Halo- Twilight for a Spartan

Chapter 7: Artificial Intimidation
Planet: Equis
September 2, 2552
1800 hours

Princess Celestia had everything finally under control. Her student was safe, nopony was killed, although some were certainly hurt, and the human was now safely behind magically enchanted bars. Yes, Celestia thought everything was going well, that was until reports of a human woman threatening to blow up the entire science lab, and maybe even the castle itself, came to light.

"Princess! Please, wait for me!" Test Tube called out, hoping Celestia would slow her gallop. There was no chance of that. If anypony was in danger, she would be there as fast as possible to defend them. Celestia could indeed hear the voice of a woman coming from the lab as she got closer. Peering in, she saw the armor laying on the table, but no woman in sight.

"You there! Pretty pony!" The voice said, clearly talking about Celestia, who was peaking around the corner. "You get in here and you tell me why in the hell my Spartan isn't with me!"

Princess Celestia was a bit confused by the voices statement of 'my Spartan'. Celestia was under the impression that the 'Spartan' didn't have a handler, which would obviously be a hazardous job for anyone to undertake.

"I'm sorry, but it seems we haven't been introduced, whoever and wherever you are. I am Princess Celestia; co-ruler of Equestria. And, who might you be?" Celestia was trying to be civil, lest she anger the phantom woman and cause her to send them all to Tartarous.

"Introductions aren't needed." The woman said back, almost mechanically. "All you need to know is that if you so much as lay a hoof on my Spartan, I'll send this castle plummeting to the ground. I did scans of this place, and I know that this area of your castle contains a very important support beam. So, how about you return me to Spartan G129, and I won't blow you all to hell, hmm?"

Celestia felt her anger rising. This woman clearly had no remorse for the lives that would be lost if she did such a thing. And how could she do such a thing in the first place? What was she, the Armor itself? Celestia took a deep breath and stared at the large bulbous helmet of the Spartan, which was where the voice was coming from.

"You must control this armor, obviously, miss. I would like to know where you are and how you plan on detonating a simple suit of steel." Celestia said, running her hoof down the bulbous chest plate of the armor.

"Hmm, well, I guess it doesn't hurt to tell. I'm UNSC AI 473-1148A. Just call me Almya. While I'm not technically in control of the armor, I do assist my Spartan with missions and the like, including saving his life every now and then. I hold residence inside the helmet of this armor, and I literally plug into my Spartan's cerebral cortex, which allows me to get a reading on my Spartan's stress level, blood pressure, and heart rate. I am my Spartan, and I want him back."

Celestia took in everything this 'AI' said. She and the Spartan were one, and it seemed she was intent on getting back to him. The way these two, a machine and a human, could be so intimately bonded was very... perplexing to the technologically deficient Princess.

"Well, Almya, while I would very much like to give you back to your Spartan, I'm afraid I can only do so if you help me. We want to know what this armor is, and see if we could duplicate it for our own soldiers." Celestia went to grab the chest plate, but a flashing red light made her put it back down.

"That was a warning!" Almya said angrily. "Touch the armor again, and this whole place goes up in fire." Her warning was clear to Celestia and everyone else listening in the room, who all backed away as a precaution. "Just like the Covenant, you lot. You are imitative, not innovative. Maybe you should join them. I'd look forward to seeing my Spartan kill you on the battlefield."

Celestia's anger had finally bubbled over as she wrapped the helmet in a magical glow and thrust it to her face, forgetting the AI's warning. "Listen to me, machine! You will not threaten such things upon myself or my citizens. You are highly xenophobic, and the fact that you think you have the upper hand is very, very annoying. You want to blow this place up? I have enough power to contain your puny explosion and then some. Go ahead, end your wretched existence. Maybe I'll have your Spartan join you in hell!"

The room was as silent as the grave as these two had a stare off, being that Celestia was just gazing into the helmet angrily. The only thing that ended the silence was the door opening slowly, with Twilight and Princess Luna walking in. Both looked about in confusion at the worried scientists and to a very pissed off Celestia.

"Um, Sister? What art thou doing with the human's helmet?" Luna asked perplexed. Celestia flashed her eyes towards her sister and student, then threw the helmet back onto the table.

"Nothing... I was just getting to know the Spartan's charming companion." Celestia gritted her teeth as the words left her mouth, flashing a death glare back at the large golden visor of the helmet. "She wants to go back to him, but I don't think it's a very good idea."

"Nor do I." Luna agreed, nodding.

"Well, I see no harm." Twilight said, which got everypony in the room to look at her in confusion and surprise. Almya, who had remained silent, finally let out a sigh, saying, "Finally! Someone who isn't an ass!"

"Twilight, that creature, even without his armor, is dangerous." Celestia stated. "Giving him just a bit of it could put us all at risk!"

Twilight looked to the helmet and smiled. "Princess, forgive me for being so bold, but it's just a helmet. Nathan is in a magically sealed prison, and the last thing I think will help him break out is his friend and a helmet."

