In the Darkness, The Lone Blades Light the Way

Chapters

Chapter One: Fall from the Heavens
Chapter Two: First Contact
Chapter Three: We Move Unseen
Chapter Four: This World is Strange
Chapter Five: Blind Faith
Chapter Six: On the Hunt
Chapter Seven: The Door to Our Ascension
Chapter Eight: Ignorance is Covenant
Chapter Nine: The Hammer Falls
Chapter Ten: Contemplations

Chapter One: Fall from the Heavens

* Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation.

Some music

The Elite Ultra was sitting in the back of the Phantom along with two other of his kind, Sangheili to be precise. Alongside them were three orange Unggoy and two Kig-Yar snipers. The Ultra looked at the assortment around him, and then to his closer brothers. Both were in Spec Ops armor, and he was equipped with the charcoal black Spec Ops version of the Ultra armor. The one closest to him, a crimson red, was a Stealth Minor. The other, colored a dark watery blue, a Stealth Major. What confused the Ultra about his team's colors was that the Stealth colors were different from the everyday Major or Minor colors. The difference could be anything from a small shading difference to complete opposites in the armor color itself.

The Ultra sat back and relaxed somewhat. He had spent the entirety of his deployment on the human planet on his feet, always moving, either on the run or hunting down his prey. He managed to take out a few of their soldiers and civilians, even steal some primitive TacPads from two of the soldiers they killed…but then the humans in armor came. The Demons.

They came from the sky in their horribly loud ‘falcons,’ as they call them. There were six Demons in total, though two of them stayed on one of the vehicles as they took off. One of his comrades, a young and newly promoted Stealth Minor, ran off to distract them from the group. And it worked…somewhat. One of the Demons, obviously seeing him move despite his cloak, gave chase and hunted him down, ending his life with five well placed shots to the head. But the young Minor did distract them enough for the group to camouflage themselves and slink away from a nearby ‘warthog’ they had destroyed earlier in the day. Later during that deployment on the planet ‘Reach,’ the Ultra had faced down a Demon while his own comrades dealt with a small squad of marines and two or three ODSTs.

They were finally being recalled to a Corvette called Glory Upon Salvation floating above the planet's outer atmosphere. It strangely stopped communicating to the ships around it as it went for more fuel from one of the larger ships. The large Elite closed his eyes, enjoying the small amount of relief from his legs.

*“Ultra.” The large, armored Sangheili heard the deep throaty voice of another Elite coming from the front of the Phantom.

*“Yes, Major?” The Ultra turned his head to the cockpit, where another Major was flying.

*“You may want to come look at this.”

The armored beast sighed as he picked himself up and shook his head from side to side, loosening his sore jaws a little to wake himself up. He made his way to the front of the Phantom and looked at the 360 degree circle of holographic screens. The screens zoomed in on the side of the Corvette, and they saw a Demon being tossed out of one of the landing bays by an unknown assailant. *Whatever problem there was, there is no more. Honor and glory to you! the Ultra thought as he watched the Demon fall from the hologram’s view. The Elite Ultra looked to the pilot, and the Major manipulated the controls to zoom out.

The Phantom flew off to the side of the bay doors and the cameras zoomed in again... onto another Demon, a very large one with a very large weapon. There with it was one of the human ‘Pelicans.’ There was a large contraption on the back of the vehicle and… the Ultra's blood froze. The Demon was pressing buttons on the large object. It suddenly occurred to the Ultra that this Demon tossed out the other and is staying back to die. Honorable, but pointless. Any second now, Zealots would burst through the doors and kill it...

Only none arrived.

*”Major... what is that, and what is it doing?”

*”It looks to be a human slip-space engine, as to what he is doing, I do not know.”

*”Turn around.”

*”Ultra?”

*”Circle around, do not go in and engage and do not leave the battle.”

*”But what about honor and-”

*”I will gladly slay you here for you to keep your honor, but blindly running in without information? There is no honor in dying without a fight.”

The Major contemplated his choices and looked down sadly. His fingers moved over the controls and the view moved left as the Phantom turned around. There was only a small quake within the Phantom that signified it racing away at top speed. *I may have lost honor by running... but I will take the blame, and not my comrades. The Ultra walked out of the cockpit and noticed his two remaining brothers looking back at him. They both nodded, knowing what they would have to do if he didn't do it himself. The Ultra looked down at his wrists and the hilt of his energy sword. He took the cool hilt in his large hand and ignited it with a loud sizzle. It was hungry for blood. His blood, the enemies’ blood, it was the essence of life. The essence of Honor. All blood was the same to the blade. The Unggoy looked away, as did the pair of Kig-Yar, knowing what was going to happen next.

He slowly brought the blade up, above his wrist. *I must scar my dishonor and shame into my skin. He was about to cut when the entire craft violently pitched forward, causing him to lose his balance and hit the ceiling of the Phantom with his helmeted head hard enough to knock him out.

The purple unicorn had finally gotten the telescope up the steep hill in Sweet Apple Acres. She sighed heavily as she planted it into the ground before aiming it in no particular direction. She looked to her five friends and her number one assistant, Spike.

“Okay girls, finally. Now we can watch the meteor shower in full detail! I wonder what Princess Luna has planned this time? She usually has some big finale when it’s over.” The purple unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, realized she was rambling and decided to not talk for a while.

“I’m sure it’s going to be spectacular, dear!” replied Rarity, the white unicorn.

“Without a doubt! It’ll be twice as cool as last year!” Rainbow Dash said, hovering about two feet above the ground, pumping her right hoof into the air. She laid back and landed softly on the ground staring up into the starlit sky, waiting for the awesome.

The others just stayed silent and looked to the sky, waiting for the streaks of light to shoot across the heavens. And they were rewarded with just that. There were bright streaks of light shooting across the sky. Some fast, others slow enough to get a good look at on the telescope. The shower went on for two hours, before it finally stopped, pausing. Then, there was a sudden rush of meteors shooting, thousands of them, some big and others small. They all went different speeds, and formed a single word in the sky. ‘Friends.’ The six mares and dragon smiled, knowing why she put that in the sky.

Suddenly, a huge hole erupted in the middle of the word, pitch black but with a bluish hue surrounding the outside of it. It grew bigger and bigger, sending extremely large purple fireballs careening through the sky. There was one fireball so big, Twilight was sure it was bigger than Canterlot itself! It seemed to emit sparks here and there, but then the fire disappeared, leaving a large and dark object looming ominously in the sky. The only thing getting within 20,000 feet of the surface was a lone, blue flame. It was moving at an alarming rate, falling almost straight down from the sky.

The seven watched it closely as it continued to fall…and fall…and fall…until they saw it head into the Everfree forest, where there was a dull purplish/blue light and a faint, echoing boom.

Thanks to re-edit to Shanenator!

Chapter Two: First Contact

* Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation.

The Elite Ultra was lying on the ground, his large eight-foot tall body facing the heavens. The sounds of his surroundings slowly brought him back to his senses as they resonated through his helmet's speakers. The crackling of flames as the Phantom was burning, the chattering of his squad mates, and the hum of his armor recharging its shields all came through to him, though the sounds were muffled as if he were shell-shocked. He opened his eyes, slowly looking through his HUD at his surroundings. He first saw the night sky in all its glory. Constellations that he didn't recognize were strewn about perfectly, not unlike an artist's canvas. He rotated his head, first to make sure nothing was broken and then to look around at his immediate vicinity. Towering trees took up most of his vision, save for a few shrubs and weird blue flowers.

The bluish-purple fire of the Phantom illuminated his armor, dancing around happily thanks to the fuel it was receiving. The forest he observed reminded him of the ancient forests on Sanghelios by his Keep, both lush and green while at the same time dark and forbidding. He got up slowly due to a painful throb of protest in his head. He started testing his limbs to make sure they were in working order, and then the rest of his body. Everything was functional, save for his right ankle, which must have been injured and subsequently treated. He turned around to face what remained of his squad, whose members were looking at him and waiting for his orders and guidance. A quick head count revealed that only a single Kig-Yar, one Unggoy, and one of his brothers remained. He stood up tall, despite his headache's protests, and mandated:

*”Activate your cloaking. I do not want any natives to find us until proven friendly. Leave the bodies where they lay.” He thought for a moment before adding, *"if they are human let them into the camp, then kill them in a crossfire."

The Unggoy and Kig-Yar nodded, the grunt becoming invisible as the Kig-Yar jumped into the nearest tree. The Minor looked at the higher ranking Elite and stretched his jaws in hesitant acceptance before slowly blending in to his surroundings. The Ultra did so as well, taking into account his hurt ankle. The group showed up as yellow dots on his seventy-five yard motion sensor. He spoke into the radio that connected all of their comms to each other.

*”Head into the forest and make a perimeter, but do not engage anything.”

The Elite watched his sensor as the yellow dots slowly moved away, careful to not give away their positions through unnecessary movement. They waited for hours but nothing came, save for a few animals which made great meals for the Kig-Yar and the two Elites. The Ultra had been forbidden to uncloak with a death sentence, but he was in command and could override it. It was time for a change of plans. Hoping to lure any potential enemies into a false sense of bravado, the Ultra allowed his cloak to drop to half power, leaving most of his body concealed but allowing the lights on his armor to glow ominously.

The large Elite sat at the crash site, sifting through what was left and taking anything of value such as weapons and ammo...until he heard the crackling of the radio. He listened closely to the chatter of the single speaker.

*“Any..... out there? ...Life.... not human.... unknown aff... not human....... no honor..... save the..... ship... injured.... tell... death honorable.”

The comm turned to static. The most the Ultra could decipher was that there had been another survivor, and that there was sentient life around. The life wasn’t human, and had no known side in the war. There was no honor to be gained by killing them because of this. The one talking wanted whoever was able to listen to save the ship if possible. He was also gravely injured, and wanted others to know his death was honorable.

He stood up and looked at his radar. He still saw the yellow dots of his squad, but then there was suddenly red. At least ten red dots were all converging onto his location. Onto him. He half-turned his cloak on, allowing only the lights of his armor to be visible. The red dots remained on the outside of the small clearing, a collection of glowing yellow eyes being the only indication they were there. He grabbed the hilt of his energy sword and waited.

As the ten pairs of yellow eyes stared directly at him, he slowly lifted the hilt up and held it in front of himself. He was so focused on the eyes that he did not notice the three white dots on his radar slowly creeping up behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The six mares and baby dragon on the hill were not the only ones watching the meteor shower that night. On the complete opposite side of Sweet Apple Acres, and closer to the forest, were three small fillies in a club house. They had watched the entire ordeal with awe and fascination. As the flaming ball hit the forest, one idea entered their minds, and as one they belted out their newest objective:

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Meteorite Recovery! Yay!!”

They promptly ran into the forest in the direction of the purple lights, completely disregarding any supplies they may need or any danger they may face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What’re those glowing lights over there?” The Elite heard a soft English-speaking voice behind him. Thinking it to be a human, he immediately activated his energy sword with a soft sizzle. He turned around, expecting a primitive assault rifle to be aimed at his head, but found only three small equines. His radar was suddenly engulfed by the red dots moving towards him, closing in fast. He turned back around to find a different quadruped jumping through the air and landing on his chest with a powerful thud, knocking the wind out of the Elite as he fell to the ground.

The Elite gasped for air while the creature tried to bite at him, only being stopped a couple inches from his target. The predator let out a wail of frustration that was cut short by a blade bisecting it. The energy in the sword caught its carapace on fire, and it exploded into brilliant golden flames. The other creatures were appalled at this and took a few steps away. The now uncloaked Ultra got off the ground, swinging his energy sword to his side. He bellowed a battle cry as he charged. Three of the wolves howled and charged to him as well. The first two jumped at the same time, prompting the Elite to swing his sword upwards, catching one of them and causing it to burst into flames. The other crashed into the Elite again, but he was prepared. His wrist sprouted a smaller blade and he sunk it into the creature's neck. He let loose a small chuckle as he pulled it out, watching the subsequent flames with satisfaction.

The last one had circled around him and pounced towards the three fillies, clearly eager for an easier target. The Elite kicked his foot out and hit it in mid air, sending it flying into a tree. He slowly walked towards it and sunk his energy sword into its body. He turned and approached the rest of the group, as did the other cloaked elite from behind, wrist blade engaged. Both swung their swords in unison, causing all but three to erupt into violent balls of flame in just a couple of seconds. Two more were taken out by a sudden blast of highly concentrated plasma from the Unggoy and an instantaneous stream from the Kig-Yar’s Focus Rifle, prompting the final adversary to run away, whining pathetically.

The uncloaked Elite looked back to the three equines, who were now quivering in terror. How did the large monster just kill ten Timberwolves on his own, with most being farther away than the weapon he carried could reach? What was with all those funny lights and noises? How could this creature, who towers so high above them, turn invisible? Could he possibly be the infamous Slenderpony? Why was it on two legs and not four? How...

The Elite looked to his invisible comrades, and spoke in a language the trio couldn’t understand. “Fou loush auskeion finoulso.” Behind him, two more forms appeared. One was a small creature with a curved triangular bump protruding from its back. It was orange, much like the color of Apple Bloom’s sister, Applejack. The other looked just like the first eight-foot tall bipedal creature, but colored a deep crimson with another sword-like weapon supposedly deployed from its wrist. Its face was not covered up, and all four jaws were visible, each bristling with very sharp teeth. Its eyes were a pitch black, and shone maliciously in the purple fire of the crashed Phantom.

There was a sudden rustling in the trees behind the fillies, and a dark form suddenly landed on the ground in front of them, but behind the first monster. It turned around, both of its wrists glowing with light bluish-white orbs. It was strangely bird-like, the crest of feathers on its head a dark black with a sheen of magenta. The monsters each lowered their weapons, the blades sizzling out of existence. The smaller two kept theirs out, looking at their surroundings and watching, listening. They kept an even closer eye on the small fillies.

“Akoon shkichts valkonis?” The big Elite, the one whose face wasn’t showing, spoke in the strange tongue of his.

“Who did th’ what now?” Apple Bloom said, being the first to regain her composure enough to speak.

The biped looked away, as if contemplating what to do. It finally spoke again, “is English the only language you can speak?” Its unnatural throaty voice made them wish it didn't speak, and they shuddered in fright.

“Ah don’t see us speakin’ whatever th’ hay ya said before. But Ah’ve never heard of English, is that th’ same as Equuish?” Apple Bloom replied, steadily regaining her composure.
The Elite was taken aback by the ‘Equuish’ comment, but decided to ignore it. “I see.” The lights where its eyes were blinked on and off once. “Though this may be blunt and too early to ask…have you heard of the Holy War? The Great Journey?”

“Th’ who and what now?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Ultra did not understand. How did these little equines not know about the galactic war that was going on? The blasphemy that the Humans committed, desecrating all Forerunner technology and trying to impede the Great Journey? Did they honestly not know who the Covenant were, what it was made out of? The Great Journey itself? Maybe...

The elite Minor spoke. “Do you have honor, *Ninshin?^”

“Ah guess...”

“Do you...have anyone else that we can talk to?” the Ultra inquired.

“O’ course we do! There’s mah sister Applejack and her friends!”

The Ultra looked back to his squad. *”Turn on your cloaks. Kig-Yar, take to the roofs of any buildings there are. Do not be spotted. I see this one has wings, so there must be others. One has a horn. Do not make assumptions, but stay on your guard, all of you. Let’s go.”

“Do you have a name? What was that you just spoke?” the small white one asked.

“Ultra. That will suffice for now.” The Elite blew off the last question with an air of nonchalance. “Lead, and we will follow. We walk beside you, but you may not see us,” he said as they all slowly disappeared into their surroundings once again. The Kig-Yar jumped into the air and landed on a large branch. It turned to look at the three, waiting for the young fillies to show him the way.

Edited by Shanenator (now the new co-writer / editor/ commander in chief!)

Author’s notes: Ninshin in Sangheili is along the lines of worm, maggot, welp.

New chapter (6) should be out in a matter of days, if all goes according to plan.

Chapter Three: We Move Unseen

*Italics signify that this text is the closest possible translation of what they say in their native tongue.

The Ultra looked back at his lone cloaked brother and said softly to him, *“stay here and search the remaining wreckage. Find what you can salvage, and do so.” Then even softer and under his breath added, *“Prophets know how useful a Huragok would be right now…” The Minor shook his jaws somewhat violently, causing the light that was being bent around the cloak to move and reshape itself again.

The Ultra turned back around to see the three young equines had disappeared. His eyes moved to the bottom left of his HUD and saw three small white dots alongside two yellow ones about fifteen meters away. The Ultra started off after them, but upon reflection came up with a better plan. He moved off to the left a little ways and was soon moving parallel to the group, all the while keeping them on his radar. He pushed through the dense underbrush of the forest, taking care to keep pace with the group for a couple of minutes.

Finally, they hit the edge of the forest. The Ultra looked out, still cloaked, and noticed a large village or town. He couldn’t estimate the size of it from his position, but he was confident in the Kig-Yar’s ability to traverse it undetected. After all, he’d much rather have the sniper watching his back than his Sangheili brother. The Ultra shook his head in an attempt to forget some unpleasant memories concerning the Minor.

The Kig-Yar, Bok, stood atop an elevated branch in one of the trees along the edge of the forest. The small (and tasty looking!) four-legged creatures were underneath him, along with the stupid Unggoy. His gaze shifted from the ground to the scene before him. Sprawling across the horizon was what appeared to be a small town consisting of about a hundred structures or so, none of which looked the same. Already his sensitive nose was going to work, splitting the smells into ‘tasty’ and ‘not tasty’ categories. *No. Need to follow orders. No time for food.

He looked back to the small group, which was starting to move forward again. His gaze traveled to the nearest building, located a good thirty feet away. He took a small step back on his large branch and tensed his legs. Taking a brief running start up the branch, he leaped into the air, thrusting his right foot forward and using his left to propel himself.

His right foot landed solidly on the rooftop, but his left fell short, causing his body to hit the roof with a soft thud. He pulled himself over the edge slowly, so as to not gain any more attention. He perched on the chimney, his Focus Rifle at the ready. Looking around, he saw the three multicolored four-legs and the cloaked Unggoy moving along a nearby street that was surprisingly crowded. Bok jumped off the chimney and onto the roof of another home, flattening himself against it in an effort to avoid detection. He aimed down his rifle sights, zooming in a little to better observe the situation.

He saw them take a right around a corner. Lowering his Focus Rifle, Bok looked towards the building closest to the group. It was only across the street, a distance of twenty feet at most. Looking back to the ground to make sure none of the larger four-legs were watching, he leaped across the gap with ease.

Bok landed with a soft thud on the roof of the building. With his sensitive ears, he heard the beating of wings…*wait, wings? He dived into the shadow of the chimney and looked up. In the air floated one of the larger four-legs. It was a greyish sort of color with a yellow crest on its head. He readied his rifle, but didn’t look down the sights, waiting to see if the creature made any sudden movements. Finally, the flying one turned and slowly flew away, swerving somewhat and diving by accident every now and again.

They had wings and could fly? The sniper looked back to the square, taking note of the different types there were. He counted three separate kinds: those with wings, those with a horn, and those with neither. This was going to make a very interesting report to the higher ranking Sangheili. The ones with wings had the ability to fly while the other two didn’t. Could the horned ones do something special? What about the third kind?

He turned back to the small group only to see the tail of the winged one disappear behind another corner. He jumped onto three different buildings in quick succession before he saw them heading into an organized looking forest. The smell of it was driving him crazy! It smelled like…apples. His memory cast back to the first time he was on a human ship. He had eaten some of their food, and apples had been his favorite.

The small fillies were happy they found some new friends (and tough ones at that! Or in Scootaloo’s terms: ‘cool’). They trotted down the roads and alleys without a care in the world. Or at least until they saw a dark shadow jump over them, followed by a very salty smell. They had a feeling it was one of their new friends, but they still felt uneasy. It was as if it was not only following them, but hunting them, while at the same time just playing.

When they finally made it to Sweet Apple Acres, the presence was gone but the smaller invisible one was still beside them. They began the long trek back to Apple Bloom’s house, but met Applejack and her friends halfway there.

“Heya little ones. Didja watch th’ meteor shower?” Applejack asked, putting down a small basket of apples she had brought to the hilltop.

Sweetie Belle was the first to reply. “Sure did! We also found some new friends!”

“You did? Where are they? This would make a great report to Celestia!” Twilight Sparkle said, excitement growing on her face as she anticipated the upcoming report that was due that night.

“Well…we’re not quite sure,” replied Apple Bloom. “We saw ‘em a couple minutes ago, they shoulda been followin’ us.”

“Well, where did you last see them?”

“Promise ya won’t be mad?”

“I promise.” Twilight stated professionally, as if she did it all the time.

