//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight: Ignorance is Covenant // Story: In the Darkness, The Lone Blades Light the Way // by New Lunar Eclipse //------------------------------// * 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 group stared at the door in silence. The Ultra slowly walked forward and laid his hand on the smooth surface. “How...how did you find this?” “I’d rather leave out the boring details, but let’s say we built the castle around it,” Celestia answered, watching the aliens’ reactions carefully. “It would seem that this does indeed hold some significance for you.” The Ultra did not immediately respond. His mind was reeling from this new revelation. These ponies were somehow connected to the Forerunner? To the Great Ones? It shouldn’t be possible, it was far too...random. Just thinking about their situation, about how his squad was, seemingly by chance, sent through an unstable slipspace rupture to a random world populated by the strangest life forms he had yet encountered, and about how these life forms are now tied to the Forerunner themselves was enough to nearly overwhelm the Elite. As he traced the symbol etched into the stone with his hand, the Ultra considered what he was going to say next. He would have to be careful now, very careful. “Yes...this symbol is known to us. It is very commonly found among Forerunner artifacts and ruins. Wherever this symbol resides, so do precious artifacts...and additional paths to the Great Journey.” Celestia said nothing, opting to continue her analysis of the aliens’ reactions. The Ultra could practically feel her gaze boring into his back. However, there were mysteries to be solved right now. “Tell me, Princess. Have you passed the threshold of this door? Do you know what secrets lie beyond?” As he spoke he turned around, studying the Princess intently. “Yes, I have entered the chamber.” The Ultra waited for her to elaborate. When it became apparent that no response was forthcoming, he cleared his throat and spoke. “Do you have access to the chamber?” “I do.” The Ultra paused again. Celestia could open this door and she has not yet done so? Does she not understand the importance of the Great Journey? Attempting to reign in his anger over her refusal to elaborate, he spoke again, struggling to keep his voice level. “Princess, my comrades and I would very much like to enter the chamber. Please, will you allow us to enter?” At long last, a modicum of emotion flicked over Celestia’s normally unreadable face. Where before there was a mischievous glint in her eyes, she now appeared strained and conflicted. “That...” she began, “...is a matter of some import.” The Ultra raised his eyebrows slightly. “What do you mean Princess? Do you currently possess the means to enter the chamber? Do you need us to retrieve something for you? Name it, and we will do it. Whatever it takes to follow in the footsteps of the Gods.” Celestia appeared amused by the Ultra’s sudden fervor. “No, it is nothing like that. I can open this door whenever I wish. However, the chamber’s resident has made a request.” The chamber’s resident? Is there actually a member of the Forerunner beyond these doors? A being who possesses knowledge of the Great Journey? All of these questions flashed through the Ultra’s mind as he attempted to process the magnitude of the Princess’s words. Looking around at his comrades, he could see that they were equally awed by the potential behind Celestia’s words. “There is...a being within the chamber?” the Ultra asked reverently. Celestia nodded. “I am not exactly sure what it is, but it calls itself ‘the Custodian.’ It has been an associate of mine for quite some time now. Many a time have I asked its counsel, and always it has words of wisdom to speak. I have great respect for it.” The Ultra’s mind was reeling. There was a being of immense wisdom housed within this chamber! They had to get inside immediately, and continue the glorious path to the Great Journey! “Princess! You must let us into this chamber! Please, it could bring us even closer to the Great Journey!” Celestia, however, looked conflicted. “Alas, that is something I cannot do.” *What? The Princess is more puzzling than the Arums I played with as a young warrior on Sangheilios. The Ultra’s patience finally wore thin at Celestia’s refusal to admit them. He WAS going to get into this chamber of the Gods, and he’d be damned if some overgrown pony was going to stop him and his warriors! Deploying his wrist blade with a soft hiss, the Ultra leveled the blade at Celestia’s face. To his surprise, she appeared to be further away then he previously thought by a bound or two. Dropping into a deep, threatening voice, the Ultra said, “that would be most unwise.”At the sight of their leader