Celestia looked to the helmet, then back to her student. "I... If it keeps everypony safe, then I guess I have no choice. Machine? You get your wish, but we get to study the rest of your Spartan's Armor."

"Good luck getting passed the safeties." Almya teased, not letting Celestia know she had full control over the safety features and protocols of the MJOLNIR systems. With that, Celestia took the helmet in her magical aura and began to make her way to the Spartan's holding cell, followed closely by Twilight and Luna.

While the Princesses held nothing but contempt and spite for the human, Twilight held only content and happiness whenever the thought of him crossed her mind. It was confusing, to say the least, for the young mare. She had never felt this way about any stallion before, least of all another species all together. She was just reading too much into the kiss, which it wasn't even really a kiss. It was just him giving her air! Why was it confusing her so much?!

Twilight was so lost in thought, she hadn't noticed that the hallway the three of them just entered was completely full of guards, outfitted in full suits of armor, with swords, spears and shields at the ready. Two guards, whom Twilight knew as the best of the best in the unicorn division of the Royal Guards, stood at attention at the door. With Celestia's nod, the two of them brought the shield down on the door, allowing them entrance to the cell.

Inside was one of the blandest rooms Twilight had ever seen. It was pure white, almost blindingly so, with nothing but a blanket and pillow in the corner, and a hole in the floor and ceiling in the back corner, which is where Twilight guessed was where one was to bathe and... do their business.

On the floor, doing push ups, was Nathan. The floor beneath his face was completely wet, as was his face. How long he had been working out was a question for another time. Had it been since he got in here? Who knew, but seeing him in that skin tight black suit, covered in sweat, caused Twilight to blush a bit.

"Here, human. You and your companion both get their wish." Celestia said as she threw the helmet on the ground. Nathan quickly sat up, grabbed his helmet and placed it on his head, happy that his face was covered up once again. He felt so exposed without his armor, and was very thankful to get the piece that had both Almya and retained his anonymity. "I suppose you might be hungry." Celestia went on. "Dinner will be served in an hour, and after you eat, you will be questioned. Vigorously. You will tell us about the human race, and you will tell us about this 'Covenant' you and your people are at war with. Is that clear."

Nathan remained silent as he leaned against the wall, smiling beneath his visor. They wanted to know about humanity and the Covenant. He'd be happy to tell them about the latter, but he was now standing firm on his silence about humanity. He trusted information to Twilight, and she hadn't spilled anything to Celestia and Luna, which was a good thing. The only one Nathan could trust on this planet was Twilight, and that was a frightening thought.

Just as the three were about to leave, Almya took control of the outer speakers, saying, "You. Purple one. I want to talk to you. I'm sure Celestia will agree, lest she want her city to be at ground level."

Celestia looked at Nathan in sheer rage, more importantly, focusing on Almya inside the helmet. Turning to Twilight, who simply nodded in agreement, she relented. She knew if anypony could find anything out, it would be her student, and Twilight was more than capable of defending herself, so safety wasn't an issue really.

"Alright, fine. If either of you try anything... I'll think of something very fitting, trust in that." And with that, the two Princesses left, leaving Twilight and the Spartan alone. Once they were gone, Nathan removed the AI chip from his helmet, which projected another chessboard before them.

Taking off his helmet, Twilight saw that Nathan was actually smiling. "Well then, care for round two? I feel the need to relieve some stress after today." He said, making the first move. Twilight was unsure why he was being so... cheery. He was locked up tight in one of the most maximum security places in all of Equestria, yet it was as if he could just walk on out anytime he chose.

Twilight slowly walked forward and took a seat down in front of the chess board opposite Nathan. She slowly lifted her hoof and took her first move, with Nathan instantly making his.

"Okay, I can't take it anymore! What do you have planned? I know that look, and it's the look of smugness, like you've already won or something! Tell me what's going on!" Twilight demanded as she rushed through the hologram, getting face to face with the Spartan.

"I honestly don't know what you mean, ma'am. I'm just enjoying the fact I get some R and R after all I've been through these past few weeks." He stated, moving Almya's chip to the side. Clearly a game of chess would have to wait until later. "Almya? Clearly you wanted to discuss something with Twilight. Go ahead."

Almya's hologram burst from the chip, taking Twilight a bit off guard. This was the first time she had ever been face to face with Almya, and it was a strange thing to see; a see through human woman, with scrolls of tiny 0's and 1's going up and down her body. It was kind of hypnotic to watch the number display, and Twilight did her best to listen to Almya without trying to go all scientific on her.

"Well, Miss. Twilight, it's very nice to officially meet you face to face." Almya greeted. Twilight smiled nervously and waved as Almya went on. "Since you are the only one that my Spartan trusts, God knows why, we have a request for you."

Twilight sat back down slowly, hesitantly listening to the holographic woman. "W-What could I possibly do for you? Do you want reading material or something? A bed? A-"

Almya cut the mare off, saying. "We want you to help us escape." If Twilight had been drinking something, it would have been spat out in utter shock.

