{"id":741,"date":"2014-06-26T03:11:51","date_gmt":"2014-06-26T07:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/?p=741"},"modified":"2014-07-02T19:45:04","modified_gmt":"2014-07-02T23:45:04","slug":"little-lights-in-the-darkness-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/2014\/06\/26\/little-lights-in-the-darkness-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Little Lights in the Darkness, Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"

Found.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the dark, nighttime shadows of The City, close to the outer wall, far from the skyscrapers and lights centered beneath The Traveler, something hastened across the dimly lit streets. And then another something. Then a third and fourth and fifth and sixth and finally, a smaller seventh. The shadowy figures, a group of darkly dressed children, teenagers to be more exact, darted from shadow to shadow on their way to their destination. They moved with speed and purpose, and, judging by the unlit locations they stopped at along the way, they meant not to be seen.<\/p>\n

The small gang grouped together in an alleyway just out of view of their ultimate destination: a small bakery serving Ghetty Prime, one of the distant slums farthest from the Traveler\u2019s light. After making sure they were all accounted for, the kids spread out and encircled their target. Some skirted right past it checking for threats, while others scouted more than a block away, on the lookout for trouble, before eventually returning to the alley for final instructions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a security bot patrolling one street over,\u201d Dustan, one of the larger boys, whispered to the rest of the gang.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can deal with that,\u201d another replied. \u201cAs long as Nate-la<\/em> can get inside,\u201d he continued, sounding out the name of the gang\u2019s defacto leader.<\/p>\n

The thin seventeen year old girl opposite him brushed her stringy, brown, shoulder length hair out of her eyes and grinned. \u201cYou deal with that bot, Roy, and I\u2019ll deal with the break in,\u201d she told him confidently. \u201cNow get moving.”<\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard her boys, let\u2019s go,\u201d Roy commanded the rest of the gang, a second, slightly younger girl included.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe careful, Luminita,\u201d Natela called out softly to her sister. The younger girl nodded and then was gone.<\/p>\n

The gang moved out of the alley in ones and twos, trouble gleaming in each of their eyes. Natela counted to sixty then got to work. She had cased their latest target herself earlier in the week, but she still moved with caution as she approached the bakery\u2019s back door. Still no cameras. Still no motion detectors. Still no lights. It was exactly the same as she\u2019d left it. Then, instead of darting over to the door, or creeping to it sneakily, Natela made a show for anyone who might be watching. Leaving the shadows, she walked angrily down the street, splashed her foot in a convenient puddle as if she didn\u2019t know it was there, and finally plopped down with her back against the bakery\u2019s faux brick wall. To the casual observer or observation device she would seem like nothing more than a dejected teen, out too late, with troubles on her mind. She sold her lie, whether it was necessary or not, by banging her head back against the wall. It hurt some, but more importantly it gave her a good reason to look up and check for any last security devices she might have missed. There were none. A few seconds later a siren sounded in the distance, opposite the bakery. That was her cue.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Atta boy, Roy,\u201d Natela said to herself as she stood and inspected the bakery\u2019s back door. A quick turn of the handle proved it to be locked. ‘Good for them,’<\/em> she though. Without a moment’s hesitation she drew a large beat up knife from the torn sheath connected to her belt. The knife was in terrible condition. Its blade was chipped, part of its rubberized grip had long given way, but it was hers, and it was all she really needed for this job or any other. First, she tried sliding it between the door and handle. A cheap lock would give easily when faced with such a simple trick. This one held firm, but no matter. Natela withdrew the knife and then did something\u2026 different. With a flick of her wrist, the polysteel blade flared white hot and illuminated its immediate surroundings with tiny arcs of lightning-esque electricity. Smiling, Natela tried again. This time her knife sliced through the locking bolt smooth and clean, as if the steel pin had been made of nothing but butter.<\/p>\n

