Princess Aurora Plays Halo
King Stefan's Castle
It was 7:00pm when Aurora and Phillip finished their dinner and were hurried upstairs by the three good fairies - Flora, Fauna, & Merryweather. They had a marvelous surprise for the two.
"Now now, close your eyes dear! You too Phillip!" Flora directed, as she led the two to a their sitting chairs. And these were quite comfortable too. Made of some Persian fabric or something.
Once everything was set up perfectly, Flora gave the okay to her friends.
"Okay now... open up!" Fauna giddily exclaimed.
Aurora and Phillip chuckled as they opened their eyes, only to find a strange machine before them. The largest one was very flat at one side with what appeared to be a reflection-less mirror. A smaller box was connected via a long tube to the big device, and had a mysterious glowing green X. Quite a shock for the married couple.
"Oh my... what on Earth is this?" Aurora curiously asked, putting a finger to her lips as if to ponder.
"My dears, this device we have set up before you is a form of entertainment from the distance future - humans will create and use them in about 700 years!" Flora explained, as Merryweather comically gestured towards the machine.
"The big one's called a television! You watch moving stories on it, like reading a book and imagining the events in your head." Fauna added.
"And that little box down there is a game-system, the X-box 360! As its name suggests, it's for playing games." Merryweather concluded.
Aurora gleamed, "Oh how I love games! Thank you all so much for this... unique gift."
"Yes, thank you! To tell you the truth, I was very good at games back in my youth." Phillip gloated, causing Aurora to roll her eyes.
"You were good? Well then that mean's I'm better than you!" Aurora laughed as Phillip blushed.
"Now now you two! You must remember to not let competition go to your heads! It's not healthy." Flora warned.
"What are we waiting for! Let's start the game!" Merryweather pulled out a flattened container and opened it to find a shiny disk to which she inserted into the X-box.
"What did you just do Merryweather?" Aurora asked, motioning her head closer for a look.
"Oh I just put in a disk, it's how to get the game to begin." The blue-fairy explained.
Without a moment to lose, the TV screen flashed on and revealed a starry-background as the sounds of a choral chant echoed out of the machine. A title flashed onscreen.
"Halo?" Phillip spoke, "is that what this is called?"
"Like the halos of angels?" Aurora added.
"Oh no no no, Halo is the title of the game you will play. And... oh! How could I forget? You need controllers." Flora whipped up two bow-shaped controllers with her magic-wand and handed them to the two, but not before taking one and setting up a game.
"I've already gone ahead and set up a game. This is firefight, you two will be working as a team to defeat enemies. Now, here's how the controller works-" Flora began before the door to the room opened, it was King Stefan.
"My sincerest apologies Aurora, but I need to borrow the good fairies for a second. We need to discuss new political agendas." The King requested, as the three fairies looked worried for a second.
"Oh dear... um, you two will just have to learn the controls on your own." Flora handed the controller back to Aurora.
"But!" Aurora quipped.
"I'm sorry. You both will do just fine!" With that, the fairies whisked themselves away, leaving a very confused prince and princess.
"Firefight!" said a voice from the game, as a timer counted down from 5.
"Oh how will I ever learn this baffling device?!" Aurora fretted.
"Hey now, it will be okay. We're a team remember? I'll be right here to help you." Phillip calmly remarked, as the two shared a quick kiss for reassurance.
"Thank you." The princess smiled as the game started. The map looked like it was on a cliff with a large diamond-shaped building in the center. Aurora & Phillip's characters spawned, they looked very weird to them.
"I think they're supposed to be us." Phillip inquired as he looked at his controller. With one finger, he pushed the joystick forward, causing his character to move forward onscreen.
"Oh look! You moved! Let me try!" Aurora cheered, as she too pushed the joystick. After a bit, the two were able to maneuver around the map with ease. Without warning a large ship flew above the map and deposited Covenant armies, but to the Medieval couple they weren't recognizable.
"Eww, what ugly monsters!" Aurora was revolted as she tried to run away from them. A little alien began shooting at her character, killing her after a few blows.
