Wren trailed behind Sisre and Rorick as they strode across the landscape of Io toward the Pyramidion. She stumbled a little on the uneven ground, feeling like her feet were made of lead. They traveled in silence but Sisre checked on her sometimes. Sagira seemed oblivious to Wren's lack of energy, being completely focused on finding her Guardian. She couldn't blame him though, she'd hope Kiran would do the same for her.

"Are you sure there's a map of the Infinite Forest here?" Sagira said as the trio of Guardians approached the drop off down into the pit of the Vex-made Pyramidion.

The peak of the triangular structure jutted toward a dark sky full of stars. Lightning flashed across the sky between the strange clouds in the distance.

"If the Vex are trying to reshape the future, the Pyramidion is part of the plan," Ikora said. "The map has to be here."

"If it is, we'll find it," Rorick assured.

"Apologies for the rushed mission assignment this morning," Ikora said.

Not that she needed to. It had barely been a meeting at all without Cayde there. Everyone was tense and quiet but since the remaining two Vanguard didn't ask if anyone knew Cayde's whereabouts, no one brought it up. Wren wouldn't have had an answer for them anyway. Even when she'd gone home to leave his cloak on the bed along with the red scarf she'd given him, there was no sign that he'd returned. The dagger still lay on the floor where he'd dropped it and Wren didn't want to stick around. Not without him there.

"It's alright," Rorick said, leading Sisre and Wren down into the pit to a Vex plate.

All was quiet. A bit too quiet. Wren kept her hand on her Better Devils, the weapon ready to be unholstered at any moment. As soon as they stood on the plate they'd be swarmed. That much she knew and frankly? She didn't have the energy to deal with it. Her body felt so heavy. Her joints ached. Chills prickled her skin.

"Ready," Rorick demanded, standing on the plate.

Wren drew her weapon but conserved her energy by keeping it low. White light rose from the outer circle of the plate and Sisre adjusted her scout rifle.

"I know a trick with that conflux," Sagira said, drawing Wren's attention to the fractalized light pillar nearby. "Go scan it."

Wren did as she was instructed and let Sagira tap into the conflux while Rorick remained on the plate.

"Brace yourself for the Vex welcoming party," Ikora said and Wren scanned the area, as ready as possible for the coming onslaught but… nothing happened. The plate activated and the circular door of the Pyramidion parted and slid away to reveal the path. "Or not?"

"With me, you get the shortcuts," Sagira said.

"I won't argue with it," Sisre replied, following Rorick through the door, Wren taking up the rear.

She dropped platform to platform, gritting her teeth as the jolt of every one shot through her knees and ankles. She just wanted to quit. Lay down and sleep.

"Sagira, I know we didn't leave one another on the best of terms…" Ikora said. "But I'm glad we're getting the chance to move forward from that."

"You led the group that exiled my Guardian," Sagira replied. "I didn't like it. But... people weren't ready to hear what Osiris was saying back then."

"It wasn't just his prophecies. He never understood there was more to being a Warlock than being the smartest person in the room."

"Osiris has changed. You're still the same by-the-book Ikora I remember."

"I'm not so sure about that. Losing my Light was revealing. I see now I need to be more than I was. Maybe we all do."

Sisre and Rorick exchanged glances. They must be thinking the same thing Wren was; no one else wanted to hear this. Wren was glad to be a help to finding a lost Guardian, but perhaps it was her long night, minimal sleep, and the fact that she was sure she was sick that made her want to snap at the two of them to make up later.

The fireteam dropped into a narrow hall that curved down to the right. Rorick had to duck through some of the lower areas until they reached a pass where he had to turn sideways and shuffle through to proceed. Beyond were their first Vex. A couple of Goblins that Rorick put down with his auto rifle before Sisre and Wren could join him.

The tunnels opened to a vast area with a massive pit between them and a well-lit door on the other side. There were a couple platforms, but they were too far away to reach. Before they could discuss what to do next, a platform appeared with a couple of Vex that Sisre made fast work of with her rifle.

"Should we assume more will appear?" Sisre asked.

Rorick shook his head. "I'm not sure we have a choice but we'll have to keep close. Historically Vex platforms like to appear and disappear from existence."

"You okay, Wren?"

Wren nodded. "I'll be okay."

"Are you though?" Sagira asked.

"Yes."

Sagira took it for what it was and let it go.

"Keep close," Rorick said, hopping down to the first platform.

