COMA

Twilight awoke in her room. At least, she thinks it is. Her memories were all fuzzy and disorganized. She sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing her forehead. She had a skull-splitting headache, and it wasn't getting any better. She figured she'd hit her head. Or maybe she'd stayed up and studied until two in the morning again. Either way, it still hurt. But nevertheless, she got out of bed, ready to face the day even if it would be a bit cumbersome.

As she walked down the stairs, something felt off. The usual morning sun wasn't shining through her windows. Maybe she'd overslept and the sun was right above? Or had it not risen yet? She looked towards the clock, only to realise it wasn't there. It's disappearance was odd, considering she'd hung it there just the other day. Could it have fallen down? But, then it would be on the floor... Maybe it was just a false memory. It's just a clock, anyways. Her memory wasn't that bad. In fact, her memory was great. Whether it was memorizing quotes, reciting poems or even accounting, she never missed a mark.

Twilight walked towards the door. She was sure that pesky headache would disappear once she got started with the day. But, as she shoved the front door open, she was in shock when she realise that the world she knew had disappeared entirely. No houses, no ponies, no wind, nothing was as it used to be. Instead, it had all been replaced with massive concrete walls on either side stretching into eternity, overgrown with thick foliage and vines. In a panic, she spun around to run back inside, but as she turned she noticed that her tree-like home had rotted and crumbled into rubble in a matter of seconds.

This wasn't how things were supposed to be. And when things went south, so did the tears. So with running eyes, she cautiously started wandering aimlessly into the distance. She didn't have a goal in mind - She had no idea where she was, after all. If she were a pegasus she'd just have risen above the walls and flown her way home. Or, flown her way back at least. Her home was now here, after all. But alas, life doesn't come easy for all. She didn't have any wings. At least she had a horn, not everypony could say that much.

As she walked, she considered what could've led her here. Maybe she'd messed up a teleportation spell? Or, she must simply be dreaming, she thought. She didn't exactly have a way to test if the latter was true or not, everypony knows hurting yourself doesn't prove you're dreaming. Regardless of what'd happened to lead her here, her top priority was just to get out. She wiped her eyes and focused up. Crying wouldn't get her out of here, and neither would stalling. Constantly, she looked to the aged walls and onto the greenage hanging from it, for a spot she could potentially climb up the surely 15-meter high walls. Opportunities looked bleak however, as most vines were too fragile to ascend.

After what felt like an hour of walking, just as she looked onto the wall to her left, she noticed something a bit further forward - a dark hole in the wall, covered with old barrier tape. As she stepped forward and peered into the tunnel, she noticed that it was indeed lit inside, but no actual light sources were to be found. The tape obstructing the way inside was so old that it practically tore as soon as she touched it, causing it too fall limply to the grass beneath. If the tape had been here for that long, surely what they were trying to keep people away from must be obsolete by now, right?

...Right?

She took a final look in both directions, still endlessly stretching on into nothingness, before walking inside. But, as soon as she stepped in, the opening behind her disappeared. It didn't close, it just... Vanished. Like there'd always been a wall there. It must be a dream. Things like this don't just happen. But, her dreams didn't usually last this long, and something just felt off. Regardless, she shrugged off the thought. It has to be a dream. There was no other reasonable explanation. Occam's razor - The simplest answer is most often correct.

Unlike the path outside, there were multiple branching directions here. Two to the left, and one to the right. The corridor forward ended at an industrial steel door glued shut with some thick liquid. The first path to the left led into pitch darkness, obscuring what might lie within. The rightmost way was a dead end, ending in a black slate concrete wall, just like the rest of the complex. The second door to the right led to another closed door, made of simple wood. She figured this was her best option - Most things are preferable to what you can't see. But, as she tried to get closer to the door, it got further away. The faster she walked, the more the corridor stretched. As she gave up and turned around, she hadn't moved a single step. She nervously made her way back to the first door. Stoically, she stood tall against the endless void the corridor led to. She thought about lighting it up with her horn, but the abyss swallowed all light that deigned approach. Nevertheless, she swallowed her fear, and marched straight into the dark, only to immediately plummet as the path suddenly ended.

As she fell, she tried to scream, but it felt as if she were underwater, her voice suppressed by the crushing darkness surrounding her. She could no longer see the building above her. She couldn't see anything. Only herself, amidst an ocean of black. But, just as she closed her eyes and accepted her fate, voices started echoing from around her.

"Here she is, princess."

"Can she hear me, doctor?"

"I'm afraid not. Coma patients have no contact with the outside world."

...One of the voices sounded... Familiar. A caring mares voice. But, if the other voice's statement was true, that voice belonged to a princess... She didn't know any royalty. Not that she could recall, at least. She was just a mare, what would she do to make her important enough to know a princess? And a coma? That's absurd, she wasn't in a coma, she was right here. If she were in a coma, she'd be dreaming...

...

...Oh no.