Halo: More Than One
By Helljumper117
Prologue
For several hours, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy had been milling about in the Ponyville Hospital waiting room.
Rarity’s face was buried in a magazine, but her eyes glazed over the contents; her mind wandering. Applejack was sitting in the seat next to her, also lost in thought, while Fluttershy kept herself busy by pacing around and keeping a close eye on a pair of double-doors that sat at the other end of the room.
Whenever the doors opened, the three ponies would look up expectantly, only to be disappointed at the sight of a patient being wheeled out or a doctor or a nurse trotting out and then right back in, completely ignoring them.
At one point, there was the sound of a scuffle on the other side of the doors and several ponies talking in raised voices. A moment later, the doors swung open and an annoyed-looking Pinkie Pie strolled out; an even more annoyed doctor slamming the doors behind her.
The other three ponies in the room stared at the pink Earth Pony as she took a seat beside Applejack. Rarity placed her unread magazine down and opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Pinkie Pie.
“Don’t. Say. Anything.” Pinkie interjected, crossing her forehooves across her body.
“Dear, we’re all concerned about Twilight, but we need to be patient.” Rarity began, ignoring her friend’s order. “The hospital has rules for a reason, and you can’t just waltz into an operating room like that.”
“Yeah, but we’ve been sitting here for hours!” Pinkie exclaimed. “We need to know if Twilight’s going to be okay!”
“Pinkie, Twilight’s a hard customer, an’ the doc’s here are some of the best in the business. She’s in good hooves right ‘bout now.” Applejack stated positively.
Fluttershy, who had ceased her pacing and was standing nearby, voiced her thoughts.
“I don’t know... I mean, Twilight is very brave, but you remember what she looked like when we found her. She was completely delirious... and all that blood...” The yellow pegasus shuddered, unable to finish her thoughts.
“Where is Spike?” asked Applejack out loud, changing the subject. “Shouldn’t he have found Rainbow Dash, by now?”
Suddenly, as if in answer to her question, a bright cyan figure smashed through the hospital entrance, carrying a young purple dragon in her hooves. She spread her wings and skidded to a halt, breathing heavily.
The newly arrived pegasus, known as Rainbow Dash, set a bewildered-looking dragon down on the floor. As she turned towards the others her eyes widened with concern.
“I came as soon as Spike found me.” Rainbow Dash began in a rush. “Is Twilight okay? How bad is it? Did somepony attack her?”
The pegasus suddenly grew angry. “Who was it?! What sleezy twinkle-hooved motherbu-”
“Calm down!” interrupted Applejack. “Nopony attacked her!”
Rainbow Dash relented a bit, though still kept a slightly aggressive edge on her voice. “What happened, then? All I heard from Spike was that Twilight was badly hurt and being taken to the hospital.”
“That’s all I was able to tell you before you grabbed me and took off flying.” commented a still-shaken Spike.
Applejack answered Rainbow Dash’s question. “To be honest, we’re not all entirely sure. Ah was in Ponyville at the time, at mah family’s normal spot in the market, just ‘bout tuh head on home fur the night. That’s when it all went down.”
“Care to be a bit more unspecific?” asked Rainbow Dash sarcastically.
Applejack ignored the comment and continued. “It happened pretty fast. There was this huge sound, and a bright flash that came from Twilight’s library that made everypony in town turn their heads... Ah dropped what Ah was doin’ an’ rushed over. Fluttershy was in the market, too, so she joined me.”
“Let me guess,” commented Rainbow Dash. “She was practicing magic?”
“Ah guess... Ah really don’t know fer sure, but that wasn’t the strange part.” replied Applejack. “As soon as we entered her house, Ah noticed how messy and cluttered it was. It was like a tornado had ripped the place apart. Not like Twilight, at all.”
Applejack paused and let out a sigh before continuing. “That’s when we found her...”
“So, she hurt herself and was knocked out practicing magic. What’s so strange about that?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Ah didn’t say she was knocked out. At least, not at first...”
“What happened?”
This time, Fluttershy chimed in. “She was just standing there... So still that we didn’t notice her in the mess at first... And then she jumped Applejack.”
