Edited by Narlepoax III

As the pair walked inside and shut the door (as far as it would) behind them the sounds of battle faded from their hearing. Sarah frowned... that was odd, there were missiles being shot out there... the apparently thin walls shouldn’t have obscured the noise that much.

“These walls must be soundproofed,” Sarah said as she looked around the boring garage.

“I suppose that makes sense,” Luna agreed with a small shrug as she took the initiative and walked forwards, quickly scanning the entryway, finding not much besides a soda machine and a row of cabinets piled high with junk.

“Now... if I was a prewar scientist where would I hide a Vault...” Sarah asked as she looked around the room for a moment, quickly discovering nothing of any interest.

“Perhaps through here?” Luna inquired, nodding towards the doorway.

“Ah, right,” Sarah agreed, walking towards it.

Just as she was about to cross the threshold the woman was thrown on her back, a giant, naked, pink, molerat bearing down at her. It’s large pointy teeth mere inches away from her throat. Sarah had been caught so completely by surprise that she stared at it in stunned terror (or just shock) as it prepared to bite down on her neck.

“DIE!” Luna’s roar filled the room and the molerat was suddenly lifted off of Sarah and thrown bodily against the far wall.

It slouched for a moment before regaining its feet and charging at the still grounded woman. However as it was in mid leap, Daybreaker’s silver shaft slashed through its neck. The head went one way and the body in another, blood splashing down on Sarah.

“Sarah! Are you okay?!” Luna asked as she galloped over to the woman who was shaking her head.

“I... I’m fine Luna,” she said, pushing the worried muzzle away from her face slightly, “The bastard just caught me by surprise.”

“You must be more careful in the future!” Luna exclaimed, still worried about the woman, “What if it had been something bigger?”

“I’m fine, like I said,” Sarah told her, “I’m still a bit tired... that’s all.”

“Perhaps we should take a rest now then,” Luna pressed.

“No,” Sarah said sternly as she got to her feet, “We’re going to find my father here. That’s the priority. I can sleep once we’ve found him.”

Luna looked at her with a frown.

Why does she insist on this? Luna asked Nim anxiously.

She is driven, obviously, Nim replied with a small mental shrug, We have worked through worse with less sleep.

But we are an alicorn, we can afford such a thing! Luna replied indignantly.

“Luna, you in there?” Sarah’s voice suddenly intruded.

Luna blinked twice and focused her gaze on Sarah, “Yes, I’m here,” she said with a small nod.

“Good... I thought you were about to break down again,” Sarah said, fixing her with a worried frown.

“No, no,” Luna replied, shaking her head, “Nim and I were just having a conversation.”

“Nim... the other ‘you’ in your head?” Sarah asked as the pair began to move forwards into the garage’s other room.

“Indeed,” Luna answered, “She was called Nightmare before, but we have decided that Nim is a much more fitting name.”

“Well, it’s less threatening at the very least,” Sarah informed her with a small chuckle. “Kind of cute too.”

“We are not cute!” Luna exclaimed, sounding outraged.

Sarah turned to look at her and found that Luna’s eyes looked a bit more... catlike than usual.

“Really?” Sarah asked as she took a small step back, a slight smirk on her face, “‘Cause you look pretty cute to me, Nim.”

Luna/Nim stared at her for a moment before a scarlet blush rolled across her cheeks, “Curse you Sarah... we are not cute. We are fearsome!”

“Hmm... na,” Sarah replied with a small smile as she stepped forwards again and placed a soft kiss on Luna’s lips, “I’m thinking... cute.”

“We... had things we were supposed to be doing, did we not?” Luna asked, shuffling backwards a step.

“Yes, we did,” Sarah agreed before letting out a yawn as she began to survey the garage. She quickly spotted what looked like a pair of grate doors pulled over the ground, “Hmm... I think we have a winner. Think you can stab through those?”

Luna looked at the grates, her eyes appearing normal once more and nodded, “I can stab through it... but they are solid metal and it would not be overly conductive. Most likely I would just punch holes in it.”

“Alright then... we just have to find the right switch then,” Sarah said with a small shrug as she began to look around the garage once more. Luckily, it took her only a moment to find the large electric switch situated just above the trapdoor. She then flipped it up, causing the grates to rise up and then receded into the sides of the floor revealing a set of stairs.

“We shall go first,” Luna said as she began to walk down the stairs, sword drawn and at the ready.

Sarah followed a step behind her, shotgun barrel scanning back and forth. When a molerat tried to jump out of the shadows at them it was first bisected by the silver blade before a dozen pellets tore the remnants to bloody chunks.They continued down the stairs and down a metallic walkway before finally coming to a large and familiar door. Sarah frowned and walked up to it, quickly finding the door controls (which were strangely unlocked) and pushing them up.