deploying a weapon, Pip-Pap and Bok moved to flanking positions, ready to pounce despite being unarmed, and the Minor activated his own wrist blades with a soft chuckle. *Finally, the Ultra does not cave to these Ninshin... Celestia looked alarmed, and held up a forehoof to forestall any attack. “Please, Ultra. Allow me to explain! There is no need for violence here. You see, I contacted the Custodian after you arrived. Rather surprisingly, the Custodian knew that you would come to this planet. It knew that you would be shown this door. And for reasons I cannot hope to fathom, the Custodian requested that only one of you enter the chamber.” There was a long silence. The Covenant stared at Celestia. Celestia stared at the Covenant. Each side was attempting to gauge the others’ reaction, and discern any hidden motivations. “Very well,” the Ultra spoke at last, lowering his wrist and allowing the blade to sizzle into nothingness. “We shall adhere to the Custodian’s demands. Only I will enter the chamber.” Celestia nodded and moved to open the door, but at that moment the Holy Spirits suddenly deigned the Ultra’s prayers for a certain crimson blockhead to remain blissfully silent to no longer be worthwhile, and the Minor opened his mouth. “This is absolutely preposterous!! We should all be allowed to see what the gods have left for us! I do not believe a word she says!” The Ultra sighed and turned to face his irate comrade. “Brother, be calm! What choice do we have in the matter? We must get into this chamber at whatever cost!” The Minor fixed his glittering onyx eyes on the Ultra and spoke in a lower tone. *“Are you really so blind, brother? Are you really so willing to trust? What if this is all a trap? For all we know, she could be trying to separate you from the rest of us so that she may dispatch you easily!” The Ultra grabbed the Minor’s shoulders in anger and spoke harshly. *“Do you question my skills in combat, brother? Do you honestly doubt my ability to defend myself??” The Minor had just slighted his honor, and it was not an affront he would allow unchallenged. The Minor answered calmly. *“Normally, brother, I would not. But with talk of this...‘magic’...I have my reservations.” The Ultra’s anger slowly faded. The Minor’s words held some merit. There was much that was yet unknown to them about the ponies’ capabilities regarding this ‘magic.’ Releasing his hold on the Minor he turned around once more. “The Minor has a point. How do we know that this is not some trap of yours? How can we trust you?” he asked Celestia. A momentary expression of pain and anger flitted over Celestia’s face, but disappeared as swiftly as it was realized. Regardless of her true intentions, she still impressed the Ultra with her ability to remain stoic and collected. “You ask me why I can be trusted? Very well, perhaps this will suffice. For more than one thousand years have I ruled this land beside my sister. There has been peace and prosperity in this land for nearly all of that time. If I were to attack you, Ultra, that would be tantamount to a declaration of war. After so many years of peace, do you really think I am eager to start a war with a spacefaring group we know so little about? Let alone when the weapons they may carry have unknown power? Do not take me for a fool, Ultra.” The Covenant paused to let Celestia’s words sink in. At long last, the Ultra spoke again. “Your words are reasonable, Celestia. I apologize for questioning you as we did, but these ‘Custodian’s’ demands make little sense to us. However, I will trust you enough to enter the chamber at your side.” However, a sudden roar of anger from the Minor signified that one member of their party was still not convinced. “They make NO sense!” he barked. “I care not for what she says, there's an ulterior motive to all this secrecy! We must not walk into such an obvious trap!” “Brother, will you be silent!!” the Ultra demanded. “I will return to these doors, and I WILL tell you what the chamber holds! But we must gain access to this chamber, so hold your tongue and bow to the will of the gods!” “NO! We each deserve to see the Relics as much as the Mgalekgolo deserved glassing instead of being absorbed into the Covenant!!” The Minor was literally shaking with rage. His hand twitched to the front compartment of his armor where he hid the sword, but realized what he was doing and made a show of shoving his large leathery hand into the wall next to him, leaving a large series of cracks where his blow fell. The Ultra was taken aback by the Minor’s harsh words, and was about to respond with harsher ones when Celestia beat him to it. That soft, strangely calming voice rang through the hallway with a bit more potency than usual. “Minor, please. I assure you that what I say