Redacted

The Oracle

I deeply apologize for the late update guys, but out of the entire week, I worked most of it, so there left little time to write. However, I have the next three days off so that should give me ample time to update on time for once later this week!

Thanks to Diamond002 and The Great Wolf 117 for the reviews!

"Akiva, staring back won't stop them from staring at us."

"S-Sorry, just not used to all the eyes."

"I thought you wanted to catch the eyes of those of you take interest."

"Not anymore now that I have three kids and a fiancé!"

Sniggering as Akiva continued to protest at Pluto, Ianos continued to subtly push his tray towards Hush, not having to glance over to see the anticipated look in her eyes.

"Ianos, you are going to eat whether or not you like it,"

Hearing Hush let out a whimper of disappointment next to him, Ianos simply gave Pluto a blank look as he pulled his tray back towards himself, "I do not need to eat, and not to mention that I had plenty of rest the past few days."

"Although rest does help with recovery, taking in sustenance further speeds up the process." The Awoken let out a huff at the Hunter's words, "and do not worry about Hush, Knight is coming back with another tray for her."

Ianos raised a brow at the blind Hunter's words, "I thought Day said that Knight's leg was not fully healed."

"He was adamant on getting food for himself and Hush," The Warlock couldn't help but scrunch his features together in response, "if it makes you feel any better, Day said that they would send us a message if anything happens."

Although displeased at the thought, Ianos opted to stay silent and instead paid attention to his meal, using his fork to shift the greens and venison that covered his tray. Stabbing one of the pieces of meat with the utensil, Ianos easily felt Hush's impatient eyes upon him as he lifted it and proceeded to eat.

Honestly, Ianos had requested to venture to the Mess Hall for Hush's sake, having noticed the child Guardian's fidgeting near his side and her yellow eyes glancing over at the exit of the Medical Ward. The Warlock hardly can blame the young Titan for her impatience; after all, she starved to death in her first life and Hush was also used to having food in her hands. Not to mention that thanks to her bloodlines, she actually needs sustenance and by then, a few days had passed when Ianos had made the suggestion. He just hadn't expected Pluto to take this opportunity to force the Awoken to eat but, Ianos understands why. Despite the Guardians lack of need for sleep and food, doing any of the two still helps with recovery and with his condition, he needs it, especially for the future Harmonization with Ace. Ianos doesn't mind eating, it is just he doesn't like the fact that Hush wasn't getting her fill first.

"I apologize for the wait," The Awoken shifted his eyes upwards in time to see Knight limp over, two trays in hand as he slowly settled himself next to Pluto and setting both meals down, immediately pushing one towards Hush, "Where is Orion and the twins?"

"Went to visit Eidr," Ianos paused at Pluto's response, "according to the twins, they wanted to introduce the child to Orion." A heavy sigh then permeated from the blind Exo, "It seems Scorpio is fixed on the thought that we are going to bring him back to the Tower with us."

"But, isn't that dangerous?" Knight voiced the question that lingered in the Awoken's mind, "I mean yes, the Darkness here can do serious harm to the child but, the Tower is still 'wary' of anything that is associated with it. He might be more at risk there than over here."

"With how attached Scorpio is to Eidr, I do not think we have much of a choice."

"Wait, then does that mean Galaxy is going to raise a child?"

Another sigh can be heard from Pluto, "Honestly, I am not certain. Despite my years, I have no experience when it comes to raising younglings, and the rest of the Clan members hardly knows the basics."

"Except for Scorpio."

"For the reason that he is the only one amongst us that 'wants' a child." Ianos couldn't help but sense that Pluto was giving Akiva a blank look, "and it just so happens that an orphan made their way into his arms." The Exo Hunter then rubbed his hands over his face, "However, I highly doubt he is capable of taking care of a child on his own."

"Neve and I can help."

"You have 'three' kids, Akiva." Pluto pointed out, "and do not pull the 'returning the favor' trick. There are ten of us and although Fireteam Blaze does their best, they themselves hardly have the time to watch them, let alone a fourth child."

"We can talk to the Vanguard, figure out a rotation to keep an eye on them."

"Akiva please."

Mindlessly chewing on his meal as Ianos continued to tune in onto the two Guardian's argument, the Warlock momentarily glanced over their shoulders only to quickly look away at the glares and suspicion shooting towards the group's table. The Revenant's hostility will make it near impossible to ask them for suggestions and as such, the next best option flowed to the surface.

