Chapters Author's Note
I fixed up a part of this chapter I've been meaning to mend for a year. I'm going to work on the next batch of chapters, and they should start coming out soon.
I'm so sorry for the long hiatus!
Prologue
The Forerunners, A Species Lost In Time
Long, long ago, before the reign of the Princesses, before the existence of the Elements of Harmony, before the dawn of ponykind, our world was not our own. Our world was but a hunk of rock, molten and burning. But then they came. A great race stood tall, one that traversed the very heavens, harnessed the energy of the countless universes besides our own. A race that created worlds, captured stars, invented new life, and bringing peace wherever they went, only to leave behind their great civilization. The Forerunners.
They made great ships of metal and light, sailing through the black canvas of space and growing structures within the earth. They resided throughout, living long past our own, when we came. And then, one day, they vanished. But their legend remained. And as the sands of time moved on, trickling through their hourglass, we lost our memories of the great people that stood above us, bearing the burden of the Mantle. This is the last great compendium of their society, and this is their story.
-------------------- 99,000 Years Before The Reign Of The Princesses --------------------
Hardlight-Shines-Eternal stood on the bridge, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed at the anomaly. He was clad in his silver and icy cyan armor, angular helmet folded back so he could feel the light of the star before him. He was in a transport shuttle, having just exited the realm of Slipspace to continue towards his objective, which hid behind the large ball of fire and gas before him. No, what he was travelling to was his new residence, orders straight from the Iso-Didact himself. He was to go to a Halo ring, one that had been moved to where the anomaly stayed.
The oddity was unique, above all other things. The star orbited the planet, not the other way around. Furthermore, it was close to the size of a red dwarf, yet was the brilliant yellow of the average star. And strangest of all, was that it did not move by gravity. The Forerunners had stumbled upon the blue-green planet, landing on new turf. They found many strange species, ranging from creatures with golden-furred hindquarters and avian fronts to the fauna that moved the sun.
He shook his head in amazement. The so-called ponies, specifically a large group of unicorns, combined together to use something they called magic to shift the celestial object across the heavens. Some of the residents, mainly the hybrid “griffons” and “minotaurs” were extremely warlike, and were avoided by the Forerunners. This system was so out of the way, it was nigh impossible for the Flood to infect the planet. “Approaching objective. Prepare for landing,” a voice said, the ship’s ancilla. Hardlight sighed, before forming his helmet with a thought. He stepped onto the surface of the Halo ring, a hand guarding his eyes from the sun.
He walked, following his objective until he came upon an inconspicuous structure. It was a bunker, and inside lay a cryostorage pod, where he would sleep and wait for the return to the Mantle. He smiled softly, setting his Lightrifle and Scattershot on the nearby rack for care and storage. Settling into the pod, he waited for the cold and black to seep in. While he laid in his catatonic state, the Halo ring settled into a orbit that matched the sun, so it would remain hidden until he was needed.
-------------------- Present day, Twilight Sparkle’s library --------------------
Twilight Sparkle heaved a sigh, shutting the large tome in front of her. She stood up on her hooves, joints creaking in protest. She picked up the book with levitation, shelving it back under ‘F’ in the Myths section. “I really don’t know why that was in History, it’s just a load of fairytales.” She muttered, glancing at The Forerunners, A Species Lost In Time with suspicion.
Suddenly shadow fell upon the tree, casting the unicorn in darkness. She quickly teleported outside, then quickly shielded her eyes from the blinding white that surrounded a black dot. She had read about these, but only in books written a very long time ago. It was a solar eclipse, an event that occurred less than once every millenium. Something different poked out of the white, however, something that was curved. As it floated gently out of the painful shine of the eclipse, Twilight gasped. Before her eyes, resting near the sun, was an enormous ring. She rushed inside to message the Princesses about it, nervous and excited that it might be something new.
-------------------- Canterlot, the Royal Palace --------------------
Princess Celestia sat upon her throne, gazing throughout the enormous hall. Eyes lingering on the window that showed the defeat of Nightmare Moon, she began remembering the joy she felt at having Luna back, a happiness she still felt. Suddenly a scroll appeared before her, and she opened it. It was a letter from Twilight, about how a giant ring was next to her sun. Her eyes squinted in confusement, before she turned to look outside.
And she was met with an awe-inspiring sight. A massive ring indeed sat by her fiery charge, light reflecting off of the object. She swore she saw clouds, oceans, and even the green of forests on the inside, before she was interrupted by the doors banging open to reveal a wounded guard. “Princess!” He shouted, coughing up blood. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight, the guard had multiple spear shafts sunk in his body, as well as numerous lacerations. “The grif-griffons are…” He gasped, lungs starting to fail, collapsing to the ground in front of the shocked mare. “They’re attacking.”
He went limp with one final sigh, eyes clouding over in death. Celestia was shell-shocked, not having seen such horror since the day she had banished Nightmare Moon. Having one of her little ponies fall dead hurt her, much more than all the wounds the guard had accumulated. She looked back at the ring, and made a decision. Her horn glowed gold, and she vanished in a brilliant flash.
-------------------- Halo Ring --------------------
A large flash like a sun appeared in the middle of a clearing, before bursting to reveal a tall, white alicorn. Celestia looked around, taking in how everything appeared safe, then began walking, not noticing that a single blue eye was following her.
The Sentinel watched the creature that had somehow appeared in its patrol route, flying behind and above the intruder. It activated one of its emitters, sending information to the lone Forerunner ancilla aboard the Halo ring. The ancilla acknowledged, before ordering the Sentinel to keep its eye on the alien while it began waking the last surviving Forerunner, Hardlight-Shines-Eternal. The lights buried and hidden throughout the structure began glowing, activating dusty archives and towering citadels, bringing to life the long-dead superweapon.
Hardlight was needed.
A beeping sound pierced my ears, rattling around my head while I slowly floated away from the dark cold of cryostorage. I felt compression, then the pressure suddenly vanished as my suit calibrated. I opened my eyes, and they were met with my HUD. My shields were drained, but began filling up with orange once again. “Beginning diagnostics. Welcome back, Hardlight-Shines-Eternal. An unknown entity has appeared on the Halo, and is being tracked by Sentinel #1832. Current route is predicted to lead to your location.” My ancilla said, as the blue female figure appeared in the back of my mind. A red dot appeared on my motion tracker, clearly on the edges. I gave a thought, and a small rectangle appeared on the right, the same view as the Sentinel.
