I do not own destiny.

It had been about a week since the day he had left her standing there and nothing interesting had happened. She had gone out on patrols, no doubt to see him once more and he withheld the sigh that threatened to escape him at the thought. He was flipping through his maps in irritation, he wanted to go do something but he had been told by Zavala to look over some things happening on a few of their planets. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary so he wanted to go eat. He wanted to do anything except stay here.

"Are you ok, Cayde?" she asked and he jolted to look up at her. He hadnt even known she had come into the room. So that was a shock to him. He sighed and stopped circling things on his maps as he turned to look at her. "I'm so sick of working on these maps today..." he sighed and she smiled softly at him. Seemed she wasn't mad at him for what he did the other day, which was good for him.

"Wanna bail?" she asked and he looked over at her oddly. She never wanted to take off with him anymore, not since the last time they had been caught by Zavala. The thought still amused him to no end. "Do you have any idea how much trouble I would be in if Zavala caught me?" he asked and she smirked. He loved that smirk so very much; it was so tempting. "But Cayde... he isn't here." she pointed out and he thought it over a moment then tossed his map down on the table. He thought it over once more but then a chuckle escaped him and he took off out of the room, leaving Ikora amused as they ran past her.

She wouldn't tell Zavala, seeing as she would take off sometimes too. He was caught off guard as her fingers slipped between his and she started leading him down to the civilian part of the city. When they got down there everyone crowded around him and her and she let go of his hand as they all began talking to him. "You sure have a lot of friends..." She said and he nodded. "Of course. I come down here quite a bit when I need to get away." he said and she nodded. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down an alleyway and into an open bazaar. At the end of the open path was a series of small restaurants. He rushed her into towards the small ramen joint, but she froze and shoved him backwards when she saw something.

He didn't know what she had seen but it was something that terrified her by the look on her face. "Cayde we can't go there!"she whispered and he rolled his eyes in amusement. His amusement was soon enough stifled when he took a peek inside and saw a familiar set of armor. He rushed around the corner and hid from the man, waiting on her to join him in their escape but she never came back.

He could hear her talking but he couldn't make out the words that were being said until she said something a little louder. "Oh... hey. How are you today commander?" he ducked back around the corner and listened to them as they talked within the stand, only to hear Zavala in good humor when he asked where he was hiding. Seemed he wasn't going to be mad if he joined them, so he swept into the ramen bar just as he heard Zavala make a comment that embarrassed him.

"Cayde has a very distinct ticking when he is nervous. That is why he can never lie to me." He tried to hide the embarrassment as he swept into the stand but Zavala gave him an amused glance. "Hey buddy, how are you?" he asked and Zavala shook his head, but handed a bowl of the spicy noodles to him. "I figured it would be about this time where Cayde would take off for food." He said to Ashura who bit her lip to try and avoid smiling. "Hey now, you know these noodles are the best." he said and Zavala chuckled lightly. "Of course." "So... Ashura..." Zavala began as he looked over at her. "How is he treating you so far?" he asked and she looked over at him with a mouth full of noodles.

"What?" she asked once she swallowed her bite. "Uldren? Is he treating you well?" Zavala asked and he froze mid bite, he didn't like where this conversation was going at all. He had wanted to spend time with her without the other man being brought up in the slightest. "I swear on my life Ashura, I did not tell him." he said defensively and Ashura looked over at Zavala who shook his head in amusement. "The queen brought it to my attention. She has also made it clear to him that it won't be pretty if he hurts you." Zavala said as he spun his fork around in his noodles. "We aren't together... but he does worry for me... So, I guess that is something." She sighed and Zavala nodded.

"That knife is a gift from him I am sure." Zavala pointed out and she nodded. "Yeah." she said as she pulled it from its sheathe. Zavala looked over it and nodded. "That is a very nice one indeed." He said and she ran her fingers over the dull side of the blade. "Yeah... it is." she said with a smile and he patted her on the shoulder. "You don't feel pressured into this, do you?" he asked and she blinked over at him in confusion. "He has no idea what the actual book of Osiris says, but the Queen and I do. As I am sure they have informed you as well?" he asked and she nodded. "No... no pressure." she whispered and he nodded.

