Chapter 26: Ascent:

The journey back through the arcology was slow and methodical. Ruby supported Oscar, his arm draped over her shoulders as he struggled with each step. Centuries of being scattered across realities had taken their toll, and his legs trembled with the effort of walking.

"Just like old times," Oscar muttered between labored breaths. "Though usually I was the one dragging you out of trouble."

"Thing change," Ruby replied with a gentle smile, adjusting her grip to better support his weight.

Ahead of them, the others moved in practiced formation. Yang took point, her shotgun at the ready, while Blake shadowed their flanks, disappearing and reappearing as she scouted ahead. Weiss maintained a steady stream of Arc energy, the electricity crackling between her fingers as she watched their rear.

Penny and Pyrrha operated in perfect sync, years of fighting together evident in how they covered each other's blind spots. Adam moved like a ghost through the shadows, his hand cannon dropping any Thrall that dared emerge from the darkness.

A screech echoed through the corridors—Hive, and close.

"Contact front!" Yang called out, her shotgun roaring as Acolytes poured from a side passage. Solar Light erupted from her position as she threw herself into the fight.

Blake materialized on a ledge above, her rocket launcher already tracking targets. "Heavy units incoming!" she warned as the thunderous footsteps of Knights approached.

"Keep them away from Ruby and Oscar," Adam commanded, his voice sharp with authority. Solar knives appeared in his hands, finding their marks with deadly precision.

Weiss spun in place, her Arc energy chaining between enemies. "Path's still clear behind us if we need to fall back!"

Penny's wings flared as she took to the air, raining down Solar Light while Pyrrha's spear carved through the Hive ranks below. Their movements were fluid, practiced, each strike building off the other's momentum.

"This is... familiar," Oscar observed between steps, watching the battle unfold. "Though there seem to be a few more of us than I remember."

Ruby tightened her grip as they navigated around the fighting. "Family's grown a bit while you were away."

A Knight broke through the front line, its cleaver raised high. Before it could advance, Adam appeared in its path, his blade wreathed in Solar Light as he engaged it in close combat.

"Almost to the surface," Penny called out, her Ghost marking their position on their HUDs. "Just two more sectors!"

"Moving!" Yang acknowledged, falling back to a new position as she reloaded. "Blake, cover the left flank!"

The sounds of battle echoed through the ancient halls as they pressed forward, every step bringing them closer to escape. The team moved like a well-oiled machine, adapting their formation to protect their weakened charge while maintaining combat effectiveness.

"Your new friends," Oscar said quietly to Ruby as they walked, "they fight well together."

Ruby smiled, helping him over a fallen barrier. "They always have. In this life and the last."

The storm winds of Titan grew louder as they neared the surface, carrying with them the promise of escape—and the next phase of their mission to save Jaune.

The harsh winds of Titan greeted them as they emerged onto the platform leading to Siren's Watch. Oscar squinted against the golden haze, his steps faltering slightly despite Ruby's support. The methane storms had grown stronger during their absence, visibility reduced to mere meters ahead.

"Commander Sloane needs to know what we found," Pyrrha said, her voice carrying over the howling wind. "Especially about that corrupted Knight."

The group made their way to the command center, where Sloane stood examining tactical displays. She turned at their approach, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of Oscar.

"Well," she said, straightening to her full height. "When you said you were looking for something big, Adam, I didn't expect you to bring back a legend."

Oscar managed a weak smile. "Deputy Commander. Your hospitality is appreciated."

"Save the formalities," Sloane replied, her expression growing serious. "What did you find down there? My sensors have been going crazy for the past hour."

Ruby stepped forward. "The Hive are working with Savathûn. They've developed new methods of corrupting Light itself." She described the Knight they'd encountered, its ability to suppress their powers.

Sloane's jaw tightened. "That matches reports we've been getting across the sector. Something's changed in the Hive hierarchy. They're more organized, more purposeful."

"They're searching," Oscar added, his voice stronger now. "For paths between realities. The same paths Jaune and I discovered centuries ago."

"And if Savathûn gains that knowledge..." Sloane let the implication hang in the air.

"We need to reach the Dreadnaught," Penny interjected. "But first, Oscar needs time to recover. And we need supplies."

Sloane nodded slowly. "I'll have my teams sweep the area, make sure you have a clear exit to orbit." She turned to Adam. "I assume you'll need transport?"

"Our ship's waiting in high orbit," Blake confirmed. "If we can reach it..."

"I'll handle the logistics," Sloane assured them. She paused, studying Oscar. "It's good to have you back, Pine. The Vanguard's going to have a field day with this."

Oscar managed a weak chuckle. "I look forward to filing the paperwork."

As the others discussed departure plans, Ruby helped Oscar to a nearby bench. His breathing had steadied, but exhaustion lined his features.

"Rest," she said softly. "We've got a long journey ahead."

Oscar nodded, his eyes drifting to where Juniper's dormant form rested in Ruby's pouch. "We'll find him, Ruby. We'll bring them both back."

"I know," Ruby replied, her silver eyes reflecting the strange light of Titan's eternal storm. "This time, we finish it together."

