Halo: The Interlopers

Later, Twilight Sparkle and Mark were in a room of their own, laying out some sleeping bags, their armor and gear off. They were silent as they did so, both of them knowing that this could be the last sleep they ever have if things went wrong the next night. Still, they knew that what they were going to do would require their best.

“Well, I can’t say I did it ‘My Way’,” Mark said, breaking the silence.

“What?” Twilight found this to be as much of a non sequitur as it was a conversation starter.

“‘My Way’. It’s a song by Frank Sinatra, about how the singer lived a full and happy life. Old song too, six hundred years or so. I only know it because Jason’s a huge Frank Sinatra fan. I hope Jason and Ethan are okay…”

“But Flank Sinatra was- Oh, right.” She remembered that her world mimicked his from centuries ago, even the popular culture. She recalled the words rather well; her father had loved listening to Flank Sinatra when Twilight was growing up. “Would you care to elaborate on that statement? I know you’re an orphan because you told me a few months ago, but you must’ve had some fun growing up.”

Mark sat down in a corner and smiled at her, giving a brief laugh.

“What’s so funny?” She asked.

“Just the public’s obliviousness to the true nature of the SPARTAN program.” Mark considered whether to elaborate as she had requested.

I guess if I can trust anyone, anypony, I can trust her.

Mark got up and closed the door. He wanted this to stay between them.

“This doesn’t leave this room, got it? I’m not allowed to tell anyone this, especially civilians. You have to take this to your grave without telling a soul.”

Twilight nodded, and took a seat; Mark did likewise.

“The SPARTAN-III program, of which I am a graduate, was the successor to the SPARTAN-II program. The SPARTAN-III program was aimed towards making large numbers of expendable supersoldiers; soldiers no-one would ever know about, who would be sent on suicide missions that were too risky for other special forces. We are all orphans in the S-IIIs; all of our parents were killed by the Covenant. The UNSC took a few hundred children, me included, our ages ranging from three to seven, and began training us to be soldiers. Years of grueling training followed by physical augmentations just as we hit puberty. Once we were augmented, we were given a gun and sent to fight in operations that nobody will ever hear of. Most of us are dead now, but those of us that have survived are no longer considered expendable. I was in that first class, but there were others; eventually thousands of SPARTAN-IIIs had been churned out. So not only am I an orphan, but my past doesn’t exist. I’ve been fighting all my life, same as any other SPARTAN; those of us who still live have decades of experience killing, and that’s why we’re so good at it. I’m thirty-six and I’ve been fighting since I was fourteen. To put it simply, I’m a child soldier still fighting the same battles I always have been.”

Twilight was shocked. She had no idea humans could be so brutal to their own children, even out of necessity. Mark told her all this and more in a calm, matter-of-fact voice. He exhibited no remorse in tone, words or expressions, which shocked her even more.

“And you still obey the UNSC’s orders, even after all they’ve put you through?” Twilight asked in a whisper.

“Yes, because it’s the right thing to do. Being a SPARTAN is an incredible burden, and I wouldn’t force it on anyone else; I wouldn’t know if they could handle it. Despite how morally wrong the program was, it was an extremely necessary evil. The whole thing makes us unafraid to die, and there’s nothing we have to live for besides the mission. That’s why I told you that when we argued months ago.”

Despite all that he said, when she looked into his eyes she didn’t see a soulless killing machine. She saw a scared and lonely man with just the tiniest bit of hope for the future. Twilight rushed to him and hugged him, as if she could erase, or at least soothe his troubles by doing so. Reluctantly, Mark hugged her back; she was soft and warm, and although her mane was messy from the constant stress of their time in Manehattan, it was soft as well.

What surprised Mark was that he felt better when she hugged him. A lot better actually; physically and emotionally relieved, although he didn’t know why.

Their fatigue finally hit them, and they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

***

About a week earlier, Jason was beginning to stir. The sun was just beginning its long journey across the sky, and the birds were starting their morning songs.

His suit’s alarm had woken him, and he got up slowly to find Fluttershy lying underneath a large leaf. A look of quiet contentment was on her face, accompanied by a sweet and innocent smile.

“Hey Flutters, wake up,” Jason whispered, gently shaking her as he did so.

She opened her eyes slowly, stretching her legs as she did so. Fluttershy stood up and rubbed her eyes, realizing how early it was. She walked forward to Jason, who had unwrapped a nutrient bar and given it to her.

Jason opened his own bar, after looking at the label. “Nutritional supplement; French vanilla,” it read. Just one could sustain an active soldier for twenty-four hours if need be, although it was recommended that two be eaten per day if possible, and that standard rations be consumed first.

“Mmm. These are good.” Fluttershy had been given the same flavor as Jason.

“I know, but they’re pretty expensive compared to other military food; about seventy-five credits each.” Jason gave her his canteen to drink from, and she passed it back when she was done.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, I always carry a week’s worth of rations and a water purifier, so we’ll be fine.” By water purifier, he meant his suit.

Probably better if she doesn’t know she’s drinking recycled urine. Jason thought with a smile.

They headed to the place they were going to meet up with Rainbow Dash and Ethan at.

***

Ethan awoke around the same time as Jason, and found Rainbow Dash drooling on his arm, fast asleep.

“Wake up, buttercup!” He chirped, removing his arm from under her head as he stood up. Dash woke and hit her head on the wood surface of the hollow tree they’d slept in.

