//------------------------------// // Hospitality // Story: The Best Poker Face // by Chemtest //------------------------------// Slender’s vision returns, the feeling of sheets and a soft mattress beneath him. A blanket over him makes him feel cozy, and he gets the urge to return to sleep. What happened the previous night returns to his mind, and he suddenly freezes. He’s in the middle of the Apple house. They snuck in, and the only way they know of him is as a nightmare. He searches his fear reserves, panicking and searching desperately. Luckily, he finds what he needs. Selective visibility, able to be used. He quickly toggles it so that nobody but Apple Bloom would be able to see him. The door opens behind him, and he becomes as still as he possibly can be. The fact that the sun is shining right on him doesn’t fill him with confidence. But then he hears it close, and Apple Bloom’s voice speak, “Mister Slender?” He sighs, and raises out of the bed. He climbs to his feet, and stretches as much as he can, “Sleep is pleasant, I forgot about that. Last time I slept was over a thousand years ago. Don’t need to sleep, still like it.” Apple Bloom smiles, “Well, come on downstairs. My sis ain’t here, and Big Mac is a lot more understand then she is. Granny Smith made some extra apple pancakes, so come on!” Slender nods, and follows her as she jumps downstairs. Yet as she lands on the middle step, she slips, and goes flying down. Slender immediately teleports down, and catches her with his tendrils. He places her down, “Control your energy, exert it when necessary.” Apple Bloom nods, “Alright, if you say so. Thanks for catching me.” He looks to the side as he hears a hearty laugh. Granny Smith sits in her chair, and is the source of that laughter. She looks at Slender, and chuckles, “Well I’ll be, I’ve been trying to teach her that her whole life! Then you swoop on in and she listens to you like the Guard to Celestia!” She motions to the table, “Come on, food might get cold. It’s clear I have something to learn from you, youngin.” Slender moves to the table, and takes a seat. Apple Bloom calmly walks to her seat, and makes sure to sit down carefully. Slender looks over to Smith, “Not really that young, though. Technically over a thousand years old.” Smith nods, “That’s right. A youngin. You seem to forget I met you before.” Slender tilts his head, “You’ve met me? The last time I was ‘meet-able’ was at least one thousand years ago.” Smith smiles, “Come on, you can’t say you truely forgot all about me? You came to the farmhouse, frightened beyond belief, and pleaded for us to give ‘sanctuary’ from Celestia. Now I was just a little filly back then, but I can still remember my parents turning you over to her guards.” She motions to the table, “This is a way of properly meeting you, youngin. To make sure the Apple Family’s good name ain’t ruined.” Slender looks down at the table, “I suppose I have met you then.” He looks right back up, “But there’s no need to worry, I still hold a high respect for your family. You were frightened that you might come to harm if you didn’t turn me over, and you have Apple Bloom. She’s the only pony brave enough to befriend me in these long years.” Apple Bloom smiles, “Well that’s awfully kind of you to say, Mister Slender.” A big red pony then comes from the kitchen, and takes a seat across from Slender. Big Mac nods towards him, “Howdy.” Slender nods back, “Greetings.” Granny Smith looks at the two, “Well, let’s get to eating!” The three members of the family instantly begin to dig into their pancakes. Each one has a pile of apples all over it, and a healthy serving of syrup. Of course, a piece of butter is on each one, and a fork rests for them to eat with. Slender hesitantly picks up the fork, stabs into an apple. He raises it to his mouth, but stops before it reaches. Apple Bloom notices his hesitation, “What’s wrong, Mister Slender?” He looks at the apple, and then over to Apple Bloom, “Well, uh, I don’t exactly know how to eat.” Apple Bloom tilts her head, “What do you mean? Haven’t you ate before?” He shakes his head, “Uh, no, I haven’t. I don’t exactly... eat physical food anymore. I just kinda run on nothing. Like, I’m either going, or I’m frozen in stone. I’ve never felt hungry, never had to eat anything. It’s been two years in fact.” Apple Bloom raises an eyebrow, “Well, uh, just put it in your mouth and chew?” Slender just stares at her. After a few awkward seconds, he finally responds, “I don’t have a mouth.” Apple Bloom’s eyes widen in realization, but then they scrunch up in confusion, “Maybe just, put it where your mouth should be?” Slender shrugs, and puts it right where his mouth should