My eyes widened in shock, as I saw a tall white pony. I recognized the species from the reports on them, but this one was different. It had large wings, a long horn, and its mane and tail were multicolored and flowing in a nonexistent wind. I dismissed the camera, and stepped out of my pod. I blinked. The room was covered in vines, and only some lights were on. Those that were powered were flickering, apparently the power was lost. I held out my arms towards the wall by my pod, and luckily said wall cracked open, shards floating out gently in an orange glow. A pair of metallic rods floated out, with triggers on them.
I grasped them, and the remaining pieces of metal came over, forming my weapons. The barrels formed first, alloy clinking into place. As the parts slowly rebuilt as the guns calibrated to my biosignature, I listened to my suit’s ancilla. “While you were asleep, your weapons have been upgraded. They now have reactors built in, providing a limitless supply of ammunition. You must still eject the spent rounds, so the weapons may refill.”
I smiled at the news. “Thank you. That’s very useful. Any news on the entity?” I questioned, thinking about the pony.
“Entity is now fifty meters away. Sentinel #1832 is now returning to regular patrol route. Activate defenses?”
I shook my head, even though the artificial intelligence couldn’t see it. “That will not be required. The creature is a pony, but it has the characteristics of two of the main species. Send out a pair of Sentinels, and request the pony’s presence. I wish to know why it is here.”
“Working… Done.”
-------------------- Twenty Meters From Cryostorage ------------------
A pair of white objects with blue eyes floated out from an archway, towards Princess Celestia. A series of strange noises emitted from them, and they waited in front of her. A different sound pattern, and another wait. “I’m sorry. I do not understand you.”
One “blinked”, before it spoke again. This time the language was less garbled, then it spoke, “Speech pattern analyzation complete. Hardlight-Shines-Eternal requests your presence.” They turned around, and floated inside, leaving a confused Celestia.
She strode after them, looking at the foliage-covered building. It was a squat, round hut, made of a shimmering silver metal. Orange lights flickered in the distance, making the Princess uneasy. A feminine voice sounded, “Apologies. This facility has experienced power failures in the previous hundred thousand years. As such, energy has been redirected to keeping Hardlight alive. Please, do not be alarmed. The Sentinels will not attack.”
Celestia blinked. “One hundred thousand years? Keeping alive? What are you, these Sentinels, and what is this Hardlight?” Her mind whirled with questions, especially as to what this so-called facility was.
“Your questions will be answered. Hardlight is now exiting cryostorage. Please, be seated.” Came the reply.
“What seats?” Celestia asked, before a large silver chair formed out of the floor. She shook her head in confusion, then gasped as a large silver being stepped into the room.
The creature carried a large blue blade, attached by a silver handle. Then it spoke, “Greetings. I’m Hardlight-Shines-Eternal, a Forerunner. Who are you?”
-------------------- Hardlight-Shines-Eternal’s POV --------------------
I stood still as I watched the pony’s jaw opening and closing, without a sound. “I apologise if I’m intimidating, but it comes as a part of being a Warrior-Servant. What kind of pony are you? The last photos I saw were of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies. I do not know how long I was kept in cryostorage. The facility ancilla only just woke me.”
“I-I’m Princess Celestia. I just didn’t expect for there to be anything alive here. According to the so called ancilla, you were asleep for a hundred thousand years. How is this possible in a being other than an alicorn?”
I nodded, “So you’re an alicorn. That’s new. The time explains why the Halo is barely functioning, I was lucky to survive for so long. I am a Forerunner. We, as a species, live for many thousands of years at a time. I believe you have some questions?”
Celestia blinked, “How did you know?”
I chuckled. “The Halo ancilla told my suit ancilla, which told me in turn. If there is anything you require, I will do my best to provide it. The Forerunners were friends of ponykind for a long time. I trust that it remains so?”
The Princess shook her head, “No, there are few records of you now. I lent my student Twilight Sparkle the last one, called The Forerunners, A Species Lost In Time . I thought you were but a myth myself.”
I was startled. “Is there not even a Lifeworker on the planet’s surface? I swear, there were at least five when I arrived at the Halo ring. The reason I came here was because… Of… The Flood… Oh no.”
The alicorn frowned, “What is it? What is this Halo ring you keep mentioning? And what is the Flood?”
I gazed sorrowfully at her, “The Flood was a living organism that transformed anything it touched into a part of it, converting all sentient life into a mass of flesh intent on destroying everything. The Halo rings were weapons designed to destroy the food source for the Flood, by eliminating all life above the microbial level. This one was a backup, moved here because there was no chance for the Flood to come to this system.”
“WHAT?!” Celestia yelled, a shout so powerful that it left my ears ringing.
“Would you please tone it down? I believe it is best if we leave for your planet, but I have no transport.” I said, looking at the countdown that appeared on my HUD until the power was lost for the Halo ring. It would lose control of its orbit and fall into the star, resulting in its complete annihilation.
“I can simply teleport us. Hold on for a second,” the Princess said, her horn glowing gold. Suddenly I felt like I was being stretched out, then snapped back into place. I tottered, disoriented, fighting my nausea.
“Welcome to my Royal Palace, in the capital city of Equestria, Canterlot.” the alicorn stated, as I came to my senses and looked around. I was in a large garden, that had different statues placed throughout. I stood slightly above the bushes, about half a meter higher, and I could see a large, primitive city built of cobble, straw, and plaster.
I nodded respectfully, “It is rather… Rustic, Princess. But why start caring for me so quickly? I’m just a stranger, and you said that I’m but a myth now.”
A smile appeared on her lips, I was still not sure how she did that. “You said so yourself, nearly all of your kind is dead. You treated me fairly, answered my questions, and then said that we should leave the Halo ring. I believe you earned my trust, for a legend.”
I nodded, “Ah, about that. My ancilla informed me that the Halo is going to lose power in approximately… Thirty minutes from now, and lose orbit and collapse into this planet’s sun. The facility ancilla is making sure the ring does not land on the planet instead.”
Her eyes widened, “What?! You were about to die?!”
