7 Years Later

Amador rode his sparrow through the Last City, humming along to some music Ghost was playing in his head. Since his rez two years ago, a lot has happened to him. From dealing with Vex and destroying The Black Garden to striking a heavy blow to not one but two Cabal legions, he has certainly been kept busy. Not much has been happening except running a few bounties and strikes for the Vanguard. The deep voice of Zavala broke him out of his musings, surprising him

"Attention all Guardians," Amador pulled over his Sparrow to hear Zavala's transmission, "Report to the Tower for an important briefing. All Guardians are to report to their respective Vanguard leader to be debriefed."

Feeling anxious, Amador quickly speeds towards the Tower. He has worked enough times with Zavala to know when his voice has an underlying strain of worry in his voice.

"What do you suppose it could be?" asked Amador.

"I'm not sure," said Ghost, "He sounded a bit apprehensive didn't he?"

"Let's go find Cayde and see what the news is."

The ride through the city is possibly one of his favorite pastimes. Watching families together, friends celebrating, and the occasional pedestrian enjoying their evening stroll made all the work he puts in as a Guardian well worth it. They reached the Tower in time to see Guardians flocking over and entering. Some were on Sparrows while others were docking their ships into the hangar. Others were walking in groups, fireteams discussing their next raid or making plans for one.

Amador nodded in greeting some fellow Guardians, some he recognizes and others who have heard of him. Despite his wishes, word of his involvement in destroying The Black Garden and restoring the light back to the Traveler has made him quite the local hero. Even after changing his armor to try and hide his identity didn't really help him. In the end, he decided to humbly accept the praise and try to move past it.

Putting the Sparrow away, Amador and Ghost rode the elevator up to the Tower Plaza where plenty of Guardians were walking to and fro to their destination. Spotting some Hunters walking towards the hangar, they followed them down the stairs where they were greeted with the sight of Hunters sitting on the floor, sitting up on the rafters, or leaning against the walls. Amador decided to hang back, sitting on some shipping crates while everybody waited for Cayde to show up. It took a while, most of the Hunters talking story or exchanging information to kill time when Cayde finally enters the hangar.

"Alright, Hunters! Listen up, we have a major event going down and I don't quite feel like repeatin' myself for those that decided to zone out." He walked to the center of the hangar, standing on top of a crate that Amanda Holliday placed for him.

"Since the fall of big bad Crota and after many years of cruisin' to wipe out whatever leftover hive bugs were left scrappin' in and around Earth, the Consensus has decided to try to reclaim the moon again." A murmur went about the room, whispers of 'Great Disaster' being exchanged. Amador is honestly shocked at the decision.

Even with Crota dead and the hive forces dwindling, Amador has heard stories about The Great Disaster. Hundreds of Guardians lost their lives in an effort to reclaim the moon. He has heard the stories of many Guardians that have made a name for themselves and lose their lives up there.

Deciding that he gave them enough time to talk about it, Cayde spoke up, "Listen folks, I know it's a little daunting. Hell, I was there myself the first time we tried this. This time! This time is different though. We'll have Eriana-3 guide us in and tell us where and what to do. We won't be as blind as we were last time.

So… what does that mean for us, you may be asking. Well Zavala is probably doing some grand speech about how this is our moment to take a step towards another Golden Age for humanity and Ikora is probably getting the Warlocks all tizzy about Golden Age info and rediscovering old tech, I'm here to tell my favorite group about a little thing I like to call: finders keepers."

Interest perked up in the group, wondering and hoping if Cayde meant what he said.

"The Titans are going to need time to set up and escort civilian workers in getting some buildings running again. Ikora and Eriana-3 are going to set up a temporary sanctuary on the moon for us to bunker down in. Hunters, I want you to go out and scope out the lay of the land and whatever you find that interests you then you keep."

Cheers went through the hangar as the Hunters excitedly talked about what they might find. Some were already searching out to see who would join their fireteams. Amador quietly stayed back, watching them converse with themselves. As he scoped out the room, his eye caught Cayde's who motioned at him to walk towards his direction. Walking through the group, Cayde slung his arm around him and guided him away from prying eyes.

"Listen kid, the Vanguard would like a word with you after we dismiss this meeting. We have a special assignment we need you to run."

