//------------------------------// // Nightmare // Story: The Element of Fear // by teganaxis //------------------------------// I still get nightmares. In fact, I get them so often I should be used to them by now. I'm not. No one ever really gets used to nightmares. - Mark Z(ebra). Danielewski --- Luna's moon hung heavily in the night sky, casting its silver rays across the star-dappled heavens. The Moon Princess exhaled deeply, sighing as, once again, their search yielded nothing. A cloud of condensed breath punctuated her bad mood, billowing out and away into the freezing wind. Nopony, it seemed, knew where Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash had gotten off to. "O-Oh... um... are you sure...?" Fluttershy's shy voice reached the alicorn's ears, followed by a grunted 'yes' and the slamming of a door. The timid pegasus frowned, hiding her face behind her mane. "Um... okay..." She said quietly, turning away from the small house with her head down. Further down the road, Luna could hear Applejack's voice, colored by irritation. "Listen here, sugarcube, Ah know its the middle of the night, and Ah know you're trying to get some sleep, but this is a dang emergency! We need everypony's help if we're going to-" The door slammed shut on her face. Cursing loudly, the farmer bucked a nearby tree in agitation. The Moon Princess heard Twilight begging for any information regarding the two missing Elements. Unfortunately, she met with the same results. "Consarnit! Stinking good-for-nothing..." Applejack growled under her breath, trotting angrily back to Luna. The section of Ponyville they were searching had produced absolutely zero information on the ponies in question, and so did the last one; and the last one... and the last one... and the last one. The alicorn sympathized with the orange mare's frustration, but she knew they couldn't afford to lose focus. Not with the danger looming over the small town still at large. "Noble Applejack," Luna said, lunar mane rippling in the frigid air, "I understand why you're angry, but we can't afford to lose focus. Please, calm down." Snorting, the earth pony laid down on the cold soil and crossed her hooves. After a few seconds, she sighed. "Ahm sorry, Princess, it's just-" Applejack looked away, concern etched on her face. "...Ahm just worried is all." Luna smiled knowingly, walking to the distraught mare. The princess put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "I know. We'll find them." The lunar alicorn promised sternly, a determined look in her eyes. "I swear it." The earth pony gave a little smile and nodded silently. Fluttershy flew back to them, looking discouraged. "Nopony here knows anything either..." She said sadly, shaking her head. Twilight appeared in a flash of purple magic. "No luck on my end." The lavender unicorn sighed, pulling out a long piece of parchment and a quill. With a quick stroke of magic, she marked off the whole east side of Ponyville as searched. That still left the west, south, and north areas, of course... The princess stood straighter. "We just have to search the next place, then. Come on." Luna began to trot off as the three ponies dejectedly followed. They had only searched for around an hour, but the fear of the unknown was beginning to get to them. What was this mysterious menace that occupied their village? Why was it taking ponies? ...And what was it doing to them? Luna swore her charges would never have to find out. The creature would take her friends over her dead body. Not an idle statement, considering the alicorn was immortal. But she had to wonder what this creature could do to make Celestia so uneasy. It was possible to injure an alicorn, but to kill one with brute force would take strength and tenacity on a god-like level. Perhaps, instead, the creature posed a different threat. Not one of the flesh, but of the mind. If the lunar princess met this creature, she deduced, she would have to guard her thoughts just as much as her body, if not more. "Girls... what is that...?" Fluttershy spoke up, gaze directed towards the west. The rest of the party followed her eyes, and, in doing so, gasped in surprise. A pillar of windy, charcoal black smoke stretched into the night sky, its dark body obscuring the twinkling stars above. A faint glow shined dully at its base, revealing the source of the great tower. The four ponies stared in astonishment at the sight, before Applejack suddenly jolted forward, hooves pounding on the stone pavement. "Applejack!" Twilight called, chasing after the