The changelings let out a screech, and charge towards Slender. They seem to be building a green goop up in their mouths, with the intent to trap Slender in it.
Slender sighs, “A word of warning. You get any closer and you will not die! However, I will be forced to defend myself.”
The changelings continue to charge undeterred by his warning.
He moves to the side of one, wrapping his hand around it’s head, and throwing it into the distance. His tendrils spread around him, and each wraps around another changeling. Without much thought, he throws them every direction possible. Into buildings, across the city, into the ground, or just into the sky.
He walks through the streets, clearing a path to the Palace. The changelings are dedicated to their mouth-goop tactic, and they can never get close.
He feels content with the apple pancake energy leaving his body, and speaks as he walks down the street, “Slenderman, we’re going to have a talk after this.”
———
Apple Bloom stands at the doors to town hall. Ponies rush inside, yet not quick enough.
Changelings land at the end of the street, and quickly try to chase down the stragglers.
Apple Bloom rushes into action, charging and knocking over one of the closer changelings. The pony it was trying to catch looks at her thankfully, and rushes to town hall.
Apple Bloom looks as five changelings start to move on her. She backs up slightly, “Alright, magic, magic, how do I use magic?” She glares her eyes, “Eye lasers! Abra Kadabra! Pazam!” She waves her hoof around, “Swish and flick!” She takes a final step back, and just shouts in desperation, “Just do something!”
The magic listens to her. A tiny little flower grows out of her hoof, providing a pleasant smell.
She growls, “Something to stop them, please!”
The magic does as she asks. It digs through the ground, sprouting roots from Apple Bloom. They snake under, until they spring up from under the changelings. The roots and vines tangle them up, and bind them.
She looks at her hoof as the flower retracts into her, “I can do that?”
Sweetie Belle exclaims from behind her, “You can do that?!”
She turns around to see Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo standing there. She points to the town hall, “Go on and get inside, lock the doors! Y’all can get to the changelings if they get through me. Well, they ain’t getting through, but still.”
Scootaloo jumps up, “But we can help you out here!”
A changeling lands right behind her. Apple Bloom extends her hoof, “Behind you!”
A mess of vines comes out of her hoof, extending so fast that it effectively punches the changeling. It goes flying up against the wall, where vines instantly attach and grow roots.
She points to town hall again, “Please?”
They just both gape at the changeling. Sweetie Belle turns to face Apple Bloom, “Wow! You’re a superhero!”
Scootaloo jumps into her face, “Oh, what’s your superhero name gonna be?”
She just points again, “I’ll come up with one, now go!”
They both pout, but quickly run back after more changelings land.
Apple Bloom doesn’t like the fact that the changelings are surrounding her. She looks down, “Hey magic, got any way to get us out of here?”
The magic instantly begins to create vines, thick enough to create a track over the changelings and hold Apple Bloom’s weight. The vines slide her over the changelings, before sliding down to trap the changelings themselves.
Apple Bloom runs back to town hall now, free of any changeling interference. She arrives, and sees the door locked shut.
She smiles, and turns to see the changelings almost on top of her.
The magic doesn’t even need a command this time. Vines sprout out of everywhere, surrounding Apple Bloom in a green mass. The mouth-goop from the changelings hits the plant, but has no effect.
The vines lash out like whips, hitting changelings right on the horn, rendering all of them unconscious.
She looks around, searching for any more changelings. Yet, it seems not only the street, but the sky is clear of them.
As she looks to her right, she is shocked from a body landing right in front of her.
She looks, and can tell in a second that it is dead. She leans down, and checks to see why. It becomes obvious, as she finds a knife sticking out of it’s head. She reaches down to try and pull out the knife.
She jumps back as a thud comes from down the street.
Another changeling crashes to the ground, the sun glinting off the knife.
But then thuds from everywhere. Changelings rain from the sky like flies. Each one cumples on the ground lifelessly, each with a knife sticking out of their head.
One changeling lands on a roof, still alive. It hisses at everything around it, until it spots Apple Bloom and spreads it’s wings.
A knife comes out of nowhere, embedding itself in it’s skull, and causing it to tumble off the roof without any life in it’s body.
Apple Bloom glances all around as the final changeling falls, and the street is littered with their bodies. Even the ones she kept tied up now had knives in their head.
She is caught completly off guard when a vine catches a knife right in front of her face.
She looks down the blade, her mind racing about how close that was. But then she feels the vines move again, and finds a new knife being held an inch from her body.
Three knives come flying from behind a building, all caught right before impact.
Apple Bloom drops all the knives, and stamps down her hoof, “Whoever you are, look me in the eye! If- If you’re gonna kill creatures, then I’m gonna stop you! C-come on!”
The knives stop their flight. A few seconds pass.
A boot shows itself, walking out of an alley. A pair of dark jeans travel up two slender legs. Then white, in the form of a hoodie covered in dried blood.
Then the face emerges, and Apple Bloom almost feels like throwing up.
Slender’s problem was not enough mouth and eyes. This creature... obviously overcorrected.
His eyes are permanently wide open, and a smile stays permanently on his face. Dark, unkempt, and greasy hair offsets the pure white face, and is probably the best thing to look at on his face.
The man takes step after exaggerated step out. He takes a similarly exaggerated bow, “Here I was, thinking this world would not have any challenge to present. But what do I get? Captain Plant-It!” He snickers a bit, “That’s a nice trick you’ve got there, makes me want to practice purely so I can beat you in ranged and claim I’ve improved. Almost like killing a boss who has physical resistance with a sword.” He tilts his head, “Ah, you don’t get that, do you? None of that.” He rolls his head, “Fine, guess it’s time I introduce myself. Jeff, the Killer.”
Apple Bloom tries her best to uphold her confidence, not letting her trembling show, “Y-yeah, I got the Killer part.”
He shakes his head, “No, no, I mean that’s literally my name. Jeff the Killer. First middle and last.” He then looks at Apple Bloom again, “You know, I see a child like you carrying such a strange power, and with such strong confidence, it reminds me of someone.” He slips a knife out of his sleeve, and puts out his tounge. He draws the knife across it, cutting it open, and then breathing in through the taste of blood. His eyes somehow widen even more, “Oh, yes, I get it. You’re one of his Proxies. Guess this is where he disappeared to.”
Apple Bloom steps forward, “Wait, you know him?”
Jeff sighs, and slips out at least five knives for each hand. He fans them out, “Guess I actually have to improve then.” He bows to Apple Bloom, “See you later.” He then throws the knives in every direction around him, and disappears back into the alley.
The knives all land perfectly, one in the center of each door. So that it a pony were to open it, they would see the knife in their face, and see the mark it made.