Act IV - Sorrow and Acceptance

Chapter 11 - Festival of the Lost

[Earth, Last City Strip]

The city was amazing if I had known the buildings in the distance hid this place I would have come here sooner. My eyes were wide while I gawked at the spectacle of The Strip. The two to three miles of road was aglow with entertainment, primarily built as an homage to the Golden Age's Las Vegas Strip, it certainly lived up to its title. The Festival of the Lost enhanced it with stalls, street entertainment too.

There were casinos, cinemas, a theater, as well as other buildings I couldn't quite see, the crowds were massive too, so myself and Taka sat by a cafe off to the side, awaiting the arrival of Zane and Dimitri who told us to wait here for them, so far, my experience with all the colorful lights, spotlights, banners and music was enough to make me forget for a moment that we were Guardians, say for our ghosts.

"You seem really happy?" Taka hummed, while I stopped playing with the straw in my mouth to answer her

"Well... I was thinking that for a moment we weren't actually Guardians, and that several factions weren't out there and probably trying to kill us, I felt... human, even if just a bit," I wasn't upset by my second life, just honestly taken back by how easy it was to just forget

"I know, coming down here any time of the year would do that, although, CT does remind me that I do have a job to do," Taka chuckled, patting said ghost who was talking with Ghost, the two of them in a world of their own now. "Although, I wonder why they asked us to wait here for them? Oddly suspicious."

I rolled my eyes. "I know right? Atleast give us some hint?"

"Never in a million... years..." I jumped at Zane's sudden appearance before us, his expression somewhat startled by my look, I guess I never really tried to look any different from normal so I understood his reaction. It was Taka's idea, although I don't know why...

He himself looked like his usual self, say for the dog tags around his neck and his guitar case on his back, so was he planning to play tonight? Interesting... As for Dimitri, she was trying her best to maintain her poker face, though a red hue on her cheeks gave away how abrasive she was to change her look. But I'll admit, she looked beautiful.

Dimitri had a purple hoodie, undone, with a white blouse underneath, a yellow skirt, black thigh-high socks, and white shoes, her long, white hair had also been combed neatly, no longer wild and unkempt, she also had matching dog tags and a pair of amethyst earrings.

"T-This... was all his i-idea... v-very insistent..." Dimitri murmured shyly, while Ray appeared, tilting his shell

"But... you said you wanted to-" Her hand clamped around his shell, blush intensifying

"Don't. You. Start." Her warning made his eye blink twice, sighing once she let him go

"She's very sensitive about this stuff..." I heard him whisper to Ghost and CT

"You do look really nice though, so don't worry, we won't judge," I assured her, a small smile crept onto her face

"Heh, yeah, well... I-I don't normally do this, so... it was a gamble." And a good one

"Makes me feel lazy now, then again I don't own alot to wear..." Zane muttered, eyes finally leaving me with a cough, covering his face a bit. "You both look beautiful by the way."

I wore a red halter top with a gold-chain necklace, with a white jacket tied around my waist. A pair of black shorts too with knee-high, white socks and black shoes with white soles. My hair was also done up like Taka's, with it tied into a small ponytail given the length of my hair, I wasn't used to this sort of style but I liked it, especially my new hairstyle, even if only for tonight. But hearing that made me smile softly.

Taka, on the other hand, kept her ponytail but added some silver earrings to the mix, wearing a white shirt with her dark blue jacket on; Wearing a pair of skinny jeans too and matching shoes, I don't care what anyone says, we agreed that high-heels are murder stilts, I can put up with being electrocuted, shot, thrown into and through walls, and generally in agony, but they are a fate worse than death.

"You're being dramatic." Says the non-organic lifeform without a real body. "...That's fair."

"Even so, you look just fine yourself, Zane." Taka complimented, and so he turned back to face us, clicking his fingers

"Thank you! Now then, let's get moving!" Zane rebound, leading us down The Strip and into the crowd, the four of us sticking close as to not be swept away

Along the way, I was primarily reminded that candy was a given during the Festival, which I believe came from 'Halloween' as Zane reminded us was the original holiday during the Golden Age, and it represented the same meaning, the sweets were like a secondary thing for children, which we all were when we were offered some. I mean, offer me chocolate anyday and I'm a happy Sunbreaker.

