Harmony

by Crimson_Moon

Rating: teen
Tags: Discord, Gore, Violence, Princess Celestia, Dark, Death, Alternate Universe, Anthro, Main 6, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Science Fiction, Other, Tragedy
Length: 5135

A lone survivor on a desolate ship. A chaotic demon, imprisoning her people. Twilight sets course on the only pony vessel the starship harmony to seek help. Can she find it before it's too late for Equestria?

Equestria in the distant future. Space travel was real, and so was the nightmare Discord created upon Equestria. Many races escaped his madness via spacecraft, save for the pony races: Earth, Unicorn, and Pegasi.

No one knows how he rose to power, only that His rule was absolute, and anypony who disobeyed were either "imprisoned" and became a chaotic servant, or were executed by his rather unique brand of chaotic gauntlets and trials.

Eventually, a secret project was created by the Resistance to build a ship to carry a small group out of orbit, to seek help:

The Starship Harmony.

It was designed to hold a small one hundred and fifty member crew, but only a handful managed to come aboard. Now, floating in deep space and searching for a signal, the Captain wakes up once again to the silent vessel, but this time is different.

This time, something knocked on her door...

Published 2019-08-24 06:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-09-06 07:10:37 UTC

Is Anybody There?

...-student...

The computerized voice echoed aboard the starship, it's voice heard among the 800 mile long machine.

It's time to get up for tea...

Deep within its corridors lay sleeping its only inhabitant. Unfortunately space travel didn't have the luxury of beds, so as a solution the ship was outfitted with cryopods- enough for the entire population of Ponyville and Canterlot, numbering in the small hundreds. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

THIS MESSAGE WILL REPEAT... Good morning, my faithful student, it's time to get up for tea!

Like an annoying alarm clock, the AI aboard the Starship Harmony roused the lone pilot awake. Hissing out steam, the cryopod depressurized, re-awakening one Twilight Sparkle. "Nnnh, what time is it?" She groggily spoke, clasping the sides of the pod to prop herself up.

It is 8 AM Equestrian time on day 1,375 aboard the Starship Harmony. We have wandered approximately 8,500 light years away from Equestria, my faithful student! the onboard AI chirped.

Though she knew the answer, it was habit at this point. She asked regardless, and regretfully the reply was always the same:

"...And survivors?"

...Approximately 1 organic survivor. However, cultures still run strong and the onboard gardens are thriving!

She sighed. "Well, better get back to work!" Twilight exclaimed. Hopping out of the pod, she grabbed her orange jumpsuit thrown haphazardly over her vital monitor, quickly putting it on to insulate her body from the slightly cold room. Flicking on a light she grabbed from her toolbelt, the young girl began her journey down the desolate starship. She began to make her way to the cafeteria, crossing down the many empty corridors and rooms, long since shut down to save energy. Glancing around the white doors and hallways, she finally spotted the sign she was looking for.

One of the few facilities left online, she entered the room, triggering its proximity sensor and powering it on. "What's on the menu today?" She spoke aloud, holstering her flashlight back to her hip.

Porridge with some lovely Chamomile tea, my faithful student! the AI chirped.

SHE HAS A NAME YOU KNOW...

"THANK you, Celes-Computer." It has been over a year since she stopped thinking of it as her old teacher.

"it's just code, nothing more..."

Setting down her porridge, Twilight took a sip of tea then went straight back to work. Tapping on the surface of the crystalline table, a display asking for login appeared. Pressing her thumb to the screen, the display flashed green then all of a sudden, several display ports, menus, and statistics appeared.

Swiping away the minor submenus and displays, Twilight focused on the status screens. "Seems to me everything is on the green this time." She mumbled, taking a sip of tea. "Computer, everything seems nominal. Why was I taken out of cryosleep?"

ERROR- NO DATA AVAILABLE; You worry too much, my faithful student!

"Run internal diagnostics."

ERROR

"Check power levels."

ERROR

"Great, now even the onboard computer doesn't know what's wrong!" She sighed, feeling a long headache coming on. "Computer, generate emergency lighting towards the Maintenance Bay. I need to check something."

