Jade stifled a yawn as she began reading yet another essay. She wouldn't give up her instructor position for anything, but endless grading did wear on a person. And there was a lot of grading. It didn't help that Bazzle's replacement - a Titan named Dev - had been worse than useless when it came to lesson planning. While he could teach and execute lessons with no problem, he put off grading and seemed to think that lesson planning time was better spent making passes at Jade. Jade, for her part, never encouraged them but finding ways to politely turn him down was getting difficult as her patience was running out.

Since Dev didn't help plan the lessons, Jade and Fyr were forced to bear the brunt of that particular task. And given that Fyr could only keep his focus for about ten minutes at a time, it mostly meant that Jade was doing everything. Given this unexpected increase in her workload, she hadn't had much time to look into anything related to what Bazzle and Kaedro had contacted her about several days ago. She sighed. Hopefully they would return soon, sparing her further worry about how they were doing. Not to mention the fact that she was worried about Harley.

The last time she'd seen him had been just over six months ago when he'd left to investigate Vex activity. He was supposed to contact the Chasers when he'd returned from the Infinite Forest, yet he hadn't done so. Instead, he somehow ended up in the Prison of Elders with Cayde when the Hunter Vanguard had been killed. Jade's knowledge of the subsequent events was based only on what she'd been told: that Harley had gone to the Reef seeking revenge, that he was hunting the Barons and Uldren, and that Bazzle and Kaedro were trying to stop him. She hadn't heard from either of them since they'd contacted her about the Mindbender. With any luck, they were finished with their business in the Reef and were bringing Harley home at that very moment.

Jade looked at the clock and realized that a whole five minutes had gone by while she was worrying over her teammates. She sighed again and began gathering her things together. She might as well head back to the Chasers' quarters. It was getting late and her ability to work effectively was reaching its limit. She stood up to leave. As she walked, Delta flitted about around her head.

"How was work?" her Ghost asked. She'd been careful not to interrupt Jade while the Warlock was grading papers, something that Jade was endlessly grateful for.

"It was alright," she replied, "The usual mix. Some good, some not as good. Some of them are clearly smart students but aren't as good at writing papers."

"I know what you mean," said Delta, "I was talking to Spark while you were working. He said there were some good ones but the rest were 'truly abysmal.' His words, by the way."

Jade smiled. "I could tell… Still, it's much better having him do the grading than Fyr."

"Oh Fyr would hate it," Delta chirped, "Besides, I think Spark secretly enjoys doing it."

"That's good. I only wish I could say the same. I know Warlocks have a reputation for that sort of thing but saying that grading papers is fun would really be pushing it."

"Well, I find that many assumptions people make about any of the Guardian classes miss the mark... Not all Warlocks are scholars."

Jade nodded. "Like Rae. She doesn't care nearly as much about research as she does about guns."

"Exactly. Just like how not all Titans are muscle-heads and not all Hunters are loners."

"I don't even know where the Titan one came from," said Jade with a chuckle, "Whoever started it must've not met many Titans... And as for Hunters, well… Fyr is the equivalent of a puppy wearing a cloak."

Delta laughed. "I'm going to tell Spark you said that. He'll probably agree."

Jade smiled and opened the door to the Chaser quarters, allowing a stream of warm yellow light to spill out. She waited for Delta to fly in before stepping inside herself and closing the door. She looked around. Fyr was perched on the kitchen counter talking to Spark and Rogue was eating at the table. Her spirits lifted when she saw Bazzle on the couch and then soared when she spotted a familiar figure in the armchair next to it.

"Harley!"

In a flash, she was across the room throwing her arms around the Hunter. It took her a moment to realize that he wasn't hugging her back. In fact, he wasn't moving at all, remaining frozen in place. Jade was about to pull away when he finally hugged back, though his hands were hesitant as they settled on her back and he barely applied any pressure. Not wanting to make him too uncomfortable, Jade released him and stepped back. He wore a smile on his face that fell just short of reaching his eyes.

Jade took a moment to study him. Despite his casual attire, he still wore a cloak fastened around his shoulders. And not just any cloak. Jade recalled the many times she had seen that very cloak with its familiar red patterning draped over Cayde's shoulders. Seeing it on Harley was a stark reminder of the Hunter Vanguard's death. The cloak hung strangely on him, paradoxically seeming to belong and yet not belong at the same time. Apart from the cloak, he looked like the same Hunter who had gone after the Vex six months ago, although his gaze seemed heavier, weighed down by new knowledge and experiences. She also noticed dark circles under his eyes.