Penny stepped forward, addressing the group. "We'll need to split between two ships for the return journey. Nova can't safely carry all of us."

"Take Argus," Pyrrha offered, her Ghost materializing to show specs of her own Vector-class jumpship. "She's got enough room for half the team, and she's equipped for combat if we run into trouble."

Ruby nodded, considering their options. "Oscar should travel on Nova with Penny - she's the most experienced pilot among us, and his condition needs monitoring." She glanced at her old friend, who didn't protest the assessment.

"I'll go with them," Weiss added. "My Warlock abilities might help stabilize him if anything goes wrong during transit."

"Blake and I can ride with Pyrrha on Argus," Yang suggested, checking her ammunition reserves. "Keep the weight distributed evenly between ships."

Adam stepped forward. "I'll take Argus as well. Three and four split is optimal for both vessels."

"Then it's settled," Penny said, her usual cheerfulness returning despite the gravity of their situation. "We should move quickly - those Hive reinforcements won't stay quiet for long."

Sloane nodded in approval. "I'll have my teams maintain suppressing fire on any hostiles until you're safely in orbit. Just try not to take another thirty years before checking in again."

Nova hummed steadily as it cut through space, Penny's expert piloting keeping them on a smooth trajectory toward Earth. In the passenger compartment, Oscar rested on a makeshift cot, his breathing finally steady after their escape from Titan. Ruby sat nearby, her silver eyes occasionally darting to check on him, while Weiss occupied the seat across from them.

The quiet of space travel had settled over them, broken only by the gentle thrum of the engines. Weiss found herself studying her companions, noting how Ruby's hand would occasionally drift to where Juniper's dormant form rested in her pouch.

Finally, curiosity overcame her natural reserve. "What's it like?" Weiss asked softly. "Being... centuries old?"

Ruby's silver eyes met hers, a small smile playing at her lips. "Honestly? Most days I don't think about it. Time gets... fluid when you've lived this long. Decades can feel like moments, and moments can stretch into eternities."

Oscar stirred slightly, his voice weak but clear. "You learn to measure time differently. Not in years or centuries, but in moments that matter. Battles fought, lives saved, friends lost and found."

"And what about..." Weiss hesitated, glancing between them. "What about relationships? How do they work when you live so long?"

Ruby and Oscar exchanged a look that seemed to carry centuries of shared understanding. Ruby's hand found Oscar's, squeezing gently.

"It's complicated," Ruby admitted. "When I first became a Guardian, everything was intense, immediate. Every connection felt like it would last forever. But as time passed, I learned that forever means something different for us."

Oscar nodded slowly. "Some bonds grow stronger with time. Others fade. But the ones that matter?" His eyes met Ruby's. "They endure, even across centuries. Even across realities."

"We've had... a unique relationship," Ruby added, a hint of their old mischief entering her voice. "Not many couples can say they've literally scattered their consciousness across dimensions looking for each other."

"In my defense," Oscar countered with a weak smile, "I was trying to save reality as we knew it. Getting lost between dimensions was an... unforeseen complication."

Weiss watched their exchange with fascination. Despite the centuries that had passed, despite everything they'd endured, there was still something touchingly familiar about their dynamic.

"Do you ever..." Weiss paused, choosing her words carefully. "Do you ever miss being normal? Having a normal lifespan, normal relationships?"

Ruby's expression grew thoughtful. "Sometimes I wonder about it. But being a Guardian, having this purpose, this power to protect others?" She shook her head. "I wouldn't trade it. Even with all the pain and loss, even with the weight of centuries... this is who we are."

"Though I could have done with fewer dimensional mishaps," Oscar added dryly.

Ruby laughed softly, the sound carrying echoes of her younger self. "Says the man who literally wrote the book on trans-dimensional travel."

"A fact you never let me forget," Oscar replied, his eyes already growing heavy with exhaustion again.

Weiss smiled, watching as Ruby gently adjusted Oscar's blanket. Despite the weight of years and responsibility they carried, there was something profoundly hopeful about their enduring connection.

"Rest," Ruby murmured to Oscar. "We've got a long journey ahead."

As Oscar drifted back to sleep, Ruby turned to Weiss. "What about you? How are you handling all of this? Being a Guardian, remembering your past life..."

Weiss considered the question carefully. "It's... overwhelming sometimes. Like having two sets of memories, two lives trying to exist in the same space. But watching you and Oscar..." She gestured to their clasped hands. "It helps, knowing that we can carry our past with us without being bound by it."

Ruby nodded, understanding in her ancient eyes. "The Light gives us second chances, Weiss. Sometimes third and fourth chances too. The trick is learning which parts of ourselves to keep, and which to let go."

The ship continued its journey through the void, carrying its passengers toward whatever awaited them at the Tower. Outside, stars streaked past like memories, each one a point of light in the endless dark.

Argus cruised steadily through space, its course parallel to Nova. In the passenger compartment, Pyrrha sat across from Yang and Blake, while Adam maintained a solitary vigil near the viewport. The steady hum of the engines provided a quiet backdrop as Pyrrha finally voiced the question that had been bothering her.

