Chapter Ten: Contemplations
* Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation.
The Ultra stared in shock. Where the body of the Minor once occupied, now there was nothing. Just...nothing. Except for a smoldering scorch mark on the floor.
The Ultra turned his gaze to the Princess of the Sun. He knew she was powerful, but this...this was a most frightening display. The Ultra silently wondered if he was the next target of her terrible wrath, and braced himself for the worst.
Princess Celestia heaved a long, depressed sigh, and then, before his very eyes, she slowly reverted back to her normal form. The billowing flames melted away into her customary regal mane. Her fur slowly patched itself together and returned to its natural, snow-white color. The intensity of her eyes faded, and soon there was nothing but sadness in those magenta orbs.
Wordlessly, she strode over to the Ultra. Every eye in the room followed her movement. Eventually she paused before the Ultra and knelt down to his eye level. “You are injured,” she said softly. “Will you allow me to heal you?”
It was only then that the Ultra became aware of how difficult it was becoming to breathe. His side felt like it was on fire, and there was no small volume of purplish blood leaking from the wound. “I would,” he replied softly between short gasps. “That Ninshin destroyed what remaining honor he had left...I should not have suffered this wound.”
Celestia simply closed her eyes and lit up her horn. Leaning forward, she gently touched the glowing appendage to the Ultra’s shoulder. An indescribable feeling of warmth surged through the Ultra’s body, both relaxing and invigorating him at the same time. He felt his breathing slowly return to normal; the pain in his side recede into nothingness.
After only a few short moments, Celestia retreated and rose to her full height. As the Ultra followed suit, he felt his body surge with energy. He felt like he could fight the Minor all over again. Whatever this ‘magic,’ was, it certainly was potent.
Celestia finally opened her eyes, and directed her gaze right at him. A very tired gaze. One that gave the Ultra a small glimpse into her age, hints at the untold eras she had witnessed. The Ultra felt sorry for her. There were a million questions he could have asked, but there was one that weighed more heavily on his mind than any other.
“What exactly did you do to him, your Highness?”
There was no joy in her eyes or speech as she answered. No sign that she felt vindicated, or triumphant, in what she had done. “I teleported him. He is currently being held in the most secure dungeon we have.”
The Ultra looked on in disbelief. “You let him live? After all he has done?”
The Princess nodded. “The fate that awaits him is far more fouler than death. As soon as I can, I will put him on trial. Then, he will be sentenced to the fiery depths of Tartarus, where his soul shall suffer eternally.” Celestia turned a sorrowful gaze towards the Ultra. “Ultra...I have not had to imprison a soul in Tartarus for over a millenia. Though it pains me to do so...I cannot remember the last time I met a creature so capable of heartless cruelty.”
The Ultra nodded thoughtfully. “You see now why we have never seen eye to eye. Despite being a Sangeheili, that one never truly understood the meaning of honor.” His gaze cast about the room, taking in the details. The dead guard still lay in the center of the Throne Room. The other was desperately trying, yet failing, to keep a stoic pose by the door. Clearly he was severely bothered by what had transpired.
Bok and Pip-Pap fared no better. Judging by the way Pip-Pap’s legs were trembling, he was probably on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Bok looked just about ready to shoot the first thing that made any sudden movements. He began to move towards them but something made him pause.
He turned to Celestia, who was steadily trudging back towards her fallen guard. “Celestia...” he said softly. She turned to meet his gaze. “If it was so simple for you to deal with the Minor, why didn’t you intervene sooner?”
Celestia looked to be on the verge of tears. “Our ponies are peaceful. Our laws are lenient. I could not imprison the Minor, for he had done nothing wrong. At least...nothing that I was aware of.” She paused to take a deep, shuddering breath. “When the fight began, I assumed it was a cultural thing for your species.” The Ultra nodded in affirmation. “As I said in the corridor, I entrusted the situation to you. In my many years of experience, denying another species their cultural quirks tends to end...badly.
