//------------------------------// // Questioning the Grub // Story: One Ugly Grub // by Sgt GobSmacker //------------------------------// I gazed down and shook my head, my hands clenched into fists. 'I can't abandon Cian... Not in his time of need.' I glanced over to Celestia, who had a saddened look on her face. "Celestia." She looked over at me. "We'll meet again." She seemed to perk up a bit a this. "But right now... My brother needs me." The Sun Monarch stared up into my visor, a caring smile shining through that somber expression. "Doth what thou think is right." I nodded, and proceeded to walk into the direction of which my brother had gone, noticable by the prints he had left in the mud. I activated my helmets lights as soon as I felt that I was a good enough distance from the clearing. I glanced to bottom left corner of my hud, but nothing was appearing on my motion tracker. I have feeling I'll to use Cortana for great deal of situations in the future... Curse me and my lazy ass... "Cortana?" I asked. "Chief." "Do you have readings on my brother?" "Mhmm, his moving quite quickly through a forest with foilage as dense as this... and... he's stopped moving, estimated 200 meters or so, dead ahead." "Thanks..." I turned my walk into a light jog, moving quickly through the muddy terrain. Shadows danced in my vision as my flashlights were cast over the foilage in front of me. Small, nocturnal animals scurried underneath my feet, some being turned into pulps by the sheer weight of my armor, letting off tiny squeaks before they were turned to mince meat. I found it oddly amusing. I continued walking for a few minutes. The moon was halfway through the sky, the light emanating off of it shining down through the forest's canopy. I looked down to watch my own feet going in rhythm with each step forward, my movements going automatic as I was soon lost in thought. 'What has Cian done to make these ponies hostile towards him? Why was Celestia apologising? And who is that pony that Cian seemed to pale at? He must have done something bad.... Why is Ghengis Khan -? "Mark..." Cortana broke me out of my train of thought. "We're here." I chose to stay silent as I looked up from the ground, and stared up at Cian, whos back was turned to me. He was giving off a bad vibe standing still the way he was. "Cian?.." I asked hesitantly, cautiously going over to him. He turned around slowly, looking down at me with those extremely beady eyes. "Mark?" He said quickly. "Thank God! I was starting to think you weren't coming at all." "I'm here now." I replied. "You don't break the Bro code. You were always there for me, I was always there for you, I'll be damned if I break it now." I put my arm out for a spud. "Damn straight!" He returned the gesture, his very gravelly voice was piercing my ears, even with the helmet on. I let out a few chuckles. He's a good guy... most of the time.... Right now I needed to ask a few questions concerning todays events. "Cian, what happened today? Why was Whitey trying to apologiz-?" "Save it until morning." He cut me off. "For now, we need to get as far away from the castle as possible and a safe place to rest up." I considered it, seeing as it was the safest option, I gazed all over my surroundings until I saw the silohouette of a lone mountain, north of the castle. "How about we set up a temporary camp at that mountain, past the castle?" I pointed out, looking in it's general direction. Cian followed my gaze, and thought about this for a moment. Looking between the castle and the mountain. "Hmmm... It's a good idea but there is no way were getting there without rest. C'mon we'll head east of here and find a place to sleep." I nodded in agreement. Cian turned eastward, using the full moon to help guide him in the right direction. I followed behind him. *(Earlier)* "Doth what thou think is right." Celestia replied thoughtfully. Mark agreed in silence, nodding his head. He turned to walk off in Skorge's direction. Celestia sighed sadly, her mind lost in thought. 