//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: I guess it could be worse... // by Mekapix //------------------------------// The knight charged forth to finish the battle with one goal in mind, to annihilate the jet black dragon in front of him that had won many a battle before this. The drake stuck out his long neck and bellowed a black flame with a golden tint, the flame enveloped the knight while his shield was raised. The warrior felt himself close to death and without any means to heal himself but instead of fleeing, he decided to go down fighting to the last breath. With both hands around the handle of his blade, he ran to the dragon and swung the weapon to his side, slashing the demon's leg. The black dragon sat back on it's hind legs, it's singular red eye shining brightly as the knight was lifted into the air. The air around the knight warped as a small red diamond appeared and floated above his head, as he softly returned to the ground, the dragon brought it's long neck and head to it's side before swinging it forward. With a snap of it's jaws, the knight fell to the floor and the entire world became pitch black, red light appearing from the darkness and forming into the words 'You are dead'. “Fucking Kalameet! I hope you burn in hell you stupid, fucking overgrown excuse for a lizard!” A male voice yelled as the sound of plastic hitting the floor hard echoed through the room. The short haired boy got up off of the floor and stretched out his legs, leaning back down to turn off the PS3 and the TV. Josh stretched out his arms and blinked his bright blue eyes a few times before looking around his room. The room had baby blue walls with a window on one of them, bright light streaming through the curtains while the bed pressed against the adjacent wall stayed unmade since he woke up and the cupboard at the end of the bed was ajar with the sleeve of a top dangling out of it. The TV and PS3 were on a unit that was up against the wall opposite of his bed while above it were a pair of shelves with games along one of them and various game figurines on the other. The boy looked over the room, wondering what to do while stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets. After about a minute his stomach rumbled, causing him to place a hand on his gut and let out a small sigh. “I need to nom, I wonder if we got any sausages left.” He turned round and went out of his bedroom door into the main living room. The room he entered was divided into a living area and kitchen. The living area was in a box shape, a sofa against one wall and facing the door he entered from and the two doors surrounding it as well as a large TV placed against the wall opposite it. A table was next to a wall with a large opening in it at the closer end of the sofa with a few chairs around it. The kitchen was on the opposite side of the opening and was equipped with all the necessities, he made his way to the fridge/freezer and opened the freezer, pulling out a bag of sausages, followed by a grill pan from one of the cupboards and placing them on the counter while turning on one of the hobs on the oven. It wasn't long before the smell of sausages enveloped the apartment. The sound of quick footsteps flew throughout a room next to Josh's before the door opened to reveal a stocky, short haired ginger boy sniffing the air. “I smell meat...” He said. “Yes Sam, I know how much you like to stick hot meat in your mouth.” Josh replied, snickering slightly at his joke. Sam just rolled his eyes in response. “Well I was going to ask if you wanted me to take over but I just remembered that you're the only one that ever touches your meat so I'll leave you to it.” Sam replied before heading into the living room and sitting down on the sofa and watching TV. Josh eventually made a pair of sausage sandwiches and placed them on plates before taking them to the table. As both Sam and Josh sat down to eat, they felt a small tremor beneath their feet. It only lasted a moment before disappearing as quick as it started. “Did you feel that too or is my stomach now into my feet?” Josh asked. “No I felt it too, we don't usually get earthquakes in England do we?” “No, maybe it was a passing lorry or something. Anyway, time to eat!” Josh and Sam sat down and started on their sandwiches. They just sat there eating while the TV provided background noise. Sam looked at the time to see it was now 10 am before looking over at Josh. “So what was with all the yelling this morning?” He asked. “Dark Souls, that dragon is getting on my damn nerves. It's so fucking stupid.” Josh remarked. Sam just raised an eyebrow. “The dragon's stupid yet it keeps winning? What does that make you then?” He quizzed with a smirk. Josh growled in response and opened his mouth to counter before the rumbling came again. It lasted a little longer than before and the plates began shifting across the table. “That must be a lot of lorries to make the place shake this badly. Why would lorries be coming this way anyway? There aren't any depots for anything nearby.” Sam stated. Josh got up and stumbled towards the window before the rumbling stopped yet again. “Well that was...odd. Never knew passing lorries could make the place shake before.” Josh remarked as he stared at the floor before shrugging the quake off. “Oh well, it's your day off today right?” Sam nodded. “Me too, lazy day?” “You read my mind.” Sam replied with a grin. “Be right back, gotta pee.” With that, Sam headed off into the other door next to Josh's. Josh shrugged and headed into his room. He opened his cupboard, grabbing his silver