HaloFable: The Spartan King

by Freedom Guard

Here is the prologue for the fic requested from me by Angry Lil'Elf a few years back. Merely the prologue and using an AU version of Fable universe seen in Chindu POV's fic and Angry Lil' Elf's own works. Will be updated once all Non Halo stories are properly updated and return to Halo stories. Ask said authors for confirmation if in doubt okay?

Halo/Fable: The Spartan King

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Lion-head Studios and Bungie as well as 343 Industries so don't bother sending the legal eagles my way.

Prologue

A new Bloodline rises…

( ): Thoughts

(( )): Conversations with Scythe

…

Author's Notes:

This is my latest creation that has been brewing in the back of my mind and had been requested of my by one of my readers, Angry lil' elf. He himself had already made his own Halo/Fable crossover. Now let's get this show on the road shall we?

…

In the deepest throes of space…

The Forward Unto Dawn was still moving through the dark void of space and inside it was none other than the Master Chief, John-117, one of the last few remaining Spartans in existence, and his long time partner the UNSC Smart A.I Cortana. The A.I was still active and had been working hard on cataloging all the data that she had been gathering all this time. The power supply of the now dissected UNSC Frigate was not enough to run all the systems. But it was enough to help her maintain the cryo-bay and also was enough to allow her to dump away in one of the few remaining database units that was not lost in the ship. That had allowed to free up a greater amount of data from herself and that helped her restore some of herself and avoid Rampancy for as long as she could. Her promise to him to protect him with all that she had when she learned of what he had endured ever since becoming a Spartan was among the things that kept her going.

As she looked at the cryo-tube, all she could hope for was that even if she finally was no longer able to watch over John, they were going to stay together until the end. She was well aware that she had already exceeded her operational limits and soon she would no longer be able to remain functional or stable. Rampancy haunted her mind as she knew that she had come close to slipping more than once. But she banished those thoughts out of her mind just as quickly.

(I will not go down like that, I'd rather delete myself before I ever become Rampant.)

She looked at John and hoped that when the time came that they would be rescued, they would finally find a place for him to feel at peace. She knew that he would only relax in a quiet place and be allowed to rest and she was going to make sure that he got that place and that peace. It might not last since there was no doubt a lot of work that had to be done after the war, but the brass would be convinced, even more so if Lord Hood did the talking. He among a number of other officials had the Spartans' backs due to their accomplishments in the war with the Covenant as well as the Insurrection, and more recently in John's case, the Flood, so asking for him to let John at least rest and recuperate before being deployed was not far fetched. Only question was if her caveman was willing to take a break to begin with. John was not the kind of guy who was going to stay quiet, not with so much going on around him and he had a part to play in. There would be reconstruction and peace keeping efforts in the UNSC at this very moment now that the war was over. There were possibly billions of refugees who's worlds were destroyed and had to be given protection and eventually fuind new colonies to live it. Infrastructure lost in the fighting had to be rebuilt from the ground up, naturally to help alleviate the conditions of all the people of the UNSC. Food and other critical supplies had to be gathered, protected and then distributed to the populations. And of course the need to fight any remains of the Loyalists and the Insurrection.

It galled her that even after all that happened, the Insurrectionists, or the Innies as the UNSC personnel called them would still want to fight for their beliefs even at the cost of so much. She naturally understood the reasoning behind their actions, having been given a full data upload on human philosophy, history and government, but did not approve at all of their methods. And she knew that John as well as the other Spartans disliked them for what they had done prior to the war with the Covenant. The idea of them still willing to fight with the UNSC even with a lot of things happening all around them was less then pleasing for the AI. But if they wanted a fight, then they were going to get one, but that only happened if negotiations got nowhere and they were the ones to proverbially draw first blood.

But for now, all she had to concern herself with was keeping her promise to keep John safe and she was going to make sure that it happened. That brought her back to using whatever functional sensors were left on the Dawn. It was not much to work with as the majority of the sensors of the Dawn were located there on the front of the Frigate. The same front of the ship that was now lost to her and John, but Cortana was not the kind of AI to give up without a fight.

Unknown to the AI and her still sleeping companion, they had a great mission ahead of them, and the world that they were closing in towards was going to need Heroes. And the two of them were going to fit the bill rather nicely.

…

In a hidden sanctum on the world of Albion…

William Black, the son of a blacksmith, former Hero, Founder of the Archon bloodline, the one who bested the Shadow Court, and one of the longest living heroes in the world sat there in his home. The fortress that was deep in the furthest reaches of mortal men and despite the fact that it was ugly looking on the outside, he cared little for such matters. For him the ugly looks were a way to remain hidden from the world and observe everything. And what he had seen thus far had been a source of worry and concern for him.

Ever since the dawn of his reign as King with the defeat of the Court that had Albion under their bloody and malevolent rule for countless years, he had done much to help protect the people. He had raised many children and passed on many of his powers, hoping to help maintain the peace he had sacrificed much for, namely for the sacrifice of his own soul to the Sword of Aeons. But as he watched, his children, devoid of any foe to test their will against, and fighting for something that was worthwhile became petty and cruel. Calling themselves Heroes to validate their power and actions, they began to torment and harm the very people he had willingly fought for. he had tried to steer them away from that path, but it was not easy for him.

His time in the Void ever since stealing the Sword of Aeons from the Jack of Blades had wasted him away, a vile disease of supernatural origin that he had spent many a countless hour trying to contain. However, this also stripped him of the time needed to change the paths of his descendants and all he could do was watch as the people who once looked up to his bloodline with pride, awe, happiness, and faith now looked at them with fear, anger, shame, and regret. It tore at what was left of his human heart and soul and he departed, no longer able to stomach the cruelty and arrogance of his children to their own people. He did not do this to flee from what was his duty, he had seen through his own visions through the powers of Will before donning his golden armor and royal robes that they would destroy themselves in their arrogance and pride.

And destroy themselves they did, along with countless other people, it was heart wrenching but it was something that had been a long time coming.

He watched as the ruined lands rebuilt and as the dark beings came back into the world, he made his move to try and bring back the power of his bloodline that had once saved all of Albion. He found it in Nostro, a bandit who dreamed of being something more, and he was pleased in a sense to see that the power of his bloodline survived, leading him to suspect that at least some of his children and possibly their descendants had changed their ways to survive in the now changed world. Soon Nostro completed his training under him and eventually founded the Hero's Guild, a place where those with the powers of Strength, Skill, or Will can be trained and given purpose with the use of their abilities. Scythe saw first hand that the dilution of his bloodline as there were few of them who could command all three disciplines. But in time, even one such as Nostro could be tempted into ruin, and the woman he loved was such a temptation.

Magdalene was a very attractive woman, more than enough to attract any man, even Nostro, but her black heart and soul helped lead Nostro to ruin and soon the once proud Guild of Heroes that he and Nostro founded became nothing more than a house of mercenaries without any morals. Nostro himself was distraught but could do nothing as fighting was in his blood and soul. Eventually Nostro fell not in battle with sword and shield in hand as his soul hoped for, but by an assassin's poisoned blade. Afterwards, there were many other trials as the Guild recovered and changed back to what Nostro had hoped for.

In the coming years, another person rose to command the Guild, a Hero named Weaver who despite having been on of the most powerful and skilled Will Users of his time, led a rebellion against the Guild and it's current Master. He believed that instead of being forced on the path of Good, Heroes should be given the right to choose whether to be Heroes of Good or Evil. That at it's time was a very radical step, even for him but Scythe did not halt it, as Weaver's serene neutrality was something that could give the Guild a new direction and the Heroes produced by the Guild would be responsible for their very own actions. It was at Weaver's tenure as Guild-master that his old nemesis, Jack of Blades returned to the fold, and while he would have fought the evil being, Scythe was not as strong as he was in the past. And despite all his powers which remained with him, Jack of Blades had not been an easy foe to defeat. The Sword of Aeons, the weapons that had taken his soul would only be unlocked by one of his own living kindred and he knew the price to be paid. He paid that price and therefore he could no longer wield it, and it was only when Jack's own lap dog of a Hero Maze sought to be freed from Jack did he spare the young boy.

The Hero of Oakvale, the younger brother of Theresa who by all rights he was supposed to slay. Scythe had secretly observed the whole affair and while a small part of himself was pleased that his descendant did not die, he was not amused in the slightest the game Maze played with the young boy. The aged Hero took solace in the fact that after his growth and training in the Guild under Weaver, did the young man become a Hero who was truly tied to what was good in and just. Even when facing Twinblade and many others, he did not take the path of evil, something that helped him with his battles with Jack and the minions he commanded. He fought with Maze and freed his sister, fought to save the Guild and despite the loss of his mother to Jack and the Sword of Aeons, he did not take a dark path and destroyed the Sword.