is true, and I really do wish to help you obtain your goal. As far as I can tell, the Custodian is old. Much, much older than I am. I have no place to question its desires, nor even have a hope of understanding them.” “I care NOT for age! Honor and glory will light us down the Blessed Path!!” The Minor’s self-control finally snapped, and he charged the door as his wrist blades hissed into existence. He raised his blade, preparing an attempt to slash his way through the door. The Ultra roared in frustration, and before the Minor’s blow could fall he found himself being tackled to the ground by a large body. Celestia looked on in surprise. The Ultra had moved fast, faster than any creature she had seen previously. The two Sangheili tumbled across the stony ground for a moment or two, locked in an epic struggle of strength and determination, each attempting to gain an advantage over the other. Limbs flailed, blows fell, and grunts of pain could frequently be heard. At long last, the Ultra managed to pin the Minor beneath his powerful body. Raising his fist, he delivered a powerful blow to the side of the Minor’s jaw. There was a sickening *CRACK!* as one of the mandibles was dislocated from its joint. There was an accompanying crashing sound, signifying an overload of the Minor’s shields as they were temporarily disabled. In a final demonstration of superiority, the Ultra roared as loudly as he could into the Minor’s face, sending drops of spittle flying. Laying one of his own wrist blades across the Minor’s throat, he whispered harshly: *“lower your weapons.” Reluctantly, the Minor allowed his wrist blades to disappear. At long last, the Ultra stood and moved away from the prone form of the Minor. *“The Prophets will know of your sacrilege, Minor. May they have mercy on you. I pray for your sake that the Great Journey may yet be open to your soul.” The Ultra turned to Celestia to speak, but was surprised when she stepped towards the Minor. “Minor, you are injured. I may not understand the ways of your species but please allow me to heal you.” Both Elites blinked in surprise. Celestia was willing to heal the Minor after such a vulgar affront, just like that? Despite being confused by the sudden act of kindness, the Minor quickly held up a hand to stop her. “No, Princess. My injury is a mark of my dishonor, and I must wear it for all to see.” As he spoke, his broken mandible twisted awkwardly and he flinched outwardly at the pain. Celestia regarded the Minor sadly for a moment or two before bowing her head in acknowledgement. “Your species is quite strange. But very proud. I shall honor your request.” The Minor bowed his head in return and stepped away, leaning against a wall and glaring angrily at a nearby pebble. After watching this exchange, the Ultra turned to the remaining two members of his squad. “You two. Return to the Royal Chamber of the Princess and retrieve your weapons. Guard the door and make sure no one leaves unless they are with us.” As he said this, the Ultra glanced meaningfully at the Minor, who was continuing to act angrily aloof. Turning to the Princess the Ultra added, “if her Majesty would allow it.” Celestia frowned but closed her eyes. Her horn lit up and after a few seconds she reopened her eyes. “The guards have been informed. I do not entirely endorse this plan but I can understand your desire for...caution,” she said carefully, her eyes flicking to the Minor. “And I suppose these two seem loyal enough. I trust there will be no trouble?” The Ultra shook his head. “No, there will be no trouble. Correct?” the tall Elite directed the last word at the two smaller aliens, placing a dangerous edge behind it. Bok and Pip-Pap hurriedly nodded their affirmation of their leader’s orders. “Then go,” the Ultra commanded, and the two aliens turned around and quickly scurried off down the winding hallway. Striding over to the Minor, the Ultra grabbed the crimson Elite by the throat and rammed him into the wall, staring him straight in the eyes. Their faces mere centimeters away, the Ultra spoke in a dangerously calm voice. *“You, Falusk ka, will remain right here where you are. You will not leave. You will not follow. You WILL do as I command or I swear by the Prophets I will slay you where you stand. This goes for the remainder of our stay on this wretched planet. This is your FINAL CHANCE, Valushalkun. Am I understood?” The Minor glared at the Ultra for a few seconds before replying. *“Yes, Ultra.” The Ultra stared him down for another moment or two before gruffly releasing his chokehold and stalking off towards the Princess and the door. “He will no longer be an issue. I hope our actions do not lead to any lasting tension between us.” Lowering his voice, the Ultra added: “the Minor and I have never been