Hi guys! So get this: Thursday, October 15th, was the one-year anniversary of In His Footsteps! Could you imagine?

Anyway, so here is chapter one of the rewrite. I'm hoping that not much of the storyline itself will change but I have a few events and details that I want to add, as well as some minor changes, and more character development with some people. As such, I have an announcement.

If you have an OC in this story, I need you to send me an updated bio of your character by 10/23/2015. If you fail to send me one, then I'll either have to open requests for OCs again to replace your character, or I'll just have to assume what I can about them and just kinda go from there. The updated bios should include: Race, Gender, Class, Subclass, Armor, Weapons, Personality, Likes, Dislikes, and any other odd quirks about them that I might need to know. If you have questions, either PM me or contact me on my Tumblr or Deviantart (the-queen-of-kingss and RaNdOmCaT927, respectively)

"...Ahh, there we go. Now it works! Today is April 17th, time is 3:48pm although you can't really tell here. And this is Log number one."

Dark green eyes set on a tanned face topped with brown hair brightened in a smile as a man leaned forward toward the screen. "Hey lil' sis. A little birdie told me that you missed your older bubby. Thought I'd start making these so that you'll never forget me. So uh... Things here are going nicely. Kinda boring, but when you're out here as long as I have been, you learn that boring is good. Boring is... well it's safe..." He glanced off to the side as another male voice spoke, the words muddled from the distance. "Anyway, I won't have very long to do this but I promise you'll hear from me again soon baby sister."

"April 23rd, time, 8:45am. Morning Teira! I've got some news for ya. I've been told by the Vanguard that my name is on a list of candidates to go on a really important mission! Pray with mom that I'm chosen, alright? I'll let you know who was picked next time! Keep your fingers crossed!"

A few clicks sounded off in the darkness as the video disappeared from the screen and another one came up.

"Date is April 29th, 7:52pm. Hey Teira! Looks like those prayers worked! Cayde's letting me go with a couple of the guys for a mission out in the Old Russian zone! I'll finally get to see some real Guardians in action! I'm really excited, but don't tell mom that I am. Don't want her freaking out again... Anyway, we're getting ready to shove off so I'll tell you how it goes when we get back, okay? I need to get my gear ready before Richard chews me out again. See you again soon!"

Another flash lighted in the room, but lighter sage eyes didn't even flinch. A young girl brushed some orange hued hair out of her eyes as the next video played.

"Date, May 12th, time, 9:48am. Hey, Teira... So uh, the mission was uh... well it was..." The man ran his hand through his brown hair. He looked exhausted. "We lost Richard. The Awoken dude with the blonde hair, always yelling at me? Yeah..." There was a long pause and he sighted. "Took a Fallen rifle shot to protect me, of all people. I shouldn't have been out in the open but... we won regardless. Cayde tells me it's not my fault, that Rich would be proud but..." He sighed again, covering his eyes with his hand for a moment as he composed himself. Teira watched the screen, eyes sympathetic, even if she'd seen the video several times before. Her brother looked back to her on the screen, eyes pained.

"I learned a lot of stuff out there, but the thing I'll remember most, is that Guardians are not as immortal as we're made to seem. Guardians... Guardians aren't invincible."

"Teira, you really should stop watching those. You'll never learn to let go if you keep replaying them."

"He made these so I wouldn't forget him. He wants me to watch these." Came the reply just seconds before the lights to the room flicked on, making the red-haired girl squint and grimace. In the doorway, an older woman stood, with red-brown hair that donned a few grey strands here and there and it was set over a pair of dark green eyes that looked fond but tired as she gazed at her daughter.

Teira sat up on her bed to sit with her legs crossed. The little computer-like device sat dormant on her bed as it waited to serve by playing the next video. The teenage girl brushed some hair out of her eyes and frowned at her mother's chiding look.

"Teira it's been four years. I've been able to move on, so why can't you?"

