Chapters Ch. I: Rise of a Hero/Birth of a Monster
Devil in Me
By: Phoenix Heart 20
The dark shadows underneath a boardwalk at night in Haywaii cast an ominous feel about them as a mare puffed on a vapor pen. Her long, slicked, ruby red mohawk rustling in the breeze as she pulled her leather jacket closer to her. The mare was in every sense of the word, stressed. It wasn't due to her vacation, no far from that. When she and her partner decided to spontaneously book a 2nd class zeppelin trip to Haywaii, she’d been all for it! Eager to get away from the mundaneness of her small farming village near Canterlot. So why was she feeling so stressed to the point where she had to vape and get back to a state of calm? Well it could be the fact that she just killed two ponies in cold blood. Blowing a puff of vapor out into the surprisingly chilly night air, she suddenly felt a wave of nausea and dizziness overcome her while she doubled over in pain as her mane changed its length and color, her tail doing the same as she proceeded to groan in pain as she righted herself before slumping down into the sand. Her wavy molasses mane and tail blowing slightly in the wind as she leaned over and emptied the contents of her stomach into a small hole she absentmindedly dug with a hoof.
“W-What happened? W-W-Where am I? Why am I on a beach at night? The last thing I remember was being at that restaurant with Flipper and Cosmic Streak. Then...then we left afterwards to walk down the boardwalk and…”, She fell off as her left eye started to twitch slightly.
“...And I came on the scene and made mincemeat of those bumbling idiots! Ha! Oh you should've seen the looks on their faces when I was coming at them with that sledgehammer! Priceless! Oh how fun that was! Let's do it again!”
“Let’s NOT ! In the name of Faust, NO! You--You can't. Keep. Doing this stuff Santana! They're gonna catch us and it's the guillotine! Final curtain call stupid mare!”, The stressed one griped.
“Nope! We, I mean I have been doing this for the last 8 years. Not once has anypony gotten wind of the ‘mysterious disappearances’ of quite a number of ponies who's bodies were found mangled in various spots! Trust me when I say, we’re good Halo.”, Santana Steele Strings reassured her sane counterpart and ‘head mate'.
“You don't know that for sure. Just…*sigh* Why do we do this? Seriously? I don't see how we ‘help’ each other. Mainly it's me trying to keep up appearances that I’m completely sane while I'm really struggling with you ! The only 2 ponies that knows the truth are my own wife and my fucking therapist. Even then, Mr. Ink Blot is honestly scared of you! He loves me and tries his damnedest to help me with your crazy ass. Then there's you. You are a monster ! You take a sick pleasure to hurting others. You laughed and just acted like we just saw a funny movie when we fell down the stairs in 6th grade and broke our left forehoof. I was in horrible pain, but you had that sick grin plastered on our face.”, Halo Rays ranted to her insane persona. Having been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder at age 9 after Santana sent them both to a mental hospital in Baltimare for allegedly nearly killing a classmate over a stolen lunchbox. It was with that 3 month stay that Santana and Halo really started to struggled for power over the shared body. It wasn't for another year after that that Halo received an award for saving the live of a runaway dog that Santana tried to drown. The whole town was grateful and thought of her as an angel sent from Paradise, as she was known for her abundant kindness and generosity as well as her unprecedented sense of morality. That's simply how Halo was. It came to be that ponies swear they’d seen a double of her only the total opposite of Halo in every way. A little filly with a cropped red and blue mohawk and tail walking around in the exact same clothes that Halo wore did nothing for suspicion.
Anyways, it came that as a teenager that the pair of them found some common ground. The one thing that both of them could agree was a good thing: Art. Together, they lost themselves in countless art projects. Ranging from simple pictures and paintings, to the most complex of sculptures and craft projects. Eventually they began to sell their works and by the time the mare was in her early 20s, she had more than enough to buy a decent sized apartment for her and her special somepony (a more than intriguing discovery at age 16 revealed that she prefered mares to stallions).
By the time she was 28, however is when Halo started having more severe headaches and blackouts only to wake up completely unaware of anything that happened previously. Of course, that is also when Santana started becoming more assertive in her control of their shared body. Afterwards, when she’s release her control, she also relinquish the memories of what she'd done to Halo in an effort of torture (considering Halo has a weak stomach for violence and death, may be an added bonus). In example as to their current situation.