“Weeeelll…we kinda met them…in th’ Everfree.” Twilight’s eye twitched, Rarity and Applejack following suit. “…At the meteorite crash.”

“You met friends…in the Everfree Forest…at the site of a crashed meteor?” Twilight asked, taking a very long time to choose her words. A single strand of mane hair twitched itself out of place.

“Yep!” replied Scootaloo happily.

“What th’ hay were y’all doin’ in th’ Everfree?” Applejack asked, controlling her temper to the best of her abilities.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS METEORITE RECOVERY! YAY!!!” all three yelled in unison, the force of their outburst blowing Applejack’s hat right off her head.

“Don’t y’all have any idea what coulda-” Applejack started, only to be interrupted by Rarity. Applejack harrumphed loudly and stooped to retrieve her hat.

“Well, what do your new friends look like?”

“Well…they all stood on two legs, and two of them were huge! They could’ve been taller than Celestia herself! One was a dark black and the other a dark red. There was a shorter brown one, about half the size of the larger two with glowing wrists and an almost bird-like appearance. Then there was this cute little one that was orange, and he followed us here! Although, I can’t see him right now…” answered Sweetie Belle, looking around in confusion at the end of her explanation.

Twilight had been trying her best to not freak out about the Everfree, but now she had to put up with the fact that the three small fillies found LIFE she had never heard of and somehow BEFRIENDED these life forms!

“The large black one saved us…there were at least a bazillion Timberwolves coming at us, and he made all but one burst into fire! It was totally awesome!!” Scootaloo enthused.

That shook Twilight to her core. The creature defended the fillies from harm, but at the cost of Timberwolf lives? What did these new creatures have that the ponies didn’t, and vice-versa? Could they use magic, and if so why didn’t they teleport them all out? “Hmm...those don’t sound like any Everfree creatures I’ve ever heard of. Have you ever heard your animal friends mention anything like this, Fluttershy?”

The butter pegasus ‘eeped’ in surprise at being addressed, but soon recovered and shook her head demurely. “No, I haven’t. I’m sorry Twi, but I don’t know what they’re talking about either.”

Suddenly, there was a loud gasp heard from within the group, it’s source soon revealed to be a wildly bouncing ball of pink energy. “OMIGOSH!! Do you guys know what this means?? There are new friends in Ponyville, and that means I have to throw a super-awesome-fun Pinkie Pie Welcome to Ponyville PAAARRRTYY!! *GASP* OMIGOSH!! And because they’re new life forms we’ve never ever ever ever ever ever heard of I’ll have to throw a party for that too!! It’s going to be a WELCOME TO PONYVILLE NEW CREATURE FRIENDS PARTY!! WOOHOO!!”

Reaching down to her basket, Applejack deftly picked an apple and stuffed it into Pinkie’s mouth. “Now hold yer horses, sugarcube. We don’t know nothin’ ‘bout these fellers, and until we do Ah don’t want ya scarin’ ‘em off, ya hear?”

Pinkie chomped down on the apple in one bite and swallowed. “Fine,” she pouted slightly, folding her forelegs and sitting heavily on the ground. “I still think we should throw them a surprise party...”

Spike rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Hehe, yeah sure Pinkie. I’m sure that’ll work out just fine.”

Rainbow Dash, ever the bold one, asked the next question, one that was on everypony’s mind. “So, where is the large black one now?”

“Right behind you,” replied a very deep and heavy sounding voice from directly behind the group of mares.

The resulting chaos was quite amusing to the Ultra, who looked on as the larger six equines and smaller bipedal creature turned around, searching frantically for the source of the voice. The rainbow colored one was yelling out, “show yourself! I’m not scared!”

“As you wish. But heed this warning: do not attack me. The little ones told you already; I’ve slain many of these ‘Timberwolves’.”

“I bet you’re not nearly as tough as they say you are! If you’re too cowardly to show yourself then there’s no way you could’ve fought off even three Timberwolves!” Rainbow Dash called out brashly. Under her breath she added, “and don’t even think about hurting my friends.”

“Me? A coward? Many have thrown that insult, and few of them still draw breath,” the Ultra replied, somewhat amused. He slowly let his concealment drop, allowing the lights to show themselves before the rest of his armored form came into view. Ignoring the startled gasps (and eeps) from the equines, he grabbed an apple from Applejack’s basket and tossed it high into the air.

A low whine sounded from across the orchard and intensified as a blue-gold beam of energy shot out and incinerated the thrown apple. The mares gaped when they saw there was not even a single speck of the original apple left to float down while the Ultra casually shifted his gaze to the source of the Focus Rifle beam.

On the other side of the farm itself was the dark outline of a Kig-Yar. The Ultra stared unamusedly at the rainbow colored one before finishing what he had been saying. “I had my own allies to help me fight. As for hurting your friends, if I had to do so it would have been done.”

There was a tense silence, so tense it was almost tangible. Finally, the purple one with a horn spoke up. “So, err…what’s your name?”

“You may refer to me as Ultra for now.”

The Minor couldn't believe it! Here they were, stranded on an unknown world with equines that could speak, let alone speak as HUMANS do! Releasing a roar of rage, he violently punched the wreckage that used to be their Phantom. They should be fighting on the front, not retreating to the Glory Upon Salvation! They should be fighting the honorable war, gaining honor with each kill! His nostrils ached for the smell of humans alight with plasma fire, his ears for the screams of their pain, his eyes for their pathetic lack of honor and skill. He may only be a Minor, but war was his life.

Who was the Ultra to command him to stay behind and watch the clearly useless burning Phantom? Who was the Ultra to command him at all? He lost his honor when he was too cowardly to board the ship; too cowardly to stop the Demon from activating the device. Instead he had retreated like a wretched Unggoy. He needed to be slain. There needed to be a new Commanding Officer.

But alas. He was only a Minor, and did not have the experience needed to even consider challenging the Ultra…not yet, anyways.

He let out another roar of frustration and slammed his fist into one of the few segments of the Phantom’s hull that wasn’t burning merrily, the flames almost mocking him with their jubilance. The resulting sound was a residual, hollow ringing. He stepped back for a moment, eager to confirm his suspicions. He examined the hull more closely and saw a latch that was barely noticeable in the firelight. He wrapped his large hand around the latch and pulled, taking a large square of the hull with it. Of course, he knew of the weapons locker, but what this one yielded was of great fortune. *Not so useless after all.

There were two energy swords and a plasma battery capable of charging both those and all the other weapons they had. But two energy swords…he picked one up and looked at it closely. It fit in his hand perfectly. He quickly opened up a small compartment in his armor and stashed it inside, and then grabbed the other and held it tightly. *My own blades…I will find my honor on this pitiful world yet. His thoughts were interrupted by the voices of equines steadily drawing closer. He cloaked quickly, and watched the sources of the voices from the shadows.

There were seven of them, all donning eloquent golden armor, with four possessing wings and three with horns. They seemed to be military, their armor not unlike that of the Prophet’s Honor Guards, minus the prominent pauldrons. They seemed organized enough, with the winged ones floating while the horned ones were somehow carrying crossbows, weapons even more primitive than those of the pitiful humans. *Too easy.

With a devious smirk, the Minor ignited his blade.

Edited by Shanenator.
Written by Poptard and Solar Eclipse.

A/N: Huragok is an Engineer in the Halo universe.

Chapter Four: This World is Strange

* Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation. The Ultra, Kig-Yar, and the Unggoy were in the barn with the six mares and small reptile. The three Covenant were sitting together, speaking quietly to each other, whereas the locals were chatting quietly amongst themselves. The Covenant soldiers were on the stages of planning how to proceed from this point.

“*What now, Boss?” The Unggoy looked expectantly to the Ultra, hoping for guidance from the larger species. The Ultra straightened and raised his head, preparing for a speech.

“*Brothers, we are marooned on this backwards planet. Both our corvette and our mighty carrier are lost. But we will find a way to return. To return to the Blessed Path. This planet will not be our terminus, and perhaps -”

The Ultra didn’t get to finish his declaration, as he was cut off by the pink Equine suddenly letting out a loud and high pitched gasp. The Ultra turned to the pink mare, obviously vexed by her interruption. He could only stare at the pink mess as she jumped and seemed to suspend in the air, her legs flailing in all directions.

“I completely forgot!” She yelled, as she fell, her hooves finally hitting the floor.”I forgot to throw you all a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party!”

“We do not-”

In the blink of an eye, the pink pony was suddenly brandishing a large, primitive cannon, aimed directly at the squad. The Ultra was only beginning to reach for his sword while parting his jaws in a roar when the mare pulled a string and fired. Instinctively, he dived out of the cannon’s line of fire, expertly rolling and popping back up, brandishing his Energy Sword. Ready for intense combat after that ambush, what had actually occured caught the took the Sangheili by surprise

As the ringing from the cannon fire died down, he saw the entire barn was redecorated. There were streamers everywhere, falling from the ceiling, pastries galore, and things hung up on the wall that the creatures may think of as games.

And there was the Unggoy. Running around screaming, his arms flailing wildly in the air comically, freaking out due to a small artillery piece being fired at his face.

“Ooooh! Oooh! Tag!” The pink pony announced excitedly, and began to chase the panicking Unggoy around the area. This only served to terrify the already hysterical alien, and the Ultra was reduced to watching a member of an elite Spec Ops squadron being chased by a technicolor pony shorter than him.

After a few moments, the Ultra decided that the ponies weren’t attacking them, and this was indeed the “party” the pink one had claimed, and that a member of his squad was making a mockery of himself. He waited until the Unggoy made its way to him, still running around. As the Unggoy passed the large Sangheili, the tall alien reached out and grabbed the top of its harness with his left hand, lifting it a few feet into the air. The pink Equine skidded to a stop in front of him, and then wandered off, pouting. After all, he ruined her fun game of tag!

The Ultra heard the sound of laughter coming from the main group, and he saw the purple one make its way to him. He dropped the now calmer Unggoy and gazed around, looking for the cannon, which he had lost sight of in all the streamers. He deactivated his energy sword and stood as tall as he could. *How dishonorable. A drawn weapon demands blood...

“Er-hem.”

The Ultra turned, but saw no one. He stood in confusion, before realizing that he was being addressed from below him. The tall alien tilted his head downward, just enough to see the purple mare in the bottom of his vision, in a clearly practiced manner. Typically, he addressed Unggoy in such a superior and dismissive manner, but saw no reason to do so otherwise with these primitives.

Their height difference had a visible effect on the pony, who barely reached his waist. Her mouth was agape, as if she was in the middle of speaking, and the Ultra had no doubt she was a moment away from excusing herself and hastily vacating the area. In the end, Twilight never would have to make that choice, as the Ultra spoke first.

“Speak.” His tone wasn’t a request, but a demand.

Twilight was quick to regain her composure, shifting to stunned bystander to inquisitive bookmare in a heartbeat. “Oh, um, I guess I never introduced myself. I’m Twilight Sparkle. What’s your name?”

“As I have said, I am the Ultra.”

Twilight raised her eyebrow quizzically. “I know, but I’m asking for your name, not your title.”

“If I wished you to know my name, would I not have given it already?”

“I just thought you were... shy?”

There was a silent moment between the two (at least as quiet a moment in a party-throwing barn could be), as the purple mare internally chastised herself for such silly a reason. The Ultra, meanwhile, crossed his arms, no doubt in annoyance.

Twilight continued. “Well, I guess ‘the Ultra’ will do for now. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? You see, I’m a scholar, and I think it’s important that we both get to learn about each other, to help foster good relations between our species.”

The Ultra pondered her words. Few of his kind held scholarly positions, as their culture dictated military service was seen as the most honorable of paths a Sangheili could pursue. Nonetheless, the importance of these fields was not lost on the Ultra, as San ‘Shyuum often turned to this field, which was honorable in its own right. He decided to oblige the mare, somewhat due to lingering respect of the Prophets and their enlightened path, but mostly due to the desire to leave such a hectic locale.

The Sangheili gave a curt nod, which brightened Twilight’s mood immediately, as she broke into a smile. She turned to the barn door, opened it with magic, and strode out casually. The Ultra stopped in surprise. Did the mare just make such a primitive door open by flashing her horn? He strode out, giving the lock mechanism a cursory glance as passed it. As he did so, he failed to notice the streamers that Pinkie quickly hung from the back of his ornate headdress.

Soon the two found themselves standing near the side of the barn. Twilight was still a little intimidated by the tall and scary member of a warlike, dogmatic, genocidal alien race, but she steeled for what had to be done. An new, intelligent species had been discovered, which meant an entire treasure trove of knowledge that she would be the first to find. What new technology could the aliens bring with them? What new cultures were there to investigate? What new planets were there to journey to? So, with those questions in mind, Twilight began her groundbreaking investigation with the simplest of questions.

“Soooo...” Twilight started tentatively. “What species are you?”

The Ultra narrowed his eyes, and replied gruffly, “Sangheili.”

“And what world are you from?”

“Sangheilos.”

“Sangheilos? Oh, I get it! Your species name, and your planet’s name, and...” Twilight trailed off as the Ultra shifted his weight while giving his mandibles a click. She could practically feel the Ultra’s scowl deepen, despite his face being concealed. The mare chuckled sheepishly.

Twilight continued questioning the Sangheili. “...So, what’s your culture like?”

“Honorable.”

“Honorable?”

“Honorable.”

Twilight gave an internal groan. She was getting nowhere. At the same time, the Elite clicked his jaws together impatiently. Couldn’t the primitive realize he cared little for her questions?

The purple pony made up her mind to continue, if only for the sake of science. She remembered the Sangheili’s weapon display less than an hour ago, how that beam incinerated an apple. And what was that glowing blade that came out of the metal canister he had on his hip? Was it magic? Technology? Both? It was worth investigating.

“What’s your species’ technology like?”

“Advanced.”

Twilight’s eye twitched.

Bok looked around new stimuli bombarding his senses. One was a smell... A kind of smelly smell. A smell that smells... good. He moved his head to the left and to the right, trying to pinpoint it and- *There it is... He made his way to a nearby table that was playing host to many types of pastries and breads. There was a large circular one, his senses told him that it had a suicidal amount of icing on it. He clutched it in his claws, and opened his mouth wide. He closed his eyes and was about to eat the entire cake in one gulp.

The weight in his hands suddenly disappeared as his jaws snapped closed on thin air. He opened one of his eyes to see the pink four-legs with her entire face was covered in icing, save for her eyes, which stared happily at him. He awkwardly closed his jaws and slowly picked up another cake, smaller this time. His eyes not leaving hers to make she she would not steal his food again, he slowly brought the cake up to his jaws and swallowed it whole. The pink four-legs immediately let out another gasp and ate the icing off her face.

“I challenge you, to an eating contest!!”

“*What?” He cocked his head to the side, giving her a questioning glance.

“*I challenge you to cake eating contest!” She made movements with her hoof and motioned to the food.

“*Did you just-”

“*Yep! But why don’t you talk in Equestrian like the big one can?”

“I am not like the Sangeheili, I can only speak my language, the language of the Kig-Yar. The others just use translators”

“*Well that stinks .” She pouted at this and crossed her forehooves. She perked up immediately, however. “*Good thing I know bird!

“*So, food challenge?”

“*Yep! Lets go!”

He jumped up and looked at the now suddenly cake-full table. The pink four-legs landed next to him, mouth open and ready to receive the cake laid out in front of her. He opened his own jaws, and lined up with a single line, just as she had.

“*GO!”

Bok decided then and there he wasn’t going to eat this pony.

Pip-Pap was sitting behind a bale hay in the barn, well away from the crazy pink pony who fired artillery into people’s faces. He had mostly calmed down by now, but still refused to go near the pink monster, nor any of the other monsters, who were all as tall as himself without his harness. He wanted to make himself look as small as possible, so they would look over him. So far the plan was a success, with only one snag. Most of his methane tank and harness were poking well out behind the bale.

He looked over to the main group, the large Elite leaving, and the mean Kig-Yar stuffing down food faster then the Unggoy had thought possible. His gaze traveled back to the main group of the ponies. They were standing around, speaking to each other. Good. He lowered himself back down and looked at a piece of straw between his stubby fingers.

There was some giggling to his right. He stopped moving and breathing, his ears searching for the sound. After a moment of no other noises, he continued to play with the straw in his hand. Then he felt a tapping on his methane tank with a whisper, “What’ya think he’s got in here?”

He jumped up, and turned around as fast as he could. There stood the three little monsters that they had first met. He looked at the three of them with his beady eyes, watching them for any sudden movements.

“Ya’ll okay there?”

Of course! He could understand the language of the humans, as well as speak it, but when he spoke it.. it felt unnatural and sounded horrible, and he sounded like a high-pitched infant when he did so. He simply nodded in response.

The one with purple hair and a white coat spoke next. “If we scared you, we’re sorry. We thought our Cutie Marks mighta had to do with sneaking or something,” The Unggoy simply nodded, though he was confused as to what a ‘Cutie Mark’ was.

Pip-Pap sat down again and eyed the three curiously. It was rare that he found something or someone smaller than himself. It made him feel tall... he didn’t like it that much. “What... cutie mark?” he asked, his head tilting to the side.

“It’s what all ponies get when they find their special talent!” replied the small monster with an orange coat and purplish hair.

“Special... talent?”

“Yeah! Like how AppleJack’s special talent is bucking apples from trees, thus her cutie mark is apples!”

The Grunt thought back on his life, what might be his special talent... he concluded its one of a couple of things; running away, getting shot at, breathing methane, lucky grenade throws, and last but not least, killing a demon with said grenade throw. And then getting shot at again. That was the luckiest he had ever been in his entire life.

“Do you have a special talent?”

He shook his head to clear his mind, and looked back to the group. His reply came slowly, “No... I do not.”

“Ya wanna join our group to help ya find your special talent?” Inquired the yellow one with read hair.

“Okay!” Pip-Pap was genuinely excited, he might not get a mark, but he would like to know what his real special talent is. Would it have to do with the war, or would it be something different, like maybe it involved building things, or sleeping? Oh, a sleeping Cuite Mark would be perfect. He took a deep sigh, but found it was hard to catch his breath. *What the.. He turned to look at the dial on his tank, and saw that it was almost low enough to cause alarm. He stood up quickly. “Excuse...me.” He ran outside to the armored beast that was his commander.

Despite over a half-hour passing, Twilight had gleaned only a few scraps of knowledge from the stubborn alien. So far, all she had known learned that they came from space, they were part of a multi-species union called “the Covenant,” that they were fanatically religious, and the names of the two other species twilight had met. Such little net gain frustrated Twilight, but as she remembered the meteorite storm from earlier, she realized she still had another card to play.

“Hey, Ultra, I know your ship crashed-”

The Ultra straightened. “Who informed you of that.”

The purple mare tilted her head and smiled. “You just did.”

The Ultra growled, and took a threatening step forward. Twilight lost her smugness immediately, and instead jumped to the next part of the plan. “Wait, I know you’re stuck here, but maybe we can help you?”

That gave the alien pause. “Help? What we require goes far beyond what a town your size could provide.”

Twilight smiled again. “I know we can’t, but I know someone who can. I’m actually the personal student of Princess Celestia!”

The Ultra didn’t seem impressed. “Who?”

The mare’s tone went from confident to sheepish. “Oh, right, you don’t know... Well, what you need to know is that Princess Celestia is the ruler of Equestria, she’ really old and wise, and she raises the sun every day.”

The Sangheili Officer scoffed at the last tidbit of information. Even in all their fanaticism, the Sangheili still understand that gravity and the rotation of the planet controls the sunrise, no matter what mystics or despots claim. Except for, perhaps, the gods. Still, talking with this ‘Princess Celestia’ would be a good start on the way back to the Blessed Path

The Ultra lowered his head. “Very well. We will meet your Princess.”

Twilight beamed. “Great!”

After Twilight wrote a letter to her princess, and then excused herself to to go send it, the Ultra summoned the rest of his companions outside. When the Kig-Yar stumbled out with a comical swell in his abdomen, his superior was quick to scold him. To the revulsion of the ponies around him, he simply turned and emptied his stomach into a nearby bush. The white one gasped, pulled a futon out from... somewhere, and promptly fainted upon it. Bok simply chuckled in amusement at the reaction he garnered.

The Unggoy waddled over to his superior, and tugged on his leg. When the Ultra looked down, the Unggoy motioned to his harness, and stated “*Low.” The Ultra nodded. While he didn’t exactly hold Pip-Pap’s species in high regard, he wasn’t keen on letting someone under his command asphyxiate.

The Ultra opened up a comm channel with his brother Sangheili, who was still guarding the downed Phantom. He didn’t respond. He waited a minute, and tried again, but still nothing. Three minutes later, on the third try, he finally got a response.

“*What is it, brother?”

“*For what reason did it take so long to respond?”

