A/N: Surpriiise, got excited and had this and the final chapter completed when work wasn't trying to bury me in... well work. The final piece to this book will be up on Tuesday so enjoy the second to last chapter! Review time~!

To Starpottergeek: I will continue to bring the drama, action, and funnies. Thanks for reading ^_^

To DarkNights: First off, congratulations on graduating *Gives applause*. Morbin has always been more of a loner when it came to his issues, as seen in the earlier chapters, this was the start of his true commitment to trusting others outside of Ikora and Deus. And I had to give the chrome dome his perfected void light ability. You're gonna like this chapter, trust me!

Enjoy!

Chapter 15 - Promise

Act VII - House of Wolves

[Last City | Tower | Accommodation]

"You sure this is fine? I dunno..." Ceres was very unsure, twisting her body in the full-length mirror with Taka beside her, throwing on her leather jacket over a white shirt, a pair of leather boots, and jeans to match. As for Ceres, her brow was furrowed, wearing colors she normally wouldn't wear

She wore a blue hoodie with a white shirt underneath, a yellow skirt, black thigh-high socks, and white shoes. Adjusting her necklace while a pair of hands swayed her shoulders left and right, the confident smile behind her. "You look adorable! You'll be fine, trust me, Ceres." Taka hugged her, knowing fully what had Ceres so girly as of tonight

In response, she blushed nervously. "I-I know I'm being a pain but... I don't know - argh, I hate this 'cold-feet' thing!" Ruffling her hair angrily she saw no real change to her style, Taka having only added a red rose to the left side of her head

With a supportive pat to the flustered girl's back, Taka made her way to the door upon hearing the chimed knock. "You are the same Titan that took down a time manipulator, a Hive-God, and a fanatical House right?" That smug grin earned her a pillow to the face, suppressing her laugh while she tossed it aside and opened the door. "Hello~"

"Good, you're ready!" Dimitri waved her arms wide, practically buzzing with excitement. Her clothing consisting of merely a black tank top with a star in the middle, a set of white gloves, and dark blue shorts to match her black and white boots. Although, she had a very familiar, royal blue, zip-up hoodie tied around her waist, the same she stole from Taka a while back, and a shark-tooth necklace

Having a sharp eye, Dimitri hummed, rubbing her chin. "You like my style? Go on, keep staring." Her sly smile fell apart at a blink as Taka greeted Zane. "Man, that's cold."

"All set, just waiting on someone to stop having a midlife crisis!" Taka made that especially loud after the girl yelped, falling over something in her attempts to reach the door without failure. She was a mess without Ghost, and Taka wasn't a good substitute. "You ready?"

"Y-yes, I am!" Ceres punched her roommate's arm while she laughed off the playful jab. Zane had to quickly snap himself out of his enraptured stare of the nervous girl before him. He didn't change his style much, sticking with his casual clothes but now he felt somewhat sloppy compared to the girls. "-ane, you okay?"

"Huh, what?" Having lost himself in that thought he zipped to his sister's side, avoiding eye-contact with Ceres while she slowly raised a brow. "Never better! You would not believe the extent of lore I had to scribble down from the Reef Wars, yikes!" A white lie but anything to keep them from prodding his jumpy attitude, Dimitri knew better, wrapping her arm over his neck lazily to keep him steady

"I took it upon myself to invite a few wayward stragglers, the more the merrier!" Her laughter was concerning, then she snorted. "And the idiot is coming with us."

"What you say about me!?" Speaking of which he was waiting impatiently at the end of the hallway. A black shirt and cargo pants. This was actually the first Ceres had ever seen of his actual face, she was convinced he was a walking hunk of armor

Short, red hair that seemed to have taken an explosive to face as it was spiked in every direction. His eyes were mismatched, a pale blue left and pale green right, a scruffy goatee to add to his intimidating attitude.

"So there is a person..." She murmured, Zane leaned back to whisper to Ceres, his dog tags slapping him on the nose

"I guess we lost that bet, sad times," They both nodded sadly but then visibly heard the irritation pulsate from the ill-tempered Titan. Now Zane pulled back on Dimitri's arm still wrapped to his nape. "So, you invited him... why?"

"He insisted," Dimitri rolled her eyes, evading the fist to her face

"I'm not deaf you white-haired bastard!" The siblings looked between one another sharing a single, long blink

"Which one?" The simultaneous reply was enough to unnerve Morbin as he slipped out from behind the corner, dressed in all black, a complete contrast to his almost divine Warlock clothing. A leather jacket, black shirt, black pants and boots, and fingerless gloves. He was an imposing figure to behold

While the tension remained between the eccentric white-haired girl, she slipped between the group, clapping her hands high with a toothy smile. "Alright, the gang's nearly here! Just need three more, then the drinking and hangovers can commence!"