"OH NO! Did I die? I've lost!" The blond princess was so unfamiliar with video games that she took this way too seriously; she was on the verge of tears.
"Don't cry Aurora! Look! I think you've come back to life." Phillip observed. Aurora looked back and saw her character was good as new.
"I see... I think we're supposed to beat the monsters before they beat us, but we get to live again and again if we die. It's so strange." Aurora said. "I've never seen weapons like these before."
Phillip was already ahead in terms of skills: he had figured out the trigger buttons and was shooting away aliens. Odd-colored blood spewed from their bodies, and Aurora was disgusted.
"Oh my! This game is very graphic."
"Don't worry about it," Phillip replied, "I think it's best that we just go with it."
Aurora looked at her controller, looked over to recognize the buttons Phillip was pressing, and managed to begin gunning down Covenant. This went on for a while, and the two lost several lives before managing to take out the first wave. By that point they had gotten the hang of it.
"We did it! We won!" Aurora yelled, hugging Phillip. The prince hugged back, but not before looking in horror as another ship came and deposited more aliens.
"You've got to be kidding me?! There's more!" Phillip groaned.
"Well, don't just stand there! You're supposed to be the brave prince! Let's take them down!" Aurora rushed right into the game, shooting aliens left and right. Suddenly, she came across one of the Covenant weapons left from their dead bodies. It was a large gun, a fuel rod.
"I wonder what this does?" Aurora questioned, before firing a bullet which exploded, killing several at once. The princess jumped in her seat in excitement, "EEEEEE! That took out like 10! What a rush!" She began to fire off several more, and depleted five-times more aliens than Phillip was. He certainly took notice.
"My word, you're a natural. But I think it's clear who has more skill." Phillip teased, causing Aurora to pout.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Aurora snapped her head at the prince, glaring.
"It means I'm actually using delicate techniques in taking down my enemies, while you're just spamming countless bullets wherever you wish."
"I have a specific strategy." Aurora closed her eyes and looked away, all sophisticated like.
"Well it's not very good then."
"Hmph! That's not very nice." Aurora sneered.
"I'm only kidding around, come on." Phillip pecked a kiss on Aurora's neck, causing her to break her seriousness and giggle.
In that time, a shady fog boiled into the room. The intimate couple did not notice the familiar form that had manifested itself behind them.
"Hello fools." called a dark voice.
Aurora and Phillip turned quickly, and were shocked. It was Maleficent! She had come back from the dead!
"What?!" Phillip, jumped up, "I thought I rid you for good?!"
"Oh calm yourselves. I'm not here for revenge. You've proven yourself Phillip, no need for more violence. Except in this digital world you two have been engaged in." Maleficent said, smirking.
"Oh this? This is just an... X-box 360. It was a gift from my aunts." Aurora explained.
"I'm well aware of this machine. I too have one at my castle, although it's a Playstation instead. But that's beside the point, I'd like to join you two."
"Really? You want to play this game too?" Aurora inquired, surprised this mistress of evil was interesting in such a trivial thing.
"Why of course. Let me get comfortable." Maleficent spawned her own chair and controller, and hooked it to the X-box.
"First, we're changing the game. We shall be play match-making." Maleficent demanded.
"What's that mean?" Phillip asked.
"We will all be playing against each other."
"But... I like teaming up with Phillip." Aurora complained.
"Well then, how about this? You two against me! Sound fair?" The witch wagered, ready for anything.
"Who will you team with?" Phillip inquired.
"That is nonsense. I am more than capable of playing on my own team. Besides, I can overpower you both with great ease." Maleficent laughed.
Aurora huffed, "oh I see then. I bet you think you're better than us? Is that it?"
"Sweetheart I know I'm better than you lovebirds."
"Well bring it on! I'm not afraid to face you!" Aurora exclaimed, pushing her hair back and rubbing her hands together.
"Aurora, remember what Flora said about getting competitive..." Phillip began, before Aurora put a hand to his mouth.
"Hush you, this is Maleficent we're dealing with. I'm not being the porcelain princess today."
