Alea was turned off, we were running on auxiliary power source, and even Luna didn't wake up to that moment.
The part of the universe we ended up in was nothing like I'd expect. Red and orange nebula was stretched around the place and dense field of space dust was taking the most of the system. The gas planet we were orbiting had three moons, with one almost hidden in the dust fog.
I went to check on my pony friend. It was the first thing I did after I had made sure we weren't in any outside danger. I checked her heartbeat and listened to her breathing. She seemed fine by that observation, outside of fact she wasn't awake more than twenty four hours after she was hit with that spell.
I felt confident enough to try and uncurse her, but with no luck. Technically, she was sleeping so if I managed to do a sleepwalking spell, I could peek in to her consciousness and help her regain control of herself.
I did so. It was the last option I had.
Things started getting weird after.
I lost ability to feel myself, like I was a ghost. I flew through bluish fog and landed on path made out of little white dots. All I could see were doors, appearing and disappearing all around me. I was confused by the bunch of pathways I could take, but I had to come to a conclusion.
I wandered around, trying to find the correct door, when my body stopped on its own. I think I saw a glimpse of blue quickly disappearing in rather ordinary, but nonetheless massive marble doors. I turned on my heel to follow the movement and noticed the mentioned door were opened slightly.
It was dark behind them and only a stripe of light was shining from somewhere. I saw a black shadow coming towards me, and I took a defensive position.
It was Nightmare Moon. She had a malicious grin on her face as she kept staring into my soul. She didn't attack me, she seemed to be even interested in why was I there.
"Chrysalis, my old friend, we meet again." she said in happy and slightly amused tone, "I had a feeling you meant all those mean words you told me."
I had no idea what she was referring to.
"You said I was a monster. That you didn't want to be my fillyfriend anymore."
I stepped up, raised my chin, as I used to do when I was a queen and had to look bigger than I was. "I assure you I did not say such a thing."
Her spell came from nowhere. I had a small moment to block it and redirect its energy somewhere else. It disintegrated into nothingness.
Nightmare Moon kept grinning and even laughed a little, "I see you've become quite a fighter since the last time. Let's say we've called it a truce. Consider yourself forgiven."
Nothing made sense. Why did Luna dream about being Nightmare Moon? What did Twilight did to her?
Luna, or Nightmare Moon led me towards the enlightened door frame on the other side of the room. In it was nothing but grayish fog. I was a bit resilient to follow her, but the fear of losing Luna forever was mightier.
When we traversed the fog barrier, I wouldn't believe on my own I was in a dream.
I wondered what Equestria's moon looked like under all those clouds and this was completely different from what I read.
"Welcome to my mourning castle." said Nightmare.
We were on the pathway to crystal-clear structure, situated on the top of tall hill. Around us was nothing, but gray and blue tinted dust, ranging from small particles to large boulders. Here and there were growing plants of strange shapes with colorless petals. Atmosphere above us looked like it wasn't there at all, like the whole place had eternal night. Although, there was enough light, it was almost unbearable to look at the surface directly. Shortly said, it was the strangest thing.
Nightmare kept her trot up, and I had hard time following. She seemed to know how to navigate the place.
Was this dream induced by the thousand years Luna spent on the Moon? Why did Twilight want to remind my friend of this?
The castle above us was made out of crystallized material. Nightmare probably took the larger dust particles, melded them together with magic and built this place on her own. She had a lot of time to do so. I wondered if this place was real, or just a fantasy. I hoped for the first option.
When I thought of that, how was I supposed to approach this. If I tried to convince Nightmare Moon directly, she'd shoot me. That pony had a temper of fricking filly high on coffee. She was getting irritated just by me being slow.
Well, maybe I could remind her of what she hated the most. If I could make her think she had some business in Equestria, she could try to leave this place. That could be a chance for her to realize nothing here was real.
In time, though. Nightmare Moon had some plans for the next moment and I was curious myself, what she could be itching to show me.
It started to partially make sense, when she had said, "I wondered when my sister would send you here. She has been holding a grudge against you ever since you become my fillyfriend."
I kinda liked that reincarnation of Luna. Nightmare was evil, no doubts about that, but she was acting way more confident. Also, I had no idea Celestia wanted to send me to the Moon. My knowledge of pony history was limited enough as it was, and Twilight's books didn't seem like a good source of information, taking in account how big Celly worshiper Twi was. This could be my chance to learn something as well. Nightmare Moon liked to listen to herself anyway.
"So, what have you been up to last few years?" I started with a question, hoping it sounded nonchalant.
Nightmare didn't even bother to look my way, and proceeded to fill me in, "Apart from being stuck here, I've been cooking a revenge for my glorious return."
