Author's Note: Here it is, the end of Discovering Oneself! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Epilogue-Mutation of the Psyche

After Ben set down in the airlock of the Truth and Reconciliation and began to walk back into the ship proper, it finally hit him. The galaxy will see peace for a time.

Ben felt different as he walked to the bridge of the ship. So much had happened over the course of a few weeks. Ben went from a quiet hero on Earth to a warrior, multi-species god, and finally to a diplomat who brought an end to genocidal decades of war. A part of him felt like puffing his chest out in pride, but that negligible part of his psyche shivered and withered at the thought of the men and women who died to drive the enemy back and preserve Humanity.

The event that hit the hardest for Ben was Reach. Gwen briefed Ben on the Glassing of Reach when they returned to the Truth the first time. Ben had overheard Chief and Cortana discussing it back at the Control Room while they waited during Gwen's conversation with Mendicant Bias, and it seemed to shake John to the core that he remained in cryosleep on the Autumn while his home and most of his family perished.

He lost most of his SPARTAN brothers and sisters on Reach. The thought made Ben's heart clench as images of Aunt Natalie, Uncle Frank, and his adoptive parents burned away in intense heat flashed through the young Forerunner's mind. Ben silently screamed and reached for them to no avail.

As the guilt threatened to swallow him, Ben saw a flash out of the corner of his eye before Gwen materialized out of his suit. The pair shared a look of pain before she walked up to him and put her arm around him.

"It's ok, Ben." Gwen said softly. "I'm here."

Ben nodded and spoke hoarsely, his voice thick with emotions. "Everyone else we know isn't." Ben looked at her as the helmet of his armor peeled away to reveal tears that threatened to fall. "Mom, Dad, Natalie, Frank…Grandpa Max…" Ben trailed off and breathed in shakily. "They're all dead!" Ben could no longer keep the tears in and began to sob. "I want to go home, Gwen, but we can't!"

Peace, my son. Ben looked up at the familiar voice of the Librarian. There is a crystal on the planet Humanush call Reach.

Ben's eyes widened. "Reach? The planet is glass!"

The Librarian's consciousness seemed to wrap around Ben in a mental hug. Truth-of-Falling-Star, there is so much you don't know. The artifact found by the Humanush protected the base and the immediate area with a Slipspace bubble. A few of the Humanush in Level II Combat Skins survive even now in this bubble. There lies your way home, child.

Ben nodded slowly as he felt the comforting presence leave his mind. "Thel, set a course for Reach." Ben shook his head after a moment. "Belay that. Pick a Shipmaster you trust, 'Vadam. Gwen and I need to go back to Reach."

After a moment, Thel answered. "(As you have said, Benjamin, I will do.)"

Cortana and Chief walked up soon after the conversation with Thel. Both had their helmets off and tucked under an arm: Cortana's in her left while John's was in his right.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get back to Reach?" Cortana asked while John gave an almost invisible flinch.

"Mom, The Librarian, says there's an artifact on Reach that can get Gwen an me back to our home Universe." Ben put a hand on John's arm. "The way she talked, a few SPARTANs and Halsey were protected from the glassing by the artifact's odd properties."

Gwen nodded. "It may do you both some good to come along."

Cortana gave John a comforting look and a soft smile. A moment of pain flashed through John's face. Then, he nodded. "If there is any chance my family is alive, I would be an idiot not to at least check it out."

The trip to Reach abroad the Shadow of Intent proved to be shorter than anyone expected. As Rtas 'Vadum, informally known as "Half Jaw" due to an injury that took the left side of his mandibles, stood in the bridge while his ship hovered over a tiny green area on the surface, he began to pace. "(Are you certain you don't need an escort, Great One?)"

Ben nodded. "They think the war is still raging. Sending your brothers would waste blood."

With that, Ben and Gwen along with Chief and Cortana took three Banshees down to SWORD Base and landed half a klick south. The glassy desert around them seemed to abruptly stop about three quarters of the way in. Green and wildlife replaced barren glass. As the immediate area shifted, everyone went on alert. Gwen jumped out of Ben's suit because four was better than three, and the "fire team" gradually made it into the base. Signs of recent living stood around them. Weapons were piled near the door in an impromptu armory and beyond that, there were voices coming from deeper within the base.

At a thought, Cortana whistled a familiar seven-note tune among SPARTAN-IIs: "Ole Ole Oxen Free".

The female voice stopped, "Did you hear that?"

John's heart skipped a beat. The man looked at Cortana to make sure she wasn't speaking.

Cortana said one simple word in response: "Mom."

