And the start of a new

The New Land
South of Egypt
3115 BC

Pain coursed throughout her body as she opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but she instantly recognized the fabric tent hanging over her head. She wanted to see where she was, and when she attempted to lift her head sudden pain shot down her spine. She winced.

Never in her life had she felt such intense pain. Her body felt dead and lifeless, yet she could feel every inch of herself. She was alive, somehow she had lived. She closed her eyes and accepted whatever fate would have in store for her. She didn't know where she was, or if she was in good keeping, but she couldn't move and could barely breathe.

"You have awakened."

Elena opened her eyes to see who had spoken. The man's voice was deep, yet he was out of view and she could not move in order to see him. She attempted to open her mouth and speak, but even that began to hurt. She cursed in her mind; how frail this Reclaimer had become.

"Do not attempt to move, your body was severally wounded. It is awkward that a woman of such rare beauty can maintain such wounds. Your injuries are extensive, yet you have survived through the worst of it. It has been a long six days." The man began to shuffle around the small tent and then returned to Elena's side. "I assume you do not know me, nor could you, I am merely a traveler. But I stopped upon the trail and found you lying in a thicket. I believed you to be dead, but to my surprise you were alive… barely. You should rest. When you wake up you should attempt to eat. Though, I will admit, it will be very hard."

His voice was soothing, and Elena had no other choice but to agree. For now she was in the hands of a complete stranger. She closed her eyes, and instantly returned to sleep.

The next day Elena once again opened her eyes and glared into the tent's ceiling. Her eyes no longer hurt, but moving was still going to be painful. The man leaned over her and smiled brightly. He was older, much older, with a graying beard and heavy eyes.

"My name is Scion… it is an odd name, I know, but many have learned to accept it. You should eat something. First we need to sit you up. You have been lying on your back for seven days."

Scion gripped Elena under her arms, and she instantly felt as though she was being stabbed again. She wanted to scream, shout, or do anything that would help alleviate the anguish, but she knew it was pointless. As Scion cautiously and slowly lifted her up, she began to shed tears of pain. Her teeth held taught as she tried to endure it. No matter how hard she tried she could not push the pain out of her mind. It was there, and it was unreal.

"There we go." Scion smiled as he pulled away. He dried Elena's tears. "I can imagine that was very painful. Forgive me." Elena simply nodded. The pain was easing away, but she knew that this was only the beginning. She was finally able to see herself as she leaned back against a pallet of hay. Her body was completely wrapped in bloody bandages. She tried to move her fingers and was successful, yet it was painful.

"Your bandages will need to be changed again. My wife will see to it after you've eaten." Scion leaned over to a table beside Elena and pulled down a small dish. "This is merely soup, and it is no thicker than water so you should be able to swallow it. I've been giving you water periodically, but this will still be difficult. Try your best to swallow; your body will remember."

Scion tilted the bowl slowly to Elena's lips, but only a little. Elena had indeed forgotten how to swallow… she gagged and spat the soup out. The action sent chills down her body and she tensed up from the jolt.

"It's okay. Relax. I expected the first bit to be hard. Now, try again." Scion dried her mouth and waited for her to relax, and then repeated the action.

- - - - - - - -

The water of the lake was cool yet warm upon her skin. It had been many weeks since she was able to wash by herself, and Elena took full enjoyment of it. She submerged herself up to her neck and then leaned forward, dipping her head slowly beneath the water's surface. She pulled up and stood tall, letting the water drain from her form. She turned and began to walk the few feet back toward the lakes edge, where several other women were also washing themselves and clothing.

She knew none of them, yet they all knew her. To them, she was the quiet one, the girl who did not speak and nearly died several weeks before. The women watched as Elena's physically impressive form slowly walked out of the water, her muscles flexed with every step, and dozens of battle scars marked her body. If it were not for her female attributes, they would have sworn she was a man.

"And how are you this glorious morning?" Questioned the eldest woman; Scion's wife. Elena simply smiled and nodded her answer of 'okay'. "Good. As of today, Scion believes that you are ready to do as you wish. You are more than welcome to stay with us, but you'll need to work. But if you choose to leave, than we will not stop you."

