//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Ponies [Edited] // Story: Hate Is A Strong Word // by Mr Blu Shy //------------------------------// I live on Earth. I go to school, go home, eat chips, go to school, go home, eat chips and I do this over and over again every single day. I would talk about how I have no family or friends, but no-one cares. I don’t want sympathy, and I don’t need it. But, one day it all changed. My life was still terrible, but at least I didn’t have to live with the idiots I already knew. Today, on the 15th May 2015, I vanished off the face of the Earth, or at least from what I could tell, I don’t know if I'm insane, in a coma or- nope, I’m not gonna reference “Life On Mars”. Well, it just so happened that I was walking through the park one day, it was quiet and peaceful and away from everyone I knew. I couldn't stress today, for I had had a pretty good day, considering. And by that I mean that usually, I get beaten up at school, shouted at by my carers and my friends all start being pathetic. See, that’s what happens, really. You get together for a few hours right? Then after a while, you joke around, are a bit silly and eventually take it too far and one of you eventually gets hurt. For me, it’s emotionally and physically. Well, as I strolled slowly through the park to widen my experience of solitude, I was surprised to hear someone talking behind me. For a moment, I didn’t realize I was the one being threatened. Yup, see at this moment, some nut job had decided to mug me. I turned around and told him to get lost, and that he wasn't gonna ruin my day, so he punched me in the face as I tried to turn around, he wrestled me to the ground quite quickly and I fought back hard. After a couple of seconds, he pulled out a pocket knife and lowered it to my throat. I kicked him in the baby-maker and he cursed. He then proceeded to stab me, which was so far, not the most painful thing I had ever experienced. No that was when my mother abandoned me when I was seven. I still remember that. Anyway, he laughed and took most of my possessions. I couldn't see him anymore, but I knew it was too late for anyone to notice I was dying. They would be too busy having a better life than me. As I quietly slipped away, I laughed, for I could never bring myself to kill myself. This crackpot had done it for me. Thanks. However, before I died, I floated towards a shape, what looked to be a dog of some sort. Nope, some sort of horse? I don’t know, but it was dark blue and then it spoke. ‘You have died.’ It said. ‘Aah, no shit my dear Sherlock.’ I replied. I don’t know who this was, or even what this was, but by the look of things it did not seem to be very happy I swore. I find it funny that my one good friend Casey said that it is wrong to swear, and some people find it offensive. Surely though, if I'm trying to be offensive, it’s in the right context? ‘Do you wish to live again, in a nicer world?’ ‘What? You mean you just changed the Earth?’ What the hell is she going on about? Yes, ‘she’ it was a female voice, or that of a boy with no balls. ‘No. This place is called Equestria, and is filled with nicer, much less aggressive beings.’ ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Anywhere I better than Earth, if I get to live a good life, please do it, and if this is a joke, I will sock you one.’ Just to be sure, you know? Suddenly, and quite painfully, I emerged from the darkness, and… well, it wasn't dark; it was kind of white and black, at the same time. Like there was everything and nothing all together. Oh well. I gathered my wits and watched as I floated down into a field. There were some others too, two boys, all my age, that being sixteen if you hadn't gathered. Anyhow, I dropped quickly on to the field; it was sprayed lightly with water and smelled of fresh wheat, like that of a farm. One of the boys walked up to me, and stuck out his hand. ‘Red, nice to meet you, do you know where we are?’ ‘I don’t give a damn, as long as it’s better than Earth.’ I spoke rather timidly. Just then, the other boy vanished. Red gave a startled whimper as he bumped backwards into me. ‘Hey dude, watch where you’re going!’ Red turned around and apologized. I shrugged him off and disregarded it. I pointed over to a hill, where I could have sworn I heard a faint noise. ‘Do you hear that?’ I asked. Red shook his head and pointed in the other direction. ‘Well, if you’re going that way, I’ll see you later, I'm going this way, and I can hear people this way.’ He finished. Red began to walk off in his set path, while I cursed again. I kicked the floor, expecting everything to be done for me, just because I was bored, but it didn’t happen, so I began to walk. As I walked, I remember the park and the mugger and me getting stabbed, despite the fact this happened not ten minutes ago. I arrived at the top of hill after trying to piece together the parts of the blackness and the mysterious figure I could remember. I looked down to see a village. I could see small shapes, which I assumed were people, and there were loads of markets and carts and stuff like that. Across from me, I could hear some female voices, so I headed in that direction, but as I cambered over a small hill, like, literally it was just like a wall of mud, I saw about every color in the rainbow, but mainly blue, as I was knocked to the ground. I turned on the ground, rubbing my face. ‘Jesus Christ, you freaking idiot, you just broke my God damn nose!’ I screamed. Of course, whoever had hit me didn’t break my nose, they missed my nose completely. I got up, aching all over as I opened my eyes and peered towards the stranger, who was blue, and crawling on all fours… No, they were standing! As this stranger came close, it examined me, and asked something, but I was too disturbed by the being to hear it properly. It was a horse, a small horse, most likely a pony, but nevertheless, it was blue, and the mane, it was multi-colored. ‘What’s a God?’ she asked. Again, female voice, obviously, since they were when I couldn't see them. ‘No-one gives a damn, and you’re a horse!’ ‘I’m a pony, you moron!’ I got up and pushed her. She backed up and sniggered, ‘Feisty little one aren't we?’ she said, sarcastically. Right then, I was abnormally astonished to witness five more coming around the hill. All eyes on me and my eyes on each of one them separately. I looked back to the blue one, who I labelled as weirdo, because of her mane. ‘Alright, just what the hell is this?’ I asked. There was a purple one, with a deeper mane and a horn and… wait, a horn? ‘This is—‘; I cut her off pretty much immediately. ‘Didn't ask for your input, you demon horse.’ I spat at her, I admit that is was probably not what I should have done, but then again, no-one is ever nice to me, so screw it. ‘I was only trying to—‘, again, really? ‘Zip it! I’m busy talking to this weirdo with five velours in her hair over here.’ At this point, the other four were kind of… well, extremely annoyed and looked like they would be ready to charge any second now. I faced the weirdo again, and rose to my feet. ‘Now, I’ll ask again. Just what the hell is going on here?’