Weiss walked through the building that Mikeal had guided her towards, examining the dusty exhibits showing various form fitting suits while a large vehicle loomed in the background. Mikeal popped out of his pouch slightly to stare at them, "What are these?"

"Space suits," Mikeal said, "I have a new one encrypted, but you won't have to put it on until we find a jumpship."

"I have to wear one?" Weiss asked, tightening her lips.

"You can wear it under your dress if you're uncomfortable," Mikeal said, "but we're going to be leaving Earth's atmosphere for a bit, so you definitely need to wear one in case we have a hull breach. I'm not sure how we'll put on a helmet with your hair, but safety is important!"

"How do most long haired Guardians wear helmets?" Weiss asked.

"I don't think I've ever seen one?" Mikeal said, "I might need you to cut your hair, at least for this trip."

Thank goodness she wasn't Yang.

Yang…

If Weiss had been dead for so long Remnant had renamed itself, or whatever was going on, did that mean Yang was dead? Blake?

Her heart squeezed at the idea she would never see her team again. Her friends, her family, everyone.

"Can't we just risk it, this once?" Weiss weezled, running her hand through her ponytail.

"No! No, absolutely not," Mikeal snapped, before seeming to fake a breath in as he calmed down, "What happens if there's a hole in the ship? You'd be stuck in a constant loop of asphyxiating to death and trying to pilot it to the Last City. I don't want to put you through that. It'll be safer to risk it once we have shipwrights to look over it and make sure it's good to go."

Weiss swallowed slightly and nodded, "Ok. What should I cut it with?"

"Uh, all Ghosts are required to keep a survival knife encoded, give me a second and-" Weiss caught the knife as it appeared in a flash of light. A long, serrated one with a familiar emblem engraved on one surface.

"Mikeal," Weiss said, hope blossoming in her chest as she stared at the emblem, "Does the name Ruby Rose mean anything to you?"

"What- why?" Mikeal said, "it does, she's the Hunter Vanguard and owner of the Roseworks weapons foundry. But how do you know her?"

"We were combat partners," Weiss said, bundling up her hair and bringing the knife up to it. The idea that Ruby was alive again, was around here, made her willing to make the sacrifice.

"Huh," Mikeal said, "small solar syste- look out!"

Weiss whipped around in time to see a larger, four armed Fallen crawl out of the wall, dropping her severed hair and scooping up the Seraph gun. Mikeal flew away to find some place to hide as the first rounds flew from both Fallen and Guardian. Weiss's Aura flashed as burning metal crashed into it and stopped, while a blue barrier appeared around the Fallen as she shot at it.

Another shot smashed into her Aura from the crude shotgun, and Weiss grabbed onto the Light, throwing a ball of purple energy at the Fallen and burning through the barrier around them. Firing the gun at their head, Weiss watched white gas explode out as they tipped backwards and stopped moving, walking over to pick up the shotgun.

"You… actually took out a Captain? In one life?" Mikeal said, popping out of their hiding place as Weiss sighed. She missed Myrtenaster already. She'd have to ask Ruby about where she could get a replacement when they saw each other.

"Yes," Weiss said, "Give me the spacesuit, and turn around. It isn't proper for a boy to watch a girl while they're changing."

—X Pyrrha X—

Pyrrha guided her ship down towards the Ishtar Academy on Venus, reaching up and opening herself to all channels as she spoke, "Hello, this is Pyrrha Nikos to the Sunbreaker Order. I repeat, this is Pyrrha Nikos to the Sunbreaker Order, do you copy?"

"Pyrrha Nikos," a voice said after a second, "So Crota's End has come searching for us, but for what reason?"

"To reforge connections between the Sunbreakers and the Last City," Pyrrha said.

"So Zavala finally acknowledges he needs us," the voice said, "land at the Academy and make your way to the open Vex gate. That will be your first step to us."

Pyrrha reached back and grabbed her helmet, sharing a glance with Victoria, who asked, "Who is this?"

"I am the third Empyreal Magistrate of the Sunbreaker Order, Ouros."

"The Ouros?" Victoria asked, "Three Ahamkara Ouros? Six Fronts Ouros?"

"The latter battle is one many can claim credit towards," Ouros said in amusement, "but as for the former, yes, that is me. Do they still tell my story at the Tower, Little Light?"

"Of course they do!" Victoria said, "You're one of the greatest Titans to ever defend the Walls!"

"And so I still do," Pyrrha transmatted as they continued to talk, landing in front of a group of four Vex goblins, brass robots with white cores and a single red eye. Slinging her shotgun off her back, Pyrrha blew one away and cycled the pump as white liquid, radiolaria, poured out of the shattered core, "the Vanguard is too complacent, too obsessed with the idea that the Walls ends at the Walls. The Great Disaster you avenged when you killed Crota scared them. Caused them to skulk like an injured wolf instead of the glorious hunters we are. Tell me, Crota's End, what threat has come to cause them to beg for our help?"

