Enigma
Chapter One: Curiosity
I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. I've known this for as long as I can remember, which is impressive considering my age rivals that of the Princesses.
I do not like it when I can't learn about something that interests me; this was also a veritable truth known by me.
It was inevitable that these two facts would eventually coincide with each other. One day, I would hear, read, or think about something that happened to be a closely guarded secret, known only to a select few. No matter what the subject matter was, I would always figure out a way to discover every last detail about it: it was only a matter of time before something would be considered out of my reach.
Today just so happened to be the particular day that would set me on a course of destruction.
I was in the process of closing down my bookstore for the night when I heard two ponies walking by, their steps uneven and disorganized. They were talking with the slurs of somepony who had one too many pitchers of alcohol.
"Y-you haven't hear- *hic*heard about the re-*hic*-cent disa--...disappear--...guards goin' missin'?" slurred one of them. I prepared a spell just in case the two lugs were hostile: I'd had my share of drunk idiots stumble into my store after closing time who needed some coaxing to leave.
"Wha--? Really? W-*hic* where?" responded the other, his speech equally as garbled.
"The Everfree For-*hic* Forest. Somethin' is in that forest...and it doesn't take kind-*hic* kindly to strangers."
I'd heard my fair share of myths and legends. From the ancient Order Triune to the legendary Crystal Empire, I've gone out of my way, sometimes almost obsessively so, to gather information about everything I deemed interesting or noteworthy. It was one of the main reasons why I chose a bookstore as my cover: nopony ever looks twice when a bookkeeper orders in old and controversial books.
A mysterious creature that stole away ponies living in the Everfree Forest? That was new to me.
I turned around to look at the two stallions. They both had the cat-like eyes and bat-like wings of the Night Guard, Princess Luna's personal contingent of Pegasi specializing in operations not generally known to the public.
I suppose you're wondering how I came to know this information. Like I said before, I have a way of digging up information, even if the pony or ponies that buried said information wanted to keep it locked away.
"Why hello, fine gentlecolts," I said, putting on my faux Canterlot nobility tone. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and I must say: I'm terribly interested in myths and legends. Would you mind elaborating a bit more about this 'something' that lies within the Everfree Forest?"
The guards looked at me blankly, like I had spoken in another language. In truth, Drunkard and Canterlotian were about as similar to each other as a Griffin and a Minotaur. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have used such big words to get the information that I wanted. Short and to the point worked just as well.
With a sigh, I greatly simplified my question. "You guys doing a bar crawl?"
The one with a dark gold trim on his otherwise purple and black armour, denoting him as a lieutenant, staggered to the side and only barely managed to not fall flat on his snout. "Y-yeah, we *hic* are. Glacial Flag-*hic* Flagon kicked us out, so we're he-headed to Frosty's."
"Mind if I tag along?" I asked. "I'm researching the Everfree Forest and I think you guys might have just the information I need."
The lieutenant looked like he was going to agree wholeheartedly, but before he could utter a single syllable, the other guard cast a suspicious glance towards me and interrupted his superior.
"Who *hic* are you? And wh-*hic* why do you want to kn-know about the Slender Pony?" he questioned, doing his best to look intimidating. It was laughably ineffective, but I held my tongue, as the drunken pegasus had given me a name.
"I'm Enigma," I said. "I research things." Sometimes you had to say things a couple of times to get them through some pony's thick skulls. "Currently, I'm researching the Everfree Forest area, which is why I'm interested in this 'Slender Pony'." I wasn't actually researching the forest, but the Guards had no reason to suspect that I was lying.
"Wh-what do we get if we *hic* tell you?"
I raised an eyebrow. If this worked, perhaps I'd have to re-evaluate the usefulness of alcohol. "I'll buy the drinks," I offered.
"Deal!" said both members of the Night Guard at the same time.
I motioned for them to walk ahead of me so that they didn't see me wearing a sly smile. I swear, drunks are easier to fool than foals.
From the two drunken Guards, I managed to gleam through their stammering slurs that three separate contingents of Royal Guards had gone missing around the Everfree Forest area in the past couple of weeks. They weren't just missing, either: they disappeared without a single trace. No blood. No discarded armour. Nothing. They were simply gone.
I scoured my personal library for any myths and legends around the Everfree Forest area. I found exactly one note, an afterthought at the end of the book 'Complete Compendium of Caustic and Chilling Creatures' that read, "We have excluded the Everfree Forest area specifically because there is no actively safe and effective way to log the creatures that roam free within its bounds." So much for a 'Complete Compendium'.
