Prologue: Discovery of the Millenia
A machete hacked through the thickets, each swing punctuated by a magical chime as it chopped a clearer path for the mint green Unicorn weilding it.
Lyra Hearstrings, dressed in explorers garbs and a pilth helmet, glanced at her map and checked a compass to get her bearings; before continuing to chop away at the forest undergrowth.
She was 90 days into a 60 day expedition deep in the Forbidden Jungle. The remaining members of her party were exhausted, but spirited. None more than herself. The others had either wisely abandoned the hopeless pursuit of a mad-mare, or volunteered to accompany the injured back to base.
Cirrus was anything opposite his namesake, a hot-headed, cocky Pegasus stallion that acted as their scout, he never relented in trying to get under Lyra's tail, or the other mare of their group. She was convinced he was only sticking things out for the chance to mate with her.
Mist Maker, Lyra learned Cirrus had given her that name for reasons not related to the famous Pillar despite also being an Earth Pony, and had yet to learn what her real name is, was their remaining medical professional. A confident and strong-willed mare nearly as grating as Cirrus. Lyra learned they were constant on-again, off-again couple due to both having similar personalities.
Hans was their cook-slash-pack mule, a stubborn half-breed carrying what was left of their supplies, he always had a funny story to tell
Xen was their zebra guide, a quiet, large, and dependable Zebra, his exotic body caught Lyra's attention on more than one occasion.
Years of obsessive pursuit finally bore fruit for the Unicorn. An ancient pony artifact depicted a figure standing on two legs. The intellectual community gave little credit to the study of anthropology, believing the two-leggers were just another enemy of pony-kind that eventually died out; or were left behind and forgotten during the "Great Migration". Many accepted them as extinct, because they did not harmonize with nature as ponies do.
That was assuming they ever existed in the first place, which was argued among the community to a near -bloody degree. Lyra almost made physical contact against one colleague during one heated argument.
Lyra's theory was that the Two-legged possessed advanced intelligence, and wielded technology and magic far beyond Pony kind's comprehension.
The creatures were largely considered mythological, based on rumors the beings could wield magic with machines, until her recent discovery of the artifact. That lead down a rabbit hole of new discoveries. Things once considered equine-made, instead were looked at differently.
Despite that, it took years more afterwards to finally convince the intellectual community to sponser her endeavor. They ultimately withdrew all funding.
Many were skeptical, but Lyra knew they existed longer than pony kind had developed sentient thought. She believed they were actually the progenitors of Pony kind.
The artifact was confirmed, by the Princess herself no less, to have been made by a long forgotten civilization that fell in the Forbidden Jungle, some 100,000 years before the Great Migration.
It hinted at the whereabouts of a lost Pony tribe, but more importantly it displayed one of the mythological two-leggers.
The intellectual community was in an uproar, and Lyra was the first to petition and volunteer for the expedition. Although she never received any support, she was willing and eager to sell all her possessions to fund the expedition herself.
She lied, cheated, stole, and made promises, ending with leaving behind large amount of debt. Thus her travels had to bear fruit, or she'd be living in the dungeons for the rest of her days.
Lyra's horn was throbbing from overuse, but still she kept hacking away, losing vigor with each swing of her magic. After 90 days in the jungle, she finally began to coast, her will and faith was on it's last legs.
With a final swing Lyra collapsed, sobbing. "I'm sorry to let you down, everypony. I thought we'd find something, anything by now... but there's nothing here, there should be something, anything!"
Misty knelt beside her. "Lyra, we wanted this for you as much as you wanted it for yourself, but if we don't turn back now, some of us might not make it back at all."
Hans checked their supplies. "I don't want to be the bearer of even more bad news, but food is lookin' real low, and Cirrus and Xen ain't been eatin' their fill for a couple weeks now; nor have I for that matter." He grumbled.
"What?! That's foolish, all three of you!" Misty snapped at them. "What if one of us was hurt and you didn't have the strength to carry them back?!"
"Hey, I only did it, because I noticed Xen was doing it, anything he can do, I can do it better!" Cirrus said, pointing at their guide.
