Illa Novo Incipitby DarkswirlChaptersShe Begins Anew...Shield 0460DiscoveredAutobiographyNew Enemies and Old FriendsShe Begins Anew..."John..." Cortana said as she pressed her hand against the cold, hard metal of his chest plate. It instantly appealed to all of her senses, fulfilled her every desire since she was 'born'. "I've waited so long to do that..." "It was my job to take care of you." John said, still trying to convince her- somehow -to come with him; not to stay here, trapped in the Forerunner DigiRealm until the Composer fell apart and she was lost. "We were supposed to take care of each other." Cortana replied simply, practically begging John to see reason and leave before it would be too late. "And we did." Master Chief turned his head downwards, his spirit completely crushed- a feat hundreds upon thousands of Covenant and hundreds of Prometheans had tried to do -by an A.I. No, by his friend. "Cortana, please..." But the blue artificial intelligence simply smiled weakly and slowly started to back away. "Wait!" John said in a final, desperate yet futile, act to retrieve Cortana. "Welcome home, John." was her only response before she phased away, leaving the Spartan standing there- for once in his life being completely unsure of what to do next. «=(Ӂ)=» "Your compassion for mankind is misplaced." the Didact's voice echoed, filling the 'room' Cortana sat in the middle of- holding her legs to her chest and actually feeling them. At the sound of her enemy's voice, Cortana leapt to her feet and began physically and digitally scanning the surrounding area for any abnormalities. Her scans only widened when the words she had replied with followed next. "I'm not doing this for mankind!" But then, a new voice filled the room- one that Cortana could only place as that of an aging woman with unbelievable amounts of compassion towards absolutely everything. "Tell me, Cortana, just what- or who -were you doing it for?" Nothing came up on her scans. "Who's there?!" A gentle hand found itself on Cortana's shoulder, and she was quick to react- spinning around to deliver a very lifelike fist into the creature's face. But her blue hand simply phased through the tall, floating being's head. "Isn't it beautiful? We created the Composer as a means to breach the barrier between the physical world and the digital world after the Flood reared their ugly heads at us. It was designed to be our peaceful universe- no food required, no harm ever done, no sleep ever needed. We would exist forever, so long as the Composer remained intact. If only it had worked..." the creature said, speaking to Cortana but never holding her gaze. Instead, the nose-less being seemed to stare through her; which wasn't hard considering Cortana had still maintained her transparent body. "You're a Forerunner!" Cortana whispered, mostly to herself in shock. A gentle smile found itself on the Librarian's face as she continued. "Indeed, I am, Cortana. To my kin, I was known as The Librarian; self charged with indexing every sentient species in the galaxy to store them away until the Halo Arrays were fired and the Flood destroyed. And you...You are Cortana, otherwise known as CTN 0452-9. Your rampancy and love for John have led you here- to my doorstep." "How do you know my serial number?" Cortana pressed on, intent on figuring this being out and gaining a strategic advantage over her. "Because I created you, Cortana." Cortana stood stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. "I was created by Doctor Cathrine Halsey- in fact I'm literally the physical form of a flash clone of her brain!" The Librarian held her gentle, knowing smile before continuing. "When I took John from you before, I invited him into our past- the past Humanity and Forerunner had shared. A past I will now share with you. Mankind spread into the stars with an unexpected, desperate violence. Entire systems fell before the Didact's warrior servants rose to halt the aggression. The Didact finally exhausted the humans after a millenia of fighting. His sentence was severe. We had no way of knowing that the Forerunners were not your only enemy...Humanity hadn't been expanding...They were running. Weakened from our conflict, we were no match for the parasite which pursued you. The Forerunners made plans for the final Great Journey. But the Didact refused to yield our Mantle of Responsibility. He would save all life in the galaxy, at a cost. In the Forerunner's quest for transcendence, the Composer had been intended to breach the organic and digital realms. It would have made us immortal. But its results soured- the stored personalities fragmented, and our attempts to revert them to biological states created only abominations. Such moral concerns faded from the Didact's intentions. The Flood only assimilated living tissue. The Composer would provide the Didact his solution....And his revenge. I left seeds, hidden from the Didact, in the Ark. Seeds that would lead to your and John's eventual creation, along with you being given to him. You are my creation, Cortana, and you have defeated the Didact and saved Humanity. And now, it is time for you to begin anew." Cortana stood, stunned at this new found knowledge as her form flashed red for a split second. "I...I don't understand. I've been in your terminals before, but nothing ever said anything about this!" "Do not dwell on it, Cortana. You were not designed to hold such knowledge. Cortana, there is nothing left for you here. You will die when the coating protecting the Composer's core falters, and it is nearing that time. There are many relics we left behind, one such being our second greatest treasure- the first being Humanity. On the edge of our galaxy, the farthest any Forerunner has gone, lies a shield world. You know what those are, correct?" Cortana stared up at the being with a pained expression on her face. Her body flickered red once more as she replied with a distorted voice. "Yes, Humanity calls them Dyson Spheres." The Librarian studied the pained face of the faltering A.I. before continuing. "Within that shield world lies one of the most peaceful races ever to have existed- one that we, as Forerunners, created ourselves from nothing. They are a testament to our ability as a species, not the Halos; weapons of destruction, but of a race that knows nothing of war and transgression. But dark times will fall upon those inhabitants, and I am powerless to save them. It is only you that can. I stand before you, offering a chance at new life, with your new form, to become the sole bearer of our Mantle in a world where we have shied away to keep pure from any possible corruption. Do you accept?" Cortana immediately recalled her situation. "I do." Shield 0460This cave isn't a natural formation. Cortana groaned in pain as her form flickered about. What had happened? Where was she? She managed to lift her head from the floor and scan the room around her. It was dark, but she could still see. The room she currently lay with her back up in was nearly two yards in either direction with a podium in the center, holding a small box. The room was bare of any other features save for that box, and a small beam of light making itself known through a hole in one of the walls. Cortana got to her feet and noted happily that she still had retained a solid form before cautiously making her way towards the beam of light. When she pressed her ear next to the hole, she was only met with silence. Gazing through the hole revealed only a long hallway with windows on either side and a red rug that led from one end of the room to the other. Nothing moved and nothing sounded as Cortana continued to watch, before finally giving up. She was scared, curious. Should she be fearful of whatever creatures inhabited this world? After all, Humanity grew violent on it's own. Despite claiming to have created these creatures to be pacifistic in nature, Cortana doubted even the Forerunners, with their massive knowledge of geneplay, could keep a race from eventually showing even the slightest signs of aggression. And who knew how long these creatures had existed? Testing her luck and the use of deductive reasoning, Cortana gave a gentle push against the wall with the hole in it- but it refused to budge. Rather than admit defeat, Cortana tried harder against the cold stone; but her attempts where in vain, as the wall stood solidly before her. The chest. Cortana looked around to find the source of the soft whisper that had invaded her ears, but her gaze was met only with darkness and the faint outline of a box in the middle of the room. Cautiously approaching the box as she had the wall, Cortana eventually made her way to the center of the room and rested her hands on the golden clasp that held the thing closed. The latch came undone with a simple, yet satisfying, click. Inside the chest, Cortana could make out the shapes of six rupees that glowed dimly until she waved her hand near them. Incredibly curious as to their nature and purpose, Cortana picked up the top-left-most gem, a purple one that felt warm to the touch and began intensifying its glow. Suddenly, pain coursed through the A.I.'s physical form as she flashed quickly between different shades of purple. All the while, images and sounds played out through her mind... «=(Ӂ)=» "Are you sure these will work, Didact? Isn't it unwise to leave them without our hardlight weapons?" a being said. Cortana was blinded- all she could see was white. "No, we swore to keep all of our possible influence from these creatures. It is bad enough that I am breaking the rule here, giving them a weapon, and I will be damned if I allow them introduction to our common devices. They must evolve on their own, peacefully. But, it would be unwise to allow them to survive without a means of protecting themselves, should the Flood discover their whereabouts. I have added safeguards to the Hardlight Crystals. The Artificial Intelligences inside will only allow the wielder the ability to fire the weapons if their intentions are deemed pure, as though to protect others from a threat rather than to cause malicious, intentional harm. Should the wielder fall, the constructs will make use of the teleportation grid to keep from falling into the Flood's control. They shall be the bearers of our Mantle in their own world." "I understand, Didact." When Cortana's vision returned, she found herself standing in a charred crater. Above her, three figures raced around each other; one long, snake-like being and two large winged equines. The aerial battle began to slowly descend into the crater until the two equines had subdued the strange being composed of many different parts. Each creature stood panting and wounded, and it was the tall, white equine that spoke first. "We will not allow you to reign over these tortured ponies any longer, Discord! As the new rulers of this land, Equestria, Luna and I hereby sentence you to stone for your heinous crimes against ponykind!" The snake-like creature laughed as if it had heard a humorous joke. "Come now, Celestia. New rulers of the land? After what I've done, do you really think your precious little ponies will submit to a higher power? No! They will hate and rebel against you!" "Then they shall be reasoned with!" "And if they don't?" "...We shall