Author's Notes:

Sorry this chapter took so long. Been super busy lately, and wanted to make this chapter right. More coming soon. Leave a comment on what you think!
Theme for this chapter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B-2TYBAVuI

The doors to the library slammed home, and the reverberating footsteps of the aliens were cut off as their tall figures disappeared behind the ornate entryway. The silence, contrasted to the noise of before, rang through the vaulting rafters of Equestria's archives and through the ears of the equines left in stunned reticence.

"How's that for a first impression?" Spike said under his breath as he nervously looked around; he was the first to speak, though unnoticed, since silence had taken over the library.

"Canterlot's guests?" Rarity suddenly said, oblivious to the comment that had preluded hers as she raised her eyebrows and glanced to the others, the door's echo evaporating into the cavernous air, "We are extending hospitality towards those brutes?"

"I've met porcupines with side aches that were friendlier than them," Applejack scoffed as she jerked her head towards the door, her brow furrowed and her cheeks tempered red.

"That's actually, um, not a metaphor," Fluttershy said quietly from the mare's side, still shaken by the receding shock of her first encounter with the aliens, "They were really mean."

"We've consorted with them since yesterday," Princess Luna said calmly, looking with a reassuring nod towards the yellow pegasus, whose face was still partially concealed behind her long mane, as it had been during the previous altercation, "That was the first incident between us that could be described as less than agreeable."

"Yeah, well, still," Rainbow Dash grumbled from the wall as she leisurely propped herself up against one of the book shelves, "Who are they to be stepping to you like that? They're lucky I'm, uh..."

"Impaired?" suggested Spike as Dash hesitated to find a word that didn't admit weakness.

"Yeah."

"T'weren't respectful at all," Applejack grumbled as she shook her head disapprovingly, readjusting her hat as she did so.

"They are a martial bunch," Twilight admitted as her eyes remained thoughtfully locked onto the doors across the room, "Their reasons for being so must be compelling. Either they think their fight is more important than maintaining some degree of hospitality, or they take after the Minotaurs in an instinctive tendency towards aggression."

"No. They proved too sophisticated yesterday for that," Celestia rectified, her eyes on the door as her thoughts wandered to the entities beyond its oaken threshold, "They were careful to be respectful and polite, to the point of moving valuables in their quarters to other rooms to avoid breaking anything of ours. I think, perhaps when we doubted the scale of the war that is on the nation's doorstep, the Shipmaster became provoked. Twilight's indication towards diplomacy, Equestria's standby in times like these, must have prompted an attempt to convey the urgency of the situation with intimidation."

"Why would he do that?" asked Fluttershy quietly, flicking her mane out of her face.

"For the same reason the Royal Canterlot Voice was employed by my sister and I during an age since past," Luna answered as she turned to face the others, "A bolstering voice begs to be heard, thus the triumph of the yell. And so we have listened to the Elites' dire message. An enemy to this entire world is upon us, and they must be dealt with, by any means necessary."

"The Remnant?" Rarity asked unsurely, "Is that what their foes are called? The Covenant Remnant?"

"Yes."

"And they're predisposed to set our planet to fire simply because we're here?" Rarity furthered, uncomfortable as the reality of her words sank in with the princess' confirming nods.

"That would seem to be correct, by the testimony of the Elites."

"Why?"

"We're non-believers," Celestia explained matter-of-factly, "They're a religious sect, a cult for all intents and purposes. And, with us being heathens..."

"We don't adhere to a cultural set of ideals we've never had any contact with, and so they declare us abominations?" Twilight said aloud, perturbed, "Can any culture, alien or not, really be that ignorant? If that's really true, then I'm starting to regret bringing up the whole diplomacy thing."

Fluttershy came to the unicorn's side, tilting her head as she offered consolation.

"It was a good thought," she whispered faintly.

"War is never favorable," agreed Celestia, turning to face the others in all her imposing majesty, and her voice deepened to a grim new tone, "It guarantees only death and ruin, and nothing can remedy the damage of conflict once it has been done."

The atmosphere of the room grew heavier as the princess conveyed the seriousness of her words with stern eyes, looking into the gaze of each of her subjects slowly, until Pinkie Pie perked up from the back of the congregation, instantly lightening the mood.

"Unless it's the card game," the rosy mare declared gleefully, "Or a prank war. Or a water balloon war! Then it's really fun!"

Celestia let out a meager sigh as she grew slightly frustrated, believing the mare hadn't taken her warning seriously. But, when Pinkie's glittering blue eyes met her own, and her smile lit up the room, she forgot her resentment. Yes, the mare had taken some weight from her statement, but what else could she expect from the Element of Laughter? She knew the importance of what would transpire in the near future, as did the others, but for her own sake and the sake of her friends, she made it a joke so as to take away the potency of fear. Whether or not she'd done so knowingly was a separate matter; the effect was the same regardless.

"We will search for alternative methods later," Celestia announced, taking the center of the group once again as her authoritative voice commanded attention, "For now, we must trust them, and treat the Remnant as our own foe as much as they are a foe to the Arbiter."

"Trust them?" Rarity countered, stepping forward as she unknowingly conveyed her own doubt laden fears, "But what if they're wrong?"

Princess Luna turned her dark eyes to Rarity, humbling the mare simply with a glance.

"And if they're right?"

Rarity seemed to shrink beneath the alicorn's deep blue gaze, the truth in the simple statement letting her know just what they had to lose. At that moment, it became obvious what was at stake, and any lingering doubts about the integrity of the princess' decision were discarded.

"So, what now?" Applejack asked humbly, "We offer 'em our help?"

"We promised we would," Luna answered as she looked inquisitively to her sister, "Can we really afford to do anything else?"

The Princess of the Sun's answer was clear enough in her posture as she stood slightly taller, closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply as if preparing to hold her breath for a duration of time. When the white alicorn looked back down, in a calm voice, she directed those that would follow her lead.

"Make for the Hall of the Elements," she said to the mares firmly, yet gently, "As their Bearers, I believe it fit for you to be as prepared for action as the rest of us."

The six seemed worried at first by the princess's decree, but with her presence a reassurance, they nodded, and followed Twilight as she led the brisk procession out the library's nearest doors. Celestia, once the Elements had gone, turned to her sister.

"Luna, assemble a team of our finest guards, and meet me at the armory, I know not if we go to war, but I will not see our kingdom brought into harm's way without doing anything to keep our citizens safe."

The dark alicorn nodded in silent agreement, and likewise turned to leave.

"What about me?" came a small voice beyond the princess' plane of view, and she oriented herself to see Spike looking up to her with wide verdant eyes.

"I would like you to stay here," she said, causing his spines to droop a bit as she stooped to his level, "If, for any reason, something were to go awry, I shall send a courier with a message back here. Should this happen, you must make drafts of the message, and send letters to the Crystal Empire, the Griffon Kingdoms, the Shetland Isles, Saddle Arabia, Zebrica and the Kingdoms of Tauren and Tarragonia."

