What? You didn't think I would end it like THAT did you?
Epilogue
She jerked awake, instantly aware of something very wrong. But a soft, soothing voice sounded nearby and she relaxed even as her brain screamed at her to run, to fight, to do something.
"It's okay, Elizabeth. You are okay." Something was wiping her forehead as she gasped for breath, still gripped by a horrible fear. "Bad dream honey. Just a bad dream. You are okay."
"I... Mom?" She opened her eyes and saw her mother's face nearby. The horrible scars might have put off anyone else, but to her, they were her safety. Her surety.
"Easy, Elizabeth." The woman she knew as 'Mom' sat down beside her, the golden gown she wore swishing as she reached out to take hold of the human girl's hands. "Just a nightmare. You are okay."
"I..." 'Elizabeth' shook her head, confused as the woman held her gently. This was her mom, but it wasn't. The room with its golden walls was hers, but it wasn't. She had never seen it before. Things were not as they were supposed to be. The scar faced woman was dead. She knew that. She was dead. She had been shot. She remembered the pain, and then the lack of pain and finally a falling sensation. "This... isn't right."
"I know." The other said gently. "We both died." 'Elizabeth' stiffened and the other smiled fondly at her. "What do you remember?"
"I was...running?" Elizabeth said weakly. "I had to do something but I cannot remember what."
"That is for the best." A familiar voice sounded and Elizabeth went totally still as a golden form simply appeared in the middle of the room. The warframe nodded to them both before morphing into a more familiar form.
"Nyx?" Elizabeth asked, even more confused. The holographic Tenno smiled and nodded. "I... What happened?"
"Nikis happened." Nyx said with a sour lilt to her words, but her smile was wide. "And I am not going to forgive him any time soon. He came here and demanded help from a number of people. When he explained why, they fell all over themselves to do this. It is not every day that we Tenno can do good things. We are destroyers by trade, not builders."
"But I died!" Elizabeth was crying even as the woman she had known as Zei held her.
"Yes, you did." Nyx said softly. "You both accomplished your goals gained your revenge. Time alone will tell if the plan works or not, but it has a good chance."
"Then why am I here?" Elizabeth demanded. "I was ready! We both were!" She held Zei tight and the former engineer murmured nonsense words trying to calm the girl.
"Because you are family." Nyx said quietly. Elizabeth froze and Nyx nodded. "That is both a good thing and a bad one. Bad in that anyone who can find you can try to use you against us. Good in that we can legally protect you and anyone who tries to hurt you will answer to us. All of us."
"And... Zei?" Elizabeth asked, worried for no reason she could recall.
"You bonded to her." Nyx smiled at the girl. "She bonded to you. She has been hurt enough. She was vetted and passed with flying colors. Neither of you will remember this. It is safer for both of you if no one like those New Loka idiots know who you are, but you have both earned a chance at peace."
"Will it hurt?" Elizabeth asked. Nyx shook her head with a smile. "But what will I do? I only know how to be a monster and a pirate."
"It is time we both learned how to be human, Elizabeth." Zei said quietly. "They wanted to wake us both, make sure there are no problems before we forget."
"Wait! Forget?" Elizabeth jerked away from Zei and the other let her go."Forget Peter? Sora? Gogre? Flash? Forget all of them?"
"You have to, Elizabeth." Nyx said sadly. "There is saying that predates the Orokin Empire. 'When one starts down the path of revenge, one should dig two graves. One for your target and one for yourself.' Revenge will kill you as surely as it will others. It did. You were made to be a monster, but that body is not the same. You are a human named Elizabeth. Not the being called Swan." Elizabeth put a hand to her mouth and nearly cried out when she felt flat teeth.
"But what will I do?" Elizabeth begged.
"Be a good little girl and grow into a good woman if I am any judge of character at all." Nyx said with a smile as she stepped forward. "Zei has made her choice. What name did you choose?" She asked the older human.
"I was halfway tempted to call myself 'Elizabeth'." Zei said with a smile. "But then I was talking to some people and they told me stories about a very brave woman named 'Galina'." Nyx shook her head, that had been her name before assuming her warframe. Zei wasn't done. "Not without your permission."
"I would be honored." Nyx bowed her head. "Elizabeth?"
"Do I have to keep that name?" Elizabeth asked. Nyx shook her head. "I can choose?" Nyx nodded. "What will I remember?"
