Authors Note: Thanks to my beta for proofing this.

Disclaimer: Halo, Sangheili, Rtas, Thel/Arbiter and other canon characters belong to Bungie Studios/343 Industries. However, Original Characters, like Zeno, belong to me.

Chapter 5: The Final Pieces

Sani watched with awe as Yamasheto demonstrated several more types of throws, each time Zeno's own strength was being used against him. He was starting to see how this could help him: Runi can't hurt him if he ended up on the floor every time he tried to hit him. It looked so easy….

It would turn out to be not so easy once Yamasheto slowed it down to show the steps in the various throws. While some were simple, others had a number of steps to them to execute. Sani started to doubt he would get the hang of it by the time the Shadow of Intent arrived. Doubt that started to disappear once he got a chance to try it for himself.

An hour after the lesson started, Sani was getting the basics down. Yamasheto told him it would be a good idea for him to learn another things along with the throws, a sentiment Zeno agreed with. Zeno said something about not wanting him to be a 'one trick pony', whatever that meant. Sani decided it was a good idea anyway: the more tools he had to use against Runi, the better.

When the lesson was over, it was decided that Sani would come for training three days a week, between the morning and lunch classes. Once that was set up, they left the dojo.

"Hmm…With all that has gone on, I just realized we missed lunch," Zeno said. "I am hungry."

"Same," Sani agreed, feeling a familiar ache in his stomach.

"Well, it is only a little bit out of the way to get there, I would say we grab a bite at the food court to tie us over until dinner."

"Oh!" Sani remembered the food court. He had sampled many of the different food stuffs there, especially of one type. "Is the ice cream parlor still there?"

"Hmm?" Zeno had this small, curious smile on his face. "I believe so. Never fancied ice cream myself to be honest. I take it you do?"

Sani vigorously nodded. "Though, I must admit it does not like me in turn," he said with a slight blush. "I end up stinking up the restroom later on."

"Ah, lactose intolerant I see, thanks for the fair warning: I will be sure to wear my air tight helmet whenever you have some." Sani giggled at that. "But...I would highly suggest eating something else today, considering you are still recovering from your trip here."

"Yeah…I guess you are correct," Sani said with a sigh.

The place Zeno decided to get food from was one Sani hadn't seen before: either it was new or he just hadn't noticed it before on his previous visits. The food was good though, which consisted of human-bite sized pieces of chicken and beef cooked in a slightly sweet sauce. They ate in silence, then returned to Zeno's quarters.

The rest of the day was rather boring. Zeno had to look through some documents relating to his ambassador duties, so Sani spent the time flipping through TV channels, wondering what strange shows the humans watched. After dinner was much the same, before Sani decided to turn in for the night. As he curled up into the warm blankets after washing up, he was fully expecting a peaceful sleep like he had the night before.

It was not to be.

Like last night, Zeno checked to see if Sani fell asleep alright shortly after he went to bed. He didn't know why he did so, considering he and Sani where the only ones in the suite. Well, one could count Sesai if someone wanted to be technical about it, since the AI was everywhere on the station. Once satisfied that Sani was asleep, Zeno turned his attention back to the documents he had been deciphering all afternoon.

Why can't they just write these things in plain English? Zeno grumbled, rubbing his brow. It was a running joke among the less politically connected humans that they only speak and write in 'legalese'. It wasn't an official language, more like a means of writing that, to Zeno, was meant to ensure the common folk would get easily confused trying to make sense of it. Zeno learned early on that it was a way for the less sincere politicians to trick people into agreeing with them and now Zeno had to be sure he got it right so his own people didn't fall for the trick. It was taxing, headache inducing work.

He finally decided to call it for the night, figuring he could finish it off in the morning. With a yawn, he got up and stretched before heading to his own room. While in the shower, he thought he heard something, but after pausing to listen a moment he heard nothing so shrugged it off. When he stepped back into the bedroom after drying off, he immediately saw something amiss.

Something was in his bed and it was moving. No, trembling and it was roughly Sangheili shaped if one looked carefully. That meant only one thing….

"Sani?" Zeno called out softly. Sure enough, Sani's head poked out from under the covers, his eyes wide with fear. His first instinct was to demand why he was in his bed, but he checked himself. Something had spooked the smaller male, spooked him bad enough to want to come in here where he would feel safer. "What is wrong?" he asked. "Something wake you up?"

Sani nodded slightly as Zeno sat on the bed next to him. Immediately, Sani wrapped his arms around him, whimpering softly. Feeling awkward, Zeno hesitantly rubbed his back. "Hey, it is alright," he said softly. "What spooked you so badly?"

"Dream," Sani whimpered.

"A dream? Sounds more like a nightmare. Nightmares cannot hurt you…."