In no time at all, we had arrived just opposite The Strip before us was a typical bar, slash, restaurant, lights flashed inside and the outside was rustic, painted black with a white sign saying, 'Nighteye'. Pushing the door open for us, we stepped past Zane and entered the bar, myself, Ghost, Taka, and CT sharing a glance of suspicion before entering.

"Trust us, you'll love this..." Dimitri grinned devilishly

In a flash, the lights blared and I was startled by the crowd waiting inside, music playing in the background as everyone talked or drank among themselves. The bar was packed. Cayde and Tevis were drinking with a set of cards in their off-hands, both their ghosts watching intensely at their indecisive moves, Glimmer stacked on Tevis' end.

Ikora chatted calmly with Vlad and Morbin, with Sparrow listening in with a disgruntled Reiner drinking away, though he seemed to keep to himself, every-now-and-then adding something to the conversation though it was probably something blunt, that, and Eva was about the only person managing a conversation with the short-tempered Titan, probably because she had a large ego to ward off his insults.

"When did you...?" My gaze fell to the child-like grin on Zane's face. Dimitri wrapping an arm around his neck. "You too?"

"You bet! Had this planned out for ages! So I chipped in with some of the Glimmer I had stored up - eh, wasn't using it anyway." Dimitri waved off casually

"Surprise~! Consider this a joint celebration in defeating Atheon too, I think would like that." Zane... Dimitri... I had to wipe my eyes quickly, finding it to be a little too much at once. "Oh crap, we made her cry!"

"You said that it would make her happy!" Dimitri ground her teeth together, both their heads locked

"That's what I thought!" He blinked. "Guess girls are harder to read than I realize..."

"What?" Dimitri inquired but I laughed a little, Taka handing me a cloth

"Thanks, sorry, that took me by surprise is all, I'm really happy," I spoke up, Ghost and I looking to each other, then back at them. "Thank you so much!"

"This means alot, not just to Ceres," Ghost pipped up, the two siblings and their ghosts quickly looking ecstatic for their job well-done

"It's really nice, but I'm surprised you got Cayde, let alone Ikora, down here for this?" Taka nodded, arms crossed with a look of surprise herself. Zane merely bumped his fist with Rika's shell

"Never underestimate my Guardian, Ikora's the one that helped us plan it around a time Zavala would be less busy, and Cayde is Cayde to it made sense." Said Exo sneezed despite not having a sense of smell. Bobbing up to Ghost and Ray she pushed them along. "Come on, I even got us a place to chat so move it!"

"A-Alright!" Ray replied meekly

"You don't have to push..." Ghost muttered, leaving us alone for the rest of the night

"Wait... is that...?" Dimitri leaned back, using Zane as support before her eyes widened at Cayde's table, the biggest smile I've ever seen plastered her face. "Tevis!"

Said Hunter I met before turned away from his cards, shoving Artemis away from looking, then waved to her. "If it isn't the Kid herself, finally come down from your pedestal to greet me?"

"Like you're one to talk! You still owe me Glimmer too!" She barked back, Cayde motioning to her then to Tevis

"See! I knew it, you even cheated your Rookie out of Glimmer!"

"I. Did Not. Cheat. What do you take me for?" Tevis chuckled, tugging on his collar

"A CHEAT!" Both of them backed him into a corner. Dimitri quickly grabbed a bottle of booze, even while we tried to gain her attention, but to no avail. SHe drunk a large sip, then marched over to the Hunters

"Cayde, deal me in, this is personal now!"

"Aaaand, she's gone," Zane deadpanned, turning to me and Taka. "Welp, no use standing around, I have music to play! Enjoy-"

"Zane," I stopped him, pulling him back into a tight hug. "Thank you..."

"Hehe, anytime, Titan Lady!" He patted my back, and proceeded on with his musical skills, though he did so with a skip in his step


Sometime later, while the party continued on, even though Ikora had to drag Cayde back to work, it was fun getting to talk to Ikora outside of being a Guardian, she had some very interesting stories back in her early days as a Guardian, and now I feel bad for Shaxx, though Cayde found it funny. Now Taka was making sure drunk Dimitri didn't do anything stupid, she was still able to walk straight so that spoke alot about her tolerance.