“*Some of the local wildlife wandered too close. I dealt with them. I didn’t dare answer as I was engaged.”

Remembering the timberwolves, the Ultra’s concerns were abated. “*Very well. Has your search of the Phantom bore fruit?”

“*Yes, Ultra. In hidden compartments, I have found a variety of weapons.”

“*Good. Take what you can carry. Also, try to salvage methane canisters from the fallen Unggoy. Pip-Pap is running low on his supply.”

“*Bending over for that wretch? It would be more honorable to die than breathe another on this pathetic planet.”

The Ultra was annoyed at the Minor’s tirade, but he had to admit he wasn’t too fond of these ponies, or their planet. However, ‘pathetic’ wasn’t a word he would use to describe either. “*I’d rather trust an Unggoy than these aliens, so, yes, bring what you can.”

“*Very well, sir.”

“*Good. We shall meet in a few hours at this waypoint. A chariot will be there to escort us to the leader of these ‘ponies.’”

There was a pause on the other end. “*Brother, are we seriously negotiating with these worms?”

The Ultra growled at this. “*Yes, Minor. This is the best chance we have so far at getting off this rock, so yes. Obey my command.”

“Yes, sir.” The link cut abruptly.

The Ultra scowled, though none could see it. The Minor was beginning to be a nuisance for him to deal with.

The Immortal Solar Princess sat in her room, pondering. Many of the recent events weighed heavily on her mind. Particularly, the meteor shower of yesterday.Typically, meteor showers were actually a scheduled event, in which she hurled a large rock and shattered in it high orbit, allowed small chunks to disintegrate harmlessly in the atmosphere. The end result was only bedazzled ponies, not large chunks of debris making a new clearing in the Everfree forest. It was possible that Celestia miscalculated the energy of blast, but the Princess was wise enough to know that something was amiss.

A second development that weighed on her was the disappearance of a team sent to scout the Everfree for meteorite shards, and assess the damage they caused. All teams except for one reported back in without a delay, at least from what Shining Armor had reported to her. Celestia authorized Shining’s request to send a search team out immediately, but it would be at least tomorrow before they would report back. If they did...

Did she just send another squad of ponies to their doom? Celestia had worked hard to achieve peace in Equestria, and for the past thousand years, all her ponies and species that resided nearby enjoyed the benefits of Pax Equestria. She had no wish for this state to end anytime soon.

A third development occupied her thoughts, one that she became aware of less than 10 minutes ago. Apparently, her faithful student met several aliens, and requested the chance for them to meet with the Princess. Celestia knew Twilight had a habit of exaggerating events, and this could turn out to be nothing less than an obscure Equestrian species she found, but recent events made this story seem plausible.

Celestia looked back to the letter she received, and looked back out of her window. She let out a deep sigh, hoping something like this would never have happened in her long life time. She looked up into the sky, which was a brilliant azure as her sun passed its zenith. She said aloud, seemingly to herself, “Why must it be now... Custodian? Are you there?”

Over the millennia Celestia had ruled, she had amassed a large collection of trinkets, trophies, awards she was gifted (She once won the Cowbel Peace Prize for 51 years in a row), or ancient artifacts that nobleponies gifted her to elicit her favor. However, when these words were spoken, a simple metallic pyramid trimmed with onyx, one of her oldest pieces, hummed and came alive with a blue light. Above it, a curious metal ball materialized, translucent and tinted blue as if it were some ghostly projection.

The voice that answered was soft, yet reverberated as well, adding to the spectral illusion. “Yes, I am here. It has been a 10351367 minutes and seven seconds since we last conversed, Celestia.” The intensity of the apparition fluctuated with each enunciation, as in some mimicry of actual projection.

“Indeed it has” She replied, still gazing at the night sky. “I have a report from my student, Twilight... She said aliens have come before her and the such. They claim to be from ‘Sangheilios’.”

“Ah yes... It is great that another space faring species has finally come into contact with us. It has been a very long time since the Creator’s demise”

“But they may not be friendly. They came in an apparent meteorite, and the squad of ponies I sent out to investigate has yet to report in.”

“Is your student missing as well?”

“No...”

“Then they must not have arrived with bad intentions. According to our previous conversations, the Everfree Forest has difficult terrain, and the team could simply have gotten themselves lost. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions, now, should we?”

Celestia tilted her head in thought. “Perhaps...”

“There! Now, I do believe you have some wonderful new guests to greet.”

Celestia sighed. “Very well, I’ll make the arrangements. I suppose nothing too horrible could come of this. That’ll be all, my old friend.”

The apparition bobbed slightly as it replied. “Ta-ta, Celestia Daybreaker. As always, I will be here when you need me.” The hum cut off abruptly.

“Farewell, Custodian.” Celestia replied, as she levitated a small plain parchment with her magic, and beginning to pen her reply to her student.

Chapter Five: Blind Faith

* Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation.

Twilight was trotting back to the barn, a noticeable spring in her step. Celestia’s response to her request was slower than usual, yet still confirmed a time and place for the meeting. It seemed like this day was continuing to look up.

That was, until something crash-landed right in front of the mare. Twilight reeled in surprise, but a familiar flash of rainbow in the subsequent dust cloud set Twilight at ease. Ugh, I can’t believe I’m getting used to being nearly flattened, the unicorn thought to herself.

The wild mare that dropped from the sky was quick to compose herself. “Hey Twilight,” Rainbow Dash started casually. “Nice landing, huh?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Couldn’t you just land like a regular pegasus?”

Rainbow smirked. “‘Rainbow Dash’ and ‘regular pegasus’ don’t go together in my dictionary!”

“Is that so?” Twilight said with a smirk. “Well if you’ll excuse me, I need to go tell our new friends that the Princess agreed to meet with them,” Twilight stated coolly, and moved to walk around Rainbow. However, the pegasus cut her off.

“Yeah, that’s what I came to talk about.” Rainbow’s cocky attitude was noticeably toned down, and weighted with worry. “Now I’m not scared of anypony, but those guys make me nervous. Like they’re sizing me up to eat, right?”

Twilight brought a hoof up to her chin in thought. “Well, judging by their teeth, I bet the Kig-Yar-”

“The what?”

“Oh, that’s their species name! The tall one is a Sangheili, the bird-like one is a Kig-Yar, and the short one is an Unggoy.”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “Yeah well, the point is, they don’t exactly seem like the kind of ponies that would sit down and chat nicely. You saw that laser-sword the tall one grabbed, right? And that beam that came outta nowhere.”

“Of course. Those are called ‘weapons,’ Rainbow.”

Rainbow stomped her hoof and raised her voice. “Exactly! Those guys are like, soldiers! They aren’t gonna play nice!”

Twilight sighed. “Well, what do you want to do Rainbow?”

“It’s obvious isn’t it? We gotta keep an eye on them!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Aren't we doing that right now?”

“Well, I meant-”

“Besides, we’re going to Canterlot: the capital of Equestria! Every corner has a Royal Guard. They’ll protect us.”

Rainbow started to say something, but stopped herself and sighed. “Alright, I guess. But I still don’t trust them.”

Twilight smiled, and the two mares began walking towards the barn together.

“There’s nothing to worry about, Rainbow. You’ll see!” Twilight cheerfully reassured her friend.

*“This planet deserves to be glassed.”

The area around the Minor was still, but his mind was a maelstrom of destructive thoughts. He could imagine it: the Covenant ships would swoop down upon their cities and purify them with holy fire, the houses and bodies catching aflame. He could smell it. And it was glorious.

Talking aloud was heavily discouraged for a member of a Spec Ops team, but the Minor knew nothing was around to hear him voice his displeasure. However, fires and rough angular shapes that began to enter the Minor’s view through gaps in the trees silenced the alien’s tongue.

A small town was ahead, but the Minor could tell his waypoint was further to the east. He kept to the forest until he was finally at the first waypoint, an open pasture adjacent to what seemed to be a human farm silo. After a few more steps he was a couple meters away from a second waypoint in the middle of the small pasture. He let out a loud sigh and dropped the plasma battery, the harnesses, and the two Unggoy methane tanks.

Not too far away he saw a red barn with lights dancing inside. He also saw two pony shaped forms enter the barn and close the door. He held his large hand over the left side of his helmet. “*Ultra, I have arrived. I await you at the coordinates.”

After a moment of silence, the Ultra’s voice sounded in his ear. “*We are on the way.”

The Minor snapped his jaws in response and sat down on the battery. He watched the barn doors reopen and from it emerged six ponies, his larger brother, and his weaker subordinates. The Ultra took a moment to look around, but quickly located the Minor. His superior pointed in his direction, and began his walk toward the Minor. The others followed suit.

As they slowly approached, the Minor got off of the battery and gave a small salute to the Ultra. His gaze traveled down to the small equines clustered around the Ultra and he snapped his jaws, irritated at how they crowded around the larger Sangheili, not unlike the ever-annoying Unggoy. *Pitiful. And the Ultra allowed it! The Minor added that to his ever-growing list of reasons for resenting his superior.

The Unggoy ran up and grabbed one of the methane tanks almost immediately, murmuring a quick thanks to the Minor who simply snorted back in response. The locals were staring at him, not only at his onyx black eyes but also at his large teeth.

He smiled, showing off his teeth and standing up as tall as he could. The yellow one with pink hair hid behind a blue one with rainbow hair. *It knows its place. Good.

“*Minor, the pony’s leader has agreed to speak with us. Hopefully to help us get off this planet, and back onto the Blessed Path.” The Ultra stated, while the purple one watched them converse. However, it was obvious she couldn’t understand them.

“*Good, I want off as soon as I can. I’m eager to continue the fight.”

“*All in good time, brother. What happened to your leg?”

“*The wildlife got a hold of me after breaking my shield. They are weak, but numbers can overwhelm.” The Minor replied casually, waving his hand as he did so. The Ultra’s eyes fell upon the energy sword hilt on the Minor’s hip. His eyes narrowed as he contemplated his choices. With the Minor’s resentment towards him already high, he dared not take the blade in front of the ponies.

“*I see you found yourself a blade.”

“*Indeed.” The Minor tensed, waiting for what the Ultra would say next. Would he take it away and add it to his own arsenal? Destroy it?

“*The Major won’t be needing it anymore. Take care of it for him.”

That was unexpected, but the Minor gave pause to honor the Majors’ deaths. “*Of course, Ultra. They await us in paradise.”

The Ultra nodded understandably, and looked to the now very relieved Unggoy when something caught the Minor’s eye. He looked up into the sky and saw a large vehicle coming their way. The Ultra looked up and tracked it as well. Finally, it came close enough to be identified as a chariot, not unlike those the Sangheili once used from over a thousand years ago. It finally landed in front of the group, four pegasi in golden armor standing at attention in front of the vehicle. The vehicle itself was gold, like the armor of the stallions that pulled it, and seemed to be able to hold up to seven or so of the natives.

What surprised the Sangheili the most was that the pegasi could keep the carriage level in the air, especially because the flashy carriage seemed to lack any sort of lift-producing mechanism.
“*Very impressive. They seem to be stronger than their bodies look.,” the Ultra observed.

“*So it would seem, Ultra. So it would seem,” the Minor said in reply, a small chuckle escaping him as his mind flashed back to an earlier moment.

“C’mon everypony!” the pink one called cheerfully, causing the Minor to flinch at how human it sounded. “Celestia’s waiting for us!”

“Er, fellas?” the orange one with the hat started. “Ah don’t think we can all fit.”

The trip to Canterlot was uneventful enough. The ponies didn’t have the chance to annoy the Minor or Ultra further, as the carriage wasn’t large enough to carry the full group. Fortunately, Rainbow was able to convince some of her neighbors to lend her theirs, so the group was able to disembark only slightly behind schedule.

In the carriage occupied by the Elements of Harmony, the minutes passed quietly, but not entirely silently. Twilight brought her friends up to speed on what she had managed to learn from the Ultra, which held everyone’s attention for most of the flight.

In the Covenant-occupied carriage, the minutes passed in silence. Both the Kig-Yar and Unggoy spent their time napping while the Minor fumed quietly. The Ultra, meanwhile, gazed out the window of the carriage, taking in the vista that awaited him. This planet was…calming, peaceful even. These lands did not know war. *But so did the human planet, Reach, before we arrived in force the Ultra thought.

Within a few minutes, the Equestrian capital of Canterlot was sprawling beneath them, and both carriages could see the city in all its immensity and glory. The other two Covenant awoke and looked upon the shining city with interest. Even the Minor stopped narrowing his eyes to peer attentively at Canterlot as the Ultra continued his observations.

In fact, Canterlot greatly reminded the Sangheili officer of the Sanghelios city he grew up on the outskirts of, where he trained with his uncle. The two carriages split up, the one with the equine passengers branching off and landing in front of the castle itself while the carriage the Covenant occupied landed in what seemed to be a large garden. Surrounding the carriage was an honor guard consisting of more white ponies in golden armor and one tan unicorn in simpler robes, marking him as one of the support staff.

The Covenant made their way out of the carriage one by one, the Ultra taking the lead, followed soon after by the Minor and then the two lower class aliens. The aliens looked around and spotted a white unicorn wearing an ornate set of purple and gold armor approaching them. The intricate designs on the armor and the air of importance about him immediately grabbed their attention.

“Greetings, creatures from another world! As the Captain of the Guard to the Royal Sisters of Equestria, I would like to extend a cordial welcome to our shining capitol of Canterlot. My name is Shining Armor. Our most sincerest apologies, but for safety purposes we’ll have to confiscate your weapons. You are to meet with the ruler of Equestria, after all.”

The Minor was quick to rebel. “Preposterous! We will not-!”

The Ultra raised a hand. “Calm, brother.”

The aliens turned to face each other and continued their argument in their own tongue. “*Do not invoke resentment in these ponies. However harmless they may be, they could be the key to our eventual return to the Covenant.”

The Minor snorted in anger. “*Who are they to demand our weapons? They should know their place, as Ninshin should.”

The Ultra scowled. “*I share your sentiments, but are we not superior combatants? We shall relinquish what these ‘ponies’ can see. If conflict erupts, our wrist blades will suffice until we can reclaim our weapons.”

The Minor closed his jaws, deep in thought, and then bowed his head. The idea that he’d at least have one method of escape, in addition to another currently stashed against his breast, appeased him. “Very well, sir.”

“Good.”

They finally turned to the awaiting ponies. “We relinquish our weapons.”

Shining armor nodded in approval. “We appreciate your cooperation. I assure you that your weapons will be returned once the meeting is concluded. I understand that you have thus far demonstrated responsibility in our realm. As an act of trust, we will allow you to keep your weapons as long as peace continues to be preserved.”

Shining Armor turned to the tan pony and nodded his head once. To their great surprise, the tan unicorn made no movement to retrieve their weapons. Instead, the weapons simply levitated in the air, a cyan aura enveloping them as they floated over to him. The unicorn pulled Pip-Pap’s plasma pistol closer and remarked, “fascinating...”

The weapons were placed inside a large chest that was then picked up by the same aura. The tan unicorn walked away with the chest beside him. The Spec Ops squad sat there gaping, rendered speechless by what had just transpired. Their thoughts were universal amongst them: *what?? How did…but… what??

“But, sir... aren’t I the one who’s supposed to confiscate their weapons?” a blue unicorn stated in confusion as he stepped forward.

Shining’s eyes snapped open in realization and horror. No wonder he didn’t recognize the new pony! “Guards, stop that page!”

The page, or rather the infiltrator, broke into a sprint. Two guards standing at attention by his chosen escape route moved to intervene, but the tan unicorn’s horn suddenly lit up and shot a blast of magic in between the two larger stallions.

“Stop right there, criminal sc-” The bolt exploded directly under their feet and sent the guards sprawling, and the unicorn deftly leaped over the pair and out the gate. He turned sharply left, and disappeared from view.

It all happened so fast that everypony was frozen in shock. However, the Covenant soldiers were faster to react. Both Sangheili growled, but the Ultra was the first to speak. “Bok, pursue that pony! Recover our weapons at all costs!”

The Kig-Yar screeched in approval and took off towards the gate in the loping gait his species was known for. Meanwhile, the Minor let out a roar of anger, turning to Shining Armor as he did so. “Fool! How can you not tell a spy from one of your own?”

Shining narrowed his eyes and sighed, lowering his head. “I’m sorry, I should have known,” he apologized. He quickly regained composure and turned to a lieutenant, quickly starting to bark out orders. “Secure the gates! Station guards at all main exits! Reinforce patrols on the walls! Notify everypony, I want that impersonator caught!!”

Chapter Six: On the Hunt

* Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation.

Music for the chapter.

*Smells. So many smells. Which smell? Bad smell. Follow bad smell. Bad smell is....this way!!

Bok barreled past the unconscious guards and through the gate, intent on hunting down the pony who was foolish enough to think he could steal their weapons. He wasn’t quite sure how the single unarmed pony managed to subdue a pair of armed and armored guards, evidently there was some other force at work here. It probably had something to do with how he had levitated their weapons earlier. Clearly, extreme caution was to be exercised.

Bok skidded around a corner before resuming his chase, covering ground quickly with the loping gait his race was renowned for. The smell grew stronger as he continued to run, he must be getting closer! Bok reveled in the sensation of being on the hunt again, his race were natural trackers and it had been quite some time since he had last enjoyed an opportunity to hunt down a fearful prey.

Rounding another corner, Bok skidded to a halt, an expression of pure surprise on his face. *What…what this?? Stretching out before him was what appeared to be…a gigantic green maze? Sure enough, the nearly endless stretches of bright green hedges arranged in a truly peculiar pattern couldn’t be anything but. Bok couldn’t for the life of him figure out the purpose of such a strange construct. Truly, these ‘ponies’ were an odd species indeed.

A quick whiff of the air confirmed that yes, his quarry had indeed headed into the maze in an attempt to avoid him. What a foolish notion. Chuckling slightly to himself, Bok took off again at a full sprint, charging down the slight incline to the maze. Channeling his forward momentum, he tensed his legs and leapt high into the air. Clearing the first wall of hedges easily, Bok landed cleanly in the middle of the maze corridor and tensed again.

Now leaping freely through the maze, Bok was closing in on his target. *Silly ponies. Silly maze not built for Kig-Yar. As Bok sprang into the air for the fifth time, his sharp ears detected a strange sizzling noise to his right. Turning his head, his eyes confirmed that a strange blur of purple color was barreling directly towards him, and it probably wasn’t a stray cloud. Trapped in mid-air, Bok twisted his body, attempting to flatten himself out and veer out of the path of the unknown projectile. Despite his best efforts, the bolt still connected.

Bok screeched in agony as a searing pain shot through his right shoulder and upper arm. Distracted by the pain, he forgot to orient himself for a landing and slammed roughly into the hard, unforgiving ground, his left shoulder absorbing most of the impact. Forcing himself to stand upright, Bok tried to figure out what exactly had just happened. Looking down at his right arm, he saw his own blackened and burned flesh. It sizzled slightly, and when he touched it a bolt of searing hot pain shot through his skull.

Gritting his teeth, Bok forced his right arm to rotate slowly. It hurt to move it, but the fact that he could was a reassuring sign. Although the injury appeared serious, in actuality it was more likely that it was only a surface wound. Evidently his attempt to evade the projectile succeeded in some manner, it was likely that his injuries would have been far worse if the bolt had struck directly. *More enemies. Bad pony has friends. No more jumping, must be careful now. Following his nose once again, Bok took off at high speed, carefully weaving his way through the twisting corridors.

Five minutes passed, and Bok was still running full tilt through the enormous hedge maze. The scent lingered in his nostrils the entire time, neither waxing nor waning as the chase continued. His prey must be stuck in the maze as well. As Bok skidded into yet another dead end and quickly took off in the direction he just came, he cursed his unseen enemies who prevented him from leaping these walls. But he knew he couldn’t risk taking fire in mid-air again, and so kept his feet firmly on the ground.

At long last, Bok burst out of the maze into a small clearing. It was circular in shape with a statue of a strange mismatched creature in the middle, and about five paths leading out of it. Bok paused to take a quick sniff, and his eyes widened in surprise. The pony was close. VERY close. Bok quickly dived behind the curious statue and stood stock-still, waiting for his prey to come even closer.

Sure enough, the sound of galloping hoofsteps was soon audible, followed by the sound of heavy breathing as the pony also emerged into the clearing. Bok tensed, but held his position and waited for the perfect opportunity. “No, no, no, this isn’t right…Iron Heart told me two lefts, one right, left, right, three lefts, five rights, two lefts, right, left, two rights, and then a left! I followed his instructions exactly…or did I? Hmm, perhaps I took a left after the third left, right sequence…” the pony muttered to himself.

