You awaken to the sound of foreign birds and animals, the feeling of a slight breeze and heavy foliage on your body, and… pain so profound that it refuses to allow you to open your eyes to scan your surroundings. “Where the hell am I?” You think with your addled brain, groaning in agony as you try to mentally pinpoint the exact causes of your suffering, but having too many to accurately count. “What the hell was that?” something says. Judging from the sound, you estimate the source to be 20 meters to your left. You try to move towards the sound, before feeling a sharp tug on your left abdomen that ignites your pain receptors like a Christmas tree. You slowly become aware that the pain is not resonating from a completely outside force, but neither from a completely inside one…

“No, why now? I’m so close to catching up to them.” the disembodied and, evidently, feminine voice says, audibly about 10 meters away from you now, as the unknown entity's strange, 4-beat footstep pattern becomes apparent. “Holy shit… I think I’ve been impaled” You muse to yourself with light-headed giddiness as you slowly become aware of the warm sensation of life-sustaining fluids steadily draining out of you as your consciousness slowly slips between your fingertips. You hear the disembodied voice, now almost directly above you, say “Celestia damn it! I need to get-” before your consciousness collapses at that moment, your last thought being “Who’s… Celestia?” before your mind turns to nothingness…

“Is this death?” You fathom, suddenly able to open your eyes to behold a vast blackness that stretches out before you. “Where am I now?” is all you can muse before a voice calls out from all around you, whispering “Don’t you die on me” as a sound makes its way directly into your head, a sound that is reminiscent of galloping. The galloping stops and suddenly you’re falling, falling so far into this endless void that the vertigo makes you nauseous, and then it stops as suddenly as it started. Then comes a terrible sensation from the blackness, as you feel an immense pain that feels as though you’re being run through the abdomen by a thousand swords attached together by burning ropes. The agonizing sensation eventually ceases, but is soon followed by an immense feeling that is as though you were drowning in magma, your lungs literally burning for oxygen. Eventually that too is replaced with the sensation that your gut is being crushed in the heart of a black hole, before the sensation stretches around your back. And then everything stops. All this takes place over a matter of minutes and all you can think in response to this treatment is “Fuck… I’m definitely in hell”.

But, after spending what seemed to be several hours musing about what other ungodly punishments the unseen owner of this dark and empty void intended to inflict upon you, you’re surrounded by a bright flash of light, and then… bed sheets, the lingering stench of disinfectant and the almost silent creak of a door ajar. You're lying on your back in a bed, quickly realizing that you're now stark naked with various parts of your upper body covered in bandages. You continue to stare at the roof, judging yourself to be in some kind of make-shift hospital, obviously abandoned due to the number of holes you spot in the ceiling and adjacent wall… “Good, you’re finally awake!” a voice excitedly says almost directly into your right ear, causing your eyes to dart in the source’s direction to behold… A four-foot tall, talking horse.

“What the fuck?” you mentally whisper to yourself. Your mind stops dead to try to comprehend the sight your eyes are showing you: A four-foot tall, khaki-colored horse with unkempt olive green hair stretching just past its shoulders that is capped by a brown, wide-rim fedora. Meanwhile, a brown cotton jacket covers it's upper body, with two holes cut into the sides between it's front and hind legs to reveal a feathery khaki-colored wing sprouting out from each of them. Finally, you focus your attention on orange-sized eyes the likes of which you’ve never seen.They're filled with a variety of colors: red, blue, yellow, green, pink, purple, orange, and many more colors dance around the horse's large pupils and make these eyes so attention-grabbing that… Wait, did you see wings, and clothes?
What kind of horse has wi- “Hey, don’t ignore me when I’m talking to you, it’s rude!” The horse irritably yells, interrupting your thought process, and causing you to stare blankly at the horse for a few more seconds before asking in a flat voice “What… the fuck are you?”

