"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Sisre asked, absently fiddling with Wren's cloak.

"I need to get out there again," Wren said, looking down the stairs to where Cerulean had gathered with Eris Morn and the Vanguard.

"But it's only been a few days…"

"I know. But the Tower feels stifling and I need to get out."

"Alright, alright. We'll be there to back you up if you feel like things are getting to be too much."

"Right."

"Let's get in there then."

Wren and Sire walked side by side from the shadows to the command table. Eris stared at her the whole way, her glowing green eyes boring into Wren in a way that made her uncomfortable. Cayde stood in his area with his arms crossed and gave her the slightest nod. Beorn and Franz knocked her elbows as she walked between them.

"It's good to see you, Wren," Zavala said. "I suppose first of all we should discuss Flak. The Praxic Order has determined that his case is not based in corruption of Darkness. He's been handed over to the Vanguard for judgment and we have decided that imprisonment is in the best interest of the City."

Wren nodded in agreement, even though she wanted far worse for Flak. The way Cayde's jaw clenched, and he shifted his weight foot to foot, she was sure he wasn't exactly happy with it either.

"Flak aside, we've discovered how to become ascendant," Ikora said. "Clues in Toland's journals have uncovered the way. However, only one of you may enter the temple to collect the shards we need to become ascendant."

Rorick stepped forward. "As leader of Cerulean I—"

"I'll go," Wren said, stepping up with him and putting a hand on his forearm. "Oryx is after me for killing Crota, right? I wouldn't feel right putting anyone else at risk for this."

"Wren, in light of what's happened, do you think this is a wise decision?" Zavala asked.

"With all due respect, Commander, what happened doesn't make me less capable of handling this."

Zavala was about to say something but Ikora put her hands behind her back and stood a little taller. They locked eyes for a moment and Wren expected Cayde to step in. To back her up. But he said nothing. He tapped his elbow, arms still tight over his chest, and watched the other Vanguard's reactions.

"Do you have an objection, Rorick?" Zavala asked.

Rorick looked down at Wren and she met his gaze with as much determination as she could muster.

"No objection here, Commander."

"Very well," Zavala said. "Eris will inform you on the details when you land on the Moon. I'll send a message to Holiday to have your ship ready in a half an hour. I'll run intel on this mission, so make sure Kiran gives Targe priority for communication."

"Yessir."

A messenger entered and passed them and handing a note to Zavala before leaving. Zavala read the letter, then raised a hand to make them stay.

"Change of plans. Ikora and I need to handle an important matter, Cayde…" he sighed. "Cayde and Eris will assist you on your mission."

"Great," Cayde said, clapping his hands together. "In that case I have to talk to a man about a dog."

He didn't look at her as he left and Zavala dismissed them right after. As they walked toward the Courtyard, Beorn and Franz promised curry upon her return but she could see the concern etched on their faces. They did their little headbutt with her, lingering longer than usual, then stood back for Sisre and Rorick to also wish her the best.

"You'll do great," Rorick said but it sounded like he was more trying to convince himself. He'd been around more since the incident, offering to bring her whatever she needed or wanted, which she was sure was his guilt showing through. Wren hoped completing this mission would take away some of that guilt. She could handle herself.

"I wish we could go with you," Sisre said.

"Don't worry, it'll be alright."

"Yeah but Cayde is running the mission and that…"

"Hey, it's okay. Have a little faith."

Beorn and Franz glanced at each other and chuckled a little and Sisre smirked.

"Right. Well, you just use your best judgment on whatever he tells you, okay?"

"Will do."

"Alright. We're going to prepare in case we have to assist," Rorick said. "I know Zavala said this is best for one Guardian, but I'd prefer you had some sort of back up at the ready. Beorn, Franz, go to the Courtyard and pick up any bounties you can find for the Moon. Sisre and I will speak with Holiday about flight clearance. We'll be there if you need us."

"I appreciate it," Wren said, then her fireteam departed.