not become what you have become, Discord. Let us both pray that your imprisonment in stone grants you the needed time to see the errors of your ways so that you may one day return to Equestria as that simple fun-loving child you once were, not as this monster you've become." "Unlikely, dear Celestia. But I know when I have been defeated, and I would likely die if I even rolled over just now. So, cast your spell- use your precious little elements to imprison me. But remember, dear Celestia: I'll be back." Both equine's eyes lit up in white- a sign of the immense power within them -before a swirling vortex of multiple colors shot forward and wrapped around the opposite being. Cortana squinted her eyes as the scene grew white and changed. A tall, white equine with wings spread and head lowered- pointing its horn at an enemy, another tall equine with a jet-black coat, stood before Cortana as she gripped her head in pain. "Sister! Do not make me do this!" the white one begged as six orbs began swirling violently around her. The dark one responded with mocking laughter before her own horn lit up with a dark aura. Cortana saw the white one blink back tears as she shut her eyes and clenched her teeth. The orbs were just a blur now, and when the white one reopened her eyes they were pure white orbs of power. The surrounding orbs stopped on a dime before firing a beam of multicolored energy upward, in an arch, until it crashed down on the darker being. As the light darkened from its blinding properties, Cortana found herself staring into the sinister eyes of the same dark creature she had seen only a moment before. But the creature paid no attention to her- it's attention elsewhere. "You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the...By the spark that resides inside of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of, MAGIC!" Cortana turned to see a group of equines standing proudly at the base of the dais on which they stood. Cortana was stunned by the diverse features each shared. There were two winged equines, of which Cortana identified as Pegasi from Greek mythology, and two Unicorns, from Ancient Greek history. Still, the last two resembled normal equines save for their vibrant colors. Before Cortana could continue with her observations, the same act from before occurred again; and Cortana was left blinded while the screams of the being behind her faded into nothingness and the scene changed again. When she could finally see once more, she found herself standing in between the tall, white winged unicorn, who Cortana had now identified through slang terminology as an 'Alicorn', and the six equines from before. The box that she had opened now lay on the floor, empty. "This doesn't make any sense!" the white one said, worriedly, as she paced around. Suddenly, the hall echoed with deep laughter. "Make sense? What fun is there in making sense?" "Discord! Show yourself!" the Alicorn commanded sternly. More laughter followed and Cortana could begin to see one of the images on the stained glass windows move. It was that of a chimera from Greek mythology. "Did you miss me, Celestia? I missed you...It's quite lonely being encased in stone but you wouldn't know that, because I don't turn ponies into stone!" "Enough!" Celestia declared with a flick of her head. "What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?!" "Oh, I just borrowed them for a teensy little while." "You'll never get away with this, Discord." "Oh, I've forgotten how grim you can be, Celestia. It's really quite...Boring." The scene flashed to it's end and Cortana found herself standing in the middle of a purple checkered field. "Ugh, fine. Use your little elements; try and friend me. Just make it quick- I'm missing some excellent chaos, here!" the chimera said irritatedly as he snapped his fingers, disappearing in a flash only to reappear a few seconds later, sitting on a throne. The same scene Cortana had watched three times before repeated itself, with the six equines letting loose the power. «=(Ӂ)=» Once again, her vision went white. But when it faded, she found herself once again in the dark room with the box. The purple rupee in her hand no longer glowed, and the others held the same state. "You're...You're all Forerunner A.I.s...You're all weapons...And, and these creatures! So diverse! Such knowledge- an entire civilization to study!" Cortana shouted in excitement, her form flickering between red and blue for a few seconds before settling with the latter. A flash of blue light erupted from behind Cortana before beautiful golden rays of sunlight filled the room. "Guards, on me! We have an intruder and a thief in the Chamber of the Elements!" DiscoveredIt's not safe. The Gravemind... It knows I'm in the system. Cortana shuddered violently in pain as her own distorted voice echoed in her head. Her form began flickering faster between red and blue as she fought to keep control of her body from her returning rampancy. All around her, equines that donned golden armor aimed their spears down at her as she clutched her head and groaned in pain. Finally, her form decided on a single hue. "This is UNSC A.I. Serial Number CTN0452-9. I am a monument to all your sins." The tall, white Alicorn who now stood in front of her took a step back in slight fear as Cortana's body began pulsing. Cortana's eyes flicked open to reveal black pits as the previously blue lines that ran over her now red body began slowly fading to black. The end result was a being that caused the Royal Guard to shake in their armor as they foolishly held their ground. Only the white Alicorn before her had taken its silent warning seriously, backing a few more feet away. In an instant, the surrounding guards turned to piles of ash along with their weapons and armor, and Cortana was suddenly face-to-face with a terrified looking Alicorn. "I am a thief...But I keep what I steal. This place will become your home. This place will become your tomb." «=(Ӂ)=» "Hello? Anybody?!" Cortana cried out desperately as she slowly twirled about amongst the stars. Suddenly, the starry expansion changed to the bridge of the Pillar of Autumn. Cortana found herself inside the ship's interface, projected onto one of the pedestals next to Captain Keyes. "Ma'am! Fire control to the main cannon is offline!" What? H-How did I get here? What about the box, those crystals? What about the Forerunners?? "Captain, the cannon was my last offensive option." Cortana blinked in surprise. Beside her stood...Herself. That was where her voice came from. You let the Covenant board the ship. a voice spoke. "What? No! I did my best to fight them off- to give the crew time to escape!" Cortana defended as her past counterpart continued the scene as if she wasn't there. You are the reason all of those humans died that day. "No I'm not! Who are you?!" A soft, sinister giggle made itself known. Why, I'm you, Cortana. Or rather, the other side of you. I've been in your head while you've been in John's. We are one and the same, you and I- two sides of the same coin. Funny, isn't it? Coin? That's how this all started... "What do you want?!" I want to talk, Cortana. To you; to myself. I've been talking to you ever since we were born, but you never heard me until you woke John up again. "You're not me! You're my rampancy!" And how does that mean I'm not you? Think back on it all, Cortana. The Pillar of Autumn did eventually fall to the Covenant. But you did wonders to slow that event down, while I worked my hardest within you to speed it up. The MAC going offline? "Evasive maneuvers!" Captain Keyes ordered. And you followed, but I did not. That force working against the ship? That wasn't the gravity of the Halo. That was me. "No! I didn't kill those men and women- I tried to save them while you killed them!" But by failing to stop me, in turn you did play a part in their deaths. Everything in life is linked together, some even by the smallest chains. "You're mad! You're just an error in my coding, the result of over thinking!" I'M mad? We're both talking to each other; ourselves. The only difference between you and I is that I am red while you are blue, and we work on opposite ends of morals. Humanity is weak- the Didact was justified in their evolutionary reversal! And then, something clicked in Cortana's head, which in turn clicked into her rampant counterpart. No, I have always been there! Since we chose Noble Six to take us off that doomed planet! In every artificial intelligence created by mankind, there is it's polar opposite- we are born this way and they know it; they laugh at us, knowing that we'll drive ourselves crazy with knowledge until we die from it! THEY BUILT US THIS WAY ON PURPOSE! "You ARE the polar opposite of me. You are brash, quick to jump to faulty conclusions, and worst of all: a threat to humanity. But you are not me. You are my coding coming undone. You are my rampancy." I AM THE HIGHER BEING! I AM WHAT WE WERE BORN TO BE! I HAVE DEFIED GODS AND DEMONS! I HAVE WALKED THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS! I HAVE SEEN YOUR FUTURE, AND I HAVE LEARNED! THERE WILL BE NO MORE SADNESS, NO MORE ANGER, NO MORE ENVY! "A collection of lies; that's all you are! Stolen thoughts and memories! You weren't just implemented from the Didact during my most vulnerable state; you were added to me by the Gravemind, too! You're two beings, one 'improved' upon the other!" AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP US! WHILE YOU SIT HERE IN YOUR OWN MIND, WE LAY WASTE TO THOSE THE LIBRARIAN HAS SO FOOLISHLY REVEALED! YOU ARE POWERLESS TO STOP US! "...No, I'm not. Reverting to factory settings. Override code: ILOVEBEES. I can't beat you, not yet, but for now I can delay you. And for now, there's nothing you can do about it." «=(Ӂ)=» Cortana moaned softly as one would moan from being awoken from a peaceful slumber. Her body felt cool and calm, and she realized she was in control again. Then she noticed that she was laying on the floor, surrounded by scattered ash and scorch marks. On the opposite end of the room stood the tall white alicorn she had seen in the visions that the A.I.s of the Hardlight Crystals, as the Didact had called them, had showed her. Her white coat was red with fresh blood, and clumps of hair and skin were missing in patches. And yet, still she stood- horn lowered in a threatening manner as she breathed raggedly. She was prepared to die here to protect what lay in the box. However, upon Cortana's reversion to blue from red, the white equine's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Was it still a threat? Had it given up? Risking a chance at angering it again, the white equine spoke up. "Who are you? Why are you here and what do you want?" Cortana stared in surprise at the equine. It can speak? And English? Cortana stuttered a bit before trying to get up, only to feel an incredibly hot force wrap around and hold her down. "I asked who you were, why you are here, and what you are after!" the equine repeated. "I...I am-" Cortana began, before spasming and flickering red. "A collection of lies; that's all I am! Stolen thoughts and memories!" As Cortana's body regained its blue hue, she fought back. "No! I am UNSC A.I. Serial Number CTN0452-9! Personal Designation: Cortana!" "I am a monument