The horse scoffs and says “Good, so you can talk. I was starting to think you were incapable of intelligent thought, though the day is still young judging from your course language. Now, three questions. What are you? Who are you? And why are you here?” as it turns away from you, revealing a tail the same color as it's hair along with a tattoo of a map with snaking red dotted line leading to an X mark on it's right flank, before trotting to an olive sleeping bag on the opposite end of the building and adopting a sitting position while it stares at you and waits for a response. You decide to play difficult to get back at the intelligence-insulting quadruped.

“You… didn’t answer my question. So, I’ll ask again… What the fuck are you?” you repeat with a hint of snide in your voice, causing the horse to heave an irritated sigh and shake its head in exasperation.
“I’m a Pegasus, the name’s Gloria, and you owe me your life. Any other questions?” the visibly irritated khaki-colored Pegasus hastily answers, deciding the sooner your questions are answered, the sooner the favor will be returned.
“Yeah, just three left now for the moment. What happened? Where am I now? And are you always this much of a fucking bitch?” you ask, the snide hostility now ringing with excellent clarity in your voice, causing the mare to get off her sleeping bag before starting to walk towards you.

“Well, those questions are easily answered,” the winged mare heatedly says as she strides closer to you with every word, her wings slightly expanding with every step she takes “One: You’re in the far reaches of south-western Equestria, known to many ponies as the Jungles of the Nevermare, a thick forest that stretches all the way along the western borders of the San Palomino Desert. Two: I don’t know what happened to you other than the fact that, when I found you, you had a wide variety of injuries including a branch run straight through your lower abdominal region and multiple fractures throughout your body;” She continues, before stopping less than twenty steps away from you, visibly pissed. “And finally, Three: I’m only a bitch when somepony is stupid enough to somehow trip on a twig and get grievously injured in the process, thus interrupting *my* very important work and forcing me to drag his pale blank flank all to way back to *my* camp to fix him up with the last of *my* bandages, sutures, and magic healing salve, before having to make sure his unconscious body is nourished with foraged water and puréed gillia berries, losing valuable progress by deciding to do so… and then, when he wakes up, he decides to act like a complete, unappreciative dick!” she finishes furiously, fully spreading her wings at this moment and giving them a powerful flap that closes those last twenty steps with a speed that makes you flinch, snapping your eyes shut in expectation of the inevitable assault... which never comes.

You slowly open your eyes to see Gloria glaring at you and panting angrily, close enough for you to feel her every infuriated exhale on your skin. “Sorry…” You mutter, noticing her angry demeanor soften considerably with your change of tone, “It’s been a rough day, and I am very confused and irritated. But, I guess I'll make it easier for you, all things considered. Now, what were your questions?” you continue, tapping your stubble-covered chin thoughtfully before you finally remember. “Ah yes, I don’t know what I am, I don’t know why I’m here… and was head trauma one of the injuries I received?” you suddenly ask, causing the winged horse to nod in the affirmative. “Great… that explains why I can’t remember my name, or anything else for that matter,” You think solemnly to yourself, as a persistent silence falls between you and Gloria that lasts a couple minutes.

“So…” Gloria suddenly says thoughtfully, breaking the silence.
“What?” you respond, somewhat suspicious of the creature’s intentions.
“Well, I was just thinking. You’re a surprisingly sturdy individual. The wounds I had to work with would have killed any other pony outright. You could prove useful for this job I’m currently engaged in. If you’re interested, that is. Plus, it could be fun. I mean, you're an asshole, a big one... but it’s been so long since I last had a traveling companion that I really couldn't care less about your attitude at the moment” Gloria says, finally reaching a consensus.
“Not like I have a choice, considering that you’re pretty much the only chance I have of getting out of this humid hellhole alive.” You say resignedly as you get out of the bed to put on your clothes, which consists of a long black jacket, a white t-shirt, olive cargo pants, and black leather boots that have a slightly tight fit to them.
“It’s settled, then. Let me just gather up my sleeping bag, and then follow me” Gloria says, before holding a hoof out “Oh, and, uh... welcome aboard”
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s going to be a fun little adventure” You say sarcastically, shaking her hoof.

