//------------------------------// // Cleaved In Twain // Story: The Infestation of Equiss Prime // by Jest //------------------------------// Twilight trod silently through the metal hallway, her mind barely even recognizing the concerned glances shot her way. Foot traffic was constant, though thankfully the denizens of the base stayed mostly out of Twilight’s way. The infested hardly even noticed the few who bumped into her, and she didn’t see how Steel Heart was subtly shooing away those who wished to stop them. A glare was usually all it took to make the odd researcher turn away and stow the questions they had for the infested. This same strategy worked just as well on the people who wished to question if Twilight should be down here. That was until they neared the engineering bay that Pinkie Pie had told them about, and a particularly tall minotaur held out a hand. “Please wait. There is a live test going on,” he cautioned in a quiet, kind tone. Twilight paused and looked up to him, her brief bout of indignation melting the second she laid eyes on the male. There was no anger on his face, nor shrouding his mind, only a genuine concern for those involved. Steel Heart seemed to notice this as well, as she relaxed the second she was certain Twilight wasn't about to snap at him. “Thank you, though I think we can handle ourselves,” Twilight replied. “Respectfully, ma’am, I still don't know if that's a good idea,” replied the minotaur who tugged at the poorly fitted platemail he had been forced to wear. “Is it a flight test of the Reaper class jumpsuits?” Steel Heart inquried. The minotaur nodded slowly. “It is.” “Then we should be fine. I worked out the kinks a couple days ago. It shouldn't blow up anymore, come on,” Steel Heart exclaimed, waving a hoof to the door. “If you say so,” replied the towering bovine. After the guard input the access code, the large steel door split at the middle and receded into either side of the wall, allowing Twilight and Steel Heart to enter the facility proper without any further molestation. Or at least it would have, as the doors themselves were nearly as wide and as tall as a small house, it took time for them to fully part. “Not able to arm your non-ponies?” Twilight inquired, directing her question half at the guard and half at her companion. Steel Heart winced and rubbed the back of her neck. “Not really, no. Properly outfitting other races has been a bit of an afterthought, so most non-ponies have been stuck in less essential positions or as vehicle pilots.” “Fingers really help with that,” remarked the minotaur and wiggled her armored digits at the infested. The door finally thumped open, releasing twin bursts of steam from either side. With her goal now before her, Twilight strode confidently into the room, her gaze sweeping from left to right. On one side of the bay were numerous racks of armor in various states of completion or disrepair. Unlike the bulky sets worn by marines, these ones had less plating and bore the addition of two boosters strapped to the back. They also lacked the cumbersome circular helmet, trading it for what looked like a complicated gas mask over a mesh underlay. Or at least that's what the pony standing directly in front of Twilight wore, her features obscured, making her identity not easily discernible to most. Twilight was not like most, however, and she could easily figure out who the wingless pegasus was, even at a glance. Though Rainbow Dash didn't initially respond, Twilight could tell that she had recognized the infested’s presence. Her attention was merely fixed on securing the dual cables connecting her mask to a heavy pack located on her back. A task made easier with the help of a pair of technicians, each one of which stood on either side of the mare. The one on her left was a short female earth pony with a spanner for a cutie mark, and a pair of large red goggles over her eyes. She hastily cranked a set of tubes strapped to Rainbow Dash’s left hoof while the other assistant was running through a checklist. The unicorn stallion stood taller than most, though almost the entire rest of his body was obscured by either a helmet or a voluminous white lab coat. “Fuel pressure?” an assistant asked. Rainbow Dash reached above her head and thumped a hoof against the bulky central mass of her jump pack. “Nominal,” she replied, her voice coming out slightly muffled due to the mask. “Suit integrity?” asked the unicorn technician. “One second,” warned the other tech, who cranked her wrench one final time. “Perfect. One hundred percent.” “Good. We are ready when you are, Private Dash,” offered the unicorn. “Roger that,” Rainbow Dash replied. “We should take a step back,” Steel Heart offered as the metal doors slid shut behind her. