Exiled soldiers

It's been an hour since Twilight, Elegance, and Spike had made their decision, and, right now, they were being prepared for the augmentations.

Halsey was overseeing it from the control area of the medical bay. "Roland, have you located a team for them yet?" she asked the A.I., whose hologram stood on the table.

"Not yet," he said. "Though I am asking around. Did you have anyone in mind, Doc?"

"Not really," Halsey said. "I don't know the records of the Spartan teams, nor would I be able to read through them all before these three recover."

There was silence for a few seconds before Roland spoke up again. "I think I have a team," he said. "Or at least a few who said yes. I'll probably be busy, even for an A.I., looking through the records for the best team for this one."

"That'll have to do, then," Halsey said.

"How long should they be out of it, anyway, Doc," Roland asked. "You're the medical expert, after all."

"I would say somewhere between a week to three. It varies on the individual, and this is the first time it's been done on non-humans."

"So we're practically walking in the dark in a large room with a very, very sensitive, bump activated bomb, that it?"

"That's putting it bluntly, but yes," Halsey said. "We can only hope that Cortana doesn't find us before they wake up, or else they'll be in as much trouble as we are without any way to fight back."

"Yeah, that would be bad," Roland said. "Sp, with the list of their abilities you got now, any idea what their armor will do?"

"Yes, actually," the doctor said. "The hard part comes with making them, though. The dragon's, especially, but, with the engineers and even some of the Soldiers assisting, they should be completed by the time they come to."

"Yeah, that's definitely going to be interesting," Roland said. "Well, see ya later, Doc. Need to go help congratulate Lone, Sword, and Dragoon on their win in the tournament and give them their prize."

"And just what is that prize, Roland," Halsey asked.

"Ten of whatever two Req cards they want, so long as they aren't at the Mythic rank, or five if they're legendary," Roland answered before disappearing.

Halsey looked at her data pad, held in her single hand, and said, "Bring up operation records for Fire team Lone."

Down below, the three wore the same thing every Spartan wore during augmentations, which was to say black briefs and such.

"It just me," Elegance asked, "or is anyone else a little nervous here?"

"Yeah, I am a little, too," Twilight said. "I mean, I still want to do it to help them out, but still, the way Linda described what happened to those that were crippled." Twilight shuddered. "I just hope that doesn't happen to us."

"Same here," Spike said, stretching. "Though, I still think it's a little twisted that they were kids when this happened to them."

"No arguments here," Elegance said. "No arguments here."

"So, what do you guys think is going to happen, anyway," Twilight asked. "If we live through this, that is."

"Well, training, obviously," Elegance said. "And I don't know about you guys, but those war games do sound interesting. Warzone especially."

"Yeah, same here," Spike said. It was here that, to Twilight's surprise, that the dragon burped a green flame, with a scroll appearing from the flame.

"Uh, is it just me, or did Spike just belch a letter with your families seal on it, Twilight," Elegance said.

"No, I see it too," Twilight said. "Think I should read it?"

"I'd say yes," Spike said. "They wouldn't have sent you a message if they didn't want to speak with you. Remember, Celestia said we could only send a letter to them in reply."

"What's going on down there," Halsey asked from the speakers.

"Just that I got a letter from my parents via Spike's dragon flame," Twilight replied. "And yes, you can send written messages with special Dragon flame like Spike's, and I am currently debating if I should read it or not."

"Well, if you do decide to read it, do so quickly," Halsey said. "Every second lost is another that our enemy might have to their advantage if they find us before you wake up."

"Oh,to tartarus with it," Twilight said. "Spike, give me the letter."

"Here it is, Twi," Spike said, handing the letter to Twilight, who opened it.

Twilight,

We'll understand if you're still mad with us, and if you don't want to reply, but please, just read the whole letter before deciding. The reason why we sent you the letter is because we wanted to tell you that we're having another baby. It was confirmed just today, and your mother's a few days along. We still don't know if it'll be a filly or a colt, but we wanted you to know because we wanted to know if you'd be okay with us telling them about you. Nothing about what got you banished, just the good things, like you being an Element and a Princess, even Princess Celestia's personal student. If you want them to know, just let us know. If not, well, we'll assume silence means yes to not telling them.

Mom and Dad.

"What's it say," Spike asked.

"That they're having another baby," Twilight said.

"Gonna reply," Elegance asked. "Because if it were my parents, I know I would, even if I hated them."

"If I may interject," Halsey said, "I agree with Elegance. I had a daughter that died six years ago, and I almost never talked to her, and I regret that decision every day, now. And we were estranged. I may not have cared for my parents much, but losing Miranda. . . well, let's just say that it's best to stay in touch with family, even if you have no particular liking for them."

Twilight was silent for a time before she said. "Yeah, I will, but I'll need paper and something to write with."

"Here," Elegance said, handing Twilight a clipboard with a pen connected to it. "Might want to make the message a short one."

"Right," Twilight said before taking the clipboard and pen, and began to write a reply. After a minute, she took the paper off and handed it to Spike, who promptly blew on it, causing it to burn in his green flames.

"What'd you say," Elegance asked.

"Just that I hope they have a good time raising her," Twilight said. "Now come on, probably best we start. We just lay on the beds, right," she said, directing the question to Halsey.

"Yes," she replied. "The medical drones will take care of the rest."

Twilight nodded, and laid down on the bed that had been assigned to her, with titanium straps clamping shut once her wrists were in place, Spike and Elegance following her lead, and the same happening to them before the drones injected them with the drug that would put them out of it, as well as connecting them to various instruments.

Night Light and Twilight Velvet, the former wearing a business outfit and the latter wearing a silk, gray dress, sat in their house. Princess Celestia had given them a small lamp that would allow them to burn messgaes that Spike would recieve. They had just sent one, and, honestly, were surprised when they got a reply. Night Light picked it up off the floor, and the couple began to read.

Night Light, Twilight Velvet

If that is any indication, I don't see you guys as my parents. Not right now, anyway. But that isn't why I replied. I did so to tell you to tell your next child the truth about me. The good and bad. Let them know even heroes can fall from the public eye. I still stand by that I did not attack that pony. If you were my parents, you would have believed me about that. Still, I can't change that. If you're wondering how I'm doing, quite good, actually. Better than I had actually thought we would. I'll spare the details, but we met an alien race that has space travel, and the three of us, yes, we're still together, will be unable to reply for the next week or so. Once we can, we'll let you know.

Twilight

"At least she's alive," Night Light said.

Velvet smiled. "And she's with friends, too."

"What do you think she's up to?"

"As long as she likes it, I'm happy she's at least been able to partly move past it," Velvet said. "Do you think we should let Princess Celestia know?"

"Something tells me that if Twilight wanted her to know, she would have said so," Night said.

"Yeah," Velvet said. "I suppose."