'He's fun to have around. I still need to talk to Skorge or ( or has Mark had said) Cian... that's if he doesn't try to kill me first...' She thought grimly. Celestia's perked her ears up to hear the flapping of wings behind her. She turned to see Luna landing on the ground. As soon as she had touched down, Luna stormed up to her. "There ye art! I've been looking for thou all over the castle!" She said angrily. "Then I detected thy's magical signature here! Why were thou out here?" Celestia sighed. It wasn't in her nature to lie, but Luna would throw a tantrum if she knew she was talking to Skorge. "I was simply out for a stroll. To relax my mind." Luna stared at her questioningly. "Why were thou in the Everfree forest? Thou'st knows it is dangerous, especially during the night." "I know it is dangerous, sister." She replied. "I wanted to be alone and take my mind off of things." "What sort of things?" Luna looked below Celestia's eyes to see bags forming. "Tia, thou look exasperated! Luna asked, her tone one of concern. "I am fine Lulu." "No thou are not!" Luna was having none of it. Celestia just wanted this conversation to end, and what better way to end it than a coincedental yawn. Celestia yawned. "Alright I'll go back to bed. I hast to raise the sun in the morning anyways." Luna let out an inaudible growl at the mention of the sun. "Very well. We shall accompany thou back to the castle!" Luna forced a smile. "Thou can tell us what is troubling thou in the morning." 'Damn it.' Celestia thought. She would have to tell Luna the truth during breakfast. *(Third-Person: Mark and Cian)* "How much further?..." Mark whined, clearly tired of walking as he was drooping himsefl along the woodland. "Another two minutes should be enough." Cian said with annoyance. Mark was treading on some fairly thin ice now due to his constant complaining. Which started twenty minutes ago. The trek felt longer due to it. "Uggghh...!" Mark disgruntled. Cian massaged his temples, trying his best to hold back a snarky remark. He chose just to sigh inwardly. ... ... ... The silence was killing Mark. He was not used to being quiet for so long, he HAD to speak. Voice his complaints. Anything! But what better to do than have a presumed mental, conversation with Cortana. *(Mark's P.O.V.)* "Cortana?" I heard Cian sigh in defeat. "Yes?" "You bored?" "Hard to say I'm not." Time to ask her the question of a lifetime! "Why?" "I have a question." "Shoot." "What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?" I asked with as much innocence I could muster. "Hmmm... hard to say." I sure as hell hope I confused her! "Though this is what I could gather." Goddamnit... "Although a definitive answer would of course require further measurements, published species-wide averages of wing length and body mass, initial Strouhal estimates based on those averages and cross-species comparisons, the Lund wind tunnel study of birds flying at a range of speeds, and revised Strouhal numbers based on that study all lead me to estimate that the average cruising airspeed velocity of an unladen European Swallow is roughly 11 meters per second, or 24 miles an hour. An African swallow is difficult to answer, so I won't go into further detail." She noticed my extremely bemused expression. "Chief? You alright?" My eye twitched. "...Yeah... just dandy..." Your mind would go haywire and commence immediate evac too if you absorbed science-y shit like that! Third Person P.O.V. Cian had heard Mark's baffled reply in his conversation with Cortana. "You had to ask her that question, didn't you?" Mark stayed silent for a moment and slowed his walk down. "....Yeah... " "And she confuzzled you." Cian concluded, slapping his hand together. Mark put his hand under the chin area of his helmet in thought. "I think you would too." He formulated accusingly. "I don't think I would. I would ask her that." Cian stated. Mark stayed silent, walking up alongside his brother. "Ask her now then." Cian stumbled, he could feel the smugness emanating off of him. The Locust General stared at the Jolly Green Midgit for a moment before regaining his composure. "Alright! I will!" Cian said in a challenging manner. "Cortana?" Mark asked. ... "Can you speak outside of my helmet?" ... "Okay." Cian asked. "So, can she-?" "Hello Cian." A voice chirped up. Cian flinched in fright at the sudden pop up, but quickly recomposed himself. "Hello..." He trailed on. ... "You wanted to ask me something?" Cortana said. Cian's mind exploded into an industrial age of thought process. "...Oh yeah." He paused. "What is the air speed velocity of unladen swallow?" *(One Explanation Later)* "I think this should be a good enough place to rest." Mark formulated, letting go of a three toed appendage out of his grasp. "Don't you think so Skorgy?" He asked Cian, who was currently on the ground twitching. "..." Mark stared blankly at the twitching Locust. "Cortana, I think you may have broken him." "I think so too..." She answered. "... You..." Cian wheezed, pointing at his fellow spartan.. "...Just turned... my... name... into... a... sex joke...." 