farmer mare. Behind her, she saw Luna and Fluttershy take to the air, preferring to pursue with their wings instead of their legs. Princess Luna watched the pillar of smoke wearily. It had to be a trap. Or, at the very least, a bad omen. "Applejack!" Twilight called again, panting. "We can't just rush in! Wait!" The orange pony racing ahead of her didn't bother to look back as she replied, voice full of panic. "Twi! That's Rarity's place! Mah sis is in there!" She shouted, pouring on the speed. Twilight was quickly outpaced by the athletic pony, but hardly noticed. Her mind was racing. Did it attack Rarity? Could Celestia's promise of safety if they simply remained indoors be false? Swooping down beside her sister's protege, Luna offered a hoof to the exhausted mare. The lunar princess grimaced. "If what Applejack said is true, your friend could be in a lot of trouble. Take my hoof, I'll fly you there." Twilight gritted her teeth, shaking her head. What if they couldn't get to Rarity before it took her? She wouldn't let another mistake allow that thing to harm her friends. "No time. I'll meet you there." was all she said. Luna had no time to protest before the lavender mare disappeared in another flash of purple light. Growling in frustration, the alicorn streamlined her body in an attempt to go faster. Fluttershy was barely keeping up; Applejack galloped underneath the two fliers at an equal pace. It would be impossible for Luna to pursue Twilight with teleportation of her own and still protect these two. All she could do was quicken her pace, and pray the creature did not find the book mare before she did. --- The world rushed into focus around Twilight as her spell faded away, leaving a dull purple after-glow in the wake of her magic. Tall, dark buildings surrounded her on all sides, and the cold stone of a newly paved road lay under her hooves. Houses that looked welcoming and warm in the day only looked cold and foreboding in the light of Luna's moon. In the distance, she could spot the collapsed remains of the Carousel Boutique, a skeleton of wood and ash expelling smoke into the wide open sky. Any other pony would've wondered if their friend had been trapped in the wreckage, but there was a reason Twilight had cancelled her teleport before she reached her destination. Casting her magic out into the dark street, the purple pony used a spell Celestia had taught her in order to find strands of left-over magic, residue from recently used spells that could help a careless teleporter retrace her steps. However, it could also, if utilized correctly, track the whereabouts of any unicorn in a small area. Twilight had come up with this alternative use herself, after a particularly long night of studying while also having to care for Rarity's sister, Sweetie Belle. Needless to say, the bookworm's study habits were not conducive to good foal-sitting, and before she knew it the filly had wandered off. A tweak there, a change here, and Twilight had her very own unicorn tracking spell. She was pleased she got to use it again, if a little disturbed by the circumstances of the whole situation. Her version of the spell also had the unique ability to foretell the mood of her quarry. Bright and smooth wavelengths were associated with positive feelings, while generally dark and rough wavelengths correspond with the negative ones. She had discovered this tidbit when, totally not cheating, she played hide n' seek with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The game didn't last very long. Twilight confirmed her suspicion. In the wake of her spell, a muddy blue thread of magic elegantly curved through the air, stretching out from the mare's position into a small back alley, shrouded by darkness. It was Rarity's magical wavelength, to be sure, but the lavender unicorn could barely recognize it. Not only was the strand a much darker color than usual (it was usually a brilliant sky blue), but thin black tendrils weaved themselves in and out of the thread- coiling around Rarity's signature like a snake around its prey. The airborne line shook gently, revealing its owner's slight anxiety. Concerned, Twilight followed the thread to the entrance of the alley, where the foreboding darkness of the place prevented her advance. She looked inside, squinting her eyes, unaware of the wavelength's sudden change. The small vibration was replaced by a violent shaking, the mysterious strands of black tightened around the magical thread. Seconds of silence passed. A flash of white and purple emerged from