"Hey, Jade," he said. His voice was tired but still the same Harley that she remembered.

"Welcome back," she replied with a smile.

"Thanks. It's...weird to be back. I haven't seen you all for years. It's nice being here again."

Jade laughed lightly. It had felt like a long time. "It was only six months, Harley. And I'm sure that you'll be anxious to get back out there once you've spent enough time here."

Harley looked like he was about to say something but seemed to change his mind before he got the words out. "Yeah… probably."

Jade sat down on the couch at the end closest to Harley. Bazzle glanced up at her briefly before returning to his book. She made a mental note to talk to him soon, mostly to follow up on Elijah Joviac - a former student of hers that she was concerned about. But at the moment, she fixed her gaze on Harley.

"How are you doing?" she asked. There was no way he had come out of his time in the Reef unscathed.

Harley shrugged. "Ok… I mean, as well as can be expected, I guess."

"You said you would contact us when you left the Infinite Forest."

It wasn't an accusation, but Harley cringed and dropped her gaze. "I know," he said, "I'm sorry. I should've sent a message like I said I would."

"So what happened?" she asked softly, "In the Reef, I mean."

Harley winced. "I'd rather not talk about it right now...if that's alright with you."

Jade nodded, though her concern increased. "Of course. You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to talk about."

"Thanks. It's just...it's still so recent, you know?"

"Yeah…" She heard the scraping of a chair being pushed back just before heavy footsteps crossed the room to stand behind the couch. "I'm gonna go shower," announced Rogue, "I'll see you clowns in the morning."

With that, he left the room, ruffling Harley's hair on his way out. Harley gave a resigned sigh. They all sat for a few more minutes in silence before he too, got to his feet.

"I'm probably going to sleep too. My nap on the flight back wasn't that great."

"Sleep well," said Jade. He obviously needed it.

"You too," he replied.

Jade watched him walk out. Something about their interaction bothered her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it was almost like he hadn't been fully present. Maybe Bazzle could provide some perspective.

"He seems different," she remarked to the Titan.

"He probably is," said Bazzle, looking up from his book, "It has been a...difficult time for him. And there's no way of knowing what experiences he may have had in the Infinite Forest... But I'm sure he'll adjust to being back at the Tower. Just give him time."

Jade nodded and stood up with a glance in Fyr's direction. She knew the Hunter was just waiting for everyone else to leave the room so he could commandeer the television. He was doing a good job of acting unobtrusive about it though.

"Will you be returning as an instructor tomorrow?" she asked Bazzle, hardly daring to hope.

Bazzle nodded. "Yes, I will be returning to my position as resident Titan instructor."

Jade felt a wave of relief roll over her. She'd finally be able to stop carrying the lessons. "That's great! I'll see you in the morning, then."

Bazzle gave her a small smile. "Good night, Wrythal."

Jade departed to her room to get ready for bed. It didn't take long for her to shower and change. When she returned to her room, she sat down on the meditation mat she kept at the foot of the bed. Entering a meditative state was easy, as she'd gotten a lot of practice from her training sessions with new Lightbearers. Her awareness expanded beyond the room, unfolding across another plane until she could feel the Light of her teammates and their Ghosts. She took in the warm pulse of Bazzle's Light, its presence as reassuring and steady as the Sun. It was good to have him back. Then she turned her focus to Harley's Light. But as she did so, she felt the hair rise on the back of her neck - a universal sign that something was wrong.

She honed in on the feeling of Harley's Light, trying to determine what was affecting her. His Light, once bearing the tingle of Arc, had shifted to the dancing and leaping of Solar. But that wasn't what sent apprehension crawling down Jade's spine. She was pretty sure that Harley's Light was dimmer than it ought to be. And it was fluctuating. It ebbed and flowed in a way that she'd only seen once before. In Elijah.

Bazzle had warned her himself that anomalies in a Guardian's Light such as the ones Elijah - and now Harley - possessed was usually a sign that they were more prone to the Darkness. The question was: what had changed? And did Harley know about it? Jade almost wanted to go to his room right then but shut the impulse down. The Hunter needed to rest. He didn't need to be bothered about something like that when he'd just gotten back to the Tower. Besides, she could always talk to him about it the next day after work.

Opening her eyes, she moved from the meditation mat to her bed. Meditation would bring none of the usual comfort that night. Delta had already taken up residence on the cushion she kept on the nightstand. Jade tossed and turned for a while, too preoccupied with the various problems on her mind. It wasn't until around one in the morning that she was finally able to get to sleep.

