//------------------------------// // Your Friendly Neighborhood Slendermane // Story: Slendermane Takes Ponyville // by Silent Bob //------------------------------// Slendermane smiled on the inside, darting like a shooting star towards the edge of the woods. The trial was over: his case now rested in pieces. And with it, he had forever cemented his claim as the butcher of the Everfree Forest. Yet still, a part of him felt content: if those three little fillies judged him as a decent guy, he couldn't truly be an abomination, could he? He would always remain the misunderstood sentinel of the woods, but would it be so bad from now on? "I'm 'bad', and that's good. I'm not good, and that's not bad," he sang to himself. "I will never be anyone... but-" "Halt right there, criminal scum!" He ground to a halt. Standing before him, as if having come out of nowhere, was a plethora of ponies. He saw Princess Twilight, Granny Smith, Applejack, and even the Doctor and that weird-eyed assistant of his... who shot him a blank look. "Seriously?" she groaned. "That joke is older than you are!" "It's retro!" he argued. "Retro is cool! Elder Scrolls was one of the best board games ever made!" He grinned. "In fact, I used to play it all the time, but then I took an arrow to the - OOF!" Derpy landed a blow on the Doctor's knee. "I hate that joke even more..." she muttered. The Slendermane cocked his head in bafflement. "Woah - how did all of you-" He quickly cleared his throat, gaining strange looks from the crowd. "I mean- you foalish mortals dare challenge me?! Don't you know who I am?!" "Ya know, for a thing with no mouth, you still talk wayyyy too much," Twilight mumbled, her horn already powering up. "Bubble him, Twilight!" Granny Smith growled, glaring at the beast. "You think you could escape what's comin' to ya just like that? I knew this would happen, that's why I brought a stash of my friends here." She leveled her rifle. "I may be just an old mortal, but my mind's still as keen as it was all those years ago." Slendermane sighed slightly. Threatening an old lady was not something he wished to do: so he simply remained quiet. A bubble of purple soon surrounded him, though he didn't mind. There would always be a chance to escape at a later time, but there was no way it could be this one. As more and more guards and militia ponies poured into the scene, completely surrounding him with guns, crossbows, spears, and pies, Twilight spoke up: "Don't even try any mental tricks. The Doctor's modified his sonic thing to - uh..." she blinked towards him. "Cancel out high-band frequencies he can use against use," the Doctor said proudly. Twilight shook her head in shame. "How did I not remember that?" She then cleared her throat, before glaring back at the Slendermne. "Anyway, as Granny Smith has stated-" "I'm confiscating your eternal life," the Doctor pronounced. "As well as sentencing you to one hundred days community service! Now: it's off to jail with you! Nopony... or freaky tendril thing, breaks the law on my watch!" "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you," Derpy muttered. The Doctor grinned. "No you don't." The Slendermane stood stoic, resisting with all his might to chuckle at the duo's antics. Twilight let loose a deep sigh, before shooting the Slendermane with one last glare before pointing towards the Day Guard Barracks. "Guards, follow me!" she proclaimed. As the commotion continued, nopony realized they were being watched by the woodland's eyes. At first, there were only two pairs, one normal, and one glowing yellow. However, slowly, but surely, they multiplied, and soon it seemed as if the whole forest was watching the spectacle. "Fear stands alone," Princess Luna whispered to her nearby partner. "Now is the chance to intervene on his behalf." Wrath quickly nodded. "And uh - no killing stuff, right?" Luna glared at him. "If you value your existence, then I would advise against it." "Yeah yeah," he grunted. "I'm just glad you have me on a leash. Otherwise, my pack would be making glue tonight..." Luna gave a moan. "You're sure you're ready for this? On a scale to One to Ten, how pissed are you?" "Eight." "That's surprising." He chuckled darkly. "Mainly because it's funny seeing Slendermane get carted off in a purple bubble. Totally worth this." He then sighed. "However, I don't like acting like a prick, you know. It's just... my nature. So I suppose he's earned a little bit of help from his... 