Redacted
A Theory and True Name
I had to stop myself several times to not type 'Tormented' into the title instead of 'Redacted'. Habit lol.
Thanks to Mantic64, The Great Wolf 177, jsm1978, Lazypersons, Guest, and for their reviews!
Mantic64 - I thought I responded to this before but as I said before, no. Ianos will 'not' get a SIVA upgrade to his system mainly for the reason that the events of Rise of Iron already had occurred and SIVA is widely known as a threat, not something to be 'used' in my story. Also, I already have plans for his upgraded system, it's just has not yet been introduced yet.
Lazypersons - Yeap! They are! And they have a lot of catching up to do! :D
Guest - Thank you. And yes! I have seen both Trailers and honestly, I am hyped! I can't wait to pre-order the game (can't right now, bills man *cries*) and play the beta once it comes out! I just hope I'm not over hyped lol.
zantilis - caught your review last minute right before I posted this chapter lol. Thank you! it's really nice to know that the sequel is getting this much excitement :D
Of all the questions he had expected to hear from the younger Guardians, that was the 'last' one he had expected, especially from Angel, the most 'keen' out of the remaining members of the team. As such, the Warlock couldn't help but let out a snort at the human Hunters's words, "Who else would it be?"
"But Matt said. Your System. The tubes. Your gear. You look different." Although Ianos gave the Hunter a blank stare behind his visor, the Warlock couldn't help but silently understand his bewilderment.
"It is strange, to have nothing but the ones near my helmet present," Ianos fingered the tubes strung around the jaw area of his helmet, feeling them circle around to be tucked into the back of his coat, "but the 'upgrade' is still a prototype, if you understand."
"What?" Sighing at the question, Ianos instead focused his attention onto the Guardian Akiva held in his arms, only to pause, "A child?"
"A what?" The Awoken Warlock gave the human Titan a blank stare, "A kid? I thought she was just small, you know, like how Carina was?"
Flinching at the familiar name of the female Titan, Ianos repressed his grief before settling his orange hues onto the newborn. Immediately, the first thing he notices was how frail she looked, her armor doing little to hide how her arms and legs seem too thin and looked as though she hadn't eaten 'anything' for a long while; signs that Ianos recognizes instantly.
"We have to get her back to the Tower, quickly," The Awoken Warlock senses the bewildered gaze both Hunter and Titan gave him, "get her warmed up and give her a comfortable space to rest. Also, prepare food for her 'before' she wakes, she is going to be low on light when she is physically rested. A large meal should suffice."
"Uh, Ianos?"
"When you do get her to the Tower, 'do not', I repeat, 'do not' remove her helmet," Once again, the Awoken Guardian sensed the puzzled stare from the group, "not until she is awake and has some privacy."
"Ianos," The Warlock turned his gaze towards Angel, taking note of the quick second of hesitation before the Hunter added, "Is there something you know that you're not telling us?"
His lips forming into a frown behind his visor, Ianos gave him a glower, watching the human Hunter take a step back before the Awoken Guardian responded, "I will answer everything once she regains her strength, but for now, we have to keep this to ourselves." Pausing, Ianos hesitated before slowly walking towards the newborns shivering form and tenderly intertwined his fingers with hers; a gesture that quickly gaining him looks of surprise from his teammates, "If I am correct, then it is better for her to be hidden before interacting with others, 'especially' humans and Awoken."
"What?"
Slipping his fingers away from the newborn's, Ianos glanced up towards his teammates, meeting their gaze, "All I have to say is this: help her regain her strength, keep her hidden, and once she is awake, we are going to confirm or disprove my theory."
"What theory?"
Annoyance itched the back of Ianos' mind at the Hunter's constant questions but a part of him felt relieved, comforted; it has been a while since he was bombarded by Angel's questions. As such, Ianos decided to give him somewhat of an answer, "I cannot tell you 'exactly' yet, but I can tell you this." Fixating his gaze onto the newborn's form, he added, "I just hope that my theory is 'wrong', otherwise, life is going to be hard for her."