Scythe was impressed by his descendant, even more so when he avoided the temptations lain before him by Jack and the final battle when he cast the Mask into the flames to end it all. It was...something that he as the Archon, as William Black had hoped to have done himself, to finally rid the world of the last of the Court that had played with humanity as if they were mere toys. But at least he was proud that despite everything, and his own personal flaws, his descendant became a Hero for the people of Albion to be proud of. He watched as he eventually found peace in his own time and lived well into his years, carrying on the legacy of all Heroes and those of his line.

...

But as time passed the world changed, the Guild despite thriving and having a new Guild-master after Weaver passed away peacefully, now had Heroes who were too arrogant, self serving, and even willing to commit murder, theft, and more. There were indeed decent and morally strong Heroes in the Guild still, but they were fewer now and this was what brought their end. The people like those in his time when his own children became corrupt and arrogant, felt that the Heroes were no longer worth it. They looked at them with anger, fear, and disgust as more Heroes proved to be corrupt and violent and Scythe knew that while the common people could not fight the Heroes due to their powers in Strength, Skill, and Will, all they needed was a means to fight back. Even though many anti-Hero movements were forming, they still did not have the means with which to fight back. Until the development of the first Gun, using gunpowder from the far nation of Samarkand, with that, the fall of the Guild was coming, soon a mob of villagers, no longer willing to take the abuse of the Heroes who were corrupt and evil attacked the Guild.

Many Heroes, the decent and honorable ones were hesitant to strike and in turn, many died, those who survived fled, and the common mob, happy in their triumph destroyed all that they could of the Guild. Scythe watched but not without compassion for the Heroes who were good men and women as he decided that as soon as the fires died, he would find their remains and give them a proper burial. No one found out about his involvement and he made sure it stayed that way until he felt that doing otherwise was indeed an option for him. He watched as Heroes and Will were relegated to stories and myths, and while part of him felt that the Guild brought this on themselves, he still felt that whether the common people wanted it or not, Heroes were always needed when true evil came to the forefront.

And it had, a dark force was coming far from Albion, the Northern Wastes, Samarkand, and the nation of Aurora with the intent to cover the world in darkness and blood. He would have not worried too much had his bloodline remained alive...but alas, despite everything, Theresa and her brother had not been able to have descendants, thus the bloodline was no longer there to rise up and face the coming forces of darkness which he had been monitoring. But in all of his time alive, he had learned that in order to balance the powers of evil, good will find a way and even though Heroes at times defied Fate and shaped it to their will, Fate had a way to providing a means to an end.

As he surveyed the world through the many pathways of Will energy he sensed something coming, a strange and powerful tear in the flow of Will occurred. This tear was unlike anything Scythe had ever felt before in his life, both before becoming King of Albion, and after. He focused his senses of Will to this source and before he knew it, he felt the energy of a living being...a being filled with immense power.

...

Cortana was not sure why she was feeling uneasy, but it was not something that she could ignore. She focused what sensors she could and was surprised when she detected a massive celestial body coming into the Dawn's sensor range. She did not have a lot to work with, but she was not going to let this chance slip and focused all the sensors she had to the planet. If the place was acceptable to human biology and was part of the UNSC, then they were going to be rescued. It was a slim hope and there was no promise that the planet was owned by the UNSC, but it was better than nothing in her point of view. But the very second the planet's data came in she was caught off guard and that did not happen very often to her.

The planet WAS habitable, but there was no trace of any communication signals or incoming ship or station traffic. That was something that was really confusing to the AI, a world that is habitable had SOME form of communications network and the lack of one from the UNSC and even the Covenant was worrying to the AI. Cortana knew that right now with things they were they were going to have to be cautious but with so few options and data, she had to make a decision on her next course of action. She knew that once she made the call, there was no going back and she disliked to do things in the dark with little to no data to work with. That always did not end well and she remembered her promise to defend John to the end when she first met him so she was not going to get him into a situation that could end in him getting hurt or worse.

She placed those thoughts aside and began to focus more on getting every scrap of data that she could get with what resources she had on hand and it was not long before she detected something. Some sort of energy that seemed to be faintly showing up in her scanners. She quickly diverted power from the reactors to sharpen her sensors as best she could. Whatever it was it was...probing the ship and she did not like the implications of that, she tried to find the target and to her shock, it was aiming at John!

…

In his sanctum...

(Intriguing, this being's powers in the Strength and Skill are unlike anything I have seen in other Heroes, the level comes to the level of my descendants, namely Theresa's brother when he truly mastered Skill and Strength. But his level of power in Will is remarkable! I have seen few that can reach such a level, Maze and Nostro being those who can reach it. Even Theresa in her prime was not able to get this high. Perhaps he might be the one to handle the threats to come, but I must know what kind of man he is. Hmmm, his past is filled with tragedy and pain, yet he has endured and grown more powerful than before. He has turned tragedy to victory and despite everything, great good came out from this and him. I know this is wrong but I must take a look on who he is.)

(Uuurrrrggggg...heh...his mind is strong, almost as stubborn as those Demon Doors, but without their untrustworthy nature. But this mental barrier blocking me is born from hardship as much as training. He must have endured much to have such a strong will, and it must explain why he has such a powerful if not untapped and honed reserve of Will. I cannot probe any further and he is still asleep and recovering. Has he been in a battle? I must find a way to speak to...wait, he is awakening. I have no choice.)

Scythe severed his attempts to probe the being he had sensed, but despite the lost contact, he was convinced that Fate had made it's move. The power this being had was more than enough to tip the scales even a bit to the side of Albion's safety and it's people. That was enough as he decided to make his move and he now began to focus his Will into some of the devices that he had recreated from the past.

...

In the Dawn...

A flash of energy...running through a network of tunnels, the energy is soon joined by others, running through what appeared to be the inner workings of the body. Through the network of nerve in the spine, a heart beat...

Spartan II Commando John-117 Master Chief Petty Officer of the UNSC Navy was quick to wake up and the same thing happened to the MJOLNIR. It's neural link to it's owner detected his awakening and soon began to power up it's OS and DIOS systems, quickly running a full systems diagnostic checkup to see if it was working properly. This was taking only mere moments in real time and it was able to sense that it was working only with a backup system and decided that it would have to do. This was at the moment that John quickly woke up and without any hesitation opened his cryo-pod the very second it unlocked and he was soon facing Cortana.

"Cortana, what's going on?"

The AI managed to collect herself and replied as best she could.

"I am sorry about the quick thaw Chief, but we've got a situation."

"Rescue?"

"Not what I would call it, we're nearing a planet. From what scanners and sensors I had left to work with, the planet is more than able to support human life. But here's the thing, I am picking up absolutely NO COM traffic over the world, civilian or otherwise."

"That's troubling..."

"Oh it gets better, recently I detected a faint energy spike moving around the ship. Whatever it was it was probing the Dawn and looking the ship over. I tried to locate just what it was probing for and it seemed to be probing at you."

John was confused by that and decided to reveal his confusion to his long time friend and ally.

"You said that this...energy spike was probing me?"

"I know it sounds crazy but I swear that despite the less than reliable sensors I had to work with, that thing was probing you somehow past the shielding on the cryo-pod. I checked your brain wave patterns and it seemed that you were actually resisting something. I had no idea what was going on and so I had to wake you up. Do you remember anything?"

John began to think about what happened, the idea of something actually probing his mind through the shielding of the cryo-pod sounded preposterous to the normal person, but John knew Cortana well. She would never pull his leg when it came to her concerns for his safety and well being. He began to recall anything from his time in the pod prior to him being awakened, he did recall feeling something trying to move in his mind and he resisted it as best he could. Merely wanted to get a feel of what it was that was trying to worm it's way into his mind. But it seemed to...merely scan after he resisted it and soon it left. No doubt leaving when it sensed he was waking up.

"Yeah, something did try to force it's way into my head, but it didn't go any further when I mentally fought back. I don't know why but I did not feel threatened by it, wary yes, but not enough to count it hostile."

The AI rolled her eyes at that statement and replied.

"An unknown energy source tries to somehow get into your brain using methods that I don't know about and you don't consider it hostile? No offense John but I think all that time in cryo is starting to addle your brain."

John shrugged and that served to annoy Cortana a lot more as she replied.