It was then that I knew what book I required. A disputatious and incredibly rare book. Starswirl the Bearded's last and most controversial compendium, simply titled, 'Secrets'. Over a thousand years ago, the lexicon had been a topic of hot debate and, eventually, hot flames.
Beneath its pitch-black cover, Starswirl had gone out into the furthest corners of Equestria and the lands beyond in search of strange and never-before-seen creatures, artefacts, and places. He went on to describe ancient tales and myths that directly supported his theory.
The majority of ponies were outraged by his views. In both ignorance and fear, the ponies had burned every last copy of Starswirl's Secrets that they could get their hooves on. Nopony was entirely sure who had started systematically destroying the books, nor why.
Apparently, Starswirl the Bearded had disappeared shortly after, both sickened and ashamed of his fellow pony's lack of comprehension. He was never seen or heard from again...
...Or so the story went. I was determined to find out if this 'Slender Pony' was amongst the plethora of other myths and legends that Starswirl had researched. And, if I happened to read one of the rarest books in Equestria while I did so, then it was all the sweeter.
I managed to get my hooves on one of the, if not the, last copy of the famed magician's final writings. How did I manage to obtain a book of such value and rarity? Why, not by asking politely, that's for sure.
I stole it, plain and simple. When you've read through the majority of the Ancient Texts, you end up rediscovering some very simple and effective spells that were lost to time. Let me put it simply: invisibility and amnesic spells work wonders for breaking into the Royal Library.
Back in my home, giddy with anticipation and left over adrenaline from my recent heist, I opened the book as carefully as my excitement would allow. The ancient pages had faded from their once pristine white colour to a sickly yellow, the corners curled from not being moved in hundreds of years.
I took a deep breath and started reading, searching for any mention of a strange creature that lurked within the Everfree Forest. Towards the end of the section entitled 'Legendary Creatures', I found what I was looking for.
THE SLENDER PONY
(Also known as: Der Grosspony, The Tall Pony, Slendermane)
"There are stories that say the Tall Pony was once a great alchemist who tried to unlock the secrets of the universe and was cursed for his arrogance. In truth, nothing is known of the Slender Pony's actual background. There are only myths and legends, most of them apocryphal, passed down throughout the ages."
"I, Starswirl the Bearded, have attempted to learn more about the truth behind Slender Pony with little to no success. The locals that live around the Everfree Forest, which is where the Tall Pony is said to haunt, will not even utter the name out of fear that the creature will find them. Needless to say, information gathering has been practically nonexistent."
"This is perhaps the one and only creature that seems to gives me pause: I am writing this down at the entrance of the Everfree Forest, and I can only feel dread and death emanating from beyond the dark path that lies ahead."
"I've walked for several hours and there has been no sign of 'Slendermane', which is the pseudo-pet name that the local ponies have given this creature. The only thing that I have felt is a strange sense of being watched."
I blinked my eyes, refocusing on the page in front of me. The writing style changed drastically during the most recent paragraph: no longer was the calligraphy neat and organized. Instead, it turned into a frantic scrawl, barely legible. I briefly wondered how this could be: there were no typewriters a thousand years ago, meaning that this book had to be tediously copied by a unicorn, letter by letter, word by word. This meant that there was no way that there should've been nigh-illegible scrawl in the middle of the book while the rest was written carefully and fully controlled.
Unless...
I looked at the book that I held between my hooves with something akin to detest. I telekinetically flipped the book to the last page, hoping that my hypothesis would be proven incorrect. In small letters, at the bottom corner of the last page, read:
"To Celestia, my second and last student. May these notes assist you whenever an ancient and unknown creature is sighted within Equestria. Do with them what you will."
I felt a small twinge of fear sink into the pit of my stomach. I had taken, no, stolen not only possibly the last copy of Secrets, but the original as well. There were probably spells planted on the book to alert them if it was moved without their permission. When the Princesses found out, my origins would be unearthed and my collection of knowledge would be eviscerated. Nopony would ever find my corpse, either.
I may be ancient and more than capable of handling myself should I run into trouble, but two angry princesses that controlled the Sun and Moon were much more than a match for old Enigma.
Unless...
I felt the onset of a plan start to form. A very dangerous and possibly suicidal plan, but a plan nonetheless. Maybe if I took care of the problem that was causing ponies to disappear...
I gulped. It wasn't the greatest plan. It wasn't the smartest plan. But it was the only chance I had.
Taking another deep breath, I continued to read about the thing that would probably end up killing me.
Enigma
Chapter Two: Commutation
There wasn't much more information that I could glean from the remainder of Starswirl the Bearded's ramblings. His writing slowly degraded into chicken scratch, illegible to all, save himself. Just when I was about to give up hope, it seemed that the old wizard had a moment of clarity.