Jade awakened groggily to the sound of her alarm going off. She turned it off with a groan and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the daylight that had managed to slip through her window. She could hear other people moving about the apartment. It was a safe assumption that many of the other Chasers were already awake. With another groan, she dragged herself out of bed and down the hall to the bathroom, where she splashed some water on her face. It wasn't the greatest feeling, but it did wake her up somewhat. After a brief assessment of the circles under her eyes, she returned to her room to get dressed. Delta had woken up and risen off of her cushion.

"Good morning," she said brightly.

"Morning, Delta."

Delta seemed to pick up on how tired she sounded. "Late night?"

Jade nodded as she wrestled with a strap on her robes. "Yes, something like that."

"Was there something on your mind?" Jade nodded again. "What was it?"

She sighed. "I'll tell you later when I'm more awake." Serious matters were hardly fare for morning conversations. Delta laughed and followed her out into the kitchen area.

Fyr was sitting at the table, eyes heavy. The hand that wasn't propping his head up was clenched around a mug of coffee as though it were made of gold. Jade laughed at how pitiful he looked.

"I don't know what you expect to happen when you stay up watching television until three in the morning," she told him.

"Worth it," Fyr mumbled.

Jade raised an eyebrow. "Was it?"

"It looks as though you had a late night yourself, Wrythal," remarked Bazzle.

He was at the counter, preparing to pour pancake batter onto the griddle. Jade perked up. Maybe her day wasn't off to as bad of a start as she thought. She had missed Bazzle's breakfasts while he was in the Reef. She looked around to see if any other Chasers would make an appearance, but it didn't seem like they were going to show. Either they were sleeping in or they'd already left for the day. Jade was betting on the first one. There weren't many Guardians who actually got up early. For the most part they either seemed to sleep in late or didn't sleep at all.

She was a bit disappointed, given that she'd wanted to talk to Harley before leaving. She didn't think Light anomalies were something to be left unchecked. However, she also didn't want to bring it up to anyone else until she knew what Harley's position on it was. She could act based on a guess, of course, but her guess was that Harley wouldn't want her telling anyone else about it. Jade had noticed the Hunter's tendency to keep things close to his chest, especially if they were serious. She was pulled out of her musing by a plate being set down in front of her.

"Thanks, Bazzle," she said with a smile.

The Titan nodded, lips curving up in response. "Of course."

Jade turned her attention to the pancakes. By the time she was done, Bazzle and Fyr were finishing up as well.

Bazzle checked his interface. "We should leave soon," he informed them, "Grab anything you need before we go."

Jade nodded and hurried into her room to grab the notes she'd taken at the various lesson planning sessions. She figured Bazzle would want to be caught up on what they'd been doing and what still needed to be done. The others were waiting by the door. Bazzle held it open for them as they left.

"So," he said as they started walking toward the Training Center, "How did my replacement handle things?"

Jade sighed. The Titan wasn't going to be happy to hear this. "Awful. He was decent at the teaching part but he barely graded and he wouldn't help plan lessons at all."

Bazzle echoed her sigh. "I suppose it was too much to hope that they would find someone who would actually do the job," he said dryly.

That was about the most relatable thing Jade had ever heard. "You're telling me. I brought the lesson plans for you to catch up on." She passed them over to him.

"Thank you. I'll look these over before classes start… Was there anything else?"

Jade shook her head. "That's it for the moment, thankfully."

"Cool," said Fyr impatiently, "So now that the boring stuff is outta the way, what was the Reef like?"

Jade pursed her lips. She wasn't sure asking about the Reef was such a good idea, no matter how much she wanted to hear about it herself. It could prove to be a touchy subject depending on what had happened over there. She looked at the Titan. He didn't seem to be reacting too negatively toward the subject, but then he rarely ever displayed his emotions so openly.

"It was cold," he stated simply, "The amount of sunlight that reaches the asteroids is minimal. The Awoken manufactured a gravitational lens to amplify it, but it only helps so much. The atmosphere out there is thinner, as well. The area we were in, the Tangled Shore, has very little civilization. It's overrun with Fallen, Cabal, Hive, and Scorn."

"What the heck are Scorn?" asked Fyr.

"Mutated Fallen," Bazzle replied, "I'm not sure how much of this the Vanguard would want me to share with you. Suffice it to say that Hayden got what he was after."

Jade's eyes widened. "You mean he actually kil-"

"Yes. He did."