With a small whir and a few clicks, the cafeteria lights dimmed, and red pathway lights appeared on the floor. Leaving the remaining porridge and tea behind, she began the hours long journey towards Maintenance. Passing through the halls was like going through a graveyard to her. Each and every section that was currently powered down would have been made to have the Harmony become a fully functioning city. It even had a financial district built, and the currency was ration tickets for meals at the cafeteria to make everything fair. MREs lasted forever, but that didn't make them any less disgusting.

There was one ward that always made her tear up every time she had to pass by: the Spike the Dragon Memorial Ward. It was Fluttershy's idea to include it in the plans they hid, but regardless she missed him. His people were the first to leave, after all...

Shaking her head, Twilight continued on, following the emergency lighting towards the Maintenance Bay. She approached the door, and...nothing happened.

"Computer, Maintenance is locked. Can you override?"

ERROR-SCANS SHOW AN ANOMALY OF A CHAOTIC NATURE; Twilight, beyond that door is something dangerous, I cannot advise-

"Accept override command: Starswirl. Now open the door!"

"There's no way! No way in Tartarus he found us!"

COMMAND ACCEPTED; I believe you're up to the challenge, my faithful student, but please be careful...

Preparing herself for anything, the young girl lit her magic and got ready. With a resounding thud, the bay doors unlocked and drew open slowly, an ominous fog rolling out. "W-whoever, WHATever you are, I have several spells ready to go, many meant to maim or brutally harm. C-come out!"

Another thud resounded, this time from inside the room. Then another, and another, each getting louder as the mysterious entity approached. "I-I'm warning y-you!" Her hands glowed brighter, switching from defensive spells to offensive. Suddenly, the thudding stopped. Beginning to think it was just the ambience of the starship, she lowered her guard.

That's when she heard the low, guttural growling. Firing every spell she had, she bombarded the room with explosions, lasers, and every known element. Not stopping for a moment, she got weaker and weaker, still firing off spells that would've destroyed mountains and tore this ship asunder if not for it's defensive warding. Gasping weakly, her horn finally fizzled out. "H-had e-enough y-yet, Discord?" She looked up, her vision going dark.

Just before she lost consciousness, Twilight saw what she thought was the blurred silhouette of someone she thought died a very, very, very long time ago. Then everything went black.

CRITICAL ALERT! CRITICAL ALERT! LIFE SUPPORT FAILING!

Twilight awoke with a gasp, her heart beating in her chest. Frantically looking around for any signs of Him, all she found was the charred remains of Maintenance. Her spells did a wonderful job of destroying the interior, but also tore apart the only thing still keeping her alive. "No! Nonononono!" Rushing towards the mangled reactor, she went quick to work using her magic to gather the scarred tissue of her lifeline. Or tried to, anyways; grunting and heaving with every exertion of her magic, Twilight came to a grim conclusion- her magic reserves were empty. She would have to do this by hand.

"Ugh, fine! You win, already. Celestia?"

There was no response. That was strange...

"...Celestia?"

Again, no reply.

"Celestia! Are you there?!" Now fully panicking, she ran every simulation she could in her head for why the computer wasn't responding, when it hit her:

She's gone, Twilight...

"...Computer?"

The alarms stopped, and the disembodied voice of her mentor echoed once again through the ghost ship. ERROR, LIFE SUPPORT FAILING! My little pony, it seems we are in trouble! I would advise we make repairs, should I send some faithful assistants out?

The girl sighed, cursing herself for falling back into a habit she had crushed before construction even began on this ship. "Yes, and have them bring a plasma torch, ion cutters, and chamomile tea. I am very stressed and need some refreshments."

Author's Note

this has been a side project of mine for a bit, just something I thought of when reading some other stories, and wanted to try it out.

If you like it, please let me know. I'm putting all my free time and days off perfecting this story, and need to know,if it was worth it.

Other stories will be updated, and I now have a schedule for myself. You can read it in my blog. Fair warning Though, I don't update the blog often, and only when necessary.