Several more appeared as they went, Rorick and Sisre taking care of a majority of the Fanatics, Goblins, and the occasional Hobgoblin. Wren was beyond happy to have them with her, despite feeling like death warmed over. If she had to handle all of this alone, she wasn't sure how she could pull it off.

Rorick pulled her out of the way of a Fanatic that had snuck up on her, putting a bullet into its chest and it exploded on them, shocking the pair of them.

"I'm sorry," Wren said.

"What's going on with you?" Sagria asked.

"It's a long story," Sisre butted in. "Just do what you can, Wren."

If it wasn't for Sagira, Wren wouldn't have come at all, but the Ghost couldn't very well come alone. Not in Kiran's shell.

"Update," Rorick requested and though Sagira hesitated, she responded.

"Well, it looks like Ikora is right," she said. "On further scans I'm picking up that the Pyramidion is receiving data from the Forest."

"Good. Where are we headed?"

"Hmm… let me see… seems there's a conflux we can access. I'll share the coordinates with your Ghosts."

"Are you ready to move?" Rorick asked Wren, who replied with a weak nod.

Sweat coated her skin and soaked into the fabric layer of her armor and still she felt like she was cold. Her fingers were stiff around the grip of the Better Devils and the gun felt a million times heavier than normal. Running around in the rain half of the night had been worse on her than she'd expected and she wished she was in a hot bath to ease the aches and chills. But the thought of going home to an empty apartment? Of going back not knowing if Cayde was gone for good? Maybe it was better she was struggling through this. She didn't want to think about what was likely to happen later.

She trudged along, following her Titan comrades farther into the Pyramidion. They ran into a few Harpies before turning the corner into a space that was swarming with enemies. Goblins nearby took notice of the team and the three of them quickly took care of them, knowing the rest of the Vex would be on them in an instant.

"See that warp gate over there?" Sagira asked. "I can reprogram it to get us closer to the conflux."

"Ro, we have a Hydra," Sisre said, taking aim at some Hobgoblins in the distance.

"Wren, can you cover me close range?" Rorick asked.

"I can," she replied dropping to a knee in front of him to kill Fanatics and Goblins that got too close.

He rocked back on his heels slightly as a rocket exploded out of the launcher toward the Hydra. The Vex staggered, one side dropping toward the floor and Rorick took the opportunity to reload and launch another. The Hydra blew to pieces in a plume of fire and thick black smoke.

Wren's heart pounded in her ears once the rumble of the rocket and the explosion subsided and she realized she was panting in her helmet, tears welling up in her eyes. Getting down on her knee was now a problem and she needed Rorick to help her stand again. Her head swam and she leaned into his arm but he was patient about waiting for her.

"I'm sorry," she muttered but Rorick only gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Calculations are read," Sagira said as Cerulean killed the last Minotaur that guarded the gate. "All you gotta do is jump through the hoop."

Rorick reloaded his rocket launcher and slung it over his shoulder. At the far end of the room the Vex gate rippled. The thought of passing through feeling the way she did made her stomach lurch.

"C'mon Wren," Sisre said. "We're almost there. We just have to get to the conflux, right?"

"Right."

"Alright. You can do this. And when we get home I'll make sure you can get some rest."

Wren pushed onward, up the ramp and closed her eyes before going through the portal. The gate was as sickening as she expected it to be and on the other side she had to take deep, slow breaths to keep from vomiting.

"Where are we?" Rorick asked, taking a few steps into the square Vex hallway they ended up in.

"Well, that didn't work as well as I expected," Sagira admitted.

"The Sagira I knew wouldn't admit to anything less than Osiris level perfection," Ikora said.

Cerulean made their way through the hall with no choice for going back. The area had very few Vex but there were bright white lasers to contend with. Wren's cloak got singed a few times when her timing was off but overall, they made it through with little issue. Perhaps the Vex were expecting larger, slower invaders?

"Ikora, here's a secret," Sagira said. "No one has lived up to Osiris' reputation. Not even Osiris."

"We've found another gate," Rorick said.

"Okay I think this one will get you where you need to go."

Wren hoped so. They passed through and chills raced down Wren's arms.

"Still not seeing a conflux," Sisre said.

The ground sloped away from them, down to a pit of hard angles of metal and stone. From below, a red light illuminated the pit, a stark contrast to the dusky blues of the rest of the Pyramidion. For some reason it seemed more ominous that it didn't fit in. Worse than if it was pitch black.

Above them millions of lights twinkled, like stars. Despite the room that housed the pit being so massive Wren couldn't see beyond the strange dark pillars, there wasn't a sound in the place besides their boots as they walked down the slope. Rocks skittered and Wren gripped the Better Devils tight, watching for the glimmer of incoming Vex.