The map loaded up, and Maleficent's character spawned separately from Aurora and Phillip's. The area was much different from the previous game: there was a large dam inside a closed, rocky space - almost like a cave-entrance with a beautiful view above into space.
"This place is so pretty." Aurora gleamed, as Maleficent rolled her eyes.
"This map is called Penance. Try not to fall." Maleficent stated.
"Fall? Where? AGHH!" Aurora screamed as her character tripped over the ledge into the bottom of the waterfall. This clearly angered her.
"I warned you." Maleficent grinned, before Aurora snapped. "SHUT UP! I will defeat you!"
Phillip sighed, he was not going to enjoy this one bit.
"Phillip, go behind that column and take that long, light beam shooter." Aurora requested, causing Maleficent to chuckle, "You mean the sniper rifle?"
"Whatever." Aurora sneered.
Phillip ran and retrieved the gun, only to have Maleficent walk up to him and strike him down with an energy sword. Phillip jumped slightly, impressed by his opponent.
"Nice work!" Phillip complimented.
"Hmm, quite." Maleficent smiled, only making Aurora angrier.
"Damn it Phillip! Don't conspire with the enemy!"
"I was just being a good sport."
"Bite me." Aurora quipped, before taking out her pistol and patrolling the area. She had locked onto Maleficent's character and fired three rounds, only to miss her entirely. Maleficent took the opportunity to snipe Aurora in the head, shooting up confetti and the sounds of children cheering.
"What the hell was that?!" Aurora yelled.
"I got a head-shot. Extra points for me." Maleficent said.
"No fair! I was so close!" The princess growled.
"Well you'll have to be quicker than that Blondie." Maleficent joked, pulling on Aurora's patience.
Phillip had managed to find Maleficent and shot her several times with a machine gun before throwing a grenade as a final touch and killing her.
"Yes!" he cheered.
"Impressive use of weaponry." Maleficent commended. "I'll have to be extra careful around you."
"Isn't this fun Aurora? I just love a good challenge." Phillip asked his wife, who was fuming.
"This is fun... but not as fun as THIS!" Aurora discovered a rocket-launcher and fired several rounds at Maleficent, who used her armor-lock to block them all, except one that bounced off and struck Aurora right back. The game called again, "suicide!"
"..." Aurora was speechless.
"I didn't know we could do that!" Phillip smiled.
"They're armor abilities that players can use. I believe you have a jet-pack." Maleficent explained.
"A what?"
"Push that button there."
Phillip did, and soon he was flying through the air. "Woo hoo! Now this is nice!"
Aurora, red in the face with anger, tried her button. All it did was make her roll really fast in one direction, or evade. But all this did was send her off the map again, killing herself.
"Suicide!" The game called yet again.
"UGH!" Aurora grunted, having not gained a single point, while Phillip had almost 70. Maleficent was already in the triple digits.
"Getting tired child? Ready to admit defeat before things get ugly?" Maleficent taunted.
"I'm no quitter." Aurora grumbled.
"That's right, you're not a quitter. But you are a terrible player." Maleficent nudged Aurora's side playfully.
That did it. Aurora stood up and faced Maleficent. "I've had it with your talk. As the princess, I demand you release your points to me at once."
"That's not how these games work." Maleficent countered.
"Then I order you to forfeit."
"Aurora, please don't do this. You're being unreasonable." Phillip pleaded to no avail.
"Excuse me? I'm being unreasonable? You've been way too kind to Maleficent lately. I think you like her more than me!"
"That's insane! We're playing a game! Maybe you'll feel better after some tea." Phillip argued carefully, the last thing he wanted was to upset his wife.
"I don't want tea... I want to win!" Aurora pouted, stamping her food.
"You're a spoiled child who couldn't win anything except a handsome prince." Maleficent retaliated, "maybe you'd feel better after making something with a spindling-wheel."
"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Aurora pounced at Maleficent, starting a huge fight. The two women tumbled across the floor as Phillip tried to break everything up.
Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather entered to room and noticed the commotion.
"Oh dear." Fauna moaned.
"Maybe we should've given her the Monopoly game instead." Fauna exhaled.
The end!