'friends' for all the crap I've given him." He grinned wickedly. "And my friends too!" Luna smiled at him, her eyes twinkling. "Thou art a noble demon in the end, Wrath. Bring forth good tidings of fear!" He smirked back at her. "Heh - I'm actually starting hate you a little less, you know. Just a little. Though I gotta ask: why aren't you helping out ole' Slendy?" She sighed slightly. "Because in the end: trust can't just be given away. I learned that the hard way. Now... commence Operation Howlstrum." "Yeah- alright," Wrath grunted. "But you should be banned from naming things, you know." Luna chuckled at him, and with that, he stuck his snout into the air, before echoing forth a tremendous howl. Fifty howls echoed back. As they approached the jail cell, the congregation escorting Slendermane halted, all glancing towards the Everfree Forest. "Again with the howling?" Applejack muttered. "What in the world is going on in there? Are the timberwolves having a family reunion?" Twilight swallowed hard at that, however, before pointing towards the forest. "Y-Yeah, and I think I know who's on the menu for dinner..." What? the Slendermane thought. "Huh?" Applejack said, squinting, before glancing, bewildered, at Twilight again. "Twilight, what do your alicorn eyes see? I don't see anything!" The group turned to her. She simpered slightly. "Uh... an army of Timberwolves... heading this way?" The group gasped at that, their ears perking at the sound of a low rumbling, a series of howls, and vicious snarls. A second later, what only Twilight could see came into view: a battalion of Timberwolves, heading right to town. Oh crap... "Oooohohoho nelly," Applejack gulped. "I've never seen a pack that big!" Granny Smith turned, glaring at the Slendermane. "Friends of yours?!" The Slendermane froze in place, even his tendrils. Why in the world was Wrath launching an attack on the town? To get him back? To punish the Slendermane himself? Wrath... what the hell are you doing?! You're going to get your pack slaughtered! If the two main princesses are summoned... hell, even if Luna catches wind... you're going to be kindling! The Slendermane sighed heavily. If he could: he had to help the town. This could have been all his fault. Besides, even if it cost him their fear of him, at least there would be less Timerwolves in the woods, though Wrath would be reincarnated quickly enough... "Hmmm?" Granny Smith said, tapping her hoof as if waiting for an answer. At that, he took a deep, content-filled breath. "It is the Pack of Wrath: a legendary Timerberwolf. I don't know why he's here, but you'll need to defend yourselves..." "Are they here for you?" Twilight asked, glancing at him in suspiciously. "I'm not sure..." he shrugged. At that, Twilight nodded. "Then let's not take any chances," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Guards, militia, anyone willing to fight! Take up positions on the edge of town! Don't start attacking until I give the order!" "Who's going to watch Mr. Tendrils, then?" the Doctor asked. "Me," Twilight grunted. "I'm going to to go talk with them. There has to be a connection between the Slendermane being here and their attack. I'm going to find out what. Come along, Slendermane..." "Yes, mom," he grunted, as Twilight took off into a gallop towards the charging wolves, Slendermane in tow. "Woah!" "Stop complaining," she snapped, as the two made their way through town square. The ponies there were in a state of panic, some grabbing any weapon they could, though most finding cover in the various houses or shops. "It's your fault they're here, you know." "Look, I don't know why they're here!" the Slendermane huffed. "Wrath is a prickish guy, and his anger levels are linked to Everfree. I suppose the Everfree Forest is pissed off that I'm gone or something, I don't know!" "We're not giving you back," Twilight huffed. "You still have to answer for your crimes." "You mean the ones I made up?" "What?!" "That's right, I lied, OK?!" Slendermane sighed, as the two continued to gallop along. They were now on the outskirts of the town. On the rooftops a number of musket-bearing ponies could be seen taking position, and on the streets a number of armored guards braced for the incoming assault. "You're waiting until now to say this?!" "Look, I'm just doing my job, OK! I'm supposed to keep ponies out of the woods, and it wasn't til like literally six hours ago when I realized why that was." "Yes, and I almost believed you, then!" Twilight growled. The two were now galloping through the fields of grass towards the outskirts of town. A single duo approaching a wave of moving timber. "Yet you said it was all a trick-" "Oh come on! Don't you get it?! I had to lie - and you know why?! It's because contrary to currently evidence, I actually think you ponies are worthy of protection! Protection against your own curiosity! How was I supposed to keep you all afraid of me if I was becoming a sellout?!" He then took a deep