"Escape?! What?! After what happened back in the Everfree, you want to defy the Princesses again and escape?! You... You two are insane!" She shrieked, getting back up and heading for the door.

"I know you won't leave." Nathan called out, halting Twilight just as her hoof touched the door. "Not until you've heard the why." Twilight turned back around slowly, her eyes heavy with concern.

Twilight hesitantly pulled her hoof from the door, turning back towards the Spartan and his AI. "Alright... Why? Why do you need to get out of here so badly?" She asked softly, with concern.

Nathan leaned forward, his face grim. "Because, if you don't help me escape, every single citizen on this planet is going to be nothing but chard glass. Do you know how many times I've seen it happen? Seen the death and destruction caused by the Covenant?" He asked, to which Twilight shook her head. "Too many. Twilight, you're a smart girl. Do you believe your princesses could achieve peace with them? After what they've done to you? Your friends? Do you even want that peace? It'll just lead to nothing but war with my kind, Twilight. I don't want to have to face you on the battlefield."

Twilight turned to the Spartan quickly, her eyes a mixture of concern and dread. She didn't want that. Any of it. Sure, maybe the Princesses could achieve peace with the Covenant, but how would humanity see that? Would they view it as a progressive step in helping cease hostilities? Or just another alien race joining the Covenant?

Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat and turned away. "I... I'm sorry, Nathan... I can't do anything. I can't use magic in here, and I'm certainly not going to attack the guards outside. The best I can do is... maybe talk to the Princesses on your behalf and see if I can get them to understand."

Nathan frowned, placing his helmet back on. "Then I don't think we have anything more to discuss, Twilight." He said, making his way over to the pillow and blanket in the corner of the room. Twilight steeled her emotions away and nodded, making towards the exit.

"Then... I guess I'll be going... Have a good night, Nathan." She said, but quickly left when he gave no response. Once she was outside the room, and away from the guards did she let a small tear roll down her cheek. She never thought she'd end up getting the cold shoulder from her new friend, after all he had done for her. Was she just a means to an end for the Spartan? Did he even care about her or anypony else on the planet?

Did it even matter, though? He had made it clear that any Covenant threat he would deal with, but the Princesses saw him as the monster. Maybe they were right...

Princess Luna hummed a light tune as she brushed her long, ethereal mane. She hadn't realized how much she missed these mundane activities since being banished for a thousand years. And one activity she had oh so missed was going to be done for the first time in a very, very long time.

She was going to enter the dreamscape.

But, it wasn't going to be anyponies dream, no. She had her sights on just one pony, make that person, in particular. The Spartan who wore a stone facade, who cared little for the alien lives he ended, the ponies he hurt. How much machine had taken over man, and how did it affect him?

Luna was going to find out all about this Spartan in just one night.

Luna yawned happily and crawled into bed, shutting her eyes and letting the spell take over. Once it was complete, the Princess looked down at her body, which looked as if it was just sleeping. In reality, her body was actually 'dead'. With no soul to give it life, it was just a husk, only breathing and nothing more.

Luna's spirit hummed an enchanted tune as it made for the prison room. One problem was the unicorn guards, preventing any sort of magic from going in or out.

"Time to rest, my little ponies..." Luna chuckled to herself, releasing a wave of magic. All at once, the many guards in the hall began to wobble on their hooves, then yawn and eventually topple over. Once the Unicorn guards were out, the spell lifted, allowing Luna to enter the room without any problems.

Once inside, Luna saw the Spartan, sleeping on his back with his arms right to his side; the look of machine etched into his very body, his posture. It was unnatural to the Princess, grotesque even. Either way, the human was asleep and radiating dream energy. Smiling at the fact the Spartan actually dreamed, Luna quickly entered his mind and dream.

And immediately wished she hadn't....

August 20, 2552
Epsilon Eridoni System
Reach, 'The Glass lands'

It was hot, but there was no sunlight. It was humid, but the air was as dry as sand. The ground was but burning glass and the sky was lit aflame. Through the flames could be seen who was responsible for the planets destruction, and every so often, another pulse of plasma would shoot towards the ground, burning anything within a thousand yards.

Nathan looked up to the sky one more time, before realizing it was never going to change. Reach, the mightiest military planet to ever exist, was falling just like all the rest. Reach was home to, what the young Spartan assumed, hundreds of warships, thousands of men, and not to mention whatever was left of Gamma Company. Unfortunately, Nathan was separated from the rest of his squad for this assignment. Shelly, Cam, Issac and Bill were sent on Evac duty in New Alexandria, while Nathan was sent on a mission to see what happened to the refugee camp in an area now being called, 'The Glass Lands'.

"Lieutenant? Are you alright? Your vitals are spiking."

Nathan jumped a bit in his armor at the sound of Almya's voice. This was the first operation the Spartan was going to be working on with Almya, his first AI partner. To the Spartan, it felt weird to have to form a relationship with this AI, since they would be working together indefinitely.

Nathan cleared his head and focused on the Warthog ride across the arid, cracked planes of what was once Reach's most beautiful lake. "I'm fine, Almya. What Intel do we have on this op?" He asked, looking over his Assault Rifle one final time, making sure it was in working order with all the dust and debris flying about.

