Can you believe it guys? The Final Shape, just a week away. Finality in a week! Woohoo! I am so happy about this information. I hope you guys are ready, cause I sure as hell ain't.

If you enjoy it, feel free to leave a review saying what you liked. If you hate it, feel free to leave a review opening a window into the mind of a shackled god.

Chapter 17: The Ice Cracks

"Magic and Light don't like to mix. We tried it once. Once." - Captain Carolyn Clawthorne

Paladin sat at his desk, staring through narrowed optics at the Witch before him. He pressed his hands together as he felt a migraine coming on. Royal and Venator flanked him on either side, equally perplexed and unsure how to proceed. Amity and Luz waited outside while the three tried to decide what to do.

Sitting before them was none other than Willow Park, former captain of the Emerald Entrails. Paladin had managed to secure a clean set of clothes for her to change into, along with a new pair of glasses. Crossing her arms, she met Paladin's stare with one of her own. A Ghost floated slightly behind her, trying to hide from the other Guardians.

"I'm sorry," Paladin said, closing his eyes and rubbing his face. "Fern, can you run that by me again?" The Ghost, who had introduced herself as Fern, beeped uncertainly. Her name had been a source of mild amusement for Venator; the Traveler apparently had some sense of humor.

"I overheard some rumors about a portal to another world," Fern said, trying to avoid eye contact. "And, since I had been searching for my Guardian for so long without any luck, I figured I'd give it a shot. Lo and behold, here she is. I was trying to get her back to the city so she could meet up with some other Guardians. Instead, we ran into you. It all works out, I guess." She gave an awkward laugh that no one else shared.

"Alright, I understand," Paladin said before turning to Willow. "Hello, welcome back to the land of the living. How much do you know?"

"Fern dug me up, I've got the power of the Light, my name is Willow, and I'm currently in some place called the Demon Realm," Willow said sharply. "That's just about everything."

"This is the third one," Royal muttered, running a hand over his head. "What are the odds of that?"

"No, we can work with this," Paladin said. He rose from his chair and began to circle the room. "This could be used as more leverage. We could even branch into a special division of Witch-Guardians situated in the Boiling Isles."

"Hold on a second, I did not agree to this," Willow said, rotating in her seat to look at Paladin as he paced. "And I don't intend to take orders from some heap of scrap metal." Paladin stopped his pacing as Royal hissed.

"She's a lot more agitated than I remember," he muttered. Venator tapped her vambrace as she thought.

"Sometimes, the resurrection process can be unsettling," she said. "Leaves you rattled. Hell, I was a bit of a proper bitch when I got raised." Royal nodded in agreement, having limited experience with New Lights from which to draw.

"I'm right here," Willow snapped. She stood up from her chair, letting it scrape against the floor. "Stop talking about me like I'm not in the room." Royal and Venator shared a look while Paladin chuckled dangerously.

"Watch your tone, rookie," he warned. Willow scoffed and stormed over to him until they were practically touching. She stared into his eyes without a hint of hesitation, even though he was over a foot and a half taller than her. She was brave; Royal had to give her that. He hadn't been terribly close with all of Luz's friends; he knew and got along with them well enough, which was the end of their relationship.

Why don't you make me?" Willow challenged. Fern and Thatch tried unsuccessfully to defuse the situation. Paladin gave a strange sort of grin, one that set Royal on edge. For a moment, he remembered just how dangerous his brother was when he wanted to be.

"Gladly," he said with an eerie calm in his voice. "How about a bet? Beat me, and I shall direct you where you wish to go. Our paths shall diverge, and you will be allowed to go where you please. However, if you lose, you shall remain here under my tutelage."

Willow smirked as her Ghost tried to dissuade her. "I'll wipe that grin right off your rusting face."

"Yes, test me," Paladin said. "I encourage it." He spun on his heels and marched out the door, with Willow not far behind. Venator sighed and shook her head.

"Titans are such meatheads," she lamented. "Blip, be ready to record." Her Ghost appeared at her side.

"Of course, I- cannot wait to witness the bloodshed! -wouldn't miss this for the world," he said, his voice stuttering slightly as it rapidly swung from measured calm to manic frenzy. The two Royals moved to follow the clashing Titans. As they did, a very perplexed Luz and Amity joined them.

"What's going on?" Amity asked. "Is Willow ok?"

"Not for much longer," Royal said. "I've got a feeling that Paladin is going to tear her in half." Amity blanched at the thought and looked at Venator for confirmation. The Hunter nodded, her expression grim.

They arrived at the same training ring where they had run into Willow. A few lights flickered on as they entered the sparring ring. Willow bounced on her toes and jabbed at the air. Her technique was better than expected for someone who had recently clawed out of the grave. Paladin, for his part, removed his armor until he was clad in nothing but a form-fitting shirt and pair of pants.

"There," he said, slamming his fists together. "Now we're a little more even."

"You could've stayed in that shell," Willow said, pulling up her fists. "This won't take long." Paladin didn't assume any stance, simply choosing to cross his arms.

"I agree."

At those words, Willow went on the attack. Paladin effortlessly blocked her punches, moving one arm to intercept each strike before it could hit him. He responded with a backhand to her face that pushed her back. His foot came down on the side of her knee, bending it inward. Amity looked like she wanted to intervene, only for Venator to put a hand across her chest.

