I do not own destiny.

I do own Ashura and Kira, But not Loki, Lion, or Danny.

It had been months since she had made her vow to cayde-6. She now spent the majority of her time, training with him either in crucible or around the tower itself. She had even gotten both commander Zavala and Ikora to join in on their training. This is what they were currently doing, as a matter of fact. Ashura was enjoying her training with the vanguard leaders. They were tough on her, but she took it as a must, seeing as they couldn't show mercy to friend nor foe. She was currently in a rumble match with them and another brave soul that joined in, Shaax had joined in as well which meant it was four against two, because everyone was trying to shut down the strongest people they knew, and were failing miserably.

Ashura, however, was not targeting Shaax, who everyone else seemed to be targeting; she was going after Cayde, because every time he found her he made some quick remark before he vanished again. That alone was making her rage. She heard a heavy footstep behind her and her eyes went wide as she was sent flying from a Shaax shoulder charge.

"Sorry guardian, but this has become a competition between the elite." He said as she tried to catch her breath, but the static shock that had come from his fist wiped her off the map. Her ghost dropped her back in the same spot, which made her heart skip a beat, seeing as Shaax had just blasted another guardian halfway across the training map. "Oh... god..." she managed as he stood and turned around to face her. "Oh? Returned for more, have you?" He asked and her knees began to shake as he strolled forwards.

"Brave, but counterproductive." He said; as he lunged forwards to shoulder charge her. She spun on her heel and tried to run in the opposite direction, only for a hunter's throwing knife to hit her right in the center of her forehead and she hit the ground, only for her body to vanish and appear somewhere else a few seconds later. "They are actually going to kill me here." She managed, and then saw a guardian running for his life. "Who is it?" She asked and he screamed his terror as Shaax shoulder charged around the corner. That was all it took for her to turn and take off running once more. The regular guardians were scared out of their minds, while the elite thought this was the most fun they had had in a long time.

"Does your head hurt?"

A fire was lit just then. His taunting tone enraged her to no end. She spun on her heel from the run and sent him through a wall with a shoulder charge. That was it; she was going to run now. She had accomplished what she had set out to do for the moment. She grabbed a ledge and began climbing up the wall, trying to find a place where they couldn't find her. She ducked down into a crack in between two buildings that had collapsed and she crouched there.

Something stuck to her leg and she looked at it, only to grab it, her heart skipping a solid beat, and toss it back down onto the male warlock below that had thrown it at her. He screamed when it exploded, which caused Ashura's breath to hitch. She peered up over the ledge to see who was nearby. She didn't see anyone down below, but the hair on the back of her neck was standing on end. She knew there was someone nearby, but she just couldn't figure out who. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Miss me?"

She snarled and spun herself around, sending her exo leg flying at him to try and knock him away from her. "Look here, Cayde." She snarled as she lunged to hit him. "I know this was your idea!" She snapped and he placed his hand on his chest and stood in an offended manner. "I started nothing." He said and she snarled angrily.

"I just got shoulder charged by Shaax! Do you have any idea how much that hurts?!" She snarled and he chuckled as he dodged her rapid fists. "No, and I don't feel like feeling it either." He said and he jumped backwards out of the collapsed building, forcing her to chase him once more. She lunged to build up the force for her shoulder charge, and he allowed her to get close enough to release said energy.

But it just so happened, that once she did release said energy, he bowed, and jumped out of the way. That was when she had noticed that it was a trap and he had forced her to shoulder charge right at both Zavala and Shaax, who appeared to all have been trying to shoulder charge Cayde. She didn't even feel pain from the impact of their shoulder charges, she just felt the feeling of flying for two seconds and then she landed back in the map elsewhere.

She looked at the scoreboard and she whimpered. All three of the titans had just been returned to the map, herself, Shaax, and Zavala. Ikora had just wiped out Cayde and the other guardian. She flopped onto the ground and just sat there, not caring who came across her, which just happened to be the other non-elite guardian, the warlock guy. He waddled over and plopped down next to her. "This is hell..." She said and he nodded solemnly. "I thought this would be fun... but... I think everyone in the tower is just amused with watching us all get owned by the elites." He sighed and she nodded.

