As the Phantom left the surface of the earth a Sangheili warrior was lost in thought reflecting over the last mission he had completed, his gold armor, or combat harness as it was called, was the most notable part of him. Considering that he had been sent here to earth as a token of good faith between the Sangheili and Humanity.
“Computer, bring up a new transcript for today’s log and date it according to our current calendar.”
“Understood, beginning recording and transcription now.” The robotic voice responded.
“This is Mytra Nazami, or known to some as the ‘Gold Blur.’” He turned and addressed the computer. “Append all of my combat videos to this log, Computer.”
“Appending now,” the computer acknowledged.
Videos popped up to the side of the transcribed log and video recording, all of which showed the speaking Sangheili bedecked in his golden armor and looking as still as a statue before moving so swiftly, the glinting light off of his armor, left golden streaking afterimages. In either hand was an activated energy sword, and used both to great effect. One blade usually blocked an attack, while his other sword was free to stab and slash at his opponents. Later videos often showed his foes taking flight upon seeing his twin swords and golden armor. Only the most battle hardened or foolhardy dared face him as his renown spread to friend and foe alike..
“The Arbiter has called us to war to stop the spread of the prophets lies. To build a brighter future for our children. But how can I when I still see all those I have slain in my dreams?” the eight foot tall being recorded as he headed toward his ship. “I know not what the future holds, but I shall live and die with honor. I will obey my Arbiter’s summons, however favorable or not this war is unto us at the end. End recording.” The Sangheili stared down at his hands, both of them turned upward. His eyes became unfocused as the memories of the times when they had been covered in blood and gore overrode their present cleanness. “Computer, begin recording private log.”
“Private log initiated,” the artificial computerized voice informed.
“I still feel their blood on my hands. It sickens me to think that for most of my life I had killed in the name of false honor.
I have no gods to give me purpose anymore and no one to show me the way. Now I must find my own way or die trying,” he recorded his private thoughts and feelings as he flew back to his ship. The ride was gentle and with no enemies around he could just enjoy the flight.
About 30 minutes later he lands on his small light cruiser. He heads to the bridge and gets in the command chair. “Helmsmen set course for Sanghelios.” Myrta orders and the other Sangheili starts the slipspace engines. The crew fell into the familiar monotony each of their assigned post entailed as the journey began with no issues at the first, but it wasn’t long before the ship lurched and a loud explosion can be heard.
“Damage report!” he orders only to see the slumped, open-eyed stares of his crewmates, those who hadn’t been fried by the ensuing electrical discharge. The sickly sweet smell of burning flesh and the blisters formed upon the dead crew, where they weren’t burned already. “Computer, what’s the status on our engines?”
“An explosion has occurred in the engine room and the slipspace engines are down. Repair of slipspace engine not possible. Charting course for nearest repair docking bay.”
The computer began rapidly showing star charts and comparing them to the current star formations through which the ship cruised. “Match not found. Initiating distress broadcast. Distress broadcast initiated. Scanning for habitable planets.”
“What do you mean that you can’t match where we are to our star chart database!?” the Sangheili queried, eyes wide and flickering from one star to another shown upon the shipboards navigation screen.
“Your query shall not change what is, Myrta. As I informed you previously, the current celestial formation is not within any known star chart within our database. To put it in the simplest terms that your insufficient carbon-based brain can comprehend, we are lost in space.”
The background noise of the ship's air ventilation and the humming of computers and buzz of electricity filled the command deck as the main computer and its AI continued scanning for habitable planets while conversing with Myrta. “One habitable planet found. However, a most startling discovery is made regarding this planet,” the computerized AI communicated.
“What’s so unusual about a habitable planet?” Myrta queried.
The AI brought up a projection of the habitable planet. “Our current sciences have most planetary models as heliocentric, that is, the planet orbits the star in whose gravitational field it is captive of. However, contrary to our current understanding of physics and gravity, this planet’s star orbits the planet, rather than the other way around. Nor does the planet have the required mass by which its captive solar body might revolve in. This planet breaks everything we know about how gravity and physics operate!”
“Can we land upon that planet?” Myrta queried.
“You may, but be advised that if you make landfall, you will be trapped there until a ship receives our distress broadcast and arrives to rescue us. This also assumes you will still be among the living when a ship does arrive to rescue you, assuming the distress broadcast is ever received.”
“There’s not much choice, really, not with the engines being in the state that they are! I must land the ship. But where to land? I guess that lowland area could work.” The hum and beeping of the keyboard announced his typing as he programmed the desired landing coordinates into the navigational computer. Trusting the computer to fly the ship in his absence, he then runs toward the armory, whereupon he grabbed a few fresh weapons just in case. Upon returning to the bridge and securing his desired weapons in a secured locker, he asked the computer, “What’s our ETA to landing?”
