Part 2 in the comments ENJOY! Ophelia stripped her armor piece by piece. She slowly stored her armor in the one closet of her room. She unzipped her skin tight under armor and tossed it on the closet floor. Her room was temperate but she could not tell. She felt cold, different, and off. With a mechanical process she took a towel from the bottom drawer of her only dresser. She looked down on herself from outside her body. Ophelia went through the motions, shower, lather, rinse, repeat. Over and over she watched as she washed her body and cotton candy pink hair. The hot water burned her skin but did not bring her back. Fifteen minutes passed. She closed her eyes and shook the hair and body wash bottle in her hand. Ophelia’s hand shook as she clenched the bottle tightly. Nothing came out and she dropped the bottle. Reaching for the handle, she turned off the water and let droplets fall from her body. She leaned forward, putting her arm on the tile wall of the shower. She rested her head on her arm and watched as the steam began to clear. A deep breath and she was back in her body. Everything felt incomplete. Something was not right. Something was missing. Moving through the motions she was dressed in a plain white v-neck shirt and jeans before she realized she had left the showers. Everything was a blur. She kept her eyes forward and ignored everyone. She closed her eyes and found herself in the hangar when she opened them again. A second time and she was sitting at the bar, Doug, the tender, cleaning a glass. She was the only one at the bar, a jazzy melody in the background. “What’s the matter,” Doug asked not looking up. “I couldn’t tell you even if I wanted,” Ophelia answered looking down at her hands. Raven looked out over the city. Her perch on the highest point of the tower gave her access to a pair of antenna that jutted out over the mountain. She lost her helmet and sat on the edge of one of the antenna just staring out as the sun set. Beautiful lights came on one by one as it got darker. A warm breeze nuzzled her light blue skin and her black hair lightly waved as it began to pick up. She brushed her hair behind her right ear and took a deep breath. Standing on the antenna sent adrenalin through her body, warming her cheeks, it was thrilling. She felt powerful and in control, as much as she could be. She smelt pine and birch floating from the forest below. Raven held out her left hand and Luka materialized. “Luka,” Raven started, “What happened on Venus?” “What do you mean?” “Your voice is so calming… please, why do I have a hole inside? What am I missing?” “I wish I could answer that,” Luka turned toward the city. Her pink shell glowed with the brightening lights of the city. “But can I help any other way?” “I wish Luka, but I wouldn’t know where to start…” Raven sat down and pulled a knee to her chest while letting the other hang over the antenna. Alexander wandered about the tower. Guardians in full armor bustled about wandering from the cryptarch to the post master. He felt out of place in plain clothes. There was a line of guardians in front of the gunsmith who had an Arms Day banner over his little corner. A warm breeze blew some leafs off the bright orange and brown topped tree. Ships buzzed by into the hangar of the tower. He dragged his feet over the engraved tiles near the edge of the tower. He looked over railing at the bright lights of the city. He felt a mix of emotions, a rock hitting the bottom of his stomach and a fire burning in his chest. He closed his eyes taking a deep breath and grasping the rail. When he opened his eyes again the emotions were gone and a flash in the corner of his eye drew his attention upward. Raven was sitting on an antenna off the tower. The breeze died down and Raven tightened the grip around her knee. Luka floated around her trying to think of what to say. “We have a visitor,” Luka said. Raven turned and saw Alexander standing on the ledge. “What do you want?” she asked. “I saw someone I recognized,” Alexander replied. “And…” her voice trailed. She tried to keep up her tough shell but it was tiring, more so than usual. “Want some company?” “If you can sit out here then join me.” Alexander took a step onto the antenna. It creaked under his weight but held. Holding his hands out, he balanced himself as he walked to the end of the antenna. He sat, letting both his legs hang over the edge. “What did you want to talk about?” Raven’s voice was softer this time as she brought up her right leg and clutched both knees tightly to her chest. Luka bowed out and dematerialized. “What’s wrong?” “You’re the eighth person to ask me that today.” “Did you ever