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “But we’re already a good twenty feet away.” “Best to be careful with this particular bit of tech,” Steel Heart exclaimed, gesturing to the right where a small observational booth had been set up. “There's a reason we got this thing bolted to the floor.” “Is it that volatile?” Twilight questioned. “It doesn't explode anymore, if that's what you're asking. Steel Heart here made sure of that,” replied the shorter of the two technicians. Twilight raised an eyebrow as the four of them all assembled behind the shield. “Then why is it such an issue?” “It's very, very hard to control,” answered the other tech. “So much so that the only pilots capable of controlling it are winged creatures who have lost the ability to fly.” “If you have a perfectly functional set of wings, then it won’t work?” Twilight inquired. “Pretty much,” Steel Heart remarked as the engines strapped to Rainbow Dash’s back began to engage. “If their wings work, they will subconsciously try to compensate by using them. If they don't, then the brain thinks the jets are their wings and adjusts their course properly.” “It's why most Reapers can't jump more than a dozen feet without spiralling wildly off-course,” added the unicorn technician. Before Twilight could continue her train of questions, the dull whine of the engines had grown too loud to speak over. Left with nothing to do but watch, Twilight did just that, observing as Rainbow Dash steadied her footing and gave her equipment a onceover. With that complete, the mare twisted her hooves in a series of rapid, precise movements. With a click, the barrels attached to her wrists sprung forward, folding into a pair of small, yet high calibre machine pistols. Another series of twists seemed to activate the engines which soon became loud enough to make all conversation impossible. Then Rainbow Dash was airborne, shooting up until she very nearly hit the ceiling but stopping just in time before that could happen. The Reaper soon gained control of her upward momentum and began to swivel left, then right. This seemed to reassure the pegasus that all was well, for she soon launched into a series of more elaborate moves. A short barrel roll was the first, and though a little shaky, Rainbow Dash did not crash, continuing to fly around the room with increasing ease. “Commencing live fire demonstration,” Rainbow Dash’s mechanical voice barked. “We did not clear you for weapons discharge!” yelled the unicorn tech, his horn alight with energy. “Cut it out. You know she ain't gonna listen,” retorted the other. The unicorn sighed. “Fine. But if she eats it again, you are fixing the boosters this time.” Twilight tuned out the rest of the conversation and merely observed as Rainbow Dash swiveled towards a pair of previously unnoticed wooden targets. Two of whom were of zerglings, while the last was a rather lumpy-looking hydralisk. Rainbow Dash took a moment to line up the barrels attached to her wrists before unloading two dozen loud, rapid cracks. The targets were almost completely obliterated, with the hydralisk being cut in half while the two zerglings vanished amidst the hail of lead. The attack was not without its repercussions however, as Rainbow Dash pitched backwards slightly. Try as she might to compensate for the blowback, the Reaper struggled to stop herself from tilting dangerously away from the targets. “Here she goes,” remarked the unicorn. “Oh, I can't watch,” muttered the other technician. Twilight frowned and though tempted to grab the pegasus in her magic, she stopped herself. For despite the dangerous trajectory she was now on, Rainbow Dash remained completely and utterly confident. So Twilight restrained herself while at the same time staying ready to grab her if the worst occurred. Sure enough, Rainbow Dash transitioned into a swift backflip and landed heavily on the ground a second later. A quick twist of her wrists, and the barrels of her guns were away, allowing the mare to put all four hooves down. The suit reacted without any need for commands, its boosters shifting so they folded against her back and began shutting down. “Is she okay?” murmured the shorter tech, hooves still covering her face. “She's fine,” Twilight declared as she stepped out from behind her cover. “Better than fine, I’d say.” “That went better than anticipated,” Rainbow Dash remarked, trotting over to meet Twilight halfway. “I assume you saw all that?” “We sure did. That was some dang nice moves,” Steel Heart remarked. Twilight nodded. “Quite so. If every Reaper was as skilled as you, the zerg wouldn't stand a chance.” For the first time since her arrival, Twilight sensed a brief flicker of happiness come from the pegasus, though it vanished a second later. “Yeah, well, most of us haven't lost both of our wings,” Rainbow Dash bitterly remarked. “What about the suit? Was it damaged by any of your maneuvers?” inquired the unicorn technician. “It's fine,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Come on. Let's go grab lunch and let these guys catch up,” urged the other pony. “But the checklists. We should be running diagnostics,” exclaimed the taller of the two. “Come on, let's go find a snack,” Steel Heart encouraged, all but dragging the other two ponies out of the room and flashing Twilight a wink as she did so. The infested mare gave her a smile in return before glancing back at Rainbow Dash. “So, how have things been since the last time we met?” Rainbow Dash sighed through her respirator. “Not great, but I suppose things have been getting better. Almost got shot the second we arrived though,” Rainbow Dash replied. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Oh? That sounds like a story.” The pegasus chuckled. “I assume you’ve found out where our infested friends ended up, eh?” “I have,” Twilight replied simply. “Yeah, well. I objected to their treatment. Quite vehemently, I might add,” Rainbow Dash declared. “I’m surprised you weren't tossed in there with them,” Twilight remarked. Rainbow Dash growled and pawed a metal hoof against the ground. “I tried to be, but they told me that they were too much of a security risk, and that they couldn't allow it. I assume you have a plan to bust them out, right?” “I am hoping it won't come to that,” Twilight reluctantly stated. “Well, I’ll be ready for it either way,” Rainbow Dash declared, punctuating her point by activating a mechanism which reloaded her weapons. Twilight nodded slowly. “I’ll keep that in mind.” “You’ve checked in with the others already, right?” Rainbow Dash half asked, half stated. “I have,” Twilight answered. “All save for Rarity now.” Rainbow Dash grunted. “Then you left the worst for last.” “Did something else happen? Last I checked, both versions of Rarity were doing okay,” Twilight exclaimed. “They were fine for a while, but then they just collapsed and can't seem to move. Noone knows what to do with them,” Rainbow Dash muttered, her voice falling to the point that it was barely above a whisper. “Noone?” Twilight pressed. Rainbow Dash shook her head. “They think it's something to do with her having two personalities. Other than that? There's just been a whole bunch of guessing.” “That is unfortunate,” Twilight murmured. “You had best go give her a look yourself. Something tells me you might be the only one who can help the poor mare,” Rainbow Dash remarked as she walked over to a nearby table and began to refill the now empty magazines on her wrists. “Meet us down there in a couple hours. I should have everything settled by then, so we can talk about what happened and where we are going,” Twilight exclaimed, she too turning and trotting away. “Got it, boss,” Rainbow Dash replied. Twilight’s smile faltered as she made her way over to the exit, pausing next to the door activation panel in order to glance at Rainbow Dash. The mare made no effort to remove her suit, merely reloading the spent compartment before cleaning the barrels with a special tool. Though calm,and collected on the outside, Twilight knew better than to simply trust her eyes. Rainbow Dash was in pain, a lot of it too. Sure she hid it well, and was at least talking more, but Twilight knew better than to assume Rainbow Dash was returning to normal. That wouldn't happen until she got her wings back, a possibility that was extremely unlikely, even if she was infested. With that dark, bitter thought in the forefront of her mind, Twilight hit the large green button. This time she didn't wait for the door to open fully and merely hopped through the center of it before trotting towards the train station. As she did so, Twilight’s mind extended, sweeping over the area and swiftly locating Steel Heart nearby. The earth pony was standing next to an air vent, a lit cigarette between her lips, and a distant, almost glazed expression in her eye. Twilight’s heavy hoofalls alerted the mare to the fact that she was no longer alone, and she blinked in confusion as the infested approached her. “Done already? I woulda thought you two needed more time alone,” Steel Heart remarked, puffing rapidly on her quickly dying smoke. “She is a mare of few words, as am I,” Twilight replied. “Evidently.” Steel Heart stamped out the butt before tossing it in a nearby garbage bin. “I assume you two will be talking more later, eh?” Twilight nodded. “This was just to confirm if she was okay and judge how she's adapted to her new role.” “In that regard I’d say she's been doing pretty well,” Steel Heart exclaimed. “That mare is about the only reason the Reaper program is still going. Before her there weren't many who could control the jets long enough to fly even short distances. Which is why we’ve reconfigured most to just boost short distances.” “Rainbow Dash was an incredibly adept flyer. I’m not surprised she's mastered it so quickly,” Twilight remarked. “Let us continue to our next destination, however. I need to have several important discussions before this day can finally be over.” “Right. Follow me,” Steel Heart replied. Together the duo trotted over to the train once more, though Steel Heart paused before she