Halo 2: Shadowed pasts and Ancient Runes

Chapter 18: What once was lost...
Planet: Earth October 18, 2552
0100 hours

Nathan sunk against the wall and sighed. They had been going at that storage container for more than an hour now. Nathan checked his internal clock. He hadn't slept in three days. THREE DAYS! He couldn't even fathom that anymore! Ever since he'd gotten to Equestria and moved in with Twilight, he'd gotten to bed at 9:00. In the military, the longest he'd stayed up was a week.

Covenant leaders don't snipe themselves, you know...

Nathan breathed another sigh as the smell of ozone and the sound of the buzzing beam echoed again. He sunk completely to the floor, rubbing his tired eyes of the heaviness. The Ship Master leaned in and cracked his jaw.

"Will it live, Oracle? Can it be saved?" He asked. The Monitor sighed and stopped the repairing beam.

"Uncertain. This unit has suffered considerable trauma. Its matrices are highly unstable." He stated, going back to work. Lord Hood put his fists down on the table and looked over to the Monitor, who was failing them all with this.

"Perhaps one of our technicians-" But the Ship Master stopped him cold with a raised hand

"That will not be necessary." He stated. The monitor gave a cheer and Cortana burst forth.

"Success!" He yelled. Cortana seemed frantic, looking from left to right before she began speaking. You'd think she'd be happy to see friendly faces...

And monsters. Lots of monsters... Nathan sighed again, when he felt a large hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see the same Majordomo from before. "Are you not curious in what is happening, Demon?" He asked curiously. Nathan waved a hand and stood.

"Seen one AI, you've seen them all." He stated. The Elite clicked its jaws and nodded. Nathan did listen, however, to what Cortana had to say.

"Chief! High Charity, the Prophet's Holy City is on its way to Earth. With an army of Flood! I can't tell you everything, it's not safe. The Gravemind. It knows I'm in the system..." She froze and the Chief waved a dissapointed hand.

"It's just a message." The Chief said, a little annoyed. Nathan shook his head and snorted.

Fucking typical...

"Let it play..." The Ship Master said, leaning in with curiosity. Guilty Spark sent out a slight pulse and the message continued.

"-But it doesn't know about the portal, where it leads. On the other side, there's a solution. A way to stop the Flood, without firing the remaining Halo rings! -GAHHH! Unghhh!" She gasped, clutching her holographic temples. The Chief leaned in close, twitching with nervousness and concern. Nathan got closer as well, curious about the message being told.

"Hurry, Chief. The Ark... There isn't much time..." The message began to sputter, until it finally froze. The Chief was leaned closer and stared at the still image of his old comrade.

"I'm sorry." Guilty Spark spoke softly. The Ship Master just waved a hand and stood.

"No matter, Oracle. We've heard enough. Our fight is through the Portal, with the Brutes and the bastard Truth!" He yelled triumphantly. The Elites around them cheered and hollered, but the Humans in the room stood stoic. Lord Hood stepped forward with his hands clasped firmly behind his back.

"Fine. We'll remain here. Hold out as long as we can." He said solemnly. The Ship Master clicked his jaw in surprise and stepped forward.

"Did you not here her? Your world is doomed. A Flood army, a Gravemind, has you in its sights! You barely survived a small contamination."

"And you Ship Master just glassed half a continent!" Lord Hood shouted. "Maybe the Flood isn't all I should be worried about." Nathan watched the back and fourth exchange and frowned.

Haven't seen a good military fight in a damn long time...

"One single Flood spore can destroy a species. Were it not for the Arbiters consul, I would have glassed your entire planet!" He hissed.

Lord Hood raised a fist, poised to attack, but Miranda jumped in and stopped him, hoping to get the points across. "Sir, with respect, Cortana has a solution-"

"Cortana?!" Hood shot back. "Have you seen what condition she's in? She could be corrupted for all we know! Her solution could be a Flood trap!"

Nathan nodded and had to agree with Hood on this. Cortana didn't seem all there. Apparently Flood captivity can make an AI crazy.

Wonder if that's what happened to Almya...

"We should go through the portal. Find out for sure." Miranda affirmed, casting her gaze over the room. Lord Hood shot forward.