Taka rolled her eyes. "Now I see why you waited until all our Ghosts took off." A collection of flat stares locked to the Anomaly, her head zipping between the eyes

"What? What I say - Hey, don't knock the whiskey 'till you try it, stuff's a real kick," Then she gagged. "But say away from the cheap crap, last time nearly made me vom... I'll just put a pin in that, ehehehe."

[Tower | Courtyard]

"You're a witch, a money-grubbing witch!" The callous yells from the vaults caught their attention. Spotting the enraged Jack as Pip and Jay held her back, her fist-waving bitterly toward the Eververse, and everyone already knew why from first-hand experience one way or another

"She got ripped off."

Jay noticed them first, evading an elbow from the jaded Titan. "H-hi, Dimitri! S-S-sorry, she's having a bad day..." He pulled her back while Pip pushed against her chest

"'Bad Day', I think we've passed the point of no return." Pip sighed, waving weakly. "Hey, guys, mind giving us a hand dragging her away like a sack of potatoes?"Her request was meek and her arms were starting to buckle

Jack shoved off Pip, hands raised with a Crown-Splitter waved dangerously in her hands. "I'm calm, I'm calm, totally calm!" Jay yelped as the sword narrowly trimmed his hair. The crazed red eyes were lost in scorn and bitterness while she swiped at the ground. "I'm not even gonna touch her, promise - H-hey!"

"Let's go." Jay finally had enough, while Morbin was all for knocking someone out, his fists lowered as Jay hoisted the girl over his shoulder with minimal effort, noting the many surprised expressions. "What? She's really light without her armor."

Jack was now whining, punching his back pathetically. "Let me goooo~!" Pip sighed while plucking the sword from her, tossing it to Dimitri's waiting hand. Jack pouted with a faint blush as she was easily picked up and carried away by the honest leader of hers. "Stupid, cute, Hunter..."

Dimitri quickly pulled out a notepad. "Black and red edgy chick? Check. Adorable rookie? Check. Curious inventor? Check. Hmm, not bad at all." The idea of her keeping a record of this made it obvious how much thought and planning Dimitri put into these outings of there's

"Oh yeah, it's all coming together." Zane clapped his hands with a cunning expression

Ceres merely watched as their group moved on, her hand ran through her hair. "We've got one strange group of friends..." Then she slumped. "Oh, right, no Ghost to commentate - Aaand now I'm talking to myself, great."

[Last City | Bronze Bull Bar]

"Here's to the defeat of the House of Wolves!" Dimitri stomped down on the table, her glass high with a red blush already on her face. "To Anthem's defeating of Skolas' lackeys across the system! To the defeat of Revenant! And most importantly!" She lowered the glass toward Ceres, the eyes resting on her made her squirm with a bashful smile. "To the best damn leader of the best Fireteam in recent history, the one that took down Skolas the Kell of Kells! Cheers to Guardians and Citizens alike!"

"CHEERS!" The bar thundered to life, many drinks and celebrations roared as the music was kicked up a notch due to Skyler's mix table, adjusting her shades with a crocodile grin. Morbin was challenged to an arm-wrestle with Reiner, the glimmer shimmering beside their fists that bubbled and hissed with elemental enhancements

Jay was laughing with Pip, the two sharing just two drinks, they were younger than most Guardians but had more maturity than their Titan companion as she slapped the cards down in blackjack, her goody-goody grin snatching up the glimmer from the other players, then Dimitri tapped her with a bottle of beer.

Ceres sat back on her chair before the large central table, seeing people both with Ghosts or without conversing, as she discovered with Taka, they were Guardians but still shared a strong bond with the City they protected, and here, there was no fighting, no need to worry about work of any severity. It was fun, bright, and Ceres felt honored to be here at all.

"I wonder what's in store for the future...?" Her eyes followed someone walking on the balcony above, heading outside to the balconies facing the City below. Having found this bar three stories off the ground for the sunroof above, the stars dancing by through the panes. Her brow curved when she realized that Zane was absent, leaving Taka to manage the drinking problem that was Dimitri and Jack as they tried to drink each other under the table

Curiosity was her worst trait, but she played with it anyway, following Zane to the balcony as she slowly slipped through the door, spotting the ambitious Hunter sat on the edge of the smooth stone wall, the outside dark say for the glow through the narrow windows and the dazzling twinkle of the city below, like rivers of gold across the horizon.