breath. "What do you mean?!" Twilight cried, now only a few hundred meters from the lead wolf... "I mean I am who I am! I've accepted that! Have you read that one book, Ruckus-Ralph? Remember the lesson of it?!" Twilight screeched to a halt, her eyes widening. She then glanced at the Slendermane, a sympathetic look on her face. "You'll never be anything but who you are?" He nodded. "You mean -," Twilight said, shaking her disbelief. "You were willing to give up the chance to actually get what you want: to have a life outside of the woods... all to keep us safe?" "That's right." He then took a deep breath. "But now... the jig us up. I have to help you fight these guys..." Twilight stood still for a moment, dumbfounded. "I'm not sure if I can trust you..." "Can't blame you..." The Timberwolves continued to charge. Twilight turned her attention towards them. "HALT!" she bellowed. And to the duo's disbelief, the lead wolf did just that, the pack following his example. Both parties stood in steady silence, the tension hanging in the air like a heavy blanket. ... "Hehehe..." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "HAHAHAHAHA!.!.!" A grim laughter echoed from the lead wolf: a massive thing, twice the size of a normal one. With one solid, menacing footstep, he lurched forward, meeting Princess Sparkle's eyes. "Well - well... look who it is. The newest creation of Princess Celestia's neediness," he grinned. With that, he began to circle her and the Slendermane, Twilight watching his every move. "Tell me: what excuse did she have to give you for the gift of eternal life?" "Don't try toying with me," she hissed. Wrath gave another dark chuckle. "Honey, I know a thing or two about anger, and there's nothing that pisses people off more than telling what they don't want to hear..." "I don't want to hear it because it's a waste of time!" she snapped. "You don't even know me! How do you think you can get inside of my head?" "Hmph - you're right. Don't waste your time or time will waste... you, right? Time you could be spending with your mortal friends. Tell me: how does it feeling knowing you're going to watch the life you were born with slowly wither away and die? Hmmm?" "Wrath, why are you such a dick to everyone you meet?" Slendermane groaned. "First impressions matter, you know," he chuckled. "And I see you made an excellent one to the townies here... shame I've come to bring you back to where you belong: it was kind of funny seeing you being kicked around by those who used to fear you so much. Now... you're just a pathetic, washed up excuse for a monster." "Wait," Twilight said, lifting her brow. "You're here to... bring him back?" "You know it," Wrath winked. "You see, Slendy here abandoned his post and managed to make an ass out of himself while doing it. He's going to have to step up his game to really fulfill his destiny... so I'm taking him to get a few modifications..." "W-What?" Slendermane gasped. "That's right, my friend," Wrath chuckled. "I spoke with the forest itself-" "Impossible!" "And it is... unpleased with your performance. You came here to kill the image of you being a murderous monster. You may have succeeded... and that's why, to best make sure nopony enters our domain... you're going to be given the will to kill. The best way to spawn legends is if those legends are real, right?" Slendermane swallowed hard. "This is messed up, Wrath... even for you!" "Don't shoot the messenger," he shrugged. "Though I do love a compliment." At that, he glared at Princess Sparkle, who stood frozen with disbelief. "Now then - I give you two options. Give up the Slendermane, or watch us make sure none of you will tread where you're not supposed to ever again. Get my picture?" "You wouldn't!" she gasped. "Try me." ... Twilight glanced at the Slendermane... "Do it, Twilight... let me go," the Slendermane whispered, bowing his head shamefully. She glanced at Wrath... "Listen to him..." Wrath grinned. Finally, she narrowed her eyes in a stern resolve. "I think I'll take the third option," she said smoothly. "There is no third option!" Wrath grunted. "Oh yes there is," she chuckled. "Slendermane lives to protect us, right? Well: why does it always have to be through fear"! Suddenly, to his surprise, the purple bubble-shield dissipated from around him, and Twilight turned her horn towards wrath. "You want him? You'll have to get through me." Wrath actually smiled slightly. "Slendermane... are you really going to let her die for you?" "Just let me go, Princess Twilight" he sighed. "You don't have an option," she grunted. "I'm not about to let you lose your choice to not kill for my own sake. Fight with us, and perhaps we can take them down." Slendermane stood silent