I'm awake now. But something is different. My senses are not the same. Where am I? I open my eyes. I have no eyes. That's strange. That's not supposed to be. I focus. Suddenly, I become aware of my surroundings. I can sense them. It works like eyes. But I get to see 360° around me. That is highly unsettling. But I don't feel disturbed. I don't feel. Thinking is different now. No feelings. Only mind and senses. Satisfied. Always wanted to be this way.
I "look" around. I'm in the middle of a forest. It's the night. Looks strange. And familiar. I want to breath in a cool night air. I can't. I have no nostrils. I sense that the air is cool. Doesn't distrub me. Strange. I inspect my body.
Now I see what has changed. I am not a human. Supposed to be, but not. I am a horse. But I'm not. I look like one, but I know that I'm a pony. I've seen it before. I know where I am now. But... I don't know what to do. I'm not a regular pony. Can't communicate with others.
Why am I here? I don't know. How have I come here? I don't know. What was my life before? Details are vague. Something is blocking my memory. Not important now.
I inspect my body once more. I am a tall slender figure of a pony. As tall as their princess. Have no coat. White smooth skin. Not naked. Wearing darkest suit and... No, the tie is bright red. There is a classic white shirt too. The mark on my flanks... A black circle. Roughly drawn. Crossed with a large X. Just as rough.
There is no doubt it. I'm the entity known by many names... and one of them is Slender Pony.
Walking is strange. I move through the forest. No creatures nearby. But I sense them. No... Not them. Their fear. The sensation is... like eating, but not with a mouth. My motions are slow. But I move fast. Making another step. It is as if I have made ten. Every step teleports me. Focusing. Making another step. Teleports farther. Meaning: can control it. Good.
Another step. Right in front of the creature. Looks like a strange hybrid of a chiken and a snake. Full of fear. Tries to run. Don't want it to run. Need to feed on it's fear. Need to stop it from escaping. Something moves. The creature stops. It's tied. The black tendrils surround it. Done completely on instinct. Focusing now. Moving it towards myself. Tendrils obey. Can control them. Good. The fear is growing. Turning it to face me. The fear doubles. It's a feast. Pressing it's face against the front of my head. It grow silent. The fear tripples.
The fear stops. The creature has fainted. Disappointment. Dropping it to the ground. Is it dead? Leaning down to check. Can sense it's life. Still there. Just unconsciousness. Good. Might feed on it again.
But no time for that now. Tendrils retreat. They disappear in my back. Was a cognitive experience. Must move on. Feed again later.
I'm sensing fear again. Not too far away. Much stronger. Much more... tasty. Must investigate. I'm taking another step. A far teleport. Inspecting the area. Can see the source: the three little fillies. Recognize them. Sweetie Belle is shaking like a leaf. Apple Bloom is hugging her. Scootaloo is between them and... a creature. It looks like a wolf. But at the same time it's a timber golem. I remember now. It's a timberwolf. He's got the fillies cornered. He's about to have a feast. He's not alone. The others come out of the shadows. They form a circle around the fillies. No way for them to escape. I remember that Scootaloo can't fly.
The timberwolves stop. They all move their heads to look in one direction. My direction. I've not revealed myself. Meaning: they can sense me. Most likely, all the animals can. Must remember that.
The fear is growing. Less from the fillies, much more from the timberwolves. Much less tasty. But very much digestible still. Good. Might save the fillies and have a feast.
I make another step. Right in front of fillies now. They sceam. Don't care. I look around again. Now I'm in the middle of the circle of timberwolves. Only with one difference. They are the prey now.
The tendrils shoot in all directions. Their number is as big as I want. All of the timber creatures are tied instantly. They struggle, trying to bite. Their fear doubles. But the fear of the fillies is decreasing. They stop screaming and look up at me, the confusion is clear on their faces.
I'm not moving my body. The tendrils are doing their job, strangling the wolves more and more. Their fear is growing, so I continue. Soon, the cracking sound is heard. Then another one. And another one. The fear tripples. The tendrils do not stop. Not until the very core of each of those creatures is broken. Their fear is not so useful. And they are an obstacle. It's logical to destroy them.
The fillies remain silent. They are still too scared and confused to try and stop me. They remain silent as the broken pieces of the last timberwolf in the pack drop to the ground. My tendrils retreat, no need for them right now. The Cutie Mark Crusaders are still silent. I stay there for a bit longer. No move from them. I turn away. No need to scare them futher... for now. I'm about to take a step.
A quiet and shaken voice calls me. It can still be recognized as the voice of Sweetie Belle.
"T...th...thank you, mister..."
