Forgive and Forget

Prologue

Year: 2253

A UNSC Albatross slowly drifted through space hurtling towards an unknown planet. The life pod slowly rotated and was brought into the planet’s gravity well. The ship’s autopilot engaged and straightens the ship, after activating all of the appropriate entry algorithms and set those to work the ship engaged a long range beacon message. “This is Lieutenant Frank Morrison of the UNSC Frigate The Recollection. We were attacked by a Covenant destroyer near the Kilirus star system. To all UNSC forces please respond! Coordinates of my life pod will be broadcasted with this message.” The message then cut into repeat of a set of coordinates then playing the voice message.

Hours earlier aboard The Recollection…

Morrison walked down the halls heading towards the bridge lift he still admired The Recollection she was an old Halcyon Frigate much like the Pillar of Autumn. After the initial Halo incident another Halcyon class Frigate was brought back into the service as the debrief of the Master Chief told the story of how much actual damage the Pillar of Autumn took even after crashing onto Halo’s surface. He passed by a group of Marines and they saluted. “Hello Lieutenant!”

“At ease Sergeant.” He returned with a quick salute. He continued on his way his limp gaunt made him look odd to the rest of the ship. His right leg was a little shot after a battle on Eridanus II. He hit the button for the lift. The door opened and he stepped inside.  “Hey! Hold the elevator!” He looked up at the person running it was Ensign Nimot.

“Thanks!” He sighed.

“Why aren’t you on the bridge?”

“Why aren’t you?” She chuckled.

“Touché” The lift slowed and opened to the bridge. They stepped out and headed to the main area. “Now get to your station Ensign.” She nodded and stepped to the Communications console. He sat in his seat at the Navigation Console.

“Glad you could join us Morris.” He looked towards the Gunnery Officer.

“Ah. Shut up Horowitz!”

“Stow it you two!” The captain spoke up.

“Sorry sir!” They answered. Suddenly Nimot’s console beeped and lit up. Her face turned white. “Sir I’m picking up Covenant chatter.” Another Ensign yelled about a Slipspace rupture being detected. “Morris! Bring us up to heading 0, 2, and 4 on my mark.” The captain stared into the empty vastness of space and waited till the Covenant ship came out of Slipspace. “It’s a destroyer!” Nimot yelled. Horowitz shot her a look and she shut her mouth. “Horowitz gets firing solutions ready!” Morrison heard the clack of fingers on keys. “Done sir!”

“They’re coming about!” Morrison looked towards the Covenant destroyer as it turned with its side facing them. He could see pin prick glows of plasma charging. “They’re readying a plasma charge!” The captain looked towards Horowitz and nodded. Suddenly the lights dimmed as the MAC gun fired two quick shots impacted into the ships shield. The shields flickered but didn’t diminish. “Fuck! Morris gets ready with a quick starboard booster.” He clicked a few keys and the screen bleeped. “Ready sir!” The captain watched the destroyer fire as two plasma bolts streaked through the empty space. “Now!” Morris clicked the final key and the whole ship shuddered as it suddenly moved to left. To everyone’s dismay the bolts arced and impacted, burning through the titanium armor of the ship. “Decks one and two are breached. Sealing and sounding general quarters alarm.” The operations officer shouted over the sound of the alarm warning everyone on the ship to get into EVA suits.  The destroyer fired again but the bolts were different smaller and a hue of blue. “EMP bolts!” When they struck the whole ship fell dark for about five seconds then the lights and screens flashed back on. “Sir the engines aren’t responding!”

“Are weapons still online?”

“Yes sir!”

“Arm a nuke set for proximity fuse once that nukes within a hundred meters of the ship I want it to blow, also set the MAC for a quad shot.”

“Arming, charging… It’s hot sir!”

“Fire the MAC!” he watched the quad bolts impact with the shield it flickered and finally died. “Launch the nuke!” The nuke launched and streaked towards the destroyer, the destroyer launched two last bolts before the nuke reached it. The bolts collided with the middle of the ship. “Sir we have extensive damage to the hull and multiple breaches. The engines are offline, suggest we engage Cole Protocol and get to the life pods.” The captain looked at the floor and sighed. “Alright.” He clicked a button on his console. “Everyone we are engaging Cole Protocol! Delete all files then hit the life boats!” The captain nodded towards Horowitz. “Captain the rest of the nukes is set to your implant.”

