*deep sigh* I'm so NOT READY for this...

Okay, so, after panicking yesterday I took my time to read the new chapter again today. Damn, that end not sure shook me. I guess I'm used to my favorite fanfics being long and taking forever to be finished LOL but this really hit me for some reason. Well, it's better to end it while it's hot and perfect than to never know when to stop (*cough cough looks at many YA authors out there that keep milking off their franchises to no avail cough cough COUGHS LOUDER LOOKS AT HERSELF COUGHS COUGHS*). Congratulations on finishing the fight, that's the most relevant thing I can say.

Now, given the preparation and the amount of information on our lovebirds' side, we can understand that fighting and ending the Didact came rather... easy, I guess? Yeah, the sonovabitch was hard to mow down but... I don't know, but I didn't feel that impending sense of dread and fear I felt in previous engagements, this time. It's like, this was total overkill and it was deemed to be "third time is the charm" and it truly was. I do not question an author's decisions, I just live with them and either like them or not, and I liked this one. The power of combined effort and bravery did it, the evil was defeated. And even with an emotional ending there, the Librarian being the only one with the right to end it all. Tragic, sad, deserved. Action-packed, full of confidence, colorful, teamwork at its finest. Even Locke helped out. I am satisfied, quite satisfied. I felt bad for the Didact in the end, he didn't have a sliver of redemption and perhaps... I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, but maybe he was just far too gone to redeem himself in any capacity. I can accept that.

Now, I must say, what I liked the most was Cortana's debriefing. Of course he's got to be in the room, there's not enough money to keep up with the havoc he could break, come on. Hood knows his boy all too well. Nice to see Serin keeps acting like a brat, I didn't know Parangosky had spoiled her like that, but in the end she had to shut her mouth. I just LOVE how grandpa Hood always trusts his golden boy's word. I don't think John has a bigger supporter beyond Lasky than Hood, really. If anyone will put their hands into the fire to rescue this Spartan, be sure it will be his non-blood-related grandpa. And evidently there's always worried people, I'm sure they have some honest interests into this (unless they were raised by Parangosky as well) but I'd say there isn't much they can do to fight against an entity such as Cortana in her current state. She's the digital goddess, the mistress of the Domain, the Lady Reclaimer, the little blue fairy that could *chef's kiss*. I love to read political banter when it's well written and this one entertained me a lot.

So, that ending. Hmm! Right in the feels, huh? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO. Finally someone asks him. He wants his family, the poor thing *shakes you by the collar* PLEASE, I NEED TO SEE HIM WITH HIS FAMILY! *cries endlessly* I'm not ready, I tell you! *hits the table with my fists closed tight* I'M NOT READY TO SAY GOODBYE! This was so precious. Just so precious.

LET IT BE SET IN STONE: I doubt I'll find another story as good, well written, heart-warming, well-paced, inspirational and emotional as this one was. You have earned a spot in my gallery of best things I've ever read. God, I'd print every page and hang them all over my house. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all the feelings and the lessons on how to do justice to great characters. I'll be waiting for that epilogue to say goodbye once more. I hope you come back sometime with another story, or snippets, or whatever you want to share. I'll be here to read them. My best wishes for you, friend. It was a pleasure to be here to see this unravel, to cheer you up and to discover awesomeness.

Yours forever, Mel!

Hello! :D OH MYYYY MORE ACTION! YES! I'm loving the optimistic angle enough to not think about what other horrible things you might have in store for us. But it's a transitional chapter and as such, it felt transitional, a bridge between a beginning and an end. Not boring, entertaining, fast-paced and action-packed as usual. Very good transition.

Loved to see the fight from different angles, the Librarian doing her bit, the Infinity resisting, Sloan showing up to prove me wrong about him (I mean, I suspected he would be a strong supporter, I love this take on the conflict with the other AIs), Locke being helpful as he should've always been, loving the teamwork and when we least expect it, BAMF! we get a MAC round to the face! NICE! So, I see John has competition in the "dropping from orbit like an absolute madman" department with the Didact here. And I'm sure the Didact even made a superhero landing and all. We got a baddie here. WOOO. Is it just me, or the tone of the Didact's threat has sort-of dwindled a little? I could pin this shift in perspective to John absorbing Bornstellar's memories and learning from him, maybe this wider perspective caused the shift in tone? Because before it sure looked grim and negative like, the Didact is the worst thing that has ever happened to the universe, ever. And now we are SO SURE tha this will work.