Xxxxx
The newborn's place of stay was going to be the Warlock's quarters, mainly for the reason that he has the most 'privacy' between the three; although Crystalline overheard the Hunter admit sheepishly that he hadn't returned to his place of stay in nearly over a year (in other words, not the best choice for a newborn Guardian to stay in.)
The hardest part was sneaking in the newborn Titan into the Tower; the Warlock was adamant that they keep her Guardian's presence a secret, up until she regains enough strength to stand or at least speak. After much debate and a small amount of bickering, it was decided that they would wait until it gets dark, an easy task considering the winter days are short and the nights are long. Although this doesn't make waiting any easier.
At least Crystalline was given a moment with her now sleeping Guardian, the latter of which was wrapped snuggly in the Hunter's spare cloak, while the other three Guardians prepped their next of course action; after all, they have to do much more than wait for nightfall to sneak the newborn Titan in.
Eyeing the three suspiciously before turning her gaze back towards her Guardian's sleeping form, Crystalline heaved out a sigh; she wondered how she was going to report back to the Revenants now that she was discovered by Tower Guardians. With the fact her new Guardian was too weak to stand plus factoring in she has to keep her alliance 'hidden', the female Ghost was unsure of how she was going to head back 'home', let alone release the news of Blaise's death.
Letting the human Hunter wander back inter her mind, Crystalline let out a sniff, her shell drooping as she kept her focus on the newborn, the latter of which let out a small whimper before turning on her side and slept peacefully once more. She maybe more than willing to find another Guardian after the Hunter's death, but that doesn't mean moving past it was going to be easy; it had taken her 'years' to find him and when she did, it felt like an emptiness that she had carried around with her was suddenly filled and joy finally came into her life. But now, with him gone, that same joy of finding a Guardian now seems bitter, shameful even, as although her light is compatible to the frail Guardian, it was not the same as Blaise; and Crystalline highly doubts that is going to change anytime soon.
"We're ready to head out."
Jumping at the introduction of a new voice, Crystalline twirled around in time to see the Warlock cross his arms, tilting his head impatiently as he waited for a response. Immediately regaining her composure, Crystalline let Blaise's words echo in the back of her mind as she narrowed her single optic; do not trust Tower Guardians.
"Oh? And I am willing to bet you have a plan ready to sneak my Guardian in?" Crystalline waited until she received a nod from the Warlock, "And I am not going to be informed of this plan?"
Instantly, a sigh escaped the Warlock, followed by his gaze shifting back and forth between the female Ghost and the young Guardian; a sense of unease settled into the back of Crystalline's mind.
"Despite using the cover of night to sneak your Guardian into the Tower, there are still plenty of other Guardians who are still active when it gets dark," The Warlock started, "So, we need to make her 'smaller', more 'compact', if you understand."
Crystalline blinked as she took in the male Guardian's words, her optic slowly widening as it dawned on her, "You want to kill my Guardian!? How dare you even incite-"
"How else are we going to get her into the Tower unnoticed?" The female Ghost easily senses the glare behind the Warlock's visor, "Her existence cannot be known, at least not until I am sure that I am wrong."
"What are you so frightened about 'my' Guardian that you want to keep it a secret?" That's when Crystalline saw the Warlock pause, his shoulders squaring out defensively as she watched his hands curl into fists; a threatening gesture. However, this does not deter the female Ghost, "I am 'her Ghost', I have every right to know what is going on that evolves around her."
"I will tell you once we reach the Tower," Crystalline couldn't help but narrow her optic at the Warlock's retort, "but for now, out in the open, where unwanted ears can tune in, I am not going to risk it."
"Then 'we' are not going to the Tower," The female Ghost can easily see his fingers curl and uncurl from her words, "not unless 'you' tell me why the fuck you are so insistent that my Guardian heads to the Tower in secret."