"What we should do, Commander," He shot back, pulling rank like a pro. "is understand, that this is humanities final stand! Here, at Earth. We go we risk everything; every last man, woman and child! But, if we stay and fight, we might just have a chance." Miranda lowered her head and nodded.

"No."

Everyone turned as the Arbiter stepped forward. "If what your construct says is true, then the Flood have already won." He stated. Master Chief turned to Hood.

"I'll find Cortanas solution. And I'll bring it back." John nodded. Nathan choked on his own breath. Did the Chief just side with the Elites on this?

Hood sighed and looked down at Cortana, then out the view port at his lovely planet. "Earth is all we have left. Do you trust Cortana that much?" He asked. The Chief stiffened and nodded.

"Sir! Yes, Sir!" He said loudly. Lord Hood turned on his heels and headed for the door.

"Well, this is either the best decision you've ever made or the worst. Hell, if it is Chief, I doubt I'll live long enough to find out." He left the bridge, leaving everyone else to go over the plans for the upcoming battle to end all battles.

The black tunnel funneled opened, dumping Rainbow, Bill and Twilight into a large field of burnt glass and steaming ozone. Bill recognized it as the research facility they got their armor on. And, one of the first times they fought the Covenant.

Twilight and Rainbow looked over their bodies. They were now back to their Equine selves, and savored every moment of it. Well, that is until they realized the ground was a staggering 200 degrees.

"Sweet Celesta!" Twilight yelled, hopping from foot to foot. Rainbow flew into the air, easily escaping the blazing dirt. Bill, being ever so generous, scooped up Twilight and put her on his shoulder.

"Thanks." She said sheepishly. He smiled and nodded then began there hike towards the battle that was already waging. Twilight pointed into the direction of the quiet booms beyond the hill.

"What memory is this?" Rainbow asked.

"The first time our team was put together. The research facility where we first got our MJOLNIR armor. It was attacked before we could train. Of course, it got a passing grade for combat from all of us." He chuckled.

Another blast echoed and a small object launched over the top of the hill. It landed with a thump and rolled closer to the group. Upon closer inspection, it was a Spartan helmet.

With the soldiers head still inside.

Rainbow winced and Twilight wretched. Bill just sighed and shook his head. "I always wondered what happened to Rory..." He said sadly.

Twilight's ears perked up when she heard the familiar voice shouting orders to the others. She jumped off Bill's back and ran up the hill, going faster due to the intense heat. Bill and Rainbow chased after her, and at the top, they saw the whole scene.

Two Corvettes hung over the building, hundreds of Phantoms and troops were engaging the entrenched Spartans and soldiers, who desperately were trying to keep the Covenant at bay. Twilight smiled when she saw the Spartans run into the fray of battle, spreading out gradually and destroying everything in their way. Twilight turned to Bill and frowned.

"So... This is... gorey." She mused. Rainbow nodded and watched as both armies killed, maimed and utterly decimated one another.

"I take it Cam isn't going to be here..." Bill mused. Twilight looked around and frowned. The odds were astronomical that they'd find him, but they'd search as long as they'd have to in order to-

"Oh, so you guys are looking for me are you?"

Everyone turned to see Cam standing behind them. Rainbow got a giddy look on her face and rammed into the man, planting kisses onto his head.

"Oh, Cam! Is it really you?! What's my name?" She asked. Cam chuckled and pat Rainbows colored mane.

"You're Rainbow Dash, you want to be a Wonderbolt, and you suck your hoof when you sleep." He chuckled. She blushed and shoved her hoof in his mouth, giving him a stern look.

"You like to suck it, too, you jerk." She gave him the biggest smile and slowly kissed his lips with passion and love. He smiled back and stood up with her in his arms, looking at the battlefield.

He raised his left hand into the air and everything froze, bullets and plasma halted in midair and soldiers stopped mid stride. Everyone stared at Cam in shock, wondering what just happened. He scratched his chin and snapped his fingers, and instantly, two Frigates popped into the sky.

"What the hell?" Bill muttered. Cam heard him and smiled, then snapped his fingers, letting the battle resume.

"I'm just seeing how this battle could have gone differently, is all. Maybe a Halcyon class cruiser...?" He ran his hand in a circle and the cruiser came into view, blasting a Corvette out of the sky. Cam pat his chin and frowned.

