It all started like most thing's would. I was a young 15-year-old girl on that day. The world changed for me. September eleventh, 2001. It was a normal day in the park near the twin towers. A normal day the sun in the sky the birds singing. Then in instant chaos. A jetliner flew overhead crashing into the tower. I didn't remember what tower either. I just stared with my family. The smoke the bodies falling. Then another plane a second plane crashed into the other tower. We ran watching both towers fall to the ground. Then learning something hit the pentagon. Then another crashed in a field. I didn't remember much.
We went back home after it all. We had to rent a car since.. being able to fly back wouldn't work. So on the way back, there was no talking. Just listening to the news. All those lives lost learning along the way that it was an attack from outside forces. Using planes as missiles to take on the towers. The horror-filled my family’s minds. For me, I was still a bit young to understand most of it. But I knew death well. You live in Michigan awhile you do see a few things. But it was rare. The idea of how some folks could do this. It boggled my mind. I had much to think about because I wanted to somehow protect my country.
When we got home since I was homeschooled. I had no friends. But I had a choice to make. I went to the local recruitment office. Since I looked like 20 years old being a bit taller than normal for someone my age. But I went in, signing up to join the Marines. I had to go through a lot of testing. My eyes were pretty impressive but they did find some issues with them but still passed. Most of the testing was pretty simple at least to me. I was to be sent to boot camp in a week.
When I got home I got into an argument with my family.
"No, I won't allow you to become a murder!!" My mother said.
" Mom I am doing what I wish for my country to protect it from another attack."
I countered. Of course, my siblings avoided me. With how we were raised the army is murdering the innocent. It's the climate you live in. But. My father was able to convince my mother.
" Hon. Maybe this is best for her. She will learn many skills. Also, she might stay out of combat." My mother sighed she hated the army for what happened to her father in the past. But they let me go. I got ready packing mostly toothbrushes and some books. It would be a week before I get there.
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Boot camp how do I talk about this. Well, Boot camp was pretty harsh. I went through all the training and even forced myself through it. I learned many skills on how to bring power back to places that have lost it. Now it's not easy to bring the power back but you do what you have to. My other skills were to bring medical help the best way you can. Now I wasn't a medic but I did what I could.
Again I went through many months of training. They had broken me and turned into what they wished of me. When I got home I was different I had that buzz cut but I still was my mom's, kind young woman. But she was right to be worried if I was sent into battle.
I stayed out of Afghanistan so again I was Lucky. But in 2003 I was seventeen years old. It was time for Iraq. Bush wanted us to go in cleanly and take care of the issue there. But of course, war is never going to be easy. The first few times I was lucky got into a few scrapes. A few fights I even saw many around me die to protect me. The war changed me changed my heart. It made me cold and a deep thinker.
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What happened in Iraq was hard to explain to many people. The fact of what we saw hurt me the most. I was just 18 when it happens. Like we were told we were there to find weapons of Mass destruction. But what we found was mostly a people starving dying and dead. It wasn't going to be an easy path for us. My first job was to bring power back to one of the little villages.
That wasn't pleasant in itself. Because the people were hungry they were very desperate it was so easy to tell. I also helped work on bringing in water. Now that is even harder trying to find the right type of water. Some water there had to much salt in it from my understanding. But later we had found a way to clean up the water. it wasn't as easy. But I heard stories of many on the front lines.
The front lines of many deaths. I spent most of my life in Iraq. I spent five to almost ten years there. I wasn't allowed to come home until the job was done. But the reason I went in for became less the reason I went in. I wanted to save my country. But when I got back the political idea has changed.
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I was treated like a criminal a murder when I got home. My family didn't even come to greet me. When I went home the same home I grew up in as a child. My family saw me when I opened the door and just looked at me Like I was a threat to them. My father had passed away and my mother remarried a man that I didn't care for. He hated me for what I did.
MY mother did love me still she gave me a large amount of money. Telling me to go find my own life.
" I'm sorry Savannah but I can't allow someone like you into my house. Please take this and go find a home for yourself."
