//------------------------------// // The Fallen Knight // Story: Remember // by Penguin17203 //------------------------------// At this point, the city of Alexandria was destroyed. No amount of repair would be able to fix this much damage. It was irreversible with the surface being glassed and buildings being destroyed; you're better off constructing a new city from the ground up. You could use the city as a beacon from space, a warning to not step foot on this planet. An S.O.S. in the midst of a foggy night storm. Instead of lights lighting up the city, it was the flames. They were the ones keeping the city lit. Twilight and her friends along with Marq; the human they met up with back at the evacuation point had sought shelter in one of the tall skyscraper buildings in the city. It was very similar to all the other buildings. Grey walls, marble floors, the neon holograms or signs every now and then. It was quiet for the most part except for the gunfire or plasma fire in the distance. There were also other civilians staying there as well. A small minority of them were against letting the ponies in, shouting obscenities and insults; demanding that they find somewhere else to hide. The majority of them however were mainly scared or concerned, they mainly stuck to their own corners or moved to a different area of the building. When the small minority kept refusing to let them in the building, Marq, in the heat of the moment, had raised his weapon on them. Twilight didn't take too kindly to that as she scolded him for doing so, killing them wasn't going to help their case with the other humans if he had did so. Of course, Marq wasn't going to kill them... or at least, he didn't think so. They were in a desperate situation in that moment. The covenant motherships had already begun glassing the city, there wasn't much places to hide anymore, not even the rooftops were safe. Phantoms and Banshees practically owned the sky now and turrets had been set up on multiple rooftops. The mane six had witnessed it first hoof. When Twilight had teleported to one of the rooftops, one of the carriers had flew over their heads to a distance away. They watched, a dreading anticipation building up as the stomach of the ship slowly charged before an eye-blinding beam shot out; causing the building to rumble. The sheer lighting of the fiery-red beam had turned everything around them into darkness. Everything returned to normal once the carrier was done... The building they had sought shelter in wasn't as damaged as most of the other scrapers in the city. It had shattered windows and debris everywhere but it was much more preferable than being in a building that was burning or was in the process of being destroyed. It also happened to have a bunker in which they were currently occupied in. Twilight stared at the triangle shaped logo that was embedded on one of the walls of the building. "U.N.S.C., Office of Naval Intelligence" it read. She was still heavily reluctant on going back home. She knew Equestria needed their help, all the other ponies and creatures back there needed the elements of harmony but Reach... this whole planet was dying. Not just one country, literally the whole planet was being destroyed! Equestria was one country, not a whole planet. She didn't feel right just leaving all this behind, she didn't even know where they were, in terms of the galaxy. Equis could be on the other side of the universe for all she knew. Twilight was more afraid of not being able to locate the planet once they were off Reach. They leave and then what? How does she know for sure that she would be able to find the planet again? "Twilight," a voice came from behind, she turned to see Marq coming up beside her; laying his rifle against the wall. "How are you doing?" "Fine, least for the moment. How about you?" He sighed through his nose, looking off to the side. "Same, fine I suppose..." "Did... you used to visit this city?" Twilight inquired after a few moments. "You know before the covenant...?" He smirked but Twilight knew it was empty. "No but I always wanted to though." He began nodding. "It's very... beautiful. Quite a sight to see." Twilight's heart dropped. Marq had always wanted to come to New Alexandria and this was his first time witnessing it up close with the flames as decoration and the covenant mercilessly glassing it till the surface was nothing but ash. Marq sighed once more before picking up the rifle and walking away. Twilight looked back at the ONI logo before walking away. She walked over to Applejack who was standing over by the entrance of the bunker, a glazed look in her eye as she stared at the floor. The bunkers' iron bulk doors hadn't been shut yet, the room before it was rubble. The roof had a hole blown through it, letting the rain rush in. A set of two elevators were at the very end of the room, debris and rubble was scattered everywhere. "Hey Applejack," Twilight greeted. "Twi'." The two silently stood side by side for a moment. "When we're done with Cozy and all that... we're still comin' back right?" Applejack suddenly asked, still not tearing her gaze from the floor. Twilight answered almost instantly. "Yeah, of course." The farm pony nodded. If she wanted to say anything else, she didn't. "You... don't think we should?" Applejack shook her head. "It ain't that. Just wanted to make sure we were comin' back is all." "I don't think I would be able to live with myself if I had just up and abandoned everyone here." "Me neither." Applejack paused, a worrisome frown flashed across her features. "Do you think... actually, never mind." "What? No, wait. What'd you wanna ask?" Twilight urged on. "Ah was just... wonderin' if you think Reach will still be here once we're done with Cozy." Twilight didn't want to think about it. With how fast the covenant was destroying Reach, somewhere deep down she had an inkling that the planet would be long gone by the time they were done with Cozy, Chrysalis and Tirek. It could possibly take days if not, weeks before they got everything situated back at home and at this rate? They didn't have a week. "I-I hope so... but regardless... whether Reach is still here or not, we're still gonna help out. The humans, I mean." she finally answered. Applejack nodded. "Ah just hope the covenant never find Equis... 