"Oh, but they'll have a response for that." He flicked his arm and a CCS class battle ship came out of slipspace and blew the Halcyon ship into atoms.

"We've come to bring you back home." Twilight said, snapping Cam out of his trance. Cam smiled at her and shook his head.

"I'm not done here. I got to see how this battle could have been done differently for the UNSC." He told them. Rainbow narrowed her brow and hit him in the back of the head.

"Snap out of it, you idiot! You're coming home and that's that!" She scolded. Cam rolled his eyes and began to pout.

"But, mom!" He yelled sarcastically, then resumed his battle conducting. Rainbow growled and he lightly tossed her into the air so his arms could be freed. Bill came forward and placed a firm hand on Cam's shoulder.

"Cam? Snap out of it. You're trapped in your own mind. Your body is dying, soldier. You have a girl who needs you and a CO who really can't lose another friend. You're coming with us, and that's that!" He yelled. Cam just stared at him for a long time. He then looked to Twilight and Rainbow. A grin came across his face and he gave a triumphant 'Aha'.

"You three will do nicely!" He cheered. He snapped his fingers and the trio appeared on the battlefield; Rainbow and Twilight were now human again and dressed in MJOLNIR armor, colored accordingly to them, of course. They were all armed to the teeth and just stared at one another.

"You three could help turn the tide of battle! Let the festivities resume!"

He snapped his fingers and, all at once, the silence of the pause, exploded as battle resumed. Soldiers on both sides fell dead, exploded, or were completely dismembered.

Twilight and Rainbow crashed themselves to the dirt and Bill covered them with his newly acquired assault rifle. He sprayed a team of Grunts and their Elite leaders, then dragged the former mares into a crater for cover. Rainbow patted her armor, as did Twilight, completely stunned by the strange turn of events.

"What the hell did Cam do to us?!" Rainbow yelled, ducking lower when a plasma bolt grazed her helmet. Twilight and Bill fired over the mound, taking out the pesky Jackal.

"It's Cam's mind, Rainbow! He controls everything in here!" She yelled over the roar of a Scorpion thundering past. It fired and Rainbow screamed.

"What do we do?!" She yelled. Bill raised her to her knees and gave her back her battle rifle.

"We fight, soldier! Now, let's get to the others position! GO, GO, GO!" He yelled. Immediately the two scared former mares bolted upright and sprinted for the others position, conveniently marked on their HUD.

"This armors pretty rad!" Rainbow yelled into the mic. Twilight gave her approval as well.

"Very well made. Durable, sturdy without being too cumbersome for the wearer, and the mesh under suit? Might as well not be wearing anything at all!" She said happily. Another voice cam through the mic and Twilight smiled.

"Spartans? Now that were done getting a stiffy from our armor, how about we KILL THE FUCK OUT OF THESE COVENANT!?" The Nathan memory yelled. Twilight longingly wanted to tell her future husband how much she loved him and missed him.

But this was just a ghost, nothing more.

"Yes, Sir." She said into the mic, clicking it off. She turned to Rainbow and opened a private link. "Well, guess he's in a sore mood."

"Heh. If only he remembered you. That'd probably brighten his day. At least we found Cam." She said happily. Twilight nodded, then frowned remembering the circumstances.

"Remind me to kick him in his... sensitive bits after this, will ya?" She asked. Rainbow laughed and kicked a Grunt in the face, jumping into the trench with the other Spartans.

"Remind me, too. We'll do it at the same time." She said dryly. The other Spartans turned to see the newcomers in their midst.

The girls and Bill recognized the squad. Nathan, Shelly, Issac, and a thought projection of Cam. There was also another Spartan she and Rainbow didn't recognize. His call sign was S-012.

S-012, was two feet taller than the others. His armor was bulkier and had the scratches and marks of someone who'd seen multiple accounts of combat. The large Spartan linked to the three of their comms and spoke.

"Good of you to join us. Now, how about you help with a counter-offense." He ordered. Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other and Bill nodded.

"What should we do, Sir?" He asked. He already knew what he was going to be ordered. He and his fellow Spartans were going to be ordered back into the research facility and destroy all sensitive hardware.

Being green sucked...

"Go back inside, all of you. You don't know how to fight the Covenant, not yet. The marines and I will hold them off." He stated. Nathan stood up and confronted the man.