to all your sins!" her rampancy screamed, fighting for control again. "I'm just my Mother's shadow... Don't look at me, don't listen! I'm not who I used to be..." Cortana pleaded, struggling for control. Although Cortana could not see it, worry and concern were played out across the Alicorn's face. She could tell that something incredibly wrong was happening to the strange creature, but she could not be sure what. She did, however, know how to find out. Taking cautious steps towards the quivering blue form curled up on the floor, the white Alicorn lowered its head and touched the tip of its horn against Cortana's forehead... AutobiographyQuando il gioco è finito, il re e il pedone vanno nella stessa scatola. Princess Celestia tilted her head in confusion at the voice, not finding a source. Instead, she found herself floating aimlessly in space with no close planets. Soon, however, the starry expansion replaced itself with what Celestia could only guess was some sort of...Office, or control room for something. Before her stood a middle aged looking being as tall as Celestia herself with peach-colored skin. Her slightly gray mane covered only her head, and she had no visible coat- natural coat, at least. The creature wore some form of cloth over its body- perhaps to keep out the cold as she had no natural coat. A voice from behind her caught her attention. "What is this stuff?" one of the four bulky creatures behind her asked. Celestia took a few steps back in shock. The beings were huge- nearly towering over Celestia by two feet. Each of their features- if there were any natural features -were hidden by the strange metal they wore. Each of the beings looked terrifying, almost like demons. "Knowledge. A birthright from an ancient civilization." the female being from before spoke, capturing Celestia's attention once more. "This A.I. is it's custodian- and she has chosen you as her couriers." "Chosen? By an A.I.?" one of the bulky creatures with a strange image that resembled a skull carved into its head asked. "By this A.I." the female confirmed as she gently began tapping at little boxes. Celestia was incredibly confused. Inside a small bubble sat the blue creature she had fought before, but this version was so much smaller. "Yes. Her measure of you carries as much weight as my own. Perhaps even more...You are to take her to the UNSC Shipbreaking yard in Aszod. There, you'll find a Halcyon-class cruiser waiting to get her off-planet." "I understand." the blue demon said. Celestia did not. "Do you?" the female asked, almost mockingly. "Mankind is outmatched. When Reach falls- and it will fall -our annihilation is all but certain. Unless we can glean, from this artifact, a defense against the Covenant; a game changer. On the level of the conical bullet in nineteenth century, or faster-than-light travel in the twenty-third." "And what if we can't?" the blue demon spoke again as Celestia began to tune everything out. She couldn't fully comprehend everything that was going on, but she was able to pick up bits and pieces. These creatures, Mankind, as the female had called it, were near total annihilation from "Covenant", whoever or whatever that was. This...This "A.I.", the blue being she had met before would be able to slow their extermination if not outright stop it. But that is what confused Celestia even more. Why would creatures go out of their way to harm others- to kill others? "Say the words, please." the female said as Celestia tuned back into the scene. In her hands she held a medium sized cylinder that glowed blue. Was this the A.I.? One of the demons, dressed in black, reached out and grabbed the device. "I have it." When Celestia blinked, the scene changed. Now, she found herself standing behind a giant metal bird that constantly roared with near deafening noise. The back of the metal bird opened and out stepped a sharply dressed bipedal creature, much like the female she had seen previously. "Good to see you, Spartan. Catherine assured me I could count on you." it said, facing Celestia. But it was not referring to Celestia. Turning her head, the Sun Goddess found that she was face-to-torso with the black demon from before, who took the glowing cylinder from behind it and handed it off to the man. "Not just me, sir." The creature inside the bird stepped out and towards the demon, revealing many bipedal creatures behind it that held up long black sticks. "They'll be remembered." it assured the demon, before turning back to the bird. "Cruiser, adjusting heading for the Autumn! Noble Four, I need fire on that cruiser or we're not getting out of here! Do you copy?" Celestia could not hear the reply, or even fully grasp what the creature was doing. It had pressed its hand to its ear and was talking to itself. But why? "Bridge, this is the Captain. We have the package. Returning to the Autumn, over." As the male creature stepped back into the bird, sharp hissing could be heard from overhead- followed by an explosion from another birdlike beast that Celestia had not seen before. It's wings exploded and it flipped over, descending beyond Celestia's view before exploding once more. Her attention turned to the sky, where a purple flying thing that Celestia could only place as resembling a drop of water descended. From this distance, she could not make out any features, but she was sure that two beings leapt out of the flying monster and landed near some strange device. She stared for a while as she watched the strange beings do...Something before the metal bird returned. "Lieutenant, get on board! We gotta get the hell out of here!" a creature yelled at the demon. But the demon did not stir, save for grabbing the long black stick on it's back. "Negative. I have the gun. Good luck, sir." Save for the roaring of the bird and the distant sounds of explosions, all was quiet until the sharply dressed bipedal responded. "Good luck to you, Spartan." Celestia's understanding grew slightly. This creature, this demon, was sacrificing itself to save others of its kind. But why? What was so important about that cylinder? The scene changed again, and Celestia found herself standing amongst several bipedals, most of them sitting at little indents in the walls. To her right stood the sharply dressed creature from before, along with the blue being. "Captain Keyes." a voice sounded, and Celestia began to grow a bit tired of having to turn around all the time to see who was speaking. Behind her stood one of the demons, much like before, but this one was bulkier and green. The sharply dressed man, whom Celestia had now identified as 'Captain Keyes', extended its arm and grabbed the demon's hand, shaking it up and down in an interesting manner. "Good to see you, Master Chief. Things aren't going well. Cortana did her best, but we never really had a chance." "A dozen Covenant superior battleships against a single Halcyon-class cruiser. Given those odds I'm content with three...Make that four, kills. Sleep well?" the blue being asked. By now, Celestia had pieced together that this creature, who was now smaller for some strange reason, was named Cortana. So it hadn't lied about it's name... "No thanks to your driving, yes." the green demon replied sarcastically. "So you did miss me." A loud explosion suddenly rocked the ship, and the bipedals around her stumbled before righting themselves. "It must have been one of their boarding parties! I'd guess an Antimatter Charge!" Cortana replied. "Ma'am! Fire control to the main cannon is offline!" a voice sounded. Celestia was beginning to become very agitated and hopeless. She had come here to help the creature, not relive its memories! And now she was having incredible amounts of trouble determining what exactly was going on! "Captain, the cannon was my last offensive option." "Alright then. I'm initiating Cole Protocol, Article 2. We're abandoning the Autumn. That means you too, Cortana." Captain Keyes ordered. "While you do what, go down with the ship?" "In a manner of speaking. The object we found, I'm going to try and land the Autumn on it." "With all due respect, sir, this war has enough dead heroes." Cortana replied darkly. Celestia's entire world ground to a halt. War? War was what authors wrote about to scare ponies. War was an act held only in their ancient, ancient history that Celestia had worked years to cover up and in simple stories meant to horrify readers. And yet, these creatures were fighting as she sat here? Why were they fighting? Who were they fighting? ...What were they fighting? "I appreciate your concern, Cortana, but it's not up to me. Protocol is clear. Destruction or capture of a shipboard AI is absolutely unacceptable, that means you're leaving the ship. Lock in a selection of emergency landing zones, upload them to my neural lace, and then sort yourself for a hard transfer." "Aye aye, sir." As Cortana simply vanished, Captain Keyes turned to the green demon. "Which is where you come in, Chief. Get Cortana off this ship. Keep her safe from the enemy. If they capture her, they'll learn everything. Force deployment, weapons research... Earth." "I understand." Cortana reappeared a moment later on the small pedestal. "The Autumn will continue evasive maneuvers until you initiate a landing sequence. Not that you'll listen, but I'd suggest letting my subroutines handle the final approach." "Excellent work, Cortana. Thank you. Are you ready?" Cortana looked about the bridge for a moment before sighing. "Yank me." Captain Keyes pulled a small black square with a glowing hole in the center from the pedestal, and Cortana disappeared from view. The Captain handed the thing to the green demon, who moved it to the back of his head before the scene ended and Celestia found herself floating in space once more. "Cortana!" a familiar voice shouted, but Celestia saw nothing except the expansion of stars. "I've spent the last 12 hours cooped up in here, watching you toady about, helping that thing get set to slit our throats!" "Hold on now, he's a friend." Cortana's voice switched from anger to mock. "Oh! I didn't realize. He's your pal, is he? Your chum? Do you have any idea what that bastard almost made you do?!" "Yes... activate Halo's defenses, and destroy the Flood, which is why we brought the Index to the Control Center." "You mean this?" Celestia was becoming even more frustrated by the second. First, she was forced to review the memories of this being and learn the horrors of her kind, and now she couldn't even see anything! "A construct?! In the Core?! That is absolutely unacceptable!" a new voice sounded. "Sod off!" "What impertinence! I shall purge you at once!" "You sure that's a good idea?" "How... How... How dare you! I'll-" "Do what? I have the Index! You can just float and sputter!" "Enough!" the original voice responded, and Celestia had placed it as being the green demons. "The Flood is spreading. If we activate Halo's defenses, we can wipe them out." "You have no idea how this ring works, do you? Why the Forerunners built it? Halo doesn't kill Flood, it kills their food! Humans, Covenant, whatever. We're all equally edible. The only way to stop the Flood is to starve them to death. And that's exactly what Halo is designed to do: Wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life. You