“Ow, that hurt! Ya coulda waited for me to wake up before ya did that, Eeth!” Dash yelled. She rubbed the side of her head, hurting from the impact.

Ethan produced a nutrient bar and unwrapped it, biting off a chunk of the chocolate-flavored food. Like Jason, Ethan carried several different flavors; chocolate, lemon, strawberry and French vanilla.

“Got some for me?” Rainbow asked with a grin.

“Sure. Chocolate, lemon, strawberry or French vanilla?”

“Strawberry.”

Ethan opened a bar and tossed it to her, and they ate them at a decent pace; neither leisurely nor hastily.

“My dad always made it sound like military food stank, but this is pretty good!” Dash said, her mouth still full.

“These bars are the exception, not the rule; they taste good and just one can sustain a soldier for a whole day, but they’re expensive compared to normal rations. And did you say your dad was in the military?”

“Yeah, Air Force, served during the Griffin Insurgency and the Itack War. Almost made it into the Wonderbolts too, but when Mom died… He just stopped caring. Put a gun in his mouth a few years after I moved out.” Her chewing had stopped almost completely, and she stared at the ground. Eventually she finished her food, but she mostly stopped talking after revealing this.

“Lotta human kids saw their parents killed in front of ‘em by Covenant, me included. Dad got slagged by a Hunter’s assault cannon, Mom was in a different compartment of an evac ship than me, got sucked out of a hull breach. You ain’t the only one with dead parents; Hell, Mark ‘n Jason are orphans too. Jason got separated from his parents and saw the ship they were on get blown the fuck apart; Mark saw his mom, dad, brother and sister killed with his own eyes. Don’t feel sorry for yourself RB, there’s people worse off than you.”

“Thanks,” Dash said, looking at Ethan with genuine gratitude.

“Don’t mention it. I ain’t usually much good with words, so it’s good to know I can help with ‘em.” Ethan put his helmet back on and stood up. “Come on, we got a lotta ground to cover today.”

The pair exited the hollow tree they’d slept in and proceeded to the rendezvous point.

***

Mark found himself in a charred forest, filled with mist, fog, smoke, or some combination of the three. He turned around to see Twilight. She was clean, happy and energetic, as though their time in Manehattan had been just a dream.

She smiled and ran away from him, laughing. Mark chased after her, although his movement seemed absurdly slow. He reached where she was standing, and she ran away again, with astonishing speed that seemed even stranger given his sluggish movement.

Mark looked around, confused. He saw her in the distance, a strange light illuminating the ground near her. Once again he ran towards her, with comically slow speed. As he ran, he noticed odd shadows that seemed to be standing on their own, whispering his name.

When he finally got to her after what felt like an eternity, she turned around. This time she wasn’t smiling. Mark reached an arm out to grab Twilight. She stared blankly at him, and began to burn. She seemed to feel no pain from the fire that spontaneously engulfed her, and just continued to stare at him.

Mark suddenly saw his own face, contorted in horror as he approached her, his arm still extended to grab her. The fire intensified, and Twilight was reduced to ash.

***

Mark woke suddenly, finding himself sweating. When he looked at his surroundings, he saw that Twilight was still asleep in his arms. He remembered what had happened earlier, and how they fell asleep together.

He leaned his head against the surface behind him, and closed his eyes. But he did not sleep.

Dreams always have meanings when they have someone, somepony you know in them. They’re a product of the subconscious. So what does this one mean?

You’re worried for her.

She's a mid-level VIP under my protection. Worrying is natural.

It's more than that. You care about her. You love her.

No. Bullshit. Not possible. Not a snowball’s chance in the hottest depths of Hell.

It was forming when you risked your life and others’ to save her brother.

No, I did that because it was strategically and politically prudent.

What do you think that feeling was when you hugged each other just hours ago?

Body heat. Pheromones. Endorphins.

You just try to shrug everything off with unfeeling logic. You’re human, admit it! If you were really so cold and logical, would you be religious?

Religion and science are not mutually exclusive. Being in love and being a SPARTAN are.

And yet here you are, arguing with yourself, trying to rationalize away something that you admitted you want, something reciprocal. Love.

She’s a purple unicorn! It’s bestiality!

She’s a saptient being capable of complex thought and using tools. And she’s smarter than a lot of humans too. It’s not bestiality.

The last thing I need is a distraction.

Plenty of soldiers have loved ones.

And plenty of soldiers are dead too.

You know that has little to do with their deaths.

SPARTANs don’t fall in love.

And you know for a fact that among the hundreds if not thousands of other SPARTANs you’re the first to fall in love?

I’m not in love!

Yes you are. Admit it. Accept it. You’ll be better for it.

I can’t be in love! It’s not possible for me to- Oh my God. I am in love!

Doesn’t that feel better to accept it?

But nothing good could come if she loved me back. She’d only get hurt when I die, and I’d never be able to be with her. I’d never be able to give her the time she deserves…

You’ll find a way. SPARTANs always do.

“Mark? Are you okay?” Twilight asked quietly.

Mark realized he was crying silently. He’d never cried since he’d been evacuated from Biko decades before. He noticed some of his tears had fallen onto Twilight, which must’ve been what woke her up.

“I’m fine,” he responded softly.

“No, you’re not. What’s wrong?”

“I-”

Why lie to her?

There’s no need to complicate things with your feelings.

“You what?”

“It’s nothing,” Mark lied, looking away.

They went back to sleep, crawling into their own sleeping bags. Darkness would fall in about twelve hours, and it was going to be a busy night.