“ETA in T-minus 16 minutes and counting. All personnel are to secure themselves and buckle in, or enter the cryogenic stasis capsules while we land,” The navigation computer announced.
Myrta complied with the safety instructions of the navigational computer and after he ensures that all straps and buckles are secure as he awaits the craft’s landing, he hears a soothing voice full of wisdom say.
“Now your journey begins, my Sword of Harmony”.
As the ground got closer and closer, Myrta could see that he was going to crash in a densely-foliaged forest. He grunted as his body was thrown against the restraint harness of his chair, as the ship groaned, creaked and shrieked as it impacted into the ground. He closed his eyes, and threw an arm over them as unsecured objects rocketed past him to collide with computers, keyboards and other miscellanea involved in operating the spaceship. Once the ship stopped moving, Myrta waited a few moments to catch his breath and take stock of his physical well-being, before unbuckling and removing his harness and examine the state of his ship.
“Computer, give me a diagnostic report on all hardware, excluding the failed slipspace engines.”
“Shipwide hardware diagnostic initiated, scanning now.”
He unsteadily lurched over to the locker in which he had secured his weapons and opened the locker, extracting the weapons and checking each weapon for damage and to determine whether the damage was repairable or if he might have to go back to the armory and replace the damaged weapon.
“Diagnostic complete.”
“What’s the damage?”
Myrta listened as the shipboard computer gave him a hardware damage report, his frown becoming increasingly tighter with each item that was reported in the ship wide damaged hardware analysis.
“Well, this rust-bucket is trashed. The Armoy looks ok though the entrance appears to be blocked by debris, that is just great! What else can possibly go wrong?” Mytra yelled after checking the secondary systems.
“Well, it looks like I’m not getting off of this planet. I better take a look around. Hopefully, I will find some kind of civilization.”
Various species of trees towered over him as he peered into the looming darkness of the forest, with an extremely dense foliage overhead. Bushes, vines and brambles littered the forest floor and climbed and wrapped around tree trunks. He pulled out one of his energy swords, it's bright glow let him see a little better in the darkness of the forest. His head swiveled as he listened for the sound of anything which might pose a threat, his past experiences with having his guard down making his frown even more severe as memories of his failures plagued him. He stalked through the forest, the rustling of leaves being the indicator of his presence. He eventually knelt down, tracing the alien footprint of whatever creature that inhabited this forest..
“Might be a tamed beast of the locals. It would be worth looking into, seeing as they could lead me to whatever native settlement this planet may have.” Tracking the hoof prints he approaches a river and sees some kind of strange creatures. Listening in he hears the gibberish of its alien speech and he is surprised. “They are the locals?! I made a good call in deciding to follow their tracks.”
He stalks behind them, dodging and weaving around trees and bushes, while making sure to not lose sight of these odd looking alien lifeforms. They soon arrive at a castle that looks like it has seen better days. In several places, the stone blocks were gone or not where they should be. “What are they doing here?”
He watches as he sees the purple animal’s horn light up and it tries to do something. “What manner of witchcraft is this!” he hisses with whispered breath, still trying not to be spotted. That when he sees it. An animal with both wings and a horn. Just looking at it put Myrta on edge. “So that is why.”
He watches from the shadows, not wanting to give himself to be either friend or foe before he could assess the disposition of the native. But when the purple horned pony began pawing the castle’s stonework and snorting angrily and the larger black winged-horned horse was doing the same, a memory overtook him in an instant.
❉ ❉ ❉ {H S:T T} ❉ ❉ ❉ {H S:T T} ❉ ❉ ❉
The sound of blaster fire could be heard, as could the hum of energy sword and Sangheili battlecraft hovering over the ground. The pained cries of the wounded and dying also joined the noise of battle as Sangheili warriors raced through the population center of this region’s land.
Civilians fed and ran, trying to avoid getting shot, bombed, or stabbed, though few were successful. The few who didn’t die immediately cried out in pain and agony, fearfully watching their attacker’s approach.
Sangheili warriors stormed into building blasting or cutting doors off and clearing the buildings of its native inhabitants. Myrta remembers this part as he cuts his way through the door. The startled cry of the male inhabitant as he closes a mobile partition and charges him with nothing but his body. He watches as his sword cleaves the male in twain at the midsection, alien blood and gore splattering upon the walls and furniture of the apartment. He growls in anger at this … this infidel’s audacity to not accept their punishment and with the sword cutting through the partition’s joints holding it up, tossed it behind him.
