The last of what's up There

Foreword: I decided to release Gilda's Plight early because it's finished and I'm bored. So enjoy.

Chapter Two
Fighting her way In

Date: November 6th, 2555
Location: interior of Canterlot Mountain, Land of Equestria
Individual: Gilda the Griffon
Time: 1:30AM. T-minus 1 hour until the Reclamation.

Gilda looked at her watch; it was time to confront the Prisoner of Equestria, and learn the truth behind what they were doing. If what the Prisoner said was true they would soon be heading out to find Commander Crusher and begin the 'Reclamation'.

Gilda didn't have much time.

The Griffon peeked back out and saw the Prisoner of Equestria still standing in the center of the elevator, staring up out of the mountain at the moon.

Suddenly the elevator shifted and sunk back down under the floor, descending back down to where ever it had risen from, taking the Prisoner with it.

Seizing her moment Gilda rushed forward and dove into the hole, expanding her wings to glide down in pursuit of the Prisoner of Equestria and the elevator.

On the way down she was spotted by the Prisoner of Equestria, who began to fire on her with his laser rifle. Gilda cursed herself for being seen and dive-bombed at the Promethean, her wings fully expanded and talons outstretched.

Landing hard in front of the Prisoner Gilda kicked his rifle-arm away and tackled him, punching him across what she believed was his face. The Promethean threw her off him and flipped over, slamming the blade of his sword-arm into the floor and roaring, the sarcophagus around his face opening to reveal the hellish skull-shape inherited by all Prometheans.

"Griffon, why do you fight me?" the Prisoner asked, circling the hybrid standing before him.

"You invaded my home, caused my sister to kill herself, and destroyed everything I knew and loved!" Gilda answered.

"It was nothing personal, we merely wished to find the Catalyst for our Reclamation" the Prisoner said.

"What is the Reclamation?! Why did you do what you have done?" Gilda demanded, eyeing the Promethean as he circled her.

"Our machinations are beyond your comprehension, Griffon" the Prisoner responded, zig-zag teleporting forward and kicking the Griffon off the elevator, sending her careening into the abyss below.

*-*-*

Gilda groaned and opened her eyes, rolling over and shaking her head. The time was 1:49AM, and she was nowhere closer to finding out the true reasons behind why the Prometheans did what they did.

"Griffon, if you are still alive I apologize, but nothing will impede the Reclamation. Our plans must come to fruition if the Inheritors have any chance of surviving the coming Storm" the voice of the Prisoner of Equestria rang out.

"What are you even talking about you robotic freak?!" Gilda yelled, pissed at the Promethean for his cryptic speech.

"Our machinations are beyond your comprehension, Griffon."

Gilda roared in frustration and struggled to see where she was at; it was dark, and she could barely see her own talon in front of her face.

"If you wish to truly understand our machinations you must first experience the Storm; if you survive, I will be waiting. When the time is right, you will know where I am, and the truth will be revealed to you" the Prisoner explained.

"What is the Storm?!" Gilda demanded, looking around in search of light.

"See for yourself."

Light poured into the room, allowing Gilda to see she was trapped in some cavernous space. Following the light to its source Gilda saw door sliding open, a Promethean rifle hanging on the wall. By now the entire cavern was lit and Gilda could see everything with perfect clarity.

Taking the rifle off its hooks Gilda watched as they popped up with a loud click and a mechanical clanging sound was heard from the middle of the room. Whipping around to see what was going on she watched as the floor opened up in a circular shape.

A dark tendril slithered out from the hole in the floor, dripping with an olive liquid, and a deep voice rumbled from within, proclaiming "I have sat since time immemorial, and I will consume the life of all who inhabit the land where it all began. Their voices shall join mine, and they will sing victory...everlasting."

*-*-*

Spike let out a ragged breath and turned to face the Spartan, who merely stood before him, towering over the baby dragon.

"We need to find someone, anyone, and find out what happened. I... I need to know what happened" Spike said.

"I agree. Let's go" Spartan-035 replied, picking Spike up and carrying him on his shoulder; it'd be too slow of a travel if Spike tried to keep up on his own.

"You OK up here?" the Spartan asked.

"Y-yeah... Just not used to being up this high" the baby dragon answered, gulping as he looked down; he was a full seven feet off the ground, and he was only used to riding on...

No...can't think about her, not now, not...

Spike bit his lip and let out a sob, resting his arm on the Spartan's head and burying his face into the limb, beginning to cry hard.

Sensing and hearing his distress Spartan-035 crouched and set Spike down, keeping him steady with his hands on his shoulders and saying "hey, what's wrong?"

"It's... What happened?! I don't understand anything! It all just fell apart at the end! Commander Crusher telling me Twilight died, then the Prometheans attack, and then they shoot us down and swarm over us. The last thing I remember was one of them revealing the glowing skull beneath his mask and then knocking me out! Then I wake up and it's all sunshine and happiness! Is this a dream? Am I dead and in the afterlife? What happened?!"

"I don't know, Spike. I honestly don't. But do you really think we're dead?" Spartan-035 inquired.

"I...don't know."