The dragon nodded confirmation when the alicorn's eyebrows raised slightly, wordlessly asking him if he understood. But, when she turned to leave, he trotted after her, calling out, "Wait!"

She stopped midstride, and looked back to the small reptile.

"What kind of letter will it be?" he asked, his voice quivering.

The princess feigned a smile in an attempt to calm him, and knelt sincerely as she put a reassuring hoof on his shoulder.

"Let us hope we will not have to write it," she said calmly, and with another smile, she rose and turned to the center of the library while the pitter-patter of footsteps receded from the room.

Completely alone now, the princess' gaze drifted to the console, still alight in the middle of the chamber. She strode over to it, focusing on each of the white characters as they flashed by over a backdrop of green in the upper right section of the screen. In the console's center was a hologram of a reminiscent sight; the globe. One continent was central to the screen, and on that continent was a singular red dot. It was all too familiar. She knew that place. She knew their landing zone... and she grew worried.

As she committed the details of the hologram to memory, she once again heard the doors open, and she turned to see an armored unicorn guard enter, his crested helmet held at his side.

"Your Highness," he said in a deep voice as he gave a slight bow, "The VIP has arrived. He is currently awaiting you in the throne room."

The princess smiled slightly, the ends of her mouth drawing up the slightest bit.

"Just in time," she mused to herself as she slowly glanced back to the flashing landing zone, marked on the hologram's surface, "We could use as many professionals as we can afford about now."

Meanwhile...

Heavy boots thundered into the palace courtyard, their weight attributed to the burden of interspecies cooperation. The Shipmaster lumbered at the front of the procession of extraterrestrials, still seething from the encounter in the library. Behind him, the Arbiter and the rest of his company followed, their attitudes neutral and composed, or at least, contained within. But despite the Shipmaster's anger, the birds in the trees of the palace gardens a short distance off were all but content to sing their merriness, obvious even to outlanders, to the sky. For the peace of the air of the courtyard, the aliens had an air of anger, like the feeling of a bitter wind, about them.

"You have the coordinates on your harness's display?" the Arbiter called out to the Shipmaster, a few body lengths ahead of him; he responded with an affirmative grunt over his shoulder, his gangly hand coming up to the side of his helmet as he adjusted his headgear.

They reached the palace gate on the far side of the courtyard, the same entrance they'd used to enter the mountainous fortress of Canterlot the night before, and the Shipmaster, the others coming up behind him, looked up at the towering doors.

"Open the gate!" he said in a loud voice, opening his arms challengingly to some unseen entity on top of the bulwark, "We will not be restricted any further by weaklings' petitions for peace!"

"Shipmaster," the Arbiter rumbled from behind as the Commander's request went unanswered, the gates remaining still, "calm yourself."

The white armored Elite whirled around.

"Peace, no matter where, will not solve anything. Not peace in mind, not peace in heart, and certainly not peace in action," he snarled, "There would be no reasoning with the Covenant, and the Equestrians would seek to do just that. They disgrace us with their passive ways, their cowardice in refusing to meet battle. The peace they seek will be their poison!"

"Yes, but rage is poison just as potent," the Arbiter retorted, his voice climbing ever so slightly, "Calm yourself, before your anger molds into bloodlust. Be not too eager to meet battle; such would be our meager band's undoing."

"Meager?" 'Vadum answered sharply, stopping to point a slender finger towards the warriors, Sangheili and Mgalekgolo alike, at his sterling counterpart's back, "I need not remind you this company is comprised of the finest fighters in our army. I would take them against thousands of the Covenant, or tens of thousands of these... Equestrians. And what's more, I would take them to victory! I rue the moment we landed on this planet of... cravens."

The others were silent, the Hunters mumbling quietly to themselves in guttural groans as they simply waited to follow the Elites at the front of the congregation once more.

"They hesitate to risk their world," The Arbiter reasoned once the Shipmaster had concluded, "Where is their fault? We have less to lose than they, for the toll they pay does not necessarily end with their lives, but with their planet."

"And what of our toll?" came the rejoinder, the Shipmaster's facial scars highlighted on his cheek, "So long as we are stuck here, we are as much a part of this world as they, yet those who call this planet home are less eager to keep it safe than we are! If the Remnant takes this world, we burn with them. We have just as much to lose as they, for if we were to become martyrs, any chance our army has at surmounting these trials dies with us, and what is left of our race will war itself into extinction!"

There came no response this time, only the Arbiter's burning amber eyes looking to him with his head slightly cocked to the side, waiting. 'Vadum returned the gaze, checking himself and realizing the offensive posture he'd unknowingly assumed in his superior's presence. He straightened up, quickly averting his gaze as his apology, though silent, was administered in a downwards glance; the Arbiter accepted with a nod, and the Shipmaster clicked his remaining mandibles, letting a deep breath out in a heavy sigh.

"Hence, my frustration," 'Vadum continued with a small outreach, picking up where he'd left off with a much more placid tone, "I was wrong to become wrathful, but my reasons for doing so are hardly a sin."

"I understand, Shipmaster," answered the Arbiter, his tall, burly silhouette marked by an outline of glossy silver against a backdrop of the black armor of the SpecOps Elites behind him, like a white star in the night sky, "but there is still time. Do not forsake hope that we will persist, as we always have. The differences we have with our hosts are but another trial, hardly equal to the hardships we have already passed."

"Just as this gate is but an obstacle," the Shipmaster groaned, undoubtedly anxious about getting past the titanic doors.

"We haven't a key to open it," the Arbiter began, admiring the gates' impressive height, "But between the Mgalekgolo's cannons and our assorted heavy weaponry, perhaps we could muster enough firepower to blow it off its gilded hinges."

The Arbiter had meant the suggestion as a joke, but his grin faded when he found the Shipmaster to appear to be taking the proposition seriously as he sized up the door, and looked eagerly to the Hunters and to the Elites' sparse Fuel Rod Cannons. But, before he had to dispel any attempts at high explosives' distribution, the Arbiter and his company found themselves no longer alone in the palace courtyard.

"Arbiter," came a female voice, announcing its presence from behind as Princesses Celestia and Luna, accompanied by a squadron of guards, strode across the lawn towards them with purpose, fully dressed in armor with weapons at their sides; to Luna was a short, double-edged sword, the blade and handle comprised of an ethereal black metal, the quillon and pommel made of a lustrous silver steel, a shroud of dark mist encompassing the entirety of the weapon even in its sterling sheathe at her waste; to Celestia was a long golden spear, the white metal that made up the weapon's head forged into the shape of an elegant yet deadly weaving point, the guards of the blade coming up about a glowing orb of light set in an open space at the blade's base.

They came up to the rear of the formation, and the functionaries of the congregation's leaders parted like water around a rock as they made a path to the Arbiter and Shipmaster 'Vadum.

