Demons

I opened my eyes and gasped for air, feeling as though I had just been drowning. I was somewhere achingly familiar. It was a small marketplace, under a gloomy gray sky. Various shopkeepers went hither and thither, announcing their wares and mind bogglingly low prices. But I didn't pay any attention to that. There, in the corner of the marketplace, squatted a small colt pony, hiding underneath the table cloth. he was dirty, raggedy, one would believe he was homeless, and he certainly played the part. He had cunningly hid himself behind an apple booth, far away from the hustle and bustle of the market. One would really have to know what one was looking for to spot him, but I could see him. He was the only thing I saw.

Quick as a whip, he reached up and snatched an apple off the booth, pocketing it under his rags and dashing off. But he wasn't quick enough; the pony who ran the booth, a thick skinned, yellow furred earth pony, spotted him, "Hey! You! Get back here!"

The little colt screeched to a halt, standing in the road with his head hung guiltily.

The pony walked towards him, shaking his head disappointedly. Just let him take it, I thought, Don't you think he had a reason? But nevertheless, the pony strutted up towards him and held out his hoof. The colt placed the apple he had snatched in his awaiting hoof, and then the pony gave him a knick across his crown, causing him to stagger, but not lose his footing like before.

"Don't let me catch you trying that again," he said, and walked back to his stand, muttering various obscenities under his breath.

The colt stood there until the pony was out of sight, then dashed down the path fast as his little legs could carry him, removing a second apple from his rags. The little devil! I got up and followed him, he didn't notice me chase him down the path, he didn't notice me follow him up to an old, decrepit house far away from any others, and he didn't notice me slip inside as he brought the apple to the side of an old, sick pony lying in a bed heavily laden with mismatched quilts and blankets.

"Look Nana," The colt said proudly, "I got you an apple," he pushed it towards the frail old pony, "Eat up, please, you need your strength."

The old pony, Nana, eyed the ruby red apple, a warm smile stretched across her aged, wrinkled face. That smile, it just made you feel right at home, as if nothing bad would ever happen again, and everything was as it should be. She pushed the apple away, "Dear," she said softly, in a loving, creaky voice, "You eat it."

The colt was surprised, then refused, "No, Nana! You need to eat it, it'll make you feel better, please."

Nana ignored the small child's helpless pleas heartlessly. she reached out and felt the colt's face with her aged hoof, "You need it more than I, you must be starving!"

"I'm not hungry!" the colt argued loudly, immediately refuted by a loud growl emanating from the empty pit of his stomach.

Nana let out a soft chuckle at that, then sighed lovingly, continuing to feel the colt's face, "You were always such a good boy, Isaac."

Isaac reached up and felt Nana's hoof with his own, his eyes filling with helpless wonder. "Nana..." Why wouldn't she eat the apple? It would make her feel better, she would get her strength back, and then the two of them could go fishing down by the river, like they used to. Why wouldn't she eat the apple?"

"Do you know why your parents named you Isaac?" Nana asked softly, and without waiting for a reply, she said, "It's because Isaac was once the name of a mighty hero, a pony of legend, who saved countless lives, and even fought the devil himself!" Nana chuckled at the old legend, which was interrupted by a sudden fit of coughing and hacking. Isaac looked extremely worried for a few moments, but then the coughing died down, and Nana continued, "But the hero Isaac had one flaw, He could save the lives of everypony around him, except those who were closest to him."

Isaac blinked tears away. He never understood that legend, ponies would tell him it all the time, he must have heard it a thousand times by now, but he still didn't get it.

"Isaac," Nana continued, "Promise me, you'll live up to your namesake. Save those who cannot save themselves, for me?"

"I-I promise, Nana, I promise," Isaac promised. He would never forget this moment.

Nana smiled, sighed, and leaned back in her bed, "Never forget, my child..."

"Nana...no!" Isaac was now crying freely, he just didn't understand. He didn't even understand that he didn't understand, why wouldn't she just eat the apple? She would feel better then! ...right?

"Your parents loved you very much, Isaac," Nana said, her creaky old voice now a dim whisper, "But not as much as I do..." and with that final breath, Nana closed her eyes, and opened them no more.

"Nana...? Nana...!" Isaac said frantically, quickly panicking, "C'mon, Nana, wake up! Please!" He shook Nana's hoof, begging her to wake up. I could hardly stand to watch, but I couldn't take my eyes away. Isaac was soon blinded by tears, and finally abandoned his once beloved grandmother, dashing out the door in the midst of tears and sniffles, the apple forgotten.

Isaac stumbled down the path, consistently wiping tears from his eyes, reached the simple dirt road, began running, and didn't stop. He ran and ran and ran on and on and on, far away from here, far away from the only being who ever showed him love.

I tried to follow him, to comfort him, to say anything to him, anything at all, but I suddenly fell to the ground as if it were water and the world around me dissolved.

"...Isaac!" called a friendly voice from someplace far off in the distance.

I snapped up from where I lay, gasping as if I were just drowning, the dream fading fast. I tried to remember it, any of it, but it was already gone.

Suddenly a purple unicorn mare burst into the room where I was, smiling warmly, "There you are, sleepyhead! Come on, it's time for breakfast!"

I only had time for one thought, "What?"