Teira looked over to a display case that housed a long white and gold Hunter Cape. Leader of the Pack, if she remembered correctly. It had once belonged to her brother before his death. He had been right. Guardians were not invincible. She realized this personally at the age of twelve, when two other Guardians came to their home with news of her brother's death. All that remained of him was his cloak and his weapons. She vividly remembered an Exo named Shockwave-3, he was a Titan. And there was also the beautiful Allisia, an Awoken warlock. Teira had gotten to know both of them well while they served with Brandon. They had stayed for dinner that evening and she learned that Allisia was going to get married to Brandon after all of this was over, when they had some peace. The woman had burst into tears along with Elizabeth, Teira's mother, as she spoke of what she had hoped she would have.

Of course, Teira had locked herself into her room long since before then. She didn't want to hear it. All she needed to know was that her brother was dead.

While she was lost in thought, Elizabeth scanned the room. It was fairly bland. Teira wasn't the girliest of girls. She was a hard worker and had little time for friends. The walls were a dull beige color with some blue curtains over the windows. A few bookshelves sat around and her bed was simply white blankets with a small amount of gold patterns to them at the ends, just for the sake of not being too bland.

Then, as her eyes drifted to a small desk in the corner, she noted a book laying open on it. Teira was usually good about marking her place and putting the books away when she wasn't reading them, and so this fact brought some curiosity to the mother. Elizabeth strode across the room and lifted the open book. It was a book on guardians, what they did, how they supposedly acted. Her green eyes shifted to her daughter.

"You're reading this book again?" She chided, a scowl on her face.

"It pays to be prepared in case I encounter a Guardian, mom." Teira shrugged. "Besides, it would be useful knowledge to have in case I'm chosen to be a guardian too."

This fact made Elizabeth slam the book on the desk once more, causing Teira to jump slightly and turn her eyes up to her angered mother.

"Teira I don't suppose this book tells you that you have to die in order to become a guardian, does it?"

The girl shifted, apparently this was news to her. "Well... it said that Guardians can be chosen from people who are alive too, it's just really rare for that to happen. I kinda thought-"

"That the circumstances would be just right for you? I don't think so, Teira. It's not a dream I'm entirely comfortable with you chasing."

"Why? Is it because of Brandon?"

The sourness in her voice made her mother flinch and glare down at her daughter. "We were considered lucky that Brandon was revived at his age. And he died in a very dangerous condition, so yes. It is because of Brandon." There was a pause as the girl's mother sighed, placing a hand over her face with the other rested on her elbow for support. "...You are all I have left, Teira. I can't bear the thought of losing you once, let alone twice like I did with your brother."

The statement made Teira cast her eyes downward. A sudden surge of regret flowed through the young girl as her anger vanished. "Mom... I... I never thought about it like that."

"I know sweetie. Your brother was an amazing boy, and an even better Guardian. I'm not shocked that you want to be like him when you get older. I just want you to think realistically here."

Teira gave a sigh, and then blew some hair away from her face. "...Alright mom, I'll try. Do you need any help in the bakery tomorrow?"

"Oh, I think I could use some extra hands. I might even throw in a few extra treats if there's some left over tomorrow night." Elizabeth's eyes softened as she combed a thin hand through her daughter's bright orange hair. "Get to bed sweetie. I'll wake you in the morning."

"Yes mom." Was the response when her mother leaned down to kiss her forehead before turning to exit. As her mother moved away, the teenage girl settled into her blankets before her lights were turned out by her mother, and the door creaked to a close.

She waited for a few moments, then, eyes staring up at the ceiling in silence. And when she heard the door to her mother's bedroom close, she sat up and crawled to the end of her bed where the desk sat and flipped on a low-light lamp that illuminated the open book on her desk. History of the Golden Age, was the title of it. She didn't much care for the Author's name.

It was an old book, more than half of it described the world prior to the Collapse and it had sounded unreal. How humans inhabited the entire Earth, technology advanced tenfold since the discovery of the Traveler. It described how the Awoken were created, and how the first Guardians came to be.

It was a gift from Brandon during his first year of being a Guardian. He'd been a hunter, Blade-dancer subclass. He always loved the arc abilities. Cayde-6 had been his personal mentor for a little while, especially since Brandon was so young. He'd only been in his mid-teens when he was revived a few years after his death when some Fallen broke into the City. They'd been playing near the wall when it happened and Brandon had stayed back to distract the aliens while everyone else got away. He had been the only casualty and there would have been more had he not stepped in when he did.

