Twilight Sparkle sat with her back against the wall, knees pulled to her chest as her forehead rested on the knees. Her eyes were closed in an attempt at sleep as the last couple of hours had taken their toll, so she thought she’d take advantage of the safety they now had in the security station.

It was not easy as every time she started to drift off, she was met by either the desperate engineer trying to follow her through the destroyed security glass of the waiting room only to be dragged away, the monster that had chased her through the vents before she met AJ or…..what she saw in the hall of mirrors.

Each time it snapped her fully awake and alert for the attack that didn't come.

She eventually gave up on even a little sleep and simply rested her chin on her knees and watched the others as they did their best to relax or talked quietly among themselves.

The few families were huddled together looking relieved to finally have somewhere actually safe as the engineers were checking over the systems or watching the few cameras they had access to AJ among them. Trixie and the surviving medical teams were nowhere to be seen, Gilda having had the exhausted unicorn placed in her office monitored by the three medics so she wouldn't be disturbed and could rest after what she did.

Pinkie was fluttering between everyone, mane half poofed, a smile on her face looking nothing like she had when she told the other two, she is the least useful among them so was the one to risk herself to keep them safe.

This wasn't Pinkie, this was Dr. Pie, head of psychology doing her job to help the survivors of an extremely traumatic event, the Moral Officer as she had introduced herself to the new arrivals what felt like a lifetime ago but had been just over 2 hours.

2 hours….it really had been that short of time. And she knew things were far from over as they still had to restore power and then from there try to find a way off the station.

She sighed and decided to get up and go check on Trixie knocking on the door to the office.

“It’s open.” Gilda said and Twilight entered seeing a medical tech checking on Trixie who was laying on the floor, the desk pushed against.

“The Great and powerful Trixie is fine! Shoo and go bother someone else with your poking and prodigy of her person.” The blue unicorn was saying as she tried and utterly failed to push the tech’s hands away showing she was anything but okay. But she was awake and that was a good sign.

“Right, you're totally fine.” Gilda was standing over the showmare. “You totally didn't burn through everything you had.”

“Twas nothing for The Great and OW!” She was interrupted when the medtech injected her with something to help her with the fatigue. The mare said something under her breath Twilight couldn't quite catch as she rubbed the spot and stared daggers at the med tech no doubt for interrupting her title.

Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head as the tech packed up the medkit and stood. “I’ll check her in a bit but that should help negate the side effects for now”

Gilda nodded. “Thanks, get some rest yourself.” She said, the tech nodded and left the room leaving just the two unicorns and the griffin.

“Well good to see you're awake.” Twilight said, stepping forward.

The showmare looked at her and snorted. “Trixie was merely resting her eyes is all, she could have easily gone another 10 hours…..may…..24! She said head held high from here she lay on the floor barely able to move.

Twilight chose not to challenge that reminding herself everyone has their own ways of coping, and this mare clearly relied on her performance. “I bet you could but still glad to see you are doing well.” She said once more.

“Yes….Trixie is just glad everyone made it after those……”The Showmare shook her head. “It was nothing for The Great and Powerful Trixie.” She dismissed.

“Well…….just wanted to check on you. I'll let you enjoy your time.” Twilight said, turning on her heels and leaving the room.

“Thank you……” She heard quietly behind her as the door closed and she looked over the room that hasn't really changed from when she last saw it except that Pinkie was making silly faces at a group of foals who giggled and laughed at the poofy maned mare.

Twilight couldn't help having a small smile at that as she made her way towards the front of the station where the theater worker and one of the theatergoers sat behind the counters, both of them armed with a pistol from the armor that thankfully still had weapons and ammo in them even if most had been cleared out when the red alert went out.

“How's it up here?” She asked.

The theater worker, a zebra in the red vest, looked at her. “Quiet…..thankfully…..” he said.

The theater goer swallowed hard and nodded. It was clear they were both still on edge, but they didn't look nearly as terrified as they had been when Twilight first saw them hiding in the back of the theater.

It was good to see. She stood there keeping watch with them for a couple of minutes before returning through the door to the rest of the station where she saw AJ walking towards her.

“Hey, ah know it's safe here but we got a job to do, we can't get out of here as long as the powers out ain’t no way anyone can make it out.” She said,

Twilight sighed. She knew it couldn't last but still she’d hoped for just a few more minutes even though that wasn't really possible. She nodded. “Alright, I think we should grab Dr. Pie or let her–”

“Let me do what? And it’s Pinkie.” Pinkie said, stepping out from behind AJ.