“So… what’s happens now?” you ask Gloria, as you struggle to move slightly as the cumbersome backpack bears its weight down on you. You’ve been following your new acquaintance through the thick Jungles of the Nevermare for the past four hours, and the silence is starting to get to you.
“Now? Now I continue trying to track down the mercenary group I was tailing before you distracted me with your little accident. The mercenary group is called The Wandering Wolves, they are lead by somepony named Volkiba who is trying to find an ancient treasure of vast wealth. Apparently, you need six medallions to acquire this treasure. If Volkiba were to come into possession of this treasure, he would have virtually unlimited resources at his disposal. More than enough to build an army capable of bringing the entire world to it's knees Luckily, Volkiba and the group only know where the one in this jungle is, and I know that another one is in somewhere in the Crystal Glaciers due north-east of here. Information regarding them is scarce. I know that one of them is called The… Diamond S-Snake of Joy” responds the mare, shuddering slightly upon mentioning it.

“What… don’t like snakes?” You ask with a wry smile, prompting Gloria to give another involuntary shudder as you tread east through the Nevermare Jungle.
“Are you k-kidding?” she unconvincingly replies, turning her head to glance at you, before looking forwards again. “Why would I be afraid of a something as unthreatening as a… l-l-legless… r-r-reptile…” she finishes, as her forward momentum slows to a standstill. You barely have time to ponder why Gloria had decided to stop before the khaki-coloured Pegasus suddenly extends her wings and bolts behind you at a blinding speed. You glance at the shaking pegasus cowering behind you, then glance to where she was standing and notice a green tree python hanging from a branch four feet off the ground, before looking back at her again.
“Tsk, daw… someone really doesn’t like snakes,” you say in a tone usually used to appease infants, causing Gloria to glare at you with a look that could kill.
“No! I hate snakes! I hate them!” She practically screams at you while passing you a large knife, causing you to roll your eyes in slight amusement.
“Fine, I’ll kill the big, bad snake for you, but I get to eat it afterwards. I'm absolutely starving,” you say, causing Gloria to go wide eyed.
"Don't you fucking dare" the khaki Pegasus breathily whispers, visibly disgusted at the thought.
"Fine, but we're setting camp in that clearing up ahead" you say, noting the setting sun as you hear the hanging serpent give an aggressive hiss as you start towards it, blade in hand.

Thirty minutes after putting up camp, and an equal amount of time spent in the warm glow of the campfire pondering just how in the hell Gloria could possibly bring herself to forage the jungle for berries at this hour due to her crippling fear of snakes, your empty stomach growled out its demand. You knew that Gloria was out there somewhere gathering your meal, but you were hungry now, damn it. Luckily, you were able to smuggle the dead python into your possession while Gloria wasn't looking. She also let you keep the blade, apparently having spares in the backpack, which will no doubt help with what you plan to do with the scaly creature that gave you a surprising amount of trouble and puncture marks. You roam the clearing, find a suitable stick, and whittle the tip to a fine point. Next, you remove the snake’s digestive tract, before contorting its body into an S-shape, and running your new skewer through its middle before placing it over the fire. Something rustles the foliage behind you, causing you the tense up and grab the hilt of your blade before you hear a familiar voice call out.

