The Last Chapter

So, he was back here, a short glass of liquor in one hand, while the other rested limply on the smooth surface of the bar. He wasn't exactly sure how much he had drank, but he knew it was a lot more than he had drunk in a very long time. Not that drink did much for him, he got a slight buzz but that was it, and that frustrated him to no end. All he wanted to do was forget, wipe his memory clean of the past decade, and move on with his life. He had done it before, and it had been for the best... perhaps it was time for another wipe. He took another swig, his hand reaching for the pocket at his breast, drawing out a single, crumpled page. He read it again.

She's safe, alive and healthy, she wants you to know she's found her own path, and that she will always love you.

His hand slowly closed, crushing the paper, his grip trembling as he finished another glass. He raised his hand, asking for another round, when someone grabbed his wrist, taking the glass. He heard it shatter on the floor next to him, accompanied by an angry growl.

"You're really pathetic sometimes." Zephyr scoffed, releasing his arm, and taking a seat at Cayde's side.

"You owe me a drink." The Exo replied, his tone low, threatening.

"What are you doing, Cayde?"

"What does it look like?"

Zephyr heaved a deep sigh, "You're trying, and failing I might add, to get drunk. Did you forget you're a big blue robot?"

Cayde remained silent, his gaze trained on the bar.

"Why are you back here Cayde, are you just going to hide in here, half drowning your feelings in drink?"

Cayde glanced at Zephyr, "That was the plan."

The Hunter studied his Vanguard for a moment, slowly shaking his head as if disappointed, "Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Cayde scoffed, "Why not? I'm over twenty-one, and emotionally distressed."

"You know what I mean, Cayde."

"I'm not sure I do." He leaned toward Zephyr, "But you know what I do? I could have you arrested and incarcerated for what you pulled the other night, how about that huh?"

"You know damn well it would raise hell if the Vanguard tried putting me in a cell." Zephyr replied, his eyes narrowing.

Cayde turned back to face the bar, his arms extended in front of him, yet he remained silent.

"Cayde…"

The Exo felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you didn't mean what you said the other day… and… I'm sorry for how I reacted."

"How you reacted!? You-!"

"Shut up, and let me finish!" Zephyr sighed in exasperation. "You can not let yourself fall back into this, you're better than that."

Cayde snorted, "Thanks for the opinion, now, if you'll excuse me." He got up from his seat, heading for the door.

"Cayde."

The Exo paused, his hand resting on the door handle.

"Don't give up on her, please, she's your kid, and that's never going to change." Zephyr continued gently.

Cayde said nothing for a long moment, his gaze staring at the door without seeing it. "Well, I guess I failed again then." saying this he left, Zephyr watching him leave, an inscrutable look on his face.

"Scotch please." He said, turning from the door, a sick feeling blooming in his gut.

"Yikes, what was that all about?"

Zephyr merely shook his head, not even bothering to turn to the man that had seated himself at the bar.

"Wouldn't have anything to do with little miss Kya would it?"

"I'm not in a joking mood Shin." Zephyr growled, sparing a glance at the grinning Hunter.

"She went off with the Wolf… didn't she? Even after I helped you find her, how very tragic." Malfur chuckled, leaning forward on the bar. "I thought for sure you'd drag her back, willing or not. But, I guess I underestimated your level of self control."

"What do you want, Shin?" He asked again, his tone growing more and more irritated.

"Nothing, it's just amusing to see the charismatic Cayde lose his moxy for once. She really had him wrapped around her little finger didn't she-"

"One more word and we'll finish that dual we started on the eastern slope." Zephyr cut him off, rage shining in his stormy eyes.

Shin held his hands up, "Alright, alright… but tell me, what did you say to her? I know you found her, and I also know that, had you really wanted her to return… she would have."

Zephyr took a deep breath, taking the glass that the bartender offered, before taking a long swig of the numbing liquor. "I told her to not be a pawn, and that I'd love her no matter what. Satisfied?"