"It wasn't just a nightmare…but a memory…."

"Of?"

"What caused me to finally run away…."

"Something Runi did to you then." Sani just nodded. "Did you want to try to talk about it?"

Sani seemed hesitant at first, but then sighed in resignation. He let go of him and sat up, looking apprehensive, as if he worried Runi would bust in and hurt him for telling him. "You already know that he abused me both physically and mentally, all to control everything I do," Sani said softly, Zeno nodded even though it wasn't a question. "To my shame, I had been getting used to it, accepting it as the norm, especially since there was little my superiors could do, if they bothered at all."

"Then he must have said or did something that made you snap, made you realize you could not live like that," Zeno said.

Sani nodded and started telling him what happened…

Sani had just returned from the showers, hoping to get some peace before Runi returned from his duties. To his dismay, Runi came into the room moments later, a wide grin on his face. "There you are, Sani, I have an idea you will like," Runi said.

"What sort of prank this time?" Sani said, almost not succeeding in keeping a tone of dread and annoyance from his voice.

"Oh no, not a prank this time," Runi said cheerfully, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, to which Sani tensed. "I was thinking it was high time to visit your keep the next time we stop at Sanghelios. I know you miss your friends and family there. Would they not be happy to see us as a happy couple?"

Sani stiffened, his eyes wide. To return to his keep on the pretense he was 'happy' with this arrangement sickened him. More than the pranks, or everything else Runi did to him, or forced him to do. A spark of something he thought died weeks ago reignited: the resolve to fight back.

"No," Sani said softly, his hands clenching.

"What was that?" Runi asked, his tone one more of confusion than anything else, which gave Sani more momentum.

"I said 'no'." Sani knocked his arm off his shoulder, turning around to face him. "We are not a couple, never have been and never will be! I refuse to return to my keep stating such a blatant lie! If I go to visit my keep it will be without you!"

Runi continued to look shocked, but once Sani's tirade was done, his expression quickly turned dark. Though Sani expected it, he found he was not prepared for the pain that came next….

"It was the worst beating I had ever received…," Sani said, wiping a tear from his cheek. "And he did not just assault me with his fists either…no…he used his 'special punishment'."

"Which is…?" Zeno wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

"He would tie me to the bed and then rape me repeatedly," Sani said through clenched mandibles.

"By the gods…and you are not….?"

"I am sebo…so…one could say it is not as bad as if I was 'normal', but still…." Sani shuddered as he said. "The beating was so bad that I had to spend two days in the infirm and I knew then that if I did not get out somehow, he may kill me one day." He wrapped his arms around Zeno once more, though this time Zeno didn't mind considering what was just revealed. "I did not want to spend the rest of my life with him, living a lie…and in fear that each day may be my last at his hands."

"Your will to live is strong…and thus you found your way here, where you will be safe."

"But only until the Shadow of Intent arrives…," Sani reminded him.

"Sani, I said I would look at every angle to find a way to keep you from him and I mean that. Even if I have to make something up to do so at risk of my own career." He cupped his hand under Sani's head and lifted it gently. "You are too sweet a person to be forced to go back to that situation."

Sani blushed faintly. "You are so good to me, Zeno…I…I wish I had met you long ago…."

Zeno chuckled at that and patted him on the back. "You should try to go back to sleep, Sani. It is rather late."

"Can…can I sleep here tonight? It…reminds me of home…."

The request caught Zeno by surprise. "Ha-how so?"

"It is another oddity about my keep," Sani explained. "Those that are not married or sick sleep in communal beds."

Zeno's eyes widened at that. "You mean, a bunch of you share one large bed?"

Sani nodded. "Pretty much. Up to fifteen per bed, males and females sleep in separate ones. Some say it is a habit we got from our ancestors when they were slaves. A means of comfort and warmth during that era." Sani lowered his head. "It…it has been a long time since I truly felt both."

Zeno hesitated: the last time he slept with anyone was with Miko, just before the Schism started. While he longed for the comfort of another, he feared betraying Miko's memory. He wanted to say no, that it was inappropriate for a couple of near-strangers to do this, yet Sani said himself that it wasn't considered inappropriate for his keep. Zeno looked into Sani's pleading yellow-green eyes and found he just could not say no to him.

"Alright…," he said with a faint sigh. "But let us try not to make a habit out of this OK?"

Sani's face lit up. "Thank you, Zeno! I will try not to take up too much space."

Zeno simply nodded and returned to the bathroom, grabbing a pair of shorts along the way. Normally he slept nude, but he wasn't about to do so with another male sharing his bed. After making himself decent, he returned and crawled under the sheets himself.

