The world around the young colt was dark, empty, lonely, cold, unforgiving, silent, beyond recognition. That’s all there was around him, just the checkered floor below him and a endless void that stretched out.
The only reason he could even see the floor at all was because of the light from above, shining down onto him faintly lighting up the small area around his space, everything else was just a mystery but he could care less.
He’s been here one too many times and it was never going to change, always him running from the monsters that haunted him. His mind was a chewing toy for them, they continue to gnaw his dreams into living Tartarus.
It was pain, nothing more than just the long, burning, agony of pain to what was once a stable mind.
He couldn’t think straight, these things will continue to haunt him forever. He knew it wouldn’t end everypony but Sweetiebelle had abandoned him, Princess Luna hasn’t shown up to help him.
Why was he the one to suffer out of every single god damn pony, nothing made sense anymore as he kept looking down at the ground.
He just gave up trying to escape them in his dreams, they’re always one step ahead of him and knew how to corner him to a swift death, before he would wake up and be forced to repeat.
He’s small, they’re big, he’s weak, they’re strong, he’s worthless and they’re worthy. Nopony cared, and he would die knowing that was the case, and he wished he knew why they did hate him.
But it was so sudden, it was like a mood shift they were all genuinely friendly with him. Then once these monsters started appearing, they all changed.
It was at first just a simple look of annoyance or just the minor frustration, but then it became cold shoulders, glares, snide comments and everything else that you could think of.
It never went as far as physical violence or abuse, but it seemed closer to that every waking second that passed. But now he didn’t care, he just wished for it all to end Nopony was going to miss him.
“Please stop.” He whispered not moving from his position.
All became silent as the quiet void continued to go on, nothing changing it was just the lonely colt at the centre.
”Eric”
The colt’s ear twitched as he slowly raised his head, he looked around slowly checking to see who said his name… nothing.
His head slowly fell once more, but he then stopped frozen as he began looking up once more to face straight ahead of him. And what he saw was something he’d usually back away from in fright, but this time he didn’t flinch he could only stare with a blank face.
A yellow bear, with a black top hat and tie, it appeared more mechanical, with a microphone in its right paw and had empty dark eye sockets with white dots sitting in the middle. It sat in front of him, mouth closed staring at him with no emotion to speak of, head tilted to the right.
Eric could only hold a frown as he looked at the yellow bear, it was mocking him by sitting there why hadn’t it moved to attack him?
Running out of patience Eric finally spoke to it. “Go on. Attack me, Scare me awake, and stop wasting your time. I already have to deal with you everyday, what more do you want from me?”
Nothing. It simply watched him.
This only angered the colt even more. “What are you waiting for?! Just get it over with already!”
Nothing once again, this was getting beyond frustrating. He could only sigh. “Please, just do it.” He began breaking with his words.
He closed his eyes to prevent the tears from coming out, he wasn’t worth crying for. He’s just a parasite to the world after all, who’s going to care if he died?
”No. You don’t need to heed for more pain, I’m here to give you a chance to be free.”
Eric could only go wide eyed from that, he snapped up to look at the yellow bear who had moved his head slightly as it spoke. It’s voice was quiet, robotic, whispering.
“You’re serious?” Eric asked his face full of disbelief.
”Yes. We’ve been trying to reach you for a while now. It’s been quite the struggle, you’re mind is much different from the others. But we’re now here to give you a proposal, a choice that will grant you your freedom.”
Eric could only grow confused with the fact it said ‘we’ but he ignored that, as he wondered exactly what else it had to say. “Go on…” he whispered.
”If you choose to have your freedom, you’ll help us in return with something important and get back at all of those who wronged you. But if you decline, you’ll be haunted by what you fear forever… do you accept our offer?”
Eric contemplated it for a moment this was his chance to be free of his pain, but it sounded like there was something else going on that the bear wasn’t letting on to.
However he’d rather not indulge in the pain he felt for so long, than continue to suffer forever it was something he didn’t want ever again.
With a firm look he faced the bear in the eyes, nodding as he came to his final decision. “Yes. I accept.”
The yellow bear who had been constantly moving it’s head, snapped it to being straight up staring ate the colt with what appeared in o be satisfaction. ”Then the proceedings shall begin.”
The void that polluted Eric’s mind began to clear up as he began rising, he felt the fear inside of him go away and instead be replaced with new emotions.
The yellow bear disappeared as Eric continued to rise, until he felt everything go back to reality. His bedroom, the place where it all began. The nightmare, his decline, his newfound path.
He stood up as his posture became more confident than ever, his face looked straight ahead facing the mirror on the wall. His eyes opened looking at himself in the mirror, the shadow that reflected behind him wasn’t his own it was the same bear.
And Eric was not scared, as he closed his eyes for a second before reopening them again and instead of his usual blue eyes it was a giant light that shot out, spreading across the town of Ponyville.
It was a sight to behold as he only had one thing to say. “It’s me.”