A Twist in Reality

Twilight found a pain rushing through her head as Rarity's and her own magic surged through her machine, making Twilight feel like all the Manticores in all the wide, wide world of Equestria were trying to tear her head off, as slowly and as painfully as they could. Her friends just looked on in wonder... well, minus Rarity, who's eyes were closed from the effort of all her energy focusing towards merging with Twilight's.

Pinkie, of course, was having no problems with her energy. Bouncing and cavorting around the room that, even putting Twilight's extensive knowledge and ability to stay on task,  made Twilight put into question whether they were in her lab or at Ponyville fair. She finally made the decision that they were in the lab. Why would a fair have chalkboards with formulas scribbled all over them, test tubes, or multiple machines?

Twilight shut her eyes, too, allowing her mind to wonder. What would happen if the test didn't go right. As a matter of fact, now that Twilight had gained this thought, she could not push it out of her head. What if something terrible did happen? A bad feeling twisted in her gut when she felt Rarity's magic waver. Was Rarity doing okay? Was she having trouble directing her magic? Was something wrong with the design of the Memory Scan-Inator Thingy Ma-bob? Was Twilight's preparation not enough?

Just as she was about to continue contemplating terrible things, something worse than she could've imagined happened.

As Pinkie would put it, BLAM-O!!! The thing atop her head began sparking, throwing light upon the startled faces of Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. Bad things began to happen all at once. Rarity's magic stopped, and she passed out. The Memory Scan-Inator began to spark. Not electric sparks, but magical sparks. Coming from Twilight's own horn. The five ponies surrounding Twilight screamed. Colored lights, the same color as their coats, floated about their heads. The light's seemed to be directed at Twilight. The world around the poor Alicorn began to swirl, and before she knew it, Twilight was greeted with darkness.

Twilight groaned, sitting up in an unfamiliar room. No, not unfamiliar... old. One Twilight had seen, but also in a way, had not. She was laying on the floor of Golden Oaks Library's basement. She gave a startled scream, but instantly threw a hoof over her mouth. Where were her friends? Twilight tried to remember, remember what had happened in her lab. She found that she couldn't recall. Her lab! She was in it, but... where were her things? What had happened to the dusty chalkboards, extensive research and science that had once consumed the space she sat in now? Why were there old boxes in her way, things marked as storage? WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN HER LAB?!

Twilight carefully examined the little information she had:  An experiment, her friends screaming... glowing lights? Hmm... her memory was pretty foggy. She wrote it off as her tired mind, her imagination running away from her.

She slowly got up, her legs wobbly. She cautiously made her way towards the stairwell and head up the stairs, having to cling to the railing. Then, just when she was nearing the top of the stairs, she heard voices. Angry ones, at that.

"Where am I?!" One pony called out.

"Yeah," Another complained, "And what happened to my stage?!"

These voices sound awfully familiar, Twilight thought. But I can't quite put my hoof on it.

The voices began to get closer, and before she knew it, Twilight was looking up at the two glaring faces that could only belong to Trixie and Sunset Shimmer.

"Twilight Sparkle." They said in union.