I can't answer. I can't talk. I turn back to face them again instead. They jump a little. I can sense their tasty fear again... but it's far from being as strong as a few minutes ago. Still tasty. But it doesn't last long.
"Thank you... for saving our lives."
Then the other filly joins in. This time it's Apple Bloom.
"We're sorry... We went tah see Zecora, but then... Well, we've got lost."
There is a blush on her face. No doubt. She's the cause. Scootaloo confirms that.
"That's because we went looking for your stupid herb!"
"It ain't stupid! Ah need it to make a potion for our apple trees!"
"We'll, now you got it! And also almost got eaten by the pack of hungry timberwolves!"
They keep argueing. As if I'm not here. I'm watching silently.
"Ehm... Mister... We don't know the way out."
Sweetie Belle is looking up at me. Doesn't pay attention to the other two.
"Could you guide us out, please?"
Her eyes are watering. She's stressed. Tired. Perhaps, hungry. I'm leaning my head down. That gets the attention of all three. I can't talk. Must find a way. I'm staring at them. Focusing on just one word. Making it echo in my head.
FOLLOW!
They're frozen in place. I'm tasting fear again. Tasty. A minute passes. I'm waiting. Finally, they're nodding their heads. The fear is dying. Meaning: I can use telepathy. Good.
I'm turning around. Making a step. A short teleportantion. Looking back. They're following. Another step. Then another. But where am I going? Don't know. They're safe with me though. Need to keep moving.
I'm feeling fear again. Taste is different. Something new. Expanding my senses. The six mares are ahead. Easy for me to recognize. Twilight Sparkle. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Applejack. Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie. The mane six. Perfect.
I'm taking another step. Leading the crusaders to those mares. No doubt they're searching for them. Meaning: the fear I tasted was a fear of loss. Cognitive. Must keep that in mind. Another step.
The fillies are surprisingly quiet. Didn't say a word during the long walk. Curious. Another step.
I'm focusing my vision on the fillies following me. Their motions are slow... and somehow united. Their eyes are staring forward. Barely bilnking. Not a single spark of any kind of fear. Another step.
It's strange. They don't act like they normaly do. As if they are... in trance. Now I understand what I did. Meaning: need to learn to control it better. Practice later. Another step.
We're close to the searching mares. One of them stops. It's Fluttershy. She's staring in my direction. Despite the crusaders and I are still out sight. Meaning: she has animal senses. Not good. Solution: wake up the fillies and make them finish the rest of their walk on their own.
Tendrils of shadows are springing back to life. They're coiling the fillies and giving them a shake. All three are slowly waking up.
"Ugh, I just had a really weird dream..."
They all speak in unison. Then stop and look around themselves. They are confused. Then...
"AHHHH!!! IT WASN'T A DREAM!"
...that. The scream is successful at getting the attention of the mane six. No need to stick around any longer. Making a step now.
"Girls!!! Oh, thank goodness you're okay!"
"What in tarnation were ya'll thinkin'?!"
"Whaaaahahaaaah! Sweetie Beh-eh-elle! I thought I would never... EVER SEE YOU AGA-A-A-A-IN!!!"
The six mares throw themselves on the fillies. Group hug. They are safe now. But I decide to make sure of that. Another step is getting me closer.
"Girls..."
"THAT was not cool! Or awesome! Or even okay, squirt!"
Another step.
"Girls."
"Oh! Oh! I should throw you all a "Thank goodness you're okay after getting lost in the Everfree Forest" party!"
Another step.
"Girls!"
"Now, let's not get too excited, Pinkie. I say we all go back to our homes and discuss it tomorrow."
Another step.
A sound of a deep inhale.
"GIRLS!!!"
The booming voice sends a shiver through every tree. Impressive. The mares recall from their shock. Fluttershy isn't giving them a chance to speak before she does.
"We need to get out of here... There's something new. Something... dark. All of the animals are scared. And I can feel it too..."
"What are you talking about, Fluttershy? I can feel any sort of dark magic miles away, now that I'm an alicorn. And I don't feel anything like that."
"It's not magic... It's something else. I don't see it... but I can feel it staring into my... my..."
She's gulping. The fear is rising. Tasty.
"...soul."
Precisely.
The mares are leaving the Everyfree Forest. Good. The fillies are with them. They are safe. No danger here. I'm watching them go.
One of them is turning around and staring into the darkness of the forest.
"Sweetie Belle, what are you doing? Let's go get you into your nice comfy..."
That's right. She can't know I'm near. No way she can feel me like Fluttershy does. But then, what is she going to...
"THANK YOU FOR SAVING OUR LIVES!!!"
I see...
...
You're welcome.