"Let us go or join us," the Shipmaster growled preemptively as he stepped towards the alicorns, their figures made substantially larger by the metal about their shoulders and breasts, "but do not waste precious time with idle talk."

"Nothing you can say or do will prevent this engagement, so do not make use of the armor you wear, and attempt to restrain us by force," added the Arbiter as he made to turn away from the alicorns so as to attend to the door, fully invested in the presumption that they were being detained by their hosts, "You may not think it, but we are doing your world a kindness. You must not prevent us from leaving."

The Royal Sisters shared a tense glance as the Arbiter turned his back to them, and stepping towards their departing guests, Celestia bid they listen with authority in her voice.

"We will not prevent you from leaving," she announced, causing the aliens to stop midstride and slowly, disbelievingly, turn back around, "But we will prevent you from leaving without us."

The Arbiter now shared a precarious glance with his white-armored counterpart. The tall Sangheili flexed his jaw in hesitation as the Shipmaster at his side shrugged his initial confusion for all to see, and the pair looked expectantly back to the siblings.

"We came to uphold Equestria's end of our alliance. We are in this together," Luna said, giving a subtle bow, "I pray you are wrong about the Remnant, that you are exaggerating about the totality of the threat they pose, but if you are not, then every Equestrian sword belongs adjacent yours in the fray."

Many of the Elites stared at the princesses in doubt ridden shock, looking disbelievingly back to their commanders as they seemed to be considering the proposal in a positive light. But, when the Arbiter stepped forward with an open hand, their shock turned to disbelief.

"So it shall be," he said with a set brow, shooting a short growl to the ranks of the others when a quiet commotion trickled through the formation, "Let us draw swords together, and face the Remnant as one."

The princesses shared a moment of unspoken mutual respect with the Arbiter as they simply looked one another in the eye. There were volumes spoken in that shared gaze, volumes written in conviction and ideals, in what their eyes had seen and what they expected to see in the near future, and in the determination to create the future as they would have it.

"Who is your escort?" the ivory Commander asked as he stepped to the Arbiter's flank, interrupting the stare as he pointed to the armored guards at the princesses' rear.

In response, the most ornately armored of the group came to the front of the formation; he was tall and heavily built compared to the others, his long, pointed horn as white as his fur, and his blue mane swept down his brow like an azure, feathered tide. His shoulder plates were bulkier than the others', and his gilded breastplate was engraved in silver, a feature lacking in the metal shells of those at his back. His helmet, under one forelimb, had a crest much more extravagant than the others' as well; as opposed to the standard blue plumage of those behind him, the stallion in question had a crest composed of red feathers, the likeness of fire seeming to dance in their essence, and on his flank was hung a sheathed, curved cavalry sabre. He appeared, with distinction, to be a much higher rank than the others, both by his presence and his equipment.

"Captain Shining Armor," Princess Celestia said as she gestured to the white unicorn as he gave a slight nod, introductions finally putting a name to the individual every Sangheili in the courtyard seemed to be sizing up, "former commander in chief of the Equestrian Royal Guard and current prince of the Crystal Empire, Equestria's closest ally, as well as ten of the best and brightest guards this nation has to offer."

The Captain, his phoenix feather crested helmet still under his forelimb, straightened up beneath the weight of his polished war suit, and in a deep, somewhat scratchy voice, he addressed the strangers before him.

"Once I heard about the situation, I came as quickly as I could," he explained, "I've been briefed on the events of late by Princess Celestia. On behalf of the Crystal Empire and all who call it home, I extend my communion."

The Arbiter locked eyes with Shining Armor's blue gaze, his nostrils flaring as thoughts coursed through his mind, all the while the Shipmaster gauged the ten congregated behind the captain; four unicorns, three pegasi and three with neither horns nor wings. Their gold-plated armor, imprinted on the shoulder with a symbol of a serrated arrowhead against a background of a flaming sun, was far lighter than the Captain's, and their armament was different as well. Blades set into their gauntlets, spears over their shoulders and swords on their flanks seemed to make up their arsenal.

"You are a warrior, yes? A leader of your people's armies?" the Arbiter asked Shining, stepping forward with rhetoric in his voice as the Captain gave a nod, "And, how many enemies have you killed to achieve your titles?"

This obviously surprised the stallion, as his eyes suddenly dilated and he drew in a breath, making a brief, uncertain glance to the princess at his side. He turned his head inquisitively to the side as he looked back to the Elites, and assertively, he answered.

"Neither Equestria nor the Crystal Empire has been to war in centuries," he explained, his composure not faltering beneath the Arbiter's intimidating stare, "but the coalition of our nations' standing armies are highly trained and well equipped. We're ready for anything the Remnant can throw at us."

The Arbiter looked to the Shipmaster as the stallion concluded, the Commander in turn leaning back on one leg and crossing his arms over his thick chest as he looked down to Shining Armor's profound eyes.

"We've trained our entire lives to defend our homeland," furthered Shining sharply, taking the Elites' inspection of him to be one of condescending judgment, "and we're honored that the chance to do so has fallen to us... Sir."

There was silence again, made meaningful as Shining's persistent stare broke into the Shipmaster's probing verdant gaze.

"I like this one," the white armored Elite mused to the Arbiter at his side, nodding slightly to himself as he came to respect the Captain's refusal to let their daunting presence cause his confidence to falter, "There is hunger in his eyes, and honor in his words. We will test your mettle today Captain, and we shall see if you truly deserve your rank. The Remnant will provide your baptism."

The Shipmaster turned as he finished, shooting a glaring smile to the Captain over his shoulder as he strode back to the SpecOps Elites, and began organizing them into small squads.

"You have assembled your warriors," the Arbiter said to the princesses, looking approvingly to the armored ponies before him, "Now, where are your champions?"

"They will be arriving shortly," Celestia assured, "They were dispatched to the Hall of the Elements to retrieve the talismans of their namesake. From there, they will accompany us to this landing zone. But, they are to be kept near the reserve rather than at the front. They are simply too important to Equestria's national security to risk unnecessarily."

"It shall be so," the Arbiter yielded with a nod, "I will make sure they are kept in relative safety. The fathoms of our enemy will have to come through me before they do them any harm."

As the Sangheili concluded, Shining Armor looked to him.

"What size is the force we're expecting?" the stallion asked.

"An advance infiltration team sent in to secure areas of importance for the rest of the force now in orbit aboard the remaining Covenant ships: a few teams of Sangheili, Unggoy, perhaps even Ibie'shan," explained the Arbiter concisely, "We should expect at least a few squadrons of ground troops, but no more than a battalion, and perhaps a small aerial presence. Such was the custom of the Covenant in the old days, to send in small teams of Zealots and independent squads of shock troops to perform reconnaissance on a newly discovered world, to search for and secure areas of interest and to test indigenous capabilities. The log did not specify the numbers of the advance force, only their landing zone."

