Chapter 5
Scootaloo was just retracting a plasma blade from an unruly Kig-Yar as Faolan snapped the neck of a Sangheli Remnant and Thel extracted his energy sword from the belly of another.
"Tell me again lass, how did we get oursel's wrapped up in this mess?!" Faolan yelled over the din of battle.
Parrying a thrust from a sword the mare beheaded her opponent before replying.
"Well, I came out, went ballistic and was doing good. Thel got all 'honour bound must get more kills than a mare' on us and charged out, and you got jealous and thought he was coming to save me. I went to fly back and spotted you two in trouble, and now we're pinned!"
The trio hastily fell back into a garage and made short work of anyone attempting to follow them in before stacking corpses roughly in the doorway.
"Did I ever tell you how much I hate human stupidity?" Thel growled, eyeing Faolan pointedly.
Scootaloo opened fire with twin M6C's as remnant forces attempted to pour in through the door.
"Did Ah e'er tell you how much Ah hate hunchbacks?" Faolan retorted.
The Arbiter growled angrily and grabbed the front of Faolan's armour.
"I should peel you from your tin can and skin you alive."
Reaching up Faolan gripped the two lower mandibles on Thel's jaw.
"Whatever ye say, at least mah face doesnae look like a vagina!"
"You little wor-"
"HEY! You two done jerking eachother off, or should I keep holding this door myself?" snapped Scootaloo as she unloaded rounds at the door.
Throwing each other a pair of disapproving glares Faolan and Thel let go of eachother and joing Scootaloo back at holding the door.
~~~~~~~
Williams and the rest of the fireteam had just made it back to their Pelican. Kramer and Indigo took the left and right guns while Davis took the bottom mounted gun. Before they could lift off a number of Falcons flew over, tearing into the Remanant forces with their own guns.
*Fireteam Raven, Sangheli Loyalists. This is Commander Travis of the UNSC Destroyer Falcon Claw. We are providing aerial support while engaging a Remnant cruiser in orbit. We advise you clear the planet in case of any orbital bombardment.*
"Yeah! There we go boys!" Davis cheered as they lifted off. "Now let's go find us Grant and Scootaloo and get the fuck off this rock!"
~~~~~~~
The remnant coughed up its own blood laughing as the three fools finsihed piling bodies in the door way. It was enough to draw their attention. As they turned, the Jiralhanae gave them a cruel smile.
"It is all pointless....We know where your planet is horse....we will...we will have your hardlight technology....and be as gods!"
The brute watched as the horse stared at him from behind its helmet.
"Bullshit."
"It is on our cruiser, and the ship....the ship is leaving soon...we will have your...technology and we will be as gods! Such was...the promise given to us!"
*Fireteam Raven, Sangheli Loyalists. This is Commander Travis of the UNSC Destroyer Falcon Claw. We are providing aerial support while engaging a Remnant cruiser in orbit. We advise you clear the planet in case of any orbital bombardment.*
"Fireteam Raven, this is Spartan-IV Grant with Spartan-IV Scotaloo an' the Arbiter! We are holed up in the garage righ' outside the enemy deployement drop!"
*Grant you crazy s.o.b! This is Williams, we're on our way for pick up!*
"Alrigh', but make sure we're ready fer a rough landing on the Covie cruiser, they've got summat Ah know Scootaloo wants!"
*You got it, ETA in seven mikes.*
The brute quickly realized that his own were in trouble. Reaching for his on communications system, he was quick to pull back a cauterized nub.
Muzzle flash was the last thing he would see.
~~~~~~~
"Do we know if we can last much longer your Excellency?" a Kig-Yar asked cautiously as he followed the Sangheli across the war room aboard their cruiser.
"We leave as soon as we shell the ground. Now leave me, I must be in contact with our compatrio-"
What the Sangheli had planned on saying, as well as any being in the room, was ended as the twisted burning hull of a Pelican slammed through the walls and the cold vacuum of space sucked out anything not secured. From the hole in the hull came six figures, all Spartans.
"And that is how my mother taught me to make an entrance!"
The rest of the Fireteam just laughed as Scootaloo explained how Rainbow Dash tended to visit libraries.
Williams cast looks about to ensure it was safe before nodding.
"Activate your magnetics everyone, and stay on guard. Davis, breaching charges on that door. Grant, Scootaloo and Indigo, take point on whatever that door leads to. Kramer, find navigation so we can keep Scootaloo's world out of this clusterfuck!"