"So," she began, her green eyes moving between them, "how exactly did all of this happen? Penny and I have been Guardians for years, but now suddenly you're all here, Adam's involved, and Ruby turns out to be this centuries-old legend from the Dark Age."

Yang leaned forward, running a hand through her golden hair. "It's a wild story. We were risen recently - Blake on Venus, Weiss in orbit, and me on Venus too. Adam found us, though we didn't exactly trust him at first."

"With good reason," Blake added quietly, her ears twitching slightly.

"But he helped us," Yang continued. "Got us to the Last City. Then we learned from Shaxx about his history with Ruby - how she found him during the Dark Age, how they worked together in the first Vanguard."

Pyrrha's eyes widened. "Ruby was part of the first Vanguard? I had no idea..."

"None of us did," Blake said. "Apparently she was a Warlord first, but the kind that protected people. She and Oscar were close, working together to build the foundations of what would become the Last City."

"Then came the Great Disaster," Yang picked up the thread. "Oscar and Jaune disappeared while researching the Hive. Ruby spent centuries searching for them."

"And now she's found Oscar," Pyrrha mused, glancing toward Adam. "Through you?"

Adam shifted slightly but didn't turn from the viewport. "She left me a message. Coordinates, research notes. A fragment of her first weapon."

"The whole thing's connected to what you found in the arcology," Blake explained. "The Hive rituals, the corrupted Knight - they're all tied to whatever Oscar discovered about traveling between realities."

Pyrrha sat back, processing this information. "And you three... you remember everything? From before?"

"Everything except how we died," Yang confirmed. "It's like... having two lives in our heads. All our memories of Remnant, of being huntresses, right up until the end. Then nothing until we were risen."

"That's unusual," Pyrrha noted. "Most Guardians don't remember anything of their past lives. I only retained fragments, feelings..."

"We think it means something," Blake said. "That we're meant to be part of this. Finding Oscar, saving Jaune..."

"And stopping whatever Savathûn is planning," Adam added from his position by the viewport. "She wouldn't commit resources like that corrupted Knight unless this was important to her plans."

Pyrrha nodded slowly. "The Witch Queen's schemes are rarely simple. If she's interested in Oscar's research..."

"Then we need to reach Jaune before she does," Yang finished firmly.

"The Dreadnaught won't be easy," Pyrrha warned. "Penny and I know its dangers firsthand. And if Savathûn's forces are already there..."

"We'll handle it," Blake assured her. "We're stronger together. Always have been."

"Besides," Yang added with a grin, "how many fireteams can say they've got two generations of legendary Guardians working together?"

Pyrrha couldn't help but smile at that. "True enough. Though I have to admit, it's strange being on this side of the legend for once. Usually I'm the one people whisper about in the Tower."

"The Hero of the Red War," Blake acknowledged with a small smile. "We heard about that too."

"Takes one to know one," Yang quipped. "Pretty sure Ruby's got a few legends of her own by now."

"More than a few," Adam muttered, though there was something almost like pride in his voice.

After a moment of contemplative silence, Pyrrha turned toward Adam. "What about Jaune?" she asked softly. "Did he ever find something like what Ruby and Oscar have?"

Adam was quiet for a long moment, his gaze still fixed on the stars outside. Finally, he spoke, his voice carrying the weight of old memories.

"He and Lady Jolder were close," he said. "One of the Iron Lords. They fought together, protected people together. There was something there, something deep." His jaw tightened slightly. "But then came SIVA. The Iron Lords fell, and Jolder with them. After that... Jaune closed himself off for a long time."

Blake's ears twitched forward with interest. "But not forever?"

"No," Adam continued, his voice softening. "There was a woman named Shara. A widow living in one of the settlements we protected. She had a son, Henry." A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Jaune... he found something there. A kind of peace. They lived together for several years."

"What happened?" Yang asked, though her tone suggested she already knew.

"Time," Adam replied simply. "Shara grew old, as mortals do. Henry grew up, started his own family. Jaune stayed with her until the end, then..." He shrugged slightly. "He kept watch over Henry's family. His children, their children. Generation after generation. Even after he left with Oscar, he'd still check in on them when he could."

"He was still protecting people," Pyrrha observed. "Just in a different way."

"That's who Jaune was," Adam agreed. "Even immortality couldn't change his heart."

Blake studied Adam's profile against the stars. "How did you know?" she asked. "About Jaune visiting them after he left?"

Adam turned slightly, meeting her gaze. "When I started looking for him, Henry's descendants were one of the first places I checked. The family kept records - stories passed down through generations about the immortal Guardian who would appear in times of trouble." His voice carried a hint of admiration. "Even while chasing whatever answers Oscar had found, he never completely abandoned them."

"That sounds like Jaune," Yang said softly. "Always trying to protect everyone."

Pyrrha nodded, a warm smile touching her lips. "Some things never change, across lives or centuries."

The conversation lapsed into thoughtful silence as Argus continued its journey through space. Each of them contemplating the complexities of immortal life and mortal love, and the courage it took to embrace both despite the inevitable pain.