Equestria
Near Whitetail Mountain

11:00 PM

There was silence on the mountain. There was nothing to be seen nor heard. As it was nighttime, no pony would dare disturb this halcyon scene.

Except for Twilight Sparkle, the Elements of Harmony, three platoons of Solar Guards, and Princess Celestia. Their hoofsteps echoed through the night, towards a fissure in the mountainside.

"Celestia, I understand that we need to survey the mountain…" Twilight sighed. "...But frankly, could it have possibly waited until morning?"

"I don't think so." Celestia replied. "If the mountain erupts again, we must be ready and heed all the warnings."

"I see…" Twilight said, failing to stifle a yawn. "What time is it?"

"About 11:39, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie said, still hyperactive as ever. "And my Pinkie Sense is telling me something BIG is going to happen!"

"Like what?" Rainbow Dash yawned. "There's nothing to see here except trees, trees, and more trees."

Twilight was about to scold the Rainbow-colored pegasus when Celestia suddenly stopped.

"Did you feel that?" she asked. "That movement."

"What movement?" Twilight asked. Then she felt it. A shockwave or some kind of seismic activity was visibly pulsing beneath the ground.

And it was originating from the mountain. Celestia waited for the pulses to cease before they moved forward.

====

By the time they reached the fissure in the mountainside, it was nearly midnight. Now, the pulses were audible, and rocks were shaking, in-time with the waves. Twilight and Celestia moved towards the crevice, and to their surprise, inside the fissure was darkness.

"It's hollow." Twilight said. "Something must've burrowed into the mountain and be causing those pulses."

"Then let us investigate." Celestia said, melting the rocks with her magic. As the group entered, Celestia stationed a platoon of guards outside as protection.

====

"It's so dark in here." Rarity complained. "And the ground is cold."

"Rarity, we're inside a mountain. It's supposed to be cold and dark." Fluttershy said.

"Wait, cold?" Twilight said, coming over to Rarity. She illuminated the ground, and to everypony's surprise, instead of granite beneath their hooves…

It was gleaming, shimmering metal.

"Who could've done this?" Twilight said.

"Or what?" a Guard said.

"Let us press onward." Celestia said. 'I reckon we shall find out soon enough."

As they pressed deeper, the ground slanted downwards, and was eventually illuminated by eerie green lights. Then, a burning neon green light appeared at the end of the tunnel. As the ponies approached, a door opened in front of them, as if it was expecting them.

What was on the other side, was certainly unexpected.

A large, circular room lay inside the mountain. And at the end of a long walk, studded with ornate pillars, was a altar or terminal of some kind. The ponies took a few steps, and Twilight approached the altar. The others were gaping at the veins of magma flowing through tubes around them. Twilight tapped it with her hoof, and a glowing signal appeared. It was like two bull's horns below an orb. Then, it glowed green, and vanished.

Twilight was about to turn, when everypony froze at an odd sound.

Singing.

"Pinkie, is that you?" Twilight asked.

"Nope." Pinkie said, somehow zipping her mouth shut. Still, the humming continued. Then, some sort of elevator appeared before the altar. A green light appeared, and a small, floating orb inscribed with the same symbol appeared before the object.

"Strange." the orb said in fluent Equish. "Very strange indeed...I was summoned here, but by whom...very odd…"

The orb turned and looked Twilight Sparkle in the eye. Both did a double take, and Twilight began to scream.

And the orb began to laugh. Twilight's yelling died down as she realized the orb was chortling.

"Silly, silly me!" the orb cried. "I should've known the Further Ones would make it here sooner or later!"

The orb composed itself before continuing.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am 3116 Astute Sigil. I am the Forerunner Monitor of Shield World Tranquility. Do you have any questions?"

Celestia walked forward.

"We do, Astute Sigil." she said.

"Ah, an alicorn!" Sigil said. "By my readings, you are the subject known as Celestia, am I correct?"

"Yes, but I am a Princess and Ruler of Equestria, not a "subject" as you say I am." Celestia said.

"Ah, you misunderstand." Sigil said. "You are Forerunner Subject Solus, codenamed Celestia. Do you not have any knowledge of your kind's creators, the Forerunners?"

"No." Celestia said. "Who are these Forerunners?"

"The Forerunners are the creators of everything you see here." Sigil said. "They are also responsible for the creation of your kind. Their last contact with me was over 1000 centuries ago. I have been in stasis and minimal operations mode since then. But if you wish to know more, come with me. I will gladly tell you what I know of my creators."

====

Sigil teleported the ponies to the Control Room Surveillance Area in a flash of green light. Celestia stood up and saw something that froze her in her tracks.

A globe, showing Equestria and the other realms of Equis.

"Ah, you have found the Codex." Sigil said. "This particular construct shows me the real-time state of the world. From planetary weather phenomenons to habitation of different species. But do sit down and be comfortable. We have much to discuss, Further Ones."

The ponies were beckoned to chairs and couches made of Hard light, and Sigil nodded as they all sat down.

"Shall we begin from the history of the Forerunners?" he asked.

"Go right ahead." Twilight said, getting out a notebook and pencil. "May I take notes?"

"Certainly." Sigil said. "Let's begin. Many millions of years ago, the Forerunners rule over the Ecumene, and our history begins…"

====
Slipspace
Aboard the UNSC Infinity

Captain's Dorm

"Captain Lasky?"

Thomas Lasky, Captain of the Infinity, looked up from his bunk at Roland, the Infinity's shipboard AI looking at him

"I just wanted to alert you that we successfully retrieved the Arbiter, Dr. Halsey, Commander Palmer, and both Spartan teams from Sanghelios while you were asleep, sir."

"Good job." Lasky said. "I'll be on the bridge."

Lasky left his office and headed for the bridge. Barely a few hours ago, a Guardian had attacked Earth and scattered the UNSC. And even now, Lasky still couldn't believe it.

"Captain on the bridge!" said Palmer as he entered. Lasky gave a sighed "at ease" before he stood at the holotable.

"What's new, Commander?" he groaned.

"Not much." Palmer replied. "I've got our production facilities up and running."

"Good." Lasky said.

"Captain, sir?" called an ensign from his station. "I've got something."
Lasky headed over to the station where the ensign was sitting.

"We just picked up a UNSC distress call." he said. "But here's the thing, sir. It's from…"

"28 years ago." Lasky said, seeing on the screen. "This doesn't make any sense. Where's it coming from?"

"Right here, sir. Edge of the galaxy. From the Ark installation." the ensign replied.

"Take us there." Lasky said. "If there's still UNSC troops out there, we'll need all the help we can get."

"Aye, sir." said Lt. Jet. "Adjusting FTL course now."

As the Infinity turned and adjusted course, Lasky stared at the glowing blue of slipspace.

"May God help us all." he sighed before he left the bridge.

Author's Note

Yep, my new Halo story, and the successor to Equispartans.

Do you like it?