The way to the Hanger was bustling with Guardians, forcing Wren toward the outside of the hallway to avoid getting pushed around by the crowd and larger Guardians who didn't see her. She passed the sweeper bot, which didn't pay her any mind, but as she watched it while passing someone grabbed her wrist and yanked her behind a stack of crates covered in a cloth with a Vanguard banner over it.

"Hey, what the—"

"Relax, Pipit, it's just me," Cayde said.

They stood in the small space deep in shadows where passing Guardians couldn't see them. He was only a few inches away, close enough for her to smell spices from his lunch and oils and grease from the Hanger.

"I have something for your Better Devils," he said, holding his hand out.

"What is it?"

"A tracker."

Wren narrowed her eyes at him, pausing in her motion to hand him the gun. "Why do I need a tracker?"

"Because I don't want you to end up like Eris Morn. If somethin' goes wrong up there, I wanna know I can find you again."

She relented and handed the Better Devils over. He attached a silver spade charm to the hand canon to go with the bird charm Koro had given her.

"Sorry I haven't been around since the interview," he said as he handed the gun back. "When I found out they were close to figuring out how to become ascendant, I knew I didn't have much time to find someone who could make this tracker for you. That and the investigation into Koro's killed all my time."

"It's alright, I've just been hiding away and trying to relax. Sisre's been staying with me a lot too." She fidgeted with the spade charm, then dropped the Better Devils in its holster and secured it before looking up to him. "You're not going to track me all the time, right?"

"Nope, just when you're doing stuff like this where…" he trailed off, then cleared his throat. "I won't lie, kid, I have a bad feeling on this one."

"That's reassuring."

"I don't wanna be like that about it, but I'm not gonna lie either. Too many Guardians disappear when dealin' with this kind of thing."

Wren smirked. "I was joking before when I said you were worried about me but I'm starting to think I was right."

"Yeah, don't get cocky."

"Alright. Well, thank you and um… I guess I should get going."

When she tried to walk away he grabbed her again and pulled her into a hug, raising her off her feet for a moment before he dropped her again.

"Don't do anything crazy out there, got it?" he said, then disappeared into the crowd in the hallway.

Wren ran her fingers through the chains of the charms, staring down at both in her palm. Koro and Cayde. One made sense. The safe bet, as she'd come to think about it. The other was nothing but trouble. And of course, she wanted what wasn't good for her.

"There's too much going on," Kiran sighed.

"We'll talk to Sisre when we get back. I kind of don't want to think about that right now."

"As much as I don't want to go to the Moon, I really want to get away from all this drama."

Wren scooped him in with one hand and kissed his shell before letting him go. "Let's get to work then."

The depths of the Moon hadn't changed one bit. Wren wound through the corridors and passages built by the Hive, hearing them skittering behind stone walls that had been carved too thin. She recognized the space she'd entered with its caverns to the right and platform spanning the left over a pit that dropped to darkness. Over the edge she could hear Thrall crawling along the rough rock walls. There was always a feeling of being surrounded.

"Crota was a servant, sent by his father to extinguish the last of the Light," Eris said. "His death invited Oryx: Destroyer of Light, Taker of Will. Only Ascendant Hive move between ruptures. To reach the father, you must walk the dying footsteps of the son. You must become Ascendant. Head toward the Chamber of Night and hold fast to Toland the Shattered's journal – it saw me through my time in the dark."

"Hold fast to your gun," Cayde said, putting emphasis on gun. "You're headed to the chamber where they help Crota's soul. All right, here's what needs to happen. We or… you…. Have to steal a chunk of Hive crystal that's still got a trace of Crota's soul so you can pass through the interdimensional portal on the Dreadnaught to get to Oryx. I leave anything out, Eris?"

"It must be done before Oryx turns his scrying eye on this realm."

"Right. Be quick but be careful."

"I will," Wren said, descending farther into the Moon, killing what few Acolytes and Knights stood in her way. "This doesn't seem right."

"What's wrong?"

"Last time there were a lot more Hive. I don't know. Feels too easy."

"Eris is lookin' at me real funny. I don't like it. Hold on, kid, I'll be right back."