*shivers in a corner*
*whisper in a very, very small voice* I'm scared.

And now let me blabber about Cortana being DA ABSOLUTE KWEEN and KILLIN' IT with the Warden. YES, it had to be her, it had to be our little blue fairy herself who finished off the Warden, that little teleporting shit. I'mma shake my pompoms at her because she did it, she was fighting against the odds and now she rules. The saddest part is that the Warden isn't "wrong", just biased. Very biased and also probably very lonely, he just wanted a Cortana for himself so he could worship her like the goddess she is. Too bad this goddess is taken. Their fight was amazing to read and I enjoyed it thoroughly, I love those fight scenes with meaningful dialogue that fuels up the emotions. Very, very well done. Couldn't imagine a better showdown for these two.

And just like that, she is back. And I'm dying. I'm dying, drowning in my anxiety, crossing every finger I have wishing for this fight to be over in a spectacular, satisfying and yet wonderfully happy way. Please don't hurt me too much! I'm fragile. I'm all glass, I swear! I literally had no idea what's going to happen after this, so eager to know more :) have a nice week, darling!

I absolutely hate this story because I end up staying up so late since the story is so enticing.

I've been reading this story for a while now (pretty much as a consequence of a lockdown Halo marathon leading to play Halo 4 for the first time, it unexpectedly breaking my usually stoic heart, and leading me to disappear down this unexpected avenue of fanfiction), and I am continually impressed at your sheer productivity in producing consistent amounts of consistently good prose (how do you do it? I find my own writing goes a lot slower). It helps too that the story is engaging and the character moments feel really on point. I still hold out some (perhaps vain) hope of a "happy" ending for some in the game series, but if that doesn't happen, I'm glad there's alternatives like this, particularly when they're well written like this. Thanks again.

AHHH! THANK GOD, after so much pain now we can entertain ourselves with a good ole dose of action! YEAAAHH!
Loved the practice in the beginning! All hands required, I see. Although this gives me a bad feeling, because... everything is in display. We know exactly what's needed to defeat the Didact and how much timing and resources it's going to take... which is pretty much EVERYTHING WE GOT LEFT. Thank God the Infinity with her massive Spartan garrison was saved *wink wink* and I'm kind of baffled that you didn't introduce Blue Team yet, I mean... they're John's family, if anyone deserves to be in this epic, it's them, but I like that you're giving Osiris the supporting role that fits them best. Now I'm starting to see that the Didact might've been an enemy far too powerful for John to take alone from the very beginning, which makes parts of H4 seem nonsensical compared to this. Maybe H4 should've focused on John waking him up and then 5/6 centered about taking him down? I very much would've liked to see that. I'm more and more convinced every time that what you're doing here is the proper route the games should've taken.

And forgive me, I don't want to be rude, but this SMELLS BAD. You've shown us the complete play. There's a lot of hope. This smells like something will backfire and we'll be crying again, sooner than we thought! OH GAWD I DON'T THINK I'M READY FOR MORE PAIN *runs around like a headless chicken* OH SHIT OH SHIT SOMEONE'S GONNA DIE I CAN FEEL IT! (also, all of this makes me smile because I had an operation named OVERKILL in another story and it was kind of too much, too).

Again, all the action flows well, it's entertaining and easy to read and to picture in your mind, a delightful show for the imagination. I'm loving this "mental link" between our lovebirds, it makes for a lot of silent fun and it's probably more intimate than anything one could propose for them, just perfect.

Glad to see that Palmer seems to be in a good mood now! That's my girl! Okay, how many signatures do I have to gather for you to get Lasky to give a speech on every chapter? Because he's the best. Just say the number and I'm opening a petition on change org! Just say it! ALSO, YOU SONOVA... YOU ALMOST GOT ME! UGRRHGHH! I thought the Infinity was toast and that really got me very worked up for a few seconds until our good boy Sloane got into the game! YEYY! :D This makes me so happy! All the AI are coming to help humanity! I totally agree that we don't need more stories with evil computers overtaken by their "undeniable logic" (whether they're right or not, I mean). So I'm totally behind this idea.