"Let them hash it out," she said. "This needs to be settled sooner rather than later. Trust me, Paladin knows how much force to use." Amity still seemed a tad uncomfortable but decided to heed Venators words.

Willow stumbled back, nursing her damaged leg. Fern was already repairing the bones. She placed a bit of weight on it to test the limb. Paladin lazily gestured for her to try again. Willow moved back in and struck. Paladin made no move to block, allowing the blow to hit him in the chest. He recoiled a little from the punch, Willow's Light-infused muscles significantly increasing her striking power.

She struck him again, not giving the Striker time to recover. He was pushed back once more. Willow continued her assault, Paladin yielding ground with each hit. However, Willow failed to notice that each successful hit had a diminishing return. Paladin slowly moved less and less until he failed to move at all. Willow's fist slammed into a veritable steel wall. Nursing her sore knuckles, Willow stepped back. Paladin sighed and dismissively brushed off his chest.

"Alright, my turn."

Lightning immediately surged through his limbs as he took off. He moved faster than Willow's eyes could track, faster than anything his size had any right to move. His fist struck like a rocket, slamming into Willow's gut before she could even try to defend herself. A mixture of blood and saliva was forced out of her mouth as she doubled over. Paladin brought his elbow down on her head. Willow collapsed in a painful heap. Despite everything, she began to force herself back up. Paladin set his boot on her back, pinning her to the ground.

"Yield." His voice was stern and unyielding, like that of a cliff face. Willow struggled under his boot, bucking and trashing as she tried to force him off. He ground his boot into her spine, and she finally relented.

"I yield," she said, the anger ebbing out of her voice. Paladin immediately removed his foot and offered her a hand. Willow looked at it briefly before accepting it and being pulled to her feet.

"So uncivilized," Venator said. "Was all of that really necessary?"

"I had to speak in a language I knew we all understood," Paladin said. "I trust that I conveyed my message."

"How did you do that?" Willow asked. "With the lightning?"

"That is the power of the Light," Royal said. He held out his hand, coating it in fire. Venator did the same, Void energy coalescing into a blade. Lastly, Paladin charged his arm with Lightning again, sparks jolting off his armor. Willow looked between the three, her eyes lingering on Royal's flames a little longer than the others.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" She asked.

"Only if you desire to learn," Paladin said. Willow once again met his gaze and nodded. Paladin reached into his transmat and withdrew a sword almost as tall as she was. "Kneel." After a moment, she obliged. Paladin wrapped his hands around the hilt and set the blade's tip on the ground.

"Do you swear to stand against the enemies of the Light, wherever they may be found?" He asked.

"I do."

"Do you swear to wield the Light to protect those who cannot protect themselves, never to harm the innocent?"

"I do."

"Do you swear to live by your purpose as one committed to a life of service to all who need it, ending only once you have taken your final breath?"

"I do."

Paladin flipped the sword around and tapped her left shoulder with the flat of his blade. "May your hunger for retribution know no end." He brought the sword around and tapped her right shoulder. "May the storm within you never cease." He raised the tip to the sky before gently lowering it to her head. "May your flames burn bright from now until the Universe is dust. Rise, Willow Park, a Guardian." He let the sword fade into transmat as Willow returned to her feet. As she did, Luz leaned over to Royal.

"How come I never got a fancy ceremony like that?" She questioned. Royal rolled his optics.

"Paladin is a stickler for tradition," he said. "And has a bit of a flair for the dramatic."

"We shall begin your training in the morning," Paladin said. "For now, I advise you to get some sleep. That goes for the rest of you as well."

"You're not the boss of me," Venator said. Paladin looked at her, and she quickly continued. "But I do completely agree. Off to bed. I need my beauty sleep anyway."

"That makes one of us," Amity said. "I just naturally look this good." As the others began to disperse, Royal pulled his brother aside. He balled his hands into fists awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed.

"I wanted to ask you something," he began. "I have a… friend who I promised to show around the Isles. I was wondering if that would be alright with you."

"So long as you trust them, you do not need my permission," Paladin said. "You do trust them, right?" Royal inexplicably felt something twist within his chest.

"I do," he said. Paladin nodded and lightly smacked his brother's shoulder.

"Then that is all the reason you need. I do hope you will introduce us to your friend." Royal managed a small but uncertain smile.

"Of course."

Come the following day, Royal was already in action. He had spent a few hours reacquainting himself with the situation in Sol. The reports indicated that the first Techeun had been secured, and Crow was closing in on the second. With luck, they would fulfill their half of their bargain with Savathûn soon. Then, the Witch Queen would no longer be a problem.

Iris had led the mission to recover the Techeun, with assistance from Malek and other Guardians. Royal regretted being unable to help more, but he was needed elsewhere. He spent some time catching up with Banshee before setting out for Europa. Unfortunately, that left him in his jumpship at Lancer's mercy. His Ghost had been teasing him relentlessly for the entire flight.

"For the last time, it is not a date," Royal said, stressing each syllable as he flipped a few switches on his dashboard. Lancer's shell spun as he gave his Warlock a coy look.

"Sure, I believe that," he said. "Just like how I believe Earth is actually a cube and Amity totally didn't top-"

"If one more word exits your mouth, I will strangle you," Royal said. Lancer chuckled and looked away.

