“Chief, Knight behind you!” a marine shouted.
Master Chief John-117 raised his DMR and turned around just in time to have a Knight’s orange hardlight blade stab through his chestplate. Blood spurted from the wound, and Chief’s visor display flickered and disappeared.
The Knight pulled his blade out of Master Chief’s chest and Master Chief hit the ground with a heavy thud of metal on grass. The marines focused their fire on the Promethean, quickly killing it. As it died, it disintegrated in the death that became so common to see on the fake forerunner planet, Requiem.
“We need an emergency medical evac, NOW!” A marine called into his radio.
Static crackled from the radio, and a voice said “unable to evac, extraction point is too hot”
“Then shoot the goddamn Crawlers! We gotta get chief outta here now!” the marine yelled. There was a pause in the radio transmission.
“Falcons flying over for a strafing run. Firing for effect.” the voice from the radio said.
As that conversation was happening, marines were frantically applying liberal amounts of bio-foam to Master Chief’s wound. Chief’s chest was rising and falling rapidly.
“Nothing’s working! We gotta get him to an evac point now,” a marine said after the marines used all of the available bio-foam.
At that moment, a formation of falcons flew over, shooting everything they had at the Crawlers below while still maintaining speed.
After the falcons took out all the Prometheans, the marines looked at the only clearing for miles and saw the last thing they wanted to see at this moment, flying toward the clearing.
Three phantoms, two loaded with wraiths, the other with two ghosts
“I am not dealing with this scum!” a defected elite in the marine’s squad said in Sangheili. He sprinted out to the clearing, remembering that at least one of the Knights had an incineration cannon.
He found the incineration cannon, picked it up, and aimed it at the middle phantom. There was a blipping, then an extended beep.
“Take this, scum suckers!” he screamed, firing the promethean weapon at the incoming phantoms. The shot flew through the air, hitting the middle phantom.
After the explosion cleared, the marine could see falling covenant and purplish-blue smoke where the phantom was.
The elite checked his ammo and saw he had only one shot left.
“Where’s a plasma launcher when you need one?” the elite muttered. He reloaded the launcher.
He aimed at the left phantom, let the launcher lock on, and fired. The shot aimed true and blew up the second phantom. The elite leaned to the right a bit, annoyed that there was still one phantom left.
Amazingly, the after-explosion tracking explosives changed course and flew after the last phantom, wounding it but not killing it.
The phantom was smoking and teetering heavily, and the elite knew the phantom was a sniper shot away from exploding. He knew because he had experienced it. Quite recently in fact.
“If someone has a sniper, shoot that damn phantom now!” the elite roared in English.
A marine with a sniper aimed at the phantom and fired.
The phantom exploded in a fabulous display of purple, white, and blue.
Back at the radio, the voice spoke. “Whoever that marine was, he needs a commendation.”
Up at the last explosion site, or below it, to be more accurate, a kig-yar was falling, alive, and trying to maintain aim of his beam rifle. The jackal fired, hitting the Elite square in the back.
Unfortunately for the Elite, his shields were down, and the beam ripped through the Elite’s flesh, wounding him as grievously as Master Chief was wounded.
----------------------Back on the UNSC infinity, finally back in the air after the crash----------------------
“The evac has been completed, men. We must remove Chief’s armor and heal him. The elite who so willingly fought to help us also needs seeing to,” the commander said.
Doctors wheeled Master Chief to the Spartan Armor Remover and placed his unconscious body in the mounts. At the same time, the elite were being placed on a surgery bed, about to be treated for plasma-induced internal burns.
“Doctor, the elite isn’t stabilizing, but we have to do something for him.” a nurse said.
“We can do nothing but ensure a painless death for him now.” the doctor said sternly.
In another wing of the ship, Chief’s wound was being treated.
After an hour of medical work, the doctors have made no headway in saving Master Chief.
“We might have to let him go. . .” a doctor said.