“Well regardless, if I’m where I think I am now, then I need to go…that way!” Bok risked a peek around the statue to see which direction the pony was headed in. Sure enough, the tan pony from before was trotting perpendicular to Bok’s line of sight, the chest full of their weapons levitating beside him. Waiting until the pony was mostly looking away from him, Bok took his opportunity to strike. Sliding out from behind the statue, he sprinted as quickly and quietly as he could towards the pony, intending to tackle it from behind.

Unfortunately, the balance between speed and stealth is a fickle one, and Bok’s rapid footsteps alerted the pony to his presence. Spinning around, the pony’s eyes widened in surprise and fright while his horn started to glow cyan. But it was too late for the pony. Bok screeched victoriously and leapt at his prey, intending to wrap his hands around its neck and throttle it to the ground…but reality had very different plans.

Bok smacked face first into some sort of invisible forcefield, his limbs splayed comically around him and his eye twitching slightly in a combination of surprise, pain, and anger. Disoriented as he was, Bok was still able to register the fact that the unicorn was now facing him, a victorious glint in his eyes as his horn glowed even brighter. Faster than any normal pony could react, Bok’s lightning reflexes and survival instincts kicked in, and he kicked off of the forcefield into a backflip just as a massive maroon blast erupted from the pony’s horn and passed through where Bok had been just seconds before.

Unfortunately for Bok, initiating such a maneuver while still disoriented tended to be ill-advised, and he tumbled clumsily to the ground. Looking up, Bok barely managed to catch a glimpse of the pony’s fleeing tail as he disappeared into the maze once again. Groaning in pain, Bok forced himself to his feet yet again and resumed his pursuit, albeit a bit more cautiously now. Clearly this pony had more than a handful of tricks up his sleeve, and Bok didn’t want to be on the receiving end any more than he had to.

*Pony must leave maze eventually. Bok follow for now. Then when pony in open, Bok strike, Bok thought to himself. His plan now fully realized, Bok continued to follow the pony at a fair distance. Deeper and deeper into the maze they went, twisting and turning through the green depths at an almost alarming pace. *Pony know maze well. Pony not lost, Bok mused to himself as he watched the pony charge confidently through a t-intersection before disappearing behind a left turn right as Bok reached it.

Suddenly, Bok’s sharp eyes detected an abnormal flash of color to his left. Upon turning his head, Bok’s chest tightened at the sight of yet another purple blast barreling right for him. *Again?? Bad ponies everywhere! Lightning reflexes once again in full swing, Bok sprang forward, tucking his limbs in and executing a flawless somersault through the intersection. The massive bolt of energy sailed directly over his compact form, but not before singing his toes slightly. As Bok recovered from the maneuver a section of hedge behind him exploded in flames thanks to the wayward projectile.

Clicking angrily to himself, Bok ignored his attacker and continued to follow his quarry, determined not to lose their weapons to a bunch of colorful ponies. The pursuit continued for another five minutes, during which time Bok had to hurriedly dodge three more large purple projectiles. *Ponies really want weapons. Can’t have weapons, weapons ours!!

At long last, Bok turned a corner into a long straightaway with a large golden gate at the end. The pony he was pursuing was already passing through the golden archway, and with a flick of his horn slammed the gate closed and locked it. Bok scoffed at the pathetic attempt and tensed his legs for a jump. His wariness over jumping resurfaced for a brief moment before it was brushed away impatiently. He’d come too far and endured too much to lose that pony now!

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. An excellent idea! Just moments before he would run headlong into the now barred gate, Bok sprang upwards. His hands wrapped around the upper railing of the gate, and his forward momentum pivoted his body up and over the gate and launched him towards the ground on the other side. He landed deftly and spared a quick glance upwards. Sure enough, not one, not two, but THREE giant magical bolts converged on the spot where he would have been had he jumped normally, exploding in brilliant purple hues. There was no way he would have been able to dodge that.

Silently congratulating himself on his ingenuity, Bok set out after the pony once again. Rounding a corner, he gradually slowed down before halting. Before him was some sort of plaza or courtyard, and it was packed with ponies! Bok’s keen eyes scanned the crowd, but could see neither hide nor hair of his quarry. He tried scenting the air as well, but the sheer overwhelming number of scents left him feeling slightly light-headed. Looking around hurriedly, he spied a nearby castle wall. It was time to gain some altitude.

Dashing over to the wall, Bok jumped up and began to climb, no longer comfortable with the thought of being suspended in mid air. His sharp claws easily reached into the gaps between the bricks, giving him perfect handholds and allowing him to scale the wall virtually effortlessly. Half way up, a gentle sizzling sound reached Bok’s ears. Craning his head to look behind him, Bok’s eyes widened as yet another purple bolt rocketed towards him.

Bok leaped sideways, his hands and feet scrabbling for new purchase as the bolt slammed into the wall, bits of debris and masonry flying everywhere. Bok cringed as he felt a particularly sharp piece slice open his cheek, but he redoubled his climbing efforts. Upon reaching the top, he quickly scanned the plaza for anything of notice. First, were there any purple bolts flying towards him? No? Good. Funny how one’s priorities can change so suddenly.

Using his new vantage point, Bok searched the crowd once again in an attempt to locate his quarry. There! Barreling through the plaza towards an immense wooden gate was the pony in question, chest of weapons floating beside him. How the chest was floating was still a complete mystery to Bok, but then again there had been a lot of strange things happening lately. He made a mental note to have Ultra force the ponies to explain it all. But that wasn’t important right now. Once again on the trail, Bok took off down the wall, running flat out in an attempt to close the distance between himself and his quarry.

The pony’s horn began to glow as he approached the gate, which was currently being blocked by two pegasus guards, their spears crossed over the gate. Their wings were flared and their faces wore expressions of grim determination, but somehow Bok doubted their ability to stop his prey, especially because the pony’s horn was glowing. Strange things seemed to happen when those horns lit up. Realizing that he was rapidly running out of time, Bok weighed his options.

If the pony managed to get past the guards, he would escape to the city proper, and with so many ponies about Bok would be very hard-pressed to stay on his trail. But on the other hand, if he jumped…

It was now or never. It was time for a leap of faith. He would stop this pony and retrieve their weapons or die trying.

Running some quick calculations in his head, Bok steeled himself for the jump of his life, quite literally. *Prophets protect me. For honor and glory!! And with a powerful pulse of his corded legs, Bok was airborne, slowly sailing towards his elusive quarry. Off to his right, he saw two purple blasts emerge from thin air and start moving towards him. Bok gulped and prepared to do whatever he could to stay alive.

Fortunately for him, Bok’s adversaries were not quite as adept at mental math as he was, and Bok could feel the heat as the first blast sailed behind him. The second, however, was steadily eating away at the distance between them. Bok could tell that they were on a collision course, but what could he do? Absolutely nothing. With no other recourse, Bok curled up into the tightest ball he could and prayed to the Holy Spirits. His fate was in their hands.

Bok screeched in agony as the purple blast connected, but once again it was fortunately only a glancing blow. Nonetheless, pain exploded across Bok’s back as the purple flames licked at his back and shoulder blades, leaving a charred swath of flesh in its absence. The scent of his own burning flesh reached his nostrils, and Bok had to resist the urge to be sick.

Between his own pained screeching and the screams of ponies in the plaza, who had finally taken notice of the massive purple explosions and strange alien creature sailing through the air, the fleeing pony became aware that something was wrong in his immediate surroundings. Casting his gaze around him confusedly, his eyes widened when he finally saw Bok flying straight towards him.

And it was too late.

The poor pony could only watch as the infuriated alien drew closer, their collision inevitable. The pony was running too hard to stop his forward momentum anytime soon, and he was already halfway into casting a teleport spell to get him through the gate, rendering him unable to reverse his magic and cast a new spell fast enough. The two of them collided at full speed. And Bok’s calculations were deadly accurate.

*CRACK!!* The pony screamed in agony. Bok screeched victoriously. The surrounding screams intensified in volume and frequency.

Bok landed square on the pony’s back, impacting with such force the pony’s spine snapped like a twig, and he buckled immediately. Suddenly flung from his perch, Bok twisted through the air and crashed into the ground. HARD. Yet another searing pain lanced through his skull as he landed badly on his right ankle, undoubtedly breaking it.

Bok lay on the ground in a daze, struggling to comprehend what had just happened. *The weapons…must…retrieve…the weapons… Forcing himself to stand up, Bok began to hobble over to the prone form of the tan pony, favoring his left leg heavily. The pony writhed in pain on the ground, screaming horribly as he convulsed in sheer agony. The chest of weapons lay a short distance away from him, whatever power that had been causing it to float now gone with the incapacitation of his prey.

As soon as the pony went down, the guards at the gate had immediately rushed over to the scene. They were currently pointing their spears at the immobilized pony and ordering him to stand down. One of them trotted over to the chest and curiously prodded it with a hoof before noticing Bok’s approach. Letting out a bark of alarm, he quickly pointed his spear in his direction and began to advance, his ally soon doing the same.

“In the name of Princess Celestia of Equestria, stand down creature! The Royal Guard will take over this situation!” This of course was completely unacceptable news to Bok.

*”No! Must retrieve weapons! Ultra’s orders!”

Bok’s strange chittering speech clearly alarmed the guards further, and they began to advance on him from either side. But they were no match for Bok’s agility. Quick as a flash, he sprung forward on his one good leg, twisting his body between the spears of the guards as they thrust at him. Passing safely through their attack, Bok landed heavily on the ground.

When he opened his eyes, there was the chest of weapons. Bok immediately reached out and snatched the box, holding it close to his chest like it was the most precious thing in the world. The guards, however, were incensed. One guard stayed next to the agonized pony while the other slowly advanced on Bok, spear outstretched.

“Creature, we order you to surrender that chest! Give it to us!”

“No!” garbled Bok. The word was horribly mangled and barely recognizable, but understandable nonetheless. It pretty much represented the entirety of his ability to speak in the English language.

“We’re only going to ask one more time! Hand it over!”

Bok could feel his consciousness fading fast. Now that the endorphins of the chase were gone, the pain from his various injuries came flooding back. His right shoulder and back burned fiercely. The gash on his cheek stung and oozed considerable amounts of purplish blood. His right ankle felt like it was being stabbed and hurt so bad he almost wanted to vomit. But still, he resisted. “No!!”

The guard stiffened, and opened his mouth to reply before there was a sudden purple explosion behind him. The other guard, the one watching the pony, was flung through the air and collapsed in a heap on the ground. Bok shifted his blurred gaze back to the pony he had been chasing and gaped at what he saw.

All that was left of the pony was a blackened and charred mass. Looking up to the wall, Bok caught a brief glimpse of a hooded pony-shaped figure that quickly turned around and disappeared from view. *Was that…bad pony? Or is Bok…seeing things… Bok struggled to stay conscience but by now it was a losing battle. All he wanted to do was lie there and sleep, the box of weapons safely secured in his arms…

He was dimly aware of the sounds of utter hysteria in the courtyard, and that of the remaining guard screaming at him to do something. What exactly that was, however, would remain a mystery. His voice was just so garbled and distant…

Suddenly, all the noise stopped. In the silence that followed, a single female voice rang out, splitting the silence with its serene authority:

“That’s enough, Sergeant.”

And with that, Bok slowly slipped into the deep recesses of unconsciousness.

Chapter Seven: The Door to Our Ascension

* Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation.

“Captain Shining! What is going on here? What just happened?” Ultra growled fiercely.

“I don’t quite know. It appears that we have been infiltrated by an external group. I don’t know what they hope to accomplish, but they’re obviously up to no good. Now come quickly, we need to tell the Princesses what has transpired!” Shining made a few more hoof gestures in rapid succession, sending more guards charging off before gesturing for the aliens to follow. The Ultra, Minor, and Pip-Pap were quick to follow, a contingent of six guards falling into step beside them.

Shining led the group of aliens through a large wooden door and into the castle proper. The aliens took a moment or two to appreciate the lavish interior, reminding the two Sangheili warriors of their Keeps back home. The hallways were tall, with grand arches dominating the ceiling and brilliant gold and blue tapestries hung every few meters. In between the tapestries lining the walls were stained glass windows that cast a radiant, colorful light through the hallways, making the air itself feel alive.

“This reminds me of the Humans and the buildings they use in their capitals. I also remember how they burned,” the Minor said softly, loud enough for the Ultra to hear but not quite loud enough for Shining Armor or the other guards.

*“Quiet Minor, we do not want to reveal to them our war... not yet. Keep your jaws shut for now. And if you have to, speak in our native tongue.”

*”As you wish, Ultra.” The Minor’s temper was easily getting the better of him. After all, who was the Ultra to say he was not allowed to boast victories, let alone in front of Ninshin? The higher-ranking Elite was really pissing him off. The thought briefly crossed his mind to stab him in the back with his spare energy sword, but he thought better of it. *In due time...

Shining led the ragtag procession around a corner and stopped before a massive door with three sets of guards on either side barring their entrance. “At ease, gentlecolts. I need to see the Princess immediately, something urgent has come up!” At this, the guards smartly raised their spears and the gate slowly creaked open without any visible force.

*How is it that all the doors open automatically in this world? Perhaps they are more advanced than I previously thought... the Ultra mused to himself as he witnessed the laws of physics break yet again. Shining Armor wasted no time in hurrying through the doors, and the aliens curiously followed suit, eager to see what awaited them beyond this obviously important gateway.

“Princess Celestia! I apologize for the interruption, but I must speak with you at once!” Shining Armor called out as he trotted across the room. The aliens’ eyes turned towards the source of his attention and finally beheld the regal form of Princess Celestia herself.

An ivory-white unicorn sat in a massive golden throne, a brilliant red carpet gracing the floor before it and stretching all the way to the door. Her mane was what immediately drew the Ultra’s attention. It was a strange combination of green, blue, and purple, unlike anything any of the other ponies had, and it was flowing serenely despite the air in the room being perfectly still. The Ultra was baffled by this newest strange occurrence. *Perhaps she is the reason why things work so strangely here...

The unicorn stared at the group for a moment longer, surprise clearly visible in her violet eyes before she turned to the pair of unicorns she had just been talking to. “I’m terribly sorry, but it appears something has transpired. If you would excuse me, please.” The two unicorns bowed, mumbling their acceptance, and hastily departed the room. “Shining Armor, what is the meaning of this? What has happened?”

“I do not know exactly. When the creatures...” the Minor snorted loudly, but was ignored. “...arrived they agreed to relinquish their weapons, but the page who took them ran off! He subdued a couple guards and was last seen leaving the courtyard, heading towards the Royal Maze. One of the creatures is currently pursuing him. Princess, why would somepony want to steal weapons?”

The Princess’s eyes went wide as Shining Armor described the situation. “Oh no...not them...”

“Princess?” Shining Armor questioned.

Celestia’s gaze suddenly turned firm. “Shining Armor, there is no time to waste. We must track down this thief immediately! Quickly, let us make haste to the maze. Has the Guard been alerted?” Celestia stood and began swiftly walking towards the exit. As she did so, the Ultra noticed that Celestia was quite a bit taller than any of the equines he had seen before, and as she walked closer he saw her spread a pair of white wings in agitation. The Ultra mulled this new information over. *She has a horn and wings? I haven’t seen any other equines with both these features; it must be a sign of leadership.

“Yes, Princess. We are securing all exits now. He won’t get out without a fight.” Celestia nodded approvingly, but before anything could be said a side door burst open, another Royal Guard running flat out into the room.

“Captain! Princess! There’s been an explosion in the Royal Plaza, you must come at once!!”

The Ultra stepped out of the castle into the bright sunshine. After the guard had hurriedly entered the throne room, Celestia and Shining Armor took off immediately, barreling through the many corridors in a panic. The Ultra and his squad had moved swiftly in order to follow them, poor Pip-Pap having to practically sprint to keep up.

Shading his eyes from the brilliant midday sun, the Ultra surveyed the plaza with curiosity. It took up a reasonably large area, with high castle walls encompassing most of it. There were some tables and chairs placed strategically throughout, obviously with the intent of giving ponies a comfortable place to sit and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. There were quite a lot of them in the plaza as well, but they weren’t sitting and enjoying they seemed to be...panicking?

Yes, that was it, panicking. Or staring. Almost all of the ponies in the square were standing in a large, circular mass, clustered around some sort of commotion while a few others ran around screaming foolishly, but at the sight of Princess Celestia and Shining Armor hurrying towards the disturbance they quieted. It was dead silent in the plaza except for the contingent of six pegasus guards trotting towards the center from the other side of the plaza. The Ultra heard the Princess say something to the one Royal Guard in the center of the mass of ponies. It sounded like, “that’s enough, Sergeant.”

It wasn’t until the Ultra moved closer that he noticed how out-of-place the small cluster of Royal Guards standing in the middle of the circle was. And the smoldering crater. And the small, prone figure who was lying, unmoving, just a few feet away from said crater. Strangely enough, the figure didn’t look like a pony, it was more like...

“Bok!!” the Ultra shouted in alarm, before breaking into a sprint, easily overtaking Celestia and Shining Armor as they too headed towards the disturbance. The Ultra briefly heard Celestia shout something at him as he ran by, but he ignored her. A member of his squad was down, and he had every intention of upholding his honor by assessing the situation himself. Two sets of audible footsteps behind him confirmed that the Minor and Pip-Pap were following, also in full-blown sprints.

Somepony screamed. Evidently, the sight of three strange aliens charging directly at the crowd was scary enough to warrant panic. Who would’ve known? The sudden outcry caused everypony in the crowd to turn towards the rapidly approaching aliens, and what followed could only be described as mass hysteria.

The crowd of ponies began screaming in force, pushing and shoving at each other as they streamed away from the center of the plaza. The Ultra didn’t care what they did, he honestly found the whole situation rather amusing. *Just one less obstacle to deal with. Unfortunately, the Royal Guards were not so intimidated, and three pegasi stood side by side, lowering their spears at the approaching Ultra in a phalanx position.

“Halt, creature! This area is under the control of-”

The Ultra cut off the guard’s words with a fierce battle roar. Deploying his wrist blade, he bellowed another battle cry as he slashed forward. There was a series of metallic clanks as the sword cleanly cleaved each of their spears in half. Using his forward momentum to his advantage, the Ultra barreled into the now defenceless phalanx, knocking the middle stallion to the ground with a vicious elbow to the jaw.

His comrades joined the fray, the Minor dispatching the rightmost guard with a solid punch to the face while Pip-Pap leaped on top of the final guard, screeching a furious battle cry. If the crowd was in hysterics before, the sight of their beloved Royal Guard being attacked by strange aliens sent them into a frenzied terror. The Ultra stood over Bok’s still body, bellowing a challenge to the remaining four guards, who looked at each other tensely. Didn’t the aliens have their weapons relinquished?

However, it did not escape the guards’ notice that the creatures had refrained from killing their comrades, despite the ease with which they could have. They nonetheless lowered their spears at the Ultra, but rather than charging they started to surround him a little bit. The Ultra turned to see the Minor standing up after punching out Pip-Pap’s opponent. At least the Minor also had the sense not to murder a guard in front of the ponies’ esteemed leader, thank the Prophets.

Looking down at Bok again, he saw the chest containing their weapons clutched securely in his arms, and he stooped down to pick it up. Examining the chest, the Ultra saw that it was sealed with some sort of metallic locking device. Shearing the lock off disdainfully with his wrist blade, the Ultra opened up the chest and passed Pip-Pap his plasma pistol and the Minor a sword.

*”Set up a perimeter while I check on Bok. Do not engage them, for they are not our enemies, but we will defend our comrade.” His subordinates nodded, and moved to opposite sides of him, brandishing their weapons at the remaining guards threateningly.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!! Calm down, everypony! What in the hay is going on here?” Shining Armor called accusingly as he ran up to the combat site. The Ultra looked in his direction to see a rather infuriated Captain of the Guard accosting him, trotting briskly in his direction. Pip-Pap moved to impede his progress, but at a grunt from the Ultra he stepped back, allowing Shining Armor to pass. Princess Celestia, serene as ever, hung back to watch the proceedings.

“Hey, what exactly is your problem? I don’t know how you act on your planet, but around here you can’t just barge in and start bashing Royal Guards’ heads together! Well? Explain yourself!” Shining Armor demanded, pressing his face as close as he dared to the Ultra. The Minor snorted derisively at the sudden request, but the Ultra ignored him.

“Our squadmate was down. We were simply running to get to him, but your men insisted on detaining us. Our leaders constantly preach the importance of kinship, and more importantly, it is dishonorable to ignore the needs of an injured subordinate. We had to reach him, especially when the retrieval of our weapons is on the line.”

Shining Armor opened his mouth to say something, but was quieted by one of Celestia’s wings gently touching his back. “It is quite alright, Shining. We are unaware of their customs, and should have informed our guards to be more open to them. Nopony was seriously hurt. We shall forgive them this impasse.”

Shining’s jaw worked silently for a moment or two before he finally shut it and nodded. “As you wish, Princess.”