"Right... about that," Shining Armor murmured upon the Arbiter's conclusion, "According to the longitudinal coordinates specified in the console's log, the landing zone they've selected is quite close to a population center. They'll be setting down a few miles outside of Trottingham, a small farming town at the foot of the Unicorn Range, just west of here."

The Arbiter looked back and forth between the Captain and the princesses as they continued.

"While our primary objective is obviously to disrupt this landing operation," Luna furthered, "we need to make sure Trottingham's citizens stay safe as well."

"Then we will contain the landing force," the Arbiter offered simply, "Strike them swiftly and prevent them from retreating. I doubt they realize their proximity to this settlement, and if they do, they will hardly deem it worthy of their attention. If it is not a military outpost or a concentration of compiled knowledge, they will likely avoid it for the time being."

Nods of approval went through the congregation as the Arbiter spoke.

"What kind of weapons systems will our enemy be operating?" Captain Armor asked, prying for details and as much intelligence as he could gather.

"The same as ours," came the baritone reply, "Projectile weapons, directed energy and plasma."

"Good," nodded Shining, "Between our combative magic and the princess' weaponry, we should have a comparable arsenal."

"Yes, but if distance were to be closed, expect swords to be drawn," continued the Arbiter, offering words of warning to the surprise of his counterpart.

"Swords?" the Captain asked aloud, prompting a half-hearted snort from the sterling Sangheili towering above him, "Sorry, I meant no offense. I just, didn't expect a space faring race to still employ fencing."

"Swordsmanship is a treasure of our culture," chimed in the Shipmaster, rejoining the conversation he'd been listening in on.

"There is no more honorable way to kill your enemy," the Arbiter began, his demeanor a bit too moderate given the subject he was addressing, "To use a sword in battle, you must face your foe in single combat on equal ground, and the victor is not the one who is better equipped or of a higher rank, but the one whose skill as a warrior is greater."

The Captain nodded affirmation, his counterpart's fondness for his chosen method of combat present in more than his tone. The alien's passion for combative fencing seemed almost... excessive.

"You wear a sword, do you not?" the Sangheili asked curiously, gesturing to the sheathed blade at the Captain's side.

"My sabre?" Shining Armor checked with a nod, looking back to his scabbard, "Abraxas it is called, a product of Equestrian magic and the Crystal Empire's forge masters. You will not find a finer weapon on this world, though I have yet to actually use it in battle."

"Good," grunted the Arbiter, "Then it will still be sharp."

Just then, the conversation between the Arbiter and the Captain was interrupted by a new voice, coming from the center of the courtyard, nearer the palace, and upon hearing it, Shining's ears perked up and his eyes were graced with the unmistakable light of joy.

"Shining?" Twilight Sparkle called out disbelievingly, the Arbiter looking up to see her begin to trot ahead of the other Elements, heading straight for the Captain in question, "When did you get here?!"

She reached him at a canter and threw her forelimbs around his thick neck, his armor rattling as first he staggered, then reciprocated the gesture, closing his eyes amidst a wide smile as his chin alighted atop the unicorn mare's head.

"Twiley," he crooned softly as he pulled slightly away from the embrace, "Come on, you didn't really think I'd let you and your friends do all the cool stuff without me?"

"I know, this is so freaky cool!" yelled Pinkie, materializing between Shining and Twilight suddenly and causing them to retract from one another to make room for her, "Aliens?! That's way better than all those silly friendship reports!"

The pink mare's response immediately seized the attention of Princess Celestia, whose cock-eyed glance caused Pinkie's excitement to slightly wane as she realized what she'd said in the presence of her friendship teacher. However, the gaze that caused the most discomfort from the affectionate group was that of the Arbiter, whose disapproving expression caught the Captain off guard; the stallion immediately wiped the smile from his face, and to Twilight's chagrin, he returned to soldier mode, straightening up as he cleared his throat and assumed a stoic expression to match the faces of his metal clad company. It was abundantly clear the professionalism of the combative company of aliens.

"Is this a courtship ritual?" The Arbiter asked unsurely as he looked away from Shining and to Celestia.

"They're siblings," came the simple response, which was in turn answered by a click of the Sangheili's mandibles.

"Are we ready?" the Shipmaster called out as the rest of the Elements joined the assembly, "The longer we delay, the longer the Remnant has to prepare defenses."

"The quickest route will be through the Whispering Wood, and up through Eagle Pass," answered Shining, eager to reacquire the respect he'd achieved before he'd shown some apparent weakness in his sentiment for his sister, "We'll head west from here, cut through the forest and arrive in the mountains above the landing zone."

"We embark," Shipmaster 'Vadum barked out upon Shining's conclusion, "Patrol line! Captain, you and your forces know the terrain. You will take point as our orienteer, and I will be close behind. Hunters and heavy weapons operators take up the rear with Equestria's champions."

"Very well," Princess Luna agreed as the entire assembly was set into motion with Celsetia's hoof meeting the ground, the titanic gates coming free at her will, "let's get moving."

The reverberating thud of the gates meeting their stoppers carried out into the clear blue day, and together, the alliance of ponies and aliens strode off into the hills, the sun glinting off of armor, weapons, and the jeweled polish of the Elements of Harmony, strung about the necks of the innocent as they walked in the wake of their malefic company.

Later...

The forest was quiet, even as the Elites, for all their size, moved through it. The breeze danced in the leaves of the trees, countless birch and oak coloring the air above them green and yellow as the branches allowed only spectacled glimpses of the sky down to those treading beneath their protection. The birds were quiet; occasionally, the whistling tone of a meadowlark or a finch would find its way through the sylvan crowd, but for the most part, the forest was breathtakingly reticent. Hence, the Whispering Wood's name.

From the rear of the patrol line, which was cumbersomely making its way uphill along a trail cutting through the foliage, Twilight, and the rest of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, could only watch as the Royal Sisters, the guards and the Elites proceeded before them; that is, they could watch while they tried to keep up. The forest floor was damp, causing hooves to lose their grip every now and again as rocks were surmounted or roots were hurdled.

Yet, despite the mares' trouble, the Elites toting the massive cannons directly before them, or the Hunters' with their even more imposing bulk, were having little trouble traversing the wooded, hilly trail, slowly leading its way up to the cloud-shrouded mountain pass above. There was something about the way they moved, the Shipmaster, the Elites, even the Hunters. They didn't shuffle or trudge like the guards, and they didn't stride like they had in the palace, like the princesses, near the front of the column, were doing now.

No, the aliens... stalked. They prowled. They didn't look where they stepped, yet every boot's fall was perfectly silent, stepping between branches and twigs so as not to make a sound, and avoiding soft patches of earth and mud to keep from leaving tracks. Their heads were erect, their breathing, despite the exertion needed to ascend the slope, was steady, and their weapons bristled on their backs and hips like spines. There was a beauty, an elegance, in the danger they posed as their silent eyes and concealed faces probed the undergrowth as they, ever faithfully, persisted towards the top of the pass and onto the other side, where the real prize awaited: the landing zone, and the prey it would harbor.

