Halo: I love you, my enemy

Characters
Lhor Konar

Spartan Ren

Story
Year: 2539 unknown Covenant controlled planet

The alarm sang for all to hear and with it come the sound of hundreds of heavy and light footsteps from Sangheili to Unggoy and Kig-Yar. A lance of purple armored Special operation Sangheilis moved through the many hallways of the large Covenant base. All of them were armed to the teeth and their plasma rifles were fully loaded and ready to meet the enemy.

"Is it try Officer?" Asked one of the Spec Ops troopers to his leading officer. "Has the humans really managed to slay Fleet Master Olda 'Mossemaree?" The lance of five Sangheili spec Ops got onto a platform that dropped down to a lower floor before the Officer, Lhor Konar, responded to his soldier question.

"Ya, it appears so and furthermore... it sound like its the humans demons that have shown their foul faces this evening." The four soldiers mumbled a bit among themselves. They had all seen much battle with the humans but they had never faced one of the legendary human demons before and those who had survived a encounter with one told horrific stories of its absurd strength and sheer fighting power. Of course Lhor had faced down one like the others but he didn't allow himself to show fear or hesitation in front of his own men, not when they were about to head into battle with multiple demons.

"H-how many demons are we up against?" asked another soldier right before the platform came to a stop and the lance got off and headed down a side corridor. Blood and body parts from various Covenant species became more and more frequent as they closed in on their targets.

"We're dealing with two demons." Lhor answered using all of his willpower to make his voice sound like his normal commanding voice. He had a hard time during just that as he took in the massacre unfold before him and the sounds of plasma round and gunfire only told him that they were quickly getting closer to the two demons that had infiltrated and eliminated Fleet Master Olda 'Mossemaree. With a quick hand signal the entire lance cloaked and turned a corner to the left. before them fought what looked three Sangheili, two Kig-Yar and maybe six Unggoy against two dark green armored demons. all around the hallway lied the mutilated bodies of Covenant forces, each and everyone of them fallen by the hands of the two demons that mercilessly cut down another Sangheili and the two remaining Kig-Yars. The Unggoy ,broken and panicking, fled with their hands high above their heads, away from the two killing machines of demonic doom. Shaking off the fear inspired awe from his mind, Lhor punched lightly the nearest Spec Ops under his command on the shoulder, getting his lance back to reality.

"Get it together you pups. We're Spec Ops of the Covenant Military and warriors of Sanghelios, charge and slay the demons!" The Spec Ops troops nodded, their moral boosted once more, and charged at the two demons. One of the demons, however, spotted the outlines of the charging invisible Sangheili and finished off another Sangheili with a few swift cuts to the Sangheilis throat with his combat knife that near ripped the head off. The demon quickly, in an almost fluid motion holstered his knife and pulled out a large sniper rifle from his back, took aim and fired. It all must have taken only three or four seconds. What Lhor only knew was that the demon had just slain yet another of his brothers-in-arms and the next second one of his own troops head exploded in a shower of gore and blood. Bit of flesh, brain matter and blood rained down on the other Spec Ops who all quickly tried to out of the demons line of sight. One was not as lucky and his head exploded too, his blood coloring the walls dark blue. The reaming three Spec Ops made it into combat Firing their plasma rifles at the demons. The one with the sniper rolled quickly out of path of a volley of plasma bolts and fired once more and another Sangheili fell dead to the floor with a missing head while the other finted around the last Sangheili and used him as a living shield. The Sangheili was showered with plasma, easily cutting through his energy shield into his armor and flesh. The demon who had used the Sangheili as a shield, a female by the looks of her more slender body and shorter height compared to her male partner, threw the now dead Sangheili at Lhor, who easily dodge around and grabbed his energy sword, activated it and swung it at the demon in one smooth move. The demon quickly jumped away and grabbed its sidearm and fired it at Lhor. His energy shield absorbed the damage and rushed at the demon once more with his sword ready to strike.