"The pit is blocked," Rorick said.

A red barrier grid spanned across the top of the pit, a few feet below the drop. A Cyclops appeared over the top and Cerulean was forced to take shelter behind some of the Vex pillars.

Sagira groaned. "Stupid Network Protection," she grumbled. "Take that Cyclops out and kill the Vex and that should drop the barrier."

"I'm going to take position for a rocket," Rorick said, running for a spot toward the center of the area but the Cyclops was too fast for him.

An energy blast slammed into him, knocking him off his feet. The rocket launcher tumbled away from him toward Sisre who tried to cover Rorick and herself as she side stepped into the clearing to get him. Wren's adrenaline coursed through her body and her heart leapt into her throat. She raced out to help them, ignoring the sway in her vision.

She slid in front of them and took aim, letting the heat of her Golden Gun burst from her hands. Three shots into the Cyclops and shards of metal blew outward, sparks flying, wires whipping around like flailing tentacles. Over her shoulder Sisre knelt beside Rorick who was barely conscious. Blood pooled below him, rushing down the slope to soak into the soil around Wren's boots.

"Wren, take care of him. I'll get the rocket launcher," Sisre said, tears in her voice.

Even knowing he would be alright in the long run, having her husband injured was stressful for Sisre and Wren understood entirely. And yet… she never really had to worry about it. Cayde was almost always safe in the Tower. She didn't regularly have to deal with him being in these situations.

Rorick's hand found Wren's cloak and pulled. She turned to him, cradling his head and shielding his head and shoulders with her body. Brixx appeared tucked close to where she was leaned over Rorick and began to heal the Titan. Slowly he became more focused and within moments he was back on his feet but still a little disoriented.

The pair of them crawled to the nearest pillar while Sisre triumphantly cried out as the Cyclops fell to pieces. All around smaller Vex made their ascent up the slope but the trio of Guardians weren't done yet. Wren's vision blurred and she shook her head, trying to push past the discomfort to kill Vex from a distance the Better Devils struggled with but she wasn't sure she could hold up her rifle. Carrying it with her was hard enough.

"Hey, they're dead," Rorick said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She'd been shooting at bodies.

"Sorry."

"We'll get through this."

"The barrier is down," Sisre said, coming back up the slope toward them. "Are you alright?"

Rorick nodded and took her hand, touching it to his helmet. "I've had worse. Wren, stay behind us and make sure you're keeping in cover and safe."

Wren hated feeling like a liability for her team. No better than a rookie hiding in cover while her fireteam took care of the enemies.

They dropped into the pit and Wren his the ground and rolled, sliding to her back, the breath knocked out of her. Sisre ran to her, grabbing her cloak and wrapping it around her wrist fast enough to stop Wren from rolling off the ledge. Her legs dangled and the pit they dropped from spun and distorted above her. Sisre tried to help her up but Wren didn't want anything more than to lay here and cry.

"You can do this," Sisre said, hoisting Wren to her feet.

Rorick was already standing on one of the plates to either side of them, auto rifle at the ready. Sisre and Wren fell back a little, ready to offer assistance as their leader activated the first plate. One to the right still glowed red and Sisre ran for it, leaving Wren leaning against a small broken pillar in the center of the space.

All around were off angles and drop offs and her knees were too shaky for her to fully stand. This was a stupid idea. Worse than most she'd had and if Kiran were still around, there was no way she'd be here right now.

"The Vex are cloaking the conflux," Sagira said. "You have the right idea. Get those plates active and we should be able to remove whatever blocks the Vex have put in place. Wren, you really shouldn't have come."

"I'm not leaving Kiran's shell to dangerous situations," Wren replied, licking her chapped lips. "Where he goes, I go."

Sagira sighed. "I guess I can respect that."

Fanatics spawned in, their lurching movements bringing them ever closer to Rorick and Sisre. Wren opened fire on them, taking care of several around Rorick but Sisre with her long range weapons was quickly overwhelmed. Wren took a few quick steps in her direction and stumbled, using her left hand to push off of the ground and toward Sisre.

A Fanatic exploded near the Titan who fell back as far as possible to the outer edge of the Vex plate so she could continue to capture it. The butt of her rifle flung a Fanatic away but not before it blew up, raining shards of metal and sparking white light on her and Wren.