Nodding, the team moved into place as Davis blew the door. The first things through it were a number of unprepared remnant forces while Raven pushed forward through the door before the safey seals shut it off. Activating their stealth fields on their armours the team started moving through the halls silently killing any enemy that hadn't been killed outright or had been half suffocated by the pull of space.
It was gruelling work moving so slowly, especially for the mare who felt her home was something she could never look to again. She was antsy to get the information, blow the records, and get the hell out. That was when Williams called a halt.
*We must leave immediately lest the humans gain access to the frequency, do you understand? What is more dishonourable, running, or failing my word?*
"Failing your word, Lord Didact! We shall make haste!"
*Good, and I expect the rest of your forces are on their way to the my coordinates as we speak?*
"Yes Lord Didact."
It was then that Scootaloo stepped out and dropped her active comouflage.
"Yes Lord Didact, no Lord Didact, my hoof up your ass when I see you Lord Didact! You want my family, you go through me to get it!"
The Sangheli Feild Marshall just laughed.
"The Lord Didact does not waste his time with beings such as you. No, you are mine to kill strangeling, and I will mount your head upon my wall!"
Scootaloo just stood and allowed the energy sword swung at her to halt upon her overshield before slamming the horn on her helmet home in the Sangheli Field Marshall's chest. Thje Sangheli dropped without further words and Kramer immediately began digging through the files about the same time that reinforcements began assailing the room. Scootaloo took point in defense, her overshield and hardlight shields on her wings making her a near impenetrable force to be reckoned with. Behind her stood Davis and Faolan who were firing over her.
On the far side, dealing with a far smaller force, were Williams and Indigo. The whole time Kramer was working on the computer and uttering little less than the odd explicative every time a round flew past her head. Pounding away at the keys, Kramer worked her way through firewall after firewall until she found her prize. Hooking up her datapad, the woman downloaded the coordinates before tossing a call to Davis.
"Load this computer up with an EMP and a few fragmentation and let's get the hell out of here!"
Taking Davis' place behind Scootaloo while Davis primed the explosives, Kramer took the oppurtunity to apologise to Scootaloo.
"You know how I mouthed off that first night, and then you saved my sorry ass. I just wanted to say sorry."
Firing off one more bolt of plasma from her horn Scootaloo called back to her fireteam mate.
"You got my data, right?"
"Yeah."
"Apology accepted, oh, and I didn't shoot him to save you, I shot him because I fucking despise Jiralhanae, but same thing...sorta..."
"What?!" Kramer barked loudly only to hear Scootaloo laughing, "That wasn't funny..."
Tossing two greandes down the hall and heading towards the doorway Williams and Indigo held Scootaloo called back.
"Wasn't supposed to be, it honestly isn't too far from the truth."
Pushing down the hall the fireteam suddenly felt the whole of the ship stretch and groan beneath them. Taking it as their cue to hurry up, they managed to push forward into the hangar and just managed to make their escape via borrowed Banshees as the Covenant Cruiser broke apart and exploded.
~~~~~~~
"So we're going to see the Wonderbolts? Wait, are you joining the Wonderbolts?! Cause that'd be so totally cool!" Scootaloo cried happily.
Rainbow Dash ruffled Scoots mane playfully.
"I know it would, but I won't be joining the Wonderbolts."
"Why not? You're the best flier ever!"
Rainbow spent the next hour or so of the trip to Cloudsdale explaining to Scootaloo that Wonderbolts couldn't be single parents due to the commitment to the team. She also explained how there were somethings in the world that meant more enough to ponies that sometimes what they thought they wanted wasn't what they really needed.
"The fact of the matter is, kiddo, that as long as you have somepony to hold close to your heart, be it a husband, wife, son or daughter, you have everything the world could offer you. And when it does offer you one of those, you'd be a fool not to take it."
That night the mother and daughter curled up, and Scootaloo slept more soundly than she had ever done in years.
~~~~~~~
"Ugh....didn't I swear off heavy drinking?" Scootaloo mumbled as she rose from prone, holding one hoof to her head, "Pretty sure I swore off heavy drinking....why do I feel like shit?"
"Tha' tends tae happen when ye get yer arse caught up in the explosion of a Covenant Cruiser. How's yer head?"