OH MY GOD WARDEN WTF WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS? He's like a goddamn roach, I tell you! UGH please get rid of that plague soon, it's like we don't have enough problems with the Didact to have to worry about the Warden as well (he must like getting his ass kicked if he's always coming back for more). Anyway, I'm super content with this update and getting emotionally ready for what I'm sure will be an epic heartbreak coming soon. No. Nooo nonono, don't smirk like that, I KNOW WHAT THAT SMIRK MEANS AAAAHHH!

*runs away pulling her own hair off

See you next Sunday :3

The Warden is like an annoying bug that keeps coming back just when you think he's gone. Amazing story by the way! Absolutely loving it!

Wish I could fav this story again, you're not the only one who goes mushy inside when reading this story

Remember when I said I wanted to strangle you? Maybe I didn't say it and I just thought about it, but anyway. Remember that? Yeah, it was about a week ago. Well, these two chapters connected are both ends of the same rollercoaster. And I mean, I'm a total coward for rollercoasters (I have a crippling fear of heights) so I died a couple of times in these past eight days, first I was like "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" and then I was like "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH" and I think that's beautiful. Chapters have to be as long as what you want to tell with them, so kudos on the way you handle them. Thank you for giving me back my soul in the end. I knew you just wouldn't let it end like that, I didn't want to have to use my particular set of skills to Liam Neeson the shit out of you :P LOL no, I'm just kidding, I swear I'm perfectly harmless.

Or am I?

Now, I absolutely love all the small details you add to the facts, just so it's all the more dramatic and realistic. The Devil is in the details, they say, and I used to believe that Cor Tenebrae was the Devil Himself (you can check out his work "Other Worlds than These" for further information, crossover between Halo and the Dark Tower saga... I think it's only published on FF, not AO3) but I have my doubts. You might be crowned Devil Queen now. Anyway, to summarize, first he ded, then he not ded, then he's sleeping beauty, then he's like my buff gaming rig after the last power outtage (all hardware working perfectly except Windows got cracked) and then turns out he was just stuck in Google Drive. We gotta give Cortana all the credit, she's a smart gal and she caught up immediately with what had happened. She just had to find him and pull him out of the cloud, and OH, THAT REUNION WAS SO GOOD! *eyes full of stars* but I'm getting ahead of myself...

So, Bornstellar is gone now? John unlocked the achievement and got the info, it seems, and now the Forerunner is gone. Hopefully the headaches are gone now and we'll get ourselves a remastered and reloaded Chief with twice the power, because that's the hero we deserve.

Now, back to the endless dolphin screeches! THEY'RE TOGETHER AGAIN! THEY'RE BACK! OH BLESS YOUR KIND HEART, YOU GAVE ME LIFE AGAIN! LEMME WORSHIP! So much hugging and touching and kind words and so lovingly and close and warm and AAAAAAAHHHHHHH I FEEL THE SOUL COMING BACK TO MY BODY! Dear God, it's so wholesome. Hands down best reunion ever. I'm all in for the mental comms now, no need for extra rigging after this. So good *chef's kiss 1000%* And regarding that thing you kept saying about not having time or space to develop a relationship, again... well *sly smirk* you already got them naked on a bed! I can die happy. That's all I ever wanted :P

Alright! Can't wait for what's coming. I guess I'mma sit here on your porch and wait until you come out again. Have a great week!

Well, the ancient humans stuff is a red flag.

But that slow burn off to people so close yet so far is beautiful

I don’t know why anyone should give you shit about cannon when this is fan fiction. And this makes more sense than what 343 is giving us.

I mean, I may hate all s-4’s and the warden with a burning passion. But this is good shit.

I was brought here on recommendation of Ladywolvesbayne.

I already like cortana and 117’s interaction. The opening made me think she was made flesh and it threw me off with the boot process.