Cayde just continued to listen to their conversation in a solemn silence. This was the last conversation he had wanted to listen to but there was nothing he could do to change the subject now. He felt like Zavala was doing this to him on purpose and he couldn't understand it. He looked over to the man who was watching him intently as he stirred his noodles in a circle. He was doing this for a reason it seemed.

"Good. I would hate to have to ground you to the tower to keep you safe..." he said with a sigh and she smiled but Cayde frowned, that was a jab at him. "Do you think you could save him?" Zavala asked and Ashura looked down at her soup. "I... don't know... but I want to. I want to help him." She whispered and he watched her softly. "Do you love him?" he asked and Cayde coughed loudly. He was done with this conversation. "She loves me and that man cannot have her." He chimed in and Ivara zapped him. "I don't know... but I do really like him..." She said then set her fork in her bowl. "Zavala, he told me about what happened on the moon... How Petra took responsibility for the deaths of those guardians..." She whispered and both the vanguard leaders looked over to her.

"He said he didn't want to hurt them. He told me and it was the lives of the many over the lives of the few. I know it is cruel... but I would rather save a bunch of lives rather than just a few..." She whispered and he nodded. "Of course, I suppose I am bitter because those were my friends." Zavala bit out softly and Ashura nodded. "I understand that well." She whispered and he nodded. "Ashura... Please be careful." Zavala sighed and she nodded. "Of course. I wasn't planning on diving in head first. He understands I have my duties here at the tower." She said and Zavala nodded as Cayde pecked around at his food more. He was losing to the other man and there was nothing he could do.

"Ashura... You are still my friend as well, right?" he asked and she nodded. "Of course, Cayde." She said and grabbed his hand softly. "I promise." He nodded and she smiled at Zavala. "So... how is Nina?" She asked and he rolled his eyes. "Curious. You seem to know something you think I don't. Would you care to elaborate?" he said with an amused smirk and she stared at him in shock. She punched him lightly in the shoulder and he chuckled. "You know she is in love with you?!" she whispered angrily and he nodded. "Of course, she doesn't make it hard. The only person she gets nervous around is me." He said and she frowned at him. "So why don't you make a move?" Ashura asked and Cayde nodded in agreement. He was all for this, because Zavala deserved someone who loved him too.

"Unlike you, the flirt." He said pointing at him. "And you the hopeless romantic." He pointed at her. "I understand my duties are for the tower." He said and she frowned at him. "But... What if something happens and you never get the chance to find someone?" She asked and he frowned. "Then I accept that fate." he sighed and Ashura frowned. "Well, I think you should try to make something of it while you can, Zavala. In all respect, you have a duty to yourself as well. We go into battle almost every day, fight the easy fight every now and then. Not everything has to be a war." Ashura said and he nodded in agreement. Ashura could bring up valid points sometimes. He just wished the easy fight for him was getting her to love him.

"True... you do have a point. I will think it over, but I still don't think there is any room for that for me." He said and Cayde laughed. "Trust me, I didn't think it was there for me either." Cayde said and Ashura gave him a dirty look. "Is that why Misra was yelling about getting into your pants?" she asked and Cayde looked at her oddly. "Uh... No. No offense, but she is bonkers. She stole my pants, my lucky pants." He said and both she and Zavala started laughing. "So, she literally got into your pants." Ashura laughed lightly and he sighed. "At least it's better than getting detonated." he grumbled and she smiled.

"Yeah that doesn't happen anymore." she said and he nodded. "Good, because I was genuinely worried about you." Cayde said and Ashura shoved him. "Yeah, keep pushing your luck and see how far it gets you." She said and he chuckled lowly. She looked up to see the sun setting low and she sighed. "I think we should head on back to the tower." She sighed and they nodded as Zavala paid for their food and they stood. Luna Hawthorne ran up to Ashura and grabbed her hand. "Please Ashura, we need your help." She pleaded and Ashura nodded to Zavala who followed her and the little girl.