Looking over to her right, Scootaloo found Faolan sitting in the corner. She beckoned him over, and as soon as he leaned in close she smacked him in the back of the head.
"How do you think?"
The Spartan-IV was rubbing the back of his head ruefully when Scootaloo grabbed his chin and pulled him forward, pressing her lips roughly over his as she kissed him.
"Better now though...might help if we went and got something to eat, say, dinner for two?"
Faolan just stood stupidly for a moment before shaking his muddled thoughts away.
"Ah'll go talk tae the medical personelle an' see abou' gettin' ye checked ou'."
Scootaloo just smiled as she watched the large man exit the room. She'd found what she had been offered and, for better or worse for the poor bugger, she decided to take him and call him her own.
~~~~~~~
Kramer was seated on Williams lap as the two rested against eachother while Davis and Indigo were on their third round of pool. For the most part they had all been relaxing for the past two weeks since they'd accidently personally destroyed the Covenant Cruiser they'd invaded and were enjoying the off time.
"You think Grant's ever going to come out of that room?"
Indigo took her shot a pocketed four balls in one go. Two shots in and she was already set to pocket the Eight.
"I highly doubt it Davis."
Davis just shrugged.
"Well, Williams, what about her being able to find her home? She is a Spartan now, so how does that work out?"
Williams pulled his eyes from Kramer for a moment to look over towards Davis.
"Well, seeing as the whole situation was forced on her, I don't really see how we could stop her if she did want to. She literally had no other choice, otherwise she would have died. If she wants to go home, I won't stop her, if anything I'll vouch for her decision."
"I agree. Her life, not ours, and to force her decision one way or the other would be highly unfair." Kramer acknowledged.
"Yeah, well, she's a tough nut, and I'd hate to lose a fireteam member, but- Damnit Indigo, can't I just win one game?"
Indigo just shook her head and motioned for Davis to set up another game.
~~~~~~~
While usually not one to care about her looks,Scootaloo knew they were going to be docking in the next hour, and knew that (after much 'convincing') Faolan was going to take her out somewhere nice for dinner. The issue was that she didn't have anything to wear!
So fine, maybe Rarity's teachings had more of an effect on her than she'd first let on, but it was her first ever date! She couldn't go out looking like some grunt straight off the feild! Turning to look in the mirror the mare realized that she hadn't showered yet. Grabbing a towel and some liquid soap Scootaloo set off for the women's shower area.
Upon entering the female shower room a number of ODST's and Marines turned to get a glance at the Spartan pony. Reactions ranged from curiosity to outright disgust, murmurs of betrayal and alien key amongst the group. Ignoring these and using her wings to clear a path to a spicket the mare turned on the cold water, relishing the heightened nerves that it brought to her.
So entranced by the feel of the ice cold water tracing across her back and her wings Scootaloo didn't even notiuce the group of angry looking soldiers that had encircled her. Granted once she had taken notice, she still did not find herself overtly worried.
"May I help you?"
This drew a few derisive snorts from the women around her as they glared at the mare.
~~~~~~~
Linda Raetz and her ODST squad were on their way to the showers after a firefight drill when they heard the sounds of the fight. Rushing forward, Linda was the first to spot a number of Marines trying tosubdue and beat the daylights out of the alien that had returned her husband from Expidai.
"Squad! Protect the Spartan!"
With a hellish fury Linda's squad of ODST's joined the fray and cleared a number of Marines from the pony. It took all of second for the fight to be finished, the Marines training not capable of standing up against the combind fury of five ODST's and a Spartan.
Linda was wiping away some blood from her lip when the pony turned to face her and offered a hoof.
"Thanks for the assist. Jeez, can't wash the blood and guts off me without using...well...aparently more blood."
Taking the hoof in her hand and giving it a firm shake Linda returned the mare's comment with a smile.
"Apparently not. Linda Raetz, and I owed you, you brought my husband back to me."
"Yeah...." Scootaloo trailed, "I'm sorry I couldn't keep him alive..."
Giving her eyes a quick wipe Linda just smiled.
"He died protecting those he could and I'm proud of him for that."
Ducking back under the spray of water Scootaloo quickly began to shower again before swearing under her breath and hitting the wall.
"Problem?"
"No, well, sort of. I had a date for tonight, but now this is going to hjold me up." Scootaloo grumbled.
Linda just smirked.