"Jokes on you; I don't even have a neck." With that, his ship entered Europa's atmosphere. He steered toward Elisabeth's outpost near the Pyramid Ship that lay dormant above the ice. She was waiting for him as he arrived, having long since seen his ship approach. The two greeted each other, and Elisabeth invited him inside, where they would be out of the wind.

"Sorry to just pop in on you," Royal said, holding a cup filled with a warm drink he didn't recognize. He took a cautious sip; it tasted bitter but was surprisingly nourishing.

"You're welcome here anytime," Elisabeth said. "How have you been? Any outbursts lately?"

"Nothing like that," Royal said. "I've been… better, thanks to your help. I assume you've heard about the situation with Savathûn?"

Elisabeth nodded. "Every time I think I'll never have to deal with her again, she finds a way to reappear. She has her claws dug into everything."

"Indeed. But she has helped us just a little. We've rebuilt the portal to the Demon Realm and reestablished contact."

Elisabeth stirred her drink while giving Royal a look he couldn't decipher, "So I take you've come to offer me the VIP tour?" Her tone was light, almost playful.

"I have," Royal said. "And there are some individuals I would like you to meet." Elisabeth made an exaggerated show of checking her data pad and swiping through the display.

"I don't know, my schedule is quite busy today," she said. "But I think I can make some room just for you."

"That's great," Royal said. He downed his drink and stood up from his seat. "I'll be waiting for you outside." He slipped outside, back into the freezing winds. Elisabeth and Lancer both watched him go.

"I'm sorry that he's an idiot," Lancer said. Elisabeth waved his worries off."

"I expected as much," she said. "Honestly, it's nice that he's more or less how he was before the Collapse. It's a welcome change from all my other go-arounds." Lancer nodded and phased out as Elisabeth gathered a few of her things. Once she had everything she needed, she joined Royal outside. Her cloak whipped wildly in the frigid winds, and she pulled it a little tighter. It wasn't long before they had departed for the Last City and arrived at the portal door. Elisabeth ran her hand along the frame, admiring its construction. The portal rippled and swirled in a beautiful collage of colors.

"So this is it," she said. "To think, a whole world touched by both the Traveler and the Black Fleet lies just beyond here."

"All you have to do is step through," Royal said. Elisabeth gave him an amused look.

"Shouldn't the guide and Guardian go first, just in case there's something dangerous lying in wait?" She asked. Caught off guard, Royal tried to stammer a reply, only for Elisabeth to laugh and walk through. Royal quickly moved to catch up.

On the other side, she gazed at the world before her, drinking in the wash of strange colors and sounds. Royal appeared behind her, offering a quick explanation to the confused Sentries standing guard. Once their curiosity was satisfied, the pair set off on their tour. Royal showed her around the Isles, from the outskirts of Bonesborough to the peak of the Knee. The winter conditions and exposed Vex metal reminded her of Europa. Royal even pointed out the spot where the Vex had built their first conflux to invade the Demon Realm. He recounted the tale of his and his friend's battles against the Vex here. She listened with rapt attention as he talked, intricately describing how he had rammed his dawnblade through Pyrikaga's head.

Eventually, he led her back to the Sentries headquarters, where Paladin had begun Willow's training. She was sparring with Amity to learn some techniques under Paladin's instruction. Luz was watching and offered the two a cheerful wave. Paladin also acknowledged his presence, but not wanting to disturb his brother's teaching, he instead tracked down Venator. He found her in the garage, where she was tinkering with her sparrow. She had swapped her usual armor out for tight-fitting clothes covered in soot and engine coolant. Her hands were stained with grease as she lay under her vehicle. She let out a curse as the sound of metal harshly scraping against metal assaulted their audio receptors.

"Need a hand down there?" Royal asked.

"I've almost got it," she said. "It just needs a little more…" There was a crank, and Venator gave a satisfied cheer. "Sweet, one second." Venator rolled herself out from under her sparrow and grabbed a rag to clean her hands. Blip flew out as well, turning off his flashlight. "What brings you back here?"

Royal turned back to the entrance and gestured for Elisabeth to enter. Venator froze as she did, staring blankly at the other Exo's face. Her mouth hung a little agape as Elisabeth looked her up and down.

"I take it you're the Venator," she said. Venator seemed to remember herself, looked down at her filthy clothes, then shot a glare at Royal.

"Yeah." Her voice was unusually soft and reserved. "That's me. And you're…" Her voice trailed off, leaving the three in silence. Royal was beginning to wonder if this was a bad idea when Venator spoke again.

"You look so much like her," she said. "My Elisabeth. But… you're not her." She took a shaky breath and would likely be fighting off tears if she still possessed the ability to cry. "This probably doesn't mean anything to you, but I'm sorry. So, so, so sorry. I should have said yes."

Elisabeth set a hand on her shoulder. "For what it's worth, I forgive you. And I'm sure my… sister does, too." She hugged Venator, and the Hunter gladly returned, staining Elisabeth's clothes with coolant. Neither of them seemed to mind.

Eventually, they broke off, and Venator smiled sadly. She looked to her brother and offered a grateful nod. Royal returned the gesture as someone knocked on the doorframe. He looked over as Paladin entered.