Elena lowered her head and examined the arrow wounds upon her chest and stomach. They had healed nicely, but she barely remembered how she acquired them. The last thing she remembered about the battle was falling into the mud, and hearing her father's voice. The battle was intense and she had fought and killed so many Watchmen. Her body was mentally and physically exhausted from fighting them all, and then the Honor Guards came out. Their skill was only slightly better than the other Watchmen, but they made up for it with their attack method. Her wounds, blood loss and exhaustion were simply too much, and finally she was defeated; but somehow she survived. She brushed aside the thought and looked to the woman.

"I…" Elena began, and everyone looked at her in amazement. "… I must thank him before I go. There is… much I must do, and staying with you any longer would not be in your best interest."

The woman smiled. "Looking at your wounds, and nursing you back to health over the past two weeks, has allowed me to imagine that you live a hard life. We believed that you were being chased, but there was one man who showed great interest in you. He told us to keep you hidden and safe until you were able to stand on your own."

"Who?"

"He merely said that his name was Jacob." The woman thought. Elena's eyes grew wide as she continued. "I believe he has the same name as the King's Advisor, but what would he care for a female warrior such as you?"

Elena clinched her fist, "I wish to speak with him!" She reached for her clothes and immediately dressed.

"Go to Scion. He will tell you were he is."

- - - - - - - -

Elena stumbled upon a small camp at the edge of Scion's village. Two horses and several bags of supplies were scattered about. She approached the horses and petted them tenderly; they were a sure sign that their owner was a man of wealth. The sun had set, and this was the location that Scion had told her to go to. She didn't have to wait long for the owner to return; a sudden shifting of sand caught her attention. She spun around to see who it was, but she could only move at a fraction of her former speed; she was still considerably weak.

Jacob stopped in his tracks as he watched Elena prepare to draw her blade. "Once again we meet by camp fire. Will this meeting be better or worse than our first?"

"Depending on how you answer my questions."

"You can talk now! Good. Scion had told me that you had chosen not to speak. I have been watching you for several days, since I learned that you survived." Jacob walked into his camp and sat by the fire. "Come, join me. Let us talk."

Elena smirked and sat across from Jacob, "The King's advisor? Why didn't you tell us?"

"I had my reasons. In this world, you must be cautious as to whom you trust."

"The watchmen won, I think; why am I still alive?"

"No one won, Elena. King Narmer and I have assured that things are now… better. No longer is there division. You are alive, for as long as you are not a threat. The Ark is secret once again, and it is safe. The Luminous Key is kept secret, and its location known only to the most guarded and trusted of individuals."

"So, King Narmer has taken over."

Jacob chuckled. "No. No one is leading what does not exist. There are no longer any Watchmen or Reclaimers… even Michael has thrown away all ties to the Tribe. The Archangels have returned to their normal lives, and are content with being recognized as normal. We are simply human now, Elena. You are human. The old ways must be forgotten."

"You can't simply wipe out an entire tribe and expect people to forget." Elena huffed.

"Were you not the one bent of revenge? Were you not the one who was going to destroy all the Watchmen? Is that any different then what we have now?" Jacob stood and began to dig through one of his bags. He pulled up a large package and tossed it to Elena. "If you wish to once again dawn that mask and head guard, than do so. But I trust you will find it much more difficult to achieve your goals."

Elena held her mask and helmet and the memories of the battle flooded into her mind. "My duty is to guard the Ark and protect the Key. I've been raised all of my life to do this… but without me… without me you have achieved what I could not." Elena rubbed the left temple of her mask, where a large chunk was cut away by Michael's sword. "Jacob… was I wrong? Were the Reclaimers wrong"

Jacob was somewhat astonished by her sudden question. "That is out of character of you Elena. Generally you would be telling me what to do, or threatening me." Jacob chuckled to himself. "Who knows if we were wrong or right, the point is that we are alive and the Ark is safe. Narmer has sent many people to live near it, and to build a village over it. It will be forever buried…"

Elena cut in, "You know where it is?"

"I see… so the Grandmaster did not tell you." Jacob thought aloud. "I have been placed in charge of overseeing the rise of this new village. We will no longer be associated with Egypt, as this new land is fairly far away from it. Well beyond the mouth of he Nile. We were close to it before the battle. Would you like to come with me?"