"Like the view?" He spoke up, only now it didn't scare Ceres, her arms resting over the wall as they both watched the city, or atleast Ceres did, Zane having lost himself in her appearance, the rose was a nice touch too

"It's amazing, even when you've seen it dozens of times," Was her gentle reply, heart beating a little faster. "I get goosebumps when I look at it from afar, we're not the only ones who have done amazing things, people helped build this breathtaking world under the Traveler."

"I getcha," He hopped off the wall, crossing his arms. "Sure, we can travel the system and beyond, see so many new worlds or relics of the past but the feeling never quite feels the same as coming back here at night, seeing the lights light up the horizon."

There was silence, then they both laughed. "We're so weird."

"Oh yes, but that's what makes our lives exciting! Fighting bad guys, and stealing loot!" An oversimplified and childish summary of their everyday lives, but one Ceres could rest easy to

Ceres kept quiet a moment, enticing Zane to eye her lost-in-thought expression, lips pursed while she put her cheek in her hand. "I wish I shared that level of overwhelming optimism, I'm a little jealous." She winked, making him scratch his nape

"The secret is knowing that if one day may be your last, you live that present the way you desire! So while having my body nearly turned to ice and my Light drained by some scary shadowy Vandal was, quite literally, nightmare-inducing, I still smiled, because atleast if I died I'll be going down laughing!" He bowed his head. "And here I am."

Again, an awkward silence encompassed the two. While his ideology was a healthy one, Ceres found herself conflicted in that regard, comparing to her fight with the crazed Kell. Ceres took the initiative to break the silence, gazing out over the city.

A heavy chuff escaped her, "I was so scared fighting Skolas," She shook her head. "Mainly because... I didn't know if I could win without the Void or... if I won and... you weren't there," Biting her lip, she knew this had to end, she needed to know, wanted to know... "I mean... sure, your way of thinking keeps you from the fear of death, but-"

"I do fear Death," Was his honest answer. "I was afraid that if I failed Revenant would take not just my life, but my sister's, yours, Morbin's... and if he didn't... I couldn't imagine how any of you would feel knowing that I up and used my final life right there and then."

A chill slithered through her arms, "...scared..." "Heartbroken,"

"On the contrary, we made a promise, remember?" Her eyes flickered to his momentarily, catching his eased expression. "Well, I did technically, that no matter what I'd be here for you when you need a shoulder to lean on for anything," He remembered when he snapped her out of her self-destructive thinking sometime after the Vault of Glass. "You can say it's stupid, but I mean it, I'll be here for you, so I won't die, because then that means my promise dies too."

His words were kinder than any other compliment given to her by her friends or those that looked to her for guidance. And she couldn't stop the slight heat running to her cheeks, her shoulders stiff while her hand mindlessly played with her necklace.

"W-why do you always say this stuff, like I'm... something special?" It was sweet, and she loved it selfishly but that line of thinking is what led to her cocky attitude, and it nearly cost her too many times. "I'm just a Guardian like you or Morbin, I'm just lucky to be able to accomplish so much, so why..." Defiance was in her shaking head, eyes squeezed shut. "Why am I treated so differently?"

That was enough for Zane. Frowning himself he peered at her downcast head. "Shut up." His callous response caught her by surprise, and they finally made eye-contact, his filled with emotion and hers left perplexed

"Wait what?" This didn't deteriorate his attitude however

"Just shut up, you're talking nonsense!" He waved his arms out like it were obvious. "Look, hear me out - You are too good a person to feel this way about yourself," Her eyes hardly looked convinced, but Zane tugged her head back to look to him directly. "I know that better than anyone else, and you should know that too."

With an honest smile, he patted her shoulder, "You have more courage and a bigger heart than you know," Then he motioned to the world. "You weren't gifted with an advantage, but you never let that stop you, you want to save everyone, to go beyond any limitation put before you, you never let someone tell you, 'you can't'. That's what makes you powerful." Now her expression was changing, perplexed but... dumbfounded with each word spoken, and that only grew, and it was all true every word, and it made her heart beat faster

His index then poked her necklace, at her core. "And besides you're like a hundred times cooler than me," That got a single laugh from her. "You see? You know yourself it's true!" With her spirit renewed, he squeezed her right shoulder gently. "You're smart, fast, you can see things no normal person could, and you're beautiful," That last part froze her expression, eyes flooding with too many emotions to finely pinpoint. "You're kind, that... that's what makes you... you, Ceres."

"...w-why...?" Her voice was shaken, and he didn't blame her

With a chuckle, he answered. "You are who you want to be, Ceres, that's just what makes you endearing to me," He scratched his cheek. "Besides, adventuring with you and stopping tyrannical threats wouldn't be nearly as exciting without my friends, without... you."

