Scorch didn't really know quite what to expect. Definitely excitement, definitely some form of celebration, but… she wasn't nearly prepared enough for what really happened.
As their ships landed in the hangar, the three Vanguards came out to greet them, followed by a large number of Guardians who were curious about what was about to happen. Matt remarked, "This seems a bit familiar, I'll admit." He chuckled lightly, and looked over at Scorch. "You're not really the 'attention-seeking' kind of girl, are you?"
She shook her head.
"Well, today you are. Come on, let's show them who the savior of the day is!"
The docking ramp descended slowly in unison with the other two ships nearby. The audience below watched with bated breath as Scorch walked down the ramp first, helmet off so that the Guardians could see her smiling.
Ikora gasped at Scorch's apparent happy mood. "You don't think- could she have possibly-?" In answer to her question, Scorch stepped out of the way to reveal another Hunter stepping down the ramp, a familiar Hunter at that.
The crowd sounded like one large sentient creature as cheers and ecstatic screaming erupted from it. The Vanguards rushed forward, urgent to see if what their eyes were telling them was true. On the other docking ramps, the remaining Seekers and Heroes revealed themselves as well, and walked over to Scorch and Matt.
The three Vanguards stood in front of all six of them, awestruck. "You… you actually found them…" whispered Ikora with tears in her eyes.
"Of course they found 'em, what'd I tell ya?" said Cayde. Obviously he held no tears, but something about his voice wavered a bit.
Matt extended his hand and gripped Cayde's hand in a firm grasp. "It's great to see you too, Cayde. Believe me, it's been a lot longer for you all than it's been for us."
The Exo Hunter laughed, and in a rare moment of genuine emotion from him, brought Matt into a bear hug after having finally been reunited with his favorite apprentice.
After a moment, he pushed Matt away again. "Alright, we can't be that close all the time. Don't get too touchy-feely on me."
Ikora was a little more reserved, and simply held Aria in her sight. "You… I never thought that we'd see any of you again, it's been so long…"
Aria chuckled. "Well… here we are!" Ikora laughed. "Yes, I suppose you are, and how great it is!"
Zavala and Ash were chortling about moments on the Heroes' mission. "...and Aria looks over and says, 'Maybe you shouldn't be so close to them!' I'm like, 'I'm a Titan, my job is to punch things! What do you want from me?' " Zavala guffawed rather than keep his usual face of protocol, and slapped her heartily on the back.
As the Heroes talked to their mentors, the crowd surged forward and tried to each get a good look at them, each clambering to see if they were truly real. But one person stood out from the rest, and approached them.
"Well done, child of light." The Speaker's quiet tone was subtle, but filled with joy. That was all the appreciation that the Seekers needed. "I see that you succeeded in your quest."
"That we sure did," replied Dawn. She looked over at Ash a ways away. "You know, I think I'm gonna hang out with her for a bit, learn a little more about my original. Excuse me." She jogged over to where the other Titan stood, surrounded on all sides by enthusiastic Guardians.
"Yeah, and um, I've got some task force stuff to catch up on. Y'know, the whole 'being gone because I was looking for the lost Heroes' thing." He too walked away, leaving Scorch and the Speaker alone together.
"How would you say that your mission went?" asked the Speaker with a tone of curiosity in his voice. Scorch sighed.
"Speaker… I met Kaine, the Consumed. I managed to defeat him against all odds, and yet… he showed me something. The Balance, something you revered so highly… it hasn't happened yet, but he showed me something that makes me hope that it doesn't happen for a long time. It's not what we thought it was, and I just don't understand it yet."
The Speaker gave a small hum of contentment. "Scorch, if we understood half of what the Traveler can do… well, we wouldn't need a Traveler. But as it is, we are forced to deal with these events as they come, and to process them later. What you saw may have very well been exactly what you thought it was, whatever that may be. Or… there may be something you just don't know yet." And with that, the Speaker turned around and left to join in the celebration, leaving Scorch to contemplate on what he meant.
Maybe he was right. Maybe there was just something she didn't get yet. She walked over to the edge of the hangar, and sat on the edge, allowing her legs to dangle over the side.
In any matter, she knew that she was ready. Or, at least she would be. With her team at her side, and the Heroes here to help guide her, she knew that reaching her final destiny would be that much easier. Though what exactly lay at the end of the road, she wasn't sure of. But she was certain that it was going to be a hell of a time getting there.