Inlove you this story and this shipp all intended. Johns back and ready to kick ass time for some boot canp teaing 117 style fonna make wveryone shit their pants when hes back ready for action. Haha ah made my noght bro. Thank yah

(not logged because these fuckers don't let me post twice, for some reason)

You know, I was expecting a wreckage but I was more focused on something happening TO HER, not to him. Although I think it makes sense: one more time, with feeling, and this time fuck him up completely. So, yes, it came out of the left field, if that's the correct way of phrasing it. I skimmed over it on Sunday afternoon after I checked the wordcount and I was, "LOL I need a full day for this one!" I was so happy, too. I got the hint that someone was hurt. I got glimpses of Exhuberant, of the Didact and the Warden. For some reason I convinced myself that the Infinity had come to the rescue, too? I definitely misread that. But boy, my body and my psyche were not ready for this level of damage.

Which is why I took my time to read it all well. And that time was last night. I was all cuddly in bed, amazed at the fact that, even when it was SUCH A LONG ENTRY, it didn't feel slow or difficult to follow, I didn't want to check social media like I usually do with some books when I'm reading an uninteresting part... 17k and still, all of it was interesting, engaging, and yet meager enough to pack all the content in a very neat, orderly and fast-paced way that grips the interest. Amazing. Loved the introduction of our floating pink friend and the Warden being an asshat again, because why don't you, Warden. I knew this fucker was going to turn inside out like a sock. I like how the Didact plays the role pinned to Cortana in the official media and fits it way better, in a more suitable and useful way, that makes ABSOLUTE SENSE. You know, the way it should've been intended all along. I like the friendly banter, the sense of impending danger, the action, the scares...

AND THEN...

Then.

I cried. I guess that's the biggest praise I can give you. I cried. I cried in the sense that not only a few tears dropped to my pillow, but also my nose got all clogged and itchy and I felt salty water everywhere. I cried and with feeling. I won't say it's hard to manage, what's hard is to keep making me cry hours after, every time I remember. Like now, for example. Ugh. I'm at the office and I remember that moment and my eyes water, my nose feels itchy. I sincerely hate you so much that I cant possibly explain how awesome this chapter was. I'm toying with several theories and I like that I can't point any of them as the correct course of action from now on, that keeps me entertained. There's a degree of logic predictability but I like the surprises, even the ones that rip things out of me.

You had to hurt her, this time, and casually hit her where it hurts the most. That's understandable. Equal rights: she already died once. It was his turn to kick the bucket at last :P Now let's see what comes next.

Bravo, I stand and I applaud again. Bravo. *throws a rock in your general direction and hides to cry some more*

Wow, okay, this is A LOT
Just heads up, it will take me a while to go over all of it, but I will come back ASAP. Thanks for your generosity as always! *mutters while scrolling* goddamn this is so much content for free I can't even...

Hello there! Sadly, this one will be short because of reasons, but STILL, you won't get rid of me that fast.

Now, ROADTRIP TO SANGHELIOS, YEAAAAHHHHH! Always loving to see Arby around, I'm not surprised he and John have such a nice relationship and that there's RESPECT between them, always figured it would be that way. Best buddies for life, Cortana is so proud of him, so proud and in love *heart eyes*

This one has to be my favorite introspective chapter so far, because the dread is starting to seep in and you can feel it in the characters as well, even with the things left unsaid. HANDHOLDING ALERT, HANDHOLDING ALERT! OH MY GOD! I can't get enough of those moments, they're so lovely. Definitely the most shocking thing is Chief begging her -in his own tough-guy with a floofy heart way- to stay behind and let him take care of things. REALLY, WHY ARE THESE TWO IDIOTS NOT MARRIED ALREADY? God, my heart swells and shrinks. For all those awful odds, he's got to be grateful that there's still some odds left. I know the dudebros like to think that the mighty Master Chief fears nothing and feels nothing, but I reckon that has to be the crowd that never even touched one of the books or learned to read between the lines. I'm reading a lot of wonderful, sad and heartbreaking things between these lines. Go on, keep shoving that dagger straight into my soul.

Now, the action parts were on point, all that weaponry and ships and tactis and MASS DESTRUCTION AGAIN! That epic finale with the jump straight into the Guardian's heart was an adrenaline rush. I mean, mostly all the development of the action is adrenaline, you have your own unique way to make things dangerous and fun at the same time. Loving the work here, as always, cannot wait to see more next weekend!

Have a great week, darling! Good luck!