I stated grimly, “If that is what it would take to uphold the Mantle. And I did not know until just prior, which is lucky, even for me. I’m a Warrior-Servant, I’m used to coming close to death when I fought the Flood.”
She saddened, “I am sorry that you lost your people. I truly am. Would you be willing to help us? The griffons have attacked without provocation, and I fear Equestria may fall into its first war in centuries. I have kept peace for a long time, but the griffons always were aggressive.”
I slumped, “I wish I did not have to. I do not take death lightly, otherwise the Mantle would be lost. However, I also know that peace cannot be retained forever, and one must stand and fight at a point. Records of the griffons show they were hostile to the Lifeworkers, even after they helped make their homeland more habitable. I must accept.” I unfolded my helmet, revealing my pale face. As my yellowish eyes looked around, squinting in the sunlight, I heard the Princess gasp.
“What-what happened to you? I’m sorry, that was rude…”
I simply shook my head, “It is fine. This is natural for me, caused by my mutation into the Promethean class of the Warrior-Servants. I am willing to keep my helmet on, however. May I inquire as to why you transported us to the gardens specifically?”
The Princess hid her embarrassment well, “I thought you would prefer a scenic entrance rather than appearing in a hallway.”
I waggled a finger, “Tsk, tsk. I may be a Warrior, but I am nothing if not perceptive. You wished to prevent panic amongst the nobles and upper class, and thus chose a quiet area. You feared they would react with outrage, attempt to oust me or even assassinate me, and then be held accountable for the extinction of a long-lost species. I prefer it when others are truthful, for then their honesty proves them an ally, one who can be trusted. I understand, however, and appreciate the gesture.”
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. “How-what-how dare you insinuate such a thing?”
“I did not insinuate, I inferred. I understand that you are upset that I could read you so well. You have likely spent a long time hiding the dark things from a bright and shining people, who were once actually savages fighting. The Lifeworkers brought peace to the three tribes, and improved the land for them. It is best to avoid keeping secrets from those who wish to help you, as we all know. The Builders learned that the hard way…”
I drifted off into thought, about the dark times led by Faber, or the Master Builder. He, as well as many other Builders, kept the secret of the Flood away from the general populace, all while seeking to further their own wealth and power. Celestia sighed, “I apologize. I feared just like you said, and my behaviour was uncalled for.”
I smiled, “Now now, we’re all friends here. Except for the pony that is currently hiding in the bushes nearby, that I can hear breathing.”
Said shrubs rustled, as a startled yelp was heard. A lavender unicorn walked out sheepishly, eyes downcast. “Twilight Sparkle?! What are you doing here?” Celestia said, shocked.
“I-I wanted to see if you learned anything, then I saw you teleport with this thing, and you started talking and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to find something new and I’m so sorry Princess! Please forgive me!”
I facepalmed while the Princess began comforting the unicorn. “That is no reason to be spying on someone, and I am not a thing. I am a Forerunner, of the elite Warrior-Servants, the Prometheans, and I have reason to believe I am the last of my kind.”
The pony turned, “A Forerunner? Hah, those are just old mare’s tales!”
I frowned, and stood up, “Allow me to demonstrate.” I rose up slightly, arms spread as I summoned my Autosentry, which was lit with a bright cyan glow. It levitated and scanned the area, before locking onto the purple unicorn.
“Unknown creature. Please identify yourself,” my sentry droned, while I sat back down.
“What is THAT?!” Twilight yelled, staring at the robot.
“My Autosentry. Provided to some of the best of the Prometheans, they have unlimited charge for flight and attack. Sadly, they do not have very good armor, and as such can easily be defeated. It is rather useful that they recharge, over a period of time to redeploy. Sentry, that is Twilight Sparkle. Nonhostile. Resume patrol, do not attack.”
“Affirmative.”
I nodded in appreciation, glad that it was still functioning after several thousand years. “I was informed by your Princess that my kind had faded to simply legends. You saw the large ring in the sky, correct?” At the nod, I continued, “That was a Halo ring, a superweapon designed to kill any sentient life down to the bacterial level in a distance of several hundred light-years. That one is a backup, in case one was destroyed. They were built as a last-resort, during the Forerunner-Flood war. Eight others were built, and only seven were needed to fire to wipe out all intelligent life in the galaxy. I think they WERE fired. I know that some of my kind fled before the Flood could eliminate the remnants of my species, but I have no reason to believe that they survived. In about fifteen minutes, the ring is going to crash into the sun, resulting in its destruction. It has been active for over a hundred thousand years, and is on the very dregs of its power. I am essentially the last reminder to my fellow Forerunners, without taking into account the numerous stars we have captured to prevent their deaths, planets we have built, species we have made, and structures we have engineered.”
The pony’s jaw dropped, “You mean… You built weapons that would destroy EVERYTHING?!”
I nodded, “Yes. Otherwise the Flood would have consumed us all, then continued onto the next galaxy, and the next, and the next. If we did not fire the rings, we would not be here today. Now then, would you be willing to give me a tour of the gardens?”
We began walking, as Celestia pointed out several different statues. My gaze landed on one particular one, titled Discord. “Ah, a Draconequus. One of the more random and unique creatures on this planet. From the records, they tended to give the Lifeworkers a lot of trouble, not truly messing with them but toying around on when they attempted to understand them. Celestia, you told me that you are under the threat of war. I am willing to provide my service, but I must warn you: Forerunners take a long time to anger and bring to war, but when we do then us Warrior-Servants will crush the opponents ruthlessly, squashing them while honoring how well they fight. I do not take killing lightly, so do not send me in recklessly, but choose the most important sites. And I will attack only if provoked, rather than risk slaughtering families.
“I hope you don’t mind.”
I sat, thinking back on my history. It was not too long ago that I had fought against the Flood, when thought about in the lifetime of a Forerunner. I remembered so much, both good and terrible. From when I was a young Manipular, eager to explore the universe and find out all I could. Then my first mutation, where I joined the Warrior-Servants and learned my trade. I fought hard, earning a mutation into the Prometheans, allowing an upgrade to my armor and weapons, as well as customization. I smiled, remembering when I saw the large Hardlight Sword resting on a weapons rack, and selecting it. I modified it so it was infused with boiling plasma, providing a deadly weapon that cut through near anything with ease. The decades of learning discipline, trust and respect, comrades, and pride from my parents. My face fell, remembering that they had been some of the last to be infected by the Flood.