“You know how much I hate you right?”, Halo asked the voice in her head. Only silence was her reply as she finished up her vape pen and put it away as she trotted off back towards the hotel she and her wife were staying at.
Unknown to her that somepony was watching from the shadows. Waiting and observing for the right time to strike, but lost that chance once the mare changed her mane and tail. Once she began to talk to herself though is when the masked figure decided that this night wouldn't be the night for it's plans to come together. As quickly and as silently as it appeared, the masked figure slunk back into the shadows.
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Ch. II: Conversations with a Monster/Conversations with a Therapist
II: Conversations With a Monster/Conversations With a Therapist
Days later...in the business sector of a small farming village…
As the sun reached its apex in the noon sky, Halo walked through a small cart parking lot into a building with withered boards and fading bricks on the exterior. She yawned as she approached the front desk to check in. The mare at the reception desk looked exhausted from all the work she had to sort through from the past few days and therefore didn't properly acknowledge Halo as she signed in and took a seat.
Waiting. Something Halo was rather good at, yet Santana was not.
“Why do we have to do this again?”, Santana asked in an annoyed tone.
“Because this is helpful. Plus it gives me a few days peace from you .”, Halo snarled back in her head.
“I hate coming in here! It always smells of pills and desperation. The stupidly pathetic kind of desperation. I want to go home and play videogames. NOW!!”, Santana bemoaned as she mentally banged her head against an unseen wall repeatedly.
At that moment, the mare at the front desk decided that seeing this weird mare talking to herself was not about to happen in her near empty wait area. Clearing her throat, she motioned for Halo to go back and start her session. Nodding, Halo got up and headed to the back where the actual offices were.
Stepping into the office where she needed to be, Halo nodded to herself as she took a seat and waited for Dr. Ink Blot to come in. Soon enough, the aforementioned therapist came into the room and sat at a swivel chair next to a computer. Greeting the mare only after he sat down and powered up his ancient machine of a computer.
“So, Ms. Rays...what brings you here today? Our normally scheduled appointment isn't for another month.”, Dr. Ink Blot asked in a calm voice.
“Let's just say...it was an emergency...an incident occurred when I was on vacation. While Equestrian law won't have jurisdiction in Haywaii, I still feel guilty.”, Halo confessed.
“I see. By any chance, would this incident have included…you-know-who ?”, Dr. Ink Blot asked with a tinge of worry in his voice.
“Indeed Dr. Ink Blot. I have no memory of what happened, yet she does. If you’d like to here what happened, you have to talk with her.”, Halo sighed as her eye twitched.
“O-Okay. I'm sure we can have a s-small chat to see what the issue i-is.”, Dr. Ink Blot said in an unsure tone.
Suddenly a quick flash of light blinded him briefly. When he looked back up, where Halo Rays once sat, now the seats’ occupant was a mare with a red mane and a bad attitude.
“Hello Santana Steel Strings. It's been a while.”, Dr. Ink Blot said as he instinctively moved closer to his desk.
“Heya doc! Long time no see. How's the wife and daughter?”, Santana asked in a casual tone.
“They're fine. My daughter just started her sophomore year in school so...that was a day. Anyways, the reason I’ve asked you here, was to discuss an incident that occurred last week when you and your wife were on vacation.”, Dr. Ink Blot explained.
“Oh that? That was just a bit of stress relief. See our tour guides were just SO ANNOYING! So naturally, that made me stressed out. So what do I do when I'm stressed? Why relieve it of course! Just like you said to...well maybe not exactly as you said to, but I digress. Anyway I managed to talk then into eating out on a pier. Once that was done, I took them out to a far, dark part of the pier. Grabbed a nearby sledgehammer and went to town on those two bumbling idiots! Hahaha! Oh just remembering it makes me giggle like a filly.”, Santana boasted to the disturbed psychologist.
“I...uhh...I see! Yes we'll with that in mind, I’m sure it made you feel alright in the short term of it, yet what about Halo? Hmm? How do you think she felt afterwards? When you likely showed her what you did, how did she react?”, Dr. Ink Blot asked in a shaky voice.
“Oh her? Oh yeah, she puked not long after I handed over control and again when I showed her what I did in the bathroom of the hotel room we were staying at. Oh she’ll get over it! It's not like this is the first time.”, Santana said with an almost bored tone as she waved it off as nothing.
