Chapter 1_We Faced our Chosen Horizon but Found only the Foxfire
“Neither day nor night, where are the stars or sun? This forest stares back at us, are we it’s food where is the fanged mouth?” Brian mutters unnerved with Lilly clinging to a shoulder teeth snapping for a hold on his hair. Their eyes darted erratically around the expanse of the eerie luminescent forest so deep with darkness.
“Argh… This s-shit… is messing with our senses, Mike.” Tina scowls trying to cover her ears and shield her eyes. “We need to take our… our suppressants before we freak out… further. Damn now hallucinations whipping up in my vision.”
“Not a hallucination, twister!” Mike yells gripping a tree.
5 hours ago before the test of the prototype. Brian and Lilly, Mike, and Tina prepare to make their journey but first they have one last briefing.
“Here he comes with a clean-up crew.” Brian scowls looking out the window to a man in surprisingly plain attire and 3 others similarly dressed.
Going by the name Chad Anderson, the CIA spook was the handler assigned to White Rabbit when the breach happened. Because of his age and profession descriptions will not be given except to say he dyed his hair and probably is using FX prosthetics to disguise his identity.
Today is 5 weeks and 2 days from the LeClaire incident. Chad has seen most of the prototype development except the final complete model and he is here to confiscate it. So he gives the door a knock, no need to make a scene anyway with agents stationed around the block.
“Hello Mike, Brian and Tina. May I enter?” Chad casual asks from porch.
The door is opened by Mike as the group is waved in. Chad notes that Mike is not wearing his normal prosthetic arm and gives a quick foot drag as signal to his men as he reaches the living room. Brian and Tina are sitting causally at a card table. There is a look to the table that suggests that breakfast was recently eaten but nothing in the mugs. They forgone refills for what he expected they would need for a long meeting. Their dress was sloppy in its intent to conceal the residents plans, bulges intended to hide under baggy clothing we’re noticeable. Lastly, and what it was that made Chad sweat; was the new accessories each sported disguised as watches.
“Have you had any breakthroughs?” Chad asks with feigning ignorance. “We could help with that. Lab privileges, top of the line processors and even a whole team of coders with a 120 terabyte mainframe to cover the nasty software debugging.”
“We could use more help in better hardware, there is only so much you can do with Ebay?” Tina tries to match Chad’s tactic with her own false demeanor.
“I don’t get your meaning behind this offer of the debugging?” Mike grins slightly. ”We simply are not at that stage yet.”
Chad and his men were seeing right through the act. They were stalling and more than aware of Chad’s intentions, all that was needed was that queue that would give away how they would activate their devices. Any move that could indicate running and they would act using the hidden tranquilizer dart launchers hidden in their sleeves using the holsters where guns hung as distractions.
Treason charges could be filed and the Public would not question. They could just be disappeared to the Pentagons think tank giving the USA the edge in this new frontier. They just had to move.
“How about it folk, do you accept my offer?” Chad beckons now worried that no move was being made.
“To do this for country and Humanity…” Brian chimes in with a small grin. “Sure this is what we are all about.”
Chad lets out a sigh and that would be his un-doing as he lets his guard down.
“On our terms…” Brian adds as a clock alarm like beep goes off, the new devices changing display information and the three plus one fox phase out like the cheep Hollywood ghost dose ascending into the afterlife only without the flash. A dart zips at Mike but it never hits him getting pulled off course some even ending up in the floor instead of the wall.
“How could I be so stupid to not expect an automated trigger for their prototype.” Chad hisses. ”Two of you will stay here while I inform head quarters and watch for any return, all other assets are dismissed.”
Back in the present Mike, Tina, Brian and Lilly are about get swept up by a nasty little twister.
“Where… did it come from?” Tina screeched as she dived behind a tree to snag a strong root still in pain from an implant induced head ache.
“We’re in Equestria. Think Pegasus!” Mike responded using his left hand to pull Brian and Lilly down out of the winds grasp his right hand digging into a thorny light casting tree.
“I smell… her. We smell her swirling across the top winds.” Brian blurts out with a focused look to the twister but glazed over as only responding to the question reflexively as though he pumped full of truth serum.