"Squad, the Marines picked a fight with me and you all backed me up, the Spartan here walked in when it was said and done with. Now freshen up and get going."
Shaking the woman's hand once more Scootaloo head out and back to her room.
~~~~~~~
Faolan shifted uncomfortably in his dress blues. Spartans were well known for only ever wearing the uniform in a coffin, a fact that weighed heavily on his mind as he waited for his date to arrive on the off loading dock. Shifting his cover slightly then pulling at the lower hem of his jacket, the man couldn't quite figure out what was making him so damned nervous.
It was about that time Commander Travis walked up next to him.
"Scared Spartan?"
"Sir?"
"I asked if you were scared, nervous, jittery." Travis repeated, "It's easy shooting something you know wants to kill you. Hell, couple pounds of pressure is enough for most triggers anyway. Dating though...Well, let's just say that's a whole other ball game."
The Commander cast a look over to see Faolan eyeing him questioningly.
"Well, first off, you don't get to 'abort mission' and then slam the failed attempt with a MAC round to rid yourself of the evidence." Travis laughed, "My advice though, is that she's seen you as a soldier at your core, so no false airs, don't act fancy or anything like that. Second is that you have no credit cap tonight. I don't do this for you....but, well, you know my family history, everyone does. I'll do for Scootaloo what I couldn't do for my own daughter, they're too similar for me to not want to."
At this point Commander Travis wiped a tear from his eye before placing a hand on Faolan's shoulder.
"Finally, have fun, and don't take this too seriously. Shit son, if I had a girl practically order me on a date I'd figure she has it all in hand. Good luck Spartan, and with Scootaloo's attitude, lord knows you'll need it."
As Commander Travis walked away Faolan was left debating over who had the worst motivational speeches, Scootaloo or the Commander.
~~~~~~~
Having already gone through a walk in the park, then stopped by a theatre to watch a short romantic comedy about an Unngoy and a human who fell in love and got married. After another short walk they decided upon a predominantly vegetarian based resturaunt. After a fair bit of talking, Scootaloo nearly decking the manager for calling her a mindless beast and a call to the ship later they found themselves seated.
"So, you said you had a sister back when we first met. What's she like?"
Faolan mulled over the question for a moment before answering.
"Tedra. She's a bit like me, or with her being older, Ah'm a bit like her. Ah get a bit more...accented when agitated, came from mah da's side. Red hair like me, an' like Ah said we both joined the Spartan-IV programme, a bit o' a rivalry there. Anyway las' Ah heard she was off on some project called Infinity, though you didnae hear tha' from me, an' Ah didnae hear it from her."
Nodding with a smile Scootaloo bit into her gourmet veggie burger she'd ordered. This had been the most relaxed she'd been in the last year or so.
"An' you? Any family or friends back home?"
Swallowing her bite Scootaloo shrugged.
"My mom Rainbow Dash, my two best friends Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. The closest to family I've got aside from Raven."
Giving her a reassuring smile, the Spartan put a hand on Scootaloo's hoof.
"An' we won' leave you until death forces our paths apart."
The two slipped into a comfortable silence after that, both enjoying their respective meals. The general ambiance and lack of war noise was soothing to both. Soft lighting coupled with the soft playing of orchestra allowed both parties to fall into a relaxed state of mind as they unknowingly stared into each others' eyes. It wasn't until a waiter came over with a plate of what appeared to be a luxurious chocolate cake topped with rich vanilla bean ice cream.
"Compliments of the couple in the corner."
Casting their gazes up, Scootaloo and Faolan watched as Williams and Kramer paid their bill and stood to leave, and Scootaloo swore Kramer winked at her. Turning to face the dessert brought out, the mare flicked the spoon idly with a hoof, flushing slightly.
"Are you alrigh'?"
Starting slightly, Scootaloo looked up to see Faolan eyeing her curiously.
"Oh yeah," the mildly embarassed Scootaloo responded, "I'm just...I don't know... People buying expensive things for me makes me kind of uncomfortable, you know?"
"No' really, can you elaborate?"
Sighing slightly, but knowing that she might as well tell him, Scootaloo explained.
"I was an orphan for a long time, kind of scavving off what I could. When I was...alone...It made things easier to believe I could keep myself safe and taken care of rather than accept aid..."
"Because accepting aid felt like a cop-out?" Faolan deduced while smiling reassuringly.
