Arizona was laughing drunkenly at the highest point she could get on the Tower, a pack of beer next to her, and her third bottle in hand. The Traveler set the entire city ablaze with its radiant light, and the City seemed to answer with its own light. The sky seemed darker because of it. "God, I cannot believe it! His name. Rakis. Just…slipped out." She laughed hysterically.

"You shouldn't get on the Spider's bad side."

"I think I'm…entertaining him, actually." Her normally pale face was flushed red, and she watched the Traveler, high above the city and glowing ever brighter. "They were supposed to get Misraaks." She mocked, shaking her head. She took another gulp. "Hey, do you know how Fae and Nymph have been faring? I still haven't seen them around."

"They just got back from a mission. A mission Zavala, Crow, and Caiatl also went on, with Eris Morn leading them."

"Huh, that's quite the crew. So…they have no idea what we've been up to. For sure, Argonaut has a big mouth, he'll tell Fae." She took another sip. "Saint and Osiris are...really close, aren't they?"

Ghost nodded, squinting at her suspiciously.

"Not many Guardians here have a relationship like they do, huh?"

His panels whirred thoughtfully. "I suppose not, but Guardians here have other types of relationships...like Fae and Argonaut. They've been friends since...well...before you and Maria came to the Tower. It started off as friendly competition and they've grown closer as they go on more and more missions."

Arizona chuckled humorlessly, "They are closer than we think."

"Well, they've known each other for a really long time."

"That's not what I mean, though. They seem...friendlier to each other than to me. Like they have a relationship themselves, you know? I dunno, maybe I'm just drunk." She set the empty bottle back in the pack of beer, and stretched back, groaning dramatically as she did.

"I'd say you're drunk."

Arizona smiled, "Still, I'm a little jealous. To be close to someone like that takes a special kind of connection, I guess, especially as a Guardian, yeah? You've been around here longer than I have, do you know if being alone is…normal?"

Ghost dreaded answering her, but did as honestly as he could, and as delicately, "Even among the Lightless Guardians, a close relationship is rare, but there still are some that go on to have a love, even a family. Lightbearing Guardians...a relationship like Osiris and Saint's is rarer than the Lightless Guardians."

The sun started to rise, lighting the sky ablaze in pinks and oranges.

Arizona continued to help Eido with her research, and periodically would be summoned in the night to The Ether Tank, where she and Spider exchanged veiled threats and quick-witted words. The Spider loved to hear himself talk, and she would often let him talk, and when she was done with any conversation she would call him by his old name, to which he would dismiss her quickly.

"Promise me you won't go seeing him anymore." Argonaut said through Ghost, as she and Eido ran tests on yet another object.

"Fine, fine." She waved her hand at Ghost, as if she could wave away Argonaut.

Argonaut sighed, and the call disconnected.

Eido stared at her.

"Don't worry about it, Eido."

"I'm just…a little disappointed. I was hoping you'd come with me to see the Spider."

"I'll still come with you. I'm for sure not listening to Argonaut…after he…shot us out of a Cabal cannon." Eido stared at Arizona with wide eyes. Arizona continued quickly, "Why do you want to talk to the Spider anyway?" She folded her arms. "He was kind of rude to you the last time you two spoke."

"There's something my father's hiding. It's my job to write down our history, even if it involves the Spider."

Arizona laid a hand on the small Eliksni's shoulder. "I'm sure he's just trying to protect you."

After their testing, Arizona and Eido met with the Spider. The Spider almost looked pleased. "I didn't think you'd be the one to summon me."

"Moral support, actually." She gestured for Eido to approach.

Eido took a step toward Spider, "Spider, there are questions my father refuses to answer. Have you seen him act this way before? You two were friends once."

The Spider, who had been almost perked up before, relaxed in is throne, his bottom arms folded on his belly, "Even if Misraaks had friends back then, I wasn't among them. I couldn't possibly speak to his behavior."

"You're being evasive." Eido said matter-of-fact.

"Evasive? I prefer to think of it as 'coy'. Well, then…your father was unpredictable. We could have had everything we wanted if he listened to me, but he always knew better. Hah, look at him now! Kell of a house holed up inside the City…picking over ruins, pretending he's content in the shadow of the Great Machine."

"We were offered scraps, and we took them." Eido defended.

"Oh? Is that ingratitude I hear?"

"I do not call the truth ingratitude. But enough of who my father is. Who was he?"

There was a commotion by the doorway. Arizona didn't have to turn to see who it was, she could hear him telling the other Eliksni to get out of his way. She stepped aside, close to the shadows before he could even reach her. She could feel the anger seething off of him.

"Eido, I expected this from Spider, but not from you!" Mithrax yelled.

"I am simply preforming my duties as Scribe of House Light. I will gather knowledge regardless of who would keep it from me." Eido defended herself.

Mithrax slowly turned to Spider, "Rakis, I told you not to speak of this. Do I have to dock your tongue?"

Arizona covered her mouth to keep the sound of her shock escaping her mouth. She'd never even heard of Mithrax becoming so…violent.

Eido's shoulders deflated, but her whole body became rigid with embarrassment and shock, "Father!" She turned to Spider. "I apologize for the Kell's behavior."

"Apology accepted." Spider answered.

Eido turned but didn't look at Mithrax as she stormed outside.

"I see now. You're afraid little Eido will take off those rose-colored glasses." The Spider chuckled, "Such a delightful human phrase." He looked at the finally completed ghost shell he had been working on just a week prior, "And what will she see when she looks at you then?"

Even Mithrax seemed deflated, "Do not speak to my daughter again."

"Oh, don't worry about me…though, I'm not the only one who remembers. Sooner or later, she'll learn the truth. But I'm sure it will all work out. After all, what is it you say? The Light provides."

Mithrax stormed out shortly after his daughter.

"You see, I don't really need you to play with. I have all the toys I need, just within arms distance." The Spider chuckled.

"Yet, you continued to summon me and not them for the past few weeks." Arizona shrugged.

Spider huffed, "And what exactly are you still doing here? You enjoy my company only as much as I enjoy yours."

Arizona could feel a heat rising from her chest, making her head swim. "I don't."

"I have never told my associates to harm or threaten you. You have always had the free will to say no, but you haven't." The Spider laughed and leaned forward, using the hand he held his ghost shell in to point at her. "You have enjoyed our time together."

She puffed out her cheeks, and left him, his barking laugh following her the whole way out.

"It's true, though," Ghost said when she stopped at a bar along the way to drink. The bar was mostly empty, except for a few patrons who sat on the barstools. Arizona and Ghost sat in the corner, away from everyone else.

"What's true?" She snapped. "That I enjoy his company or that I was never threatened?"

"Both." Ghost panels whirled.

"I hate it when you're right," she grumbled. "But I don't know that 'enjoy' is the right word."

"Well, what word would you have used?"

Arizona looked at the sky thoughtfully. "Hmm…I was entertained by our banter?"

"You're only proving my point…and his."

She pointed an accusing finger at him, "I'm about two more words from selling you for parts!"

Ghost reeled back indignantly, "You would never!"

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm supposed to be your exile buddy, remember? Sagira and Osiris."

A roaring laugh was ripped out of Arizona's chest and her nose burned from the heat of the alcohol she had been drinking trying to find a new way out before she could think of a good comeback.