“Hey, I found a stream not far from here” Gloria says as she trots out of the thick underbrush, her different colored eyes sparkling in the warm glow of the camp fire, “Also, I hope you like takio… berries… What’s that smell?” she asks you, sniffing the air quizzically as you take a large bite out of your prize.
“Oh, this?” you say between chews, holding up the well cooked serpent, casting it’s silhouette against the light of the crackling fire before bringing it back to your mouth to take another bite “I got tired of waiting for you, so I decided to make my own meal. Want some?”
At this, Gloria’s jaw goes slack, and her gem colored pupils dilate considerably. “Is that…” she starts.
“Yep, what else would you smell roasting on an open fire around here, chestnuts?” you sarcastically reply, turning your attention to take a few more bites out of your well-earned meal. The next sound you hear is another rustle of the bushes, followed by a retching sound.
“Hey, Gloria… you alright?” you ask, before a khaki blur tackles you from behind and immediately goes airborne. “You fucking liar! What the fuck is wrong with you!?” Gloria yells, restraining you with a full nelson while hovering 50 meters above the camp's surrounding forests.
“The fuck’s wrong with me!? The fuck’s wrong with you!? Put me down so I can enjoy my damn dinner in peace!” you angrily retort while shaking your skewer, still carrying the mostly-consumed serpent, in a futile attempt to free yourself from the olive-haired Pegasus’ grasp.
“Don’t you know meat is taboo for ponies!? Its stench alone is enough to make many village ponies gag! Now drop it before I drop you!” Gloria angrily demands, making you painfully aware of your current predicament. You look longingly at the meal you worked so hard to acquire, before casting a sharp glance towards Gloria and saying “… fine,” before heaving a heavy sigh and forcing yourself to let the skewer slip from your fingers and plummet into the thick forests below, never to be seen again.

“You really don’t like snakes…” you grumble under your breath, as the khaki-coloured Pegasus slowly descends back to the camp below. “You’re damn right I don’t, especially not for dinner” the winged mare responds, still visibly agitated.
“So, what kind of civilization forbids meat?” you ask, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.
“Why do you want to know that? Are you a spy?”, the Pegasus asks with a wary look in her eyes.
“No, it’s because you’ve told me almost nothing about this planet, aside from the fact it’s called Equestria and is most likely ruled by talking horses, if the name is any indication. I mean, if I’m going find a way back to… wherever it is I’m from, then I think I need to know a lot more about this civilization than just what I have to go on right now.” You say, making an effort not to be insulted by Gloria’s accusation and visibly failing.

“Well, first of all, Equestria is a country, not a planet. But it is the most powerful country on the planet due to the influence its citizens hold over the rest of the world. If not for Pegasi like me, populated regions would have weather patterns as unpredictable as they are out here, the seasons would not change, and without our two princesses the sun and moon would neither rise nor set.” Gloria explains as she finally touches down.
“Wait… are you telling me there is almost no natural ecosystem on this planet whatsoever? What the hell happened for things to end up like that?” you interrupt as you return to your spot at the camp fire, an incredulous look in your eyes.

“Well, apparently, according to ancient legends, ponies were not the first intelligent species to roam this planet; I never believed them, myself. But recently, archaeologists have found something strange in the rock layer that lends credence to this legend, a thick layer of ash. While not much on its own, a similar case was reported in the country of Kalmia, which is on the other side of the planet, in exactly the same layer. And even stranger, the ash patterns were very specific. We have creatures that are very similar to you, called gorillas, and our scientists have found remains from this species’ ancestors only in areas that lack that ash layer... So, it’s as though an entire civilization and its history was specifically targeted before being completely wiped clean at some point. The only proof we have to show this dead civilization ever existed in the first place came just last year in the country of Markdom's Naipony Desert, when archaeologists found a rusted metal box that contained the remains of an ancient tome. The majority of the pages and the cover had rotted away with time, and the only two words that were still legible were ‘evolution’ and ‘humanity’” Gloria answers, before returning to her explanation of Equestrian civilization.

