"How are you feeling, Kaiya?" Cortana asked. Kaiya and the Blue Team were aboard the Phantom, flying back to The Eye of the Tiger. The young woman was letting AI scan her vitals as she sat there quietly.

"I…I'm okay…a bit shook…but I'm okay. Thank you…for rescuing me." She said as she looked up at the Blue Team. Master Chief nodded before sitting next to her and looking down at her. Kaiya felt tiny compared to the Elites, but with the Spartans, she felt even smaller. Their armor made them seem bigger in person.

"Can you tell us why the Covenant took you?" Master Chief asked. Kaiya fell quiet for a moment as she thought back on it.

"I'm…not 100% sure, but it had to do with that weird object we found. Thel 'Vadamee said something that it's important for their Great Journey. That's about it." She replied as she rubbed her neck and then her wrist a bit. Fred pulled out a protein bar and handed it to her which she gladly accepted and quietly ate, happy to have human food again. Even if it was a protein bar.

"Once we're on The Eye of the Tiger, you'll be taken to the Medical Bay for a full examination and a debriefing on your imprisonment with the Covenant." Master Chief said to Kaiya who nodded.

"Then will I be able to go home?" She asked which Master Chief nodded his head. Kaiya smiled at that and let out a long sigh of relief. She truly thought she would never see her home, friends, and family ever again. She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes for a moment, exhausted. She could feel her adrenaline slowly deflating as her body began to relax. She didn't realize how long she was on guard aboard the Seeker of Truth, but now she could go home, recover, and return to the land that she loves.

Upon arriving on The Eye of the Tiger, the medical team quickly went over to Kaiya, draped a blanket over her shoulders, and escorted her to the medical bay. Once she was settled in a bed, the staff there began to examine her vitals and asked her many questions while recording everything to send to the UNSC and ONI.

"Ms. Walker, can you explain to us what happened to your eyes? According to our records, they use to be hazel in color, and your sclera was normal." One of the doctors asked. Kaiya sipped the water she was given and looked at the doctor.

"I'm not sure, but it had to do with touching an object that did this to me…I think. Everything felt like it was on fire…my eyes bled…" She replied as they scanned her body and saw on the scan that a certain part of her brain was very alive and active, but other than that she was in perfect health.

"Good news. Besides the cut on your cheek and a few bruises, you are in perfect health. We'll have you stay in the Medical Bay to rest until we return to Drotonia. We'll be notifying your family that you are safe and coming home." The doctor said as he wrote a few notes on his datapad and smiled. "Especially after everything you've been through I suggest you take time to rest and then possibly speak with a therapist about your ordeal with the Covenant."

Kaiya sighed a bit before she nodded as the doctor left and closed the curtains and dimmed the lights a bit in her area for her. She slowly laid down on the bed and once her head touched the pillow she was out like a light.

Finally returning to Drotonia, Kaiya was welcomed to a warm sight of seeing her family and friends waiting for her near the landing platform. She felt herself tearing up and quickly ran down the ramp into the waiting arms of her parents.

"Our baby! You are safe! When we were told what happened we rushed back as fast as we could!" Mrs. Walker cried as she kissed Kaiya's head sweetly. Kaiya hugged her mother tightly as she sniffled.

"I-I'm so sorry to have worried you mother…!" She said as her father ruffled her hair a bit.

"Young lady! You had us more than worried! You had us scared like rabbits! But…I am also proud of you for protecting your friends from those monsters…" Mr. Walker said and turned to face the Blue Team and offered his hand to Master Chief.

"Thank you for bringing our daughter home safely." He said as the Chief shook his hand and nodded.

"She has very convincing friends." He said and looked over Cole, Megan, and Ford who were waiting to reunite with Kaiya. Mr. Walker looked over and chuckled a bit.

"Oh yes. They grew up together. Their bond is…quite strong."

John understood that bond with his team. Ford quickly walked over to the Master Chief and cleared his throat.

"Thank you so much…you really do keep your promises!"

Master Chief nodded and shook hands with Ford before he walked away with his team to be debriefed. Ford, Cole, and Megan quickly ran over to Kaiya and pulled her into a group hug, crying together. Kaiya broke down crying herself.

"I-I missed…you guys as well…! I thought I was never gonna see you idjits again!" Kaiya choked through her tears. Cole let out a small laugh.

"Us?! Idjits?! You were the idjit that gave yourself up to the Covenant!" He said only for Megan to playfully smack the back of his head. Kaiya laughed with her friends. Oh, how she missed laughing with them and looked forward to more laughter soon.

"Don't make me hog tie you, Cole! We're just happy to have you back." Megan said with a teary smile as Ford nodded.