"Ashura." She greeted, holding out a hand. "Floyd..." he sighed as he shook her hand. "Here comes death again." He sighed and she nodded with a pout, both of them feeling the static charge coming from above. They could feel the static so close to them, but then it just vanished completely. They looked up behind them to see both Ikora and Cayde. "Hey kids, how are you two doing?" Cayde asked and they both whimpered.

"Not so well. Are you all going to stop targeting us now?" She asked and Cayde laughed. "It just got fun; fighting each other is more fun than tormenting the students." He said and they both sighed. "You should know Ashura, you sent my flying. Isn't it more fun to win against someone you thought was superior?" He asked and a snarl crossed Ashura's lips. "Now listen here! You put a knife in my forehead! You then led me to both Shaax and Zavala, and now you expect me to think it's fun!?" She snapped and he laughed. "You have some sort of sick twisted sense of fun you ass!" She snarled and Floyd snorted.

"This has been one hell of a match for you hasn't it?" He asked and she glared at Floyd. "It hasn't for you? I saw Shaax vanquish you too! And then I threw your grenade back at you." She quipped and he chuckled. "Yeah, it is all in good fun though." He said with a shrug. An extremely irate look crossed her features when she snapped to face him. "Not when he leads you out of your hiding space, acts like he's going to let you kill him, and then you get completely obliterated by Zavala and Sax's shoulder charges!" She snapped and he stared at her in awe. "That must have hurt." He said and she breathed a deep sigh, only to flop backwards and then scream when Zavala's fist of havoc descended on them.

That wound up being the end of the match, and they were all dropped back into the tower in front of the steps. Zavala and Shaax chuckled and bumped fists, since they were tied at the top of the score board. Ashura's temper began to flare as the two titans chattered amongst themselves. "You big hulking ass wipes." She snarled and they both turned to face her, and both stopped their victorious chatter. "Guardian... don't worry, you'll do better next time." Shaax said in his comforting tone of voice, which caused Ashura to yell in anger, and then stomp away.

"I'm never training with all of you in one place again." She snapped and Cayde began laughing. "I told you she would flip her lid! It was awesome though! Watching the tiny hunter/ titan try and go against both of you at once!" He chuckled and Floyd's voice vanished as a dark aura seemed to engulf Ashura. Ikora stepped away from Cayde and gave Ashura a 'go ahead and strike' wave. As soon as the two titans had transferred the glimmer over to Cayde, he was sent flying straight down the staircase leading to the vanguard room, where usually... they were all standing around the table talking strategy.

Someone across the way snorted out a Crota... and thus... her nickname came to be Crota. She had no idea who it was, but she glared at the general direction it had come from, only for all the guardians to be laughing.

"I'll show you Crota..." She snarled as she made her way over to the barracks. Once there, she received a fire team invite, which basically is a formal invitation to be someone's go to team member. A grin crossed her lips once she saw it was Floyd. A new friend, that was great! She accepted and noticed that both her brother and Lion were in his group as well. She received a message from her older brother asking if she were prepared for a mission to patrol Venus the next day.

"Don't mind if I do... I'm getting sick of this tower." She said to herself with a grin.

:-:-:-:-:-:

When Ashura landed on Venus, she was surprised at how luscious and green it was. She hadn't seen actual living trees in such a long time, other than the ones in the tower of course, but those didn't count. Those weren't trees like these; these were the ones from the jungles on earth, with vines and moss. She supposed there weren't any creatures living in them, judging by the severe lack of oxygen here, despite all the trees. She guessed that the majority of the oxygen produced by the trees was high, but there were other pollutants in the air that could kill someone if they removed their respirators...