The Chief leaned his head up and said, “I know I’m going to die. I just want to die next to the elite who risked his life to help me and his squad.”
The doctor opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and nodded.
The doctors began the long walk to the enlisted men's medical wing, pushing Chief in front of them.
When the doctors wheeled Master Chief into the Elite’s room, the elite says, “Aue wrof khu gruis nadael?” (What is he doing in here?)
“He requested he died next to you, as you had risked your life for him. From what I heard, you are in the same boat as him,” the doctor wheeling chief into the room said. “And I know you can understand me, Eyan Ferrus. Quit speaking in sangheili, please.”
“Fine, but I want to die the same time as him, to acquire some honor dying with him.” Eyan said.
“Hey, I’m still alive” chief said. “Weak, alive, and not deaf.”
The captain of the ship then walked into the medical wing.
“Well well, chief. You are fraternizing with the enemy. That’s treason. On my ship, the penalty of treason is death” the captain said. He pulled out two magnums and aimed at the elite’s head and chief’s head respectively. “This Elite does not belong on this ship, regardless of whether he defected or not.”
“You do that, and your crew will overthrow you, captain” Chief said. “Within a week, you will no longer have control of this ship.”
“You think I care? You are just a man, like me. Men kill each other.” the captain said, glaring at chief.
“Then do it. I’m going to die anyway.” chief said defiantly.
With that comment, the captain pulled the triggers of both pistols, hitting chief and Eyan square in the forehead simultaneously.
The duo stood in the darkness, everything silent.
“Aue ei wruq? Ei wer skraq gruis oss mwek, amreia?” eyan asked. (Am I dead? I was shot in the head, right?)
“Yeah, we were.” Chief replied in perfect sangheili.
“I didn’t know you could speak our noble language, John-117. . .” Eyan noted.
“Well, when you’ve done as many covert ops as me, you pick up a few things. . .” Chief trailed off. The duo stood silently for a minute or two.
“Am I hallucinating, or are we in our armor? I remember we were both removed from our armor when they attempted to heal us.” Eyan said.
“Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. We need to get our bearings and set up a camp” Chief said.
A twig snapped behind the duo. They twisted around and pointed their pistols at the sound’s location. A pink mane and butter-yellow equine body appeared in the green glow of Eyan’s plasma pistol.
“o-oh, my. . .” a light, feminine voice said in English
Chief lowered his weapon and Eyan followed suit. Chief turned to Eyan and asked, “We aren’t hallucinating, are we? That small horse just spoke, didn’t it?”
“It seems it did, John.” Eyan replied.
Chief turned around and kneeled down in front of the Technicolor pony. “As you seem to be a sentient being, do you have a name?” Chief asked the pony.
“m-my name is f-fluttersh-shy . . . please don’t hurt me” the pony said, hiding behind its forehooves.
Chief holstered his pistol and nodded at Eyan. Eyan placed his plasma pistol on its magnetic holster.
“Fluttershy,” that word felt weird coming out of Eyan’s mouth. “What planet are me and my friend on?” Eyan asked.
Fluttershy whimpered and said, “I d-don’t know, you’ll have to ask my f-friend, Twilight S-Sparkle.”
“Can you take us to this ‘Twilight Sparkle’, Fluttershy?” Eyan asked in an even softer tone.
“That won’t be necessary, Fluttershy,” A motherly voice said behind Chief and Eyan. “I have Twilight Sparkle right here beside me.”
Chief looked over his shoulder to see a tall, white horse with a long, pointed horn and large wings. Next to the white horse was a shorter, purplish horse with the same traits.
“Ah, I was wondering the exact time in which you would arrive, John-117. I see you brought a friend, too . . . Good. I am Princess Celestia, and this is my student, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia said, pointing her hoof at herself, then at Princess Sparkle.
“It’s an honor to meet you Master Chief Petty Officer John-117,” Twilight Sparkle says, barely holding off a squeal of excitement.