"Yeah. Once you feel up to it, we can go on a different trail ride and roast marshmallows under the starry sky! And this time no alien temple!" Ford said as he laughed a bit.

Being home with those she loved made her feel warm and happy again. Of course, she still has questions about what happened to her, why the Artifact triggered so much, and the possibility of her having powers. But one day at a time, the first step is to rest and recover.

Several days had passed since Kaiya was rescued and brought back home. She was slowly adjusting back to her normal life and recovering from her "visit" with the Covenant. She would secretly try her new abilities when no one was looking, mainly in the barn or in the woods. She could barely make a cup of water or a small rock hover at least an inch before she had to stop and rest. It took a lot out of her, but she was happy with her progress. Of course, she didn't tell anyone, even her friends and parents.

In the middle of the night, Kaiya had that strange dream again, about the Elite saving her from a terror and offering his hand to her. Before their hands could touch, Kaiya woke up with a headache and sat up. Her hair was frazzled and pointing in so many directions from all the tossing and turning. She grumbled a bit as she smoothed out her hair and looked at the time.

3:15 am

Still too early to start the day. With a yawn, Kaiya got out of bed to get a fresh glass of water and take some headache medication.

Halfway down the stairs, she heard voices and quickly stopped. She quietly backed up a bit and peeked through the railing. She was fearful that it was the Covenant, here to take her away again. She swallowed nervously and listened. Her heart slowly calmed down when she heard her parents' voices, but being a curious girl, she listened.

"I'll say it again. We didn't even know that the Covenant was here and that they discovered the temple. But it's a good thing Blue Team was here and was able to retrieve the valuable clone." Her father said.

Clone? What Clone? Kaiya was confused and listened more.

"Yes it is a good thing, but it still happened! You promised us that she would be safe on Drotonia." A gruff sounding voice said with anger lacing his tone.

"What is worse, the girl was discovered by a Supreme Commander of the Covenant!" Another voice said with worry.

"We know. That wasn't something we weren't expecting. But I believe he will not return here." Her mother said. Kaiya blinked as she listened and felt her heart pounding in her chest. What were they talking about?! What clone? Were they speaking of her? Or something else? Her mind was racing with what she was hearing.

Not wishing to hear anymore, Kaiya snuck back into her bedroom and laid down. She tried to sleep, but all she could do was stare at the ceiling above her until she passed out.

The sun slowly rose over the mountains and shone down on the world below. Kaiya was already up and sitting on her bed, deep in thought. Her mind was racing and questioning what she heard. Maybe she dreamt about it? But it didn't seem like a dream, it was real. She chewed on her cheek as she leaned against the pillows and glanced at the photo of her and her parents.

She knew she was adopted, but the way her parents and those mystery voices were talking about clones were driving her crazy. She could hear her parents moving around and chatting downstairs. It seemed normal then an idea formulated in her head. The AI, Cortana! Maybe she could help her with these burning questions…if she and the Master Chief were still on Drotonia.

Quickly she jumped out of bed and got dressed and reached for her ribbon…only to find it was gone. "Damn…that's right…I cut the part of my hair that had it…that Thel 'Vadamee must still have it…" She sighed heavily and shook her head before she fixed her hair up in a normal ponytail and put on her hat.

Kaiya quickly rushed downstairs, grabbed some bacon her mother left out and ran out of the house to saddle up Phoenix.

"And where are you going in such a rush?" Mr. Walker asked with a smirk from the chicken coop.

Kaiya looked over and forced a smile. "I was going to take Phoenix for a ride into town for a bit. You know, enjoy what I love doing." She said as she clicked her tongue and Phoenix came trotting over to her. He whinnied happily and nuzzled Kaiya who stroked his neck.

"I missed you too boy…let's go for a ride." She said as she led him out of the pasture and saddled him up.

"Alright, just be sure to be home on time for dinner!" Mr. Walker said as he went back to working on fixing the fence around the chicken coop. Kaiya nodded as she climbed onto Phoenix and galloped down the road.

As Phoenix galloped down the road, Kaiya could feel the wind against her skin and her hair blowing wildly. Oh, how she missed the feeling of riding. The wind in her hair, the feeling of being free. She closed her eyes for a moment and smiled softly. Even though she had burning questions, just for this moment, she forgot about them and gently turned Phoenix towards the open field near the road and galloped through the grass.

She let out laughter as grass and dew were kicked up behind Phoenix. The warm sun felt good upon her skin and after many days of rest, her eyes had finally gotten used to the brightest of the sun.