Save Me

This is Twilight Sparkle, aboard the newly christened starship Harmony. If anybody is out there, anyone at all, we need your help... I need your help. I'm currently floating along the Lunar Axis star cluster, and this message has the ship's current coordinates pinged in a subfrequency piggybacking on this one.

...Please, my people are in danger. Help us...Save Me...

Twilight listened to the broadcast again, wondering if there truly was anyone left out there. It had been a long, long time since she saw any race aside from ponies... And Him. Sighing, she got up and left the barely functioning Communications wing. "Computer, I'm going back to the infirmary. Care to light the way?"

Of course, Twilight! the computer's voice echoed through the empty corridors, powering the emergency path lights to the Spike the Dragon Memorial Wing. The section itself served both as a hospital and a memoir to families' lost loved ones and old friends, long gone. Twisting and turning through the winding hallways, the girl came across the entryway at long last. If she didn't see it's entrance enough through her routine patrols and catalogues of critical or failing systems, Twilight would have cried:

The doors themselves weren't much to behold, just a standard set of sliding plastic that most ships used. The thing that twisted her heartstrings every time she even stole a passing glance was the enormous statue of a dragon on the other side. It sat in the middle of a large atrium, standing there as a Guardian for its great halls. Approaching closer, Twilight leaned down to the plaque that sat at its feet, dusting it off with a quick huff of breath:

I stand at the ready, so others will never have to; We will meet again, I promise, and friends don't break promises...

It was the very last thing Spike said to Twilight and the Princesses before he and his people left. It brought a tear to her eye every time she read it. Shaking her head, she smiled up at the stalwart idol of her friend. "I'm close, Spike. I'll see you soon." Leaving behind a set of gems she found near Finance, the girl continued through the Memorial Wing, walking briskly through the entrance.

The left side of the atrium was dedicated to remembering the fallen and also held the morgue and crematory. The right wing was the exact opposite, it's sole purpose to oversee the wellbeing of every man, woman, and child aboard the small starship, as well as a whole city if need be. Though designed to operate with a small crew, the vessel was still large in its own right, offering several docking stations for modular expansion.

Shifting her focus to the right wing, Twilight climbed a set of stairs and twisted and turned through the second floor, looking for the Psychological and Magical Ailments wing. Finding the right room, she entered, triggering the light sensors and showering the medium sized lab with artificial light. "Computer, was there anything found in the blood sample I gave you?" Twilight sat down at a nearby counter, several holographic screens appearing before her.

PROCESSING... Patience, my faithful student... ANALYSIS COMPLETE, NO SIGN OF CHAOTIC INFECTION. You are as healthy as a horse! Or a pony! *giggle*

A sigh of relief left her. That's one conclusion that I desperately needed to hear.

Swiping away the screens noting her toxicology report, the lonesome princess tapped a few buttons on another screen. "That's good to hear, computer. I'd rather not initiate Code Indigo just yet, not unless we have no choice and I am confirmed as having been... Compromised." After swiping and tapping on the various screens, a machine appeared out of a panel on the counter. It looked like a small platform for her head to rest on, with cushions for comfort. In front of the head rest were two lenses and a clamp attached via a tube at the base of the device. Gulping, she powered the machine. "Computer, run a Psych Eval. Tension set to Serpent."

Chirping, the computer acknowledged. Sighing, Twilight grit her teeth and rested her chin on the device, it's lenses lining up with her eyes and the clamp tightening around her horn. WARNING! TENSION SETTING: SERPENT MAY CAUSE SEVERE MENTAL TRAUMA. Are you sure this is a good idea, my little pony?