With the lock defeated, Natela sprung into action. There was no telling what kind of alarms might have been triggered or who might be inside. Throwing open the door, she let her knife light her way as she dashed through the bakery\u2019s back rooms, past ovens and cooking sheets. She sheathed her knife once she emerged into the front room, and, with surprising strength for her seemingly malnourished frame, hefted the antique looking<\/em> register into the ragged sack she\u2019d brought with her. Her eyes widened as she saw some left over bread left in the display case in front of her. She hurriedly stuffed her mouth full of baked goods before darting back the way she\u2019d come. For several tense minutes Natela walked briskly away from the scene of her crime, checking behind herself repeatedly as she crossed street after street, traveling in seemingly random directions in case anyone was following her. Finally, when she was sure she was alone, she headed back towards The City\u2019s outer wall. Back to the place where the rest of the gang would be waiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thousand two hundred and eighty credits total,\u201d Natela told the others after she finished downloading their loot from the antique styled<\/em> payment terminal into her modified phone. \u201cThat\u2019s three hundred twenty for me for me, and one hundred sixty for the each of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luminita and two of the others held out their own phones, eager to be paid for their night\u2019s work. Roy and his two friends, however, did not. With a knowing glance between themselves they stood as one and advanced on Natela.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and the boys were thinking we should do things differently, this time,\u201d Roy said slowly. \u201cWe\u2019ve been thinking, why is it you always get the double share? We were thinking, why don\u2019t we\u2026\u201d he glanced warily at the three members of the gang still sitting, \u201c\u2026split it evenly this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Natela chuckled. \u201cThis again Roy?\u201d she asked. \u201cWe\u2019ve been through this before. I get double because I do most of the work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeemed like we were the ones risking our necks, giving you your distraction. That seemed like half the work to us. We think an even split would be\u2026 more than fair. And, I\u2019m afraid I\u2019m going to have to insist on it this time.\u201d Roy rotated a length of pipe in his hand as he finished speaking so everyone could see it. A pair of gasps came from two of the still seated gang members, but Natela remained unfazed. With a well practiced movement she suddenly held her bright, blazing knife in her right hand making it clear to all as to who held the better weapon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been through this too,\u201d she said calmly. \u201cJust take another step closer if you feel like losing a second finger,\u201d she threatened, sure of herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right, we have,\u201d Roy replied. Natela followed his sudden glance to her right, but not even she was quick enough to avoid the makeshift pepper spray Dustan directed at her face. Her left hand automatically flew to her eyes in a desperate, frantic attempt to wipe them clear. She yelled and cursed, but a second later she had to pull in her next breath. The burning pain that had blinded her immediately spread down into her throat and lungs, and with that her fight for dominance was over. Natela dropped her suddenly dormant knife to the ground and doubled over on her hands and knees as she coughed and choked on the intensely irritating spray. Roy watched with a smug look on his face as his two accomplices dragged their former leader out of the street and held her up against a nearby wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop it, you\u2019re hurting her!\u201d Luminita screamed, but the three boys ignored her.<\/p>\n

Confident that Natela was securely pinned, Roy advanced on her and was about to strike her with the length of pipe when a bright light illuminated the entire gang.<\/p>\n