For a far too lengthy pause, he just... couldn't look away, her emerald eyes remained in focus, even as he felt the details of her face freeze in the frame. His heart was still pounding away in his chest, it was all cheesy and weird, and combined with what he knew he couldn't outright disprove it was all a hailstorm he blindly walked into. But he didn't care, this was the undeniable truth, he'd take this risk and run with it.

Ceres was a swirling mess inside, so many thoughts and feelings conflicted. Memories recent and past filled both sides, bittersweet all together, but one stood out, when she was ready to jump headfirst into danger after evading death, the moment she let go of her world, escaped it to do something unexpected. At that moment, she felt it, and it burned so warmly as it did now.

Gently, Ceres leaned in, her head tilted forward. And for a second, a sweet taste unlike any either could place rested against their lips. With a faint breath, she leaned back, eyes heavy, then they widened as Zane's remained frozen in shock. "I... I um, t-that... that's wasn't what I was... uh, t-trying to-" Her hand tugged at his scarf hard, his lips brushing against hers, eyes soft with a hint of mirthful ire

A blush still present, she didn't let go despite the pounding in her chest. She rolled her eyes, "...Just, shut up... you jerk..."

"Wait... what?" He blinked, and once again, though, with more tenderness, her lips pressed to him without any warning, and... he closed his eyes for that moment, a delightful shiver coursing down their spines as Zane let his right hand rest around her back. The two of them pulled away, eyes heavy, both felt like they were on fire as their breaths hitched. He let out a shaky chuff, smiling, "...I'm fine with this..."

She giggled. "That's good to know," Her voice whispered faintly

At her action, little by little they leaned in again, second-guessing lost to the sweetness that pressed to their lips again. Her own pushed back just as forceful, Zane raised his free hand to her cheek, holding it while angled themselves to push deeper into the action. It was certainly an experience neither had felt before, following each others' movements they fell deeper to the kiss. Faces were burning but refused to care, having lost themselves to bliss.

Unbeknownst to the two currently lost to one another, the many pairs of eyes peeking from the tall windows wore a spectrum of reactions. Taka crossed her arms, leaning into the wall with a gentle smile. Morbin was stoic but his eyes were calm, one orange and the other scarlet. Dimitri was cooing silently with bright blue eyes, shaking Jack who shared her reaction. Jay stood with a flustered expression, not quite able to comprehend the deep kiss he felt he was intruding on.

Pip kept her head down, blushing herself while her mind wandered about one individual without her mental control, which only caused steam to flow from her ears at an alarming rate. Among them all, Reinier merely stole a glance, then started shoving them, his voice hushed intentionally. "What the hell are you idiots doing? Go, now."

Taka responded with a chuff. "So kind of you to give them privacy first," She smirked, but complied with a nod, tapping Morbin's shoulder as she took the lead. "Come on, I think we've waited too long for this, so let's let them savor it, eh?"

"B-but this is-!" Jack was yanked by Reiner, mouth covered as she was pulled away, thrashing her arms pitifully

"Go bother someone else." He tossed her down the stairs unceremoniously, Morbin stepping over her without a word, but again, there was nothing that needed saying that wasn't already spoken about his friends. That was his way of thanking them for helping to put that mercenary in the ground

"Come on, Pip." Jay carefully dragged Pip away, the girl murmuring incoherent nonsense while her eyes spun, this atleast brought a smile out of him.

Dimitri to Taka's eye was the only one left standing there, her once childish expression had changed dramatically. Her lips were parted slightly, and her bangs kept her eyes concealed as she saw her brother and friend rest their foreheads against one another, a strange, unknown glow in their eyes as Ceres looked ready to pass out from the sheer embarrassment.

The Crucible girl bit her lip, anxiety, and a feeling she was isolated washed over her briefly. Dimitri then felt her mind jolt as a hand clasped hers carefully, spotting Taka through her locks. "You're still his sister," She softened her eyes. "And he's still your brother."

"..." Again she looked through the glass, and her fears bounced right back, but she smiled, hand squeezing Taka's as she was pulled away, prying her eyes from the glass without an ounce of regret. "...yeah, he is." Gradually, the two walked away, leaving their friends under the blanket of nightfall together

To Be Continued...

It took 64chapters but they're finally a thing! I was really building to this starting Book 3, and I hope the payoff was worth it. However! While I could say this is the end, we have a final bout ahead. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support, seeya in the final chapter Guardians!

Next Chapter: Prison of Elders - Skolas' Revenge

Defeated at every turn; Skolas and his crew challenge the Guardians who captured him. Horizon must face him within the prison's arena and end him.