A pink blob suddenly appeared in front of me, only now tripping my radar. “Whyareyousosad?OHMYGOSHIjustrealizedInevergaveyouaWelcometoEquestria/OurPlanetparty!Igottagogeteverythingprepared!Bye!”
I blinked, flabbergasted by whatever just happened was. I sighed, and returned to thinking while on the train ride to Ponyville. “Maybe that pony has a Slipspace transport system. Either way, I need to understand what just occurred, if only for my sanity.” I mused, as the train continued to Ponyville, which was suspected to be the next target of the Griffons. It appeared they were going for that town specifically, likely for the so called Elements of Harmony. I shrugged, and continued thinking.
Hopefully I would not need to kill, and simply guard.
If only it were so easy.
The train screeched to a halt, metal grinding against metal. I shuddered at the sound, familiar with the smooth qualities that hardlight provided, not simply wasting energy away. I stood up, ignoring the glances from the ponies on the train, and exited. It was bright outside, a distinct lack of clouds and a blazing star the cause. Everywhere I looked, there were buildings of a Tier 7 civilization, one which was past their own dark ages yet not industrialized. I sighed, knowing this peace would not last long. It never did.
A group of six ponies, one being Twilight Sparkle and another being the pink intruder from earlier, approached me. “Welcome to ponyville, Hardlight. Would you like a tour?” Twilight spoke, while a cyan pegasus shifted uneasily. I took a short moment to examine the others, one an alabaster unicorn with a stylized purple mane, a pale yellow pegasus that had an air of timidity, and an orange Earth pony wearing a hat.
I responded, “That will not be necessary. I can just summon my Autosentry and have it patrol areas you deem of interest, and review the footage at another time. It would be preferable if your group introduced themselves.”
I was met with quizzical looks. I mentally facepalmed, remembering that the ponies had nowhere near the technological level of the Forerunners, and relied heavily on their supposed magic. “MynameisPinkiePieandohmygoshyounevergotapartyandIcompletelyforgottosetoneupforyouI’llberightbackbye!” The pink one stated, managing a conversation’s worth of information in a single long sentence. I watched as Pinkie darted off, presumably to start preparations.
Twilight began introducing the others, “This is Rarity, she runs the Carousel Boutique, and is the Element of Generosity. Applejack works and lives at Sweet Apple Acres, the noted best place for apples, and is the Element of Honesty. This is Rainbow Dash,”
The pegasus puffed out its chest, striking a supposedly tough pose, boasting, “The fastest flier in Equestria! Please, hold the applause.” I frowned. Arrogance will earn one only shame and dishonor, despite how the short term may say otherwise.
The unicorn continued with a huff, “She’s the Element of Loyalty. And this is Fluttershy. She takes care of animals, and is the Element of Kindness.” The shy pegasus squeaked, before shrinking back.
“Thank you for introducing them to me. I am Hardlight-Shines-Eternal, a Promethean, which is the highest section of the Warrior-Servants. I am a Forerunner, and I have adequate reason to believe I am the last. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Is there anywhere of utmost importance that requires me?”
Rarity gasped, “Why, of course ! Just follow me to my Boutique, and I can get to work on your dreadful clothing! Do, follow me!”
I shook my head vehemently. “No. This armor must not be removed. It contains my ancilla, has the capability to protect me from nearly anything of a lower technological level than that of the Forerunners, and I also chose it. I apologize, but Warrior-Servants are not ones to dress up.” Rarity gasped, feigning a look of indignance.
“Why-but-I-YOUR CLOTHING!”
I affirmed, “Quite simply, no.”
Rainbow Dash was next to speak, “How about you check out my sweet moves! I could always use an audience!” Her chest became extremely puffed, to the point I thought it would burst.
“I said of the utmost importance. My services do not include being part of a group of fans, all vying for your attention while you continue on your meaningless tricks. Every Forerunner has a job to do, to uphold the Mantle of Responsibility. We care for life, but do not whittle it away frivolously. Please, do not take offence, but it simply does not hold my interest.”
Applejack interjected, “Ah could use some help on mah farm. Could ya’ lend a hoof?”
I thought on this, “Is my presence required? I am trained to fight, and fight only when absolutely necessary. It is not a task set for Warrior-Servants. If need be, if it will keep the entire population alive, I shall help. But if my presence is not required, then I am afraid I cannot.”
Applejack looked downtrodden, “Aw, shucks. And Ah have such a large heap o’ work cut out for mahself.”
I was skeptical of this, “And how large is this task? Would it be such a burden as to result in one’s injury and/or death, or can it be handled on one’s own? Again, the answer must be no.”
Fluttershy uttered something under her breath. I crouched, “What was that, would you please repeat your statement?”
She seemed to muster her courage, before requesting, “I… Um… The animals have been scared out of their homes recently, and I was hoping you could maybe… See what’s wrong? They keep talking about something bad, but the Everfree is so dark… And scary… If it’s okay with you, that is…”
This seemed reasonable. “I am perfectly willing to help you, Miss Fluttershy. Just lead the way, and I will attempt to help.”
The others jaws dropped, with Rainbow Dash exclaiming, “Wha-but-WHY?! They’re just some animals, who cares if they get startled a bit! What makes some silly little creatures more important than me?!”
I’d had enough of the ego of her, “Because they could very well die. To lose one’s home means to lose one’s shelter, their source of comfort, of security. Without a home, you are vulnerable, threatened by the dangers of the world. To put your so-called tricks ahead of another’s life sickens me. To hold respect only for yourself makes you secluded from the truth. To reach out to everything else is to understand life, and to nurture it, and it may one day return the favor to you. All life is sacred, and to be the cause of death is not something I take lightly. I will now take my leave and help Fluttershy.”
And with that, I strode away, with the yellow pegasus guiding me, a cyan one left behind to rethink her views. My mouth became a grim line, as I remembered why I came to Ponyville: to prevent the griffons from attacking. Thoughts of death lingered on my mind, haunting me with images of the Flood and the many species caught in the crossfire of the horrid war.