Yet, the Arbiter lingered behind the others, hovering quietly around the Elements like a shadow. He hadn't spoken yet; none of them had, even as Shining Armor occasionally drifted back in the patrol line to walk, like the Arbiter, alongside the Elements like a sentient shield. The seriousness of the situation was ever present, potent in every step nearer the coalition came to the Remnant's landing zone, and the peril that would surely accompany their arrival.

The trail was slick for some reason; perhaps it had rained earlier, the weather system of the mountains far different from that of the plains. Regardless, at an exceptionally steep part of the trail, Rarity lost her footing, and stumbled into the mud of the path. She grumbled something under her breath as she tried to stand, only to fall again, sliding back down the trail and staining her forelimbs dark.

"Curses," she seethed as she tried to brush herself off after being reluctantly helped back to her hooves by an even dirtier albeit smiling Applejack, her previous stumbles on the trail obvious in the mud of her fur.

The others continued on, but Rarity stayed behind, joining Twilight as she passed her on the ascent.

"Just what have we gotten ourselves into?" the white unicorn asked with a disgusted expression, panting as she struggled to cope with the very foreign environment of the forest, "Out here in the wilderness, hiking up some mountain to fight a battle on the other side. It's not exactly my forte, if you know what I mean."

Twilight cocked her head to one side before responding.

"This whole thing has been a roller coaster for all of us. We're all pretty far out of our element here, not just you. All we can do is trust the princesses," she admitted, short of breath, "I just hope it doesn't get any more wild than it already is."

"I agree," Rarity responded as the others became farther away, "I mean, this is some serious business. Your brother is here, the princesses are outfitted for war, those guards aren't conventionally armored, and I've never seen the insignia they wear on their shoulder plates, even in all of our visits to Canterlot. They could be some kind of special group."

The lavender unicorn hesitated in her answer before offering a response.

"Special Forces?" she asked aloud, careful to monitor her tone.

Just then, the Arbiter materialized at the pair's side, his footsteps silent amidst the equines' clambering, exasperated hoof falls.

"You take pride in your reasoning," he said amicably as if he'd heard every word of their conversation, "You value it more than your pace."

Twilight looked up to him as she matched his slowing gate, his words and his delay in stride causing Rarity to gain a new energy, and climb on ahead to catch the other Elements, partially to escape the intimidation of the tall foreigner's presence.

"Thanks... I think," Twilight said with hesitance.

The Arbiter nodded, keeping an eye on the others as he spanned the soft trail.

"You are a scholar?" he asked her, looking down and to his side to meet the eyes of the young mare; his voice was quiet, but in the surrounding air, his whisper seemed like an orchestra of woodwinds.

"Not officially," she responded, watching where she placed her hooves, "I guess the most important thing I am is the Bearer of the Element of Magic, but alongside that I'm only a student."

"A student?" the Arbiter asked aloud as he checked the distance between himself and the nearest of the Elites; he was visibly confused, his head turned to the side as the gears turned in his head, "You are champions, but how did you come to be so? You are not politicians, not scholars, not philosophers, and you are certainly not warriors."

Twilight managed a small smile as she ducked under a fallen log, its trunk bisecting the trail; the Arbiter, directly to her side, simply stepped over it. When they emerged on the other side, she hummed slightly to herself whilst thinking of the best way to answer the foreigner's curiosities.

"Some say we were in the right place at the right time," she began, reflecting on the events of the Summer Sun Festival nearly two years ago, "that our reasons for becoming Bearers are nothing more than an outstanding coincidence."

The unicorn stumbled on a damp stone, her train of thought momentarily derailing.

"Others say it's fate, that the Elements chose us as Bearers just as anypony would make a choice," she continued objectively.

The Arbiter emitted a meager growl from the depths of his throat.

"We make our own fate," he rumbled as he averted his eyes, looking through the trees for anything out of place.

"I guess the result is the same though," Twilight admitted as she struggled to match the Arbiter's gate, "regardless of which school of thought you adhere to. During a time of crisis, when the very existence of the day was in danger, we intervened, and the Elements attached themselves to us in the process. Ever since, we've been champions, as you keep calling us. But before we were Bearers, we were all extraordinarily... normal."

She hesitated on the words before she continued.

"Applejack was a farmer. Dash was a weatherpony and a part-time stunt flier, Rarity was a seamstress and Fluttershy was a recluse with more animals than ponies for friends."

"And what of the euphoric one?" the Arbiter asked slowly, "What is her profession?"

"Pinkie organized and managed all festivities in Ponyville," came the answer, "I don't really know what to call that other than a party planner."

"She is quite odd," admitted the Arbiter matter-of-factly, "You all are, but she is the most strange."

The Arbiter seemed to reflect on his statement's truth a moment longer before he continued with another question.

"What are these... Elements of Harmony?" he asked, "What are these things that have caused you to transcend all the other commonplace beings of this world?"

"They're hard to explain," Twilight said, taking a moment to arrange her thoughts as she walked side by side with the Elite, "They take a physical form in the amulets of the others and in my crown, but they exist beyond tangibility. They're very old and very powerful, and they preserve the balance of... well, of everything. They undo evil and chaos, no matter their scale."

"And there are six of these Elements?" the Arbiter pressed for answers.

Twilight gave a nod, before reciting, "Magic, Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness and Laughter."

The Arbiter's brow descended, his tone contemplative and soft as he muttered to himself, "Such trivial things."

"Maybe," Twilight nodded, "But together, the smallest forces of good can keep even the greatest evil in check."

The Arbiter drew in a sharp breath, and his piercing eyes snapped to Twilight's, the simple profoundness of her statement stopping him in his tracks.

"So..." Twilight began again as she persisted walking, leaving the Arbiter slightly behind, "when the Elements are used together, good will always prevail."

"They are symbiotic?" the Sangheili asked as he caught up to the unicorn with two long steps.

"Yes," she acknowledged, smiling to herself as she realized the accurateness of the Arbiter's choice of words, "I guess that's a good way of putting it. Ever since we became Bearers, the six of us have been close... very close. Our friendship has proven its worth to Equestria many times over, but its worth to me is greater than all of that. I would treasure them even if the Elements never came to us. But then again, the Elements are kind of what brought us together in the first place."

The Arbiter looked up suddenly as the loud snap of a stick carried through the trees, and saw that the white unicorn mare had once again stumbled, a shattered stick beneath her hooves. The procession stopped momentarily, waiting for the echo of the wood's splitting to stop bouncing through the trees, carrying on once the reticence's embrace had returned. The forest once again soundless, the Arbiter picked up the conversation he'd shared with the unicorn walking adjacent his gaskins.