come up with an answer?” “No.” There was silence for a moment as the sun fully set and the city lit up. “What do you see when you look down at the city?” Alexander took in the smell of pine. He bit his cheek as he enjoyed the smell, remembering how bad the city was. “I see lights, people, the Traveler. Why?” “I see a rich financial district taking away from the rest of the city. Countless favelas bordering the wall and outskirts. I see an unfortunate set of circumstances.” “Good for you, I guess.” Alexander looked over and saw Raven holding back her emotions. Her bright blue eyes turned down and away. “Everything is different to someone else. It’s the same with Venus.” “Do you feel like you did something wrong!” Raven sounded defeated. “No, and it’s not your fault either for anything. Something like Atheon…” “Then why do I feel like something is missing! Why is it that I have a hole inside that I feel like something was torn out of me?” Alexander was silent. He did not know how to answer. “I guess you’re not…” Raven was silent this time, fighting a visible battle with herself. “If you need anything, just ask and I’ll see what I can do.” Alexander got up and balanced himself. He turned and took a step, but was stopped when he felt a slight tug on his shoulder. He turned and saw Raven weakly holding onto his shirt. She was looking down. He could feel a slight quiver as she tried to speak. “Th… Thank you.” Raven let go of Alexander. He continued to walk back to the ledge of the tower as Raven turned back to the city. Alexander found himself wandering the tower once more. The onslaught of guardians that were there before sunset had mostly vanished. “Oliver,” Alexander said as he held out his left hand. Oliver materialized and looked Alexander in the eye. “Yes?” “Why do you stick with me.” “Because regardless of who you are, you saved me.” “So you owe me?” “Not in the least. There is something about you, despite hating the Traveler, that I know is worthy of calling you a guardian.” “Even if I can’t remember what happened on my first mission?” “Atheon is Time’s Confluence, it can control time and space. Any encounter with it… well this is the best possible scenario.” “I guess you’re right.” Ophelia was ten drinks down and she was beginning to feel it. Doug brought her a new drink every time she asked. “You know if you mix alcohols you will get sick.” “I don’t care.” “I do, when will you tell me what’s wrong?” “I keep telling you, I don’t know what’s wrong. I hate to self diagnose but I exhibit classic symptoms of depression. But I couldn’t tell you what caused it, why I feel like there is a hole in my heart. So alcohol makes everything better.” “If you say so, miss.” Ophelia downed her most recent drink, a vodka tonic, and looked back down at the bar. She closed her eyes as the alcohol numbed her feeling. The melody of upbeat jazz filling her ears. She listened and smiled clearing her mind, losing herself to the swing. Footsteps interrupted her concentration. She clenched her glass and gritted her teeth as she turned around. She was angry and her ears burned, but when she turned and saw Alexander’s snow white hair, broad shoulders, and form fitting jeans, she turned a bright cherry red. Too much alcohol, she thought. “I was told you could make a good drink,” Alexander said sitting at the bar next to Ophelia. “What did you have in mind?” Doug asked. “Bourbon and Amaro over ice.” “Coming up.” “What are you doing here?” Ophelia asked turning to Alexander. “Everyone has ways to cope. Yours is clearly alcohol, Raven sits alone, and I… well I wander.” “Who says I’m coping?” “Slouched posture, slight slur, shaky grip on your glass, and you came back from Venus just like Raven and I.” Ophelia’s cheeks turned a bright red, he nailed it. She watched as Alexander drank his golden brown drink. She could not quite put her finger on it, but something seemed better; she felt lighter almost. “So you wandered here?” “Yeah.” “Have you seen Raven then?” “Yes, she seems to be taking it rough.” “That doesn’t surprise me. Something happened I know it. But I don’t know what it could have been.” “Neither do I.” “I keep getting these flashes, like someone that was never really there.” “I keep hearing this voice, I know what you mean.” “I don’t’ know what to do.” Ophelia took a long pause. “The Vanguard told me Atheon altered our memory. But I feel like something was taken. Someone that I knew, someone I cared about.” Alexander took another gulp of his drink. The taste was sweet, yet it burned as it went down. It was warm and comforting. “I’m just… defeated.” “Can I help?” Ophelia looked down at her empty glass. “Walk with me…”