Malphur studied him for a moment, "I suppose so, at least for the present." He drank from his glass, Zephyr guessed he had some strong whiskey when Shin winced as the drink ran down his throat. "I'll keep an eye on them… if you'd like."

The Hunter glanced at Shin in surprise, before suspicion crept into his gaze, "Why?"

"As a favor." Malphur replied coolly, sipping at his glass.

"Ah, so you're just randomly handing out favors now?"

"I don't need to explain myself, will you take my offer or not?"

Zephyr sighed, "Alright... I would appreciate that."

"Of course I'd expect a favor in return…"

"Ah, there it is."

Shin chuckled, "Hey, it's the least you can do after I've been so helpful." He stood from his seat, giving Zephyr a pat on the back, "I'll send a message your way in a day or so." Saying this he left Z to his drink.

Fenris was a quiet man that only spoke when completely necessary; she had come to this realization as he led her to where Ace and himself were living at present. He hadn't spoken a word since meeting with Marcus, and Kya hadn't felt like starting a conversation anyway. They were deep in the woods now, as they had been traveling due east for the majority of the day.

"Here." Fenris rumbled suddenly.

Kya looked up in surprise, her gaze settling on a ramshackle cabin that was covered in moss and leaves. It couldn't have sported more than one room, and she doubted it possessed the integrity to last the year.

"This is your base?" She asked incredulously.

"For the time being, we move around frequently." He replied, walking over to a nearby tree, "Go on, I'll wait out here." He continued, leaning against the stout trunk.

She regarded him with a suspicious look, "You're not coming inside?"

He shook his head, "He'd like to speak with you in private," He observed her unsure posture with a reassuring nod, "You'll understand when he starts talking. You have history together that you were never made aware of."

Kya's eyes widened in disbelief, "We've met before?"

A faint smile crept onto Fenris' lips, "Not my place to explain." He gestured for her to continue without him. "Go on, he's waiting."

The Huntress returned her attention to the cabin, a multitude of thoughts crowding her mind as she began to walk towards the door. She took hold of the latch, taking a deep breathe, before she pushed through the door. The interior of the cabin was dimly lit, yet cosy, with a small couch, rocking chair, fur rug, table, and a tiny wood stove and oven. She glanced at a door to her right, noting a little bedroom that was smaller than her closet back home… a pang of remorse flickered in her chest; no, she didn't have a home anymore.

"Ah, you're finally here! Please, make yourself comfortable." Ace greeted her from the rocking chair, his posture friendly and relaxed.

She nodded, tentatively making her way over to the couch, where she sat, her body tense, and palms sweating. "Fenris told me you wanted to speak in private?"

"Yes," He confirmed, eyeing her stiff posture with a look of mild concern, "I… wanted to explain everything to you… there's much that's been hidden from you about your past…"

Kya inclined her head, "He mentioned that… that you and I had history." She paused, "But, I don't see how that's possible, I had never seen you before the meeting at the cave."

Ace offered a sheepish smile, "It's a long, and rather complicated story." He cleared his throat, "I suppose I'll just start at the beginning…"

Kya's grip on her arm tightened, her mind racing with the possibilities he might reveal to her.

"A little over 30 years ago I happened upon a small village located in what was once southern China. The place had been infected with some form of disease, which had killed every inhabitant… except for a certain little girl, who I found hiding in the woods nearby." He paused allowing her a moment to digest his words. "She alone had survived, and was miraculously in perfect health. I couldn't just leave her there to die, so I took her with me, and I cared for her like she was my own for nearly a decade…" He hesitated, a look of profound sadness entering his gaze. "But, she was frail… and I.. was careless. She was accidently killed by a group of Guardians that had been sent to deal with me." Ace sucked in a pained breath, his eyes averted as if he were afraid to look at her. "I slaughtered the fireteam that killed her, and buried her remains under a maple tree on the edge of a glen."

Kya regarded him with a mixture of concern, confusion, and fear, "Why are you telling me this?"

Ace ran a hand over his face, peering at her from over his palm, "I'll let your Ghost tell you the rest." He said, his tone somber.