'cause ah doubt we would even last a few days." Twilight gulped, a dreadful feeling in her stomach as she saw the dark look in her friend's eyes. An abrupt ear-shattering explosion occurred somewhere within the building causing it to shake. Everyone started to panic, questions being asked simultaneously as some of the civilians scattered further into the bunker, away from the entrance. "What was that!?" Applejack exclaimed. "The covenant." Rainbow grunted, coming up to them with an angered yet exhausted look on her face. "Who else?" Rarity hurried over while Pinkie stayed with Fluttershy who was lying against the wall. Twilight frantically looked around as the sound of a phantom echoed throughout the building and suddenly a large glare fell through the hole in the roof in the other room; the hum of the phantom seemingly much closer now. She suddenly felt light on her hooves when she realized the covenant was right above them and at any moment now they would be sending in troops to clear out the building. "Uh... uhh, does anypony-anyone know how to close this!?" She gestured at the bulk doors of the bunker. Marq came over with his rifle. "We have to figure it out soon, there's not much ammo in here either." He gestured at his rifle. "You started this!" An angry voice shouted. One of the humans, a young man with short brown hair was coming over to the group of ponies; Applejack and Rainbow already on their defensive stances. "You parasites lead them right to us!" "Hey backup!" Rainbow said. "You overgrown rats! This is exactly why we should've never let you in in the place!" Rainbow began shouting and hurling insults at the man. Twilight was just about to intervene when she heard a faint hiss. She turned to the other room to see multiple figures, all suited in some type of armor she had never seen before. Covered from head to toe. They had differences that being the color and couple of other features but for the most part; it was the same armor. The figures appeared to be human as they were shaped like one. "Maybe but according to Holland the covenant-" "Commander!" One of the armored knights said as it pulled a rifle at a shockingly alarming speed from it's back and aimed it over at the equines. Twilight threw up a shield around her and everyone that was close enough immediately after. The unnerving skull shaped carving on the knights' helmet made her shake viciously as the knights came closer. "Emile, hold your fire! Civilians, up ahead!" The one in blue armor shouted as they made it into the room; the equines taking multiple steps back, nearly hitting the wall behind them. There were still two more knights coming in. "Where does he get off on calling a demolition op priority one-" And right as they came into the contact with the glare that was coming in through the roof, a purple dart shot through the air, creating a sharp whizz throughout the area. The knight in aqua-colored armor suddenly fell to the ground, motionless. The knight who was running beside their fallen comrade pulled a weapon from it's holster and began firing up at the phantom hovering above the hole in the roof. The other knights quickly withdrew their rifles and began firing too. When the phantom flew away, the knight tossed away the gun and began dragging it's fallen comrade into the bunker. "Come on, come on, get in!" "Let's go, come on!" "Close the doors! Faster!" One of the civilians exclaimed. The equines watched in shock as the knight finally made it into the bunker; the doors had already begun closing. Twilight looked at the deceased knight. This one was smaller in terms of body structure, aqua-colored armor and the unicorn focused on the hole that punctured through the knight's helmet. The civilians were still in a panic, only slightly calming down when the knights came into the bunker; everyone looked on the scene, at the dead spartan. A state of shock and disbelief. It was a common belief that spartans, these supersoldiers; unstoppable killing machines were unkillable but here; a spartan laid dead right in front of them. One second, she was alive, sprinting and communicating and the next... she was shot in the head. That was the end of that. Nothing else came after. The equines gingerly followed the knights out to an opening in the wall that was blown in; they were still somewhere high above off ground level as there was nothing but fog below. The olive-colored knight pulled something from the holster that was attatched to his thigh. He made some type of motion with hand before the object lit up with a spark followed by blue smoke. The group of knights all stood silently. Twilight wanted to ask something but given the circumstances? She as well, stayed silent. It wasn't until a few moments, she saw something in the distance growing bigger and bigger. It was a pelican. The civilians waited in the back. The pelican had arrived, slowly backing into the opening of the wall to allow the knights and the rest of the civlians on baorad. Once everyone gotten onboard, the pelican accelerated into a full motion, the door closing. Through the small window on the shutter, the buildings of the city grew distant and carriers that hovered above it. The last thing the equines saw before looking away was the charge of a covenant carrier; ready to begin it's one of many glassing ordeals. Twilight glanced at each of the knights. Her eyes landed on the blue knight in particular who was still carrying his fallen comrade. She contemplated for a moment and sighed. Well, at least they made contact with the military now...