"I think you can ask the Blossoms for help." Ianos calmly took a sip out of his cup as Pluto sputtered and Akiva gave him a bewildered look.

"Blossoms?" The Titan repeated back, "Who are they?"

"I would say how can you not hear about them, but then realized that their name declined over the years." Ianos hummed thoughtfully, "The Blossoms of Hope, or simply known as The Blossoms, were once a powerful Clan before the battle with the Revenants, said to be on par with Galaxy." The Awoken heard Pluto let out a scoff at that, "sadly, many of their members were killed during the Great Disaster and one of the founders defected to the Revenants. That was Isamu."

"What!?"

"According to the Blossoms, they got into a fierce argument with him, but in the end, they have regrets." Ianos continued to explain, "They wanted to make amends however, considering his death…"

"That is not going to happen," Pluto heaved out a breath, "what makes you think that the Blossoms will accept Eidr?"

"Eidr is Isamu's son," The Awoken added, "If you had spoken to the Blossoms recently, they truly regret their actions and want more than anything to fix their strained bond between Isamu and themselves. With our current situation, I say that they will more than likely be happy enough to raise Eidr."

A thoughtful hum permeated from Pluto, "Extra hands plus they will be at the Tower, allowing Scorpio access to him. It may work."

"Now it's just convincing the Revenants to give us guardianship." All eyes turned towards Knight, the latter of which dipped his head and his lights brighten, "er, no pun intended."

Hearing Akiva snort at Knight's unintended joke, Ianos turned his focus back onto Pluto, "We will talk to the Preceptor about it after Ace goes under this Harmonization. Considering how many of the Revenants reacted to the news, it must be an important ceremony."

"Of which 'you' have to participate in as well." Pluto reminded, "and somehow this Harmonization needs both of your consent."

"Perhaps we have to make contact with the Darkness?" It was Ace, the Ghost momentarily turning their attention away from the mass in the middle of the table; it was the best compromise they could to allow their Ghosts to stay out of their head. After all, Pluto did have a good point; it was too dangerous to allow their other halves to stay out in the open amongst a faction that are hostile towards those outside of their numbers. As such, it was agreed upon that whenever they were in a group, they huddle in a circle, and their Ghosts hovering in the middle if there ever comes a time where they wanted to chat. This occasion was no exception.

"You mean, 'talking' to it?" It was Lex who spoke, the Ghost shifting their recently repaired shell close to his core; although still the same shade of white and yellow, the yellow lining was lost and instead, the shade was close to his core, leaving a circle in the middle of his star shaped form.

"How else?" Ianos watched Ace shrug, "The Traveler represents the Light, correct? Then it should make sense that there is an entity that represents the Darkness."

"You mean Oryx?" Although not completely obvious, it was hard to miss the snarl that Akiva released upon speaking the late Taken King's name, "He's dead. Eris confirmed it right before she left the Tower."

"Yes, but didn't he have sisters?" Knight added tentatively, "Two of them?"

Immediately, everyone went silent at the young Exo's words, the latter of which shuffled nervously. Although hearing truth in Knight's question, Ianos honestly had forgotten that Oryx had family; he quickly reprimanded himself for it. Of course, the Taken King would have family, after all, a group of Guardians had taken down his sons and his daughters. It would only make sense that he also has siblings among the mix. Who knows, perhaps he has other extended family members that the Tower doesn't know about.

This sent a chill down Ianos' spine. If Ace's guess is right, then would the pair really make contact with the representation of the Darkness? And one of Oryx's sisters at that?

Feeling a hand gentle touch his arm, Ianos snapped his gaze downwards, only to stare into Hush's concerned yellow.

Is Papa alright?

At first, confused by her signs, the Awoken then noticed the trembling in his hands, prompting him to slowly lower his utensil onto his tray and then calmly clasp them together, forcing them still, "I am alright, Hush."

Seeing the doubt in her yellow eyes, Ianos forced himself to relax and it was only then that Hush nodded before turning her attention back to her own tray, although she kept a hand on his arm, providing a sense of comfort to the Warlock.

"Darkness, we are 'not' going to contact Savathûn or Xivu Arath." Crystalline's voice rang from the group, "The Revenants did heavy research upon them and it was unanimous that it was too dangerous to contact the Hive Gods."

"Then, who are we making contact with then?"

"The Ostracized." The female Ghost answered, "they have been with the Revenants since our formation."

