"They hear everything Lakshmi says, Zavala-Commander Zavala-but despite the sabotage at the camp, they have been trying to keep their spirits up. I suspect they don't want to scare the children more than they already are. I have made progress in making friends there."

"You aren't there to make friends," Zavala stared down at her with glowing eyes. In truth, had Ghost's presence not been so close to her, she likely would have cracked under the weight.

"It's important that I do, if I am truly to relay their concerns to you and Ikora. To integrate myself is also valuable…Eido has written down much of the Eliksni culture for the people when they are ready to accept them, which I see has already started to happen here at the Tower." Maria smiled warmly, "Mithrax, and everyone there are thankful that you've allowed them to help out in the Tower."

Zavala nodded toward her left arm. "And what is that on your arm?"

Maria turned her arm to look at the purple cloth with a green symbol for House of Light tied around her upper arm, "Oh, this? One of the children made it. Since I wear the Vanguard's colors on my arm while I'm there, they thought maybe I should display their House colors as well when I'm here. Which reminds me," Maria dug in her pocket to find the two folded squares of cloth and put them on Zavala's desk. "For you and Ikora, Mithrax says it's a gift to show how thankful he is."

Zavala shook his head, but Ikora nodded with a smile, "Thank you, Maria. I think that'll be all."

Once a week Maria would have to make a report. It was tedious, but necessary. She didn't feel like she fit the part, but Ghost told her again and again that there was no one better. Stopping at the hangar she found Saint, mindlessly feeding his pigeons, all of which flew away as she approached and sat next to him.

"You look like you could replace Zavala." He joked.

"And you looked depressed. What's up?"

Saint sighed and shook his head, slowly his pigeons came back. "I have been thinking about Mithrax's story. We do monstrous things to fight our monstors. It seemed simple then. When we first formed the City, Titans were the walls. We did not think of our enemies as we fought. We thought only of protecting our people. Survival until the next day, no matter how…but…to be seen as a…a terror, a destroyer…To know the children tremble in fear at my name…"

"It's…different now, isn't it? How you feel?"

"Yes. I mourn what I have taken from them. I can never forgive the Old Houses but these are not the old Houses. The old Houses are dead."

"After you left, Saint, Mithrax told me he still trusts you...he came here on blind trust, trusting that his own enemies would protect him. He risked the death of his own House to come here, I can't imagine how torn he must've been on Europa when he made the transmission. He gambled…everyone's lives, hoping to save them."

"We must be more than the enemies of our enemies. If we cannot see the Fallen-the Eliksni as they see themselves…none of us will ever be anything but monsters."

Maria smiled, took his hand and squeezed it as much as she could, hoping that maybe this would bring him comfort, but she soon let go. They sat in silence, listening to the cooing of the pigeons as they ate the seed from the ground. Maria said, "In my time, Saint, there's an old saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. We have a common enemy at the moment, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Hmm, before I forget, how is Osiris doing? I haven't spoken to him since our last fight."

"He seems to be doing better. You should talk to him again soon. Maybe come to watch the Crucible with us." He leaned in closer and whispered, "I hear The Argonaut is going to be winning this one."

Maria gave him a sly, sideways glance.

The Argonaut was a Titan said to be nearly unbeatable in the Crucible. He had many fans, she knew, but she was not one of them. She had met him once, unbeknownst to her at the time, and she took him to be narcissistic. It wasn't until she met Saint and scoffed while he was surrounded by fans on the hangar, that she was told who he was, nor did she care.

She wasn't one who liked watching Crucible matches, it seemed like the gladiator arena of the Roman empire, but she still kept up with the contenders, mostly thanks to Ghost being a fan of the idea of the Crucible. "I hear that Fae is likely to win." She challenged, "She's been rising pretty quickly through the Crucible ranks. I could bet some glimmer that she'll beat Argonaut." She held out her hand, and Saint shook it enthusiastically.

"Match is this afternoon so, don't be late."

Maria stood, and walked backwards as she walked away, "When have I ever been late?" She tripped backwards on the stairs.

"Actually," Ghost said as she scrambled up to her feet, "it might be a miracle if you even make it there in one piece." This time he was faster to get out of her way when she tried to snatch him, and the whole way back he made sure to stay just out of reach.

The Crucible matches were never Maria's thing, but Ghost loved it. He loved watching the Guardians fight to get the better of their opponent, learning from it, trying again. He kept statistics of every contestant, especially Fae.