the darkness, tackling Twilight to the ground and pinning her hooves by her side. Yelping in surprise and fear, it took Celestia's protege a few moments to identify the heavily breathing mare on top of her through the swelling and blood. Rarity stood atop her purple friend, face swollen badly where she had been struck by something hard. The fashion mare's usually spotless coat and mane were disheveled and ash-covered, with small first-degree burns peppered through-out the sides of her flanks, shining a bright red. A pony-sized bite mark adorned the white unicorn's right hind-leg, the wound as red as the burns. Even when including all the small cuts and bruises, it was painfully obvious to Twilight that the blood she was drenched in was not all her's. What threw Twilight off the most, however, was her friend's eyes. They burned with desperation and some deep, unfathomable anger that discomforted the librarian greatly. In her peripheral vision, Twilight could see a small yellow filly shuffle out of the darkness behind her guardian, eyes wide and on the verge of tears. Applebloom looked like she hadn't slept in a week; dark bags were under her eyes, and her mane and tail were as frazzled as Rarity's. The filly's expression revealed her fear, her nervous glance locked onto the two Element Bearers. The genius unicorn had less than a second to process all of this information before Rarity regained her breath. The alabaster mare's eye twitched, betraying the difficulty she was having in controlling herself. "You..." She began, hooves shaking with pent up energy. "Twilight... are you... you?" Rarity spoke haltingly, her eyes occasionally sparking dangerously, as if she would pounce any moment. The fashionista's magic wavelength became blacker as the strands of darkness grew, engorging themselves on Rarity's negative emotions. Stunned by her friend's behavior, Twilight found herself at a loss of words, moving her mouth uselessly in an effort to say something to calm the fashion pony down. What the buck did she mean, are you you? The imagery; Twilight's mouth unable to form words, her eyes confused and wide, did nothing to calm the crazed mare down. In fact, it only seemed to make Rarity angrier. The shaking in the white mare's wavelength reached a fever pitch as, to Twilight's horror, Rarity raised her hoof high into the air. The ungodly fury reflected in the fashionista's eyes left no doubt what she would do with it. Applebloom jumped forward, latching onto Rarity's non-swollen leg, tears pouring from her eyes. "Rarity! NO!!" She squealed, attempting in vain to pull the alabaster unicorn off of Twilight. Sensing she might be in actual danger, the librarian managed to force words from her disobeying mouth. The white hoof began to descend... "W-What?! Rarity please! It's me, Twilight!!" She yelled, cringing behind her free right hoof. After a few seconds of nothing, she cracked open her eyes hesitantly. The hoof had stopped halfway, its owner trembling, struggling to regain control of her senses. Wide eyed, Twilight watched as the tiny remaining amount of blue in the fashion mare's wavelength began to fight back against the bulging black tendrils. After a few seconds of internal battle, the dark strands had been reduced to their original size, the diluted azure color of Rarity's magic again taking the forefront. The boutique owner herself reeled backwards, as if bucked in the head, releasing her purple captive. Twilight heard Applebloom sigh shakily in relief, happy the crisis had been averted. "Twi-... Twilight...?" Dazed, Rarity looked up at the librarian as if she had just seen her for the first time. The fashionista looked to her hooves, then to a relieved (but still wary) Applebloom, before resting her eyes on a confused and scared Twilight. After a brief moment of silence, realization dawned on the white mare's face, her deep blue eyes filling with guilt. "Oh-... oh no...! Are you alright, dear?!" The fashion mare looked as if she wanted to embrace Twilight and never let go, but she merely bit her lip and stood back. The lavender unicorn rose to her feet, shivering in the cold night air. At least, that's what she told herself. She wasn't shaking because she was afraid of one of her best friends. That would be impossible. "I'm fine, Rarity. What happened to you, though? Are you okay?" The librarian asked in concern, quickly approaching her distressed companion. She unconsciously let go of her tracking spell, allowing the strange blue line to fade from her view. The black strands she had