"Just do it." She had no time to argue with the mockingly similar voice of her long lost mentor. Suddenly, a searing pain surged through her horn and what felt like a burning white fire assaulted her eyes. She screamed in pain, clawing at the machine, desperately trying to tear it off. It msde her relive terrifying moments in her life, as well as recent events that just made her fight it more. "MAKE IT STOP, PLEASE!" She pleaded, no one able to answer. It continued for several minutes, each memory and flash of magic through the device more painful than the last, until the machine came across the memory from a few cycles ago. The shadowy figure, her excessive use of combat spells, even the less terrifying aftermath. Howling in pain, Twilight was at her limits. Finally, the machine powered down, letting go of her now searing hot horn. The device collapsed back into the panel it came from, and deposited a pair of pitch black sunglasses. Her chair suddenly began to levitate and take her to the Recovery Wing, the glasses set gently in front of her eyes. The procedure left Twilight blind and disoriented, so there was no argument. An automated voice spoke on her arrival to the wing, instructing her to stay still while the system went about undressing her and easing her down gently into one of the nearby beds. "I-I I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." She mumbled to the machines, the same automated voice reassuring her as it was programmed to do with all traumatized patients. Once she was fully comfortable and dressed in a hospital gown, the machines injected her with a mild anesthetic, easing her into sleep.

It's time to wake up, Twilight...

The voice sounded familiar to her, but she couldn't quite remember where it was from. Her mind was still groggy from the procedure and anesthetic, but nonetheless she still sat up, observing the dimly lit room to the best of her abilities. Recovery had separate rooms for its patients, each supplied with a kitchen and bathroom, fully automated to provide comfort for the patients bedridden. On the table adjacent to her sat a small pill bottle, the paper underneath listing medication instructions.

"I see you're finally awake," that voice spoke again from within the darkness.

Still recovering from the blindness, Twilight peered into the dark of her room, not sure if the voice was an illusion from her drug addled mind or not. She took a gamble, and asked the ship's AI. "Computer, is there someone else in here with me?"

There was no response. "...Computer?" She hesitantly called out again.

"I disabled 'Celestia', for now." The voice spoke, this time sending chills down Twilight's spine. It was real after all...

"W-what do you want?" She fumbled with the sheets, trying to get up. Suddenly, a gentle but firm pressure found it's way on her chest. Squinting, the girl could make out a humanoid blob hovering over her, holding it's hand on her chest. "Easy now, you need rest. I heard your call for help, that was all."

"...Who are you?" She croaked out weakly, trying to summon various spells, but her horn fizzled out with every attempt.

"Do you still not recognize me? My my, you have changed..." The blob spoke as if they were old friends.

"I-I don't want to repeat myself." Twilight watned.

"And I don't want you to. After all, you were the one to send me away from Luna and back to where I came from." It chuckled menacingly.

"No, it can't be..." She weakly struggled against her old foe. "Not You!"

"Oh?" The voice giggled. "And who do you think I am?" It spoke with cockiness, already knowing the answer.

"Nightmare Moon..." She echoed before another injection put her to sleep again.

Author's Note

Dang, that was something! Is it really the same Nightmare Moon from before, or did she turn good this time around?

Who knows?

Running Out of Air

Wake up, my little pony. Rise and shine...

Twilight mumbled something in her hazed state, not waking like she usually did at the Computer's voice. "Yes, rise indeed." Another voice chuckled sinisterly. Jolting her eyes awake, the girl shot up, despite the enormous headache it gave her. Recovery be damned, she was determined to stop Nightmare Moon from harming her!

"Nngh, y-you won't h-hurt me!" Twilight fought with her every being to get up from the bed and get ready for a fight. Fighting through her drugged haze, Twilight stood up on her legs. They felt like jelly underneath her and even the thought of moving sent her into a dizzy spell. "Easy now," Nightmare Moon grabbed her shoulder. "You still need to-" her hands were swatted away.

"Don't you touch me! I'm fine. I recovered at least enough to protect myself!" Her magic flickered to life, fading in and out dangerously with every labored breath. "N-now go, before I hurt you!" She shot a spell designed to kill the strongest of foes, only to watch it fizzle out halfway to its target.

The Navy blue woman laughed hysterically. "Clearly! Your powers are too much for me, I am just quivering in my boots! AHAHAHAHA!" In a blink of an eye, Nightmare swooped to the young girl in a cloud of smoke, reappearing mere inches from her face. Silence hung in the air, save for the beeping and whirs of the nearby hospital equipment. "You cannot harm me, Twilight Sparkle. I am Nightmare, I exist by just the mere thought of fear in the Dreamscape." Suddenly she hoisted the Alicorn back into bed and pried it off the wall, floating it in her magic. Gasping, Twilight groggily held on for dear life as Nightmare began to move.

