We're getting straight into the fray, and I will try my best with the VOG, I've never done the raid so this will be strange to write without first-hand experience, but I'll give it my all. I hope you enjoy the drama and darkness ahead.


Act IV - Sorrow and Acceptance

Chapter 4 - Vault of Glass: Forged In Light

[Waking Ruins, Ishtar Sink, Venus]

The Vault of Glass.

That day I saw it while traversing Venus for the Gate Lord stuck with me. Among this ruined jungle sat the large, circular-bowl doorway into the Vex Underworld, a literal hell for those that entered, like... Zane's team, they all perished down here too. Among the U-formed cliffs that held the key to opening the gateway into that maw. How many times have I passed this looming crypt, filled with remnants of those long forgotten by the Oracles at work, the Templar and Gorgons Zane had mentioned, they could all just as easily erase us from time.

If we went down there, we would have no control over the stream of time, this was the Vex's Underworld, something far more dangerous than the Sol Divisive, and just as forboding as Chronos was. I didn't talk to Zane or Dimitri before we left, I couldn't have their worries weighing on my mind now, not when it could cost me, I just needed to move forward.

"-eres, Ceres?" I jumped a little from Taka's touch, finally sound came flooding back to my senses. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just lost in thought," I answered, seeing the rest ready themselves among the mounds of rock and grass, the Vex marching along the valley, thankfully not targetting us yet

~The Vault is a virtual realm used by the Vex as a testing ground to manipulate reality through the use of ontological warfare, as opposed to their realistic simulations~ Ikora began over our coms, the six of us standing by to listen closely. ~Inside, the Vex have control over what can and can't be, if you allow it, you may be lost to time forever~

"~I AM VERY MUCH AFRAID!~" Morbin/Kreig yelled with a hand raised, while Vlad tapped a hand to his Scout Rifle, marked with gold and white, Nameless Midnight.

"Is there any way through the Gate? We seem to have no clear sign from here." Vlad insisted, with Ikora mumbling to someone for a moment

~I see... I have sent to your ghosts a recording of the last team to enter the Vault of Glass, they have details that may prove of use to you inside. From this point forward our connection will be limited, I trust you all to make it back safely~ Ikora informed us, before adding one last thing. ~Good luck, Guardians~

Once the transmission cut off, we were left with Ghost appearing before us.

"Well, that was... unexpectedly easy." Harrow voiced are thoughts exactly, and with a slight separation of his shell, Ghost looked to me

"I have the recordings... amazing to think that the Vanguard had these and never told anyone," Ghost sounded confused with a hint of awe at what the recordings contained, keeping us in suspense. "I guess they really never wanted anyone going here..."

"After what happened, I'm not surprised, given who gave them the recordings." While my helmet hid my glare well, my visor stared back at Vlad carefully

"Another word that even remotely connects with Zane and I'll personality make sure you wish the Vex just killed you now." Acid seeped from every syllable I uttered, so potent that I heard him muffle a grunt, while the air grew thick

"Los silbidos de llama, quite unnerving." Sparrow gulped, while Taka cleared her throat

"Ghost, if you would?" At her offer, Ghost nodded and flashed a pale blue for a second, static playing from his shell for a moment

Shadis - Okay... why am I recording this? Was it not your job to monitor our findings?

Eva - True, but you seem far more... well, I just think my time is spent better on keeping a Hobgoblin from rupturing our insides, don't you?

Zane - She's lying! She just hates doing boring work!

I heard Zane's voice... he sounds just like he always is, and the Exo female's voice, and the male's voice too. Who were they? Well, I should listen more to find out I guess.

Eva - I can do both, you tout! *Sound of running*

Zane - Ah! Summer, help me!

Shadis - *Groans* Okay... Echo 01 of the Vault of Glass Raid. My name is Shadis of Fireteam Caelus. It's members; Our leader Summer, then there's me, Eva-2, Echo, Marco, and Zane. These logs are for those that wish to brave this Underworld of the Vex, and in hopes, you can survive what lurks down here

Shadis - Let me start with the most obvious question on anyone's mind. How do I open the gateway? Well, it's rather simple, there are three rings that construct a spire within the middle of the cliffs, all three must be active simultaneously without any interruptions, but you cannot, under any circumstances allow the guards, Black Minotaurs called 'Praetorians', if they touch the ring, it will reboot

"Well, that sounds just-" Morbin was soon interrupted

Shadis - They are far more aggressive than normal Minotaurs and will stop at nothing to keep you out, believe me, spending forty-five minutes being used like a ragdoll is not pleasurable in the slightest. Anyway, good luck, and hopefully this will help

The transmission stopped.