Almya pulled up a satellite view of the area on the Spartan's visor, which showed real time how far they were from the OZ. "The Marine forces are stationed there. The UNSC hoped that, since this spot was already glassed by the Covenant, they would ignore it. That wasn't the case. We had over two thousand civilians here waiting for evac... We don't know what happened to everyone since the Covenant set up jammers in the area."

"Who's bright idea was it to build a refugee camp behind enemy lines?" Nathan asked with a sigh. Just having a refugee camp on a world being invaded by the Covenant painted a target on your back in neon green. It was suicide to have one, but to have one this far out behind enemy lines? That was just above and beyond insanity.

"Vice Admiral Whitcomb thought it would be the safest way to get civilians off this planet who weren't able to catch the first rides out." Almya confirmed. Nathan just left it at that, watching as the first checkpoint came into view through the haze of the lake bed.

The checkpoint was completely destroyed, with evidence of a hard, bloody battle. The guard buildings were in shambles, the bodies of Marines and civilians littered the ground, and the carcasses of a Warthog and Tank still burned. Nathan held up his hand, and halted his company of three other Warthogs. All four vehicles came to a stop, with the occupants looking on in horror at the gory scene before them.

"Alright, men! Secure the area, I want a gunner to stay on each of those Warthogs. The rest of you, fan out and see what you can find!" Nathan ordered, to which the Marines hastily obeyed. Nathan walked slowly towards the guard shack, his heavy boot falls causing the glass underfoot to crunch loudly in the roaring wind.

Peering inside, Nathan could see two Marines, one curled up on the floor with his abdomen completely blown open, and the other pinned to the wall with a flurry of spikes piercing her body, with a final one embedded in her right eye socket, pinning her head to the wall, her dead face glaring into the Spartan's.

"Oh my God..." Almya muttered, horrified. Nathan quickly shook off the shock of seeing the two Marines like this and examined everything before him.

"Almya, I've never seen this kind of round used by Covenant, have you?" He asked, pulling the spike out of the unfortunate woman's face. It seemed very simplistic, just a metal spike. The Covenant weren't known to use projectile weapons, and this was even more archaic than basic projectiles used by humans.

"No records of any kind on a round like that... I don't like it, Lieutenant... I think we should leave." Almya advised. The AI seemed scared, which was something Nathan was unsure an AI could even feel. Then again, every sentient thing cares for its 'life' in one way or another.

"Not until we find out what happened to Camp Alamo. We have to know what happened to them." Nathan confirmed, turning back to the Warthogs. "Alright, men! Saddle up! We keep moving!"

As the Warthogs sped farther into the camp, the feeling of being watched crept more and more up the Spartan's skin. He and his team were essentially in a bowl, and were easy pickings for snipers and Wraiths, but nothing was happening, and a Spartan doesn't just get a feeling of being watched...

If he can feel it, he knows he's being watched.

"Almya, are you picking up anything on the enemy comm channels?" Nathan asked, casting a glance up the ridge, thinking he saw something moving through the haze. Or maybe the heat was playing tricks on him...

"Nothing." Almya replied. "They're being unusually quiet... I really don't like this..." Nathan looked over to the Marine driving the Warthog, and saw the fear etched in his face and the white knuckled grip he had on the steering wheel. They were all scared. No one knew what happened to Camp Alamo, and if it was up to a twelve man squad to find out, they seriously underestimated what happened here.

Before long, the shape of the main buildings came into view through the haze, along with an intact stock of Evac transports. Barely anything had been touched, save for a few bodies here and there. The four Warthogs parked just outside the main gate, and everyone exited their vehicles, guns ready.

"What in the world happened here? Hello?! Anyone home?!" A Marine shouted, quickly getting a glare from the Spartan, who had that same question in his mind.

"We'll go in squads of two from here on out. Wessman and Davids, you're Alpha. Sorola and Burns, Bravo. Leif and Harmon, Charlie. O'Brady and Haynes, Delta. And Erickson? You're with me. We're Echo. Alpha and Beta, I want you to check the mess hall for survivors. Charlie, you see what we can salvage from the Armory. Delta, I want you to check the ships, see if there are any survivors hiding inside and that the ships are in order to fly. Erickson, we're going to check out the Command Center, make sure the Covenant didn't get any kind of data out of us."

A chorus of quiet "Yes, Sir!" rang out, and each group went to their specific tasks. Nathan still had the nagging feeling of being watched. Looking up the lakes ridge, he saw nothing. But their was something there, and he knew it. Erickson, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the fact, and just walked around like nothing was going on. The young Marine turned to the Spartan and smiled.

"Man, can I just tell you how awesome it is to serve beside you, Sir? I mean, really, it's amazing! Ever since I was a boy, it was you Spartan's that made me want to join the Military. You're the best we'll ever get!" Nathan remained quiet through the praise, watching the ridge above. "You alright, Sir? What's wrong?"

