Tormented

Dawning Special

Here's the Dawning Special I promised! And on Christmas Day too lol

"The snow isn't slowing down."

Ianos' orange hues glanced towards the window as he witnessed the fiery inferno of white swirl around his window, the winds howling as if in a vain attempt to enter his quarters, "I guess that means the Vanguard isn't going to lift the lockdown of the Hangar anytime soon."

"Seems like it."

Ianos sighed as he placed his pen on his desk, hearing Ace hover over his shoulders as he turned his gaze towards his bed. Normally well kempt and unused, the bed currently held an occupant, his body curled tightly in the covers with his steady breathing a sign of his slumber. It was Zakai, the 'human' Warlock have unfortunately returned from a solo mission during the storm, returning to their quarters soaking wet from the snow. After Ianos had a good laugh from his fellow Warlock's misfortune, he gave him a change of clothes – a simple black sweats and short sleeved shirt – and let him rest on his bed while they waited for Ari. At least, that was the plan.

"I guess the plan to release the lanterns tonight isn't going to happen," Ace stated, causing Ianos to heave out another sigh, "With this storm, it's going to be impossible to even set up the lanterns, let alone lighting it up. The only thing we can do is pray that Ari will be able to make it back from Mars safely through this storm."

Almost as if on cue, the entrance to their quarters slid open, revealing the white clad Exo walking in, brushing snow off his shoulders.

"You know, I usually don't mind the snow," Ari stated as he reached up and removed his helmet, the familiar black form of his Ghost materializing over his shoulders moments later, "But right now, I despise it with every single light of my being."

Ianos couldn't help but snort at the Exo Warlock's words, "Well, you're better off than Zakai. He had to walk back to the City since his ship got shot down by the Scavengers."

That's when Ari dropped his helmet, his pale blue optics wide as he slowly turned his attention towards Ianos. Almost as if reading his thoughts, Ianos let a broad smile spread onto his lips just as soon as the white Exo let out a boisterous laugh, leaning back before leaning forward and placing his hands onto his knees.

"He what?!" Ari guffawed as he stumbled over to Ianos, placing his hands onto the Warlock's shoulders as if to give himself support, "How did Fallen shoot down his ship? And how in the Darkness did he make it back through this blizzard?"

"He admitted that he got a bit cocky when maneuvering through the storm to avoid a skiff." Ianos couldn't help but smile at the Exo Warlock's snickers as the latter released his grip, took several steps back, and crossed his arms, "And how he made it through the storm? Well, in his words, 'Stormtrance is like a walking campfire'."

Ari blinked, "Wait, how did that keep him warm?"

Ianos shrugged in response to the Exo Warlock's question, "From what I can get from Zakai before he went to sleep was that in Stormtrance, the constant movement of arc light surging through your body can also be used against 'each other', the Light emits heat when they collide."

Ari blinked again, "What? According to the basic knowledge of Light that we 'do' know is that if Light collides against each other, there will be a much bigger reaction than a 'portable' campfire."

"For Guardians resurrected under 'normal' circumstances," Ianos snorted at the blank look he received from the white Exo, "You know as well as I do that Zakai is 'special' compared to other Guardians. He can utilize his light differently than others."

"Arc light you mean," Ari let out a huff as he crossed his arms and childishly kicked the air, "Why can't he teach me Arc Light?"

"Because you're young and you haven't even taken the trial yet to attune to it."

The two Warlock's turned their gaze towards the bed, just in time to witness Zakai stretch his arms above his head as the familiar vermillion shell of his Ghost popped out underneath the pillows.

"You're awake!" Ari chirped, earning a groan from the 'human' Warlock, causing the Exo Warlock to blink, "What's wrong?"

"Let's just say that when he came back soaking wet, he raided the ice chest."

"And I drank 'most' of it," Zakai added as he rubbed his temples, "There's still some left for you and Ianos."

"I was going to say," Ari snorted before he turned his icy blue optics towards Ianos, "Do you mind?"

Ianos rolled his eyes in return, "You know as well as I do that 'pitiful' amount of drinks in that ice box isn't going to even faze me." He waved one of his hands towards Ari, "You can have the rest of it, I will restock once the storm calms."

Almost immediately, Ari clapped his hands together in glee before blinking towards the kitchen, leaving behind wisps of violet light, "And what did I say about using our light in our apartment?"

"Forgot momentarily," The white clad Exo walked in with several bottles in his arms, his optics beaming as he dunked the drinks onto a nearby table before picking one up and prying the cap off with ease. Then without hesitation, he leaned his head back and tipped the bottle to his lips, quickly guzzling down the contents as the other two Warlocks looked on.

"Even though you explained it to me several times before, I am still amazed that you Exo are able to digest food and drink," Zakai muttered out as Ari slammed the now empty bottle onto the table before the Exo swiftly picked up another, "Let alone alcoholic beverages."