observed left her uneasy. Usually, Twilight would've concluded Rarity was under the influence of a spell...but the dark tendrils simply did not feel like another pony's magic. In fact, they didn't feel like anything at all. They were just...there. For now, the strange phenomenon would remain a mystery. The other unicorn evaded her question, taking a few steps back from the advancing mare. "I... I didn't hurt you did I...?" Rarity almost whispered, refusing to meet Twilight's worried gaze. The bookworm shook her head vigorously, finally reaching the fashionista. She put a comforting hoof on her friend's shoulder, careful to avoid the dark purple bruise that had blossomed there. "Rarity, of course not. You would never hurt your friends." She stating, fully believing in that fact. The white unicorn raised her face, the look in her eyes betraying uncertainty. "And that's what I am. Your friend." Twilight continued gently, smiling. "So please, talk to me. What... what happened? What did this to you?" Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but closed it just as quickly, turning away from the concerned lavender unicorn. Sorrow and deep-seated guilt were plastered all over her face. Desperately confused, Twilight's heart wrenched at the sight of her dejected companion. How could she help her friend if she wouldn't tell her what happened? A small tugging sensation on her hind-leg drew Twilight out of her thoughts, bringing her attention to the small foal that had quietly tip-toed behind her. Applebloom lightly clung to the purple mare's leg, staring at Rarity with a mixture of sadness and caution. The sight brought another question to the librarian's lips. "Where are Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?" Rarity turned around, her muzzle twisted into a snarl. Madness had seeped back into her features at the mention of her sister and the other crusader. Twilight took a step back, wondering if she had said something wrong. Applebloom whimpered. The sound of wings flapping and hooves pounding was heard, breaking the tense silence. "Applebloom!" Twilight felt the young filly on her leg leap at the the familiar voice. "Sis! Sis!" The yellow earth pony quickly galloped away to meet her sister, tears of relief streaming down her muzzle. Applejack's eyes immediately filled with their own tears. "Applebloom! Thank goodness you're okay!" The farmer swept the sobbing filly up into a tight hug, the two savoring their reunion as Fluttershy and Luna came in for a landing. Twilight smiled at the display, but found herself unconsciously inching away from her fashionista friend. The white mare still simmered under the surface, but had regained at least a semblance of composure. She watched the reunion with a happy, albeit somewhat regretful, smile. Fluttershy grinned softly, approaching Applejack and Applebloom. "Oh, I'm so happy you're all right." She said, happily ruffling the small filly's mane. Luna, however, ignored the happy siblings. She trotted angrily towards Twilight. "Twilight Sparkle." She began, voice edging towards Royal levels. "You will never do that again. Do you understand me?" The purple unicorn nodded quickly, but was convinced she did the right thing. Twilight did feel a bit guilty about disregarding Luna's order to stay together, but if she hadn't, they might not have found Rarity. "Rarity! Oh my goodness! Are you okay??" Fluttershy was by her spa friend's side the moment she saw her, her face twisted in concern. Tears threatened at the corners of the pegasus's eyes, and she bit her lip so hard Twilight thought she might start bleeding. "What happened to you? Oh... Oh..." The animal handler looked ready to break down. The (former) boutique owner looked alarmed by the sudden display of worry. Shaking her head, Rarity smiled a little too widely, waving her non-bitten hoof in a gesture of dismissal. "O-Oh, dear, it's nothing. Really, j-just a few scratches. I'm fine." "Sugarcube, you look anything but fine. What in tarnation happened to you?" Applejack piped up, withdrawing from her tight embrace with Applebloom. Concern for her sister had been replaced with concern for her best friend. The farmer took a step towards Rarity, only to be stopped by a gentle tug from Applebloom. The orange mare turned to see an urgent caution in her sister's eyes, warning Applejack away from her injured friend. Applejack raised an eyebrow, but stayed with her sister, puzzled by her reaction. "I-I... um... just fell down some steps is all...-" Rarity's voice cracked, her lips beginning to tremble. "U-um, I...