Scootaloo got thrown out of the portal and skidded to a stop. Behind her another portal opened up kicking out the elite, checking if she still had any weapons she found she only had her knife and pulled it.
The elite quickly grabbed a plasma rifle that lay on the ground near a pool of blood and pointed it at Scootaloo.
Tensing up, the pegasus got ready to get in close if the elite opened up. But instead of firing the elite started studying the blood that stained the rifle, Scootaloo curious as to why they weren't fighting also looked at the blood. It was blue indicating that it belonged to an elite. The silver armored elite lowered the plasma rifle, prompting Scootaloo to sheathe the combat knife.
"The parasite would have its reasons to send you with me instead of with the Demon." It said, "You won't survive without support from your ship. If you choose to support me then I'll make sure none of my brothers will fire upon you."
Scootaloo eyed the elite suspiciously through the visor of her helmet but knew that without the support from fellow marines or the In Amber Clad she wouldn't last long. "You don't leave me much choice." She said, standing up on her hind legs and taking off her helmet, "Swear it and you'll have my support until I can get back to UNSC forces."
"On the blood of my ancestors." He replied, "What may I call you, little one?"
Scootaloo relaxed a bit since she knew that the elites valued their honor so this one wouldn't attack her. "Scootaloo Hurricane, I'm a pegasus."
The elite nodded, "My title might not mean much anymore but you may call me arbiter."
The Arbiter turned to the chasm in front of them and started moving, "Stay close to me" he told Scootaloo.
Not that far into the chasm, they found the body of a fellow elite that had an energy sword lying next to it, the arbiter picked it up and knelt down next to the corpse. Saying a few words in Sangheili and removing something from the arm of the dead warrior.
"Hold out your left foreleg." The arbiter ordered, Scootaloo hesitantly held it out since her left leg was the one she used to hold her knife. The arbiter attached a flat module on the armored lower leg and activated it, a small energy dagger the likes she had seen on Reach shot out.
"It will only last for a few strikes and will recharge over time. Use it wisely, it might save your life once." The arbiter said standing back up and moving further down the chasm, Scootaloo was shocked that the elite would give her a weapon like that. She heard the scream of a brute get her attention and she rushed forwards to help the arbiter only to find that he had already cut them down. The arbiter let out an angry scream and rushed even further ahead, leaving Scootaloo to catch up again. Finding a group of four brutes he went around slashing the large ape-like aliens, Scootaloo picked up a plasma rifle and started shooting one of the brutes killing it at the same time the arbiter finished off the last of the three he had engaged.
Nodding to the pony the arbiter moved up to a ridge where another elite came from a structure, "By the Prophets ... what have these Brutes done?" He said as it saw the carnage the brutes had caused. He knelt down next to a corpse that lay on the edge, "They have shed our brothers' blood... and for that, they must die!"
He then spotted Scootaloo who only then got up to the ridge, "What is the meaning of this, Arbiter?"
"She fights on our side, Brother." He reassured the other elite. A wave of drop-pods came down revealing another squad of elites, The arbiter by that point probably marked Scootaloo as friendly because when the reinforcements came up to meet them they only looked at her like she didn't belong there but said nothing. Moving up through the underground they cut down any Brute that got in their way with a viciousness that scared the pony, the further they got the angrier the elites got as they found more bodies of their fellow warriors. Eventually they found their way outside again and boarded a few ghosts after clearing the brutes that were guarding them, not being able to pilot one of the Covenant vehicles Scootaloo took to the air flying alongside the machines as the elites piloted them down the chasm.
After clearing a few checkpoints set up by Brute forces they found themselves coming up on a central structure perched on the side of the chasm's walls. A wraith appeared from a little further up and attacked the squad of Elites plus pony, Scootaloo having held back for the majority of the time since she wasn't sure that she wouldn't be shot in the back finally decided to throw herself into the mix. Charging the tank she latched herself onto the access hatch and started beating with all her might, creating a small opening that allowed a grenade to be thrown in, Jumping of the tank it made a few jerks around before the grenade exploded killing the pilot.
