A/N: Hello my friends! I thought I'd do this at the beginning this time. Apologies for how long it took to get this up. Not only is it over 90k words, but I also did a lot of sketches for it and got it beta-read (shoutout to DavesNotHere for taking the first look). I'll be posting once a week, most likely on the weekends, so be on the lookout for that.

Now some business. I feel like this site is on the decline. I don't think there's even a lot of moderation or support going on anymore. If this site DOES go belly-up, you can find all of my stories on Ao3 under the pseud ArcaneGlitch. I'm also on Twitter and Tumblr under that name. Currently, I'm in the process of uploading these stories to Wattpad as well, for anyone who's interested in finding them there (again under ArcaneGlitch).

I also run a discord server called Creation Station. We have a bunch of fanfic writers and artists, many of who make Destiny content. Here's the join code for anyone interested: HDwpzQb

Finally, I want you all to know that I will NEVER abandon this series without explanation. It might take a while, but I'm always working on more stories and if for any reason I decide to stop, I will 100% let y'all know.

Anyway, that's all from me! I hope you enjoy the story :)

Harley woke up to a low humming sound. The luminescent colors of warpspace greeted his eyes as he opened them. The ship was flying steadily, with only a gentle rocking to indicate that they were even moving. He held back a groan as he craned his neck to look out of the viewscreen. Sleeping upright had left it stiff. He rubbed his arms against the deep space chill and tried his best to ease the pain in his neck. A glance at the seats in front of him revealed the figures of Bazzle and Kaedro. Both appeared to be resting. While Bazzle was almost completely upright, Kaedro was slumped in his seat, head on his chest and feet perched on the dashboard.

Harley watched the colors of warpspace wash over them as he tried to work out what was going on. His memories of the events leading up to this point were hazy and jumbled. Keeping his voice low, he called for his Ghost.

"Prism?"

She appeared in front of him. "Harley."

"What's going on? Where are we?"

The Ghost tilted, her shell twisting slightly as she blinked at him. Her answer carried hesitance. "We're in Bazzle's ship, flying back to Earth... You've been asleep for four and a half hours."

Harley frowned. He didn't remember transmatting into the ship at all. "What happened? Did we...we were in the Reef, right?"

Prism spun her shell. "How much do you remember?"

Harley sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know. I remember going after the Barons and everything. But after we got to the Watchtower, it's like everything got...jumbled. I remember something felt wrong. Inside me, I mean. And...I remember killing Uldren." His memory was scattered. It was difficult to place everything in the right order.

"Yes… How do you feel about that?" his Ghost asked cautiously.

He frowned. That wasn't something he'd expected to be asked. "...I'm not sure. I felt good right after doing it, like it was right. But now...I don't know." Uldren wasn't someone he especially wanted to think about. He shivered. "Are you able to turn on the heat?"

Prism blinked. "The heat? Harley, it's 70 degrees in here. It's not cold."

"Then why do I feel like it is?" He wrapped himself in Cayde's cloak as Prism swept a beam over him. Her eye shrank as she processed the results.

When she spoke, her voice was carefully neutral. "Harley...there's something wrong with your Light."

Harley's heart skipped a beat. That was never something any Guardian wanted to hear. "What do you mean?"

"Your Light levels are...fluctuating. They're unstable."

Dread sat dense and heavy on his chest. "Is that bad?" he whispered, "Is something going to happen to me?" Surely Light levels fluctuated all the time, right? Maybe it was normal, though his Ghost's tone didn't inspire confidence.

Prism's segments twitched uncertainly. "I don't know..."

"Prism, what happened to my Light?!" he demanded, panic bursting out.

In front of him, Kaedro groaned and stretched, shifting into an upright position. Harley pressed his lips together and wrapped his arms around himself, trying to look more composed than he felt. Kaedro turned his head to look at Harley, his eyes glowing brightly in the small space.

"Ace? Was that you shouting just now?"

Harley forced himself to sound calm. "Yeah, sorry for waking you up." He was mildly reassured at how steady his voice sounded.

The Exo waved him off. "S'fine, I should be up anyway." He glanced at the dashboard. "We're an hour out from Earth and Bazzle and I have some questions for ya before we get back to the City."

Harley's fingers dug into his arms as he tried not to let his apprehension show. Of course they did. "What questions?"