“And then Watchful Eye...” she paused to muster up the last reserves of her strength. “I was distressed. I should have warned them. I should have sent them all away. I should have intervened. I should have imprisoned that foul creature right after his heinous crime. I tried to save him, but...it was too late.” She smiled gently at the Ultra. “At least there’s one thing I did right. I trusted you to deal with the situation. You performed admirably, Ultra. You have my sincere gratitude.”
She sighed deeply, gentle tears finally leaking from her eyes and running down her cheeks. “Today I failed. I made mistakes. More to be added to a neverending list...” she trailed off before gesturing to the Ultra’s side and smiling sadly. “At least I redeemed one of them,” she murmured.
At that, her horn lit up with its brilliant golden glow, and the deceased guard slowly lifted into the air. “If you will excuse me Ultra, I am retiring for the day. There are matters I must attend to. Cobalt Shine will show your company to your quarters. I will meet with you again as soon as I am able.” And with that, the great doors to the throne room slowly creaked open and the Princess of the Sun elegantly, yet somberly, strode out. The line of guards sadly bowed their heads as she passed, silently mourning their fallen companion.
The Ultra was struck dumb by what the Princess had said. Never before had he seen a leader so passionate about the welfare of their people. Once again, the Ultra felt his resolve harden. He would turn his back on his murderous ways. He would become a force for good in the universe. He would fulfill the will of the Gods. And, above all else, he would follow Princess Celestia to the bitter end. Never before had he witnessed a creature so worthy of honor and respect.
Turning to his companions, he addressed them. *“Bok. Pip-Pap. Are you well?” Slowly yet uncertainly, the two shorter aliens nodded. The Ultra snorted. *“Of course you are.” The Ultra kneeled down to better address them. The two aliens backed away a pace in surprise. Never before had he done such a thing. Truthfully, he wasn’t entirely certain why he did it himself. He was probably inspired by Celestia.
*“We can discuss that later, if you wish. Brothers, we are at a crossroads. We must now decide the path we will tread. Either we can stay here and learn from Celestia the ways of peace, harmony, and goodwill, or we can return to the Prophets and continue our reckless genocide against the race we now know to be chosen by the Gods. I have made my decision. Celestia is the wisest, kindest, and most powerful leader I have ever set my eyes on. I will follow her without hesitation.”
The Ultra paused slightly to let that sink in. *“You have a choice, my brothers. Should you choose to follow, I would be honored to continue to lead you. However, should you prefer to return to the old ways, I will not stop you. Although,” the Ultra continued, a slight warning tone creeping into his voice. *“If you choose to leave, the next time we meet will undoubtedly be on the field of battle. The choice is yours.”
The two aliens looked uncertain. To be given a free choice was something completely foreign to them. And they rather liked the feeling of release it brought with it. *“I like ponies,” Pip-Pap spoke up, slowly gaining confidence as he continued. *“Ponies nothing but nice. Never fight, never hurt, never steal. Ponies want to make friends. I want to stay. Maybe I will discover my special talent?”
The Ultra was a bit confused by that last statement but shrugged it off, simply nodding in agreement. *“And you, Bok?” he asked, turning to the lankier alien.
Bok made a show of pretending to give the matter serious thought. *“Hmm...go back to war, death, Jiralhanae or stay with ponies, eat cake? Hard choice. Bok stay.”
The Ultra grinned and rose to his full height. *“I am pleased, brothers. You have chosen wisely. No longer will we bow to those cowardly Prophets. No longer shall we defy the will of the Gods. From now on, we fight for good!” His erstwhile allies cheered along with him.
A small cough interrupted their zealous celebration. “Ahem,” a voice came from behind the group. The Ultra turned to see the same blue page from before.
“You are Cobalt Shine?” he inquired.
“I am,” the blue pony responded. “Would you like me to show your company to your quarters?”
The Ultra nodded. “That would please us. Lead on.”
Cobalt Shine nodded. He turned to leave, but then seemed to remember something suddenly. “I almost forgot,” he began, wheeling around to face the aliens again. “Your, ah, weapons,” he said uncertainly, floating that same chest over to the group.
The Ultra simply grabbed it and held it under one arm. “Thank you. Let us go.” Cobalt Shine nodded and left. The group of ragtag aliens followed.
