Ask Discorded Scootaloo: Chamber of Zerum

The pony threw his hooves forward and tried to block out his view of Scootaloo.

“N-No! T-That’s not my name anymore! Don’t drag me back into that! Please!” he begged.

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.

“Not your name? What the buck are you going on about?” Scootaloo asked.

The pony sat up on his haunches and lowered his head. When Scootaloo looked at The Doctor, she had seen a very angry and sad stallion who just wanted to be left alone in his box for the rest of his endless life…

But this stallion…

Looked completely destroyed.

“I-I’m not The Doctor anymore. Somepony like me should never be worthy to own that name.” he said sadly.

Scootaloo didn’t understand anything about this. He looked like The Doctor, had the same voice, and for the most part, the same overall look. But why was he acting so…pathetic?

To Discorded Scootaloo: That stallion is not The Doctor. He isn't even remotely like the already broken form of The Doctor you know. He is... how should I put this? A husk of a husk. He is an alternate dimension's Doctor that, unlike your Doctor who was broken, was completely and utterly decimated. He goes by the name Zerum( which means nothing), and this name completely suits his self-confidence. He will do what anypony asks him to do, and as such will do whatever you tell him. Here let me show you.( Don't worry I'm not cruel)

To Dissy (D. Scoots):No, no Scoots, that's Zerum Hooves. You can order him around, like so.

“Oh thank Celestia. I can still talk to these things in here…So…Zerum was it? You’ll do anything anypony tells you?” Scootaloo asked.

Zerum’s body refused to let him lift his head up, but still stared sadly at what Scootaloo could assume was the ground in this “Void”.

“I am ordered to obey all of my masters without question. My puppeteer demands that of me.” Zerum said, the emotion looking like it was draining from his face.

To Zerum: Try to moonwalk.

Zerum turned around and attempted to do as he was told, but ended up stumbling and landing on his flank.

“T-This is incredibly difficult to do with four legs. S-Sorry.” He said, shivering.

Scootaloo face-hoofed. This looked completely ridiculous to her. What pleasure does somepony get from demanding this of another pony?

To DS

Ask order zerum to tell you what he knows. I know it seems cruel to do that to someone whose in the same boat as you but it's necessary.

To Zerum: Explain to her your sad, pathetic existence in this void, while sitting on your head.

“Sad? No no. I-I’m happy here. My master protects me from all the dangers of the outside…but I will do as I am told.” Zerum said, sitting on the ground and turning himself onto his head.

Once again, the scene before Scootaloo looked absolutely absurd to her. The bubbles seemed to be a lot different in personality here than in her old world. They seemed a bit more demanding towards Zerum, and she didn’t quite get WHY he was following these “Orders” as he put it.

“Why are you doing this to yourself? I know from experience that these things can’t hurt you, so what are you so damn afraid of?” Scootaloo asked.

Zerum sighed.

“If I’m a bad pony, I get punished. Either by the voices or…or…” Zerum started to lose his composure, and his lips started trembling and tears were starting to come into his orbs.

“Or…my master…I don’t want to make my master angry.” He said, one of the tears rolling off his eyes.

Scootaloo could relate to Zerum’s situation. At one point, she too had been prisoner to a cruel, evil monster. He would torture her, hurt her, convinced her she was nothing but a pathetic, flightless bird-pony. It slightly hurt her to see another pony in her boat, but not much.

She had learned to rid herself of empathy a long time ago.

“Well , your master sounds like a real asshole.” Scootaloo said.

Zerum got back in his normal stance and viciously shook his head.

“What?! No; my master is kind and caring! He gave a purpose to my pathetic existence.” Zerum said, slightly raising his voice.

This was another thing Scootaloo couldn’t get. He looked miserable, but claimed he was happy. How can ANYONE be happy under these conditions? She remembered just how much she had hated her owner when she was trapped in The Coop, and yet Zerum talked about his master like he was a saint.

“…Exactly what is your purpose you were talking about?” Scootaloo asked curiously.

Zerum’s faced shamelessly blushed and his tiny wings made a small “POMF” sound. For whatever reason Scootaloo couldn’t fathom, he seemed a little embarrassed.

“Erm…I really shouldn’t be talking to a child about such things. You wouldn’t understand.” Zerum mumbled.

To Discorded Scootaloo: Why don't you ask Zerum about that mark on your flank?

“Yeah, what is with that mark? I’ve got the same one, but I don’t remember having it before I ended up here. What does it mean?” Scootaloo asked.

Zerum looked down at his own Cutie-Mark.

“This is my master’s seal. He branded me with it when I became his. So that must mean…he’s found another pet.” Zerum said with tears in his eyes. The last thing Zerum ever wanted to do was displease his master. But judging by the presence of another pony with the mark, he figured his master has gotten bored with him.

Scootaloo was in a state of absolute shock.

“N-No way! I will NOT go back to being someone’s bucking pet, I will NOT!” Scootaloo screamed.

“Sorry, but that’s the sheer reality of it. There is no escape from the void anywhere. You may as well get used to it.” Zerum sighed.

Scootaloo: now, I'm no expert, but this appears to be some form of pocket dimension. And, judging by the Grey Doctor, this is controlled and manifested by a truly cruel spirit. Does that Anypony you know in description?

“I know quite a lot of cruel ponies. But by far the worst of the souls I’ve met was-“ Scootaloo stopped midsentence when she realized something. The way things were playing out here were all too familiar. The Void and The Coop. Zerum and herself. Whoever Zerum’s master was and…

“…No…”

Scootaloo knew only one being in existence capable of truly bringing a pony to their breaking point, turning their coat into a dark greyness, and their mind a sharp contrast to what they had been before.

By far, the most evil and terrifying monster Scootaloo had ever seen…

“…Discord.” She said quietly.