"Is it serious?" He'll say yes anyways but it's good to know just what he is hopping into.

"It shouldn't be, but Zavala and Ikora have a lot of expectations of you since you rekindled the Traveler. Me? I just like you."

"What's the mission?"

"Tell me, what do you know about the Temple of Crota?"

"Not a lot. I only know that's where Eriana lost her fireteam."

"Yeah," said Cayde, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "well, the Vanguard would like you to scope out the area around it. Eriana mentioned that after defeating Crota the whole temple collapsed in on itself, but she wants to be sure that it's still just a bunch of heapin' rocks."

"She thinks there's still hive trying to reclaim whatever foothold they used to have?"

"I don't know, but the faster you get this done, I can guarantee you that I'll save some good lootin' bounties for you."

"I mean I was already gonna say yes, but if you insist." They laughed as they rejoined the group, some Hunters already leaving to look for their Titan and Warlock friends. Amador sighed and made his way towards the H.E.L.M. Ghost transported him to his ship and he sent a request for clearance from Amanda. Sitting in his chair, Amador rested his head back and tried to enjoy the brief moment of solitude.

"Ok, Amador," came the voice of Amanda, "All clear for take-off." Pushing the throttle forward, he guided the ship out of the hangar and up towards where the H.E.L.M. is. He never gets tired of seeing the city below him as he flies by. Truly a marvel to behold the city at dusk.

After gaining clearance and docking in the H.E.L.M.'s hangar, Amador ventured towards the war table and waited until the Vanguard showed up. Sitting down in one of the chairs, he stared out the window to watch the city lights glow. It took a while and Amador wondered if maybe he was supposed to head over to the moon and start his assignment when the doors behind him opened. Commander Zavala, Ikora Rey, Cayde, and Eriana-3 walked into the room.

"Amador, how have you been?" asked Ikora, shaking his hand briefly before sitting in her seat. The Exo hero Eriana-3 sat next to Ikora and nodded hello to Amador, who nodded back.

"Very well, Ghost and I have been keeping tabs on Mars and Venus in case another Vex infiltration happens."

"I must introduce you to Asher Mir. He's been studying extensively on the Vex movement and he may be in need of… how does he say? A research assistant?"

"Woah, Ikora," cut in Cayde as he sat next to Amador, "This here is a Hunter: untamed and free to roam around."

"It's just a thought." Ikora smiled at Cayde, enjoying teasing him when she can.

"Amador," said Zavala, sitting down and starting the meeting, "The work you've done for us is well beyond what is required of you, you've even completed what we once thought was impossible."

"Gonna make a proud father cry here, Zavala." quipped Cayde, putting his feet up on the table as he got comfortable.

"Eriana-3 has requested that you scout out and investigate the Temple of Crota ruins. We need to be sure that all members of Crota's court have been effectively wiped out before venturing further in."

"Wasn't the Battle at the Cosmodrome the end of Crota's court?" It was a famous and favorite tale that veteran Guardians liked to tell new ones. The story of how Ir Yut and Omnigul were eliminated, who had fled to Earth from the moon with the help of a rogue Warlock named Toland. As the story goes, Toland died in the hands of Ir Yut who sang its deathsong to him in a double cross. Omnigul and Ir Yut were attempting to resurrect Crota on Earth when Eriana, with the help of Cayde and Shaxx, interrupted their ritual and battled them. It was a strenuous battle, lasting much longer than any raid they've been in since they needed to fight both wizards at once. In the end, they both fell to Cayde's gunslinger and Eriana's dawnblade.

Eriana stood from her seat and explained, "It is, but if Toland's journals are anything to go by then it's entirely possible for leftover spawns to grow and evolve into greater threats. The day… The day Crota fell, the temple began to collapse in on itself. I have my suspicions that Toland might have been the one to trigger the collapse, allowing Ir Yut and Omnigul to escape unnoticed. The only thing I ask of you is to inspect the remains of the temple. If anything looks suspicious, I need you to deal with the problem."

"How strong could the hive force be after losing Crota and his court?" asked Zavala.

"Ikora and I have been sending agents to eliminate pockets of the hive's hold on the Moon," explained Eriana, "With their numbers dwindling, they might get desperate and try to grab onto any form of relic that might have survived down below."