"Gave the others a short break to rest and recuperate," he said. "Figured I'd come to say hello. Who's your friend, Scholar?" Elisabeth turned to face him as Venator sat down on a bench. Royal sat beside her, wrapping an arm around his sister's shoulder to comfort her. It took a moment, but recognition eventually set in on Paladin's face.

"Let me guess, I remind you of your Elisabeth," she said before he could speak. He chuckled softly.

"Not quite," he said. "You're a little different from Elliot."

"He's trying to say that you've got tits," Venator chimed in, trying to ease her mood and break the tension in the room with all the subtlety of a rocket launcher. Elisabeth snorted as she heard that. Royal lightly smacked the back of Venators head, though he didn't mean anything by it.

"A bit less eloquently than I would have put it," Paladin said. "But yes. It's nice to meet you, Elisabeth." He held out a hand, and the two shook. As they did, Paladin pulled her in a little closer and whispered in her ear. "Do right by my brother, ok?" She nodded, and Paladin let her go.

"Alright, now we're all friends," Venator said. "I should probably get back to working on this thing." She cocked a thumb at her sparrow before grabbing her spanner. Royal offered a hand, only to be assured that she could handle it.

"I should get back to the New Lights," Paladin said. "You're welcome to watch if you want."

"What do you say, Elisabeth? Want to see a Witch in action?" Royal asked.

"Why not? It should make for quite the spectacle," she responded. Paladin led them back to the training ring, where Amity and Willow rested and chatted with Luz. They looked up sharply and quickly shot to their feet. Royal and Elisabeth sat beside Luz as Paladin paced before the rookie Titans.

"Did you enjoy your break?" He asked, his voice low and somewhat off-putting. If Royal hadn't been watching his brother, he wouldn't have believed it was Paladin speaking. Amity nodded as she stretched her arms to loosen the muscles. Willow bounced on her feet.

"Yes, sir," she said. That proved to be a mistake as Paladin rounded on her.

"I am not, sir!" He roared. "You will address me as Commander. Sir is reserved for useless people! Do I look useless to you, ingrate?" He leaned over Willow as she shook her head, forcing her to crane back to meet his eyes. The height differential would have been comedic if Royal wasn't so surprised by his brother's rapid mood swing.

"I do not envy them right now," Carolyn said. Royal turned to see the Captain standing behind them, having been passing through the area. A few other Sentries had also entered the area, watching the two Guardians get chewed out with some sense of satisfaction and pity that only someone who had been through a similar torment could possess.

"I never imagined he could be such a drill sergeant," Luz said. Paladin whipped his head to the audience gathered at the ring's edges.

"The peanut gallery will remain silent unless spoken to," he barked. "All of you get back to work, or I will have you running laps around the Isles until the sun burns out." Carolyn blanched and immediately began distributing orders before scurrying off. Paladin shook his head before turning back to Willow and Amity. "Back to it, we're burning sunlight."

The two Titans squared up and began their spar after circling each other a moment. Paladin watched from the side, instructing them on what to do and how to do it. Having unlocked her Light, Amity did have an advantage. Arc Light flowed through her fists as they pounded into Willow's guard. Royal was impressed; there weren't many Guardians who could shrug off blows from a Striker, even an inexperienced one. Willow wove under a swing aimed at the side of her head and stepped within Amity's reach. Her fist slammed into Amity's gut, forcing all of the air out of her lungs. She doubled over, right into Willow's knee. Amity staggered back, clutching her bleeding, broken nose as Pal tried to stitch her up.

Willow pressed her assault, vines breaking through the ground around her feet. They snapped at Amity's ankles, trying to bind her in place. Amity avoided the hazards and caught Willow's strike. Her fist came up and around, crashing into Willow's cheek and sending her to the ground. Royal could have sworn he saw a few teeth go flying.

Amity let out a breath as she relaxed and was about to offer a hand, only to stop when Paladin put up his hand. He watched the prone Witch, waiting to see if she could stand on her own. On the ground, Willow was furious. Paladin had told her that she would be learning how to wield the Light. So far, she had been beaten within an inch of her life multiple times. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, their gazes burrowing into her skin.

Rage began to bubble within her, burning as intensely as her wounds. Fern was flitting all over as she patched her Guardian up. Willow's entire body felt like it was on fire, yet it was distinctly different from the pain coursing through her nerves. The heat dripped through her body until it reached her hands. Feeling the pain ebb away, she forced herself up. Fire burst to life in her palms, just waiting to be molded.

"Willow? Are you alright?" Amity asked. She noticed the fire dripping from Willow's hands and slowly backed away. Paladin watched intently, nodding as he did.

"Good, now we're getting somewhere."

Willow immediately sprang on the offensive. Her fire burned brighter, taking the shape of a hammer in her hand. Panicking, Amity raised her shield. The force of the blow sent her reeling. Willow struck again, pushing Amity back further. She looked to Paladin for help, but the elder Titan had fallen silent, only concerned with watching.

Willow swung again, staggering Amity and pushing her shield down. She continued whaling on the shield, slowly forcing Amity into the ground. Her shield began to splinter as webbed cracks formed along it. Willow wasn't concerned with victory anymore; she was barely even aware of what she was doing. All she felt was her passions burning within her like roaring tornadoes of fire. There was a vague, indecipherable noise in the background that she couldn't quite decipher and ultimately paid no mind.