After a while of galloping, Kaiya and Phoenix slowed down to a trot as they entered Eldervale. News had spread like wildfire of her kidnapping by the Covenant, people were afraid that they were there but soon heard what Kaiya had done to protect Eldervale and Drotonia. They welcomed her back with warm and happy greetings.

"Hey, Kaiya! It's good to have you back! I see you are back in the saddle already! Haha! Can't keep you away from riding for too long!" An old man greeted her from the porch of the tavern. Kaiya smiled and nodded.

"Morning Mr. Jenkins! You know me. I was born to ride." She chuckled as she continued on her way. Jenkins laughed a bit before he leaned back in his chair enjoying his cup of coffee before he could enjoy some beer a bit later.

Kaiya smiled and greeted anyone who greeted her. It was good to be home. She soon arrived at the Outpost of the UNSC and dismounted Phoenix. Once his reins were secured, Kaiya walked into the Outpost, adjusted her bag, and looked around. The man at the desk looked up from the computer.

"Can I help you, ma'am-?" He asked then stared at her unusual eyes as she went up to the desk.

"Hi there. I was wondering if the Master Chief was still here? I wanted to thank him for rescuing me." She said, "...and please stop staring at my eyes…I know they're different…"

The man quickly shook his head and glanced away. "My apologies ma'am! The Master Chief is still here along with the Blue Team. I believe they are in the gym, just go down the hallway and take a left. I'll let them know they have a visitor." He said as he pressed a button and the doors slid open. Kaiya tilted her hat to the man before she went in.

As she walked down the hallway, she received many stares from the marines stationed there. All of them looked into her eyes. Kaiya grumbled as she wished she had some sunglasses to hide them. She tilted her hat over her eyes and continued down the hallway till she found the gym.

Kaiya felt very out of place among all the marines working out. She slowly walked in and glanced around the room, expecting to see Blue Team in their armor until a large man approached her. She was a bit startled by this giant before her. He had unnaturally pale skin, scars all over his arms, one large scar across his nose to the other side of his face, thoughtful pale blue eyes, and reddish-brown hair.

"Kaiya it's good to see you again." He said in a familiar voice. It took Kaiya a second to realize who he was.

"Master Chief? Oh wow, I was not expecting to see you out of your armor! I thought all you Spartans never take off your armor." She said surprisingly.

"Normally. Come on. The others are over here." He said as Kaiya nodded and followed after the giant to where the rest of Blue Team was. In the corner of the room were Fred, Kelly, and Linda. They had been doing their PTs most of the day and were taking a small break when they received word they had a visitor.

"Well well…if it isn't Ms. Kaiya. How are you?" Fred asked. Kaiya nodded to him.

"Better. I wanted to thank you all again for coming and rescuing me. I brought you some homemade beef jerky. My own personal recipe." She said with a smile as she opened her bag and handed them a box of beef jerky.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you," Kelly said as she took the box and opened it up, and gave it a sniff. "Mmm…smells good."

Kaiya smiled at them then glanced around a bit. John picked up on her body language and lowered his voice.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a calm tone. Kaiya looked at him and then rubbed her neck.

"Well…another reason why I stopped by is…I need Cortana's help…last night I heard my parents talking about…a clone you saved recently from the Covenant…and I need some information dug up about…me…if it's not too much to ask for." She replied in a serious tone. The team looked at each other for a moment before Cortana's hologram appeared on the computer next to them.

"Research? Count me in!" She said with a smirk. John looked at his AI companion and shook his head. He knew he couldn't stop her when it came to research. Especially secrets.

"I don't see why not. Just keep it on the down-low." He instructed and gestured for Kaiya to move closer to the computer. Kaiya nodded and walked over to Cortana. Cortana looked at her and smiled.

"Let's get to work." She said before she pulled up files on Kaiya's adoption. Kaiya quietly read through the adoption documents and shook her head. This isn't what she was looking for. She knew about her documents, but they needed to dig deeper.

"Can you pull up information on my adopted parents?" She asked Cortana who nodded and did so. As they looked, John and the others kept an eye out for them. John would glance over once in a while until Cortana pulled up some background documents of Mr. and Mrs. Walker. Kaiya's eyes scanned over the documents. For most of it, it was pretty much what she knew. That her parents were simple farmers that inherited the farm from Mr. Walker's parents who inherited from their family and so on.

Until Cortona found something and pulled up files labeled ONI. Kaiya felt a slight dread in her stomach.

"Can…can you open those files, Cortana?" Kaiya asked in a low voice.

"Yes, I can. It'll take a moment." Cortana replied before she opened the files for Kaiya. Both their eyes widened a bit.

