Running

Running. Running. Running, running, running.

Running through the forest. Blurry shapes in the forest moving past the frightened colt. It was all dark here during this time of night and everything was really scary.

There was this really scary thing chasing him but he didn’t know what it was.

It was scarier than that one time he was scared by his parents and family for his surprise birthday party and he was so happy to see them all greeting him. He was happy then, after he was scared. There was a big cake and six candles for him and he blew them all out and afterwards he unwrapped presents. He was really happy back then.

But now he wasn’t happy. The forest was scarier than the surprise party but this time there weren’t any presents or good things waiting for him or parents or his family. There were no candles here in the forest. It was all dark and there wasn’t even a sun or even a moon to guide him and it was all just so scary.

He swore he could see eyes behind him. Chasing after him like he was a butterfly being toyed with by a child. The child would stick its hands up to try to grab him and he would flap his flimsy, beautiful wings harder to go higher in the air to try to get away from the child. The child couldn’t get him there. He was too short and his odd, naked legs were too stubby. Except right now he wasn’t a butterfly, he was even weaker than that and he knew it. He would try to run faster but he realised he was just like the child, weaker than the butterfly, and he was so young and his legs were stubby and he couldn’t run any faster. The thing behind him kept on coming, its breath was hot on his neck and its eyes were locked on him like crosshairs on an experienced sniper and he couldn’t do anything besides run because if he slowed down to catch his breath or make any sudden movements it would just shoot him, it would just bite down on him, it would just catch him in its oversized hooves or claws or talons and it would eat him or chew him or kill him some other horrible way.

He wasn’t looking out where he was going and he hit a large hard tree trunk that was right in front of him. His head hurt a lot and he reached up with a hoof to gently massage the spot that had collided and it hurt so much. He wanted to go home back with his parents so they could treat the pain like they always did. They would go to the doctor and help him out.

It hurt so much. He couldn’t think and all he could think of was to just get up and go. He scrambled up to his hooves but tripped a few times, but he was able to get up properly. But he knew that the thing that was chasing after him was even closer now. He was really scared, even more scared than that one time he was bullied by this other colt in the schoolhouse. He was afraid that he would buck him right in the jaw and it would hurt a lot and break his jaw nobody would care. But he never did. He ran straight home and told his mother about it and he cried against her soft shoulder and she just rubbed the back of his head and run her hoof through his mane and tell him things like “It’s okay” or “It’ll all be fine sweetheart” and she would make him feel better and he would nod when she told him so.

Oh how he wished she were there right now. She was really a pretty mare, with a long caramel-blond-ish mane which was swept one direction like that other foal’s mother who lived in Ponyville. His name was Button Mash but he liked to be called Button and he really liked video games and he said that his mother liked video games too. She had the same mane style and colour as his own mother’s, and they were identical except for the fact that his mother had green eyes instead of blue and her coat was yellower and she styled her tail differently.

But he tried not to think about his family because they were all gone now. And he tried not to think about his parents because they were gone too. And he tried not to think about his friends because he didn’t have any. All that was left in the world was this infinite forest that didn’t end no matter how fast or far he ran and the moon or sun weren’t there and Celestia and Luna had abandoned him because he was worthless to them, what was he, just a little colt among a sea of other colts and fillies and he wasn’t even special in any way. Just that his parents always used to tell him that he was the best but he never felt that way.

The thing that was behind him kept on chasing him and he knew it was because he could feel its hot breath on the nape of his neck. He just kept on running, he was sure his hooves, no matter how short, would carry him to safety but now he wasn’t so sure. The thing behind him was scaring him so much, he knew now that it was the scariest thing that he had ever experienced.

But then suddenly he saw this bright light, it filled his vision up completely and he knew that it was his salvation so he closed his eyes and basked in the light and felt that the thing that was behind him was suddenly going away. But he knew that this light came from him and he knew he just needed to unlock it somehow. The scary thing was scared now, more scared than he was when it was chasing him and he knew why because it was going away and it was gone now. And he continued to bask in the light and he felt the ground drop away underneath him and he couldn’t see anything in the light and the trees were falling down underneath him as if he had wings even though he didn’t. He knew his eyes were closed but he wondered why there was still light filtering in and it was really bright it was probably really bright more than Celestia even and he knew he was safe now because it felt so good and everything around him felt good and all the bad things were melting away like shadows in light because he willed them away with his strength and they were so insignificant and he was so powerful and he could overcome anything because with this light he could finally his parents would be here and they would be so proud of him oh look what he’s done he’s so grown up now and wow look how he was able to overcome everything and I the other colt at school won’t bother him anymore and he’s just so strong look at him his short black mane and light brown creamy coat he’s handsome just like you oh why can’t I just get some rest now and everything will all be over and I can close my eyes and sleep and dream about all the good things and feel good about myself knowing that I did something good for once I overcame the evil things like the Mane Six did when they used the Elements of Harmony against Nightmare Moon she was the mare in the legend and there was Discord and then Fluttershy reformed him and then they used the Elements of Harmony against him or at least they wanted to was that right and then yes there was that third villain Chrysalis and then they used it against Sombra in the Crystal Kingdom oh that place is so beautiful maybe one day I’ll go there I’ll use the Elements of Harmony against the things that chase me and then I can sleep and rest in peace knowing that I did something good for myself I overcame the bad things and the dark forest doesn’t trap me anymore because I’m free I have wings and I can use my own magic to make myself fly without wings willpower love and I wish everything were like that but I have to work and one day I’ll be just like that brave pony maybe one day but I will be I swear it I’ll be that pony and everything’s better.