The Huntress narrowed her eyes at the man, and was about to question him again when Stardust fazed into the room, bobbing in front of her.

"So," She began, her voice sharp and irritated, "You're finally coming clean about this whole mess, hmm?

Ace rolled his eyes, "No thanks to you." He muttered.

The Ghost let out an indignant huff, turning to face Kya "I was hoping you'd never have to meet this good for nothing loafer.. But it seems like I was hoping for too much." She sighed, "I was indebted to him, he saved me from a group of Hive, and I swore I would repay him… my debt was repaid by resurrecting someone of his choice.. namely… you."

Kya's mouth hung agape in shock as her eyes locked on Ace, who suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "You- you were the reason I was brought back?" For a reason she wasn't sure her eyes began to fill with tears, "Why?"

"You were like my little sister, I loved you… I didn't want to live without you." He said softly, meeting her gaze once more.

"Then… Why was it Cayde that found me?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because I knew you'd never be safe out here with me. As for why Cayde… he wasn't originally who I had in mind to take you in… but I'd say it worked out for the best, you were well guarded, and trained well to boot." Ace swallowed hard, and shifted so that he was leaning forward, "I was actually planning on leaving you be… you seemed happy after all, and I didn't want to take that from you." His face darkened slightly, "But then I saw how they were trying to control you after your accidental meeting with Fenris… they sent you away, and once you came back they never stopped watching you." His gaze grew more intense, "They would never trust you, so I stepped in." He fell silent, his eyes studying her for answers.

Kya didn't know how to process what she had just heard, or how she should feel. She had many of the answers she had set out for now… and yet she felt just as lost as before. Without thinking Kya stood, earning a look of surprise and concern from both Star, and Ace.

"I need a moment alone…" She mumbled, moving to step out the door.

"Kya…" Star started.

"Just… let me think." She interrupted, heading out the door with quick steps.

Fenris regarded her with a cool expression that revealed nothing of his thoughts, "I assume he told you what you needed to know?" He asked, watching as she brushed past him without pause.

She had to get away for a moment, she needed to breathe, to process what she had learned in solitude. She walked about a half mile before stopping, her breathing shallow.

Ace! Wait for me!

She clapped her palms to her temples, squeezing her eyes shut as a wave of nausea washed over her.

Where are we going?

To the old shrine, remember? The one with the big maple?

Oh! I love maples!

She heard laughter, a young girl and man's laughter. They sounded happy. She looked up, her surroundings were muddled in a foggy haze as if she were dreaming. Ace and a small girl were sat together beside a huge tree, it's leaves a fiery red with the coming autumn. He was busy handing her a part of a ration, which she waited impatiently for, her legs kicking restlessly in front of her.

"I'm starving!" The girl exclaimed, shoving a fist full of bread in her mouth as soon as Ace handed it to her.

Kya stared in shock. That was… her. She couldn't mistake that mop of white hair that was cut short like a boys, or those two moon-like eyes looking straight through her.

"Slow down! You'll bite a finger off eating like that." Ace admonished, an affectionate grin on his face as he too began to eat.

What was this? Was she remembering her past? But… how was that possible? Guardians weren't supposed to remember. The light around her flickered, sending her surrounding into an inky black, the voices of the Ace and her younger self faded into the void.

No! Qara!

She jumped at the sound of a man's scream, it was a heartbroken sound. An invisible battle raged around her, the sounds of shouts, supers, and gunfire filled the blackness around her. A final exclamation of agony heralded the end of the violence, which was followed by an eerie silence.

"Qara…" She heard Ace murmur.

Kya turned, spotting him kneeling a few feet away, his back turned to her. She swallowed hard, before taking a few steps toward him. She watched in numb shock as Ace cradled the body of the girl, tears trailing down his cheeks as he delicately brushed hair away from her lifeless face. Her eyes were still opened, shock frozen in their depths; a small hand rested limply on her waist, stained scarlet from the bullet wound in her chest. Kya felt a wetness on her face as Ace reached to close the girl's eyes, his touch lingering on her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, kiddo." He whispered, hugging her little body to his chest, his shoulders trembling.

