Redacted

Prologue

And here we are to the sequel of Tormented! :D

To those who are new, this is the sequel to another story of mine titled 'Tormented' and as such, it is preferred if you ready that first before 'Redacted', as there will be parts of the story that won't make much sense otherwise.

To those who had been following since the beginning, I appreciate you all for reading 'Tormented' and I am happy to present you its sequel, 'Redacted'.

Enjoy C:

Despite her grief, instinct forced her forward, continuously sending out her light in an attempt to find a 'replacement'.

Crystalline had lost her Guardian weeks earlier; they were investigating an area where reports were said that the Splicers were trying to set up a new base, a place to rebuild their losses. Both she and her Guardian had thought he could handle it on his own but the deeper they went underground, the more the Darkness became stifling, and the stronger Crystalline's doubt of the Hunter being able to take on the crumbling group. But her Guardian was confident and in the end, they had found the base underground, built from scraps of an already rotting quarters. However, just as she had feared, the Splicers were prepared as soon as they stepped inside and her Guardian was quickly subdued by their upgraded pistols and rifles.

Wounded and in agony, when her Guardian asked her to materialize out of his armor, she had initially thought it was an attempted to reveal the location of the hiding Fallen to the Guardians back home; she hadn't intended to leave the area alone. And alive. As such, she was taken off guard when she suddenly was snatched out of the air and thrown out of the room. Before she can comprehend what had occurred, an explosion erupted throughout her auditory sensors, causing the underground cavern to shake and crumble. Seconds later, the underground lair they had located was buried; alongside with both the Splicers and the Hunter.

In the end, they accomplished their mission but now, Crystalline was alone, the Darkness too stifling to resurrect her Guardian and days later, she found her light slowly disconnect from his; he had stayed dead far too long in the Darkness' abyssal hold. And as such, instinct forced her to move on without giving her time to mourn.

Letting her light pulsate around her, Crystalline glided around the snow, ignoring the tendrils of red that wrapped themselves around the debris as she hovered a safe distance away from any prying eyes; with their enhancements, it was easy to hear the mechanical workings of the Splicer's limbs from miles away, giving the female Ghost ample time to hide if need be.

But just as she had heard the mechanical limbs grind against each other, a familiar tug forced her to turn her white optic towards the source; a small tingle of light hidden between two rusted storage units. That's when her surroundings turned mute, Crystalline's focus now on the small ray of light as she glided over and scanned the area; immediately, the familiar skeletal form of a body flashed into her view, the remains hidden by years of snow and dirt. Letting excitement build up in the back of her mind, as the female Ghost continued to scan the body, the more of her joy turned to one of bewilderment.

She may have only had a Guardian for a few years but she knows for certain that most Guardians aren't this small; or at least that's what Crystalline can see. The bones seemed brittle and in the female Ghost's sight, it seems to be broken in numerous places and no sign of any foul play. Crystalline wouldn't be surprised if this one had died of natural causes instead of being killed by beings of the Darkness. In other words, not suitable for a life of a Soldier of Light. However, before she can pull away to find another candidate, instinct tugged at the back of her mind, whispering to her as her scans slowly died from her optic.

Why look for another when there is one right here in front of you? It seemed to whisper as Crystalline suddenly found herself in a daze, turning deaf to the world around her once more as fog filled the back of her mind.

Then just as soon as it appeared, the fogginess suddenly dissipated and Crystalline suddenly found herself with her core exposed as her parts twirled around her, forming an orb of light as the body in front of her slowly took shape. Any snow or dirt on the remains were quickly cleaned and removed before the familiar color of flesh and tendon filled the female Ghost's vision, causing the latter to reel back before instinct slowly took over. Skin came next as flesh completely hid the skeletal form, patches of light brown crawling around the body before it was quickly covered by white armor, the material thin but sturdy enough to keep the body together.

The face was the last to form, Crystalline barely spying black strands before the familiar swept back helmet of a Titan materialized over the features, completely hiding anything else before a gasp emitted behind the visor; a sign that life had been breathed into the newborn. Sending out one last wave of light to ensure that the Guardian's body was stable, the female Ghost slowly placed the Guardian onto their feet, only to watch them completely collapse onto to their knees, letting out gasps and coughs as their hands clenched the snowy hearth.

From the slightly wide hips and small shoulders, Crystalline can easily deduce that the newborn was female although her race eludes her as the female Ghost had prepped the helmet a tad bit too quickly for her liking, although she knows for certain that the newborn was not an Exo from the organs she had to put together earlier.

"Guardian? Guardian, are you alright?"

Crystalline glided tentatively over to the newborn, only to pause as the latter turned onto her side, lifting up her gaze to fixate onto the female Ghost. She may have had a male Guardian, but Crystalline knows for certain that even the smallest of females have a sturdy build, their stature strong but elegant, counting on their class and race. As such, the way her Guardian seems to struggle to stand, her hands struggling to latch onto the side of the rusted storage units in an attempt to get herself onto her feet, it gave Crystalline a clear view of her Guardian; small in stature, her body seemingly underdeveloped for a 'mature' form, and her body too thin to be considered 'healthy'. But that is not what bothered the female Ghost.

"Why in the Traveler…?" She breathed out, earning another bewildered look from the newborn, "You are…You are just a child."