Doors opened and lights flickered on in the hallways they traversed. "That doesn't make sense, they're supposed to be disabled!" She scowled at Nightmare. "How exactly did you gain access to Cel- The Computer"! She's programmed to follow only the orders of those verified! Especially if they were tainted by dark magic!"

Nightmare Moon didn't answer. Slowly and carefully, they weaved through the empty halls and doors, heading down the stairs and out of the Memorial Wing. Surprisingly, the Alicorn was extremely careful with Twilight. "Celestia." The Blue Alicorn spoke. "Explain to this whelp that I am of no harm."

ERROR, CHAOTIC PRESENCE DET-*%@S$#

...RESETTING. Of course, sister dearest.

A small metal cube detached itself from a nearby panel and projected a set of images in front of the recovering woman, all of her long lost mentor at her varying stages of "imprisonment":

ENTRY ONE:

When The Resistance first approached me, I, well, I didn't know what to think to be honest. Rebellion? Against Him? It was impossible, but I thought to Humor them, if only a little. After all, I wouldn't be a SILLY PRINCESS IF I DIDN'T, HAHAHAHAHA!

...

...I am sorry, it seems whatever power Discord has gained was able to distort my mental faculties. I am truly his puppet, my thoughts are not my own... END ENTRY ONE."

"I-I don't care about this! why-" she was suddenly shushed by her apparent escort. "Watch. Learn. Understand. It's all I ask, and then you can attempt to monologue and murder me, deal?"

Adjusting her position in the floating bed, Twilight grumbled and continued watching:

ENTRY TWO:

It's getting...... Harder and harder...... To think! But I must stay strong for... For.... Someone. I can't remember WHY I WAS DEPRESSED! THERE'S NO NEED TO WORRY, DISCORD SAID SO AND IF HE SAID not to worry, it makes me stand even more on edge. The "Project" is almost done, but I doubt the other races will join. It seems Discord decided to show mercy to the Dragons and Griffins, and let them build their Arks. They were massive FLOATING BOATS, THEY LOOKED PRETTY! He was only holding the pony races hostage. Oh Discord, I'm so EXCITED TO BE YOURS!

...Please, whoever is reading this, do not pity me. I'm not Celestia anymore, just someone who looks like her... END ENTRY TWO

"...She was the leak, wasn't she? The reason I needed a 'Code Indigo'?" She asked, hesitant to hear the answer.

"You seem determined not to listen today, don't you? Keep watching, and this time NO MORE QUESTIONS."

FINAL ENTRY:

I FINALLY DID IT, I TOLD MASTER DISCORD ABOUT MY DUMB STUDENT'S PLANS! AHAHAHA! I'VE EVEN PERFECTED MY *ahem* "Resting bitch face" as he liked to call it.

Ah, it feels so nice to not yell! I hope Sissy is enjoying her time on the moon again, or at least, I think I aimed for that big ol' ball of cheese! It didn't put a face on it when I banished her, so I'd have to assume I veered her off course a bit. Oh well, Dissy says it's fine, so it's fine. Now, I need to go tell Twilight to start packing bags. We have a long journey to CONQUER THE COSMOS, AHAHAHAHA!

*the footage crackles and fizzles out for a few minutes, producing nothing but static, until the video came back, to a room ablaze and a crying woman in the center. Though saying the room was on fire fire would be inaccurate. The furniture and walls seemed to be made of fire itself.*

"I-I don't know what I've done! Was it me or, or HIM that sabotaged the Harmony?! I c-can't remember anymore! I can't believe my own thoughts anymore, so I did the only thing left and sacrificed myself. Not to Discord, but to the only other evil strong enough to snuff him out for good, aside from my Sister, now somewhere in the Lunar Axis cluster and possibly quite dead. No one alive has seen this side of me, and for good reason: I- SHE cannot be stopped, not even you, my faithful student, can befriend her! Your friends are dead, they died long ago before the ship even came close to completion, so their Elements of Harmony came back into my care, under Mas- Discord's supervision of course. He knew I was too far gone to even consider using them, but I knew he would order them destroyed regardless.