Nathan finally realized. Whatever this was, it wasn't standard Covenant activity. Usually the Elites would set up a base of operations in their conquered land and defend it to the last Grunt, but this place... the tactics used here were... almost animal, luring them in. This wasn't operating procedure for the Covenant and Nathan knew why.

"We're being hunted..." The Spartan whispered to Erickson, who seemed to go pale as he trained his assault rifle all around the area, looking for anything that moved.

"W-What do we do?" Erickson whispered loudly, his hands trembling against the cold metal of his gun. Nathan remained perfectly still, watching his radar. For a fraction of a second, a blip appeared behind him, then quickly vanished. Nathan slowly, ever so slowly, pulled his knife from its sheath, watching for that blip to reappear. The wait was almost unbearable. Nathan could feel his muscles tighten in anticipation. He knew something was behind them; waiting, watching, ready to pounce and tear them to pieces.

Erickson had no time to react as the Spartan threw him to the ground whipped his knife as fast as a bullet across the landscape. Nathan watched as the metal of the blade struck home at something through the mist, which howled like nothing he had ever heard before. He could see the creatures silhouette through the heat. It was big, probably eight feet tall, and very, very muscular. Were these the creatures responsible for what happened here?

Nathan quickly unloaded his assault riffle into the still upright mass, which roared in defiance and fired it's own weapon, which launched a concussive grenade straight into Nathan's chest. The Spartan's shields failed instantly as he was hurled backwards, smoking and completely winded by the force of the blast.

The seemingly invincible beast let out another mighty roar, which resulted in many more erupting throughout the camp. Nathan sat up just in time to see Erickson, who had been trying to crawl away, hoisted by his midsection. The Marine yelled in fear, trying to squirm away from the beast's mighty clutch, but it was just too strong for him. Nathan reached for his pistol, but by the time he brought it to bear, it was too late. The monster squeezed with all its might, snarling as it squashed the Marine until his insides burst from his mouth and nose, and his eyes exploded from their sockets.

Nathan was mortified by the animals morbid killing technique, feeling his usually steel facade fall faster than a Drop Pod. Nathan hastily opened fire with his pistol, putting tiny holes in the creatures hide. This didn't seem to deter it in any way as it turned to the Spartan and quickly hoisted him up by the midsection in the same manner it had with Erickson.

Nathan was no fool to this trick. Using his MJOLNIR to his advantage, Nathan placed a foot on the creatures chest and kicked it away. The beast let the Spartan go and skid backwards, giving Nathan time to charge forward again and deliver a solid kick to the throat. The beast let out a large cough of blackish-purple blood and fell to the ground, where Nathan proceeded to stomp its head in, taking four tries to do so.

"Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta! We are leaving! Get to the Warthogs! Now!" Nathan ordered, only receiving static as a response. Had these horrible beasts killed his men too? "Fire teams? Report in, now!"

"Sir! It's Bravo! Alpha is down and we're taking fire from these... things! Sir, you have to help us! We're pinned down in the Barracks! Help!"

Nathan wasted no time making a beeline for the Barracks as fast as he could. The Spartan could hear the sounds of those grenades thumping, men screaming and eventual silence. Nathan halted his run to a pace, then stopped, realizing that Alpha had just been wiped out.

Nathan knew the rest of his men were dead, and that it would be suicide to face these creatures alone without any backup. There was nothing on the comms and he couldn't see the IFF tags on his HUD anymore. It was time to go and report this new threat when he was debriefed. He just hoped he lived long enough to do so.

Many more ghostly howls began to echo through the camp. Nathan, knowing they were still on the hunt, quickly ran for a nearby bunker, jumping inside to, hopefully, remain hidden. The Spartan peered out the small slit in the bunkers front, watching to see if there was any movement behind the haze. For now, he was safe, but those creatures were still out there, and they knew he was, too. They wouldn't stop hunting until he was found.

Nathan took a minute to try and calm himself, but the thought of any sense of calm died when he saw the bodies, burned, charred and eviscerated, all around the floor of the bunker. Some were stuck to the walls with those spikes and tortured. Their dead faces still screaming in pain and agony. Chunks of flesh had been eaten from a few of the bodies, and some were missing eyes and tongues. The young Spartan had seen death before, but he had never seen it like this. There were bodies of men protecting their wives, children...

Infants... still cradled in their mother's arms...

Nathan tore his helmet off and instantly vomited at the sight, then vomited at the smell. The horrible, God awful smell of burnt flesh and decay stung his nose like a thousand knives, causing his eyes to water. Nathan quickly threw his helmet back on, taking in deep gulps of scrubbed air.

"Spartan! Calm down; breath! Your vitals are all over the place!" Almya warned, trying to soothe the Spartan down. Nathan could barely hear her over the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. He was still so young, a child to most who saw him. He shouldn't be seeing things like this! No one should be seeing things like this!

He should be preventing them!

"What the Hell are these creatures, Almya? Does the UNSC have anything on them?" Nathan asked again, beginning the arduous task of searching for anyone who might still be alive in the mess of dead bodies. Nathan could feel his heart sinking as each second ticked by.

