Between Magic and Science

Twilight Sparkle awoke to the sound of voices. She was on her back, somewhere in a wooded area. Perhaps the Everfree forest? It didn't seem very dark or scary, though. The trees were more spaced out and allowed for light to stream in on her face. Instinctively, she lifted a hand to her face. Then she realized that she had hands. She remembered one of her friends saying something about them, but she wasn't really listening... She also realized that she wasn't a pony anymore. Whatever had happened to her, there was strong magic behind it. She examined her body. She was wearing a purple jacket, with pink stripes along the side, that matched her hair. She still had it, but it only covered her head. Beneath the jacket she had on a simple white t-shirt, and pants made of some strange grey material. No tail. Strange.

She was certain she wasn't in Equestria. From what little she knew from researching dimensional travel, which she had done one time on a trip to Manehattan, She knew that her form might be altered to match what is normal, however-

Her thoughts were cut off as she suddenly became weak, and passed out on the ground again. She just accepted that all this apparently was normal...

When Twilight awoke again, she could hardly move, barely even open her eyes. What she saw when she did, though, frightened her. Another being, the same kind as herself, stood over her, with a shiny object, a knife of some kind. His other hand was to his lips, and he was making a shushing noise. At least, she assumed he was male, he seemed to be quite strong and carried a weapon, a hunter maybe? He wore nothing over his chest, and torn pants made of a similar material that hers were.

Then she realized what the shiny object he was holding was. It was a syringe, and the handle was pressed in. An orange liquid had dripped from it, and she could tell it he had just recently pulled it out of something. It clicked in her mind. She was paralyzed, because he injected her with... something.

“Shh... it’s alright, just relax...” She heard a raspy, low voice say, followed by a bit of laughter. Sounded a bit maniacal.

The creature motioned to another much like himself, except this one carried a metallic object that sort of resembled a cannon. Her heart began to beat faster when she realized what it might be.

“Hey, you hear that?” The other one said, turning and raising what Twilight had assumed to be some sort of hand cannon.

“What? No. You’re crazy, calm down, let me get this one secured, and we’ll get-” The first one was cut off by a loud roar, and she caught sight a monstrous beast, not like a Manticore, but it was a large lizard, almost like a dragon...

“Basilisk!” one of them shouted, she couldn't determine which one, as they were both running away as fast as they could. The large creature, called a Basilisk, looked around, not noticing Twilight, and then just walked off. Probably a territorial creature. She still couldn't move, her body felt numb, and all she could do was think.

Nexus rode by the small viewport underneath the cannon in Powerjack’s tank. It was mainly used to line up shots, but since it had a wider field of view than the driver’s peep hole Nexus helped Powerjack out.  It had taken a lot of convincing to get Powerjack to go with him, but he managed. Going into the Ashfall Forest wasn't exactly welcoming. For one, there were monsters lurking about, two, it was easy to get lost if you went past Beaver Creek, and three, in every cliche horror movie, something always goes down in the forest.

Powerjack’s voice barely made it through the loud roaring of the tank’s engine. “Are you sure the scanner wasn't, you know, wrong, or something?

“The scanner hasn't been wrong before, and it’s pointing towards Ashfall.” The bulky, black box with a screen on it sat in his lap.

“Am I good?”

“Yeah, keep going straight.”

There was a roar in the distance. Powerjack jumped back in his seat, but quickly regained control of the vehicle.

“Sounded like it came from the Ashfall,” Nexus grimly stated.

Powerjack said nothing, but he was truly frightened on the inside.

They reached Beaver Creek, and had to stop the tank there. The trees were too thick to drive through on the other side, and there wasn't a bridge to the other side anyway. Beaver Creek was peaceful, with trees and sunlight, but was also the site of many a bloody battle. Nexus opened the tank’s top hatch and climbed out, and Powerjack did the same.

Nexus looked over to Powerjack and said, “Hey, did you get our guns?”

Powerjack nodded, and passed him his rifle. Semi-automatic, 10 bullets. Nothing fancy, but he probably wouldn't need it. Couldn't be too careful, with Raiders running about. Powerjack had a similar rifle, smooth brown finish, iron sights. Nexus looked at his scanner, which beeped idly, indicating a specific direction.

“Let get moving, then.” He said.

Some time later, Twilight had heard footsteps and voices.

“It’s coming from over here,” one said. They weren't the same voices as before, they seemed younger, and somewhat nicer. There was the sound of bushes rustling, and then footsteps running towards her.

“There’s someone here! A girl?” A voice exclaimed, the same as before.

“What, really?” Another, quieter voice had replied.

“Yeah, she’s the one. Scanner just went dark.” The other voice said.

She felt something on her left arm, like something was checking it for something. She felt a sharp pain when she felt a hole in her new skin.

“Raiders got to her first. Don’t know why they didn't just take her. They did get her with stun poison though, she’ll need to get that looked at.”

“Is she awake?”

“I don’t know, let me check.”

Twilight’s view of the sky was suddenly blocked by a figure, seeming to be kneeling over her. She had noticed these creatures walked on two legs, instead of four. Her eyes darted upwards, seeing a pair of bright blue eyes looking back.

“You awake? Blink three times if you are, that’s about all you can do.”

She did as she was told. One, two, three.

“Alright... sorry for yanking you out of whatever world you were in before, but we gotta get you checked out. That stuff they injected you with will last a while otherwise. Powerjack, would you carry this fine young lady back to the tank?”

Twilight blinked. A tank? Not exactly the first thing that came to mind. Perhaps these were soldiers? Those Raiders didn't seem like a friendly group, so maybe everyone here had a tank. She had to keep an open mind. She felt herself being lifted, and her body was limp in the arms of the one called Powerjack.

“So, umm... Nexus, what do you think she was doing? Before she was well... you know.” The soft, calm voice came from the large brute of a creature carrying her. Reminded her of a certain somepony she knew back home... Except without the muscle mass.

The one called Nexus turned to look at her, stopping to look at her.

“Idunno. Maybe she was like... I really don’t know. I want to ask her questions, but I also want to get her home. I did bring this upon her.”

Twilight took comfort in the fact that this ‘Nexus’ wanted to help her, opposed to what the Raiders had wanted, which she couldn't even begin to imagine. The same deafening roar from before had sounded off, raising alert. Powerjack nearly dropped the girl he was carrying, obviously frightened by the noise. There was a rustle in the bushes, and a shadow among the trees. Nexus looked over to Powerjack.

“Take her, and get her back to Tanktown. Peaceful Pride will know what to do to treat that poison that’s paralyzing her.”

“What about you, Nexus, I’m not going to just leave you here.” Powerjack’s voice trembled,

“Get Burning Star and the others as soon as you can and tell them to meet me at Beaver Creek!”

Twilight saw Nexus make a gesture for Powerjack to go, just as the huge lizard, like a dragon without wings, jumped out and nearly crushed Nexus. A Basilisk, the Raiders had called it. She heard running water, and then splashing, and then her hair became wet. The last thing she saw of Nexus was him reaching out, and somehow creating a bolt of lightning between him and the beast. Was it what she thought it was?

Powerjack had arrived at the tank, it was still at Beaver Creek. He lowered the girl in first, keeping in mind that she was still conscious. He heard her body hit the seat.

“Oh, I’m so sorry... Please forgive me..” He said, as he climbed in himself, placing the limp body in the gunner seat behind him, and strapped her in. They would be to Tanktown soon, where they could get this mysterious girl some real help. He hoped Nexus was alright, though.