"These Elements may be as potent as you say against chaos and other things that would undo the balance your leaders have created in this land, but we are at war. Kindness does not win wars," he said slyly, suppressing a clever smile, "Nor does generosity or laughter. Weapons however..."

Twilight turned a pair of widened eyes up to him as he finished, and the Arbiter looked ahead, increasing his pace to hide his smile at the unicorn's apprehensive expression. As he pulled away from her, still in the midst of the Bearers but now beyond the range of a whisper, Rarity stumbled again, an exposed root stealing her balance on the slippery slope, and a very courteous puddle of mud took it upon itself to cushion her fall. The nearest of the Elites stopped to shake his head disapprovingly at the sight of the mare being helped back to her hooves by Rainbow Dash, who was quick to swoop in to rescue Rarity from the ground, while the Arbiter stopped his uphill climb to offer what could have been counted as words of encouragement.

"Come," the Sangheili said as he stopped to make sure she regained her balance, while the others of his race were all but too eager to ignore the faltering of the equine with little sympathy, "we are nearing the coordinates."

"Can we at least stop for a rest?" the mare said, panting as she looked down in horror at her dirty, matted fur.

The ponies of the party stopped at the request, looping back around to congregate together, but the aliens, save one, persisted skyward.

"Shipmaster," called out Shining Armor with a controlled volume, "Wait a moment please. Some of us are falling behind here."

"You would have us wait for them?" 'Vadum scoffed as he paused briefly to look over his shoulder at the Element Bearers, all the while continuing the climb, "Shall we tell the Remnant to delay their search for this artifact until the children you have named champions are well enough rested to comfortably ward them off? Time is not a luxury we have."

The Elites put distance between themselves and the ponies, and Rarity glared at their armored backs.

"How rude."

"He is proving quite bitter the more we associate with him," agreed Princess Luna as Fluttershy, her eyes shifty, watched him go in the hopes he wouldn't turn back around.

"Does that make him any less correct?" the Arbiter offered simply as he, the only one of the Elites still around, stooped to the equines' level, "War takes its toll on one's character. He was not always so."

"The stress?" asked Applejack, pushing her hat back to scratch her sweaty forehead.

"We can cope with stress," the Arbiter responded as he looked to the trees, "It is a constant affiliation with death, especially the death of one's brothers, that hardens the hearts. We few who have survived the crucible are close, but all others are far away. Such is the blessing, and the curse, of the comradery between soldiers. A friendship much different from yours, put simply."

The Arbiter was oblivious to the many stares he received, some sympathetic, others with only a trace of understanding.

"Give him time," the Sangheili continued as he picked up the hike once again, and began the arduous process of catching up to the others now far above him on the slope, "Especially after today, you may find him more satiable, or at least, you will understand him."

The coming trek resulted in a broken patrol, the aliens at the front of the column as they followed the trail the equines had directed them onto upwards to the pass, and the equines following in their traceless wake. Eventually, they reached Eagle Pass, where the slope flattened, and the Whispering Wood became a sub-alpine forest. The top of the mountain became visible through the conifers, and the breeze grew into a harsh wind as the vegetation became sparser near the summit.

It was here, in a cradle between two peaks near the summit of the Unicorn Range, that the Shipmaster, at the head of the column, navigated the patrol line towards a saddle to the North. The walking became easier, and the equines quickly took advantage of the flat ground, catching up to the aliens that led them.

As they traversed the saddle, the contoured slope of the grassy formation marking the divide of the mountain range, the trail narrowed, and the slopes on either side pressed inwards as they grew steeper, reaching up to the peaks they walked between in a rocky ascent. The terrain created a natural chokepoint, and upon realizing it, the procession grew cumbersome.

The Shipmaster, at the front of the column with his Elites close behind, inspected the trail closely, cocking his head from side to side as he probed its superficial traits for possible threats. He was obviously hesitant to enter the chokepoint, but his reasons as to why were, for the moment, a mystery.

Yet, after a moment of consideration, the white clad Sangheili pulled the column farther along the trail with a forward wave. The ground rose up to swallow them, and the evergreens shepherded them together. But, just before they entered the chokepoint, the Shipmaster's balled fist snapped up, and the Elites behind him froze, their weapons drawn in an instant. The Shipmaster slowly used a free hand to reach down, closing it around the handle of his own Plasma Rifle, his fist still in the air above his shoulder as his head slowly turned from side to side, listening.

Then, as the faintest, nearly indiscernible sound came out from the trees, the Arbiter made a hand signal with an outreached arm, and in rapid unison, the Elites phased out of sight, and the Hunters quickly took up defensive positions, widening their stances and planting their shields in the ground.

"Where'd they go?" asked Applejack from the rear of the column, putting a voice to the shocked eyes of the equine portion of the patrol, "Did they just turn invisible?"

As the mare finished, the sound from the trees came again, louder this time, and more distinct as audible foot steps reached the erect ears of the Equestrians.

"Something's coming."

"Get to cover," Shining Armor hissed urgently, and the ponies leapt from the trail and concealed themselves in the shrubbery at the side of the trail.

Shining Armor and his guards formed a barrier of muscle and metal between the sound and the Elements, keeping their bodies, while low, in front of the Bearers as shields, the princesses doing much the same. As they watched through parted bushes and in between tree trunks, the sounds of footsteps were added upon by a new sound; vocalizations. They were varied from high-pitched squawks and snarls to scratchy growls and yelps, their sources unseen at the moment though they were inarguably coming closer.

"What do we do?" whispered Fluttershy from her hiding place beneath a juniper spruce, her voice trembling.

"Stay down," responded Princess Luna, her tone smooth and calm as her stern, unblinking eyes remained fixated on the nearest bend in the trail.

It did not take long for the mysteries of the sounds to become clear, as a group of figures slowly came down the trail in a single file line, the same general formation the Elites had orchestrated themselves into for the first span of the day's trek. They were strange, at least two different species. Most of them were squat, grey-skinned bipeds with large orange tanks strapped to their backs and what appeared to be miniscule weapons in their unwieldy hands. Herding the smaller creatures along the trail with harassing prods and aggressive snarls were larger- although far smaller than the Elites- slender, avian appearing creatures with sharp claws and teeth, reptilian skin, quills running the lengths of their backs and what looked like shields of the same material as the Elite's swords latched onto one arm each, weapons in their free hands. The armor they wore was sparse and simple, the coloration of the metal reminiscent of the material making up the Sangheili's metallic harnesses, but the design was far less ornate.

They lurked along the trail, oblivious to any presence in the mountain pass other than their own, the avians scanning the surrounding area with yellow, unfeeling eyes while the smaller creatures trudged along with their portly heads directed to the ground immediately before them. But, as they came down the trail, the Equestrians silently watching them the entire way, they came into view of the Hunters, their towering bodies blocking the trail. Upon seeing them, the creature at the front of the patrol line jumped back with a shriek, the heads of those behind it snapping forward as the Hunters emitted a unified roar, and their cannons began to glow green.

