Some Eliksni content for y'all bc I'm really liking this new season. Enjoy!
WARNING: may contain Season of Plunder spoilers!
Rating / TWs: teen and up - mild swearing; injuries
Disclaimer: All characters except OCs belong to Bungie.
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I knew this was a bad idea. I knew this was a bad idea. I knew…
The trip to Europa hadn’t been planned, nor had it been authorized. No one even knows I’m here, the Young Wolf thinks. I could go back. There’s no need for me to be doing this.
There’s a single grey building breaking the white of the Asterion Abyss, faintly illuminated by a pale rising sun, and against the drab background the figures of two Eliksni become visible, strangely contorted in their stillness.
“Language”, a familiar voice over the comms says, half sarcastic, half piqued. “Where are you, Guardian?”
“Europa, Commander, Sir.” The Young Wolf enters the decaying building, a flimsy protection against the cold and snow.
“If you think your pleasantries will keep me from asking questions, you’re wrong”, Zavala replies sharply. “Because I know for a fact I did NOT approve any missions to Europa.”
“I followed a strange signal”, they admit. “And I found something. I think we may have a problem.”
“I found Eido and… the Spider. I haven’t gotten close enough to tell, but they’re either gravely hurt or…”
“House Salvation?” Ikora interrupts.
“No telling. There’s no one around here as far as I can see.” The Young Wolf takes a deep breath. “I’ll check up on them. Try to bring them back to the City. Permission granted?”
A short pause. “Granted”, Zavala eventually replies.
“Old friend. You couldn’t have picked a better time.” Spider tries to prop himself up as he sees the Guardian approach. “We had a little… quarrel with House Salvation, as you may imagine. Take the girl, and get out of here.”
The Young Wolf hesitates. “What about you?”
“Take the girl”, Spider repeats insistently. Eido is laying next to him, bundled up as if asleep, but the side facing the Young Wolf is adorned by a ghastly wound.
The Young Wolf carefully picks the Eliksni girl up. “Eido, can you hear me?”
A barely perceptible nod.
“I’ll take you back to the Last City.” Another nod. “Spider, can you follow me? Leaving folks to freeze isn’t my style.”
Misraaks is waiting in the Tower landing zone next to the Vanguard leaders.
"Father." Her voice is weak, barely audible. Misraaks looks up at the Vanguard leaders with an expression that says, do something.
Take my light and bring him back. For a moment Zavala could see himself, kneeling in front of his ghost, pleading for his son’s life, only to be confronted with the truth like a slap across the face.
“Take her inside”, he says, trying to keep his voice steady. “Let her rest in my office if need be. We’ll see what we can do for her. I’ll summon all of you later on.”
Not much later, Misraaks is sat next to his daughter, time slowly slipping away from him as he waits for her to wake up.
They have accommodated her away from curious eyes, in a spare room near the Commander’s office, and patched her up to the best of their abilities. He can only hope the blankets the Commander brought provide some comfort.
He exhales slowly and produces a small leather-clad book from his cloak, the only thing he dares carrying around as a keepsake. A collection of old Eliksni tales, passed down from generation to generation, tattered and yellowed.
In the fluorescent light of the only lightbulb, he starts reading. Once upon a time on a faraway planet…
He doesn’t realize he’s started to read aloud until he hears Eido’s voice, chiming into the tale they’d both heard hundreds of times.
“You’re awake.” He puts down the book and turns to his daughter. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes. The Vanguard came to my aid on time, thank the Light.”
“Quite simple. We were on Europa and clashed with House Salvation.”
“Who is We?” Misraaks demands.
“I followed the Spider around”, Eido admits.
“You did what?! And you didn’t even care to bring this up to me? Eido, how many times do I have to tell you!”
“He was after one of the artifacts that Eramis is looking for. I was trying to keep him from getting into trouble…”
“You, looking out for Rakis?” He scoffs as he gets up. “Forget it. I’ll be joining with the others. Stay here and rest, for once.”
Spider waits in the Commander’s office together with the Vanguard leaders and the Young Wolf. “Misraaks…”
“Don’t you dare get anywhere near my daughter”, Misraaks growls. “This was your doing, wasn’t it?”
“It’s not my fault she was stupid enough to follow me.”
“Mind your words, Spider”, Ikora interjects, absentmindedly chipping at her nails. “You’ve already been more trouble than you’re worth.”
Spider grunts, while Zavala suppresses a chuckle.
“Alright, alright.” Spider raises his hands in defeat. “Why don’t you let the youngin explain what happened? Where is she, anyway?”
“Resting. And I already did. At least her version of events will be accurate.”
“Hah. That’s rich coming from you. Did you give her the accurate version of… events, eh, Misraaks? Did you?”
“Now is not the time for your impertinence!” Misraaks lets out a low growl. “You imbecile! You ABSOLUTE IMBECILE! Have you lost all common sense?”
“There, now, Misraaks.” Spider smirks. “All I did was… take matters into my own hands. Can hardly blame me for that, can you now.”
“You poked right into the hornet’s nest, is what you did! Which side are you on, Rakis?”