Elena hadn't noticed that Jacob had walked around the fire and was standing next to her. "If I am close by, I may have the urge to be over protective. No one must go near it. It is too advanced for normal people to understand."

"It is buried, deep within the Earth and shielded from the eyes of humanity. You have nothing to fear. But wouldn't you feel much better knowing that you can still be close to it in the event of an emergency?"

Elena stood and looked into Jacob's eyes. "But you are telling me to forget everything that I am."

"No Elena. I am telling you to forget the past, and start over. Things are new and the way we act must change."

"Start over…"

"Wash your hands of everything in your past. Help us rebuild the safety of the Ark, until it is truly needed. The Grandmaster thought that now was the time for us to take the Ark to the stars and Rebuild the Empire of the Gods, but now is not that time."

"When the time comes, there will be a sign." Elena sighed. She nodded toward Jacob and they cleaned up the camp, making their way to the last location of the Ark.

Over the years, the new land grew more and more fertile as the village of Elena and Jacob grew. The Ark of old was forgotten, and as the Watchmen of old died of age, they dared not share their stories to their young. King Narmer's legacy eventually passed on to his descendants and after two hundreds years, the Luminous Key was returned to its rightful owner, and rested upon her wrist.

Elena had lived a wonderful life, peaceful, and raised her young as any mother would. She told them many stories of her youth, but her greatest story was that of the Luminous Key and the Ark; a magical machine that could save the world from the mighty flood. It was a bedtime story of sorts, and was passed down to her descendants. It was a chronicle of her life, with small alterations to conceal the truth.

Elena's funeral was a glorious event. The village she left behind was not ten times larger than when she first lived began its construction, and everyone in the village knew her well. The temple built in her honor was created by everyone in the village and was their most sacred of locations. She outlived all of her husbands and some of her children, but she was able to see her bloodline grow for hundreds of years. Elena's body was sealed within her tomb in the costal village in Eastern Africa, at the age of four hundred and ten. And as she was buried, she wore upon her arm the keepsake of her family; a glowing red jewel.

The legend told that one day Elena herself would rise from her grave with the Jewel, and the Ark would come with her to save the world from the next incarnation of the Flood. Her grave was forever protected from tomb raiders, or those seeking to see if the legend was real. But the last resting spot of the Ark was never found by any outsiders, and the Tomb of the Luminous Key remained unopened.

- - - - - - - -

Kenya
August 10, 2517

"Mommy, I don't understand!" The little girl cried as she was forced into the sizeable shuttle. The young six year old girl's mother was frantically carrying as much supplies as possible within her backpack. The two shuffled into the shuttle door as the last call to board was made. They pushed through the crowded isle, but tried to maintain a low profile amongst the dozens of other passengers.

"Just trust me, Kelly!" The woman huffed as she dragged her daughter down the isle to a nearby seat. "We have to go. We can't stay here any longer."

"But why now?" Kelly questioned. She wasn't afraid, not in the least likely, but she was more concerned as to why her mother was acting so fretful.

Kelly's mom sat and held Kelly by the hand. The chair instantly switched to gravity-lock status, and they were locked in. The other passengers looked on nervously as Kelly continued to question why they had to leave so suddenly. Her mother ignored the gazes of the other passengers as she ran her hand upon her temple. She looked out of the port window at the flight deck below, to see if anyone was going to attempt to stop the shuttle from pulling away from the spaceport gangplank. The ship would be taking off soon, and the sooner the better.

"It's time for us to leave, sweetheart. That's all you need to know." Finally, with a sense of calm, Kelly's mother smiled down at her young daughter. The door to the shuttle closed and the flight attendees motioned through the isles, checking to see if each seat was working properly. The other passengers began to take their seats and talked amongst themselves; it was a very reassuring moment that they would be flying out of orbit soon.

Kelly finally relaxed with her calming mother's smile. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere but here." She quickly replied. "First we're contacting to the Orbital Transfer Platform and board a Star Liner. We're going to see the universe. And we won't stop until we see it all." She smiled again, adding more relief to Kelly's eyes. The young girl smiled happily at this notion, she had only been to two worlds in her life, her mother was constantly on the move, and never let Kelly out of her site.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Captain speaking. I just received word from the tower that… we will be slightly delayed before takeoff. At this time the Grav-Lock will be released and you are free to move about the cabin."