"Exactly! I didn't need their help, I could do it on my own, hell, I can do it on my own." Scootaloo grumbled. She was about to continue when Faolan slipped a spoon of ice cream into her mouth.
"But now you have people who'll care for you." Faolan countered with a smile, "An' Ah know we don't give because we pity you, but because we see you as an equal and a friend. That and if you don't like accepting things without being able to pay them back, what was tonight all about."
Swallowing the ice cream, Scootaloo unwillingly suppressed her want to eat more of the delicious treat and returned Faolan's quest for an answer.
"Well...I figured dating and...well...some late night activities would have repayed it well enough..."
Both amazed and mildly worried that the mare Faolan found his heart yearning for would worry so much about making sure they stayed on even footing, or hoofing in her case, the Scotsman realized he needed to set a few ground rules should their relationship continue.
"Tha' makes sense, Ah suppose, if it were favours betwixt frien's, but this is s'pose' tae be a relationship, right?"
Scootaloo nodded, but didn't really follow quite yet.
"Meanin' if Ah want tae give you a nice night ou' on the town, then Ah should be able tae do that without you feeling obligated to return the act. The reason is because it made me happy knowin' you were happy, an' tha' is good enough for me." explained Faolan as he leaned over the table and kissed Scootaloo lightly, "An' Ah think it soun's like you deserve tae be treated a bit. Tha' bein' said, Ah'd like tae be the one who treats you."
For the first time in a long time Scootaloo felt a sprinkling of moisture about the corners of her eyes that wasn't attributed to sorrow of some kind. No, instead the feeling stirring in her was more akin to that of the feeling she felt when Rainbow had adopted her. Starting with a tingling throughout her body, it turned into a buzz that made her pulse race and made her want to sing(nevermind her terrible voice). Leaning in Scootaloo sealed a second kiss.
"Thank you, you've got no idea how much this, all of this, means to me." beamed Scootaloo, "Now there are three more things on the agenda. Ice cream and cake, bed, and then once we get there, meeting my mom!"
Faolan simply laughed as he offered another spoon of ice cream to his new girl friend, or filly friend as it were. He was eagerly looking forward to the time they'd have together.
*Meeting my mom!*
Well, most of the time they'd have together, but his gut told him that might be an interesting(and possibly deadly) scenario.
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The grammar nazi in my is getting out. Don't mind him or whatever he says.
You misspelled Infinity.
2180847 "The grammar nazi in my is getting out" is letting mine loose. Try loosening up some, bro. This is like one of the best stories ever. EVER. Of course, I've been a halo fan since the first came out when I was pretty young, so I am kind of biased. But still, this one is good. Bravo to I am Memorial!
Defuq? Tagged 'Sex'? So like, Scootaloo and a Spartan or something? Ahh, I guess I'll just read it, hope it's not bad.
Liked how you incorporated the Infinity into the story, Now when I go home and play spartan ops, I'll imagine that Crimson is Thera.
And how far are you taking the relationship? it would feel kind of weird that a spartan would leave a fireteam just for the loveof its life.
Also, is Scootaloo ever gonna recover from the injury on her eye? Not saying to get rid of the red eye, it adds a badass feel and look; but rather have the scar on the skin barely visible and for the eye to stop leaking blood when she cries. (a bit suprise you didn't mention it when she cried at the table.)
I didn't did I? I felt that for the overall emotion of the story, noting blood oozing out of her eye would kill it a bit. As for the scar, well I do plan on it receding a bit to be thinner and have the fur come back.
As for Faolan leaving the fireteam just for love...well, lets just say that I have that situation well in hoof and ready to be taken care of. Suffice to say, things will not by all happy happy sunshine upon the return to Scootaloo's planet. (No war mind you, but more personal issues revolving around Scootaloo than anything else.)
My final note on the eye is that it is held as a badge of honour. She saved Thel 'Vadamee and gained that injury, and she doesn't want to give that up, I'll go more into why in the story later thought, and there is a sequel planned already.
2181491 Meh, I trhink the storyline rank it atleast one full read chapter, but hey.
Why do I has feeling the spooks are coming for tha data.....
no please dont kill rainbow please
2186603Kill Rainbow? Where did that ridiculous notion spring from?
2183605 For the most part ONI won't be a problem any longer.
2190797 Meh, you knew what I meant lol. Granted I will go back and look into it, thanks for the info!