This is the Way the World Ends.....

They let me pick. Did I ever tell you that?
Choose whichever Spartan I wanted.
You know me. I did my research
Watched as you became the soldier
We needed you to be. Like the others
You were strong and swift and brave.
A natural leader. But you had something
They didn’t. Something no one saw but me.
Can you guess? Luck. Was I wrong?

Danger encroaches

The invincible Spartan John-117 rides in a

Insect like Pelican as fuel rods erupt into green fire

Besides the Pelican. Fire. A Pelican is hit.

“Mayday, mayday, Pelican down.”

The green flames fly past the helpless

Pelicans as they try to make their way onto

The ominous Ark.

“Brace yourselves we’re coming in a little hot!”

Bullets and energized particles whiz past heads

Hitting trees and rocks as ODST and John-117

Make their way to the Prophet of Truth. The

Arbiter’s calls strengthen the hearts of the

Warriors on the beach.

“Come my brothers! We will slay them into the

Ground! You will rise up again and again, and

We will kill you!” His screams of battle tear

Into the flesh of the Kig-yar and Flood

As other Sangheili descend upon the beach in

Ships made of gold. They glided upon the beach

From the heavens as they assisted the ODST

Troops in black as night uniforms. Blood of

The Jiralhanae littered the beach as John-117

Rushed into the Prophet of Truth’s heavenly

Abyss on Installation 00 at the speed of light,

Ripping through all his enemies.

“You. You started this mess.” The light ricocheted

Off his blood splattered helmet into the farthest

Corners of the room in which the Prophet of Truth

Was attempting to fire the last of the Halo rings.

“How was I supposed to know the parasite

Would follow? Clearly this is the Heretics’

Doing! A final, bitter curse! Clear evidence

Of treachery long hidden! So far are we along

The path, that I must strain to hear the clumsy

Patter of their pursuit. Know this my brothers.

They may foul the way with their charred and

Broken bones, but they will not stop the Journey.”

The Flood rush to the aid of the Arbiter and

John-117. Their tendrils act as snakes as

They come down from the black darkness

Of the installation’s topless ceiling. Gravemind

Speaks through the body of the mindless

Creatures that have been enslaved by the

Flood. “Do not shoot, but listen! Let me

Lead you safely to our foe! Only you

Can halt, what he has set in motion!”

Swarms of Flood rush to the Prophet.

The smaller parasites explode upon hitting

The Prophet, but that only phases him.

The Sangheili Arbiter jumped into the

Air with grace only the Gods could match.

His energy sword lit up the Prophet’s face

As he raised him into the air with strength

Only matched by that of a Hunter’s.

“Can you not see, Arbiter? The moment

Of salvation is at hand! Your kind never

Believed in the promise of the sacred rings!

My feet tread a path! I am more powerful

Then you will ever become! I AM A GOD!”

“It will not last Prophet! Lies for the weak,

Beacons for the deluded! I will have my revenge

Not on a plague, but a Prophet! YOU WILL BE

FOOD, NOTHING MORE FOR THE PARASITE

THAT YOU HAVE UNLEASHED!”

John-117 watched in horror as the Arbiter

Plunged his glowing energy sword into

The falling body of the corrupt Prophet.

The Flood immediately started to feed upon

The lifeless body as it hit the floor.

As John-117 watched the feast upon

The Prophet’s body, fragments of

High Charity pummel through the

Dimly lit windows of the Ark.

A vision of her. Cortana. She speaks.

“This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang but a whimper.”