“Oh….Uh…stay here–” Twilight started to say.

“I’m not staying here.” Pinke interjected.

“Oh…..I thought you–”

“Would leave my friends to face what's out there alone? Everyone will be fine here between Gilda protecting them and trixie raising their spirits. It’s all hands-on deck for the power mission and we are the hands.” She said once more with that steel in her gaze.

Twilight gulped under that gaze. “Right….uh…okay.”

The steel was gone in an instant replaced by a wide smile. “Good, so shall we get going?” She asked.

Before they could act Gilda walked up. “You three heading out to do what corporate ordered?” She asked.

“Hm…oh….no….Rarity…..she didn't make it…” AJ said somberly.

“Oh….damn….sorry to hear that…..who were you talking to on the coms then?” The guard asked.

“Dr. Eclipse….he gave us an update to the mission.” AJ informed her
“Eclipse….Arcane Eclipse?” Gilda asked.

“Dr. Arcane Eclipse.” Twilight corrected a bit firmly, not liking how the griffin spoke so informally about him.

“Right…well…Dr. Eclipse always gave me a weird vibe the few times I've seen him but nice to know a department head is still active and made it. Wasn't sure if any of them were around….either way got something before you three head out. Wait here.” She said and left them there by the door to the front of the security station.

After a moment Gilda returned, pushing a small car from the armory. Here we go…”She said, handing out 3 of the same pistols the mares lost during the scream attack. “Now do any of you know how to shoot?”

AJ raised her hand. “Grew up on a farm, know my way around shooting.”

“Good. you take this.” She handed the engineer a Stormbreaker shotgun.

“Wait, don't you need these?” Twilight asked worriedly.

Gilda snorted. “There are plenty of guns in there, while the heavier stuff is missing, we got plenty of this so don't worry. It’s more useful to you anyway as I won't let you go out there unarmed.” before handing Pinkie and Twilight two flashlights that attach to their uniforms. “Those should help too.”

“Oh…thank you….” Twilight said as she looked at the flashlight before clipping it into the slot on her jumpsuit for it on her chest.

“Forget about it, the least I can do after you saved our asses.” Gilda chuckled “Anyways, good luck you two, once you leave the vicinity of the security station, we most likely will lose contact because of the power outage but we will know when you succeed through the camera when we see those lights come on.” Gilda said.

Twilight nodded. “Still thank you….” She looked at AJ and pinkie. “You girls ready”

“As ah can be.” AJ replied as pinkie nodded.

With that the three of them turned and entered the lobby of the station followed by Gilda. “I’ll only open the door a bit as I don't want to fully open it.” Gilda said, going to the controls. “Ready?”

Twilight took a deep breath and steeled herself nodding to Gilda.

The Lieutenant nodded back and hit some buttons on the control panel and the heavy security door slowly and thankfully silently started to rise up a bit then stopped so they could get out.

The three of them crawled under the door. “Good luck you three, if anything happens you can fall back here, we’ll keep an eye out.” Gilda said before the door started to close again and they were locked out standing on the steps of the lit-up Security Station looking out at the darkness beyond, at least there was nothing in the light Twilight thought.

Aj started walking forward and Twilight took a deep breath to steel herself before starting to follow along with Pinkie into the darkness that enveloped them the further, they got from the security station.

And then the light was gone leaving them cutting through the dark with their flashlights.

AJ kept her head turning looking to the sides as they followed a wall pasting abandoned stores since her light was on her uplink it let her more easily direct it as opposed to the lights Pinkie and Twilight had which only faced forward.

Twilight hated to admit it, but she was getting used to the distant monster calls from the dark so didn't jump as badly given the distance meant they weren’t a threat to them.

She wished she wasn’t.

AJ head suddenly snapped to the side as they passed another store, and it illuminated another AUX bot walking towards them. “Hello, can I assist you?” It asked loudly.

Not wasting any time, the three mares started running as the bot left the store to try and follow them repeating its question, but they weren’t sticking around for whatever it drew to it.

Their boots were somewhat loud but still better than that looping message and having gotten between two shops where they hid turning out their lights.

In the distance they could hear the AUX bot “Hello can I help you?” It said and quickly seemed to turn. “Hello, can–” There was a roar and the sound of rending metal as the bot was found by what sounded like a couple of those things.

Not wasting time, the group moved quietly away from the sound and after a short time did, they dare to turn their lights back on.