A few of the elites that were also focussing on the wraith roared in approval of the kill, moving up past the structure they saw another wraith charging its main cannon. Quickly running into a passage to get out of its line of fire they dispatched two more brutes they found a stockpile of weapons, including human ones. Scootaloo swiftly ditched the plasma rifle in favor of a shotgun, in the corner of her eyes she saw a large two tubed rocket launcher.
"Jackpot!" She said, clumsily dragging it along with her. Moving out of the building again the elites took down two jackals that were waiting outside of the door, Scootaloo shouldered the SPNKR and fired the two rockets in quick succession at the wraith making it blow up spectacularly. Moving down the structure further they killed another group of brutes, this time with the help of the pegasus who happily helped the elites take them down.
Leaving the squad of elites the arbiter and Scootaloo went into a cave, running into a brute on a ghost but due to a quick plasma grenade from the arbiter it didn't even get a shot off at the pair. Walking out of a large door into a wider field outside they saw another wraith approaching, but instead of charging its main cannon it slowly floated up to the two and powered down. out came an Elite with white armor that was missing two jaw mandibles, "By the rings, Arbiter!? The Councilors! Are they -"
"Murdered... By the Brutes." The arbiter responded, enraging the white-clad elite.
"Vile, insolent beasts! The Prophets were fools to trust them!" He shouted, Two phantom dropships flying overhead to a large nearby structure.
"What is that place?" Scootaloo asked the elite.
"Where the Councilors were meant to watch the consecration of the Icon. The start of the Great Journey." He answered, his tone hardened a slight bit. The arbiter stood still for a moment letting a few thoughts run through its mind, "I must get inside." he finally said.
"Then mount up, Arbiter. I know a way to break those doors." He said, closing the hatch on the wraith and reactivating it. Using the tank to annihilate brute forces they made their way to a docked Scrab,
"There, Arbiter. That Scarab's main gun will break the Control Room's door. At the far end of the beach there's a passage into the cliff. It'll take you up to the Scarab." The elite told the arbiter and Scootaloo, the group easily clearing the outside of enemy fighters due to the support from the wraith.
"The Brutes control the cruiser, Arbiter. I'll remain here, make sure no reinforcements get in behind you. Then, I'm going to take the cruiser back!" The elite said as the unusual pair walked towards the passage in the cliff, inside the building they found two Hunters and another elite.
"The Arbiter? I thought he was dead! Hold your fire. The Hunters have come to our aid, Arbiter. They will stand by our side." the elite said as he saw the arbiter. Scootaloo walked past the three aliens, confident that they wouldn't shoot her by this point. "We need all the help we can get, I take it that the brutes have fortified the hallways?"
The elite looked funnily at the little pegasus in ODST armor, "Have the humans taken our side in this conflict?" He asked confused.
"It's complicated." The arbiter answered, "Hunters, Take point."
The hunters brought up their shields and moved through the structure, the few hard points the brutes had set up quickly fell as they couldn't pierce the thick armor of the hunters from the front while the hunters' plasma cannons burnt through everything they shot at. Eventually, the group came up to a bridge that was fortified by a group of jackals, killing them quickly and entering the building on the other side. The arbiter cloaked himself as he walked into the main chamber where a group of brutes where holding two elites and two other hunters captive, instead of assassinating one of the brutes the arbiter chose to destroy the filed projectors that were keeping the hunters and Sangheili captive quickly gaining the upper hand with their help.
Moving on to the final door to the scarab the hunters took point again and formed a shield wall, on the platform there were three human soldiers being held captive one of which Scootaloo recognized as Sergeant Johnson.
"SERGEANT!" Scootaloo shouted Charging the Brutes holding the three soldiers, distracting the brutes long enough for the soldier to break free and start fighting them.
"Go, Go, Go!" Johnson shouted at the other marines as he ran towards the scarab, A quick firefight later all the brutes were downed.