- I...-" The white unicorn looked like a dam about to break open, pent up emotions and despair plain on her face. Twilight smiled gently, walking to her beaten friend. "Rarity. We're your friends. We're all here for you." She whispered, pushing her uneasiness aside to embrace her friend in a tight hug. "Buh... I-..." Fluttershy joined in the embrace as the fashionista's walls began to crumble. "I... I... Uwaaaaaaaaaaahh!!" Rarity broke down. The friends stood there like that for several minutes while Rarity's eyes drained themselves of all the built-up emotions and anxieties that had been forced down. Luna stood there in solemn, respectful silence. Applejack desperately wanted to join her friends, but Applebloom's tugs became progressively more forceful the more the farmer tried to get to them. Frustrated, Applejack twisted around to look at her sister. "What, consarnit?! Ah love you Applebloom, but I-" The orange pony stopped in her tracks. The look in her sister's eyes wasn't caution anymore, but fear. "Don't go to her," she whispered, "Please." Rarity's sobs had quieted down. Applejack opened her mouth to ask why, but Luna's authoritative voice cut off the farmer's unsaid question. "What happened, Rarity?" Luna spoke, softly but firmly. Twilight and Fluttershy released their friend, shooting the beaten mare one last smile of encouragement. At the Princess's mention of the events at the boutique, however, Rarity's eyes seemed to grow distant. She stood there, off in her own world, for a few moments, before her pupils snapped back into brutal focus, the pale blue orbs burning with fire. All signs of her breakdown disappeared, making the wounded fashionista look more like a angry demon than a scared, crying victim. "That thing," She hissed, pawing at the ground with her hoof. "It...-" Once again, the fire faded from Rarity's body as quickly as it came. Twilight compared its sudden coming and going to the patients at the mental hospital she had visited over the summer. What had the doctors called it? Multiple Personality Disorder? Rarity sighed deeply in sorrow. "-...It took them. It took Scootaloo, and...-" the mare grunted, eyes sparking dangerously, "...my sister..." Applebloom squeaked pathetically. Fluttershy gasped. Luna's eyes narrowed. "This creature. Does it have a name?" Rarity stayed silent for a while. "...Slendermane. Its name is Slendermane." she intoned. The white unicorn seemed to notice something. "Why are you all out at this time of night? And why is Luna here?" Twilight stepped forward. "We got a message warning us about the monster. Luna's here to make sure we're alright." The librarian looked uncomfortable. "We're out here because we think it has Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, but we don't know anything about it or even what this... Slendermane... looks like." The purple unicorn explained, drawing an astonished look from Rarity. Applebloom leapt forward, grasping Twilight's hooves tightly. Celestia's protege recoiled in surprise. "What did you say?" The filly asked urgently, tone frantic. "I-I said we think it has Pinkie and Rainbo-" "NO!! It can't have them! Please, please tell me you're kidding!" Applebloom's lips began to tremble. Luna shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid we aren't." The filly shook her head in disbelief. "No... No way..." She whispered, releasing Twilight to walk slowly back to her sister. She trotted slowly, as if in a daze. Applejack rushed to meet her, pulling her into another tight embrace. "W-Why... why is this happening..." the filly sobbed. The Princess of the Night watched the scene quietly for a moment, before turning back to a shocked Rarity. "You have met the creature. Tell us about it. In order to stand a chance of rescuing your friends and your sister, we need all the information you can give us." Gritting her teeth, the alabaster mare opened her mouth to speak before abruptly closing it. She glanced around frantically, as if suddenly remembering something, before turning on her hooves and rushing back into the alleyway. "W-wait! You need to help her first!" The fashionista shouted over her shoulder, leaving a frustrated Luna behind. The Princess decided not to pursue, as the alleyway was a dead end and she didn't want to leave the other ponies alone. Fluttershy looked to Twilight anxiously, a questioning look on her face. All Twilight could do was shrug. At first, the ponies only heard the sound of Rarity's hooves. Then, after several moments, they were joined by