The female was visibly pregnant with her offspring and Myrta watched as he wrenched the limbs of the female native above her head. His energy sword hummed just over her ripening pregnancy and he could almost hear the fury as he spoke his native tongue. “Give my regards on the other side, you damned heretic!”
He watched as the female writhed and fought, trying to protect her unborn offspring, but wailed in sorrow and despair as the sword pierced through her belly, slaying the unborn offspring within. Glistening tears of sorrow, rage, and disbelief streamed down her face, as her limbs hugged her pierced belly and her pierced offspring within.
It was a holy war that never should have happened, had it not been for that accursed lying prophet!
❉ ❉ ❉ {H S:T T} ❉ ❉ ❉ {H S:T T} ❉ ❉ ❉
He jumped in front of the beam and grunted as the beam bashed his shield against his torso and knocked the wind right out of his lungs. He growled in impressed approval as he checked on his shields, which flickered as they were barely able to take the blast. “Thank the gods for my shields!” He grunted as he got up and readied himself. “I don't know what you are and you don't know me but if we want the fewest amount of casualties to make it through this confrontation, we need to work as a team.” He roars, gripping his other sword and activating his other energy sword as he swiftly closes the distance between his adversary and himself.
“Die by my hand, you will, Infidel! That, I promise you!” he roared as his energy sword tries to pierce through the winged-horned horse’s shield. Blood trickled, weeping like rich amethyst tears from his wounds as minutes turned into over an hour, yet he continued fighting the winged-horned horse, though his movements gradually became less quick and his blows less intense. “Valiant in battle are you, horned-winged horse! If you do happen to best me, then I will have died honorably. If you should best me, then my life is yours to take.” He leaped to the side as he heard the humming of an energy blast rocketing towards them. His tall stature prevented the winged-horned one from erecting a defense in enough time before a rainbow vortex swirled around his adversary.
‘What was that! Some kind of sorcery!?’ he thought as he stands only to see that his foe has changed in appearance. Instead of the huge black being it was now blue and was now much smaller than its previous incarnation and the aura of dread which he had been feeling had left the air.
The sun rose over the horizon and with it a big ball of light that floated onto the floor. Myrta, used his arms to block the light, his swords glowing and ready to slash should whatever emerged from the light prove hostile. Myrta growled, not liking the brightness of the light and altered his stance so that one leg was slightly bent, touching the ground, ready to either spring forward in attack, or absorb the kinetic energy of an attack. The light lessened and revealed a white winged-horned horse about the same size as the black horned-winged horse had been. The creatures which lacked both wings and horn kneeled before the white horse with heads bowed toward the ground.
“Princess Celestia!” excitedly cried the purple one, dashing up to the large white horned-winged one.
“Twilight Sparkle! My most faithful student,” responded Celestia while nuzzling the purple one that was most likely called ‘Twilight Sparkle’. “I knew you could do it!” she announced in a proud and affectionate praising tone.
“Thanks, Princess but we got help from … that … Umm, I don't know what it is.”
Celestia looked past Mytra to the now significantly smaller being. She walked over to the smaller blue winged-horned one as it began to stir. The smaller blue winged-horned one gasps when it sees Celestia. “Princess Luna, it has been over a thousand years since I have seen you like this.” She kneels down to face ‘Luna' who flinches a little.
“It’s time to put our differences behind us,” she said declared to the one called Luna. “We were meant to rule together little sister.” She extended out her golden shod hoof and long, white leg. “Will you accept my friendship?” Luna looks away but looks back up to her older sibling some tears in her eyes.
She jumps up and nuzzles her sister's side as Celestia wraps a hoof around Luna’s neck. “I'm so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister!” Luna says in a voice that sounded like a 6-year-old little girl. Tears were flowing freely from both siblings as they embraced.
“And I have missed you too.” Mytra looked on at the small reunion of the sisters.
“Well not that this moment isn't cavity-inducing levels of adorable, but what just happened exactly?” Everypony present in the room turned their heads to look at him when he finished talking.
“And who might just you be?” inquired Celestia, positioning her body in front of her now far more vulnerable sister and taking a defensive stance, with wings unfurled, her horn lowered and her legs sprawled apart..
“If you are asking for my name it’s Shipmaster Myrta Nazmai. And had I wanted to hurt you I would have attacked when your guard was down and your focus was upon your sibling! Are you as dumb as the animal your form takes after? Why would I hurt those whom I have raised my blade in defense?” Myrta growled, huffing in annoyance at how quick the very one, whose sister he had fought against, in order to prevent her from perpetuating any atrocity while he was yet present, was to jump the gun.