Cayde had his own reservations about following the girl, but he was going to because Zavala had gone as well. They followed the young girl through a crack in the wall and were shocked by the wreckage. None of them had heard the crash over the bustling of the city and yet here it was. Petra lay propped up against the side of the ship and Ashura rushed for her and began healing her immediately.

"Uldren needs you more than I do..." Petra managed, only to begin talking once more. "He was injured protecting the queen. He was trying to hide it when I left, but he may need you. The queen needs you." cayde knew it was serious if Petra herself had come to them to ask for help. "Help me up..." She whispered and Ashura nodded as she helped her up. Ashura was grumbling in Eliksni and it was startling to Zavala how angry she was. "What is she-?" Zavala began and Cayde shook his head. "Do not ask, those are some vulgar words." He said and Petra nodded. Cayde knew she was cursing every Fallen that she could think of right now and he was proud of her rage.

"Ashura... Do not go alone." Zavala demanded and her silver eyes locked with his blue ones. The look of pure rage in her eyes caught him off guard, he wasn't expecting her to be this angry, but he knew the job would be done efficiently. Her eyes seemed to glow now, they were no longer the dull silver they had been, but more so a shining silver. Like a blade. "Oh, trust me... I don't plan on it." She ground out and he watched her carefully. "Do you wish to return to the reef or heal here?" she asked Petra and the woman frowned. "I need to go home." She said and Ashura nodded. "Then let's go." She said and began typing on her gauntlet. "Misra, Loki, Lion. I need your help with something. Meet me in the reef." She bit out and they nodded.

"Ashura..." Zavala and Cayde called out to her as she helped Petra to the ship. "Be safe." They said and she nodded. They watched her as she took off and they exchanged glances when they were out of sight. "Do you think she will be ok?" Zavala asked and Cayde nodded. He knew she would be safe. "Yeah... she will be perfectly fine." he grumbled as he made his way back to the shop and flopped down in front of his food once more.

He swirled his noodles around in the bowl once more, only to have a hand place itself on his shoulder. "You do know she would hold that same rage if anything were to ever happen to you, right?" Zavala asked and he shook his head. "No, I don't think that would be the case. She's in love with him not me." he said and Zavala sighed as he sat back beside him after squeezing his shoulder tightly.

"She loves you more than you realize, maybe not in the same way but she does love you." he said and Cayde looked over to him as he continued to eat. "Show me proof of that." he said and Zavala chuckled lightly. "She is always running off with you and creating mayhem with you. She loves you and we all see it." he said and Cayde rolled his eyes. "I love her for more than just little escapades and whatnot." he said and Zavala looked over at him with amusement in his eyes.

"You love her enough to admit it to me, which says a lot. She will understand someday." he said as they finished up their food and paid. They made their way up to the vanguard room and Ikora was already projecting everything from Ashura's ghost. They watched as Ashura tossed bodies away from Uldren and began working on healing him. Cayde didn't like the man but he wouldn't wish that kind of injury on him either way.

Her ghost took in the surroundings of the reef and all they saw were dead fallen and dead awoken everywhere. It was a massacre they hadn't seen since the city walls had failed them a long time ago. It panned back to Ashura and he was amazed by how swiftly she was working on trying to heal Uldren. More so he was amazed by the fact her extra limbs were working just as swiftly as her original ones.

After hours of her healing everyone she could, she finally cut the feed and went to rest while her friends were still helping clean up the mess the fallen had left behind. He sighed and sat down with his head in his hands. Something didn't feel right and he couldn't quite place it. He rubbed his face once more and stood back up. When he looked over, he saw that the lucky seven had entered the room.

"I need you all to go to the reef and assist the queen with anything she needs." Zavala said and the group nodded and made their way to the ship dock soon after. They didn't cut their feed and he watched as they arrived to the reef not long after they left. It helped that they all knew the way. He watched as Sasuke and Hinata made their way directly to the queen and began speaking with her. Her rage was palpable and it seemed to be directed at her brother at the moment.