More Fanatics moved in from the left and Wren pushed Sisre back with one hand while firing point blank on one of the headless Vex. Sisre's boot caught on the edge of the plate and she fell backward as two Fanatics exploded on Wren, dropping her to the plate.

Her back arched and she tried to scream as white hot pain seared through her body. She couldn't hear the sound of her own voice over the crackling as just as soon as it began, it was over and she was in darkness. Death again. Scary so many years ago but now comforting. She sat up, expecting Cayde, but seeing only endless blackness as far as the eye could see.

"Cayde?" she called out but her voice fell flat, refusing to echo in the vast abyss.

Wren stood, no longer burdened by her physical body's pain and sickness. The only sound was water around her boots as she took a few tentative steps forward.

This didn't happen often. He was usually here. Almost always. A chill shuddered through her. That was odd. Normally she felt nothing here. As if her body didn't actually exist but now she was cold and… was someone watching her?

She spun around, expecting a figure looming close behind but there was nothing. No one. She was utterly alone here. She couldn't even feel his presence out there anywhere. If there was anything at all out there anyway. It was so dark the world might as well have been flat. Two dimensional.

Wren started to walk away from where she felt someone watching. Faster and faster, until she was running, tension building on the back of her neck like a hand loomed over, inches from catching her.

"Cayde!" she yelled again but the only reply that came back was a laugh, then a mocking echo from behind.

When she finally decided to look over her shoulder she tripped, hitting her belly. The instant she felt the impact the surroundings exploded with sounds. Tower PA calling in ships, Guardians laughing and talking, birds chirping, wind through Tower banners. She was laying on her stomach in the middle of the Tower courtyard but no one seemed to notice her.

She sat up, then shakily stood. What the hell was happening? She was dead before. Sisre and Rorick wouldn't have let her stay dead this long and they surely wouldn't wait to rez her once they were back in the Tower.

Nearby Cayde walked from the hanger toward Zavala, attention stuck on his data pad. He absently waved to people that called to him and when Wren called to him he only grunted, still scrolling through pages of reports.

"Wait, please," she said and he stopped, doing a little double take when he saw her before going back to his reports.

"Oh. It's you. Whatcha need Wren?"

She froze. Wren? Why did him calling her by her name feel like a knife in her chest. "I… how did I get here?"

He cocked a brow at her. "Well, when a Ghost loves a human corpse very much—"

"That's not funny."

"You asked," he shrugged and began to walk away.

"Look, I don't know what's going on but why are you treating me like this?"

"What are you talkin' about?"

"You're being… why are you so cold to me?"

"Why should I be anything else, Guardian?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I thought we were… you know…"

His face twisted with confusion. "Wren, we agreed a long time ago that it was for the best that we didn't take things farther. You're my Hunter for Traveler sake. We can't be involved. You know that. Or I thought you did."

"What? When—" her insides twisted. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. "Where am I? What's going on here?"

"I dunno what' goin on with you, but I think you need to cool off for a bit. I'll pull ya from missions for a while." He turned on his heel and walked away.

The laughing in the back of her head continued. She took several steps back, clutching her hands over her ears but the voice was coming from within. This place felt so real. Everything seemed so real but none of this was right!

"Stop!" she yelled, not caring that everyone around her was staring at her. The louder she yelled the louder the laughing became. She hit her knees, a wrenching pain in her chest. "This isn't real. This isn't real. Not real, not real, not real—"

"Wren!" Sisre's voice broke through it all along with the sound of gunfire and sparking Fanatics. "C'mon."

Wren inhaled sharply, jumping as she was revived. Her heart was beating so fast it physically hurt. Being thrown back into a body that was still sick with a cold was a horrible feeling and on top of whatever the hell she'd experienced in death, her body shook uncontrollably.

Rorick put down the last Vex, kicking its head away from himself when it rolled toward his boots. The plates had been triggered and a conflux had formed on the uppermost floor. Rorick walked up the few stairs to stand before it, covering Sisre and Wren just in case anything else spawned in while they joined him.

Sisre kept Wren steady on her feet while Sagira scanned the conflux.

"Are you alright?" Sisre asked.

Wren shook her head. "I had a… a nightmare?" She had no other term for it. That had never happened to her before and the thought of it happening again terrified her. Moreso, the thought of going home and that loss being real was worse.

"Nightmare? While you were dead?"

"Yeah it was… Cayde was…" she swallowed hard, her mouth so dry it was almost painful.

"Shh, it wasn't real. None of that is every real. You're safe."

"This isn't right," Sagira said. "I can't find a map anywhere."