"So just take out any hive I see in the area?"

"See kid?" said Cayde as he patted his shoulder, "Easy peasy. Just take 'em out if there are any and leave if there aren't."

Amador nodded and asked, "Should I leave now?"

"Ideally yes. The sooner we get this done, the quicker we can reclaim the moon. We'll be sending out ships in small groups, so as not to overwhelm ourselves." said Zavala.

"Ok, I'll get some supplies and leave right away."

"Before you do, would you come see me for a small debrief after the meeting? I have some equipment for you that might help." Nodding at Eriana, Amador got up and left to start supplying for the moon. The only times he had ever been to the moon was to guard several shipments made to Ikora's agents as they were bunkered up. He did a couple of patrols around the barrier for them one time before heading back to Earth. With much of the moon off limits, there's only so much one can do up there.

He left the room to give the Vanguard their privacy, closing the door behind him when Ghost reemerged to say, "We'll need to resupply our rations again. We always run out of them quickly before we have to start hunting, and something tells me there won't be any wild game on the moon."

Playfully swatting at him, Amador quickly went over to the terminal to send Amanda Holliday a message about the supplies. Better to have them ready when he gets back to the Tower instead of waiting around. He looked over at the closed doors in the War Room and wondered what Eriana could want to give him. He didn't have long to wait as the doors opened again and Cayde strutted out, whistling a tune. He transmitted away as Zavala and Ikora walked side by side, talking quietly to each other.

"Eriana is waiting for you inside, Amador." Ikora said when she spotted him. He nodded his thanks and walked back into the room to see Eriana staring out the window at the city.

"When Wei Ning and I first met, I thought it was going to be impossible to tell one sun from another considering how bright she shone. She was one of the very few Titans that showed the very epitome of what a Titan should be during her time. Then… the Great Disaster happened and I lost everything." Amador stayed quiet, not even being able to imagine the hardships she went through. Eriana turned from the window to look at him, her Ghost reemerging from her. He transmatted a weapon in front of Amador, a sword with the hilt wrapped in blue cloth, the tip of the sword welded with what looked like a pickaxe, and charms with Eriana's emblem decorated the bottom along the hilt.

"When I confronted Crota, all damage from my weapons or abilities did nothing to him. My fireteam were wiped out and I was left alone. I had run out of ammo and thought to embrace death with one final push to battle Crota when I noticed a Swordbearer attempting to take a swipe at me. Crota kept his distance then, and that's when I realized that the sword is key to take him down.

I eliminated the knight and took his weapon as my own. As I had thought, the sword was the only weapon capable of defeating Crota. The hive lives by the Sword Logic: the strongest shall reign over the weak. For every victory they gain, the power of the sword grows stronger. After defeating Crota, I carried this sword as a reminder of what I lost and had sacrificed to get here. Hard decisions and regrets have been made but I refuse to dwell on them. Much has progressed since then and I know that my fireteam wouldn't regret their decision either. I have lost my love and my friends in this quest for vengeance but much has been gained." She held the sword delicately in her hands before presenting it to Amador.

"Use this sword to protect yourself against whatever swarm you come across. It's the same sword I used to bring Crota down and I hope it will guide you to many victories." Holding the sword in awe, Amador took a few practice swings with it.

"I hope you'll find many successes on the moon. If you'll excuse me, I must meet with Ikora." She left the room as Amador had Ghost transmat the sword. He'll need to look for a sheath for it when he goes back to the Tower. Walking to the hangar, they boarded their ship and flew back down towards the Tower to meet with Amanda. He found her next to some robots that were methodically stacking some crates.

"Hey Ams! Got some of the supplies ready for you. You'll need to wait a few more hours for some of the grenades and knives though, the Forge has been trying to keep up with the demand."

"That's fine," said Amador, "I was actually wondering if you knew where I could get myself a sword sheath?"

"Sword sheath? Uh, maybe Banshee? He might give you a weird eye but I'm sure there've been Guardians running around with swords." Giving her thanks, Amador walked towards Banshee's shop. A crowd was around him, Guardians of all three classes wanting to upgrade or trade in weapons for the new adventure to the moon. Amador chatted with some Guardians, talking about their day or what they've been up to when he was finally called forward by Banshee.