Reiner was... perplexing, he was frustrated alot, though the only reason he was here was because of Dimitri's insistence and a friend of his called 'Sero', apparently, he was to be part of a new fireteam although the specifics he left out, other than him getting angry half the time he was smarter than he looked, and after my inquiry, he did admit to apologizing to Dimitri from months prior, although I knew he probably had by now.

"Hey, Dimi, ready to send this night off with a 'Bang'!?" Zane called to his sister, her hands clapping together while lifting a pair of drumsticks, twirling them effortlessly

"I may be drunk but don't think I *Hick* can't still leave you all in awe!" She bellowed with laughter, heading up to the stage and sitting by the drums, testing them first. Meanwhile, a DJ with white hair, a streak of electric blue and purple through her hair, handled whatever instruments they didn't have, giving them a silent thumbs-up to go

"Alright then, so, we got only a couple minutes before the Festival is over so I just kind of wanted to say..." Zane raised a fist to the air, smiling back at us. "You guys are the best, so for all those we've lost and those with us now, let's give them all a real finale!"

We all applauded, while Morbin nudged my side. "Quite a flair for dramatics them both..."

I whispered back. "I like it, they both can add a wave of ease no matter the situation, I think it's a great talent."

"Hmm, I guess that's true," He and I clanked our drinks and watched the show. With a few drum beats the song kicked off with a bang for sure

Area 11 - Cassandra (pt II)

Still
Although it doesn't really matter now
I can't believe it; that I got so far
I got so far behind, my love

You use me and I use you
I; your savior, you; my muse
The best friend that you've been to me
But I wanna be your enemy
(I wanna be your enemy)

You stare at me with omnivorous eyes
You want a reaction, want a reaction
You wear a red dress when you're in a bullfight
You're drawing attention to your double life

In dreams, I'm coming to find you
And when I wake I want anyone else
'Cause I don't love you
It's what I'm telling myself

This was the moment, this was the place
This was the night that everything changed
I'm hiding from you
Hiding from you
Hiding from you
'Cause we are the same

We're not just numbers we are alive
A digital haunt in an analogue line
I'm hiding from you
Hiding from you
Hiding inside you
'Cause we are the same

Wait, just wait for me and I'll come around
Pack up, log on and we'll leave this town
And we'll run around
And live in secret worlds and say our secret words

And I'm still encrypted, I am a machine
The ego behind this computer screen
My best friend that I've never seen
That turned you into my enemy

"No, it's all in my mind" I feel
I should save myself before this gets too real

This was the moment, this was the place
This was the night that everything changed
I'm hiding from you
Hiding from you
Hiding from you
'Cause we are the same

We're not just numbers we are alive
A digital haunt in an analogue line
I'm hiding from you
Hiding from you
Hiding inside you
'Cause we are the same

With a final strum of the electric guitar and a beat of the drums the song came to a close, leaving us to applaud their skill while Zane looked to me, giving me a silly salute as I copied him back. Hmm, good work, Guardian. Seeing everyone here tonight was alot for me, I realized how far I've come in only a number of months, the people I now know and the friends I can trust, I understood what Zane was trying to teach me, that the Festival wasn't just about remembrance of the dead, but to remember that there will always be people beside you that have lost just as much or more and that connection is what makes you stronger, as to not repeat the same mistakes you made.

I will get stronger, but only if I get to do it with my fireteam too, otherwise I haven't learned anything. And with that, it was now November 1st and the end of the Festival of the Lost.

To Be Continued...


Almost at the end of this act but one last chapter remains and then we're onto The Dark Below, while short I promise it will still be quite the journey. I hope you enjoyed, seeya in the next chapter!

Next Chapter: Beyond Darkness

Fireteam Horizon is called to the base of the Tower wall by an unexpected caller. From there they'll take their first steps in broadening their minds to the vast power of the Light, all in preparation for what looms in the future.