(Part 1: ) (Part 2a: ) [i]--Flashback-- Location: Vestian Outpost, The Reef Sometime before Trials of Osiris Sydri took deep breath after deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, to return herself to her confident state of mind. Neon was conversing with the newly acquired teammate known as Muzz, while the three waited for the queue for their Trial to begin. "You need to settle down, beautiful. Gonna get wrinkles on that pretty face." A hunter approached the three with a confident stride, Sydri spared no time in leaping up to embrace the hunter in a tight hug. "Yeah, poor girl's wound up tighter than...than, um..." Neon attempted to finish his thought, the pressure put on him from Muzz and the hunter's collective gaze caused a crack. "...s-something tightly wound up." Muzz laughed at this, the hunter chuckled, turning her head a little to kiss the Awoken's cheek. "She's going to be alright. Look at me, Syd...Syd, look at me." She gently pushed the Awoken away so she could. "You are going to be alright. I know things haven't been the same since the Hellmouth, but you're going to be fine." "But what if I...what if I fail? What if we fail?" Sydri shuddered, all confidence the warlock once had, out the window at the task before them. "If we lose, will Shaxx ever want us to-..." A cut in her worried ramblings was met with the human's lips, the two sharing a passionate embrace for the short moment. Neon and Muzz watched on, brows raised, arms crossed as the two departed from their kiss. "You're going to be fine. Many of your fans in the City will be watching the Ghost feeds, as will I. You showed Saladin he is in need of re-evaluating his warlocks, having bested the likes of Skorri and Felwinter... you can win. I know you can." That reassuring smile was all it took for Sydri to calm down, her cheeks flushed slightly. "And...bring me back something nice?" The hunter smiled, giving Sydri one last kiss before their number in queue showed up.[/i] --Present Day-- Location: The Lighthouse, Mercury After the Trials of Osiris "Jadyn..." Sydri whispered the name of her human lover, her gaze fixed to a random area on the wall behind Addi. "When I lost Rhmira, I was devastated, crying like a little child, but...she was there. When we invaded Crota's chamber, she freed me from the deathsinger's grip, even kept me safe when I convulsed..." Sydri took a shaky breath, trying to calm her nerves. "When...when we dispatched Crota and returned to the moon's surface, we shared our first kiss. It reminded me of tender moments Rhmira and I had between missions, and at the same time felt spontaneous." Neon chuckled, arms crossed as he shook his head. "I remember that time. I had to physically pry the two of you off of each other. 'Save it for R&R at the tower, you guys. We're not safe out here.'" He chuckled again, the recall causing Sydri to softly laugh. Addi admitted humour and made an amused noise, while the Osiris titan's facial expression was hidden by the helmet. Sydri returned her gaze to Addi, now more confident in her answer. "You question my devotion to Rhmira, but I have not and will not forget her, despite my love for another. You cannot question something such as love or remembrance, just as I cannot question the validity of your statement. Whatever number you give me, I will not believe until I see for myself." Addi seemed to grin at Sydri's answer. "For being marked by the Hive, you are certainly more wise than I gave you credit for. Well done." Addi seemed to depart for a moment, yet Ahmara and the myriad of hunters stood by, as if waiting for the Exo to return. He eventually did, carrying an inactivated warlock bond and a neatly folded titan mark, similar to the one Ahmara wore. "Consider these an addition to your prizing, Guardians. A token of our appreciation for entertaining us through combat and your words." A minor break in conversation as a soft hiss came from the Osiris titan's direction; a removed helmet revealed fiery red hair and eyes as glorious as the sun itself. It was a colour Sydri longed to return, if it wasn't for the Hive cipher. "Your efforts are certainly of your Crucible's elite." Ahmara spoke up, her tone finally recognized the two as champions. "Should you ever wish to join the ranks of the Brotherhood of Osiris, we will need to see you win again. A loss will not negate your efforts at the Burning Shrine." "We know you can win. We have seen it, and I am sure, will see it again." Addi nodded and he passed out the appropriate class item to Neon and Sydri. Neon chuckled, summoning his Ghost in the palm of his hand, as if ready to return to his ship. "Any hints on where we'll be going next?" He questioned, Sydri nodded as her own Ghost returned to her palm. Addi turned to face Ahmara, who simply nodded to her Exo companion. "'Where there was once Darkness, is only Light. A place outside of time, long sought after. It remains open, but for how long is questioned to no end.'" Addi bowed his posture, as did Ahmara as soon as the riddle was finished. "Be sure to return your passage coins to Brother Vance so he may record your victory. Fair winds, guardians. And may your Traveller breathe life once more." With a bow of their own, Neon and Sydri departed the lighthouse, their Ghosts taking them to their own ships. "Hey, Syd? What do you think they meant by that clue?" It was Neon, his voice echoing across the system within the Awoken's ship. She chuckled softly, mapping the light speed coordinates to the Reef. "If I was to take a guess, I would say the Pantheon in the Black Garden." Sydri laughed a little harder, hearing the dreadful groan of her Exo friend. "That 'sniper paradise'? Really? I already know there will be more hunters this time around than anyone else." He grudged, arms crossed soon after he synced his coordinates with Sydri's ship. "All we can do is try, Neon."