the sound of something wet dragging along beside them. Then came the smell. Applebloom began to tremble. When Rarity emerged from the darkness dragging what looked like a rotting bag of meat from the alley, it was all Twilight could do to not vomit on the spot. Applejack and Fluttershy, however, were not quite as lucky, quickly emptying their stomachs onto the cold stone road. Luna stepped back in alarm, wings flaring outwards at the gruesome sight. As a princess, and as somepony who had made many before, the alicorn knew a corpse when she saw one. Rarity dropped the unrecognizable pony down onto the ground, a wretched smile crossing her lips. Applebloom hid her face in her sister's coat, trying to drown out the image of the dead pony. "Y-you can help her, right?" Rarity asked futilely, a hint of madness in her voice. "I-It's not that bad, right?" Staying silent for several moments, Luna stared intently at the hopeful mare. It was only now that the Princess began to realize just how poor the fashionista's mental condition really was. Her suspicions about Slendermane's ability to wage mental warfare were beginning to prove themselves true. "Dear Rarity..." The alicorn spoke softly. "That pony is dead." "Sweet lord!" Applejack exclaimed in horror. "Is that... Is that Missus Cake?!" Fluttershy had passed out, but Applejack and Twilight had had enough composure left to take a closer look at the body. Sure enough, through the blood-matted coat and the purple of bruises, a cutie mark of three strawberry cupcakes was still visible, if barely so. Rarity continued to gaze uncomprehendingly at Luna, mouth bent in a mad half smile, as if awaiting the punchline of a good joke. "No." The note of denial hung in the air for a whole minute before Luna could bring herself to shake her head. "Rarity..." "No." Twilight looked to Applejack in concern, worried about Rarity's behavior. From the look in the farmer's eyes, she felt the same way. Luna's gaze hardened, sensing the change in Rarity's voice. "Rarity. Mrs. Cake is no longer with us." "Liar!" the alabaster mare hissed, teeth bared aggressively. Her eyes burned once again with that foreign fire, but this time it was directed at Luna. Luna tensed at the sudden surge of killing intent, preparing to defend herself and the others if Rarity decided to attack. Applebloom screamed. "Sweet Celestia..." Twilight breathed. "What in the world-?!" Applejack leapt back to stand defensively over her sibling, who cowered behind her big sister. They both looked somewhere to Luna's right. Even without looking, the Princess knew it was there. She could feel it. Rarity ceased hostilities towards Luna, only to gasp and jump backwards at the sight of the apparition. "Y-You!" she seemingly growled and whimpered at the same time, her face a conflicting mess of fear and pure anger. The atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating, but Luna was no foal. Energy surged through her body, muscles tensing for the fight. Flash! Eldritch lightning leapt from the tip of her horn, lancing through the air as the Moon Princess whipped around to face her foe. The deadly magic hit nothing but stone; whatever was there was not anymore. "Behind me!" Luna commanded, spreading her wings protectively around the small ponies. All was quiet, save for an occasional whimper from Applebloom. "What... was that thing...?" Twilight Sparkle continued to stare at the smoking mark left by Luna's magic, unable to forget the creature that stood there. Applejack shivered. "Ah don't know, and Ah don't wanna know," she gulped, "But what Ah do know is that that thing has our friends!" Twilight nodded shakily, wiping the sweat from her brow. "W-We'll help fight, Luna. We want to save Pinkie and the others as much as you do-" "No, Twilight Sparkle." Luna replied, scanning their surroundings anxiously. "While I have no doubt its physical power is great..." The lunar alicorn glanced over at Rarity. "It's not its strength I'm worried about. Until we know exactly what it can do, I need you stay calm, and just trust me." Twilight, terrified of the whole situation, gladly agreed. "There you are!" Rarity growled, dashing to Luna's right. The Moon Princess whipped around, grabbing the fashionista with her magic and yanking her backwards. "Let me go! Let me go!" Rarity screamed, thrashing in Luna's grip. "Twilight! Hold her down!" Luna ordered, handing the crazed mare off to Twilight. Celestia's protege nodded gravely, using her own magic to pin Rarity to the cobble road. Luna, free of distractions, turned