Celestia nodded appreciatively before turning back to the Ultra. “Your comrade. Is he well?”

The Ultra sheathed his wrist blade and bent down to inspect Bok properly. Nodding to the others, they also lowered their weapons into a passive stance, the Minor’s swords sizzling into nothing. The Ultra carefully turned Bok onto his stomach and cringed when he saw the blackened flesh. It was still sizzling slightly, and ranked of a foul odor even more pungent than his usual salty smell. After a few more moments of inspection he answered.

“He seems to be stable, but his right ankle is broken. He has a nasty gash on his cheek and his back and shoulder are badly burned. Tell me Princess, I did not expect your race capable of inflicting such injuries, how did this happen?”

Celestia’s expression darkened before she responded. “Very powerful magic. The kind designed to inflict pain, and possibly even kill. The fact that your friend has suffered such injuries confirms one of my greatest fears...”

The Ultra paused in disbelief, taking a moment to absorb what he thought he had just heard. His comrades were similarly bewildered. “Magic?? What sort of devilry-”

Celestia held up a hoof to stop him. “Please. All will be explained in good time. For the moment, we need to get your friend the care he needs.” She clopped her front hooves together, and two Royal Guards with a stretcher cantered forth. Celestia’s horn lit up with a familiar golden aura, encompassing Bok’s body with its glow and gently lifting him onto the stretcher. The Covenant gaped as they finally made the connection between the strange auras they kept seeing everywhere.

“So...that was...magic??” the Ultra asked shakily. This world truly was strange, and possibly even more advanced than he previously thought, but at the same time less. It seemed that with the use of ‘magic’ the ponies did not need to rely on technology as much, thus it was lagging behind that of other civilizations.

Celestia nodded serenely. “A simple levitation spell, yes. Now if you’ll excuse me, the suddenness of today’s events leaves me with a few things I must attend to. Go now and stay with your friend. When he awakes, ask the staff for a meeting with me. There is much we must discuss.”

The Ultra nodded in agreement. “Indeed there is...very well. We will stay with Bok for now.”

“Then fare thee well, er...how shall I address you? I’m afraid that detail was lost in the resulting chaos.”

The Ultra nodded again. “You may refer to me as Ultra for now.”

If Celestia was surprised by the strangeness of the name she didn’t show it. “Very well. Fare thee well, Ultra. I await our meeting.”

“You as well, Princess Celestia.” Celestia nodded once before turning and walking away with Shining Armor, the two of them talking hurriedly in hushed whispers. The Ultra looked back to Bok, who was now being carried off towards the castle. Jerking his head in that direction, the Ultra set off after him, the Minor and Pip-Pap following close behind.

The door to the infirmary closed with a soft thud that echoed down the still halls. The blue unicorn that was their guide turned and began walking down one of the many corridors. With a flash from his horn, the chest of weapons that had been sitting just outside, under the watchful gaze of a pair of Royal Guards, levitated into the air and floated to his side. Fortunately, this time Shining Armor was sure to interrogate the unicorn thoroughly before allowing him to escort the troublesome casket.

The Ultra looked around as he fell into step behind the unicorn, his eyes finally resting on the slim form of the Kig-Yar walking next to him. The ponies’ healing magic was truly a marvel. Only an hour after his admittance to the infirmary Bok was once again walking, albeit with a slight limp. His back and shoulders were heavily bandaged, as the doctors were not quite able to fully heal injuries inflicted by such powerful magic. The gash on his cheek was sealed, but not completely, and the Ultra figured Bok would probably bear that scar for the rest of his life.

*”Good work retrieving the weapons, Bok. You did well. How are you holding up?”

Bok looked up at the Ultra in surprise, but quickly answered. *”Bok feel much better. Ponies good healers. Can walk again, pain in back much less.”

The Ultra nodded at the response. *”That is good. We should try to stay in the best possible fighting condition, should it come to that.”

Bok nodded in response before returning his gaze to their surroundings, sweeping his eyes around in constant awareness, as his race was wont to do. That was what made Kig-Yar such good scouts, after all: their constant vigilance. The Ultra always felt much safer with a friendly Kig-Yar or two in the vicinity, and Bok was one of the best. The Kig-Yar’s gaze fell on the levitating chest of weapons, and he gestured to it.

*”How ponies do that? Weapons moving by themselves. Doesn’t seem possible.”

The Ultra’s expression darkened slightly as he responded. *”Apparently, the ponies with horns can use ‘magic’.”

Bok turned to the Ultra and gaped openly. *”Magic?? Magic not real! ...Right?”

The Ultra shook his head slowly. *”Evidently it is. I cannot explain the things it does otherwise. The ponies’ leader, Princess Celestia, told me herself. Magic is how the doors open by themselves, how things can float without being touched, and how the doctors healed your leg,” the Ultra responded, gesturing toward the Kig-Yar’s right ankle.

Bok clicked to himself thoughtfully before responding with a slight chuckle. *That why ponies such good healers. That how bad pony make invisible wall and shoot purple. Purple hurt.” Bok paused for a moment before continuing to mumble thoughtfully to himself. *”Ponies with horn use magic. Ponies with wings fly. Ponies with neither...do something. Not sure yet.”

The Ultra chuckled a bit as Bok rambled. *”Good work, Bok. If there is one thing I can count on, it’s your powers of observation. Continue to collect as much information on this world as you can.”

Bok nodded in affirmation as the group of aliens followed their guide around a corner, pausing once again before the gigantic door to the royal quarters. The unicorn stepped forward and murmured something to the guards, who promptly stepped aside and opened the doors with their ‘magic.’ Stepping inside the room he called out, “announcing her Royal Excellency, Princess Celestia of Equestria! Your Highness, the creatures from another world would see you now.”

The aliens followed the unicorn into the room expecting to see Princess Celestia seated in her throne, but were surprised to see her staring out of a window in the far side of the room instead. She did not speak, or even acknowledge their presence, simply continuing to stare out the window. She seemed...sad. Something was clearly bothering her.

The page cleared his throat and spoke again. “Ahem, your Highness? Is something the matter? Shall I call the Guard? The kitchens? Your sister?”

Princess Celestia finally snapped out of her stupor, turning her gaze towards the assembled congregation, who in turn was shocked to see obvious tear stains on her cheeks. However, when she spoke her voice was as steady as ever. “No, Cobalt Shine. That will be all. Leave us, please.”

Cobalt Shine bowed and left the room, the chest of weapons floating out with him. Just before the doors closed, he addressed the aliens. “Creatures, I am leaving your weapons with the Guardsmen, you may retrieve them once your meeting with the Princess is completed. Good day, sirs.” And with that, the blue unicorn exited the room, the doors slowly swinging shut behind him. The Minor growled as the doors shut, but quieted at a touch from the Ultra. Hastily, he shrugged his arm off his shoulder.

Turning to face Celestia, the Ultra inclined his head in respect and spoke. “Princess Celestia. We thank you for this meeting, there is much we wish to inquire about. This world is quite strange to us. But first, your demeanor seems considerably more somber than when we first met. Has something grave occurred?”

Celestia was silent for a moment, her eyes shifting between the four aliens before she responded. “When your ship crash landed in the Everfree, I dispatched several patrols to investigate the occurrence. Normally during a meteor shower, all of the meteors burn up upon reentry. The collision of an object of considerable size with the ground is quite unusual.

“However, one of my teams failed to report back that night. I sent additional teams to search for them, and I just received word that they found the missing squad. They...they were killed. All of them. Slashed apart by something incredibly sharp.” Celestia’s voice wavered slightly as she spoke the last few sentences, and another tear squeezed its way out of her eyes and ran down her cheek.

The Ultra was taken aback by this emotional display. “We are sorry for your loss. It is clear that you care greatly about your subjects, and that is an admirable trait. While we were in the so-called ‘Everfree’ we were attacked by a group of ‘Timberwolves,’ as your subjects called them. We defended ourselves. The Everfree seems like a dangerous place, perhaps your squad fell prey to a group of Timberwolves, or something more deadly?” The Ultra’s thoughts cast back to the monstrous beasts on Reach and shuddered at the thought.

Celestia nodded. “Yes, there are several creatures in the Everfree that could be responsible for this tragedy. However, my guards are well-trained in combat and more than familiar with the dangers of the Everfree. I would like to think that they are capable of handling themselves, but I suppose this proves that the forest is more wild and unpredictable than ever...you are fortunate to have made it out mostly unscathed.”

The Minor snorted at that comment, eliciting a suspicious glance from both Celestia and the Ultra, but was otherwise ignored. “We are more than capable of dealing with whatever may lie in those woods. I regret to tell you that the only ponies we saw in the forest were the small trio that we followed to the town. I know nothing of your troops’ demise. I am sorry.”

Celestia nodded once before she composed herself and trotted back to her throne. Taking a seat, she gazed serenely at the four aliens. “Thank you for your concern, Ultra. I apologize for admitting you during such a vulnerable time, but I only received the news ten minutes ago and did not wish to delay our meeting. I imagine you have many questions you wish to ask me. I will answer them all as appropriate, but I have some questions as well. All I wish to know is this: what are you, and why are you here?”

Seeing the Ultra’s hesitation, Celestia spoke again, this time more forcefully. “I have given you plenty of independence during your visit to the castle, despite having no knowledge whatsoever of what you are or what plans you may have. I might add, by the way, that your show of force in the Royal Plaza was most unacceptable, and should it happen again I would be thoroughly displeased. I can no longer risk the safety of my subjects. You WILL tell me about yourselves, or else I will rescind our hospitality and trust. Now, speak.”

The Ultra was impressed by this sudden forcefulness. Celestia was clearly a seasoned leader with many years of experience. She knew when the usage of force was appropriate. However, before he could open his mouth to respond the belligerent idiot standing next to him opened his.

“How dare you address us in such a manner, you foul Ninshin-” Before the Minor could finish his sentence the Ultra cut him off. Releasing a roar of frustration, the Ultra turned and punched the Minor straight in the jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground and breaking his shields with its considerable force.

“You ignorant fool!” the Ultra bellowed in a rage. “Keep your tongue inside your stupid head! Know you not whom you speak to? I am in charge here, and I will do the speaking, not any of you! Am I understood?” Pip-Pap and Bok nodded hurriedly, eager to not incur the Ultra’s rage.

The Minor rubbed his jaw and glared angrily at the Ultra, hatred seething in his onyx eyes. For a few tense moments he said nothing, but finally relented. “Yes, Ultra,” he replied, his distaste evident in every word he spoke.

The Ultra, still not quite satisfied, spoke again. “When we return to the Covenant, your disrespect will be reported, brother. And you will be punished as the Prophets see fit.”

“Yes, Ultra,” the Minor repeated as he stood up. He continued to glare daggers at the Ultra, but said no more. Celestia regarded the Ultra with a raised eyebrow, obviously questioning his sudden outburst.

“I’m sorry you had to witness that, Princess,” the Ultra began to explain. “We four are members of the Covenant, a conglomeration of space-faring species that have united with the sole purpose of walking the path towards the Great Journey. I am a Sangheili, as is my red squad member. Bok is a Kig-Yar and Pip-Pap is an Unggoy. There are other species in the Covenant, but they tend not to participate in stealth operations as we do.” The Ultra nodded to his team, and the two Sangheili and Pip-Pap activated their camouflage, their forms slowly dissolving into nothingness.

Celestia’s eyes widened as the Ultra’s voice rang out yet again. “As you can see, my team, or at least what’s left of it, specializes in stealth and reconnaissance. Both our camouflage abilities and our weapons are some of our cutting edge technology, which I will admit is quite superior to yours.

“As Sangheili, our lives are bound by an inflexible code of honor, one that does not reward cowardice, treachery, or insubordination. A fact that some of us are appearing to forget,” the Ultra finished, glaring at the Minor. The crimson Elite matched the glare with equal, if not greater, hatred.

“As for our arrival on your world, I will admit that we are not quite sure what happened. The last thing we saw was one of our enemies with a strange device aboard one of our larger ships. Somehow he must have triggered an explosion that sucked our ship into an unstable slip-space rupture, bringing us here entirely by accident. All we want is your assistance in getting us back to the Covenant, so that we may continue walking the path of honor and glory that will lead us to our salvation.”

If Celestia was particularly surprised or angered by the Ultra’s explanation, she did not show it. The Ultra mentally revised his previous assessment of her. She was a very, very good leader. “Very well, my questions are satisfied. As the Princess of Equestria, I would like to personally welcome you to our peaceful realm, and I implore you to keep it that way. You may now ask of me any question you see fit.”

The Ultra inclined his head again. “Thank you, Your Highness. First of all, I have noticed that you are the only pony I’ve seen to possess both wings and a horn. Does that make you special in some way?”

Celestia smiled slightly as she answered. “Yes, it does. A pony with a horn is called a ‘unicorn,’ a pony with wings is called a ‘pegasus,’ and a pony with neither is an ‘earth pony.’ And I, along with my sister, Princess Luna, am an ‘alicorn.’ I use my magic to raise and lower the sun every day, and Luna uses her magic to control the moon and stars. Together, the two of us maintain harmony in Equestria, and have done so for millennia.”

The aliens were silent for a few moments. The ponies controlled the moon and sun? The Royal Sisters had lived for millennia? They were older than even the Prophets! The Ultra finally spoke again. “About this...‘magic’...”

At this, Celestia’s ghost of a smile broke into an outright grin. “Ah yes, the question we’ve all been waiting for. The truth is, Equestria is itself a magical land, and all types of ponies have their own innate magic. Pegasus ponies can fly, walk on clouds, and control the weather. Earth Ponies are blessed with immense strength and have a special connection with the land itself. Unicorns can use their horns as a conduit to manipulate the universe around them in a multitude of ways. Alicorns can do all three. There are only three of us, however: myself, my sister, and my niece Princess Cadence.”

The Ultra’s head was spinning from all of this information. Before this meeting he was convinced that this world was strange. Now it broke almost every law of the universe he had previously taken for granted. Perhaps this wasn’t real life at all? Perhaps they all died and were sent to some perverse afterlife??

“I will not lie to you Celestia. This world is strange, and some of what you just described troubles me greatly. My comrades and I would like nothing more than to return to the Covenant and resume our efforts to reach the Great Journey. Does your species have any methods of space travel that we may use?”

Celestia frowned as she processed the Ultra’s request. “Alas, I am afraid not. We have always been happy here and have never considered life among the stars. I am terribly sorry, but I am at a loss regarding how to help you. Perhaps we could provide you with materials so you can repair your ship. However, I do have one question. What is this Great Journey that you keep mentioning?”

The Ultra regarded Celestia evenly, carefully considering his response. “Celestia. I have thought long and hard on how much to reveal to you. Your people have treated us with kindness and compassion, despite our...disagreements. Hopefully by revealing this information we can demonstrate our honor and trustworthiness, and reinforce our need to leave. The Great Journey is the activation of seven Sacred Rings. When this happens we will discover a way to transcend the physical world and become divine, just as our Gods have. All races who are non-believers or unworthy of the journey will be left behind, except for those standing in our way. But have no fear Celestia, for we mean no ill intent.”

“And...what happens to those who ‘stand in your way’?”

“Princess, even as we speak...we are waging war against defilers of the artifacts: the Humans.”

A tense silence settled over the room. Celestia’s face, as always, was unreadable but the Ultra could feel the change in the room’s mood. “A war?” Celestia finally said softly, her voice getting harder with the next words. She stood up swiftly and strode back to the window, staring out at whatever she could find to hold her attention. “I had my suspicions. The way you act, the way you treat each other, the weapons...clearly you are all soldiers. I hoped it was not true, but it seems my hopes have once again been crushed...”

Celestia turned once again to face the aliens, her face as stony as ever. “You are soldiers, correct?”

The Ultra did not hesitate to answer. “Yes, Your Highness, we are. As Sangheili, we are the leader class of the Covenant. ‘Ultra’ is not actually my name, it is my rank. The same goes for the Minor. I am in command of the remains of this Spec Ops team. Our entire race consists of warriors, for war is our way of life.

“Kig-Yar such as Bok are typically used as scouts and shock troops, but on this team he is our sniper. Pip-Pap, and all other Unggoy, are deployed as...support troops. There are other races as well, and each serve their unique purpose to the Prophets, who lead us towards the Great Journey. I assure you Princess, our war does not extend to your people. We have no quarrel with you, and there is no honor to be found from killing innocents. It is the Humans who attempt to impede our progress to the Great Journey.”

Celestia’s calm demeanor finally broke, and an expression of anger took over her face as she spoke. “What does it matter? War is all-consuming. Your leaders will eventually find a way to convince you we are your enemies, and then there will be no peace. Why have you not told us of this!? Do you know how hard my sister and I have worked to maintain peace for centuries??”

“The war is one of purging! The Humans have desecrated Forerunner artifacts, destroying and misusing them. The Forerunner are our Gods, and the Prophets are their beacons. I implore you to hear my words, Celestia. We mean you no harm, for your people know nothing of the Forerunner. Once the Humans are defeated, we will progress to the Great Journey, and this planet will be left in peace.”

“Forerunner?” Celestia asked suddenly, her mood suddenly shifting from angry to thoughtful. “Have they been wiped out...or are no longer around, by any chance?”

The Ultra paused, contemplating his next words carefully. “From what the Prophets tell us, for one hundred thousand years they have been extinct. But they live on through their ruins. And from these ruins, we will be guided to, and take, the Great Journey.”

The Princess was silent for a long moment before speaking quietly, almost too quiet for the Ultra’s helmet to pick up. “I’m going to need you all to follow me...there is something I believe you need to see.”

The Covenant squad compiled and followed her as she exited the room into a long corridor. Five minutes later, the group was still walking, twisting and turning through a part of the castle they had not yet seen. From the feel of the elevation they were heading down into the bowels of the mountain. Soon the light was artificial, its sickly glow being cast by various gems embedded in the walls. It was then that the corridor finally ended, and at this dead end the Princess stopped and motioned to the symbol on the wall directly in front of them.

“Well? Does this symbol look familiar to any of you?”

Chapter Eight: Ignorance is Covenant

* Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation.

The group stared at the door in silence. The Ultra slowly walked forward and laid his hand on the smooth surface. “How...how did you find this?”

“I’d rather leave out the boring details, but let’s say we built the castle around it,” Celestia answered, watching the aliens’ reactions carefully. “It would seem that this does indeed hold some significance for you.”

The Ultra did not immediately respond. His mind was reeling from this new revelation. These ponies were somehow connected to the Forerunner? To the Great Ones? It shouldn’t be possible, it was far too...random. Just thinking about their situation, about how his squad was, seemingly by chance, sent through an unstable slipspace rupture to a random world populated by the strangest life forms he had yet encountered, and about how these life forms are now tied to the Forerunner themselves was enough to nearly overwhelm the Elite.

As he traced the symbol etched into the stone with his hand, the Ultra considered what he was going to say next. He would have to be careful now, very careful. “Yes...this symbol is known to us. It is very commonly found among Forerunner artifacts and ruins. Wherever this symbol resides, so do precious artifacts...and additional paths to the Great Journey.”

Celestia said nothing, opting to continue her analysis of the aliens’ reactions. The Ultra could practically feel her gaze boring into his back. However, there were mysteries to be solved right now. “Tell me, Princess. Have you passed the threshold of this door? Do you know what secrets lie beyond?” As he spoke he turned around, studying the Princess intently.

“Yes, I have entered the chamber.”

The Ultra waited for her to elaborate. When it became apparent that no response was forthcoming, he cleared his throat and spoke. “Do you have access to the chamber?”

“I do.”

The Ultra paused again. Celestia could open this door and she has not yet done so? Does she not understand the importance of the Great Journey? Attempting to reign in his anger over her refusal to elaborate, he spoke again, struggling to keep his voice level. “Princess, my comrades and I would very much like to enter the chamber. Please, will you allow us to enter?”

At long last, a modicum of emotion flicked over Celestia’s normally unreadable face. Where before there was a mischievous glint in her eyes, she now appeared strained and conflicted. “That...” she began, “...is a matter of some import.”

The Ultra raised his eyebrows slightly. “What do you mean Princess? Do you currently possess the means to enter the chamber? Do you need us to retrieve something for you? Name it, and we will do it. Whatever it takes to follow in the footsteps of the Gods.”

Celestia appeared amused by the Ultra’s sudden fervor. “No, it is nothing like that. I can open this door whenever I wish. However, the chamber’s resident has made a request.”

The chamber’s resident? Is there actually a member of the Forerunner beyond these doors? A being who possesses knowledge of the Great Journey? All of these questions flashed through the Ultra’s mind as he attempted to process the magnitude of the Princess’s words. Looking around at his comrades, he could see that they were equally awed by the potential behind Celestia’s words. “There is...a being within the chamber?” the Ultra asked reverently.