“Swirling across the top winds?” Tina furrowed her brow gazing at the twister thought the increasing debris. With a shout she points at Lilly. “Mike on my mark, you need to throw Lilly at 3 o clock from the twister’s center.”
“What that will kill them.” Mike protests.
“Do it Mike, or none of us survive! Brian. Fold the wings… force her to glide.” Tina snaps giving Mike a glare.
An errant streak of greenish brown begins to whip to the far side of the twister and Tina shouts. Brian now witnesses the spinning of the landscape, feels the flipping of his limbs aggravating a sense of motion sickness from the acceleration. Fully synchronized with Lilly, Brian crashes on his ass tumbling a ways as his body is caught by the twister’s winds. He throws up having lost control of his body to force control of Lilly’s body.
Through Lilly’s eyes, pans the image of a brown coated, light green winged with dark tips, Pegasus whose main was white in contrast to the green tail. Her wings beating out of synch, pitching wildly, and getting torn up by sticks that whipped by. With paws out stretched Brian reached to hook into the pony’s sides.
The Pegasus screams as the claws dig in to help pull Lilly’s body on to the out of control Pegasus. The course of the Pegasus changes in panic now that the back paws plant themselves in her lower back, Brian now has Lilly in position to make their move. Fore Paws spring round the wings, the pads used to grab the wings just below the joint and with a tug and press the Pegasus was sent streaking toward the ground.
Tina spreads her arms, teeth clenching an epee-pen ready for the impending collision. They hit tumbling for a few feet and Lilly getting knocked loose from the impact that now tangles Tina with the panicked flyer.
On its back the Pegasus tries to right itself her head briefly glimpsing Tina bringing the epee-pen down hard to her chest. Another scream is heard and the winds of the twister suddenly end as the Pegasus gets clumsily to it hooves wings extended but limp before falling over again.
“Oh shit NO!” Tina scrambles to the pony’s side. “She is going into shock!”
Tina pulling from her med-kit a differently labeled epee-pen she injects the twitching pony with adrenalin to hopefully counter the overdose of suppressant. The Pegasus bolts upright at the stimulation the drug provides her, wings twitch some but are still limp, the Pegasus takes notice of this and the fact she is surrounded and tries to stimulate her wings with frantic preening . When that fails and fear clearly in her eyes the Pegasus casts her head about for an escape route.
“Brian you able to get up, if so do it slowly?” Mike whispers. “This one looks like she might bolt.”
“Lilly… Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Brian mutters seeing the little red fox take advantage of her small size to sneak in behind the pony hidden hopefully by the bushes. “Mike your cutting torch modification.”
Mike activates a short reaching welding torch in his prosthetics index finger. The 3 inch glowing blue light catches the Pegasus gaze letting Lilly get close enough to grab the scared pony. Brian bolts over to the once again downed form to help Lilly relax her. With Brian holding the pony still Lilly strokes the pony’s body until her muscles relax and heart rate slows some.
“Can this be the right world, I’m hard pressed to take your two’s freak outs and this twister bringer as a positive confirmation?” Mike scowled as he begins examining his arm. “Fact is we are in over our heads…”
“Mike I don’t like that look. What is it?” Brian asks noticing faint sparks of electricity come off Mike’s arm.
Mike doesn’t answer right away, he watches his arm twitch with power getting worse the closer to the trees he gets and fade as he pulls back. His grim expression gets worse when he checks his Planer Trans-locator then adds. “We need to move out of this forest. Considering what just happened with all of you and now my arm we need to get some distance from here. ”
“Using the recall system then for now is out of the question.” Tina replies scowling hurling the spent adrenalin epee-pen. “Brian is she calm enough now to move?”
Brian lets the Pegasus get up to her hooves and watches her slowly fold her wings. The Pegasus no longer looks frightened but it is clear that trust is not yet something she exhibit for the strange humans as she darts a few feet away from the two that have been holding her down, her ears seem to be tracking the conversation as the humans continue to talk.
“I’ll take that as a yes contingent on no more sudden grabbing of her body or injections.” Brian smirks nervously before picking up Lilly.