Kaedro huffed in a way that fell a shade short from amusement. "A lot, that's for damn sure..." Harley's stomach contorted as the Exo nudged Bazzle, waking him up. "Baz. Ace is awake."

The Titan shifted, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck before turning to face Harley. "Hayden." His voice still carried a hint of weariness.

Harley tried for a smile. "Hey, Bazzle... Kay said you have some questions for me."

Bazzle frowned. "Yes, we do... I won't ask you why you left against orders or why you continually defied our attempts to return you to the Tower. Those questions I will leave to the Vanguard. What I'm interested in is what happened with the Fanatic and Uldren Sov."

Harley felt a weight drop into his stomach. He should've expected the Titan wouldn't go easy on him. "What do you mean?" he asked, wondering how Bazzle could look so disapproving despite having just woken up.

"The tower you pursued them to..."

"The Watchtower," said Harley.

"Yes. At several points, the tower crossed into the Ascendant Realm. Kaedro and I encountered many Taken on our journey through the tower. Why did you fail to kill them when you came across them yourself?"

Harley averted his eyes, fiddling with the hem of Cayde's cloak. He didn't remember seeing any Taken. Still, if Bazzle said there were Taken, then he was probably right. "I don't know," he said in reply.

"You don't know," repeated Bazzle. While he didn't sound accusing, his tone wasn't exactly friendly. "Care to elaborate?"

"I don't remember even noticing any Taken," said Harley, "As soon as I entered the Watchtower, it's like everything became blurry. I can only remember bits and pieces." His heart hammered. Taken weren't something he was usually prone to overlooking.

"The Taken didn't attack you either, Ace," said Kaedro, "Any idea why?"

Harley's gaze was locked to the floor. That made no sense. The Taken hated Guardians. They would try everything to claw the Light out of them. "I don't know."

"Well, I find the fact that they didn't attack you a hell of a lot more concerning than you not killing them."

Harley didn't know what to say to that. The Exo was right. But he couldn't remember anything about the Taken and that was almost scarier than if he had.

"Kid, the Vanguard is gonna ask a ton more questions than this, trust me. Better to tell us now so we can help you sort things out with them than have to go through this whole thing again later."

"What was going through your mind when you killed Uldren Sov?" asked Bazzle.

"I don't know."

"You were seeking revenge. Killing him should have evoked something. Sadness, closure... Did it?"

"I don't know," Harley repeated. He didn't want to think about Uldren Sov ever again. Why were they asking him all of these questions? What good would it do?

"Do you remember transmatting back to the ship with us? Or Petra Venj speaking to you afterward?"

Harley's hands clenched into fists. "I don't know! I can't tell you because I don't know! Everything's all muddled together."

"Ace, what about what we said to you when we were trying to stop you from killing Uldren?" said Kaedro, "Do you remember that conversation? Do you remember what Prism told you?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" yelled Harley.

He pressed his hands against his head, hunched over in his seat. There was a heavy silence and he was dimly aware of Prism speaking to Bazzle and Kaedro. He didn't know what she said to them, but they stopped questioning him, instead, beginning to converse in low voices.

Harley pulled the cloak even tighter around himself and turned away to watch the mesmerizing colors of warpspace. He wasn't sure about many of the events that had unfolded back in the Watchtower, just that they had left a cold feeling inside of him that wasn't going away. He sighed. With any luck, the whole matter would be over after he met with the Vanguard.

Neither Kaedro nor Bazzle attempted to question him for the rest of the flight. In fact, they didn't say much at all, though he did catch the occasional worried look thrown his way. When the marbled body of Earth finally appeared on the viewscreen, he felt a knot of apprehension begin to form.

"Maybe I should've slept longer," he said to Prism, "I was still really tired after I woke up."

"Well, that's no surprise," she replied, sounding unimpressed, "Unfortunately, naps will have to wait until we've reported to the Vanguard." She glanced sideways at him. "I expect it's going to take a while."

Harley made no reply, instead, staring through the viewscreen as the ship sailed toward the City. Gradually, it began to slow, eventually coming to a stop within the Hangar and setting down in a docking bay. Bazzle looked over his shoulder at Harley.

"It's time."

The transmat activated, causing his vision to flash as they were moved from the ship's interior to the Hangar floor. Amanda was already there to greet them.

