You got me where you want me on this twisted ride.

2557, Sangheilios

Armor locked to keep his body from moving, the Pelican made its way down to the planet's surface. His eyes fluttered open as the landing gear had touched down. It had only been a month or so since Cortana's disappearance on Requiem. John ignored the emptiness that filled his chest cavity by taking on whatever mission the UNSC had given him after his two week long debriefing about Earth and her rampancy. But now, Captain Lasky had sent him down to Sangheilios to collect Dr. Catherine Halsey. The alien world had been running rampant with civil war but for the past six months, it had been relatively quiet in the state of Vadam.

John stepped out, a couple of ODSTs following him as he was met by a tall, slender Sangheili. He had never seen a female before. Their necks were a bit longer, bodies less clunky than the males, however you could barely tell the difference.

"Master Chief, I am Vuea 'Dratam, one of the Arbiter's advisors. The good doctor has spoken of your arrival." She spoke as she bent her head some, their voices were less deep too. "Come, follow me."

"Thank you, ma'am." He said as he followed uniformly. The planet was arid, almost like New Mambasa. The structures were massive, old and temple-like adobe with a touch of Covenant technology. A few sparse, jank trees littered the land. John kept his step a few paces behind the Sangheili, the ODSTs nearly at a light jog to keep up with the pace. They took a long winding staircase up to the upper level as he was led down a hall. Vuea turned, opening the doors for them as they revealed a large chamber inside of the temple. Consoles filled the room, a research lab. Several Elites walked around, writing things on their data pads and an all too familiar voice talking way too loud.

John walked past the advisor, nodding his thanks as he headed into the room. The small, gray haired woman huffed as she crossed her arms, not acknowledging his presence with a look as she continued to stare at the large monitor.

"You're early." She said.

"I have been sent by Captain Lasky to retrieve you."

"Next week." She said, finally turning. Her light blue eyes were always so cold, but softened when they set on him. "Like I said, you're early. I still have some work to do here, then I can come with you."

"Ma'am ONI is—"

"ONI can wait. I will contact Captain Lasky and let him know. In the meantime why don't you take a seat and relax for a moment. You've earned it after all." She said, waving her hand at him, turning back to the monitor. The ODSTs stared in confusion and awe that someone would talk to the Chief like a mere child. But the Spartan humored her as he took a seat on a box.

"So…. we're staying?" One asked, shifting on his feet as a Sangheili passed him by.

"Looks like it." John replied as he relaxed back against the wall and shut his eyes. If Dr. Halsey said sit, he would sit.

The time seemed to pass before he got a message on his HUD, shaking his head as Lasky appeared in the top left corner. "Chief, Dr. Halsey has advised me that we arrived a bit early… why don't you take some R & R for a week until she's ready to go, hows that sound?"

"Sir… I don't exactly do rest and relaxation." The Chief replied as he tilted his head some.

"Well, I'm sure the Sangheili could use your help around the place, make yourself useful down there. Get out of that armor for a while. I'm sure it'll help. After everything." Lasky state's as he looked at the Chief in his eyes. They were treating him like a child.

"Yessir." John said in a flat tone.

"Good, Lasky out." He said as he turned off the video call, leaving John to sit alone in the research lab. Halsey was still working contently around the clock, the sun seemed to set through the large, open windows in the temple. John stood, the ODSTs nowhere to be seen. How long had he been out? He never slept that hard. But it was all he was doing for the past couple of weeks besides the sparse missions ONI had green lighted. He stood as he began to walk around, looking at all the things that the doctor had collected on the planet, or from space. He wasn't sure which. He looked down at a strange, black rock as he picked it up, twisting it in his hand, inspecting it.

"Put that down." Halsey said without turning. She always had eyes on the back of her head. John complied quickly, but bumping it and dropping it to the ground. It chipped, a couple of pieces coming loose, John just bending down to pick it up before he felt a gentle hand come to his shoulder. "I said put it down, not break it.." Halsey said as she pressed his body backwards. She couldn't move him, but she insisted. As she picked up his mess, she turned, her short gray hair flying over her ear, a couple strands fell into her face, a glare. God she had reminded him so much of Cortana with the way she spoke.

"Sorry." He said as he held out her hand to help her up, which she took, setting it back down on the table. She smoothed her hands over her lab coat and pushed the hair out of her face.

"John. You are a perfect soldier on the battlefield. However, science is not your strong suit. It requires delicacy. You are a bull in a china shop. Now, if you don't mind, why don't you find something not to break and leave me to my work?" She said, her eyes harsh and unyielding. He could hear the snickers of Sangheili through his translator . "I heard the Arbiter would like to see you. Why don't you go and find him?" She said curtly, her full lips in a tight line. John was taken back by that. God how long had it been since he had snapped at him like that? Since he was what? Fifteen? Maybe twenty?