"Hey Guardian," said the rough voice, "What do you need?"

"A sword sheath?" asked Amador, feeling quite foolish all of a sudden asking a gunsmith for a sword sheath.

"Oh yeah? Thinking about trying your hand at the blade?" asked Banshee as he bent down to open a drawer under the counter.

"Something like that." said Amador, not wanting to disclose his mission outloud. He forgot to ask about the confidentiality of the mission and decided to best keep his mouth shut.

"Here you go." Amador paid for the sheath and headed back to the hangar to wait out the rest of his supplies. Greeting Amanda again, they exchanged stories as the night drew on. When the supplies did come, he gave Amanda a farewell and transmatted back into the ship.

"Ready Ghost?"

"Ready!" Moving the throttle forward, they made their way to the moon to find what new adventure awaited them there.

Eriana-3 watched as Amador's ship left the hangar. An awful pit swelled inside her as her mind thought back to the moon… to the temple… to the throne room where the crystal tomb has been left. Ikora's announcement to begin reclaiming the moon had caught her off guard and a terrible shiver of fear struck her in her heart. She had argued against it of course, bringing up The Great Disaster as a reference. Ikora had pointed out, however, how the hive's once strong force dwindled away. She also pointed out the importance of reclaiming the moon before Fallen or Cabal decided to stake their claim on it once the hive will be eradicated.

Deciding to read before heading to bed, Eriana took out one of Toland's journals that she had managed to find after dealing with him. It had been easy to convince him that he needed to hear the deathsinger's song in order to transcend death, sniping his Ghost while he was distracted before sniping him in the head before the song could kill him. She had tried to kill Ir Yut herself before the damn wizard escaped and left her with no option but to ask assistance from the Vanguard.

She spent the rest of the night lost in Toland's journals, when the sun began to rise over the city. He was a mad man for sure, but he was absolutely brilliant in his research of the hive. Deciding to distract herself with more tasks, she got up to meet with Ikora about their plans for setting up the Sanctuary on the moon. Until Amador comes back with information for them about the Temple, she finds no need to waste energy worrying about the maybes.

6 Years Ago

You're Guardian is failing.

Hush.

I can help her.

We don't need your false wishes.

I can give her the power she needs to escape.

We'll find a way ourselves... the Traveler—

—Doesn't play favorites.

Allow me to be her guide.

What could possibly benefit you from helping us escape?

I will be her guide in darkness as you are to light.

It's not… right.

Nothing in the universe is ever left to chaos, there must always be balance.

I won't let you corrupt her.

How droll.

Do not make me regret this.

Does she hear me?

She always has.

Hello, O bearer of mine.

Eris had been fighting against the crystal for the past year. Her body mutilated in order to force Brya to heal her. The first month had been spent in agony, her grief and rage consuming her thoughts as she was impaled over and over again with her own blood. Brya had done her best to try and numb the pain for her, but nothing worked.

Being in a constant state of pain kept her from forming any coherent thoughts, the voices of Brya and the Ahamkara bone reminding her where she is and who she is. Eris wasn't sure how long she's been kept in the crystal, hunger and sleep made unnecessary by the crystal. Brya had been the one to recognize how the crystal needed Eris's connection to Brya to keep the barrier up and therefore kept Eris alive by any means necessary. Brya had witnessed it pulling life essence from the temple. Unborn hive worms made stillborn as the crystal used the essence to keep Eris alive. Anytime Eris would accidentally use one of her abilities, the barrier was quick to absorb the light from her and leave her helpless once more as Brya quickly healed her.

After the first month, Eris tried many ways to escape before depression set in. She had reached a point where she begged Brya to leave her. To just let her die. Brya had hysterically refused Eris's requests, promising to stay with her through thick and thin. She had gone quiet after that, her glowing green eyes expressing a depth of sorrow Brya didn't know an acolyte's eyes could express. It was only after the first six months that the Ahamkara bone spoke up after months of silence.

Eris mostly ignored the squabbling that happened between it and Brya until it directly addressed her.

Hello O bearer of mine.

"Wh-" A blood spike impaled her throat, stopping her from talking.

Save your words. You will listen to me carefully and if all goes accordingly, you will escape this prison and you will have your revenge.