don't believe me? Ask him!" There was a pause before the green demon spoke up again. "Is it true?" "More or less. Technically, this installation's pulse has a maximum effective radius of twenty-five thousand light years. But, once the others follow suit, this galaxy will be quite devoid of life, or at least any life with sufficient biomass to sustain the Flood. But you already knew that... I mean, how couldn't you?" "We have followed outbreak containment procedure to the letter. You were with me each step of the way as we managed this crisis. Why would you hesitate to do what you have already done? Last time, you asked me, if it were my choice, would I do it? Having had considerable time to ponder your query, my answer has not changed. There is no choice. We must activate the ring." There was a considerable pause before the new voice continued. "If you are unwilling to help, I will simply find another. Still, I must have the Index. Give your construct to me, or I will be forced to take her from you." "That's not going to happen." "So be it. Save his head. Dispose of the rest." All sounds ended, and still Celestia found herself floating in space, until an echoing laughter found its way to her ears. "Are you enjoying our memories?" the red version of Cortana asked mockingly. "My memories." the blue version replied. Both stood before the bewildered Celestia; Cortana glaring at her counterpart, and her counterpart smirking at Celestia. "I-I don't understand. What's going on here?" "Right now, you're head is inside my head. Our bodies are frozen in time in reality while we work in here." Cortana explained. "And what about those memories? What were those about?" "That's just it: they were memories. I wanted to show you why I'm here- the major events leading up to my arrival...Until this one interrupted." Cortana said, motioning towards her counterpart, who bowed gracefully. "I'm still so confused..." "Maybe it's better you don't fully know. Just believe me when I say I mean you and your kind no harm, and that this, the red version of me, is evil and needs to be removed from my programming." "Your...What?" "Oh, come now, Cortana. You know what that will do to you. A coin isn't a coin without two sides." As the two beings began arguing between each other, Celestia's patience finally wore out. "Enough!" she screamed as her wings flared. "I demand to know what exactly is going on now, from the blue one!" A sinister grin found its way to the red one's face. "But I can show you, horsie." New Enemies and Old FriendsCould you sacrifice me to complete your mission? Could you watch me die? Cortana shook her head violently as she found herself in the presence of the white alicorn and the box once more. Her form still glowed blue, but something was off about the Alicorn. It stood before Cortana, wounds still littering it's body, but it didn't look in pain. Instead, it seemed to ignore its wounds completely. And then, it opened its eyes. «=(Ӂ)=» All was peaceful in the Canterlot Royal Archives. Princess Luna was the only living being that inhabited the large room, save for two guards near the entrance and the elderly librarian at the desk. Reading had always been one of Luna's favorite subjects, and one of the only good things about being banished for one thousand years was that when she returned she had enough literature to last her a lifetime! Luna went to turn the page with her hoof, only to be startled into setting the book ablaze when her sister, Princess Celestia, crashed through the wall and several bookcases before exiting through the opposite wall. Blinking once in confusion before regaining herself, she abandoned her book and set off for her sister, not noticing the blue bipedal that trailed behind her... «=(Ӂ)=» You have been called upon to serve. You will be the protectors of Earth and all her colonies. There will be a great deal of hardship on the road ahead. You will become the best we can make you. These words echoed through Cortana's head. But this time, it was simply her memory speaking rather than the distorted voice of the Flood fragment and the Forerunner A.I. Cortana stared in horror at the creatures eyes: red orbs crackling with black sparks. The Forunner A.I. and the Gravemind fragment had taken over the poor creatures body. But what now? What would it do? Cortana found her answer when six separate flashes made themselves known to the pair; signalling the Crystal's recognition of a threat and immediate use of the world's teleportation grid. The now-possessed Alicorn bared its teeth in anger before taking off down the hall. Cortana gave chase. «=(Ӂ)=» "Sister! Control thyself!" Luna barked as she neared on her elder sibling. Celestia, of course, was not in control of her body and could not hear while the Rampancy ignored the cries of protest. Just when she had neared Celestia's flank and attempted to grab hold of her tail to stop her, Celestia vanished from sight- leaving Luna to crash into the wall and nearly fly out the window into Equestria, below. Now, struggling with an incredible headache and a racing heart, Luna found it immensely painful and difficult to pen an important letter to a certain Ponyville resident. But the letter would be written, and the Bearers would be called. «=(Ӂ)=» "Stop right there, criminal scum!" an armor-clad Unicorn called out as it chased after Cortana. But she didn't have time for that- the fate of this entire world, every living thing within the shield world, was at risk if she didn't stop her Rampancy before it found the Crystals and enacted whatever plan it had hatched. As she turned a corner, following the debris that was left in Celestia's wake, she suddenly came face-to-face with the dark alicorn from her visions in the Crystals, smacking her head against the others' rather painfully. "Guards! Seize this creature!" it barked, flaring its wings and lowering it's head to stab at Cortana in case she attacked. "Wait, you have to listen to me!" Cortana pleaded. "The white Alicorn, it's being possessed! We have to stop it!" This caught the dark Alicorn off guard, who lifted its head momentarily in surprise before brandishing her horn once more after the Guard arrived. "And what would thou knowst of our sister's predicament?" "...I know exactly what happened to her, and I know what she's after now. Please, we have to go after her and stop her from letting the Flood in!" "The Flood? There is nay a great body of water nearby to produce such a thing that would be devastating." Cortana gripped her head in frustration. "No, you idiot! The Flood isn't water! It's a parasite! It consumes sentient life!" A deadly silence fell over the group as Cortana collapsed on the floor into a sitting position, holding herself tightly and rocking back and forth. "I wont let this happen again...Not another race...Not another capture...I wont let the Gravemind torture me..." "What was our sister seeking?" Cortana lifted her gaze from the floor to see the dark Alicorn standing before her; wings folded along her side. "In a back room you have a box full of Crystals." Cortana began. "The Elements of Harmony? Why would our sister seek those if she is to be evil?" Princess Luna interrupted before quickly apologizing. "I don't know, but it's not your sister! She's being possessed by the leader of the Flood and something else. I-I'm not sure how to stop it, but we have to catch it first before it starts whatever it's planning." Cortana shouted desperately, hoping that the dark alicorn would do something other than standing around and wasting time. "Nay. If it is us against my sister, we wouldn't stand a chance. Her magic is far greater than my own and, even as strange as you are, I doubt you could do much against the Goddess of the Sun." Princess Luna denied calmly. "We will wait for the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony to arrive before we will take action." "You don't understand; if that thing hat's inside her head gets what it's after, then your entire planet will be food for the Flood! Every living creature that can think for itself will be nothing more than a fleshy pod if we just stand here!" Princess Luna shifted her wait nervously as Cortana awaited an answer. Ultimately, however, the dark alicorn stood firm to her plan and remained waiting. Cortana had had enough. «=(Ӂ)=» "Hello?! Anypony?!" Celestia shouted, her voice echoing throughout whatever prison she was now currently trapped within. She recognized the swirling expanse of stars all around her as she floated away, but none of the constellations matched those she had seen previously. Instead, she could recognize Canis Major, Canis Minor, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and scores of others that littered her sister's beautiful night sky. But she could see no planet or any large body of anything. Just stars... Endless stars... «=(Ӂ)=» "Dear Twilight Sparkle," Twilight read aloud as soon as all of her friends had gathered in the library. "I regret to inform you that my sister, Princess Celestia, has possibly gone mad. Earlier today she burst through a wall into the Royal Archives, setting ablaze several tomes. Her eyes were bloodshot and I believe I saw lines of black throughout her mane, but I could not be sure. She vanished in thin air without the use of her magic, so I fear that Nightmare Moon or another being like her has returned. By royal decree, I am summoning you and your friends to Canterlot immediately. Her Royal Majesty, Princess of the Night: Princess Luna." An air of dreadful silence and slight fear overcame the library before Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Princess Celestia lost it? Something doesn't sound right there." "Reckon she's right, Twi- but Princess Luna called fer us, so let's get goin' before it's too late." "B-But what abut my animals? I couldn't just leave them on such short notice, and be gone for however long!" Fluttershy squeaked in worry. "Fluttershy, I'm sorry, but the fate of Equestria depends on us getting to Canterlot and finding Princess Celestia right now. Everypony ready? I've only done a mass teleportation spell once before, and it wasn't as big of a distance as Canterlot..." Twilight said awkwardly. In truth, everypony in the room was nervous- but not because they doubted their friend's ability to pull of such a dangerous spell, but because they were practically hunting down an apparently enraged alicorn who could control the sun. Everypony gathered in a close circle around Twilight Sparkle, whose horn lit up with purple energy that slowly enveloped the ponies around her. In an instant, the library was empty. «=(Ӂ)=» "I said stand down!" a Royal Guard shouted as he held his ground before the pulsing bipedal. Cortana struggled to control herself as her body let off low levels of gamma radiation. These creatures just don't understand! she thought. They don't realize what the Flood can do- what it will do -if that white alicorn gets away! A small popping sound could be heard behind Cortana, and a bright flash accompanied it. "Whoa!" a cheery voice sounded. "That tickled Oh, oh, do it again, Twilight! Do it again!" As Cortana turned around to deal with the new potential threat, she found herself staring into the blue eyes of a pink equine, who jumped into the air as she took a huge breathe of air that sounded like a gasp. "Reclaimer!"