“Wait, what?” interjected Rainbow Dash, disbelieving what she had heard. “Like, attacked you?”
Applejack nodded. “She jumped me and knocked me over. Ah saw her head; She was bleeding real bad, and there was even a trail of the stuff behind her. Whatever happened, Ah was surprised she was able to walk at all. Ah knew we had to get her help fast, but then she said somethin’ really strange. Never thought I’d hear those words come out of somepony like Twilight.”
“What was it?!” demanded Rainbow Dash, craning her neck forward. “Get to the point already!”
“She said-”
“Excuse me, ladies?” came a voice from the doors that the group had been watching intently for any news, interrupting the story. A unicorn stallion in a white doctor’s coat had walked through. “You are the ones who brought Miss Sparkle in?”
“Yes! How is she? Can we see her? Can we?” asked Pinkie as she moved very close to the doctor’s face.
The doctor took a step back and cleared his throat before responding. “Her bleeding is well under control, and her vitals are stable, and she is okay physically... For now.”
Five ponies looked uncertainly at each other. The doctor had put an uncomfortable emphasis on ‘for now’.
“But...?” prompted Rarity.
“Miss Sparkle suffered a concussion, and we do not know the full extent of the damage.” continued the doctor. “You had mentioned, upon bringing her in, that she had elicited strange behavior?”
“Yes.” replied Applejack. “Ah was just filling in Rainbow Dash ‘bout that. What are you getting at, Doc?”
“Is it bad?” inquired Spike, who had gotten over his initial shock from Rainbow Dash’s flight.
The doctor took a deep breath. “We ran some tests, but we’re not sure yet what to make of them. Miss Applejack, I believe you mentioned that, upon finding her, Miss Sparkle was conscious?”
Applejack nodded. “She jumped me. If looks could kill, Twilight’s would have turned a cockatrice to stone on the spot.”
“And you mentioned that she was saying nonsensical things?”
“Well, only one thing actually.” replied Applejack. “She more yelled it at me...”
“What was it?” inquired the doctor as he levitated a clipboard and pen in front of his face and began to write.
“Twilight looked me right in the eye, and said ‘What the-’” Applejack paused for a moment, as though reliving the moment. She gave a slight cough, and continued. “‘What the fuck is this supposed to be, you bastards?’. Then she just dropped right then and there. She must’ve been really out of her mind.”
“Hm...” said the doctor as he finished writing down on the clipboard, looking up and addressing Spike. “You are Miss Sparkle’s personal assistant, yes?”
“Uh... yeah?” the dragon replied.
“Where were you during the ordeal?”
Spike replied with a shrug. “She sent me out to run errands, probably about a half hour before it all happened. It was strange, since we were not that low on food, quills, or even ink.”
The doctor continued to take his notes. “Any strange behavior?”
Unexpectedly, Spike began to look nervous and did not respond right away. He folded his hands together and began to shuffle slightly. “She... No. Everything was normal. Just a normal day.”
The doctor stared at Spike for a moment, raised his eyebrow, and then finished jotting down several sentences.
“What’s the deal?” said Rainbow Dash, breaking the silence. “Is Twilight okay, or not?”
The doctor placed the clipboard in a large pocket on his coat and looked at the six concerned faces. He cleared his throat again before speaking.
“Her concussion should have knocked her out cold, yet her mind is unusually active at this time. More interestingly, we discovered that her horn is active with an unidentifiable spell.”
The statement caught the group off guard, adding more confusion to their faces.
“You mean, she’s using magic right now? Her horn wasn’t glowing!” commented Rarity, voicing her friend’s thoughts.
“It would appear so. We only noticed this phenomenon by accident, while running the tests.”
“What does that mean for Twilight?” asked Fluttershy, her eyes growing wider in worry.
“Spells require a certain strength and stamina.” replied the doctor. “Considering the great feats that she has accomplished with the rest of you, it is safe to say that Miss Sparkle is very accomplished in the magical arts. However, magic also requires an amount of physical strength. No spell can be held forever. And, in Miss Sparkle’s case, the active spell is taking a toll on her.”