\u201cHalt, Guardian,\u201d a nearly monotone, clearly artificial voice called out. For a long second nobody moved, and then everyone did, Roy included. They scattered every which way in the hopes that one of the others would be followed. Only Luminita risked a glance back before she too disappeared around a corner. Alone and unable to see much less run, Natela slid to a sitting position low against the wall as she did her best to control her pained breathing.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you require a medic?\u201d The oddly calm, almost detached voice asked her.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she replied in between coughs. \u201cThey were\u2026 they were trying to rob me\u2026\u201d she said, wisely not mentioning that she had just finished playing the part of the robber.<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm, I\u2019m not surprised. You\u2019ll have to learn to keep better company, Guardian. Well, maybe not. But you should at least consider it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuardian?\u201d Natela asked as she continued wiping at her face and eyes. It was starting to work. Soon she was able to squint her eyes open wide enough to see who had saved her. What she saw would have made her jump back in shock if she hadn\u2019t already been pressed up against the wall. In front of her was not some oddly voice patrol bot or a flesh and blood member of law enforcement, but the strange, small, angular, floating<\/em> shape of a Ghost. She\u2019d seen them in vids and heard about them all her life, but to have one so close to her, and have it speaking to her… To say she was startled would have been a vast understatement. \u201cI think you\u2019ve got the wrong girl\u2026\u201d she protested weakly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. I don’t,\u201d the Ghost said in return. \u201cYou are Natela Tamaya Murk, one of the \u2018little lights in the darkness.\u2019 I\u2019m curious, do you think your parents knew you were destined to become a legend when they named you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents are dead,\u201d Natela answered bitterly, \u201cand legend nothing. The only thing I\u2019m becoming is out of here<\/em>,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll need to try harder than that,\u201d her Ghost replied as she shakily pulled herself around the corner. It hovered in place for a moment, looking on with amusement at her less than rapid departure. \u201cWe can do this one of two ways,\u201d the Ghost said as it effortlessly moved to block her slow, clumsy exodus. \u201cEither you come now with me, or I flood this sector with law enforcement. I think you\u2019ll find I know a thing or two about The City\u2019s security protocols.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome with you\u2026 and become a Guardian?\u201d Natela asked incredulously.<\/p>\n

\u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight, that\u2019s how that works?\u201d she laughed. \u201cDo you always pick starving thieves living in the slums?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot typically. More often we select from among the heroes of your past\u2026 but your natural talent was too good to pass up.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Well\u2026 uh\u2026\u201d Natela said, searching for an excuse, “I can\u2019t leave without my sister. She gets sick and there would be no one else to care for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI fully expected you to bring her along.”<\/p>\n

\u201cBring? I don\u2019t even know where\u2019s she\u2019s gone!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do,\u201d her Ghost replied. It flexed its angular plates in such a way that might, maybe, indicate a knowing smile. Natela turned to follow its gaze and there, peeking around the corner, was her thirteen year old sister.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were supposed to run!\u201d Natela tried to say, but her inflamed throat couldn\u2019t yet support her angered tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was scared,\u201d Luminita offered softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was too\u2026\u201d Natela admitted. She held open her arms and in an instant Luminita was in them, burying her tears on her big sister\u2019s shoulder. \u201cIf I went with you she would be taken care of?\u201d Natela asked the floating intelligence.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course. As would you,\u201d it replied.<\/p>\n

Natela bristled. \u201cI can take care of myself!\u201d she complained, before descending into another painful coughing fit. The Ghost just stared at her, not even bothering to speak. \u201cMost of the time\u2026\u201d Natela conceded as she recovered. She stroked her sister\u2019s head for a few moments before making a decision. \u201cAll right\u201d she said, “but I\u2019m doing this for her\u2026 not for that,\u201d she gestured to The Traveler, \u201cor to become your legend.”<\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstood,\u201d her Ghost said in reply. “If you two will follow me, I already have transport waiting for you.\u201d The two sisters helped each other off the ground and began to follow. They didn\u2019t make it more than a block before Natela froze and urgently turned to look back down the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight here,\u201d her Ghost told her before she even had the chance to ask. She marveled as her old knife rewove itself out of bright motes of light right before her eyes. She grasped it out of the air and was further surprised to feel its unfamiliar heft and balance. It had been remade good as new! Maybe even better!<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat else can you do?\u201d Natela asked, her voice a mix of awe and suspicion.<\/p>\n

“No sense revealing everything all at once,\u201d it replied. \u201cNow come on, I need to tell some friends that I found you.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Found. In the dark, nighttime shadows of The City, close to the outer wall, far from the skyscrapers and lights centered beneath The Traveler, something hastened across the dimly lit streets. And then another something. Then a third and fourth and fifth and sixth and finally, a smaller seventh. The shadowy figures, a group of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[103,101,100,99,76],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/741"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=741"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":765,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/741\/revisions\/765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}