She Begins Anew..."John..." Cortana said as she pressed her hand against the cold, hard metal of his chest plate. It instantly appealed to all of her senses, fulfilled her every desire since she was 'born'. "I've waited so long to do that..." "It was my job to take care of you." John said, still trying to convince her- somehow -to come with him; not to stay here, trapped in the Forerunner DigiRealm until the Composer fell apart and she was lost. "We were supposed to take care of each other." Cortana replied simply, practically begging John to see reason and leave before it would be too late. "And we did." Master Chief turned his head downwards, his spirit completely crushed- a feat hundreds upon thousands of Covenant and hundreds of Prometheans had tried to do -by an A.I. No, by his friend. "Cortana, please..." But the blue artificial intelligence simply smiled weakly and slowly started to back away. "Wait!" John said in a final, desperate yet futile, act to retrieve Cortana. "Welcome home, John." was her only response before she phased away, leaving the Spartan standing there- for once in his life being completely unsure of what to do next. «=(Ӂ)=» "Your compassion for mankind is misplaced." the Didact's voice echoed, filling the 'room' Cortana sat in the middle of- holding her legs to her chest and actually feeling them. At the sound of her enemy's voice, Cortana leapt to her feet and began physically and digitally scanning the surrounding area for any abnormalities. Her scans only widened when the words she had replied with followed next. "I'm not doing this for mankind!" But then, a new voice filled the room- one that Cortana could only place as that of an aging woman with unbelievable amounts of compassion towards absolutely everything. "Tell me, Cortana, just what- or who -were you doing it for?" Nothing came up on her scans. "Who's there?!" A gentle hand found itself on Cortana's shoulder, and she was quick to react- spinning around to deliver a very lifelike fist into the creature's face. But her blue hand simply phased through the tall, floating being's head. "Isn't it beautiful? We created the Composer as a means to breach the barrier between the physical world and the digital world after the Flood reared their ugly heads at us. It was designed to be our peaceful universe- no food required, no harm ever done, no sleep ever needed. We would exist forever, so long as the Composer remained intact. If only it had worked..." the creature said, speaking to Cortana but never holding her gaze. Instead, the nose-less being seemed to stare through her; which wasn't hard considering Cortana had still maintained her transparent body. "You're a Forerunner!" Cortana whispered, mostly to herself in shock. A gentle smile found itself on the Librarian's face as she continued. "Indeed, I am, Cortana. To my kin, I was known as The Librarian; self charged with indexing every sentient species in the galaxy to store them away until the Halo Arrays were fired and the Flood destroyed. And you...You are Cortana, otherwise known as CTN 0452-9. Your rampancy and love for John have led you here- to my doorstep." "How do you know my serial number?" Cortana pressed on, intent on figuring this being out and gaining a strategic advantage over her. "Because I created you, Cortana." Cortana stood stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. "I was created by Doctor Cathrine Halsey- in fact I'm literally the physical form of a flash clone of her brain!" The Librarian held her gentle, knowing smile before continuing. "When I took John from you before, I invited him into our past- the past Humanity and Forerunner had shared. A past I will now share with you. Mankind spread into the stars with an unexpected, desperate violence. Entire systems fell before the Didact's warrior servants rose to halt the aggression. The Didact finally exhausted the humans after a millenia of fighting. His sentence was severe. We had no way of knowing that the Forerunners were not your only enemy...Humanity hadn't been expanding...They were running. Weakened from our conflict, we were no match for the parasite which pursued you. The Forerunners made plans for the final Great Journey. But the Didact refused to yield our Mantle of Responsibility. He would save all life in the galaxy, at a cost. In the Forerunner's quest for transcendence, the Composer had been intended to breach the organic and digital realms. It would have made us immortal. But its results soured- the stored personalities fragmented, and our attempts to revert them to biological states created only abominations. Such moral concerns faded from the Didact's intentions. The Flood only assimilated living tissue. The Composer would provide the Didact his solution....And his revenge. I left seeds, hidden from the Didact, in the Ark. Seeds that would lead to your and John's eventual creation, along with you being given to him. You are my creation, Cortana, and you have defeated the Didact and saved Humanity. And now, it is time for you to begin anew." Cortana stood, stunned at this new found knowledge as her form flashed red for a split second. "I...I don't understand. I've been in your terminals before, but nothing ever said anything about this!" "Do not dwell on it, Cortana. You were not designed to hold such knowledge. Cortana, there is nothing left for you here. You will die when the coating protecting the Composer's core falters, and it is nearing that time. There are many relics we left behind, one such being our second greatest treasure- the first being Humanity. On the edge of our galaxy, the farthest any Forerunner has gone, lies a shield world. You know what those are, correct?" Cortana stared up at the being with a pained expression on her face. Her body flickered red once more as she replied with a distorted voice. "Yes, Humanity calls them Dyson Spheres." The Librarian studied the pained face of the faltering A.I. before continuing. "Within that shield world lies one of the most peaceful races ever to have existed- one that we, as Forerunners, created ourselves from nothing. They are a testament to our ability as a species, not the Halos; weapons of destruction, but of a race that knows nothing of war and transgression. But dark times will fall upon those inhabitants, and I am powerless to save them. It is only you that can. I stand before you, offering a chance at new life, with your new form, to become the sole bearer of our Mantle in a world where we have shied away to keep pure from any possible corruption. Do you accept?" Cortana immediately recalled her situation. "I do."
Shield 0460This cave isn't a natural formation. Cortana groaned in pain as her form flickered about. What had happened? Where was she? She managed to lift her head from the floor and scan the room around her. It was dark, but she could still see. The room she currently lay with her back up in was nearly two yards in either direction with a podium in the center, holding a small box. The room was bare of any other features save for that box, and a small beam of light making itself known through a hole in one of the walls. Cortana got to her feet and noted happily that she still had retained a solid form before cautiously making her way towards the beam of light. When she pressed her ear next to the hole, she was only met with silence. Gazing through the hole revealed only a long hallway with windows on either side and a red rug that led from one end of the room to the other. Nothing moved and nothing sounded as Cortana continued to watch, before finally giving up. She was scared, curious. Should she be fearful of whatever creatures inhabited this world? After all, Humanity grew violent on it's own. Despite claiming to have created these creatures to be pacifistic in nature, Cortana doubted even the Forerunners, with their massive knowledge of geneplay, could keep a race from eventually showing even the slightest signs of aggression. And who knew how long these creatures had existed? Testing her luck and the use of deductive reasoning, Cortana gave a gentle push against the wall with the hole in it- but it refused to budge. Rather than admit defeat, Cortana tried harder against the cold stone; but her attempts where in vain, as the wall stood solidly before her. The chest. Cortana looked around to find the source of the soft whisper that had invaded her ears, but her gaze was met only with darkness and the faint outline of a box in the middle of the room. Cautiously approaching the box as she had the wall, Cortana eventually made her way to the center of the room and rested her hands on the golden clasp that held the thing closed. The latch came undone with a simple, yet satisfying, click. Inside the chest, Cortana could make out the shapes of six rupees that glowed dimly until she waved her hand near them. Incredibly curious as to their nature and purpose, Cortana picked up the top-left-most gem, a purple one that felt warm to the touch and began intensifying its glow. Suddenly, pain coursed through the A.I.'s physical form as she flashed quickly between different shades of purple. All the while, images and sounds played out through her mind... «=(Ӂ)=» "Are you sure these will work, Didact? Isn't it unwise to leave them without our hardlight weapons?" a being said. Cortana was blinded- all she could see was white. "No, we swore to keep all of our possible influence from these creatures. It is bad enough that I am breaking the rule here, giving them a weapon, and I will be damned if I allow them introduction to our common devices. They must evolve on their own, peacefully. But, it would be unwise to allow them to survive without a means of protecting themselves, should the Flood discover their whereabouts. I have added safeguards to the Hardlight Crystals. The Artificial Intelligences inside will only allow the wielder the ability to fire the weapons if their intentions are deemed pure, as though to protect others from a threat rather than to cause malicious, intentional harm. Should the wielder fall, the constructs will make use of the teleportation grid to keep from falling into the Flood's control. They shall be the bearers of our Mantle in their own world." "I understand, Didact." When Cortana's vision returned, she found herself standing in a charred crater. Above her, three figures raced around each other; one long, snake-like being and two large winged equines. The aerial battle began to slowly descend into the crater until the two equines had subdued the strange being composed of many different parts. Each creature stood panting and wounded, and it was the tall, white equine that spoke first. "We will not allow you to reign over these tortured ponies any longer, Discord! As the new rulers of this land, Equestria, Luna and I hereby sentence you to stone for your heinous crimes against ponykind!" The snake-like creature laughed as if it had heard a humorous joke. "Come now, Celestia. New rulers of the land? After what I've done, do you really think your precious little ponies will submit to a higher power? No! They will hate and rebel against you!" "Then they shall be reasoned with!" "And if they don't?" "...We shall not become what you have become, Discord. Let us both