Chapter Text
The green landscape extended in front of him, accented with the ever-present shattered road. Rusted skeletons of buildings and cars faded behind him as he went, barely noticed. Only his own stark white shell stood out against the greenery and marks of time.
“Have to stop playing favorites with places to look.” He huffed. “You could be on Io, and I’d be none the wiser.” Another exasperated whistle. “Sorry, Guardian. I know I’ll find you eventually.”
He turned swiftly into a familiar cave entrance, draped in vines and leaves. “Eventually.”
The entrance opened up to a lost sector, almost equal parts shadow and light. Sunlight shined through the large hole in the ceiling, and various flora decorated the walls and floor like someone’s favorite garden. A small landing on the east side sat almost directly underneath the ‘window’, and it scared him to be underneath it, in case something fell through and crushed him. But alone in the dark like this, he considered the risk to be inconsequential for a moment in the sun.
The paint marking it as a lost sector had been stripped by the processes of Earth and its inhabitants, but in his opinion, “Good.” He wanted to be alone.
“I don’t know you yet. I don’t, truly. I know somewhere in me that I’ll know you when I see you, and that you’ll be stuck with me for your entire life,” He chuckled quietly. “But otherwise, I don’t know you.”
He sat slowly on the grass, lost in thought. “Where are you? I have so many places to look. No compass. No map. No hints.”
A dusklight shard stuck out of the ground in the shadowy west half of the cave. He hummed. “Wherever you are, I’ll find you. I will. I promise I will.”
With a quiet hum, he floated backward to the east wall, and from deep within, something shifted.
With a startled jump, he scanned the ground underneath him. Like a fold in the rug of reality, something was there. But visibly, nothing. Just grass and dirt.
Possibly, the machine part of him would not work for this one.
With a tentative extension of his light, he reached out to it.
A pulse of long-forgotten life laced the flowers underneath him. It radiated like the sun above him, energy suddenly rushing through his shell. Like the other half of a puzzle, it seemed to flood into every doubt, every crack, every cavern, filling it up with the act of being.
“...Guardian?”
He backed up and ran over it, over and over again.
“I...found you?” He chuckled quietly. “I found you.”
He tugged on it with his light, and a glittering curtain of yellow dust appeared suddenly in front of him, warping and solidifying. He backed up.
“And...there you are.”
An Awoken stared up at him.
“I have to admit, I’d always wondered what you’d look like. On the outside, at least.”
A dark blue mess of a bob danced around her face, bright yellow eyes peering through the locks. Her pale blue skin had the trademark traces of light moving underneath, with dark symbols painted on her face.
“Hello, Guardian...”
She stared at him, silent.
“You’ve been dead a long time, but don’t freak out, it’s okay. I’m a ghost. I’m actually now...your ghost.” He bounced around. “I’ll keep you alive this time around.”
She stared at him, face twisted in confusion.
He stopped bouncing.“Are...you alright?”
At an attempt to speak, a torrent of blood spilled out of her mouth, covering her lip and the front of her shirt.
Her hands raised up in a panic. She looked at him and pointed into her mouth, making a scared hum in the back of her throat.
“...What in the? You should’ve revived with no injuries...It’s okay, it’s okay! Don’t worry. I can heal you.” He began humming with light, and watched for her relief.
She trembled in place, pointing to her mouth.
“Did that help?”
She shook her head.
“What?” He got closer to her face, shining a light. “Don’t be startled. It’s alright.”
She hesitantly opened her mouth.
“Guardian...your...tongue...It’s cut. Who...who did this to you? And it’s still bleeding. Why can’t I heal it…?”
She turned and spat more blood off the edge of the landing.
“You’re losing a lot of blood. I don’t know if it’ll heal in time. We have to get you to the City.” He sighed worriedly. “It’s gonna be okay. We just have to…” He twirled around, looking at the cave. “Get out. Follow me, Guardian. Do you see that pointy thing in the corner? Grab it.”
She hummed nervously. “Okay.”
“...First time I’ve heard your voice.” The ghost looked at her for a moment. “This is it, Guardian. The beginning of our journey.”
She smiled weakly at him. Her skin was more pale by the second.
“Right. Let’s get you safe.”
--
“Asha.” A hunter amusedly stepped through the underbrush. “Again with the weaving?”
A ghost appeared from behind a tree, eyeing her. “What? Like it’s a crime to see the trees?”
“Are you looking for something?” The hunter pushed back her hood. “More loot, perhaps?”
“It’s not loot this time. I thought I heard something move.” Asha’s shell twisted back and forth. “Listen, Nalim. For once.”
They both stood silent, watching the trees move in the breeze.
“I don’t hear anything.” Her comm crackled up and startled them both. “Well, now I do.”
Zavala’s voice echoed through Asha. “How is your progress?”
“Progressing.” She raised her eyebrow at a white dot in the green. “Remind me of the objective again?”