"Glad to see you made it back," she said, patting Bazzle on the shoulder before giving Kaedro a quick hug.

"We're glad to be back," said the Exo, "The Star was locked onto Bazzle's ship, so it should arrive here at some point."

Amanda nodded, her gaze moving past them to lock onto Harley, who dropped his eyes to the floor. "Hey, could you two give us a minute?" she asked softly. Bazzle and Kaedro nodded and walked to the Hangar's exit. Amanda approached Harley somewhat hesitantly. "Hey there, Ace…"

Harley felt her touch the hood of Cayde's cloak, running her fingers over the hem. He managed to lift his eyes to meet hers. The Shipwright wasn't crying, but he could see a deep sadness behind her eyes.

"Ace… Would it be alright if I gave you a hug?" She smiled halfheartedly. "I've got the feelin' we could both use it."

Harley nodded, not trusting himself to speak. When Amanda opened her arms, he just about collapsed into them, burying his face in her shoulder and clinging to her with a fierceness that only grief could bring. Amanda hugged back just as hard.

"I wasn't born in the City, you know. I was a child of the roads. Lost both my parents before finally making it here. Reckon that's why I started working here, thinkin' Guardians didn't die…" She sighed. "I know better now. It's an awful burden to bear, loss. But we've gotta learn to carry it with us. To keep movin'. That's what he'd want, y'know?" Harley nodded. "It's gonna be ok, Ace. We'll get through it. One step at a time." She released him and he stepped back, shooting her a small smile.

"Thanks, Amanda."

She nodded. "You ever wanna talk, just come and see me, ok? ...Now you'd best be going. I heard you have a meeting with the Vanguard."

Harley sighed. "Yeah…"

"You'll be ok," she reassured, "Make sure to tell me how it goes."

"Ok. I'll see you later, Amanda."

With one last grateful smile, Harley turned to catch up with Kaedro and Bazzle. If either of them took note of what happened between him and Amanda, they didn't say anything about it. Instead, they led the way out of the Hangar. Harley fiddled with the ridges on his gloves as he trailed behind them, trying not to think about his imminent conversation with the Vanguard. He didn't expect it would go any better than Bazzle and Kaedro's interrogation on the ship had.

Once they emerged into the Courtyard, he began to notice other Guardians staring at him as he passed. Most of them turned away when they met his eyes, but a few bold ones didn't. Whispers permeated the air, too soft to make out words, but loud enough that Harley could hear the murmur of voices around him. He tugged Cayde's hood lower over his face, even though he knew it wouldn't do much to help. The whispers and head-turns followed them all the way through the Courtyard.

"This way," said Bazzle, turning off onto a staircase that led to a lower level.

"Where are we going?" Harley managed to ask.

"Commander Zavala's office."

Harley hadn't known Zavala even had an office. He supposed it made sense. After all, there were many duties that accompanied the position of Vanguard Commander and Zavala couldn't be expected to handle them all while he was talking to Guardians in the Courtyard. They entered an alcove and turned left into the office. It was a large space with windows that reached from the floor to the ceiling, offering a view of the City below. A few bookshelves occupied the walls in various spots. Harley noticed a couple of hanging plants, a small table in the corner, and another doorway along the right wall. A low shelf across from it held a number of items, one of which was the Speaker's mask. He could still make out the crack in it from where it had been shattered. How had Zavala gotten it? Had he gone into the wreckage of the Immortal to retrieve it?

Harley was distracted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. He turned to face the desk. Zavala stood behind it, his hands braced on it in a way that reminded Harley slightly of how Cayde would sometimes stand back in the old Tower. Ikora stood next to the desk, hands clasped behind her back. Both held serious expressions.

"Commander," greeted Bazzle.

Zavala nodded at him. "Torelli… I understand you are here to give your report on your activities in the Tangled Shore." The Titan Vanguard's voice was steady as usual, though there was an undercurrent of weariness.

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. Go ahead."

Bazzle drew a breath. "As you know, sir, I left immediately after speaking with you. I picked up Kaedro in the Cosmodrome and the two of us flew to the Vestian Outpost. Being the only Reef territory openly friendly to Guardians, we thought we could find some information on Hayden's location."

"And did you?" asked Zavala, looking at Kaedro.

