Hunting For Meaning (Battlefield Hardline)

5 hours later

I yell out angrily

“Fuck man, I don’t know if I can make it any longer without some fucking food or water! I’ve been on this same fucking path for five hours and still haven’t found shit!”

I hear my stomach growling in acknowledgement, with my lips and mouth feeling drier than the damn Sahara. I found myself feeling faint, going in and out of consciousness due to the dehydration, sleep deprivation, and hunger setting in. I tell myself, "I have to keep moving; I just have to".

I had a moment of microsleep and found myself dozing off while walking, not entirely aware of my surroundings. That is, until I heard a deafening scream from a woman accompanied by an earth-shattering roar from an unknown beast. I thought I was hearing things until the woman screamed again, but this time calling out:

“SOMEPONY HELP!! I DON’T WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS PLEASE!!"

I weighed my options. A: I go to help this mystery woman and get mauled to death along with her, or B: I keep walking and hope whatever is out there won’t go after me next.

I decided to go with the first option, no matter how fucking stupid this might be.

I can’t help but shake the feeling that this will lead me out of this fucking forest. I run to the source of the sounds and hear the screams and pleas from the woman getting closer and closer. I take cover behind a nearby tree and surveyed the area that was the source of the noise. That was until I saw a grotesque creature that resembled a lion but was a lot fucking bigger with wings and a scorpion tail.

It easily dwarfed me by five feet and was astride some kind of horse that was gray in color with a blond mane and yellow eyes staring in different directions. The weirdest part was that this horse had fucking wings and some kind of postman outfit on with packages and letters strewn around it. The gray horse whimpered quietly with tears rolling down her cheeks and softly let out a plea

“No, please don't. I’m not tasty, I swear.”

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How could a horse talk? Did I die again? Did I finally go batshit insane? I snapped out of it when I heard the beast roar again and saw it raise its sharp claws in the air before it mauled its prey. I wouldn't let this happen. I just can’t. I jumped out of my hiding spot and yelled out towards the freak of nature

“HEY FUCK FACE! YOU SHOULD TRY EATING ME INSTEAD!"

The grotesque creature turned to face me and towered over me instead with its scorpion tail and claws aimed at my body as if to say, “Stay out of this".

” ON SECOND, THOUGHT, WHY NOT EAT SOME FUCKING LEAD MOTHERFUCKER?”

I emptied a flurry of buckshot from my Spas-12 and shot off chunks of his wings and stinger, as well as a few holes in his chest. The creature roared out in pain and seemed to be even more pissed off, lunging with his claws and sharp teeth aiming for my jugular.

I didn’t have enough time to dodge used my Spas-12 to hold back his sharp claws and teeth. Falling backwards to the ground, I was sprawled on the ground, underneath this creature’s body, struggling to hold back this creature from ripping my throat out by shielding myself with my Spas - 12. That is when I remembered and reached for my desert eagle that I had tucked away in my pant holster.

I grabbed it and switched off the safety and let out a war cry and unloaded all seven shots of my magazine of 50.AE. I screamed:

“FUCK"
"YOU"
"STUPID"
" MOTHERFUCKING"
"PIECE"
"OF"
"SHIT!!”

I see the life completely drained from the creature’s eyes, its blood pouring out and its body weakly falling with nothing to control it anymore. I quickly rolled out of the way and made sure to check if I got scratched or stung. I was covered in mud, but other than that, I was alright. I inspected my Spas-12, which seemed to be in working condition minus a few large scratches and dings from the creature’s teeth and claws. I then put a fresh mag in my Desert Eagle and holstered it back in my pants. I looked over to where the gray horse was, and sure enough it was still there with a fearful expression plastered on its face. I sighed, dusted myself off, and walked over towards it.

I ask the gray horse

"Hey, are you alright there?”

While extending my hand to help it up. It looked at my hand questioningly and meekly extended her hoof, and I lifted it up. The horse then winced and responded with a hint of fear in its voice

“Um..yes, I’m okay. I think I broke one of my wings on the landing, though. Thank you for saving me! I was doing my mailing route and crashed out here by accident.”

The horse answered sheepishly with a smile while rubbing its hoof behind its head in embarrassment. I still couldn’t believe it was talking, but I guess I had no chance but to believe it since I just saw it talk again and respond sentiently. I needed to know how to get out of this hell hole, and this horse was my ticket out of here, so just this once I needed to not be an asshole like usual and push others away. I responded as respectfully as I could

“I'm glad you’re alright, miss. I heard you screaming while I was searching for a way out of here and wanted to help out. Though you wouldn’t happen to know a way out of here, would you?”.

The gray horse responded enthusiastically back with

“Yeah! I know the way back! It’s just about a mile or two this way!"

She pointed with her hoof in the same direction I was headed in anyway. I sighed a breath of relief, knowing I wasn’t going to be stuck here much longer. I looked over to the gray horse, and it seemed like she was picking up the letters and packages and putting them into her saddlebag. I decided to help her out and grab some of the letters and packages that were on the ground and put them in her bag. The gray horse smiled and thanked me

"Thanks, mister! I really appreciate the help! Nopony helps me out usually when I crash and scatter all my deliveries. They usually just watch me clean up, but I don’t really mind.Oh where's my manners? My name is Derpy!”

Derpy outstretched her hoof and I nodded my head in acknowledgement while shaking her hoof.

“No problem Derpy, The name’s “Enforcer” how about we get out of this forest and take you to a hospital?"

Derpy looked over to her broken wing and winced, and she nodded her head in agreement and led the way to get out of this forest. I was bored after a while of silence and asked the gray horse respectfully

“So you seem to be around from these parts; where exactly am I? I kind of just woke up here about a day ago and have been trying to find a way out of this place since.”

Derpy looked at me questioningly with a hint of sadness as if she could tell that I'm not from here at all and answered

"Well, this is the Everfree forest, and the town I'm from is called Ponyville.”

I thought to myself, quietly trying to process this information that was dumped on me. I have not in all of my years of my life heard something so batshit insane like who the fuck would name their town Ponyville, but then again, I am talking to a sentient horse for christsake. I reiterated my question again

"Well, my question still stands: do you know what place on Earth we are currently at?”

Derpy looked at me confused and responded back

“Um, sir, you do know you're in Equestria on the planet of Equus, right?”.

My ears were ringing. I couldn't believe this shit. Did I get fucking transported to another dimension, like some kind of twilight zone bullshit?! I started hyperventilating with thoughts racing. I was brought back to reality and felt something wrapped around me, and I looked down and saw Derpy wrapping her hooves around my waist. I reciprocated the action and let out a few tears and quietly let out two words

“Thank you.”

I wiped the tears from my face and gathered myself. Derpy took the signal to let go of my waist. Man, I haven’t cried in front of someone, well, ever, I thought to myself. It felt nice, to be honest. I signaled Derpy to lead the way.