With a great mechanical groaning the door began to open slowly and the woman stepped back beside Luna, her gun up, ready for anything. Nothing happened and the only sight that greeted them was an empty room.

“Hmm... I guess no one’s left alive in here,” Sarah murmured as she lowered her shotgun, “Let’s see if we can find my dad.”

“Right,” Luna said, the two began to move down the deserted metal corridors for several minutes before the mare added, “I feel as though I’m walking through a tomb of some kind.”

“Yeah... I’m having the same feeling...” Sarah agreed, having grown up in a Vault the feeling was disturbing.

After a little longer, they opened a door and to their combined surprise were confronted by the strangest robot either had ever seen.

It was... a cylindrical robot with a pair of floppy, tentacle-like arms that rode on tracks... however that wasn’t the strangest part.

Slotted into its head was... a brain.

Is that what I think it is? Luna asked, her stomach turning a bit queasy.

What foul trickery is this?! Nim demanded as they continued to eye the machine.

“Welcome to Vault 112 Resident and Pet! According to sensors you have arrived 202.3 years behind schedule,” it said in an incredibly bizarre voice. With every word its brain lit up. It then extended its arm to Sarah, “Please re-dress in your Vault-Tech issued Vault suit before proceeding.”

Sarah numbly accepted the suit while Luna bristled at being called a ‘pet’.

“We are not a pet!” Luna exclaimed angrily.

“We are sorry, pets cannot communicate,” the robot said simply before continuing onwards. “Once dressed, proceed down the stairs to the main floor so that you may enter your assigned Tranquility Lounger.”

It then turned on its treads and drove away.

“Was that... a robot with a brain?” Sarah asked incredulously.

“Yes... yes it was,” Luna nodded, her face still looking sickly.

“Well... I feel the need to barf now,” the woman said before shaking her head, “Come on Luna, let’s find my dad and get out of here.” She added as she began to walk down the corridor once more, the jumpsuit thrown casually over her shoulder.

Luna followed and they walked down a flight of stairs to find something even stranger on display. It was a window overlooking a room full of... pods. And within each pod Sarah and Luna could make out the shapes of a person.

“What in Equestria...” Luna said, mystified before she flinched. “They’re... they’re all dreaming.”

It was true, within each of the pods she could feel each and every one of the people dreaming. Though it was a very peculiar kind of dream. They were all... connected to one another and Luna was unable to access it. Then Luna’s face drained of color as she picked up on the feeling embodying the dream itself... it was.... horror. Pain. Terror.

“What?” Sarah asked.

“Those people... they’re all caught in a horrible nightmare,” Luna answered as her eyes narrowed, “Sarah, we must rescue them!”

Sarah frowned for a moment before she nodded. “Alright, let’s get down there then.”

She turned towards a set of stairs and the two ran down them, Luna being forced to duck her head or else risk hitting it against the ceiling.

They emerged among the pods and Sarah walked up to the nearest one. Her eyes widened upon seeing who sat within it. It was her father. James sat in a comfy looking seat, staring blankly at a screen, there were several dozen needles embedded in the sides of his neck and an obvious I.V. ran from its place on his arm.

“Dad!” Sarah shouted at him, her fist slamming against the side of the pod. Unfortunately her only reward was a shock of pain as it rebounded futilely off of it. “Dad...” Sarah repeated in a whisper, her goal of so long so close yet so far.

“Sarah... step away from there,” Luna said quietly as she gently put a wing on the woman’s shoulder and pulled her back slightly, “He can’t hear you.”

“But... he’s stuck in that pod and I can’t do anything!” Sarah exclaimed, suddenly irrationally angry.

“Be calm,” Luna commanded, “We will find a way to solve this Sarah. He is not dead.”

“I...alright,” the woman said with a small nod.

“Now, what did that damnable robot say again?” Luna inquired.

“Um... put on the jumpsuit and then enter a Lounger,” the woman said slowly as she scanned the room, her eyes quickly picked out the sole open lounger, “It looks like I’m doing this alone...” she added as she walked over to it and began to strip.

“We think not,” Luna said pointedly. “We will not allow you to risk your life in such a manner. We will accompany you,” she added as she watched Sarah uncover her curves.

“How?” Sarah asked, pulling her armour all the way off and quickly beginning to pull on the new jumpsuit.

A good question, Luna stated with a small frown as she continued to watch the woman dress.

It is at that, Nim agreed though her mind was slightly distracted by the sight before them.

Hmm... we could always simply travel inside the dream within her mind, Luna pointed out.

Would that work? Nim inquired, We do not think she is capable of bearing both of us at once. We are rather... strenuous a load for a single mind to encapsulate.

Together maybe... Luna replied slowly as an idea came to her, Nim... how would you say to escorting Sarah?