He sighed. “Retrieve the Fallen cache. That’s it. It should be somewhere near your location. Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Is it…” She quietly pointed out the dot to her Ghost. Asha turned. “Imperative?”
“Imperative?” Zavala huffed. “Everything is imperative, Nalim. You know that. But...no. It can wait. Are you al-”
“You already asked, Commander.” She squinted. “I’m fine. Be right back.”
“What?”
Asha cut the comms.
“Thanks.” They both edged towards the dot. “It’s a ghost. Brand new, by the looks of it.”
The ghost neared. “Thank the Traveler! A Guardian!”
“Yeah, he’s new.” Asha chuckled.
The ghost flew through the trees, bright white shell shining against the sunlight. “Please, I need your help!”
Nalim raised an eyebrow. “What’s the issue? Can’t find your Guardian? Not sure either of us can help you with that, new light.”
“No, no, I have her.” He stopped for a second. “I have her. I need you to get her to the City. She’s hurt. Bad.”
Asha hummed. “Then you heal her. Do you need directions?”
“That’s the thing. I can’t. I tried but I can’t. Her tongue is cut, mostly gone, and she’s bled out multiple times, but I can’t heal her.”
While they spoke, the ghost led them back towards his path in the forest.
“You can’t heal her?”
“I can’t heal her tongue.I can heal her scrapes and cuts and everything else, but not that.” He stopped in front of a tree. “I can even revive her, but then the cycle starts again.”
“Well, where is she?” Nalim looked around at where they’d stopped.
The ghost gestured up.
Everyone looked up simultaneously. In the tree, slumped against a bloody branch, the Awoken sat. Her eyes lit up intensely in the shadow of the leaves. She smiled weakly, and waved with a dusklight shard.
“Shit, you look scary.”
The ghost sighed. “Please, I can’t move her any better than she can. Tell me you’ll help her.”
Nalim nodded. “Of course I will. Asha?”
“On it.” Her Sparrow materialized.
“Alright, Guardian. Come down to me. I’ll get you to where you need to be.”
The Awoken shifted, dropping out of the tree. Nalim startled, catching her.
“Alright, new light.” She settled them both onto the Sparrow. “Keep up.”
She walked into view with eyes on her. Both Ghosts floated over either shoulder. The Awoken, cradled against her armor, struggled to keep her consciousness. She shivered, carefully watching everyone who stared.
Nalim shook her hood off, blonde hair flying out her eyes. “You! Vanguard!”
Leaning on a counter, oblivious to the situation at hand, the hunter Vanguard startled out of his thoughts. Now everybody watched him.
“Uh, yeah?”
She easily carried the Guardian as she stalked forward. “Take her.”
Cayde stared at her. “What?” Nalim handed over the Guardian. “What am I supposed to-?”
“I know you know the City almost as well as I do. Take her to a doctor. Now.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but she was already stalking off to do...something. He didn’t know.
She suddenly turned, pulling her hood up. “I’ll be back to check on her wherever you take her. If, however, you mess up...and I don’t find her at a doctor when I come...”
Her glare sent chills down his wiring. “Okay, okay, message received. Where are you going?”
“I’m getting her armor. Maybe a coat. And a gun.” She gestured to the barely-conscious Awoken. “She’s freezing in her own blood.” Nalim continued on her way.
“Fair point.”
Everyone watched Nalim leave, and turned to him.
“Alright, new light.” He adjusted her, chuckling. “Just don’t fall in love with me on the way, okay? Rookie mistake.”
She balled up further, pressing into him.
“You’re probably a lot warmer than the other hunter was.” Her ghost hummed.
He chuckled again, less assuredly. “...Yeah! Right. 'Course. Let’s go.”
The Last City was full of life, though anything that held more than two living things could be considered that, compared to the surroundings. The Traveler, ever looming overhead, gave the peculiar feeling of a roof, and a lack of one. Like a home, a shelter, with holes in the walls.
Cayde winded through the streets with the Guardian, her ghost following anxiously behind.
“So, rookie, what’s your name, huh?” He hummed down to her, glancing up to navigate. “Figure that out yet?”
She weakly shook her head.
“No name?” He shot a look to her Ghost. “You neither?”
“Well, she hasn’t had the opportunity to tell me, to be quite honest.” The Ghost’s voice drawled sarcastically. “I don’t have a name either. No time.”
“Then I’ll just have to keep calling you ‘Rookie’, huh?” He looked down, only to see her head against his shoulder. “Don’t die on me yet.”
“She’s passed out.” The Ghost rolled his eye.
“Good,” Cayde turned a sharp corner. “Almost there. Don’t die.”
“Now she’s dead. Stop, hang on. Don’t drop her.”
“I’m not going to drop her!”
The guardian rose up for a moment, heart restarting. She gasped for air and looked around wildly, eyes settling on her ghost and the Vanguard.
“Welcome back!” He chuckled. “Hey, I’ve got you. Don’t freak out. There we go, deep breaths.”
Her face crumpled in pain as the cut started anew.
