//------------------------------// // Shades of Madness // Story: The Best Poker Face // by Chemtest //------------------------------// Slender rushes down the street, so panicked that he forgets to teleport. Ponies rush all around, screaming and in a panic, unaware of where they should be running. Slender throws Apple Bloom to the ground, “Lead them to the Everfree!” Apple Bloom nods, but Slender doesn’t even look down to see it. No, he’s already further down the street. He finally makes it to the town square, instantly absorbing the situation. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are tied up, and Jeff stands by them, knife drawn. He looks up from the tool as Slender arrives, “You are late, did you know that? You know, I hoped I was just going mad. Well, more so than usual. I mean, what else could explain Slendy being this way? But here you are, panicking so much that you forgot to teleport. Slendy would never panic, he would never care, he would never speak. So, tell me, who are you?” Slender looks right at Jeff, “Who I am doesn’t matter anymore. Who are you, and what do you want?” Jeff laughs, “Who am I? Jeff, Slendy, Jeff the Killer. What I want should be made obvious by the name.” He smiles wider, “Death. I don’t know if Slendy is still in there, but I’m going to act like he is.” He holds out his knife, and walks closer to Slendy, away from the hostages, “Your death has been my wish ever since I took over this weak, pathetic creature. The Spirit of Fear is a title that should belong to me! Men no longer fear the faceless creature in the forest, but rather his fellow man! You are outdated, and I am your successor! Ever since the Cold War, people have not trusted each other.” He stops halfway between the hostages and Slender, “Little Jeffrey Woods could become Jeff the Killer, and that terrifies people.” Slender looks behind him, where Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle look at him with pleading eyes. He looks back to Jeff, “You want my life? Very well then.” He drops from his fighting stance, and sighs, “Release the ponies, and return to Earth. I shall give you my life.” Jeff stands there for a second, absorbing what he said. He slips two knives out, and throws them behind him. They cut the ropes holding the fillies, setting them free. Jeff laughs some more, “Alright, alright, gotta admit you almost had me convinced. Yeah, sure, I will let the hostages out.” He holds the knife out, getting close to the ground, “Come on, let’s go!” Slender holds his hands up, “I won’t fight you, Jeff. You have done one part of the deal, all I need is for you to promise you will complete the other part.” Jeff takes a step back, rising out of his fighting stance, “Yeah, ha-ha, good joke. Come on, quit joking with me.” Slender takes a firm stance, “I will not fight you!” Jeff stares, his mind rushing to keep up, “You- you are serious? You are actually surrendering? You will not fight me?” Slender walks closer, “You can change, Jeff, I know you can. If that requires my death, then I am willing to take that risk.” Jeff doesn’t even move, just staring blankly ahead, “You’re kidding me, right? This can’t be real, no, it’s impossible.” Slender gets right in front of him. He kneels down, face to face with Jeff. He spreads his arms, and wraps them around Jeff. Slender... is hugging Jeff. Jeff stands there as Slender wraps him in embrace. His mind bounces around like a screensaver. His mind is unable to comprehend the current turn of events. Slender continues on, ignoring the voice shouting in his head. He knows that Jeffrey doesn’t want to be a Killer. Jeff begins to seethe in rage, and moves his arm up with a shout. Slender feels it immediately. A pain unlike any he has ever felt in his life. Slender lets go of Jeff, standing up. He looks down, only to see a knife stuck right where his heart is. His suit begins to be soaked as blood rushes out. He coughs, feeling blood get all over his face, staining the pure white. He falls over onto his back, and continues to cough up blood. Jeff rips the knife out of Slender’s heart, and screams again, “Why won’t you fight!?” He stabs down, not even caring where the blow lands. He unleashes a flurry of stabs, “Fight me! Kill me!” He stabs down one final time, back into Slender’s heart, “Make me fear!” Jeff begins to break down into sobs, salty tears running down his face. Jeffrey looks at what he did to Slender, and crawls away. Jeffrey throws up, and continues to sob, “Why? Why Jeff? He was giving you a chance!” Jeff laughs, “Oh man, Slendy’s going to enjoy hearing about this imposter!” Jeffery growls, and stands back up, “I am ashamed of you! You are a monster! We’ll die, Jeff, and I will be happy!” Jeff returns to laughing, “Oh, we’ll die? At least we’ll do it in a bath of other’s blood!” Jeffrey grapples for control, his rage so great that he can almost combat Jeff. Jeff suddenly takes control, however, when they are punched in the side by a fist of vines. Apple Bloom looks at Slender, and the tears in her eyes evaporate with the sheer rage that she feels. She looks towards Jeff, and summons all of that rage, “You’re going to die for that!” Jeff lands on his feet, drawing a knife. He laughs, “A new victim!” Apple Bloom launches vines towards him. He weaves through them like it was a dance. He ducks under a blow, moves his head just barely out of the way of another, and jumps high into the air as vines come from below his feet. Apple Bloom continues to unleash her endless barrage of attacks. Jeff lands right in front of her, completly unscathed. He lunges forward with his knife, catching Apple Bloom off guard. But the blow never lands. A white hand has wrapped itself around Jeff’s arm. It glows a very dark and black glow, exuding power. Jeff looks up and up, seeing a suit covered in dry blood. The red is almost completly hidden behind the darkness of the glow. He finally looks the man in the face. Slenderman looks down at Jeff, “No.”