Echos Of A Soul

Hope From The Dead

Storm sat alone in an abandoned room that was well hidden. It wasn't just any ordinary abandoned room. It was her older brother, Cayde's old home. Gun prototypes lined the walls and empty ramen bowls were everywhere. She didn't go here often, his death still hurts, but she's gotten better. She sighed as she sat down on the old couch, holding her head in her hands.

"Cayde, what would you do...I know you've met Echo." She started as she closed her eyes. "Hell, you even got her that prosthetic arm so she could still fight." Storm sighed once more. She was looking to her brother for guidance. She ran her hands through her hair frustrated. She remembered how Cayde preferred Echo over Zavala, how she was kinder, and looked out for others better than he did.

"FUCK." She yelled. "Fuck..." She would do anything at this point to be able to speak with her brother. He would have some idea of what to do. A soft knock drew Storm out of her thoughts.

"Storm?" A calm voice called out. "Is everything alright?" It was Ikora Rey. Ikora took Storm under her wing after her brother passed, building the hunter back from her lowest point.

Storm turned her head away from Ikora as the warlock vanguard sat down beside the hunter. Storm didn't know what to say. The mission they went on to retrieve Echo wasn't approved. She knew if she spoke up she would be scolded and Zavala may even be contacted. The hunter pressed her lips into a thin line as she was lost in her thoughts.

"If it's about all of you heading to the Dreaming City I'm aware." Ikora sighed. "My hidden informed me when they noticed we lost contact with Eris and that you all seemingly just vanished." She turned to look at Storm and placed her hand on the hunter's shoulder. Ikora was worried for the hunter, she seemed to be drifting back to a dark place.

"It's Echo..." Storm sighed. "Eris and Echo went to investigate something and Echo ended up getting possessed by one of Xivu Arath's children." Ikora's brows furrowed at the revelation. Storm continued explaining the situation to Ikora.

"Echo sealed herself off and began appearing to us, the six of us she trusts the most, we thought we succeeded in freeing her but..." Storm trailed off. Ikora could see tears running down the hunter's cheeks and her eyes widened.

"He took control of her...he fragmented her soul...she's gone..." Her head shook as the tears fell from her eyes. "I don't know what to do...she needs us but the others..." Storm couldn't finish her sentence.

Ikora pondered for a moment. She knew they all had violated protocol and that she should inform Zavala. However, that would only cause more problems. He would send a team of Guardians to their deaths. She let out a soft sigh.

"Listen, Storm I should be telling Zavala you all violated protocol and went on an unapproved mission." She turned towards the hunter. "However, you did the right thing. Echo chose you for a reason. She trusts you all with her life." Storm gazed up at Ikora. She was about to speak on how they failed but the warlock spoke once more.

Ikora on the other hand, knew Echo probably had some sort of trick up her sleeve as a last resort. She started pondering wondering what disaster she seemingly avoided this time. She was crafty that one. She recalled all the times Echo avoided disasters all because she seemed to predict they would happen. Her codename was "Oracle" for a reason. Ikora soon pieced it together.

"She's not gone." Ikora smiled, "she's one of the smartest people I know. You kept saying she knew she was getting weaker? She most likely came up with a backup plan to keep herself safe." Ikora watched as Storm's eyes lit up, the light slowly making there way back into them.

"Orion is still with you all, which means she's still alive, you just have to find her." Ikora stood up and patted Storm's shoulder. "For now get some rest, I think you all need to look at this situation with fresh eyes." Ikora smiled softly. Storm sat there frozen.

Where would they start? Echo could be anywhere. As Ikora left Storm sat there with more questions than answers. Storm flopped down on the couch and stretched, she didn't realize how tired her body was. She welcomed the softness of the couch against her. Ikora was right, Storm needed to look at this with fresh eyes. She closed her eyes welcoming the sleep that slowly took over her body.

Slowly her eyes opened but she wasn't in Cayde's room where she fell asleep. She was on a shoreline, and before her was a crashed ship. Weird, she didn't recognize this place. She moved closer to the ship. She noticed an unfamiliar woman with messy purple hair and pale skin sitting by the ship. She was wearing a black leather jacket, with a deep blue cloak. Storm noted one key feature about the woman, she was wearing lucky pants.

"You must be Storm, right?" The woman spoke softly and turned to Storm. Her eyes looked to be silver. A soft smile appeared on her lips.

"Who are you?" Storm asked the unfamiliar hunter. The purple-haired woman stood up and held her hand out.

"I'm Amara," Storm shook her hand. "But you may know me better as Echo's older sister." Storm's eyes widened. Echo's sister? But wasn't she dead?

"Ah, I see your confusion." She laughed softly. "I've been keeping an eye on her." Storm saw how calm Amara was.

"I'm glad she's finally found people she can trust." Amara's hand found its way to Storm's shoulder. "She knows you're all worried, but she's okay." Storm quickly blurted out her first thought.

"Where....where is she...?" Storm's eyes were frantic. Fear and worry fueling her emotions. Amara smiled softly. That smile, that was Echo's smile.

"She's attached her soul to someone, I'm not sure who, but it's one of you." Storm felt a wave of relief flood through her body.

"One more thing." Amara placed something in Storm's hand. "She asked me to give this to you." In Storm's hand was what looked to be a crystal attached to a necklace, different from the amethyst Echo gave them.

"Once you find who she attached herself to, she can transfer her soul to this crystal. It should allow her to take back her body." Amara was giving them a way to save the warlock. She cared greatly for her baby sister. Something that carried over from her past life before they were Gaurdians.

"Take care of her for me yes?" The awoken hunter gazed up at the setting sun. Storm could feel this connection weakening, she was waking up.

She needed to tell the others and find who Echo attached herself to as quickly as possible.