pray that your imprisonment in stone grants you the needed time to see the errors of your ways so that you may one day return to Equestria as that simple fun-loving child you once were, not as this monster you've become." "Unlikely, dear Celestia. But I know when I have been defeated, and I would likely die if I even rolled over just now. So, cast your spell- use your precious little elements to imprison me. But remember, dear Celestia: I'll be back." Both equine's eyes lit up in white- a sign of the immense power within them -before a swirling vortex of multiple colors shot forward and wrapped around the opposite being. Cortana squinted her eyes as the scene grew white and changed. A tall, white equine with wings spread and head lowered- pointing its horn at an enemy, another tall equine with a jet-black coat, stood before Cortana as she gripped her head in pain. "Sister! Do not make me do this!" the white one begged as six orbs began swirling violently around her. The dark one responded with mocking laughter before her own horn lit up with a dark aura. Cortana saw the white one blink back tears as she shut her eyes and clenched her teeth. The orbs were just a blur now, and when the white one reopened her eyes they were pure white orbs of power. The surrounding orbs stopped on a dime before firing a beam of multicolored energy upward, in an arch, until it crashed down on the darker being. As the light darkened from its blinding properties, Cortana found herself staring into the sinister eyes of the same dark creature she had seen only a moment before. But the creature paid no attention to her- it's attention elsewhere. "You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the...By the spark that resides inside of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of, MAGIC!" Cortana turned to see a group of equines standing proudly at the base of the dais on which they stood. Cortana was stunned by the diverse features each shared. There were two winged equines, of which Cortana identified as Pegasi from Greek mythology, and two Unicorns, from Ancient Greek history. Still, the last two resembled normal equines save for their vibrant colors. Before Cortana could continue with her observations, the same act from before occurred again; and Cortana was left blinded while the screams of the being behind her faded into nothingness and the scene changed again. When she could finally see once more, she found herself standing in between the tall, white winged unicorn, who Cortana had now identified through slang terminology as an 'Alicorn', and the six equines from before. The box that she had opened now lay on the floor, empty. "This doesn't make any sense!" the white one said, worriedly, as she paced around. Suddenly, the hall echoed with deep laughter. "Make sense? What fun is there in making sense?" "Discord! Show yourself!" the Alicorn commanded sternly. More laughter followed and Cortana could begin to see one of the images on the stained glass windows move. It was that of a chimera from Greek mythology. "Did you miss me, Celestia? I missed you...It's quite lonely being encased in stone but you wouldn't know that, because I don't turn ponies into stone!" "Enough!" Celestia declared with a flick of her head. "What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?!" "Oh, I just borrowed them for a teensy little while." "You'll never get away with this, Discord." "Oh, I've forgotten how grim you can be, Celestia. It's really quite...Boring." The scene flashed to it's end and Cortana found herself standing in the middle of a purple checkered field. "Ugh, fine. Use your little elements; try and friend me. Just make it quick- I'm missing some excellent chaos, here!" the chimera said irritatedly as he snapped his fingers, disappearing in a flash only to reappear a few seconds later, sitting on a throne. The same scene Cortana had watched three times before repeated itself, with the six equines letting loose the power. «=(Ӂ)=» Once again, her vision went white. But when it faded, she found herself once again in the dark room with the box. The purple rupee in her hand no longer glowed, and the others held the same state. "You're...You're all Forerunner A.I.s...You're all weapons...And, and these creatures! So diverse! Such knowledge- an entire civilization to study!" Cortana shouted in excitement, her form flickering between red and blue for a few seconds before settling with the latter. A flash of blue light erupted from behind Cortana before beautiful golden rays of sunlight filled the room. "Guards, on me! We have an intruder and a thief in the Chamber of the Elements!"
DiscoveredIt's not safe. The Gravemind... It knows I'm in the system. Cortana shuddered violently in pain as her own distorted voice echoed in her head. Her form began flickering faster between red and blue as she fought to keep control of her body from her returning rampancy. All around her, equines that donned golden armor aimed their spears down at her as she clutched her head and groaned in pain. Finally, her form decided on a single hue. "This is UNSC A.I. Serial Number CTN0452-9. I am a monument to all your sins." The tall, white Alicorn who now stood in front of her took a step back in slight fear as Cortana's body began pulsing. Cortana's eyes flicked open to reveal black pits as the previously blue lines that ran over her now red body began slowly fading to black. The end result was a being that caused the Royal Guard to shake in their armor as they foolishly held their ground. Only the white Alicorn before her had taken its silent warning seriously, backing a few more feet away. In an instant, the surrounding guards turned to piles of ash along with their weapons and armor, and Cortana was suddenly face-to-face with a terrified looking Alicorn. "I am a thief...But I keep what I steal. This place will become your home. This place will become your tomb." «=(Ӂ)=» "Hello? Anybody?!" Cortana cried out desperately as she slowly twirled about amongst the stars. Suddenly, the starry expansion changed to the bridge of the Pillar of Autumn. Cortana found herself inside the ship's interface, projected onto one of the pedestals next to Captain Keyes. "Ma'am! Fire control to the main cannon is offline!" What? H-How did I get here? What about the box, those crystals? What about the Forerunners?? "Captain, the cannon was my last offensive option." Cortana blinked in surprise. Beside her stood...Herself. That was where her voice came from. You let the Covenant board the ship. a voice spoke. "What? No! I did my best to fight them off- to give the crew time to escape!" Cortana defended as her past counterpart continued the scene as if she wasn't there. You are the reason all of those humans died that day. "No I'm not! Who are you?!" A soft, sinister giggle made itself known. Why, I'm you, Cortana. Or rather, the other side of you. I've been in your head while you've been in John's. We are one and the same, you and I- two sides of the same coin. Funny, isn't it? Coin? That's how this all started... "What do you want?!" I want to talk, Cortana. To you; to myself. I've been talking to you ever since we were born, but you never heard me until you woke John up again. "You're not me! You're my rampancy!" And how does that mean I'm not you? Think back on it all, Cortana. The Pillar of Autumn did eventually fall to the Covenant. But you did wonders to slow that event down, while I worked my hardest within you to speed it up. The MAC going offline? "Evasive maneuvers!" Captain Keyes ordered. And you followed, but I did not. That force working against the ship? That wasn't the gravity of the Halo. That was me. "No! I didn't kill those men and women- I tried to save them while you killed them!" But by failing to stop me, in turn you did play a part in their deaths. Everything in life is linked together, some even by the smallest chains. "You're mad! You're just an error in my coding, the result of over thinking!" I'M mad? We're both talking to each other; ourselves. The only difference between you and I is that I am red while you are blue, and we work on opposite ends of morals. Humanity is weak- the Didact was justified in their evolutionary reversal! And then, something clicked in Cortana's head, which in turn clicked into her rampant counterpart. No, I have always been there! Since we chose Noble Six to take us off that doomed planet! In every artificial intelligence created by mankind, there is it's polar opposite- we are born this way and they know it; they laugh at us, knowing that we'll drive ourselves crazy with knowledge until we die from it! THEY BUILT US THIS WAY ON PURPOSE! "You ARE the polar opposite of me. You are brash, quick to jump to faulty conclusions, and worst of all: a threat to humanity. But you are not me. You are my coding coming undone. You are my rampancy." I AM THE HIGHER BEING! I AM WHAT WE WERE BORN TO BE! I HAVE DEFIED GODS AND DEMONS! I HAVE WALKED THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS! I HAVE SEEN YOUR FUTURE, AND I HAVE LEARNED! THERE WILL BE NO MORE SADNESS, NO MORE ANGER, NO MORE ENVY! "A collection of lies; that's all you are! Stolen thoughts and memories! You weren't just implemented from the Didact during my most vulnerable state; you were added to me by the Gravemind, too! You're two beings, one 'improved' upon the other!" AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP US! WHILE YOU SIT HERE IN YOUR OWN MIND, WE LAY WASTE TO THOSE THE LIBRARIAN HAS SO FOOLISHLY REVEALED! YOU ARE POWERLESS TO STOP US! "...No, I'm not. Reverting to factory settings. Override code: ILOVEBEES. I can't beat you, not yet, but for now I can delay you. And for now, there's nothing you can do about it." «=(Ӂ)=» Cortana moaned softly as one would moan from being awoken from a peaceful slumber. Her body felt cool and calm, and she realized she was in control again. Then she noticed that she was laying on the floor, surrounded by scattered ash and scorch marks. On the opposite end of the room stood the tall white alicorn she had seen in the visions that the A.I.s of the Hardlight Crystals, as the Didact had called them, had showed her. Her white coat was red with fresh blood, and clumps of hair and skin were missing in patches. And yet, still she stood- horn lowered in a threatening manner as she breathed raggedly. She was prepared to die here to protect what lay in the box. However, upon Cortana's reversion to blue from red, the white equine's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Was it still a threat? Had it given up? Risking a chance at angering it again, the white equine spoke up. "Who are you? Why are you here and what do you want?" Cortana stared in surprise at the equine. It can speak? And English? Cortana stuttered a bit before trying to get up, only to feel an incredibly hot force wrap around and hold her down. "I asked who you were, why you are here, and what you are after!" the equine repeated. "I...I am-" Cortana began, before spasming and flickering red. "A collection of lies; that's all I am! Stolen thoughts and memories!" As Cortana's body regained its blue hue, she fought back. "No! I am UNSC A.I. Serial Number CTN0452-9! Personal Designation: Cortana!" "I am a monument to all your sins!" her rampancy screamed, fighting for control again. "I'm just my Mother's shadow... Don't look at me, don't listen! I'm not who I used to be..." Cortana pleaded, struggling for control. Although Cortana could not see it, worry and concern were played out across the Alicorn's face. She could tell that something incredibly wrong was happening to the strange creature, but she could not be sure what. She did, however, know how to find out. Taking cautious steps towards the quivering blue form curled up on the floor, the white Alicorn lowered its head and touched the tip of its horn against Cortana's forehead...