“Alright now all of you to the lifeboats!” Everyone rushed out each of them going into the elevator. They headed to Deck G. Once they arrived everyone rushed towards the lifeboats when an explosion above them caused steel and titanium pipes to fall blocking Morrison from everyone else. “Morris head to the other side! Get to a lifeboat!” The captain yelled through the wreckage. “Alright sir!” He ran towards the port life boats. He found there was only one left and no one else was there. “Hull breach sealing area.” The ships computer hissed. “Damn!” He climbed in taking the pilots seat. Suddenly there was a flash of white light. The nuke had gone off. He saw the wreck of the destroyer pass by The Recollection. “We got it…” He launched the lifeboat. He watched as more lifeboats launched and he radioed trying to contact the captain. “Morris I want you to set your life boat to launch a beacon when you start to enter a planet’s atmosphere.”

“Alright sir.” Morrison tapped away at the keyboard and then notified the captain.

The captain came back over the radio. “Alright Frank…I’ll see you on the other side!” There was another bright flash and The Recollection detonated and his lifeboat shook violently and he was thrown into the bulkhead and knocked out.

Present time…

Celestia was reading in her private library. She was reading over an old pony spell book about mind spells. Luna entered the room, “Sister? Twilight and her friends are here.” She looked towards her sister. “Good I hope they can enjoy a little party.” Celestia and Luna walked out of the library and went to meet Twilight and her friends in the grand hall. They past by guards who bowed as they passed. They stepped into the grand hall and Twilight and her friends were standing waiting they all bowed and stood back up after a few seconds. “Hello everypony.” Pinkie Pie bounced, “Hi! Princess Luna!” She waved to Luna and Luna waved back. “Hello Pinkie Pie.” Twilight stepped up, “So what did you want us for Princess Celestia?” Celestia smiled. “Just a picnic!” She announced. Pinkie Pie bounced again. “Yay! I love picnics!” Celestia and Luna lead the group out to one of the courtyards. It was a late picnic in the deeming twilight of the night hours. “Do you think it’s a little late for a picnic?” Rainbow Dash asks Celestia. “No it’s a perfect time for a picnic. Quite a beautiful night isn’t it?”

“Yes it is Princess.” Applejack answered.

They sat and ate everyone having a good time.  Twilight and Princess Celestia talked about magic and friendship. The others talked amongst themselves. Luna kept to herself. They all watched as the sun finally was laid to rest and the moon came over the horizon. “It is so beautiful.” Fluttershy admired

“It is.”

“Hey look a shooting star!” Twilight pointed to the sky. Everyone looked to the shooting star. It slowly fell and it became quite bright. “Wait that shootin’ star is coming in mighta’ close.” The star slowly became a fireball that crashed into the nearby mountain and bounced falling towards the courtyard where they were sitting. "Everypony duck in cover!" The fireball fell going over them completely and crashing in the next courtyard over.

“Come on everypony we must go and see what fell!” Luna commanded. A few guards joined them while they were moving through the halls.  They ran out into the courtyard to a mangled mess of debris and scorched earth. “What is that thing?”

“I don’t know.” They approached it. “It says UNSC on it.”

“UNSC?” all of the ponies were confused. Celestia looked at her guards. “Can you open it?” The guards searched the ship looking for a door. “We can’t seem to find any way to open it.” Celestia looked at the back of the wreck; there was a small indent in what seemed to be a door. She pressed it with her hoof and it sunk suddenly the door fell and with it a body. “Sweet Celestia!”

The body was a biped. Celestia motioned to her guards and they lifted the body. “We need to get it to the doctors immediately!” They rushed the body into the castle and to a room filled with waiting doctors. They placed the body on the table and the doctors went straight to work. “Get the pharmacist in here!” A beige pony walked in holding a large bag. “What does it need?”

“We need to deal with a few broken bones and we believe one of its lungs have collapsed.” The pharmacist retrieved a few vials and started to administer the medicines to the body. Slowly they started to calm as the medicines started to take effect. “What is wrong with it shouldn’t we be able to wake it?”

“Princess he is not an it, he is a human from what it seems.” Everypony gasped then became confused. “What’s a human?”

“They are a biped life form from beyond our world. Also we are unable to wake him because he is in a sort of a coma.”

Celestia frowned. A few guards entered with a few boxes. “What is this?”

“A few items from the wreck your highness.” They set them down. Twilight opened one of the small crates revealing a small metal necklace with two large metal plates hanging from a chain. “UNSC NAVY Lieutenant Frank Morrison of The Recollection.”  Everyone looked at Twilight confused on what she just read. “This things some sort of soldier?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Seems so. I still don’t understand what the UNSC is?”

“I wish there was some way to find out more on him besides what we know from his items.”

