Better

Better

Chapter one:

It was mid day last week when I heard it on the news.  Mankind Earth and everything on it was on a timer. 6 days 20 hours 59 minutes until impact of an asteroid one tenth the size of the moon. There had been many failed attempts to stop, shatter or redirect the object, and people were hopeful. But that final broadcast shattered all remaining hopes of survival.

You think I’d be scared or panicking at that point like many have, but honestly what’s the point in that? I’ve never really feared death, and that whole "you only live once" thing is only an excuse to do unadvisable things.  So I just had to come up with a way to pass the time until the world ends.

Life’s been good to me. I have had the privilege to learn so much and meet so many wonderful people. Most of whom are probably losing their minds right about now. Sitting under the big oak tree in my back yard I started to laugh. “4 hours left huh? Well might as well train in the mean time.” I muttered under my breath. I much of my life has been study, and physical training with the purpose to better myself, to be the best version of me. Anything I could get my hands on would do. Kung fu to engineering, music to math, learning has been my one and only drive for life.

I lifted myself to my feet and began to stretch. Legs, arms, neck, back. I turned to the big oak trees worn, beaten and bare surface, lowered myself to wide leg horse stance, and began my usual routine. Two thousand bare hand punches to the tree and five hundred sidekicks for each leg to warm up; then proceeded to the forms and techniques respectively.

Martial arts out of all the things I’ve learned has all ways been the most relaxing to practice and perhaps the most beneficial, though I hardly have had the time to train in it in the past weeks. The thing about the end of the world is that responsibility doesn’t really mean anything anymore. But I’m sure glad to live out here in the country away from all the ensuing chaos as to live out my final days in peace.

Nearing the end of my forms, a red glow began to loom over me my house and the surrounding fields. I looked to the eastern horizon and saw the bright red and orange glow of the asteroid encroaching. My chest went cold, and I proceeded to sit back down at the base of the tree and wait for the impact.

My eyes closed, and I felt an enormous force whip me around at speeds I couldn’t judge. Everything went dark. I couldn’t feel my body, yet I was aware, yes… definitely aware. Then suddenly I regained feeling of my body and again was whipped around only then to have the wind knocked of out of me as I had hit a soft surface on my back a bit harder than the soft part would allow. I gasped for air opening my I eyes wide only to see a normal, blue, partially cloudy sky.

“Huh wha…” I gasped out quickly sitting up to get a layout of my surroundings. What I saw was impossible. I was in the middle of an empty field next to a tall lone tree. How could this be? And more importantly where am I? I thought to myself.  Looked off to my left where I saw old an old medieval type town. Yet it looked slightly more colorful.

Still reeling from the shock of not being dead, I gathered myself stood up and headed in the direction of that town. As I got closer I thought I would see some people since the town. But no. what I saw I was not expecting. Horses… well no not horses. Horses are bigger, with long faces and beady eyes. These were like something out of a cartoon but less cartoony and very colorful.

“For my sake I hope they are intelligent…” I said out loud to myself.  I continued toward the town to see if these horses… no not horses… ponies, could in some way tell me what’s happening. I spotted a light orange and orange pony with what looked to be carrot on her backside, walking toward the center of the town.

“Excuse me! Orange pony!” I shouted at a distance while walking up to…her? Yes definitely a she, she seems feminine enough. She turned to face me and flinched seemingly shocked. “Can you help me? I don’t know where I am, or what’s happening.” I said in a quieter tone as I approached. She remained shocked and stared at me. Oh of course. Why would I think she could understand me? I don’t even know if she’s intelligent. I thought to myself as I inwardly smacked myself.

“What in the whole of Equestria are you? I’ve never seen a creature like you before.” She said giving me a look of fascination.

Oh good they’re intelligent, and apparently they speak English. This is just getting weirder and weirder. “What am I? I’m a human.”

“Never heard of one of those before. Do you have a name?” The orange pony said while shifting to a smile.

“Uhh… yes, my name in Allen, umm listen, is there any way you could help me? I really don’t know what’s going on, or where I am for that matter.”

“Oh sure!” she piped up. “I really have nothing going on right now, so I’ll take you to see the mayor, she might know what you are and what to do with you.” She turned, walked toward me and raised her front hoof to me. “I’m Golden Harvest by the way, but you can call me Carrot Top!” she said with a smile.

I took her hoof and shook it. “Nice to meet you… umm Carrot Top." Heh... Carrot Top. She led me further into the town toward a large gazebo like building. I was getting strange looks from the so called ponies of this town. I must be pretty alien to them. I thought. At this point I didn’t know what to think. Aren’t I supposed to be dead? Wait… am I dead? My mind still reeling from shock I continued following Carrot Top.

“So where am I? What is this place?” I asked.

“Oh, well you’re in Ponyville, It’s a small town right in the center of Equestria.” The orange pony said with a hint of pride.

Ponyville… Equestria… huh… puns, I wonder if that’s a thing here. We arrived at the large building I was guessing was the town hall or something like that.

Once we were on the town halls patio Carrot top turned to me and said “You should wait here, considering all the looks you were given on the way here, we wouldn’t want to cause a fuss. Then she turned back to enter the building, probably to get the mayor she was talking about.