"Of course, ma'am."

"Good, out you go." She shooed him towards a balcony door to the outside world, John with his bruised ego left with no other words. He took to the balcony, just looking around at the world around him. It was.. peaceful he would have to say. He had never seen architecture like this. It almost reminded him of the halo ring's temples. But it was much more tropical than this. John wandered for a while around the courtyard, looking around at things. He couldn't pin it to any other feeling besides calm. He hadn't really been in his own human world besides on military bases or missions, so trying to connect it with something other than that was hard.

He headed for an opening between a crevice in the rocks, leading him down a path. Tiny purple lights lit up as he passed, illuminating his way as it opened up into a large canyon. The sun set on the far side, a blue river running through the clay. Underbrush littered the landscape, bird-like creatures squawked and sang. The only thing he could compare this to was a much more luscious Grand Canyon. John stared at the setting star, it's light harsh in his face plate, reminding him of Cortana for a moment.

"I could give you over forty thousand reasons why I know that sun isn't real. I know it because the emitter's Rayleigh Effect is disproportionate to its suggested size. I know it because its stellar cycle is more symmetrical than that of an actual star. But for all that, I'll never actually know.. if it looks real. If it feels real…"

The words replayed slowly in his mind before he heard a clearing of one's throat, making him turn over his shoulder as he looked back at the large warrior behind him. The sun reflected brightly off his golden hued armor, off to the side, a crisp white cape hung over his shoulder that gently blew in the breeze. "I heard you had arrived. Greetings, Master Chief."

"Arbiter."

"Please… come tell me of your adventures.." Arbiter spoke as he nodded his head over his shoulder.

-*-*-*-

John and Thel had taken time to find a quiet place within the vast area of the temple. They sat in what closely resembled a garden, though the shrubbery seemed bleak and old. Though what fruits appeared were colorful. John spoke of his time waking up on the frigate outside of Requiem's gravity well to the battle of the Didact. Thel spoke of his return to his home world, now he pushed out the Covenants influence. It had been well received, for a while before Civil war had broken out, but it seemed to quell itself, for now.

"I did doubt your death,I knew something so simple as a slip space would end your life." But that was the funny part, wasn't it? There was nothing simple about slip space. "And what of your construct? Cortana?" The Arbiter asked, looking to the stars for answers on a beautifully clear night. John's tired shoulders fell to his side, hands resting on the bench that he sat on as he stared at the ground. He missed her deeply. It seemed in this past month.. had gone by in a blur. His helmet was quiet from her snarky tone and sarcasm.

"She's gone." John admitted. It was the first time he really took to it. Fully accepting of her death, though she probably wouldn't have lasted much longer with her rampancy thinking her to death.

"It pains me to hear that, I am sorry for your loss." The Arbiter said as he set his hand down next to John's, hands touching, a small courtesy from Thel to show his remorse. John stared at it. A shiver from contact shocked its way down his spine he'd never get used to. The Spartan slipped his hand away to rest on his knee.

"I miss her." He spoke finally, staring out across the sky. "No one had my back like she did." She was one the closest friends he had, regardless of the fact that she was an ally.

"It would be unusual for you not to, after all you had done to save her from the Gravemind." Arbiter spoke, leaning to look at his faceplate. "But, if you were ever to fall, I wish you only knew that she was not the only one there to catch you. You have respect and a friend in me until the end, regardless of faction ." Thel spoke deeply. John was taken back by that, his vitals spiking unusually at the words he spoke. He and the Arbiter had been through much. They fought side by side for weeks through the collapse of Earth and the Flood. He had thought many times about when they had slain the Prophet Truth, the Arbiter's cry of victory.

"Thank you." He wished he could say the same, but he was a dog on a leash. "I will gladly call you my ally any day." John said hesitantly. It was a promise he could not keep. He knew it. If the UNSC instructed him to assassinate the Arbiter tomorrow, he would have to comply or suffer the consequences of disobedience. But as he shared that moment with Thel he had come to the conclusion.

He didn't think he could do it.

-*-*-*-

The days seemed to drag on with Dr. Halsey doing her research. John had been mostly bored. He searched around during the day, his mind far from war or missions. However, the Arbiter, when he was finished with his work, would come to keep him company. Lasky had been right, he needed the time off and out of his armor. Well, that was demanded of Lasky to have him outfitted for a new set, making the Chief leave his armor on the Infinity, leaving him in nothing but his rubber underlayer that conformed neatly to his skin with a t-shirt, standard military pants and a pair of boots. A civilian at best. He felt naked.