"There seems to be some files relating similar accounts of mutilation we've just seen, but it's restricted." Almya confirmed, tsking at the end. "Well, restricted hasn't stopped me before now, has it?" Almya asked in a mischievous tone, opening up each and every file on the creatures, finding exact matches to what she and the Spartan had just seen. "It appears that ONI calls them 'Brutes'. They're a race of ape like creatures, tremendous strength, yada yada yada... Wait... here's something."

"What is it?" Nathan asked as he turned over another burnt corpse, sickened by the sound it made as it came back down. Whatever Almya found, it better be important and help him out of this mess, because he was beginning to think that this whole mission was a huge wash.

"It seems that these 'Brutes' were first encountered at the start of the Human Covenant war! The UNSC has known about them all this time, at yet they send unprepared troops against them? Why keep the Brutes classified?" She asked angrily, scanning through files of casualty reports by the beast's hands. The numbers were staggering.

"I don't know, but I intend to make sure the UNSC doesn't make that mistake again." The Spartan said menacingly as he clacked the bolt to his Assault Rifle.

"Good. Now, how do you plan to get us out of here?" Almya asked curiously. Nathan took another peak over the wall of the bunker. The dust storm that had been brewing when he arrived had grown into a full blown sandstorm, limiting his vision to but a foot in front of his face.

Nathan sunk back down and checked his weapons one last time. "We can't fight these things. The only option we have left is retreat. I don't like it, but that's how we're going to survive this. Increase my armor's sensors as much as you can. I want to know where these creatures are and avoid them as best I can."

"The storm is going to make it nearly impossible for me to track any hostile movements. I can guarantee about a twenty-six percent accuracy on my part. You're lucky I can do that much." Almya replied. Nathan nodded and got to one knee preparing himself for the long sprint he would take. He began to count down in his head for the moment he would be running for his life.

It was funny, really. A Spartan was rarely seen running from a fight, staying until the last footing of a planet was glassed. A Spartan would stand tall and proud midst the gore and destruction, victorious. If a Spartan was running, then it was a very smart idea to follow in his or her footsteps just as quickly. And this Spartan was going to run, in three, two, one...

"M-Mommy..."

Nathan barely moved his foot when the tiny voice called out. He turned about as quick as he could, spotting a little boy, who could have been no more than four years old, standing in the gore, covered in crusted blood and burns. His clothes were burnt and tattered, barely clinging to his tiny frame. How long had that child been there? How long had he been hiding in the bodies, laying in the melted flesh of his mother and father? Brothers and sisters? How did he manage not to cry when his parents cried out in agony, burning alive as the monsters from nightmares laughed at their slaughter? This child was brave; braver than any child should ever be or should have to be...

Nathan knelt back down, slowly, putting his gun to the floor beside him. "Hey now... Why don't you come over here?" Nathan asked, extending his hands. The child sunk back down to the ground, covering himself back up. "No, no. Look, see?" Nathan said quickly, pulling off his helmet. "I'm a human being, like you. I'm not one of those monsters..."

The child peered back up over the bodies, seeing not a monster, but another face, young, like his. A face that held onto the last strands of innocence, a face that child needed to push through the darkness and despair that consumed him now. The boy ran forward into the outstretched arms of the Spartan and clung to him, crying, tears he held in since the ordeal began.

"Sh... It's alright... I'll get us out of this. I'll keep you safe..." The Spartan assured, making sure his facade as a steal hearted super soldier stayed down while he was taking care of the child. He wouldn't want to scare him any more than he already was. "Almya? How do you think we can do this?" Nathan asked,closing his helmets vents so the boy couldn't hear him.

"Well, you'll have to carry the child, which complicates things... No gun means no protection; just your shields and armor. It's about a two-hundred yard dash to the Warthogs. Think you're up to it?" Almya asked the Spartan as he stared out over the bunker window, listening as the howling got closer and closer.

Nathan scooped the child up and held him close to his chest. The boy reciprocated by clinging on to the Spartan's armor for dear life. Good, he knew what was going to happen. If not, then he'd know as soon as the Spartan's feet kicked in.

Nathan counted down in his head from ten again. Finding this child was an act of whatever God was watching out for the little boy. He wouldn't die here, in this dreary, nightmare of a base. This boy might just become something greater than anything the Spartan knew. Maybe even a Spartan someday if the program was still around.

As soon as Nathan's mental timer reached zero, he burst from the bunker with the screaming child. All at once, explosions and detonations echoed all around him, kicking up dirt and glass in front of, and behind both of them. All Nathan had to do was follow the waypoint Almya had left on the Warthogs, and he and this child would be home free. A failure of a mission in the brass's eye's, but to the young Spartan, the most successful mission of his life.

The yells of the Brute's could be heard echoing all around them, getting closer and closer. They were chasing the Spartan, hunting him and the young boy. This was their sport, and Nathan was playing into it. He had no other choice, though. It was either sit in the bunker and rot like the bodies in their, or let the Brutes find him and tear him apart like all the others.