"Damn it." Kelly's mother quickly became more agitated. "I knew we stayed on Earth too long."

"But mom, you said we had to see great grammy's tomb, and the rest of the family." Kelly softly added, sensing that something was severally bothering her mother.

She ignored Kelly's words and waved to the attendant. "Excuse me, but what's the delay?"

"I'm sorry ma'am. I am not really sure. It may be a simple electro storm in the atmosphere. Nothing to worry about."

"Damn it." She sulked back into her seat, knowing that it was more than that. And with that thought her communications chatter began to vibrate. She slowly pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the number. It was an invisible connection, dialed directly to her chatter and bypassing the Chatter Net. "We have to get off… we have to get off!"

"Momma?" Kelly nervously questioned as her mother gripped her arm and pulled her free of the chair. She hefted Kelly into her arms and began to race to the shuttle door; leaving her backpack under the seat. The passengers watched nervously as the woman and child raced to the rear of the shuttle, startling them into questions.

They arrived at the door, fought through the attendants grasp, and flung open the door. By now, Kelly was completely shocked and not sure what was happening. She clung to her mother with all her might. The shuttle door flung open and her mother sprang across the small gap to the gangplank.

"Jesus lady! Think of your daughter!" An attendant screamed as she watched them race out of sight. She yelled back to another attendant, "Call security!"

Kelly, held tightly in her mothers arms, watched as the hallway zoomed passed her sight. Her mother was fast, very fast, and even with the weight of her six year old daughter in her arms, she was hard to catch. She ducked into an alcove at the spaceport's main lobby and finally answered the chatter.

"What do you want?" She nervously questioned.

"Tiffany. Stop this! Stop running! Think of Kelly… think of what you are doing to her right now. This is her destiny."

"Destiny my ass. She is the only true family I have left, and I'm not letting you take her away from me. Screw you and military dogs you serve!"

"You know you can't get away, Tiffany. Do you think I would let anything happen to her? She's my niece and the youngest in our family. I promise you, she will have the best treatments known to the military."

Tiffany held Kelly tightly to her chest as she scanned the area to make sure no one was around. "I don't have a family anymore. My family wouldn't do this! It's a stupid story, Elizabeth. How can you expect me to believe in it? I never did and I never will! Leave us alone." She closed the chatter frequency and pocketed the device. She then peeped around the corner to make sure she wasn't seen and began to walk across the massive lobby of the spaceport.

The crowd of daily travelers was numerous. It was early in the day and a peek travel time for off world visits, and therefore Tiffany felt it would be easy to get lost in the crowd. Her communications chatter had long been debugged, making it nearly impossible for anyone to track her movements. Tiffany knew that it was going to be hard getting off world, but she had to get Kelly away from them; the group she once called her family.

She pressed forward, walking toward the main door as fast as she could, but without making a scene. It was hard to just get to the spaceport, but Elizabeth knew where she was and that meant that the military was already there looking for her. She approached the main foyer which would lead to the city tram system, but Tiffany stopped as she glared into Elizabeth's eyes; her youngest sister and Lieutenant in the UNSC Marine Corps. Her path was blocked.

"Don't run." Elizabeth softly stated. "My agents are scattered throughout the lobby."

Tiffany squeezed Kelly tightly in her arms, nervously backing away. "I won't let you. I won't let you take my baby." In a desperation move that only a mother could understand, Tiffany charged toward Elizabeth and the tram door. She lowered her shoulder in attempt to run her little sister over, but was quickly gripped by several casually dressed men. Kelly tumbled out of her arms and Tiffany screamed in desperation to retrieve her child, while the two marines pinned her to the ground.

"Momma?" Kelly questioned aloud as she watched her mother being forcefully held down by two men. The crowd of patrons in the spaceport lobby quickly began to wonder what the commotion was.

Elizabeth knelt down and helped Kelly to her feet, as she looked into the enclosing crowd. "Everyone, evac." She placed her hand over her ear and whispered, "Transport, prep for launch." The men picked up Tiffany and muffled her mouth so that her screams would not stir up anymore attention. They then carried her out of the station and toward the tram station exterior, where a military transport was waiting. The ship's engines hummed to life as the group approached.