Jade wasn't sure how to feel about that. She had never met the Awoken Prince in person - all she knew about him was what she heard from others. Did Uldren Sov deserve to die for killing Cayde? In the City's eyes, he would be considered a civilian. She wasn't sure what the penalty was for a civilian if they somehow managed to permanently kill a Guardian. However, the penalty for a Guardian who killed a civilian was steep.

Harley's presence back in the Chasers' quarters indicated that he'd already been debriefed by the Vanguard. Clearly, they had decided not to take any kind of severe action against him, which hopefully meant that there would be little to no fallout from the events that had transpired. But she did wonder how Harley was dealing with it. She didn't think the Hunter she'd met in the Vault of Glass four years ago would have been able to kill Uldren. Then again, that Hunter hadn't yet had Cayde taken from him.

"I'm going to look over these notes," said Bazzle, "I'll see you two during physical training."

Jade looked around, realizing that they had reached the point in the Training Center where they would all go their separate ways. "Sounds good," she told Bazzle, "See you then."

She departed for her classroom. As soon as she was inside, she closed the door and sat down at her desk to prepare for the lessons. While she did so, Delta floated nearby, watching her. "Are you going to talk to Bazzle about Elijah?"

Jade shrugged. She wanted to, especially since she couldn't check up on him herself while Bazzle was gone. But the Titan had just returned from what must have been a harrowing mission and had a lot to catch up on. She didn't want to put another burden on his shoulders.

"Bazzle already has a lot to deal with," she told Delta, "I'll ask one of the others to check on Elijah for me."

Delta seemed to consider that, nodding. "...You mentioned that you had a late night last night," the Ghost said eventually, "If you want to talk about it, I'm all ears."

Jade bit her lip. "I did say I'd tell you about it…" She glanced at the clock. There should be enough time before her first class began to fill Delta in. She took a deep breath. "Ok," she said, turning to face her Ghost, "Last night I was meditating before bed as usual. But when I felt Harley's Light, there was something wrong with it. It was unstable, just like Elijah's. And it was...muted somehow."

"What do you mean?" asked Delta.

"I don't know. It felt like his Light wasn't at its full strength." As worrying as the concept was, she was glad she could confide in her Ghost.

Delta's shell twitched. "Could it be from exertion? I mean, he must have used his Light a lot in the Reef…"

Jade shook her head. "Delta, I've never felt a Guardian's Light act that way before. It's not exertion. It's something else."

"What do you think it means?"

"I don't know. But I think I'd better try to figure that out."

"Hmm… Are you going to bring it up with Harley?" asked her Ghost, "He might know what caused it. Or have a guess, at least."

"Oh! I didn't think of that. I am planning to talk to him about it but it didn't occur to me that he might know what it's from. Maybe I'll ask today after lessons…"

"That sounds like a plan. I'll see if I can dig anything up on the topic while you're teaching."

Jade smiled at her Ghost. "Thanks, Delta. Just remember to keep this between us. I don't want to tell anyone else until Harley knows. It's up to him to decide if he wants to tell anyone about it." The last thing she wanted was for rumors to spread through the Tower.

"I think that's very considerate of you," said Delta.

Jade blushed. "Thanks."

"I'm just giving credit where credit is due... By the way, I've been meaning to ask you… Do you miss being out in the field at all?"

Jade frowned. The question took her by surprise. Did she miss being in the field? Truth be told, it wasn't something she ruminated on very much. She was generally too busy thinking about her duties as an instructor.

"I don't know," she said, "I think maybe sometimes I do... But I also really like teaching new Guardians. I guess both sides have their upsides and downsides."

She didn't add that one of the downsides to staying in the Tower was how little she got to see some of her friends, Harley in particular. The last time she'd seen him, he had asked her if she would accompany him on his mission to investigate the Vex. She'd had to decline on account of her position as an instructor, but now she wondered how things might have ended if she'd gone with him. Maybe they would have both gone to the Prison of Elders. Maybe they could have stopped Cayde from dying if they'd both been there.

She sighed and tried her best to put it out of her mind. Wondering how things might have been was something that rarely ended well in her experience. All she could do was focus on the present and treat any future decisions with care. She glanced at the clock before standing up and crossing over to the door, through which she could hear muffled chatter from students. Lessons were about to begin.

A/N: I'm always glad when I can work some Jade screen time into the story. She doesn't get nearly enough. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. It's a bit slow at the start but the pacing is going to pick up very soon when we get to actual Plot. If you're liking it so far, make sure to favorite and/or leave a review telling me what you think :)

TheSiriusLucifer: Thank you so much for the review! Don't worry, this story is going to be plenty long. I'm sure you'll think it's TOO long once we get through the rest of the 90k