"That's YOUR answer? Men, thinking that shrugging your shoulders answers everything. Never mind, we are getting closer to the planet in question and I still can't get any COM traffic. Looks like we're going to have to get ready for an atmospheric drop."

John nodded as he quickly took out Cortana's data chip and slid it into his head, the feeling of cold mercury hit him once more and he let it happen and soon Cortana spoke to him once more with relief in her voice.

"Ah, back in my favorite home, nice to see that the time in the deep freeze hasn't turned this place bad."

The Spartan merely shook his head at that and replied.

"Remember what I said Cortana."

"I know, I know, don't get any funny ideas. Now come on, we have to get ourselves kitted out before we find a way to lock ourselves down for re-entry."

The pair moved out and already John could feel the weightlessness of space still around as he got his Assault Rifle from the rack and placed it on his back. The sound might not be heard but he felt the thump either way and he also grabbed a floating M6G Magnum and locked in on his thigh. He placed his hand on the access panel as soon as he got to the door and allowed Cortana to have the door open. The door opened and he soon floated through the corridors and locate an area that was still very structurally solid for him and Cortana to seal and lock themselves in. The Cryo-bay was not the best place to be in and if he had remained there, the damage could have killed him while he was still very much asleep. he and Cortana soon made their way to one of the secured but empty storage decks and saw that even with the hell the Frigate went through, it was still structurally solid.

"Well, good a place as any and sensors here did state it's still solid."

"Enough for a re-entry drop?"

"Not so much, but you can't be picky...unless you WANT to redo that stunt you pulled when you got back to Earth and landed in Africa?"

John chuckled at that and replied.

"Not really, do you want to?"

"Heck no, seeing you leave the Cairo with that anti-matter bomb in hand is enough crazy excitement for me. And while I know that I said i like you brand of craziness, there's TWO of us in your head now so no more crazy drops."

"Right..."

Anything that they were going to say before they locked themselves in a good location was cut short when all of the sudden, the Dawn stopped cold in deep space. That concerned the two as the only way that happened was when a ship or a number of ships docked with the Dawn. But that was impossible since the lack of any form of COM traffic over the world meant it was uninhabited. And even if on the off chance that it was inhabited, they would not have the technology to build anything that could get into space.

"What the heck?"

"Cortana, I'll log you into the Dawn."

The AI was ready as John did just that and soon she was able to speak to the Spartan as she was able to use what sensors were left.

"John, we're being surrounded by some sort of...energy field. I have no idea what it is or what the heck is making it, but it's guiding us down to the planet!"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive! And as crazy as it sounds, there seems to be no sign of any ships out here so it is that energy field that is holding us right now. And I can detect the origin of the field, it's ON that planet. And right now it is taking us in at speed, enough to get us to the surface of the planet in a matter of hours. But I cannot find anything that corresponds to a power source, it's as if it just appeared right from literal thin air."

The Spartan was utterly confused by this turn of events but he decided to get things back into order and spoke to Cortana.

"Where exactly are we heading?"

"Not sure, but I am picking up a good deal of landmass where the energy is coming from. I am still not picking up ANYTHING that can indicate civilization as we know it, but I do detect that there is SOME sign of habitation, or rather ruins. Can't get an exact stream of data to be sure what I am looking at, but we are going to be passing the world's atmosphere in ten minutes. We should get ready for anything once we hit the surface of the planet, and find out just what or who did this."

John nodded and checked his weapons once more as Cortana and him got ready for what was to come. The two held on as the shuddering of the ship told them that they were now moving through the planet's atmosphere. The shaking soon stopped and they felt the ship move down at a speed that they did not expect. All they could hope for was that whatever was dragging them to this planet was not related to the Forerunners or a deadly threat. They did not have a lot to work with so they had to play it cautiously.

...

On the surface of Albion...

Scythe felt the energy from the machines continue to pour forth as the sight of the vessel came closer. He had seen much for all his years, but even he could not help but be awed by the MASSIVE vessel before him through his visions as he guided it. The sheer size dwarfed any ship in existence on Albion and would also be utterly unknown to all. He was still impressed by the fact that the ship was made not just from metal, but it was moving in the infinite void of space itself. Such technology dwarfed anything his own could ever create in their time, if they ever stopped from their ceaseless bickering and warmongering. The Hero however moved away from his hidden sanctum and took out his scythe and stepped back through the portal and into the light of day. Just as the ship appeared above him and the portal to his hidden place closed away. The machines he had activated would continue to do their work and soon the massive hulk landed gently on the ground before the immortal Hero as he had allowed himself to be at an old castle that had not been discovered by others. The castle was located on the far north of the continent of Albion and had been part of the Old Kingdom, but had been kept a secret from anyone due to the maps that told of this castle's location being destroyed along with the records of it's existence. He waited for a moment as the field of Will energy faded away and began to probe once more for the being he had sensed in that massive ruin of a vehicle.

He probed deeply as much as he could, but though his senses were at full alert, he was quite surprised when he was soon greeted by the sight of a being in armor and aiming what he recognized faintly as a gun. He knew that this was the being he had sensed before but he had not expected this of all things, he had no doubt that the being was human and alive, but he did not expect him to be this massive. Thunder in his prime was large, but a good portion of his size was due to his armor and shield, this man however was no doubt was larger than an average man, a sign of great levels of Strength and the way that the armored human moved was a very high indication of his levels of power in the Skill Discipline. The Armor itself appeared unlike any of the armor he had known and seen, and had a powerful quality about it despite the obvious signs of damage that it had suffered.

But if Scythe was intrigued, he was not the only one.

...

"What the heck?"

John could not help agree with Cortana's exclamation as he continued to aim his MA5C at the figure before them who was carrying one massive looking scythe. The weapon might have slightly confused and unsettled the Spartan, but the real thing that unsettled both him and Cortana was the fact that the being was not only human shaped, but had the look of a mummy yet living. John scanned the being once more while keeping his weapon ready for anything, and he could see that there was some form of energy around the being's whole body. There was actually something coming close to a heart beat, but it was beating too low to be in normal human levels, Body temperature was pretty much below the acceptable limits, there was SOME but nowhere near enough to even warm meat, There was severe signs of dehydration on the skin and not a single trace of perspiration anywhere considering the robes and armor. There was also signs of severe lack or hygiene if the look of his teeth and skin was there and severe entropy of the being's eyes but there was some form of glow coming from them still.

By all rights this guy should already be in a pine box but here he or it was, standing before them and looking at them. Cortana managed to recover from her surprise as she also offered her opinion once she was able to access what he had been able to see.

"This guy should already be worm food...yet he's still alive, what the heck is going on here?"

"Should we initiate contact?"

"I...I really don't know John, nothing in the manual has information on how to talk to someone who literally is the walking dead. But then again, we can't get anywhere gawking at the being. Your move."

John nodded mentally as he spoke to the being, the conversation was completely between them inside his head, so unless that...thing was a telepath their conversation was safe.

"Identify yourself!"

The being's face seemed to change into a look that resembled confusion, and John was about to switch to a second language, when it spoke...in English of all things!

"I apologize for my silence, I had not expected you to speak the same tongue as I and everyone on this world do."

John got over the shock and identified the language, sounded similar to the English variant spoken by those who were descendants of the country England back on Earth. He had been trained in all languages, and English, along with all the western and eastern variants being the trade language in the UNSC was known to him. It did however raise questions in his head and no doubt in Cortana's own as well. There was nothing to indicate a UNSC or even Insurrectionist presence on this planet and he doubted that there was ANYTHING in the UNSC's database that could explain how this being was still before him.

"Who are you?"

"I am or was William Black, though I now bear the name Scythe, and I bid you to calm yourself warrior, you are not in any form of danger and despite my weapon here, I have no intention of harming you."

John and Cortana were not too sold on it but they also did know what else they were going to do now as the being before them was the ONLY being they could see thus far. John lowered the weapon carefully and Scythe did the same as he placed his weapon on his back and moved forward towards the Spartan. This, the Spartan and the Archon finally met one another. Scythe looked over the man and then spoke once more to him.

"I know that you no doubt have many questions to ask, so we shall do so, but before we get to that, I must ask you to remain open to what I must speak to you about."

John thought it over again and then placed the MA5C on his back. the thunk of the weapon was heard as the magnetic straps on his MJOLNIR held the weapon in place and soon he followed Scythe as the former Archon led him into the castle. They soon arrived into the old fortress and Scythe decided to be a good host and summoned his Will to bring forth a set of furniture as well as a pair of brightly burning torches on stands to provide light. It was simple for him to do though he had no doubt that what they were seeing was going to get the attention of the man behind him.

