"When I'm asleep here, it's like I'm awake there."
The breeze blew through her, through the trees above her; lifting orange and red leaves up, giving them a life of their own. They danced downward, possessed by the winds, and settled frantically around the Hunter. She sat alone, looking out over the dense wilderness that had reclaimed the city long ago. The sun was rising over what was left of the once charming and aged looking city, and she sat, on an ancient war machine of the Golden age. Leaning against the open hatch atop the tank, she was caught within the undefined line between being asleep and being awake.
The soft golden light of dawn began to birth shadows; they emerged from the tall stone structures of the once quaint little town. Looming down over her, this was her third night with no sleep; although she had only been on earth for several minutes. Her eyelids pulled themselves down, begging to be reunited with the lower lids, she could only happily oblige. As much as she enjoyed her sleep, and the memories it often returned to her it seemed increasingly difficult to come by of late.
"I think this place was called Wales." Her Ghost appeared by her shoulder.
She didn't even seem to notice the little robots presence, as she began to doze, her head drifting back beneath her helm.
"Why did you choose a place like this to nap anyways?" Her floating companion sounded a little peeved, was she ignoring him?
The shadows began to bend and grow taller as the first light poked its head through the clouds. All of the ancient architecture, covered in ivy, moss and other various forms of earthly vegetation. The lonely and howling breeze returned to the foliage sending it sprinting down what was once a street. All still littered with dead cars, and fallen caches.
"Well I have been up for three days…" She sighed at the Ghost not letting her lie.
"I know…" He sounded penitent.
"But, I mean why not sleep, you know in the ship, or at the Tower? We could get ambushed out here, this is fallen turf."
"I don't know." She sighed.
"Maybe sleeping here will… bring something back." Her tone grew low.
She had not been at the tower in nearly a month, but this wasn't unusual. Not for Hunters and especially not her. Her Ghost flew in front of her face, trying to guess at her thoughts. She didn't move or turn away; her eyes were closed beneath the yellow-eyed helmet.
"You still mad at Cayde?"
"If he wants to lose bets because he thinks I shouldn't have come back from the Vault of Glass, well it's none of my business."
"He said it was nothing personal. And you weren't part of the fire team that put an end to Atheon-"
"So I was doomed?" She raised her head.
"No, I… well honestly, I think Cayde has a bit of a gambling problem." The Ghost whispered, as if Cayde would hear.
"Well I went in, cleared out the Wolves and now Skolas can now rot in the Queen's Prison for all I care." She yawned the words, and leaned her head back once again.
A silence fell over the two, the Ghost floating upward, taking the area in. There were no signs of life besides birds and insects anywhere.
"Funny you would pick this place…" He broke the silence.
"I was here, nearly a century ago. Did you know that?"
"No, little light."
"How many times do I have to say "don't call me that?" He barked in a fluster.
She simply chuckled, and then reached out a hand for him to perch above. He did so looking back up to her as she spoke again. She propped herself upwards, crossing her legs and slouching to speak with him.
"Why all the way out here?"
"You mean why not in Russia? Well the Cosmodrome? ...Not the first place I looked."
She tilted her head, giving the cue for him to go on.
"Well all Ghosts were born, right when the Traveler died. Its last breath... I didn't know much at the time, just that I was supposed to find you. There were alot of places to check..." The little Ghost sounded almost sad.
Perhaps it had felt alone? At this moment it flew from her hand to a position just over her head, looking at the rising sun, the light now sharpening into the morning.
"Centuries went by, and almost all of the others found their Guardians. As I saw them all do this, I wondered if I would ever find you."
The Ghost faded away, back into her being again, into her light.
"And then I did."
"Guess we were just late to the party..." She shrugged it off.
"So what was it like? Before the collapse?" Her Ghost inquired.
She didn't answer, just looked down at the cobblestones below the heavy machine. Sleep was frightening for her. While curiosity always left her with a glimmer of hope; it was difficult to tell what was a memory, and what was simply a dream. At the same time, something called 'The Collapse': would you even want to remember?
"I know you were alive before the collapse... I can see some of your memories more clearly than others." The Ghosts voice cut her thoughts off.
"Was it all really as amazing as people said?"
"If you see the golden age, you remember more than I do, Ghost."
The Hunter stood, her bones crackling under her skin. With a small hop down to a stone wall she proceeded down it, until she came to a tree growing out of it. She hopped down again walking out into the street, seeking even the shadow of a memory. The Cosmodrome had given her little more than a war nightmare. She could never seem to find anything of significance...
"Someday we'll reclaim it all... right?"
"Sure." She replied, sounding less than honest.
The Nightstalker turned and looked out at what was left of the town below, rolling down the hill. The golden age was gone; there was no going back now. This place was dead, in every sense of the word; she had nothing more to find by lingering here.
Again, her search was fruitless.
"So which place is next on the list?" She asked her Ghost, pulling him up over her hand.
He looked back up at her, his little black shell shining in the light.
"You seem to have some registered memory in a place called...Ohio. Maybe we should head there?"
"Alright... to orbit."
She sounded defeated, but her small companion always to make her trust to hope. He was good company, if she had to get dragged back into the struggle of life, she was glad to have the little light as a guide.
"Heh, no rest for the weary." He chimed.
And then, the Nightstalker and himself vanished quite entirely, leaving the dead place behind.
Little peak into how some Guardians deal with their lack of memories I suppose. I'd actually really like a critique on this chapter; if you liked it. Or hell if you hated it lemme know why too.