The Great Equestrian Journey

Nightmare Moon studies the screens carefully, with fierce determination and a touch of wonder. She takes a shaky step towards them, entirely focused. "So you're telling me..."

"Yes." Doctor August Sun, on the other side of Nightmare, steps up to pinpoint the big, red, pulsating clot on the second screen. "This right here is a mass of something attacking Luna's brain. No one knows exactly what it is. We believe that something is causing something in the brain to malfunction, or that this could just be a tumor. We don't want to risk a surgery if that's not the case."

Nightmare knits her brow. "This is her...brain. How did you get that?"

"We took an MRI." I offer. Nightmare glares at me, as if to say not helping. I decide to elaborate: "Magnetic Resonance Imagery."

"What?!" The frustration mounts in her voice.

Dr. Sun intercepts. "It's very complicated, the science behind it. See, there's two powerful magnets that..."

I can basically see the confusion building, like stacking large, heavy books. By the time Dr. Sun is finished explaining how an MRI works, Nightmare's anger is very visible. But her voice is quiet when she says, "Is this good?"

Dr. Sun doesn't even know how to tell her. I don't know. No one knows. The sight of Nightmare Moon has attracted every single doctor's attention in here, and none of them know how to break the news to her. She might snap. She might cry. I even cried when I was told how much my sister's state was deteriorating each day.

But that also gives me the responsibility to tell Nightmare. I do it for my Luna. "It isn't."

I can't read her expression. Beside her, Dr. Sun stands solemnly. 'Sorry,' he mouths at me. I shake my head, showing that he doesn't need to say that. It's my sister, my doing.

I figure it's time to lead Nightmare out of the lab before she explodes. I nudge her and motion with my hoof. Surprisingly, she obliges.

As we leave, I catch Dr. Sun and tell him I'll see him later. He nods. Nightmare and I leave the lab, letting the doors swing shut behind us.

As soon as they bang closed, Nightmare rounds on me.

At first I feel a flash of panic, like she might hurt me. But she doesn't make any other move. She just stares at me, with an unrecognizable expression. Then, with a huff, she turns on her hooves and trots down the hall.

I know she's annoyed and that it would be best to leave her alone, but I can't help but say, "You can let it all out."

"Yeah, because you're so helpful." Nightmare fluffs her wings, clearly upset. "Did we take a right or left?"

"Right." I decide to leave her alone, letting her lead the way.

She mumbles a rant, and I catch a few words. "Luna...confused...why..." At every corner she asks where we turned. I try to catch up to her mad stomping, making sure she doesn't take a move to escape. I can fight her, anyway. I've told the guard in front of her room that I could watch her, and call for help when needed. Otherwise, she's in my care.

We finally teach her room, Nightmare breathing hard through her nose. I type in the code-covering it with my other hoof so she won't see-and the door slides open.

What scares me most about her attitude is that as soon as she gets inside, she yanks off her helmet and tosses it onto the bed. She's shaking with anger. I'm nearly frightened by her demeanor, by the way she might blow up at any moment.

I step inside, but not before giving the guard beside her door a comforting look, flashing a quick smile. Once I'm inside, I close the door.

Nightmare takes several deep breaths before turning around to punch her pillow. "Ugh."

I try to intervene with "Are you done?"

Nightmare shuts her eyes and grits out, "Obviously not."

To her surprise, all I do is let her punch the pillow over and over again, then fling her armor on the bed. She keeps glancing at me, expecting me to flinch. I try not to, but with each pound and throw I find my eyes squinting.

She plops down the bed with a sigh. "What are you waiting for? Leave."

I don't. Instead, I walk over to her bedside. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong--" Nightmare sighs. "What's wrong is that I don't know a single thing."

I try to make my tone understanding. "This may be...new." Nightmare scoffs as I continue. "But it means that--"

"Luna may as well be dead."

This nearly rips my heart open and almost lets all of my stored tears out.

Her eyes look both threatening and a tad hopeless. I try to give her that hope. "Well, I want to do something other than stay at a lab all day. Twilight and her pupil are starting work on finding a cure. But this can't happen of we don't have a key clue."

Nightmare averts her eyes. I've just done the opposite of what I intended to do.

But then...an idea comes to mind. It's not likely to work. Yet my sister is my sister, and I need to give Nightmare a chance to help. This may as well be a journey to reform her, I think, reflecting to Luna's suggestion.

I haven't completely thought it out yet. But it's worth a try.

I try to meet her eyes, conveying the seriousness of my plan. "The key clue is the cause. And we can find the cause."

Nightmare clears her throat. She's obviously impatient.

"You and I," I continue. "You saw the changeling die in the Everfree, right?" Now that I think about it, Luna was taking care of a problem in the Everfree two days before she got sick. And the Everfree is pretty infamous for its ways...

Nightmare picks up on it, too. "The cause is in the Everfree. So..."

"We go looking for it."

"We go looking in the Everfree."

"Yes."

A pause. Then a yes right back.

_____

Dr. August Sun smiles when I enter the lab an hour later. "You're back!"

I smile back at him, but the previous sixty minutes scratch at my mind. "We need to talk. Privately."

He's happy to. I lead him to a corner of the room, where there are no screens or conferring doctors. I appreciate the easy way August handles things; even around Nightmare Moon herself he's calm and collected. I admire the easy way he walks, striding as if nothing can take him down. He's certainly one of the smartest doctors in this room.

"Is this about Nightmare Moon?" he immediately asks. He's even able to say her whole name.

I nod. "I have a plan, and it includes her."

August's expression turns serious, and he shakes his head. "Tell me."

"In order to find a cure, we have to find a cause. And the last time Luna was healthy, she was in the Everfree. That's also where the changeling died." August nods to my every word.

"So you think the cause is in the Everfree. Do you want us to search it?"

"No."

"What do you want us to do?"

"This is my sister. Me and Nightmare Moon will go into the Everfree ourselves."

August's usually peaceful face is laced with alarm. "But...you could contract the disease. And who says that Nightmare Moon won't attack you?"

"She cares for Luna," I reply. I have to get him on my side. "She knows better."

A familiar voice coos, "I know better."

I try to keep from rolling my eyes. "Hello, Discord."

He slithers down from the ceiling. "Hey yourself! I couldn't help but hear your awesome plan, and I would be happy to help."

August glances at me, confused. "Is he supposed to be here?"

"I'm everywhere," is Discord's reply.

"If you can be everywhere, then you can be right next to me when we search the Everfree," I tell him.

Discord launches off the wall. The thud he makes when he hits the ground startles a few doctors. "You're letting me come?!"

I decide to give in to my obligatory eye roll, which does nothing to help anyone. But as it turns out, it's the first relief I've had in days.