"Keep looking," Ikora said. "I'm sure there's something there."

"Wait, I have coordinates for a node in the Infinite Forest. That's where our map is."

"Good. Cerulean, I need you to head there immediately."

Rorick glanced over to Sisre and Wren who almost whimpered at the thought of continuing onward.

"I'm sorry but I can't do that. Wren is sick and needs rest immediately."

"We don't have time for this," Sagira said.

"I know you're worried about Osiris," Rorick replied, "but I have a fireteam member that's in need of medical attention and since you can't go without her, you may as well let her rest. Twenty four hours at the Tower is all we're asking for."

Sagira sighed. "Fine."

"Request granted," Ikora confirmed. "Head back, Cerulean. We'll send a team out ahead of time to clear the area for you to have clear access once you can leave for the Forest."

"Thank you," Rorick said. "Come on ladies. Time to go home."

The Tower was quiet when Cerulean arrived, a little after dawn. Fresh dew glistened on the rails and the banners were damp with it. It smelled strongly of rain and a heavily overcast, red sky was nature's warning that they would be in for a long day of storms.

Wren had watched for Cayde in the Hanger but hadn't seen any sign of him. The little shop area that he'd opened up across the bay from the Future War Cult was empty except for a very curious chicken pecking seeds tossed to her by passing Hunters.

She pulled off her helmet, happy to be free of it. Sisre removed a glove and put her hand to Wren's forehead, frowning deeply.

"You have a fever."

"I know."

"We'll get the debriefing done and we can go home and you can sleep. There's medicine you can have that'll have you feeling better in no time."

Wren nodded and followed her and Sisre toward the overhang where Shaxx was setting up for the daily Crucible matches. With the impending storm, Zavala had taken a corner and was patiently waiting for them. He glanced at Wren.

"Perhaps you should go home, Hunter," he said. "Your fireteam leader can handle this."

"Thanks Commander," Wren replied.

"She looks terrible," Shaxx said.

"Thanks Shaxx," Wren muttered.

"I'll take her home."

"She's with us for right now," Sisre said.

Shaxx's great horned helmet shifted between Wren and Sisre and he stood a little taller.

"I'll take her there." He reached behind a box and pulled out a massive coffee mug, some wrapped hard candies, a couple bags of tea, and a small pouch full of some mystery ingredient that smelled so strong Wren's nose wrinkled when he got too close. "Come little one," Shaxx held out an elbow for Wren to take. "This'll have you running laps in the Crucible in no time."

Wren took his arm and let him lead her back to the apartment. They walked in silence, Wren exhausted and trusting him enough that she closed her eyes while they went. Everything felt heavy again and the memory of Cayde looking at her with cold confusion mixed with those of him pinning her with his dagger.

Her fingers traced the place on her throat where he'd cut her, despite the wound being long since healed. He didn't look like himself when it happened. His eyes were so… inhuman. Robotic. Focused. It didn't bother her that he was an Exo, it never had. But now the differences between them were so very clear. That tossed onto the ever-growing pile of things she was realizing she didn't know about him made the distance between them seem so much larger. How could they ever come back from this?

Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Shaxx either didn't notice or chose not to comment. Wren let them into Sisre and Rorick's cool, dark apartment. Shaxx turned on the lights and found his way to the kitchen, beginning to prepare the medicinal tea.

Wren got a quick shower, not having the energy for anything else, and put on one of Sisre's oversized shirts and shorts before heading for the living room.

"You should be in bed," Shaxx said, bringing over the cup of hot tea. "Go on."

Wren obeyed, too tired to argue and collapsed on the bed.

"Drink this before it gets cold. I won't lie, it tastes terrible but this should help." He set a small jar of honey on the bedside table. "Have a taste here and there and it'll knock the bitterness out. But I'll warn you, this medicine is incredibly strong. As small as you are, it'll likely knock you out before you can finish it all so drink up."

He sat on the chair beside the bed. Wren felt a little awkward with him there but as quickly as she could without burning herself she choked down the medicinal tea. It stung her chapped lips and it made her stomach churn. Tears blurred her vision as the medicine on her empty stomach threatened to spill back out of her. She managed to keep it down and at the end Shaxx was ready with a heaping spoonful of dripping golden honey.

She greedily put the spoon in her mouth, the bitterness immediately lost. Her head swam as the tea hit her harder than she expected.

Shaxx chuckled. "I told you. Lay back and let it do its job. Don't fight it. And don't you worry about Cayde. I'll sort him out."

That was the last thing Wren remembered before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.