a moment, glancing at her. Finally, after a moment, he chuckled. "You know what, screw it! How could I say no to kicking Wrath's ass?" He nodded respectfully towards Twilight, before taking a stand besides her. The wolves moved to surround them, barking and snapping their jaws. "Oooo... yeah- totally scary, guys," Slendermane chuckled sarcastically. "The only thing to fear is Fear itself, right?" Twilight winked. Slendermane giggled. "Hah! You're not so bad, Twili... even if I really hate the color purple for whatever reason." "Even you must fear oblivion, Slendermane," Wrath snarled. Slendermane shook his head in mock pity. "Pfffft... come on, seriously?! Don't you know who I am?!" Both Wrath and Twilight raised eyebrows at him. Slendermane took a deep breath, and in an ultra-badass, low voice, proclaimed: "I'm the mother bucking Slendermane, bitch!" "Hah! Definitely going on your tombstone!" Wrath smirked, before releasing a tremendous howl. "ALRIGHT, BROTHERS! YOU KNOW THE PLAN! RIP THE TOWN TO SHREDS! HOOOOOHAHAHAHAHA!.!.!.!" And so the battle began. Many things happened at once. Most of the Timberwolves, save for Wrath and a small group circling both the Slendermane and Twilight, charged towards the town's lines, while Twilight's horn began to sparkle and crack. SHIIIIING!.!.! A beam of light ripped out from it, aimed directly at Wrath. He grinned, ducked it, and then launched himself into the air. SHIIIIINGGGG!.!.! Another beam flew below him. "Mmmm... never fought a battle, have you?" he cackled, landing behind her and twirling about. Meanwhile, the circle of wolves charged forward, hoping to overwhelm the Princess of Magic. "Yeaaaah... nope." SLING! SLING-SLING-SL-SL-SL-SL-SLING!.!.! A fury of tendrils ripped off the Slendermane's back, batting away wolf after wolf. They landed in the open field around the duel, some snapping in half, others laying motionless. However, despite this, he couldn't hit them any quicker than they could recover and charge again. Half a kilometer away, Granny Smith watched the duel in awe. "What the hell is that thing up to now?!" she snapped. "Looks like he's givin' a helping... shadow tentacle," Applejack grunted. "Hah! I knew I was right about him!" the Doctor grinned. "Can we please concentrate on not getting overwhelmed and then deal with the Slendy issue?!" Derpy moaned. "Sweet Celestia, and they judge me for my eyes..." "She's right!" Applejack hollered. "All militia, open fire!" "You heard her!" a ranking militia member called. "Light em up!" With that command, a literal wave of bullets and arrows rained from the town. They cracked into the wolves, cracking wooden legs in half and turning others into splinters. It was enough to wipe out nearly a third of them. However, they still outnumbered the town's defenders three-to-one.... "Oh sweet mother apple!" Granny Smith gulped. "By the time they get here, only the crossbows will be reloaded..." She then narrowed her eyes. "Whelp, better than nothing! All crossbow bearers, reload! The rest of ya'll, get your sticks n' stones or whatever ya got for short range ready!" "You got it, commander!" "Wah? I thought I was the leader," Applejack pouted. "Silly filly," Granny chuckled. "I was leadin' the militia when you were still learnin' to walk!" "But you retired!" She shrugged. "Guess I'm uh... what do you youngins' say, back in the game?" "Yeah..." Applejack gulped, glancing at the far-away duel between Twilight and Wrath. "I just hope Twilight stays in it..." Twilight gasped and stood on hind legs, using her wings to stabilize herself. CLACK! Wrath lunged towards her, his upper torso colliding with the hooves. He jutted his head forward, snapping at Twilight's face only an inch away while simultaneously trying to dig his claws into her. "This is just hilarious! How the hell do you think you can protect a country when you can't even protect yourself?!" he cackled. She gritted her teeth. "I'm only one of many, you monster!" Yet again, he roared with laughter, before backing down from that attack, quickly ducking, and- SLASSSH!.!.! - Swiping at her legs. "EEEEEP!" she screeched, collapsing upon it as blood poured from a claw-mark. Soon, she began to flap her wings... but not Wrath grinned wickedly, and- CRUNNNCH!.!.! - Launched his snout upward and sank his teeth into her right wing. "AGHHHHH!" "No flying for you," he chuckled. "That's just cheating." "Hey!" Slendermane hissed. "Leave that overpowered alicorn alone!" Wrath rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure if it's more funny or more pathetic: you defending those who have always treated us like scum!" At that, he opened his jaw wide, before putting the collapsing princess' neck between two sets of jagged, black