Between Magic and Science

The wreckage of the two trucks burned brightly as the three power armour clad warriors watched the group of Raiders approach them. Rarity had just told them that Bravo was on their way, so they only had to hold the off the inevitable attack. Luckily, the main swarm of Changelings had passed, and only a few had still remained buzzing about in the sky.

There was no sign of Powerjack, Cee Flat, or Fluttershy. Vinyl looked over to Nexus, and asked him something.

“How long do we have to wait?”

“I don’t know...”

The Raiders were closer now, breaking off from the main attack group to come after them. Rarity contacted him again.

“Charlie team, I’m tracking more Raiders moving in, I’d recommend establishing a perimeter.”

“There’s no time, we’re going to be knee deep in these guys in a few minutes now... If we don’t make it out of this, let Burning Star know that I was the one who stole her identity to cover for my purchases of extra lab equipement.”

“What...”

“Charlie team, out.”

Nexus stepped forward, watching the horde approach. He held his weapon in his hands, a pump-action shotgun, and waited. Wrex readied his revolver, and Vinyl her handgun.

“Hey, Nexus,” Vinyl said.

“Yeah?” He replied without looking back at her.

“Mind if I play a song?”

He smiled a bit, and suppressed a chuckle. “Go ahead.”

Vinyl activated the speakers on her armour, and selected a song, one that made Nexus remember his friends, and why he was out here in the first place.... The instrumental beginning seemed rather emotional, not quite fitting for a battle, but as he listened to the piece, he realized why Vinyl had chosen it when the first verse began.

“See me take my bows

And I’m heading for the exits,

I can’t stick around.

This life’s been hard,

And I can’t see the sense in fighting it anymore

Can’t you let me go?

Won’t you show me the door?”

The song continued as Nexus waited, watching the Raiders advance. The music had gotten the attention of several Changelings in the distance, but he didn’t care, the fighting would’ve drawn them anyway. He let out a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. Wrex and Vinyl seemed to close their eyes in thought as well, but he couldn’t exactly tell.

“There can be no redemption, for a sinner such as I,

Won’t you wish me to the cornfield now?

Won’t you help me stop living a lie?”

The words reached deep into Nexus’s heart. Was the world’s security truly justifying the blood on his hands? Yes, they were. He had to shed blood to ensure peace, for that was how the world behaved. As incredibly ironic as it was, Nexus just had to accept it.

The first shot rang out, and Nexus took aim as the horde charged. Firing once, twice, three times had brought several to their knees, but they still came at them, firing wildly, only stopping once they could no longer move. The ones in front held swords, clubs, and other crudely made melee weapons. One got within swinging distance, and knocked Nexus onto his back. Vinyl had turned to help him, but was caught up in the fight alongside Wrex. A Raider towered over him, his face painted a ghostly white colour, his club raised high above his head. It came down on him, the his shield blocking the impacts of the first few hits. The ground began to shake, and Nexus heard the chorus of the song.

“Save me from fear, and pain

And love will rain on me

Save me today

Before tomorrow will find me at rest.”

The wreckage suddenly flipped over and a rather angry looking Powerjack charged through the flames toward his friend. Powerjack’s metal fist came down upon the Raider’s head, crushing it like a melon. Nexus picked himself up, and ran back into the fight. Vinyl shot a Raider, leaping over his corpse and firing at the next one. Wrex uppercutted one, and fired his revolver into his chest. Powerjack was pummeling them all with his metal fists, bullets only bouncing off of his armour. He heard Fluttershy scream out as she cowered behind the wreckage.

He charged through the Raiders, clearing a path to Fluttershy

“You’re okay!” he said, breathing heavily.

“I was hiding in what was left of the truck... and I heard music, then I heard fighting, and then I just got really scared!” She quivered and quaked, but Powerjack just ran a finger through her hair. It was comforting, until a loud metallic clang had indicated someone was shooting him.

“Stay here.” He told her.

“Okay...”

The fight raged on. Nexus was out of spare shotgun shells, and he had lost sight of his friends. A Raider with a glass bottle for a weapon came at him, but his weapon shattered on the ground as Nexus shot him. Two shots left... One jumped at him from the side. One shot left... He looked around, and caught sight of Vinyl Scratch, who seemed to be weaponless. She was going toe to toe with five others, one armed with a gun. The first one went down, but Nexus saw that one was preparing to fire. Taking aim, he pulled the trigger, not noticing the Changeling standing right in front of him...

Wrex watched the Changeling beat Nexus into the ground. His weapon was empty as well, but he saw something behind the wreckage, above the fighting. A figure, someone leaping off of the highest bit of the ruined truck, carrying a katana sword. He came down on an enemy, driving the blade through his chest. It was Cee Flat. There was something in his other hand, a gun. The same gun Wrex had dropped when the truck flipped. He wasn’t firing it, but he was looking at Wrex as he charged into battle.