Dr. Ink Blot just sighed and shook his head. Inching a hoof off the secret panic button under his desk, he kindly asked to speak with Halo again. When she agreed, he closed his eyes as Santana melted back into Halo Rays. When he opened them again, there sat a rather confused looking Halo.
“Hiya doc. What did I miss?”, Halo smiled as she asked.
“Oh...just your alternative confess to murder that this country has 0 jurisdiction over. Seriously though, Halo if you want to gain more control over your body, you're going to have to follow through on those exercises I gave you to do. You're never going to see the brighter side of things if you don't stand up to Santana.”, Dr. Ink Blot explained.
Halo was silent for a few moments. Looking as if she were truly thinking things over in her consciousness. After a few more minutes, she sighed.
“I know doctor Ink Blot. Sometimes….sometimes it can be so difficult to even handle her! Much less share a body with her! It's been 36 years and she's still being the annoyingly mean ‘big sister’ stuck in my head. Newsflash: I already have a sweet, caring older sister! I don't need a demonic one! Yet, here we are. Having to have an emergency therapy session because she went crazy and she killed two ponies in Haywaii! Key word: SHE!!....*sigh* ...sorry for the rant doctor. Yet it felt good to get that off my chest.”, Halo concluded her rant with a large sigh of relief.
“Well...of all the things we’ve been speaking on since you’ve been my patient these past 16 years, this--” he paused to take a sip of water, then continues “--has got to be the most you’ve spoken in one session. While I'm sorry it was in a rant mode, I feel like from here we can make progress! Yes my dear, however it seems that our time is up for today. Shall we schedule for another month’s appointment?”, The doctor finished as they both stood from their spots and headed out of the office.
“As it is, yes. How about...October 30, 26 at 11 am? That's the only available time I have on that day.”, Halo asked as she went to the front desk.
“That is workable. I’ll see you then Ms. Rays.”, Dr. Ink Blot said as he returned to his office and Halo exited the building.
Ch. III: Sienna+Halo=4evur
Walking into her apartment, Halo smiled as she was welcomed in by the scent of her favorite dish being prepared by her favorite pony in all of Equestria. Her nose immediately told her to head for the kitchen as she hung her blue denim jacket on the coat rack.
“You're just in time! Dinner’s almost ready.”, A voice from the kitchen made her stop in her tracks as she went and slumped down in a recliner in front of an unlit fireplace.
“Sounds and smells good baby.”, Halo plastered on a half-hearted smile as she reached the lever on the side of the chair to recline slightly.
Popping her head out of the kitchen, A lilac pegasus with a blue and pink frohawk sauntered into the main room and leaned over the back of the recliner where the obviously distraught Halo sat.
“Okay, that tone practically screams something's wrong. What's the matter honey?”, The mare said in a loving tone.
“*sigh* It's nothing, Sienna. Just...I just got back from my emergency appointment with Dr. Ink Blot and...well…’you-know-who ’ happened to not only make her voice known, but she also confessed to what happened in Haywaii! So yeah. I'm more than a little pissed. Plus I completely ranted in front of the poor doctor so now I feel like he has more reason to attempt to be putting me on some form of medication. It's just…”, Halo cuts herself off via a frustrated grumble.
“I see. Well then, next time Santana makes herself known, I’ll be ready with a firm talking to! Everyday it seems that she causes you more and more strife! I can't stand seeing you like this Halo. I only wish there was some form of spell that could just split the two apart.”, Sienna griped as Halo scooted over and allowed her wife more room to sit with her.
“Believe me, I’ve tried every spell and incantation I could think of. I even went to a small coven of witches a few years back to see if they could help. Unfortunately even fucking witches couldn't split Santana and I apart. It's a living tartarus!”, Halo lamented to her wife as she got up and went towards the bathroom.
After doing her business in the bathroom, Halo came back to the living room. Only to find it empty. Turning towards the makeshift dining area of theirs, she found her wife with two plates of 3 cheese radish lasagna onto each. Two glasses of Blue Bear’s Classic Soda sat next to each plate. Two long, cream colored candles stood out in the middle of the apple wood table. Yet the thing that had Halo’s attention the most was the fact that Sienna had on the short pale blue dress that she had bought her as a birthday present back when they were still dating. Complete with the earrings that she had got her for this past Hearth's Warming.