It was needless to say that when he was revived, their mother had never been so happy. Teira had been happy too, but she'd been so young, it was almost like her brother had never been gone. She couldn't remember those days. She did remember the day that she lost him, though.

Slowly, a hand reached up and closed the book with a gentle thunk before she crawled back into bed and rested her head on the pillow. She drew the covers up to her shoulders and rolled over on her side, a hand resting up underneath the pillow. She may not have remembered the days when her brother died for the first time, but the hollowness of his going missing still echoed in her heart. Her best friend, her brother may never be seen again.

Green eyes closed slowly, letting sleep claim them. The video logs were all she had left of her brother. He'd been missing for quite a long time now, but never pronounced dead, although everyone assumed he was. Teira didn't believe them. In the back of her mind, she felt that her brother was out there. Or, that's what she wanted to believe at least.

She didn't dwell on the thoughts for long. Sleep claimed her mind and she sank into a dark, dreamless sleep.

::::::::::

"Teira, are you sure you don't want me to get up there and get it?"

"Yep, I'm good!"

A hand covered in brown leather gripped the rock as a small female figure pulled herself onto a small ledge just large enough to hold her body. Her unhelmeted head turned to look down at the titan standing below and she flashed a smile as the light wind buffeted her red-orange hair. Her armor that she borrowed was that of a hunter's beginning armor, dyed and painted to where it didn't really resemble the class in color, however. It was mostly just brown with a few black leather spots. However, the most interesting thing about her gear was her cloak. White with gold lining and the symbol of a wolf head in the middle, shining golden in the sunlight.

The titan below crossed his arms. His armor was colored orange and a rusty brown color. He was an exo, but his helmet covered that fact. Underneath the rust-colored helmet was a red-plated face with some black stripes coming down from the top of his head to stop just above where his 'mouth' would be. His eyes glowed red as well, and his mouth light was white. His boots scuffed the ground, moving a bit of snow in an idle and bored fashion.

"It would have been faster if you'd let me get it for you." He huffed, then shrugged. "But no, you have to always let your stubborn ego get in the way."

"Seraph we've been doing this for how long again?"

"Three years, five months, eight days, sixteen hours-." Came the annoyed reply.

"Okay I get it." Teira interrupted, casting an equally annoyed scowl at her friend before she turned and began to climb up the rocks again. "Stupid exos."

"I heard that, flesh-bag." Seraph taunted, chuckling when she reashed around with a hand and gave him the middle finger. "You know, if you fall, I can't promise that I'll be fast enough to catch you. Which means you'll go splat, just like every other human."

"Whatever Seraph. I'll just make sure I don't fall."

The titan gave a sigh, shaking his head. Teira was only nineteen years old and somehow he'd gotten roped into taking her out here every other day or so. He remembered watching her shortly after he was brought back from... well he couldn't remember where, but the first thing he saw was a small teenage girl attempting to sneak into the Tower with a box full of engrams with the intention to decrypt or sell them. He'd tried to detain her and he still carried the dent in his chest from where she hit him that day. She was a fighter, and she'd make a damn good guardian too. Perhaps even be strong enough to be a titan, with the left hook she could throw.

He kept watch, normally. Exploring the Earth outside the city was dangerous. Not for him, no. He knew how to handle himself against all sorts of enemies. Teira however, was just a teenage girl, just over nineteen years old and already full of surprises. In the few years he'd known her, they'd become pretty close friends. She lived alone with her mother, as they depended on one another for a steady income to pay rent for their apartment as well as food and other things they'd needed.

Elizabeth Reynolds, Teira's mother, ran a bakery within the city. She was pretty popular for it and even if he couldn't eat what the woman made, he could tell that the others really enjoyed her cooking. If Teira wasn't helping her mother there, she was out roaming the cosmodrome with her exo friend. The loot she brought in sold fairly well to the cryptarch and certainly helped keep her little family afloat when it came to finances. Of course, Seraph himself had more glimmer than he knew what to do with, so sometimes he helped pay off some of their bills.