Outside, the blood-red disk of the sun slowly crawled behind the distant horizon, safe from prying eyes. Its brilliance illuminated the nearby sky in a fiery burst of reds and oranges. Rare was this sunset in Equestria.
Blood had been shed that day.
>//END OF ACT I.
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cool..........!LoL! Nuf.sed.
SWEET! New chapter! It's a bit short, but still AWESOME!
I thought she was going to kill him.
Also, there should be more Luna in this fic.
i.qkme.me/357f2e.jpg
I Love the moon.
totally worth it, your writing my friend has always kept my interested in this story. plus i do wonder what Pip Pap's cutie mark would be.
Interesting, but with the current conflict driver gone, what can you do with the story to make it interesting? Only time will tell, I suppose.
2630609 Well, be careful. I hear Strax (the Sontaran) recently declared war on the moon. (Also, Celestia is best Princess.
And then Cadance.
Oh and Twilight.
Sorry Luna.)
Great chapter. I hope Ultra and CO. journey is successful.
This chapter was great. Like 2630659 said, with this conflict finished it makes me wonder where they will go next.
2630688
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Luna is my favorite, like some of the "Mane Six" I see similarities between our personalities.
Something tells me thats not the last we'll see of the Minor
*4 AM in Israel and can't sleep due to fucking up sleep schedule*
*Checks email for the umpteenth time today to see if invoice confirmation for the second printing of Fallout: Eqeustria has been sent*
*Sees it still isn't there, but gets a happy surprise that this fic has updated after a roughly 2 month long waiting period*
*Clicks link for chapter*
*Notices scroll bar and thus brevity of chapter*
*Proceeds to lash out in frustration to the closest thing in apartment which is a stuffed moose on a bicycle stating to it:*
*Calms down and reads*
*Period of around 5-10 minutes passes*
*............*
*SMASHING!*
25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyd9b2ahfS1r8uoxto1_500.gif
*Then proceeds to play the waiting game, hoping that HE WON'T HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER TWO MONTHS FOR A CHAPTER, but realizing that good quality work takes both time and effort, he ultimately resigns himself to his fate*
*Le sigh*
2630720 WAIT! I don't hate you Luna
I was just saying...PLEASE DON"T CRY! You're best moon goddess and that's a fact.
(Oh, like what?)
Thankfully, over the last year I have accumulated I'm guessing just over 525 stories in my favorites. So... yeah. Looks like long waiting periods won't be a problem. Except for SOME fucking stories which seem to take forever to update after an expertly placed cliffhanger! *glares intently at Mort Takes A Holiday*
Oh well. I guess what you said is right, 2630736. You just can't rush perfection.
I actually gasped when I saw this updated.
I personally like this story! It is perhaps one of the most unique stories I have had the pleasure of reading! PLEASE keep the updates coming!
wicked!
Gonna Like and Fav so I can read later
.
Congratulations on getting this featured yet again.
I love this story. Thank you, and please, keep updating.
You sir a douche i hope you know that
be makeing this into acts
It happened again.
The day I look back and think "Hey, this fic hasn't updated in a while," it updates.
...at 12 AM. yeah, I'm going to bed. I'll read the chapter in the morning.
Honor is value,
The defendent trio,
The Guardians.
~Alicon
Tartarus is certainly a fitting fate for the Minor. Glory without honor is indistinguishable from bloodlust, and his need to kill showed no signs of abating.
Here's hoping he stays there, and doesn't, say, break down the gates at the head of a literal army of the damned.
I need moar
NIce, or how Michel would put it as.....
Great job, this really has gotten me fired up.
Cheerio mate.
2631145 Why is he a douche? What is wrong with separating stories into acts?
It helps writers to separate and identify each single story arc, leading to less confusion among readers. Not only does each act have their own goals as far as story progression, but it helps organize the story and make it seem more professional.
He made a good choice dividing The Lone Blades into individual acts.
Not sure what you are complaining about...
Sorry for the short update folks, but you'll have to settle. "Less is more" I always say!