"Hold on, kid!" Nathan yelled, jumping over an explosion just in front of his path. "We're almost there!"

Indeed they were. Just a few more yards, and that would all be true. Nathan kept running, pushing his armor to the limits with how fast it would carry him. His legs burned from friction they were creating, pumping so fast. His heart raced, pounding in his ears like a drum of war, canceling out the sounds of the Brutes and explosions. All Nathan was focused on was the child and the Warthogs, all that mattered to this mission now.

Nathan bolted through the checkpoint where the Warthogs were waiting and jumped into one, putting the child in the passenger seat beside him as he hopped into the drivers seat. The Spartan slammed the activation button, and the Warthog roared to life. As soon Nathan heard that engine, his foot slammed on the gas. The Warthog dug into the sand, but eventually found purchase and rocketed forward, leaving the base behind them. Nathan let out a mental sigh of relief as the base became nothing more than a bad memory now. They were both-

What had happened? Where? Nathan looked up, and all he could see was his Warthog in a ball of flames, half melted from whatever had happened. He remembered the child, and forgetting the pain in his body, rushed over to the Warthog to see if he was still alive. "Kid?! Where are you!?" He called out, peering inside.

There was nothing left. The passenger side had been completely slagged, and all that remained of the boy was nothing but a charred lower half. Nathan fell to his knees, his eyes clouding over as the roars and cheers of the Brutes could be heard from the distance, drawing closer and closer.

"Spartan? I'm sorry, but we need to move..." Almya whispered, the pain of the Spartan inside of her. The two of them were one; whatever he felt, she felt. She felt his pain, his rage. The fire that was building inside of him that could only be extinguished with the blood of the enemy that had hurt him so. Nathan stood back up, pulling the Assault Rifle from his back. "Spartan?! What are you doing?!" The AI asked in shock, watching through the helmets cams as the Spartan marched back towards the base.

"They want me? They want the sport of killing me? Then they're going to have to try their hardest to claim me as their kill!" Nathan leaned towards the base, yelling as loud as he could. "I WILL NOT LET THIS CHILD'S DEATH BE IN VEIN, YOU HEAR ME?! IT WILL BE THE LAST KILL YOU EVER GET!"

And then the hulking shadows stepped through the haze.

Nathan aimed his assault rife, and fired the first shot of the bloodiest battle he would ever have.

Then, the dream ended. Luna left the Spartan's mind and quickly raced back to hers. The horrors she had seen, the pain she felt, the feeling of death breathing down the nape of her neck would haunt her for quite a long time. She had never experienced war like that, never knew the pain of watching innocence die in a manner so horrific and disturbing, it left one wondering how it could be fought against.

Luna knew the only way to do so.

The sun was rising as Luna returned to her body, and the Princess knew just what to do. Leaving her bed, with tears still streaming down her cheeks, Luna made her way to the throne room, where Celestia sat atop her throne, speaking to Shining Armor about something. Luna didn't care what it was. She was there with only one thing on her mind.

Upon Luna's entrance, Celestia looked up to see the state her sister was in. "Goodness, Lulu! What's the matter?!"

Luna ignored her sister's worry. "Call a council meeting. NOW!" She ordered. Celestia, taken aback by the sudden violent nature of her sister, Celestia simply nodded dumbly. "I will be waiting in the meeting hall. This is urgent, my sister... More urgent than you can ever hope to imagine..."

Celestia watched Luna leave and turned back to Shining Armor. "Well, it appears we have an emergency. Captain? Help me round up the council members, send emissaries to their doors, and tell them this is an urgent matter that requires there immediate attention. I'm assuming Luna wishes to discuss that matter of the alien."

Shining Armor bowed to the Princess. "At once, your highness." He said, quickly dashing off to do what he was told. Celestia sighed and looked out towards the sky, once seeming so small, now full of horrors she couldn't hope to, or want to, imagine.

Twilight awoke from her sleep with a start as the sound of bells echoed across the city, followed by, "All Council Nobles, report to the Castle immediately! All Council Nobles, report to the Castle immediately!"

In all of Twilight's life living at the Castle, she had never once heard the emergency council meeting system used. Whatever was going on, it must have had to do with Nathan! Twilight quickly threw the covers off of her and raced towards the door. She knew what they were deciding, and she wasn't going to let anypony hurt him! He was unique! He was one of a kind! They couldn't end his life simply because of who he is! All of Twilight's friendship studies had taught her that much.

Twilight thought it would be a simple run back to the Spartan's prison, but as soon as she opened the door, she was met with a face full of white fur. Twilight looked up to see Princess Celestia standing in the doorway, looking down at her with a smile. "Ah, I see someone heard the news. Come with me, Twilight. You're going to join the meeting. A meeting which hasn't been this urgent since the time of Discord."

Twilight gulped and said nothing, simply following her teacher to wherever she was leading her. "I take it you know why we're calling this meeting and what it's about?" Celestia asked, breaking the silence.