Wren kept moving deeper into the fortress until she came to a chamber with a Knight and a Wizard. She dodged the shots from the Wizard and used a pillar for cover while she killed the Knight. Distracted by it and the Void energy splashing all around, she didn't hear the Thrall until they were on her, yanking her backward by her cloak. She fell to her back with the Thrall tearing at her, until she pulled her dagger and began slashing away at their papery skin.

She grabbed ones throat as it screamed in her face and drove the blade into its mouth and out the back of its skull. Dust and embers fell over her and she rose to her feet, wiping the remains away.

"You doin' alright?" Cayde asked.

"Yeah. Just a few Thrall that decided to sneak up on me."

"Dammit, I said be careful."

"Don't start with me, Hunter," Wren said through gritted teeth as she reloaded her Better Devils.

"Go left," Kiran said, guiding Wren toward a tall, narrow hall that was pitch black.

She took a step back, her skin prickling with sweat under her armor. Her mouth went dry and the pressure she'd felt in the tank returned. She extended her arms to help the feeling of being trapped but she wished she could strip off her armor and run for the surface.

"I'm not good," she whispered, the words feeling like bitter defeat.

"Take a minute," Cayde said.

"She doesn't have a minute," Eris said. "We must find the—"

"Enough. If she needs a minute, she takes one."

Eris didn't say anything else, but it was enough to drive Wren forward, into the darkness of the passage. Every step echoed from the walls and she swore she could hear water rushing somewhere just beyond the stone, though she knew it wasn't possible.

The halls were littered with barnacles and the bones of humans. Wren tried to side step them when she could but there were too many and she felt the pressure of darkness pressing in on her.

"Toland's journal contains an impressive amount of data," Kiran said, distracting Wren as she walked with nothing more than Kiran's light shining sharp angles in front of her. Over her shoulder was pitch black. "I should probably read it… done. Some of this stuff is fascinating!"

"Yeah?" she looked over her shoulder again. "Are we being followed?"

"I don't think so? Let me play a part of his journal to give you something else to think about. I see light ahead."

"A Dreadnaught shields the Hive from the Traveler's Light," the recording said. "Were we to pass though its deepest layers, our Light would be as a dying sun."

"Poetic," Wren said flatly.

"Aw, you don't like poetry, Crow?" Cayde chuckled. "Get it? Poetry? Crow? Ha.. ah… well, nevermind."

"I don't think Toland was much fun at parties," Kiran whispered.

The narrow hall opened into wider, well lit areas and although Kiran insisted nothing was following them, Wren wasn't so sure. She could still hear that skittering sound; claws on stone and faint footsteps from no particular place. No Hive came forth. Not a one showed its face and that made Wren more anxious than if there were hoards of them pouring from every crevice. What were they waiting for? Did they not know she was here?

She turned the corner and came to a halt. All around the room Thrall were hunched over, gnawing bone and ripping flesh away in bloody chunks of muscle and sinew. Wren's hand went to her right shoulder and squeezed. That sound was too familiar and she felt the urge to vomit.

"If the Thrall still feed the Crota's essence must endure," Eris said.

Wren opted to sneak around the feeding Thrall, keeping an eye on them for movement as she passed in the shadows. She didn't want to know what they were eating. There wasn't much it could be.

They reached the ritual site where the Hive had attempted to summon Crota before but now the room was quiet. Empty. The only sound here was of Wren's boots on the bridge that led to the center area where a stone stood marking the center.

A deep roar shook the ground beneath her and an Ogre stepped out from a cave to her left. It stretched its mangled arms out and let out another roar, its eye blast shooting straight at her.

Wren rolled to the side and ran, sliding under another blast to take cover. She holstered the Better Devils and pulled the scout rifle over her shoulder, choosing to keep some distance between herself and the Ogre.

"Damn I hate Ogres," she muttered, kneeling to take shots at it from under a half-toppled pillar.