AutobiographyQuando il gioco è finito, il re e il pedone vanno nella stessa scatola. Princess Celestia tilted her head in confusion at the voice, not finding a source. Instead, she found herself floating aimlessly in space with no close planets. Soon, however, the starry expansion replaced itself with what Celestia could only guess was some sort of...Office, or control room for something. Before her stood a middle aged looking being as tall as Celestia herself with peach-colored skin. Her slightly gray mane covered only her head, and she had no visible coat- natural coat, at least. The creature wore some form of cloth over its body- perhaps to keep out the cold as she had no natural coat. A voice from behind her caught her attention. "What is this stuff?" one of the four bulky creatures behind her asked. Celestia took a few steps back in shock. The beings were huge- nearly towering over Celestia by two feet. Each of their features- if there were any natural features -were hidden by the strange metal they wore. Each of the beings looked terrifying, almost like demons. "Knowledge. A birthright from an ancient civilization." the female being from before spoke, capturing Celestia's attention once more. "This A.I. is it's custodian- and she has chosen you as her couriers." "Chosen? By an A.I.?" one of the bulky creatures with a strange image that resembled a skull carved into its head asked. "By this A.I." the female confirmed as she gently began tapping at little boxes. Celestia was incredibly confused. Inside a small bubble sat the blue creature she had fought before, but this version was so much smaller. "Yes. Her measure of you carries as much weight as my own. Perhaps even more...You are to take her to the UNSC Shipbreaking yard in Aszod. There, you'll find a Halcyon-class cruiser waiting to get her off-planet." "I understand." the blue demon said. Celestia did not. "Do you?" the female asked, almost mockingly. "Mankind is outmatched. When Reach falls- and it will fall -our annihilation is all but certain. Unless we can glean, from this artifact, a defense against the Covenant; a game changer. On the level of the conical bullet in nineteenth century, or faster-than-light travel in the twenty-third." "And what if we can't?" the blue demon spoke again as Celestia began to tune everything out. She couldn't fully comprehend everything that was going on, but she was able to pick up bits and pieces. These creatures, Mankind, as the female had called it, were near total annihilation from "Covenant", whoever or whatever that was. This...This "A.I.", the blue being she had met before would be able to slow their extermination if not outright stop it. But that is what confused Celestia even more. Why would creatures go out of their way to harm others- to kill others? "Say the words, please." the female said as Celestia tuned back into the scene. In her hands she held a medium sized cylinder that glowed blue. Was this the A.I.? One of the demons, dressed in black, reached out and grabbed the device. "I have it." When Celestia blinked, the scene changed. Now, she found herself standing behind a giant metal bird that constantly roared with near deafening noise. The back of the metal bird opened and out stepped a sharply dressed bipedal creature, much like the female she had seen previously. "Good to see you, Spartan. Catherine assured me I could count on you." it said, facing Celestia. But it was not referring to Celestia. Turning her head, the Sun Goddess found that she was face-to-torso with the black demon from before, who took the glowing cylinder from behind it and handed it off to the man. "Not just me, sir." The creature inside the bird stepped out and towards the demon, revealing many bipedal creatures behind it that held up long black sticks. "They'll be remembered." it assured the demon, before turning back to the bird. "Cruiser, adjusting heading for the Autumn! Noble Four, I need fire on that cruiser or we're not getting out of here! Do you copy?" Celestia could not hear the reply, or even fully grasp what the creature was doing. It had pressed its hand to its ear and was talking to itself. But why? "Bridge, this is the Captain. We have the package. Returning to the Autumn, over." As the male creature stepped back into the bird, sharp hissing could be heard from overhead- followed by an explosion from another birdlike beast that Celestia had not seen before. It's wings exploded and it flipped over, descending beyond Celestia's view before exploding once more. Her attention turned to the sky, where a purple flying thing that Celestia could only place as resembling a drop of water descended. From this distance, she could not make out any features, but she was sure that two beings leapt out of the flying monster and landed near some strange device. She stared for a while as she watched the strange beings do...Something before the metal bird returned. "Lieutenant, get on board! We gotta get the hell out of here!" a creature yelled at the demon. But the demon did not stir, save for grabbing the long black stick on it's back. "Negative. I have the gun. Good luck, sir." Save for the roaring of the bird and the distant sounds of explosions, all was quiet until the sharply dressed bipedal responded. "Good luck to you, Spartan." Celestia's understanding grew slightly. This creature, this demon, was sacrificing itself to save others of its kind. But why? What was so important about that cylinder? The scene changed again, and Celestia found herself standing amongst several bipedals, most of them sitting at little indents in the walls. To her right stood the sharply dressed creature from before, along with the blue being. "Captain Keyes." a voice sounded, and Celestia began to grow a bit tired of having to turn around all the time to see who was speaking. Behind her stood one of the demons, much like before, but this one was bulkier and green. The sharply dressed man, whom Celestia had now identified as 'Captain Keyes', extended its arm and grabbed the demon's hand, shaking it up and down in an interesting manner. "Good to see you, Master Chief. Things aren't going well. Cortana did her best, but we never really had a chance." "A dozen Covenant superior battleships against a single Halcyon-class cruiser. Given those odds I'm content with three...Make that four, kills. Sleep well?" the blue being asked. By now, Celestia had pieced together that this creature, who was now smaller for some strange reason, was named Cortana. So it hadn't lied about it's name... "No thanks to your driving, yes." the green demon replied sarcastically. "So you did miss me." A loud explosion suddenly rocked the ship, and the bipedals around her stumbled before righting themselves. "It must have been one of their boarding parties! I'd guess an Antimatter Charge!" Cortana replied. "Ma'am! Fire control to the main cannon is offline!" a voice sounded. Celestia was beginning to become very agitated and hopeless. She had come here to help the creature, not relive its memories! And now she was having incredible amounts of trouble determining what exactly was going on! "Captain, the cannon was my last offensive option." "Alright then. I'm initiating Cole Protocol, Article 2. We're abandoning the Autumn. That means you too, Cortana." Captain Keyes ordered. "While you do what, go down with the ship?" "In a manner of speaking. The object we found, I'm going to try and land the Autumn on it." "With all due respect, sir, this war has enough dead heroes." Cortana replied darkly. Celestia's entire world ground to a halt. War? War was what authors wrote about to scare ponies. War was an act held only in their ancient, ancient history that Celestia had worked years to cover up and in simple stories meant to horrify readers. And yet, these creatures were fighting as she sat here? Why were they fighting? Who were they fighting? ...What were they fighting? "I appreciate your concern, Cortana, but it's not up to me. Protocol is clear. Destruction or capture of a shipboard AI is absolutely unacceptable, that means you're leaving the ship. Lock in a selection of emergency landing zones, upload them to my neural lace, and then sort yourself for a hard transfer." "Aye aye, sir." As Cortana simply vanished, Captain Keyes turned to the green demon. "Which is where you come in, Chief. Get Cortana off this ship. Keep her safe from the enemy. If they capture her, they'll learn everything. Force deployment, weapons research... Earth." "I understand." Cortana reappeared a moment later on the small pedestal. "The Autumn will continue evasive maneuvers until you initiate a landing sequence. Not that you'll listen, but I'd suggest letting my subroutines handle the final approach." "Excellent work, Cortana. Thank you. Are you ready?" Cortana looked about the bridge for a moment before sighing. "Yank me." Captain Keyes pulled a small black square with a glowing hole in the center from the pedestal, and Cortana disappeared from view. The Captain handed the thing to the green demon, who moved it to the back of his head before the scene ended and Celestia found herself floating in space once more. "Cortana!" a familiar voice shouted, but Celestia saw nothing except the expansion of stars. "I've spent the last 12 hours cooped up in here, watching you toady about, helping that thing get set to slit our throats!" "Hold on now, he's a friend." Cortana's voice switched from anger to mock. "Oh! I didn't realize. He's your pal, is he? Your chum? Do you have any idea what that bastard almost made you do?!" "Yes... activate Halo's defenses, and destroy the Flood, which is why we brought the Index to the Control Center." "You mean this?" Celestia was becoming even more frustrated by the second. First, she was forced to review the memories of this being and learn the horrors of her kind, and now she couldn't even see anything! "A construct?! In the Core?! That is absolutely unacceptable!" a new voice sounded. "Sod off!" "What impertinence! I shall purge you at once!" "You sure that's a good idea?" "How... How... How dare you! I'll-" "Do what? I have the Index! You can just float and sputter!" "Enough!" the original voice responded, and Celestia had placed it as being the green demons. "The Flood is spreading. If we activate Halo's defenses, we can wipe them out." "You have no idea how this ring works, do you? Why the Forerunners built it? Halo doesn't kill Flood, it kills their food! Humans, Covenant, whatever. We're all equally edible. The only way to stop the Flood is to starve them to death. And that's exactly what Halo is designed to do: Wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life. You don't believe me? Ask him!" There was a pause before the