“I know this is not the best thing to ask you Tina after your episode but do you notice recognizable landmarks with your sensory enhancements?” Mike asks with concern almost wanting her to scold him.
“Well the fandom has an iffy understanding of the Equestria landmarks but I could try to spot something.” Tina replies wanting to sate her own curiosity. The drugs in her system have numbed her abilities to access her enhanced senses but not enough prevent her vision from spotting a castle like ruin snarled by the thorny glowing trees deeper in the luminous forest. Nor miss catching the slight darting of eyes by the Pegasus at the mention of Equestria.
“I can see a castle in the distance, possibly of the Two Sisters; but it’s even more badly overgrown than in the show and with these crap trees too.” Tina adds flatly.
“What about Cantorlot Mountain?” Brian asks. “You see any eyesore of a castle city?”
“No just a mostly bare mountain.” Tina replies. “We should probably head there as it has the fewest trees.”
Before Brian could interrupt again another voice beats him to it.
“Who… and what… are you? Why do know how talk like I do?” The Pegasus nervously whines eyeing Brian and Tina in particular.
“She just said something to you two, didn’t she?” Mike asks glancing from the Pegasus to his friends. “Care to fill me in?”
“Mike didn’t get a translation like we did Lilly.” Brian replies glancing between a confused Mike and a spooked fox who now fixed her gaze on the pony ear flattened.
“I heard her also.” Tina adds before looking into the Pegasus’s eyes. “My name is Tina.”
“My name is Brian and this is Lilly and he’s Mike.” Brian continues. “We’re 3 humans and one red fox. And you are?”
“I’m Dandelion.” The Pegasus meekly answers.
“I didn’t get what she was saying.” Mike remarks crossing his arms.
“What did he say?” Dandelion asks confused.
“It is just another complication with our enhanced senses and this world’s weird environment Mike. Her name is Dandelion.” Tina responds. “Let’s head out toward the Mountain.”
With that the company increased by one new member the Pegasus named Dandelion as they trudge through the forest whose trees cast an unpleasant light instead of shadows. Now that Dandelion was not orbiting a twister the three humans and the red fox could more clearly see the mark that Equestria ponies are fabled to get after discovering something important about them self. Her mark was that of a Dandelion seed floating on a breeze, her talent they guessed must have been her keen instincts about wind currents seeing how her twister didn’t kill her long before being spotted.
It would take the group about 2 hours of walking before they got clear enough of the forest to feel comfortable to make camp. During that time the suppressant started to wear off.
“Dandelion, are you alright?” Brian asks seeing a slight billowing of fog coming off from her wings.
She started to flap her wings a bit as some panic was returning at this news, a phantom breeze began to form.
“Calm down I didn’t mean to upset you.” Brian adds worried.
“Just fold your wings for now Dandelion we’re still too close to the trees.” Tina interjects before turning to Brian. “Don’t startle her.”
“No it’s alright. I just want to fly.” Dandelion sulks folding her wings tightly.
“I’m missing something again aren’t I?” Mike frowns. “Has the suppressant made her sick or is it about something else like being grounded?”
“You caught that?” Brian replies surprised.
“I guessed. She wasn’t happy when we first grounded her and now this.” Mike retorts. “I still don’t understand what she saying.”
“I don’t think it was just our actions. How often do you lose control of your wings and create that foul weather?” Tina asks turning from Mike to Dandelion.
“I really don’t remember ever being in control when I fly. I cannot even find others like me because of it.” Dandelion begins to sob.
“You have family near here?” Tina asks.
Dandelion doesn’t respond and continues sobbing.
“I take it she is lost on top of this.” Mike interjects looking to Tina who nods her head.
“We could help you find some others of your kind on the way to the mountain if that would help?” Brian adds with Lilly barking something similar.
“Thank you I do feel a little better now.” Dandelion gives a small smile as her tears begin to stop.
“You’re not the only one with this problem are you?” Tina asks.
“I going to set up mini tent gang, fill me in when you are done.” Mike gets up to stretch.
“Wait we’re staying?” Brian adds confused. “I would think you had enough of this place.”
“Check your Trans-locator, we are still getting interference here. Looking for others might just be on the way so why not help.” Mike replies.