Ianos could see Pluto's brows rise behind his blindfold, "And who are these Ostracized?"

Crystalline gave the blind Exo a blank look, "Well who else would know how to utilize the Darkness?"

Confused at the Ghost's cryptic answer, Ianos parted his lips to further question Crystalline when a startled cry permeated from the entrance. Snapping his attention towards the doorway, he witnessed in time to see the familiar form of a Hunter being thrown into the room, their back skidding across the floor before coming to a halt. Hearing the Hunter groan before pushing themselves onto their side, Ianos then fixes his attention back towards the entryway only to wince when he saw Orion, the familiar flicker of arc light crackling against his shoulders. There was no doubt in Ianos' mind that this Hunter had said something to earn Orion's ire.

Like the others, Orion's helmet was absent, allowing Ianos to see his optics glow dangerously followed by him slowly stomping his way towards the Hunter. It was then the Warlock heard the familiar snarled language of the Eliskni permeating from the young Titan, Ianos catching snatches of cursing and a line of insults that would definitely bring Angel's knowledge of Eliksni cursing to shame. Nonetheless, despite the violence being shown towards one of their own, Ianos wouldn't be surprised if the growling language is what was keeping the Hunter's fellow Revenants back; after all, there weren't many who were fluent in the language of the Eliksni. This doesn't mean that whatever the Hunter did, that Orion had the right to pummel them. As such, Ianos was already on his way to standing when two familiar black and orange clad forms came rushing in and slamming into the Titan's back. He heard Orion let out a snarl.

"Stay out of this!"

"She maybe a dick, Orion! But that doesn't mean that you can kill her!"

Recognizing the voice of Gemini, Ianos then came to a pause as Pluto stood up, his expression blank as the Hunter made his way towards the scrambling Exo.

If Ianos were to speak his mind, he would have found the situation amusing, to see the twins scramble around Orion's body as they attempted to bring the obviously broader Guardian down. But, being surrounding by wide surprised eyes, Ianos decided to keep his humor to himself. Instead, he watched as Pluto casually walked up, stepping over the Revenant Hunter before coming to a slow pause in front of the Titan, "Orion." The Guardian in question paused, turning his pink optics towards the blind Hunter, "What happened?"

Ianos couldn't help but muse as Orion blinked, the arc lightning slowly dissipating from his form long enough to allow the twins to cautiously detangle themselves and settling their feet back onto the floor; Ianos recalls Pluto asking that question with the same tone back in his younger years. It would make sense that he would use it on the new generation of Galaxy.

Nonetheless, instead of immediately answering the blind Hunter, Ianos saw Orion glance over Pluto's shoulder and giving the Hunter on the floor a glare, the latter of which had finally regained their composure and stood, brushing off the dust from the back of her cloak. This allowed Ianos to gain a better glance at her form, recognizing the familiar worn out leathers of one being out in the Wilds for years and the dull colors of green and turquoise to help blend in with her surroundings. Despite this, her helmet was absent, revealing her light green features and her glowing blue optics, which she wasn't afraid to turn and give Orion a glare of her own.

"You do remember the others telling us about the group of Hunters who nearly killed Lex and Akiva, and severely wounded Knight and Nine?" Ianos shifted his attention back towards Orion in time to see the young Titan nod his head towards the Revenant Huntress, "She was not only one of the, but she was also the one who gave the order to fire."

Immediately, the Awoken paused as Orion's words echoed in his ears, his eyes slowly narrowing as he saw the Huntress in question straight out her shoulders and lift her chin; a sign of her defiance, a sign that she was not regretful of her actions. In any other situation, Ianos would have taken matters into his own hands, planning quietly in his mind of how one can elongate one's suffering with the use of the Void. However, as he spotted Pluto tilt his head slightly at Orion's words, and his hands clasping together in front, Ianos knew that he didn't need to lift a finger; after all, the Exo Hunter was notorious for his temper when it comes to those under his care, and Fireteam Redacted was no exemption.

"I see." Pluto started before Ianos saw the Exo turn towards the Huntress, "So, you were the one responsible?

"Yes." Ianos heard no denial, no sense of hesitation in her voice as she answered, "I am not going to apologize either, if that is what you are looking for."

That is when a smile faded onto Pluto's features, a smile that Ianos recognizes all too well, "Is that what you were expecting? That we wanted an apology from you?" The Hunter shook his head, "Oh no, I understand your actions." A confused look immediately settled onto the Huntress' face, "You were merely protecting what you saw as your home."