"It is a universal force, a consumer of souls. It is a being of the void, at times corporeal, other times ethereal: a monster between the planes. Even the Great Equalizer, Death, fears Der Großpony; the Tall Pony."
"It is an ancient being of strange gravity, the abyss personified; a twisted voice from out the original darkness, before the first light appeared in the universe. It is the first collapsed star, a black hole grown complicated and sentient; It's motivations unknowable, It's power inexorable; a force of destruction unleashed upon existence itself."
"It is not of our pathetic realm; that much is clear. No, It is forced to wait here until it regains Its power sufficiently enough to leave our boring and meaningless plane. It is trapped by laws that even It doesn't understand, forced into a form that is not It's own: It's true form is so malignant and horrifying that it would rip my soul from my very body should I lay even a cursory glance upon It.
"The form that It currently holds is still terrifying enough to pierce even the most stalwart pony's heart with a spear of cold fear. It is a spindly, amorphous, deformed version of a pony. It is the colour of absolute darkness; the blackest of nights. It has no face, only a pale white mannequin-like head of a pony with no facial features or mane whatsoever."
"We are inconsequential compared to It. Our lives are but sparks compared to the raging inferno that is the Tall Pony."
"Be warned; all who seek It out shall meet a fate worse than death."
...
"I awoke on the outskirts of the forest with my attire shredded and a pounding headache. I don't recall writing any of the above notes. I think that I shall leave the Slender Pony alone, as it is more than a match for me."
I shivered and closed the book. It seemed that not only could the Slender Pony cause disappearances and memory loss, but it also managed to possess the greatest unicorn in Equestria's history. If I was to attempt to reason with or even fight this creature, what could I possibly accomplish? I was stuck between dying a slow and painful death at the hands of the princesses or meeting my fate at the hands of the Slender Pony.
I took a deep breath and started packing the things I would require; I would catch the earliest train possible, after I had gotten a few hours of sleep.
Death was universal, but fate could be anything.
After leaving a note on the door of my bookstore detailing that I would be away for an undetermined amount of time, I caught the first train to Ponyville, which was a small town that sprung up along the edge of the Everfree a couple hundred years ago. The original founders were a nice folk; I remember trying a delicious jam made from a special type of apple. Their cider was top notch as well.
I received a fearful look from the only other patrons onboard the train, a bright red mare with a light-green coloured mane, as I entered the carriage and sat down in an empty booth. Her two-toned blue pegasus foal was happily colouring away with some crayons that he held in his hooves. I figured that they were curious as to why I was boarding a train at four in the morning, but that was none of their business. I pulled out one of the three books that I had brought along with me, an ancient spellbook with no title, author, or references, and began to continue reading where I had left off from, ignoring the unicorn who seemed like she wanted to ask me a question.
As I read about spells that could possibly prove useful in my upcoming confrontation with Slendermane, I barely noticed another pony board the train. Technology had vastly improved since the first pony-powered locomotives; they used to be so rickety that something as simple as standing up would rock the carriage back and forth. Barely a minute later, the doors closed and the train began its journey to Ponyville.
I would've read throughout the entire trip had the mare not provided me with an interesting conversational topic.
"Excuse me, s-sir, but are you here for us?" she asked from her seat across from me, her voice shaken and scared.
Here for them?
"Am I here for you? No, no I'm not," I asked trying to sound interested, unsure if I should waste any time that could be spent remembering a spell that might save my life on the frazzled unicorn and her pegasus foal.
"O-oh...you're not a member of the N-Night Guard, then," she stammered. "I just thought t-that you l-looked like you've been around, and your c-colouring..."
I narrowed my eyes, my curiosity piqued. My coat was a blackish-grey, with my mane being almost entirely black, aside from a few white hairs that were the only indication of my age. I changed my colouring every fifty years or so. I was even pink and yellow for a little while.
"I've been mistaken for many things, but never a member of the Night Guard," I said. Wondering how and why this mare was on the train at this hour, I asked, "Why are you on this train? Are you hiding from somepony?"
The unicorn bit her lip, as if deciding whether she should answer or not. After almost thirty seconds of deliberation, she finally cracked, the words flowing out of her.
"My husband, S-Strong Stride, wasn't there w-when a bunch of Royal Guards knocked on our door and they s-said that we were in danger and we had to get on this t-train. He came home extremely d-drunk last night and I'm worried sick and I don't know where we're going and--"
I raised a hoof, silencing the unicorn before she talked my ear off. I had a sneaking suspicion that needed confirmation, and I needed quiet to think of the proper questions to ask.
"What does your husband do?" I asked.
"He's a lieutenant in the aerial detachment of the Night Guard," she quickly replied.