Thunder rang out loudly from overhead and she looked up to see a group of particularly dark clouds. "Guys I think it's going to rain." She called out as both Loki and Lion strolled up behind her. "That's fine, we are just here to gather spirit bloom and raid fallen chests." Loki said and she nodded. "The fallen aren't very clever when it comes to hiding the chests. They tend to put them in corners, under ledges, or in dark rooms, so split up and find some. Holliday needs ship links." Loki said and she nodded.

She made her way over into one building and cringed when gunshots echoed through the small space, hurting her ears. She turned to see a fallen dreg had been aiming towards her, but was repeatedly missing. It flashed through her mind, the promise she had made to Cayde, but then it had also gone through her mind that this one had been shooting at her.

She aimed at it, but her eyes widened when someone who looked exactly like her had shot it down first. "Ashura?" She called out and Ashura rushed at the other person, her twin sister Kira. "Kira oh my god." She said as she embraced the equally short girl. "You're a titan?" Ashura asked and Kira nodded. "Ashura, what is it?" Loki yelled out and Kira glanced in that direction, only for Ashura to nod. "Loki!" She exclaimed and Loki froze for a moment, and then slid down the hill to greet her.

"They really like us then huh?" He asked and the two shrugged in sync. "Not a clue... one would guess though, y'know." Kira said and Ashura nodded. Thunder rumbled loudly overhead and they looked up to see heavy dark clouds coming in overhead. "Lion and I are going to continue gathering ship links, you two should as well. We need to get out of here as fast as possible." Loki said and Ashura nodded, glancing over at her twin sister, who nodded as well.

"Ok so let's explore!" Kira said and Ashura nodded. "I found this pathway over there that looks like it may lead somewhere important. Hop on your sparrow and follow me." She said and Ashura nodded once more, summoning her sparrow and jumping onto it. "So how long have you been in the tower?" Ashura asked and Kira shrugged. "I just arrived today; I was revived in the Vestian outpost, in the reef." She explained and Ashura nodded. "So, how long have you been at the tower, Loki is a rank 32, same for lion, but you're a rank 23." She said and Ashura sighed. "Not long enough, I suppose. Ashura sighed and Kira shrugged as she rounded a corner.

"It's up those steps over there, we just have to get past the fallen and vex that are fighting up there. I was trying to get past them when my ghost told me something was amiss, and someone was nearby." She said as she jumped off her sparrow and pulled her shotgun. It was pink with some sort of emblem on it; it was familiar, yet distant in her mind as to what it was. "I heard you were the apprentice of one Eris morn. How is that working for you?" She asked and a slow smile crossed Ashura's lips. "She's a diligent teacher. I'm supposed to meet up with her today after we are done here." Ashura said and Kira nodded.

"That's great! I'm glad you have a great mentor as well. I've been receiving assistance from the Queen's brother. The queen is a fearsome woman to most people... but I guess she just doesn't scare me. She doesn't seem to be the type to just be cruel for no reason. She's had a troubled past." Kira explained as she took aim and took down a captain that had rushed at her. "What is the reef like?" Ashura asked and Kira thought for a moment, before lunging and knocking one of the dregs out of the way.

"It's a strange place, with a mechanical beauty." She began and Ashura continued to listen to her sister, enjoying the description of the reef. "There are Fallen everywhere, but they are swathed in green. They represent the treaty between the Awoken and the fallen. The queen showed them her mercy, and they live in the reef with the awoken." Kira said and Ashura stared at her in surprise. "So cayde-6 was right, the fallen can be shown kindness..." She whispered and Kira nodded.

"As much happiness that this brings me, I cannot trust the one called Skolas, he doesn't seem like the type to give in so easily." She whispered and Ashura frowned beneath her helmet. "He's a kell, isn't he?" She asked and Kira nodded. "Yeah, I think he had ulterior motives for joining the queen, and I don't think the queen will take any betrayals lightly." Kira said and Ashura nodded as they ascended the steps. There was a large circular piece of metal in front of them now and it looked as if with the right actions, it would open.