Celestia nodded. “I am not exactly sure what it is, but it calls itself ‘the Custodian.’ It has been an associate of mine for quite some time now. Many a time have I asked its counsel, and always it has words of wisdom to speak. I have great respect for it.”

The Ultra’s mind was reeling. There was a being of immense wisdom housed within this chamber! They had to get inside immediately, and continue the glorious path to the Great Journey! “Princess! You must let us into this chamber! Please, it could bring us even closer to the Great Journey!”

Celestia, however, looked conflicted. “Alas, that is something I cannot do.”

*What? The Princess is more puzzling than the Arums I played with as a young warrior on Sangheilios. The Ultra’s patience finally wore thin at Celestia’s refusal to admit them. He WAS going to get into this chamber of the Gods, and he’d be damned if some overgrown pony was going to stop him and his warriors!

Deploying his wrist blade with a soft hiss, the Ultra leveled the blade at Celestia’s face. To his surprise, she appeared to be further away then he previously thought by a bound or two. Dropping into a deep, threatening voice, the Ultra said, “that would be most unwise.”At the sight of their leader deploying a weapon, Pip-Pap and Bok moved to flanking positions, ready to pounce despite being unarmed, and the Minor activated his own wrist blades with a soft chuckle. *Finally, the Ultra does not cave to these Ninshin...

Celestia looked alarmed, and held up a forehoof to forestall any attack. “Please, Ultra. Allow me to explain! There is no need for violence here. You see, I contacted the Custodian after you arrived. Rather surprisingly, the Custodian knew that you would come to this planet. It knew that you would be shown this door. And for reasons I cannot hope to fathom, the Custodian requested that only one of you enter the chamber.”

There was a long silence. The Covenant stared at Celestia. Celestia stared at the Covenant. Each side was attempting to gauge the others’ reaction, and discern any hidden motivations. “Very well,” the Ultra spoke at last, lowering his wrist and allowing the blade to sizzle into nothingness. “We shall adhere to the Custodian’s demands. Only I will enter the chamber.”

Celestia nodded and moved to open the door, but at that moment the Holy Spirits suddenly deigned the Ultra’s prayers for a certain crimson blockhead to remain blissfully silent to no longer be worthwhile, and the Minor opened his mouth. “This is absolutely preposterous!! We should all be allowed to see what the gods have left for us! I do not believe a word she says!”

The Ultra sighed and turned to face his irate comrade. “Brother, be calm! What choice do we have in the matter? We must get into this chamber at whatever cost!”

The Minor fixed his glittering onyx eyes on the Ultra and spoke in a lower tone. *“Are you really so blind, brother? Are you really so willing to trust? What if this is all a trap? For all we know, she could be trying to separate you from the rest of us so that she may dispatch you easily!”

The Ultra grabbed the Minor’s shoulders in anger and spoke harshly. *“Do you question my skills in combat, brother? Do you honestly doubt my ability to defend myself??” The Minor had just slighted his honor, and it was not an affront he would allow unchallenged.

The Minor answered calmly. *“Normally, brother, I would not. But with talk of this...‘magic’...I have my reservations.”

The Ultra’s anger slowly faded. The Minor’s words held some merit. There was much that was yet unknown to them about the ponies’ capabilities regarding this ‘magic.’ Releasing his hold on the Minor he turned around once more. “The Minor has a point. How do we know that this is not some trap of yours? How can we trust you?” he asked Celestia.

A momentary expression of pain and anger flitted over Celestia’s face, but disappeared as swiftly as it was realized. Regardless of her true intentions, she still impressed the Ultra with her ability to remain stoic and collected. “You ask me why I can be trusted? Very well, perhaps this will suffice. For more than one thousand years have I ruled this land beside my sister. There has been peace and prosperity in this land for nearly all of that time. If I were to attack you, Ultra, that would be tantamount to a declaration of war. After so many years of peace, do you really think I am eager to start a war with a spacefaring group we know so little about? Let alone when the weapons they may carry have unknown power? Do not take me for a fool, Ultra.”

The Covenant paused to let Celestia’s words sink in. At long last, the Ultra spoke again. “Your words are reasonable, Celestia. I apologize for questioning you as we did, but these ‘Custodian’s’ demands make little sense to us. However, I will trust you enough to enter the chamber at your side.”

However, a sudden roar of anger from the Minor signified that one member of their party was still not convinced. “They make NO sense!” he barked. “I care not for what she says, there's an ulterior motive to all this secrecy! We must not walk into such an obvious trap!”

“Brother, will you be silent!!” the Ultra demanded. “I will return to these doors, and I WILL tell you what the chamber holds! But we must gain access to this chamber, so hold your tongue and bow to the will of the gods!”

“NO! We each deserve to see the Relics as much as the Mgalekgolo deserved glassing instead of being absorbed into the Covenant!!” The Minor was literally shaking with rage. His hand twitched to the front compartment of his armor where he hid the sword, but realized what he was doing and made a show of shoving his large leathery hand into the wall next to him, leaving a large series of cracks where his blow fell.

The Ultra was taken aback by the Minor’s harsh words, and was about to respond with harsher ones when Celestia beat him to it. That soft, strangely calming voice rang through the hallway with a bit more potency than usual. “Minor, please. I assure you that what I say is true, and I really do wish to help you obtain your goal. As far as I can tell, the Custodian is old. Much, much older than I am. I have no place to question its desires, nor even have a hope of understanding them.”

“I care NOT for age! Honor and glory will light us down the Blessed Path!!” The Minor’s self-control finally snapped, and he charged the door as his wrist blades hissed into existence. He raised his blade, preparing an attempt to slash his way through the door.

The Ultra roared in frustration, and before the Minor’s blow could fall he found himself being tackled to the ground by a large body. Celestia looked on in surprise. The Ultra had moved fast, faster than any creature she had seen previously.

The two Sangheili tumbled across the stony ground for a moment or two, locked in an epic struggle of strength and determination, each attempting to gain an advantage over the other. Limbs flailed, blows fell, and grunts of pain could frequently be heard. At long last, the Ultra managed to pin the Minor beneath his powerful body. Raising his fist, he delivered a powerful blow to the side of the Minor’s jaw.

There was a sickening *CRACK!* as one of the mandibles was dislocated from its joint. There was an accompanying crashing sound, signifying an overload of the Minor’s shields as they were temporarily disabled. In a final demonstration of superiority, the Ultra roared as loudly as he could into the Minor’s face, sending drops of spittle flying. Laying one of his own wrist blades across the Minor’s throat, he whispered harshly: *“lower your weapons.”

Reluctantly, the Minor allowed his wrist blades to disappear. At long last, the Ultra stood and moved away from the prone form of the Minor. *“The Prophets will know of your sacrilege, Minor. May they have mercy on you. I pray for your sake that the Great Journey may yet be open to your soul.”

The Ultra turned to Celestia to speak, but was surprised when she stepped towards the Minor. “Minor, you are injured. I may not understand the ways of your species but please allow me to heal you.”

Both Elites blinked in surprise. Celestia was willing to heal the Minor after such a vulgar affront, just like that? Despite being confused by the sudden act of kindness, the Minor quickly held up a hand to stop her. “No, Princess. My injury is a mark of my dishonor, and I must wear it for all to see.” As he spoke, his broken mandible twisted awkwardly and he flinched outwardly at the pain.

Celestia regarded the Minor sadly for a moment or two before bowing her head in acknowledgement. “Your species is quite strange. But very proud. I shall honor your request.” The Minor bowed his head in return and stepped away, leaning against a wall and glaring angrily at a nearby pebble.

After watching this exchange, the Ultra turned to the remaining two members of his squad. “You two. Return to the Royal Chamber of the Princess and retrieve your weapons. Guard the door and make sure no one leaves unless they are with us.” As he said this, the Ultra glanced meaningfully at the Minor, who was continuing to act angrily aloof. Turning to the Princess the Ultra added, “if her Majesty would allow it.”

Celestia frowned but closed her eyes. Her horn lit up and after a few seconds she reopened her eyes. “The guards have been informed. I do not entirely endorse this plan but I can understand your desire for...caution,” she said carefully, her eyes flicking to the Minor. “And I suppose these two seem loyal enough. I trust there will be no trouble?”

The Ultra shook his head. “No, there will be no trouble. Correct?” the tall Elite directed the last word at the two smaller aliens, placing a dangerous edge behind it. Bok and Pip-Pap hurriedly nodded their affirmation of their leader’s orders. “Then go,” the Ultra commanded, and the two aliens turned around and quickly scurried off down the winding hallway.

Striding over to the Minor, the Ultra grabbed the crimson Elite by the throat and rammed him into the wall, staring him straight in the eyes. Their faces mere centimeters away, the Ultra spoke in a dangerously calm voice. *“You, Falusk ka, will remain right here where you are. You will not leave. You will not follow. You WILL do as I command or I swear by the Prophets I will slay you where you stand. This goes for the remainder of our stay on this wretched planet. This is your FINAL CHANCE, Valushalkun. Am I understood?”

The Minor glared at the Ultra for a few seconds before replying. *“Yes, Ultra.” The Ultra stared him down for another moment or two before gruffly releasing his chokehold and stalking off towards the Princess and the door.

“He will no longer be an issue. I hope our actions do not lead to any lasting tension between us.” Lowering his voice, the Ultra added: “the Minor and I have never been on the best of terms. He is overzealous, and knows not the meaning of ‘tact’.”

If Celestia secretly harbored any ill will towards the Covenant over their disharmony, she made no show of it. She simply nodded in understanding. “It is understandable Ultra. I know what it means to lead, and how difficult it can be to obtain an agreement.”

The Ultra nodded, satisfied, and turned to the door. “So...shall we enter?”

“We shall,” Celestia said, closing her eyes once again. Her horn lit up, and after a short moment the symbol on the door began to glow yellow, like the aura around her horn. Suddenly, a rumbling sound could be heard. The symbol separated down the middle and the two halves of the door slid slowly into the walls. Beyond the doorway, only darkness met the Ultra’s gaze.

The Ultra peered into the dense gloom, trying to make out what lay beyond. His HUD attempted to analyze the entryway as well, but to no avail. The Minor also stared curiously at the opening, but remained where he stood. Celestia opened her eyes and strode towards the opening, her horn glowing brilliantly to pierce the ancient darkness. “Well? Come on, then.”

Steeling his nerves, the Ultra strode forward in Celestia’s wake. Stepping over the threshold of the door, he found himself surrounded by the encroaching darkness. If not for Celestia’s light, he doubted he would be able to see his own hand in front of his face.

Suddenly, the rumbling noise started again, and the Ultra turned around to see the doors closing behind them. With a soft thud, the portal to the outside world was once again sealed, and the soft noise echoed down the hallway, carrying on into the vast darkness of the void before them. The Ultra deployed his wrist blade, for no reason other than to have another object to ward off the omnipresent darkness, and held it up to examine the walls of the corridor. Comforted by the familiar bluish glow, the Ultra turned to the one other source of light.

“Lead on, Princess.”

The Minor stared unblinking at the door as it slowly rumbled closed. Small clouds of dust seeped out from the miniscule cracks in the door but quickly dispersed. The Minor stood and walked over to the smooth stone wall, placing one large hand on the cool surface. He glared at the offending doorway with such intensity it was a surprise it wasn’t melting. After inspecting the wall for a moment or two, he decided that there was indeed no way to force entry.

Slowly, the Minor turned around and walked back to his previous post. Taking a seat, he pulled out one of his energy blades and inspected it carefully. *”Ultra...” the Minor said slowly, softly speaking the words of his ancient ancestors. *”You are no longer worthy of being my superior.” The Minor knew that if any higher-ranking officers were present, he would likely be slain on the spot for his treachery. But that was not the case.

The Minor activated the energy sword with a soft hiss, and inspected it with a keen eye. Letting loose a slow, soft chuckle, the Minor continued.

*”On the blood of my honor...you will be slain by my own hand. This I swear.”

The sudden light was blinding. The Ultra cried out in surprise and staggered backwards, his free hand desperately seeking purchase against the solid stone wall. Bracing himself, the Ultra stood for a moment and allowed his vision to slowly adjust. Where was the light coming from? It had been pitch black just a moment ago!

The Sangheili warrior slowly opened his eyes and gasped at what he saw. He was amazed to find that the dark corridor was suddenly aglow with hundreds of thousands of screens. What had initially appeared to be a small passage was suddenly a large hallway in which hundreds of screens sat on each wall, each display showing something different. His gaze slowly fell on Celestia, standing a short distance away and waiting for him to continue. When he did not, she turned and started to walk down the corridor. Over her shoulder she called, “Coming, Ultra? I’ll see you at the far end, along with the Custodian. Please do not keep us waiting for too long.”

The Ultra simply nodded in compliance, his eyes not leaving the screens. Briefly he wondered how Celestia managed to remain so composed while he had been totally blinded, but the thought soon left his head as he continued to take in his surroundings. He reached his large hands up to his headdress and tapped it once or twice to make sure that what he was seeing was real. Between the screens were more Forerunner markings then he had ever seen, even more than the temples on Sangheilios...and they seemed to be in working order as well. Tearing his eyes away from the markings and focusing on the screens, he found what could only be described as statistics of some sort. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make sense of the foreign symbols. After a short while he was rewarded with a headache, which he quickly shook off.

His gaze moved to a few other screens, each one showing a different view of the planet from orbit at varying distances. Some were close enough to see individual towns or even ponies while others were so far away some of the moon itself could be seen. One of these in particular caught his eye. A video with the moon in it. On this screen, something covered up a large portion of the planet. It looked to be a shade of purple with large scorch marks-his blood froze as he realized what it was. *The Glory Upon Salvation...cut in half by the slipspace rupture... And it’s still here... maybe-

“Ultra, the Custodian should not be kept waiting.” The harmonic voice of Celestia traveled down the long corridor in a sing-song tone, tearing his gaze from the picture of the once beautiful corvette.

The Ultra looked once more to the ship before starting down the hall. It was a very long three minutes of walking as he contemplated the ship and its crews’ fate. He was so deep in thought he didn’t notice when he strode into an extremely large and circular room. He started when he realized where he was, and looked about in awe.

In the center or the room, hanging down from the ceiling, was a dormant-looking piece of forerunner technology with a large sphere attached. Oddly, it looked familiar to the Ultra, but he couldn't place his large finger on it. Around them, on the walls of the large room, were four or five pillars. Some of them seemed to be open and had a holographic sphere inside, and each was orange on the outside and blue on the inside, not unlike one of the many terminals in High Charity.

There was a low humming sound being emitted from the center of the room that drew the Ultra’s gaze once again. The large sphere-no! a large ORACLE was humming to life! The Ultra stood rooted to the spot, too stunned to move or even think properly. The large Oracle finally lit up, its eye shining like a beautiful beacon to lead the Ultra to salvation. The eye shone directly upon him, and the first thing the Ultra did was instantly bow down and kneel to the large oracle. His voice radiated throughout the room. “Holush van hisla reftu, Oracle.”

The Oracle continued to stare at the Ultra with its large, luminescent eye. Looking up slightly, the Ultra could see the movements of mechanical parts shifting and turning as he waited for a reply. Its gaze briefly flicked to Celestia, standing just a short distance away, before returning to the kneeling warrior. Eventually, the Oracle spoke. “I am not the one you call ‘oracle.’ I am the Custodian, and I am the keeper of this installation. I am also programmed to maintain records of The Creators.”

The Ultra was astounded by the voice of the Custodian. It was a deep, electronic voice that echoed throughout the chamber, reverberating and shaking the Ultra to his very core. The slow, steady speech the Custodian employed suggested that it was ancient. A relic of a time long gone. As the Ultra reflected on this, the Custodian turned to Celestia. The entirety of the Custodian’s support structure groaned and shifted as it rotated, and only once the noise faded into the echoing darkness did it speak. “Celestia. So good to see you in my chamber once more. It has been some time. I trust all is going well?”

Celestia grimaced slightly as she responded. “For the most part, yes. However, the arrival of our new friends has led to some...troubling events. I fear that a threat I once deemed no more may show its face once again.”

The Custodian studied her intently, reflecting on her words. The Ultra noticed that the Custodian’s form and parts seemed to shift and spin faster when it was thinking. “Indeed,” it said after a moment’s pause. “It would seem to be the case. We must be sure to discuss this at a later time.” Its voice lifted slightly at the end. The Ultra got the impression that it was looking forward to the conversation. Celestia bowed and stepped back as the Custodian once again turned its gaze to the Ultra. Once the shuddering and clanking died away, it spoke yet again, but now its voice was much more light-hearted. It was almost as though the ancient machine was previously just waking up.

“And back to the alien of the hour. I’ve run a lot of scans on the crash site, and have footage of the actual event as well as a second and third crash. I know what you have been through on this planet. I am also receiving communication waves from human ships every now and again. It seems your kind has been busy trying to exterminate the Reclaimers.”

The Ultra sat perfectly still while under the eye’s light. “Reclaimers?”

“Indeed, young one. You see, the society of my creators had a simple central goal: to preserve life. They called their duty ‘The Mantle,’ and every Forerunner had to uphold it. In the end, they used the Halo Array to wipe out every sentient lifeform in the galaxy, themselves included, to save that very galaxy from a parasite known to the humans as the ‘Flood’ or ‘Shaping Sickness.’ When they wiped out the entire galaxy, the structures they left behind, the terminals, everything...was able to be used by humans. That is why they are the Reclaimers. They were chosen by the Forerunners to retake the Mantle and to live by its rule.”

The Ultra stood up, convinced that the Oracle was insane to some degree. There was no way that his Gods chose humans to retake the mantle, let alone that the Sacred Rings destroy all life in the galaxy! The rings gave them godship; made them immortal! “Preposterous! Humans destroy their artifacts and-”

“Lies. All lies I’m afraid. Tut tut. The ‘High Prophets’ tell you nothing but lies,” the large Oracle said in a very serious tone, yet one that was slightly mocking as well. “They wish to blind you with ‘faith.’ Once again, you forget that I am over one hundred thousand years old, and all of the sensors in, on, or around this planet are all Forerunner. I can pick up signals from millions of light-years away, even the short-range holograms your ‘Prophets’ use to relay their messages in the field. Also, I can tell you this.” Its voice lightened up. “The warship Glory Upon Salvation has sent out a distress call.”

“It’s still active?” The Ultra asked in amazement, completely forgetting about the humans.

“Indeed.”

“Custodian, if you would please tell the Ultra more about these ‘Humans’ and ‘Reclaimers?” Celestia interjected.

“Of course. You see, the humans, in what the Covenant consider their religion, should actually be ‘worshipped.’ Due to their closeness to the Forerunners, even the Makers themselves believe that the Precursors made them alongside each other.”

The Ultra was stunned. “So...the entire religion of the Covenant is one great lie?”

“I’m afraid so. The Prophet of Truth is really the Prophet of Lies. His brethren are no different.” The Custodian chuckled slightly at his joke, the clanking of his parts echoing through the massive chamber.

The Ultra’s mind was reeling. It was almost too much to take in. Everything he thought he knew, everything the Prophets carved into the glassed planets, were all lies. What he had taken for granted for so long... He felt his world crumbling around him. Unable to bear the weight of the truth, he slowly sank to his knees. “How...how is this possible? How do I know you speak the truth? I want to believe you Holy One...but it is difficult.”

“I know you do, Ultra. That is why I have decided to show you this.”

A large video screen descended from the darkness above, slowly coming to a halt before the Ultra’s gaze. The screen flashed white as it flickered to life. A lone figure stood in a room, one that the Ultra immediately recognized as a Forerunner due to the way it carried itself, as well as the way it approached a glowing ball and operated it with an ease even the Prophets would be envious of. It looked human, save for the fact its feet were mere inches off the floor as it glided and hovered. The figure was speaking.

“Before we fire the arrays... I just hope all of the preserved are not affected by it. I have spent so many years placing them on planets and arrays throughout the known galaxy. I also hope that the transports to their original worlds arrive whole and unafflicted.”

“They should be, my wife. We have already test-fired one of the arrays onto the Precursor planet, and it worked flawlessly. Our calculations were indeed correct.”

“What of the preserved life?”

“The sensors on the Halo picked up no side effects or death of any life held on them.”

“Good. But what of the humans?”

“Preserved as well.”

“That is a relief. The last thing we need are the next holders of the Mantle to be exterminated on accident...”

“There is nothing you need to fear, Librarian. Though I would much rather just exterminate them outright, and use them as Prometheans in my fight against the Flood.”

“I know Didact, my husband... but that is not the way to uphold the Mantle-”

The screens turned off abruptly, and the Ultra just stared at them. “So...it is true. The Gods themselves said so...”

The noble equine was also shocked. All of her time alive did not prepare her for what she had just seen. “Ultra, if there is anything-” she started.