"-Utterly horrific." Morbin drawled

I took a small breath, raising Stranger's Rifle tightly between my fingers. "Alright, we'll split into three teams. Taka and Harrow, you two take the left plate," they nodded in agreement. "Morbin and Vlad, you both take the far right plate." Stepping toward the vanguard, my gaze lingered eerily on the doorway. "Myself and Sparrow will handle the central plate."

"You heard her, ~SMASH THE SYSTEM~!" Morbin wailed with his arm raised, throwing a CLG into a small group of docile Vex, followed by a flash of purple. By now he had already taken the lead faster than any Warlock should, and with more gusto than a Titan. Vlad's shoulders slumped, Nameless Midnight lowered in his hand

"Ugh... great." He complied with my command and shambled toward the path of carnage ahead of us, one of those Praetorians thrown over the rising cliff while on fire, the buckshot reverberating off the Ishtar cliffs

We didn't spend a long time making our way to the plates, following the same triggering system as the Gate Lord, I stood in the center of the brass ring, a circular grid of code erecting around me while Sparrow sat top one of the rectangular pillars encompassing the ring, all while my eyes lingered on the Vault's doorway, just beyond it was a foreboding and strange place, and we were minutes away from entering it, these 'tough' Minotaurs weren't so much a threat until up close, but it never reached that point given our powerful weaponry.

"Sparrow? I wanted to ask, why did the Vanguard decide to put you in this Raid team if you don't mind my asking?" I was curious, I knew Vlad was a Hidden so he was well-equipped for a mission like this, Harrow was also very experienced as a Warlock from how Taka and Dimitri spoke highly of him

His head never turned toward me, focusing more down the scope of his black and blue sniper inquisitively. "I am one of few Guardians stationed on Mercury, the Vex having terraformed the whole planet into a machine, el bosque infinito," Again he spoke in Spanish, but 'el' meant 'The', and 'infinito' must mean 'Infinity' or 'Infinite'

"I've heard of the Infinite Forest, it's like the Vault, a machine the Vex have complete manipulation of reality within?" Again, he nodded once, the recoil of the sniper brought him back slightly, the shot having made a sharp 'Ting' against the target with a satisfying pull on the slide afterward to eject the casing

"La regla allí, no Guardian other than Osiris has gone in but has yet to return, so I will search, Hidden help but no by much, afraid of upset their commanders," Suddenly, his solemn tone jumped into surprise, head pivoted my way. "La puerta...!"

My own body swiveled around, taking in the sight of code dispersing into the ground and air with a powerful jolt from the stone underneath our feet. Down within the basin of the cliffs was a massive spire just like all the others, producing a large, white beam of code from the top, striking the doorway's center.

"Seems we did it..." We turned our attention toward the rest, some of them had burn marks on their armor alongside scratches, clearly, we had the safer plate while they handled the majority on their end. Taka jabbed my left bicep. "Lucky you, taking the safer plate."

"I-I didn't know! Geez," Scoffing at her lame retort, the six of us felt the ground shift again with more vibrations. The Vault Door sunk inward three times, the bottom rim of brass slowly sliding upwards to reveal many brass bars crisscrossing inside, the plating condensed atop of each other, revealing the circular gateway into the depths of a cave system filled with vegetation and walls of stone and metal. "This is it... the gateway's opened."

"After months we finally get a crack at it," Sparrow hummed with worry. "Seems too easy."

"So was every mission before, and here we are, let that be a good omen for us now." Harrow assured us, all following my lead toward the steps into the Vault, a strong pull of the wind dragged us closer to... nothing? No sound or sign of Vex, just... emptiness

~I've made scans of the cave system ahead, but... there's nothing, I can't even tell what time it is down there - Like something is distorting my sensors~ Ghost informed us

~Time is dead to the Vex, just like most things they encounter~ CT murmured too with apprehension

There was really nothing more to say, we had no idea what lay in waiting for us, say for the recordings of Fireteam Caelus, they would be our guide through this unknown threat. I took the first step beyond the groan of metal above, followed by Vlad moving ahead of me, his head looking around at the inner mechanism of the doorway, inthralled by wonder.

"To think I'd finally see it for myself... to finish what you began," What did he mean by that? With a scoff, he shook his head clear of that wonder he shared, a hand against something under his bracer. "I'll rewrite what that fool lacked the guts to do himself."

It had only been fifteen minutes, but he was already starting to get under my skin, but I needed to remain focused, I could let it slide for now, just until we make it back alive.