“Okay. You’ve got my favorite dinner going. My favorite soda and the dress that you know makes me act like a complete goob whenever you wear it. You have news” Halo summed up as she took a seat “Best be out with it. Whatever it is, you know how my reaction is to be.”, She finished as she fully sat and cautiously took a sip of her soda.
“Alright, ya got me. I do have news. Depending on the eventual outcome will determine if it's good or not.”, Sienna said with a nervous gulp of her soda.
“For Paradise sake, Sienna! Whatever it is, I’ll be just fine with the news.”, Halo replied in earnest exhaust.
“Okay. So I did get a phone call from Dr. Stethoscope. He firstly informed me that the doner that we selected was indeed compatible...before saying that I could begin treatments during my next heat cycle!”, Sienna excitedly announced to the brief shock of her wife as Halo nearly choked on her meal.
“Y-You mean? Like we’d be….like for real trying? A-and if we're successful...we’d be preparing for a foal?!?!”, Halo stuttered as her face broke into an ear-splitting grin.
“Yes baby!”, Sienna responded with an equally ear-splitting grin as she was suddenly scooped up in the air and swung around by her incredibly elated wife.
Letting go gently, Halo still held Sienna close. Merely taking a good look at this absolutely incredible mare in front of her. However, her happiness wasn't to last as in that moment her head began to hurt and she doubled over in pain.
“Oh Faust! Baby! Are you ok?”, Sienna asked, clearly worried for her wife’s well-being.
Suddenly a flash of light temporarily blinded Sienna and when she recovered, a mare with blood red mane and tail stood before her. Her eyes glowing a soft white as she righted herself on her hooves. One look around and she knew where she was.
“Hi Sienna. Long time no see! How've ya been?”, Santana said with a wry smirk.
“Cut the shit Santana. Why are you here and don't bullshit around with me?”, Sienna said with a scowl.
“Ooohh Touchy! I thought mares gotta be in heat or pregnant to muster up that fire you just spat out!”, Santana laughed as Sienna grumbled something colorful under her
Sienna just rolled her eyes as she walked over to the couch. Sitting down, she pulls the tv remote out from the side organizer and turns on the large flat screen in the living area.
“Okay...I can clearly see that you are in absolutely NO mood to deal with me today! Well too bad! I'm merely here to congratulate you on the potential success of your impending pregnancy. Faust only knows how you're gonna need it if this works! Though...I’m not sure--”, Santana was abruptly cut off by a low growl.
“I swear if you jinx this like you did last time, I’ll destroy you!”, Sienna growled out.
“Fine! I won't jinx anything….yet. However, I feel like my time’s up! See ya soon.”, Santana saluted with a wink as the flash of her horn blinded Sienna. Quickly recovering after the switchback, Halo rubbed her head in discomfort.
“Wha-What happened?”, Halo asked.
“Santana happened. Oh how I wish I had tore into her like I said I would! She damn well deserved it after what she almost did and said.”, Sienna griped.
“*sigh* What did she do?”, Halo asked shaking her head.
“Clearly she now knows about the IUI and she kinda...wished me luck on that. However she also finished that up with a wink. Plus she almost jinxed it!”, Sienna said as Halo sat back down. Levitating her soda back over to her as she sat back in her Lay-Z-Colt recliner.
“She did did she? *sigh* I’m sorry babe. I know how she can ruffle your feathers. She's an mule and I can't help that. I barely had the strength to gain back control just now! I only hope I can convince her to...ya know not jinx us again. Not after last time.”, Halo stated.
“I know baby. I know and that's why I love you. You have been dealing with her for years, yet you’ve made sure to stay so strong throughout every incident. Every switch out that left you dog tired, you kept on smiling through it all. I don't know how you do it! If I were in your hooves...well I don't know what I’d do.”, Sienna praised her wife.
“Awww! Sienna, that was incredibly sweet.” Halo started as she got up and scoot in close to Sienna on the couch “See? And ponies thought you were absolutely nuts to want to marry me? Oh how wrong they have always been. I love you and I can't wait to start a family with you.”, She finished off with a short but adorably passionate kiss.
