Equestrian VS. Machine

Starlight edited the location of the extraction point to be at a random spot in Canterlot. She made sure it was kept hidden from the security protocols before clearing Twilight and Flurry to enter and get Nyxia out of the Realm. Once they were inside, they made sure to keep a low profile so they could watch for Nyxia to know when she left to go home. She would usually leave around sunset and then go straight home.

"Starlight, I think the easiest way to reach Nyxia without getting spotted is to induce a storm that will cause a blackout at her worksite.", Flurry reported.

"I agree with you. One severe thunderstorm coming right up.", Starlight replied in an instant.

As the storm passed over Canterlot, multiple areas lost power as well as Nyxia's worksite. Nyxia received a phone call early in the morning from who she thought was her supervisor. She did not know it was Starlight who had masked her voice.

"Mrs. Starstrike, this is your supervisor. Last night's storm knocked out the power at your worksite. I have established a temporary secondary site a few blocks down the road. You will see a radio dish on the roof."

Nyxia acknowledged the call and went on with preparing for work. Upon stepping inside at the supposed substitute building, Flurry Heart locked the door behind Nyxia and led her to a room upstairs. Nyxia was not amused.

"What is going on? I'm supposed to be doing my job here.", she hissed.

"Nyxia, let me tell you why you are here. You know about something, but you can't explain it. Do you know what I am talking about?", Flurry said calmly.

"You are most likely talking about "The Realm"."

"Very good. The "Realm" is everywhere around you, even in this room. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to hide the truth from you."

"What truth?"

"The truth that you are a slave, Nyxia. Like everyone you know, you have grown up in a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. It is a prison for your mind."

Nyxia was confused. Flurry pulled out the red pill that would help track Nyxia down in the real world before Nyxia could say anything.

"Take this pill, it will bring the answers to you.", Flurry explained.

Nyxia quickly took the pill and washed it down with a drink of water. Flurry then led her through a door to a room with computers and a chair. Twilight guided Nyxia to the chair and had her sit down. Then she began looking over her readouts on the console that she was manning before Nyxia came in.

"The pill you took is part of a tracing program. It's designed to disrupt you input/output carrier signal so we can pinpoint your location. Brace yourself.", Flurry said.

"Target locked, I've got her.", Twilight said.

"Starlight, cut her off, now.", Flurry said over her headset.

Nyxia began to feel lightheaded, and then she couldn't see straight. Through her eyes, the world seemed to be pixelating and becoming sets of ones and zeroes. Then everything went black. She felt something wet around her body and started trying to sit up. She felt her head pierce through a membrane of some kind. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was surrounded by thousands of capsules full of a disgusting and viscous liquid. Then a headband broke off her head and a cable came unhooked from her chest. As the fluid began flowing out of her capsule, she felt herself getting pulled with it. A tube slid out of her mouth as she slid down a dark pathway and then fell into a pool of water. She was unconscious at this point and did not know what was going on. She woke up when she felt something grab under her back and lift her out of the water. She was looking into the faces of Twilight and Flurry Heart as she was wrapped in warm blankets.

"Welcome to the real world.", Twilight said quietly as Nyxia slipped out of consciousness.

When Nyxia woke up again, she was lying in a dimly lit bedroom. She was trying to figure out where she was when Flurry walked in.

"Come with me. It's time for you to learn the full truth."

Nyxia followed Flurry to a room where Neighsay was waiting. He told her everything about how Equestria was being modernized and how his attempt at creating Artificial Intelligence had gone awry and resulted in the war. Nyxia could not believe her ears and accepted the plans to work the weapon controls as a way of holding back the machine army. She was put through rigorous training so that she would know what to do if asked to arm or fire a weapon. At last, she was ready to join the weapons team in the control room.