Celestia thought for a moment then remembered something. “Is he still able to think?”

“Of course.” One of the doctors told here in slight confusion.

“Fetch me a mirror!” A guard ran out of the room and returned moments later with a large mirror about as tall as Celestia. “What is that for your Princess?”

“I’m going to cast a spell so we can see into his thoughts.” Her horn glowed with a bright light and the mirror started to show a planet parts were bright orange and looked burnt.

The pelican slowly landed on Eridanus II. A group of soldiers armed with rifles stepped out into the light and were met with a spray of plasma fire. “Grunts!” They hid behind a rock firing their weapons towards the meter tall bipeds. One of them looked over the rock and his helmet was hit by a small purple spike. He grabbed the helmet and tossed it towards the other aliens. “Lieutenant! You ok?” “I’m fine Henry!” Henry looked across a field and saw a large jeep come roaring over the ridge the chain gun firing at the grunts. “Morris! Echo squad is here for the RV!”

“Alright Chuck and Derek I want you two to lay suppressing fire while me and Henry book it to the other rock there.” He said as he pointed towards a second rock across the field. “On my mark!” Everyone readied themselves.

“Mark!” Morris and Henry leapt out of the cover that was the rock and continued at full sprint towards the other rock. Derek and Chuck laid down gunfire. The jeep drove in between the two groups suddenly it was hit by a green bolt of plasma. A banshee flew over head, “Shit!” The explosion destroyed the jeep sending debris across the field. “Take down that Banshee!” Derek shouldered a rocket launcher. He aimed at the banshee till he heard the beeps of the lock on. He pulled the trigger and a spout of smoke spewed from the back of the launcher and a missile flew towards the banshee which tried to maneuver out of the way but it was useless. The banshee exploded and the parts fell to earth crushing a few grunts. “Derek and Chuck we got to get out of here! Fall in on me!” They meet up at the edge of the forest. “Alright we have to meet up with Alpha and Bravo Squads on the other side of this forest. We’ll split up and go solo keep a gap of 30 to 40 meters though.” The four of them fanned out. After crawling through the dense forest for over an hour avoiding larger patrols, Morris slowed as he heard footsteps and the sound of grunts. Suddenly a Jackal jumped onto his back screaming in a bird like voice. “I found a human!” Morrison’s gun was knocked away. Morrison rolled and the Jackal hit the ground hard. Morrison was already on his feet and had his combat knife out. He taunted the Jackal. “Bah you are weak human!” The Jackal lunged and tried to bite Morrison. “Die human!”Suddenly he felt a sharp pain the Jackal looked down and Morris had his blade stabbed through the Jackals stomach. Grunts heard the fight and started firing towards Morrison. He rolled again dodging plasma. He pulled his magnum from its hip holster. He popped up and fired at a grunt its head jerked as the bullet impacted. He lunged towards the body grabbing it and using it as a shield, using the body to push forward against the grunts. As he passed a grunt he used his knife as a sort of short sword. He slashed the grunt across the face and it dropped bleeding. After he finished the grunts he checked each one to see if they were alive. The ones that were he shot in the head. The image blurred.

“Princess? Are you alright?”She was huffing a bit. “I’m fine just a little tired from keeping this spell up.” Twilight looked at the body and what was brought from the ship. “Princess could I get a better look at the ship.” Celestia nodded. They all followed Twilight out of the room but Luna headed towards the tower to start her duties. When they get back to the wreck, Twilight entered the wreck. “Do you think it could be some sort of life pod?” Celestia asked. Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know.” She looked around the cramped space. “How could anypony fit in here it’s so cramped.”  She bumped into the wall and it opened. It revealed a suit of armor. “Princess there is some sort of armor in here.” She brought the armor out to show everyone. Rainbow Dash perked up at the sight of it specifically the helmet she put it on. The rest of the group was studying the ship. Rainbow Dash was enjoying the helmet, when she heard an odd click. “Take off the helmet.” Rainbow Dash stopped cold. Everyone heard the voice and turned. The human was standing behind Rainbow Dash holding a metallic weapon of some kind.  “Frank…” Celestia tried to talk to him.

“How do you know my name?”