teeth. "Allow me to sympathize with the devil as well, then. If I kill her, she won't have to watch her friends slowly die!" ... As the wolves clashed against swords, shields, and pies, Applejack stared in horror at the scene a half-a-click away. "Twilight!" Applejack gasped. "Oh my gosh- that big one's about to kill her!" The Doctor shook his head. "That's impossible! Princess Sparkle isn't supposed to die at this point in time!" Applejack gave him a baffled look. "Well, check your future... uh- history, Doc! She looks like she's about to bite it to me!" At that, Granny Smith grunted, before shoving two, loaded pistols in Applejack's dual holsters. "Well then, it just got personal. As far as I'm concerned, your friends are family. And nothing's gonna mess with that." At that, the Doctor nodded, before drawing a hidden bo-staff from his pocket. He had not lifted a hoof to fight the whole time. "Mph. And nothing messes with the timeline on my watch." "Seriously, Doctor?!" Derpy grunted. "How long have you had that on you?!" He shrugged. "Not long. I carry a bo-staff now. Bo-staffs are cool." ... Derpy glanced at him blankly... "What?" "... Can uh- I have one." The Doctor grinned widely, before handing her one. Granny actually gave him a respectful smile. "You may be a goofy one at times, Doc, but ain't we all? I was wrong about you." He shrugged. "Most are at first." "Come on, less chattin', we gotta bust through the fighting!" Applejack grunted. "Right then!" the Doctor cried. "Follow me, youngin's!" Granny Smith called, before leading the quartet into the fooray. WHACK! POW! CRAAAACK!.!.! With pistols, bo-staffs, and even pies, they began to cut through the Timberwolf lines and towards the Slendermane and Twilight beyond... save for Derpy. "Uhhh... Doctor?! How do you use this thing?!" she cried, struggling to swing her bo-staff. "JUST PINATA STUFF, WEEEEEEE!.!.! ALLLONZ-Y!" She hoof-palmed, a wolf charging at her. "Not helping!" ... "Shut the buck up! Like you know anything about friends, Wrath!" Slendermane shouted. "And you do?" Slendermane snarled. "Maybe not, but I'm learning!" "If you say 'Friendship is Magic' next, I'm going to puke woodchips," he gagged. The Slendermane giggled. "Na, that would be kind of silly." With that, two tendrils ripped from his back, blasting the giant Timberwolf off his hold on Princess Sparkle. At the same time, he simultaneously continued to bat away attacking his cronies. "You know, this is actually kind of awesome! We should do this more often, Wrathy..." Suddenly, Wrath froze, the rest of the nearby timberwolves doing the same. "What did you say?" he said, deadpan. Slendermane cocked his head. "What? We should do this more often?" "No... not that, the other thing. What's my name again, Slendermane?" The Slendermane brought a hoof to his chin, pausing in mock thought, before chirping: "Wrathy-" "WRONG!" Slendermane froze at that, as the previously black Timberwolf's still fur became a raging inferno of blue fire. Fear itself whimpered. "Oh crap-" "RAUUUUUUUUGH!.!.!" Wrath surged forward like a force of nature, ripping through every tendril the Slendermane through at him. Within a millisecond, he was sending fiery claw after fiery claw at him. "Woah!" Slendermane cried, dodging and parrying attack after attack. "We-" SLASH! "Can-" "CLACCCK!.!.! "Work-!" SWWWIPPEEEE!.!.! "THIS-" "RAUUUUUGH!.!.!" "OUTTTT!.!.!" It was too late, however. Wrath's jaw was closing in on his neck. Slendermane shivered, his long life of fear flashing before his eyes. He barely had any time to think of what might be ahead, when- BAM! BAM! "SHREEEEAAAAH!" Two bullets struck Wrath's side, severing both his head and his legs. "Huh. I feel a little.... tingly," Wrath said, blinking, before the rest of his body dissipated into smoke. The Slendermane gasped, looking for the origin of his savior... "Mmmm... I s'pose you can count this as my apology, Mr. Fear," Granny Smith chuckled, blowing a trail of smoke away from the barrel of his gun. Standing beside her, Applejack did the same thing, smiling at him. If he had eyes, they would be widening. "HIIIIIYAAA!" "WEEEEEE!" At that, the Doctor and Derpy sailed out of nowhere, sending two staffs sailing towards the ring of timberwolves... CLUNK! CLUNK! Who... were no longer there. Their two staffs struck mud instead. "Well then," the Doctor grunted, trying to yank it out. "I suppose that took care of itself, didn't it?" Slendermane would have to agree. As the dust and smoke settled from the battle, and as the town's defenders gave a collective sigh, it seemed that the entire army of wolves had either vanished or had fallen apart. "Mmm, and our farm's wood supply for the winter," Applejack chirped. "W-Why