I felt a sinking feeling in my gut. One of the stallions that I had gotten drunk went missing less than a day before he told me all about the recent disappearances, seemingly without cause. I had to give the princesses credit; they worked very quickly in cutting loose ends and covering their tracks.
"I'm... sorry to hear that, ma'am. I wish I could help you, but I--" I started to say before I was interrupted by a different pony, the one that had entered right before the train departed.
"You."
The word was said with such disgust and contempt that I had to force myself not to respond in an equal format.
"Pardon?"
"What the hay did you do with my coltfriend, you--you monster!"
I'd been called a lot of nasty names by ponies over the centuries, including 'monster'. While name calling always hurts a little bit deep down, I'd become practically immune to it over time.
"...Do I know you?" I asked calmly.
The rust-orange coated and silver maned earth pony mare gave me a cold, hard stare. "Don't play dumb with me, you fiend! I know that you're the one that took my Star Hunter away from me!"
"And how do you know that?" I questioned, my exterior relaxed and calm while my interior reeled and plotted.
"I know because he was talking about a tall, black unicorn--you!--after he came home last night!" exclaimed the upset pony. "Well," she mused for a second, losing her aggressive tone. "It was actually this morning... but that doesn't matter!" she finished, her anger returning to full form.
"Argent? Is Hunter missing as well?" the unicorn across from me asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
The agitated pony tore her attention from me and looked over at the previously silent unicorn. "Cherry?!" she exclaimed, seemingly noticing her right then and there. "What do you mean 'as well'?!"
I held my head gently with my hooves. This day was already off to a terrible start. How in Tartarus was I supposed to explain that I was the reason that their stallions were kidnapped, possibly murdered, for talking about information that was probably top secret? I couldn't claim ignorance either, as I was the one who further loosened their lips with alcohol. I did so fully aware of the possible consequences for the two members of the Night Guard.
I sighed and closed my eyes, concentrating briefly through the two ponies conversation. Roughly a second later, I opened my eyes to see the two mares sway and collapse, unconscious. I caught both of them in my telekinesis before they could brain themselves on the tough, steel carriage. I placed each one in a separate cot, and pulled up some blankets to look more natural should somepony else board the train.
I went back to reading my book before being nudged by a small hoof.
"Mister? Why are mommy and auntie Argent sleeping?"
I looked down to see the small form of the unicorn's pegasus foal. I had forgotten about him, quiet as he was. The colt was looking at me with a confused expression, like he already knew the answer to his own question, but decided to get a second opinion.
I paused for a second before answering; I was never good with foals. My first daughter used to tell me that before she moved on with her life.
"Your mom and aunt were getting hysterical. Do you know what that means?" I asked.
The blue colt shook his head.
"It means that they were starting to act crazy. Both of them were in shock and denial." I tried to explain it as best I could without using the larger words that I would need to properly clarify.
"So you made them go to bed so they could calm down?" asked the colt. I could see the gears turning in his young head.
I nodded. "Exactly. Your mom and your aunt will wake up in a few hours, and they should be feeling better by then."
"Okay, mister!" said the colt, the worry gone from his face. He turned to go back to his colouring book, but something caught his eye.
"Wow! What does your cutie mark mean?!" he exclaimed, trying to clamber his way onto the seat so he could have a closer look at my flank tattoo. My cutie mark is indeed interesting; it doesn't seem to mean anything in particular, not even relating to my birth name or my original profession. It's an assortment of lines, both straight and curved, all interconnecting, in the shape of a circle. From a distance, it looks like nothing special, but up close, the patterns and abstract lines are truly amazing. I've stared at it for hours at a time with a magnifying glass, and I've still yet to discern its true meaning.
I wanted to put the nosy colt to sleep so I could study the ancient text for a little while longer, but a part of me felt bad for even thinking that. He's just a foal, the part said. You were once a curious colt yourself. Besides, seeing as how you might die soon, you might as well tell somepony your story.
I have a journal that has a brief autobiography of my life up until several months ago, but there's no certainty that it will be found. It's over five hundred pages long and protected by dozens of spells.
Sighing, I levitated the colt beside me in the booth, as he was having a difficult time climbing up. His wings were too small for flight.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Blueberry!"
Blueberry. I once knew somepony named Blueberry: I owed him my life. I suppose that it was only fair that I tell his namesake the story of my cutie mark.
"Nice to meet you, Blueberry. My name is Enigma. Would you like me to tell you the story of how I earned my cutie mark?"
"Yes please, mister Enigma!" chimed the colt, his eyes large and pleading.
I smiled.
"Well, Blueberry, it all started when I got lost in a large cave..."