Spider laughs condescendingly. “Obviously the side that will benefit me. But what about you, Kell of Light?”
“Whatever you’re insinuating”, Misraaks replies tersely, “I don’t like it.”
“And you shouldn’t. I think you know exactly what I’m insinuating, Misraaks, and you know I’m right.”
“ALL I WANTED WAS TO KEEP MY DAUGHTER FROM MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES I MADE!” Misraaks snaps. “She may have made it abundantly clear she won’t be sheltered, but there are things that are better left in the past.”
“Oh, I know”, Spider drawls.
“Can you two stop arguing already?” Eido’s voice makes everyone turn their heads. “We have a common enemy threatening us and an entire universe of secrets to discover. Are you seriously going to be sitting here bringing up your old quarrels?”
“You are clueless as to how this world works, aren’t you, little one?” Spider scoffs. “Can’t blame you, I suppose. Your father may say he wants to keep you from making the same mistakes he did, but you’re exactly like him, and you’ll end up just like him, at the mercy of the enemy.”
“These people have helped us because they considered it to be the right thing. Including you, Baron Spider”, Eido replies. “They could’ve easily left you behind, but they didn’t.”
Spider laughs. “The right thing? That’s what they tell you? Laughable. These people aren’t helping you out of the goodness of their hearts, little scribe. They’ll help you as long as you’re useful to them, just like your Great Machine.”
“I will NOT tolerate this type of disrespect”, Misraaks interferes sharply.
“And I had no intentions of coming back here”, Spider grumbles. “I told the Guardian to take the girl and run.”
“Of course.” A disembodied voice through the comms silences the conversation. “Running away like the cowards you are. A recurring theme among the lot of you.”
“I greet you, Kell of Light. I see the feeble flame is still persisting after all this time.”
“Always”, Misraaks gnarls through clenched teeth.
“I must say, it’s impressive. And that daughter of yours seems to take after you, don’t you think? Ever so determined. Ever so inquisitive. Ever so inclined to side with a foe. Tell me, girl, how do you feel living in the shadow of the Guardians?”
“Contrary to you, Eramis-kel, and apparently contrary to Baron Spider here next to me”, Eido says coolly, “House Light knew when to wash off the blood of their hands and leave the past in the past. You could’ve done the same, yet you decided to resign yourself to your hatred.”
There’s a long stretch of dead silence before Eramis responds.
“Don’t you dare tell me what I can and can’t do, you pitiful little creature”, she spits. “You have not seen what I have seen. You have not had your entire life whisked away in front of your eyes, abandoned and left to destruction. You have not seen your house fall to ruin. You…”
“You’re right”, Eido interrupts. “We didn’t have to see what you saw, and for that we are thankful. But the least we can do now is prevent another whirlwind, for us and for all Eliksni. And to do that we’ll need allies, however unlikely they may seem.”
“You’re starting to sound an awful lot like that… that Bray woman”, Eramis retorts. “What is it that I once heard her say? A side should always be taken, even if it turns out to be the wrong one? Well, if that’s truly what you believe, allow me to pick the side that, after all these years, promises peace and salvation over the side that is trying to appease a silent god.”
“You’re free to do as you wish”, Eido says firmly. “But it may not bring you the peace you hope to find. In any case… House Light will be here should you want to find them.”
There are a few seconds of static before the line closes.
Spider laughs. “Riveting! What do you say, Misraaks?
Misraaks glances at him. “You heard the talk about picking sides, Rakis. Take it to heart. Pick carefully.”
“Mhm.” Spider limps out of the room, a sudden weariness surrounding him like a cloak. The Young Wolf wordlessly skulks after him.
“I don’t know whether what you just did was very, very brave or incredibly stupid”, Misraaks continues, turning to his daughter. “But I’m impressed. And proud.”
“Thank you.” Gone is the firmness in her tone. “I wish I could’ve set foot on Riis. See it with my own eyes, and not only write down the stories that remain of it. But our home is here now, and I’ll happily contribute to its protection.”
“You’re already contributing plenty.” Zavala smiles, and Eido returns the smile, albeit wary.
“Your world is… strange”, she continues, eyes wandering out the panoramic window. The sun is setting, painting the sky in a million shades of reds and blues and violets. “But very beautiful.”
“I suppose it is, despite everything”, Zavala replies. “But it’s getting late. You should go and rest some more. It’s nothing short of a miracle you’ve recovered, let alone in so little time.”
“I will. And thank you.” She takes one last, marveling look at the nightly sky before turning to leave. “Come, father.”
Ikora is the last one to linger by the window. She hasn’t said a word since the start of their reunion, hasn’t so much as really looked at him. But she’s smiling as she watches the blues and reds of the sunset fade into a velvety black, the first genuine smile he’s seen from her in a long time.
“Do you see now what I see?” He finally asks, breaking the silence.
She turns to him, the smile still on her face. “Hope?”
@peonierose thanks for prereading & brainstorming with me!
@guardians-are-people-too
Also tagging @silverolivia-upsidedown bc Eliksni content