So, I did the only thing a dying woman could- I used them to banish myself to where She is imprisoned. That's why I'm sending you these messages, though I do not think you know how to access them. You are too logical to see a lowly AI as my latent magic stripped bare.

By the time you are hearing this, the first order I gave to the "Computer" will have taken effect, and my sister, or perhaps Nightmare Moon now, will have explained, if she managed to survive, that is...

Listen to me, Twilight- by the time you see this, you will have found out the life support for the Cryopods was sabotaged, but there still might be a way t-to ssssssave them from the WRATH of....ngh.... I can't th-think any m-

...

...

...Alive, I'm alive?

....heh. Aheheh. AHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHA FREE, DAY BREAKER IS F-

FINAL ENTRY ENDED, FURTHER BROADCASTS TERMINATED.

The cube flickered for a moment, sputtering its last power reserves before falling to Twilight's feet in a clump of dead metal. The girl herself was in tears. All this time, her mentor, her friend, was closer than she realized. Celestia was right, she thought too linearly. Though weak still, she managed to huddle her knees close to her chest and began to sob.

"Get a hold of yourself, child!" Nightmare Moon spat, disgust written clearly across her face.

"I-I just found o-out C-Celestia sacrificed herself, and you expect m-me n-not to c-cry?!" She spoke between sobs.

"Ugh, and to think you once defeated me." A chirp sounded in front of them, the rows of lights all illuminating a path to a single set of doors: the Bridge. "Regardless, we're where we need to be. Wipe away your disgusting tears and open this door. I doubt it'll be pleasant inside, but at the very least we'll be somewhere safe." Slamming down the bed, Twilight didn't have a choice but to stop crying and brace herself for the sudden impact.

Wiping away her tears, Twilight looked at the dark metal doors, still shut since she and her crew first went into Cryostasis. "What do you mean by 'safe' exactly?"

The woman groaned. "What I mean is stop asking questions and open the damn door, or I'll tear off your arm and do it myself."

Taking the hint, Twilight got up from the bed and leaned against the wall for support, making her way to the Biometric lock that all major areas had. She pressed her hand to the square pad on the wall, scanning her handprint. A small needle pricked her index finger as she was doing this, taking a blood sample to look for any chaotic influence in her DNA.

The computer for the bridge sounded different from the disembodied voice of Celestia, instead sounding artificial and lacking any personality.

BIOMETRIC DATA RECOGNIZED: TWILIGHT SPARKLE, CAPTAIN.

ANALYZING DNA......COMPLETE.
ERROR! SUBJECT COMPROMISED.
OUTSIDE INFLUENCE DETECTED.

VERIFYING IDENTITY...

A small camera whirred to life from above the doors, extending itself to the front of the two women. Scanning both faces, the computer continued analyzing data.

PROCESSING DATA......COMPLETE.
ENTITY ONE: TWILIGHT SPARKLE, CAPTAIN
ENTITY TWO: UNKNOWN. CLOSEST MATCHING RECORDS INDICATE NIGHTMARE MOON.

ENTITY TWO PERCEIVED AS THREAT. CHAOTIC INFLUENCE DETERMINED TO BE FALSE.

TWILIGHT SPARKLE, CAPTAIN. COMFIRMATION REQUIRED FOR ACCESS.

IS ENTITY TWO FRIEND, OR FOE?
PLEASE NOTE CURRENT VITALS ARE BEING MONITORED TO DETERMINE STRESS.
ANSWER TRUTHFULLY.

The machine from before shot out a stasis ray, freezing Nightmare Moon in place. "Twilight Sparkle, tell this thing to release me!"

The girl gave it some thought. "If You are truly here to help, prove it."

"Of all times, you decide now to play the hero?!"