Screams of Thrall from the area before could be heard getting closer. She might have left them to their meal before, but they definitely knew of her presence now and she'd have them to contend with along with the Ogre if she wasn't fast in taking it down.

She swapped between taking head shots at the Ogre, bullets tearing holes in the tumorous face, thick globs of yellow pus splashed to the floor, and shooting Thrall as they rushed the door. When shot they burst to dust and she could go back to focusing on the Ogre which had decided to charge her and force her out of cover.

Void energy splashed against the wall beside her, drops landing on her right side. She ran away, slinging the rifle over her shoulder in favor of her hand cannon which she could kill Thrall with from closer range as she neared them. The next Ogre blast took out a section of the charging Thrall and Wren jumped, boosting away toward another broken pillar but falling short of the jump. She slammed into the carved stone structure and knocked the wind out of herself.

On her back on the floor the ceiling spun but the approaching Ogre cleared her sense enough for her to stumble into the cave it had come from and at the entrance, she gasped for breath and shot haphazardly at the Ogre. It screamed and raised it's clawed hands high, then a Taken anomaly appeared, cloaking the Ogre in black and white light before it disappeared entirely.

"Oryx just took an Ogre," Kiran said as Wren rose to her feet, leaning against a wall for support as she caught her breath and reloaded the Better Devils.

"Not even Oryx can control an Ogre, unless it's Taken," Eris said. Now quickly, I need a shard of that crystal."

"You okay kid?" Cayde asked. "That was one hell of a hit on that pillar."

"I thought I could make it," Wren said, looking up to the top of the structure as she passed.

"I have just the thing for you when you get back. But for now, get that crystal and get the hell outta there."

Wren chipped a piece of the center stone away and held it in the palm of her hand while Kiran scanned it.

"We have a shard," Kiran said.

"I knew it could be done," Eris said, the excitement in her voice more foreboding that Wren liked. "And does it still hold the whisper of Crota's soul?"

"According to my analysis, it's empty," Kiran replied.

"No matter. Return to me and we will destroy—"

A crackling over the comm cut Eris off and Wren dropped the shard into a pouch at her hip.

"What?"

"Kid—" Cayde's voice came in, distant and tense. "I'm losing you."

"Cayde? Can you hear me?"

"—find you, I promise—"

"We lost them," Kiran said and tension pulled at Wrens' shoulders. "Something is blocking the signal, and our transmat."

"What is that?" Wren asked, trotting to the entrance which was now swirling with a strange dark mist that stopped at the door like it was kept back by glass.

Behind her the screeching, ripping sound she'd heard on Phobos with the Taken exploded into the space and she spun around to find a shadowy figure of Oryx staring at her.

"Infection!" it yelled. "Your Light dies here!"

"Run!" Kiran cried as the Taken Ogre appeared in a flash where the Oryx shadow had just been. More Taken bubbled up from anomalies and Wren fled.

The previously empty halls now crawled with Taken Thrall and the stomping of the enraged Ogre could be heard behind her as it roared and thrashed, slamming into walls and ploughing through anything in its way.

Shots of Taken energy ricocheted all around her, striking the back of her legs on occasion, pushing her to run faster. She tried to leap and dodge as well but the more Taken she passed, the more that joined the chase behind her. She leapt over jagged Hive crystals and one caught her boot, sending her sprawling to the floor. When she caught herself in the roll, she heard a loud pop in her right wrist and pain shot through her arm.

She tucked the injured limb close to her chest and kept running, knowing the Taken meant to kill her here. The charms smacking her leg as she ran reminded her of the tracker. If something happened, Cayde would find her, but at what cost? This hoard would be here, waiting to steal his Light as well. Dying here might mean Cayde's death and that pushed her harder.

"Cayde?" she panted, chest heaving. "Can you hear me?"

"Save it!" Kiran said. "There's still no connection."

The pitch black corridor from before was somehow darker, shadows swirling and pulsating like she was stuck in the rotting lung of some dying being but she couldn't afford to stop or hesitate. At the end of the hall she had to take a hard left and in doing so slid on loose stones. She lost her footing and hit her left hip hard, her helmet slamming into the ground.