Hearing a heavy sigh escape the Warlock, Crystalline watched as he placed a hand on the side of his helmet and shook his head before drumming his fingers against the side. That's when the familiar particles of binary code formed over the male Guardian's shoulders and took on the familiar star shaped form of his Ghost.
"I'll take it from here, Ianos."
Seeing the Warlock fix his gaze onto the black and orange Ghost, Crystalline waited as the two stood there in silence before the male Guardian nodded his head once, turned, and more than likely started to head back to the others of his group. Watching the Ghost turn their orange optic towards her, Crystalline couldn't help narrow her gaze once more as her fellow Ghost glided over, "If you think you can convince me to head to the Tower 'without' knowing anything, then you thought wrong."
"I am not going to do anything," Crystalline gave the black and orange Ghost a blank stare, "Although, I am going to try and explain 'why' Ianos is so adamant of transferring your Guardian into the Tower safely."
"If you mean safely as killing her and then me taking in her light to sneak her in, then I would rather 'not' hear his reason why."
Hearing her fellow Ghost sigh, the black and orange Ghost fixated their gaze into her optic and it was then, she noticed the look; one of grief and remorse.
"Just hear me out," Crystalline paused at the Ghost's words, "Ianos doesn't do things 'without' a reason and I have to admit, some 'plans' he formulates are a bit farfetched."
The female Ghost let out a snort, "You think?"
"But for good reason," Crystalline reeled back from the black and orange Ghost's words, "You see, Ianos has been around for 'years', plenty of enough time to watch those he cared for die around him. His over reaction is just him trying to ensure to get everyone out safely."
Taking in their words, the female Ghost then narrowed her optic once more, "Where does the safety of my Guardian come into this?"
Another sigh from the black and orange Ghost, "You see, Ianos hopes he is wrong but since his 'theories' hardly are, I came to believe that her… 'condition' is the same of an old comrade of his."
Crystalline blinked, "Condition?"
The black and orange Ghost nodded, "When the two of us laid our eyes on her, her condition looked familiar and it was Ianos who figured it out first. If we are correct, then the humans and the Awoken will treat her with heavy prejudice."
"And how do you know this?"
"Because his comrade was treated as such," Crystalline blinked once more at her fellow Ghost's words, "It was severe to the point he never removed his helmet out in public and he prefers the solace of isolation. And if Ianos is correct in his theory, that is not the only problem she will face."
Doubt and worry lingering in the back of her mind, the female Ghost forced out the question, "What other problems?"
"Weak stature and energy is one of the few things if we use our comrade as an example." The black and orange Ghost answered, "However, the main problem is going to be the lack of control of light."
"Lack of control?"
The Ghost shrugged, "Your Guardian's condition is extremely rare, the only other who shared similarities is Ianos' comrade in question. All we know is that those like your Guardian have a hard time controlling their light and depending on what attunement they are currently in sync with, it can have catastrophic results."
Taking in her fellow Ghost's words, Crystalline turned her gaze back towards her slumbering Guardian, watching the newborn turn onto her side before pulling the cloak tighter around her shoulders.
"Let me guess, the Vanguard keeps a close eye on your 'comrade'?" The female Ghost turned in time to see the black and orange Ghost let out a nod.
"In actuality, they had thought about locking him away, where his light won't be deemed as dangerous," Crystalline gave her fellow Ghost a wide-eyed look, "Luckily, Ianos deemed that solution as inhumane and took him under his wing, despite their protest."
Momentarily silent, Crystalline glanced into the black and orange Ghost's optic, attempting to read any emotion before asking, "Did you two find a solution to his… 'lack of control'?"
Relief flooded into the back of Crystalline's mind as the Ghost nodded, "It took us a while but, we built an armor piece that kept his light in check. The Impossible Machines if I remember correctly."
Hearing the name, the female Ghost couldn't help but let out a snort; the black and orange Ghost must have heard for they quickly stated, "We didn't name it, if that's what you think. Cayde has a weird sense of humor when it comes to naming armor and weapon pieces."