And grab John's attention and Cortana's attention at the same time the display of Will did.

...

"Am I seeing things because the MJOLNIR's scanners are gummed up, or did he just summon furniture and torches from thin air?"

Cortana asked in utter surprise at the sight and John finally spoke to his long time companion.

"You're not seeing things, because I can see it too."

That confounded the AI and interested her at the same time and she was quick to reveal her interest to John.

"John, do what you can to find out how he did that! Whatever that guy did, I picked up a massive spike EM fields and that strange energy I detected earlier from him. He must have been the one who sent that energy to probe you while you were still in cryostasis!"

"You sure?"

"Positive! I might not have gotten a whole lot from the scanners, but the energy waves and emissions I am picking up from him matches the energy that I picked up. I'm not sure how he is doing that so we should be ready for anything."

As soon as the furniture was there Scythe turned and gestured to John to take a seat, John gave the chair a quick assessment and found it to be inadequate to handle his weight so he shook his head and replied.

"I nearly weigh a ton in the armor, I doubt the chair can hold."

"Ah, then let me fix that."

Scythe then focused his Will and the chair was suddenly bathed in Will Energy for a few moments as he spoke again.

"Try it now, I have infused the chair with a large amount of Will to reinforce the fibers of the chair to handle your weight."

Cortana gave her approval, explaining that she had detected a sudden and unexpected increase in the overall strength of the wooden frame, almost to the point that the tensile strength of the wood could handle almost a ton. The giddy tone in the AI made John relax as he could tell that there was an underlying tone of truth in her voice so he sat down. And to his surprise, the chair could indeed handle his weight and he looked at Scythe as he spoke.

"How are you able to do this?"

"That is a long story, but suffice to say I believe that you can introduce yourself to me now, it would be considered rude for you to hide your name from me when I have willingly given you mine."

"Master Chief Petty Officer UNSC Navy, Spartan-117. Just use Spartan, Chief or Master Chief, any of them works for me just fine."

A ghost of a smile came on Scythe's face as if he expected that John was hiding something from him.

"I see, then I will call you as such Spartan, as to your previous question, what you have witnessed was my use of Will."

"Will?"

"Yes, it essentially is the use of the powers of the mind, which some may call Magic."

John raised his eyebrow at that, Magic was not unknown to him as he had read on human history and knew of people who were said to do amazing feats and call it by many names, magic being one of them. Science disproved it over time and it was usually relegated to games and entertainment for the masses and stories. Heck he recalled vaguely being told a story about magic and dragons back when he was a child before being taken in the Spartan II Program. But magic was merely make believe and stories, yet what he had seen told him otherwise. He was not the only one sharing that sentiment though as Cortana herself was confused at that revelation.

"Magic? As in pull rabbits out of the hat magic? That's unexpected. But that might explain the energy I was picking up from him earlier. This bears more studying John, ask him if he was able to use this...Will of his to drag the Dawn down to the surface."

"Did you use that Will to bring down the Dawn?"

"Dawn? Ah, the name of your vessel I take it? Yes, in that regard I used Will to do so, however because of the distance between your vessel and the world that we are now on, I had to use several machines to focus my Will and create a field to secure the vessel and control it's descent to the surface."

Cortana was quick to calculate everything and she could not help but voice her opinions, but in her excitement to relay the information to John, she had accidentally activated the open speaker systems. That meant that she had allowed her voice to be heard by not just John alone, but also by Scythe.

"Chief! You should see the numbers on this, the fact that he used this Will and the machines to bring down the Dawn without it suffering damage from re-entry is amazing! The idea of this field of energy being able to..."

"Cortana!"

"What?"

"You activated the speakers, Scythe can hear you."

"I did what? Oh...ah darn it."

Scythe was confused by the sudden sound of the undeniably female voice and briefly wondered if the being before him was a female who somehow found a way to mask her voice to be that of a man. But that was not going to stand in his mind, the way the voice sounded was definitely distinct and was no doubt different. This bore some more need to understand how that was possible, he however did not have long to ask where the voice had come from as the armored human took something from behind his head. It was something that resembled a chip of metal yet with a glowing center like a circle there. To Scythe's surprise which was in itself something due to his long life, a figure of a human woman appeared, in a nude form, albeit with symbols covering all the body areas considered private by the female gender. Had he been still flesh and blood, as well as being younger the former Archon would have blushed bright red at the sight of the woman. Instead he was rather intrigued by the fact that he could not sense any life force in this being, yet it moved and acted as a living being, even more as it spoke.

"Greetings, sorry about that, I keep forgetting to not make that mistake. But I am very curious on how you were actually able to do all that. Everything you did defies the conventional Laws of Physics, with it coming close to Slipspace Physics. Plus there's the fact that you are technically defying the Laws of Biology and Medicine. How were you able to use Will on these machines you speak of? How do they run? What did you use to make them?"

Scythe was not sure was to make of what the being was speaking, but his own level of curiosity got the better of him as he spoke.

"Intriguing, I do not sense a single shred of life force in this being of yours Spartan, yet it speaks, moves, and acts as a living being. How did you make it?"

Cortana raised an eyebrow at that and leaped off of John's hand, and to Scythe's growing surprise, the being turned herself into a full sized human female, who was still very much naked in form despite the fact that she still had her more intimate parts covered by symbols of moving numbers and what passed for words and letters. And in her full height and form, the woman would have REALLY gotten attention from any regular man despite her rather unearthly appearance.

"First of, I won't deny that I am a construct, or in another term, artificial being, but that does not mean that I am not emotionless. I am not an 'It' mister, I have a name and that name happens to be Cortana. I have been the Chief's friend and ally for years ever since I met him and I was not made by him at all. And while I might not be able to do anything to you physically I will not allow you to refer to me as 'It' ever again."

Scythe recovered from that and replied with a very calm and apologetic tone.

"My apologies Cortana, I had not known of your existence before nor have I ever met any being like you."

Cortana smiled at that and replied.

"Judging by what we've seen already, you can call me 'One of a kind'."

"On that we can agree, now I believe we have much to discuss, but before I speak my turn, will you tell me of your respective origins? You are not native to my world so I wish to know more of you, and in turn, I shall provide you with information on the lands that you have landed in."

...

The Spartan and the AI, thought it over and decided to release only information that they deemed necessary, not the more intimate details and told Scythe what they can of the world they came from. Needless to say Scythe was very intrigued as he listened to everything, in his mind's eyes he began to imagine just what the world of the Spartan and his companion which he learned was an AI or artificial intelligence. The idea of humanity who did not know of magic being able to reach such heights was unprecedented in his mind. Yes they had periods of unrest, warfare, open hostility, and more, but every time they were able to adapt, grow, and overcome. Their nations had dark parts of their history, but Scythe was a practical man despite his morals and knew that at times, it was something that could not be avoided. He listened carefully as they explained how they eventually left their world to see the stars and the worlds beyond it and the Hero was very much impressed by the technological achievements of this version of Humanity. Even more so for him to hear that all governments had turned into one unified front, such a thing was unheard of anywhere in Albion.

Then the wars that followed along with the expansion into other parts of the galaxy, the idea of humanity leaving their world and colonizing OTHER planets was something Scythe would have never thought possible, all due to the intelligence, dedication, and focus of two men who opened the very gateway to the stars, with this Slipspace Engine as it was called. To cross an ocean of eternal darkness and stars to land on new worlds...without any use of Will at all and found new worlds to settle in. THAT impressed Scythe as this told him that the humans of this UNSC were truly gifted. But of course there would be dangers, and this came with the Insurrection, thus was the creation of the Spartan Programs and the war with the Covenant, though the two UNSC members kept the information of the Spartan Programs a secret. The idea of these alien forces willingly burning entire worlds to glass and killing every human down to the last child...all because of several corrupt and fanatical leaders wishing to hold on to power filled the Archon with fury at the thought. The Prophets of Truth, Regret, and Mercy sounded too much like the Court to his liking and he would have relished the thought of facing them and making them pay for the billions of lives they ordered slain all for their own greed.

He was pleased to learn that the Spartan had won so many victories and eventually slew each of them though the Prophet of Truth was slain by this Arbiter. He gave his condolences for the loss of so many good friends of the Spartan and also stated that what he had accomplished was truly something to be honored and remembered. To which John replied that he felt that he should not be honored for doing his job. That impressed Scythe as such humble nature was hard to find in many people, even more so for Heroes who usually boasted of their accomplishments. This helped to convince him that when he told the Spartan of what he knew of this world, and the threat that was about to come, he might gain the aid of this man.