His heart sank as he figured out why. Ashura had gone after Taniks by herself. Rage boiled up in his form and he gripped the edge of the vanguard table tightly. He told her that she wasn't going to go do this by herself. He was supposed to go with her when it came to Taniks. She had told him he could come with her and yet she had still gone by herself. He watched as they fought through the enemies that she had left behind, but bodies of bigger enemies were laying scattered across the ground.

When he saw them come up on the room Ashura was in and she was propped up against the wall unmoving. It took everything in him not to cry out the moment he had seen her sitting there. He hadn't wanted this for her no matter what she thought. He begged and pleaded internally for her to get up but she wasn't moving. "Ashura please... Please move..." he managed and Zavala looked over to him with sadness in his eyes. He didn't need his pity he needed Ashura to move.

Her head tilted up and she looked up to uldren who was stalking towards her cloaked in his swirling crows and he released a sigh of relief. She was alive. That was all that mattered to him. He sat back and buried his face in his hands once more as they continued replaying the feed. Loki's voice made itself known and he just listened as the man argued with the Vanguard. He was trying to revel in the fact that Ashura was alive... she was going to be just fine.

Something just made him worry even more for her though and he couldn't place it.

:-:-:-:

Cayde paced back and forth in the vanguard room. The last he had seen or heard of Ashura was weeks ago when she had taken Petra and left. He was worried about her. "Cayde, are you alright?" Ikora asked and he looked up at her from where he was pacing in circles. "I know... It is stressful... you have to understand she has the best interests in mind here, so do not fret my friend." She said but he continued his pacing. "What if something happened? What if she found him? They are fighting the fallen...I'm not just worried... or fretting... I'm terrified. The Lucky seven have been coming and going, but I haven't heard anything from her in weeks. Not since we saw that video..." Cayde snapped and Ikora watched him with sad eyes.

Zavala and Nina stood at the end of the table, watching him as he paced. "Nina... you haven't heard anything that could rest his worry, have you?" Ikora asked the awoken woman, who shook her head and limped around the table. Her right arm was gone and she had it bound tightly, while her left foot was in a brace. "After Skolas began his escape, I chased him down. I fought as hard as I could, but after he ripped my arm from me, I was useless. I haven't been back to the Vestian Outpost since." She said and Zavala placed a hand on her left shoulder and she looked over at him. He offered her a small nod and she looked back to Cayde who was pacing around once more.

He couldn't stand the not knowing, it was all consuming and he couldn't stifle it. He just wanted to know how she was doing... it was exhausting worrying about her day after day. She was going to have to make it up to him at some point. He was drawn from his thoughts by someone yelling so he turned towards the source. "Wait! You must check in at the dock! You can't just park your damn ship in the plaza dammit!" Amanda Holliday was heard yelling, followed by laughter and chatter of many guardians. Two sets of footsteps were heard and the chatter only increased amongst the guardians. Cayde, Zavala, and Ikora exchanged glances. Once they each nodded, they rushed out to see what was going on. Cayde shoved through the crowd roughly when he saw the large awoken ship parked right on the lower steps of the plaza. Two figures stood before the crowd. One was male and one was female. The male he knew exactly who that was... Uldren.

The woman was clothed in the familiar armor of the awoken, but it was black and white, rather than purple, and it more so resembled the Crow-like appearance of the man beside her. The helmet faded from sight and a familiar face was smiling back at him. He shoved the rest of the way through the crowd to get to her. Cayde was caught off guard by the armor she wore, representing the reef. He looked her over and wanted nothing more than to hug her and ask her what was going on. He knew deep down he was losing her to the awoken and it honestly was killing him inside. She looked up at him with those shining silver eyes and he felt so helpless in her gaze.

He felt like he had lost her to the awoken man before him... Well... that's what he had thought before she fell to her knees before him. She bowed down and outstretched her hands as she adjusted to sit on her feet. A familiar cloak formed in her outstretched hands and his eyes went wide as he realized whose cloak it was. The sheer length alone, and then the color of it. "Taniks..." he had barely managed to get the word out. He crouched before her and gently grabbed the cloak from her outstretched hands. He looked it over, seeing the tears in it from her knives. He hit his knees before her and stared at it once more before he dropped it and hugged her to him tightly. This seemed to surprise everyone around them, even Uldren.