A sound from above him made the titan look up, being broken from his thoughts, and he watched as Teira finally made it to the ledge that held a silver chest. Loot chests were her favorite because they always held pretty good loot. There was a small ching sound and a pale blue light as the chest was opened. A moment later, two green engrams were tossed over the edge, both of which were caught by the waiting exo, then stuffed into a bag that hung from his shoulder.

"That makes four today." He grunted as her face appeared over the ledge. "Not bad, if I do say so myself."

"You know we could probably stay out a little longer..." Teira began as she started to make her way back down the rock wall.

"Your mother would have my head if we stayed out past dusk, Teira." Seraph replied, keeping a watchful eye on the teenager's movements as she climbed down. "You know how she feels about you staying out late. Especially since the Fallen can see pretty damn well in the dark and we can't. The risk of being attacked is multiplied ten-fold and-"

"Okay Seraph I get it!" Teira interrupted, laughing a bit as she tested a small spot on the wall to place her foot. "I'll ask my mom about it tonight during dinner, see if she'll let us stay out a bit longer."

Seraph couldn't help but roll his eyes, watching as she only had about nine feet to go. She continued to speak, her voice amused and light-as it had always been.

"Besides, as long as I'm with you, everything will be okay, right?"

Seraph would have answered her, if not for the rock giving a bit under her foot. There was a yelp as the girl lost her grip and fell away from the wall. The titan moved quickly and caught her before she could hit the ground and she blinked up at him, a little stunned but otherwise okay. She was soon set on her own two feet and she dusted off her arms before she held up her prize: A pair of gloves and a common hand cannon. She smiled brightly up at her friend before stuffing them into his bag.

"Those should sell pretty good." She commented before putting her hands in the pockets of her pants.

Seraph gave a sigh, shaking his head. "Teira, one of these days you're going to get into a situation without me. What will you do then, hm?"

"Punch everything in sight like you always do." That earned a huff. "Just like you taught me."

"You have a lot to learn, Kiddo." He chuckled. "But come on, it's getting late, and your mother will start to worry if you're not home in ten minutes."

Teira gave a sigh, tipping her head back as her shoulders slumped. "We can't even stay to watch the sunset?" Already the sky was beginning to turn various shades of orange and pink. The sunsets in the cosmodrome were always her favorite. The Traveler often blocked most of what she would be able to see around the mountains that surrounded the Last City. The question earned a sigh from Seraph, apparently he was disappointed about leaving early today too.

"Unfortunately, I promised your mother that I would have you back home before dusk, which would mean we have to leave now in order to make it on time. Perhaps another time, Teira."

The girl gave a sigh. "Alright. Although... I wonder what a sunset would look like from the Tower..." She trailed off, giving a hopeful smile to her friend, who laughed and shook his head.

"Teira you know I can't take you up there yet. It's pretty much a Guardians only zone unless you work up there. I'd get into quite a bit of trouble." He paused then, thinking. "And your mother would ground you for a month if she found out that I took you up there."

Teira grimaced. "You make a good point. Alright, well call in your ship then. Lets get going, I want to get these engrams turned in as soon as possible."

Seraph gave a chuckle at that, watching his ghost appear at his shoulder as it summoned his ship. It alerted him of the arrival that would happen in a couple minutes through their mental link and Seraph gave a nod in response to it. "The ship will arrive in just a moment. You may as well enjoy what bit of the sunset that you can while you wait."

Teira rolled her eyes at that, smirking slightly. "Yeah I may as well." She replied, moving to sit over on a nearby rock that had a good view of the sun as it began to dip behind the horizon of a nearby ocean, or large lake perhaps. She'd never ventured out that far, but perhaps one day she would. There was an entire planet just waiting for her to explore, after all! She made up her mind as the sun continued to sink behind the rippling water. She would explore as much as she could, find new adventures like Brandon had before he went missing. She wondered what sort of excitement she could find out there, and what sorts of rare loot could she find?

All she had to do was get started, and she couldn't wait to begin.