And soon it was Scythe's turn to speak...

...

Later...

John listened intently alongside Cortana as Scythe spoke on what exactly was the history of this world that he and Cortana had landed in, namely on who he was in detail and what exactly was this world of Albion like in history. He did not hide anything from the pair as he spoke of the time when Albion was ruled by the bloody iron fists of the Court and how he rose to fight them. Namely with the use of Will, Skill, and Strength to do so and what he had done after the Court had been defeated. He also spoke of his descendants and what happened to the Guild after the use of Gunpowder. He also told the surprised pair of his discoveries pertaining to John's powers in the area of Will. He explained that if given time and training, John could do what they had seen him do, and with his reserves of Will being what they were, there was MUCH that he could do.

Cortana being the very curious one to find out more on what Will was, why did John have it, how can he use it, and more. John had to at times convince Cortana to slow down and not ask too many things at once, even though she had removed a lot of the information she had in her to free up her data matrix, he was not going to let herself burn out any time soon. Scythe did not mind the AI's heavy interest and told her what he could, and then they got to the foe or rather foes that John and Cortana had to face. There was a collection of powerful warlords who each had risen to a very high rank and each commanded their own personal armies in the other side of the world of Albion and the lands beyond the continent.

Originally they were fighting one another for power and control in their own lands, but recently they had decided to conquer Albion and all the other lands to rule the world no that they desired more lands, riches, slaves, and more for themselves. That did not mean however that it was going to be equal. There were originally seven of these Warlords, but three of the weaker ones were slain by the other more powerful warlords, thus was formed the Cabal.

The Cabal were led by the strongest of the Warlords, taking the name the Blood King and was known to be a brutal and fierce killer who relished combat and destruction, but also was very intelligent and charismatic to command the largest of the Cabal's forces. The second was the Dark Queen, a fierce but seductive woman who commanded the second largest army among the Cabal, she was known to be attractive but used her skills with Skill to strike with great speed with her own sword and also with the use of her powerful crossbow. The next was a Shadow Count, he commanded the smaller but no less lethal armies and these were focused on mostly on the need to operate in darkness. His use of Will was not very powerful compared to Scythe or John for that matter, but in the case of the Spartan, the Shadow Count had greater experience than John did, so he was not to be underestimated. His army of demons and shadow beings were not to be underestimated either. And the last was Tidal Baroness, she commanded their forces when it came to the navy and according to Scythe, she had managed to take over a number of kingdoms by the coast lines, with the largest of her conquests, being a Kingdom located somewhere near Samarkand, the land where gunpowder was supposed to have been made.

The severity of the threat these three posed to Albion, it's people, and those beyond the shores was very high and already Scythe had told John that they had sent advanced elements into the lands. They were gathering allies there and agents, which was why it was vital that John and Cortana unite the lands and gain allies to fight the Cabal. The Archon's worry was that the Cabal would also try to gain greater allies from the Void, the very world that his former foes, the Court had come from. While there were indeed Will Users capable of opening the Void, there were not that many left and he hoped that such threats would not come too early.

Even with the growth of technology in Albion, the Archon doubted that the people were ready to face Will users again. Unlike the now forgotten Heroes of the Guild, the Will Users of the Cabal had plenty of time to train and were more than willing to unleash all their powers against their foes and did not fear the power of guns since they too used such weapons. And with the fact that Will was no longer believed in by the people and even discriminated against, there were few who could fight the numbers of the Cabal's combined might.

And once he was done, he asked the two of they would help protect this world. He apologized in advance that despite his vast powers, he did not have the ability to send them home. Thus they were stuck here in this world, but here, they could do some good and perhaps save many lives, even if these lives were not part of their own world.

John took this all in and made the choice to do as Scythe suggested as these four and their forces sounded to be the same as the Covenant he had dealt with back in his reality. That naturally pleased Scythe to no end and he vowed to aid John and Cortana as much as he could manage. The Spartan II decided to go around Albion himself to not only get the feel of this land, but learn what else he could of the land and it's people. Scythe provided much information to be sure, but even the ancient Hero encouraged the Spartan to do what he could on his own to learn more, still he had warned both him and Cortana to be cautious as the forces of the Cabal had established agents and locations filled with their supplies and forces.

The agents of the Cabal would be ready for battle and while some could be reasoned with, the rest will not be swayed easily and had to be dealt with. The Spartan took that in and agreed along with Cortana, and if they did encounter these agents, they would be terminated if they could not be reasoned with.

But they needed a base of operations...and they were now standing in it, all it needed was to be cleaned up and rebuilt.

...

Seven months later…

John could not help himself but look at the sight of his new base of operations on the land of Albion, which had been one of the most difficult things he had ever done thus far ever since landing on this planet. The Dawn was no longer able to work for anything that had any connection to working as a ship. With it being cut in half with the fall of the Slipspace Portal back at the Ark, the half Frigate would only be useful for salvage and spare parts. That did not mean however that the Frigate was useless as there was plenty of things he could be able to salvage and reuse. The reactors used by the Dawn thankfully were soon repaired with Cortana providing him with the data he needed to effect good enough repairs.

They were taken out from the ruined Dawn with the aid of Scythe who was showing his Will Powers again to help move the massive reactors into the deepest part of the ruined castle, namely the cave system underneath. Once that was accomplished which was still boggling the mind of both him and Cortana as such actions required a LOT of people and very advanced equipment and vehicles yet Scythe did so with only Will. Once the reactors were placed in, he and Scythe managed to remove all the wiring, power regulation systems, and connecting circuitry from the ruins of the ship. All of it was still very much intact and useful so there was no sense in letting it goes to waste. The Spartan also took the time to gather all the computer systems and hardware that could still function and be used in whatever situation that he and Cortana would find themselves in. That also included the special mobile reloading press which could manufacture ammunition and the primers if the items were brought in. And since Scythe had mentioned that gunpowder was already existing, then they could buy the supplies and make their own.

Apart from that valuable piece of equipment, there were naturally the tools and equipment needed to maintain his MJOLNIR Armor along with the weapons and gear that he still had. There was also the device that could help make more of the Bio-foam that would be very helpful to him just in case even if his MJOLNIR's built in Bio-foam supplies and injectors were all still working very well. The other bits of gear naturally included cleaning and maintenance kits for his weapons as well as spare parts for them as well. There also were still supply crates filled with weapons, ammunition, armor, food, spare weapons, and more. The Armor he had ranged from the Marine Corps BDU to ODST BDUs, and in hindsight would be considered the finest armor in this land of Albion with no equals with only his MJOLNIR surpassing all of them.

All of this when taken into account would be enough to field at least two to three full battalions or a regiment of Marines back in the UNSC, it was not the force Commander Keyes had on hand but with this being their one chance to end both the Covenant Loyalists and the Flood for good, no expense was spared to be armed and supplied. And now it was going to be all his to use while on this land and could be his only reminders of his now lost reality. And if things were considered, he and Cortana were literally armed with supplies, equipment, and weapons that could literally be generations ahead of anything developed in this world . The engines of the Dawn had also been stripped clean of anything that both of them deemed of value. Once that was done, he also made sure to salvage other supplies, namely the stocks of Instacrete which could prove useful in the reconstruction of the castle.

Normally it would be very difficult for a castle to be built, but with Scythe's Will Powers and the use of the supplies, that should not prove difficult for them. Plus it would give them something to do until they got everything down pat in their new home. That also meant that they had to take the armor plating of the Dawn for use as well as the rest of the frame of the massive frigate, only way they did that was with Thermite Carbon Cord and some spot on support from Scythe who had to focus his powers to a degree to create a blow torch, albeit a very POWERFUL blowtorch.

The armor plating of Titanium A would be very useful if used in the right amounts and thickness, plus the TR and Vanadium Steel would certainly be a valued addition as building materials. So there was no reason for the to leave all that valuable stuff behind, even if in some ways, carrying THAT much was asking for trouble. The only reason that they could manage it was with Scythe's use of Will, which was still very potent to say the very least.

Once they took what they could possibly take from the Dawn with Scythe's help and the use of a lot of Thermite Carbon Cord, the Spartan left the ruined and now stripped clean Dawn. the Spartan and his AI companion left it behind. They normally would have destroyed the Frigate but that was asking for trouble and staying there and making it a base of operations was not advisable since sooner or later, someone was going to find it and then there would be trouble. Scythe assured them however that he had erected a barrier of Will Power to preserve the Dawn for them. It might never be their chance to leave the land but if they needed to come back for more, they could do so without fear of it being discovered and picked clean. And that was good since despite taking that much, there was still plenty of salvage left to use.