In an instant, the entire pass lit up in an awesome display of firepower as the Hunters unleashed their verdant projectiles into the creatures, and the trees and rocks on either side of the trail erupted in the unified emission of myriad blue plasma bolts. The noise went from quiet to deafening in an instant as green balls of fire threw mangled bodies, blood and dust into the air, precise balls of azure plasma bored holes through flesh, and the aliens being targeted screamed.

"Heads down!" yelled Shining as he and the other guards instinctively went to cover the Bearers with their own bodies, holding their helmeted heads with hooves over the backs of their necks as the Equestrians ducked and covered behind felled logs and mounds of earth.

Though they escaped from the line of sight of the fire, the noise was terrible, loud and inescapable like a thunderstorm, but much more potent. Lights flashed through the air as the radiant plasma carved arcing streaks of colored vapor through the thin air, trees snapped as the Hunters' cannons roared, and the unique sound of the Elites' Plasma Rifles on the wind made an eerie, almost animal-like hiss. Yet, the one sound that became quieter was the screaming of the creatures on the trail as their voices were quickly extinguished.

Then, in an instant, the firing stopped, and the Equestrians poked their heads out from cover to see the Swords of Sangheilios emerging from the air amidst their cover, their weapons steaming. On the trail nothing moved, until one of the avian creatures struggled to its feet, and tried to beat a limping retreat back up the trail. It didn't make it far before one of the black-armored SpecOps Elites leapt down from the embankment and onto the trail, and rushed after it, pouncing on it from behind and pinning it to the ground beneath a heavy foot. He cut off its resulting wail with an Energy Dagger, produced from his wrist gauntlet, to the back of its skull.

As silence retook the alpine forest, the rest of the Elites began walking amidst the now colored ground, stained light blue and dark purple in the foreigners' blood, and checked the bodies of their fallen enemy for survivors, turning limp bodies over and prodding their sides with the barrels of Carbines and Beam Rifles. Once he was sure the coast was clear, the Arbiter stepped away from the carnage of the post-ambush gore, and waved the Equestrians, still in the bushes, over. Shining Armor and the princesses were the first to trot down the embankment, followed by the rest of the armored ponies, who were in turn followed, though cautiously, by the Element Bearers.

"Scouts?" asked Shining Armor aloud as he approached the Arbiter, looking past him to the motionless bodies of the aliens.

"Light patrol. Kig-Yar and Unggoy," came the answer as the Arbiter pointed with his Carbine's barrel to the respective species at his feet, "This is the face of the enemy, the other races of the Covenant Remnant."

The Hunters rejoined the group, not minding where they stepped as they crushed the casualties beneath their titanic weight, and the Shipmaster's voice came down from the embankment.

"There will be more," he assured as he jumped into the blood-soaked dust of the trail, quickly drawing the attention of the Equestrians away from the alien bodies and onto himself, "The coordinates point to the valley just on the other side of this pass. Come."

The Shipmaster turned to continue down the trail, the same way the Covenant had come. But, when the Arbiter stayed put, he, and those eager to follow him, paused.

"I suggest the Elements remain here," the argentate warrior said calmly as he fit his Carbine back into its slot on his back.

"Not here," countered Princess Celestia, shooting a look back to the mares, who were visibly, and rightfully so, keeping their distance from the squadron of corpses; the horror in their eyes was quite a testament to their reaction to the ambush, "They must be closer, so as to make a difference if their intervention is needed."

"Yes, but you are so concerned for their safety, and the safety of this settlement," stated the Arbiter to counter as he too looked back to the Elements before adding, "What would you have us do to ensure the survival of both?"

It took a moment, but Princess Luna's eyes were eventually alighted by the glint of an idea.

"Captain, would it not be wise to send a few guards to Trottingham before we conduct this raid as a precaution, so as to maintain its safety?" the dark alicorn suggested, her sterling armor and sword catching the sunlight.

"Right. Sergeant Chevron," Shining Armor agreed from beneath the brow of his helmet, one of the unicorn guards' ears perking up at the mention of his name, "I'm reassigning you to a security detail. In case this raid goes sour, I need you, Private Buck Wheat and Corporal Rose Quartz to defend Trottingham."

The unicorn and two of the earth ponies nodded, but before they turned to leave, the Arbiter addressed the Captain.

"Is this settlement relatively secure," he began, "more secure than the valley beyond this pass?"

The stallion gave a nod.

"Then perhaps, if you deem it necessary, your champions will be safer there," the Sangheili suggested, turning fiery eyes to the mares, still apprehensively, fearfully keeping their distance from the corpses the warriors stood amidst.

Shining Armor considered the proposal, taking the princess' desire to keep the Element Bearers safe, as well as his own concern for his sister, into account, and weighing it against the chance that their power would be needed. In a time efficient manner, the stallion made a call.

"Sergeant Gale Force," he said calmly to one of the pegasi, not barking in the least, "I'm reassigning you to a security detail as well. Stay with the Bearers of the Elements, and make sure no harm befalls them. You and the Bearers will be accompanying Sergeant Chevron to Trottingham as a contingency unit. The rest of us will accompany the Elites and the princesses on the assault. We'll know more when we can see what we're up against. If need be, we'll call an audible, but this will be our course of action until that moment comes. We'll send you results of the raid post-engagement. A green flare will mean the assault was successful; in that case, rendezvous with us back at Canterlot. A red flare will mean the enemy escaped, and to take up defensive positions until we've made sure the town isn't in any immediate danger. Respond with blue when you see the signal, and do try not to cause a commotion in..."

Suddenly, a new sound cut the Captain short, only it came not from the ground, but from the sky. The Equestrians' ears twitched, and they looked skyward as the Elites readied their weapons again and followed the equines' gaze. The noise grew louder as it came closer, and the Arbiter turned to the princesses.

"Get out of the open," he rumbled, "Into the trees."

The entire congregation did just that, taking cover after scrambling up the embankments or simply disappearing from sight altogether, and as the sound reached its peak, they were cast into a massive shadow. A Phantom drop ship, flying low and slow less than a hundred feet off the ground, with a pair of Banshee fighters as escorts, passed directly overhead, the downdraft from the crafts' turbines bending tree trunks as if they were in the gales of a hurricane, and after passing the divide of the Unicorn Range, they banked downwards, disappearing from sight.

"Make haste," 'Vadum bid urgently as he deactivated his camouflage module, and reassumed his place at the front of the procession, "The Remnant's operation has already begun."

Shining Armor looked to the guards he'd previously spoken to, and with a quick salute, they galloped off to the Northeast towards Trottingham. The Element Bearers followed, but Twilight was reluctant to go; a reassuring look from her brother convinced her he would be alright, and she, the civilian, did as her brother, the soldier, had ordered. The Captain then trotted up to the front of the patrol line to join the Shipmaster, and with a newfound vigor, the climb continued.