"I… Yes?"

"I just have one question for you," Ianos saw the Huntress go stiff, her optics brave but suspicious, "What is your number?"

"…What?"

Ianos saw Pluto point towards himself, "Example, I am Pluto-99."

Immediately, the Huntress' optics widen, her jaw going slightly ajar before she shook her head and her face went neutral, "Cole -3."

"Three?" A hum can be heard from Pluto, "Strange, I thought your number would be higher, especially since you gave the order to fire without seeking answers."

A frown immediately can be seen on Cole's face, "What?"

"You have heard that the higher the number, the more unstable the Exo is, correct?"

"Yes- Are you saying that I am crazy?"

"Mentally unstable." Ianos couldn't suppress the snort at Pluto's words, "Otherwise, you would have questioned first and then fired later."

"Now why would I –"

"Has it ever come across your mind that perhaps they were lost?" Cole immediately went silent, "or that they needed help? After all, the European Dead Zone is called the 'Dead Zone' for a reason. Did you not find it strange to see a group of Guardians wandering around in Fallen infested woods?" The smile on Pluto's face turned dangerous, "If your number was higher, perhaps I would have understood, however it seems you are fully aware of your decisions."

Then, without warning, Ianos saw Pluto unsheathe his knife from his waist and immediately stabbed it into the crook of Cole's neck, a scream permeating from the Huntress. Although expecting this action from Pluto, Ianos couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock, and then notice the outrage permeating around them. The Revenants did not take it kindly that one of their own was attacked. However, before anyone can retaliate, Pluto held up a hand, and somehow, this caused everyone present to pause.

"I missed your core on purpose." The Hunter stated, the smile on his face now gone, his expression serious and blank, "since killing you while my comrades and I are in hostile territory is currently not the best decision."

"You stabbed me in front of - agh!" Ianos watched as Cole contorted, Pluto pausing on twisting the blade in his hands as the blind Exo said, "My number is ninety- nine, remember? I am deemed 'insane' by many of our brethren." The smile was back onto the blind Hunter's face, "Unlike you, I am not fully aware of my actions." Pluto then leaned in, pressing the side of his face next to Cole's as Ianos' then heard the Hunter whisper, "Although, if I hear that you further harm anyone else in my family, that won't stop me from stabbing you again, and next time, I. Won't. Miss."

Pluto then finally twisted his knife away from Cole's shoulder, the latter of which stumbled back as she reached up and clamped her hand tightly over the wound.

"I recommend you spread my warning," The Blind Exo advised as he sheathed his knife back around his waist, "Otherwise, those who try to do us harm, will not be as fortunate as you."

Hearing Cole growl at Pluto's threat, Ianos merely watched in amusement as the Exo stepped around the Huntress, only to reach out his hands, his fingers searching, "Nix, the table?"

A momentary pause, "Just take a few steps forward and you should fine it."

Seeing Pluto subtly nod as an answer towards his Ghost, Ianos couldn't help but feel his throat tighten at the sight of the blind Hunter taking tentative steps forward until his hands finally grasp the edge of the table, and then taking a seat near the edge just as Akiva scooted aside to give the Exo some room.

When Ianos was told of Pluto's lack of optics, he thought that he would be used to the sight, the sight of the Hunter wandering around subtly and slowly while asking Nix for directions. But, the Warlock also knew better, that back then, back when Pluto still had his 'eyes' that he had no need to be cautious, his strides far and confident as he walked. It just didn't feel right to see his fast and steady struts leveling down to slow and cautious steps.

"Was that really necessary?" It was Nix, the viridian Ghost's words snapping Ianos out of his thoughts, "I understand why you did it, but I do not think we needed the Revenants to hate us even further."

"I was not going to let her go easily after what she and her 'friends' had done towards Akiva and the others." Pluto then paused as he tilted his head, "and did I not say to warn your fellows?"

This time, although still unnerved at the view of Pluto completely lacking his sight, Ianos did allow a smile to fade onto his features as he saw the Huntress reel back, hearing her sputter out surprise before her blue optics narrowed, turned, and finally left. She was just fortunate that Pluto had not decided to break her legs while he was at it.

A sigh can be heard from Nix, "Look, just be more careful. We do not need to further the tension between the Tower and the Revenants. You do remember the battles that took place, correct?"