Fluttershy lived in a nice cottage at the edge of a forest, which loomed ominously. A large gathering of animals was outside, many bearing similarities to ones that were gathered by the Lifeworkers to preserve on the Halos and in the Ark. They began crowding around Fluttershy, before freezing at the sight of me, clad in my armor. The pegasus spoke to them, and they relaxed, allowing me to continue forwards.
“Miss Fluttershy, would you be so kind as to describe to me what drove them from their homes? It will give me a better idea of the creature, and if it can be convinced or not. I prefer not to resort to force.”
“Oh, um… Yes, of course. They said it’s a very big thing, that had a sort of spike poking out of its back, and it had a pair of circular mouths on the sides of its head. It also kept yelling and growling, kind of like a dog. Thank you for offering to help…”
I nodded, before walking away. I paused, “Which direction?” She pointed, and I turned and strode forwards. “It is my pleasure, Miss Fluttershy. I will do my best.” I called back, as I entered the dark forest. I frowned, before activating the Promethean Vision built into my helmet. Everything became blue, with outlines in a lighter shade marking objects. As the function spread to full range, I spotted a squat shape that was yellow, marking it as unidentified. It appeared to have a large spike protruding from its back, and might have very well looked large to the indigenous animals.
I stepped towards it, deactivating my Vision as I saw a pale blue glow from a container. The creature leapt up, hollering in a strange language, looking about fearfully. “Comparing speech pattern to stored languages. Done. The language it is speaking is Balahonan, the native language of the Unggoy. Setting translators to Balahonan.” My ancilla said, as it worked through the vast array of knowledge contained in my suit.
I spoke, “Greetings. I am Hardlight-Shines-Eternal. I do not mean you harm.” The creature looked shocked, before curling up.
“No! Don’t hurt! I’ll be good! Please! I was just hungry!” The being spoke, obviously afraid.
“I do not wish to hurt you. May I ask who you are, and what your species is?”
It looked up, “I’m Panug. What’s a species?”
My eyes widened, “Your race. It is hard to tell with your armor on.”
“I can’t take my suit off, or I’ll die. I’m Unggoy. What are you?”
“I am a Forerunner.”
Panug quivered, before throwing himself at my feet, “Oh merciful god! Thank you for coming! I wish to go on the Great Journey! Please! Please bring me with you!”
I attempted to shake the Unggoy off, to no avail. “I do not understand what you mean by the Great Journey. However, you may come with me. Are you in need of food? Water? I believe the Unggoy are methane-breathers, so do you require that as well?”
The poor being just kept a tight grip, as I sighed and walked back to Fluttershy’s cottage. Apparently I was now taking care of an Unggoy who thought I was a god, and wouldn’t leave me for anything. This was going to take some explaining, I thought, as I trudged along.
-------------------- The Griffon Homelands --------------------
A large, black griffon stood in a room, glaring at the map of Equestria and his country, focusing on the point marked ‘Ponyville’. He snarled, pushing multiple figurines of griffons towards the location. The door burst open, revealing a harried-looking soldier, who quickly stood to attention and saluted, “General! Our forces are now within a hundred miles of Ponyville. What are your orders?”
General Steelbeak nodded in acknowledgement, “Dispatch a scout team into the Everfree, and move the troops to the edge of the forest. I want the attack to be a surprise, and because none of the ponies dare venture into the wretched forest, it is perfect for us to hide in.”
The soldier gasped, “Sir! That’s suicide! Even if we do succeed, we’ll lose too many troops in there!”
The General quickly rounded on him, “I don’t care how many are lost, just get them in there! You can have more if you need them, but just do it! Or do you not want a part of the Great Journey?”
The hapless griffon shook, “No, sir! I’ll get right on it! I won’t let you down!”
“Good. Now leave.”
The soldier left quickly, shutting the door behind himself. The General sighed, before a purple tower behind him flickered on, projecting a creature that was bent over on a floating throne, “General, are your troops in position? As you are now part of the Covenant, we will supply you with weapons and armor, but you must prove yourselves worthy first.”
“They are currently on their way, my lord. We will remove the Elements of Harmony and with that remove the ponies greatest weapon, then we will march to Canterlot. We won’t fail you.” Steelbeak said, bowing before the hologram.
The High Prophet of Truth smiled, eyes glinting. “Good, good. Thank you, General.” He then cut out the hologram, before smirking and leaning back, “And if you fail… You will be naught but glass…”
He began chuckling, as he piloted his gravity throne out of the room and towards his personal chambers. The griffons would be a most useful tool, indeed...
I trudged into Fluttershy’s home, Panug still clinging to my leg. I switched my translators over to Equestrian, so I didn’t confuse the pegasus. “Miss Fluttershy? I discovered the… Source, if you will. Would you please come here?” I heard a faint mumble in reply, before the mare peeked in, recoiling at the sight of Panug.
“Ancilla, is it possible to equip an Equestrian translator to the Unggoy? I believe his armor can sustain one.” I queried, while gently prying Panug off.
“Affirmative. Summoning Autosentry in Repair Mode.” The voice sounded, and I lifted up slightly, before my Autosentry appeared. It hummed, before a hardlight appendage reached down to the cowering Unggoy, and fixed a small object to the suit.
The being howled in fear, and a voice spoke with it, “Please! I don’t want hurt-wait… What?” My Autosentry vanished, its work complete.
“Panug, I added a translator to your suit. It automatically turns the Equestrian language that you hear into Balahonan, and what you say turns into Equestrian. This way it is easier to communicate. Miss Fluttershy, it’s okay. This is Panug, an Unggoy. He was hungry, and was hunting for food. The Unggoy are carnivores, but they don’t eat sentient beings.” I added mentally in my head, “Usually.”
The yellow pegasus meekly came in, looking warily at Panug. “Umm… Hello, Mr. Panug. How… How are you doing?”
The Unggoy tilted his head, thinking it over, “I fine. The Holy Being was going to bring me with on the Great Journey!” His chest puffed out, a grin somehow visible on his face.
“Apparently I’m a major religious figure to him. I was hoping you could take care of Panug, and maybe convince him I’m not a God. I must go to Twilight Sparkle’s residence, I should be able to update my ancillas database there. Panug won’t try eating your animals, am I correct, Panug?” I said, looking at the Unggoy. He nodded cheerfully, head bobbing rapidly.