The Huntress brought a hand to her mouth, tears blurring her vision as her body shook. She wanted to scream, to run, to curl and a ball and cry. The vision of Ace faded, reality settling back into her focus. Kya's breathing was labored as she stumbled over to a tree, leaning on it for support, before hurling, her head spinning from nausea. She slid down the trunk when she finished, her eyes unfocused and boby slack. She… just wanted to rest…

"What do you mean she just… passed out?!" Ace asked, concern in his voice.

Fenris shrugged, the motion lifting Kya's limp form slightly in his arms. "Perhaps the information was too much to handle…" He glanced down at her thoughtfully, "She is very small…"

"I doubt that's the reason." Ace mumbled, his gaze locking on the girl's Ghost, "Did you sense anything from her?"

Star bobbed, "Yes, a feeling of distress.. But I figured she was just upset from hearing your news."

Ace ran a hand over his face, before motioning towards the cabin's only room, "Just… lay her down in there."

Fenris nodded, moving to place Kya on the cot in the room, before stepping out and closing the door behind him. He leaned against the frame, crossing his arms over his chest, "Now what? If she can't even handle a hard truth then I'm not sure she's worth our time-" He paused at a look from Ace, "In my opinion…" He mumbled.

"We can question her when she wakes, until then, please reserve your judgments." Ace said coldly, seating himself on the couch.

"I could wake her up now…." Star began.

"No, just let her rest. She deserves a break." Ace interrupted as he pulled a knife from his belt.

"Ah…" Fenris muttered, his eyes dipping to glance at his wrist as it emitted a shrill beep. "It appears Hawddgar has located us."

Ace froze, the sharpening stone in his hand hovering above his blade. "How?"

He shook his head, "I'm not sure, though… I have a hunch." Fenris pushed off the doorframe, heading for the door, "I'll be back shortly." saying this he left.

Ace heaved a deep sigh, running the stone along his dagger, "I was under the impression Zephyr wasn't getting involved." he stated, glancing up at Star.

She twisted her frame in contemplation, "So was I…"

Fenris didn't think he had ever seen Hawddgar so grim looking, and he had no doubt in his mind that his mood was directly related to events he had caused. Bracing himself for whatever the Hunter might do, he began closing the distance.

"I've come to warn you…" Zephyr began, his back turned as he spoke, "They've sent a raid team out looking for you. Cayde has officially labeled all three of you as traitors and a danger to the Tower… you need to leave, and lay low until everything dies down a bit." He turned, his gaze intense.

"Is this a peace offering?" Fenris asked with a rueful grin, a feeling of smug satisfaction growing when the Hunters eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Make no mistake, I'm only doing this for Kya." He took a few steps forward, "And if anything should happen to her because of you or your partner… I will make it my dying ambition to kill both of you."

Fenris nodded, "Of course. I'd expect nothing less from the Legendary Zephyr Hawddgar." He too took a step forward, leaving their faces mere inches apart, "But let me offer a warning of my own…" All mirth drained from his face, "The Guardians of your precious Tower have forgotten what it's like to live in fear of death. They've become prideful, and lazy, but war is coming, war that will test your brethren's metal in battle…" There was a flinty glint in his eye as he continued, "You should advise them that it would be unwise to waste valuable warriors on hunting Fenris Tyrnn… they won't be returning."

Zephyr studied him for a moment, a hard look in his eyes, "I'd advise you to leave before tomorrow morning." This said he fazed into nothing, leaving Fenris standing alone in the woods.

