In hindsight, this really wasn't the best of decisions...
While Clear Dawn was pouring her eyes out by a tree, Maneshot was trying to figure out what in Celestia he just saw. It was definitely the Slender Stallion, but it's motive is still oblivious to say the least.
We just came across equestria's true phenomenon, he simply stated in his head, but we also came across a murderer.
The sighting of the masked colt was peculiar indeed, as he was carrying a wooden stake, which was possibly going to be used on them for grotesque purpose. Maneshot decided to try and figure out a way out of the Everfree before thinking about the colt or the Slender Stallion. He trotted towards Clear Dawn, who's condition was near sickly. She was coughing profusely, likely from the cut on her cheek getting infected, but it seems too quick for that to happen, even in the Everfree.
"How you holding?" Maneshot asked quietly.
"Hm let me think, just after knocking out some colt that was going to KILL US, we came across that... thing, ready to grab us with it's tentacle arms. Then, we went several kilometers into the forest, and now we are in the middle of nowhere. So to sum things up, this trip totally screwed us over!" She suddenly vomited onto the ground.
"What option did we have?", Maneshot reasoned, "It was blocking our way back to Ponyville, and..."
"And what,", she coughed, "Heading deeper in would save us? We just isolated ourselves into the mysterious Everfree, with a monster on our flanks, Maneshot!" She was ready to burst into another waterfall of tears.
Celestia damn it, shes right
"And what if there are more of those things? What if there are more blank faced ponies in the Everfree?" she suddenly saw Maneshot crouch, and looked to where he was facing. It was another masked pony.
Maneshot looked sternly at the dirty pegasus, "I can't be sure about that, but there are definitely more of these masked bastards." He quickly led Clear Dawn away from the sight of the masked mare, who looked to be searching.
"Who are these- mph!?" Clear Dawn asked, quickly resulting with a hoof in her mouth.
"Shush!"
The masked figure seemed to be searching for them. She was wearing the same black and white mask that the colt wore, but didn't hold a stake with her.
"I don't think they are working alone." Maneshot said with dismay in his voice.
Clear Dawn could barely see the tall, lean figure standing in front of the masked mare. The masked subject seemed to show no attempt in attacking or cowering from the sight of the Slender Stallion. He suddenly stopped in front of the monumental pony, and took a slight bow.
"What the hay?" Maneshot babbled quietly.
The pony began to speak in an unknown language to the tall stallion, who stood like a statue in the process. The masked mare proceeded to take her mask off, revealing her grotesquely marked face. All marks resembled the cutie mark of the Slender Stallion, who suddenly raised a hoof.
"Ah... ah", Maneshot suddenly heard.
Oh no...
Maneshot tried to prevent Dawn from sneezing. He was momentarily surprised how she held all the coughs she previously had.
He barely dulled it.
Both the Slender Stallion and the Mare looked to their direction. A tendril popped from the back of the tall pony, quickly grabbed the tree, and pulled.
Maneshot and Dawn were at clearsight by both ponies.
And they only saw them for a second...
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
When Maneshot came to, he was in his house, lying on the ground, with marks written on him on various areas. He coughed up some blood, and got up. He was out of the Everfree, strangely yes, but he was out.
But something was missing.
"Clear Dawn!"
He quickly looked around for his friend, he was nowhere in sight. Looking in the mirror and washing his face, he saw the marks that covered his body, along with cuts, and blood in his mouth. He washed soaked in his mouth and cleaned off all marks, but the smell stayed.
"Celestia damn it!" Maneshot yelled. He was in deep concern for his friend, who he last remembered was with him, staring at the unmasked mare and the Slender Stallion. He endured a severe migraine, his head feeling like he was just stabbed by a horn. Any further thought of the problem made his head ache worse. He was in the worst position. His friend was gone, he had discovered the Slender Stallion, and he had also discovered he works for some cult that wears theatrical masks.
Bravo...
He quickly looked around his surroundings. His knapsack was found underneath him when he came to. He observed its contents. Everything seemed to have been taken, but a note was left.
HE COMES
HE WILL LEAD
YOU WILL SUFFER.
It ended with the cutie mark of the stallion.
Maneshot quickly looked outside to the ponyville square. Everything seemed normal. No masked individuals. No lethal plant life, and best yet, no tall, evil stallion with tendrils.
But Maneshot couldn't celebrate yet.
Not without Clear Dawn...
He looked at the note again.
Not without finding out what the hay is going on.