Defend the innocent; protect it from those who feed on it. To be best friend and confidant, to nurture imagination, this is my duty. When innocence is taken for naught and is lost unnaturally then the pact is to avenge.
Today, I became a part of the pact. I was chosen by a vessel of innocence. By my wards choice, I am always by his side. By day we play games, act out adventures and explore our world. By night I stand vigilant watch. Until the fateful night came to pass and the chosen victim is my child.
It’s out there, just beyond the ring of light. I can sense it in the deepest shadows of the room. As long it stays out there, vigilance is my only defense. According to the lore they feed on innocence. The very innocence I am here to protect. It has to make contact. As long as I can keep it from reaching the child before daylight innocence will survive.
There, making its move, showing itself. The Nightmare is a creature of the aether bringing bad dreams, sustaining itself off the fear generated. Charging me, I barely manage to deflect blows from those silver hooves. We sparred, each blocked blow a drain, my strikes making no mark. My strength alone will not be enough. My hope and goal is to distract him until daylight.
Drawing on an arsenal of innocence and heroic imagination, bring forth our x-wing. My goal to distract him until daylight began zooming around the Nightmare, as horsefly does a horse. The blasters leave marks across the flank. The first effective offensive move I have landed. Whinnying in pain The Nightmare strikes back. Continue dodging and shooting until a lucky tail strike and the x-wing disintegrates. Safely ejecting, landing in a three-point Ironman style leaves me in a bad position.
Reaching deep into the child’s most heroic image, I draw on all of his innocence to defeat The Nightmare. A shimmering as my armor forms, a paladin with sword and shield. As I draw my sword of truth, the shield emblazoned with the trident on my arm, I face off with my foe. As I change so does the Nightmare. Now a Charger from a joust, mocking me, it paws at the floor. Trying to scare me, play me out. Rising onto its rear legs, the charge begins. This deadly game of chicken can have only one ending. Sinking to one knee as it passes, my sword of truth slices through its body of lies. Slowly fading back into the aether, I return to my place by my child.
For I am Bear; Teddy Bear, protector of innocence.
Thank you for reading,
Ernest
When My Worlds Collide 