Tormented

Special: Festival of The Lost

I know I said that it would be updated next week 'but' that was before my work schedule was posted up so...yeah. Today is the only time I have time to write out the special. For the next chapter of the arc, I will have to work on that 'after' work which isn't very much in time. As such, here is the special and I hope you enjoy!

Carina maybe older than Angel in terms of age, but this doesn't always mean the female Exo knows more than the human Hunter, especially when it comes to human customs such as holidays and traditions. As such, when the Exo Titan watched the Human Guardian unwrap the plastic and then pop what resembled a pebble into his mouth, Carina couldn't help but gawk as Angel chewed and swallowed.

"Did you just eat that?" She asked and almost immediately, she could feel the bewilderment in the human's gaze as he turned his green eyes towards her.

The pair were standing out in the plaza with Pluto, the latter of which had switched out his armor for a black under suit with a sleeveless shirt thrown on top. The only exception was his cloak although he left the hood down; a sign that the Exo Hunter was off duty. And he wasn't the only one. Like Pluto, both Angel and Carina were dressed in 'civilian' attire; the silver Exo was wearing an orange short sleeve shirt and black pants tucked into leather boots. Angel opted to wear a long sleeved brown shirt and white pants draped over some dark shoes; like Pluto he also has his cloak draped over his shoulders.

The three had ventured to the Plaza after Pluto had called the younger Guardians there, saying he had a 'present' for them and it was then that the Exo had tossed both Angel and Carina a small plastic bag filled with colored objects wrapped in plastic. And that is where the female Exo watched the human consume one of the colored pieces.

"Yes," Angel answered Carina's question, earning another wide-eyed look from the female Exo, "What? You never had candy before?"

"Candy?" Carina repeated as she turned her violet optics towards Pluto, only to reel back as the Exo Hunter too unwrapped the plastic from one of the objects and popped it into his mouth.

"It's for the Festival of the Lost," The older Exo stated, Carina watching him rotate his jaws before he paused; a sign that he had swallowed the pebble, "It's it time both a time for mourning for those we have lost and a time to celebrate their memory."

"And we celebrate with this 'candy'?" Carina pointed at the small bag she held in one hand, earning a nod from the Exo Hunter as he pulled out another piece from his own bag, "…Is it good?"

Pluto gave her a blank stare, "Why do you think I am eating it, young light?"

Carina paused at the male Exo's words, watching him pop another piece of 'candy' into his mouth. True, the female Exo enjoys the taste of food, always shoveling the sustenance into her mouth once she gets the opportunity. But she soon learned not all Exo share the same mindset. She had attempted to offer Pluto some food from her own plate one day when the team decided to dine together, mainly because when she saw a plate absent in front of the Exo Hunter, she had thought he lacked glimmer to afford his own meal. Instead, she was surprised to see the blind Exo reel back, immediately shoving her offered food back towards the silver Exo. At first offended, things only cooled down when Pluto explained he does enjoy the taste, the texture within his mouth was a whole other story and admitted that the sensation of sustenance slithering down his throat was uncomfortable. So, seeing the older Exo popping candy into his mouth like as though it was nothing, Carina couldn't help but take the Exo Hunter's words to heart. As such, she undid the string around her bag, pulled out a piece of candy, unwrapped the plastic around it and popped the pebble into her mouth.

Immediately, she was hit with a wave of sweetness hitting her inner sensors, sending a shock to spread through her body before her jaw shifted and placed the pebble between the grinders in her mouth. Thanks to the firm touch of the candy, she had expected a lot of resistance from the piece but instead was surprise to feel her artificial teeth to easily crush the pebble of sugar and felt the substance stick to the surface once she shifted her jaw to repeat the action. In the end, Carina had all but popped another into her mouth before she had even finished the first piece. Then another. And another.

"Traveler, Carina, slow down." It was Angel's voice that caused the female Exo to pause and turn her violet optics to stare at the human, "There's plenty to go around."

Carina blinked, "What do you mean?"

"You didn't notice?" Angel gave the Titan a wide-eyed look, "All the vendors are handing out sweets even as we speak." The Hunter then motioned with a free hand towards their surroundings, pointing at the hanging paper engrams around them and the constant freefall of confetti falling around them, "It is a holiday. 'Everyone' is celebrating. Which means there is a constant flow of candy."

