"To make his ship, Oryx scrimshawed one piece of Akka, who was dead but far from gone. He stole the Hammer of Xivu Arath and the Scalpel of Savathun and he armored his ship in baneful armor." - XLI: Dreadnaught

Four days. Harley had spent four days in the med bay and he was beginning to get restless. You could only lie in a bed for so long before it started wearing on you. So when Ryan walked in and informed him that he'd be released, it was easily the best news he'd heard since he'd woken up.

Ryan left him alone while he changed into the t-shirt and sweatpants that Prism had retrieved for him. Harley stood up, his shoes feeling odd after weeks of not wearing them. His legs were shaking with disuse as he made for the door, and while he did stumble a few times, he managed not to fall.

Ryan opened the door for him. "I'll lead you out."

Harley followed him through the med bay and out into the glowing sunlight. His eyes teared up as they adjusted after spending such a long time with the artificial lights of the med bay.

"Congratulations," said Ryan with a smile, "You made it out." He put a friendly hand on Harley's shoulder. "Good luck. Remember, you're always welcome here if you run into any complications."

Harley grinned. "You said it yourself: no lasting effects."

"Right." Ryan's smile seemed to fade slightly but only for a split second as it was back in full force the next time he looked.

"Thanks for everything," said Harley.

Ryan chuckled. "Just doing my job."

"Yeah… I'll see you around."

"See you around, Harley." Harley turned, heading in the direction of the plaza. He wanted to pay a visit to the Vanguard and now seemed as good a time as any.

As he entered the Vanguard's room, he was met with mostly surprised but somewhat concerned looks from Ikora and Zavala. Cayde, however, sounded relieved as he addressed him. "Ace! Come to take me up on that drink?"

Harley laughed. "Now probably isn't the best time. I just got released from med bay."

"Welcome back, Hayden," said Zavala, "It's good to see you're recovering well."

"Thanks, sir," said Harley, "I just came to ask about my next mission."

The Vanguard exchanged a look. "Your next mission?" said Ikora.

"Yeah. Is there anything you guys need me for?"

"Hm," said Cayde, "Well, Kay wanted-"

"I don't think that is the wisest course of action at the moment," said Ikora, shooting the Exo a pointed look before returning her attention to Harley. "Harley, you were just released today. Sending you out on a mission risks prolonging your recovery."

"But I'm completely recovered! There's nothing wrong with me!"

"That may be so, but it's still a risk. Take the rest of the week at least."

"The rest of the week?!"

"Yes. I will have Amanda keep your ship grounded as a precaution. You aren't the first Guardian to take on missions sooner than you can handle."

Harley sighed. "Fine. If that's what you think is best… I'll wait."

"Thank you, Harley."

Harley nodded once before leaving. "I don't get it," he said to Prism as he climbed the steps to the plaza. "Why're they doing this?"

"They're worried about you," his Ghost replied, "You did give us all quite a scare, you know. Ikora's just looking out for you."

"Six more days of boredom, here I come…" Suddenly, he brightened. "Wait a sec, Cayde was about to tell me something about Kay before Ikora interrupted him. I know I can't go out in the field but I can… I dunno, provide technical support or something."

He changed directions, heading toward the Guardians' quarters. Prism sighed. "You never give up…"

"I don't get it," said Cayde, "Why didn't you let him go? The med team themselves told us he'd be fine after a few days' rest."

"I don't doubt that Harley could handle a mission right now," said Ikora.

"Then why-"

"The issue is, the next mission, the mission you were about to share with him is infiltrating Oryx's Throneworld itself. Harley is an incredible Guardian, but I don't think it's wise to expose him to that just yet."

Zavala frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I think I will keep the rest of my theories to myself for now… I don't think any of us want a repeat of what happened last time."

Zavala nodded. "Very well. If you have a reason for concern… I trust your judgment. But Hayden will eventually go on that mission. We cannot keep a Guardian out of the field forever."

"I know. And my concern may prove to be misfounded. Time alone will tell…"

Kaedro was watching reruns of some random show from the City when he heard someone knock on his door. He paused the show and got up to open it, feeling a flash of surprise when he saw Harley standing outside. "Ace! Good to see you!"

"Hey," said Harley with a smile.