Celestia relaxed her stance a little but always kept him within her line of sight. Mytra was sure she would attack him on sight at the slightest hint of aggression. Fortunately, the other smaller creatures which looked similar to Celestia, but lacking both horn and wings came to his defense. “Princess he actually protected me when Nightmare was about to kill me. I owe him my life!” declared the one called Twilight.
“Celestia looked from Twilight to Mytra, a small smile upon her face.
“If what my student says is true then you have my deepest gratitude,” she responded, cautiously coming over and hugging Mytra, however, while she embraced the Sangheili, she whispered into his ear. “My sister and I know you are not from this world, though I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell my little ponies about you not being native to this planet, star wanderer. I do not want them panicking.”
“How will you explain me then? I need a cover story,” he whispered back.
“Say you're a traveler from a far-off land,” Celestia whispered, before breaking the hug and backing away from Mytra. “So Mytra, what were you doing in the Everfree forest?” inquired Celestia casually.
‘What do I say? I can't just say I crashed! Such a claim would blow my cover. But from the sounds of it, it’s not normal for anyone to just waltz into this forest.’ He thought, his eyes becoming unfocused as he wracked his brain for an answer. Then his eyes refocused as he thinks of something. “I'm just a traveler. My homeland is many moons to the east.”
“Well it looks like you’re tired and hungry, so how about we head back to Ponyville? I’m certain the kingdom will wish to celebrate the return of my sister to my side,” Celestia suggested.
“Is this ‘Ponyville’ far?” he asked, not wanting a second long trek.
“We actually aren’t all that far in. It’s only about 21,000 hooves or so from here,” informed Twilight.
“After we arrive into Ponyville proper, we will need to get you some medical attention,” Celestia commented.
“I don't have that bad of wounds. Worst I got was a small cut,” Mytra said as he took a step but winced in pain and placed a hand over the bleeding wound. Celestia now had a concerned and disapproving look on her face as her frown deepened and her eyes narrowed at seeing Mytra’s pain..
“Mytra, we both know that you're lying regarding the soundness of your body. Come, I will give you a ride back,” Celestia offered, kneeling so that Mytra could get on her back.
“Are you sure? That seems like an abasing thing for a leader to do,” Mytra said, looking between her kneeling body and the other ponies who were present. The white one with the blue gems on her flank was currently unconscious, having seen her esteemed princess about to abase herself carrying this traveller from distant lands. The butterscotch yellow pegasus was waving what looked to be a small bag of rocks beneath the fainted unicorn’s nose..
“It is fine, I assure you. You were wounded protecting my little ponies, and keeping my sister from doing something that cannot be reversed. You are more than deserving for someone to transport you about until we can get your wounds treated. As there are no one else big enough to properly transport you, then I shall carry you until we can get you properly treated..” Celestia then lit up her horn and floated Mytra onto her back, cheerfully ignoring the alien’s protestations to, ‘let him down,’ and that ‘I am perfectly capable of walking.’.
“Have it your way, princess, but I'm heavier than I look. Stop, and I will dismount if you need me to.”
“Thank you for worrying about me, but I will be fine,” she said, standing up and walking to the entrance.
~Time skip~
~20 minutes~
They arrived at the edge of Ponyville, whereupon they were greeted with the sound of ponies cheering for the return of their rulers Celestia and Luna. But silence reigned, aside from the blowing of the wind, the humming of insects and the birdsong all around the village, when they saw the injured Mytra on Celestia’s back.
“Is there a doctor present?” Celestia called out to the ponies gathered around and before her.
“Um, Princess Celestia?” Fluttershy queried in a low-volumed and tremulous voice.
“Yes, my little pony?”
“We really ought to have a vet treat him. A doctor focuses on treatments and diagnosis specifically aimed at treating us ponies. A vet treats a great many different animals, all with many different biological systems. I believe that a vet would be better equipped to treat Mister Myrta’s injuries.”
“What happened to him?” one of the ponies inquired from the midst of the crowd of ponies, who had gathered around the injured extraterrestrial, asked Celestia.
“He took a fatal hit to save my student and her friends while they were fighting Nightmare Moon to free my sister from the Nightmare. They are all heroes and they have my fervent gratitude,” she proclaimed in a voice that was loud enough for the crowd of ponies to hear. The ponies looked at Mytra with a look of gratitude on their face and some of them were amazed.
Taking a hit from a Nightmare was something that could have gravely wounded a pony but mix that with the power of an Alicorn that could control the moon. You would be dead within the first blast of magic.
To say they were impressed was an understatement.
“How did he survive?” one pony asked.
“We don’t know but we will find out. But as I said he is a hero. Please treat him as such.”
“What is he?”