"Until the Festival of the Lost ends." Pluto stated before he popped another piece of sugar into his mouth, "As such, if I were you, I would either eat as much as you can or stock pile to make it last."

That's when Angel pause, "…Oh no."

Giving the young Hunter a bewildered look, Pluto opened his mouth to ask what was the matter only to stop when Carina suddenly latched onto Angel's free arm, causing the human Hunter to let out a yelp as he was dragged across the plaza.

"Let's do this!" Carina shouted, her voice drowning out the protests of the human Hunter.

Standing silently at this spot, Pluto only snapped out of it when he felt something bump into his head and when he turned his blind gaze towards the source, the scans revealed Nix, the Ghost twirling his back fins.

"Should we find Cayde?" Nix asked, "I believe this is the only time of the year where he can freely leave the Tower. I think he would appreciate it if he has one of his few surviving companions to come and hang around with him."

Popping another piece of candy into his mouth, Pluto then let out a shrug, "Only if he's willing to face me in the Crucible. Snipers allowed."

Xxxxx

When Eris Morn first occupied the Tower, many Guardians had a hard time reading her, especially with the three earie green eyes somehow glowing through her blindfolds. However, those who have known her 'before' her time within the Moon still can read her easily, despite her lack of previous 'features'. As such, when Ianos held out a piece of chocolate towards her, he can easily see the way her cheeks seem to sink into her mouth and her lips turned into a frown.

"What is this?" She demanded, as the Ex-Guardian backed away from the gift, as if it was poison to the touch.

That's when it was Ianos' turn to frown, "Don't pretend you do not know what it is, Eris. It's chocolate, your favorite."

This only seem to make Eris cower away from it, "What makes you think-"

"It's 'Unchocolate'."

Seeing the Ex-Huntress pause, the frown on her lips quickly dissipating, Ianos couldn't help but let a smirk flash onto his lips behind his helmet, "It may have been years Eris, but your taste in so called 'sweets' haven't changed." He snorted as he added, "Still giving out 'raisins' and 'celery' as usual."

"That is none of your concern." Eris hissed out but nonetheless, she delicately reached out and quickly snatched the piece of 'candy' from the Warlock's fingers, "And…Thank you, Ianos."

Giving the Ex-Guardian a single nod as a response, the male Awoken turned, rounded the corner, and headed up the stairs. As soon as he found himself out in the Plaza, Ianos scanned the skies for the familiar black and orange shape of Ace, only to shake his head as he instead spotted not one but a group of the familiar star shaped AIs swarming around in white sheets, startling any unfortunate Guardians or causing others to laugh.

It was during this time of year where Ghosts freely roam around the Tower alone without their Guardians at their side (since most are either running around on a sugar high or mourning those who they have lost) and most take up the hobby of startling any Guardians who lack attention or simply to make those in mourning smile. Ace was amongst those Ghosts and from what he had heard, Hope and Spears are also taking part in the small 'trick'. Although this in turn makes it hard to pinpoint which Ghost was who and after a while of trying to pick off his Ghost, Ianos shrugged it off; if Ace was ready to return to their quarters, they will return.

However, before Ianos can take the stairs up towards the apartments, he was stopped by the familiar form of Akiva, the latter of which was clad in a dark jacket and pants, causing him to look deathly pale. And it was no exaggeration. The Titan looked as if he hadn't slept in days, his eyes bloodshot and his body haggard. The once optimistic outlook was completely gone and instead, a broken man stood in the human Titan's place. Said Titan held a wrapped object in his hands and when his tired golden eyes spotted the Awoken Warlock, a sheepish smile spread across his face as he nodded his head in greeting, "Ianos."

Returning the greeting with a nod of his own, Ianos waited until Akiva approached and held out the package in his hands, "Here's the item you asked for." He waited until the Awoken Warlock delicately took the package before he added, "Another to add to your 'wall'?"

This caused Ianos to pause, "Just because we carve the names of our dead on the monuments, does not mean we remember their faces." His orange hues glancing at the package he held in his hands, Ianos added, "The least I can do is preserve their image before time takes it away."

"That takes time and dedication." Akiva stated before he paused as the familiar white and yellow Ghost glided into view, "Lex? What's –"

That's when a wail echoed from the apartments, causing both Guardians to snap their attention towards the glass windows, staying silent as the wails continued to echo through the air.