“Your necklace…” He reached to his throat feeling for his tags and they weren’t there. A few guards slowly came up behind him with their weapons drawn. One stepped on a small branch from a tree. He spun to see the two guards and he fired off a round grazing the guards armor and his flesh. The other dropped his weapon and went to help the injured guard. He spun back, “Now I didn’t want him to get hurt, but any threat against me will be neutralize the threat no matter what cost.” Suddenly weight fell on his shoulders as a Pegasus landed on him. He tossed the Pegasus off his back much to the surprise of Celestia and the ponies and the guard himself. Reaching into his rucksack he pulled out a metal cylinder. He pulled the pin and threw it in the air. He bolted back into the castle running through the grand halls while the ponies looked at the cylinder it suddenly exploded into a bright light and with a loud bang. He followed his trail back to the room he woke up in. He looked over the room and took notice of a few crates. He opened the crate pulling out a few emergency rations and a small eyepiece that was equipped with a more basic VISR HUD. He put the eyepiece on clicking a button and it flickered to life. He grabbed a few stun round magazines. He ran out of the room and away from the ponies who had recovered from the flashbang he had tossed the moment before.  Once he thought he was at least far enough away he could calm some. He slowed to a fast walk. His limp became apparent once again. He winced in pain when he slowed. He put his hand on his side again. “Ugh. That is not something I can do twenty four seven.” He turned a corner and it opened to a tall stairwell. “Wonder where this leads.” He started up the stairs.

“Princess! We’ve checked the entire castle he ain’t here!”Applejack reported.

“He must be here the gates have been locked…Where could he be…?” She looked to the tower that overlooked the entire castle. “Guards where is my sister?”

“In the tower your highness.” The guard responded with a dull voice.

“Damn!” She rushed towards the tower and the rest followed in suit.  Luna was standing on the balcony overlooking all of Canterlot. She heard a small shuffle and the door creak. She turned to see Frank Morrison standing there holding his weapon directly at her head. “You’re awake! Wait what are you doing!” The door busted open and Celestia walked in with the rest of the group. Frank grabbed Luna and used her as a sort of shield blocking all of his body and trapping him on the balcony. “Frank! Let her go!” Frank glared he shook his head in frustration. “Where the hell am I!?”

“You’re in the castle of Canterlot in the country of Equestria.” Twilight responded.

“No…No…” He started to mumble and they did not approach in fear of what he might do. He looked behind him noticing a forest not too far from the castle. He wondered if he could jump and catch the wall, but it had no handholds. He weighed his options he tried to remember anything that might help, to his dismay nothing. He looked down at his suit remembering this is not his normal suit. It was his wing suit. He remembered he was wearing it because his uniform was torn. He looked back at the rest of the group. He gave them a sly grin and they looked confused at first but then they got it as he pushed Luna towards them turning and jumping over the edge. “No!” Rainbow Dash jumped up as he fell. Frank went into a deep dive then spread his arms and legs activating the wing suit. He heard the yell as he fell but didn’t think they would come after him then something hit him…hard. He looked back at it was the one who was wearing the helmet. “Get off!” She was dragging them down they started to drop closer to the ground. He shook her off and she spun catching the air and going back to flying. She dived and came along side him grabbing him one last time but he was prepared he head butts her and she falls but doesn’t recover. “Shit!” He dived down catching up with the unconscious pony. He grabbed her body and they started to go straight down to the ground. They were luckily over the forest so he pulled the small cord for the reusable chute on the suit. When he landed he quickly and instinctually packed the chute back into the suit. He hefted the pony over his shoulder and walked deeper into the forest. He finally found a suitable campsite hidden from the world surrounded by brambles and trees. He had laid the pony down under a tree and tied her with some of the cord he had in his rucksack. “What am I gonna do.” He sat down on the ground and slowly drifted to sleep.

The next morning Rainbow Dash woke up her head hurt like hell and she looked around. She was in the Everfree Forest how did she get here? “Morning.” She was startled by the voice. She looked towards it and it was Frank. He had a small bucket of apples. “Where did you get those apples?” He set them down and sighed. “You stole them didn’t you?” He nodded.

“I’m not gonna lie I stole them. It’s either sit here and eat my emergency rations or live off the bountiful land that seems to be overflowing with food.”

“But it’s wrong to steal!” He sighed again.

“I’d rather be a thief than be captured and be executed.” Rainbow Dash looked at him in disbelief.

“You think were gonna kill you?”

“I assaulted your guards and your princess.” Rainbow Dash looked at him, “But we’ve never executed anypony!”

“Well I’m not a pony! Now eat!” He tossed an apple at her and she was shocked his voice was filled with anger. She was scared she tried not to show it but she cowered a little. Frank noticed this, he immediately changed his demeanor. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.” She didn’t respond but went to eat the apple it was hard for her with her wings and hooves tied.  He walked over to the small fire he had set up earlier in the morning. He sat on a rock and stared into the fire.