“I need some time alone...to think,” the Sangheili cut in, as he removed his headdress and looked at it in his large hand. Heaving a great sigh, he allowed the headgear to fall to the ground. The clanging reverberated off of the walls and echoed into the depths. Turning around slowly, the Ultra stalked off towards the darkened corridor.

Author's Note

Solar: If we missed anything, please tell us. I fear this is not the best we could do with the chapter.. but we needed something out. I feel as if I botched up the 'Great Journey' and the usage of the Halos...

Idk.. to me this feels like one of the worst chapters.. but w/e.

Keep Calm and Read on,
~Solar Eclipse

Chapter Nine: The Hammer Falls

*Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation.

*Thud.*

The soft sound of a foot falling.

*Thud.*

There was no other noise.

*Thud.*

The light was dim and flickering.

*BANG!*

The only audible sound was that of the Ultra’s heavy breathing as he leaned against the wall. Ever so slowly, he pulled his fist away from the unfortunate wall he had decided to vent on, revealing the considerable dent it now sported.

Time seemed to slow down. The Ultra did not know how long he stood there. Doing nothing. Feeling nothing.

Thinking nothing.

Eventually, he returned to his senses. Slowly but surely, he raised himself to his full height and resumed his slow trod down the dimly lit hallway. His mind began to function once again, and he started to reflect upon his life. What was he? Who was he?

He was a warrior. A leader. A follower. A believer.

...A killer. A destroyer.

A murderer.

The faces of those he had slain flashed through his mind. There were many species present, but the human ones stood out the most vividly. The Ultra took a moment to reflect on what little he knew of the human race. Apparently, they were the chosen ones of the Reclaimers. The chosen ones of his gods.

And he had murdered them.

He thought of the times he’d seen humans acting naturally. The times where he’d been safely hidden by his cloaking mechanisms, just moments before striking. Humans were friendly creatures. They laughed with each other. They cared for each other. They supported one another. And on the battlefield, he had to admit, they could be a force to be reckoned with.

Despite his previous hatred for them, even he had to admit the humans had a strength of their own. Even their lowly marines had the courage and will to stand and fight, even against seemingly overwhelming odds. They stood their ground, willing to give their lives to protect their homes, families, and livelihoods.

To protect them from monstrosities like himself.

The Ultra shuddered to think of how many nightmares his own form now occupied. How many families he had torn apart. How much destruction he had helped to sow. How much he had actually helped to destroy the very race his gods had chosen. How much wrong he had done...all because of a lie.

Women, children, men, soldiers, and even the Demons he once cursed. The billions that were on each planet as they were glassed by the genocidal Covenant. How many? How many of the Reclaimers have died? How many of them has his race alone killed? What were the totals of all the deaths...over the lie?

The Ultra turned his attention to his own species. To the Covenant. Were they like the humans? Was his race, and his fellow believers, as peaceful, sociable, and happy as the humans?

No. Definitely not.

The Unggoy feared his species, following their every order just so that they may be left alone for another day. The Kig-Yar scoffed at them behind their backs, berating their brutish and forceful ways and instead relishing in their own more refined skills. The Jiralhanae paid them no respect, openly mocking their appearances, demeanors, and tactics.

Even some of his own species, other Sangheili, his “brothers,” would toss him aside for their own betterment if given the chance. Many of them, such as the Minor, probably even wished to see him dead. There was no camaraderie. There was no cooperation. There was no fun, no hope, no love. Only a common goal.

A common goal, which was a lie.

A lie to an entire species...several species, actually. By three simple individuals. How could this be possible? How did this begin? How is it that no one has seen through the falsehood, and set the Covenant on the true path to salvation and glory?

The Ultra felt empty. Hollow. Like a part of his very soul had been ripped from his chest. Who was he to trust? The leaders he had followed for as long as he could remember, or the construct that was obviously built by those who existed long before him, those whom he had revered for even longer?

Deep in his heart, he knew who he would follow. But sometimes, it was difficult to accept the truth.

The truth...that he was a monster. That all he had ever done was persecute an innocent race. One that was destined to lead them all to greatness. The humans were apparently supposed to know nothing but benevolence and righteousness. But instead, because of his very own actions, all they knew was fear, death, and hopelessness. The threat of extinction looming in their minds.

Oh how different they were from the Covenant. But thanks to three lying individuals, different meant ‘mortal enemies.’

And now he had crash-landed here. Here, among a third race. One that had never known war. One that knew nothing but peace. One that had welcomed his admittedly frightening appearance with naught but tolerance and friendship. One that, should he and his fellows choose to do so, could easily be consumed by the destructive fires of war.

...War. He knew its name, but only now was its face beginning to reveal itself through the gloom. Despite being a warrior his entire life, never before had he considered the enormity of his actions in such detail. He knew that he had caused countless amounts of death and destruction. And now, it seemed it was all in vain. Was there still hope for him? Could he possibly repent?

If they had not started the war, would the humans have treated him the same? He heard rumors about the first contact, but it was all broken up with no true story. One rumor, he had overheard from a Jiralhanae, was that the humans had attacked them first, and ate all aboard. Of course, he thought, it would really be the Jiralhanae who ate the humans. He remembered hearing about a planet a Chieftain had acquired...and how his crew hunted and ate most of the humans present.

Maybe...maybe coming here was a good thing. Perhaps spending time among these peaceful creatures could teach him a new way of life. One that would coincide with the Ancient Ones’ hopes. He only hoped the rest of his squad would be willing to follow his decision. Pip-Pap and Bok were loyal, if for no other reason than fear of retribution, but the Minor...this was going to be interesting.

There was a dull *thud* as the Ultra’s face collided with a large stone wall. He looked up, surprised, and realized that he’d reached the end of the corridor. Huh. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts he never saw it coming. That was to be expected, he supposed.

Just as he was beginning to contemplate how he would get the door open, there was a soft rumbling and the two slabs of stone began to part. After a moment, the Ultra stepped through. He was surprised to see Princess Celestia waiting for him. She remained expressionless, but she did seem to have an air of sadness about her.

He briefly wondered how he didn’t notice her pass him in the corridor, but then he remembered: magic. Shaking his head ever so slightly, he wordlessly began walking up the passage back to the throne room. Celestia silently fell into step beside him. The Ultra once again appreciated Celestia’s tact. He didn’t much feel like talking at the moment.

The Ultra’s gaze ultimately fell upon the regal pony Princess, and he couldn’t help but marvel at her form once again. To be truthful, she was quite beautiful. Her coat was a pure, shimmering white, a perfect contrast to her glimmering golden regalia and mane of dark, colorful hues that always shifted in some non-existent wind.

The Ultra let out a sigh. Everything was so colorful here. He struggled to remember much of anything on his home planet that could rival Princess Celestia in radiance and sheer eye-catching brilliance. Even the human planet, Reach, failed to possess anything comparable to the magnificent hues of the Princess.

Suddenly, the Ultra felt the urge to speak. “Princess.”

Her gaze shifted to him. She was silent for a moment before replying. “Yes, Ultra?”

“How...” he trailed off, unsure of what exactly it was he wished to ask. “How is it that your people have never known war?”

Celestia’s eyebrows raised, but she otherwise remained expressionless. “We were not always peaceful. We have had our share of wars...but we have had a very long peace. We, along with most other nationales and creatures on this planet have recognized how destructive it is, and how horrific it is. A little over a thousand years ago, my sister grew envious of me. Ponies played in my light and loved to be in the sun’s warmth...but they rejected her night, and slept through it. She wanted ponies to enjoy the night as they do the light of the sun.”

“What happened?”

“I had to take drastic action...she refused to let the moon down. So I banished her to it. And for one thousand years, I wept every night. I died on the inside, knowing that one so close to me, and one I loved so dearly, had to be sent there in isolation...alone. I created laws after, and rules, so that ponies would enjoy her nights and her beautiful sky, just as they loved my days. Over time, ponies loved her nights without the rules and laws, and celebrated it even. Even now, I remember her face when she was restored to her true self... She was crying tears of happiness. And it made me happy as well. Do you see the moral of this story, Ultra?”

“I would like if you told me.”

“No matter how much hate you have in your heart at any time...with the right amount of love, happiness and peace are easily obtained. I think all you have to do is forgive yourself. You had no idea what these humans were until recently, right?”

“Correct, Princess.”

“Then you have nothing to stop you from forgiving yourself. Granted, genocide is an evil thing, very evil. Trust me, I know. But you...you know the truth now, and you should tell everyone you can about it so that all races can come together to find peace, and trust each other like I trust my sister.”

“If only it were that easy...” The Ultra was hit by a sudden memory of a human ODST burning on his energy sword, screaming out in pain at the top of his lungs...until blood overflowed them and he drowned in it. The Ultra shuddered involuntarily at the memory.

The Princess seemed to take notice. “Of course, I did not say it would be easy. It will take time to come to terms with what you have done. I can only imagine the horrors that you have witnessed.”

The Ultra nodded slowly. “I did not think of them as horrors before...but upon reflection, I see that I could easily be considered a monster. And yet...your subjects. They accepted us into their lives, gave us food and offered us friendship despite our admittedly frightening appearances. Despite the atrocities we’ve all committed. It must be nice to trust so easily...”

Celestia smiled serenely. “It is not so hard when all one knows is peace.” Suddenly, the Princess stopped, and turned to face the Ultra directly. The tall Sangheili also paused after a moment’s hesitation, waiting for her to speak.

Without warning, Celestia lifted a golden-gilded forehoof and laid it on the Ultra’s left shoulder. He did not resist. “Take a break, Ultra. Get away from it all. Seeing as we currently have no way of sending you back, spend some time here, with us. Remember what peace feels like. With the help of my faithful student and her friends, I’m confident that you too can learn the magic of friendship.”

The Ultra paused, allowing her words to fully sink in. Was it true? With enough time and love, could he truly repent? Could he become a force for good in this universe? One that works with the Reclaimers, and therefore the Gods, rather than against them to bring peace and enlightenment to all?

Seeing his hesitation, the Princess continued. “I know that peace conflicts with your species’ way of life. But even love and goodwill needs its champions. Those who stand resolutely against the forces of evil, determined to drive them back at all costs. I am one of those champions. I have fought for millennia to maintain the purity of this world. I have faced down foes more horrific than you could ever imagine, and I have done things that make me shudder upon reminiscence. We are not so different, you and I.

“So what do you say, Ultra? Do you accept my offer of friendship?”

This was it. This was the moment of truth. He could accept, casting away his past, his crimes, his misdoings. His evil ways. Or he could turn her away. Return to his ‘Prophets.’ Continue living the lie. But could he even do that, knowing the truth? Could he really return to his old ways of life, after the events of today?

...No. He could not. No longer would he remain in the shadows of a lie. No longer would he be wielded as a pawn of evil. No longer would he commit heinous crimes that defy even the will of the Gods. Repentance may come slowly, if at all, but if nothing else his evil ways would come to an end.

No more.

The Ultra raised his left hand and gently settled it on Celestia’s hoof. “Princess...I accept your offer of friendship. I would be honored if you would teach me the ways of peace and goodwill. I...I am ready to turn my back on the lies and the horrors of war. It is the will of the Gods that brought me to this planet, and I shall defy them no longer.”

And then the Princess smiled. The Ultra felt his breath catch in his throat. Never before had he witnessed something so radiant. So welcoming. So beautiful. It was a smile of relief and sheer joy. One that looked forward to the future with hope. One that reassured his blasted nerves and his broken conscience, telling him that everything would be all right.

It felt...good. It made him feel good. And, for the first time in a long time, he felt his mandibles twitch upwards in a grin of his own. Normally, a grinning Sangheili would be enough to send even the most battle-hardened marines running, but if Celestia was fazed at all by his expression she didn’t show it. The Ultra felt his respect for her grow just a bit more.

Yes. He would follow this Princess to whatever end. She was a true leader.

“I believe we must be going,” Celestia said after another moment or two, slowly withdrawing her hoof. “After all, your squad is still waiting for you.”

The Ultra nodded slowly, deep in thought. “Yes...they need to know the truth...”

“How are you going to tell them?” she continued, slowly trotting forward again.

“I am not sure,” the Ultra replied, falling into step beside her. “Bok and Pip-Pap are loyal to me, but it will probably take some time to convince them of the truth. I wish there was some form of evidence I could use. For all they know, you might have brainwashed me...”

Celestia frowned as she considered the Ultra’s words. “Hmm...perhaps this will be more difficult than we thought.” She sighed in frustration. “The Custodian has been an advisor of mine for many long years. His counsel is some of the best I have ever received. However, putting up with his...quirks...can be difficult at times. I wish he would not have made this so complicated.”

The Ultra nodded. “As do I. However, I will probably be able to get through to them eventually. At the very least, they will not become violent.” The Ultra sighed heavily. “As for the Minor, however...I am most worried.”

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. Where was the Minor? He had been ordered to remain at the entrance! The Ultra stopped and turned to look behind him, suddenly paranoid, as if expecting to see the hulking red form sneaking up on him.

Celestia raised an eyebrow at this reaction but did not speak. “Celestia...do you know where the Minor is? I ordered him to remain at the door...”

Celestia smiled slightly. “I’m afraid I am to blame for that, Ultra. I sent him back to the throne room and informed my guards he would be coming. I doubted seeing him would improve your mood. You needed an environment free of stress.”

The Ultra paused at that, considering what she had said and done. “Thank you, Princess,” he finally said. “You are both kind and wise. I am glad you took that course of action. I am not looking forward to our...discussion.”

Celestia gave the Ultra another curious look. “He and I...have a history,” the Ultra continued. “And not exactly a pleasant one. He is one of the more zealous Elites I have commanded. He will protest my words. And...he could become violent. I will be able to handle him, should that be the case, but he may have to be...dispatched.”

Celestia frowned again. “I trust you will do what you must to keep everypony safe. I can only hope your comrades will remain peaceful.”

The two of them rounded a corner. “We can only hope...” the Ultra agreed as a pair of double doors came into view.

The doors slowly creaked open, and the Ultra had to shield his eyes from the sudden blast of bright daylight shining through the stained glass windows. After taking an involuntary step back, the Ultra finally recovered and stepped back into the throne room. Ruefully, he noted that if he was still wearing his helmet he would not have had this problem. Oh well.

Gazing about the room, he was rather amused by what he saw. Pip-Pap and Bok, armed with their plasma pistol and focus rifle respectively, stood in one corner of the room casting wary glances at a platoon of four unicorn guards with spears, who responded in kind. The Minor stood closer to the center of the room, surrounded by no less than six pegasus guards, all also wielding spears, who all seemed eager to keep some distance from the tall alien.

Upon entering, his three comrades looked relieved and relaxed visibly. Every pony present stiffened and threw a salute in Celestia’s direction. “At ease,” Celestia’s melodious voice rang out. “Guards, you may leave us.” The guards all nodded in compliance and opened the large doors. The six pegasi and two of the unicorns stepped out, leaving two unicorn guards remaining in the room. They promptly took up a position on either side of the massive doors and magically shut them with a soft *thud.*

The Ultra nodded to Bok and Pip-Pap as he strode over to them. “I trust there has been no trouble?” Both smaller aliens nodded. “Good. Prepare yourselves, my comrades, for what I learned beyond those doors has shaken me to my very core.” The two aliens shared an uneasy glance before slowly nodding again, this time with no small measure of trepidation.

The Ultra turned to the Minor. “And you,” he said calmly, his voice devoid of inflection. “Why did you not remain by the door as I instructed?”

The Minor snorted. “The Princess suggested I return to the throne room. I remained by the door until she arrived. I decided to follow her orders as a sign of appeasement.”

The Ultra nodded slowly. “Very well. I suppose there was no harm done.” The Ultra turned to face Celestia, who had returned to her throne, but the Minor spoke again.

“Ultra, where is your helmet?”

The Ultra tensed as he remembered where he had left it. “...I must have dropped it,” he replied.

“Actually...” Celestia spoke up. From somewhere behind her the Ultra’s helmet floated out. “I have it right here.” The aliens, including the Ultra, looked up in surprise as the helmet moved towards the Ultra and dropped into his shocked grasp.

“How...?” was all he managed.

Celestia simply smiled. “I’m afraid you dropped it. I am just returning what belongs to you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness...” he muttered absent-mindedly as he continued to stare at the headdress he was once so proud to bear. But now...it only served as a reminder of his crimes.

However, the Princess, it seemed, was expecting him to put it on. “Well?” she asked expectantly.

The Ultra stared at it for a moment or two more before making up his mind. “Celestia, I thank you for returning this to me. However, if it is all the same to you, I no longer wish to wear this. It would only serve to remind me of my sin.”

Celestia’s expectant grin widened. “I think that is a wonderful choice, Ultra,” she said simply. The Ultra replied with just a simple nod. One being in the room, however, deemed it fit to voice his confusion.

“What is this madness you speak of, Ultra? What sickness has poisoned your mind? That is a symbol of your honor! Of your rank! How can you turn your back on it?” the Minor questioned, his voice growing angrier as he continued, his hand hovering over the energy sword on his side

The Ultra sadly turned to face his comrades. “My brothers...” he began. “What was revealed to me in the chamber is a truth so shocking I have yet to come to terms with it. I know not how to tell you in a manner that will make it easy for you...”

“Spit it out already, Ultra,” the Minor interrupted impatiently. “What could possibly have done this to you?”

“Very well. First of all, it may interest you to know that the Glory Upon Salvation is currently in orbit around this planet...and that it is still transmitting.”

His comrades’ eyes lit up in joy at this news. “You mean...our ship is here?” the Minor asked. The Ultra nodded in response. “Then what are we waiting for? We must return to it at once! We must make contact! We must return to the Great Journey!”

The Ultra held up a hand for quiet. “Yes, Minor. As soon as we are finished here that will be our primary objective. However...there is more that was said. Much more...” He paused, debating the best way to proceed.

The Minor rudely cleared his throat. “Yes?”

The Ultra locked his sad gaze with the Minor’s furious one and deciding to just go for it. “The truth...is that our entire lives have been a lie.”

The silence in the room was pressing. One could hear the smallest of sounds. For several long moments, nobody moved. “...This is an outrageous statement to make,” the Minor said slowly. “What proof do you have to support this claim?”

The Ultra looked to Celestia, simply to see what she might have to offer. To his great surprise, she smiled and nodded. It was almost as if she knew what he was about to do. *Which, the Ultra mused, *she probably does. “Allow me to show you.”

Turning his helmet over, the Ultra accessed its databanks, pulling up the section of the past hour or so that he desired. Pressing a few more buttons, the Ultra pointed the helmet at the wall, which was quickly illuminated by a large picture. He heard a soft, surprised gasp from Celestia. Undoubtedly such technology was still a surprise to even her. Even the two guards could not repress their interest. The Covenant, of course, were used to this display technology, but recoiled for a different reason.

The picture was of the Custodian, clearly a large and very ancient oracle.

“By the Gods...” the Minor muttered softly.

“This,” the Ultra began. “Is what awaited me in the chamber. And what revealed the truth to me.”

“What is this truth that you continually speak of, brother?” the Minor asked reverently. “Is it a path to the Great Journey?”

The Ultra considered the question. “In a manner of speaking, yes.”

“Well? Tell us! Let us begin at once!” the Minor replied enthusiastically. Bok and Pip-Pap also looked excited to hear what the Ultra had to say. It pained him to know how badly he was about to let them down.

“Do you not remember what I just said? The Prophets have lied to us. The Humans are not our enemies...they are actually the Reclaimers. The chosen ones of the gods. It is they that will lead us to our salvation.”

Silence again. Although this time, the air was laced with veins of hostility. All of the other aliens tensed at the news, slowly attempting to process what was surely some cruel joke. Bok began to pace back and forth, nervously loosening and tightening his grip on his rifle in quick succession. Pip-Pap seemed unsure of himself, shifting his glance from the screen to the Ultra and then back to the screen.

As for the Minor, one could practically feel the anger washing off of him in waves. He did not move, but his breathing had quickened, and his muscles were continuously tensing and untensing. After a long while, he finally spoke in a soft, deep voice. *“That is impossible.”

*“So too thought I until the truth was waved before my very eyes,” the Ultra responded. *“Let me show you.” Quickly, he began to work his helmet controls again, eager to find the segment he desired.

*“No,” the Minor suddenly said, taking an aggressive step towards the Ultra. *“No!” he repeated, more vehemently this time. *“I do not want to see!” he shouted. *“I refuse to fall under the same spell as you, you weak-minded fool! I alone shall see the truth! I alone shall walk the path to the Great Journey, while you, in your weakness and betrayal, shall be left behind!” he vehemently proclaimed, his voice echoing off of the walls.