"I didn't understand why they called Aleeza 'The Banshee' until the first year I stayed with her on Mars," Akiva explained as he turned his tired gaze back towards the Awoken Warlock, "She maybe ten years older than me and I may have known for several more years after, but those years, Aleeza had lost plenty of loved ones."

"We have to calm her down again," It was Lex who spoke, catching Ianos' attention, "before she starts setting fire to her apartment. Again."

That's when Ianos noticeably wince, something that wasn't missed by the human Titan.

"Don't worry, that won't happen." Akiva gave the Warlock a tired smile, "she calms down once I get there but for me to grab your package, I had to leave her momentarily to head to the market." He let out a light chuckle as he added, "To think that after all these years, there are still people who are still scared of the 'immortals'."

Instead of responding to the Titan's words, Ianos opted to stare silently, watching Akiva sway slightly, as if struggling to fight against the slight breeze before he shook his head, "Anyway, I have to head to Aleeza's apartments. I will see you around."

Then without another word, Akiva turned and headed up the stairs with Lex following not too far behind, disappearing into one of the many corridors as Ianos stood out in the plaza. Standing there momentarily, Ianos focused his attention to his surroundings. He remembered the day when a Guardian suggested a day to 'mourn' the dead but, at the same time, 'celebrate' their memory. A day for Guardians to 'burn' off inner emotions and stress while at the same time, a day for 'themselves', a day free of tasks as a 'Guardian' and a day to be… 'normal'. When the first Festival of the Lost came around, Ianos wasn't pleased. He had already lost 'many' of those he considered comrades and to know that there a day for those 'lost', it just brought back many painful memories. Memories that the Awoken Warlock would have liked to have forgotten. And Ianos wasn't the only one who thought this. Ianos remembered Sun yelling sporadically at the Speaker for letting such event even occur at the Tower; even the other nine founding members of the Galaxy Clan backed up their clan leader. But in the end, the Speaker's decision stood strong and many of the Veteran Guardians, although bitter, decided to let the festivities continue over the years. It wasn't long until the Festival of the Lost grew on Ianos, especially after…

Shaking his head, the Awoken Warlock instead focused his attention on the package he held in his hands before he held it close to his chest and making his way towards his quarters. Entering the corridor, Ianos walked to the very end of the hall before coming to a pause at a door just short of the stairs. Then quickly pressing a passcode onto the panel next to the entrance, Ianos waited until the door slid open before taking a step into his quarters and quickly scanning his room for anything out of place as the door slid close behind him. His bed (hardly used) was pushed up near the window, the polarized glass easily keeping out curious eyes, and his desk was near the foot of the bed, scatters of books and paper alongside pens and unknown utensils scatter on the counter; his 'personal' space. The Awoken Warlock also has a kitchen, the entryway just to the right of the entrance however, since Ianos hardly touches anything but coffee, everything was empty apart from a single pantry dedicated to the bitter beverage. The bathroom was to his left, a room that Ianos constantly uses after every mission but (like Ace likes to point out) 'neglected' if Ianos is stuck in his room, 'researching' any items he deems 'curious'. As much as he would like to research a current artifact he had found earlier that year (a petrified Ahamkara's egg) he instead opted towards the room, the entrance which is next to his desk.

Instead of immediately entering, Ianos instead took in a deep breath, closing his eyes before he breathed out. Then slowly opening his eyes, he quietly entered the room. And immediately, he was greeted by the faces of the dead. Screens covered the walls of the room, holding the faces of individuals that Ianos had lost over the years, each one giving light within the room, giving Ianos no reason to turn on the lights when entering. Coming to a pause in the middle of the room, the Awoken Warlock took the time to let his eyes pass several of the screens, silently reading the names underneath the images.

Kaye Raith

Lynn-10

Venus -13

Ricard

Darian

Copper-29

Rytark

Amele

Darkness, even Sun -7 has a screen placed in Ianos' 'wall' back before the Warlock discovered their survival. Many more faces and names littered the wall, especially the names of those who were part of the Galaxy Clan before their untimely deaths. However, as he continued to scan the faces, his orange hues lingered just a tad bit longer on two faces.

A 'human' with dark strands smiled in one of the screens, his vibrant blue eyes sticking out against his fair features. The image next to him, an Exo with white plating and icy blue lights, smiled enthusiastically, his optics beaming at the one who had taken his picture.