It felt a bit awkward, having someone you weren't intimate within the same bed, but Zeno knew he had to deal with it for the night. There wasn't much room, but somehow he managed to get comfortable, all too aware of the body heat coming from Sani next to him. Sani himself seemed to have fallen asleep already, a faint smile on his face. With another faint sigh, Zeno closed his eyes, not expecting to fall asleep quickly tonight.

He was rather surprised when he did.

Zeno was already up by the time Sani awoke himself. At first Sani was confused, wondering why he was in Zeno's bed but then he remembered the events of last night. He felt guilty for intruding on Zeno's space like that, but that had been truly the best night's sleep he had in a long time. Still, he felt he should apologize, so he got up and was greeted by the smell of breakfast when he walked out the door.

"Good morning," Zeno said, glancing briefly up at him from eating. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," Sani replied. "I…I am sorry for intruding on you like that…."

Zeno was already shaking his head. "You did what you felt you needed to do, Sani and I am here to help you however I can, after all. Come, you breakfast is getting cold."

Sani nodded and joined him at the table, grateful Zeno wasn't holding his actions against him. As usual the food look good and bacon looked like it was a lot more edible this time. As he ate, he noted Zeno seemed a bit distracted. "Something on your mind?" Sani asked when he was nearly done eating.

Zeno looked up at him, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Yes, there is something that puzzles me," he said after a brief moment.

"What is that?"

"Rtas said that you two knew each other for awhile prior to joining the military, was he always like this?"

"N-no…he was not. In fact…when I first met him, he was so shy and timid himself, afraid even…He seemed like the last person to do such a thing."

"Really? What caused him to change?"

"I…I am not sure what did, or when it started."

"Why not start at the beginning then, how did you two meet?"

Sani sighed and thought back, recalling the event that started it all…

Sanghelios,

2551, State of Hilvum

Sani wrapped his cloak about himself tighter, guarding himself from the brief chill of the breeze that had started to blow. Winter was fast approaching and soon the ut'su herds will need to be put into the pens for the brief Sanghelios winter. From the chill in the air and the position of the suns, Sani guessed by week's end the herds will be winterized. The herdsmaster would know for certain though as it was not Sani's place to make such judgment. Someday though, he may take the herdsmaster's place, a prospect that made him smile.

"Sani," a familiar voice called out behind him. Sani turned to see the herdsmaster, his beloved uncle, approaching. "How are you holding up?"

"Supmus me'yu (spirits bless you), herdmaster," Sani responded. "I am fine. I can watch the herd for a few more hours, in fact."

The herdsmaster chuckled kindly. "We have plenty of herders for the duty, so there is no need to push yourself, Sani." He patted him on the back. "Go on in and warm up, I will watch this herd for the last shift."

"As you wish, herdsmaster, though you are sure 'you' can handle it?" Sani grinned cheekily.

"Bah! I may be growing in years, but I can still watch the herd as long as you cheeky youngins," the herdsmaster was grinning himself. "Now go on, before I have to give you a poke with the staff."

Sani stood there for a moment, still grinning, until the herdsmaster playfully swung his herdsmen staff at him. With a playful yelp, Sani jumped away from the swing and started to jog away, giggling. He didn't get far when he thought he spotted something in the distance. Squinting, he tried to make out what it was, but it was obscured by a bunch of bushes. He knew he shouldn't approach whatever it was on his own: it was one of the rules of herding that was drilled into his head since he joined the Ses'sora.

"Herdsmaster!" he called back. "I think there is something in the bushes!"

Sani did not look back to see his uncles expression, but he heard the man call out to couple of other herders to watch their herd for the moment. After a moment, the herdsmaster was by his side and Sani pointed in the direction he saw the thing. "Yes, I see it too now, Sani," the herdsmaster said. "My eyes must be starting to go out if I missed seeing that on the way here." After a brief pause he added. "No commenting on that, ya hear?"

"Would not dream of it, herdsmaster," Sani replied, though he had a smirk on his face.

"Come, let us see what this is. It cannot have been there long, for the Tal would have seen it on their last pass."

"If their eyes were not going out that is," Sani said cheekily.

"Warso! What did I do to deserve such cheeky youth?"

"We keep you on your toes, do we not?"

Yes,…yes you do indeed," the herdsmaster sighed.

They approached the area with caution, their herdsman staffs held in a ready position. For all they knew it could be a ka'ur laying in wait, hoping to ambush an ut'su that wandered too close, or a careless Sangheili. As they drew closer, they started to make out more of the unknown objects shape and were able to determine it was a Sangheili. Moving more quickly now, but with no less caution, they reached the prone figure moments later.

It as a young male, looking to be about Sani's age, with red-brown skin and clothing more suited for the hotter times of year. He looked thin and apparently collapsed here due to exhaustion and exposure to the elements. The herdsmaster cautiously reached down and felt for a pulse.

