Author's Notes! YAY!— Alright! I only wanna do ONE of these, so...LISTEN UP, PONIES! I hav no clue what I'm tampering with here, so I can only hope that I don't wake up with something very tall, very slender, and very...hungry leaning over me. I got Artemis to help me out even if I do, so, whatever! :D Anyway...I'm kinda still thinking about how I want this to end, so, while I'm thinking, I want YOU to tell me! Comment and let me know how you think this will end...will be happy? Just a joke? Or maybe something much...MUCH worse than anypony would have ever wanted...Heh, maybe this will all turn into one big trollfic, hm? Probably not, but...hehe, we'll see. We'll see!

One two, she's coming for you.
Three four, don't bother locking your door.
Five six, forget the crucifix.
Seven eight, it's far too late.
Nine ten, she's ready to kill again.

Sometimes, things that go bump in the night want more than to just idly watch. Sometimes, ponies want more than to simply SAY that a story is false. Sometimes, no matter what somepony believes, no matter who they think is helping them, watching over them, or protecting them...

There's absolutely nothing they can do to escape finishing what they WISH they hadn't started.

Through history, legends of creatures, heroes, and lore are passed down through time with the purpose of teaching lessons, entertaining an audience, or making children behave. Maybe even all three. Yet, there are a rare few which originally were intended to warn; to SCARE. Of course, as the tale is told more and more, it's edges become dull, and it's severity slowly dwindles until it becomes nothing more than a cheap campfire story; a fable to entertain one's friends; to NOT be taken seriously.

Stories such as these exist all throughout the world, leading many to question what is fact, and what is fiction; leading many to naïvely hunt that which they desire to debunk. They quest to disprove the "silliness" of such tales; to disband the fear which they induce as nothing. It is these rational ponies which tend to find exactly what they seek, then dearly regret it once they realize just how WRONG they are.

You'd think Twilight Sparkle, after her calamity with Pinkie Senses, would have learned that trying to debunk that which she doesn't have a right to understand only leads to pain.

A typical camping trip is what started it all. It normally is, though, isn't it? None the less, that is indeed how this will start. Zecora, with her vast knowledge of myth and lore from all around the world, agreed to share a story with Twilight, Spike, and their 5 friends. Once all was said and done, the fire smoldering low and six of the seven listeners cowering in a huddled mess, Twilight, of course, refused to be fearful of such an...

All eyes rested on the purple Unicorn, who returned with a clearly disinterested stare of her own.

"I told a traveling pony my story some time ago,
But he wasn't looking for any simple show.
No, he desired to hunt the creature of scare.
He desired to encounter the horrid Slendermare."

The six already shaking eeped and screeched in response before huddling closer together, but Twilight simply rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Slendermare? Honestly, do you expect me to believe it exists? That's even more ridiculous than Pinkie's story of 'Pedo Panda.'"

Pinkie grinned sheepishly, but then cowered down back into the huddled group when the zebra continued her tale.

"I warned him of the dangers which he would inevitably find.
But he refused to listen, I claimed he had lost his mind!" Zecora stomped a hoof, flashing a dark glare in Twilight'a direction, "He ignored my pleas, ignored my forewarning.
Then, come next morning...
Was a day of mourning."

"W-w-wait...y-you mean h-he d-d-d-died!?" Rainbow Dash asked, her eyes obviously filled with the very emotion she hated to show.

"He left in search, following the tale.
But returned soon after looking terribly pale.
I offered him refuge until the day.
But when I checked in the morning...
...well, I'd rather not say..."

Twilight sneered, waving a hoof, "Oh please, Zecora, just finish what you started." she demanded, clearly annoyed.

Zecora glared at the defiant Unicorn, while she glared back. In between them, their shaking audience looked between the two as if they were watching a tennis match.

"He arrived in satchel and hood,
But all that remained was his bag,
And about two gallons of blood."

Spike and the five fearful ponies screamed in unison, then cowered even TIGHTER together, but Twilight merely yawned, "Zecora, listen, while your stories are very amusing, and very well presented, they are JUST stories!" the Unicorn stood and left for her sleeping bag, "All of you ponies are crazy..."

The remaining campers watched her leave, each of them, except for Zecora, shaking like a tremor.

Twilight, waiting until she was out of earshot before she finished her speech, added a last little bit, "And I'll prove it to all of you that this really is nothing but a story."

Sometimes, certain things occur which are not possible to control. Sometimes these events happen for reasons, much like certain stories are told for reasons. When a certain event occurs that effects the life a certain pony which cannot handle the truth of her inability to accept a loss of control, how will her mind, her body, and her spirit react to discovering what the truth really is?

Perhaps it's all in her mind, right? Maybe it's just a hallucination...right? Good ol' Trollestia is just at her games again, or maybe Discord is loosing some energy upon the Pony that trapped him again! Yes...that must be the explanation, right? Well...

Slandermare

by Zarius9998

Just an old mare's tale! (prologue)