She was pulled out of the sensation of the bonfire by a wall of Stasis crystals rising between the two and a pair of arms wrapping around her and pulling her away. Royal was dragging her away from Amity's prone body, her shield long since shattered. Royal's body pulsed with flames, rendering him immune to Willow's blaze. Elisabeth stood behind him, ready to freeze Willow solid should she attempt to resume her rampage. Paladin and Luz huddled around Amity, the latter practically cradling her while the former offered a more appraising eye.

"A Sunbreaker," Paladin noted, glancing uncertainly toward Elisabeth while Luz helped Amity up. "One who forges the fury of undying stars."

"What does any of that mean?" Willow asked as she tore herself free from Royal's grasp. Royal shook his head.

"It means that you've got an attunement to Solar Light," Royal said, prodding her back. "And a temper that matches any volcano." He set a hand on her shoulder as Paladin nodded. Willow looked at the hammer still clutched in her hands and let it fade away in a puff of sparks. She turned to Amity, unable to make eye contact.

"Sorry about that," she said. "I didn't realize what was happening." Amity, leaning on Luz for support after Willow had just used her face as an anvil, offered a weak thumbs up.

"It's fine. Pal will have me at tip-top in no time. Besides, I kinda deserved it."

"Well done on manifesting your Light," Paladin said. "The tough love method works yet again. Now, all that's left is to get you some gear. Unfortunately, we don't possess anything on par with what the Last City has access to. Our equipment is a bit too archaic."

"Don't you worry about that," Royal said. "I know a guy." He turned to Luz. "Here, take the meathead off to get Willow some actual gear. Tell Banshee to put it on my tab. And that I say hi."

"You're not coming with?" Luz asked.

"I've still got one more stop to make," he said, trying to glance back at Elisabeth discretely. Luz gained a knowing glint in her eyes and winked.

"Gotcha, we'll take care of it." She gestured for Amity and Willow to follow her, with the latter doing so after a moment of hesitation.

"I suppose I should bid farewell myself," Paladin said. "We're getting close to our meeting with the Vanguard to discuss the nature of our alliance truly, and Lydia is taking the opportunity to dump as much paperwork on me as possible. Speaking of which, the meeting should be fairly soon—I trust you'll be there?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Royal said. He clasped forearms with his brother, and the two nodded.

"It was nice to meet you," Paladin said to Elisabeth.

"The pleasure was mine," Elisabeth said. They bid farewell and set off while Paladin returned to his work. The two walked down the dirt road as the sun lazily drifted overhead.

"I wasn't expecting that to get so bloody," Royal said.

"With how you Guardians act, I don't know how else it could have gone," Elisabeth said. "But it's fine. It's really no different from The Crucible." They walked in silence for a moment before

Elisabeth spoke up again. "Your siblings are nice."

"Yeah, they're great," Royal said. "Honestly, I wish I could be more like them."

"For what it's worth, I like you the most," Elisabeth said. Royal seemed to freeze up, not knowing what to say. Elisabeth stopped as well, looking him up and down.

"Great," Lancer sighed. "You broke him." Elisabeth laughed softly and grabbed his hand to drag him along.

"Come on, tour's not finished." Royal managed to shake the fog of surprise out of his head and kept moving. He felt strange in a way he couldn't explain. Everything around Elizabeth was so murky and complicated, and not just in terms of his emotions. She was a living opposition to his principles and fundamental beliefs. And yet…

He quashed those thoughts as best he could. He wasn't built for this kind of introspection. Instead, he was far more suited to the battlefield; go from one target to the next and never stop moving. It was simple and straightforward, which suited him nicely. He didn't know how to handle nuance.

The sun was beginning to set as they reached King's oversized cabin. The Titan was busy at work, chopping logs with his claws. He sliced through the wood like a ship through the waves, sending two perfect halves to the ground. He looked up as they approached and offered a wave to Royal and a curious side-eye to Elisabeth.

"Wasn't expecting you at this hour," King said, setting another log in place. "What brings you?"

"I wanted to introduce you to my friend here," Royal said. "King, meet Elisabeth Bray. Elisabeth, meet King Clawthorne, the last Titan. Not that kind of Titan, they're different."

"I gathered," Elisabeth said with a wry smirk. "It's a pleasure to meet you, King. Though you were smaller in Royal's stories."

"Smaller, maybe," King said, puffing out his chest. "But I hope no less impressive." He stopped his showboating and narrowed his eyes. Royal felt a pulse of Dark energy—faint and almost undetectable—that originated from the Titan.

"You've been touched by the Dark," King said bluntly, giving Elisabeth his undivided attention. The female Exo shifted her posture, subtly putting a hand behind her back. Stasis crystals began to take shape, forming into a kama.

"Indeed I have," Elisabeth said. "What does it matter." Rather than respond, King held out a hand and encased it in a gauntlet of frigid blue rock. The frosty crystals gleamed in the dying light. Elisabeth let her own weapon fade away, his intentions now revealed.

"You kept up your practice," Royal noted. King shot him a sideways glance.

"You're not upset?" He asked.

Royal sighed. "I had my suspicions that you continued in secret, but I never wanted to accuse you without proof. Over time, it just fell out of my mind. I've come to tolerate it, provided you swear to me that your mind is your own." King looked him square in the eyes and nodded. Royal nodded as well, accepting his promise. "Does anyone else know?"