The door to the ship parted and a woman stepped out. "Is all of this really necessary? We could have tracked her down eventually."

Elizabeth ignored the woman's tone, and picked Kelly up and into her arms. "This is a family situation, Doctor. I understand the importance of your research, but for this child I assure you that things will be different."

The doctor folded her arms across her chest as the Kelly and Elizabeth boarded the shuttle. "It is easier on the family if they are unaware. Just because she is your sister, does not mean that she will understand the nature of what we are going to do with her child. We should treat her the same way we treat the others." She then watched as the child's muffled mother was dragged passed her. She could only look down as Tiffany tearfully attempted to scream and fight of the two soldiers holding her. The doctor then turned and boarded the ship as it began to lift off into the African sky.

The door closed behind the Doctor and she sat beside Elizabeth and Kelly, "There are other candidates, Lieutenant. Once I meet with Lieutenant Keyes, we can simply find a replacement for her."

Kelly sat quietly as she watched her mother struggle against the men holding her. They sat across from each other in the dark belly of the military aircraft. Kelly seemed somewhat emotionless at the situation, yet her eyes were transfixed on her mother's. Tiffany's tearful sobs were muffled by the thick fabric stuffed into her mouth.

Elizabeth placed her arms around Kelly and answered the Doctor. "You need her, Doctor. I assure you, the success of this project will depend greatly upon her."

"Why are you so sure of this, Lieutenant Rawlings?" The Doctor questioned as she leaned closer to Kelly; blocking the vision of her mother sitting across from them.

"It is highly classified, ma'am."

The Doctor raised an Eyebrow and smirked. "I have the clearance. Tell me everything…"

"You don't have the clearance for this, Doctor. This goes beyond your R-and-D teams."

"I see." The Doctor looked into Kelly's eyes, and noticed that she wasn't afraid. She was calm and very collected, yet she was concerned for her mother. "Must you hold her mother like this right in front of her? A child doesn't need to see this." She looked up to the guards, "Take her aft, the child doesn't need to see this." Tiffany screamed muffled words that the Doctor was sure to be curses and insults, perhaps even a death threat, as she was being dragged to the back of the ship, but the Doctor had other matters to attend to.

"Hello Kelly."

"Hello."

"When was the last time you had a descent meal?" The Doctor questioned with a soft smile.

"Yesterday." Kelly sulked. Elizabeth stood and walked to the back, leaving the Doctor with Kelly.

"I'll make sure you get something to eat soon. But first, I want to play a little game." The Doctor took out a coin and held it out, showing Kelly both sides.

"I like games!" Kelly smiled.

Elizabeth approached the aft compartment and glared at the two guards holding Tiffany. "Leave us." The two men released Tiffany and she kicked one of them as he walked away. The man ignored her and closed the door as he exited. Elizabeth walked closer and unbound her mouth and hands. "You had to make this…"

A solid right hook caught her square in the jaw, and Elizabeth rocked backward. She gained her composure and returned the favor. Tiffany collapsed to the deck and held her bloody jaw.

"Do you feel better, sis?" Elizabeth smirked.

Tiffany sat up and whipped her jaw. "I can't believe it. You actually buy into this bullshit! I never should have come back to Earth. You used our family traditions to get my daughter. It was a ceremony, and because of you they are going to take my daughter."

"I did what I needed to so that I could talk to you before anything unnecessary happened. I know you would comeback for our Ancestors Vigil in Mombasa; it was the only way. Otherwise ONI would have taken her under your nose, and you never would have known. The day she was born, I told you she wasn't going to be normal! I told you she was special."

"I don't care! She's my daughter! I won't let you take her!"

"Damn it, Tiffany! Why Kelly was blessed to you, is beyond me." Elizabeth paced around the room. "She is going to be a soldier. She is going to be the best soldier this military has ever seen. Don't you get it? It's all true. I've seen it. When I joined the military and they traced my bloodline, they let me see it!"

"It?" Tiffany questioned.

"The Ark is real, Tiffany. Kelly is a Reclaimer by birth; the first to be born in nearly five thousand years. It's not a fairytale, Tiffany. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't, but when they told me about the Spartan Project, I saw her name on it. There are others with our bloodline, but not nearly is pure as hers. We need her."