“I know, it hurts. Almost there, rookie. Don’t worry.” He started again towards the infirmary. “Maybe when you can talk, you can tell me how you got this very unique beginning. I can tell you a story in turn. I’m very entertaining.”
She chuckled lightly, blood dripping out of her mouth.
The infirmary came into view, decorated wooden doors slightly open. A human passed by the open door, and startled at the sight of them.
Cayde looked down again, stopping at the door. “Almost there. Hang on. Look at me.”
She raised her head, straining, but smiling. “Hi.”
Two humans burst open the doors, taking her from him. Her ghost followed them earnestly. A third split off and approached him.
“What’s happened?”
He watched them go. “Tongue’s gone.”
“She’s a Guardian, though.” Her eyes followed the Ghost that followed her assistants.
“Yeah,” Cayde rolled his eyes. “I know that. She’s brand new. It won’t heal our way. Nalim’s hoping it’ll heal yours.”
“Nalim sent you?”
He paused. “Yeah? You know her?”
“She’s my neighbor.” The human swiveled to go towards the other two. “Everybody here knows her. We’ll try to stop the bleeding. Are you following?”
“I’ll be back.”
“Visiting hours are 11am to 8pm.”
He folded his arms. “What? What if I want to check on her at 9?”
“Then you’ll wait.” She raised an eyebrow. “You’re a Guardian. You’ve got time.”
The Awoken, now on a cot, turned her head to watch the blurry figure fly.
“Guardian?” It stopped in front of her face. “Can you hear me?”
She gave a tired nod.
“Rocky start, huh?” The Ghost chuckled. “It’s going to be okay. We’re in the Last City. You made it.”
She closed her eyes and smiled. “Mae i.”
“One of the doctors is coming. Hang on, Guardian.”
A woman approached, bandages in hand. Her dark hair fell out of her ponytail in every direction, but she remained unfazed.
“Hey Guardian.” She knelt next to the cot. “Not often we get you guys in here. Not at all, usually.” She chuckled. “Don’t worry. Pretty sure this’ll work on you too.”
The Ghost settled on the end table. “Where’s the Vanguard?”
She motioned for the Guardian to open her mouth, patting it with a white cloth. “He left. He said he’d be back. Probably not during visiting hours, from what I gathered.”
“How’s he going to…”
“Most likely like Nalim does when she gets impatient.” She gestured towards a window. “Guardians are predictable. He’ll be back.”
The Guardian’s eyes flicked over to her Ghost. He nodded slightly. It’s okay. Let the stranger put stuff in your mouth.
“Name?” The doctor changed something in her hands with expertise. “Hang on, don’t move. Almost done.”
“She doesn’t have one.”
“Figured. Need a name to call you, other than Guardian, though.” She gave a warm smile. “You’re covered in an impressive amount of blood. You shouldn’t be conscious. I can think of a nickname while I get you new clothes, if you like. The bleeding will stop soon.” She stood quickly, pulling the blanket over her. “You’ve been through a lot. Do me a favor, Guardian. Try NOT moving. See if you guys still know how to do that.” She chuckled, and started away.
The guardian turned, giving a smile to her Ghost.
He hummed. “You are covered in blood. I never really noticed what you were wearing.”
She flipped her hair, posing.
“Stunning.” He laughed. “Listen, I’m really sorry. I don’t know if I did something wrong, or...I really don’t know. I have no idea why this happened to you. I’m sorry, Guardian. I hoped for a happier first impression.”
She waved it away, shaking her head. “I okay. I'm happy o be ayive.” She chuckled a little bit at her own voice.
He stopped. “You’re...happy to be alive?”
She nodded, pulling him under her chin.
“I’m...I’m happy you’re alive too, Guardian. It’s going to get better than hospital nights, I promise you.” He chuckled, sounding choked. “Hey, at least you started off popular. So many eyes on us. And a Vanguard escort!” He laughed again. “His name was Cayde, by the way. He’s the Hunter Vanguard. Speaking of...I think you’re a hunter.”
She hummed, holding him out in front of her. “Why?”
“You scared the first Guardian we met by falling out of a tree.”
She laughed sharply, shrugging. “Oop.”
“Wait. Hang on.” He sped closer to her chest. “Embroidery. On your shirt.”
She froze.
“It’s…? It’s covered in blood. Let me scan it.” He lit up suddenly, blue light flashing over the stains. “Got it. It says…Callisto. Like the moon?”
“I go?” She pointed up.
“No, I found you on Earth. In a cave. Unless your mission went REALLY wrong...I think that’s your name, Guardian.”
Her eyes widened. “Cahiyo?”
“Yeah,” He stopped scanning. “Well, there you go. You’ve got a name! Callisto. I for one think it’s very pretty.”
She pulled out her shirt to look at it, thumbing over the thread. “Cahiyo.”
“Nice to meet you, Callisto.” The ghost hummed happily. “I’m your Ghost. Welcome to the Last City.”