pocket watch from inside and giving it a wind before smiling at it. He looked towards the window as the rumbling started once more. “Damn lorries, why are there so many?” He asked no one in particular. He walked towards the window and opened it to see the offending vehicles. “What the hell...?” He asked himself as he took in the sight. There wasn't a single vehicle in his field of vision, he looked both ways out of the window to still see nothing. The shallow rumbling quickly picked up and shook the whole apartment, sending Josh stumbling backwards into a small roll. Games were falling off of the shelves, a few of them landing on Josh's head. He looked up just in time to see his figurines about to fall, he quickly reached out and grabbed them as they fell, using his back legs to push himself back to catch the next one. A thunderous crash sounded through the apartment before everything seemed to jump up a few inches before hitting the floor again. Josh quickly placed everything back on the shelves before running out of his room and knocking on the bathroom door. “Hey dude! You ok in there? You're not hurt are you?” “No I'm fine... well except for a little of my pride. That would have to happen when I needed a piss, what a bloody mess...” Same replied. Josh grimaced at the detail that just entered his mind. “Well I'll leave you to...that... I'll go check the rest of the place.” Josh quickly turned to face the rest of their abode, apart from a few broken plates and pans that fell from the kitchen cupboards, there wasn't any damage done. 'That was lucky then. Stupid earthquake, I thought we weren't supposed to feel them?' Josh thought to himself. He was broken out of his train of thought when Sam opened the bathroom door. “Well that was great timing. How is the place?” “Apart from a few broken plates, everything's fine. Just going to check on the neighbours and see how they are.” Sam nodded to his friend and watched him walk towards the small hallway leading out of the apartment. He heard the door open then shut after a few quiet seconds, another few seconds passed before the pair of sounds came again. “That was quick, how are they?” He asked. He didn't get a reply before the door opened and closed again. “Josh? You there?” He quickly walked over to the hall and saw Josh staring at the door, his hand gripped tightly around the handle while shaking ever so slightly. “Josh, what's wrong?” He asked as he came up next to his friend. Josh just stood there staring at the door, not blinking once before gulping. “I think I got concussion Sam because I could've sworn that I just saw some kind of country town just outside the house.” Josh stepped back as Sam took hold of the handle with a raised eyebrow. As he opened the door, his eyes were a little blinded by the bright sunlight but they eventually settled to let Sam see the new surroundings. The bungalow now rested on a lush green field, birds were singing and the wind whistled into their home. In the distance, Sam could see a slightly old town in the distance with colourful human figures walking around. “I don't think you're hallucinating Josh, I see it too... I don't think we're in our neighbourhood any more...” “I figured that much out Dorothy.” Josh remarked. He squinted his eyes a little and looked into the distance. “Hey... does that look like someone's coming this way?” He asked. “I think so, you think they are friendly?” “Maybe.” Then suddenly a bright red apple came flying from the approaching group, narrowly avoiding Josh's face and skimming his cheek. “But I've been wrong before!” They quickly shut the door and ran back into the home. “Get the windows and curtains!” Josh yelled. They quickly ran around their living room, kitchen and bedrooms, closing every window they could find and pulled the curtains. They regrouped in the living room and kept quiet as they heard talking from outside their door. “Where the hay did this come from?” One voice yelled. “Ah don't know but did ya'll see? Ah think somepony is in here.” A cowgirl voice replied. “Shit!” Sam whispered. “All the windows are closed right?” Josh asked. “I think so.” “Hey girls! There's an open window over here!” A cheery sounding voice yelled. Josh gave Sam a glare. “I may have forgotten about the bathroom door...” Josh rolled his eyes and made his way to the bathroom. “Pinkie! You can't just climb in through an open window!” A new voice yelled. Josh opened the bathroom door to see a pink face trying to squeeze in the window. The pure pink face gasped, breathing in more air in one breath than he thought possible. He slammed the door shut and ran to Sam, grabbing his arm and dragging him towards another window. “We gotta move! I think Kirby is breaking into our house!” Sam was about to try and state the many questions that formed from that excuse but the sound of breaking glass came from the bathroom. “Pinkie! I told you to stop, now you've broken it!” The same reprimanding voice shouted again. “But Twilight! There are things in there!” The excited, giggly voice cried. Sam and Josh scrambled to the window, undoing the latch and opening it wide. “Quick, let's get out!” Josh said. “Hey, the window's opening round the back!” The tomboyish voice from before yelled. Sam pulled Josh back in the room and slammed the window shut. “Or maybe not...” He said, hand still pressed against the window. Knocking came from their front door before a posh voice came after. “Excuse me, we are aware that you're home. Could you come out please? Trying to avoid somepony that is visiting, especially if you haven't even met them is very