"I'm guessing you've been discharged from the med bay?"

"Yeah. They released me just a little while ago… But that's not why I'm here."

"Hmm. What's up?"

"I was just talking to the Vanguard and Cayde mentioned you. Something about a mission?"

"Oh." Kaedro's guard went up. "What about it?"

"Well, I was just wondering what it was and if you needed any help."

Kaedro grew even warier. "Um, well, actually, the mission Cayde's talking about is no longer happening."

"Really?"

"Yeah." He laughed. "Guess it was a false alarm or something."

"Then why did he mention it?"

"Um, probably 'cause I… haven't told him yet. In fact, I was just about to head over there when you knocked."

"Oh," said Harley disappointedly.

"Yeah. Sorry 'bout that."

"No, it's fine… Well, don't let me keep you."

"Right." Kaedro stepped out, shutting the door behind him. "It's good to see you up and around. If you'd like, we can meet in the mess hall later?"

"Sounds good."

"Alright. Later, Ace." He waved at his friend before setting off along the walkway.

"I don't understand," said Jyn as they descended the stairs, "Why did you lie to him?"

Kaedro sighed. "If there's one thing about Ace any idiot knows, it's that he doesn't know his limits. The guy just got out of a coma for Light's sake! I'm no idiot, Jyn. I know he shouldn't be out in the field yet. And I bet the Vanguard agree with me."

"Well, I'm sure they'd appreciate you keeping him out of it then. I know I would if you were in Harley's place."

"Exactly. But if I know Ace, he's not gonna want to just sit around. Means we gotta find ways to distract him."

Jyn hummed thoughtfully. "Prism told me he's only been to the City once. A day down there might do him some good."

"I like that idea. Maybe Ace, Jade, and I could all go together. We could even invite Liv and the others. They haven't met Ace yet. At least, not properly."

"Great!" said Jyn, "You can talk about it this evening."

"Sounds like a plan."

Harley sighed as he sat down. While it would be nice to have actual food again, he would've been much happier with a mission to look forward to. The Tower was great and all, but he'd grown used to exploring other planets as well as the excitement of battle. Not to mention the fact that he really missed flying. There was something intrinsically calming about warpspace that made a nice balance with the adrenaline rush he got from the maneuvers he would use in the atmosphere. He started to eat, only pausing when Kaedro sat down across from him.

"Sup Ace."

"Hey," said Harley. He resumed eating.

"Look," said Kaedro, "I know you're probably bummed about how you can't go on missions, so why don't we head to the City tomorrow and hang out? I know Jade'd be interested and the others might even be able to come."

"Others?"

"Yeah. I think I mentioned it but when Jade and I were on the Dreadnaught, we met another fireteam. They're called Fireteam Calypso and they've helped out on other missions since then."

"Oh. That's cool."

Harley cringed. He could hear how unexcited he sounded. He really did think it was cool to have other Guardians around but all he could think about was how he'd basically been replaced. He cleared his throat. "Sorry. Just tired right now."

"Really? You've been sleeping a lot... Comas must be worse than I thought."

"Yeah… But it's a good idea. I haven't seen much of the City."

"Awesome. We'll head out whenever everyone's ready tomorrow. I'm guessing you'll wanna sleep in?"

Harley shrugged. "Probably." He usually did.

"Alright. We'll just see what the others want once everyone's up."

"Sounds good." He stood up. "I think I'm gonna turn in."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm not that hungry."

Kaedro shrugged. "Suit yourself, man. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you then."

He left the mess hall thinking about the trip. I hope we see more than just a bar this time. It's the Last Safe City, there have to be some pretty cool things to see there. He remembered his excitement at potentially visiting the City as a new Guardian and speculated on his current apathy. He couldn't pinpoint anything that would change his feelings so suddenly and eventually shrugged it off, blinking in surprise as he realized he was standing in front of his door. I really must be tired. He unlocked the door and entered the room, turning on the light.

"Glad to be back?" said Prism.

"Yeah. It'll be nice to sleep in my own bed again... But I think I'm gonna take a shower first. You don't have to wait up."

"Alright. Goodnight, Harley. I'll see you in the morning."

"See you in the morning, Prism."