She stood there, waiting. "What's here with us? Well?" She pressed a button on the panel from earlier, causing the field to restrict tighter around the woman like a vice.

"Nothing! Nothing is here! And that's the problem!" She spoke through a strained voice. "The safest place is this room, so stop this infernal interrogation!"

Twilight sighed."Confirmation code: Cadence." The field disappeared and the heavy doors swung open, it's locks disengaging with a loud Clunk. Still weak, Twilight leaned against Nightmare with reluctance and they both made it inside. As soon as they both slipped in, Nightmare was directed to hit the emergency close button located at the top of the door, locking them both in.

"Now that we're in here, can you please tell me what's...going... OH CELESTIA!" The lights of the Bridge flickered on, revealing a gruesome scene before Twilight:

The skeletons of her six friends were strewn about the room, spatters of blood long since dried, painted every corner of the room. "T-this can't be happening!" She started to hyperventilate. "They're supposed to be back on Equestria, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE BURIED!"

"Twilight, listen to me, this isn't-"

"Nonononononono..." Twilight crouched down into the fetal position, unable to listen.

"Twilight, you need to snap out of it!"

"My friends, they're dead! Oh Celestia, why? Why?!" Suddenly, a slap rang across her face.

"Look at me! What you're seeing isn't real! None of it is! I brought you here to help you recover, whelp! Now tell me where the emergency kits are!"

"...Not real?" She looked back at the scene. It rippled slightly with every blink of her eyes. "...Lower Deck, underneath Captain's controls..."

Rushing over to there, the woman found the kit, but found it was locked, and required a passphrase. "I need a password."

"Sunshine...Ladybugs..." Was all Twilight was able to utter in her terrified state.

"Sunshine and Ladybugs?" Suddenly Nightmare realized what she was trying to say. "You've got to be kidding me..." Sighing, she spoke the passphrase. "Clap your hands and do a little shake." The latch released, and she rushed over to the worsening Twilight. "That test was never designed for Serpent level tension on Pony races, you fool!" Reaching into the kit, Nightmare Moon pulled out an injector full of a starry liquid. "These should disperse of the visions. Hold out your arm."

"No!" The frightened girl pleaded. Her visions got worse- Nightmare Moon now was a mass of insects writhing and twitching. "Stay away!" She slapped Nightmare's hand away.

"We don't have time for this!" Forcibly grabbing the girl's arm, she injected the viscous liquid into her.

"No! Poison! You poisoned me!" Suddenly, she became very dizzy. "Why am I spinning..." Was all she said before passing out again.

"...up." A voice, barely audible, pierced through the fog of unconsciousness.

"...need to wake up. Come on, Twilight Sparkle. Equestria needs you..."

Fluttering her eyes, the girl sat up, holding her pounding head. "Nngh, what's going on?"

"We do not know, as of yet." A familiar voice spoke.

Suddenly, she remembered. "Nightmare Moon!" Jumping up, Twilight cast a stasis spell at the voice's origin, unsure if it was actually her or another illusion. "I-I don't know if you're real or not, but I'm not taking any chances!"

"Twilight Sparkle, you are still under the influence of the Drugs your machine injected you with. Listen to me, I am not Nightmare Moon. I'm a friend!"

"N-no! Y-you're wrong! A trick, it's another trick! I'm, I'm alone and you aren't real and this is just a hallucination." She blinked her eyes rapidly, her vision distorting and changing the scenery into one bizarre landscape after another.

"Nngh, head hurts..." Clutching her head in pain, she dispelled the magic holding down the illusion.

With every jolt of pain from Twilight's cranium, everything began to melt and reform around her: the bones of her friends disappeared. The blood splattered on the walls melted and became the colors of the various instrument panels throughout the Bridge. Even the apparition she thought was Nightmare Moon faded away to reveal someone else...

Someone she thought long gone.

"...Princess Luna?"

Author's Note

Hope this chapter was good! I'm going to reveal the actual state of affairs in the next chapter. Let me know what you guys think with either a thumbs up/down, or you can tell me in the comments. Up to you!