"Hold your fire!" Scootaloo shouted at the two marines as they turned their attention to the elites and hunters, the arbiter doing the same on his side. The scarab than stood up and pointed its main cannon at the arbiter, "Listen, you don't like me and I sure as hell don't like you." Johnson said over the speakers, "But if we don't do something, Mr. Mohawk's gonna activate this ring. And we're all gonna die."
"Tartarus has locked himself inside the Control Room." The arbiter answered the sergeant.
"Well, I just happen to have a key. Come on. Grab a Banshee and give me some cover. He's gonna know we're comin'." The sergeant said as he started moving the walker towards the control room, the arbiter grabbed a banshee and gave air support to the scarab. Scootaloo sat on the scarab as her wing muscles were on the verge of exhaustion, taking a short flight towards several gun emplacements to take them out so the arbiter could focus on other banshees. The scarab eventually reached the end of the chasm and stopped taking a firing position.
"Stay clear of the doors!" The sergeant shouted over the comms at the arbiter, "Hey, bastards, knock knock!" He added as he fired the main cannon at the door, melting through it. Scootaloo took flight and landed in front of the door as the arbiter set down his banshee as well.
"I've got your back." Scootaloo told the Sangheili as she flicked her wrist with the energy dagger twice, activating and deactivating it. The arbiter nodded and headed inside, they stealthily snuck underneath the brutes and burst up behind them, stabbing them with energy blades and sticking plasma grenades to their bodies. Having cleared the room they could hear that Johnson was trying to park the scarab close to the door, knowing that he would soon join them the two made their way to the central chamber where they finally encountered the brute chieftain.
"Come, human, it is easy. Take the Icon in your hands.... And do as you are told!" He shouted at captain Keyes who was stubbornly refusing.
"Please, use caution! This Reclaimer is delicate." The monitor advised.
"One more word, Oracle, and I'll rip your eye from its socket! Which is nothing compared to what I will do to you." The Chieftain roared.
"Tartarus, stop." The arbiter calmly said, Scootaloo still hanging back a bit in the shadows.
"Impossible!" the brute said as he saw the arbiter.
"Put down the Icon." The arbiter continued, as the brutes stirred.
"Put it down? And disobey the Hierarchs?" He questioned the arbiter.
"There are things about Halo even the Hierarchs do not understand." The arbiter said, a few brutes stepped forward but were waved back by the chieftain.
"Take care, Arbiter. What you say is heresy!" He growled at the elite.
"Is it?" The arbiter gently asked. "Oracle, what is Halo's purpose?"
"Collectively, the seven—" The monitor started but was interrupted by the brute, "Not another word!" he shouted at it.
Scootaloo saw Johnson walk up from the entrance with a beam rifle, "Please ... Don't shake the light-bulb." A few brutes stepped forward growling and wanting to start a fight. Scootaloo angrily let her magic freely flow into her wings having it generate lightning in the same way she had managed to do with Discord. "How about you boys chill out a bit." She threatened, stepping into the light, electricity arching down to the floor. The Chieftain ordered his brutes to back off once again.
"Go ahead. Do your thing." Johnson said to the arbiter.
"The Sacred Rings, what are they?" He asked the monitor who responded in kind, "Weapons of last resort, built by the Forerunners to eliminate potential Flood hosts, thereby rendering the parasite harmless."
"And those who made the rings? What happened to the Forerunners?" The arbiter inquired further. The monitor not missing a beat in its answer, "After exhausting every other strategic option, my creators activated the rings. They and all additional sentient life within three radii of the galactic center, died, as planned."
"Would you... like to see the relevant data?" He added innocently.
"Tartarus. The Prophets have betrayed us." The arbiter told the brute, the chieftain thought for a moment but then threw the monitor at Johnson and forced Captain keys into putting the index into the control mechanism. "No, Arbiter! The Great Journey has begun. And the Brutes, not the Elites, shall be the Prophets' escort!"