Although the words weren't directly aimed towards him, Ianos couldn't help but flinch at the viridian's Ghost's words, his mind slinking back to the past. Although the Dark Ages was filled with clashes between the Risen, the battle with the Revenants had renewed the suspicion, the edge that the Chosen had just grown out of. After all, it was very difficult to differentiate between a Guardian and a Revenant back then, back when there was no training on the senses of the Light and Darkness, and only discovering each other's identity's when it was far too late to react. As all battles with Chosen, they were messy, as the only tactic back then was to repeatedly kill each other until finally, one of their Ghosts were shattered in their opponent's hands. At least, until the Revenants finally figured out how to utilize the power of the Darkness properly.

Ianos then recalled the fights turning in favor for the rogue Guardians, their darkness imbued weaponry and abilities preventing their light counterparts from healing properly and a well-aimed shot was all it took to take them down. It was a wonder how the Vanguard was able to finally call a truce between the Tower and the Revenants.

"I am going to take a lucky guess that they weren't pretty?" Akiva spoke, his golden eyes glancing back and forth between Ianos and Pluto, "the two of you spaced out."

Ianos took this opportunity to turn and give the Titan a blank look, "Let us just say that we do 'not' want a repeat of the war with the Revenants."

He saw the human gulp, "I thought so."

Seeing Akiva's expression turn grim, Ianos couldn't help but regret the honesty of his words; he wouldn't be surprised if he had made the Titan more nervous than he should be. Pondering on how to reform his previous words, the entire room suddenly went silent, prompting Ianos to looked up, only to see many of the Revenants' attention were towards the entrance of the room once more. Following their gaze, the Awoken paused when his orange eyes settled upon the familiar darkened visor of the Preceptor.

"The preparations are finally finished." Ianos couldn't help but sense a smile emit behind the Preceptor's visor, "Are you ready?"

That is when the suppressed nervousness flowed to the surface, Ianos unable to stop fidgeting with his fingers as his heart beat loudly in his ears. Turning his eyes towards the others, he can also see the edge in their eyes, the way their shoulders went stiff and their gazed fixed upon the Preceptor that their feelings were mutual.

"Ianos."

Shifting his attention towards Ace, Ianos spotted his Ghost hover closer, a soft look in their optic, "You are worried that it won't work?"

The Awoken didn't know whether to curse or be proud that the black and orange Ghost knew him so well, "The Preceptor may have said that none had been killed during the Harmonization, but that does not mean it 'won't'."

A huff of understanding can be heard from Ace, "But we have gotten this far. How many years have we waited to find a way to finally safe your life?"

"It does not have to involve you."

It was then Ianos saw Ace's optic harden followed by an emotion that the Warlock could not pinpoint, "Ianos, if it involves you, it involves me as well." The Ghost's gaze then softened, "We have been together far too long to simply stop here."

Pausing at the words of his Ghost, Ianos once more glanced over to the others, half expecting a response before finally, he sighed, and fixed his attention back onto the Preceptor, "Lead the way."

Sensing another smile permeate from the Preceptor, this one softer and understanding than the first, the Revenant Warlock simply nodded before turning and stepping out of the room, prompting Ianos to stand. He then paused when he saw the others do the same.

"You do not have to come."

Ianos' words received him a blank stare from the blind Exo, "And leave you alone during a mysterious ceremony?" Pluto shook his head, "I would be more comfortable being present than idly standing by."

"The same goes for the rest of us," Akiva added, giving the Awoken a small smile, "We will have your back in case anything goes wrong."

"Not to mention that you gave everyone enough scares to last a lifetime or two." Orion muttered, his words prompting Ianos to turn and give the young Exo a blank stare, but, he couldn't suppress the amusement filtering into his chest. He has to admit, the Titan wasn't wrong, Ianos does have a track record of close calls. Probably too close for Pluto and the others to be comfortable with.

Letting that thought settle into his mind, Ianos silently nodded to show his agreement to his comrade's words before finally sliding off his seat and following after the Preceptor. Unusually, as he did this, many, if not all, of the Revenants that were present stood up and followed. Ianos couldn't help but find it amusing; they must want to witness this Harmonization of an 'outsider' themselves. Was it really that important?