"Dammit Ashura, you foolish little woman..." he growled out, but she only smiled at him and hugged him back tightly. "You said you wouldn't go without me..." he grumbled and she smiled at him as he leaned back a little bit. "You were with me Cayde..." she whispered as she pulled the hand cannon she had been carrying when she fought Taniks. It was the first hand cannon he had ever given her. It was painted to reflect the image of his own Ace of Spades. He hugged her once more and she hugged him back just as tightly.

"Cayde..." she began softly and he leaned away to look at her. "Hmm?" "Can you promise me something?" she asked and he rocked his head in an iffy manner. "Will you grow old with me?" she asked and he watched her for a moment. It was such an odd question to ask an Exo... but he understood the significance of it. Grow old with her... become elder guardians in a sense... those who are well respected among the younger generations of guardians... not that he wasn't one already. He understood she wanted to be like him and that was why he nodded.

"Of course, Ashura... I think I can do that for you. As long as you never forget the reason." He said as he helped her to her feet. "Cayde... My reason is because you are human too." She whispered as she turned away from him, holding a hand out to the man that arrived with her. No... he hadn't lost her to the man, she would always be his best friend... but she had found her Ivara. He thought this over as his beloved ghost hovered around him. He watched as the man grasped her hand so gently, as if she were glass. Cayde couldn't help the amusement that escaped him at this. "Man, you and I both know she isn't fragile." He joked and Uldren smirked. "Oh... Ashura... You didn't tell me you already had a boyfriend." He said and she blinked up at him in confusion.

Cayde chuckled and joined in on the taunting. "Yeah, I mean... I thought I was your one and only. Now you show up with some other dude?" Cayde said in a dejected tone and she lost all amusement for the situation. "Look here you damn metal unicorn. I was never dating you. You were the one jealous from the moment you found he even set a hand on me when we first visited the reef." She bit back and Uldren couldn't help the smirk that crossed his lips this time. "Oh, so you thought you were a challenge to me?" he mused to Cayde who stepped up to be face to face with him. "Man, I can't help it I have stunningly good looks, and then I have a sense of humor to boot... I am one hell of a catch. I mean, if Ashura would give me the chance to prove it, I'm sure once she's had me, she'll never come running back..." Cayde said defiantly, and Uldren leaned forwards to defend himself and Ashura grabbed each male by their cloaks and yanked them down to her level.

"Enough. If you wanna continue this testosterone versus oil fest later, that will be fine. But right now, Cayde... In your dreams. And uldren... you keep it up with my mentor and you'll be dreaming too." She snapped and released the taller males. Uldren only smirked as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "Now, you have another job to do." Ashura ordered, using her new mechanical arms to pry the offending hand from her hip.

"Go." she urged, seeing Zavala and Nina standing in the crowd as well. Uldren nodded and pulled the case from the ship, only to walk back to Ashura and motion for Nina to come to him. She stepped up to him and he motioned for her to unwrap her shoulder. When she did, it was revealed that there was a metal connection plate already previously embedded into the stump. Uldren had already been working on helping her. He crouched before her and opened the case he had pulled from the ship revealing a cybernetic limb like Ashura's leg. She crouched before him, but he made her stand. "Nina, you are not to bow to me." He said and she looked at him in confusion.

"The queen and I have decided that it is of our best interest and your own if we leave you here in the tower. It seems you fare well here." He said as he urged her to stand, only to begin working on securing the limb into place. It didn't take long before he was finished and she began trying to use the limb. Ashura smiled when he backed away from Nina and watched her using the limb with excited eyes. "My prince, thank you." she said and he shook his head. "You must forgive me, but it was not my idea." He said and jerked his head to motion for Ashura. Nina rushed over and hugged Ashura, only to whisper something in her ear, what it was, Cayde didn't know. However, from the look of it... Ashura didn't like it.

