I went as far as I could
I tried to find a new face
There isn't one of these lines that I would erase
I lived a million miles of memories on that road
With every step I take, I know that I'm not alone

Who Says You Can't Go Home – Bon Jovi

October 21, 2958 17:12; The Last City, Earth

It was a good day as far as Azra was concerned. She was feeling very gracious. Hot showers always did that to her mood; here she was, clean, her gear in good repair, full magazines and a full belly. She couldn't ask for much more. She'd spent the previous week on a gig near Freehold and had come back with a practical trove of loot. And the cool breeze in the City was a welcome change of pace from the desert sand and sun. She took some time to appreciate it.

But not too much time; the universe always had another obligation to present her. This time, it came in a message from Warlock Vanguard Ikora Rey, asking to meet. It could have just been Ikora looking to catch up over a cup of tea, but Azra had a niggling feeling it was something more serious. It had come through only a couple of hours after her return to the City. Suspicious timing.

Still, since she had no concrete reason to rush, she didn't. Azra picked a meandering path to the Warlock Vanguard's office, taking time to note the differences in the constantly-changing atmosphere of the City. The Tower itself was still a rubble heap, even a year after the Red War. The Vanguard had set up temporary quarters and offices in a section of the Wall just south of the old location. Life moved on as normal. Supplies were still piled haphazardly on tarps and in boxes as reconstruction efforts progressed.

Ikora Rey's office was free of building materials, though. It was spacious, yet cozy. Azra took in the room as she peaked her head in through the open door. It was early evening. Golden light was streaming in through the picture windows. A large rug covered the stone floor, while the walls were lined with wooden bookcases and tables. It smelled of beeswax and incense, old paper and worn wood. Books were piled up here and there, but not overwhelmingly so. Ikora kept things clean. A pair of candles burned steadily on the desk at the center of the room, which held a handful of instruments and old paper documents.

Azra smiled and nodded at the Warlock Vanguard as she stepped into the room.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Ikora said. "Please, lock the door behind you."

Azra obligingly fumbled with the deadbolt. "You're being more secretive than normal. Is everything okay?"

"I don't know," Ikora said truthfully. "There's been a… development on Mercury. Strange reports from the cultists still living on the planet."

Ah, there it was. "The Vex have been rather active there as of late," Azra said as she crossed the room. "But I'm not sure if it means anything. Those cultists do nothing but preach doomsday."

"Normally, I'd ignore their conspiracy theories," Ikora agreed. "But one of my Hidden brought me this."

She unlocked one of her drawers, and with a last glance at the door to make sure it was still closed, scooped up its contents and placed it on her desk.

It was a Ghost shell. A familiar Ghost shell, scratched and encrusted with sand. Small bits of gold tinkled against each other as it came to rest on the hardwood. Its eye was dark, but when Azra brushed a cautious finger along the chassis, she could still feel the faint hum of dormant Light. "Sagira," Azra murmured in recognition. The last time she'd seen Osiris's Ghost… she couldn't remember. Before the Vault, sometime. Osiris had been exiled a few years before her doomed mission. "What happened? Why did she leave the Infinite Forest?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ikora said. "Better, in all likelihood. You say the Vex have been more active on Mercury. If something were happening in the Infinite Forest…"

Azra grimaced and shrugged. "It's on a separate network. It'd be hard to know anything for certain without checking yourself."

"Have you ever been inside?" Ikora asked.

Azra shook her head. "All accounts say that's where Osiris headed after he was banished. Vex records seem to agree. I didn't think it would be… polite. To go poking around his turf." She hadn't been exactly eager to see him again, after all.

Ikora was silent for a moment, staring at the inert Ghost shell on her desk. It took a second for Azra to catch on, but she did eventually.

"You want me to go." Azra said. "You want me to go do a wellness check on Osiris." Her voice carried flat incredulity.

Ikora shifted her weight and sighed. "Listen, Guardian… Azra," she amended. "I know you and Osiris have had a rocky relationship."

"That's why I'm confused why you're calling me in on this one," Azra said.

Ikora persevered. "He could be in trouble. We all could be in trouble. Sagira's presence here is a disturbing sign. Whatever the Vex are up to, I'm sure it isn't good. And he may need help."

Azra frowned. "I mean, it was a long time ago… but I doubt Osiris would even say two words to me. If he doesn't straight-up try to murder me. He was pretty convinced I was in cahoots with the Vex somehow. If I show up just when trouble starts brewing with the Panoptes-"

"You're the only Guardian I can trust with this," Ikora said. "Saint-14 went into the Infinite Forest decades ago, but we have had no contact with him since. The Forest is not to be underestimated. We need someone who can navigate it without becoming lost."

"Even if I could find Osiris, it won't matter much if he won't accept my help," Azra argued. "Lucky I'd even consider giving it in the first place. He was rude." A blatant understatement. He'd been a lot more than rude to her in the past.

"Could you open the door to the Forest?" Ikora asked, straightforward and plain.

Azra sucked on her teeth. "I mean, yeah, but-"

"You are already a step beyond what anyone else could do," Ikora said. "I can't send an entire fireteam in; we're already stretched thin enough. And he's an exile from the City. The Consensus won't greenlight a Vanguard operation into a Vex dimension to help him, not after how he left. I can't order you to go, so…" She straightened, looking Azra right in the eye. "I'm asking: Please. As a personal favor."

Azra stared at the inactive Ghost on the desk and grimaced.

Ikora's sympathy turned the Light honey-sweet. "I've known Osiris for a very long time," the Warlock said. "I know he hasn't shown you much reason to like him, but he is a good man. Whatever he's found- or whatever found him, it must be serious. He may be too proud to admit it, but he'll need help."