After much musing, Ianos came to the conclusion that, yes, the Harmonization is an integral part for the Revenants, and the Warlock couldn't help but berate himself for the obvious reason why; the Revenants' main focus was to be in 'balance' with the Darkness, and many waited 'years' to take up this balance themselves. To see an outsider, a Tower Guardian, take up this important 'ritual' is equivalent to blasphemy to the faction. As such, the reason why Ianos found it curious that the Preceptor was more than happy to place him under this ceremony.

Nonetheless, the Warlock was just grateful that the halls were big enough to allow everyone to follow and giving enough shoulder room for Ianos. However, as the group continued to walk in silence, Ianos then started to notice that the number of lamps lighting up the halls started to get fewer in between, up until practically one lamp can be seen a few minutes at a time. This left the corridors almost dark, and Ianos couldn't help but let a sense of unease settle into his chest.

"Where does this Harmonization exactly entail?" He finally asked, turning his orange eyes to the back of the Preceptor, "and why is it this dimly lit?"

A hum can be heard from the Revenant Warlock, "I had expected you had already asked Crystalline about the Harmonization but, it seems I was mistaken." Ianos wonders if there will come a day when he will never sense a smile emanating from the Preceptor, "For your Ghost's Harmonization and a successful link –"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Did I forget that the two of you have to link? My apologies." A sense of sheepishness can be sensed from the Revenant, "to continue where we left off, for a successful Harmonization and link, you have to dwell into deep meditation while speaking to one of our Oracles."

"I…huh?"

Quietly sniggering at Ace's confusion, Ianos found that it was Knight who asked the question, "Oracle? What is that?"

Another hum from the Preceptor, "To put it simply, an Oracle helps you complete the link between Ghost and Guardian when it comes to the Darkness. Otherwise, balance between Light and Darkness would be impossible. And for 'what' an Oracle is, I would say you should have asked 'who'?"

Ianos paused, "May you please clarify when you mean 'who'?"

Expecting an immediate answer, the Warlock couldn't help but raise his brows at the silence, "You seemed more than happy sharing moments earlier."

"Uh, well." He sensed the Preceptor hesitate, noticing the calm composure slowly dissipating, "If you want me to be honest, I was more than happy to tell you who the Oracles are but then, I remembered your history."

Ianos narrowed his eyes, "My, history?"

Seeing the Preceptor nod, suspicion immediately overtook any sense of interest, "We hardly spoke during my time here, let alone speak of my history."

Noticing the silence permeating once more from the Preceptor, Ianos couldn't stop the frown forming onto his features before he shrugged it off. Perhaps the others had told the Preceptor his story while he was unconscious? But, he was certain they had promised that they would not tell his history with the Hive, at least, not without his consent. And they had not informed him that they had told anyone within the Revenants. However, that was the only logical explanation he could come up with. Or perhaps, the Preceptor was someone he had known back then. Ianos quietly contemplated on that before he once again, brushed it to the side. He would soon learn the truth but for now, the Harmonization is their first priority and as such, instead of further prying, he instead continued to follow the Preceptor, keeping his suspicious eyes on the back of the Revenant's head.

"Here we are." Ianos perked up in attention at the Warlock's words, "just continue to follow me, the others, well, take a seat."

Confused at the words of the Head Revenant, the Awoken simply followed the Preceptor into the room, only for him to come to a sudden halt. The room was large, larger than Ianos was expecting, and darker, way darker, the only lights being two lamps illuminated within.

"Ianos?"

Snapping his attention towards the Preceptor, the Awoken blinked when he saw that the Revenant was now in the middle of the room, turned just slightly to face him, "Could you stand and Ace stand here and one of our Oracles will meet you."

Eyeing the lack of lighting in the middle of the room, Ianos momentarily glanced back towards the others behind him before spotting the group nearby; they were all seated in the front, spacing themselves out to ensure they were close as possible but, not close enough where they were further in than the Revenants seated around them. This allowed the building anxiety within Ianos some leisure to turn and give the Head Revenant a blank stare, "May I ask why this Harmonization takes place in the middle of the 'dark'?"

Another sheepish smile can be sensed behind the Preceptor's visor, "Let us just say that the Oracles, alongside their brethren, the Ostracized, are not too fond of the light."

The Awoken narrowed his eyes, "Do you mean the sun, or the light of the Traveler?"

Receiving silence once more, Ianos couldn't help but ask, "Tell me, who are the Oracles and these Ostracized?"

"An Outsssider?"

That is when Ianos' heart froze, his orange eyes going wide as he slowly turned to look over the Preceptor's shoulder.