...

The most major loss, at least in the military standpoint would be the loss of all the vehicles for ground and air operations. The loss of the armor, mobility, and firepower was not something John liked. Even more so since water was the prime fuel source for those vehicles so there was no need for them to try and find anything like fossil fuels which would still need to be processed and refined, which would consume a lot of time and resources. The only good news that came out of the loss of such assets was that they did not attract too much attention. They were considered as basic technology and transportation back where they came from, but they doubted that was the case here. The people did not even get very far yet with steam power and therefore showing them vehicles like that was asking for trouble.

...

All of these were naturally buried underneath the cave network underneath the ruined fortress and would be hidden from view. The last thing John and Cortana wanted was for the technology they had salvaged from the Dawn be discovered and used for who knew what. Thankfully with the deep mountain springs that were underground to provide water, they did not have to worry about cleaning and cooking as well as other needs. They managed to get enough of the piping from the Dawn's own water supply distribution system that was still intact and use them to move water about, with a salvaged pumping system from the ship to move the water about in the underground areas of the cave system. They reserved the rest of the piping for the upper areas of the soon to be rebuilt fortress.

The Armory was reinforced with the removed supports of the Dawn's skeleton and also sealed off with Instacrete and also was supplied with power from the salvaged and fully repaired reactors. The rows of weapons were all locked down by magnetic straps and gravity plates with only Cortana and John having the access codes to unlock them all. The ammunition naturally were stored in crates which in turn were hidden in Instacrete storage areas and sealed away from air and water exposure that could ruin them. In the Armory was their ammunition press and thew supplies to make their ammunition also sealed away. As for the crates full of Spartan Lasers, they were locked down and a place to recharge them was also set up.

Next to the Armory was naturally his storage facility, where anything that did not go boom but was vital for his survival and the upkeep of his gear was stored. It was as large are the armory and had the crates of supplies all over it with reinforced walls of Instacrete with sections of Titanium A Armor plating to protect it. They were also supplied with power and water for anything that needed to be done, and naturally the storage facility was also his workshop for repairing his MJOLNIR and the other BDUs that were salvaged as the parts, equipment, and repair kits he and Cortana needed were stored here as well.

Next was the medical facility, John, Scythe and Cortana had managed to take all the still active and usable medical equipment from the Dawn and once they got the medical facility set up, they connected it to the reactors. Once that was active and all the equipment they had was online, they were literally open for business. The medical facility was not as advanced as the hospitals in the UNSC, even more so in areas held tight by the UNSC, but in this world it was a different story. If compared to what passed as medical care here in Albion, this could be considered as a holy place of healing, underground or not. The UNSC had conquered a lot of known human sicknesses in the past and therefore they could do a lot of things that doctors in the past would not think was possible, even more so for the people here as the idea of being able to battle cancers of all types, counter STDs, birth defects, biomedical enhancement/augmentations, cybernetic prosthetic limbs, flash cloning, organ transplant, bio-foam, synthetic drugs, and more would have been considered impossible at their area of medical expertise. The cryo-bay equipment along with the still functional and usable cryo-pods were also brought in and could be used in many ways. Namely to preserve critically wounded patients until a more permanent solution was found, just like what happened to Linda back on the Fall of Reach.

There was also the archive room, the place where all the data they gathered before and after coming to Albion would be stored. Naturally the salvaged data bases and data storage banks of the Dawn which were still usable and intact were stored here and provided a backup power source just in case something happened to the reactors. The data there pertaining to the UNSC history, the Covenant war, the Flood, the Forerunners, everything would be housed here and would only be accessed by John and Cortana. Every bit of data Cortana had was stored there along with chatters and PDAs to handle smaller bits of data and those were also locked away in lockers with access codes.

The final room was naturally the main quarters of the Chief and Cortana, and it was as basic as one could get though John had been convinced by Cortana to at least put an air conditioning unit for comfort and a good bed as well as a shower and comfort room. Those were the only comforts he had in this area of his base, which was in his mind, his real base of operations and he had stocks of food and MREs stored away in a cold storage area of the quarters and a cooking area if he needed to.

There at the middle of the room was an elevator that would lead to the castle itself once it was built. That elevator could only be accessed by him and Cortana, and it was not the only device there. Scythe, with the use of his Will Powers actually created a Cullis Gate, something that resembled the same teleportation grid system on the Halo Array Network, but all this relied on Will and thus, anyone without Will would not be able to use it. An excellent security measure in the minds of both Cortana and John.

...

Once all of that was done, John and company began to rebuild the outside of the castle but not before looking at it carefully. The Castle itself resembled the style of the castles back in Earth's nation of England, but the floors only reached at least three to four floors and while there was no wall, it would be very good to look at back in it's heyday. But the castle as it was now was too dangerous to leave as it was so they had to take it down. They at first destroyed the castle methodically in order to rebuild it from the ground up. The towers went down and then the walls were the next to go along with the unneeded supports. Once the whole castle was destroyed, Scythe began to rebuild the castle and John as well as Cortana handled the other details.

The salvaged TR and Vanadium Steel skeleton of the Dawn was used as the support frame or skeleton of the soon to be reborn fortress and since these materials were built to last, that served to make things a lot better for the both of them. Sections of the Dawn's Titanium A Armor plate were cut up carefully and melded into two and used to serve as the hidden inner armor of the castle walls. Blocks of two feet thick granite were used for the new walls and were locked down with Instacrete which was reinforced by Scythe with Will Energy so they did not break easily. The inside of the castle walls were also made from the same stone type and reinforced by Instacrete as well. This way, anyone trying to fight into the castle walls were going to find out the hard way that this was one castle you could not just blow your way into...unless you were packing UNSC or Covenant grade firepower.

The walls inside were also installed with hidden cameras for Cortana to use in order to monitor every corner of the castle. These would also have various settings, from night vision, to thermal and were also programmed by Cortana to detect anyone using Will energy to get into the castle. So just in case someone got funny ideas of sneaking into his place, they were not going to get very far.

Once that was over and done with, the inner areas of the castle had to be furbished, though John, being the military minded man that he was had it made to be up to proper military standard. In other words, no gaudy colors or decorations, it was as comfortable but bare bones basic as one can get. Cortana laughed a bit at that and joked that if anyone ever lived here with him, they would have wondered if they were living in a cave than a castle. John however ignored that as he focused on only the basic necessities.

The water pipes that they had on hand were now used and installed by him and Scythe and soon there would be water moving through the floors of the castle. Speaking of floors. the Spartan agreed to at least have the stone floors covered by wooden panels by Cortana and had those locked down by nails which Scythe provided, and doing that made Cortana tease him that maybe if he retired from being a Spartan, he could take a job as an architect or a carpenter as he did very good work. To which he merely laughed a bit as the idea of him retiring from being a Spartan was about as likely as him and the Gravemind taking the time to sit down and have tea and crackers.

The floors however were installed with gravity plates underneath the wood and would be easily activated by Cortana as well, and she doubted that even those with Will expect gravity to be their enemy. Scythe personally tested it along with John and the former admitted to the effectiveness of the technology as a defensive measure while John did not like it one bit. That was due to what happened when he and his team minus Sam were after General Howard Graves, an Insurrectionist leader who got the drop of them before. Had it not been for Kurt coming in when he did, it would have gone badly. He recovered of course, but the feeling of the 'Bends' while on land was something he did not like one bit.

He had brought in several UNSC Bunks and used them as bedding, along with him making a table and other needed furniture, giving Cortana more ammunition in her teasing him. He did not mind the humor at all as it helped keep his spirits up and he also decided to at least make very good work. Scythe was not sitting idle as well as he used his Will Powers to provide more materials for John to work with and on as well. It was a good thing for him to keep his skills with Will at a good level and it was something that could help him make the stay of his allies a lot better. He was also interested in much of their technology since none of it was native to the world of Albion, Samarkand, or the Northern Wastes. And none of them certainly looked like any of the devices he and his descendants created in their time as the ruling force in Albion. They also made sure to have a hidden cache of weapons that only they knew of for John to reach. These were naturally Supply canisters filled with weapons and ammunition that were locked down with access codes which only he and Cortana could use.

...

Cortana soon spoke to him as soon as she was assured that John was done looking at the castle which was now finished. It was not the most lavish looking castle, but she felt that the strength it had for defense defeated the lack of aesthetically pleasing traits. The castle was also made to be comfortable for other people coming in if the situation came to that point.