"You make it sound like you were here." Morbin questioned, the Exo stopping to look back at us from down a flight of stairs

"Because I'm the reason they managed to get through the door, if not they'd have spent longer trying to crack the seal," That wasn't what I was expecting for an answer. Vlad didn't add to the subject, instead, he pressed on with us all finally gathering the courage to delve deeper into the depths, the light of Venus slowly consumed the artificial light of Vex

How was Vlad connected to Fireteam Caelus? Were one of them his friend?


[The Trial of Kabr, Ishtar Sink, Venus]

The route down into the Vault was narrow and damp, many pools of rainwater slipped through cracks made by rock scraping up against the Vex architecture, allowing vines and other flora to fester in the dark depths of the caverns. After passing through a small fissure, the six of us came out into a large pathway along a cliff-face, facing the black void below, a murky, white hue clouding what awaited beyond massive, dark brass walls, vines strung across the gap.

"That's a long way down," Morbin commented warily, head peeking over the edge, just beyond the ravine was another pathway heading downward, past a... chest? It was rusted and looked worn from time spent in isolation

Taka walked up to it and pried the lock off, the lid sliding up and revealing a stash of Glimmer with a few strange, glowing rocks and a collection of purple engrams, our once wary, the tense atmosphere had reverted to surprise upon finding the loot stashed in plain sight. Taka herself threw an engram to each of us, Sparrow's smacking him in the face and knocking him over the edge of the ravine.

"Hijo de puta!" He bellowed, engram clutched between his arms as his body sailed into the darkness below

"Oh crap!" Taka winced, the five of us shudder at the sounds of screams, followed by many broken bones and unnerving crunches in other places. Floating above the edge was his ghost, Torus, a bronze and gold ghost with a spherical shell instead of the normal one

*Fwoosh*

He was back again, arms crossed while holding his engram away from Taka, grumbling something in Spanish while ultimately ignoring us while proceeding further into the Vault. Morbin couldn't restrain a mirthful laugh while tailing him, Taka looking to me then to the engram in her hands, almost as though she just saw a ghost.

"Hey," I pat her shoulder, holding my hand out to her. "He's fine, it wasn't your fault."

"I know, still feel kind of bad though," Taka took my hand generously, both of us storing our engrams with a flick of our wrists, CT and Ghost taking care of them both, then Taka winced. "Ouch, I know - I know, CT, 'I need to be careful', you can be a little too cautious sometimes."

"I know the feeling, believe me," I mused

"What does that mean?" Oh nothing, Little Light. "...Stop that..." Nope!

"We should continue moving, no telling how far this place goes down," Vlad alerted us from the cavern ahead, Harrow taking point with Sparrow and Morbin, keeping the two from butting heads while shaking his own, clearly not liking being the babysitter. "We got fortunate now, but once we find the way into the Vault itself there won't be a second chance to come back."

"We know, come on, Taka." I motioned the two to follow, leaving behind the one grain of fortune left behind by Guardians long since gone

I stopped. My senses shivered a little when I turned away from the pathway. Craning my neck around, I looked toward the steep walls and unknown veil of mist across from us, and this feeling in my head, it was like someone was gazing right back at me, unblinking without any movement or notion they were there.

"What happened to us moving?" I was scared out of my trance by Taka tapping my back, the presence was gone a moment later, but that still didn't convince me something wasn't watching us, and it was certainly not a Vex

The six of us made our way down slopes and over massive chasms that ran deep under Venus, the amount of mass that had been hollowed out was astounding, and the Vex citadel's overall size only became more apparent. For as far as my eyes could track, the nothingness spanned far into Venus, yet it somehow felt unnatural since the Darkness Zone crept in, the feeling wasn't like pressure or chill like many times before. The air smells of iron, the energy in the air had a buzz or jolt to it. That sinister presence from before now circulated all of us, sometimes stronger when I looked in certain directions.

Our bodies hugged chunky blocks that protruded from the walls, using them to scale down toward a new location. Massive pillars of metal acted like an archway between the open area and another Vault door in the far back, ahead were two large pillars not connected to the ceiling. The whole arena was cubic in nature, with walls separating the space into a lower pool of white light, the middle ground and several elevated platforms near us and the back, a spot over a large chasm housing a conflux.

Circling the entire thing were a multitude of platforms, all vacant for the moment, but my guess is they served as Hobgoblin sniper posts, even the large diving-board like platform we stood by had a clear view of the whole of 'Templar's Well', home of what I can assume is whatever the 'Templar' Zane described is.

I stopped dead in my tracks, between where Morbin and Sparrow sat was a very familiar spot of smooth, white stone, it looked no different than anywhere else in this unusual place, but... I could see the faint stain of... red, so clearly hidden under the veil of dust and time. I knelt down, memories of that recording from Zane played out before my anguished gaze.