“Wait.” Rarity said. “I know a thing or two about magic. If she was knocked unconscious, shouldn’t the spell have ceased without Twilight controlling it?”
“We can’t explain it. Your friend has slipped into a coma-like state but, as I said, the spell, despite the absence of any visible aura around her horn, remains active and is affecting her physical well-being. The end result is potentially dangerous.”
“Dangerous? How dangerous? Give us the truth, doc!” said Applejack, her voice slightly raised as she stepped forward.
The unicorn looked taken aback but retained his composure.
“It... Is potentially fatal.”
A newfound worry and concern welled up inside everyone in the room. They looked at one another, not sure what to make of it all.
“So, what can you do about it?” Spike asked finally.
“We’re bringing in specialists from all over Equestria for this. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.” The doctor replied. He paused, and continued in a much softer tone. “I, and all other citizens of this nation, know what Twilight has done for us and what she means as the Element of Magic. I promise you, if there is a solution to this, we will find it.”
“Doc,” Applejack began cautiously. “How long does she have?”
Now it was the doctor’s turn to reveal some of his own worry. “Days. Maybe a little over a week, if she holds out long enough. In the end, her body will simply fail; unable to stop the expenditure of her strength and energy from the spell.”
It was at this that gasps from all five ponies could be heard. Their minds raced, attempting to cope with the news. Fluttershy suddenly became tiny, crouching low. Pinkie’s hair began to deflate slightly and her usual smile was replaced with a helpless, sad expression. Rarity and Applejack each held shocked faces while Rainbow Dash’s wings drooped low as she stared at the ground, as though in defeat.
Lastly, Spike spoke up to no one in particular, voicing a desperate question.
“Twilight... What have you gotten yourself into?”
* * *
Where am I?
Twilight’s eyes fluttered open. Her vision was blurry, fading in and out from reality, and she could not make anything out clearly. Muffled sounds of many voices shouting surrounded her. She thought she could hear someone calling her name, but they sounded distant, as though she she were in a dream.
“...you hear me? You need get up now!”
The voice was male, but Twilight could not put the voice to a name. It was definitely not anyone she knew, and she strained to hear what this person was saying, but all of her senses were wavering, and she could make sense of nothing.
What happened? she thought. Her head was throbbing in pain, and she lifted a hoof to touch her head.
She stopped abruptly as she felt not her hoof, but five small points contact her head. All of her senses suddenly rushed to her, and what she saw shocked her to the core. Whatever she was using, it looked like the hands that spike had, but larger and without the claws. She also noticed it was covered in blood.
What?... why do I have hands?
She tried to take in her surroundings. All around her, loud noises erupted and many bipedal looking figures were running through some kind of metal hallway. They were all shouting things that Twilight struggled to make out amongst the loud noises.
“Cover fire! 11 o’clock!”
“Reloading!”
“Tangos breaking from cover!”
“Don’t let up!”
“Frag out!”
“Man down! I need a medic over here!”
“Take that bas-aaaargh! I’m hit!”
She looked down at herself and widened her eyes in even more shock. She still had four limbs, but only two legs that were sprawled outward on the floor, and two arms out to her sides. She saw instead of her lavender furry coat that she was covered in some kind of thick, heavy, green-grey clothing. It seemed to have what looked like armor plating attached to it on her chest, arms and knees. Not the golden armor she had seen on royal guards before, but a very light brown nonmetal material.
Why do I look like this? This isn’t me! Where am I?!
The beings around her was wearing material similar to hers, but they were holding a piece of carefully crafted metal that looked like it was spewing fire from the tip and making a loud, repetitive noise. Others were tossing small objects that she heard exploding behind her.
What are those? Some kind of weapons?! Who is attacking them? Why am I caught in the middle of it?!
She tried to plug her ears, but it made little difference to the loud explosions, yelling, and painful outcries of these strange creatures.
She heard the voice from earlier again. She turned to her right and saw one of the armored figures crouched down next to her and speaking to her in a hurried, loud voice. He had a serious expression on his tan-colored face and he was trying to get her on her feet.
“We gotta move Twyla! The last life pods are launching! Get up, come on!”