Twilight had to shove her hand nearly into her mouth to avoid a scream as her light fell on the upper half of an earth pony security guard, half her face missing with her chest torn apart with a smeared blood trail leading back from where this part had been dragged as she realized she was also standing in a pool of blood from what looked to have been some off duty crew member and she nearly slipped in the blood trying to jump back.

There were bodies everywhere or more accurately…pieces of them and a few of those monster bodies and the light showed a massacre.

Pinkie’s mane was fully straight as she looked at the carnage impassively and AJ’s mouth was a thin line. “Come on….” She forced out and started walking through her movements seemed stiff as if she was forcing her legs to carry her away from the sight.

Twilight remained rooted in place until Pinkie grabbed her arm and nearly dragged her behind her, seeming to have no issues moving.

Soon enough they were away from the site and Twilight felt her stomach lurch a moment before she doubled over and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the decking and a moment later, she heard AJ doing the same.

Pinkie seemed to be the only one who wasn't sick as she stood over them helping them as best she could, holding their mane’s out of the way. “There there….it's okay….let it out…" She said reassuringly in an almost eerily calm voice, no it was eerily given everything around them.

Soon Twilight’s stomach calmed enough for her to wipe her mouth and stand wishing she had water to rinse her mouth but sadly she'd need to live with the taste for now.

“You two, okay?” Pinkie asked.

“Y…yeah.” AJ said, taking a deep breath and frowned at Pinkie.

“Are you?” Twilight asked.

“I’m fine, well not really but I don't have time to worry about myself at the moment.” She said and Twilight realized she wasn't being the “moral officer” Pinkie but the head of Psychology, Dr. Pie.

Twilight took a deep breath to steady herself and gave Dr. Pie a nod. “I’m good just….yeah…”

Dr. Pie nodded. “Stress, it’s a normal reaction.” She said,

Aj took a deep breath before nodding as well. “Come on, let's keep moving, we aren't too far from the club.”

With that the three of them started walking once more and soon rounded a corner and saw a dimly lit neon sign proclaiming Neon East with a set of closed doors that were the old-fashioned type that moved on hinges.

“Weird…” Twilight commented.

“Yeah, it is, but it means it's easier to get in.” She said as she walked towards the doors trying them out, but the doors didn't budge. “Keep an eye out.” She reached for the plasma cutter on her belt.

Twilight and Dr. Pie shone their lights out as they raised their laser pistols ready for anything that came at them, or as ready as a researcher and psychologist with no combat training can be as they listening to the plasma torch cutting through the door lock.

Soon they heard the torch turned off. “Got it, come one.” Aj said as she raised the shotgun entering the club.

The other two mares followed here and were greeted by an empty that looks like it was normally covered in lights with a set of swinging doors with no sign of anyone having been here at all.

Carefully the three of them moved through the doors that opened onto an upper area of the darkened club withs small tables and their chairs on top of them as the club wasn't open when all of this started.

Their lights pierced the darkness to the lower levels where it opened space for a dance floor Twilight guessed.

“Come on, Dr. Eclipse map said the junction was in the DJ booth.” AJ said moving along the balcony reaching a set of stairs that went down to the next level were there were more tables and a bar with multiple bottles behind it and soon they reached a door that had STAFF on it that was locked, the plasma cutter took care of that.

“It's so quiet…” Pinkie said, seeming calmer than before.

“Yeah, almost creepy.” Twilight said as they walked down the hall and soon found a door labeled “DJ BOOTH” and walked out onto it being above the dance floor with a maintenance access panel behind it.

AJ crouched down and used her tools to open it showing various flashing lights that Twilight didn't understand any of what she was seeing. “Alright, give me a moment…” She said started to disconnect and reconnect things as well a plug in a small computer to work on it. Her fingers danced through the inner working of the panel with the grace of a ballet professional you wouldn't expect from someone in her line of work.

“Almost………got it.” She said hit a few keys on her small computer. “That should do it.”

There was the sound of the power systems coming online and then the club lit up as its lights turned on with a laser light show and strobe lights. “Wait…” AJ was saying but whatever was to follow was drowned out as loud, thumping music let forth from the speakers around them like a loud dinner bell.

Author's Note

Finally was able to get to the next chapter despite the delays.

The biggest one was my self-putting the "goal" of having chapters ben 6000 words but I realized that wasn't feasible or a correct idea to do as it caused me to stress needlessly trying to fill chapter to reach that goal resulting in things that wont help a chapter.

I got reminded not to let Perfect get in the way of Good and it helped me a great deal as ill write the chapters as long as they need to be and not artificially try to force them to be longer if they don't naturally end up there.