Wrex ran after him, casting his empty weapon aside and reaching out. Cee tossed him the gun, and he ran into the fray after Nexus. He knocked the Changeling off of Nexus with the butt of his new machine pistol, just in time to fire at other Raiders behind Nexus. Vinyl had recovered a Raider machine gun and had her finger on the trigger as they still charged. Powerjack had also taken a shotgun, and was still knocking away Raiders, and flicking Changelings out of the sky. He heard Fluttershy scream again.

A Raider had thrown her out of her hiding spot, and was standing over her. His gun was pointed directly at her head. Powerjack was there in an instant, ready to beat the foolish Raider into a pulp, but he realized too late that the Raider had shoved an energy blade, a rare weapon that could slice through about any metal, straight through his chest armour. Powerjack just stood there, unable to move, as he heard the agonizing scream of the one that he was bound to protect... He reached into his belt, removing the weapon he had stored there.

The glove fit his giant hand, and he grabbed the ignition inside. The drill it was connected to spun to life, and Powerjack ruthlessly thrust it into the Raider, lifting him up off of the ground as the hard iron pierced his soft flesh, and turned his insides to mush. The dead body was cast aside, and Powerjack looked down at Fluttershy, who seemed to retract as he reached for her.

“I’m sorry...” he whispered to the horrified Fluttershy. He fell to his knees, and then over on the ground.

Nexus looked up. His team was here, and just in time for the escort. Vinyl had taken quite the beating, and she cast her weapon aside and ran as soon as she saw the helicopter overhead. Wrex pointed at Fluttershy, who was kneeling over the body of Powerjack.

“Charlie team, this is Bravo 1-2, we’re coming in to pick you up.” Pinkie said.

“We’ve got wounded, Bravo!” Nexus said, running to Powerjack. He saw the blade in him, and deactivated it.

“Is... is he dead?” Fluttershy asked, between sobs.

“No, but he will be if we don’t get him out of here!”

The helicopter fired its main gun at the Raiders below, successfully disrupting them as they made a landing. Vinyl hopped into the back, where the door slid open to reveal enough seats for an eight-man team. Record Wrex and Cee Flat approached shortly after, firing back at the oncoming enemies.

“Wait,” Vinyl said, “Where’s Nexus?”

Cee looked at her. “He back helping Fluttershy with Powerjack.”

“What happened to PJ?”

They then saw a large figure, Powerjack, carrying another, who seemed to be wounded. On Powerjack’s back was Fluttershy, who held tight to her metal guardian. Powerjack ran like he was wounded as well, but made it to the helicopter regardless, with enemies close behind. He laid Nexus’s limp body on the floor of the helicopter, and then gently placed Fluttershy with him as well.

“What happened to Nexus?” Vinyl asked, looking at Powerjack, who said nothing. He only climbed into the helicopter himself.

“That everyone?” Pride asked, checking his sides as he raised altitude.

“Affirmative, Bravo 1-2,” Cee said.

Powerjack looked out the side of the flying metal beast he rode in, and saw something that he had learned to fear. A missile was headed straight for them. The impact shook the helicopter, but it hadn’t been able to do much damage with Powerjack’s armoured body blocking most of the explosion. He had braced himself, leaning outside the window to absorb as much of it as he could, but the hit made him stumble forward, out, down, and away.

Something had caught his hand, though. He looked up, and saw two hands grasping around his, pulling up with all of their might. More hands joined in, and Powerjack was soon lifted back up to the safety by his friends.

“Let’s just hope they only had one missile left.” Cee said, closing the door of the helicopter as they flew off.

Fluttershy reached out, and put her hand on his. Despite what they had just gone through, she smiled.

“I’m... I’m glad you’re okay...”

Princess Luna looked over to her sister, who paced in front of her.

“Luna, are you sure you want to do this?” She asked.

“Yes, we are ready.” She replied.

Nova Burst almost missed the sound of thunder above him. Looking up into the swirling vortex that connected this world to the other world, he noticed that there were no clouds in the sky, or at least none that he could see. There was nothing they could do at this point, but every man, and woman, in Applejack’s case, fought to their dying breath. Nova Burst was running out of materials to fix his sentry with, and Buttercrust had no more tricks in his metaphorical hat. Killjoy would’ve known what to do for sure, but he was long gone.

In the courtyard of Town Hall, Deadshot stood with the Wrong Brothers and a few of their remaining men, and fired at the incoming Raiders. The large army had died down to several groups running about the streets. The tank had parked itself right outside the square, not being able to enter without someone jumping on it and throwing a grenade down the barrel or something. The last person to try that was laying in a dozen pieces on the other side of town, but the next few who tried might have more luck.