That is when he saw it.

Three sickly glowing green eyes.

It took Ianos all his strength not to take a step back, the rapid beating of his heart reaching to his ears as he took in a deep breath; it was alright, Pluto and the others were nearby, and Ace is right here, over his shoulder, there was nothing to fear. At least, that what was Ianos was trying to convince himself until the individual Hive walked out of the worst of the Darkness and into the best of the light the middle of the room could offer. And Ianos found his breathing hitch as his eyes lingered over the form of a Wizard.

"Ianos?"

Turning his attention towards his Ghost, Ianos easily spotted the look of concern in Ace's optic, watching them glide closer, "We are all here. Just focus on me."

"Ah, Vultosa, you are the Oracle for today?" Ianos shifted back over the Preceptor, giving his fellow Warlock a look of disbelief as he spoke to the Wizard with softness, his shoulders relaxed, as if he was speaking to someone familiar, as if he was speaking to a 'friend', "I thought Lythxol was going to be the one to help with the Harmonization."

A rumble can be heard emanating from the Wizard, one that Ianos recognizes too well as a Hive equivalent of a chuckle, "It has been yearsss sssince I was chosssen to aid with the Harmonizzzation. It isss fair that I get a turn once in a while."

"Good point." The Preceptor hummed, "Well, since you are here, then would you like to – Ianos?" The Awoken fixed his gaze onto the Revenant's visor, "Are you alright?"

Blinking rapidly at his fellow Warlock's question, Ianos then felt something bump softly into the side of his head, prompting him to turn and once again stare into the lone optic of Ace. This time, instead of speaking, the Ghost bobbed downwards, causing Ianos to follow their line of sight; his hands were trembling. Taking in another deep breath, the Awoken closed his eyes as he forced himself still and attempted to tune in onto the hum of Ace's hover.

"Are you not well, friend of the Revenantsss?" Ianos opted to tighten his eyes shut, "Perhapsss another time would be sssufficient?"

That is when the Warlock felt a clawed hand touch his shoulder, prompting him to snap open his eyes and stare into glowing green.

He tried not to flinch when he felt her grip dig into his shoulder and attempted to steel himself against the grin that she gave him.

"To return home, you say?" There was a glint in her glowing eyes, a look that caused the Warlock to involuntarily shiver, "Well, 'Guardian'." She then leaned in, leaning forward until he could feel her heated breath near his neck, even through the thickness of his suit, "The Moon is your home now." Then, in a flash of movement, he felt her free hand slam into his chest, and he couldn't suppress the scream as he felt her claws dig into his flesh.

"Stay back!"

"You have to understand, if we had known that this would be the reaction – "

"I said, 'stay back!'"

"Ianos? Ianos, speak to me."

Flicking his eyes to his surroundings, Ianos barely had the focus to tune in onto Ace's voice, barely spotting the Ghost's black and orange form hovering nearby, "You awake? Please tell me that you are okay."

Parting his lips to answer, Ianos found his lungs tighten, unable to take in the proper air to speak and instead, found a whimper permeating from his tongue.

"You did not say 'anything' about your Oracles being 'Wizards' from the Hive!"

"I knew that he was their prisoner, but I did not think –"

"Use your fucking brain! Do you think anyone who survives being a prisoner of the Hive stays sane after such an encounter!? There is a reason why he was nervous about partaking in this Harmonization in the 'dark'!"

"Pluto, please –"

"It took us years to help him get back onto his feet! Years to even make him coherent to his surroundings! Years to even make him speak! Are you trying to make him relapse!?"

"We were just trying to help."

"Like how you thought you were helping when Ianos thought you dead!? You are the reason why he is like this! You are the reason why he took that suicidal mission to the Moon!"

"Do not listen to them, Ianos, look at me." The Awoken complied, turning his eyes away from Pluto's back and fixed his attention back onto his Ghost, "I know I lack lungs but follow me, breath in." Ianos followed Ace's motion, the Ghost pulling in their shell, "Then, breathe out."

Releasing a shuddering breath, the Awoken saw Ace nod once before breathing in again, encouraging the Warlock to follow his Ghost's actions once more.

"What did I just fucking say?! Stay back!"

Turning his attention to his surroundings once more, Ianos spotted the familiar green and brown clad form of Orion pushing an individual back, prompting the Awoken to follow his line of sight.

Any figment of control he had quickly was lost as his eyes locked onto familiar sickly green.