This story is mainly a what-if situation which will become clear rather quickly. I intend on finishing it as a full novel, and getting better at my writing skills. Some teachers and students liked the first few pages, so I posted here to get even more input.

Please leave me a review! Every suggestion made and feedback given will help me greatly as I continue writing this twisted Halo fanfic! :D

Some 'chapters' will seem rather short and some will be longer because they aren't exactly chapters yet, but they might turn out this way in the end. Anytime you see an oo00oo, the view of the story changes or a time skip occurs.

There may be some referrances to canon characters, but most of them are ones I have made myself. Zhar is the name of one of Thel's crew members and close friends, however, the Zhar in my story is entirely different.

Comments, ideas, suggestions, all are welcome if you leave me a review! Please and thank you! :D

A small girl, no older than six years, wandered around her home in the dark of night. She had only been there for five months, but she knew all of the trees, plants, and most importantly, hiding places, by heart. Nighttime was her favorite time. For about an hour each night, she'd explore around the premises for fun. She was a Spartan in training after all, part of a new military experiment. So why not have some fun after her long hours of practice? She didn't really care about the exercises. She could take them and never complained. When she was told to do something, she did it that moment. If she fell, she was back up in an instant. When asked for assistance, she was there as if she'd been waiting to be asked.

This girl, obedient, open-minded, and friendly; never asked for help herself, never protested, and never gave up. Tonight, she and her small division of trainees had a task to finish. That task was grabbing a flag from the back of the compound before the other teams, and without being caught by their trainers, the guards of the flags. The girl slipped easily from one shadow to the next, avoiding the light of the full twin moons high in the sky above her. She spotted the guard from under the Honeysuckle bush. He was half asleep and uninterested in his post. She crept into the shadow of the jeep next to the target, and waited. She stayed still, losing her sense of time, and then the guard finally fell asleep.

She waited for him to start snoring before she moved. She crept slowly and silently, keeping one eye on the guard, the other on the flag. She slipped under the low table the guard was resting his feet on, took a last look at him, and then swiped the flag off the top. She smiled and crawled back to the shadows of the jeep. She heard something behind her and stopped in the middle of tying the flag to her left wrist. The guard was shifting, and waking up. She had to act fast, as he would see the flag was missing.

She dove under the jeep's gears. "Who's there?" The rumbling tone of the guard was enough to make her shiver slightly. She was glad to have the jeep between him and her, but she knew there was little time before he would check the jeep, and there was nowhere to run without risking being seen. With no other choice, she focused on a large bush against the fence on the other side of the parking lot, pulled herself into a crouch, and then ran.

Moonlight washed over her face. It nearly blinded her, making her run faster to avoid being caught. She was surprised to find herself at the bush so quickly without having made much noise at all. She squirmed under the bush and through the hole in the fence behind it. She kept running down a dark, overgrown path deeper into the forest. She slowed and crept among the massive Spider-leg trees toward where her team was supposed to be waiting for her. Poor Katelyn, she thought as she got closer. She had no idea she was right behind her until the flag waved over her shoulder.

"Looks like you were right to send her, Katelyn," Sally commented as she giggled a little from the shock on Katelyn's face.

"I guess so." She turned to look at the flag carrier. "Now I know why your nickname is Shadow. We didn't know you were here until, well…"

Sarah grinned. "I make the most of my skills to live up to the title Shadow."

Sally broke in, "The guards will look for us, and we have over twenty four hours left on our mission still. We should get moving while we can." Katelyn nodded and took the lead, followed by Sally, then Sarah, and finally, Wolf. Wolf had been transferred to the group only two days before and so far, only Sarah had really welcomed him. The girls had heard rumors about him being transferred from other groups for fights, and how he would always win those fights no matter how big, strong, or fast the other kid was. She let the memory fade in her mind. There were more important things going on at the moment. The tree trunks grew thinner as they walked deeper into the forest, and the loud call of Kakau birds rang in the air as they hunted the Cicada bugs.

When they got to the trunks just thin enough, Katelyn ordered the team to climb. She went first, followed by Wolf, then Sarah. Sally was halfway up when the guards' voices and flashlights were moving towards their area. Sarah reached back down while Wolf held her ankles. Sally reached for her hand, but hesitated. She slid back down the trunk and purposely ran loudly through the undergrowth away from both groups. The guards heard her and gave chase, oblivious to the three in the tree.

With saddened faces, the three jumped from branch to branch until they got within sight of Crystal River. Wolf jumped down first to look around, and then motioned for the girls to follow when it seemed safe. They found a stump covered with moss; the dirt on one side washed away with seasons of flooding. The result was two feet of exposed roots creating a little cave of wood and dirt. Sarah crawled in and curled up near the entrance, too tired to care where she slept.

When she was sure Wolf and Katelyn were asleep, she pulled a necklace out of her shirt and let it fall back on her chest. The amethyst crystal had ten points in a circular shape. The hole in the center allowed the loop tie to safely grip it. She picked up the crystal again and gazed at it glittering in the moonlight. The strange shades of violet that appeared felt eerie, but comforting at the same time.

Another memory surfaced in her mind; the face of an old man. She called him Uncle Bill, though he wasn't family. He had taken her in one harsh winter when she was only three years old. She closed her eyes and allowed the memory to pull her deeper into the calm of sleep, and began to dream.

"Better now, little one?" A rough, but kind voice and the smell of warm cocoa made her eyes clear. She nodded her thanks and sipped the drink. "Well, you can stay as long as you like. That storm out there is mighty bad, and the pup doesn't seem to mind you much." He smiled as the gray wolf pup pawed and sniffed Sarah's leg. She giggled and petted her. The old man set the cup in the sink, and the dream faded to darkness.