"Nice to finally see our new home complete huh John? Now all we need is to place the symbol of the UNSC there on the castle and we're set, we might even wind up owning a Kingdom here in the future if we make this really happen."

John shook his head at that and spoke to Cortana seriously.

"You make it sound like something I don't have too much of a liking for."

"Well, considering the fact that you and me have to travel this world to raise an army to fight the Cabal, I think you're going to have to get ready to do things that you might not be ready for."

"What are we talking about exactly?"

"You know your history right John? Building an Army is not going to be a walk in the park, you and I know this very well sionce we're both students of history. Building a force back in the UNSC and here might have QUITE a number of differences, but they have a number of similarities too. The first I can name off the top of my electronic head is money, considering what Scythe told us, gold is the currency here and we need a LOT of that in order to fund an army. You might be a Spartan II Commando, but UNSC Law does state that you all do get paid though I think those UNSC credits you are paid with usually go for the needs of the Armor and yourselves. We don't have that so we need to earn gold. That in this world's day and age means we have four options: find work, marry into it, steal it, or inherit it."

"You're serious?"

"Yep, the first is practical and considering your skill set John that might not be too hard, though that depends on the kind of job, if it suits your training, and a host of other variables. The second is not too promising, but if the reactions of the various female UNSC personnel who have seen your face is any indication, that might not be too hard to do."

John merely sighed at that while Cortana merely smirked.

"The third option's viable and also considering your skill set, you can do this with no problems, but you might end up antagonizing people who might be valuable allies. Not to mention the fact that you don't exactly make yourself the kind of guy most law abiding folks would work with. The law breaking ones might like the idea, but I doubt they have any altruistic streaks in them. And the last, I doubt that will work since we're not exactly native on this world and I doubt that we find ANYONE here apart from Scythe who knows who we are."

John had to admit to the last one, so that meant that he would need to find some form of work in order to generate the funds that he needed, and he had a feeling that he might find out about the jobs soon enough. As he turned to leave the castle, Scythe walked up to him and spoke once more.

"You and Cortana are ready to leave this place I take it?"

"Yes we are."

The Hero nodded and gave John a very important item, and as soon as he gave it to John, the Spartan decided to examine it. It was a very ornate disk with gold with some sort of blue stone like material. There was some sort of symbol made of gold and looked like a stylized version of an hourglass of a sort. John was only recently inducted into the use of Will but he could already sense a very good amount of the power in this thing. Cortana was also thinking the same thing since ever since Will was explained to her, she had reconditioned the MJOLNIR's HUDs to have a view mode to detect Will, just in case they encountered Will users of human or non human origin.

"What is this?"

"This Spartan is a Guild Seal, it is a relic used by the Heroes of the past in order to move from one place in Albion to the next via the Cullis Gate."

"The same one you made in the underground?"

"Correct, though that gate is specially made to respond only to your Will alone, and the same can be said for the Guild Seal. Other Will users can tap into it, but they cannot gain access to your sanctum as the Will needed for the Seal to work must be your own. It however can still activate all the other existing Cullis Gates so you have no reason to worry about them. This allows us to also speak to one another just in case you need to speak to me about matters that are critical. Many creatures of this land that were of magical origin have either found ways to remain hidden or have fled, but you must not think them gone forever. I know of these things and I shall aid you should you encounter these beings and they prove dangerous and hostile."

John nodded as he decided to get moving, he took the special magnetic strap equipped Armored Rucksack and locked it to his back. The rucksack was designed to look like regular rucksack worn by travelers and stored a good number of MREs, spare ammunition, cleaning and maintenance kits for his guns, and a few medical kits just in case he had to treat injuries to others as well as himself. He then spoke to Scythe one more time to make sure that he had all the details that he needed.

"Do you feel there are other Heroes that I can call on, I doubt I can lead an army by myself."

"There are, but they are few, and some might have turned to the side of evil, and unlike you, they can only focus on one of the three Disciplines. Their power may surpass you in the said discipline, but the fact that you are more than able to command all three will set you apart from them. Even among those of my line, there are only few who command all three. Sadly the last one of my descendants who could manage it did not live long enough to bear descendants, you however possess all three, the technology that your dimension has created to enhance you has already given you levels of power in Skill and Strength which is a great advantage. Your Will is also strong though unrefined and not yet fully trained, The fact that all three disciplines are with you makes you more than able to be a Hero. If you find such Heroes, evil or good, you may need their help with the war to come."

John thought over all that had been told to him by Scythe and soon agreed, he needed all the allies he could get his hands on. This threat of the Cabal had to be dealt with and if he needed allies and an army, then so be it it. Cortana herself was in agreement with her long time friend and partner.

"Thank you Scythe, we should get going now."

"I understand, I shall remain here to keep this castle safe and hidden, contact me if you need aid."

With that, the two heroes from another reality left the castle grounds and headed off to do what they were asked to do.

...

In order to allow him to blend in well enough among the populace of Albion, and to take advantage of his Will reserves, Scythe decided to create a powerful illusion on John's newly repaired and updated MJOLNIR Mark VI Armor. The high tech look was removed visually and the Armor now looked a lot different than what it once was. The Titanium A armor plates looked to be deep olive green reinforced leather with metal of the same color on them, the dark black flexible Titanium nanofiber body suit also took the look of dark leather and his helmet seemed to take the form of a Knight or one of those old Earth style Gladiators from ancient Rome. It was not exactly stealthy, but it was better than nothing. His gear was fairly basic as well since he had a lot to learn of the land with his own eyes before he went to his mission, though it was bound to get some attention.

On a holster on his left shoulder was a UNSC Combat Knife, in his hands was his MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle with a full load, on his right thigh was a M6G Magnum and on the left thigh was a salvaged Covenant Energy Sword. These would be his weapons of choice for this operation of recon but he also had another weapon. It was a longsword but unlike anything he had ever seen being stored in museums or made for collectors and sword enthusiasts.

It was forged using Titanium A itself and was lighter, stronger, and more flexible than baseline steel itself, and was laser sharpened by Cortana and himself when they made it. The hand guard was made to resemble the Spartan II Program's own emblem, an eagle holding three arrows in one talon and holding a thunderbolt on the other talon and a single star on the top. The grip was made to be comfortable for one or two hands, the pommel was also given the UNSCDF symbol itself, and one the two sides of the blade were words written in Latin.

'Amat Victoria Curam' which meant victory loves preparation, and 'Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum' which meant if you want peace, prepare for war. These were serious teachings given to him by Mendez in his younger years back on Reach when he was still in training. The words were personally etched by him and once the sword was done, he had to make a special sheath which was made from high quality leather and had several metallic straps made from Titanium A and was locked on his back in between his back and the rucksack and with the Titanium A straps would also keep it open for the sword to be slid in. This sword was made to make him blend in easier with the disguise that he had and would be a useful weapon and that would allow him to reserve his Energy Sword for emergencies.

They had no idea that their travels through towards Albion was going to land them into one of their most unique adventures and would change the very fate of this world.

…

To be continued…

...

Author's Notes:

Well, yet again another creation of mine, only this one is a request from Angry Lil'Elf and is based on the character Hal who we can easily guess was a guest star appearance of our resident Spartan II Commando in Fable 2. Since I got permission from both Chindu POD Angry Lil'Elf to use the AU version of the Fable world which was done in their own, I am going ahead with this idea and I will let this simmer a bit and serve as a show that while I am not working in my Halo stories, I am far from dead in it. This version however will be different from their works and will be done MY way. And you already know what that means right?

For one, I will not limit myself to just the Assault Rifle and the Energy Sword, I might use the other UNSC guns, but not the vehicles, so you can bet that there is going to be some interesting surprises. I might even cook up the idea of UNSC grade infantry armor and equipment being used in...ah now that would be telling now would it?

Also a lot might give me crud about making long paragraphs with the regards to Fable, but it's been a while since I played ANY of the Fable stories so I had to chunk it down a bit more. The story timeline for this is between Fable 2 and before Fable 3 so while the locations in Fable 3 are there, they are not the same as the ones found in the third game.

I will have some OCs in this who John and Cortana will work with, and naturally we might see some romance bloom here, along with the adult stuff if the petition works. If not, I might move the lemony bits elsewhere. But anyway, nothing definite just yet so let's meet the OCs, a handful right now and naturally the ones the guys like. The ladies who might be met by John and Cortana, but they are not Heroes...rather people with talent and skill.

...