THAT MEANS NO MORE IS INFINITELY GOOD LOL. Decided on a whim this evening that splitting the story into acts would be fun. We're also at a huge transition point, so it just made sense. And I really liked what we have here. Solar agreed on all points.More to come...er...eventually. We're definitely making progress on hashing things together, though. Buckle your seatbelts, people, because things are about to get crazy.
I'd love to say more, but...
i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag40/Shanenator777/icantwasher.gif
2630659>>2630703 Well, something certainly wanted Bok dead in that maze.
That is...something...or someone...or even...somepony...
2631288 Now that would be terrifying.
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2630736>>2630769 Honestly this should've been up a long time ago. But we just now decided on some...things concerning where the story will go and how. So progress is being made, I assure you. As for this "perfection" you speak of, we're flattered but please. Let us remain within the realm of reality!
2631154 What, 1700 words too much for ya?
2630726
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2632004 I FORGOT ABOUT THE THING IN THE MAZE
2632166 See, that's what I thought.
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[Tau Niem enters stage, to standing over Watchful Eye]
"Go now to the halls of your forebears, where we all will someday tread.
Bask in the warmth of the sun and in relax in the the cool shade.
In your service you have gained honor, and in your death you have assured it.
Go now and someday I shall join you too."
MLP, Halo elites & decent chapter sizes? Will have to mark this for read later.
So I guess the next story arc will explain why the whole situation with the weapons being stolen prescribed, no?
The Red part of the like bar is invisible now.
Is it just me, or does Celestia's method of handling the minor seem OOC and kinda bi-polar? I mean come one, eternal suffering? That's like the worst punishment imaginable; I can't think of anyone in human history that deserves to suffer for an infinite period of time, not even Hitler. So basically, Celestia is just being her passive, peaceful self when suddenly BAM, I AM CONDEMNING YOU TO THE WORST FATE IMAGINABLE! Don't forget that NMM and Discord got away with long, lonely imprisonments (infinitesimal in contrast to eternal suffering) when they must have committed far more severe crimes than a single case of murder. Other than that, good chapter, keep it up!
2632961 they also didnt kill anyone
2632004 Don't worry, me and a couple of others are way more patient than you think. Just keep at what your doing with this story.
While I'm glad the direction this story is heading in and it is wonderfully written, I was a little confused about Pip's line: Ponies nothing but nice. Never fight, never hurt, never steal. Ponies want to make friends. - What about the ponies that tried to steal their weapons and kill them? Or has Pip already forgotten that?
2632961 In my mind at least, Tartarus is a place for demons, monsters, and other such riffraff. Essentially creatures of pure evil. Celestia sees the Minor as no different at this point. She even says herself: "“Ultra...I have not had to imprison a soul in Tartarus for over a millenia." It was not an easy choice for her. Was it the completely logical one? I won't necessarily say that. Celestia had quite the emotional day. But one thing is for sure: the Minor pushed his limits far too many times. Who says Celestia is a flawless character?
2633476 He was generalizing. Furthermore, there's not necessarily concrete evidence that the mysterious enemies were ponies.
WHOOO!
New chapter. Thanks
Blood?
BLOOD!?
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!!!
Le me before checking e-mail:
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...
Le me after seeing this story finally updated:
Le me after reading this chapter:
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*Applause* bravo, you have succeeded in keeping me up till 2 am and making me shed a tear in the process
A thought that is perhaps disterbing and yet fate full. Unicorns learning to magically replicate energy swords. the two spines sitting front and rear of the horn.
I LOVE this fic! One of the best Halo Crossover fics I have read! Can't wait for more!
Have my internets for the day. Well done author. Well done.
I like the ultra he seems like a nice alien
U should introduce humans to the story
Like a unsc cruiser stumbles upon the planet and a bond between ultra and company and humans with equines
Then have the minor escape and rile up the griffons and changlings
2644146 he wasnt going to kill us, he was saving us...that's a good alien
Love the Lord of the Rings reference there at the end. This story has proven itself to be honorable.
2666372 Caught that, did ya? Internet cookies for you!