>You are Twilight Sparkle, and it all makes sense now.
>The way he showed up out of the blue, his strange appearance, everything.
>He was a monster. You should have seen it before.
>Soon after he had dissapeared into the forest, Applejack turns to you.
>"Ya don't think he was serious, do ya?" She says, hesitantly.
>Anonymous had just moment earlier revealed himself to be a supernatural being.
>A "Slenderman", he'd called it.
>"He's yankin' our chains, right?" Applejack's pretty much talking to herself.
>"Why'd he bring us out here to tell us all of that, huh?" implored Rainbow.
>"He w-wouldn't hurt us...right?" Fluttershy didn't sound very convinced.
>"Don't you see! That...thing brought us out here to eat us!" Rarity cried, bringing the back of her hoof to her forehead.
"Everyone, we need to stay calm!" you bring your hoof down loudly against the log next to you.
"This is what he wants, don't you see!" You sweep your gaze across the four frightened mares.
"He wants us to be afraid so he can feed!" You manage to keep the fear out of your voice while you rally your friends.
>"Somethin' ain't right here, Twi. What if he's pullin' some kinda prank?" interjects Applejack.
>"Can't you use cast a spell er somethin' when he gets back to see if he's tellin' the truth?" she continues.
>You shake your head solemnly.
"He's immune to magic, remember?" you reply.
>That should have been your first sign that something was up.
>When he crashed through the roof of your library about three months ago, you tried to lift him with your magic.
>It felt like somepony had stuck a straw into your head and sucked out your thoughts.
>You couldn't use magic for an hour after that.
"We just need to get a message to Princess Celestia and ask her what to do. Spike! Take a letter!"
>No response. Just the sound of crickets chirping.
"...Spike?"
>"H-he went into the woods to use the bathroom." stammered Rarity, her pupils constricted to mere pinpricks.
>It felt like your heart was trying to escape through your throat. It took all of your willpower to not hyperventalate.
"Hesfinehe'llbefinewejusthaveto--"
>Before you can finish whatever it was you were trying to say, a cry sounds out from deep within the forest.
>Spike. That was his voice.
"nonononononononononono" you stutter, as you bolt upright.
>You take off at a full gallop towards the scream, and Rainbow shoots into the sky with so much force it almost knocks everyone over.
>Fluttershy and Applejack take off in opposite directions at what had to be some sort of land speed record.
>Rarity starts to follow you, but stops when she sees Pinkie asleep in her tent.
"I'll get spike, you get her somewhere safe!" you shout behind you as you keep running.
>As you turn your head forward, you are greeted by the sight of a rather large tree trunk directly ahead of you.
>CRACK!
>Then blackness.
>Should have been watching where you were going.
 
>You are now Anonymous, and your running as fast as your legs can carry you.
>You heard Spike screaming for help, and you don't intend to leave him to die out there.
>Suddenly the forest is alive with panicked shouting.
"What the hell is going on?" you huff, before picking up the pace.
>Spike first, then the girls.
>Suddenly, something small and purple darts out into your path and catches your left foot.
>You tumble forward, very nearly cleaving your forehead open on your axe as you hit the dirt.
>You turn back to look at the small purple dragon that tripped you.
>"ANON!" gasps Spike as his terrified eyes dart up to meet your gaze.
"What's going on?"
>Before he can answer, a deafening roar sounds out as a rather imposing manticore bursts into your path.
>Lamenting the fact that you'd left your hunting gear at home, you ready your axe.
"Spike, get back to camp, and get Twilight."
>He nods and runs back to camp.
>Those probably weren't the best choice for last words, but there you go.
>The manticore lunges at you, and you try your best not to shit yourself.
 
>You are now Spike, and your legs are really tired from all this running.
>You're so close to camp now that you can almost taste it.
>As you're about to break through the tree line into the clearing, you see a flash of purple off to your right.
>Sliding to a stop, you don't quite know what to make of the scene before you.
>It's Twilight, slumped against a tree, with her horn embedded in the trunk.
"Whoah...Twilight? You okay?"
>She doesn't answer. She's out cold.
>You wrap your arms around her waist and start pulling, but she doesn't budge.
>She's stuck in there pretty good. You slowly back away before turning and heading back to camp.
>One of the others will know what to do! You push forward with increased resolve before finally making it back to camp.
>Your empty, disheveled, abandoned camp.
"...Hello? Anyone there?"
>No response. You check the tents, and they're all just as empty.
>You see Applejack's rope sticking out of her saddlebag, and decide to try getting twilight unstuck on your own.
>You grab it and jog off back into the forest. You needed to get her awake fast.
 