They made excellent time to the saddle of the divide, and their pace only quickened once their trek led them downhill. It did not take long for them to come to a rocky precipice between two topographical bowls, stretching out into the valley below. Here, the Shipmaster turned to the Elites at his back, and with a calm hand gesture, signaled them to crouch as he assumed a low crawl, and slunk to the edge of the precipice, inches from where it dropped away to a sheer twenty meter cliff. The white-armored Elite took his time on the cliff face alone, until he turned and signaled for the Captain, the Arbiter and the princesses to join him.

When they reached the Shipmaster's side, the sight that greeted them was as peculiar as it was stunning.

"What's down there?" asked Princess Celestia as she squinted at the distant sight.

"A depot. The drop ships are making supply runs to the surface, so that the capital ships can remain hidden in orbit," came the response from the Arbiter as he rose up slightly over the sandstone boulder he'd taken cover behind so as to get a better view; the Remnant had set up a perimeter consisting of a trio of watchtowers around a considerable amount of plasma coils and energy spires, and Covenant infantry units worked among the amassed equipment.

"They're stockpiling resources and setting up defenses," said the Shipmaster as he observed the emplacements around the landing zone, "Shade turrets, energy shields, power spires, containers of battery packs; this looks like the beginnings of a firebase."

As they watched the coordinated labor below, another Phantom drop ship flew over them from behind, oblivious to their presence, and descended to the valley. The vessel's door guns were vacant, and its payload consisted of four Ghosts, latched unto its belly with electromagnetic bonds. As they watched, the aircraft hovered and landed within the Remnant's perimeter, and its escorts peeled off and rose back into the sky, a trail of blue vapor marking their paths as they disappeared into the blue. More infantry units leapt from the Phantom's ventral doors as it set down, and the engines flickered out as even the pilots vacated the aerial vehicle, and those already on the ground began a refueling process for the aircraft.

"How many are down there?" asked Shining Armor, watching as the Remnant milled about on the valley floor.

"Fewer than there should be," came the response as the Arbiter growled suspicion.

"Where do you suppose the rest are?"

The Arbiter shook his head, glancing shortly in the Captain's direction before refocusing on the Remnant.

"I do not see any Sangheili Commanders," admitted the Shipmaster as he inched slightly forward, "There should be at least two in charge of a force this size."

"Which is the ranking officer down there?" asked Princess Celestia as she took a moment to glance back at the others, the combined armament of the Royal Guards and the Elites making a formidable phalanx at the base of the precipice.

"Sangheili Minors," came the response from the Arbiter, his eyes burning as he eyed his prey hundreds of yards below, "Six of them, along with two dozen Grunts and no less than ten Jackals."

"They outnumber us," observed Captain Armor, grimacing as he ran a quick tally in his head.

'Vadum nodded before replying, "But it is they who are outmatched."

The princesses looked to the Shipmaster apprehensively, and found his chin adorned with a glaring smile. When they looked to the Arbiter, they found the expression mirrored.

"Snipers here," 'Vadum growled as something behind his green eyes clicked into place, and a plan began to formulate, "Two teams will advance on the depot."

Shining Armor too, his expression alluding to the restlessness he saw in the Elites', contributed a tactician's mind to the formulation.

"See that irrigation ditch," the stallion began, pointing to a long, down-hill running depression cut into the earth that passed within thirty yards of the landing zone, "The farmers in Trottingham dug it to carry runoff from the mountains here down to their crops farther down the valley. We can use it to get close. I know where it begins."

The Arbiter and 'Vadum shared another look as they nodded in unison, their newfound ally's contribution appreciated.

"And the boulders of this slope are large enough to provide cover for us," observed Luna, looking to her sister after gauging the rocks of the hill below the outcropping.

"Very well," agreed the Shipmaster, his words rushed by the progress of the Remnant below, "I will take four Elites, as well as the Captain's squad, along this irrigation duct."

"And I will lead the charge with the others," added the Arbiter as he retreated from the cliff face so as to join the rest of the force, and prepare for the imminent assault.

"Their fire will be focused on us," the sterling Sangheili continued, looking to Shining Armor and the Shipmaster, "When you get to their flank, take them by surprise. Destroy the turrets first. That will clear the way, and we shall finish them together."

He turned, but Celestia's strong voice called him back.

"I can orient the sun at our backs," the alicorn said to receive a bewildered look from the foreigners of her company, "When they look up to target us they will be blinded."

"The sun will not help us," scoffed the Shipmaster as he took note of the star's position in the sky, "It is already midday."

"No Arbiter, take heed," Princess Luna intervened suddenly, "My sister has dominion over the sun's movement in the sky. If she wills it, it shall be so."

"Sorcery," growled 'Vadum, "such a feat is impossible. How could you make the very forces of nature do your bidding?"

As he spoke, Celestia's horn began to glow fiercely, irradiating a fiery white light, and as the aliens looked on, the sun began to drift closer to the horizon, until it adorned the summit of the mountain like a giant golden crown.

"By the gods," mired the Shipmaster as he squinted upslope, the light blinding his eyes and proving his words fallible, and his mandibles parted in an expression of disbelief.

"We will discuss this later," hissed the Arbiter suddenly, "We have a raid to conduct. Shipmaster, assemble your forces."

The ivory Elite nodded, and bounded back to the congregation at the precipice's base.

"First squad, we embark," he said as he waved a hand in the air and turned to look at Shining Armor at his side, "Captain, take point."

"Right," the stallion agreed as he marshaled his own six warriors, "The duct is this way. Follow me."

And with that, they were gone, leaving the Royal Sisters, backed by the Arbiter, the Hunters and the rest of the Elites, behind.

"You have not been to war in centuries," began the Arbiter as the first team disappeared into the trees without a sound, looking to Celestia at his side, "This is true?"

"The armies were bigger then," the alabaster alicorn nodded as she hid a shudder with a phony grin, "The memories are still fresh, though."

"They never fade," came the grim response as the Arbiter slowly drew his Plasma Rifle, and circled the hilt of his sword at his hip with a slender finger on his free hand, "Are you ready?"

He looked first to Celestia, then to Luna, looking into their eyes rather than listening to their words. He seemed somewhat pleased with what he saw. The alicorns, however, directed their eyes in the direction of Trottingham, a miles down the valley and concealed by the rugged topography of the Unicorn Range. The Elements and their escorts were surely near the town now. The shadows began to overtake the valley, stretching westward as if reaching for the far side of the basin, and when they looked back, the alicorns gave the Arbiter an answer in unison.

"Yes."

"Good," he said as two Elites with Beam Rifles took up a prone firing position on the precipice, and the other two stood on his flanks; with a short growl, he turned, and his eyes set forward, rumbled, "Follow me."