Kira crouched next to the edge of it and waved Ashura over. "See, there's a pathway leading down there, I wonder where it goes." Kira muttered and Ashura froze for a moment, her throat going dry and her fingers trembling. "Come... to me..." a mechanical voice echoed from within. "Surrender to me... the light that dwells within your form... Give me your sacrifice... so I may return..." the mechanical voice hissed and Ashura tried her best to speak, to move, or to even swallow... but the darkness that had taken hold of her was overwhelming.

"Ashura!" Kira called out to her and even shook her, but gained no response from her. "Open my gates, face the trials, encounter my Templar, and surrender the light of the worthy to me... Atheon." The voice said and Ashura fell over backwards, her eyes rolling up into her head as she lost consciousness.

:-:

Ashura woke up in the tower, not in her bed, but instead against the wall of the vanguard room. "Hey! Sleeping beauty is finally awake!" Cayde exclaimed excitedly and Ashura couldn't hold back the annoyed look that had crossed her face when he had come into her line of sight. "You know, you and your sister could almost be identical twins, except she's pinky with the green eyes, and you're zombie chick albino. Same general appearance though." He said and she growled deep in her throat.

"Ok, so who thought it would be funny to leave me in here." She grumbled and a familiar face entered her line of sight. "Kira, hey." She greeted and the pink haired girl smiled at her. "Your roots are showing, pinky." Ashura said and Kira laughed. "I know, it wasn't my idea to even dye my hair, I can blame a certain prince for a bet I lost." She sighed and patted her right leg, which had a metallic sound to it as well. "Ah... so you did lose the leg..." Kira said and Ashura nodded. "Yeah, but I'm alright. I see you did as well." Ashura said and Kira nodded.

"Yeah... Kabr here didn't realize it was gone when he brought me back." She sighed and Kira laughed. "At least you didn't have to get a new one out in the field. Uldren and I were fighting off the hive to protect one of our fallen and I got caught up in the midst of four knights. My leg is not completely exo, like yours. The majority of it was pieced on just so that I wouldn't have to fuse my body with the leg. I'm really only missing right below my knee and my foot." Kira said and Ashura nodded.

"It's making me sick, but Uldren has an idea of how to help me." Kira said with a smile and Ashura eyed her with a hopeful look. "What's it like in the reef?" Ashura asked and Kira grinned widely. "Let's take a walk and I will tell you all about it!" She said and helped Ashura off the floor.

Ashura smiled and Cayde-6 stared at her for a moment, but nodded and trotted away, thinking that she would be better off with her sister at this moment. "Hey, Ashi... is there anywhere that we could go and sit while still being able to look at everything?" Kira asked and Ashura thought for a moment then nodded at her sister. "Yeah, follow me." Ashura said and Kira furrowed her brows at her for a moment.

"Does it involve sitting on the railings of the tower, I don't approve if that is what you mean by that." she said and Ashura rolled her eyes and shook her head at her twin. "What? You know how I am when looking right down at my impending death." She said and Ashura smirked. "Don't worry I won't kill you, it has a ledge below it so you can't see the ground, I promise." Ashura said and Kira frowned at her twin, who just returned a smile.

"Fine, but if I don't return you're going to explain to Uldren why I'm not coming back." Kira snapped, but Ashura just rolled her eyes, knowing her sister was messing with her, as usual. They made their way up to Eris' normal perch and she greeted them. "Hello, you must be Eris, I'm Kira." She said and Eris nodded slightly, causing Ashura to crack a smile. "We look the same don't we?" Ashura asked and Eris nodded.

"I guess some things will have to change." Kira sighed and Ashura smirked as she tossed her legs over the railing and sat down on it. She looked up at the sky and sighed with a smile. "It's so nice, having you around again..." Ashura said with a small smile as Eris turned to face them completely." Ashura, while you are here I would recommend training to focus your abilities into something else." Eris interjected and Ashura nodded, Kira watched her in confusion because she did not quite understand what the two were talking about. The green orb in Eris' hand hovered around her with swift movements. Eris sent the orb flying at Ashura who took a deep breath and held one hand out to allow it to hover in front of her hand. She released her held breath and began trying to make the orb hover around as effortlessly as Eris had made it.