Ari turned his attention towards Zakai after finishing his second bottle, "Well, they did say Exo were created in human kinds image. I guess that also adds in their diet as well." The white clad Exo then picked up another bottle before offering it towards Ianos, "You sure you do not want one?"

"It's all yours," Ianos gestured with one of his hands, earning a shrug from the male Exo who once again downed the drink, "Although, I am not sure getting drunk is on our list of celebrating the Dawning."

"Well what else can we do?" Zakai nodded his head to the white inferno outside of the window, "We can't exactly light the lanterns like we usually do."

"Oh! I know!" The two Warlocks turned their attention to Ari, only to see the white clad Exo dash towards the Kitchen once more. However, instead of immediately returning, Ianos and Zakai instead heard cups clinking and the sound of liquid being poured into the containers, causing the pair to turn their eyes towards each other warily. Moments later, Ari returned, three cups in hand, his optics beaming brightly as ever as he waltzed over to Zakai and handed the 'human' Warlock one of the cups before rushing over and doing the same to Ianos.

Eyeing the cup warily, Ianos can easily see steam emit from the container before Ari ushered it closer to the Awoken Warlock's chest, causing the latter to reluctantly take the cup from the Exo's hand.

"Drink up!" Ari chirped as he took a seat at the table, Ianos watching the white clad Exo take a sip from the steaming beverage.

Eyeing the Exo suspiciously, Ianos took the opportunity to glance into the cup. Immediately brown entered his vision and he could feel heat emit from the liquid as the familiar scent of sugar reached his nostrils. Fixating his gaze back onto Ari with a raised brow, all Ianos received was a wide grin from the white clad Exo. Then almost immediately, sputtering could be heard from the bed, causing the Awoken Warlock to snap his attention towards Zakai.

"You didn't tell me it was hot," The 'human' Warlock deadpanned as laughter echoed through the air, his vibrant blue hues glaring at the laughing Exo, "You did that on purpose."

"You have to blow on it first," Ari held up his cup grinning before bringing it close to his lips and giving it a gentle blow, "And common sense, if it has steam coming from it, it's going to be hot."

Ianos couldn't help but let out a snort at Zakai's grumbling before the latter leaned in towards his cup and gentle blew on the beverage. Then before long, Ianos watched the 'human' Warlock take a sip. Immediately, Zakai's vibrant blue eyes widen before he tipped the cup away from his lips, "Ari, where did you get this?"

Intrigued by Zakai's expression, Ianos blew on his beverage before taking a sip out of the cup. Almost immediately, sweetness entered his taste buds followed by a warmth sliding down the back of his throat. It was both pleasant and delicious and Ianos couldn't help but tip the cup even further to get more of the hot beverage in. However, no sooner had he done this when heat immediately hit his tongue, causing the Warlock to snap the cup away from his lips and sputter, relieving his tongue of the heat.

Not long after, Ari let out another laugh, "It's called 'Hot Chocolate' or 'Hot Coco' for short."

"Well, they got the hot part right," Ianos muttered, earning another chuckle from the Exo, "Where in the Darkness did you get this?"

"From the Market," Ari shrugged at the blank looks he received from the others, "Look, I was just wandering around the Market and when I saw it, I just had the urge to buy it. Apparently, it was hard to come by since it took almost all my glimmer just to buy a small box of it."

"Or either that, you got ripped off."

Ari smiled sheepishly at Zakai's comment, "Either way, I think it was worth it." He raised his cup towards the others, "Got to spend some time and share it with the two of you."

That's when the room went silent, both Ianos and Zakai watching Ari take another sip from his cup before he added, "You know, the Dawning is one of the few months where the three of us can simply relax. No fighting. No Darkness. No Light. Just. The three of us." The Exo leaned back in his seat, taking another sip of his drink, "It may be unfortunate that we aren't able to light the Lanterns today because of the Storm but we still have the rest of the month to celebrate." He turned and grinned at the other two Warlocks, "So how about we make the best of it?"

"How so?" It was Zakai who broke the silence between him and Ianos, "There's not much to do in the Dawning besides lighting lanterns and simply taking a break from the battlefield."

"Then we'll just think of something," Ari retorted before he let out a small hum, "How about Sparrow Racing?"

"That's what the Sparrow Racing League is for."

"Oh, yeah, right," The Exo hummed at Zakai's retort, tilting his head thoughtfully as he slowly twirled the cup he held in his hands. Then almost just as instantly, he perked up in his seat, instantly catching the attention of the other two Warlocks, "Oh! I know! How about a picnic out in the Cosmodrome?"

"In the snow?" Ianos asked, earning a nod from the Exo Warlock, "How are we supposed to have a picnic when there's snow around?"