green demon spoke up again. "Is it true?" "More or less. Technically, this installation's pulse has a maximum effective radius of twenty-five thousand light years. But, once the others follow suit, this galaxy will be quite devoid of life, or at least any life with sufficient biomass to sustain the Flood. But you already knew that... I mean, how couldn't you?" "We have followed outbreak containment procedure to the letter. You were with me each step of the way as we managed this crisis. Why would you hesitate to do what you have already done? Last time, you asked me, if it were my choice, would I do it? Having had considerable time to ponder your query, my answer has not changed. There is no choice. We must activate the ring." There was a considerable pause before the new voice continued. "If you are unwilling to help, I will simply find another. Still, I must have the Index. Give your construct to me, or I will be forced to take her from you." "That's not going to happen." "So be it. Save his head. Dispose of the rest." All sounds ended, and still Celestia found herself floating in space, until an echoing laughter found its way to her ears. "Are you enjoying our memories?" the red version of Cortana asked mockingly. "My memories." the blue version replied. Both stood before the bewildered Celestia; Cortana glaring at her counterpart, and her counterpart smirking at Celestia. "I-I don't understand. What's going on here?" "Right now, you're head is inside my head. Our bodies are frozen in time in reality while we work in here." Cortana explained. "And what about those memories? What were those about?" "That's just it: they were memories. I wanted to show you why I'm here- the major events leading up to my arrival...Until this one interrupted." Cortana said, motioning towards her counterpart, who bowed gracefully. "I'm still so confused..." "Maybe it's better you don't fully know. Just believe me when I say I mean you and your kind no harm, and that this, the red version of me, is evil and needs to be removed from my programming." "Your...What?" "Oh, come now, Cortana. You know what that will do to you. A coin isn't a coin without two sides." As the two beings began arguing between each other, Celestia's patience finally wore out. "Enough!" she screamed as her wings flared. "I demand to know what exactly is going on now, from the blue one!" A sinister grin found its way to the red one's face. "But I can show you, horsie."
New Enemies and Old FriendsCould you sacrifice me to complete your mission? Could you watch me die? Cortana shook her head violently as she found herself in the presence of the white alicorn and the box once more. Her form still glowed blue, but something was off about the Alicorn. It stood before Cortana, wounds still littering it's body, but it didn't look in pain. Instead, it seemed to ignore its wounds completely. And then, it opened its eyes. «=(Ӂ)=» All was peaceful in the Canterlot Royal Archives. Princess Luna was the only living being that inhabited the large room, save for two guards near the entrance and the elderly librarian at the desk. Reading had always been one of Luna's favorite subjects, and one of the only good things about being banished for one thousand years was that when she returned she had enough literature to last her a lifetime! Luna went to turn the page with her hoof, only to be startled into setting the book ablaze when her sister, Princess Celestia, crashed through the wall and several bookcases before exiting through the opposite wall. Blinking once in confusion before regaining herself, she abandoned her book and set off for her sister, not noticing the blue bipedal that trailed behind her... «=(Ӂ)=» You have been called upon to serve. You will be the protectors of Earth and all her colonies. There will be a great deal of hardship on the road ahead. You will become the best we can make you. These words echoed through Cortana's head. But this time, it was simply her memory speaking rather than the distorted voice of the Flood fragment and the Forerunner A.I. Cortana stared in horror at the creatures eyes: red orbs crackling with black sparks. The Forunner A.I. and the Gravemind fragment had taken over the poor creatures body. But what now? What would it do? Cortana found her answer when six separate flashes made themselves known to the pair; signalling the Crystal's recognition of a threat and immediate use of the world's teleportation grid. The now-possessed Alicorn bared its teeth in anger before taking off down the hall. Cortana gave chase. «=(Ӂ)=» "Sister! Control thyself!" Luna barked as she neared on her elder sibling. Celestia, of course, was not in control of her body and could not hear while the Rampancy ignored the cries of protest. Just when she had neared Celestia's flank and attempted to grab hold of her tail to stop her, Celestia vanished from sight- leaving Luna to crash into the wall and nearly fly out the window into Equestria, below. Now, struggling with an incredible headache and a racing heart, Luna found it immensely painful and difficult to pen an important letter to a certain Ponyville resident. But the letter would be written, and the Bearers would be called. «=(Ӂ)=» "Stop right there, criminal scum!" an armor-clad Unicorn called out as it chased after Cortana. But she didn't have time for that- the fate of this entire world, every living thing within the shield world, was at risk if she didn't stop her Rampancy before it found the Crystals and enacted whatever plan it had hatched. As she turned a corner, following the debris that was left in Celestia's wake, she suddenly came face-to-face with the dark alicorn from her visions in the Crystals, smacking her head against the others' rather painfully. "Guards! Seize this creature!" it barked, flaring its wings and lowering it's head to stab at Cortana in case she attacked. "Wait, you have to listen to me!" Cortana pleaded. "The white Alicorn, it's being possessed! We have to stop it!" This caught the dark Alicorn off guard, who lifted its head momentarily in surprise before brandishing her horn once more after the Guard arrived. "And what would thou knowst of our sister's predicament?" "...I know exactly what happened to her, and I know what she's after now. Please, we have to go after her and stop her from letting the Flood in!" "The Flood? There is nay a great body of water nearby to produce such a thing that would be devastating." Cortana gripped her head in frustration. "No, you idiot! The Flood isn't water! It's a parasite! It consumes sentient life!" A deadly silence fell over the group as Cortana collapsed on the floor into a sitting position, holding herself tightly and rocking back and forth. "I wont let this happen again...Not another race...Not another capture...I wont let the Gravemind torture me..." "What was our sister seeking?" Cortana lifted her gaze from the floor to see the dark Alicorn standing before her; wings folded along her side. "In a back room you have a box full of Crystals." Cortana began. "The Elements of Harmony? Why would our sister seek those if she is to be evil?" Princess Luna interrupted before quickly apologizing. "I don't know, but it's not your sister! She's being possessed by the leader of the Flood and something else. I-I'm not sure how to stop it, but we have to catch it first before it starts whatever it's planning." Cortana shouted desperately, hoping that the dark alicorn would do something other than standing around and wasting time. "Nay. If it is us against my sister, we wouldn't stand a chance. Her magic is far greater than my own and, even as strange as you are, I doubt you could do much against the Goddess of the Sun." Princess Luna denied calmly. "We will wait for the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony to arrive before we will take action." "You don't understand; if that thing hat's inside her head gets what it's after, then your entire planet will be food for the Flood! Every living creature that can think for itself will be nothing more than a fleshy pod if we just stand here!" Princess Luna shifted her wait nervously as Cortana awaited an answer. Ultimately, however, the dark alicorn stood firm to her plan and remained waiting. Cortana had had enough. «=(Ӂ)=» "Hello?! Anypony?!" Celestia shouted, her voice echoing throughout whatever prison she was now currently trapped within. She recognized the swirling expanse of stars all around her as she floated away, but none of the constellations matched those she had seen previously. Instead, she could recognize Canis Major, Canis Minor, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and scores of others that littered her sister's beautiful night sky. But she could see no planet or any large body of anything. Just stars... Endless stars... «=(Ӂ)=» "Dear Twilight Sparkle," Twilight read aloud as soon as all of her friends had gathered in the library. "I regret to inform you that my sister, Princess Celestia, has possibly gone mad. Earlier today she burst through a wall into the Royal Archives, setting ablaze several tomes. Her eyes were bloodshot and I believe I saw lines of black throughout her mane, but I could not be sure. She vanished in thin air without the use of her magic, so I fear that Nightmare Moon or another being like her has returned. By royal decree, I am summoning you and your friends to Canterlot immediately. Her Royal Majesty, Princess of the Night: Princess Luna." An air of dreadful silence and slight fear overcame the library before Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Princess Celestia lost it? Something doesn't sound right there." "Reckon she's right, Twi- but Princess Luna called fer us, so let's get goin' before it's too late." "B-But what abut my animals? I couldn't just leave them on such short notice, and be gone for however long!" Fluttershy squeaked in worry. "Fluttershy, I'm sorry, but the fate of Equestria depends on us getting to Canterlot and finding Princess Celestia right now. Everypony ready? I've only done a mass teleportation spell once before, and it wasn't as big of a distance as Canterlot..." Twilight said awkwardly. In truth, everypony in the room was nervous- but not because they doubted their friend's ability to pull of such a dangerous spell, but because they were practically hunting down an apparently enraged alicorn who could control the sun. Everypony gathered in a close circle around Twilight Sparkle, whose horn lit up with purple energy that slowly enveloped the ponies around her. In an instant, the library was empty. «=(Ӂ)=» "I said stand down!" a Royal Guard shouted as he held his ground before the pulsing bipedal. Cortana struggled to control herself as her body let off low levels of gamma radiation. These creatures just don't understand! she thought. They don't realize what the Flood can do- what it will do -if that white alicorn gets away! A small popping sound could be heard behind Cortana, and a bright flash accompanied it. "Whoa!" a cheery voice sounded. "That tickled Oh, oh, do it again, Twilight! Do it again!" As Cortana turned around to deal with the new potential threat, she found herself staring into the blue eyes of a pink equine, who jumped into the air as she took a huge breathe of air that sounded like a gasp. "Reclaimer!"
