has really gotten its claws in me, so I'm kinda wrapped up in that

[UnlocalEntity]

"This fic is the best fic ever."
- Pancakes, about this fic

[xbox432]

Nice fic, I didn't see any typos and it was put together very well.

[ManWithThePan]

By your comment, I guess you are German, too?(Yes, I am German, but born American)

[ManWithThePan]

DERP! I hate to comment twice, but this is a good job! I don't notice any critical mistakes that would end in many dislikes and bad comments. Which is why there are plenty of likes, including mine. May Slendy hunt down the two that disliked.