"Nope," replied the Exo, "By the time we got there, the place was dead empty. We went to Mara Sov's throne room and found it burned to the ground... Well, the figurative ground. We managed to recover some security footage, though. Apparently, Uldren and his Scorn buddies rolled in, shot the Queen's Guard, and burned the place."

Harley stared at the back of Kaedro's head. He hadn't known about that.

Zavala frowned, sharing a look with Ikora. "That is troubling news," he said, "Continue."

"Kaedro's Ghost was able to learn of hostile activity in a region of the Reef called the Tangled Shore," said Bazzle, "We flew out there and followed Hayden's trail to a region called Thieves' Landing where we met a Fallen mob boss known as the Spider. He was working with Hayden and Petra Venj to remove the Scorned Barons from the Shore."

"Could this 'Spider' be an ally to the City?" asked Ikora.

"I'm not sure. But he doesn't appear to be hostile towards Guardians… not openly, at least. I believe it could be useful to keep him around."

"Were you able to locate Hayden there?" asked Zavala.

"No. We were unable to find him until a few cycles later when-"

"All due respect, you might be better off asking Ace about those events," interrupted Kaedro, "He has a lot more info than we do."

Harley wished he could turn invisible. He knew the questions would turn to him at some point, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Zavala considered Kaedro's suggestion. "Would you agree, Torelli?"

Bazzle shot Kaedro a look before nodding slowly. "Yes, sir. You could always have us corroborate his story after you hear it for yourself."

"Very well, then. Torelli, Kaedro… You two are dismissed. However, I would ask you not to leave the Tower until you confirm Hayden's story."

"Understood," replied Bazzle.

"Uh, sure…" said Kaedro, "But there is this one thing I gotta finish in the Cosmodrome, so…"

Zavala sighed. "Kaedro…"

"I'll be off! Later, Baz. Good luck, Ace!" With that, the Exo was gone.

Harley shot Bazzle a confused look, but the Titan merely shrugged before taking his leave as well, leaving Harley by himself with the Vanguard. Zavala rubbed his forehead and his whole demeanor seemed to change. Ikora too, let her posture sag slightly. Zavala sighed again.

"Hayden...I know you had good reasons for doing the things you did. At least, most of them... But I cannot pretend that you've made the situation any easier. As soon as we learned about the situation in the Prison of Elders, we sent every available Guardian to deal with the escapees that scattered throughout the system. There are less of them now, but our situation is still not ideal."

"...I understand," said Harley, knowing it was what he was expected to say.

"No," said the Titan, leveling an assessing gaze at him, "I don't believe that you do. If you had understood the repercussions of your actions, fully understood them, you wouldn't have pursued Uldren. Unless you mean to tell me that you knew what effects those actions would have and you simply did not care, something I don't believe to be true. Now...Ikora and I would like to hear of what transpired after you set foot on the Tangled Shore."

Harley nodded, drawing a breath. It was his turn. All he could do was tell them his side and hope they didn't punish him too harshly. He began with his arrival on the Shore and subsequent attack on the Scorn forces in Thieves' Landing. He told them how he helped the Spider clean up the Shore in exchange for the locations of the Barons and Uldren. However, while he described his actions in taking down the Barons, there were some details he left out. He refrained from mentioning Kyler, Yyrhiks, the Devourer Bullet, his transition to Solar Light, or his lapse at the hand of the Mindbender. Of the Watchtower, he told what he knew, though he left out his troubling interactions with the Taken that Bazzle and Kaedro had brought to light. After all, it wasn't something he remembered himself. He ended on what he could remember of Uldren's death and their departure from the Reef.

Once he concluded, Zavala rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I see," said the Vanguard Commander, "While there is clear merit in eliminating the Scorned Barons, it was not your place to kill Uldren Sov... Do not take that to mean that I shed a tear over his death. In fact, in another life, I would have killed him myself. But we are Guardians. One life is nothing when weighed against the lives of an entire people on the very precipice of extinction. You placed those people in jeopardy when you forsook your duty to revenge yourself on the Awoken Prince. I hope you know that the death of Uldren Sov will have its consequences. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But the day will come... I hope we will survive it."

Harley listened to the reprimand in silence, even though a part of him wanted to protest what Zavala was saying. "As things currently stand," said the Titan Vanguard, "I would rather not have you removed from the field during a time when we need Guardians the most. There have been many...disturbances across the system. I fear that this is only one link in a long chain... Therefore, we will not be suspending you from active duty. However, it would be prudent for you to remain in the Tower for a few days to reflect on your actions in the Reef."