You pick up the majority of her exposition, learning of towns like “Ponyville”, and cities like the capital, “Canterlot”; about how Equestria is apparently ruled by a pair of highly-revered Alicorns named Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and that there are four types of horses, Alicorns being the rarest and having a power capable of bending the elements of nature itself to their whim. But all throughout the description your mind mostly fixates on that one word from the answer to your question…
“Why does the word ‘humanity’ sound so familiar?” you ponder to yourself, rolling the word around in your mind as though it were a pebble in a raging river. “There’s something about this word. Something… important, I’m… I’m-I’m a hu-”

“Hey!” Gloria calls, before softly asking “Are you alright? You kind of zoned out there for a second.”
“Huh? Y-yes… I’m fine” you reply distractedly, your previous thought now completely forgotten in the murky depths of your mind.
“Good, because it’s almost midnight now, which means we’ve got about 5 and a half hours before dawn.” The olive-haired Pegasus says with a yawn, stretching out her wings and hooves, before trotting into the tent while you find a tree and settle under it while folding your arms and legs before looking up to admire the night sky. “Hey, you do realize I have two sleeping bags in here, right?” Gloria calls from inside the tent “I mean, you may be a cocky asshole, but I’m not heartless enough to just leave you at the mercy of the local wildlife… but, if that’s your choice…”

You get up with a groan and walk into the tent, and notice that there are indeed two sleeping bags, apparently made for ponies judging from their abnormal size, laying on the ground. Gloria is currently occupying the sleeping bag on the right, which you notice is as olive as her hair, with her brown jacket and matching fedora not far from the foot of it. Meanwhile the other sleeping bag on the left is... “Hot… pink… with flowers” you mutter to yourself, before hearing a stifled snort and turning you head towards the source to see the mare staring right at you with a barely contained grin. “What can I say? Somepony was having a two-for-one sale in the Canterlot market and these were the only two left” Gloria states with an exaggerated shrug before bursting into peals of high-pitched laughter.
“Ha-ha, very funny.” You grumble as you crawl into the girlish sleeping bag, “Now will you mind telling me the real reason I have to sleep in this. I mean, honestly, do you really expect me to believe that crap?” you state in an irritated tone. At this response Gloria’s laughter slowly dies down and ends on a whimper, before she shifts onto her side to face away from you and a crushing silence falls over the two of you.

“It was... my sister’s” Gloria says after what seems an eternity, heaving a heavy sigh as she does so.
“Your sister’s?” you repeat, realizing that you’ve just walked into a conversational minefield.
“Yeah, her name was Fortuna” the khaki mare responds, obviously not wanting to into further detail.
“Hrm... Where is she now?” you ask, trying your best to avoid further upsetting the troubled pegasus.
“Where do you think?” Gloria quickly retorts, casting a sharp, tear-filled glare over her right shoulder that leaves you at a loss for words.
“I’m... You have my condolences” you blurt out, deciding now would be a very good time to end this conversation. As much as you want to find out the specific details, you decide against pushing your luck.
“Yeah... fine, whatever... now shut up and go to sleep” the mare harshly responds, before giving out an involuntary sniffle as she lays her head back down on her pillow.

“Hm, I wonder what this horse’s true motives are... there’s still so many blank spaces left to fill in. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. Do I even want to know?” You ponder, as your mind slowly drifts into a sound, dreamless sleep.

Author's Note

Author: Big_Boss_MSF
Editors: Big_Boss_MSF,

About this story: 1) Though it's mainly an adventure/romance/human genre story, some chapters will heavily encompass aspects from other chapters, and yes... I do consider 'sex' and 'gore' to be genres in their own right... On that note, while this series won't be heavily dependent on gore, there will be instances where I use it to further the story and character development. If it comes to pass that it becomes frequent, I'll throw that tag on. 2) There will be sex. Maybe a lot, maybe not. But it will be in this story, make no mistake about that... However, I really want to avoid pulling off a 'strangled by red string' trope here. So, the romantic relationship will not be sparked by a one night stand which, ironically enough, is... exactly how I acquired a happy relationship... Anyways, on to the final point... I wholeheartedly want to involve my audience in the creative process. So, if get an idea for this story that you want me to implement, then feel free to send me a message, and I will make sure that you are properly credited for it. Now that I've finally gotten all those formalities out of the way... let's begin, shall we? Allons-y.