"Nothing." Nyx said softly. "You and Galina..." There was just a minuscule hesitation at that name. "...will need a lot of help to adjust. To relearn everything that you will need. But you will not be alone in this. I will be with you. I will remember who you are now and what you did even if you do not. Your actions will be honored among Tenno as long as we exist."
"I am scared." Elizabeth said weakly. Zei held out a hand to her as did Nyx. She took them both and the others eased her back to the bed.
"You do not need to be. Lie down beside her, Galina." Nyx said softly and the older human did as instructed. Elizabeth looked at Nyx and then slowly nodded, her thoughts clear as day to the psychic Tenno. Nyx smiled fondly as she laid her hands on their skulls and-
She woke up suddenly. She felt good. Her mom slept beside her and her friend stood over them, withdrawing her hands. She remembered her name but not much else.
"Nyx?" Irina asked, concerned. "You were talking to us. Telling us what had happened, that we were hurt. Did we nod off?"
"Only for a moment, Irina." Nyx reassured the girl. "No one blames you for that. You both need rest. Both of you have gone through a traumatic ordeal and will need time to recover. I cannot be here all the time, but Eliza and her people will help." She nodded to the door and it opened. A pair of golden gowned women stepped in. One was close to Irina's age, the other looked oddly ageless. "This is Jesse and Michelle. They will help you with your recovery and help reteach you the ins and outs of the family you just lost with your injuries. I have to go, but I will be back. I promise." She smiled at Irina and vanished.
"How do you feel, Irina?" The younger one, -Jesse- asked.
"Home." Irina said with a smile as her mother Galina stirred beside her. "I feel like I am home."
Nearby
"'Galina' will accept the repairs now." Nyx said quietly as they watched Michelle and Jesse take the newly inducted members of Avalon's society in hand. "I didn't even need to push her. She didn't like hurting the girl and seeing the scars hurt her."
"Good." The woman with the crown said with a smile. "Wouldn't end well."
"No, it wouldn't." Nyx agreed before turning to the other two in the room, her face turning stern. "Of all the people I might have expected to team up for something like this. You two..." She shook her head. "This was crazy, even for you, Lotus."
"It wasn't my idea." The guide of the Tenno had a serene expression on her visible face as always, but the hint of a smile was seen. "It was a good one, but not my idea."
Nyx favored the guide with an old fashioned look before rounding on the last person in the room. He ignored her, watching the screen where Michelle was teaching Irina how to eat with Galian observing.
"This is going to ruin your reputation, Nikis." Nyx said mildly. Nikis did not respond. "Come off it, you old curmudgeon. You did it. I know you did."
"Did what?" The Nekros asked. Butter might not have melted in his mouth. "I found their energy. I brought it here. End of story. Eliza's people did the hard part, making bodies from genetic samples from Steel Meridian was far harder."
"Revenge was their choice." Nyx sounded upset now and Nikis turned to look at her.
"Nyx, I have lived revenge. You know this." Nikis said softly. "Not that I am admitting anything and will deny it, with force if needed..." He warned. "But she was and is a good kid. And you do know what the absolute best revenge against Tyl Regor will be?" Nyx looked at the Nekros and then nodded slowly.
"The best revenge against someone like that is to ignore them and live well." Everyone in the room nodded. "So, who gets to tell Tiana she has a new sister and an aunt." All eyes turned to the Lotus who glared at Nikis.
"I will get you for this, you old fart."
"I tremble with anticipation." Nikis shrugged and left the room.
"Who told New Loka about Swan?" Eliza said into the silence that greeted the Nekros' departure. "Steel Meridian did not have the information, did they?"
"They had some." The Lotus said quietly. "Not enough to launch such a coordinated assault. Frankly, there is only one person who could have told them. The question is: Why would Janet have done that?"
"I am going to ask." Nyx said with a sigh as she vanished. She jerked as the universe all around her morphed into something very different. The room was huge and half filled with water. She stood on a virtual beach with a massive finned form sliding towards her. "Janet?"
The best revenge is to live well. Janet's mental reply was soft. And your kin deserved better. The sincerity in the Oracle's tone was clear and Nyx felt her eyes burn as Janet slid her form close. The Grineer will pay for what they did, but your kin have a chance at a normal life now. Or as normal as they can get on Avalon. All of this was going to happen anyway. Swan and Zei's pain was a small price to pay for a future free of it, all told. What say you?
"What say I?" Nyx thought for a moment and then her face split in a huge grin.
"Drink up, me hearties! Yo ho!"