"Ceres?" Taka's voice called to me, but I was too busy looking down on the scene that played as though no time had passed, even this white, firefly drifted around my hand as if it has seen it all too

"This was where..." I choked on my words, finding my throat to be parched. "...Summer."

"Hmph, why is it that he had to go down here instead, why did he have to be the one to come back." Vlad murmured, lost in thought by the edge of the cliff, while my hand slowly balled into a fist

"What is your problem?" I stood back up, all eyes on us say for Vlad. "I don't get any of you people, the ones that treat Zane as though he came back from this place with a smile on his face spouting off about how he killed his friends, what the hell is wrong with all of you?"

"What's wrong with all of us? Or what's wrong with me?" Vlad turned around, arms to his sides. "What I don't get is why they believed bringing a Guardian who was still fresh to this world was a good idea. Why, why didn't they bring me? Why that useless coward over me, an Exo with years of combat experience, who learned with Summer under an Iron Lord how to utilize our Light with Enhance, Connection, and Unity?"

Vlad stepped over to me, jabbing a finger against my Crest of the Alpha Lupi, and I could envision his glare, cold and filled with raw hatred toward Zane, and maybe even me. "So tell me, Ceres, how was it fair they had to die for a coward like him to run away!?"

I pushed his hand away gently, I wanted to scream at him, to just... do something to make him stop bad-mouthing Zane, but he too had lost someone down here, he had every right to try and pin the blame on someone, and that was Zane, unfortunately. Sighing softly, I looked down at the spot Zane held his closest friend a final time, feeling something surge deep inside me.

"Zane sat here, he held Summer as she bled out in his arms... he tried, he begged her to move, to stand and escape this place together... but... she didn't, because she knew he'd die down here too if he tried, despite all the odds this wasn't something he could beat," It hurt to spill this secret, but Vlad deserved to know, they all did

My head was low, but I heard Vlad gasp a little, with the others giving their own mixed movements of culture shock. I continued. "Summer knew she wasn't going to escape this place, but... she'd make sure he did, not to suffer ridicule or live with the failure of leaving them all behind, but for us."

"'Us'?" Harrow echoed, a hand on his chin

"He had these recordings of their attempt within the Vault of Glass, even if they died, so long as Zane, the fastest, most adaptive due to his naive nature back then, if he could find a way back, he could give us the ability to see the Vex's plans before they sprung them upon us, we could outplay the Vex like no one ever could before," My arms fanned out, motioning to all of us proudly, a resonating sensation in my heart as I spoke. "Summer... she wanted him to live so that someday, Guardians like us, who were all affected by their deaths in some way could finish what they started, who could put an end to all this sorrow."

"I may not know you all too well as others, but I can see that we aren't just here for our work against the Darkness, we, in a way, were affected by what the Guardians down here did," I pointed to Sparrow. "You've seen what the Vex can do, so you were compelled to come here and discover more, to understand why those that perished down here never came back, why... no one can remember them."

"...How did you...?" Sparrow couldn't formulate a response, his reasons for being on Mercury gave me an idea he's been here for that reason, just like how Osiris vanished, he wanted to know more

"Taka and Morbin," The two looked up at me. "Both of you knew someone from Fireteam Caelus, I don't know the connection, but this was about more than just doing what's right, you wanted closure for not being there, despite never being at fault."

Morbin grumbled. "~THIS. IS. PAINFUL!~ It's creepy how you figured this stuff out so easily. Eva was an absolute pain in the ass, her ego is bigger than a planet, but her heart, so to speak, was in the right place, and I was too logical to see that, what she tried to tell me back then... ~IT WASN'T FAIR!~ so I'll be sure to repay the Vex in-kind."

"I... the last thing I ever said to Marco was 'don't be cocky just because you can understand Vex tech'," Taka muttered, punching the wall she sat against. "I didn't even say goodbye, what kind of person does that?"

"It wasn't your fault, you didn't know." Harrow patted his friend on the shoulder, sighing himself while dusting off his coat. "I too am here for the same reasons, I had inadvertently caused Echo to lose her voice, such a kind girl too, always smiling like our friend Zane, but I could only imagine how afraid she was without any way to call out for help, and... I feel as though it is my burden to carry out here, to make up for what I had taken from her."

Lastly, all eyes landed on Vlad, the Exo turned toward the Well ahead, arms crossed while his left hid something on his right wrist. "I knew Summer before the Battle of Twilight Gap, the two of us were partners through it all, she had made me far less aggressive, and I taught her everything I knew, but the day she told me she'd take Zane with her over me, I was... aggravated... I... yelled at her for choosing someone new for such a dangerous mission, and that ultimately led to my disdain for him, and for myself... for not trying harder to change her mind."

