Halo: Awake and Alive (Book 2, Arbiter x Female human series.)

Light

Cassie couldn't stay awake much longer her eyes grew heavy and she was yawning a lot. She spent the last 5 hours studying the different medications that the UNSC had with them. She searched for anything that would wake Bria up but found nothing.

She looked across the room to find that Elite was studying something as well. She didn't know what. It could've been something that the Sangheili do to treat others. Maybe? He stared at Bria every once in a while. The hope in his eyes told Cassie that he hasn't given up. Neither has she.

"You care about her. Don't you?" Cassie broke the silence.

Thel looked at her. He was quiet for a minute. "Too much..." he replied.

Cassie found it freakishly weird that her best friend was dating a Sangheili. But it was kind of adorable. She hadn't seen anyone care for Bria as much as that Elite did.

Thel brushed his hand against Bria's face. He softly took a strand of her hair and felt it.

"She'll be okay," Cassie said. Thel looks up at her again. "If you've known her as long as I have, you'll know that she is a fighter. She won't let this take her away."

Thel looked back down at Bria. "Do you think she can hear us?"

"In some cases in a coma, the brain could be awake. She probably wouldn't remember when she wakes up, but she could possibly hear us." Cassie replied. She joined Thel near Bria's bed and she took her hand. "If she could, she would hear me say that she is the most awesome best friend I've ever had and that I believe she can fight through and survive."

Thel looked away.

"I know you don't know me, or trust me. But you have to trust me for Bria's sake." She said.

"What are your intentions?" Thel asked, looking her straight in the eye.

"My intentions are to help her. I-I don't even want to be on this stupid ship! But I'm here for her." She said. She was starting to get irritated with this Elite. "Listen. We don't have to be best friends. But we both have the same intentions, we both love Bria to death. So we both have to get along to help her."

"Give me your word." Thel glared.

"What?"

"Your word. Promise that you will help her." Thel said.

"I give you my word. I will help her." She said.

"If you betray her, or me. I will have your head." Thel turned around and left the room.

Cassie sighed in frustration. They needed to get along.

Bria stared blankly at her sister. Her dead sister. Did this mean that Bria was dead too?

"Beth?" Bria reached out to her but Beth backed away.

"Hello, sister." Beth smiled at her.

"Y-you're here? Alive? Are you alive? Are we dead?" Bria was very confused.

"We're not dead." Beth replied.

"Than where are we?" Bria looked around.

"Light or darkness?" Beth said.

"W-What?" Bria quickly turned around to look at her.

"Do you choose light or darkness?" Beth repeated.

"I-I don't know what you mean?"

"Your destiny. The powers you have, they could be used for good or evil, yes? I will be showing you the paths you will face." Beth started to walk.

"W-wait Beth!" Bria chased after her.

Suddenly they were in a different room. Not a room at all, but a different land. It was a very green land. People were running around frantically to different tents. Medical tents.

"This is one of your paths." Beth said. Suddenly Bria saw herself exit out of one of the tents.

What the? Bria felt like passing out. What the heck was going on?

Bria watches herself as she was running to a different tent. She was wearing an eggshell white outfit with a Red Cross on one of her shoulders. She was a doctor? Suddenly she saw Thel, Bria watched herself rush up to him while she was running to a different tent, she said something to him and kissed him and ran off.

"This is my dream." Bria slightly smiled. "I always wanted to be a doctor."

"I remember when we were little, you used to play doctor on me." Beth said.

"I remember that too. Mom got so mad at me when I spilled the fake blood on the white countertop." Bria and Beth both laughed.

"Unfortunately though, living a good life means dealing with not-so-good people." Beth said sadly.

Suddenly they teleported into a different room a small dark room. Bria was chained onto a chair, blindfolded and crying. In the distance, she heard groans of pain. She recognized the voice.

"Thel!" Both she and her other self yelled. Purple blood started seeping under the door.

"I don't want to see this anymore." She whispered as the blood pooled around her feet.

The door busted open and a man covered in Thels blood came inside with a bloody knife. Her other self cried louder.

"Beth I don't want to see this anymore!" Bria shouted. She closed her eyes as the man got closer. But when she opened them, they were back in the white room.

Cassie fell asleep at the table she was studying on. She looked at the clock to see what time it was. Then she looked over at Bria, who was still in a deep slumber. She wondered where that Elite went. If he didn't trust her, why would he leave her alone with Bria?

"Top of the morning!" The door busted open scaring Cassie half to death! A man walked in with a coffee mug. That he set in front of Cassie. She stared blankly at the man, it was Buck. Spartan Buck. "Names Buck. You probably know me, probably not. By the way, your face is I'm assuming you do." Cassie closed her mouth realizing that it was open. "I've been told to take care of you. Well, actually I didn't it what this kiddo would've wanted. Me and her are good buds." Buck gestured to Bria.

"You're... you're Buck!" Cassie said.

"Yes, I told you that. You can get pictures later, hows's our little nameless possessed warrior doing?" He said.

"U-uh still in a coma sir..." She said.

"Please call me buck." He rolled his eyes. "You're her best friend? I'll fight you for that title. Just kidding. That would be weird."

"I'm Cassie." She said. "Did you know where that elite went?"

"Oh, arbiter? Yeah, I think he was having a temper tantrum somewhere." He said.

"I wonder why he's taking this so hard?" She whispered.

"Maybe because they're in love or something? I don't know." Buck shrugged.

"Let's find him. I need to talk to him about the cure."