"Okay," Azra relented. "Okay. For your sake, not for his. And to stop whatever the Vex are scheming."

"Take Sagira," Ikora urged. "I would start your search with Osiris's followers- or what remains of them- on Mercury. They may have more insight into these recent events."

"It's high time I investigated whatever's got the Vex in a tizzy, anyhow," Azra said. "I'll head over there, check things out a bit, then head into the Forest. But I gotta warn you, again-"

Ikora nodded. "If he will not accept your help, so be it. But come back with news. Give me something I can bring to Zavala, something the Consensus would consider a threat. Then I can assign some other Guardians to the task and leave you to deal with more… friendly allies.

"But until then," Ikora said, voice low and soft, just the barest hint of a threat in her tone. "I'd appreciate your discretion on this."

"Never thought I'd have the Vanguard's help in sneaking things under the Vanguard's nose," Azra commented. "But of course. I know how to keep quiet."

"Then stay safe," Ikora said in farewell. "And Be Brave."

Cayde was on duty in his usual spot. Chilling in the Hangar made him convenient to incoming and outgoing Guardians (and helpfully inconvenient to Zavala and Ikora, being several minute's walking from their respective offices). It gave him a front-row seat to a good chunk of the Tower's drama, too. Azra knew he had an official office somewhere, but he seemed to be avoiding it on principle.

Azra called out a greeting as she approached. He looked up from his data pad and grinned. It was gratifying to see him perk up when he saw her. The two engaged in a warm hug (but brief- this was public and there was decorum to be maintained). "I didn't catch you on your way in," Cayde said. "How was Mars?"

"Profitable," Azra replied. "But hot. How's life in the Tower been?"

Cayde shrugged, giving off a casual hum that meant he'd been extremely bored. He seemed to remember something after a second and straightened in excitement. "Oh, but I've got an exhibition match against Shaxx later- care to join? There's always space for you."

For once, Azra wasn't happy about turning down a Crucible match. It would probably have been terrifying, going against Shaxx and his hand-picked team, but with Cayde along it would have been fun. She'd hardly seen him recently. "I'm going right back out, I'm afraid," she said.

Cayde drooped a little bit, making her heart twinge. "It's kind of hush-hush," she explained (before Cayde could start pestering her with questions). "For the Hidden."

"Ooooh." Cayde waggled his eyebrow-plates. "Any gory details for me?"

Azra sucked air between her teeth, unsure about how much she should reveal. She eventually settled on, "…It's gonna be fairly dangerous." He had a right to know that, at least. "I already sent Shiro a little letter, but…"

"You bringing any backup?" Cayde asked, concerned now. "I could always call Shiro off patrol if this is important."

"No," Azra demurred. "Veera's still wrapped up with that mess in the Hellas Basin. Wahida and Tapio are hatching some scheme in the Outer System, Sylas is finally taking that sabbatical on Io and I refuse to interrupt the first break he's taken in years…" And any one of them would come running if she called. Azra sighed. "Frankly, taking another person along on this would probably just make my job harder."

"Ah," Cayde said knowingly. "Doing weird things, are we?" Azra nodded.

"Well, head on a swivel, shoot straight, and all that," Cayde said. He had his worried voice on but tried to hide it, burying his attention back in his data pad. He looked up after a moment of silence on Azra's part. The Arcstrider was smiling wistfully at him. "Whatcha lookin' at me like that for?" he demanded.

Azra shook her head, unable to clear the nostalgia that had settled on her. "You just sound like Andal, is all."

"I kinda get where he was coming from," Cayde complained. "All my Hunters running around getting themselves into trouble, going on secret Hidden missions with no backup…"

A tired smile broke out on Andal's face. "I feel like you're all going to jump off a cliff sometime because it seems like a good idea."

Azra grinned in response. "Take it from a professional cliff-faller: sometimes there's no other way to get where you're going."

Tevis stepped forward. "Andal, we all know the risks. We all know why we're here. Holding us back isn't going to do anyone any favors."

Andal heaved a sigh. "Alright. I understand. But… could you blame me?"

"Ikora'll be on my line," Azra reassured. "I'll make sure she tells you if anything goes south." She straightened, taking a deep breath, and placed her hands on her hips. "Besides, if luck goes my way this'll be over real fast. Might even be back in time for breakfast." She didn't believe it would be that easy, but one could always hope.

Cayde's response was to hug her again. It lasted a little too long for a casual goodbye. Azra could taste Cayde's regret in the Light. The unspoken I wish I could come with you hung heavy in the air.

Azra patted his shoulder. "One of these days," she promised.

They pulled apart. Azra wanted to linger, but after another firm lecture about situational awareness, Cayde shooed her on.

"Alright," Azra muttered to herself as she settled into the pilot's chair of her Jumpship. Spark was dealing with all of the pre-launch protocols, getting their flight route out of the City and re-linking the ship to the comms network. Azra flexed her fingers on the yoke and prepared herself for the mission ahead. "Mercury." Bound to be hot and sandy (or cold and sandy, depending on the time of day). Vex. Red Legion. And whatever else lay waiting inside the Infinite Forest.

"Here we go," Spark warned, starting the ship's engines. Azra toed the rudder pedals and pulled back on the yoke, feeling the stability of the ground melt away as the Jumpship rose.

Spark gave a smooth narration like a Civilian Transport pilot as Azra navigated the City's air traffic lanes. "Next stop: Fields of Glass, Mercury. It is a balmy 73 C there right now, with high winds predicted into early night. Our expected arrival time is 19:04 Tower Time, if our pilot actually sticks to Inner System speed safety protocols-"

"Not a chance," Azra said. They'd finally exited the City's controlled airspace. She punched the throttle, grinning as she felt the acceleration push her back into her seat.