Nova Burst heard thunder again. Applejack looked up, and so did Buttercrust.

“You see that?” Buttercrust pointed to something in the vortex.

“What?” Nova squinted, hoping it would help him see.

“Right there! It looks like something’s coming through the portal!”

“Oh no,” Applejack started, “More Changelings! They must’ve taken Canterlot!”

“No, wait... it’s... someone else!”

“I see your reinforcements have arrived,” Rarity chimed in over the radio.

The figures descended, taking a more human shape as they neared the ground. Many watched as they descended, and struck the ground, kicking up debris and dirt. The dust settled, and Nova Burst could see a the figure of a woman. Her hair was dark blue like the night sky, and Nova Burst saw her green eyes flash as she turned to face them. She wore a suit of black armour, with a crescent moon on the chest piece. In one hand, she held a sword, and in the other, a shield.

There were more that landed with her, who wore helmets and had similar armour. She looked over the three soldiers before her, and looked at the three apple symbol on Applejack’s armour. She spoke, her voice reflecting her curiosity.

“Thou are... Applejack?” She asked.

“Yes... Princess,” Applejack removed her helmet, letting her blonde hair touch the ground as she knelt.

Buttercrust and Nova Burst looked at each other, “Princess?”

“I suddenly feel bad about a thought I just had...” Buttercrust said, removing his helmet and kneeling.

“Shut up...” Nova Burst removed his helmet and knelt as well.

“We assume these are, soldiers?”

“Yes...”

“Good. We have arrived in the correct location. Based on thy armour, we would also assume that thou has been trained by thee soldiers.”

“Yes,” Nova Burst spoke, “She is a part of our unit, Princess...”

“We are Luna, Princess of the Night and all who dwell beneath it. We were sent to assist said soldiers in battle.” She motioned to the two other soldiers behind her, who were actively searching for signs of danger.

“Is that all?” Nova asked.

“No, there are others that deployed with us, but we were scattered entering the portal.”

A loud crash followed by the grinding of tank treads were heard as the tank rounded the corner, crushing the gates to the town square. Luna turned in time to see the cannon fire, and but the shell became suspended in midair as Luna crossed her arms. She flicked her wrists and the shell was soon embedded in the tank’s hull, striking the fuel tank and causing it to catch fire.

“Whoa, what was that?” Buttercrust had stood up and was watching in amazement.

“Our magic is not as powerful in this realm. we performed a simple telekinesis spell, and returned the projectile at double the velocity...” she took a deep breath, as she was obviously winded, “It has... taken more energy than expected...”

More gunfire and explosions echoed throughout the town.

“We will aid thou, but first, tell us your names...” Luna looked to the two others.

“My name is Buttercrust, your highness...” Buttercrust said, kneeling before her as she turned to him.

“Does thou have a hindleg issue?” She asked, hints of frustration on her words. He looked up in confusion. “Thy kind stands on two legs, so stand on them, relinquish thy formalities and address us as ‘Luna’.”

He quickly stood up and gave a sharp salute. “Yes, Luna.”

Her expression softened and turned to Nova Burst.

“I’m Nova Burst, and this here’s my sentry Belle.” The weapon’s head turned to the Princess, and it seemed to beep happily as it acknowledged her as friendly. A stray Raider ran at them from the wreckage of the tank, and the sentry shot him down.

“Wait,” Applejack turned to him, “You named that thing?”

“Hey! Don’t talk ‘bout her like that!”

Luna nodded to the sentry, then to it’s owner.

“Where are we needed?” She asked.

“Where are we headed?” Cee Sharp asked the pilot.

“We’re going back to Tanktown, we’re going to have to regroup,” Pride said.

“What about the Raingear Army?”

“They’ve been infiltrated. Prince Apollo says that he’s not going to be able to send any soldiers who may be a Changeling.”

Cee looked down at the rest of the team. Nexus sat unconscious next to Fluttershy, who had tended to his many wounds. Powerjack said he had taken a nasty hit to the face, but wouldn’t talk about the subject any further. Fluttershy seemed nervous around Powerjack all of a sudden, but it was probably because of what she had just seen him do, right? Vinyl was asleep in her seat, falling into slumber to soft tunes of smooth jazz being deployed through her armour. Wrex watched her as she slept, as if he couldn’t make up his mind about her.

“Hold on, we’re getting reports of friendly support arriving in Tanktown.” Pride looked down upon the city as he approached, seeing more battles going on within.

“Bravo 1-2, come in,” He heard Overwatch’s signal.

“Go ahead, Overwatch,” he replied.

“Alpha Strike’s signal has gone dark.”

“What? Say again, Overwatch!”

“Alpha 3, 4, and 5 have all gone dark, Bravo.”

“What do you mean, all gone dark? Rarity, they couldn’t-”

“Pride, they were captured by the Changelings.”