"No, and the only way we're gonna find out is if we find someone else. I understand this is stressful, but we need answers, and we need them now" the Spartan told him.

"I know, but... Can we just rest? Stop for a while? I... I want to sleep" Spike confessed.

The Spartan was tempted to press him on, make him keep going, but looking into his eyes Wilhelm could tell the baby dragon was on the verge of collapsing entirely; he was a mental, physical wreck, and didn't have the kind of dexterity the Spartan had.

"OK, you stay here and get some rest. I'm gonna go look for other ponies" Spartan-035 stated.

"Actually... Can you stay here? With me? I don't want to be all alone..."

The Spartan mulled over it for a second before nodding, realizing Spike was his priority, not hooking up with other ponies or UNSC personnel.

"OK, I'll stay here with you."

"Thank you... and Spartan?" Spike said, turning to face the soldier.

"Call me Wilhelm, please" the Spartan requested gently, deciding to let his hair down, so to speak.

"OK... Wilhelm, can I see your face?"

*-*-*

Gilda watched in horror as dozens of small monsters came bubbling out of the hole, all immediately swarming for her. Accompanying the small monsters were larger ones that looked vaguely similar to humans. Beyond the monsters more tendrils snaked out of the hole.

The Griffon took aim with the Promethean rifle and opened fire on the monsters rushing at her, howling in deep primal tongues; they were all grossly misshapen and in many cases were completely unrecognizable masses of olive flesh and green ichor.

The Promethean light rifle made quick work of them, but more kept coming; too many for Gilda to handle, and she was forced to fly away.

"What the heck are those things?" the Griffon wondered aloud, flying for a minute straight to escape the monsters.

Stuff of nightmares, that's what her mind quipped.

The Griffon lowered herself to the ground and took a breather, pissed at the Prisoner for his cryptic crap.

"OK Prisoner, I saw your stupid Storm! Now can you tell me why your reasons for attacking all of Equestria?"

"When the time is right, Griffon, you will know everything" the Prisoner of Equestria stated.

Gilda let out a frustrated howl and continued on her way; she wanted out of this place, she wanted life to go back to normal.

She wanted the truth.

The Griffon proceeded down a hall and the door parted as she approached, a flood of monsters pouring out as soon as they were able to.

Gilda took aim with the light rifle and opened fire, popping all the little ones like balloons before emptying the rest of the energy clip into the bigger ones. Despite the energy rifle making quick work of them more and more just kept coming, like an endless flood, and she was forced to retreat.

*-*-*

The Prisoner of Equestria watched from the Cryptum as they shot down a Reclaimer dropship headed for Canterlot Mountain, along with almost all of the Reclaimer forces. It seemed they were mounting one last assault against the Prometheans and were throwing everything they had at them.

"Scan it for the Catalyst" the Prisoner ordered, watching the rear ramp of the dropship fall and several Reclaimers step out.

"The Catalyst is within, your Excellency. How shall we take him?" the Prisoner's Watcher inquired, gazing over his shoulder at the Reclaimers below.

"They will be dazed and confused, and resistance will be light. Kill all who stand in the way of the Catalyst and the dragon Inheritor, those two must be taken alive" the Prisoner stated.

The Prometheans teleported to the surface with the Prisoner at the front, the large Promethean lumbering forward with his blade arm fully extended and glowing hellishly with his light rifle trained forward on the crashed Reclaimer dropship.

"We, as Forerunners, will now take our revenge upon the Inheritors, and may the Gods have mercy on all who stand in our way" the Prisoner of Equestria exclaimed.

"It is time for revenge; time for freedom from our Equestrian prison; time...for the Reclamation" the Promethean leader declared, eager to begin his final plan.

I hope we are quick enough to save the Inheritors.

*-*-*

Gilda the Griffon dove away as a Promethean grenade went off, clearing out a large group of monsters that had been chasing her. A door sealed behind her and she slumped against it, taking a moment to rest and catch her breath.

The time was 2:01AM.

Gilda looked up as light filled her current room, revealing to be a cavern beyond measurable proportions; the ceiling was much too high to see and even the horizon was beyond vision.

"Where am I?" the Griffon wondered aloud, venturing forth as she perused her surroundings; there was almost nothing to see down here besides some kind of spire in the distance.

After several minutes of flight Gilda reached the spire which towered high beyond view into the ceiling; a plinth sat nearby, seemingly there for nothing. The spire itself sat on an island in the middle of a deep pit which the support legs stretched down into.

"Congratulations, Griffon, you survived the Storm. Now you may know the truth" the voice of the Prisoner of Equestria declared, somewhere near Gilda.

"Prisoner? Show yourself!" the Griffon demanded in earnest; she needed to know the truth.

"As you wish" the Prisoner replied, stopping behind Gilda and watching as she turned around, fully gazing upon his form.

*-*-*

Author's note: the next chapter will reveal the truth to Gilda... And you.

Legal note: Gilda the Griffon and all related characters belong to Hasbro. Commander Crusher, the Prisoner of Equestria, and all related characters belong to me. My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro. Halo belongs to 343i.