When Ashura was making it hover it would randomly drop then jolt up. "Either way, while Ashura works on trying to manifest her energy as something other than a... 'super' you may talk to her. She's doing much better than she was when she first started, but she needs to be able to do it absent mindedly." Eris explained and Kira nodded. "Ashura had her head cocked to the side and she was staring intently at the ball in her grasp. "Float damn you." She grumbled, only to smirk when it twitched and then a look of terror crossed her face as the orb shot at her face. Eris laughed lightly and halted the orb in midair. "Try again, just a little less concentration on your forehead." Eris said and Ashura nodded as she focused on the ball once more. "So, Kira... tell me about the reef." Ashura said and Kira nodded with a smile, enjoying the feeling of having seen her sister smile.

"Well, for starters... there's the queen. Lovely lady, really." Kira said and Eris nodded. "Mara is a very respectable woman, her strength knows no bounds." Eris said and Kira grinned. "She really is. Prince Uldren has major smart ass syndrome, but once you get to know him he's an ok guy. Although, he loves getting up in everyone's personal space." Kira said and Ashura rolled her eyes while she listened intently to her. "The awoken can sometimes be stuck up and cocky..." Kira said and Ashura snorted as the person she was just thinking of walked up. "Ah, lion... Kira here has found your family." Ashura said and He rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, squirrels?" he spat out and Ashura snorted. "No! That's just your thoughts. She said the awoken are just like you." Ashura said and Lion's brow vanished into his parted bangs. "Ah, for once... a joke that is not actually a joke... I suppose I should be taken by surprise." He sighed and she rolled her eyes and waved him off, but the orb followed her hand and came flying back around him and at her once more. She held up her hands and stopped it, only to grin. "Cool... I figured it out." She said and tried to make it hover back around Lion, but it shook and fell towards the ground, only for Eris to pull it back to her before it could hit the ground.

"Anyways..." Lion sighed as he scratched his forehead. "The speaker wants us to come see him." He said and Ashura frowned, but stood and followed him. "Ashura... I'm coming too." Kira said and Ashura frowned. "It's about the vault..." Ashura said and Kira nodded. "I know, we were both there and something in there messed with your head, you are not going in without me." Kira said and Ashura nodded, a small smile adorning her lips as her sister rushed to follow her and lion. They made their way to the speaker, where Loki, Floyd and a new face were.

"Kira, Ashura, Lion... this is Danny. He will be delving into the depths of the vault with you." The speaker said and Ashura held out a hand to him and he smiled with a nod. "Titan... titan... warlock, hunter, warlock, and... me." Ashura said and a frown crossed her lips. "Striker, defender, voidwalker, sunsinger, blade dancer, and the half breed." She said and nodded. "This should work well." She said and they all nodded. "Especially since you all know each other so well, hopefully I don't get in the way too much." Danny said and Kira smiled. "We're all going to do just fine..." She said and the speaker handed them each a beacon. "If you need help, press this... I will send someone to help you all out of the vault if the need arises." He said and they all nodded, placing the beacons in the pockets over their hearts.

The speaker escorted them all to their ships and he folded his hands behind his back as the vanguard leaders stepped into the docking area as well. "Titans, defend and protect with the best of your ability." Zavala said and saluted to Kira and Danny. "Warlocks... strategize this all... do not let yourselves or your teammates fall into a predicament that could have easily been avoided because of poor planning." Ikora said and fisted her right hand over her heart. "Lion.... Don't get into too much trouble... And... Ashura... be safe. All of you... be safe... you're all my beloved children, even if you are not hunters... you're family to this tower... so come back." Cayde-6 said and the group all nodded.

The three vanguard leaders each gave their version of a salute, and the six of them boarded their ships.

"Two will fall, and four shall rise... who are the few that meet their demise?" Eris morn's voice drifted through the air as she eyed the six ships that were lined up to take off. The frown on her lips went unseen, but the worry in her heart did not rest.

"Forgive me Ashura... I should not have trained you to go into this..."