"I have a solution," Ari puffed out his chest as both Zakai and Ianos gave him a bewildered look, "I have been looking at those 'gates' that they use in the Sparrow Racing League. Been thinking about taking a couple of them from the Hangar and tinker with them to see if I can make a barrier powered by light."

Zakai raised a brow at Ari's intention, "You do know that is going to take a lot longer than a month to turn racing gates into a barrier."

"Which is why I am going to finish it within the year and we'll do it next Dawning," Ari chirped, earning a blink from the other two Warlocks, "That way, we can head to the Cosmodrome and enjoy a picnic safe from both the elements and the Scavengers."

"The Cosmodrome 'is' beautiful at this time of year," Ianos commented thoughtfully, "It would be nice to sit down and enjoy a meal while taking in the scenery."

"No fighting. No enemies. Just. The three of us," Zakai added, humming thoughtfully to himself before stating, "Do you think the process would speed up if the three of us work on it together?"

Ari let out a snort, "What do you think? Whenever the three of us work on a project, we get it done."

Ianos let out a laugh, "Who knows? We might be able to get it done before this year's Dawning ends."

"So it's settled then!" Ari slammed his cup onto the table, its contents sloshing off the sides, "Let me grab the gates from the Hangar and we'll get started."

"Wait, don't we need Holliday's permission to take those?"

"Nah, she won't miss a gate or two…or maybe a dozen."

"Ahamri-34…"

"I was joking!... Mostly."

Xxxxx

Xxxxx

Xxxxx

"So why are we in the Cosmodrome again?"

"To enjoy a picnic and to enjoy the scenery."

"In this snow?"

"Don't worry, there's a solution."

Hearing Carina grumble under her breath, Pluto couldn't help but let out a snort as he eased his Sparrow to the left, twisting around a hill as the others followed closely behind. The Dawning had started just a couple of weeks ago, however, the team had just assembled to enjoy their time together as a Fireteam. The reason it took so long for the team to get together was that they were also enjoying the holiday with others; Akiva with Neve, Angel with House Spirits, and Carina and Aleeza simply enjoying each other's company. For Pluto, he had simply sat out in the Plaza with a drink in hand and two cups, pouring one for himself and the other for Neptune, setting the filled drink aside as if the late Exo Warlock could walk over and enjoy the drink with him.

But with one week of Dawning left, the others had decided to get together, at least once, to celebrate as a team. As such, a plan was sorted out to have a picnic out in the Cosmodrome, the area only accessible with Sparrows.

"Where's Ianos by the way?" It was Angel who asked the question, his voice echoing through the coms, "When you said that we were going to celebrate the Dawning as a team, I thought that meant everyone."

"He's already at the location," Pluto responded, "He's just setting up."

Almost immediately, a snort echoed through the coms. "Setting up?" It was Carina, "I never knew Ianos as the type to celebrate the Dawning."

"You'd be surprise what other Holidays he celebrates," The Exo Hunter couldn't help but imagine the shocked looks on the two younger Guardians, "The Dawning however, is a Holiday that he tries to celebrate every year, despite any circumstance."

"Is there a reason for that?"

"Angel," It was Akiva's voice who echoed through the coms, "There are questions that can be asked and questions that shouldn't even be mentioned. 'Especially' a personal question."

"What?"

"It's alright, Akiva," Pluto stated, following Nix's scans as he added, "Angel didn't know and I highly doubt he meant any harm in asking. Correct?"

"Y-yeah."

"Nonetheless, the question is personal," Pluto lifted his head as Nix's scans spotted a raised hillside, the black and white scans showing a cloak figure walking about on top, "If you want to know the answer, you have to ask Ianos yourself."

"You two and keeping secrets to yourselves," Aleeza's voice chirped through the coms, "When will you tell us anything?"

"When Ianos deems himself ready to answer questions," Pluto responded as he slowed down his Sparrow, just stopping short at the bottom of the hill before jumping off and his Sparrow materialized into his Vault.

Hearing the other's Sparrows come to a halt behind him, Pluto took it as a sign to slowly trudge up the snow, his feet sinking into the white material as he slowly made his way to the top. As he came to a pause at the top of the hill, Nix's scans showed Ianos, the Awoken Warlock walking around and planting what seems to be rods around the top, the latter of which reaches his waist as he walked around.

"Almost done?" Pluto sensed Ianos' gaze on him, "The others are here. We even brought the Lanterns that you asked for."

"Not quite," Through Nix's scans, Pluto watched Ianos kneel down, wrapped his hand around one of the rods, and wisps of light emitted from his grip. Then almost immediately, streams of light burst from the sides and connected itself to the other rods around the hill, creating a makeshift fence before rising and lifting above the heads of the Guardians. Letting his jaw drop, Pluto barely saw Ianos stand up and state, "There, now we should be safe from the elements plus anyone who wishes to interrupt our little 'picnic'."