Coughing to regain her composure, Crystalline twirled her back fins before stating, "Then it is possible for my Guardian to use such piece?"
To her surprise, the Ghost shook their core, "Sadly, the Impossible Machines are only attuned to the arc light of Warlocks. It never occurred to my Guardian and I to make any other pieces for the Hunters and the Titans."
"Then what about my-"
"Don't worry, Ianos is already finding a way to craft such a piece for your Guardian." Crystalline paused at the black and orange Ghost's words, "but all our supplies are back at the Tower, which is one of the reasons why he wanted her back there."
Glancing back at her Guardian once more, doubt lingered in Crystalline's mind once again before she turned and focused her attention back onto her fellow Ghost, "If she has 'lack of control' over her light, then why hadn't she shown such signs yet?"
"Because she is too 'weak' to do anything," Once again, the female Ghost paused, "but once she gains enough strength, there 'will' be complications."
"Then why does he want to wait until she regains her strength to tell us what is going on?'
"Because he doesn't want to remove her helmet without her consent." Crystalline reeled back at the black and orange Ghost's answer, "in order for 'all' of this to make sense, it requires seeing her 'physical' appearance." That's when she heard her fellow Ghost pause, "Did you not see what she looks like? Is that why you are not so willing to work with us? You have no idea what your Guardian possibly is?"
"The more you speak, the more you confound me," The female Ghost blurted out, "Is her physical appearance that important to figure out what is going on?"
"Yes," Crystalline paused at her fellow Ghost's response, "If Ianos is correct, then what she is can have an impact in her life. The Consensus even passed a word of 'caution' if we were to interact with anyone like your Guardian."
Once more taking in the black and orange Ghost's words, Crystalline couldn't help but let doubt linger in the back of her mind; what is stopping her from waiting until the group of Guardians are inattentive and then sending a frequency to her Faction? Just because the Tower Guardians have a problem with her Guardian doesn't mean the others back at base would.
"I know what you are thinking," The female Ghost turned her optic towards the black and orange Ghost, the latter of which spun their back fins before gliding in closer and whispered, "We know 'who' you are and 'who' you are working for."
That's when Crystalline paused, her own optic wide as the black and orange Ghost glided back, giving her space, "At least, only my Guardian and I know. But here me out; what makes you think that your 'faction' will accept your Guardian? Considering your numbers, I wouldn't be surprise if some of those remember 'our' comrade that held the same condition as the newborn here. And just saying, not many saw him in a positive light."
Recoiling from their words, Crystalline retorted, "What makes 'you' think that they will treat her negatively? What makes you think-"
"Was your previous Guardian a human?"
The female Ghost paused at the black and orange Ghost's question, "W-What is that supposed to mean? I mean well…" She hesitated, "…yes."
"Then you don't understand how discrimination works." Crystalline recoiled from their words, "both experience 'and' appearance matters, despite the day and age we live in. Even now, with all the chaos and the Darkness practically standing at our doorstep, not everyone sees others as the 'same'. Your Guardian, if she is what we think she is, then life 'will' be hard for her – between both the Guardians and the civilians."
Taking the words of her fellow Ghost into consideration, the female Ghost said nothing as the black and orange Ghost then added, "Ianos would care less about the race of others, let alone physical appearance. And if anything goes awry, he will be there to protect her."
Remaining silent, Crystalline let her thoughts go wild in her mind, her prolong silence causing her fellow black and orange Ghost to sigh, "I'll give you some time to think about it."
Lifting up her optic to see the Ghost glide away, possibly back to their Guardian, the female Ghost took the opportunity to turn and fixate her gaze onto the newborn Titan. She was still asleep, her steady breathing the only sign that Crystalline can take in thanks to the darkened visor of the newborn Guardian.
Crystalline remembers the first time when she had found Blaise, or in a more accurate sense, she had 'met' him. The two of them were an extremely rare case for the reason that Hunter Blaise had lost his Ghost in another mission; the female Ghost had found him grieving out in the Wilds before the two of them figured out their light were compatible. During this point, Blaise already was a member of 'The Revenants' and as such, the Faction was all Crystalline had known; she had heard of the 'Last City' and 'The Tower', but not once had she entered either sanctuary; she had been too busy searching for her Guardian. All she knows was from Blaise and what he had to say wasn't positive.
The human Hunter kept calling those who live at the Tower 'cowardice' and 'soft', mainly for their reasoning of thinking that all Darkness should be purified instead of wielding it just like the Light. When Crystalline had heard of the stories of the 'Tower Guardians' killing fellow Revenants for the sole reason they intermingled with the darkness, the female Ghost couldn't help but let her imagination run wild; that the Tower Guardians kill 'anything' that were a threat. And with what her fellow Ghost had just told her, it only strengthened Crystalline's suspicions; at least, momentarily, until she realized the Warlock, despite knowing what faction she came from, had willingly saved their lives; and from what she can tell from the black and orange Ghost, they hadn't let that information slip to the others.
Why? She thought, twirling her back fins in thought before a sigh escaped her, If I hadn't snagged onto that frequency, we could have easily avoided this.
Honestly, the female Ghost hadn't meant to send a frequency to the Tower; when the Fallen closed in on their position, Crystalline, in a state of panic, latched onto the first frequency that she came across. With her luck, it was the 'Tower', and Crystalline couldn't help but mentally curse at her misfortune.
But, as she continued to wander in her thoughts, the thought of bringing her Guardian to the Tower slowly grew on her. True, the Revenants was the only home she had known but she soon realized that it was no place for a newborn; the constant experiments and tests on the Darkness puts every member at risk, their light and will having to be strong to overpower the corruption that threatens to consume them. In which her Guardian has neither trait. With her safe at the Tower, her Guardian will have the time to grow in both health and light and maybe perhaps, Crystalline can lead her back 'home', back to the Revenants.
Twirling her back fins once more in thought, Crystalline finally made her decision before she finally glided towards the group of Guardians, "Hey you, the Ghost."
"The name is Ace," She can easily sense the blank stare her fellow Ghost gave her, "and have you come to a decision?"
Hesitating as she let her answer formulate in her mind, the first thing that Crystalline blurted out was, "You are going to make her death quick? Right? Painless?"
Her question must not have been the answer they were expecting, as not only Ace but the Warlock and the others also reeled back in response.
"O-Of course," Ace stammered out, "We're not barbarians. We're not doing this out of 'pleasure'. We really are concerned for your Guardian's safety." They then paused, as if contemplating on their next words, "Don't worry, we'll make sure that it is quick 'and' painless, as you say."
Bobbing her body once, Crystalline still couldn't help but jump as the Warlock suddenly removed a sidearm from around his waist, pulling back the trigger before walking over to the slumbering form of the female Guardian; the latter of which turned onto her opposing side, unaware of her incoming death.
Watching Ianos pause and aim his weapon at the newborn's head, Crystalline couldn't help but close her optic and turn; she doesn't want to witness the killing of a newborn Guardian, let alone one who was just a few hours old. However, as time ticked past, the female Ghost have yet to tune into the familiar 'pop' of the weapon, and as such, she blinked several times before turning her gaze towards the Warlock. He still has his gun aimed at the newborn however, to Crystalline's surprise, his hand was shaking, causing his aim to waver.
Moments later, a sigh emitted from behind before the familiar armored form of the Titan brushed past Crystalline.
"Here," She watched him place a hand onto his shoulder before tentatively taking the sidearm from the Warlock's grasp, "I'll do it."
At first, Crystalline can see resistance, Ianos' shoulders going ridged and his fingers keeping a tight hold on his weapon. But nonetheless, the Titan was able to slip the weapon out of his grip easily and the female Ghost then saw him aim it at the newborn. Despite sensing the hesitation emitting from the Titan, Crystalline knew that he would be the one to end her Guardian's life. As such, she turned and closed her optic, just in time to hear the familiar 'pop' of the side arm going off.
The heavy breathing of her Guardian, then stilled.
Xxxxx
Ianos couldn't bring himself to kill her; he had thought he had long ago gotten over his trauma of killing Wesley. But no sooner had he aimed his sidearm at the newborn Guardian, the memories flooded in; the look of surprise in his blue eyes, his mouth parted into a gawk as the familiar face of the dead looked into his gaze filled with hate.
"But I thought-"
Those were his last words; Ianos had never given him the chance to finish before he raised his weapon and fired it point blank into the traitor's face before he proceeded to destroy his Ghost.
Although, killing Wesley played a part in his vow in never killing another Guardian, the other reason is that it brought back the rest of what had occurred on the moon; Amele, Rytark, and Copper's sacrifice. Wesley's betrayal. And he and Darian's torture under the-
He shook his head, feeling his hands shift on the controls in response.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Hearing Ace's startled shouts, Ianos reflexively shifted his controls into position, straightening out his ship as the black and orange Ghost turned and gave him a look of concern, "Still bothering you?"
Instead of immediately responding, Ianos opted to keep his focus on steering his ship; answer enough for his Ghost, "You know, you didn't have to be the one to kill the newborn."
"But 'I' was the one who suggested it," The Warlock retorted, hearing his Ghost sigh in response, "It would only make sense that the one who planned it out should be the one to perform the deed." Ianos then gripped the controls tightly, "But in the end, Akiva had to be one to do it. The 'father' between the three of us."
"So, you would rather have Angel do it?" Ianos paused at Ace's question, "Look, Ianos, I understand why you are upset but you also experienced severe trauma. You didn't just take up the vow of never killing another Guardian for no reason." The Awoken Warlock kept silent, "That's why Akiva took up the weapon to kill the newborn. He may not know the 'reason' behind it, but he understands enough that it is something that you're still uncomfortable with. And as he had promised Crystalline, he made it quick. She didn't even let out a sound when the bullet penetrated her helmet."
At the mention of the female Ghost, Ianos lifted a hand and brushed his fingers in the crook of his neck, his fingertips brushing the familiar tips of a shell. Feeling the Ghost stir from the touch, the Warlock snapped his hand back, only to hear the former let out a sigh and snuggle in closer to the back of his coat.
Ianos was adamant that the female Ghost travel with him, mainly for the reason that both he and Ace are informative of the faction 'The Revenants'. He had spoken to the others and it seems that only Akiva was recently informed; Angel had no idea of the faction's existence. The reason for this is that he wants to ensure that she has her 'privacy', that she feels comfortable enough to trust the team. And from the way she is currently asleep, it gave Ianos some confidence.
The Awoken Warlock also heard of both Crystalline and her Guardian, Blaise – it was hard not to when both seemingly came out of the Vault of Glass with hardly a scratch. He had known who she was when he had first laid his eyes on the female Ghost, he had just opted not to say anything; it was better for her to think that they don't know who they were, at least, until Ianos figured out Ace had ruined the 'secrecy'. But nonetheless, as long as Crystalline places at least 'some' trust in them, ensuring the safety of the newborn Guardian should flow smoothly without any problems.
"You know, if it wasn't for her physical appearance," Ianos tuned into Ace's words, "I would have never believed that both she and her Guardian made it through the Vault of Glass and back."
It was true, Crystalline may have the standard shell shape of common Ghost's but that is where the similarities end. Her shell, a light shade of violet, shimmered similarity to what the Warlock would compare to the Awoken's skin, the pattern consistently changing. Alongside this unique feature was the tendrils that slithered from the upper corners of her shell, following the familiar look of the Vex Hydra. It was a look that Ianos had never seen before, even with the other 'survivors' of the Vault.