The machinery in the control room started moving and Scootaloo suddenly felt a magic field starting to generate. A REALLY strong magic field, so strong that she started to feel her feathers start tingling. Deciding to make use of it she allowed the outside magic to flow into her own and let it out in the form of lightning. "YOU BUCKING IDIOT! YOURE GOING TO KILL US ALL!" She shouted in rage as she fried half the brutes next to Tartarus. The arbiter and Johnson springing into action as well killed the rest allowing the group to focus on Tartarus.
"Charging sequence initiated. Primary generators coming online." The monitor reported. "Well, shut them down!" Keyes shouted at it.
"Apology. Protocol does not allow me to interfere with any aspect of this sequence." The monitor said to the great annoyance of the captain, "Then how do I stop it?" She asked.
"Well, it will take some time to go over the proper procedures, I—" Keyes interrupted the AI, "Quit stalling!"
"Under more controlled circumstances, I would suggest the Reclaimer simply remove the Index." It finally said. "That's it? Johnson, I'm on it!" She shouted at the sergeant.
"Hang tight, ma'am! Not until that Brute is dead!" He shouted back as he knocked out Tartarus's shield, "Hey, Mohawk! How'd that feel?" He shouted, the arbiter getting in a swipe with his energy sword before the brute's shield went back up.
"Secondary generators charging. All systems are performing well within operational parameters." The monitor reported in.
Scootaloo swore under her breath as she felt the magic field strengthening to a level that almost started to hurt.
"There goes his shield!" Johnson shouted again as he hit the brute, the arbiter swooping in again to get a hit with his energy sword.
Putting all the excess magic in the area into her lightning she hit the brute hard, downing its shield in one hit. The arbiter once again took this opportunity to get a hit on the brute.
"Power generation phase complete. The installation is ready to fire. Starting final countdown." The monitor reported, "Firing sequence initiated. And may I say, Reclaimers, it has been a pleasure to serve you both. Goodbye."
The magic field suddenly spiked to a level that Scootaloo couldn't bear and she collapsed onto the ground, screaming in agony. Seeing this the arbiter rushed in towards Tartarus, evading a blow from his hammer, and started ferociously cutting into him with his energy sword.
"Come on, Arbiter! Kick that guy's ass!" Johnson shouted, taking pot shots at the brute while hauling the screaming pegasus away from the battle. Tartarus's shied finally collapsed and the arbiter stuck his blade deep into the brute, killing him on the spot. Seeing this captain Keyes jumped onto one of the rotating platforms in the room, ducking so she wouldn't get hit by one of the platforms that were rotating in the other direction. Jumping down onto the main platform of the control room she made a quick sprint to the center where she pulled the index from the main energy beam right as the last pulse charged.
It fired into the center of the ring where the rest of the energy was stored and moments later dissipated the cloud. The magic field suddenly also lost a lot of its strength, giving Scootaloo a reprieve from the painfull oppressive feeling. In the center of the control room a hologram appeared signaling something,
"What's that?" Keyes asked the monitor.
"A beacon." It replied prompting further investigation from the captain, "What's it doing?"
"Communicating. At superluminal speeds with a frequency of—" The Monitor started rambling but got cut off by Keyes, "Communicating with what?"
This question surprised the AI a bit, "The... other installations."
"Show me." Keyes ordered, the hologram changing to show seven rings, one marked red.
"Fail-safe protocol: In the event of unexpected shutdown, the entire system will move to standby status. All remaining platforms are now ready for remote activation." It explained.
"Remote activation? From here?" Keyes asked, stunning the AI even more. "Don't be ridiculous."
"Listen, tinkerbell, don't make me..." Johnson cut in, gently being stopped by the captain. "Then where? Where would someone go to activate the other rings?"
This question truly stunned the AI, "...Why, the Ark, of course."
The arbiter also walked up to the holograms, carrying the exhausted pegasus in one arm, "And where, Oracle, is that?"