Pyrrha clenched her lips shut, refusing to respond to the mocking of the Commander, of Ruby. Ruby wasn't a coward, she wasn't complacent. Instead, she deployed her shield, just for a second, and smashed the barrier of Void light into another goblin, throwing it against the wall of the Academy where it shattered in an explosion of brass and radiolaria.

"Did I wound your reverence?" Ouros continued, "Is Crota's End still a loyal hound to the Vanguard? You are still young, I wouldn't blame you."

"We have a friend on the Vanguard," Victoria said, "I don't think-"

"Who is it? Ikora, who betrayed Osiris? Zavala, who betrayed us? Or is it Ruby, who stood by as both betrayals happened, nothing more than a wolf shackled?"

"Ruby isn't a wolf shackled," Pyrrha said quietly, shooting another Vex dead.

"Do you know what she did, in the time before the City? Has she told you what she once was? Or does she shirk from her past?"

"She was an Iron Lord," Pyrrha said.

"For a time, yes, but what of before that? Does she speak of what she was before Radegast came and recruited her?" Pyrrha hesitated, "Ask her, when you return to the Last City. Ask her what she was."

— X Weiss X—

Weiss was glad for autopilot as they reentered the atmosphere. She wasn't sure she would be able to pilot this "jumpship" on her own.

"We should be able to see it any second now," Mikeal said as they entered the atmosphere over the ocean.

"The Last City?" Weiss said though the helmet Mikael had given her. It was white and sleek, with a reflective faceplate in front that Weiss looked through displaying various information.

"And the Traveler," Mikeal said, floating next to her head, "There he is now!"

Weiss blinked at the large, white, orb that appeared over the horizon, a metropolitan sprawl spreading out below it, "That's the Traveler?"

"Yep!" Mikeal said, "He's where I was born, where I started looking for you, years ago. I always wanted to be able to bring a Guardian back to the City, and now I can."

"He?"

"Nobody knows what gender the Traveler is, if any. But I think he's a bo-"

"Unknown jumpship, this is Tower Control, do you copy?" Weiss jumped as the voice came out of the speaker above her. She reached up, pressing the flashing button.

"Um, yes, hello. This is the unknown jumpship, I'm guessing?" Weiss said, "My name is Weiss Schnee?"

"Well, Miss Schnee," the voice said, in a drawling accent, "We have a couple of questions for you really quick. First off, are you a civilian or a Guardian?"

"Guardian," Weiss said.

"Good to hear, good to hear," the voice said, "Second question, do you feel comfortable landing that baby you're in, or do you need someone to take control and land it for you?"

"I need someone to take control, this is my first time in a jumpship," Weiss said.

"No shame in that, keeps us from having to scrape you off the side of the Tower," the voice said, "Sending a take over request now, you see it? Should be a blinking switch on the dash. Flick it up."

Weiss did so obediently, feeling the ship shudder as she did. Then they slowed dramatically, and began to tilt downwards.

"Alright, why don't you go wait by the exit, I got it from here, Miss Schnee," Weiss did so, walking with Mikeal floating beside her. The jumpship flew towards a large tower built into a wall looming over the City, before landing.

Weiss stepped out to, well, several men and women walking towards the jumpship, wearing coveralls and carrying toolboxes. Finally, one called out, "Where'd you find this?"

"Siberia!" Mikeal called back, "killed a Fallen captain for it!"

"Really now," the same drawling voice that had spoken over the speaker came from an office, out of which stepped a blond haired, green eyes wearing a sleeveless vest with a sleeve tattoo on her right arm, a red bandana and welding goggles around her neck, "You sound proud of that, Little Light. You green, Guardian Schnee?"

"I'm new," Weiss said, reaching up to take her helmet off. Once she did, chuckles came from the gathered mechanics, "What?"

"You have to cut your hair on the road, Schnee?" The woman said, "We can tell, it's a rough cut. Don't worry about them. Alright, you all, get that ship out of here! Cayde and Andal are comin' through on a take off in a few minutes, and I don't want it being delayed!"

"Sorry," Weiss said.

"Aw, I ain't blaming you," the woman said, "ships gotta land, and we can always delay a launch, you never know how much longer a ship from the wild can go without landing. We just gotta get it out of the way. I'm Chief Shipwright Amanda Holliday, by the way, I'm in charge of making sure every ship is in working order. It'll take a day or two to check everything, but we'll make sure your jumpship is in tip top shape."

"I don't have any money," Weiss said.

"Vanguard'll pay for it, I reckon," Holliday said, "They put aside a fund for equipping new Guardians every year. Cheaper to use the glimmer to make replacement parts than a whole new Jumpship and an Arcadia like this is… well, you found yourself a good baby, I know experienced Guardians that would kill for one of them."

"I see," Weiss said, "You're a jumpship fanatic, I guess?"