"We can fight, Sir! Don't make us the clean up crew!" He yelled. The Spartan II shot forward and grabbed the disobedient soldier by the throat. Twilight was about to shoot forward, when Bill and Rainbow grabbed her arms. None of the others noticed her movement, or if they did, they didn't seem to care.

"Are you disobeying a direct order from a superior?" He asked with malice. Nathan gulped and sighed.

"S-Sir, no, Sir..." He mumbled. The Spartan drooped him and pointed back to the facility. The Spartan III's nodded and bolted back inside. Twilight stood next to Bill as they entered the structure.

"What happens here?" She asked. Bill turned to her and lifted his visor. She could see the worry in his eyes.

"Here? This is where things get messy for Nathan. Are you prepared to watch him nearly die for Shelly?" He asked. Twilight remembered him telling her about this; the thing with his wounded eye. Hit with an energy sword? At least that's what she remembered.

She suppressed the knot and nodded. Not only was this a time of war, but it was also the beginning of his and Shelly's love blooming for one another. Could she really watch that?

No. This was a memory, the past. Of course it didn't mean anything now. He was hers and nothing would change that now.

Still, the thought of him wrapped around Shelly? She nearly spat at the idea of it. She pressed on with the others, when the power suddenly blacked out. Nathan held up a hand which Twilight could barely see in the darkness.

He made a snipping motion with his middle and pointer finger, then rotated them in a 360. All at once the hums of the Spartan's night vision optics came on. She turned to Bill, hoping to find out how to get it to work.

"Press the button with your chin." He said. Twilight nudged the chin guard and all at once, a grainy, green glow took her view. It wasn't to clear, but at least she could see.

"Wow, cool!" Rainbow gushed, looking at everything. Nathan raised another hand and made a slashing motion.

"Keep it down, Spartan." He hissed into the microphone. Rainbow winced and nodded.

"Sorry." She said sadly. Nathan groaned and turned to her.

"Don't be sorry, just be quiet!" He hissed.

"SORRY!" She yelled.

Bill sniggered a bit, but silenced himself. No need to incur the wrath of the fake Nathan. They all walked silently through the blackened halls until Nathan stopped them again. Twilight peered over from the back of the group. She heard the barks and growls of a pack of Grunts, then the harsh garbles of the Elites. Was this the moment when he would nearly die?

"Spartans? Spread out into teams. Shelly, Cam, and I will be Alpha. The rest of you are beta. Move out." He called. Bill turned to Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Issac.

"Alright. Let's just get this over with." He said, striding down the hall. Rainbow trotted to his side.

"So... What is it we're doing?" She asked. Bill shrugged and hung a sharp left.

"We're going to destroy some files. That's about it." He said. Rainbow nodded and they continued on until they reached a room labeled, 'Restricted'. Bill burst it open and the four were surrounded by computers and mounds of hardware. Issac sighed, as did Rainbow. Twilight, however, seemed most intrigued.

Bill fanned them out into groups of two. Rainbow and Issac, and he and Twilight. They all went to their sides of the room and began destroying and erasing files.

"What a waste..." Twilight said sadly. Bill nodded and continued shooting memory crystals.

"It's either destroy them, or let the Covenant gain valuable intel. Which would you rather it be?" He asked. Twilight held the pink memory crystal in her hand. Hundreds of hours, even thousands, were about to be destroyed. Who knew what kinds of breakthroughs were made and had been recorded in this crystal alone.

She shut her eyes and crushed the cube to dust in her gloved hand. Bill gave her a nod and continued his work. "You can explore. We don't encounter anything here. Go look at some of what humanity has to offer the galaxy." He told her.

She nodded back and trailed off down the halls. They were pretty bland. Nothing but gray metal and gray doors. She turned a corner and went to walk into a room, when she heard a voice from within.

"Six Spartan's, Captain. I can't guarantee they'll all survive, but if they do, you'll get quite a payday. But, you need to bring your ship in to 'rescue' us. Is it a deal?"

Twilight pulled her sidearm instinctively, (guess being around Spartans can help there) and peered inside. "Bill?" She whispered on a private comm channel.

"Yeah? What's wrong?" He asked. Twilight looked back into the room to make sure this was who she thought it was before calling in again. And, to her horror, it was.

"We got a huge problem..."