“Oh, yes. Thank you for helping me, Mr. Hardlight. My animal friends will be happy to hear this.” Fluttershy smiled, looking rather adorable. I nodded, before turning around and striding towards town.
I had just reached the edge when I heard a blood-curdling shout, as a mass of bodies charged Ponyville from the Everfree . My eyes narrowed, as my visor zoomed in and identified the creatures. “Griffons,” I whispered, eyes widening in shock. I quickly sprinted to the large oak tree which Twilight had said was her home, in the hopes of warning her. A shadow passed over me, as a grey griffon flew above before diving towards me. I ducked, its claws raking across my shields, dealing a rather substantial amount of damage.
I glanced up, and saw that the claws were covered with a purplish metal that curved organically, and emitted spikes of plasma. I sprinted after the creature, leaping up and drawing my sword, before swinging down and cutting a wing off. The griffon screeched, spiralling into the streets, blood spewing from the wound. I landed a ways away from the body, ducking and rolling to absorb the impact. I dashed forwards, rushing over the injured soldier and crushing the skull with my armored foot. I had eyes only for the oak tree, which had at least a dozen griffons swarming to it.
A streak of light flew by me, trailing smoke. A loud bang, and a curved, purple pod crashed into a nearby store, obliterating the wall. A hidden hatch flew open, accompanied with hisses of steam and an armored claw. A body soon followed, revealing a tall creature clad in white armor with red detail, an elongated helmet sweeping backwards. A hand slipped down to the being’s side, quickly lifting up a purplish-blue C, with flared ends reaching behind the handle. The front lit up with a blue spark, before bolts of blazing plasma smashed into me, draining my shields rapidly.
I heard a scream from the giant tree, and rolled towards it, attempting to reach it. My foot hit a large chunk of rubble, causing me to fall forwards, stunning me. I flipped around, only to see the armored creature looming over me, a blade of plasma in its grasp. It bellowed, before swinging the weapon at my chest. I activated my hardlight sword, barely parrying the blow, while the being stumbled back in shock. I leapt up, taking an aggressive stance, head hunched and sword ready.
It dashed, blade held out to the side, likely for an uppercut. I twirled to the left, but the sword followed, before slicing across my shields and dropping them by a third. I swung, carving a massive gash in the creature’s chest, its apparent shields flickering before vanishing with a loud crack. It fell backwards, innards spilling, as incandescent blue blood gushed. It toppled with a gurgle, then lay still. I said a quick prayer to the Mantle, before leaving for the tree.
I switched to my Lightrifle, scoping in and out quickly to take power shots at the many griffons, felling them one by one with glowing orange holes in their bodies. A swarm of black passed by, revealed to be… Hundreds of them. Hundreds of griffons were flooding the streets, smashing into houses and shops alike, screams of terror coming from each building. There were too many, I could not take them all. I continued firing, despite the odds, slowly pushing towards the tree. A large griffon flew out, an unconscious purple unicorn on his back, as well as a terrified purple and green creature. I shot at the griffon, hoping to wound it enough to land, but my shots missed.
I growled in anger, chasing after the soldier. Plasma claws lashed out at me from every direction, smashing my shields to smithereens with the constant pounding. One swipe carved along my back, making me stop at the pain. I fell over, writhing in agony as more and more griffons joined to kill me. I gasped, panting as my vision began to black out. “Ancilla… Summon the Autosentry. Try to get them off.”
“Unable to summon. All power is focused on regenerating your shields.” Came the response, making me cry out in rage. Suddenly, the piercing whistle of a charging Sentinel beam was heard, and the bodies on me fell away with a cry.
I stumbled up, looking for the source, then I found it… A Shield World class Sentinel floated before me, blazing away at the griffons. “Apologies, Hardlight-Shines-Eternal. The large distance between the Halo ring and the planet caused a delay in my arrival.” A familiar voice spoke, making me start.
“If you’re here, then what kept the ring from crashing?”
“I diverted a small portion of my subroutines to keep it in sync with the planet’s star. This Sentinel was kept in storage in case it was needed, much like yourself. It was originally for the Shield World Onyx, but the Iso-Didact diverted it to the ring stationed here. I will assist in any way possible.”
I smiled. The Shield World class Sentinels were extremely versatile, as well as substantially stronger than the standard Sentinel. They even had high-level personal energy shields that deflected high-speed projectiles, allowing them to withstand most assaults. “Wound the large griffon with the lavender unicorn on its back. That is one of the ponies under my protection, and is important to the society of Equestria. Eliminate all other hostiles.”
“Of course. Please, take care of yourself.” The Sentinel replied, before darting off. I grinned, switching over to my Scattershot. I began clearing a small area of griffons, before summoning my Autosentry and instructing it to eliminate all griffons it finds. It floated gently off, while I began sweeping the streets. Everywhere I found dead bodies and broken glass, and even a mare sobbing in a corner that had a small pool of yellowish-white liquid pooled around it. I moved on quickly after that, blushing for some reason. Every living griffon I found, I quickly disintegrated with my Scattershot, leaving the orange flakes to drift away and vanish.
I entered a large, circular building with a stripe pattern, and found a squad of griffons inside, led by another one of the armored creatures. This one had red armor, and seemed less experienced than the previous one. A whimper was heard from upstairs, quickly followed by a shush, and the soldiers went to investigate. I followed behind them, preparing to fire when they turned around. The red armored being roared, before pulling out a purple C shape and charging a green orb. It released the ball, which impacted my shields and dropped them to nothing instantaneously. I growled, quickly snapping the trigger of my gun, blasting holes in the griffons. Right as I was about to kill the leader, my weapon clicked empty, forcing me to switch out to my Lightrifle, which also proved empty.
It snarled, rushing forwards and kicking me down the stairwell before I could reach my sword. As I smashed repeatedly, I heard cries of fear above. I lay dazed at the bottom, shaking in nausea. As I stumbled to my feet, the red being appeared and smashed its foot into my head, snapping my neck back and tripping me. I snagged my sword and activated it, right as the creature prepared to crush my windpipe. As it brought its foot down, I swung my blade above my throat and held it, causing the being to slice its armored foot to the bone before it could pull it back. It fell, snarling. A gasp of shock reached my ears, and I looked to the stairs to see Rarity and a small white unicorn, both holding eachother and crying.
