The Light Within The Darkness

The Traveler's Chosen

"This changes nothing, Zavala. You're still our friend. You're still our commander." Ikora said, standing in front of the Awoken man who was sitting on a crate.

They had made camp right beside the Darkness statue, none of them up to travel much longer after what had just happened.

Targe...he was gone.

The Young Wolf winced from her spot sitting by the fire when the commander rose his voice at Ikora, her attempt to calm the obviously distressed Titan not at all helping, "It changes everything. I have no light. No purpose. No ghost..."

Cayde who was right beside the commander with a hand resting on his shoulder spoke up, a gentle tone to his usual joking demeanor, "Look, I know you wanna blame yourself, but...Targe knew what he was getting into."

"Don't!" He said brokenly, "Please..." The Titan tried to get up but the loss of his light sucked the strength right out of him, making him grunt in pain and throw off Cayde's hand.

When it was obvious he wouldn't be able to stand, he huffed in annoyance and punched the crate underneath him.

After a moment of silence, he spoke up barely above a whisper, "I was prepared to pay any cost. I was...Not Targe...He was devoted. He was brave. And part of me resented him for that. Sometimes, I wished he would just...leave me to rot in peace."

Cayde sighed and shrugged a shoulder, "Well, he did what Ghosts are supposed to do right? He recruited you for a war. And he chose to sacrifice himself so you could end it."

That...was obviously the wrong thing to say...

"End it?" Zavala scoffed, "How? I threw away my Light...for a riddle and a memory." He said, but his words made the Young Wolf frown in thought.

A memory...

If the pale heart was a collection of, well all of their memories...then needless to say that some of the places here had to be from the Witness itself.

It seemed Ikora was on the same train of thought as her.

They all watched as the warlock perked up and a small smile started to spread across her face, "A memory that can save us all. Of the Witness becoming what it is." She said, gesturing with her hands and staring at her fireteam pointedly, "What was made..."

Cayde was the next one who caught on, "Can be unmade. Right. Right!" He exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, we-we gotta link up with those defector-specters again."

The Guardian stood up from her seat and joined the others, watching as the commander stood up on his own two feet with minimal assistance, "The place they showed me...it's here. The Witness's memories became manifest too. I can guide us. But...I'll need help." Zavala said, causing Ikora to smile at him.

"We can do that." She said, hovering just beside Zavala incase he needed help as they transmatted away to get ready, leaving Cayde and The Young Wolf alone.

They didn't see it, but the young Titan did, the hurt flashing behind Cayde's optics at them not even acknowledging him. She was about to walk over and offer her support when he moved on, clapping his hands and pushing down his feelings.

"All righty then. We keep our momentum, and Zavala gets to focus on something that's not..." He trailed off before sighing under his breath, "You know, we ask a lot of our Ghosts. And they don't get one second chance, much less the million that we do." He said, eyes staring off into the distance, no doubt thinking about Sundance.

His words made the Young Wolf pensive, stuck in her own head just as Cayde was.

He was right.

She hasn't needed to be rezzed nearly as many times as the normal guardian, at least according to her friends but still, she's died plenty of times and come back without thinking twice.