“We don’t know that either but now we must go.” Celestia, Luna, and the girls and the nurse walked to the local veterinarian’s place of business.
“I’m alright. And I get keeping my true origin from most of the ponies but even Twilight and her friends? Doesn't seem wise to me. Plus how long will it take them to figure out i’m not from where i said i was?”
“We will explain that later to them. But with regards to your kind, we have no knowledge of. Please enlighten us.”
“If your veterinarian is as thorough as I hope she is, then you will know how my body works soon enough. I pray that I live through our encounter.”
“True. But what of your culture?”
“Honor is our way. We are raised from the time we can walk to be warriors. Our culture of honor has been employed by leaders who were supposed to lead us from one honor to the next, led us astray with lies and deceits before our people rebelled against them and brought them to justice, but now I seek to find a worthy purpose for my life, after such betrayal.”
‘So what they thought might happen is most likely true.’ Celestia thought. ‘The Sword of Harmony shall come from the sky and from a scarred past bring light to the truth.’ she thought to remember something she was told as a filly. “How would you like to join the guard and start a branch of the Equestrian Guard here in Ponyville? … Well, after you heal, of course.”
“You want me to join your guards? No offense but I think I would cream them.”
“That is why you would be the commander and help them to improve in combat, non-lethal takedowns, and the martial arts. You said you were looking for a purpose. Well I’m giving you one.”
‘If I accept, not only are the ponies to fully obey me as their commanding officer, but I want to assemble a special forces squad, a team that I know that I can rely upon the next time I need to intervene martially.’ Myrta thought.
“You got a deal, but I want to assemble a special forces task squadron myself. I am not going to just look for the best in body and mind, but find those that embody my people’s honorable lifestyle. The kind of battle-brothers and sisters that I want watching my back.”
Celestia nods in acceptance of his terms set. “I, Celestia, Princess of the Sun and Eldest Princess of Equestria do hereby grant you access to our pony resources, and martial resources with the purpose of ensuring that Equestria’s military are prepared to battle fierce foes both domestic and abroad. But try to take it easy on them at first. We haven't had any wars for 1000 years”.
Myrta is shocked to hear that but maintains his serious, earnest poker face. “Right. I’ll begin with the basics, then. You don't have to worry about that.” he said as they arrived at the hospital. The pony with the nurse's cap led them into the town’s veterinary building and had Celestia float Mytra onto the veterinary table.
“Wait a minute I need to remove my combat harness,” he informs the ponies present and begins striping it off of himself with great care
.
When Celestia saw his armor it clicked for her. ‘That is how he isn’t dead. His harnesses utilizes energy shields. But the fact that he only has minor leg damage is still a testament to his skill.’
“Let me take a look at you for a minute.” the veterinary’s chief assistant pulls out a pair of goggles that pulse with magic. “You leg appears to be fine. But the muscle is torn. Wait what’s this?” she gets confused when she sees he has not one heart but two and doubly so when she sees he has twice the muscle expected. ‘If I didn’t know any better I would say that he isn't even from our planet. Nah that’s not possible.’ she thought.
[Somewhere under The Castle of The Two Sisters.]
Ayumi awoke in her hibernation Crystal. ‘I just felt a massive surge of power! Was the Halo array fired again?’ She reached out with her mind to probe her surroundings. ‘I sense nothing living in close proximity to my Crystal but there seems to be a flood spore about 20 ft above me. Guess I gotta go to work.’
Ayumi stretched out shattering the Crystal. “Harmony status report!”
“So the Dragonoid wakes? I thought you would remain in that Crystal forever this is most fortuitous!” a voice cheered.
“I don’t have time for your game Harmony! Report!” Ayumi roared.
‘It has been 70,000,000 years since you last awoke. Your matrix has stabilized, but you should remain in your armor. I'm uploading to your helmet now.”
Ayumi looked at her readout as an anthro alicorn made of pure data appeared on the screen. She was not to surprised as she had seen the plans to make such a race before her long nap.
“Your energy readouts look good but you're weapons well ...”
“I know. I can make new ones if need be. Is there anything salvageable?”
“Just those two sword handles,” the A.I. pointed out.
‘At least it’s something.’ Ayumi thought as she pulled out the two Crystal blades one black and one white. ‘These look like the Dragonfires except they’ve fused with my hibernation Crystal and they’re filled with power.’
“Strange I thought there was only eight fruit from the Tree including these make ten.”
‘Tree, huh? I guess that plan went through as well.’ Ayumi felt the flood spore move. “We gotta move, Harmony, there’s work to be done and a flood spore to exterminate.”
Author's Note
thanks to tempest_flare for his help and his oc. and thank to author genesis for his help with the edit.