to face the beast. Slendermane stood expectantly in the moonlight, its many tentacles hanging limply at its sides. It cocked its head inquisitively. The midnight alicorn smiled darkly. "Look at you. Are you trying to scare me?" Luna scoffed. "You've made a big mistake, facing me in battle. Prepare to die." Slendermane looked unimpressed. At least, that was the impression Luna got after it suddenly appeared inches from her face. "Gah!" Luna teleported herself and the others backwards, narrowly dodging the barrage of tendrils. The Moon Princess's horn glowed menacingly. "Not bad. My turn." Bolts of lightning ripped through the night air, screaming towards the tall creature. Silently, effortlessly, it dodged every one. A black tentacle whipped forward, missing Luna by a hair's length. Trying a different approach, the alicorn focused a laser at Slendermane. Sweeping the weaponized light horizontally, Luna managed to corral the monster right into her trap. The magical floor rune shined brightly as it activated, stopping Slendermane in its tracks. The laser cut neatly through the abomination, slicing it cleanly in two. Luna cheered savagely, sure of her victory. "It's not over." Rarity whispered, wide-eyed. Crack! Why don't they love me? I work hard! I work just as hard as her! Slendermane's tentacle rebounded off the alicorn's skull. It had escaped from Luna's trap. The appendage felt cold and sticky. Why should I love them if they don't love me? Why should I work hard to please them if everything I do is ignored?! What makes her better than me?! "Luna! Are you okay?!" Twilight cried, shaking the dazed alicorn. Slendermane didn't attack again. It just stood there, watching as Luna struggled against herself. Something dark stirred, deep in the princess's heart. "She sees them." Rarity said. The white mare shook violently. Nothing! Nothing makes her better than me! The moon is just as good as the sun! No! It's better! "Agh..." Luna fell to her knees. She was trembling. "Luna?! Please, tell me you're alright!" "Get up, Princess!" They'll never love me. Not as long as that wretched sun still hangs in the sky. "P-Princess, please! Answer us!" If I can't rule along with my sister... "Princess!" ...Then I will rule without her. An evil, and very familiar, laugh echoed in Luna's skull. 'Kill them all.' Luna roared, leaping to her hooves in a flurry of midnight feathers. No more holding back. The alicorn's horn exploded into blinding silver light. This spell would end it. End it all. "Sister! Enough!" Luna stopped, jolted by the sound of Celestia's voice. What was she doing? Thinking fast, the princess turned her horn skyward. The spell was released into the night sky; a massive pillar of destruction that most certainly would have destroyed Ponyville had it been loosed where Slendermane stood. Horn depleted, Luna breathed heavily. Was... was she really going to go through with that? If Celestia hadn't shown up, would she have burned Ponyville to the ground? "Celestia!" Twilight rushed over to her mentor, embracing the great alicorn. Celestia smiled warmly, but looked at Luna wearily. The midnight alicorn herself searched for her quarry frantically. Slendermane was gone. "Princess! Ahm so glad you're here!" Applejack cried, running to greet the princess along with Fluttershy and Applebloom. 'Look at them. Look how happy they are.' a sinister voice said in Luna's head. 'They think she's better than you.' Rarity, free from her bonds, looked knowingly at Luna. Without a word, the fashionista trotted to Celestia's side. "Hello, everypony. I'm so glad you're alright." Celestia said. She turned to Luna. "I'm glad I got here when I did. You did an excellent job protecting them, sister." "I...-" Luna's voice caught in her throat. "...where did it go?" Celestia looked sadly at her sister. "I think I have an idea." She glanced around. "I don't see Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Where are they?" Applebloom sobbed. "S-Slendermane got them! It took Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo too!" Celestia bit her lip. "I... see. That complicates things." The Sun Princess levitated out an ornate box. She opened it, revealing the glittering jewels of the Elements of Harmony. "Here. Take them." The mares took their pieces. "These will be our weapons against Slendermane. All we need to do is corner it and use these on it." Celestia stated. The white alicorn looked uneasy, as if she didn't believe her plan would actually work. "B-but..." Fluttershy spoke