"Or maybe she wanted to give to Zane what you gave her," His head turned back my way, and while my smile was hidden, I still put a hand over Hard Luck, patting the handcannon gently. "To teach him that no matter the odds, to always take action."

"...Take... Action, hmm." The words were familiar to Vlad, from how he spoke it must have been Summer's way of looking at a situation, just as mine is to 'Roll the dice'

For a good, solemn time we all said nothing, clearly mulling over what I've said in regards to why we're all here, so instead, I asked Ghost to start the next log until we felt ready to move on, I wasn't going to have them fight right now, not until we were all ready.

Zane - Uhh, I think it's on? Everything's on fire

Summer - Hmm, good point, but we have to start the next series of logs

Zane - *Sounds of crackling flames and mumbling* Hmph, fiiiine - Okay, Zane here, so the next of several parts to the Templar's Well are quite challenging. To start, a conflux will need to be defended from hordes of Vex, while avoiding the Templar himself since these confluxes play a part in regulating his shield and other systems in the Well

Zane - There's a pool of 'cleansing' as Rika called it, that if you're marked with taint by these strange, unstable Vex called 'Fanatics', you might want to jump in before the Templar does his 'Ritual of Negating', if you fail to do so, you'll... umm - Do... do you want to take over?

Summer - *Sighs tiredly* Sure, you rest up for now, Zane, and... leave Echo be for a while, she needs to be alone, okay?

Zane - Sure

Did something happen to one of them? Did the Templar... kill someone?

Summer - After the conflux is safely overwritten, the Templar will bring forth a small army of Vex to try and smoke you out, but defeating them will finalize the process. After this, two will spawn, one to the left and the other to the right. After you repeat those steps, a third will appear back in the middle, defending all three will completely disable the Vex network in the area or atleast temporarily

Summer - This is Summer signing off for now

"...How did a new Guardian like you turn out almost like a veteran in less than three months?" Vlad caught us by surprise with his remark toward me, Ghost having turned off the recording. I couldn't tell what he was thinking or what face he's making right now, but I still felt a smile tug at my own lips

"I had good role models," He went 'Huh' at that, but it was true, I'd have never been where I was without them all here with me. "Look, I not going to pretend we don't all feel some form of sorrow or anger over what happened to them, none of us expected to die when we could simply come back from fatal wounds or death without woes, but I'm begging you if you all really believe that I can lead you, then please, let me do this, let me help you all find that closure you've wanted for months."

"Estás seguro? Do you really wish for us to put such a burden on you?" Sparrow inquired, so I stepped forward, pushing my fist against his chest gently

"If you're in my fireteam, as your leader it's my obligation to carry all your sins so you don't have to be alone so that I can feel what you feel and help you move forward," He stood tall, hand against his heart with a small bow

"For you, I will happily fight for, mi líder." Sparrow was with me, Taka and Morbin were also ready to go, grabbing their weapons. Harrow himself stood next to me, nodding only once

"You have what many would be envious of, Ceres," And what was that I wonder? "Your passion is simply good, no hidden intent or sign of malice, a pure-hearted person who I will willingly follow into this Vault."

"Spoken like a true gentleman, truly." Vlad drawled, punching me roughly in the back of the head, making me bite back a curse. "While your method of talking back was quite childish... t-thank you, for keeping my head straight."

"Glad to see you finally pulled that stick out of your-" Taka slapped a hand over Morbin's faceplate, me and Vlad tilting our heads to him then back to each other, though I had to look up a little to meet his helmet, the two of us chuckling slightly

"Well, I'm happy you're okay, now then," I took the first move, bounding off and over the chasm toward the conflux, the air around us thickening with a strange, chilling sensation. A scream bellowed a metallic echo through-out the Well, they knew we were coming now. "Let's roll the dice!"

*UUUUAAAAHHHH*

To Be Continued...


I know what you might be thinking, not much to the start of the vault, right? Well, got to keep things tense, don't I? FYI, I'm using a few methods from Year 1 of VOG since I doubt anyone wants to read rinse-and-repeat scenes, even if I never beat it I can vouch for everyone by saying it can be laborious at times. I hope you enjoyed this clash of emotions and wishes, seeya in the next chapter!

Have an awesome Christmas!

Next Chapter - Vault of Glass: Wayward Path

With their minds back on track, the Raid Team descends upon the Templar's Well, where confluxes, Oracles, and a Hydra run amuck. Threw trails stand before the Guardians, and a single mistake may cost them their very existence.