As his Ghost hovered over to the dresser to power down, Harley grabbed some loose clothes and headed into the bathroom. Standing under the hot water felt better than he could've imagined. He was incredibly reluctant to turn it off, but he forced himself to do it. Soon, his teeth were brushed and he was ready to get some sleep. He got into bed and in almost no time at all, he was drifting off.

The stone was hard and unforgiving as Harley's knees pressed into it.

As he stared upward into the eyes of the Taken King, he felt tiny, insignificant. This was a being older than civilization, a creature that had seen the furthest reaches of the universe and toppled entire worlds. A Hive God that could crush him in a nanosecond if he wished.

As he watched, Oryx summoned an orb that sang with the power of Darkness. Harley knew what was coming and tried with all his might to move, but it was as though he was paralyzed. He couldn't even scream as Oryx drove the orb into him, laughing in triumph. His vision was consumed by Darkness and he could not move a muscle.

Oryx's laughter rang loud in his ears, drowning out all other sounds.

"Child of the Sky... You shall drift."

Harley gasped, lurching upright. His eyes burned at the light filling the room as he tore frantically at the sheets tangled around his legs. His limbs were covered in a cold sweat that rendered his shower useless.

He stood in the middle of the room for a few moments before moving to sit down on the couch, rubbing his eyes.

The last time he'd had a nightmare that bad had been the night before the others left when he dreamt of the fate of Mara Sov and the Awoken. And even before that, he had been no stranger to bad dreams. They'd haunted him for weeks following his return from Mercury. They'd been constantly changing but the location was always the same. Mechanically carved structures filled with the glowing eyes of the Vex. The sun as it sat on the horizon, beating down like the heat of an enormous forge. There had been times even when he was awake that Harley thought he could still feel the sting of sand whipping against his skin. But eventually, the dreams had faded.

Hopefully, these will too. He glanced at his clock. 4:46. Close enough.

He rose from the couch and walked over to his closet to grab some clothes. As he moved about the room, getting ready, Prism rose from her spot on the dresser to float over to him. "What are you doing up?"

Harley shrugged. "Guess I've filled my sleep quota for a while."

"Sure. I'll just pretend those aren't circles under your eyes… Is something wrong?"

"Honestly, I'm fine. Just couldn't fall back asleep." He opened the door. "You coming?"

"Of course," said Prism.

Harley stepped out into the chilly morning air with a shiver. It was always eerie being up so early. The Tower was dead silent and the graying of the sky in the east was all that told him dawn was on its way.

His Ghost commented on the atmosphere as well. "You know, even though I still think you need more sleep, the Tower feels very… peaceful."

"Yeah."

"It's almost like the world is on pause."

Harley scoffed. "Someone should tell the aliens that."

Even the earliest, most silent hours of the morning wouldn't stop the Taken from spreading across the system. The Taken. Harley fought down a shiver just thinking about them. With their twitching, corrupted bodies and their soulless, empty eyes…

"-rley? Hellooo?"

Harley's mind seemed to do a complete one-eighty as he focused on Prism. "Yeah?"

"You completely zoned out! I was trying to get your attention for two minutes!" she reproached.

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's fine. Probably just a side-effect of your exhaustion. You should've stayed in bed."

"Prism, you know how hard it is for me to go back to sleep once I'm awake. Also, I think calling it 'exhaustion' is a bit dramatic."

Prism sighed. "Maybe so, but I still hold out hope that someday you'll take my advice."

It was Harley's turn to sigh. He loved his Ghost to death, but she could be overbearing sometimes. Granted, this time it wasn't her fault that she was reacting the way she was. It was his. He fought back a stab of guilt at how much he'd put her through in the past few months. I should've been more careful on that mission.

"What are you thinking about?" Prism asked.

"Huh?"

"You just looked like you were trying to solve Ivanov's Conundrum."

"Ivanuh… what?"

"Nevermind. I just wondered what you were concentrating on."

"Oh… I was just wondering if the mess hall would be open this early."

"Well, there's no harm in checking. Let's go!"

As it turned out, the mess hall was open and as well-stocked as ever. Harley sat down with a coffee and a bagel and tried to forget the events of the night before by talking to Prism. She could be quite talkative when the mood struck and ever since he'd woken up, she seemed to be on some kind of high. That meant that Harley didn't have to work very hard in the conversation, which was fine with him.