Xen only looked on in concern at Lyra.
"Cirrus, go look around and see if you can find anything noteworthy, we all just need a break." Said Mist.
"Pff, fine, I'm goin'."
Lyra wiped her snout. "I'm sorry everypony, when Cirrus gets back, we'll go home."
"AGH!"
Xen was the first to gallop towards the sound. The others formed a back-to-back defensive perimeter.
"Flee lady Lyra, flee!" Xens exotic voice called through the thickets.
Hans bolted in a panic, disappearing into the jungle, his cast iron pans clanking all the way.
Lyra and Mist Maker ran for it. Mist was capture by a spring-loaded trap, ensnaring her in a net so fast and powerful, it was after if the jungle itself swallowed her whole.
"Help me!" She cried.
"Ahhh!" Hans scream echoed in the distance.
Before Lyra could react to anything happening around her, a sharp, stinging pain shot in her rear. On her rump was the colorful feather of a blow dart. Almost instantly her left hind leg went numb.
She galloped away, hopelessly trying to evade her pursuers. She could hear their faint pitter patter all around.
Another dart was shot into her right shoulder. And another into the left. "Three darts is too much!" She slurred.
Her world became blurred, colorful, and wavy. A sense of euphoria washed over her brain and suddenly Lyra couldn't remember why she was running to begin with as she leaned against a tree.
Three more darts stuck in her withers. "Haaaaaay..." She finally collapsed onto the jungle floor, seeing only the bare feet of her pursuers.
Lyra's senses swam, her head ached and felt heavy to lift. The blackness parted into blurriness as her vision cleared, seeing the face of a periwinkle mare looking down on her.
"Hey, you're finally awake." The mare asked while dabbing a cool, wet rag on Lyra's forehead.
Lyra groaned as she came-to, enjoying the pleasant coolness, before raising to sit up, before laying back as a splitting headache forced her to lay back down.
"Where am I?" She croaked, and was given a ladle of water to sip from.
"Usually this is the part where I say 'you're safe', but that's not going to be what you meant; so I'll just tell you," the mare rinsed off the rag before applying it to Lyra's head again. "You're in their village, and in their care, as are we all; you saw them, didn't you?"
Lyra blinked slowly as she came-to, remembering a hulking figure.
"The humans? I found them!" In her excitement, Lyra quickly rose up; but was stopped by a piercing headache.
"Shh, rest now, for you won't be able to for much longer." The mare continued to dab at her forehead.
"My party, the ponies I was with, what happened to them!?"
The mare looked saddened. "They have already been sold. The stripe one they took away to the mountain."
"Who are you, I never expected to see other ponies?"
"My name is Purple Heart, like you, I sought knowledge of their kind many, many years ago."
Lyra's vision grew used to the low light. She looked the mare over, and saw she was showing signs of age. She glanced at the circular scar where a horn should be. "Your horn..."
Purple Heart brushed a fetlock over her scar, staring ahead. Lyra could only imagine that kind of trauma. A small colt with a purple mane and green coat, whined and hoofed at his mother to stand for milk. Purple Heart stood, allowing her son to latch and drink greedily from her teat.
"They will allow you to keep your horn, so long as you don't use it against them." The mare informed her. A ghost of a smile graced the mare's lips. "I made that mistake, and have paid for my insubordination; but I suppose things could be worse." She turned to her nursing foal and caressed the colt's head lovingly. "Our lords taketh away, and also giveth back."
The door burst open, flooding the stable with daylight as a Human walked in.
"Whatever you do, don't cast any spells, and especially don't point your horn at them, or you'll lose it; just do what they want to the best of your ability and you'll be fine." The mare warned.
The mare attending to Lyra moved to greet their master, her tiny colt was doing all he could to stay latched to her teat. Purple Heart bowed low as a hulking Human entered looking over the stall.
Standing on two legs. It's sparsely hairy gut appeared to bulge with hay belly. It's chest and arms were lined with musculature and more sparse hairs. It's face was bearded, bald headed, having an overall stocky body, and was incredibly imposing.