'Skorgy' slowly closed his eyes and fell into a temporary slumber. "Did I?" Mark asked dumbly. "According to him you did." Cortana answered. Mark stared down at his brother, his mind filling with concern. "Is Cian going to be alright?" "He's breathing normally, so I would say so." "That's good..." Mark said with relief. The duo rested in a small clearing, it was relatively dry with a few stones and pepples scattered around. Ferns and vines surrounded the patch of woodland, making it difficult to know what they were going to be stepping on when travelling in the morning. The foilage around it also made a nice to home to the infamous bloodsuckers of Ireland. Midges. Mark had leaned up against the base of a nearby tree, his right leg was arched up as his hand rested upon it, while the opposite leg was splayed down on the ground. He was having trouble sleeping, considering todays events. They were in a new world, Cian was being hunted for reasons unknown to him, and he was having trouble accepting all of this. Deep inside, Mark was hoping he was hallucinating, sniffing some Marujuana a guy gave you for free on the street can only do so much. 'Perhaps it was sugar...' He mused in thought. 'And why do these damn midges perch on my visor!' Mark's visor was basked in the blood and various limbs of the little flies, black smudges dragged along his visor, giving it a dark tinge. It was also getting harder and harder for him to look out of it. "This is going to be a long night..." He whispered under his breath. *(The Next Morning)* The sun rose into the sky, giving the forest a peaceful vibe. A lone Swallow perched on a nearby rock, squawking like it just ate every sugary confection it could lay its beak on, it lay there ruffling its feathers, it's eyes scanning the enviroment. However, it was unaware to a shadow slowly looming over it. The bird looked up, and let out a confused squeak... ... ... Before it was brutally squashed by a freakishly pale green hand, turning the once obnoxious and loud Swallow ,into a now, very much dead, red smear on the rock. "...Fucking alarm clocks..." Skorge muttered annoyingly, shifting positions to get comfortable on the cold ground, trying to at least get a few more minutes of sleep. "Dude..." Mark dead-panned, he didn't have a wink of sleep during the night. Not one. Cian was getting irritated. "...What." He whispered tiredly. "You do realize you crushed a bird, right?" Mark said, pointing at the new shade of red splattered on the rock. At this, Cian's eyes snapped open. He got up quickly, looking at his hand to see feathers and red goop plastered on it. Cian turned to look at his 'artwork', feeling nauseous at the sight. Guts were smeared on the rock, the birds head was unrecognizable, and a huge crack was splayed on the stone. Cian stared at the remains in shock before sighing aloud, he lied down on the ground once again and looked up into the sky. "...I thought I was having some sick form of a lucid dream..." Cian muttered, sadness creeping into his voice. Mark could sympathize with him. "Hell... I thought I was having marajuana hallucinations..." He said. "... It would have worn off by now... so us, dreaming, is apparently not the case." Cian sat up, and leaned up against a nearby tree. He stared at Mark with a dead-pann expression on his face. "You sniffed sugar off of a pop tart... and yet, you thought it was marujuana?" He asked skeptically. "Hey... you can never be sure what they sell you on the streets in Colorado!" He defended himself, pointing a finger up in the air. "They don't sell pop tarts back home in Kildare!" Cian's eye twitched in annoyance and groaned, head-banging the tree. Leaving an identation of his helmet within. "First! Why would they put marujuana on-!" He stopped mid-sentence. "Actually, nevermind about that. What we need to focus on now is food and how you're going to cook it." Mark stood up, raising his hands in a defensive manner. "Woah, woah... woah! What do you mean I'm gonna cook it?" Cian bared his teeth, all of which were basically fangs. "See my teeth." Mark nodded. Cian clicked his tongue. "No molars." He said knowingly. "No molars." Mark repeated. "None." "So your a carnivore then?" Mark asked slowly. "I am. Get used to me eating raw meals, cause you'll see it a lot." Cian turned to what remeained of the bird.His stomach growled. "Better not let this go to waste." Mark stared at him abject horror. The Spartan II went to stop him, but was cut off as Skorge began his 'meal'. Mark wanted throw up, so very badly. But who's going to clean up those vomit stains from the inside of his helmet? Mark backed away slowly, incoherent thoughts racing through his mind. 'How did Cian get brought down to this level of savagery?!' He stumbled upon his own feet, falling on his backside, hitting his head off a branch. 