does that seem wrong," Twilight grunted, trying to get to her feet. "E-Easy, sugarcube," Applejack gulped. "We're going to need to get you to a Doctor." "Did somebody say they needed a Doctor?" the Doctor grinned. "Ugh - No, just no..." Applejack facepalmed. "I can't believe that just happened." "Not the first time," Derpy grunted, actually twirling her bo-staff before retracting it. "Huh - never thought I'd be so good with this thing." "You were simply amazing, my friend!" the Doctor beamed, causing her to blush. "Heh... um- thanks, Doctor." As the whole conversation unfolded, the Slendermane continued to gaze where Wrath had just been shattered. "I... I can't believe that just happened." Granny Smith cocked an eyebrow. "So... you did know him?" The Slendermane slowly looked up. "He was... my brother. Sure he was a prick... but he was kin..." ... The group stood stoically as the wind whispered by them. However, after a second, he actually felt a comforting hoof on his back. "I'm sorry," Granny Smith whispered. "Really, for all the trouble. I guess even the old and the wise don't know everything, do they?" "It's alright," he sighed. "Ironic, though... out of everything in the forest, Wrath was probably the one responsible for your sister... I guess I deserve what happened. I failed to stop your sister, and I lost my brother because of it. I just can't understand why I'm so sad about this..." "Ugh, will you all cut the sappy bullshit, already!" At that, the group gasped. A rustling could be heard, as Wrath, fully in form again, alongside of Princess Luna, trotted forward. ... None spoke, though the one thing apparent on everyone's mind was: Wat? "Pffft, you really think bullets could kill me?" Wrath chuckled, before smiling slightly at Granny Smith. "Good shootin', by the way." Ck-Chick! Suddenly, she raised a rifle at him. "Wanna test that theory of yours?" "Miss. Smith, what are you doing?!" Slendermane called. "We don't know if he caused her death," Twilight whispered. Wrath groaned loudly. "Oh, That's what this is about?!" "Miss Smith," Luna said calmly. "Please lower your weapon." "Why should I?" she grunted. "If Mr. Fear here didn't do it, then who else could it have been?" "Look, seriously," Wrath grunted. "I didn't kill anyone. Not for over five hundred years: and I never remember killing anyone related to the apple family. That's who you are, right?" "'Yep," she grunted, still aiming at him. "Trust me, if you can... if he killed her, he'd be bragging about it," Slendermane moaned. "Death isn't something to brag about," he muttered. "Even if I want to." Slendermane cocked his head, 'gazing' at him with utter bafflement. "Surprised, aren't you? Yeah, I may be kind of a douche and a monster, and though killing is in my blood, being a wolf and all, I've always tried to avoid it." He then actually gave a genuine smile. "And guess what: I actually... felt something besides pure anger earlier." "Wah? What'd you feel?" "I uh...," he grunted, grinding a hoof into the ground. "I guess I kind of felt bad for you. I always have my pack to keep me company, ya know, but you? You are kind of forced to keep to yourself, and whenever we have our meetings... well, I guess I could be a little nicer to you. I think it was that reason why Princess Luna was able to convince me to help you!" "To help him?!" Twilight gasped. "Tis true," Luna said with a guilty smile. "I asked him to launch this attack, knowing Slendermane would jump at the chance to defend Ponyville." "Are you off your rocker, Princess Luna?!" Granny Smith grunted, still leveling her rifle at Wrath. "Ponies could be dead right now because of-" "Are they?" she said, her eyes twinkling. Twilight slowly nodded her head. "You ordered Wrath not to kill anyone, didn't you?" "Just to ruff you up a little," Wrath said, before grinning sheepishly. "Uh... sorry about clawing your legs, I guess..." "Yeah," she moaned. "Got a little enthusiastic, didn't you?" "Allow me to assist," Princess Luna smiled, before quickly healing her wounds with a beam from her horn. "Medical magic," Twilight whispered. "How can you-?" "One thousand years from now, you may find yourself performing the impossible as well," she winked. "Yeah," she sighed, glancing at Wrath. "Mph," he grunted. "Guess I'm sorry about trolling you too, I suppose... immortality really isn't that bad." Granny Smith took a deep breath, lowering her gun. "Well... I guess I've gone off my rocker as well a bit too many times today. Sorry bout' that." "It's whatever," Wrath shrugged. "This isn't a good thing, though," Slendermane moaned, gaining an odd look from the group. "Seriously! There's a lot of things in the Everfree Forest take for granted. Now, with both me and