be. He pokes his face with the fork. Except the fork just goes right through. He tastes the apple, but then all he can taste is fork. He takes the fork out, and sees that he has accidentally absorbed the prongs. He looks around as the gathered family stare in shock. He places the fork down slowly, “I am so sorry, I did not know that would happen.” Granny Smith just shakes her head, “I don’t think any of us did. Uh, how about you just eat off the plate without the utensils?” Slender picks up the plate, and tosses the food from it to his face. His vision is filled with pancake for a second, but then it all disappears and he tastes absolute heaven. He takes a few seconds to absorb it, but then he looks towards Smith, “Granny Smith, you are the best chef I have ever met. I have not had food that good in my entire life.” She laughs, “Aw, I can’t be the best you’ve had.” Apple Bloom speaks first, “Believe me, it is.” Slender nods, “Apple Bloom’s right. I’m not one to tell a lie, Granny Smith, and I’m not lying when I say you are the best I’ve met.” He shakes from a new intake of energy in his body, “Oh, and it feels so good to eat again. Got anything you need done, because I need to do something.” Granny Smith looks towards the clock, “Well, you don’t seem the farming type. So how about you walk Apple Bloom to school and let Big Mac get an extra thirty minutes in.” Slender nods, and sees Apple Bloom already standing by the door with saddle bags on. He stands, and goes to the door, “Thank you for the hospitality, Granny Smith.” She smiles, “Come back anytime, we’d be happy to keep our door open for you.” Apple Bloom walks outside, and Slender follows her. They begin to walk down a path, and Slender looks over to her, “Where is Applejack anyway?” Apple Bloom stops, and points into the distance, “Over in Canterlot. She was invited to a Princesses wedding!” Slender looks over as well, “Ah, interesting.” Apple Bloom narrows her eyes, “Wait, ain’t there supposed to be a bubble over the city?” Slender focuses, and he can barely pick out a bunch of little black dots in the sky. He takes a step back, “Changelings!” Apple Bloom points, “Why ain’t that bunch with the group?” Slender looks to the side, and sees at least a hundred of them flying in Ponyville’s direction. He shakes his head, “It’s an invasion force, and they probably plan to hold you hostage in order to bribe your sister.” Apple Bloom looks to Slender, “They’re going to try and hurt Applejack?!” Slender looks down at her, “If they can’t do it physically, then they’ll use you and do it mentally.” He shakes his head, “I won’t let you lose anyone else. But I can’t let them capture you either. There’s two places, and only one of me.” Apple Bloom smiles, “Let me help! I can fight them off!” Slender looks between her and the changelings. He thinks for a second, and sighs, “There... there is something I can do.” He kneels down, and looks Apple Bloom in the eyes, “I can grant you power, but I need you to trust me. Fully, with no doubt in your head.” She nods, “If it can protect my friends and Applejack, I’ll do it.” He places his hands on either side of her head, and starts building up Sigma Radiation, “You may feel a slight pain and buzzing in your head. What I’m doing is making you a Proxie. You will be more powerful, smarter, clever, and have magical powers. Can you handle that?” She smiles, “You saw into my past. And I know you would never give me it if I couldn’t.” He nods, and puts the Sigma into her mind. When the process is complete, he stands up, and looks towards Canterlot. Apple Bloom looks up, feeling her muscles grow more powerful, and her mind grow sharper. She nods, “What now?” He looks down to her, “Get everyone into the town hall. Protect them, keep the changelings occupied until I come back. I’ll save Canterlot.” She smiles, “Alright, protect ponies, got it.” Slender nods, “Good luck.” He then travels all the way to Canterlot in the matter of seconds. He finds himself in the middle of the street, where changelings swarm and chase down ponies. He cracks his neck, and sees changelings begin to surround him. He nods, “Hey, Slenderman, you want control? You want to kill? Well, here’s your chance!” He lets go of control in his mind. The steering wheel sits there, open for Slenderman to take. Yet, after a few seconds, he doesn’t. Even with urging, even though he would take every possible opportunity, Slenderman doesn’t reach for control. Slender retakes control, and shakes his head, “Come on. This is when I need you to kill, and you don’t!” He waits a few more seconds, yet no response comes. He sighs, and spreads his tendrils, “Guess I have to take care of everything myself.”