"Venator," King said. "She was the one I consulted before continuing my practice. I knew what both you and Paladin would think."

"I'm sorry if I made you feel like you couldn't trust me not to snap at you," Royal said. "I've been trying to work on my anger. It's been slow."

"But there has been progress," Elisabeth said pointedly.

"There has," Royal agreed. "You know, Luz has taken to it herself. I still have reservations, but it seems to work for her." He paused for a second as he thought. "Here, King, why don't I take over the chores? You and Elisabeth can swap notes on Stasis or something." King shrugged and acquiesced, letting Royal take his place while he moved to the side.

They spoke for a while while Royal chopped wood. He made a conscious effort not to eavesdrop, having no interest in intruding on their conversation. However, he was almost certain that they weren't talking about Stasis. The axe in his hands rose and fell with a rhythmic thud, splitting the logs in half. He was aware of Elisabeth walking up behind him while King went inside. Royal split the log before him before laying the axe on the ground.

"I trust your conversation was fruitful," he said noncommittally. Elisabeth half-shrugged. Royal manifested a pair of chairs for them to sit in.

"I've reunited with you more times than I can remember," Elisabeth said. "Each time, I think I'm ready for it. But when I look you in the eyes and see that emptiness, the utter lack of recognition." Her voice fluttered and she paused to gather her thoughts. "It hurts more than I can describe." Royal nodded numbly, unsure of what to say. He had a sneaking suspicion that she was going through something pretty close to how Amity felt with Luz. Elisabeth managed a small, ironic smile like she had just caught up on an old joke. "At least now I know how it feels."

Upon seeing Royal's confused expression, Elisabeth laughed softly. "Of course, you don't know what I mean. When I went under and became Elisabeth-1, you were among the first people I ran into. Clovis wouldn't let you in during the procedure. Hell, he did everything he could to keep us separate from that point. But you found a way. I remember that look in your eyes, seeing what I had become." She tentatively reached out, caressing the side of his face. Not knowing what he was supposed to do, Royal let her.

"You were such a handsome man back then," she said, her voice practically a whisper. "My little Royal."

"Am I not handsome now?" Royal asked, trying to ease her mind with a small smile. Elisabeth smiled as well and nodded. Royal placed one of his hands atop hers, pressing it against his cheek. "Elisabeth, I don't know what's happened before, but I promise you, things will be different this time. I'm not going anywhere." She seemed to accept that, visibly relaxing as though years of hardship were evaporating from her body.

"So, what happens now?" Elisabeth asked.

"I don't know," Royal admitted. "But I would love to find out together."

"I would love that, too," Elisabeth said.

While the two Exos conversed, King and Lancer watched from the window in his cabin. Lancer's shell rattled slightly, drawing a curious eye from King.

"Are you… crying?" He asked, careful to keep his voice quiet to avoid disturbing the others. Lancer shook his core.

"No, I'm not," he said, clearly trying to force his words to come out evenly. "Ghosts can't cry, don't be stupid."

"Right," King deadpanned. "So, what is all this?" He gestured to the Ghost's everything.

"My idiot's finally done it," Lancer said wistfully. "I never thought this day would come."

"Seriously," Malek said, resting his face in his palm. "Where do you all keep coming from?" Before him were the three Witches-turned-Guardians. Luz and Amity had their eyes on him, while Willow couldn't keep her gaze off the machines in the room, eyeing all of them with awe. They had arrived and laid out the situation while skirting around the specifics. All Malek needed to know was that Willow needed a set of armor. They had already stopped by the Gunsmith—Banshee had been more than happy to provide her some basic wargear. Now, they just needed to get her some proper armor. Luz and Amity shared a look and a smile before speaking in unison.

"That's classified."

Malek snorted, turning away from the three. "Sure, whatever you say." He picked up a data pad and scrolled through the manifesto, tapping a few times to mark certain items. "We should have something to work with, but Ada isn't going to be too keen on me just pulling it from inventory like I did for you, Bubblegum."

"I should be able to cover it," Luz said while Amity protested her nickname. "How much Glimmer?" Malek offered her the pad with the pieces he had selected. Luz looked at the price and immediately sucked on her teeth. "You got anything cheaper?"

"I think we've got some scrap metal in the back," Malek said. "I could weld that to her skin."

"Weld it to my what now?" Willow asked, tuning back into the conversation. Luz held out a hand to dissuade her.

"No one's welding anything into anyone," she said. "I'll pay for it. I was planning on getting some ramen with Eido later this week, but I guess that's off the table now."

"Blame Ada; she's the one who won't throw out the old junk," Malek said. He suddenly looked back at the Exo overseer of the forge as she typed on her terminal. "You don't think she heard that, do you?"

"The great Kingslayer left quaking in his boots by a Lightless forge master," Amity said. "What a sight to behold." Malek shot a mock glare as Luz submitted her purchase. It only took a few minutes for the pieces to be located and resized to fit Willow's shorter-than-average frame. The armor came painted emerald green, because of course it did.

"So, how's your Striker training going?" Malek asked while Willow fitted an armpiece into place. Amity gave a proud grin.

"I've managed to get the hang of it," she boasted. "It was no problem at all." Behind her, she could hear Pal scoff. She frowned a little but ignored it. Her Ghost had done his best to interact with her as little as possible. To be truthful, it hurt.