"Do you think she and her Guardian made it through the Vault alone?" Ace asked, "Or do you think their predicament was exactly like Kabr and his team?"
The Awoken Warlock paused at his Ghost's words. He had heard of Blaise's accomplishment – he was plenty old enough for that – but it never crossed his mind that the younger Guardian would be placed in the same situation as Kabr and the others. And when he means others, he means Pahanin 'and' Praedyth. It was strange really, Ianos had only spoken to the Hunter on several occasions but he knows for certain that the mere mention of the Vault will cause Pahanin to freeze, and the only information he can pry out of the traumatized Guardian was that only he 'and' Kabr made it through the Vault. At that time, it didn't make sense, thanks to the fact you need at least 'three' to even make entry into the Vex territory. That is, until a frequency was picked up from the Vault years later. It was Praedyth, a Guardian that even Ianos thought was a myth. He claims to have been part of Kabr's Fireteam and that he was trapped within the Vex's hold of time. Eventually, his body was found and he was pronounced dead. But for Ianos, he has a reason to believe that his 'fellow' Warlock lives, just 'elsewhere'.
After all, how else with his hunt for 'No Time to Explain' would have been fruitful if the supposed Warlock was 'deceased'.
Although at first, thinking that Praedyth was a unique occurrence, not once has it crossed his mind that there will be others like the Warlock. Did Blaise really enter the Vault alone? Or did he initially enter with two others only for them to be wiped from history?
"More than likely," Ianos finally responded to his Ghost's question, "Countless other Guardians have entered the Vault. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them experienced the same fate as Kabr's Fireteam."
He heard a few clicks emit from Ace, "Just makes me wonder how frustrating that is. How you 'know' that something isn't right but can't exactly put your finger on it, memories just out of your grasp. Do you know how it feels – oh, right."
Hearing the black and orange Ghost let out a sheepish chuckle, Ianos shifted his blank stare back towards the front of the cockpit, shifting his controls just ever slightly to straighten out his position.
"So?"
Ianos once again shifted his gaze back towards his Ghost, "So what?"
"Remember anything else?" The Awoken Warlock couldn't help but raise a brow at Ace's question, "Like a name?"
Immediately, a sigh escaped the older Guardian, "Is remembering my previous life not enough? Why is my 'birth' name so important to you?"
"Because I'm curious!" Ace scrunched their parts together; a Ghost equivalent of a pout, "You remember your lineage, your death, your life. Traveler, you even remember your 'noble' name. Why not your first?"
A frown forming on his pale azure features as he turned his focus back onto piloting his ship, Ianos responded, "That was my 'old' life. Even if I do remember my 'previous' name, what use of it will be to me considering I'll never go by it again?"
"Closure." Ianos paused at his Ghost's answer, "Look, I know you're all about 'moving on' but you're also the type to hold onto pieces of the past. It's obvious that the murder of both you and your mother has an impact on you."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, one, how disoriented you get when you die," Another pause from the Warlock, "and two, not long after your memory returned, you started talking in your sleep. And it mostly involves you calling out for your mother. And begging to your father."
"He is 'not' my father," Reeling back from his own outburst, Ianos had little time to comprehend his own words before Ace's next question further caught him off guard, "and your 'mother'?"
Momentarily silent, the Awoken Warlock took a few seconds to recompose himself before he finally responded, "She had done nothing wrong to me. I hold no grudge towards her."
"But her death bothers you, doesn't it?"
Once again, Ianos was silent.
"I was thinking. Perhaps when we have the time, let's find your 'first name', perhaps it will help you find some closure, don't you think?"
Fiddling his fingers around the stick of his controls, Ianos opted to stay silent, up until the familiar view of the Tower came into his field of vision, "We'll see."
End of the chapter!
Also heads up! Characters will start making appearances in the next chapter. Once again, I apologize for the long wait. Hadn't expected to get this long of a list lol.