'Good thing I have a helmet...' Cian turned around quickly, obviously noticing the sound of metal meeting the ground. Thin trickles of blood were lined across lips, and tiny pieces of flesh and feathers were stuck between his teeth. "Mark, you alright?" Cian walked over to him quickly, reaching a hand out to help his brother back up. Mark flinched at the movement, hestitantly grasping Cian's hand. The Locust General proceeded to lift the Spartan up onto his feet. Mark dusted himself off. "Mark?" Cian asked. "You okay brotha?" "He's fine..." Cortana answered for him. "...Just a bit shocked, we both were." Mark gagged a little. "Why... " He breathed in quick flows of air, trying to calm down. "...are you shocked... 'Tana?" Mark asked the A.I. "I was shocked because I haven't seen anything like that in front of us since what the Brutes did to those marines..." She replied, sad at the thought. 'The Brutes?' Mark thought... Just before he let out a scream of absolute agony. His mind felt like it was on fire and his eyes felt like they were dripping from their sockets. It was the most pain he had suffered in his life, Mark clutched his head and fell to his knees. Cian quickly kneeled down to try and get Mark to stop screaming, it was futile. Mark collapsed to his side, writhing in pain. "Mark!... Mark!" Cian shouted. "Stay with me brother!" Mark's brain was being flooded with memory after memory. The Halo's, the Covenant, the Flood. Everything the Master Chief had gone through, in one fell swoop. He screams of pain began to reduce to mere groans and grunts, he was breathing haphazardly. "Mark!" Cian and Cortana shouted in unison. "Are going to be alright man?" Cian asked, grabbing Mark under the arms and lifted him back up. The Spartan took a few seconds to recompose himself. "Yeah... I'll be alright..." He answered quietly, a slight quiver in his voice. "No. I don't think your going to be alright, judging from the sound of your voice." Cian said sternly, his new voice making come out as a harsh whisper. "You should lay down and rest, for a few hours." Mark wanted to object, but Cian raised a hand to cut him off. "Don't object, It's for your own good." "But-!" Mark's voice was still quivering a bit. "Chief." Cortana said softly. "He's right." Mark let out a sigh of frustration, and walked over to the tree he was resting alongside the night before. "Mark..." The spartan looked up at him from his sitting position. "I'll try get some food for you, and start a fir-" Marl shook his head. "No need." He answered firmly. "I lost my appetite." He nodded towards to the feathery remains of the bird carcass. Cian looked down. "Sorry about that." Mark stayed silent. *(Cian's P.O.V.)* 'This definitely isn't Mark. He's never had this attitude with me before, even when he was mad at me in the past.' "Mark?" I asked him, he didn't look up. "What happened when you started screaming?" He didn't answer for a few seconds. I was starting to look around nervously, trying to figure out what to say. "Mark, what's-?" "Memories..." He left it blunt. 'Memories?... Oh shit...' "What happened during those mem-?" He cut me off. "I think I should be the one asking you the questions Cian." He stated firmly. "What happened with Celestia?" That question came out as a near shout. I sighed softly, and sat down, opposite him. "When I was taken here, I was confronted by some guards..." "Proceed." "And I may have beaten the crap out of every single one." Mark jerked his head towards my direction and looked at me straight in the eyes. "You attacked them?!" He shouted in frustration. "Let me finish!" I snapped at him. Mark let out a frustrated growl, a backed off. A sign for me to continue. "The sisters came along, we chatted for a good minute. Before Celly says, and I quote." I lifted both my hands into the air and made quotation symbols with my fingers. " 'We will check thy memories of past events to see if thou can be trusted.' She checked my memories, nothing of my life came up. Only..." I trailed on "Yes?" "Only Skorge's memories appeared..." I sighed sadly. . "How did they react...?" That came out as a whisper. "They were varied... to say the least... Celestia ended up feeling pity for me, that came out of nowhere. I don't know if she detected my real memories or not... it's confusing." "And the other one?" "She was... she was full blown furious. Actually scratch that, furious is an understatement. An extreme understatement. She tried to chase me down before I could 'harm their subjects'." I then whispered. "Fucking loud bitch..." "What did Celestia's sister look like...?" "Why do you want to know?" I asked in confusion. He didn't answer. I sighed. "Alright then, she was dark blue with a midnight mane and a moon splotch on her ass." Mark froze. He sighed and shook his head. "Fucking Woona..."