"According to this…your parents are ONI agents and scientists that are working on a top-secret super soldier project with…clones…" Cortana said and glanced at Kaiya whose eyes were reading everything in the files. Her heart pounded in her chest with each line she read.

Entry Log #205 -

Subject KFR25 has been developed in the testing tube in an infant state. Five years of growth in the tube. It is more stable than the previous subjects. We have done it. We have made the perfect clone of the ancient alien race DNA, known as the Forerunners, we discovered on Dronotia. The clone will be released soon and put into a human colony environment.

Married ONI agents will be its guardians and see how well it does within a human family before we proceed with the making of clones. Mrs. Walker even gave it a name. Kaiya.

Kaiya covered her mouth to hold in her mortified gasp. She felt her world, everything she loved shattered around her. Her life had been one big lie. She was just an experimental study this whole time. Her parents…no the scientists just wanted to use her for study. She felt dizzy and stumbled back only for John to catch her and help her sit down.

Cortana quickly closed the files and looked at Kaiya with worry. John wasn't good with showing emotions on his face, but his eyes did hold a slight worry for the young woman who looked like she was just run over by a Hunter. Silent tears fell down her cheeks.

"I…I'm not…human…? I-I'm…" She struggled to speak only for John to gently squeeze her shoulder.

"Breath, Kaiya…slow, deep breaths," he instructed as he kneeled down and offered some water to her. She shakily took the water and sipped it. She set the cup down and buried her face in her hands. So many questions raced through her head. What was a Forerunner?! Is that why the Artifact reacted to her and why the Covenant took her?!

Her friends were almost killed because of these secrets! Her body was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. Her friends…were they a part of this as well? No. She couldn't believe that part. She had completely zoned out everything as Cortana looked at John.

"Chief, rub her back gently. It'll help calm her down." She instructed. John looked at Cortana and then to Kaiya before he cautiously and gently rubbed her back. This was a foreign gesture to him, but he had seen the marines and medics do this to others to help them calm down.

Kaiya buried her face into his shoulder suddenly and quietly cried as John froze a moment and looked at Cortana for help. Cortana gave him a gesture to hold her. He looked at the sobbing woman and slowly wrapped his arms around her. He gently rubbed her back in silence until she finally calmed down.

"I-I'm sorry…" She whispered as she pulled away from John and rubbed her eyes. "B-But thank you…" She hiccuped a bit. John nodded to her and gave her some water which Kaiya gratefully took and drank the refreshing water for her dried throat.

"I'm…so sorry Kaiya…" Cortana said to her. Kaiya only shook her head.

"It's not your fault…it was only a matter of time…my curiosity always gets the better of me…but thank you Cortana for helping me discover the truth…I just…just need time to think this over…" Kaiya replied to Cortana before she wiped the tears away.

"Take a moment to collect yourself before you leave…" John instructed her.

"Understood…I can trust you with this information, right? To keep it between us?" She asked and John nodded.

"I promise. When I make a promise, I keep it." He said. Kaiya looked at him before she hugged him quickly and pulled away.

"Thank you, Master Chief." She said and gave him a soft sad smile. After Kaiya had finally calmed down, she bid farewell to John, Blue Team, and Cortana before she left the outpost and rode back to West Haven Ranch.

John crossed his arms as he watched her go and wondered if she'll be okay after discovering the truth.

Kaiya didn't return home right away until it was almost dusk. She had gone to a nearby waterfall and sat down to think. She felt so much turmoil building up inside her and wrestled with her thoughts. She wanted to forget what she had discovered and try to move on. Deny everything she had read. Deny that her parents weren't ONI scientists and that they loved her.

Once she had returned home, she could smell her mother making spaghetti and meatballs. Her favorite. Her…mother. Why did the word make her cringe now? She shook her head as she dismounted Phoenix, unsaddled him, and led him into the barn before she went inside.

"Welcome home, Kaiya! Did you have a good day?" Mrs. Walker called out from the kitchen. Kaiya stood in the middle of the hallway and glanced around. Was this truly a home? Or another prison? She mentally slapped herself and cleared her throat.

"Y-Yeah. Took a nice ride around town and hung out at my favorite place." She replied.

"I'm glad! Dinner is almost ready! Why don't you get comfy and cleaned up? We're having your favorite!" Mrs. Walker said as Kaiya quietly went up to her bedroom and slowly hung her hat. She changed into her wolf-printed PJ bottoms and black tank top before she went into the bathroom and stared at her reflection.

Her eyes. They were proof that she wasn't a human being. She was an alien. A clone of another alien. Those black sclera and piercing blue eyes stared back at her. She growled to herself and quickly left the bathroom, her hands shaking slightly.