"Guess you can call me that, yeah," Holliday said, "Now, I ain't gonna hold you any longer, Schnee-"

"Call me Weiss," Weiss interjected hurriedly.

"Amanda, then," Amanda said, "See that hallway over there? It'll lead you to the courtyard, from there, you'll see a large opening. Take that, and you'll find the Vanguard."

"Thanks," Weiss said, beginning to make her way through the hallway. Amanda gave a friendly wave as Weiss went. She made her way through it, up a couple flights of stairs and into a courtyard at the top of the Tower with several robots milling about, the Traveler visible in out a wall and a couple of men wearing cloaks and long flowing coats having a… dance battle?

"Guardians do stuff like that," Mikeal said quietly.

"You new?" One of the cloaked men called, and Weiss nodded. He shot a grin at her and pointed down a large tunnel, "That way! Ignore Shaxx, he doesn't bite, can't with that helmet on, and the Vanguard are around the table. Ask 'em why we're grounded, while you're at it, maybe they'll tell you!"

Weiss cracked a small smile as laughter rose from the gathering, before heading down the tunnel where a tall man was standing with his hands on his hips, wearing a helmet with one broken and one intact horn and comparatively heavy armor, talking with a pair of robots, one emblazoned with a white, double headed bird clutching a sword in its talons while the other was emblazoned with Ruby's emblem. Walking into a room at the end of the tunnel, Weiss looked over the bald, blue skinned man wearing similar heavy armor and a woman with close cropped hair and a purple long coat before… before landing on Ruby.

She didn't look a day older than the last time Weiss had seen her, though her black dress had been replaced with an equally black spacesuit, bulletproof armor over the chest and several knife sheaths sticking out over it. Weiss swallowed, then called, "Ruby?"

Ruby didn't look up at first, too busy talking with the man. Weiss raised her voice, "Ruby!"

"I'm a little busy right now, so if this isn't important-" Ruby stopped as she turned around, staring at Weiss, "Weiss?"

— X Ruby X—

Ruby stared at Weiss for a second, taking in the messily cut short hair, the gray space suit barely visible under her dress, the modified Khvostov frame and Fallen shrapnel launcher hanging off her back and a rusted Myrtenaster at her hip. Weiss stared at Ruby for a second longer before rushing forwards and pulling Ruby into a hug, breathing, "You're alive…"

Ruby awkwardly reached around to give the shorter, and that alone was surreal because Ruby had gotten used to being the shortest person around, girl a hug. Her eyes traveled to the Ghost floating behind Weiss, worry in its eye, "I've been alive for a long time, Weiss. You're a Guardian now?"

"I went to your funeral," Weiss said quietly, "We, we couldn't find your body so we put up a headstone next to your mother's."

Well, that was a brand of morbidity Ruby didn't feel like thinking about. Instead she just said softly, "We're both alive now, that's all that matters, ok? Let me introduce you to my friends, the other members of the Vanguard. This is Commander Zavala, the head of the Vanguard."

"Weiss Schnee, correct?" Zavala said, the mountain of a man pushing up from the table, "Ruby has spoken about you."

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Weiss said, taking the offered hand and being shook with the force of the handshake.

"And this is Ikora Rey," Ruby said, and Ikora gave a thin smile.

"It's a pleasure putting a face to a name," she said, "Penny and Pyrrha will be sure to be happy to have another Remnantian around."

"Penny and Pyrrha are here?" Weiss asked.

"They aren't in the City at the moment," Ruby said, "They're busy running a couple of missions for Zavala and Ikora, but they're around, yeah. What happened to your hair?"

"I had to cut it to put on my helmet," Weiss said, "I used a knife with your emblem on it?"

"Hey! Told you those Rosework knives weren't useless, Zav," Ruby cheered, "I'll take you to the woman who does my hair when I'm done my shift in, uh, fourteen hours?"

"Fourteen hours," Weiss said, "did you just start for the day?'

Ruby barked a laugh, rubbing her eye "I wish, I'm on my hundred twentieth."

"Straight?" Weiss said, with shock and horror in her voice.

"Except for meal breaks," Ruby said, "Guardians don't need to sleep. I normally drop out for a few hours here and there, but we got stuff going on."

"Ruby," Blossom said, a warning in her voice.

"Uh, anyways," Ruby said, "this is my Ghost, Blossom."

"And this is Mikeal," Weiss said, gesturing to the Ghost with a standard shell.

"Nice to meet you," Ruby said, walking to the table and grabbing a briefcase from underneath it, "Let's get you a starter kit, why don't we? Glimmer to make sure that gun of yours is in working order, and replace that Fallen gun with something from the City."

"What about Myrtenaster?" Weiss said, "It broke-"

"You're gonna have to build up the glimmer for that on your own," Ruby said, handing the briefcase full of blue, cubic matter to Weiss, "Roseworks will take the commission when you do, but I can't play favorites and give you more Glimmer for non standard gear. Sorry, Weiss, I've got responsibilities now."