<[i]I could feel the moment my hangover ended. As soon as it did, I turned to the Titan in confusion. "I'm sorry, but let me ask this again. Why do you fight in the Crucible without a Ghost?" "Uh... Practice?" "Against what?? Someone somewhere once told me that nothing kills a Guardian faster than another Guardian. Considering what he's been through, Fallen and the like are nothing. Go to the outside world more! Hell I've been outside for most of my second life and my only true issues came from Hive and Taken and other Guardians." She looked taken aback, as if I shattered her world view. Don't see how, it's common sense. "Look, I understand the pain of losing your Ghost and I know of the horrors of Twilight Gap but if my friend was able to overcome the Great Disaster of all things then you can overcome that! There's no reason you should be wasting your time doing match after match when you could be out fighting against the creatures that want us DEAD." I knew there was more to her. She can't be locked in the Crucible, only occasionally going out, forever. If she's been doing this for centuries without dying then she could be out there defending the system. I bet no Captain or Knight could stop her. But I stopped. There was something holding me back, a sense of hopelessness. At first I thought it was because of her and how there's a very real chance she'd ignore me, but then it hit me. Nothing - no one - can stop the coming storm. Even in the briefest glimpses of the future, I saw that they'd taken over. They cannot be stopped now. I turned around and looked at the Traveler. I could feel tiny pulses of Light hitting me. "You're right..." I turned back, a little shocked at her response. "For as long as I've been a Guardian, I've paid attention to the news of how we are on the brink of extinction. How the Hive torture and the Fallen kill and claw at the walls. The Crucible I thought was a way to train." "They do advertise it that way." "Are you sure it's easier out there?" "I'll let you in on something, I fought off over a hundred Cabal and Hive at once a few weeks back. Believe me, the only thing you have to worry about are the Taken and MAYBE Hive if you keep fighting like you do." "That's... Reassuring, thanks. Hey... Do you want to go to the Tangled Shore sometime?" "Uh... Sure. I need to get out of here anyway. Too many people telling me to stop drinking, that sort of thing. Maybe got in a few fights... And had a run in with someone extremely dangerous." I said that last part quietly. She didn't seem to notice, reaching her hand out. "My name's Maya." I shook her hand and we parted ways. I felt good. I don't usually do things like this. Hell it's been months since I've talked to a regular Guardian. I don't know what came over me. Was I just doing what the man in the bar told me to? Or did I just want to turn myself around? Nothing will stop the End. But maybe it's better to go out fighting than to sit there and wait for your demise. OK I did it again. What's going on?[/i] - Entry 516 of [i]Light and Dark +1[/i]> <Masterpost:[url]https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/251009583[/url]>