Not far from Lhor and his demon were the last living member of his lance and the other demon battling it out. The demon was forced back from the wide swings of the Sangheili threw at him and soon the two had left the others behind as they moved into a large circular area full of lifts the either went up or further down into the Covenant base. Quickly unholstering his combat knife the demon lunged at the surprised Sangheili when the demon bypassed his swings slashed his across the chest, only saved by the now collapsed energy shield. The Sangheili had just time enough to sidestep a new swing from the knife to his throat but this left him at the edge where a platform could stop to take passengers, currently there were no platform and the Sangheili was left trying to get a hold of his balance. The demon smirked under his helmet and moved to deliver a kick that would send the Sangheili over edge and down the blacking deeps below. Things however didn't go as the demon had planned. His kick went through and hit the Sangheili square in the chest but what he hadn't though would happen was for the Sangheili to let go of its sword and grab his leg with both hands. Time came to a stop as the two enemies stared at each other. What felt like hours were in reality only but half a second and the two dropped into the darkness below, the sounds of the two of screaming and hitting the bottom with bones crushing sounds never reached anyone above and no one would ever find them again.

Back in the bloody hallway Lhor had a hard time keeping up with the female demon. Granted she had already be seriously beaten and wounded when Lhor and his lance had arrived but she still kicked like horse... well at least as powerful as one if the dents in Lhor armor was any indication. So far he had been saved thanks to his energy shield being able to recharge a little before the demon managed to land another hit on him but he wasn't counting on that saving his skin for much longer. The shield generator were reaching its limits and soon it would up from all the recharging in such short periods of time and he knew very well that it was game over for him when that happened. Lhor jumped back putting some distance between the two of them and allowing them both some space to breath and recharge their shields before going at it again. Lhor used the time to observe his opponent. She was beginning to get winded just like he had been for the past two minutes. She held he combat knife in her right hand but it was her left hand he was afraid of. She used the increased length the knife gave her to parry or push away his strikes with his sword and then retaliate with her left hand, Lhor unconsciously flexed his mandibles when he was reminded a strong blow to the face, he was sure at least one of them were broken but he couldn't feel the pain just yet due to the battle or was it because of something else? He wondered. He had been feeling this weird and alien feeling a time now but he couldn't quite put his finger on just what it was. the only thing that he could conclude was that he felt happy every time he and the female demon lunged at each other. pushing the feeling aside for now he charged at the female demon, exited about just how the exchange of blows between the two of them would result. The demon took a defensive stance and quickly dodged to the side, which made the Sangheilis heart pump harder with excitement. The demon swung out with knife but it didn't reach its mark. Lhor dodged to side and aimed to cut off her right arm but met only air as the demon turned on her heels and roundhouse kicked him in the face. His taking most of the force but the kick still made him stumble a few steps, a Sangheili equivalent of a smile appeared on his broken face. Lhor ducked under a rough stab with the knife and set off from the floor, straight at the demon. He got up close but not before the demon had retrieved her right arm and now stabbed him the shoulder. the knife went though the shield and into the armor.

"Gotcha." he said out loud before he grabbed her right arm with his left, preventing her from retreating away from him. with his sword in his own right hand he stabbed it into the upper right arm of the demon who let out a scream of pain as the plasma blade cut and burned away the muscles in her arm. Not letting up his momentum he deactivated his energy sword and took hold of her right arm with both of his hands and swung he across the room and into the opposite wall. Heart still pumping rapidly with excitement and weird happy feeling jumped at the down demon before she could slide down the wall and delivered a crushing kick to her head. Cracks on her SPI helmet spread from the center of where he had kicked her in the head and the demon went limp. and slide down against the wall. Lhor breathed heavily as he stared a the female demon before him. He could still hear the demon breathing through the cracked helmet and waited for her to get back up so they could have another round at each other but that never happened. Sensing the feeling turning into some kind of worry, he didn't know why, made him rip out the combat knife still locked in his shoulder and threw it to her left hand.

"Come on demon, what are you waiting for?" He asked, hoping that the female demon would get back up now that she had her weapon almost right in her hand. But her left hand never showed any signs of movement or activity. Titling his head a bit to the side Lhor carefully stepped closer and kicked the foot of the demon, no response. Lhor hummed a little to himself as he slowly bent over and reached the demons helmet, now curios of how one of the legendary demons of man looked like beneath their armor. Ever so slowly removing the cracked helmet from the demons a young human females face appeared before him. Her face would have been very beautiful for human standards if it hadn't been for the small streams of blood running down her face, the pained expression, the broken and bloody nose and the bashed in teeth. To Lhor she was all that was beautiful in the world even if he didn't know the reason why but at the same time seeing her in such pain made him somehow sad for other unknown reason to him. Lhor thought long as he stared a the broken demon before him who only could glare daggers at him.