Twilight gulped and said, "I-I have a hunch. Are you going to execute Nathan for who he is?" The mare asked in a shaky tone.

Celestia tsked and turned to Twilight, kneeling down so they were eye level with one another. "Twilight, that is not what this meeting is about. I do not want to hurt this man, but if the safety of my little ponies is at risk, then as Princess, I may not have a choice. But, this meeting is something different. Luna came to me earlier in a state I have not seen her in in many centuries."

"What's that?" Twilight asked Celestia curiously.

"She was in tears." Celestia revealed, confusing Twilight. The only time Twilight had seen her cry was during the last Nightmare Night when everypony was frightened of her, even then the Princess wouldn't let anyone see her in that state, nor admit to it. To have Luna enter a room with tears in her eyes spoke volumes as to the severity of the situation, whatever it may be.

"She was crying?" Twilight asked, shocked. "D-Do you know why?"

"I do not. But, it has something to do with the Spartan, and if I know my sister, I think she may have done some prying last night, which showed her things she may not have wanted to see..." Celestia said in a chilling voice, which caused the hairs on the back of Twilight's neck to stand on edge.

"What do you mean, Princess?" Twilight asked, but the question went unanswered as the two of them entered a heavily guarded room, which housed a large, round table, with two thrones standing at the far end, elevated above the rest of the chamber. The seats were all filled with old ponies, each of them with different emotions on their faces. Some were tired, others were frustrated, and some were even excited that this meeting was called.

On one throne already sat Princess Luna, her face an expressionless mask, a stark contrast to what it was just an hour ago. Celestia took to her throne, while Twilight remained in the center of the chamber. Celestia looked down at her student and smiled. "Twilight? Can you tell us all you know about the alien?"

Twilight waited for the surprised and confused murmurs to settle down before she spoke, saying, "Well, he came from the large ship that crashed into the Everfree the other night. My friends and I went to investigate, and were met with a... horrible situation. A creature... A horrible creature climbed its way out of the wreckage, and when Pinkie tried to communicate with it, it... shot her..." More surprised whispering. "I pulled her back and put a shield over all of us as more aliens, diverse in nature, began to climb from the ship and fire at us, speaking in garbled gibberish. That's when another alien, this one different from the others came forward and protected us, saved our lives from the monsters we see in our nightmares. He speaks our language, has a name... He even gave Pinkie medical attention for her leg. If there were ever an alien we could trust in all of this, it would be him. He knows the other aliens well. His people are in a war across the stars with, what he calls them, the Covenant. He fears for our safety, and has told me time and time again that him being locked up is a huge mistake. He knows how to fight these monsters, and I say we let him."

"As do I!" Luna declared, surprising her sister and Twilight. "I hath entered the Spartan's dream during the night, and what I saw..." Luna hesitated as she remembered that awful nightmare. "...affirmed his words. This Covenant is ruthless, shows no mercy, and will stop at nothing to eradicate anything it considers beneath them. We have been marked for death by them, and I say we give the only creature on this planet his wish. If he wants to fight this Covenant and protect our home, then I say we let him. Who else is with me?"

The chamber scared stiff by what they were told, unanimously erupted into a chorus of 'Ayes', which Twilight responded to with a large smile on her face. Celestia noted that and smiled as well, saying, "Very well, everypony. We shall release the Spartan, and if this Covenant should return, then we will be ready. With him leading us, we might just stand a chance."

The chamber clapped their hooves in approval and soon disbanded, with Twilight, Celestia and Luna staying back to speak alone. Once everypony was gone, the Princesses flew down and landed next to Twilight.

Luna spoke up first, saying, "I am truly sorry I did not believe thee on this matter, Twilight Sparkle. Your friend shall be set free, and whatever he needs, we shall be happy to give."

"I have other plans in mind for him." Celestia said, her sister and Twilight staring at her curiously. "We need him to train our soldiers. They have no idea what they are up against, and the Spartan could help them at least be ready."

"You're asking our Guard to fight a war they cannot win..." Luna warned, to which Celestia narrowed her eyes and stepped forward.

"I do not know what you saw in his dream, Luna, but whatever it was, you must feel very uneasy about. Our Guard will be ready when the threat returns. The Spartan and I will make sure of that. What did you see to cause such a hopelessness in you?"

"Do you want me to show thee?" Luna replied back with a sharp tongue. Celestia nodded and Luna placed her horn atop her elder sisters head, relaying all she saw into Celestia's mind. Twilight watched as Celestia's face was etched into horror, the death and destruction she saw. The Spartan's humanity shining through, then snuffed out like match in the rain. "Do you believe us now, dear sister?"

Celestia remained quiet as she left the council chambers, leaving Luna and Twilight alone. Twilight looked up to Luna and asked, "Can I see? I want to know what happened."

Luna turned away and headed for the door, replying, "If I showed you what I saw in his dream last evening... I do not think your heart could take it..." And with that Luna left, leaving Twilight alone to wonder what it was that now haunted both the Princesses.

Maybe it was better she didn't.