//------------------------------//
// The Lost One- part 1 
// Story: The Changed One 
// by peacevic 
//------------------------------//

Lost One- part 1

I woke up to the hiss of a stasis pod opening. My stasis pod.
"He's ok! Oh, thank Celestia."
That was Twilight's voice. The lid of the pod slid off, and as it did I could see her, the Doctor, and Derpy. They looked less happy than I would've expected. More worried, with a touch of relief.
"What's with the faces?"
"Verdant..." Derpy asked, the first to speak despite looking the most nervous. "Are you ok?"
I sat up. "I've been in stasis. You three would know better than I would."
They looked at each other, and after a few seconds the Doctor cleared his throat. "Actually, no." He started meandering around the room, his curiosity getting to him. As he did, I could see that I wasn't in the same room as I was before. It was dilapidated and seemed... older somehow. Worn down. "Just after you were sealed in, a rift opened. Yanked you away before we could get back into your room."
"We were able to follow you here because of some kind of trail thing." Derpy added. "Something the rift left behind."
"Residual energy signature." Twilight clarified.
I stood. The IVs and assorted monitoring cords fell away as I did. "Why do I feel so... groggy?"
"That's just the last of the anesthetic." The Doctor supplied. "Should wear off soon."
I smiled, and Twilight handed me a glass of water. "That's good. I've never liked- GAAH!"
The glass shattered as I fell to my knees. Twilight moved to help. "What's wrong?"
What wasn't wrong? Every inch of me was burning. I slumped onto my face. The Doctor whipped out his Sonic and began scanning. He got the results as I started writhing.
"Ah, I was afraid of this. Our times were moving at different speeds. An hour for us and just seconds for you. The machine hadn't even started healing your injuries."
"What do we do, Doctor?" Derpy asked, the question a plea.
"Twilight, do you know any healing spells?"
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but no. I never really studied surgery. I can do cuts or bruises... come on, Twilight, think!"
I flipped onto my back, the pain making the action look extremely fish-like..
"No, no, no, no!" The Doctor fretted. "The way you are now, your internal organs are barely holding together."
I could feel that, but not for much longer. The pain was numbing. I was probably going into shock. "I-" The blood I spit up cut me off.
"Don't speak, or you'll literally shake your lungs apart."
"Doctor. Important." I wheezed. "How much... do you need... to hurt yourself. For the regeneration to kick in?"
The Doctor reeled, as if I'd punched him square in the nose. "No, Doctor." Derpy moaned. "No, it's too dangerous."
"He'll die if I don't..."
Twilight crossed to them. "Doctor, what he's asking, will it kill you?"
"No.." He said. "But it could change me. All that I am, this body, could vanish."
"Do it." Twilight insisted.
"Twilight!"
"I'm sorry, Derpy. But you both know he wouldn't be like this if he hadn't tried to help you."
"But-"
The Doctor raised a hoof to silence his concerned companion. "Derpy, it's ok. She's right, I have to help."
He started searching the shelves and cabinets, pointing to another clump. Twilight and Derpy took the cue and began looking through their assigned section. They needn't have bothered. Seconds after, the Doctor found what he was seeking.
He turned back to me and I could see what, exactly, he'd been after. It was a scalpel. A little rusted from age and slightly bent, but still sharp as a razor.
"Will... that work?" I asked. "Not too little, not too much?"
The Doctor studied it for as long as he dared, then forced a smile. "Won't know until I try, as Rainbow Dash would say. Especially in a situation like this."
I straightened up a bit more. "Doctor."
"Yeah?"
I'd be blushing at this point, if there was still some blood in my face. "If I don't... you know. Survive. If I die will you give Dash a kiss for me? I know I'm a human and she's a pony, but I feel like she's earned it, or something. For saving me."
That got a laugh from him, a real one. "Tell you what. I'll remind you to kiss her when we get back."
"That'll work." I chuckled. It didn't last long before I started coughing again.
Everything got serious again. "Are you ready?" The Doctor lifted the scalpel.
"Allons-y."
He shook his head. "Wrong me."
I flashed a red stained grin. "I know."
He plunged the scalpel into his side, hopefully missing the vital parts. There was no way for me to know, because apparently I wasn't a veterinarian back in my own dimension. Or maybe I was. Goddamn memory!
Vital areas or no, the plan seemed to be working. As the Doctor pulled the blade out with a twist, the healing glow started.
"Is this... regeneration?" Twilight was awed.
"Yep." The Doctor replied, his voice strained as he struggled to control it. "Just got to make sure enough comes out to heal Verdant."
"But not so much that you change. Right, Doctor?" Derpy couldn't look any more worried for him.
"It's ok, Derpy. I think I got it right. I'm healed, now I just need to..."
He pushed the cloud at me. I could almost feel the light stitching me together, and as my nerves got kicked into gear that 'almost' went away. It hurt. It hurt a lot. How could the Doctor take this every time?
And then it was over. The others helped me to my feet and I wiped the blood off. "Are you ok?" Twilight asked.
"I am now. Thanks, Doctor."
"Forget it." He said, looking around the room again. "For now, let's focus on figuring out where we are."
I gave voice to my earlier observations. "Everything seems... old, or something. Run down."
He nodded. "Yes... and the air. Can you taste it? Tastes sort of unhealthy."
I couldn't taste it, per se, but I could feel what he meant. The air felt heavy. Dirty. Why did that seem familiar?
"The light came from that window!" A voice shouted outside. We all rushed to the aforementioned window to see who the voice came from.
Outside was Hell. Nothing but the ruined remains of crumbling buildings and warped billboards could be seen for miles. Tattered posters covered everything. Very familiar posters.
But what sealed it were the ponies running toward our building. They carried guns and clubs, and their spiked armor was stained with red.
"Oh, God..." I moaned.
"What?" They all asked.
"I know exactly where we are."
"Where, Verdant?" Twilight prodded.
I turned away from the window, motioning for them to follow me. "We're in Equestria."