1. Katherine - A character Chief and Cortana will meet after a chapter or two who will be the first they rescue. The daughter of a prominent merchant owner who runs a caravan near the area of the Mistpeak Dwellers. Based on none other than Gemma Atkinson, the lovely lady who played Lt. Eva Mckenna in RA3. If you all know her, then I am pleased beyond belief, but if not...it's your loss. Since the world of Albion is somewhat similar to England, I figured it would be all right to do this. She is not weak however as she does happen to be skilled with the use of a Longsword and a Pistol for self defense so she's not soft and vulnerable rose.

2. Aysha - This character is based not on a real person but Farah from Prince of Persia The Two Thrones. But unlike said lady who was a very skilled archer, this version of her carries a Master Work Clockwork Rifle along with a Master Work Sabre. She was brought in to add a bit of exotic nature to the story and since India has a history with England, why not have her in this as well. I'll work on the history later, but suffice to say, Aysha earns a name for herself before meeting John and Cortana, she's not evil, more like someone who tries to find a purpose in her life. And uses her earned skills to keep pests of the male kind from bothering her. John will need her help on a mission and seeing the power he has convinces her she might have found a worthy ally, and more besides.

3. Evangeline - This particular character was inspired by the Fable character Lady Sophia. For anyone who had played Fable like I did WAY back when I was younger, she was one of the ladies in the Darkwood Bordello so the name should be familiar. She had Asian features and I will admit to the fact that prior to me turning the place into a shelter, I did hang out with Sophia the MOST (you should listen to her.). Anyway, Evangeline is based on Kelly Hu who I happen to like a great deal and therefore added her to add some more variety. Evangeline or Eva for short is of noble blood and not the same as Sophia but is a princess who leads her people in exile due to an enemy usurping her family's throne. She seeks out an ally to help her regain her family's home. You can guess how that goes, though she is not afraid to fight herself as she will be seen carrying a Master Work Katana.

4. Shani - Based on South African Model Tansey Coetzee, she is a native of the land Aurora which is one of the lands besieged by the Cabal and has vowed to find aid to save her homeland. She is young and not as worldly as others as Aurora has yet to be discovered but her willingness to risk her life to find an ally against the Cabal speaks volumes of her bravery. She is also the daughter of the city's leader who is seeking a cure for a slowly encroaching plague on their city courtesy of the Cabal, and the work of the Shadow Count, yet another goal that Shani must fulfill before she goes home to save her people. She is skilled in the use of a Cutlass and is talented in the use of bombs.

5. Lyra - Based on the South African Model Ilene Hamann, Lyra is the daughter of the Mistpeak Dwellers Chieftain and is a very skilled user of of bombs as well as an accomplished markswoman, using a Master Work Flintlock Rifle, having hunted many dangerous game as a young woman in the mountains, as well as forcing off poachers and bandits. She has long hoped to travel the lands of Albion and see what is there, but due to the dangers plaguing her home, and the needs of her people, she placed those thoughts aside to safeguard her family. But she cannot help but feel unease in herself as rumors from traders willing to come to Mistpeak tell her of attacks happening in the Coasts of Albion as well as rumors of Magic. While her people put no stock in the words of Lowlanders, she knows better than to turn a blind eye and deaf ear.

6. Miranda - Based on South African Model Gabriella Demetriades. Rumored to have been related to Manic Mary through Mary's...less than respectable years after the actions of her subordinates among the Bandit clans in Albion prior to her last moments. It was said that she had managed to have a daughter who she had barely able to keep safe from her blood thirsty former underlings. This daughter was soon able to marry and have a daughter, that daughter being none other than Miranda before her legacy to the bandit Queen was revealed. Even if it was proven false, Miranda had been living with the specter of that relation with Manic Mary as her mother had died years after her sixteenth birthday, unable to accept her relation, false or not to the bandit Queen. To prove that she was nothing like her rumored grandmother, she had sought to join the Albion Guards but was not allowed to do so because of her gender, and her burden. Angered by that, she left but never took on the role of bandit, she instead went out as a mercenary guard for hire, carrying a Turret Rifle and a Longsword. Though the gun she chose is used as a way to mock her, her skill with it was very good to the point it matched Manic Mary's skills. Despite the rumors and her past, Miranda seeks only to prove that even if it was proven true that she was Manic Mary's granddaughter, she was nothing like her.

7. Julia - Based on Brazilian Model Ana Hickmann. Julia is the grand daughter of Francis Donaldson, owner of one of the largest shipping companies in Albion and she herself is head of their company now, and on occasion travels personally to oversee trading operations. She also was an avid navigator, explorer, and map maker so she holds some of the most accurate maps in all of Albion. Her skills as a captain were not well known but were high enough to warrant her being captain of her own ship known as the Swift Wave and had also received training in the use of medicine as she had to doctor many of her crew for ailments, those that can be remedied well, and those that require more intense aid. She has been in battle with pirates before and has therefore gained some skills in combat to defend herself and as such is armed with a Master Work Clockwork Rifle and a Master Work Blunderbuss. She however had encountered the Tidal Baroness and having lost many of her crew who were friends and allies of hers, carries an intense dislike for the fourth member of the Cabal.

...

There we go, those are the ladies, and if anyone asks me what I have in mind for them and the Chief, here is my answer to that. Fable DOES allow you to have more than one wife or one husband in gameplay even if there is a quest tied to that. In that regard I don't see anything wrong with what I will do if I decide to make this into a harem style design. All the more interesting I say and the number of them being seven is my nod to the favorite number of the geniuses who brought us Halo in the first place.

For now however, we will have John and Cortana leave the place and go exploring the world of Albion. You can bet that it will be a while before John and Cortana make their way to a place which has anything related to civilization. Once we get there, we will get to see what John thinks of the Locals. And as promised in the showing of the OCs, the first one he will meet will be Katherine. How exactly will they meet?

...

By the way, I have plans to work on Naruto Dragon Champion and then on to Rune Soldier Naruto so I hope that you all will wait for me to make it that far. Before we get to that though, I will assure you all that the Halo stories are already being updated with new chapters so if all goes well, I will be sending them all to you en masse. I have my PC back and while the new OS is a bit hard to grasp, I will work on it. Though I have a feeling that I might need to send this PC of mine back soon to deal with some errors and some missing drivers.

And I have also checked out the sequel to Avatar the Lat Airbender and I LIKE what I see, and now my brain is cooking up ideas of me making a crossover with them in the near future as some of my fics will soon be ended. The Legend of Korra is...pardon the words...virgin territory for me and I have seen plenty of very interesting crossovers with the series, and they are enough to make me desire to make a crossover for the series. I already have such ideas lapping on my heels so I have some ideas to share.

...

1. Naruto through an incident similar to how he met his father but in his younger years meets the original Team Avatar, helps them win their war with the Fire Nation and is soon returned but not before promising to come back if they need him. And need him they do as Naruto, now a teen hero and Hokage two years after the war with Madara and his allies fights in one final battle and is presumed lost and mourned by his people. But in truth is spared from death and asked to fulfill his promise to Aang. To protect his reincarnation...he just did not expect the new Avatar to be Korra, nor did he expect to be falling for her as well and neither does Korra.

...

2. An alternate take from Justice League: Spartan Alliance, Samuel, the second son of John-117 and Diana is caught in a serious battle with his friend the new Batman Terry with several criminals in a weapons depot in Gotham City carrying highly dangerous technology. Included that said cache of technology is an experimental portal which activates without warning. Saving Terry from the detonation but presumed lost Samuel lands right into Avatar Memorial Island just as Amon knocks Korra out. One thing leads to another and Samuel is now asked to help Korra.

...

3. Another take from Justice League Spectre version 1: Kenneth Shepard, son of Dylan Shepard and Diana Shepard is part of the new Justice League and on a mission to help stop a smuggling ring outside of Earth is forced to stop a criminal from escaping with highly dangerous sources of energy Korra's world just as Korra and company leave the area where the Revelation takes place. He appears badly hurt and his guns utterly destroyed but his armor is intact though horribly damaged and is nursed to health. Kenneth makes due without his guns with his Biotics, skills, abilities from his parents as he helps Korra and company.

...

4. Version 2 take from Justice League Spectre: Cole Shepard, son of Dylan Shepard and Zatanna faced off with a powerful spell caster who has attempted to kill his parents in a mission previously but while able to best the magic user is hit hard by a spell that sends him elsewhere. And that elsewhere being in Korra's world just as Korra arrives in Republic City.

...

Mind you, they are JUST ideas so I am NOT making them, figured I should share them and let you all see what you think. If you want scenes of said ideas, I CAN make trailers for you.

See you soon in the near future!