Title: Didact Of Equestria Ending Scene

Premise: MLP: FIM, Halo. The next day after previous chapter. Tirek and the Prometheans have been defeated. The Didact is dead. Celestia and Luna are holding a memorial to honor everyone who fought and died in the assault, and afterwards, Twilight has a word with the Master Chief.

Date Posted: 01/28/13

Personal Comments: I imagine at the end of the story, Celestia's speech below would rap up the story nicely, and include a message that relates the event to The Didact somehow, and describe the theme or message of the story. I had some good ideas for the speech earlier, but they may not come out as strong now.

Another chapter I've been wanting to do was one where after Halo 4, Master Chief and Arbiter meet up for coffee, and Chief tells him about Cortana to hear what the latter has to say.

The morning after, all of Equestria was still and silent. They were safe at last from the Prometheans, but it had come at a heavy price. Hundreds of ponies, both civilians and military, had lost their lives in the attack. Casualties were heavy for for the humans and Sangheili who had come to aid the ponies as well.

To honor all these brave, lost souls, Princesses Celestia and Luna were holding a special sermon in Canterlot. The humans had also lent their means of communication, radios, to different towns in Ponyville so that they could hear the speech as well.

Even the winds seemed to be silent for the occasion.

The streets of Canterlot were flooded with ponies, humans, and Sangheili alike. And so after Celestia rose the sun, she stepped out onto a platform before the massive crowd, and spoke into a microphone stand.

"Yesterday, our land was attacked viciously by a foe we had never encountered, that we never caused any trouble to, that in the end, we did not understand. Many of our loved ones, families, friends, lost their lives to this foe. Today, we honor not only our own, but those of two new races who were also clean slates to us, who have come and given us aid in our time of need. They two have lost many brave warriors, all for complete strangers.

"Nothing I can say here will ever take away the pain that so many of us feel right now. We have lost so many who are dear to us. All I can hope for is that we do not let these losses be in vain, and that we continue to live our lives to the fullest as they would have.

"What still surprises me is that my people were visited by three new races, and yet one was so different from the other. And so we are grateful for everything that the other two had done for us. Let this be a reminder to all of us that no matter where we come from or how different we look, within every stranger is a chance for a friend. And when we meet these strangers, hopefully we will show them that love and warmth just as we ourselves would like to be shown."

(There would probably be more in a more developed story, and it might be written a little differently.)

The streets began to clear after Celestia's speech. Human marines and Sangheili warriors were preparing their ships to return home. The Prometheans were defeated, but the war with the Forerunners would continue. The ponies were helping the aliens stock up and prepare to leave, eagerly providing any sort of service or goods they needed or requested.

The Master Chief and Arbiter were walking through the streets side-by-side, heading towards their ships. The battle now over, they had dropped their professional names for the moment, deeming it safe to call each other by their real names, John and Thel.

"I must speak with my warriors, John," Thel said, walking towards a group of Sangheili sitting around some supply crates. "I will rejoin you shortly."

John wordlessly watched him walk off. And then he turned to face four more ponies walking toward him; Twilight, Derpy, Rainbow Dash, and Doctor Whooves. All looked quite sullen or melancholy, except Derpy, who gave a hopeful smile. She seemed like one of those who would try to be happy and look on the bright side even in the dullest of situations.

"Can we ask you something?" Twilight asked.

"Of course," John replied.

"So you knew him? The Didact?

John was quiet for a moment. He was not use to opening up and talking about his opinions with strange creatures. Normal people were hard enough. He always tried to just be the soldier he was trained to be in front of most. Thanks to Thel though, he had been getting more in-touch with his emotions, and becoming more willing to talk about them.

"Yeah, I knew him," He said finally. "You said you knew what he was doing, right? That his mission was to eradicate a certain species? Well, that was my species; humans. He killed so many of my people. Someone... really close to me died... trying to protect me from him. I'll never forgive him for that. To me, he'll always be a monster, nothing more."

He was grateful for his helmet, still covering his face, hiding his deeper emotions, especially as thoughts of Cortana returned to him. Twilight wondered what the Chief was thinking behind that thick helmet.

"But..." he continued, "What he did yesterday was a brave thing. He has my respect as a soldier. I can give him that much. And I guess while he was here, you saw a side of him that I didn't see."

(Reached one of those points where I can't think of what to say next.)