The Ultra bristled at the insults but tried to maintain an air of indifference. *“Minor, please,” he consoled. *“Let me show you what I have seen. You too will see the truth. We do not have to live this way forever! There is hope!”

*“NO!” the Minor shrieked. *“I will die before I follow you into madness! No more do I bow to your pathetic leadership! I challenge you, Ninshin, to a Varshna! We shall settle our dispute once and for all! By my honorable blood do I fight!” Quick as a flash, the Minor had activated his energy sword. He tensed his body, prepared to enter combat at a moment’s notice.

The Ultra felt his heart sink. This was not how he wished this encounter to pan out at all. Glancing quickly at Celestia, he saw the grimness and displeasure in her features. However, her words remained in his head. “I trust you will do what you must to keep everypony safe.” No longer could the Minor act without consequence. In his rage and blindness, he was now a threat to every being in the room. He would have to be dealt with.

The Ultra stared at the hilt of his own energy sword, then back up at the challenger. If the Minor wanted a fight to the death...then he’d get a fight to the death. He had slighted his honor for the final time. The last thing anyone of any species wanted to do was challenge a Sangheili warrior who has nothing to lose. The Ultra slowly activated his blade and rose to his full height, leveling the blade at the younger warrior’s face.

The Minor, the officer saw, visibly grinned, and with what could only be described as pure hatred in his eyes. They started to circle each other like two large cats, one step from the Minor was mirrored by the Ultra. They kept this up for a few seconds until the Minor’s patience wore thin. He struck out with his sword in a wide arc from the side, testing the Ultra’s perimeter. The larger Elite simply twisted his wrist and deflected the blade with his own.

*“Minor. This will not end well for you. I have come to terms with my sins, and I hoped you would’ve listened to me at least once in your life. I have turned against the war and the lies; I am trying to give in to peace and happiness. This is your last chance. Turn off your blade. We can learn from this species, and educate our own-”

*“LIES! ALL YOU SPEAK ARE LIES! Heretic! You will burn in the fury of a thousand suns!”

*“Minor-” The Ultra was interrupted by a sudden charge from the overzealous youngling, whose sword was reaching out to the Ultra.

The Ultra was quick to sidestep the incoming blow, and to retaliate with his own lunge to the Minor’s side. The red menace spun around quickly and jumped back, eager to get more space between him and the higher ranking officer. The Ultra did not stop with the lunge, however, he kept running to the Minor and delivered a swift backhand slash. The Minor ducked and rolled to the side. He then pounced onto the Ultra, and connected his fist with the side of his unprotected face. The Ultra stabbed with his sword, but the effort was for naught as the Minor was already on his feet five meters away.

The Ultra got up warily, shaking off the pain and the haze from the punch, and eyed his nemesis carefully. The Minor’s speed and strength so far were a bit unexpected. *It would seem he’s been holding back on me... Suddenly, there was a flash of movement in his peripherals. What he saw next sent a jolt of horror through his heart.

One of the Royal Guards had stepped between them.

“That’s enough!” he shouted. “There will be no fighting in the Royal Chamb-AAAAAUUUGGH!” The guard’s eyes went wide as he suddenly released a heart-wrenching scream of pain.

“It is not your place to interfere, foul Ninshin!” the Minor bellowed as he lunged forward, plunging his blade deep into the defenseless guard’s left side. With a sickening squelch, the two tips emerged on the other side, blood spilling from the wounds and collecting on the floor, while most of it sizzled and evaporated on the blade’s radiating energy. Bringing the pony’s terrified face to his own, even as the light slowly faded from his eyes, the Minor spoke again. “My face will be the last thing you ever see.” He opened his jaws wide and roared into the dying pony’s face.

“Too late do you learn your place!” And with that, the Minor slammed the body into the floor, dislodging it and sending it sliding across the tiled surface, a trail of red in its wake.

“Watchful Eye!” Celestia screamed in terror, instantly rising to her hooves and rushing to the fallen guard’s side. The Ultra knew that it was too late, however. He felt uncontrollable anger course through him as he turned back to the Minor, who was smiling evilly.

“You...you belligerent FOOL!” the Ultra bellowed. “How DARE you murder a member of a peaceful race in such cold blood! Have you no shred of honor left?! I will rend your head from your shoulders!”

The Minor’s evil grin widened as Celestia sobbed in the background. “Don’t act so surprised, Ultra. It’s not really that hard. After all, I already had practice.”

The Ultra’s eyes widened in shock as the Minor’s words slowly sank in. “You...you! You murdered that squad! That is why you would not respond to me! Timberwolves indeed!”

The Minor chuckled. “At last you figure it out. You were always so slow, Ultra.”

“By the Gods! YOU! WILL! DIE!” the Ultra screamed in rage. He lowered his head and charged headlong at the Minor, bellowing a war cry the whole way. He swung his blade in a mighty arc, hissing through the air, before the two blades crashed together in a blinding explosion of light and a terrible screeching noise.

The two remained locked in combat for a few moments, each trying to shove the other off. At long last, they both backed off, panting heavily from exertion before plunging back into combat.

The time for words was over. Soon, one of them would die.

The Ultra struck first, swinging the blade in a level arc at the Minor’s midsection. His enemy parried the blow, deflecting its momentum away from him, causing the Ultra to stumble. Spinning out of the parry he swung his sword in an overhead fashion, aiming for the Ultra’s neck during his moment of vulnerability.

The Ultra quickly ducked however, and felt the heat of the blade hiss directly over his head. *That was close... With his sword still in a bad position, the Ultra kicked out, connecting solidly with the Minor’s body and sending him crashing into the nearest wall. Spinning to his feet, the Ultra leapt after the shell-shocked Minor, his sword humming towards his opponent’s head.

The Minor regained his senses just soon enough to block the Ultra’s blow with a deafening hiss, but the impact drove the air from his lungs, and the Ultra pressed his advantage. Towering over his opponent, their blades locked in combat, the Ultra slowly forced the Minor to his knees, the blades hovering dangerously over his head.

The Minor struggled to release himself from the Ultra’s hold, but gravity was against him. Slowly, ever so slowly, the locked blades began to descend towards the left side of his face. His eyes widened in fear as he began to feel the heat.

“Now, Minor...” the Ultra grunted out. “You die...”

With a final burst of effort from his part, the edge of a blade finally made contact with the Minor’s face. His flesh hissed and boiled at the contact, slowly peeling and burning away from the white-hot blade. His bellow of pain filled the room as the gash in his flesh continually deepened.

However, the Ultra failed to see the Minor readjust his left leg, and was surprised when his legs were suddenly taken out from underneath him by a low sweep. Grunting in pain, the Minor shoved him off. The Ultra quickly rolled away and stood back up, crouching into a combat-ready stance. Just in time too, for the Minor was back on the assault.

Time seemed to slow down as he approached. The Ultra took in every detail. The blade held firmly in his grasp. His twisted mandibles parted in a roar of anger. The fresh, blazing red scar lashed across his face. A few rivulets of blood, both of his own and of the pony’s, splattered across his chest armor. Truly, he was an incarnation of wrath, barreling down on him without pity or remorse.

Time returned to normal as the Minor’s blade crashed into his own with an unexpected force. The Ultra took a step back. The blade came crashing down again, this time at a different angle.

Another step back.

The Minor continued his furious onslaught, his rage now completely fueling his actions. The Ultra could do nothing but defend himself, blocking each and every stroke that fell with seemingly increasing force. The younger Minor seemed inexhaustible. More and more did the Ultra retreat before the Minor’s whizzing blade, his entire concentration being used to keep himself alive. To the onlookers, all they could see in the slowly darkening room was the bright flash of rapidly moving lights.

All they could hear was the repeated squeals and crashing of the blades.

But the Ultra knew he had one advantage. The Minor’s technique was firm for now, but eventually his rage would leave him open. The Ultra only hoped he would last until that chance presented itself.

The Ultra groaned in pain as one final blow fell upon his sword. He felt his strength beginning to give out. Slowly, step by step, he backed up under the unrelenting pressure. Suddenly, he felt his back make contact with the wall. He was trapped.

He had nowhere to go.

And then, all of a sudden, there was a searing pain in his right side. “Aaaaaarrrggh!” the Ultra shouted in agony. Looking down, he was shocked beyond belief to see that the Minor had buried his wrist blade into his own flesh.

The Ultra slowly turned to face the Minor, utter fury in his eyes. “I see...so this is how you choose to end. By drawing a second blade in a Varshna. How dishonorable.”

The Minor simply grinned. “To the victor go the spoils.” The pressure on the Ultra’s blade became almost unbearable, and the weakness in his side was not helping.

“Indeed,” the Ultra replied. Thinking quickly, he tilted his wrist, causing the Minor’s blade to slide off his, effectively parrying the blow away. The Minor, realizing this, sensed his victory was close. The Ultra no longer had the endurance to fend off his blows by pure strength alone. Roaring his triumph, he brought his blade about for one final blow, the Ultra’s still moving away due to his previous block.

It was then that the Ultra saw his opening.

Roaring in pain, through sheer force of will the Ultra managed to reverse the direction his sword was moving in, and swung it upwards as quickly as he could.

The blade hummed through the air. The Minor’s eyes widened in surprise.

Never before had the Ultra moved so quickly. His opportunity was small. He simply had to land this blow. He had to. Everything depended on it. Slowly, the blade crept towards the Minor’s sword hand, which was rapidly moving out of the blade’s arc. Was he fast enough? Would his final blow fall?

It barely made it. The Ultra felt the very tip of his blade graze the Minor’s middle fingertip; his longest one. The tip came clean off. Howling in pain and surprise, the Minor’s damaged hand was no longer able to maintain its grip on his own rapidly moving blade. It spun out of his grasp, deactivating as it did so, and flew off into the distance, clattering against the ground.

The Minor withdrew his wrist blade from the Ultra’s side and stumbled backwards, clutching his hand. So distracted and surprised was he that he failed to realize the fist rapidly inbound on his face.

*CRUNCH*

*BANG*

The Ultra thought his knuckles cracked from the blow. Never before had he hit something so hard. His fist fell directly on the Minor’s left side of his face. Right where his fresh scar was. His shield promptly exploded with a deafening crack of electrical overload. The Minor cried out in pain and rage again and fell to the floor, defeated. The Ultra was on top of him in a flash, his blade pointed directly at the Minor’s throat, his right foot pinning the Minor’s left arm with the wrist blade attached, his left knee on the downed Elite’s chest.

“And now...” the Ultra gasped between heaving breaths. “You will pay...for your insolence...”

He raised his blade.

The Minor stared his death in the face. He was no coward.

The blade began to fall.

The Minor did not even blink.

“NO!” the sudden voice cut through the silence. The Ultra’s eyes widened in surprise as he felt another force intervene. Suddenly, he was thrown from the Minor’s body and hurled into a nearby wall. The Minor slowly blinked in surprise and turned to face his savior.

And then promptly wished that he hadn’t.

Never before had the Minor beheld such a terrifying sight. Where before, the Princess of the Sun had been regal and graceful, now she was a figure of raw power and rage. Her skin was now a dark charcoal black, with jagged yellow lines criss-crossing randomly over her body. Her mane and tail were literally a blazing inferno, the orange and yellow flames flickering wildly about her form, eager to consume all that opposed her.

And then her eyes. No more were the gentle magenta eyes that had regarded them serenely. In their place were blood-red fiery pits. As the Minor stared into the ravaging, fiery darkness, he knew that his end had come.

He knew there was no escape.

He felt a force surround his body and lift him off of the ground. From the corner of his eye, he could see the Ultra slowly stagger to his feet, gripping his side, and gaze at the scene before him with awe and no small amount of fear.

“CREATURE OF UNIMAGINABLE CRUELTY AND MALICE, OF WHICH THOU ARE NO LONGER WORTHY OF NAME,” an extremely loud voice boomed through the expansive throne room.

“WE, THE SOVEREIGN PROTECTOR OF THESE LANDS, FIND THOU GUILTY OF CRIMES MOST FOUL AND UNNATURAL AGAINST PONYKIND...” the voice continued, undoubtedly emerging from the terrifying form before him.

“AND AS SUCH, DO CONDEMN THOU TO THY DOOM! FEAR ME, FOUL CREATURE, FOR THERE IS NO ESCAPE FOR THE SUFFERING THAT IS TO BEFALL THOU.” The ex-Princess slowly began to lift into the air as well, her charcoal-black horn glowing with pure yellow energy.

“TARTARUS AWAITS THY SOUL! THINE! END! IS! NIGH!”

And with that ultimate statement, there was a blinding flash of light, and the Minor disappeared from existence.

Chapter Ten: Contemplations

* Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation.

The Ultra stared in shock. Where the body of the Minor once occupied, now there was nothing. Just...nothing. Except for a smoldering scorch mark on the floor.

The Ultra turned his gaze to the Princess of the Sun. He knew she was powerful, but this...this was a most frightening display. The Ultra silently wondered if he was the next target of her terrible wrath, and braced himself for the worst.

Princess Celestia heaved a long, depressed sigh, and then, before his very eyes, she slowly reverted back to her normal form. The billowing flames melted away into her customary regal mane. Her fur slowly patched itself together and returned to its natural, snow-white color. The intensity of her eyes faded, and soon there was nothing but sadness in those magenta orbs.

Wordlessly, she strode over to the Ultra. Every eye in the room followed her movement. Eventually she paused before the Ultra and knelt down to his eye level. “You are injured,” she said softly. “Will you allow me to heal you?”

It was only then that the Ultra became aware of how difficult it was becoming to breathe. His side felt like it was on fire, and there was no small volume of purplish blood leaking from the wound. “I would,” he replied softly between short gasps. “That Ninshin destroyed what remaining honor he had left...I should not have suffered this wound.”

Celestia simply closed her eyes and lit up her horn. Leaning forward, she gently touched the glowing appendage to the Ultra’s shoulder. An indescribable feeling of warmth surged through the Ultra’s body, both relaxing and invigorating him at the same time. He felt his breathing slowly return to normal; the pain in his side recede into nothingness.

After only a few short moments, Celestia retreated and rose to her full height. As the Ultra followed suit, he felt his body surge with energy. He felt like he could fight the Minor all over again. Whatever this ‘magic,’ was, it certainly was potent.

Celestia finally opened her eyes, and directed her gaze right at him. A very tired gaze. One that gave the Ultra a small glimpse into her age, hints at the untold eras she had witnessed. The Ultra felt sorry for her. There were a million questions he could have asked, but there was one that weighed more heavily on his mind than any other.

“What exactly did you do to him, your Highness?”

There was no joy in her eyes or speech as she answered. No sign that she felt vindicated, or triumphant, in what she had done. “I teleported him. He is currently being held in the most secure dungeon we have.”

The Ultra looked on in disbelief. “You let him live? After all he has done?”

The Princess nodded. “The fate that awaits him is far more fouler than death. As soon as I can, I will put him on trial. Then, he will be sentenced to the fiery depths of Tartarus, where his soul shall suffer eternally.” Celestia turned a sorrowful gaze towards the Ultra. “Ultra...I have not had to imprison a soul in Tartarus for over a millenia. Though it pains me to do so...I cannot remember the last time I met a creature so capable of heartless cruelty.”

The Ultra nodded thoughtfully. “You see now why we have never seen eye to eye. Despite being a Sangeheili, that one never truly understood the meaning of honor.” His gaze cast about the room, taking in the details. The dead guard still lay in the center of the Throne Room. The other was desperately trying, yet failing, to keep a stoic pose by the door. Clearly he was severely bothered by what had transpired.

Bok and Pip-Pap fared no better. Judging by the way Pip-Pap’s legs were trembling, he was probably on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Bok looked just about ready to shoot the first thing that made any sudden movements. He began to move towards them but something made him pause.

He turned to Celestia, who was steadily trudging back towards her fallen guard. “Celestia...” he said softly. She turned to meet his gaze. “If it was so simple for you to deal with the Minor, why didn’t you intervene sooner?”

Celestia looked to be on the verge of tears. “Our ponies are peaceful. Our laws are lenient. I could not imprison the Minor, for he had done nothing wrong. At least...nothing that I was aware of.” She paused to take a deep, shuddering breath. “When the fight began, I assumed it was a cultural thing for your species.” The Ultra nodded in affirmation. “As I said in the corridor, I entrusted the situation to you. In my many years of experience, denying another species their cultural quirks tends to end...badly.

“And then Watchful Eye...” she paused to muster up the last reserves of her strength. “I was distressed. I should have warned them. I should have sent them all away. I should have intervened. I should have imprisoned that foul creature right after his heinous crime. I tried to save him, but...it was too late.” She smiled gently at the Ultra. “At least there’s one thing I did right. I trusted you to deal with the situation. You performed admirably, Ultra. You have my sincere gratitude.”

She sighed deeply, gentle tears finally leaking from her eyes and running down her cheeks. “Today I failed. I made mistakes. More to be added to a neverending list...” she trailed off before gesturing to the Ultra’s side and smiling sadly. “At least I redeemed one of them,” she murmured.

At that, her horn lit up with its brilliant golden glow, and the deceased guard slowly lifted into the air. “If you will excuse me Ultra, I am retiring for the day. There are matters I must attend to. Cobalt Shine will show your company to your quarters. I will meet with you again as soon as I am able.” And with that, the great doors to the throne room slowly creaked open and the Princess of the Sun elegantly, yet somberly, strode out. The line of guards sadly bowed their heads as she passed, silently mourning their fallen companion.

The Ultra was struck dumb by what the Princess had said. Never before had he seen a leader so passionate about the welfare of their people. Once again, the Ultra felt his resolve harden. He would turn his back on his murderous ways. He would become a force for good in the universe. He would fulfill the will of the Gods. And, above all else, he would follow Princess Celestia to the bitter end. Never before had he witnessed a creature so worthy of honor and respect.

Turning to his companions, he addressed them. *“Bok. Pip-Pap. Are you well?” Slowly yet uncertainly, the two shorter aliens nodded. The Ultra snorted. *“Of course you are.” The Ultra kneeled down to better address them. The two aliens backed away a pace in surprise. Never before had he done such a thing. Truthfully, he wasn’t entirely certain why he did it himself. He was probably inspired by Celestia.

*“We can discuss that later, if you wish. Brothers, we are at a crossroads. We must now decide the path we will tread. Either we can stay here and learn from Celestia the ways of peace, harmony, and goodwill, or we can return to the Prophets and continue our reckless genocide against the race we now know to be chosen by the Gods. I have made my decision. Celestia is the wisest, kindest, and most powerful leader I have ever set my eyes on. I will follow her without hesitation.”

The Ultra paused slightly to let that sink in. *“You have a choice, my brothers. Should you choose to follow, I would be honored to continue to lead you. However, should you prefer to return to the old ways, I will not stop you. Although,” the Ultra continued, a slight warning tone creeping into his voice. *“If you choose to leave, the next time we meet will undoubtedly be on the field of battle. The choice is yours.”

The two aliens looked uncertain. To be given a free choice was something completely foreign to them. And they rather liked the feeling of release it brought with it. *“I like ponies,” Pip-Pap spoke up, slowly gaining confidence as he continued. *“Ponies nothing but nice. Never fight, never hurt, never steal. Ponies want to make friends. I want to stay. Maybe I will discover my special talent?”

The Ultra was a bit confused by that last statement but shrugged it off, simply nodding in agreement. *“And you, Bok?” he asked, turning to the lankier alien.

Bok made a show of pretending to give the matter serious thought. *“Hmm...go back to war, death, Jiralhanae or stay with ponies, eat cake? Hard choice. Bok stay.”

The Ultra grinned and rose to his full height. *“I am pleased, brothers. You have chosen wisely. No longer will we bow to those cowardly Prophets. No longer shall we defy the will of the Gods. From now on, we fight for good!” His erstwhile allies cheered along with him.

A small cough interrupted their zealous celebration. “Ahem,” a voice came from behind the group. The Ultra turned to see the same blue page from before.

“You are Cobalt Shine?” he inquired.

“I am,” the blue pony responded. “Would you like me to show your company to your quarters?”

The Ultra nodded. “That would please us. Lead on.”

Cobalt Shine nodded. He turned to leave, but then seemed to remember something suddenly. “I almost forgot,” he began, wheeling around to face the aliens again. “Your, ah, weapons,” he said uncertainly, floating that same chest over to the group.

The Ultra simply grabbed it and held it under one arm. “Thank you. Let us go.” Cobalt Shine nodded and left. The group of ragtag aliens followed.

Outside, the blood-red disk of the sun slowly crawled behind the distant horizon, safe from prying eyes. Its brilliance illuminated the nearby sky in a fiery burst of reds and oranges. Rare was this sunset in Equestria.

Blood had been shed that day.

//END OF ACT I.

Author's Note

This is the end of the current story arc. More soon. Trust us, this is only the beginning.

~Keep Calm and Read On
Solar Eclipse & Shaneator