A stranger's male voice in an odd accent answered the other woman. "I'll go check it out." His voice grew stony. "Stay here!"

John heard the familiar sound of a SRS99 Sniper Rifle's action slide into place and tensed. "Damn," he muttered. This could get messy."

Ben and Gwen looked at each other. With a nod, Gwen grabbed the stranger with a tether of Mana and pulled him to her as his weapon clattered to the stone floor. Even as the man struggled in his binds, Ben noticed three arrows near the crown of the man's shaved head.

"Who are you?" The man growled. "If you're here for Halsey, I'll kill her before you can get to her!"

Cortana and John looked at each other for a split second. Then, they both pinned the man against the wall with enough force to make the entire base tremble.

"Touch my Mom, and you won't live to see tomorrow!" Cortana's voice spat as the man's eyes widened. He then looked back between the distant room and the woman before him in confusion.

"Doctor Halsey?!" Jun said. "How…?"

"First, who are you, and why are you guarding the doctor?" John said with anger in his voice.

"Jun-A226, SPARTAN NOBLE Team…"

John glared harder at Jun. "…and an insult to the doctor, then."

Cortana looked at Jun. "Your mission was asset protection or denial if it came to that."

Jun looked at her. "What are you doing?"

"The war is over." Cortana said. "We are here to secure assets and return to Earth for debriefing."

Catherine Halsey knew those voices, and after they thrashed Ackerson's lackey, she decided to meet John and Cortana herself.

"Hello, John."

John dropped the knockoff the moment he heard her familiar voice. "Dr. Halsey, ma'am…"

Then, the good doctor saw Cortana as she removed her helmet and gasped at the sight before her eyes. "Cortana, how are you…WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

Cortana nodded to Ben and Gwen as Ben disengaged his helmet and walked up.

"If you've got time, ma'am…" Ben nodded to Gwen.

Gwen smiled at Jun and hit him with a memory wiping spell. "Sleep tight, psychopath!"

Ben laughed, shook his head, and turned back to Halsey. "…it's time for you to be debriefed in full."

"That was quite a story, Benjamin." Halsey said after she heard everything. "Your Mother sent you here because the artifact I discovered is the key to going back to your own universe?"

Ben nodded. "That's the short version."

Halsey nodded. "Let me go…" The older woman trailed off as the crystal in question floated over to Ben. "…get it."

Cortana and John looked at the pair as the crystal began to glow and undulate a centimeter or two above Ben's armored hand.

"It was an honor to serve with you." John said as he gave Ben a salute.

"Likewise…" Ben said with a nod as he returned it.

Cortana smiled at the pair. "Thank you for giving me the chance to have a life with my SPARTAN."

Gwen nodded. "Happy we could help."

Ben looked at Gwen as he felt the energy in the crystal building. "Lookalike we're running out of time."

Cortana smiled and laid her head in John's chest as she waved at the pair. "Bye!"

A bright and disorienting flash later; Ben and Gwen found themselves surrounded by men in Plumber uniforms. The men were trying to keep civilians back as Ben and Gwen looked up to see Grandpa Max in the first line of officers. The old man turned and stared in shock at what he saw.

"Ben, what are you wearing?" Max shook his head at the thought and ran to hug the returning travelers. "I'm just so glad you're back!"

Ben hesitated as he opened his mouth to ask the burning question, but Gwen beat him to it.

"Grandpa, how long have we been gone?"

Max looked at his grandkids with tears in his eyes. "After that episode with Kevin, I've been trying for about six months to get you back." He paused to wipe his eyes. "Your parents are worried sick!"

Ben felt a pang of guilt, but it soon passed when Gwen kissed him gently. "We're back home, Doofus." Gwen smiled at him. "There will be no moping today."

Ben opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by two voices in sync: "TENNYSON?!"

Cash and JT pushed through the crowd to stare at their former target in fear and panic. "What happened to you?!"

Ben glared at them with the hard eyes of a soldier who had seen too much. "Don't push me, you two."

Gwen gently put an arm around Ben. "Don't worry about them." Gwen said as she casually jumped in Ben's suit and continued to speak. "We need to let Natalie, Frank, Sandra, and Carl know we're ok."

Ben only nodded and took off for his adoptive parents' house. "Explaining all this will be interesting, but I'm glad to be home, Dweeb."

Gwen felt her code move to mimic a smile from inside the suit. "You will always have me to help with this, Truth-of-Falling-Star." Gwen then brushed Ben's mind comfortingly. "Not even time or space can change that. I will always love you."

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