"Glorious return?" I immediately grabbed the opportunity to execute my own plan, "How do you exactly want to leave? We are like, I don't know, few million miles away from Equestria."
Nightmare stopped dead in her tracks and glared back at me with one of her eyes with serpent pupil, "There's a prophecy. That stars will help me escape when the time will be right."
"Yeah, and then you'll get face blasted with the Elements of Harmony and get turned into adorable little filly." I pressed on, "What if you didn't wait, you know."
Alicorn before me looked super confused about the things I said. Finally, she managed an answer, "What are you suggesting?"
Heh, kinda reminds me of myself.
I managed to find the right words to explain this whole place was actually just a dream and that she had the ability to dream walk. I told her about the passage I came through and that we could try to get out and wake her up. I lied a bit and told her Celestia did it, that she didn't really send her to the Moon, rather kept her in locked room under close supervision.
Nightmare took all of my words as a fact. She didn't even question why was I here then, and how did I get there. The idea of early return to Equestria was more appealing than details like that. Nightmare Moon got a second wind. Her motivation to execute revenge upon those who harmed her was back in its full strength.
I kinda felt sad I didn't see the castle, as I was leading dark alicorn back where I came from. I hoped Luna wouldn't remember anything about this, that I tricked her in such inappropriate way. She wouldn't forgive me for using her sister as an argument.
I didn't hold anything against Celestia. She was mere tool held in wrong hooves - Twilight's hooves. I presume Celly was just scared of loosing the power over Equestria. I didn't mention it, but her regalia was enchanted. Anyone who wore it was adored by all. Alicorns weren't affected that much, but I didn't know that for sure. Celly used her royal regalia to calm those who followed Luna those thousand years ago. She didn't take them off after, probably just in case of another lunar revolution.
Point was, Celestia's regalia was loosing power and no one knew what spell was used to enchant it. By my observation, the key was the gemstone in it. I actually convinced Celly to let me look at her regalia once. As I held it in my magic, it was creating strange, but familiar vibrations. Dots connected later, when I started studying changeling crystals in the Archives. That wasn't ruby, or anything else, put in the regalia. That was raw sonium. Twilight probably guessed that and used this knowledge to make herself look useful and loyal to harmony in Equestria.
Anyway, back to me and Nightmare Moon.
Where used to be a passage off this twisted dream was nothing. Nightmare kept eyeing me as I was trying to figure out where did exactly 'the weak point' was.
"Are you sure about anything you've said?" Nightmare asked with one eyebrow raised. I didn't say anything, in case she would not appreciate sarcasm I was full of recently.
"Come on, Chrysalis. You saw Luna do it, you know what to do." I said to myself as I lit up my horn and tried to reach out to something I knew that was there.
Suddenly, world cracked and tear in existence opened.
I jumped back and so did Nightmare Moon.
"Well, you wanted a door, there's one." I chuckled slightly, breathing heavily.
Dark alicorn didn't hesitate and jumped through the formed hole. I shouted at her to wait for me and followed closely.
We found ourselves in darkness. Nothing seemed to clear it out, not even light spell. As we were taking steps forward, I hit a stone wall. I forgot there were doors in between the dream world and limbo.
Well, one part of my plan succeeded. But, what about now? How was I supposed to wake Nightmare Moon up?
We entered limbo and around us were those countless doors, each one different and leading to somewhere in the universe.
I had no idea what to do.
Nightmare Moon had her own determination however. She had to decide I was better off alone and that she could find her own path. She walked right into the doors in the front of her nose before I could stop her.
Only seconds later, she sprinted out of them, expression of terror written on her face. I always thought Nightmare Moon didn't fear anything.
From the doors emerged black goo, that only moments after formed into a shadow. Shadow that oddly resembled Twilight Sparkle and King Sombra mashed together.
Were we that unlucky? Was Twilight that smart to prepare a trap in case I tried something like what I just did?
I had dodged a sweeping attack of that monster and used my own magic to slice it in half. It only reformed back to its original size. Nightmare Moon wasn't very brave as she was back stepping down the hall, with her tail low, between the legs.
Monster shifted its attention to her and roared mightily. It seemed like more Nightmare Moon was afraid, it grew in size.
"Leave her alone, freak!" I screamed and blasted monster's raised hoof to bits. It didn't let go of my friend, but something happened.
Nightmare Moon's body started to glow, as she was wrapped in white particles.
Blinding explosion knocked me down and I realised the monster was on retreat. Nightmare Moon was fighting back.
The connection to dream world was suddenly interrupted and I woke up.