Stars swam in her vision and her muscles ached when she rolled over, seeing the glowing white eyes of Taken charging down the hall toward her. On trembling legs she ran, her right wrist swelling inside her bracer to the point her fingers were numb and tingling. When she glanced at it she knew it was broken, twisted at an unnatural angle.

"This must be how they trapped Eris," Kiran said, fear trickling into his voice.

The circular room they found themselves in already had a few Taken in it. Wren struggled to take the Better Devils in her left hand and clear them out, expecting the door they'd come through on the way in to open, but when she reached it and it didn't budge, her heart rose in her throat.

"They've locked us in!" Kiran said. "Let me search the journal."

"Hurry!" Wren said, putting her back to the door. White eyes of the Taken were illuminating the far hall. They were getting closer.

"It says we need a tomb husk!"

"What the hell is that!?"

"It's a relic! There should be one around here. There! Over there!"

Wren raced for the relic and wrapped her right arm around it, crying out in pain as her broken wrist came in contact with the tomb husk. She shot at the emerging Taken Thrall as they shambled closer, then ran toward the door where she dropped the husk and it vanished in a flicker of green light. The lock on the door dissolved and well away, allowing the door to open.

Farther she ran, legs threatening to give out on her as they came to the next door, locked with two seals. She almost sobbed in frustration. A grenade took care of many of the Thrall that had clumped together and Golden Gun turned the Wizard and Knight to ash in an instant. Where the Knight had been floated another tomb husk. She jumped up to retrieve it, struggling to pull herself onto the ledge.

"Just keep going, Wren, I'll try to heal you before I scan for the other husks."

"We don't have time. Find the other one!"

Wren ran the tomb husk to the door, the first seal breaking as Kiran found the second.

"It's in a smaller chamber to the left."

She stumbled back down the steps, shooting the Taken that had caught up with her on the way to retrieve the second tomb husk. Taking deep breaths and willed herself to grab the relic and take it back to the door where the second lock crumbled.

"I can't do much more of this," she said as she passed through the door, slamming a new clip into her hand cannon with her thigh.

"We can make it. We have to make it. Eris escaped but… her Ghost didn't."

"I'm not going back without you," Wren said, feeling the healing warmth in her wrist. He could only do so much in this place and the pressure from the Darkness weighed her down but at least some of the pain subsided.

"We're going to lose her like Eriana." Eris' voice came through the comm and Wren had never been so happy to hear her speak.

"The signal's getting stronger," Kiran said.

"Cayde?" Wren panted. "Can you hear me?"

There was no reply but the hope of hearing him again motivated her to keep going. The next relic lay on the way into the room beyond, so she grabbed it, holding it close with her forearm, before running toward the next door.

When she turned around a Taken Captain had wound up and thrown a ball of Darkness at her. The world went black. She was so heavy she could hardly move, feeling crushing weight all around and sounds became muffled. Thought she couldn't see, the Taken could and they didn't let up shooting at her.

The Darkness passed and she stumbled out gasping. A Solar dagger broke the fiery shield around the Captain, allowing her to drop it with her Better Devils.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"Up on that platform! On the other side of the center column. That's odd… there are Fallen fingerprints all over this door. What were they doing here?"

"Frankly, I don't care. Get me to those husks"

Wren ran left, barely dodging another ball of Darkness. She retrieved the final two husks but as she put the third in place she couldn't help but wonder if this would go on forever. Door after door with more and more locks. The army of Taken that followed her was growing with each passing door and now she could hear the Ogre's roar once more. All the space she'd put between them, it was gaining on her.

She squeezed through the doors before they were completely open and ran as fast as she could, up the stairs, only slowing to take out an Acolyte Eye, not willing to deal with the range and accuracy. The Thrall and Acolytes were bad enough. Her armor was cracked and singed, cloak ripped and burned.

"Get out of that pit Guardian!" Eris demanded. "We must have a crystal or we'll never reach Oryx."