Wrath looking like jolly do-gooders..." "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he muttered. "The forest isn't going to suddenly get perky when people dwell too deep. I don't know why, but it always gets pissed off... and that goes double for me." "Why aren't you super pissed off now, then?" Slendermane asked. "Isn't the Everfree going to be mad that we sold out?" "I dunno why," he shrugged. "I kind of feel a little bit of... dunno how to describe it. I guess the forest really does care about its children..." "Happiness?" the Doctor said hopefully. "Na, that's gay. Probably just indigestion or something," he grinned. "And just who the hell are you, anyway?" "I'll explain it to you later," Twilight muttered. "Luna and I must make a few new decrees that all citizens are to refrain from straying too far into the woodlands: for their own safety." "That would not be wise," Luna stated. "It'd be infringing upon the Equestrian Freedom of Movement Act of 876 ARH. Since the forest is not private property, this rule applies to it. We can post advisories, but that's it." "Yeah, that's true," the Slendermane nodded. "Well, this blows," Wrath groaned. Suddenly, however, Slendermane brought a tendril to his chin. "Huh - wait a minute..." he said, a lightbulb practically forming above his head. "Huh?" "I just thought of something, is all..." he said. "Watchu talkin' bout, Slendy?" the Doctor asked. He chuckled. "Think about it: over the years, people weren't really afraid of me, just the rumors of me, right?" "What are you getting at?" Luna asked. A slight, shadowy smile actually formed on the Slendermane's face. "Ima get all philosophical, for a second, alright?" A shadowy pair of geeky, though stylish glasses formed on his face. "Fear is nothing but the imagination creating potential scenarios for the future. Most of the time, it's all in our head. It's why I was nearly carted off to jail. So... if the Everfree Forest is to remain clear, someone needs to keep everypony's imaginations stirring..." "But how are you going to do that when everyone knows you're a big softy, now?" Applejack hummed. "Same way I've always done it," the Slendermane said. "I'll help create legends." One Week Later... A large group of fillies and colts walked through the woods, being led by Zecora. Together, they sang: "Slendermane! Slendermane! Friendly Neighborhood Slendermane! The King of Fame who has no name! The holder of our parents' blame! Though he may be tame (watch out!), don't mess with Slendermane!" "So, Zecora, how do you know him, anywho?" Apple Bloom giggled. "Yeah! Have you known all along that he isn't bad?" Pipsqueak giggled. Scootaloo giggled, fluttering slightly into the air. "Yeah! This is a story I gotta hear!" She merely chuckled, trotting along with them. "Let's just say, the more you gaze into this place of wood and bark, the more questions gaze back at you from the dark. There are still many mysteries here to be found... and many you'll wish you had left sleeping sound." The group shivered, though she merely smiled, winking at them. "Fear not, though, my little friends, I take Pride in the fact that the Everfree Forest... isn't always an end." Scootaloo sighed in relief. "Well... that's good I guess. I'd hate to think that there's this giant evil place right outside the town's windows!" "Yeah! I mean, if Slendermane wasn't that bad, who knows what else might just be-" "Misunderstood?" the Slendermane cackled darkly, manifesting in a flash of smoke in front of the group, startling them into a collective shriek. He gave them a blank look (haw haw). "Relax, relax!" "Every time," Apple Bloom muttered. "Every time he gets us!" "Gotta keep up my practice for the next generation," Slendermane chuckled. "But as for you... you know the way I like to keep you wise of this place's danger." "Can it be scary story time now please!" Sweetie Belle begged. "You bet," the Slendermane chuckled. "In fact... today, I think I'm going to tell you a legend. Can anyone guess who this is about?" The group thought for a moment, before trading off answers. "Starswirl the Bearded?" Sweetie suggested. "Clover the Clever?" "Captain Black Harness?!" "No, even spookier," the Slendermane said. "Tonight... I'm going to tell you the story of Daring Do and the Ark of Shadows." "Wah?! But that's just an old pony's tale!" Sweetie complained. "I thought you wanted to tell us real stories!" "..." "Oh, right," she chuckled, blushing slightly. "Um - g-go ahead?" "Hehehe, alright, then. I'll begin. Oh, and... don't mind the cliche." He then took a deep breath, before clearing his throat. "It was a dark and stormy night... a spawn of your worst dreams... in this very forest of darkness and screams..."