Lyra found herself paralyzed with equal parts abject fear and awe; which fear was normal encountering a new, alien race. 'Fear is the mind-killer, the little death that comes before obliteration, I will let it pass over and through me; I will conquer- oh goddesses, it's gonna get me!.' She reeled and made to put distance between herself and the Human as it entered her stall. However, she was still immobilized from the drugged darts, so she only crawled a short distance.
The human squatted before her. Tattered, patchwork clothing covered its lower half and legs. It's smell wash over Lyra, a bouquet of familiar and alien scents washed over her. Some were her comrades, and food she knew.
'What an incredible specimen!' Lyra thought while shaking fearfully and excitedly, looking directly into the Human's expressionless eyes. Lyra swallowed her nervousness as she looked up at the face of her captor. 'I should attempt communication.'
"Greetings, my name is Lyra Heartstrings, I come with friendship." Lyra swallowed nervously, anticipating a reaction.
"They cannot understand us, he just wants to be sure you won't harm any of them; that is his role before you are auctioned." Purple Heart said, before answering to her master. "
The Human glanced over at Purple Heart, and she bowed lower in response; her colt was oblivious, happily suckling on her other teat.
Then without warning, Lyra was grabbed roughly by the horn. She screamed, and tried to pull away, but the drugs in her system only allowed her to put up a pathetically weak resistance. Purple Heart's foal could've put up a better fight.
"Please don't fight, it'll be over quickly, he's just checking to see how healthy you are."
The Human inspected Lyra, pulling her this way and that. Opening her mouth and checking her teeth and throat. Standing over her, he checked her hooves, then spread her legs to rub and squeeze her teats, and lastly she was positioned face down, flank up, before her marehood was spread open.
"" Satisfied, the man let her be and left them alone.
Feeling violated, Lyra curled up in a ball and tried not to cry. Purple Heart came to comfort her. "What happens next?" She sniffed.
"Soon you'll be auctioned off to the highest bidder. You are lucky, Unicorns, especially Unicorn mares, are highly valued, they will have more patience to work with you; if you get a good master." She sighed in regret, again rubbing her missing horn.
"Did he do that to you, why?"
"Oh no, it was another master, The Mean One, that gave me away to my current Master; I was spirited back then, still full of hope and defiance," she sighed wistfully. "Pray that you do not end up his slave, for he is cruel and has an unpredictable temperament; which is why I warn you about not resisting them; I like my current Master, he has... simple needs; a good thing, because I can't be of much use as I was before..."
"So what do you do here without... I'm sorry, I shouldn't draw attention to-"
"Don't spare my feelings, I am here as a lesson and a warning for others; allow me to impart my wisdom onto you, so you can survive. You'll be trained to follow orders. If you want my advice, make yourself useful, they like that very much. As for my Master and my role... I am reduced to the life of a comfort horse, nothing more."
Lyra tried to withhold her judgment.
"It's alright, I am alive, I have a strong son, and that's all that matters to me; Sire Snores-a-lot is my Master, the man you just met."
Lyra tittered. "Really?"
Purple Heart smiled. "Well, that's my name for him."
"And what do you do for him, what will be expected of me?"
"I cook for him and clean our home, I tend to other needs as instructed, and I satisfy his urges whenever he wants." She answered casually.
Lyra reeled. "Is that how..." She gestured at the colt.
"Oh no, we aren't compatible for breeding with them, not for lack of attempts. No. With good behavior, I was rewarded with the gift of seed from a good stud. He was allowed to cover me day and night during my estrus cycle, that's when I realized they can be as benevolent as they are cruel."
"How long have you been here?" Lyra asked.
"Many, many years. Tell me, what news do you have from Equestria?"
Lyra lifted herself to sit on her rump. She spoke of the Elements, the appearance of the Crystal Empire, Princess Twilight Sparkle's rise to power and eventual coronation; and many other noteworthy events.
Time passed, until the man came to take her away. The drugs in her system were nearly worn off.