entered through its doors. “Hey, are you sure you don't want some coffee or something? It's a bit of a trot to the hospital, and I doubt the head honcho will be able to fit ya into his schedule right away.” Twilight snorted. “I wish. My body thinks caffeine is a dangerous chemical and breaks it down before it can do much more than make me need to pee.” “You haven't had the stuff we make down in the bays,” Steel Heart exclaimed, grabbing Twilight by the shoulders and turning her towards a hallway that ended with what looked like a breakroom. “Just trust me, a cup of this will set you straight, or burn through your stomach lining like boiling acid.” “Ha, bring it on,” Twilight declared. Twilight tapped her right hoof rapidly against the ground as they stood in a non-descript grey elevator. “Pretty good, eh?” Steel Heart remarked. Twilight shook her head and glanced over to Steel Heart. “Oh yeah, very. I feel disturbingly awake.” “Just don't have too much of it, or that ticker of yours might beat its way through your chest,” Steel Heart exclaimed, pounding a hoof against her own chest in emphasis. “Or liquify my insides,” Twilight replied. Steel Heart chuckled. “Yeah, or that.” “So, how far away were we again?” Twilight asked. “It feels like we’ve been riding this elevator forever.” “Palliative care is fairly high up, I’m afraid,” Steel Heart replied. Twilight frowned, but ultimately said nothing, her mind running through every possibility she could imagine. Last she had seen the unicorn, Rarity had been physically fine, though her mental state was an entirely different story. Even then, she had at least established a working relationship with her other self, so that seemed unlikely to be the problem. Thankfully Twilight’s train of thought was put to a stop when the doors of the elevator opened to reveal a mostly white waiting room. A single nurse sat behind a desk, several monitors arrayed before her, and a chess set sitting next to her. The only other pony around was an elderly earth pony who was crouched on a chair and was busy staring intensely at the board. “Can I help you?” asked the nurse, who rose quickly from the desk. “I’m here to see Rarity,” Twilight declared. “And you are?” the nurse demanded, her rose-colored eyes narrowing. “A friend, and if you don't believe me, you can ask her yourself,” Twilight exclaimed. “It's fine,” Steel Heart interrupted. “Twilight here is something of an expert, and one of the few who may be able to help your patient.” The nurse slowly sat back down, though she continued to peer intently at the infested mare. Until at long last she nodded and gestured to her left where a long hallway filled with doors waited for them. “Number thirteen. I’ll buzz ahead and warn her of your arrival,” offered the other mare. “Don't bother, she knows,” Twilight replied, trotting towards the hall without waiting for a response. Steel Heart and the mare shared a shrug before one followed after her charge, and the other turned back to the board. “Have you still not decided on a move?” whispered the nurse. “Don't rush me. I gotta concentrate,” muttered the stallion. The nurse sighed. “So did ya tell her with your mind powers?” Steel Heart asked after catching up to Twilight. “Rarity isn't as powerful as Pinkie Pie, but she does have practice and training,” Twilight explained. “Though distracted, the second we reached this floor, she knew of our presence. I am a little surprised she has regained so much of her power, however. I would have thought Nightmare Moon had neutered her permanently.” Twilight pushed her way through the door and into the hospital room, her gaze immediately fixing on Rarity’s prone form. “H-hello, d-d-darling,” muttered the pony, her eyes flickering from one color to the other with each noise she uttered. “So g-g-good to see y-y-you are okay.” “I wish I could say the same for you,” Twilight remarked as she looked around. Though small, the space was private, with a small ensuite bathroom and enough room for several chairs to rest next to Rarity’s bed. Which itself sat near a large window that overlooked the settlement and its many towering metal structures. Though nearly everything was a blinding white, there were splotches of color such as a row of get well soon cards sitting on the windowsill. “I’m f-f-f-f-” Rarity bit her tongue and closed her eyes. “Fine.” “Doesn't look like it,” Steel Heart retorted. Twilight sighed. “As much as it pains me to agree with Steel Heart on such a subject, I’m afraid it's true, Rarity. You look like shit.” The mare did indeed look like she had seen better days, as her fur was falling out in clumps, and her mane was in disarray. Not only that, but her hooves had also been strapped to the sides of the bed, though they were mostly hidden by a white blanket that covered up to Rarity’s neck. It didn't look like she had slept much either, as her eyes looked sunken, and had dark bags hanging under them. “I’ve j-j-j-just b-b-been