Kaiya leaned against the wall and took slow deep breaths to calm herself back down. She looked at her trembling hands and hugged herself, humming to herself.

Quietly, Kaiya ate her dinner with her…folks. She watched them as they smiled and chatted to one another then would smile at her. She would only hum in response as she quietly ate. They took her responses as a way that she might still be recovering from her experience with the Covenant.

"Kaiya?" Mrs. Walker asked gently. Kaiya slowly looked up at them after she swallowed her food. She watched as her "mother" reached over and gently held her hand as did her "father".

"Whatever you are going through…we're so happy to have you safe and home again. We love you." Mrs. Walker smiled warmly at her as did Mr. Walker.

"That's right, sweetie. We are grateful to have you back," he said. Kaiya felt something snap inside her. She jerked her hands away from theirs and slowly stood up. Her anger grew more and more with each second. The dishes on the table began to shake a bit as she glared at them both. No more lies.

"Enough…no more lies…knock it off…I know what's going on now." She snarled at him. Mr. and Mrs. Walker looked at each other then back to Kaiya.

"What are you talking about, young lady?" Mr. Walker asked calmly. "What lies?"

Kaiya slammed her hands on the table. "I heard you last night! Both of you talking about how Blue Team was able to rescue the valuable clone! Who else was rescued from the Covenant?! Just me! I know what I am now! A damn clone! Did you even care or love me?! Or was I just an expensive subject?!"

Mrs. Walker sighed softly. "It's…true…you are a clone, but we kept it a secret for your own good and safety." She said, Kaiya snarled.

"For my own safety and my own good?! What about my friends?! Because of what I am, my friends were almost killed by the Covenant! Do you know how terrifying it was to see them handcuffed and surrounded by Elites, Grunts, and Jackals?! They could have been killed! Do they even know what I am?!" She snapped at them as Mr. Walker stood up.

"No, they don't. You need to calm down, Kaiya. You are under a lot of stress." He said as Mrs. Walker got up and they tried to approach her.

Kaiya backed away and she felt her anger rise even faster. "Keep…away…from…ME!" She yelled as she felt a large wave of energy burst from her body and shoved both of them away into the walls and sending the table and chairs flying along with the dishes. The lights flickered for a moment as Kaiya panted heavily and looked around, shocked by what happened. She shakily looked at herself than her parents who were struggling to get up.

"I…I…" She shook her head and quickly ran up the stairs to her room and locked the door behind her and sat on her bed with a blanket wrapped around her, trembling.

2:37 am

Kaiya was quietly waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Walker to go to sleep. When she didn't hear them anymore, she quietly got dressed, grabbed a small duffle bag and packed it with the things she needed, and took her passport. She looked at the picture of her parents and turned it away. She wasn't going to live a lie anymore. She wasn't going to be a pet project.

This was her life. She quietly opened the window and snuck out the window. A flashback flashed through her mind to when the last time she went through the window was when that green-eyed Elite grabbed her ankle. That felt like a lifetime ago. She shook her head as she grabbed her bag and quietly slid down the roof and landed with a soft thud.

Carefully she examined her surroundings before she looked over to the barn. She wanted to take Phoenix with her, but he would be too obvious. The thought of leaving him behind made her sad, but she had to leave. Maybe one day she'll come back for him.

Goodbye for now, Phoenix, she thought before she quietly took off down the road.

Halfway towards the edge of the Ranch, several vehicles emerged from the gates and flashed lights on Kaiya. She quickly stopped and covered her eyes from the bright lights as she was surrounded.

"And where do you think you are going, young lady?" A gruff male voice asked. Kaiya slowly blinked and looked over to see several ONI agents climbing out of their vehicles and an older man who was smoking a cigarette.

Kaiya swallowed dryly and glanced around. "None of your business…" She said with a snarl.

"Kaiya! You can't leave!" Mrs. Walker said as she walked into the light with Mr. Walker. "Especially with your new abilities! You'll be safe here!"

The young woman slowly shook her head. "No. I will not be your damn subject anymore!"

"Too bad…you are ONI property anyway. This means…it's time to go to a new…"home" to enhance your studies and abilities." The old man smirked and signaled the agents to grab her. Kaiya looked at her so-called parents with hatred and threw her bag at an approaching agent and kicked the other one in the stomach before she dodged the others and tried to run for the trees, but felt a sharp pain in her neck.

She slowly reached up and pulled out a dart. Her eyes widened and felt her body becoming weak. "No…" She whimpered as she tried to fight it off, but she collapsed to her knees and struggled to stay awake. "Get…glassed…" She said before her body hit the dirt road.

The last thing she saw was the agents approaching her and grabbing her arms before her world went completely black.