Harley felt a huge weight lift from his chest. Was Zavala really letting him off that easily? He hardly dared to believe it. "...I understand, sir," he said cautiously, "Thank you."

Zavala nodded. "Good. This will also be marked on your official record, so I hope you won't take this matter lightly," he added seriously.

Harley nodded. "I won't."

"Then you are dismissed, Hayden."

Harley turned to leave the office, trying to keep the relief off his face. Right before he reached the door, he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Ikora.

"Thank you, Harley," the Warlock Vanguard said quietly, "The Vanguard may not condone your actions, but for what it's worth… I'm proud of you." Harley gave her a small smile and nodded. Ikora lifted her hand and strode past him out of the office. He followed soon after.

In no time at all, he was sprinting through the Tower to the Chasers' quarters. His fireteam had been granted a large communal apartment in the Bazaar near where New Monarchy was set up. Upon entering the apartment, he found that only Bazzle was there. The Titan had already changed out of his armor and was reading a book on the sofa. He glanced up when Harley entered.

"How was the rest of the debriefing?" he asked. "It was fine. Zavala let me off with a warning, provided that I don't leave the Tower for a few days. They're also putting it on my record but that's all."

Bazzle raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" He didn't sound particularly surprised. "What did you tell the Vanguard about your time in the Reef?"

"I told them most of what I could remember. I left out the stuff about the Mindbender and the Taken though."

Bazzle's brow furrowed. "You omitted information in your report?"

Harley fiddled with a clasp on his armor, avoiding the Titan's eyes. "I didn't think it mattered... I killed Uldren and the Barons. Adding anything else would just cause them to worry... Besides, it's obviously not that big of a deal since they didn't ask for more details." He wasn't sure he even believed that, but he needed some reassurance.

Bazzle sighed. "I suppose…"

Harley looked around, noting how there seemed to be no one else in the apartment. "So where is everyone else?"

"Grayham was on Mars for a long-term mission before I left. I believe it's still ongoing and I assume that Marko is with her. Korrin is on Io. Wrythal and Allerton are still training new recruits. Bentlix has been patrolling the area around the City and Rogue is in the Crucible as usual."

Harley frowned. "What about Kay? He was just here. Where'd he go?"

"The Cosmodrome."

Harley blinked. "He was serious about that?" He hadn't expected the Exo to take off again so quickly.

"It appears so... As for myself, I have arranged to return to my job as an instructor tomorrow."

Harley's eyebrows shot up. "That soon?"

"I see no point in postponing it. Wrythal and Allerton have had to make do without me for long enough."

There was the barest hint of impatience in Bazzle's voice. Harley sensed that the Titan wanted to be left to read his book undisturbed, so he decided to go take a shower. Maybe by washing off the dust of the Shore, he could rid himself of the experience of that dreadful place. Upon entering his room, he discovered that his team had taken care of it in his absence. There was no dust coating the furniture and no stuffy undertone to the air, indicating that it had been aired out while he was gone. Gratitude warmed his chest at the thought of his teammates keeping his room ready. He closed the door and began removing his gear. He hung his bow on a hook and leaned Perfect Paradox against the dresser. He wouldn't need to carry them with him while he remained at the Tower. Then he began to take off his armor, loosening buckles and straps. He unfastened Cayde's cloak and laid it on the bed, then left the rest of his armor in a pile in the corner of the room. He knew he should probably clean it, but he decided to leave that for later.

Stripping out of his undersuit, he grabbed some soft clothes from the dresser and went to shower. The hot water did wonders for chasing away the chill that had plagued him since he'd woken up on Bazzle's ship, but once he got out of the shower and dried off, he could feel it returning. He got dressed and made to leave the room, but paused after a moment's consideration to put Cayde's cloak back on.

When he returned to the living room, he found that Bazzle hadn't moved from his spot on the couch. Harley sat down in a chair next to the couch. Pulling his legs up onto the cushion, he held his hands out for Prism. She settled into them and he began the process of removing her shell to clean it. He could still feel the chill lingering in his core, but decided that until he could find a time to consult someone else about it, he'd focus on recuperating from his foray into the wilds of the Tangled Shore.