on the best of terms. He is overzealous, and knows not the meaning of ‘tact’.” If Celestia secretly harbored any ill will towards the Covenant over their disharmony, she made no show of it. She simply nodded in understanding. “It is understandable Ultra. I know what it means to lead, and how difficult it can be to obtain an agreement.” The Ultra nodded, satisfied, and turned to the door. “So...shall we enter?” “We shall,” Celestia said, closing her eyes once again. Her horn lit up, and after a short moment the symbol on the door began to glow yellow, like the aura around her horn. Suddenly, a rumbling sound could be heard. The symbol separated down the middle and the two halves of the door slid slowly into the walls. Beyond the doorway, only darkness met the Ultra’s gaze. The Ultra peered into the dense gloom, trying to make out what lay beyond. His HUD attempted to analyze the entryway as well, but to no avail. The Minor also stared curiously at the opening, but remained where he stood. Celestia opened her eyes and strode towards the opening, her horn glowing brilliantly to pierce the ancient darkness. “Well? Come on, then.” Steeling his nerves, the Ultra strode forward in Celestia’s wake. Stepping over the threshold of the door, he found himself surrounded by the encroaching darkness. If not for Celestia’s light, he doubted he would be able to see his own hand in front of his face. Suddenly, the rumbling noise started again, and the Ultra turned around to see the doors closing behind them. With a soft thud, the portal to the outside world was once again sealed, and the soft noise echoed down the hallway, carrying on into the vast darkness of the void before them. The Ultra deployed his wrist blade, for no reason other than to have another object to ward off the omnipresent darkness, and held it up to examine the walls of the corridor. Comforted by the familiar bluish glow, the Ultra turned to the one other source of light. “Lead on, Princess.” The Minor stared unblinking at the door as it slowly rumbled closed. Small clouds of dust seeped out from the miniscule cracks in the door but quickly dispersed. The Minor stood and walked over to the smooth stone wall, placing one large hand on the cool surface. He glared at the offending doorway with such intensity it was a surprise it wasn’t melting. After inspecting the wall for a moment or two, he decided that there was indeed no way to force entry. Slowly, the Minor turned around and walked back to his previous post. Taking a seat, he pulled out one of his energy blades and inspected it carefully. *”Ultra...” the Minor said slowly, softly speaking the words of his ancient ancestors. *”You are no longer worthy of being my superior.” The Minor knew that if any higher-ranking officers were present, he would likely be slain on the spot for his treachery. But that was not the case. The Minor activated the energy sword with a soft hiss, and inspected it with a keen eye. Letting loose a slow, soft chuckle, the Minor continued. *”On the blood of my honor...you will be slain by my own hand. This I swear.” The sudden light was blinding. The Ultra cried out in surprise and staggered backwards, his free hand desperately seeking purchase against the solid stone wall. Bracing himself, the Ultra stood for a moment and allowed his vision to slowly adjust. Where was the light coming from? It had been pitch black just a moment ago! The Sangheili warrior slowly opened his eyes and gasped at what he saw. He was amazed to find that the dark corridor was suddenly aglow with hundreds of thousands of screens. What had initially appeared to be a small passage was suddenly a large hallway in which hundreds of screens sat on each wall, each display showing something different. His gaze slowly fell on Celestia, standing a short distance away and waiting for him to continue. When he did not, she turned and started to walk down the corridor. Over her shoulder she called, “Coming, Ultra? I’ll see you at the far end, along with the Custodian. Please do not keep us waiting for too long.” The Ultra simply nodded in compliance, his eyes not leaving the screens. Briefly he wondered how Celestia managed to remain so composed while he had been totally blinded, but the thought soon left his head as he continued to take in his surroundings. He reached his large hands up to his headdress and tapped it once or twice to make sure that what he was seeing was real.  Between the screens were more Forerunner markings then he had ever seen, even more than the temples on Sangheilios...and they seemed to be in working order as well. Tearing his eyes away from the markings and focusing on the screens, he found what could only be described as statistics of some sort. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make sense of the foreign symbols. After a short while he was rewarded with a headache, which he quickly shook off. His gaze moved to a few other screens, each one showing a different view of the planet from orbit at varying distances. Some were close enough to see individual towns or even ponies while others were so far away some of the moon itself could be seen. One of these in particular caught his eye. A video with the moon in it. On this screen, something covered up a large portion of the planet. It looked to be a shade of purple with large scorch marks-his blood froze as he realized what it was. *The Glory Upon Salvation...cut in half by the slipspace rupture... And it’s still here... maybe- “Ultra, the Custodian should not be kept waiting.” The harmonic voice of Celestia traveled down the long corridor in a sing-song tone, tearing his gaze from the picture of the once beautiful corvette. The Ultra looked once more to the ship before starting down the hall. It was a very long three minutes of walking as he contemplated the ship and its crews’ fate. He was so deep in thought he didn’t notice when he strode into an extremely large and circular room. He started when he realized where he was, and looked about in awe. In the center or the room, hanging down from the ceiling, was a dormant-looking piece of forerunner technology with a large sphere attached. Oddly, it looked familiar to the Ultra, but he couldn't place his large finger on it. Around them, on the walls of the large room, were four or five pillars. Some of them seemed to be open and had a holographic sphere inside, and each was orange on the outside and blue on the inside, not unlike one of the many terminals in High Charity. There was a low humming sound being emitted from the center of the room that drew the Ultra’s gaze once again. The large sphere-no! a large ORACLE was humming to life! The Ultra stood rooted to the spot, too stunned to move or even think properly. The large Oracle finally lit up, its eye shining like a beautiful beacon to lead the Ultra to salvation. The eye shone directly upon him, and the first thing the Ultra did was instantly bow down and kneel to the large oracle. His voice radiated throughout the room. “Holush van hisla reftu, Oracle.” The Oracle continued to stare at the Ultra with its large, luminescent eye. Looking up slightly, the Ultra could see the movements of mechanical parts shifting and turning as he waited for a reply. Its gaze briefly flicked to Celestia, standing just a short distance away, before returning to the kneeling warrior. Eventually, the Oracle spoke. “I am not the one you call ‘oracle.’ I am the Custodian, and I am the keeper of this installation. I am also programmed to maintain records of The Creators.” The Ultra was astounded by the voice of the Custodian. It was a deep, electronic voice that echoed throughout the chamber, reverberating and shaking the Ultra to his very core. The slow, steady speech the Custodian employed suggested that it was ancient. A relic of a time long gone. As the Ultra reflected on this, the Custodian turned to Celestia. The entirety of the Custodian’s support structure groaned and shifted as it rotated, and only once the noise faded into the echoing darkness did it speak. “Celestia. So good to see you in my chamber once more. It has been some time. I trust all is going well?” Celestia grimaced slightly as she responded. “For the most part, yes. However, the arrival of our new friends has led to some...troubling events. I fear that a threat I once deemed no more may show its face once again.” The Custodian studied her intently, reflecting on her words. The Ultra noticed that the Custodian’s form and parts seemed to shift and spin faster when it was thinking. “Indeed,” it said after a moment’s pause. “It would seem to be the case. We must be sure to discuss this at a later time.” Its voice lifted slightly at the end. The Ultra got the impression that it was looking forward to the conversation. Celestia bowed and stepped back as the Custodian once again turned its gaze to the Ultra. Once the shuddering and clanking died away, it spoke yet again, but now its voice was much more light-hearted. It was almost as though the ancient machine was previously just waking up. “And back to the alien of the hour. I’ve run a lot of scans on the crash site, and have footage of the actual event as well as a second and third crash. I know what you have been through on this planet. I am also receiving communication waves from human ships every now and again. It seems your kind has been busy trying to exterminate the Reclaimers.” The Ultra sat perfectly still while under the eye’s light. “Reclaimers?” “Indeed, young one. You see, the society of my creators had a simple central goal: to preserve life. They called their duty ‘The Mantle,’ and every Forerunner had to uphold it. In the end, they used the Halo Array to wipe out every sentient lifeform in the galaxy, themselves included, to save that very galaxy from a parasite known to the humans as the ‘Flood’ or ‘Shaping Sickness.’ When they wiped out the entire galaxy, the structures they left behind, the terminals, everything...was able to be used by humans. That is why they are the Reclaimers. They were chosen by the Forerunners to retake the Mantle and to live by its rule.” The Ultra stood up, convinced that the Oracle was insane to some degree. There was no way that his Gods chose humans to retake the mantle, let alone that the Sacred Rings destroy all life in the galaxy! The rings gave them godship; made them immortal! “Preposterous! Humans destroy their artifacts and-” “Lies. All lies I’m afraid. Tut tut. The ‘High Prophets’ tell you nothing but lies,” the large Oracle said in a very serious tone, yet one that was slightly mocking as well. “They wish to blind you with ‘faith.’ Once again, you forget that I am over one hundred thousand years old, and all of the sensors in, on, or around this planet are all Forerunner. I can pick up signals from millions of light-years away, even the short-range holograms your ‘Prophets’ use to relay their messages in the field. Also, I can tell you this.” Its voice lightened up. “The warship Glory Upon Salvation has sent out a distress call.” “It’s still active?” The Ultra asked in amazement, completely forgetting about the humans. “Indeed.” “Custodian, if you would please tell the Ultra more about these ‘Humans’ and ‘Reclaimers?” Celestia interjected. “Of course. You see, the humans, in what the Covenant consider their religion, should actually be ‘worshipped.’ Due to their closeness to the Forerunners, even the Makers themselves believe that the Precursors made them alongside each other.” The Ultra was stunned. “So...the entire religion of the Covenant is one great lie?” “I’m afraid so. The Prophet of Truth is really the Prophet of Lies. His brethren are no different.” The Custodian chuckled slightly at his joke, the clanking of his parts echoing through the massive chamber. The Ultra’s mind was reeling. It was almost too much to take in. Everything he thought he knew, everything the Prophets carved into the glassed planets, were all lies. What he had taken for granted for so long... He felt his world crumbling around him. Unable to bear the weight of the truth, he slowly sank to his knees. “How...how is this possible? How do I know you speak the truth? I want to believe you Holy One...but it is difficult.” “I know you do, Ultra. That is why I have decided to show you this.” A large video screen descended from the darkness above, slowly coming to a halt before the Ultra’s gaze. The screen flashed white as it flickered to life. A lone figure stood in a room, one that the Ultra immediately recognized as a Forerunner due to the way it carried itself, as well as the way it approached a glowing ball and operated it with an ease even the Prophets would be envious of. It looked human, save for the fact its feet were mere inches off the floor as it glided and hovered. The figure was speaking. “Before we fire the arrays... I just hope all of the preserved are not affected by it. I have spent so many years placing them on planets and arrays throughout the known galaxy. I also hope that the transports to their original worlds arrive whole and unafflicted.” “They should be, my wife. We have already test-fired one of the arrays onto the Precursor planet, and it worked flawlessly. Our calculations were indeed correct.” “What of the preserved life?” “The sensors on the Halo picked up no side effects or death of any life held on them.” “Good. But what of the humans?” “Preserved as well.” “That is a relief. The last thing we need are the next holders of the Mantle to be exterminated on accident...” “There is nothing you need to fear, Librarian. Though I would much rather just exterminate them outright, and use them as Prometheans in my fight against the Flood.” “I know Didact, my husband... but that is not the way to uphold the Mantle-” The screens turned off abruptly, and the Ultra just stared at them. “So...it is true. The Gods themselves said so...” The noble equine was also shocked. All of her time alive did not prepare her for what she had just seen. “Ultra, if there is anything-” she started. “I need some time alone...to think,” the Sangheili cut in, as he removed his headdress and looked at it in his large hand. Heaving a great sigh, he allowed the headgear to fall to the ground. The clanging reverberated off of the walls and echoed into the depths. Turning around slowly, the Ultra stalked off towards the darkened corridor.