“How do you know me?” Chief asks, grabbing the DMR from the magnetic holster on his back and holding it so it can be brought to the ready position quickly if necessary.
“Please put that . . . thing . . . away, Chief. we’ve seen what you’ve done with the things you call guns” Celestia says.
Chief replaces the gun on his back.
“You haven’t answered my question.” Chief notes.
“We have our methods, Chief. Now, if you and your friend place your hands on my back, we’ll take you to the Castle where we can explain easier . . . and safer.” Celestia says. Chief does so, and Eyan steps forward and places his hand on her back too.
The trio appear in the castle with a ‘pop’. Twilight appears shortly after with Fluttershy by her side.
“I’m going to go get the rest of the Elements.” Twilight says, then she disappears again.
Chief turns to Celestia, who had sat down on her throne.
“First thing’s first, what planet and system are we on?” Eyan asked.
“You are on the planet of Equis, fifth planet from the sun in the system Equoria. The country you are in is the country of Equestria. To the north, The Crystal Kingdom and the Frozen North. To the East, the Great East Sea and Griffonia beyond that. To the West, the Great West Sea. To the Southeast, Dragonia. All other land is Equestria” Celestia said, laying out a map of the country of Equestria.
(here is the map i just described, and the map celestia laid out)
“Good morning, Celestia. What’d I miss?” a voice in it’s mid-twenties asks. Chief turns around to see Noble Six of Noble Team, which fought on planet Reach.
-insert your ‘Halo: Reach’ Noble Six appearance here-
“You’re Noble Six?” chief said.
Noble Six folded his arms over his chest. “You’re the Master Chief?” Six asked in reply.
“Do you remember the AI you delivered? She’s right here.” Chief said. He lifted his hand to shoulder level, palm up.
Cortana appears in Chief’s palm, the first and only AI generated from living tissue. She flickers and flashes red twice, then returns to normal.
“Chief, now there is no way we can save me from rampancy, now that Doctor Halsey is so far away. I don't even know where we are. It’s outside my knowledge base.” Cortana sighs. She disappears from Chief’s hand, and he lowers it.
“Oh you don’t need to worry about that. Princesses Celestia and Luna tell me they have been brainstorming ever since Cortana was created on Reach. They have a solution, but it’s an unlikely solution at best.” Six said.
“Excuse me, but where do I come into this?” Eyan asked.
“Ah yes, the defector of Requiem. There is always at least one defector per planet when the covenant fights humans on their own settlements. The arbiter is a perfect example. Now, how you are important. . . Oh yes, you are to fight by Chief’s side in an upcoming war.” Celestia said.
"exactly how long have you been watching the Human-Covenant war?" Chief asked Celestia.
"Ever since the first covenant landed on Harvest, Spartan," Celestia replied. Chief turned to Six
“Why don’t you fight with us, Six?” Chief asked.
“I gave up my gun for the ponies to research it for the mass production of ammunition for when you were to arrive, and they recreated my armor, tested its capabilities, and modified the hell out of it. If you try to break through my armor with a sniper rifle round, I don't even feel the impact, let alone have it damage my shield much.”
“What's the catch about this upgrade?” Chief asks.
“The weakness of our shields is magic, primarily electric magic,” Six says. “But really all magic in general.”
“Magic? How is that possible?” Eyan asks. Everyone ignores him.
“The good news?” Chief asks.
“The metal part of our armor can be reinforced with crystals that have magic-collecting abilities,” six replies, “making our inner metal armor a magical weapon to be deployed when you will it to be deployed. as a demonstration, i will ask celestia to charge me with electricity when i disable my shields”
Six’s shields turn off and Celestia’s horn lights up, making a large bolt of electricity hit Six’s armor. The electricity crackles and snaps as it is absorbed into a greenish-yellow crystal above the shield generator that Chief and Eyan didn't notice earlier.
“Open the window” Six says.
Celestia opens the window with magic, and Six points his hand out the window.