We... we do not know, Nim said with a small mental frown. The idea sounds rather appealing, yet we are unsure of how Sarah would feel about it.

Meanwhile Sarah had finished dressing and was looking at Luna with a small frown, unsure if she should intervene again. Thankfully, Luna spoke.

“Sarah, Nim and I have come to a solution,” she said in a measured voice, “However, we will only proceed with your consent.”

“Alright.... what did you have in mind?” Sarah asked, frowning a little.

“Nim has volunteered to travel within your mind and safe-guard it from whatever dangers you are about to encounter,” Luna explained, “In essence, you will be sharing your head with her.”

Sarah bit her bottom lip for a moment before nodding. “Okay... I can do that,” she said before smiling a little, “After all, she’s part of you isn’t she? I’d let you in my head Luna.”

Luna smiled and for just a moment, Sarah forgot where she was and all that mattered was the brilliant mare before her. Then the moment passed and Luna’s horn began to glow a bright blue.

“Now this may feel very strange but I want you to know that everything is perfectly fine,” the mare said as she stepped forwards, “I do not believe that you will feel any pain but if you do just hold on and bear it for however long it hurts.”

Sarah nodded. “I can take it,” she said with a smile, “Now hit me.”

Luna raised an eyebrow at her, but smiled as she gently touched her glowing horn to Sarah’s forehead. The woman’s eyes widened impulsively as a...strange feeling rippled through her mind. It was like... an icy river was flowing into it... filling pockets of ‘air’ that she hadn’t known existed before. Sarah’s veins filled with frost and she stood there frozen in place as Luna withdrew her horn.

“Sarah... are you alright?” Luna asked her softly.

Sarah’s head twitched in her direction and she held up a finger ‘wait’ it said.

Hello... a dark and mature voice spoke through her mind, Sarah? Are you capable of hearing us?

I... yes... this is... new, Sarah replied, her brows furrowed as she focused on ‘projecting’ the words through her mind.

Ah, good. And not like that. We are not deaf. You must simply think of the words and we will hear them, Nim told her informatively.

Like this? Sarah inquired.

Indeed, that is perfect, Nim agreed with a small mental nod (which Sarah found incredibly odd because she suddenly knew what it was like to have someone ‘nod’ within her own mind).

Good... I think, Sarah said with a small actual nod, So... how is this going to work?

We, as in both of us, are going to enter the pod and whatever it is that happens to you will also happen to us and we will be there to assist you in this endeavor while Luna remains out here to make sure that no harm comes to us, Nim explained.

Alright, Sarah said, her eyes trailing back to Luna, “I’m fine, Luna... it just took a moment to get used to having Nim in my head... it feels like my head is suddenly much heavier.”

“Ah, yes, I know the feeling,” Luna agreed, “I feel rather ‘light’ myself.”

“I’ll bet,” Sarah said before she turned back to the pod, “Well... I should probably get on with it... my dad’s not going to save himself.”

“Indeed,” Luna said. Sarah wavered for a moment before she stepped up to Luna, cupped her head in both hands, and brought her up for a long kiss.

Oooh... this feels interesting from in here, Nim commented as she felt the new sensations rolling over her.

Sarah ignored her and kept the kiss going for a few more seconds before she pulled away, a small line of spittle running down her chin. She wiped it away and blushed slightly.

“Um... just in case,” the woman told the alicorn.

“I know,” Luna replied with a soft smile as she looked at the woman, “Stay safe, Sarah. Keep her safe, Nim.”

“I will,” Sarah replied, smiling at her.

We will as well, Nim replied, Luna (who had the ability to hear her despite the fact that she was no longer in her head) nodded.

“Good,” Luna told them both, “I will see you both shortly I’m sure.”

Sarah gave her a small (shaky) nod, before she clambered into the open pod and sat down. Okay... how is this going to happen? she asked Nim, while the pod cover began to shut.

We believe that the needles will enter and then you will become like the others, Nim replied calmly and Sarah shivered out of reflex at the idea, Stay strong, Sarah.

I’m fine, the woman replied, her voice sounding anything but.

We swear, we will keep you safe, Nim assured her, Afterall, we do love you as much as Luna does... it would be unfortunate if anything were to happen to you.

Sarah’s eyebrows rose a little but she smiled, You do?

Yes... Nim answered slowly, as if what she had said had just occurred to her, We do.

Sarah was about to reply when she suddenly felt something peirce into the back of her neck and her head swam as she dimly felt a fluid being pumped into her. Then the screen in front of her flashed, the words ‘Tranquility Lane’ flashed before her eyes. She felt herself slipping away and just before she lost consciousness, she saw an old man’s face staring at her.

Author's Notes:

Yes it’s a bit short, but I couldn’t resist using that as a stopping point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAL76WYw0FE

Also, Nim’s in Sarah’s head... this can only end well.