“A little help? Please?” I groaned, swaying in pain. I swore I saw another armored creature before me, clad in dark green with a gold visor. I fell into a dark abyss.
-------------------- Princess Luna’s POV --------------------
I stared at the screen before me, enchanted to show the site of any important battle that is currently happening. I saw a tall, silver being, the one Celly told me was a Forerunner, holding a large silver and blue sword of some kind lying on its back. It brought the blade to its throat, right as a red claw came down, slicing said claw and spilling a bright blue and purple blood. My stomach churned at the sight, forcing me to turn away before I spilled its contents.
“Luna? Are you alright?” My sister said, walking into the wardroom. She glanced at the screen, then at me, before frowning sympathetically. “That… That is rather gruesome. Would you please come with me? There’s a strange green metal object that landed in the gardens. It looks to contain some sort of magical device that allows communications, and I think we can activate them. Would you be willing to help?” She said, laying a hoof on my shoulder.
I shuddered, breathing a sigh, “That sounds… Pleasant. More so than this, I think.” We strode away, not noticing the Forerunner fall unconscious on the screen. “Do you think we can contact whatever made this object?” I asked, gazing at my dearest sister.
“It seems possible, actually. The device is mostly intact, and has white writing on it. The writing says ‘UNSC’. I wonder what that means.”
-------------------- UNSC Fire Storm --------------------
A man in an olive navy uniform stepped onto the bridge, as the crew saluted, “Officer on the deck!”
He snapped a salute back, before replying, “At ease. Simmons, any news on the lost communications drop pod?” He asked, looking at one of the crew members.
“No, sir. I’ll keep trying, but we have no idea where it ended up. We’re in Slipspace, it could be anywhere by now. However, due to it being a prototype Slipspace communications module, it can send and receive messages from Slipspace or wherever it is.” The man said, looking up from his console.
Captain Eric Travis nodded, before responding, “Thank you. I hope the Covenant haven’t found it… At least it didn’t have any locations for UNSC planets, thank God. How much longer until we arrive at Reach?”
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Author's Note
Finished this chapter up! Big shoutout and thanks to Requiem17 for doing a bit of editing for it, go check his stories out if you haven't already. No, he didn't put me up to this. Enjoy!
Chapter 5: Differentium
The Master Chief slowly opened his eyes, ears ringing as his skull lay limp. As he attempted to lift himself up, he noticed he was still in armor lock. He depressurized his suit, servos hissing as they eased. He heard voices outside, but they were still faint. He could only gather pieces of the conversation, noting the term ‘Forerunner’ and ‘Halo’. Suddenly silence reigned supreme, as John S-117 slowly moved to a crouch. He scanned his surroundings, taking note that the Pelican door was open, his MA5B was gone, and he only had his Magnum. Next he checked his HUD for any news on failures.
One beeped urgently in front of him, flashing red, “Unauthorized entity detected.” He noticed the warmth in the back of his mind, one that he had assumed was Cortana. Then he remembered she was piloting the Pelican, saving both of them before they crashed along with the Dawn. As soon as it seemed to notice that he realized it wasn’t Cortana, the presence quickly flitted away, leaving emptiness.
“Ancilla, what is the creature’s health status?” A tall silver and blue figure before him spoke, seemingly to nobody. It nodded slowly, before turning to him. “Good, you are alive. I am Hardlight-Shines-Eternal. I was going to help you out, but your ship’s artificial intelligence was most… Insistent, on keeping us from helping you. I had my Ancilla check on your vitals, and you’re all clear.”
John frowned. “Why did you help me?” He spoke, a low growl accompanying the words. He reached out a hand and pulled out Cortana’s chip, before slotting her into his implant. Immediately the familiar sensation of ice then heat filled his mind, before Cortana settled in once more.
“Because, quite honestly, you didn’t try and kill me. The main reason for that was that you were unconscious, but nevertheless, you didn’t harm me. I’m surprised your Class-2 suit held up for that impact, it was a pretty large one. Your AI was brilliant to fire the thrusters at the last second, but you came close to death. It too.” The silver one replied, voice betraying nothing.
“Class-2? Only 343 Guilty Spark said that. John, you better be careful. This might be another fanatic.” Cortana spoke up, listening in to the conversation. He nodded and gave a small grunt, before returning to the matter at hand.
“What are you?” John said, looking at the creature.
“I am Hardlight-Shines-Eternal, a Promethean class Forerunner. And I could, quite honestly, use your help.”
Master Chief blinked. “A Forerunner? They died a hundred-thousand years ago!”
“Well, the rest of my kind did, but some may have escaped. May I introduce you, whoever and whatever you are, to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of Equestria. And please tell us what you are.”
John straightened, before snapping rigid with shock at the sight of two tall horses with horns and… Were those wings ? Standing before him, with hair flowing in a nonexistent wind. At least, so far as he could tell in his MJOLNIR. “Wha-...” He sputtered, the largest sign of surprise anyone could get out of him. John frowned, before speaking, “I am Spartan 117, a human.”
It was the Forerunner’s turn to be surprised. “A human? I have read a lot-or as much as we had- of records about your kind before mine… Devolved yours. Before you ask, they did not know about the fact that the humans were running from the Flood and cleansing our worlds. They thought they were merely spreading out without thought. And the results… Well, they were terrible, to say the least.”
“The Forerunners… Devolved the humans?” Cortana raised her voice, broadcasting out of the Master Chief’s helmet speakers. “Oh, and did they wipe out the rest with the Halo rings?!”
“No. We gathered portions of every species and protected them in the Ark and then reseeded them throughout the galaxy after the rings fired. And my kind… They killed themselves to save yours.” A hint of anger entered the Forerunner’s voice, as well as sadness.
“How did you survive then?! Did you run so you could be the ‘last great Forerunner’?” Cortana accused, before she paused. The Forerunner’s helmet folded back, revealing a pale face with yellow eyes etched with grief.
“I wish I didn’t. I was ordered to come to the Halo ring here. I went into cryostorage, and remained there for the past hundred thousand years. And I never saw my family again…
“And I came here, watched as the Halo ring crashed into the sun, and fought to protect the ponies from the griffons. And I find others, ones who came in purple pods and armored in silver and red, carrying plasma firearms, and fighting with swords of plasma. I watched them slaughter others, while I continued to fight. And you accuse me of cowardice?!”