"Why aren't you finishing me?" The demon finally spoke up, interrupting Lhors train of thoughts. Lhor didn't answer, he might have if he knew himself, and instead answered with a question of his own, much to the demons annoyance.

"Why aren't you getting up fight me probably?" The demons hard glare intensified but in the end let out a sigh.

"I-I can't move anymore."

"Why's that, demon?" Lhor asked again

"Be-because my neck is broken... I think." Lhors eyes widened in realization. She couldn't move. That was why she didn't get back up and fight him like a real warrior. Lhor looked down on her pained expression. That was no honorable way to go down as a such a great warriors as the demons were told to be. Lhor hesitantly took he sword and activated it.

"I'll give you a proper passing, demon." He raised his sword to deal the final blow. "A Great warrior like you needs nothing less." The female demon stared at him for a few seconds in confusion but then her expression turned into one of gratitude.

"Thanks... I'm Ren by the way." The demon smiled. " It's an old tradition of my people to known the name of their opponents before a battle... What's yours?" Lhor hesitated only for a second. The feeling coming back with renewed strength and made his heart pump faster.

"Lhor Konar. It was an honor during battle with Ren of the demons." He pulled back his sword arm, making sure that the blade would pass through Rens heart with ease.

"I love you." He suddenly blurted out, not knowing where it came from at all. Fearing Ren heard him he looked down at her only to find that he had thrust his sword forward and buried it in the humans chest, killing her instantly. Lhor stared for a long time at the sword and then at the dead body of Ren and then back again. After a long time, that seemed like years for Lhor, came the sound of heavy footsteps down the hallway and sure enough a large force of Covenant forces arrived around the corner to see all the blood and gore and Lhor just now pulling his sword out of the dead demon.

"Lhor... Did you defeated the demon?" Asked a Sangheili Major. He only received a nod as answer. The alien force cheered in victory over the demons death. Lhor was made out as a form of war hero for killing one of the demons but he hardly felt like celebrating he just wanted to be alone with his troubled thoughts. hours later found Lhor at the outskirts of the base, far away from praying eyes. In his hands were the cracked helmet and Rens dogtags that she had had around her neck. The tags had fallen off her broken neck when the Covenant forces had dragged her body though the base and used it for who knew what kind of sick games they could come up with. It had taken a lot of stealth and sneaking around to collect her broken and torn body by he had managed after a few hours had given her a proper burial. Still looking at the cracked glass of Rens SPI helemt he felt sad yet happy to have met and fought her.

Unknown date: After the Great Schism, State of Konar, Sanghelios

Lhor sat still in his apartment in the large modern Sangheili metropolis. Many year had gone by since his encounter with Ren nad had both risen to new heights and became a Special Operation Commander and fallen so such after the Great Schism. His body, broken and burned, screamed in agonizing pain as the last dose of painkillers were beginning to wear off. Lhor searched the room for another shot of meds and groaned in pain when he spotted one far away on a table and tried to get up. Biting down another groan of pain He got up on his one organic left leg and other cybernetic tight leg that still caused him such pain when he moved around to much. With stifled groans of pain he almost literately threw himself at table to get to the medicine. Lhor however didn't take the power of his new leg into consideration and was sent off course and instead landed on the side of the table and toppling the table over him. Lhor groaned again and sent the poor table flying across the room with his also new cybernetic right arm. Cursing under his breath he searched the trash covered floor for the dose of painkillers until his organic left hand touched something that felt like cracked glass. Looking up from his search he saw he had found a broken SPI helmet. Staring at it he slowly picked himself and the helmet up from the floor. He ran his metallic finger over its cracked glass visor, remembering that day he had killed one of the very few Spartans the humans had at their disposal back then. A small smile made its way across his face and he felt a lot better almost right away. Cleaning a spot for the helmet on a shelf he took in its broken features before he closed his remaining eye and heaved a deep sigh. He opened his eye again this time with a renewed fire in them that burned like they had dome during the war with the humans. He had sat around long enough in self petty. He need to turn he life around again. With his mind set he cleaned himself as much as he could and marched out of the door. His heart pounding like it had the day he had fought Ren.