He was still alive.

"That was Runi?" Zeno asked.

"Aye," Sani confirmed. "Between the herdsmaster and myself, we were able to carry him inside."

"I am surprised you took such a risk," Zeno stated. "Those wandering the no-man's land between keeps are usually outcasts, criminals, and exiles."

"We did check for Marks and found none. Still, we called the Tal to inform them of his presence and they sent over a member to keep guard over him until his status was confirmed. Seeing I was the one that discovered him, I was tasked with his care until the investigation on his character was completed."

"Do you treat all visitors like that?"

"Only the ones that come in unannounced." Sani smirked slightly. "Though even announced ones are watched: we had incidents where visitors started becoming belligerent and demeaning toward us after they discover our history."

"What do you consider 'announced'?"

"When they arrive on scheduled transports."

"Ah, should have guessed that, I must be slipping in my old age…."

He giggled at that. "It was a few hours before he came to," he continued. "When he saw where he was, he looked frightened, like he was expecting us to harm him. It took a bit of reassuring to get him to calm down enough to even give us his given name. He was not forthcoming about his keep name, however."

"That surely sent some red flags up in your heads."

"It did initially until he finally told us he was a Goturn. When asked why he was so far away from his keep, he simply said that it was not safe for him there anymore."

"A self-exile then, most likely," Zeno said. "But there are a lot of reasons someone could go into self-exile: a criminal act being one of them."

"We were unable to get out of him exactly why he felt unsafe," Sani said. "But from his behavior, the council deemed him non-threatening to us and allowed him to stay."

"Just on his behavior?"

"His body language told us he carried a lot of guilt and regret, even sorrow. Whatever it was he did, it felt bad about and on that basis alone the council decided to give him a second chance with us."

"A decision they likely regret now, once they heard about what he did to you."

"Yes…most likely."

"Did he ever tell you why he left his keep?"

"No, never. No one from his keep went came looking for him either."

"Which does not help us in figuring out why he started treating you like that."

"I know…," Sani suddenly sat up straight as it dawned on him.

"What is it?"

"I think I know why now…."

It was turning out to be a productive day, at least when it came to solving the mysteries that surrounded Sani. This next part should fill in a lot of holes in the puzzle of Sani's life and why he ended up coming here. Zeno waited patiently while Sani figured out where to start once more.

"Shortly after we found him, Runi went into a major depression period," Sani began. "It became clear he was mourning a loss of some kind, but he would never tell us of what or for whom. I comforted him the best I could, but sometimes it felt like I was not even there."

"It must have been something very dear to him that he lost," Zeno said softly.

"Indeed. Shortly before the schism started, he broke out of his depression and started acting like a productive member of the keep. Yet I could tell he still was not truly happy. That changed when the schism started and we were drafted."

"What happened?"

"While we were in training, another trainee,…What was his name…ah…Quoy 'Toleh…started to flirt with him. He was hesitant at first, I remember him asking me if he should risk it. I had told him any chance to be happy was worth it. So he did start accepting Quoy's advances and I saw him happy for the first time since I found him."

"I have a feeling it was not to last…," Zeno muttered.

"No…," Sani confirmed, shaking his head. "Just before our first battle, I overheard Quoy mentioning that they should consummate their relationship after victory was won, Runi agreed. But…"

"Quoy did not survive the battle."

Sani nodded sadly. "He must not have seen him fall during the battle itself, as he waited in the hanger for hours, expecting each phantom that came in to have Quoy onboard. One did finally arrive with his corpse…." Sani sighed before continuing. "Runi was devastated by the loss: he did not speak for nearly a week. Again, I comforted him the best I could, but the worst was yet to come."

"Was that when…"

"No, not yet. A major domo, Higo I think his name was, started wooing him. I did not like the looks of him, so I warned him against it. However Runi was desperate for love and accepted Higo's advances. As I feared, it turned out Higo was only using him for a cheap thrill, a plaything. Once he grew tired of Runi, he dumped him: it…shattered what was left of Runi's spirit."

"I think I see now," Zeno said, piecing it together in his head. "Since you were the one constant in his life, he sought to protect you, or something similar. Only his paranoia of losing you ended up turning him into a monster."

"That is largely it, yes," Sani said, nodding. "It…does make you sympathetic considering what history we know about him…but…."

"It does not excuse him for what has done," Zeno said with a faint growl.

"No…." After a brief moment Sani asked. "Zeno…do you think there is a chance he can be redeemed?"

Zeno sighed as he mulled over the question. "I do not know. If there is, it will take a lot of work…and luck…considering his mental state now. I am more concerned about you right now though: once you are taken care of, then we can possibly see about helping Runi."

Sani nodded in agreement.