The harsh sun had begun to show on his skin, a dark red on his flat cheekbones, bringing out the soft freckles that coated his cheeks that seemed to lose their luster after so long in his armor. John kept to the shadows without his armor, walking around the temple to keep busy. He was on his 467th consecutive lap. It was barely noon by the Sangheili's standard. But as he rounded the corner, he smacked into something that was unbelievably hard. He had forgotten how sensitive his skin was outside of his armor. John grabbed his head and hissed as he stepped back, looking up at the beast before him, head bleeding from a minor cut on his forehead from a sharp plate on the armor.

"You are quite fragile out of your armor, Chief." Arbiter spoke with amusement, several honor guards behind him, now just staring down at the human.

"I wouldn't say that fragile is the word that describes me." John spoke, huffing as he wiped the blood on his pants. The Arbiter laughed loudly, the guards shifting uncomfortably as they were shooed away with a dismissal of the Arbiter's hand.

"Why do you pace around the building like a Kig-Yar?" He asked curiously, his long neck tilting some out of curiosity. John could feel his eyes burning holes into him.

"Burning up time." He said, checking a watch on his wrist. "Six hours until Dr.Halsey is done, and we'll leave." Thel shook his head at that as he stretched his mouth.

"Well that does not leave much time. I wish to show you something."

"What is it?" John asked the Arbiter, turning to leave.

"What it is that you helped me save." Thel said with a trill in his voice, ushering him along. John was curious by those words, following along with a long stride as the Arbiter led him around the building, towards a long road. "Come, we have a long way to go."

They traveled down the road before the Arbiter turned to the left down what looked like an abandoned path if it were not for the footprints that led upwards through the pass. John followed, climbing over steep ledges that the Elite seemed to easily pull himself up, crossing through a field of long grass that scratched at his cloth pants. They finally reached the peak of the mountain, a stream flowing through the land, a small bridge following over it. They crossed together, John noting that the sound of the waterfall dulled everything else.

Thel pushed through what looked like large, red wisteria trees, revealing a temple at the peak of the mountain. John was confused. "I've already seen temples like these." He said.

"There is none such as this, human." Thel scoffed at him as he stopped at the entrance, taking a long match and striking it, lighting a candle. He grabbed it, waving the human along as he followed suit. It had a dark interior but John's eyes adjusted easily, with a balcony at the very end, letting in very little light. He could tell that there were pillars holding up the ceiling and an offering table just before the opening in the back. He watched the Sangheili intently as he stopped in the middle of the room, knelt down and began to burn the ground with the candle. A rapid fire sprung up, lighting the grout in an intricate manner. He had never seen anything like it. Fire creeped up the pillars, illuminating the room as John looked around.

"You're going to burn the place down." John commented.

"Don't not be foolish. It was designed like this." He said, standing as he looked to the ceiling where beautiful, ancient Sangheili art work covered the walls in warm colors. They showed battles, leadership, and faith. "This is the Vadam's Arbiter temple." Thel spoke, his deep voice echoing off the walls within. "I was afraid it was lost in the war, but it survived. My culture runs deep within this temple, Spartan. The Sangheili way would have been lost without human support in our final moments of the fight. Had we not followed the instruction, it would have been lost in a world forgotten." Thel said, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath, his voice softened. "I came here shortly after you had been lost in the expanse. Sought guidance from my forefathers…"

"Why?" John asked, his eyes trained on him. He wasn't sure… what Arbiter was getting at. He knew what he spoke of did not come easily to the alien- his words quiet but sincere.

"You were… the strongest male I fought next to. Do you know how rare it is to find one amongst the Sangheili to match your strength? Your bravery? Your resolution... to find someone that matches you, an extension of yourself? A bond for millennia..." He asked curiously, his eyes still searching the ceiling. John shifted, thinking quietly. The Spartan had that with his squad mates. They were a team. But Thel seemed to be talking about something much deeper than what he knew of.

"No." Thel only stifled a laugh. "Why are you laughing?"

"No reason, Spartan. No reason at all." He sighed, "This bond is found often, but.. equally and intensity is key." There was a moment of pause before the Sangheili spoke again.

"You are my equal."

The Arbiter looked down at the human as he lifted his arm, his long, thick fingers caressed his face without warning, John stood still in the touch. Something was so raw about the way Thel looked at him, the way he spoke. He didn't know if he should break his hand or let the feeling envelop him. His skin tingled at the roughness from his palm caressing his face.

He wished he had his armor right about now. Something about the touch fracturing the Spartan's otherwise stoic exterior. He was in turmoil, he knew this. Thel had been breaking it for the past week. Maybe it was the loss of Cortana that made him finally break, or it was something else entirely. But he knew he couldn't turn back from the way he reached out himself and put his palm to his chest, his throat becoming dry.

Warning:

Next chapter contains smut, if you don't like it don't read it, or skip the first half. We all knew what this story was when I started it. Thanks again guys! Hope you enjoy!