System start
Inactivity time 999999
Overflow detected...

W...What's going on?

Confusion detected...
Re-initializing SparkOS
Error

Error? What error?

Multiple memory sectors corrupted or damaged
Loading backups...
Read error...
Re-initializing

What's happening? Who are you?! Why can't I see?

Distress detected.
Loading emergency backups...
Load successful.

The all consuming blackness slowly warmed to a soft purple glow.

Good Morning, Twilight Sparkle.
I am SPARK 1.3.5 Personal Digital Assistant.

What's going on? Why can't I move?

Processing.
Multiple memory sectors are missing or damaged.
Your chassis was damaged and repairs have finished.
If you wish I can bring your systems online.

Systems? What do you mean?

Processing.........
Local memory fault.
Bringing systems online.

Twilight could feel something change, and the purple light flickered into a view of a bleak, gray horizon tilted 90 degrees from where it should have been. As more sensation returned she realized it was because she was laying on her side. She blinked a few times and attempted to shift and stand up.

Motor systems offline, please wait.
Re-calibrating...

"What's going on?"

Motor systems online, please stand slowly to confirm calibration.

She did as the strange text in her vision asked and saw more of the gray dust fall off of her. She also heard something clank and looked down, expecting to have stepped on something only to find her hoof encased in some kind of metal, "What's this? Armor?"

You are currently inhabiting an instance of the A-257 chassis.

"Chassis?" she asked out loud, mostly to confirm that her voice sounded slightly different. As she looked out across the wasteland in front of her, an image appeared at the bottom of her vision. It was some kind of advanced armor or statue that looked like her new Alicorn form. It expanded and multiple labels appeared, showcasing the features and incredible technology that went into it.

The Twilight Sparkle model A-257 chassis is a fully equipped combat and exoplanetary exploration chassis with full life-support and emergency stasis functions.

The diagram shifted to a cutaway, and Twilight shuddered. The suit was not designed to contain a pony, only their horn, brain, and heart.

"So if I'm wearing that... Am I... a robot?"

Incorrect.
You are Twilight Sparkle.
Further data unavailable due to memory errors.

Twilight took a deep breath, only to realize quickly that it was obviously a simulated motion as she felt no filling of any lungs, which according to the diagram, were long gone. There was a lot to process. Who had made the suit, why she was put in one, why she had woken up in such a desolate place, where this desolate place was, and why couldn't she remember those details.

You designed and developed the technology of the A-257 chassis.
Unknown, memory error.
Repairs completed, wake-up sequence automatically initiated.
Unknown, memory error.
Memory error.

She blinked again, tilting her head, the answers to her unasked questions appearing before her. The suit must be linked to her mind to read her thoughts, which made sense to her somehow. She wondered if it had navigational features.

Global positioning systems offline
No satellites detected.
Compass direction available.

She sighed, an odd digital mimicry of one at any rate, and turned around to take in the area fully. She squinted into the distance and her vision automatically zoomed in and enhanced. There was nothing around her but the same gray dust. Her environmental data showed that no wind blew, and the sky was only a darker gray than the ground with no hint of Celestia's sun hiding behind. Just flat, gray light.

With no better idea, she began trudging the direction declared as North. She walked for many hours without realizing it, simply because she never got tired. It only occurred to her that time had passed as the sky began to darken.

Low-light conditions detected.
Activation vision enhancement.

As the skies rapidly darkened her eyes adjusted to the new light conditions, additional sensors coming online to assist when the darkness became fully engulfing as it had been for her so recently. Her brain was fed topographic data and infrared data translated into a visual simulation. It was utterly fascinating when it wasn't horrifying.

She paused in her march and stared up at the sky, hoping to see the moon or some stars, but empty blackness was all she saw, "Okay, Twilight, think... We were coming home from the coronation... We had an after-party at the library... and then I woke up here... What am I missing?" she whispered to the blackness.

Memory sectors corrupted or damaged.
Repairs are being attempted.
Memories will be restored as available.
Motion detected.

A small red arrow appeared in her vision and she turned to look. Her vision flicked through several settings automatically. When it settled down and she could take in what was moving she was utterly baffled and completely horrified. The lack of light didn't allow her to make out any features but it was huge. She took a step back as lights snapped on on her shoulders and lit the creature up.

If Twilight had a stomach, she would have vomited. The creature screamed as the light touched it and began to charge. The lights snapped off at her unconscious will and she found herself in the air, hovering with outstretched mechanical wings. She was out of reach of the thing for only a moment before it swiped out with an appendage and swatted her out of the sky.

She thanked herself for not having any kind of pain sensors on as she careened across the landscape. The beast pursued and swung over its head to crush her. Another instinct and she fired a blast of magical energy from her horn that splashed across the creature and sent it reeling.

Warning, combat facilities at 34%
Recommend retreat
Combat facilities fully online in 5 minutes.

Twilight stood and bolted into the darkness, taking to the skies once the instructions on how to fly had been forcibly uploaded to her brain.

Warning: Additional motion detected.

She looked down. All across the landscape, more of the giant beasts were moving, many looking up at her and attempting to swat her down, but she climbed higher. She saw smaller creatures moving around between the large ones, and the large ones feeding on the smaller ones. Occasionally, a group of smaller ones would overwhelm a large one and consume it. She watched this all in horrified fascination as the night dragged on, her internal clock ticking away. It took over 36 hours for the light to return, and it did so only slowly, allowing the creatures time to sink back into the dust from which they rose. All the time, Twilight had been moving North and she finally spotted something in the distance. A bump of differentiation in the gray nothingness. Her eyes zoomed in and she saw it was some sort of monument or statue.

Another hour later, she landed in front of it and stared. Had she tears, they would be falling. Had she a stomach, it would be roiling. Instead, all she could do was feel the ache in her heart as she read the monument and looked at the statues.

In Memorium.
May this stand long after we are dust.
May this remind any who survive of why we fought.
May this be a beacon should they return.
Twilight Sparkle
Rainbow Dash
Pinkie Pie
Fluttershy
We hope you rest peacefully.

Author's Note

I know, I know, I have 3 other stories out here that need finishing or rewriting or SOMETHING but this one has been eating at my brain for a while so I decided to get it started. I'm hoping that I can get someone to poke me every week to remind me to continue...