“Is he helping me?” Dandelion asks noticing a difference in his attitude.
“Yes.” Brian replies. “But for now we are going to rest here a little longer than planned.”
It took about 20 minutes to set up the mini tent and the rest of the group decided now was a good time to eat but inside the tent. No one wanted stare at the odd perpetual twilight. The food consisted of cereal and jerky and some water. Dandelion seemed to be put off by the selection.
“If I thought we would be camping with a pony I would have packed something else.” Brian says placing a small dish of cereal out for Dandelion to try.
“You confirmed that we are in an Equestria right?” Mike asks.
“Yeah, she has some stories that her family passed down about the ruins I mentioned earlier. They match some of the cannon and fandom details but it‘s not enough to learn why the environment is so wild compared to what we know.” Tina whispers to Mike.
“Are you doing alright now, Tina and how about Brian and Lilly?” Mike asks flexing his arm.
“Things are still more vivid than is comfortable and loud too. Brian and Lilly should probably take another dose to prevent too much personality bleed. Lastly Dandelion should be fine as long as she keeps from flying and away from the trees here, as for the dose we should cut down her injection to 10 ml. We don’t want her to go into shock again.” Tina replies with a slight frown. “By the way I’m glad you set up the tent it helps with the head ache.”
“You’re welcome should we sleep a while?” Mike asks.
“I’m a yes. How about you Brian should we catch a few winks?” Tina asks turning to Brian.
“We are fine with that Tina.” Brian responds with Lilly moving to a corner of the tent.
Dandelion nods her head before setting it down on her hoofs to sleep.
It didn’t go as planned as mere minutes later screams of distress are heard not far off, that even without enhanced senses; they could tell were all to close.
“Mike hurry… Dandelion just bolted.” Brian rasps a bit panicked. “Tina and Lilly are giving chase.”
“Lead the way!” Mike shouts pushing off the ground. Bursting from the tent, Mike notices newly growing shrubs that were not at the camp site before. This gives him a feeling of paranoia as if the forest was closing around them.
It took just 2 minutes of running to reach where the screams came from. Tangled in some creeping vines was another pony pale red almost white in color with patches of deeper red and yellow brown mane. Tina and Dandelion were trying to pull her free, and Lilly was biting a vine… that was wrapped around her.
“Your all here now.” A new voice chimes in. “No need for you to leave.”
Vines grasp the humans and Dandelion pulling them away from the other trapped pony. Mike fires an energy blast severing one of the vines holding the pale red Earth Pony. The vines respond by wrenching his arm to point at his feet.
“Peoria, Dandelion I’m Sorry.” Tina winces. “Mike we’re in a bit of a bind.”
“Such curiously chaotic creatures.” Something stalks up but hidden from view. “I admire your efforts to find harmony with another so different, but half measure won’t be tolerated.”
“Where is this thing?” Brian chocks out frightened, his limbs twitch.
“And you other two why change your own bodies. It doesn’t bring you closer to the balance you seek.” Speaks the voice as movement from the shadows can finally be made out. It has the vague shape of a giant spider with small glowing bushes growing out its back each with a different color.
“We have no choice use the recall program.” Mike shouts pulling his arm free enough to activate the device.
“They all struggle against the natural order even as they strive for it. I might as well help them along anyway.” The spider hisses with glee the light of the bushes on her back now becoming blinding.
The three humans and the red fox start to fade out, but with an unexpected flash seven forms instead fade out instead of just four. The spider like fiend lowers the intensity of her glow.
“What an unexpected development some pony used a teleport just now. Won’t my new friends be surprised to find themselves somewhere other than at home?” The spider giggles. “They received my gift anyway, may they enjoy it in good health.”
Elsewhere a bluish furred red fox free falls toward a cliff side tree overlooking a lightly forested plain. A human woman lays unconscious having hit her head on a rock near a jungle river, near her is a pale red almost white earth pony with a yellow brown mane. Lastly a human man finds himself drawn upon by other humans and next to something else that make their captors tremble.
The company has been split up will they survive long enough to find each other and find out what happened with the Foxfire Forest.