What did he call me? Thats not my name! Sure sounded close though...
The pain from the head wound she had felt bleeding earlier was fully hitting her now. An explosion went off and rocked the entire hallway, knocking some of the other battling creatures over. Twilight was frightened and could not bring herself to move. She could feel blood oozing out of her head, and she grabbed her head in pain.
What’s going on?! Where am I?! Why am I bleeding?! Why is this not my body?! WHERE AM I?!
Her eyes darted back and forth throughout the room, still trying to make sense of it all. She watched in horror as one of the creatures in the green and brown armor was suddenly struck by many small purple needles. She could see the blood beginning to ooze from the wounds, and the creature screamed in pain and fear as all of the needles suddenly exploded, shredding his torso and killing him instantly.
An even larger figure jumped in front of one of the creatures she had seen at first.She only caught a glimpse of the front of it, but looked long enough to see it was reptilian in appearance and wore a thick red armor and helmet and had a head that split into four terrifying mandibles with rows of sharp teeth at the mouth. It wielded a blue object that was spitting blue fire in short bursts at one of the light-brown armored soldiers.
The smaller soldier desperately tried to fight back, but whatever he was shooting out of his metal object glanced off of a blue aura of light that surrounded the giant red-armored figure. The smaller warrior fell quickly in a howl of anguish, the shots seeming to burn right through his clothing and armor. Suddenly the giant red figure groaned as the light arua flashed, and disappeared entirely. Twilight heard the sound of many small objects penetrating the horrible creature’s skin, and dark purple blood coated the floor as it fell to the ground.
What is happening here?!
She seized up completely in fear and the armored figure crouched next to her grunted in frustration. She felt herself get lifted up by him and her arm was placed around his neck.
Twilight could now see all around herself. Turning her head, she saw many other horrible looking creatures locked in some kind of battle with the smaller, green and brown armored soldiers.
“Come on Twyla! We’re not gonna make it if you don’t move it!”
She turned her head back forward and saw several figures motioning to them from a small room at the other end of the hall, and yelling at them to move. Twilight tried to make a move to the room and with the help of the male creature supporting her, she finally managed to limp forward, her arm still around his neck and shoulders.
When they were less than ten feet from the small room, the one carrying her screamed in pain and fell to the ground, holding his side in agony. She could smell the scent of burning flesh, and she fell as well and landed on her back, frozen in fear and shock again.
“Get them in here!” someone yelled. She felt as her arms were grabbed by two of the armored figures and she was dragged into the room. It was lit with a dim red light that glowed off of everything around her. She felt herself lifted up again and placed in a seat on the wall. Two metal bars came over her arms and one across her chest, securing her in place.
One of the strange creatures looked her in the eye and exclaimed, “Pull yourself together private!” He turned to someone at the end of the small room and began shouting orders. “Close those doors! Pilot, get us the hell out’a here!”
“Aye sir, everyone hold on back there!”
Twilight heard a loud bang, and the entire room surged violently.
“Sergeant we are disengaged. Minimum safe distance achieved. Approaching ring atmosphere now.”
“Understood Lieutenant. Just get us down there in one piece.” said a voice from the back end of the now moving room.
The room shook violently, making Twilight want to vomit. She felt herself beginning to black out. She dropped her head down and saw a silver necklace hanging over her chest plate. Struggling to keep everything in focus, she read an inscription welded into two objects at the end of the necklace.
Spark, Twyla A. UNSC Marines
PFC O Positive
SN 103429-77234-TS
Spark?... Twyla? No... it can’t be... the spell wasn’t supposed to do this... The spell! I have to get out of here. I just need to use my magic and I will get out of here. Here goes...
She concentrated as hard as she could, and tried to conjure up magic from wherever it was held... but nothing happened.
No! this can’t be happening. I should be using my realbody’s magic! I shouldn’t be stuck in this body!
Full reality hit her hard and a single tear rolled down her cheek from all she had just witnessed, and the realization that none of her friends were there to help her.
I can’t get back... no.... I’m never going to see them again.
She surrendered herself to the fear and fatigue that had been grabbing at her ever since she arrived into this nightmare.
* * *
