The digit actuators in Kronos’ fist nearly popped from the strain as he clenched it. Loss, anger, and resentment powered his fingers as they tore at themselves. These emotions were like old friends, come to visit once again. This time, though, there was a new set of visitors. Regret, self-blame, and failure also flocked to poke and jab at his consciousness, laughing as they did. Kronos stood over the graves of ten guardians, good guardians. He’d found their bodies scattered across Sorrow’s Harbor and the Scarlet Keep, right on the positions he’d told them to, ready to strike. They’d never stood a chance. He’d gathered them, carried their soulless husks through the soot and bone to his ship, with the help of his fireteam. They’d buried Kronos’ Shadows under a particularly large tree just inside the City walls. How could he have done this to them? For what? A few more dead Hive? What a waste. Kronos looked over the graves, dug in a near-perfect ring around the tree. It had reminded him of the Traveller’s visions. His vision settled on the grave immediately before him. Kavna, that had been his name. Revived after the Red War, but still a well-studied Warlock nonetheless. He’d been alive for maybe a year and a half. Probably less. Kronos had killed him. Kronos felt a strong, heavy hand on his shoulder. “You cannot blame yourself for this…” Atlas whispered, his voice filling itself with as much belief as it could in the words it carried. “This is not your fault.” Artemis flicked some dust from beneath her fingernails with her knife, probably best to keep grave dirt out of her suit. “They knew the risks.” She added callously. “No they didn’t.” Kronos ground out. “They were guardians, same as us. They didn’t follow me thinking they would actually die.” “There is always this risk.” Atlas assured Kronos, pulling him so that they faced each other. “We may be distanced from true death at most times, but this does not mean that we truly forget. They knew that what they were doing was dangerous. At least they died fighting for a purpose, not hunted down like so many during the Light’s captivity.” “What purpose?” Kronos spat. “Killing Hive?” Artemis shrugged. “Seems like a pretty good purpose to me.” “But they didn’t die fighting, they died waiting. Waiting on my signal, as if I couldn’t have trusted them to act on their own.” “That is neither here nor there.” Atlas waved him off. “You could not have known that Wizard was-” “Of course I knew!” Kronos shouted at Atlas, slapping his hand off his shoulder. “I was counting on it! I just didn’t think that she would be so quick about it. I thought she would wait until the whole moon was hers, but she was smarter. She realized she didn’t need us for the whole conquest, only the tipping point.” “And yet” Atlas stopped Kronos’ careening train of thought. “she lies dead, next to that beast in the Pit.” “And so do ten guardians.”Kronos held up his hands. “Ten. Guardians. For two Hive pretenders.” Kronos sighed before issuing the last of his sarcasm. “It doesn’t seem a fair trade to me.” “It never is with the Hive.” Artemis circled over to Atlas. “But sometimes, you gotta take what you can get. I know that me telling you this isn’t gonna stop you from being all broody for a while, but I want you to hear it anyway. You messed up.” “Thanks for that.” Kronos wisecracked. “That means a lot.” “Let me finish. You messed up. Big deal. Your plan went south. So what? You can’t win ‘em all.” Artemis took a deep breath before continuing. “Look, I didn’t know him for nearly as long as you did, but I bet I know what Cayde would tell you.” Kronos looked up. “He would tell you that sometimes you’ve got to play the hand you have, even if it isn’t the best. Because sometimes, folding just isn’t an option. I know you’re still questioning everything you do, wondering how much of it is just vengeance for what Uldren or the Scorn or the Hive did to us. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t need to be done.” Atlas stepped forward. “She is right. Though I believe your intentions were pure, in the end it doesn't matter. The Hive were trying to make a new champion to rally behind. We couldn’t allow that. So you made the best plan you could, and it worked. Whatever the cost, the City is safe again thanks to you. Thanks to us.” Atlas waved over the ten graves. “Thanks to them. Isn’t that what they would’ve wanted?” Kronos was silent for a long while, considering these words. Eventually he nodded. “You may be right.” Atlas and Artemis smiled to themselves. Artemis stretched. “Good, now let’s get out of here and-” “But that doesn’t change how I feel.” Kronos pointed to their ships. “You two go on, do some Vanguard work, or Gambit, or something. I’m” he paused for a moment “I’m gonna stay here for a while, think things over. I’ll join you later.” Atlas reached to say something else, but couldn’t find anything. He turned towards his ship to leave. Artemis felt a strange calling to say something herself, but that was so uncharacteristic that she brushed it aside as well. Kronos didn’t turn to watch them go, but heard the start of their engines and the sonic boom as they flew off, though it sounded as if far away. Kronos just stood there, nothing but himself, the Traveller-like tree, and the ten graves to keep him company. (I hope you enjoy my little series. Please post in the comments if you want to see more of a particular character, or would like to see a different aspect of the Destiny world portrayed.)