Pluto heard a whistle echo from behind, "Wow, you really outdone yourself kid. You even cleared the snow from the top for us."

"Can't exactly enjoy a meal if you're cold and shivering sitting in the snow."

"Good point," Hearing Akiva laugh, Nix's scans showed the Titan hold out his hand to summon Lex, the latter of which promptly materialized containers that the blind Hunter believes to contain their meal and drinks, "So, shall we?"

Setting up the picnic was quick; blankets spread out and their food easily spread out on silverware and plates brought by Aleeza (the latter of which jokingly stated that Akiva 'always' forgets the utensils during such occasions, even before their resurrection.), enabling the team to sit down and enjoy their time together. Being Guardians and bottomless pits, Fireteam Redacted easily finished their meals before moving onto the real reason for the picnic: the drinks. Although every Guardian can hold their liquor better than the 'civilians', each individual still holds a different tolerance to the alcoholic beverages. As such, no sooner had the drinks had been brought out, Ianos found himself and Pluto the only ones at least, partly sober, the others having long ago fallen into a drunken state.

"You know, no matter how many times you beat him at the drinking game," Pluto stated as he watched Akiva snoring away on a blanket nearby, taking a sip not long after; the Exo Hunter had removed his blindfold to properly enjoy the event, his red optics revealing amusement as he then watched Carina and Aleeza giggling as they poked and prodded the clonked out human Hunter, "I don't think Akiva will stop challenging you at least, not until he beats you."

"That will be the day when the Darkness takes me," Ianos simply stated as he took sips from his bottle before lowering his drink and shifting his helmet back over his jaws, taking in deep breaths before lifting it up and taking in more of the beverage, "and even then, I don't think I will even be buzzed by the time he gets drunk."

Laughing at the Awoken Warlock's words, Pluto took the opportunity to down more of his bottle before lowering his drink, "I guess that goes our plan to release the Lanterns."

A simple snort emitted from Ianos before Pluto saw from the corner of his eye the male Guardian pushing himself onto his feet and the familiar sound of an object materializing into the air then buzzed into the Exo Hunter's audio receptors. Curious on what Ianos is taking out of his Vault, Pluto lifted his gaze and almost instantly, he chuckled. In the Awoken Warlock's hands, were two yellow orbs, both glowing dimly in Ianos' grip before the latter held one out to the dark clad Hunter.

"You saw this coming, didn't you?" Pluto stated as he stood up and accepted the Lantern, earning a single nod from the Awoken Warlock, "Then again, this always have been your favorite part of the Dawning."

"Have to do it at least once before it's over," Ianos simply stated as he grasped his Lantern with both hands before lifting his gaze upwards, his visor completely hiding his expression as a sigh escaped his lips.

Although having started their picnic early in the afternoon, it was now dark, the Cosmodrome being lit up by the numerous stars twinkling in the sky. Others would have immediately returned home to escape the cold or to escape the unwanted stares by the Fallen but to Ianos, this was perfect. The night sky enabled the Lanterns to be seen easily against the blanket of stars and although he would have preferred the others of Fireteam Redacted to join in, releasing a Lantern alone with Pluto was enough. As such, without another word, Ianos lifted his Lantern and delicately released it, watching it slowly ascend to the sky. Not long after, Pluto's Lantern entered Ianos' vision and the Warlock stood there with his arms clasped behind his back, taking in the sight of the two bright yellow orbs slowly billowing into the sky.

"You still miss them, don't you?"

Ianos couldn't help but snicker at Pluto's words, "You think? You're still mourning over Neptune, right?"

"That is because he had passed recently," Ianos paused at Pluto's words, "But you, you have been mourning them for 'years'. Why else would you still be insistent on releasing the Lanterns every year? I remember this one year where a rogue Guardian tried to assassinate the Speaker and eluded capture. So the Consensus ordered the Tower to go on lockdown during the Dawning but that didn't stop you from sneaking out and releasing Lanterns into the sky."

"Much to the Consensus' fury," Ianos let out another snicker at the memory. Pluto just heaved out a sigh, "Just be honest with me, Ianos. You still haven't passed on from their deaths, haven't you? Despite your claims?"

Momentarily silent, Ianos nodded once, half expecting another sigh and a talk to happen between him and the Exo Hunter. However, to his surprise, the silence remained, enabling Ianos to continue to watch the two Lanterns glide away into the night.

"Happy Dawning."

The simple greeting can hardly be heard being uttered by Ianos but Pluto easily caught it thanks to his years as a Hunter and his keen hearing. And he knows that that the greeting was not meant for him.

More hints to Ianos' past before forming Fireteam Redacted and a small hangout with the team :D

Not very good in my opinion but I did what I could. Anyway, expect a chapter this Wednesday C: