He sat upon the City wall, overlooking a vast expanse of forest and mountains. Behind it all, a fiery descending sun set the sky ablaze with a gradient of yellow, orange, and purple. He enjoyed watching the sunset. Some days, it was all the peace he could find. The scaffolding creaked a little as the sound of light footsteps drew near. “Hey stranger.” Delta tilted his head back at the familiar voice. There was a flutter in his artificial heart as he instantly recognized the messy blonde hair and gentle smile. “I thought I might find you here,” said the Hunter. She flipped her cloak aside and sat next to her friend. Delta eyed her curiously. “Hey Alex,” he greeted, then returned his eyes to the sun. She followed his gaze and grinned. “I see why you like coming up here. It’s so beautiful.” The exo nodded. “And naturally so.” The two sat quietly for a while as the shadows grew longer and the fiery light began to fade. Delta was always sorry to see the light disappear behind the horizon. As it dimmed, so did the flame of hope inside him. Alex turned to look at the exo’s face, now being illuminated by the blue of his optics. Despite his best efforts to conceal it, Delta was sure that she could see the sadness in his eyes that only seemed to grow as the mountains swallowed the sun. As if reading his mind, Alex was the first to break the silence. “It will come back,” she said. The exo gave her a confused look. “What do you mean?” “The sun,” she explained, pointing at the now faint orange glow in the distance. “It will come back. It always rises again, no matter what happens.” Delta blinked down at his robotic hands and curled them into fists. “Indeed. The light always returns, but… so does the darkness, and that is why I worry.” Alex shook her head and smiled. “Delta, I want you to lay down.” “Excuse me?” “Just do it.” The exo shrugged and lowered himself onto his back, wondering what the Hunter could possibly be up to. Alex laid down next to him and pointed upward. “What do you see?” Delta squinted into the evening sky. As the sun’s light faded completely, plunging the world into the dark envelope of night, the atmosphere seemed to suddenly ignite with blue and white fury. The exo was in awe as millions of tiny stars cascaded across the sky. He looked up further still and spotted half of the moon peeking out from behind the awesome mass of the Traveler, shedding a beautiful blanket of incandescence over the Last City. “I see light,” he said at last, a spark of realization in his optics. “See Delta?” said Alex, arriving at her point. “Even in the darkness, there is light.” Delta turned his head to look directly in the Hunter’s emerald eyes. “You are among the most fortified guardians I know. From where do you draw such hope and strength?” Her eyes widened at the question. It had caught her off guard, but she knew the answer well. It was a question she had asked herself on more than one occasion. “I look to the future for my hope,” she said, looking up again at the stars. “A better future, where we finally take back what belongs to us.” Then she smiled, and reached across her chest to put a hand on Delta’s shoulder. “And I get my strength from my friends, who I trust with my life.” Then Alex stood up, brushed herself off, and extended a helping hand to the exo. “Come on. I think we could both use a drink.” Delta hesitated for a moment, then took her hand. She nearly stumbled backwards as he got up, but he held on and pulled her back. “Goodness!” she laughed. “I forgot how heavy you were!” His robotic face lifted to form the likeness of a smile, and he couldn’t help but let out a deep, mechanical laugh. Delta immediately put a hand to his mouth. The sound was foreign to him. Alex saw his reaction. “What’s wrong?” He stared ahead for a moment in thought before responding. “I think… I think that was the first time I’ve ever laughed.” Delta fully expected to see pity or sadness on the Hunter’s face, and he began to fear that he had killed the mood. But to his surprise, Alex’s smile only grew wider. “It’s wonderful!” she beamed. Delta’s optics refocused with a hint of disbelief. “You really think so?” “Of course!” The exo flinched as Alex took his hand in hers and began to lead him through the scaffolding towards the exit. “Drinks are on me tonight!” she asserted, excitement building. “I just [i]have[/i] to hear that laugh again!” Delta simply watched her blonde hair bounce back and forth as she pulled him along, and wondered how he could have gotten so lucky. He could never figure out why Alex decided to take him under her wing, but he was glad she did. She had shown him fun, friendship, joy, and even love. Things that he previously thought to be unobtainable. She had shown him what it meant to truly be alive, despite his metal body and digital mind. She was the key that unlocked his true potential as a guardian and a person. Such a friend was priceless, and irreplaceable. A violent shudder and change of momentum brought Delta back to reality. He stumbled as the elevator came to a quick halt, the light of the sun no longer visible since the lift had entered the control deck. Delta briefly closed his eyes one more time. His optics stared into beautiful eyes of emerald, and began to shudder in the wake of a familiar feeling. Loss. Alex was gone, and so was his key. How could he hope to unlock that joy again? The exo’s optics lit up with stern determination as the doors slid open. ‘[i]I’ll crush the damn lock![/i]’ [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=243203447&sort=0&page=0]Part 6[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/224417569?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=1]The Hub[/url]