up, "Without Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, we can't use them..." Celestia nodded. "I know. But I also know where we can find them. And Slendermane." Rarity stood at attention. "You know where that monster is?" she demanded, eyes fierce. Celestia flinched away from Rarity, surprised by the fashionista's passion. The Sun Goddess recognized the madness inside the mare; she should, because she once possessed it herself. "...Yes." she said quietly. Celestia walked closer to Rarity, eyes full of sadness. Rarity glared but did not budge. "Oh, Rarity..." Celestia whispered, "I'm so sorry..." The alicorn's horn lit up, and Rarity was engulfed in the gentle folds of Celestia's sun magic. A minute passed and the magic faded away. Rarity was healed. "...Thank you, princess." the fashion mare said. Despite this, the look in Rarity's eyes did not change. The damage was on the inside, not the outside. Celestia nodded sadly, aware she hadn't done much good. She turned to face the rest of the ponies. "...As I was saying, I know where Slendermane is. Our mission is to find your friends, hunt Slendermane down, and destroy it. Any questions?" "Where is it, then?" Luna asked. The midnight princess rubbed her head. She had a huge headache. Celestia's eyes looked far away. "Long ago, Slendermane lived in a special forest. I burned it down, but..." Celestia snapped back to reality. "A new one has grown in its place." Twilight's eyes widened in comprehension. "Slendermane is in the Everfree Forest." Celestia nodded. "Yes." Luna stepped forward, eager to distract herself from the voice in her head. "Let's go then. There's no time to lose." Celestia shook her head. "No, Luna. Stay here with Applebloom. She'll be safer with you." 'She wants to leave you behind.' "I'll be more useful if I can fight, sister." Luna struggled to keep anger from seeping into her voice. The Moon Princess's ears started to ring softly. Celestia stared at Luna for a moment, analyzing her. "...No. I think it would be better if you stayed here." 'She doesn't trust you. That bitch.' "...you don't... trust me, sister?" Luna echoed her inner voice. Celestia smiled warmly. "Of course I trust you. I'm entrusting you with the safety of an entire town. These ponies need you. We will manage." Luna opened her mouth to respond, but Celestia cut her off with a hoof. "Luna, please. Just trust me." 'Pah. Hypocrite.' "Come, everypony," Celestia said, "Twilight, can you please teleport us to the Everfree Forest? I wish to preserve my magic, for the time being." Twilight nodded. The Elements and Celestia gathered around her, and all together they disappeared in a flash of light. --- 'She's always eager to leave you behind, isn't she? Eager to steal all the love for herself.' Luna shook her head in denial. 'No... No...! I love Celestia!' she told herself. It had been ten minutes since Celestia departed for the Everfree. Applebloom walked alongside the alicorn silently. They were heading to Sweet Apple Acres to check to see if the filly's family was alright. Ever since Celestia left, the voice had been talking nonstop. 'Do you really? Or do you force yourself to think that, so you don't get sent back to the moon?' 'I...' 'Don't you remember? The waiting? The starvation? How badly we wished we weren't immortal, just so we could die?' '...' The ringing in Luna's ears was getting louder. '...Do you remember how good it felt, slicing that monster in half?' the voice cackled. 'We were born to rule. We were born to kill.' Luna stopped walking. Applebloom turned, a curious look on her face. "Luna?" 'I-I don't want to kill anypony...' 'Liar. Liar.' "Ungh..." Luna clenched her eyes shut. Applebloom began to look worried. "Luna, are you okay?" 'You're... you're not real. Slendermane put you in my head.' The voice laughed. 'No. I've always been here. Slendermane did nothing but open your ears. Luna collapsed to the ground. The ringing. "Luna!" Applebloom cried, rushing to the princess's side. 'Face it, Luna. We were born above these pathetic worms. "I... I was born above..." Luna repeated quietly. Applebloom was scared now. "What? Please, let's just go. Please, Luna!" The filly started crying. "Come on! What if Slendermane comes back?" Lightning flashed. Applebloom's charred corpse fell to the ground, her face forever locked into an expression of shock. Nightmare Moon rose to her hooves. "Sweet, sweet Applebloom..." the Nightmare purred, flexing her wings. She smiled wickedly, basking in the light of her moon. "Slendermane is not the only monster on the prowl tonight."