Kya awoke with a start, a cold sweat sticking uncomfortably to her forehead. "I remember! I… remember… everything…" She continued muttering to herself as she studied her trembling hands, her mind still clouded with sleep. The Huntress squeezed her hands into fists. Ace had been telling the truth all along, and not only that… but everything she was, everything she had done and accomplished… was all because of him. He was the reason Cayde had found her. He was the one that had wanted her brought back; she had never been one of the Travelers chosen… she had never deserved her place at the Tower, or her training as a Guardian. Yet, despite this realization, Kya felt a strange sense of relief, and clarity she hadn't possessed in a long time, and it comforted her. She had always wondered why she had been chosen, and what her purpose was, and now… everything was so clear. To think she had been brutally murdered by the very people she had called friends… this thought sombered her. She had trusted all Guardians, idolizing the warriors at the Tower, she had wanted to be just like them… unaware that they were just as guilty of brutality and murder as the Fallen or Hive. She ran her hands over her face and through her hair, finding that it was hopelessly tangled. Heaving a deep sigh, she got to her feet, her eyes locked on the door handle as she hesitated to open it. Bracing herself, she opened the door, startling Ace who was seated on the edge of the couch arm. He stood, studying her intently as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't figure out what. An intense emotion washed over Kya at the sight of him, she couldn't place what it was, but before he could react Kya embraced him. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks as she felt Ace tense in surprise; a moment passed and Ace slowly returned her gesture.

The Huntress could sense his confusion, so she said quietly, "I remember everything… Qara was my name… right?"

The man's spine went rigid, and he held her at arm's length, his gaze roaming her face for answers, "How do you know that?"

Kya flushed, embarrassed that she acted so rashly towards him. Of course he doubted her, she must sound insane. "I-I remember back then… my first life… and you. I was killed in a maple grove by a shrine, right?"

Ace's eyes widened, his grip on her shoulders tightening slightly, "How is this possible?" He murmured, sorrow and guilt creeping into his expression.

She shook her head, "I don't know." She smiled softly at him, "I'm just relieved to finally know the truth, and to have found someone from my past." Kya saw his eyes begin to moisten, so she placed a comforting hand on his arm. She was surprised when Ace hugged her once more, his heartbeat thumped loudly against her eardrum as droplets fell on her brow.

They separated after a moment, with Ace saying, "I'm glad to finally have you back Q- I mean.. Kya."

Kya considered this for a moment, "I think… I'd like to use my birth name."

Ace eyed her with mock suspicion, "Are you sure about that?"

She nodded.

"Alright… Qara."

"This'll be nice traveling weather." Fenris remarked, his wild mane of hair whipping in the wind.

Qara nodded in agreement, glancing up at Ace's face, "When did you want to head out?"

"Within the hour. That fireteam Hawddgar warned of will be here by tonight, lucky for us they're taking their sweet time getting here." He replied with a grin.

The three companions stood together in a comfortable silence for a moment, it had been nearly a month since Kya had forsaken the Tower, and thanks to Zephyr they had managed to stay ahead of their hunters.

Qara ran a hand through her now short hair, she loved the feeling of the wind against her scalp, and she regretted not cutting it sooner. The small cliff they stood on afforded a fantastic view of the land they would soon traverse. "Hope it doesn't doesn't rain, those clouds don't look promising."

Fenris shook his head, "If it does it'll only be light showers, those aren't thunderheads." His lips turned in the faintest hint of a smile, "I'd rather a little rain then heat and mosquitoes."

Both he and Ace grinned as Qara shivered dramatically, remembering when they were forced to truck through boggy land down south, attracting ungodly amounts of the little blood suckers to their splashing.

"I don't understand why you two bring that up like it's funny, they got you guys just as much as me." Qara muttered.

"True, but we didn't swell up like a balloon afterward." Fenris replied, his gaze trained on the terrain in front of him.

Qara flushed in irritation, but she graciously decided to not pursue the jab.

"How close do you think we are to locating him?" She asked, changing the subject.

There was a pause, before Fenris began, "I'm not sure, Qara. He's a hard man to find, and I'm almost certain he was tipped off that we're looking for him." He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes making their way to her face, "You shouldn't worry, we'll find him soon, and we'll have our answers."

Qara inclined her head, returning her gaze to the land below, a soft smile on her lips. She was finally getting the answers she wanted. She was free to do whatever she pleased. She had her own path that she, and she alone had chosen to follow. There was no going back now. A grand adventure awaited her, and she would never look back.

The End