Aurora seemed to notice how Amity's expression briefly flickered. She sent Pal a private message and slipped away from the group. Pal reluctantly joined her, knowing that refusal would only end with her bugging him until he complied. Ghost stalked over as well, having been curled around Amity's feet while she talked with Malek.

"What do you want?" Pal asked sharply.

"Is there a reason you're such an insufferable jerk?" Aurora asked. "Or were you just born that way?"

"Look, I don't go around telling you how to do your job," Pal snapped. "Stay off my case and out of my business."

"Your Guardian is supposed to be your partner, your friend," Aurora said. "You treat Amity like she's a burden. What gives?"

Pal scoffed. "Partners. Yeah right. I'm just the unlucky Ghost who got stuck with her. You think I wanted to be stuck with some kooky Witch for the rest of her eternal life? I just wanted a normal Guardian. Is that too much to ask? Now I'm getting dragged into inter-realm politics and battles against evils from other timelines! And don't even get me started on her little crush. I've had to listen to her cry herself to sleep more times than I can count. I did feel bad for her at first, but now it's just annoying. She doesn't love you, get over it." Ghost raised her hackles, hissing at Pal. He rolled his optic.

"You see what I mean? Just look at this thing! It's creepy, freaks me out." He fell quiet, looking around momentarily before speaking again in a hushed whisper. "Look, between us Ghosts, I almost abandoned my search. She was in the last spot I was going to check."

"You can't just abandon your search," Aurora hissed, a frightened edge entering her voice as though Pal had invoked some ancient evil. "That's against-"

"What, the Traveler's will?" Pal questioned. "News flash, the Traveler doesn't care about any of us. More and more Ghosts have been going AWOL. I've heard some rumors about them looking for new ventures. Supposedly, they're led by Immaru."

"Nothing good can come from anything Immaru is involved in," Aurora muttered. Pal did his best equivalent of a shrug.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But when all the winds start blowing the same direction, even the most stubborn tree has to sway. The point is, something big is coming, and with Guardians like these, I'm not so confident that we're on the winning side."

Aurora didn't get the chance to respond as Luz called out for her. She had finished paying for Willow's armor and was about to head in for the evening. She shot Pal a wary glance before fading out. Pal floated alone as Amity walked over and scooped Ghost up in her arms. She regarded Pal evenly and gestured for him to follow her. Ghost purred smugly, prompting him to roll his optic once again.

"If the Traveler is watching over us, they have a sick sense of humor."

You know, I've been digging into Royal's life before becoming a Guardian in my head. Most of it probably won't ever be relevant to this story, but it's helpful to know these kinds of things.

In other news, the Final Shape is almost upon us. I waited until after the launch trailer dropped to upload this, and oh boy, it looks so sick. Everything is so weird and alien in the best possible way. The art team yet again carries the rest of Bungie on their back. And with Final Shape practically at our doorstep, I've been reflecting on the year of Lightfall a lot. This may be a hot take, but I think it was honestly a pretty good year in terms of content quality. Lightfall itself hit pretty much every standard I was expecting, outside of the story, obviously. And Root of Nightmares, I guess. I don't think there are any bad raids, but RoN is easily the worst. Defiance was pretty mid as a season, but honestly, I think Deep, Witch, and Wish were all straight heat. Deep especially got a bad rap because community sentiment was low at the time. And, of course, Into the Light has been amazing. So, yeah, that's all I guess.

Elthreee: Chapter was great. I think it's pretty cool you brought Willow back, underrated character imo. Also it's great to hear you'll be incorporating dungeons and raids into the fic. Can't wait until Duality is up…. for obvious reasons…

Also the Final Shape hype is real, I'm def hooked on it and I'll be sticking with the game for the rest of the expansion tbh. I wanna see how this ends for myself.

Always good to hear my man. As I mentioned, I have a plan for Willow to make up for missed opportunities last time. Looking back on WnW, all I can really see are my shortcomings and things I wish I did better. But I will have plenty of time to try and correct them here. Also, Duality is a dungeon I cannot wait to tackle. Trying to combine the Destiny and Owl House versions of the mindscape should prove to be an interesting challenge.

GuardianLightTheVanguard: Sup

1. It is nice having Venator back, she's always a joy to write. Though I didn't realize they were the three Royal brothers.

2. Hooty had accompanied her, because he's just handy to have around despite how... Hooty he is.

3. No, that moment was meant to show that Venator sees a lot of Camila in Luz and, well, Venator still misses her.

4. I'll lump 5 and 6 in here as well and just say that I do enjoy Crow and Luz's friendship. Honestly, it feels like I'm accidentally setting up a romance between the two sometimes. I'm just going to keep it platonic, though; Crow has his own little crush. Amanda is like the sunrise, isn't she?

7. Yes, he will.

8. Maybe, probably, not sure. Either him or Hunter. I don't have as much planned for them. More some vague ideas for Gus and Hunter... is certainly a character. I'll think of something. They'll both probably end up being relegated to background characters anyway.

9. OK, I may as well tackle this now. I do not have any plans to revive Eda as a Guardian. I know, I know, sacrilege. Crucify me, burn me at the stake, do whatever you want. Truth be told, I just don't have any ideas for her. Hunter is already kinda just tagging along out of obligation, and I want to avoid bringing in too many characters just to have them exist. Raine is kind of a package deal with Eda. Lilith is a different story. I have plans for dear, sweet Lilith.