Zakai and Ahamri – 34.

Both Warlocks, the two of them were once a Fireteam with Ianos and they had called themselves Fireteam Trinity, mainly for the reason that back then, each Warlock attuned only to one light. Ianos, back before the tragedy of the Moon, had attuned to Solar while as Ahamri or affectionally called 'Ari' by Ianos and Zakai, attuned to Void and Zakai to Arc. Although many had scoffed at the idea of at an all Warlock Fireteam, they had constantly proved doubters wrong after a match in the Crucible or when watching the three of them work out in the field. Although a powerful team, the three of them were more renowned for hardly the leaving presence of the others, always seen wandering around the Tower together. This proves their strong bond and as such, all the more tragic when Ari's life was prematurely ended during the Great Disaster. Being the youngest of the trio, the Exo was only twenty years of age before his death.

This brought Ianos back to Zakai's deterioration of sanity, remembering how the Warlock was determined to bring back their 'lost friend'. The fact that Ianos' light was also tainted and that he could turn corrupt any moment didn't help his sanity. Eventually, when Ianos was out on a mission, the quarters that the three of them once shared exploded, most likely due to one of many of Zakai's experiments, leading to the Arc Warlock's death. Apparently, the explosion was severe enough that not only Zakai's remains were obliterated, his Ghost too had also been incinerated, leaving no final testaments to be taken from the dead Ghost's memory.

Not long, Ianos had volunteered to take the fated recon to the Moon.

Shaking his mind free of memories, Ianos glanced around until finding a free space, walking over to it before coming to a slow pause. Glancing down at the package he held in his hands, Ianos hesitated before taking in a shaky breath and then proceeding to tear the paper off around the object. Soon, the familiar dark azure plating of Neptune – 88 smiled back at the Awoken Warlock, his white optics seemingly gazing softly into Ianos' visor.

Fixating his gaze onto Neptune's face, Ianos let one hand hold onto the screen while as used another to gently caress his fingers across the screen, his shaking hands barely keeping the image steady. Taking in another deep breath, Ianos walked up to the empty space on the wall before delicately locking it onto the wall, slowly letting his hands slide off the sides to ensure its security. Waiting momentarily to ensure the screen was secured, Ianos then took several stops back up until he was once again in the middle of the room and his gaze once more scanning all the faces surrounding him.

"Happy Festival of the Lost." He whispered before the Warlock bowed his head and finally let himself release the years of grief he had held within.

To be honest, I am not sure when this exactly takes place. Most likely after the Fallen Arc that's for sure lol

Anyways, I do realize that Pluto seems a bit 'too' nonchalant in this chapter for being an old Guardian who had experienced the loss of comrades 'especially' since he lost majority of his Clan as the years passed. But each Guardian has their own way of coping with grief, and for Pluto, honoring their memory is the best way to help him cope with death, as you can tell lol.

When I was writing up the scenario for Pluto challenging Cayde to a Crucible match, I came up with two different reasons as to why he would do this. One would be that he is still angry at the Vanguard for considering exiling and executing Ianos in the earlier chapters and as such, the only way to assuage that rage is to directly challenge one of the Vanguard leaders which is unfortunately Cayde (although I wouldn't be surprised if he challenges Ikora and Zavala later lol). Reason two is that I imagine he hasn't face Cayde in years so I guess he just wants a friendly match as well. Up to you lol.

Also the part when Akiva says that there are still people scared of 'immortals', I believe not all citizens in the Last City see the Guardians in a positive light. As such, the scenario I had originally intended to put was Akiva trying to order a screen while trying to keep and eye on Aleeza but the merchants were hesitant to enter a Tower full of 'immortals'. Sadly, I cut it out since I couldn't get that part to get it to work with me. Also, Akiva is the one who sets up the screens for Ianos, which is why Neptune's image is already on the screen. Why? Well I'm not sure yet but what I have right now is that Akiva figured out how to manually input pictures of people onto screens as advanced photos (since I believe Ghosts 'record' but not photograph). Although I believe the others can do the same thing, Akiva is the one who can do it better than the others.

And more names of Guardians who were part of Ianos' life :D

Pay attention, they will make an appearance in future chapters lol

Anyways, enjoy!