Fae was the smallest hunter he'd ever seen. She was petite, and best of all she was agile and cunning with her Void abilities. She danced around her opponents, and stealthily taking them by surprise. Unlike The Argonaut, who relied on his strength rather than his cunning use of abilities. Unlike other opponents, she never taunted them to get them off their game, or taunted them while they were down, and she never taunted them for losing. She always helped up her opponent, and she would always tell them something. It was always different with each opponent; she would tell them their weaknesses or encourage them to be better next time.

This match's turnout was far beyond what anyone expected. It was Fae's team, composed of two Hunters and a Warlock vs Argonauts team, which was comprised of one hunter, one Titan, and one Warlock. Everyone cheered for whichever side their favorite Guardian was in. It was mostly Argonaut fans. Did nobody else notice Fae's quick climb? Only Maria, Ghost suspected, and only because he would tell her when they had nothing better to do. If he had to be honest, he had been surprised that Maria even said anything about Fae to Saint. He was certain she never listened as he rambled on about statistics and facts about each Guardian.

"Which game is this again?" She asked Saint, straining to yell over the crowd's cheers. Osiris sat on Saint's other side.

"Survival," Saint answered as loudly as he could, but Maria still had to lean in close. "3 vs 3, each side only has 3 chances for their ghost to revive them before they have to wait until the match is over."

"So, one for each person?"

Osiris leaned in to answer, "In theory yes, but it rarely works out that way. A single person on a team can be revived 3 times as well, or any combination thereafter."

"Ah," Maria sat back in her seat and watched the teams carefully comb through the arena. She watched Fae, but couldn't help but watch the two Warlocks as well.

A memory came unbidden to Ghost, it had been shortly after Osiris dropped them off at the Tower with Ikora. Maria was still unbelievably timid, and shied away from most interactions with others beyond Ikora. She had given the girl several books so she could read up on the history of the City, but she had quickly gotten bored of that task and, instead, watched the Traveler, lit up by a full and close moon.

"What kind of a Guardian do you think I would be?" She had asked him.

"What?"

"You know, hypothetically, if I were to be a Lightbearer do you think I'd be a Hunter, a Warlock, or a Titan?"

"Why are you even asking me this?" He sighed, annoyed with their sudden interaction.

"Oh come on, have some imagination! It's a hypothetical for a reason, so you can stop being an asshat about it." She was silent for several moments. "I think I'd be a Hunter."

Ghost scoffed, "You would not be a Hunter. Maybe a Warlock, but not a Hunter."

"But Hunters look like they have the most fun."

"…No."

Now, however, he was amused by their interactions. He had absolutely despised her, but some part of himself kept getting tugged back to her. Some part of his Light kept whispering to him her name, and there must've been a reason, right? So, he followed her willingly…mostly willingly, anyways, and now…he couldn't even imagine being without her.

When he does find his Risen, however…how could he be without her? She was his closest friend and ally, and he was hers, even if she still had some secrets she kept close to her chest. Who didn't? Some weird part of him…really hoped he would never find his Risen, and some weirder part of him secretly held out hope that it would be her.

Suddenly, Maria stood, screaming and cheering and throwing her fists up. Ghost had to float high into the air to see what had happened in the Arena. Fae's team won the first round.

Saint laughed. "It's best two out of three." He yelled as she sat down.

Ghost was impressed to find Eliksni had even showed up as spectators to the games, though none of them cheered yet. They hadn't decided if they even had a favorite Guardian, he suspected.

Soon the game was on again.

Maria's eyes shimmered with the light of the stadium, and the smile warmed her features. She drew people around her quickly, Ghost realized. First Osiris and himself, then Ikora…Zavala too, eventually, and Shaxx, Saint, and other Guardians in the Tower as she quickly warmed up to people and told them fantastical stories about life from before the Golden Age, and before the Traveler. She had rejected many men-and at least one woman-asking her out on dates and had even attempted to beat up another Guardian at the bar they frequented the day after he had drugged her drink. That didn't go well for her.

Soon, on the field, it was only Fae. The other team had no revivals left. She took down the Hunter first, and then quickly ambushed the Warlock. Maria leaned forward, her eyes as round as the Traveler. It was rare that she enjoyed these kinds of matches. If Ghost had a mouth, he would've smiled.