Locked In

by 6-D Pegasus

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Horror, Alternate Universe
Length: 1014

Twilight awakens in darkness.

Twilight awakens in darkness.

Written for the second Thousand Word Contest, under the Horror Category!

Thanks to ScarredVirtue for pre-reading!

Now with an audio-reading by Mystery Pony Fiction!

Published 2023-07-08 02:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2023-07-08 02:30:01 UTC

Hello...?

Ugh... my head... wha- what happened...

Huh? What the- Where am I?

Where's the ground? I can't feel anything under my hooves.

And why is it so dark? I can't see a thing in here. Am I floating around in some sort of void? I need some light. Let me just...

No... no, no, nonononono this can't be. Where's my magic?! There's nothing there where it should be! I- I can't feel it anywhere. Is... is my horn...

Wait... this can't be right, no. Where's my horn? Wha-

...

Where's my HEAD?! I can't fee-... I can't feel my hooves! Or my body for that matter... Why can't I feel anything?! What's going on?! Please!! Is anypony out there?! Can anypony hear me? Hello? I- I don't know where I am! Something's very wrong with me...

Please...

O- okay... Okay. Think, Twilight, think! Just calm down and focus. Panicking won't help anypony in an emergency.

Let's just... retrace our steps. Yes, that's it! Maybe I can figure out how I got here.

I... messed up a spell. A really important spell. Celestia sent me an old spellbook containing an unfinished spell of Starswirl's, supposed to be some secret masterpiece. And I cast it on accident. My friends' cutie marks, destinies, and memories got all switched around, sending the town into chaos, and... and...

And... I fixed it. I used a memory spell on each of my friends, the same one I used to fix their corruption when Discord came back. Together, we put everything back to how it should be and then...

And then I solved it! I realized that friendship was the key that Starswirl was missing from his spell! Together with my friends, I added the final piece to the spell and cast it properly while we all wielded the Elements of Harmony. Then everything turned white and... and...

And now I'm... here. Wherever here is.

Am... am I dead?? B- but I can still hear myself. Or, my thoughts at least. Maybe I'm asleep? If so, this is one stupid dream. Princess Luna, can you hear me?

Maybe she's tied up at the moment? I- wait, I hear something! A... beeping noise? Sounds close by. Ugh, I don't understand, why am I-

"... is how we- ...like this- ..."

Huh? Wait, who's there? H- hello?

"Your highness, we've- ...nothing seems- ..."

I- I can hear you! Hey! Where am I?!

"...I understand, but- ...me see her- ..."

Pri- Princess Celestia?! Oh my gosh, I'm so glad to hear your voice. I don't understand what's going on, can you-

"I'm so sorry, your- ...did everything we could- ...fixed pupils-..."

Nurse Redheart? Why would she be here? And what does she mean by fixed pu- AH! So bright, so bright, so- oh, I can see now! I'm... in Ponyville General Hospital? And why can't I move my head? I'd like to look at something other than the ceiling. Wait, I... I can't move my eyes either! What is- oh! There you are, Nurse Redheart. And Princess Celestia. And... Spike? Why do you all look so sa- HEY! Get that light out of my eyes!

"We don't know the full severity yet, Princess, but none of our treatments have been able to rouse her from her current conscious state."

My conscious state? Wha- that can't be right, I'm right here, I can hear you! I can see you!

"Twilight... I'm so sorry..."

Spike? What are you talking about, I'm- you're-... you're... you're hugging me? But I can't feel it... Wh- why can't I feel it?!

"Our scans show some amount of brain damage, but we have been unable to pinpoint the damaged regions in order to determine a proper cure."

Brain... damage? But I'm right here. I remember everything fine. I can... six point four eigh- yeah, I can still calculate my square roots.

"I understand, Nurse. If I may, I wish to briefly check for something."

"Of course, Princess."

Check for wha- ohhhhh Celestia that feels weird, why are you- wait, it's starting to hurt, what are- aagh! Stop it! It's hurting everywhere, please! I can't-

"It's much worse than I thought."

Wha-... what was that... I've never...hurt so much before...

"The damage to her is magical in nature. I believe there is a local zebra shaman living in the forest near here who may know a concoction that can heal her body. Her brain however... the brain is a highly complex and extremely delicate organ. I cannot repair the damage within without severely hurting her, or worse. I... don't believe there is anything more we can do at this moment except hope that she wakes up. Thank you, Nurse Redheart, you may go for now."

Wake up? Celestia, wha- what do you mean, I'm awake! I'm right here, I can see you! I- ugh, why can't I move?!

"I understand, Princess. Come on, Spike, your friends have been wanting to see you."

The girls? Where are they?! Let me- wait, Spike come back, please don't go!

"I'm sorry, Twilight Sparkle."

Nonononono this... this can't be happening!

"I... I really believed after so, so many years, that you'd be the one."

Celestia, what are you talking about?! Come on, you can fix this, right? You-... you... are you crying?

"And you were, you did it, you solved the spell, you were so close, and then... and then you weren't."

Nononono don't say that. There's gotta be something, anything!

"I must repair the damage to the Element of Magic, and I will continue to look into a cure for you. Just... sleep well, Twilight Sparkle. I love you."

Celestia, I'm not asleep! I can hear you! Please, I- what are you doing, why are you reaching for my... no. Nonono please, I'm begging you don't close my eyes again, I don't want to go back to the dark, please nononoNONONOO... no...

Celestia... don't leave me...

Spike...?

Girls...?

...

Shining...?

...

Mom...? Dad...? Anyone?

...

Is anypony there?

Please... don't leave me here...

Hello...?

Author's Note

I actually finished something? o.o