Equispartans

As Fireteam Crimson boarded Viking-01, the Mammoth rolled past them, Marines in Mongooses and Warthogs driving past, the remnants of the Repulsion force, plus a few Scorpions. The Covenant in the Manehattan city center had other plans. As Jul M’dama watched, the Covenant, using drills and an energy beam from a Lich, dug out the Nexus. Jul frowned at the ponies being held captive in the city hall, who had dared resist them. As the Nexus was fully uncovered, Jul stepped down from the command post and walked towards the Nexus’s entrance, his loyal Zealots close behind. As he entered the Nexus, they failed to notice a UNSC Pelican gunship flying overhead, concealed by a skyscraper.

“Infinity, this is Crimson. M’dama’s on the field. I repeat, M’dama’s on the field.” Chris said with anger.

“Copy Crimson. New objective for you. Capture or kill M’dama. He can’t escape like he did on Requiem. Take him out!” Miller’s voice replied over Chris’s radio.

“We copy, Infinity.”

As Chris motioned for the Pelican to begin a strafing run, he opened the rear door. As they readied for deployment, Jul and his Zealots reached the Nexus’s entrance terminal. As the Zealots stood guard, M’dama activated the computer and inserted his half of the Janus Key. A hologram image of Equestria came up, along with a screen of data. M’dama touched it and a marker came up in a mountain northwest of the city. M’dama smiled and motioned for his Zealots to download the data. As the Zealots began to do so, Crimson was high above, taking cover behind Covenant barriers as Viking-01 strafed the onslaught of Covenant hell-bent on protecting M’dama. While the members of Crimson responded with blasts from their primaries, the Zealots finished copying the data. Jul walked out towards a nearby Phantom, noticing as a Lich flew in overhead, dwarfing the Pelican.

“Crimson. This is Viking-01. We won’t stand a chance against that Lich. Bring it down, then we’ll be able to continue support…”

Suddenly, a loud blast was heard, and a MAC round slammed straight into the Lich’s main body, sending it careening towards the ground, crippled. Chris turned and saw the Mammoth rolling down the city street, with mounted UNSC forces close behind. Chris motioned for the Spartans and Promethean to move up while the Marines engaged the Covenant, Ken watching a Phantom take off out of the corner of his eye. As he shot at it, it sped off. Chris motioned to Ken, and he followed reluctantly. Crimson made their way through the jumbled mess of shrapnel, debris, and dead or dying Covenant inside the Lich. They then entered the Nexus. As David radioed the “All Clear” signal, Chris saw what the Covenant were after.

“Infinity, this is Crimson.”

“We copy, Crimson.”

“I think I know why those Covies wanted to take the city.” Chris frowned and fed the Infinity his helmet cam. They saw a huge pillar of energy, surrounded by orbs revolving around the pillar, encased in a glass chamber.

“Holy shit. Crimson, take a look around. See if there’s anything the Covies didn’t take. The science nerds are buzzing about that.” Palmer replied.

“We copy.”

“Chris!” Ken yelled.

Chris turned and saw a door opening. As the fireteam readied their weapons, Chris led them down a spiraling set of stairs. After around ten minutes, they came to a large room, reminiscent of a laboratory. Bookshelves covered the walls. Papers, empty bottles, inkwells, and the occasional quill pen were scattered around the floor. On a separate table lay a set of scientific instruments. At the middle, near a large desk covered with books and jumbled papers, was a pedestal, and mounted on top was an orange, lavishly decorated orb. Chris started to reach for it, but Zag held his arm back.

“My scans say this simply. Do not touch.”

Chris nodded, and turned on his radio.

“Infinity, this is Crimson. You getting all this?”

“Yep. That’s a big library,” Roland quipped.

“Yeah. Anything useful?” Ken interjected over the comms.

“Well, lemme ask one of the Equestrians,” Miller replied, and after a few seconds, came back on the comms.

“Well, Twilight is apparently excited beyond words about you finding “The Lost Library” of some ancient pony named “Starswirl the Bearded”. Apparently he was a big sorcerer in ancient Equestria. One of his research labs disappeared during an earthquake one night, and Starswirl with it. See what you can find.”

“Guys, I found a body. Equestrian,” Grant yelled.

As the Spartans gathered around the body, Zag scanned it.

“He’s in a state of suspended animation. Methinks it is due to that orb. Disable the orb’s energy field, it should revive him. It is uncertain whether or not it will be successful,” Zag said.

“Copy that. Infinity. You got the scans on that orb?”

“Definitely Forerunner in origin. Try having Zag interact with it digitally,” Glassman said over the radio.

“Copy that.”

As Zag brought his hand up to the orb, a screen appeared. Emblazoned on it were fluctuating graphs, two lines of rapidly moving numbers, and a strange glyph in the middle.

“I will obtain what I can. From what I can gather, this world is ancient. This “Nexus” is simply a large monitoring station for this world. Statistics on population, weather systems, the status of the world is all contained within this Nexus Mind. However, there is something even stranger. It makes references to the “Ancestors.” I have no idea what that means, sadly. Without the other mind, we cannot control the functions needed to activate the Nexus.” Zag said, withdrawing his hand from the screen. “I will store this data for later use.”

“Copy that. Crimson. Get topside ASAP. We got a major situation,” Palmer’s voice came over the radio. “The Covies are abandoning the fight here. They’re moving their forces towards…”

“Towards what?” Evan said.

“The capital of Equestria. Get moving Crimson!” Palmer replied.

“Copy that,” Chris said.

“Wait.”

All eyes turned to the pony, now standing up.

“Who are you?” Grant said.

“The Equestrians know me as Starswirl the Bearded. Or, what remains of me. That orb contains the last vestiges of my memories. My life’s work. Share it with the Equestrians. But destroy this lab. I delved too deep into the mysteries of the beyond. I implore you. Destroy it,” Starswirl said, and he gave them a flint and steel. “And tell Princess Celestia “To the Stars.” She will know what I meant.”

He coughed before the vestiges of life finally left his weary body Chris saluted then lit a section of books on fire. As Zag gathered the first Nexus mind, Chris motioned, and they began to leave. Fireteam Crimson fled the Nexus, the library burning in their wake. As they made it out, Chris radioed the Infinity.

“You see all that?”

“Yep. The ponies are literally freaking out. But that’s not important right now. The Covies are evacuating with extreme prejudice. Get back to the Infinity, Crimson. We got work to do.”

“We copy.”

As Viking-01 landed, the fireteam boarded and took off for home. As the battle subsided, a strange, hooded figure watched from a rooftop. As the figure witnessed Crimson’s departure, it drew back its hood, revealing a Mjolnir Mark V helmet, colored steel gray.

“Noble Six...has returned,” it said to itself, then it drew up its hood, and then it vanished in a cloud of smoke and ash.