That’s sensible enough. “Sure.” I said walking to a nearby bench on the patio to sit down. Sitting down I started thinking; so I’m guessing my planet is gone… I would think that would cause more pain than it has. I must be is some sort of shock. I placed my head in my hand letting out a deep sigh. What the hell is going on? My train of thought was interrupted by the town hall door opening reveling Carrot Top followed  by a cream colored female pony with… a horn. Is that… a unicorn? At this point I was beginning to feel a bit light headed.

She turned to me with a look of intrigue and said. “My word! Aren’t you an interesting creature. May I ask where you come from? Oh wait! Where are my manners? I am Mayor mare, and you are?”

“Umm Allen… Allen Myers. And where I came from? Well I came from a planet called earth. But the thing is I think it was just destroyed.” Both ponies showed a look of shock and concern at that. “And I was supposed to be destroyed along with it… but now I’m here, where ever here is.”

“Oh that’s awful!” Said Carrot Top placing one of her hooves on my shoulder. “I’m so sorry, I wish I could help you.” Her face turning to that of regret.

Mayor Mare interjected “Well I am afraid that this is a bit far out of my reach to help you with Mr. Myers. But I do know a pony that may be able to help, she’s our very own Princess Twilight Sparkle.” She said proudly.

Right then my lightheadedness increased, my heart started beating hard and rapidly, and I began feeling a cold sweat cover my body. Oh god, a panic attack. I tried to stabilize myself but to no avail. I fell forward off the bench, carrot top reaching to catch me, then blackness.

.............................................................

I awoke feeling a soft surface under me. What happened?  I opened my eyes to see I was in some sort of wooden building, with books lining the walls around me and what looked like stairs leading up to a loft. I was lying on a couch on the edge of the room.  I sat up; if not a little too quickly as again I became a bit dizzy. “H-hello?” I said cautiously.

No response.

Ok... For the sake of my mental and probably physical health, I think it is advisable that I stay here and collect my thoughts. So… let’s get this straight; my world and all of humanity has been destroyed… check, I am not dead… check, instead now I find myself in a world with strangely human like taking ponies… and unicorns… check.  Taking a deep breath running my hands down my face, I decided to just accept it and be grateful I’m still alive.  No point in worrying about things I can’t control, I’m just grateful that I’m alive. Part of my martial arts training was to keep calm in any situation. Be it the end of the world or talking ponies. If it’s a situation you can’t control, don’t worry, if you however can control it, don’t worry.

I stood up stretching as I looked to the left over to the books lining the walls. It seemed to consist completely of hardback books of varying reds and browns.

Looking closer I saw what looked like encyclopedia. Wonder if their language is completely the same, I thought taking the first volume off the far right shelf before the stairs. It read “Encyclopedia Equestria”.

I took the book to the couch, sat down and opened to the middle. Nothing was out of the ordinary word wise, but the contents prove beyond a shadow of a doubt this was a much different world. Just on one page showed detailed articles magic and the use of said magic. It described it as a sort of life force or essence that that flowed through everything in Equestria.

“That’s the same thing as Qi(chi) on earth“ I mumbled to myself flipping the next page.

“What are you reading?” said a voice from nowhere eliciting a small scream from me, as I slammed the book shut and looked up. There stood a lavender female pony… mare unicorn? Pegacorn? anyway she had a navy blue mane with purple and magenta streaks running through it.

Letting out a huge sigh said, “where did you come from?.” I held my chest to stop the sudden pounding in my chest.

She stepped forward with a slight giggle. “I came from down stairs to see if you were awake, which you are.” She said Smiling at me “Carrot top said your name was Allen.” She rose her hoof to me “Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle” I took her hoof and shook it noting the fact that shaking a hoof feels a bit weird. Her glace turned to a curious one as she stated, “When carrot top and the mayor brought you here they thought I could identify what you were and said you could speak  Equish. I looked through so many books but none of them showed anything quite like you. Could you tell me what you are and possibly where you came from?”

“Well umm… “ I began “I’m a human… and as where I came from? Well it’s definitely not here, where ever here is. Where I come from is a planet called Earth with seven billion of us humans.” Her expression turned to that of excitement and wonder. “Sadly before I got here however that happened… the planet and everyone on it… was destroyed.” I felt a coldness aching in my chest as my breathing started to pick up.

“Destroyed!? Destroyed how?!” she said now looking horrified and concerned.

“Well a week ago there was a report that a large…umm asteroid a tenth the size of the moon was headed towards our planet.”

“So why didn’t your leaders stop it?”

“They tried many times, but all their attempts failed.” I said biting my tongue

Twilight approached me and placed her hoof on my shoulder “I’m so sorry” she said sullenly “ I will do what I can to help you, but I will need to contact Princess Celestia to tell her of this.”

“You ponies sure are nice.” I said with a laugh putting my hand on her hoof “Thank you, I’m not worried.” My stomach rumbled deeply making Twilight giggle. “Uhhh… do you have anything to eat?” I said rubbing the back of my head sheepishly.