Cortana stammered, “Wha- How- The Covenant?! The Covenant is here?! I thought we had a truce with the Sangheili!”
John took that moment to speak, “Maybe it’s renegades. We don’t know for sure, Cortana.”
She grumbled, “I just don’t understand…”
A Grunt waddled around the Forerunner, “Holy One? What is going on? Is the Prophet of Truth here to bless us?”
The Forerunner blinked, frowning, “Panug, who is this Prophet of Truth?”
The Grunt, Panug, gurgled with reverence, “He leads us to the Great Journey!”
John grimaced at the title. He’d fought so long to prevent the Great Journey, only for it to come after him again. Hardlight queried, “Who is ‘us’?”
The hapless Grunt spoke without a thought, “The Covenant!”
The Master Chief immediately whipped an armored hand to his Magnum, before putting a round through the creature’s head. A shower of iridescent blood and grey matter spewed out, painting the ground with goo. He then aimed at the Forerunner, prepared to fire.
“I… Take it this Covenant is bad then?” It spoke, grim curiosity etched on its face. The Master Chief noticed its hand had reached towards a silvery weapon at its side, six fingers and single thumb twitching as if nervous.
Cortana chose that moment to speak, “I-It tried wip-wip-wiping out humanity! The Great Journey is the fir-r-ring of the Halo rings! And you ask i-i-i-if the Covenant is bad?!” She screeched, voice stammering and shifting tones. The Chief’s HUD flickered with static, causing his concern to grow.
“Cortana, are you alright?”
She projected her hologram, sadness clearly evident. “No. I’m not. Chief, do you know how lo-lo-long we were on that ship?” She spoke, avatar quivering and blinking red. “Four and a half years. I was put into service eight years ago, Chief.”
The Forerunner stepped forward, shattering the false shell that the personal moment created. “Your AI is showing signs of rampancy. It… Is possible for my Ancillas to fix her, and the Huragok to create a Sentinel body, but it will require its full compliance as well as yours.”
The Chief then noticed the Sentinel behind the Forerunner, accompanied by a pair of Huragok, or more commonly known as Engineers. “Cortana, if there’s any chance to fix you, we’ll have to take it.” He said, removing the AI chip and holding her out to view the full avatar.
Cortana sighed, before nodding, “Okay, Chief. I… Didn’t want to tell you back on the Dawn, but if there is a chance to fix me… Then let’s do it. Okay, Forerunner, do your stuff.”
“If we may interrupt…” A soothing voice broke in, as the white horse stepped forward, “We are still at war, and the Griffons draw closer with every minute.”
Cortana turned to the creature, “Well, seeing how Truth is alive, even though we watched the Gravemind kill him, and how the Covenant is still up, plus the Forerunner’s accounts of Elites working with the Griffons… I think it’s safe to say that the Covies and Griffons are working together.”
John nodded, slotting her back into his implant and turning to the horses and others, “We’ll help. We took down the Prophet of Truth once before, we can do it again. And Cortana?”
“Yes, Chief?”
“Any idea why Truth is still alive?”
“Yes. When the Slipspace Portal ruptured, we could have been flung into an alternate reality. So far its only theory, but this might be proof. But if it is… We’re going to have a hell of a time getting back to the UNSC.”
-------------------- Griffon Command Post, 120 Miles From Ponyville --------------------
General Steelbeak paced inside his tent, thinking. He had been so close to success, when according to the reports, a strange creature carrying weapons of light came into the fray, assisted with a flying metal being that eliminated many brave soldiers. He cursed that it had killed the only griffon who managed to capture an Element of Harmony, despite him nearly tasting victory.
The Griffons reveled in bloodshed, but when the Holy Prophet came down from the heavens, they knew to refrain from attacking. And it was worthwhile, for now his entire race was working to join the Covenant, and accompany them on the Great Journey. An Elite stepped into his tent, interrupting his pacing. Steelbeak bowed before the being, who simply nodded in acknowledgement. It set down a purple holograph emitter, before leaving the General and the object.
The projector flickered on, revealing the hunched and pious form of the Prophet of Truth. “General. I heard that the attack was a failure.” The Griffon leader quavered, fearful.
“Y-Yes, my Lord. It was not our fault, though. Reports speak of a flying silver creature that shot beams of fire, and killed many brave soldiers. It even annihilated the griffon carrying the leader of the Elements of Harmony.”
The Prophet’s eyes widened, “And can you confirm these reports?”
“Yes. These were my most trusted warriors, and devout believers. They would not lie.”
“One can never be too sure.” The Prophet’s eyes returned to their half-lidded state, the folds of his wattle drooping.
“They have been trained since their birth, my liege. They know that if they were to so much as think of deceiving me or my army, then they would be executed.”
“Then there must be a holy relic on this planet. Find it, and keep it unharmed. You will have my Sangheili, Unggoy, Kig-Yar, and Jiralhanae at your disposal, and you will be one of the Holy Covenant if you succeed. But if you fail…” The Prophet of Truth chuckled, a dark and mirthless noise, “Then you will die .”
The emitter turned off.
-------------------- Covenant Capital Ship Divine Seer , Orbiting Equus --------------------
The Prophet of Truth leaned back in his gravity throne, before maneuvering to a viewscreen displaying the planet below. The ship’s Luminary had not stated that there were any holy relics contained upon or in it, but it could have been mistaken. Truth sighed, knowing that the humans were still out there, despite his efforts to exterminate them. He pulled up a current image of the Luminary’s readings, then gasped in shock.
There, floating in plain view, was the one symbol he did not want to see at the time.
The symbol for Reclaimer.
He frowned, before bringing up a transmission to the ship commander, "There is a holy relic on the planet. The Griffons have been ordered to retrieve it, but I want Kig-Yar, Unggoy, Jiralhanae, and Sangheili to join them, and follow their orders."
The Sangheili frowned at the mention of the Jiralhanae, before nodding. Truth continued, "And there is a human on the planet. Send an elite kill team to eliminate it. Choose those you wish, but make sure there is no trace of its presence. We must not let them find the holy relic."
Chapter 6: Rally Point Alpha
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. 