I had taken the hint. With it being 2013 I had felt maybe I was unsure what to think. But For the first two years, I didn't know how to get back into normal life. Again I tried to find a job. But most didn't trust folks like me. I was a threat to their little world's. I grew more and more depressed the PTSD didn't help either. Most of the time I had bought of seeing the past.
Finally, I fell for so many years. I tried very hard to get back to my life back. I fell into a stupor of so much foolishness like ones like me would. I lived on the streets most of 2014. My life was finally coming back around early 2015. I felt that my life would. Then as all ones like me a relapse I fell back into the pain and overdosed. I just wanted to let it all go. But fate… fate on that night a simple fate saved me. The world ending saved my life.
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A flash happens I swear it happens. Opening my eye's I felt new strange. Feeling a giant bump when the driver's upfront lost control. I heard chatting outside and then the door opened up. I saw a dragon...a female dragon staring at me. Being who I am I said my peace.
" Let me go now...and I promise I won't kill you."
" Don't worry I’m not going to hurt you. I'm Malla." The dragon said with a kind gentle tone. Of course, my tone in my voice wasn't as kind.
"I don't care who you are. Explain what happen. I was close to death and now I am healthy and ten time's younger then I was." I could tell the dragon knew. It was hard for her to speak of I could tell.
" I will tell you the 23rd the world ended. But not with fire or anything. But with the entire world vanishing. I was turned into this. I met a pony from another universe she didn't tell me much. But she did help me get here. But then I also met another like me named Chris who was turned into a mare. A baby foal that used to be human. Then another named Colgate." The dragon said.
"What's the date now?" I simply asked.
" August 1st." The dragon said. It's been that many months? Hmm, whatever happen changed the time. I didn't get angry or upset but I did say a few words that would make anyone's skin crawl. The dragon didn't seem bothered though.
" Hmm, that means no one is alive to know the sin's I caused. What I did in the war, I'm Savannah. Let me go and I will be at your debt miss Malla."
With the dragon undid my bonds. But to repay them I sat up and used my new found limps to smack them around a bit. Then with enough might of my hooves tossed her out on her ass. Smirking to myself but I could tell the dragon was slow and didn't use to be someone that fought for a living.
" You're to slow. I shall teach you to defend yourself." I said with a smirk slowly getting on my hooves and well falling on my face. But the dragon did help me get out and set me near the other two. They must have been the one's to pick me up. One looked to be a mare like me. A Pegasus the other looked like a dog being.
" Well, I will show you around. But let’s help you learn to walk." Malla said.
It took us a bit of an hour with the help of the dragon. But I got to know my two new friends. George the strange dog used to work at Pharmacia Upjohn. As a former drug tester. Then became a paramedic after he retired so he was the oldest out of all of us. Wanda a simple wife that had an interesting life. Malla a former male turned female? Huh, interesting.
But I got the hang of it. It took Wanda a bit because she is lighter than the rest of us. George had it easy since he was like a human anyway. Malla of course opened her gentle mouth. I was oddly starting to like her. But her gentleness did upset me a bit. I would have to get used to it.
" Now from my guess, you're a Pegasus Wanda. I have no idea what you are George. Also, I know you are a Zebra Savannah. Anyway, welcome to Dragon's rest." Malla said the three of us looked at the Meijer’s and I smirked interesting she took it over and made it a simple hub. Maybe later down the line, it will be a town again. But it would take bringing power back to the entire of Battlecreek. As well as Springfield. But first things first.
" I take it you just need to get power going again?" I look up to Malla. She just gives a nod. " That should be very simple."
Slowly on my new hooves, I walked to the store looking down at the Dog. Seeing a collar on him. Leaning down to read the name Toby if found. Buffalo Wyoming. Whoa, she came from there? Looking at the Ford car I saw how bashed up it was. She drove that as well. Leaning down to pet him. I went inside.
Now getting the power back would take time. First I need to see how much fuel we have. I need to see if we can break into the fuel chamber of some gas stations. Then hook up a bunch of generators. Now again this will take time but It might be very simple. Meijer’s was known for using its greenhouse during the winter. But it was rare that they used it all year round so we needed that powered. But again it was time to get to work.
That is my story. I don’t get why she wishes us to do this but thank you. One of the founders of Dragons Rest out. The Recording ends with a click.