Chapter 1: Something Truly Bizarre
I knew my life would never be the same. I said that at my mom’s funeral, by brother’s funeral, and my dad’s funeral, and when my cousin went off to war, and when the Monsters invaded, and especially when I was recruited by the United Pony Army.
As bad as it sounds, I have a good life. I have a modest house, healthy lifestyle, and a good friend. She’s kind, compassionate(which I’m pretty sure are synonyms), and has a heart-shaped cutie mark to prove such. She is perfect with the exception of one flaw: her big ego.
Of course that’s just natural when your mom is Rarity, and Princess Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash the Great come over to your house periodically. She’s also really pretty, and kinda pampered. She’s good at everything. I’m also just one of her many, many friends. Her name is Rouge.
I was ten when the Monsters came from someplace unknown. They are about three stories tall. Extremely flabby, stretchy, pale peach skin, with gills, little stubs in their backs that could maybe be under-developed wings. No arms, just a big, flat face that was just a huge mouth and tiny little colourless eyes.
They just lean over and swallow their victims whole. That happened to my father. The world came together to form the United Pony Army, hoping that maybe they could fight off the attackers. That’s how my cousin died. The Monsters have no known weakness, no way to be defeated. They just keep eating everything, and reproducing once they’ve eaten enough.
Three years. After all that I had been through, no cutie mark. No family, just staying at Rouge’s mansion stocked with food that could last five years.
But we had the entire city crammed in, and we had to stretch it to three and a half years.
Seven weeks until the food rations ran cold. About a mile away was a farm, but everyone was too afraid to leave the safety of the house.
I volunteered. “I’ll go.”
Rouge looked at me like I was crazy, flipping her beautiful, wavy scarlet hair. “I don’t think you should or could. No offense, Pearl, but you don’t have that kind of skills.” She placed a sentimental hoof on my shoulder. “And I don’t want to lose one of my last friends.”
“I’ll be back. And you’ve been taking care of me for four years, and now it’s time I return the favour. I’ll get some more food.”
Ms. Rarity gave me a dark violet cloak to wear to conceal myself. Of course, it was actually pretty sunny. So lurking in the shadows wasn’t really an option.
The farm was practically decimated. I only managed to salvage some mangoes, some carrots, cucumbers, apples, and peaches.
I figured that since nothing happened on my way there, the way back would be uneventful as well. But I was wrong.
I had a half mile left. I was getting close. I could see the mansion, but I could also see a Monster.
A boy who was two years younger than me who also didn’t have a cutie mark, and had dark blue curly hair. His skin was a light yellow. He wore glasses that were shaking on the bridge of his snout.
He was trembling. I wanted to fly over and save him, but my wings were tired. I can only fly ten minutes before tiring out. He was swallowed.
The Monster didn’t seem satisfied. Like he was sick. Then, something truly bizarre happened.