Uldren was watching the two and it seemed that he saw the sadness seep into Ashura's eyes as well. Uldren placed a hand on Ashura's shoulder and she looked up at him and whispered something. He nodded and looked directly at Cayde. "I am afraid we must depart. Something of grand importance has to be handled." Uldren said and escorted Ashura into the ship. Cayde turned to face the crowd who was still murmuring amongst themselves. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. We get it. Ashura is with the Prince of the Reef. Come on guys get a move on. Disperse." Cayde grumbled and Zavala began urging them to disperse as well.

"Cayde, what is wrong?" Zavala asked him and Cayde sighed as he turned to face his friend. "She is still injured and clearly doesn't know how to fully control her cybernetics." He said and Zavala nodded. "I take it you haven't seen the footage the crows took..." Nina whispered and both Zavala and Cayde looked at her in confusion. "Come let me show you the damage that was done to her." She said as she pulled a small beacon from the pocket of her pants. A small crow landed on her shoulder and blinked up at her. "Let's show them, shall we?" Nina asked the bird, who opened its mouth to project the video that startled them all.

"My student... has endured much pain..." Eris whispered from behind them, seeing the young woman talking to the crow and formulating plans with it. The video had gathered the attention of multiple bystanders. Shaxx was included in the group that had gathered to watch the video. It got to the part where Ashura encountered Taniks for the first time and Ikora had to take a step back. "She held herself well... I' m not sure I could have faced him like that." She whispered and Shaxx chuckled. "She hides her fear well." He commended and Zavala nodded.

That was also the moment Loki and Lion had made their way into the room, just as Taniks had slammed his hands down to try and intimidate her. The seething rage that was felt from Loki seemed to be directed towards Lion. This only intensified when she was caught within his grasp. Loki walked right up to the crow and glared angrily at the video before him. When it got to the part where she was trying to dissuade Colt from attacking the much larger fallen, if Cayde had skin, he would have had goosebumps. The sheer rage and anger she was screeching at the large fallen when he had killed the small dreg was so... terrifying.

"Where did she learn to fight that way?" Loki asked, seeing Ashura fighting off fallen with her bare hands to get to Taniks once more. "I am going to assume Uldren." Cayde said and Lion nodded. "If you think she is the one we need to worry about... you are wrong." Nina said as the lights began flickering in the footage. It was hard to see what was going on at first, but when the crow homed in on the person who had just entered the room, chills fell down Ikora's spine.

"What the hell was that?" She managed and Nina looked over at her. "I don't know. I don't think he knows either, but he is terrified of it." She said and they paused the video there to see the glowing amber of his eyes, even in the near pitch black of the room. His cold gaze as he took down Taniks was haunting. "We need to do everything we can to separate her from him. I do not trust him." Loki snarled, but Cayde and Zavala gave him apologetic glances.

"Loki... There is really no more we can do at this moment. I would pull her away if it seemed like she was in danger... However... It seems the safest place for her right now is by his side. When she is no longer safe there, we will pull her by force if we have to." Zavala said and Loki stared at him in anger. "He saved her life, Loki. More than once. It seems he does genuinely care for her though... so I doubt he will ever hurt her... anyone who gets in between however... may not fare as well." Ikora said and Loki gripped the table. "He has one life... he is not a guardian. So, I could murder him in crucible and say it was an accident." He ground out and Shaxx gripped his shoulder tightly.

"If you want to lose your other sister as well... go right ahead. If you value her... we will see how things play out." He said and Loki nodded, however he was still seething. "Loki... we believe your sister might be the Queen of Kells." Zavala said and Loki nodded at this. "So, there are two ways this could play out." he sighed and looked over to Cayde. "Either she saves him..." he began as he took a deep breath, trying to steel his nerves as he thought over what his younger sister was going to have to do.

"Or she will kill him. Either way she is saving him from whatever he will become."

Cayde didn't like the train of thought that her brother held, but there was nothing he could do or say to stop the man from doing what he felt was best. He didn't like the fact Ashura could potentially have to kill Uldren, but that was her choice to make save him or kill him. He could only hope that she would be alright throughout all of it.