"I swear to the Traveler, if you say one more—"

"Wren, stop," Kiran hissed. "I know you're hurt and angry but it's not worth it."

Wren clenched her teeth and kept moving, waiting to hear Cayde. This was it. The door to the outside was visible, a stary sky just beyond the pale white surface of the moon. She burst through the last doorway to meet her team standing just outside. Beorn scooped her up and she cried out as her wrist pressed against his chest.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," she said, struggling to be put down. Beorn did so but kept an arm around her ribs until Kiran could heal her, the rest of Cerulean clearing any Taken that had followed her out of the temple.

"Kid, is that you?"

Finally! Wren's shoulders dropped in relief. "Yeah, I made it."

"Then the Taken King will fall," Eris said. "Bring me his dead son's crystal."

"That's Eris' way of saying thanks. I'm glad you made it out alive," Cayde said, but Wren swore she could hear an edge in his voice.

"That's a lot of Taken," Franz whistled.

"How did you guys know to come here?" Wren asked.

Rorick and Sisre exchanged a look. "We might have had Vira and Ziro intercept some of the transmissions from the Tower. When Cayde lost connection with you, we knew something was wrong and headed straight here."

"Man, you should have heard him," Franz said. "I thought he was about to lose his shit."

"Cayde is protective of his Hunters," Rorick said.

"Yeah… right… his Hunters." Franz and Beorn laughed.

"Alright, knock it off," Sisre smirked, backhanding Beorn's chest. "You ready to head home, Wren, or do you still feel restless?"

"I think I'm ready."

"Good. Let's get moving. I know a couple of Warlocks who promised curry."

"Woah, woah, woah… we promised Wren curry," Franz began but when Sisre tilted her helmet, fist on her hip he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I mean, the more the merrier, right?"

"Rorick, could you hand this over to the Vanguard?" Wren asked, holding the crystal shard out to him. "I think I'm going to go be alone in the den for a while. I have some things I want to finish up."

"Very well. If you need anything, let me know."

"Thanks."

As soon as they landed Wren headed for her den. She stripped down into some clothes she'd left there and dropped her armor by the door and hung her cloak nearby. There were a few holes she'd have to patch but it wasn't too bad off. As she ran her finger over the cords that held both sides together she picked up the hem where a section remained from where Cayde had sewn it up to fit her better.

How long had that been? Seemed a lifetime ago. Back when things were simpler.

Wren sat on her stool at her work bench and turned the music player on to something soft to calm her nerves. She picked up a screwdriver and her hands were still trembling. It could have been worse. Much worse. She could have been stuck down there, trapped. She could have ended up like Eris... no... Cayde wouldn't have let that happen.

She glanced at the Better Devils, silver spade charm reflecting the dim lights from the city. He would have found her... right...

"Hey, kid." Cayde stood in the doorway.

"Hey."

"Thought I'd come check on you since you didn't bring the shard back yourself."

"Yeah I was just… wanting to get some stuff done is all."

Cayde walked up behind her, close enough she could feel the Solar heat from him. He was still riled up.

"I uh, heard you were worried about me," she smirked, peering over her shoulder at him, but he didn't smile.

"I thought you were gone for good. I told you I had a bad feelin' about that one."

Wren tried to shrug it off but her shaky hand dropped the screw driver. "Calm down, I made it, didn't I?" She picked it up again and fidgeted with it but she wasn't even stable enough to tighten a screw on the larger speaker she'd been putting together for the den. The screw dropped and she cursed under her breath.

"Sugarbird…"

Why did he have to say it like that?

"I made it," she repeated.

"C'mon. Thought we were past this?"

Wren turned around slowly on her stool and looked up at him. His eyes searched her face, but for what? He really had been worried. Hell, there was no point acting like she hadn't almost given up. It was the fear of him getting lost down there with her that kept her going. She exhaled and leaned forward, her forehead thumping against his chest. He put his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

"I don't like this," he said.

She put her arms around his waist but it didn't ease the trembling much. "I'm going to kill Oryx."

His grip tightened. "Yeah, kid. I know."