rude.” Josh and Sam just looked at each other before looking towards the door. “Somepony..?” Josh asked himself. “But we nearly got an apple to the face! That didn't seem too friendly.” Sam replied. “Sorry, that was mah fault.” The cowgirl voice stated. “I was a holding a few apples, one of em fell out of mah arms and ah accidently kicked it. “She kicked it?!” Josh whispered. “How strong must her legs be to accidently kick an apple at that power?” “I don't know but protect the gents and don't piss her off!” Sam whispered back. “Please, we don't mean any harm. We promise.” A new voice replied. It sounded quiet but straining to make itself heard. The two boys looked at each other and gulped before walking towards the door. Josh quickly darted into the kitchen, grabbing a frying pan before running back behind Sam. “Seriously? If they were violent, how would that help?” Sam asked. “Well it worked in Tangled so it's worth a shot.” Josh replied. Sam pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head before turning his attention back to the door. He grabbed hold of the door handle and gripped it tightly, he opened the door and the pair set their sights on their visitors with agape mouths. In front of them were six humanoid... things that were the same height as the boys. The one that seemed to be at the head of the six was purple with long dark purple hair with a pink and light purple streaks in the centre. It seemed to have purple skin and was wearing a white, button shirt covering a pair of breasts that may have been C's, the boys were too distracted by the whatever attached to them. It-no, she was wearing a brown skirt that lead down to her knees and her legs ended in flat stumps that seemed familiar. She had odd ears that seemed to be on top of her head instead of the sides and they were standing straight up, her violet eyes staring straight at the two boys. The weirdest part had to be the small spire coming through her hair. They could only assume that all of the creatures in front of them were females due to their breasts. “What in tarnation...?” One of them spoke, the two switched their stares to her. Standing there was an orange skinned, blond haired one. She was wearing a Stetson on her head with little holes for her ears, the blond hair tied in a ponytail behind her head. She wore a red, chequered button shirt that had a few buttons from the top downward unbuttoned, showing off a small amount of cleavage. The shirt also showed off her midriff, with it she wore blue jeans with brown, leather chaps over them that lead down another pair of stumps. Her face had a few freckles on her cheeks while her eyes were an emerald green. Another of the creatures darted behind the cowgirl looking one, only peaking round her friend to look at the two. This one had pink hair that framed her face, one side having hair reaching further down than the other. She had teal eyes and yellow skin, she seemed to be wearing a long, green, strapped dress that went down a little past her knees. They could just about see something yellow behind her but they couldn't make it out until the next one of them spoke up. “What...are you?” The tomboyish voice from earlier asked. They turned to her and their jaws hung a little more than before as this one was flying in mid air. She had blue skin and her slightly messy hair had each colour of the rainbow in it, her eyes were a dark purple while she clearly had blue wings sprouting from her back, flapping every now and again to keep her aloft. She was wearing a white, short sleeved shirt and black shorts. She had her arms crossed and stared at the two, waiting for an answer. “You know, it''s rather rude to keep a lady waiting.” The posh voice from before stated. The pair turned their attention to her to see a white skinned...whatever they were. She had blue eyes and a horn protruding from curled, purple hair. She was wearing a dress as purple as her hair that hugged her body and stopped just above her knees. She tilted her head as the boys inspected her. Sam gulped and looked up at them. “W-We are...” He said before pausing again due to the amount of pink in his face. “Hi there! Who are you two or really what are you two because I've never seen anything like you before, you kinda look like hairless monkeys but I guess that would be rude unless you're actually super monkeys! That would be so cool, oh silly me, I still haven't asked for your names yet so what are your names huh, huh, huh??” She asked at light speed. The boys could only catch a few words of what she was saying but had no clue what she wanted apart from their names. She had pink skin and bouncy looking hair, her eyes were a light blue and she had a face splitting grin on her face. She was wearing a white and pink striped vest top with a short, pink, frilly skirt. A purple hand quickly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away. “Sorry about that, she just gets over excited around someone she hasn't met. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Twilight Sparkle and you are...?” She held out her hand and Josh placed the frying pan on the floor before moving forward, shaking her hand and feeling the skin was actually fur. “I-I'm Josh... and this is Sam...” Sam just waved. Twilight smiled and released the handshake. “Those are unusual names but nice to meet you Josh and Sam and welcome to Ponyville!” She said as she spread her arms out wide with a grin, not expecting to hear the door slam in her face as a response. Sam turned to face Josh and placed both hands on his friend's shoulders. “Dude, I think we're dying.”