s-stressed,” Rarity stuttered, her body twitching visibly as she struggled to speak. “What happened?” Twilight asked, pulling up a seat and resting next to the mare. “You seemed like you were going to be alright the last time I saw you.” “I suppose things have n-n-n-” Rarity stopped herself and took a deep breath. “I admit it's-not been g-g-going as w-w-well as w-we h-h-hoped.” “May I enter your mind? Perhaps this conversation would be easier there,” Twilight offered. Rarity seemed conflicted for a moment, her face flashing from one emotion to the next before finally settling on grim acceptance. “Y-you m-may,” she muttered. “Don't worry, Steel Heart. I won't be long,” Twilight remarked. “I’ll go rustle up a donut or something so you got something to suck up all that coffee,” Steel Heart offered as she rose from her seat. Twilight nodded and turned back to Rarity, who wore a strained smile on her weathered features. “We’ll figure this out,” Twilight whispered as she took the other mare’s hoof. “We hope so,” Rarity muttered. Closing her eyes, Twilight reached out with her powers and connected herself to Rarity’s turbulent mindscape. Just touching the roiling mass of emotions and thoughts felt like dipping her hoof in boiling water, but Twilight pushed on. She wasn't about to give up when her friend was suffering, not when she could potentially do something about it. So with that thought firmly at the forefront of her mind, Twilight soldiered on, her physical body swiftly falling away. It was then replaced by a metaphysical one that, although didn't exist in the strictest sense of the word, still felt like it did. Unfortunately for Twilight, it gave her all the normal feelings her regular form did, like vertigo from falling upwards while spinning around. All around her, memories, thoughts, and emotions sprawled out into a mix of sound and sight. Doors opened to reveal tender moments between mother and child while others contained only darkness. These endless hallways were occasionally marred by swirling masses of reddish hatred, dark blue regret, and cancerous envy. The raw emotions quickly become bulging tumours on the unicorn’s mindscape. “Enough,” Twilight uttered, using a small amount of her power to force Rarity’s mind into a more orderly state. The hallways and color fell away until there was only the small hospital room and a single double-wide bed containing two ponies. One a mere foal, the other an adult, both besmirched by whatever affliction had blighted Rarity in the waking world. They seemed confused for a moment, that was until they both laid eyes on Twilight who stood tall at the end of their bed. “We are in our mind now, right?” asked the elder Rarity. “We are,” Twilight answered. “And I already have a good feeling as to what is troubling you.” “What is it?” asked the younger of the two, who tried to rise from her bed, only to be caught by something. Glancing down, the two Rarity’s found that they were bound together by thick black chains wound around their wrists. Both old and young seemed ready to panic, the walls crumbling as the roof started to lower. Twilight was quick to put this to an end, however, and clopped her hooves, gaining their attention. “That is the source of your discontent,” Twilight stated. “It is also your life line. Destroy it, and you both shall suffer.” “How do you know that? You’ve only been here for a few seconds,” replied the elder. “Your sense of time is skewed. It's actually been ten minutes since I first entered your mindscape,” Twilight replied, trotting over to the window and gazing out over the great white expanse beyond. “In that time I have been able to deduce that your minds both see the other as some manner of foreign entity.” “And our fur falling out?” inquired the younger. “Why would that happen if it's our mind that's hurting.” “It must be due to the overabundance of magic we now have, but can barely use,” reasoned the elder, glancing expectantly at Twilight. “But why would it only happen now? I thought the system you made would keep us in balance.” “I thought so too, but I was wrong,” Twilight admitted. “I had assumed that both of you were missing a part of yourself that the other had, which would have allowed the both of you to exist within the same brain. As your younger self came into her own and settled into her, or your body, her consciousness did not merge or form a symbiotic relationship with your own. This is likely due to her unconsciously attempting to take over what she saw as her own body.” “But I didn't want that to happen,” interrupted the younger. “And I don't want to hurt old Rarity either.” “I am not that much…” the older of the two stopped and took a breath. “It doesn't matter because I have a solution.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Well, that's good, because I don't really know how to help if I’m being honest.” “It's simple,” the older Rarity exclaimed, glancing at her counterpart. “You have to kill me.”