>You are now Fluttershy,  you know, if that's okay with you of course...
"Guys? Hello?" you mumble, as you slowly trot through the forest.
>The forest seemed much darker than usual. It had to be your imagination.
>Could Anon really be that monster? You feel tears well up in the corners of your eyes.
>He seemed so nice...
>Maybe Applejack was right. Maybe he was joking.
>He did seem awefully...
>Animated.
>You remember the last time you saw him like that.
>He was helping you take care of the animals, and he was telling you stories about the vicious predators on his world.
>Terrifying creatures, like the leopard seal and the sarlacc.
>You shudder at the thought.
>That had to be it. It was just a story.
>This was all a misunderstanding.
>Your lips curl up slightly.
>You'll find Anon, and ask him if he was telling the truth.
>That'll surely clear things up, then you can all go home.
>As you were lost in thought, you hear heavy footfalls in the distance.
>Not wanting to take your chances with a hydra or something, you quickly hide in a nearby bush.
>You peek out to see what is coming down the path, you see a familiar form resolving in the dark.
>Anonymous.
>Covered in blood.
>Dragging a bloody axe behind him.
>Oh, my.
 
>You are Rarity, and you are glad you didn't wear your best saddlebags today.
>Pinkie Pie is slumped across your back, happily snoozing.
>You sigh. If only you could find such peace during this dreadful business.
>You stumble as your foot catches a rock at an odd angle. You glance down and see that your hoof has been chipped.
>You sigh to yourself as you carry onward. If this all turns out to be some kind of jest, you plan on making Anonymous reimbursing you for that.
>You almost feel silly now that the adrenaline has worn off. Theres no way that Anonymous is a killer.
>He is too much of a gentleman for that. You start circling back towards camp.
>You start to ponder what he had said. The Slenderman was tall...
>Anon was certainly head and shoulders above any other stallion in that department.
>He said he had no face. That was certainly the first thing you noticed about Anon when you saw him.
>The Slenderman always wears a suit. That definitely fit Anonymous.
>You walked in on him in the shower one time and he was wearing that suit.
>He said that bathing was no excuse not to look dapper.
>As you trot along, lost in thought, your hoof catches on something in the path.
>Looking down to survey the damage again, you see not a rock, but a bloodied manticore stinger.
"Wh-wuh" you mutter, words failing you.
>There were hacked up body parts lying all over the path.
>Blood was strewn all about, and the manticore's mass lie off to one side, deep gashes score its body.
>You start backpedaling from the appaling sight, vomit climbing up your throat.
>Was this Anonymous' doing?
 
>Once again, you are Anonymous, and your thunderous erection could pierce the heavens.
>You just killed a Manticore with a goddamn woodcutting axe.
>Fuck.
>Grandma always said that you had viking blood in you. Maybe she telling the truth.
>For once.
>As soon as you got back you were gonna grab the girls and head back to civilization.
>Getting closer to camp, you hear some strained muttering off to one side.
>You decide to follow it, and find Spike trying to pull an unconcious Twilight's horn from a tree with a rope.
"Spike? What the heck did you do?"
>"I didn't do anything! She was like this when I found her!" he sputters out in a frustrated manner.
>You grab hold of the rope and give a good, hard yank, freeing her from her wooden prison.
>Slinging her over your shoulder, you motion for him to follow you to the camp.
>"Dude, what happened?" He asked, gesturing to the blood smeared and caked across your body.
"I had to kill the manticore, Spike. I'm not proud of what I did, but I had no other choice."
>That was probably the biggest lie you've told in your entire life, but it sure sounded noble.
>"Wow. I didn't think you had it in you." He weakly bumps his fist against your shin.
"Once we get the girls, we're heading home. I think we've overstayed our welcome in Everfree."
>"They aren't at the camp." He replies, with a hint of worry in his voice.
"What? Really? Do you know where they went?"
>"The place was a wasteland when I got back." He glancing around nervously.
>You remember hearing them shouting before. You start to fight against the panic rising in your chest
>They're fine. They're tough. They can handle whatever this forest can dish out.
>Arriving at the camp, you start looking around for any clue that could tell what happened here.
>Tracks. There are hoofprints everywhere.
"It looks like they just bolted in random directions."
>"Why would they do that?" questions Spike.
"They looked pretty scared after the story I told them. Maybe they were just jumpy and heard a noise."
>"What story did you tell them?"
"A story from my world called the Slenderman. He pursues people endlessly and just vanishes them."
>He cocks an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound very scary." he says with a smirk.
"Believe me it was a lot scarier when I told it. It's all about showmanship."
>You put your hands in the middle of your back and stretch.
"They nearly peed themselves when I told them what he looked like."
>Spike's eyebrow raises. "What'd he look like?"
"He's tall, he's got no face, and he wears a suit."
>Spike laughs. "Like you?"
"Yeah, like...oh..."
>There's an audible clunk as the pieces fall into place.
"I'm an idiot."