Eventually, the other inhabitants of the Tower were up and about, and it wasn't long before Kaedro entered the mess hall. He snagged a cup of coffee before crossing to sit down at Harley's table. "Morning, Ace. Why're you sitting so far away?"

It took him a second to see what Kaedro meant. Their table was tucked into the corner of the mess hall. He shrugged. "I dunno. I wasn't exactly analyzing the mess hall for which table to sit at."

Kaedro nodded. "Fair enough… I messaged the others. They'll probably be in later. Jade's on her way though."

"...That's good."

For whatever reason, the conversation was feeling extremely awkward to Harley. It was almost like he wasn't sure what to say or how to react to what Kaedro was saying. "So where in the City are we going?"

"Well, I was thinking we'd take a look around the shops and things. The City's got a lot of parks and plazas that're worth seeing."

Harley nodded. "Sounds good to me. As long as it's not a bar... I'd rather not drink at seven in the morning."

Kaedro laughed. "Few people would. Nah, we'll save the bar for later, if everyone wants to go."

"Yeah."

"Good morning, Kaedro," called Jade's voice, "Good morning, Harley."

Kaedro raised his coffee to her.

"Morning, Jade," said Harley.

Jade sat down, a coffee and a muffin in hand. "So what's the plan for today?"

"Sightseeing," said Kaedro.

She nodded. "Any bars?"

He shrugged. "If we get the urge, we can find one later. But no bar tours like last time."

"Good." Her lips thinned. "I'd rather not have a repeat of last time."

Harley looked between Kaedro and Jade. "What happened last time?"

Jade shook her head. "Nothing major… Just someone that needed to be put in their place."

"You can say that again," said Kaedro.

"Anyway… what time are Liv and the others joining us?" asked Jade.

Kaedro shrugged. "Search me! I don't even get up this early. Only happened today 'cause Prism told me Ace was up."

"What?" said Harley. He turned on his Ghost. "You woke Kaedro up?"

"I just thought you'd like some company," said Prism defensively.

Harley turned back to Kaedro. "I'm sorry she did that. I would've stopped her if I'd known."

Kaedro waved him off. "It's fine, Ace. I'm a Guardian. I can take being woken up at a normal time. Besides, I've had worse. Used to pull a lot of all-nighters back when I was a kinder-Guardian."

Jade's head tilted to the side as she frowned thoughtfully. "Do you still get the urge to yawn, even though you're an Exo?"

"Yup. I still yawn. In fact, you talking about yawning makes me want to…" His words were cut off by a huge yawn.

Jade laughed. "Stop it! You'll make me…" She yawned. "Yawns are contagious."

Kaedro started laughing and pretty soon they were both cracking up in between yawns. Harley's lips twitched as he watched the exchange, but he didn't feel the same giddiness his friends seemed to be experiencing. He felt bad that Kaedro'd been woken up early on his account.

Kaedro's interface beeped and the Exo looked down. "Nice. They're on their way over."

"Ready to meet some new faces?" asked Prism.

Harley should've felt more than ready, considering how few Guardians stuck around. Instead, he just felt tired. "Sure," he said.

A/N: Hey guys. It's been a while. Not sure exactly how long cuz I don't remember when I posted last. But that doesn't matter right now! Let's get down to it... I have a couple of chapters ready to go. I'm currently planning to post the next one at the end of this week, but if you guys want to see it badly enough, I'm willing to upload it earlier. If you want Chapter 18 earlier, let me know by leaving a review with your favorite part of the story so far. I'd like to know what you want to see more of :)

For those of you new to this Chasing Fate family, you can find all CF-related works in the Chasing Fate community. That includes the oneshots and Destcember stories. If any of you want to write stories around any of my OCs, you are more than welcome!

olliexdiscord: My beta has made it clear to me how evil I can be with writing XD. If you haven't checked out Destcember Day 31, I highly suggest you do so as it does contain Jarley ;)

That's pretty much all I've got for today! You can come and scream at me on Tumblr or Twitter (arcaneglitch for both). If you're interested, I run a writing/art discord with spaces for brainstorming, making requests, and showing off creations. The link to the server is on my Twitter profile.

Until next time, friends!

- TheWolfParadox