//------------------------------//
// Not a Happy Light Bulb 
// Story: Halo Ponies: Headhunter Edition 
// by QuintupletPony 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 7: Not a Happy Light Bulb 
“Lyra not this again!” groaned an annoyed Redheart, getting up from the floor and brushing herself off. Lyra whipped her head around to face the nurse, a frown that almost looked painful adorning her face.
“Don’t give me that face, last time you started talking about it we found you unconscious in a ditch.”
Lyra sighed, her own horn lighting up and extracting her from the kitchen floor.
“That was because of an unsuccessful experiment, this time I have a real- living example!” she exclaimed this wildly, throwing both hoofs up in the air, miraculously maintaining her balance. Richard got to his feet without using his hands, shifting to where he sat on his knees, quickly leaning back on his toes and straightening up. He walked over to wear Lyra was standing on two legs, still arguing with Redheart and gesturing with her front legs. He tapped her twice on the shoulder; she turned around, instantly grinning when she saw him. He drew back his arm, and lightly clocked her on the cheek. She spun around twice before ramming into the counter, and promptly slid to the floor. Twilight- who was currently removing various confectionaries from the wreckage of the table –dropped the items she was magically manipulating.
“RICHARD!” she screamed, drawing up her body to the limit of her leg height. Redheart too drew up her body, then immediately dropped down to see how well Lyra was doing. Twilight stalked up to Richard, an angry scowl directed at the SPARTAN.
“Richard, why would you hurt her!?” she yelled, staring resolutely into his polarized helmet. Richard ignored the question, stooping down to look Lyra directly in the face.
“Tell me what you know.”
She stared back, her left eye drooping slightly. A large bruise was already developing on the side of her cheek.
“Here I was thinking you were peaceful.” said Lyra, brushing off Redheart’s attempts to offer her aid.
“I can be, when strange aliens don’t attack me twice in the same day. At least without being provoked."
“Hardly unprovoked, a previously unknown species appears, shows intelligence, signs of violence and a possible murder. Is hospitalized in an apparent coma, a couple weeks later it jumps out of a window into me and my friend. What else am I supposed to think?” Richard nodded his head, her reasoning was firm. He was still curious as to how she was so quick to call him a Forerunner.
“Why do you call me a Forerunner, how do you know about the Foreru-“ Twilight interrupted his interrogation, using a bolt of her magic to fling him bodily into a wall. He struck the hard wood painfully, his arms outstretched from his body. Twilight took a few steps forward, her horn steadily brightening. Richard felt something wrap around his wrists, he looked over, and saw tendrils of wood snaking out from the wall; wrapping around his wrists before sinking their points back into the wall. Twilight continued to walk forward, the wooden vines had stopped growing around him, he was a little relieved they had stopped at his wrists. Twilight looked Richard dead in the helmet, her faced screwed up in what appeared to be her form of intimidation. 
“Just where do you think you are alien? I don’t know if the way you’ve been acting is normal for where you come from, but in Equestria that’s where we draw the line! You will not senselessly hurt Ponies within our borders!”
Richard tugged at his living bonds, they were weak enough to break if he had to, but he thought that would do little to disarm the situation.
“It’s not really all that senseless. She attacked me first.”
Twilight sighed, rolling her eyes theatrically.
“I don’t care who started it, you” she pointed at Richard “And her” she pointed at Lyra “Are not to fight anymore. Ever.” 
Lyra and Richard stared intensely at each other from across the room.	
“Agreed.” They both said at once, nodding their heads. Twilight smiled, still looking slightly drawn-out. Her horn lit up as she magically lifted Lyra from the floor, she turned towards Richard to release him but jumped back when he burst free on his own, ripping away the wood that held him. Twilight backed up a little, looking wary. Richard smiled to try to calm her, then remembered she couldn’t see him through the helmet. He lifted his arms to his head, tugging forcefully to attempt to dislodge it. Everypony stared awkwardly at him until he stopped, wondering if he would ever be able to get it off without a UNSC engineer team. Richard noticed how he had become the center focus, self-consciously brushing off his arms in an attempt to save face. Twilight looked around the room, fixing up various pieces of carnage with a quick burst of magic, soon she had everything in the room looking as if the fight had never occurred, and there was even a new pot of coffee brewing. She did another double check, assuring herself everything was in tip-top shape; she puffed up her chest proudly when she saw how good a job she had done. Richard, to say the least, was stunned. He had seen Twilight do some pretty amazing stuff, but repairing an entire room in a matter of seconds was amazing. But now wasn’t the time for ogling, he needed to accomplish what he had come here to do.
“Twilight, when is the soonest time I can meet with your leader?”
Twilight looked over her shoulder, giving him a small smile.	
“You should be able to see her tomorrow, it’s the summer sun celebration, and everybody’s getting ready for her visit tomorrow.”
“That’s the reason they left the square?”
“I should think so, in fact, I have to go help. Make yourself at home, just don’t break anything, and don’t get in any more fights. Spike should be home soon to help you settle in.”
“Spike?” asked Richard, raising an eyebrow in a pointless gesture.
“He’s my dragon assistant, bye.”
Twilight bustled out of the room, levitating a cup of coffee behind her. Richard stood in place, not really sure what to do. And also… a dragon? Really? He sighed, shaking his head, hoping this world wouldn’t throw him any more curveballs.
“Richard,” said Redheart while leading Lyra to the door “I’m going to go see if Lyra’s okay, be back as soon as we get her fixed up.”
Lyra waved to Richard as she left, blowing Richard a small kiss. He now stood alone in the library, among the piles of books and the smell of wood. A dragon, really?! 
[A/N- I really dropped the ball on this chapter, I re-wrote totally different drafts about 6 times, trying to do something to break the norm. But that didn't work out so well, and held me up for an outrageously long time. I'm happy with this chapter though, mainly because it's done, and buried forever along with my other nightmares. In happy news- NEW COVER IMAGE!]