10. I have seen the cutscene, though I haven't played the mission yet. I've been on the other side of the country for the last two weeks and haven't been able to play. Heading home soon though, so I'll be able to catch up.

11. She will, and she was.

12. A Hunter named Hunter. How funny would it be if I made him a Warlock? I think that would be funny.

13. I might upload chapter 18 on the Monday before Final Shape, so I don't have to compete with it for your attention. Or maybe I will release it on Tuesday and test where your guys' loyalty truly lies.

14. Yeah, probably. It would be a background thing.

15. I did. They were very cool. It's always nice getting a peek behind the curtain. When that one lady said something about making their new strike the hardest one yet, I got some PTSD from Grandmaster Lightblade. I then realized that was weak energy. As a Guardian, I don't get post-traumatic stress disorder, I AM the traumatic event! BRING IT ON, BUNGIE!

davisjustus99: Fucking 'ell. You hit Luz with the Emotional damage. However I like how you introduced Willow... Makes sense for her too.

Welcome back to Torturing Luz: The Fanfic. Thanks for the kind words.

GodzillaMaster: There are, like, fourteen separate reviews. I'm not copying all of those, so I'll just go point by point.

First of all, welcome back, glad to have you.

Second, balancing Royal's xenophobic tendencies is a difficult line to walk. I have to communicate why he thinks the way he thinks while also making it very clear that he is in the wrong. The reason he is still so xenophobic is because he's trying to rationalize an irrational feeling. First, it was the Witches. Eventually, he met and befriended Eda, which led him to stop hating the Witches, which he rationalized as, "Well, these guys have never attacked Humanity in any way, so they're some of the good ones." Now, he's doing something similar with House Light where he's thinking, "Well, these Fallen have aided us and aren't directly antagonizing us, so they're alright, but the rest of their species still sucks."

Third, I've not seen Amity as a Warlock before. I assume you might find that on Ao3? I'm not on that site; too confusing for my smooth brain. And they don't have a mobile app.

Lastly for the things that I really feel a need to address, I don't believe I specified what Willow's class was last chapter.

OMAC001: Looks like the Hexside gang are making a comeback!

Gotta get the gang back together, don't I?

hornig3: Oh boy, was not expecting Willow. Wonder if she'll be the kind gal we all know but from the sound of it our girl is no nonsense. Can't help but feel like anything Luz tries to help Crow is only going to make him need to see Savathun even more! Like she she reveals she has a way to get her memories or that Amity never had a second life and remembers everything. Luz is a good friend but she is not good at walking around eggshells. Also now that Caital has technically being introduced I can't help but feel like her and Amity might have a strong friendship and/or respect for each other for dealing with parents who loved nothing but themselves and where complete monsters. At least after the whole mess on Mars and some missions with her legionaries.

Willow in this story will be a bit different from how she was in the show. How do I justify such a drastic change in character? Well, wouldn't you like to know? What are you, a cop? Also, those parallels between Amity and Caital... ooh that's something I can work with. You guys always come up with such great ideas for me to steal.

BlueRoseLevi: I shiver in fear simultaneously jumping in joy, my favorite house demon returns let's fucking goooooo!

Love the take you took with the Savathun ink blot cutscene from SotL as well

The Witness quivers in fear of Hooty, true ascended being above all. And finding a way to fit in the inkblot cutscene was a stroke of pure, four A.M., lemonade-fuelled madness on my part. I don't know if I'll be able to do something similar with the others. Probably not.

Luz's breath steadied as she focused through her scope, her eyes fixed on the distant target. With precision, she aligned her shot, pausing for a heartbeat before pulling the trigger. The bullet pierced the center of the target, a testament to her growing skill. A smile of pride tugged at the corners of her lips as she rose from her position, removing the magazine with a sense of achievement.

"You're getting good at this," Aurora said, transmitting another magazine into Luz's hand. "Pretty soon, you'll be sniping the plumes off Cabal."

"All of Royal's drills are really paying off," Luz acknowledged, her curiosity piqued. As she was about to insert the new magazine, she paused, her gaze lingering on it. "You know, I've been wondering… where do you get all this ammo from? Do you buy it when I'm not looking?"

"No, nothing like that," Aurora said cheerily. "I make it myself." Luz looked confused, curious about how her Ghost could make ammo. "For small arms like autos, scouts, hand cannons, and whatnot, I can just kinda pull it from thin air by turning Glimmer into ammo. Then, I turn the ammo back into Glimmer after it's been spent."

"Alright, that's a little weird, but I guess it makes sense," Luz said. "What about my heavier gear?"

"Well, for that, it's kinda the same process," Aurora said nonchalantly. "But instead of turning glimmer into ammo and back again, I turn the bodies of your slain foes into bullets."

"Wait, what?" Luz asked, recoiling from her Ghost in utter shock. Aurora nodded.

"It's a pretty simple process, just takes time," she said. Luz looked down at her rifle, imagining just how many corpses Aurora had 'repurposed,' and shuddered. She set the rifle and magazine down and back away from them slowly, suddenly feeling very squeamish.

"I think I'm gonna go lay down for a bit."