Disremembered Tales

Chapter 10

Another empty dumpster. Food was becoming scarcer and scarcer in these parts. Soon, there wouldn't be anything left. The once thriving city of Los Angeles had been devastated by the colliding of two worlds. Overnight, all supply lines vanished; people had much more pressing concerns than driving a truck full of food to the local grocery store. No, they had to look after their family. But when the food in an area decreases from an abundance to a luxury, people change. They become animals, hoarding what scraps they can come across and attacking any stranger that gets too close.

This was not the mighty species that Buff Frog had seen while undo Ludo. All it took was two weeks for everything to fall apart. While some vigilantes were thriving in this new environment, it was no good for a single father with twelve mouths to feed. Ever since leaving Star and Marco after Butterfly Castle fell, he'd been doing his best to keep his children from starving, but it wasn't enough. Their stomachs begged for food so often at their hiding place that, even now by himself, he could hear the growls in his head.

Those tadpoles had been giving to him as a bribe by his former boss, Ludo, to take back his castle from Toffee, but Buff Frog had instantly grown attached to them. And they'd grown into such beautiful frogs. For them to starve to death here broke his heart, but what else could he do? From what he'd heard from the few other monsters he'd come across in his search of resources, other cities weren't fairing any better.

The whole world was starving.

Maybe it would've been better if Mina had succeeded in killing all of the monsters on Mewni... at least that way their deaths would've been quick. Now he would have to face his kid's sunken faces when he once again came back empty handed. Katrina's tears broke his heart the most. Was it better to live in suffering, or die and just get it over with?

Just one more alley and then he would return home, Buff Frog told himself, shaking his head to clear his negative thoughts. They'd been building over the last couple days and he had to force himself to stay positive. He must give his children the best possible life they could have. If he didn't find anything, they would suffer.

And that was not acceptable.

Movement caught Buff Frog's attention in the back corner of the alley. One of the garbage cans was wobbling slightly. He doubted it was an adult human, they were too big. Maybe a child? Were humans leaving babies in garbage cans in alleys these days? It was disheartening that Buff Frog wasn't confident in his answer to the question.

He started tiptoeing his way over. Whatever it was, it looked like it needed help getting out. The thought of leaving the creature in the trash can left his mind as soon as it entered. Just because he was called a monster did not mean that he had to act like one.

Buff Frog was only a foot away now. Something was definitely inside. He took a deep breath and slowly lifted the metallic lid...

A head flew out.

Buff frog screamed.

"Woah, woah, woah there," Came the thick southern drawl of a magically floating head of a pony, "There is no need to be so rude, mister."

"Pony head," Relief washed over him at seeing the familiar face, "you scared me, what are you doing hiding in trash can?"

Pony head glance down both sides of the alley before bursting out into tears.

"It's not safe for me on this planet anymore!" She cried (perhaps a tad too overdramatic for Buff Frog), "When Butterfly Castle fell, those humans started to hunt my kind down. They thought we were just too cute.

"They're trying to turn us into their pets! I'm a free spirit – not someone's slave. They've already gotten my sisters..."

Pony head broke into another round of tears. Buff Frog was not known for his comforting words, and this was no exception.