"But if the story is true, than there are no more Watchmen or Reclaimers; the Legacy died with Elena. That's why we have the Candle Vigil every five years." Tiffany nervously stated. Reciting her limited knowledge of the story her father use to tell.

"So the story goes. But none the less, Kelly had a gene within her blood that none of us have seen. They crossed her blood with that of Elena's DNA, the similarities are astounding. They want Kelly to spear head another movement. Back then, the Reclaimers were almost supreme beings because they were so powerful, but over time our bloodline has greatly thinned out. There's more data in the Ark, but only a few people have been allowed to study it, they won't let me access any of its systems…"

"Systems? It's a computer?" Tiffany frantically questioned.

Elizabeth paused, knowing that she had probably said too much. "Never mind. The point is you must let Kelly go. I'm giving you an option that none of the other parents will receive. You will have the knowledge that she is alive. You will know that your daughter will become a Spartan. I'm telling you this because you are a part of this legacy. There are various others from our family that are being sought, but Kelly is the only true blood to be born. She's special and we need her."

"No. Just because the stories are real, does not change anything. I'm not letting you take my daughter away from me. She's not special in anyway."

Elizabeth folded her arms across her chest and glared at Tiffany. "Kelly was able to walk at the age of eight months, speak simple words at seven months, and is already able to run a full forty yard sprint without getting winded. No child, other then those of Reclaimer blood, could possibly achieve these feats. She will not be nearly as strong as the last Reclaimers, but she will be special."

"How did you…"

"I've been watching her growth since the day she was born. It was my duty, to know everything I can about every child born in the last decade, within our family."

"I don't care what you know or what you think! You are not taking her!"

"You have no choice." Elizabeth motioned toward the door. "At this point, you can't stop me from taking her. I simply thought it would be easier on you if I told you. In the end Kelly is going to Reach, and she will become a Spartan. You can either accept it, or you can stay locked up while we cover up her disappearance." Lieutenant Elizabeth Rawlings gripped the door handle and motioned to open it. "The stories were true, Tiffany. It is time for us to fulfill our duty. When the time is right, we will reveal the Ark to the world, and Reclaim what we lost. But for now it will be secret and safe, and if you try to interfere with this plan, then I don't know what the rest of our family will do to you." The door parted and Elizabeth stepped through, she could hear her older sister sobbing behind her, and she closed the door quickly and locked Tiffany inside.

The fate of Kelly was bigger than all of them. She was the first child in thousands of years to show signs of having pure Reclaimer genes. Though she would never display the power that Elena had, it was reassuring to Elizabeth that she had made the correct step. For so long she had listened to her father's stories, and feared the day of the Flood, but now a Reclaimer had been found, and with the Ark they would all be saved.

Elizabeth looked across the ship as the Doctor continued to play with Kelly, and she smiled to herself. "Kelly, can I tell you a story?"

"I like stories! But where is momma?"

"She'll be out soon, she needs to calm down first."

"Okay." Kelly sulked.

The doctor stood up and began to walk to the front of the ship. "There is something about this situation that I don't like, Lieutenant."

"We'll discuss it later." Elizabeth smirked.

"Very well. I need to contact Lieutenant Keys and tell him to prep the ship." The Doctor walked to the cockpit of the aircraft and closed the door behind her.

Elizabeth turned back to Kelly and questioned, "Has your mommy told you the story; Guardian of the Luminous Key?"

"No. Tell me, tell me!" Kelly sat intently as Lieutenant Rawlings sat beside her, put her arms around her, and began to tell to tell her an edited version of Elena's Tale.

The End

Halo: Guardian of the Luminous Key © Soulguard 2005
Written and Created by SoulGuard
Characters based on the characters from Halo, Halo 2
Excerpts from The Halo Novel's © Bungie and Del Rey
Based on the Video Game Halo, Halo 2
Halo© Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios
Halo 2© Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios

Final Note: Well I hope you enjoyed this little adventure. Though it was short I hope it helped give more balance to the Halo Universe... or my side of it. There are several References to Elizabeth Rawlings in IIWYH and she will have another huge role in Book 3 (Path of Reclamation). Final comments and reviews are much appreciated. As I know some of you will have a lot to say about Kelly's sudden appearance.