{"id":748,"date":"2014-06-27T02:10:52","date_gmt":"2014-06-27T06:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/?p=748"},"modified":"2014-07-02T19:45:18","modified_gmt":"2014-07-02T23:45:18","slug":"little-lights-in-the-darkness-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/2014\/06\/27\/little-lights-in-the-darkness-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Little Lights in the Darkness, Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Natela tensed as the gun was drawn from its holster and then pointed directly at her. She\u2019d stared down the barrel of a gun one or twice before, but back then it had always been with the assumption that its wielder would not fire unless she did something stupid. Now, that assumption was reversed. Staying still and doing what was expected of her was about to get her killed.<\/p>\n

And then it did.<\/p>\n

One moment she was nervous almost to the point of tears, and the next, there was a jolt and everything was different. She could see up and down and\u00a0everywhere<\/em> all at once. But she couldn\u2019t feel anything! She couldn\u2019t talk, or blink her eyes, or even move! At the edges of her \u201cvision\u201d she could see her Ghost expanded around her\u2026 holding on to her. It was disorienting and terrifying, but it only lasted a couple of seconds. She stiffened again as she was enveloped in light\u2026 and then she was back to being her whole self once more. Still thoroughly in a panic, Natela threw herself hard into the nearby padded wall and scrambled to her feet as best she could.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, you’re ok, try and keep calm,\u201d her shooter said to her. \u201cCome on, shake it off. We\u2019ve all been dead before\u2026 and now so have you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd… and that\u2019s what it feels like\u2026 out there?\u201d Natela asked as she fought down her emotions.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, mostly,\u201d combat instructor Trii said after putting away her weapon. \u201cOf course, what you just experienced was a clean headshot. The enemy isn\u2019t often so kind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight\u2026\u201d Natela said softly. \u201cJust once today, right? I can go now?\u201d she asked, her voice making it clear that she might break down and cry if the answer was a no.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course. The first time is always hard. You officially have the rest of the day off, and the weekend to recover. If you\u2019ll take some advice, when you think about it, because you will<\/em>, try to think of it as a technological process. Anything else will tie you in knots…\u201d<\/p>\n

Natela just nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, you did better than most…\u201d instructor Trii called after her as she slipped out the door.<\/p>\n

Natela walked quickly down the hall, towards the closest women\u2019s locker room, studiously ignoring every tech, maintance worker, and Guardian she passed along the way. She was sure each and every one of them could see right through her, right through the facade of calm she was barely hanging on to. Inside, things weren’t any better. She’d hoped for an empty room, but it wasn\u2019t to be. There were a handful of Guardians in varoius states of undress, changing or inspecting their gear, leaving her no place to be alone. A tall one, dressed in Warlock robes, pushed past her on her way to the door. Deciding it was more awkward\u00a0to stand and fret, Natela moved to her locker began undoing her own armor. There were straps and zippers and buttons all over her flexible leather suit, holding it tight against her skin. Finding them all had been a problem at first, now the problem was keeping her hands steady enough to undo them all.<\/p>\n

“Tough time out there?” a blue skinned Titan asked while checking her helmet. Natela wondered if it was as heavy as it looked, then quickly replied with another one of her uneasy nods.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have those days. Be brave, you\u2019ll get through it,\u201d the Awoken said before she too moved towards the exit.<\/p>\n

\u2018Be brave<\/em>\u2026\u2019 That seemed to be a motto around The Tower. Natela sat down to pull off her boots then sighed\u2026 She\u2019d been trying to \u2018be brave\u2019 for the past two months and hadn\u2019t gotten very far with it. Her heart just wasn\u2019t in it. Oh sure, she\u2019d learned a whole lot ever since leaving her life on the streets behind. She\u2019d studied constantly, learning about enemies and tactics and protocols. She\u2019d been drilled endlessly. She could now shoot and dodge and throw her knife at a target several meters away\u2026 But the thought of going beyond the walls of The City\u2026 of fighting the aliens she\u2019d only seen in combat footage\u2026 It unnerved her. Hell, being killed and brought back just moments ago had been unsettling enough, and that had been done in a special room, with a friendly, reassuring instructor, all on top of hundreds of previous assurances that it would all work.<\/p>\n

Her Ghost chirped, still buried in its holding place within one of her armor\u2019s pockets, spurring her back into action. It was nearly time to pick up Luminita.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOk, I\u2019ve got it,\u201d Natela said, silencing the alarm.<\/p>\n

Out of everything, her younger sister had been the one true light in her life. Luminita was in school now, learning things and making friends. Even better, she was looking far more healthy that she had in years. They both were, actually, but Luminita especially. On the street, between her occasional, strange bouts of sickness and neither of them knowing when they\u2019d next their next meal\u2026 she\u2019d been in pretty bad shape. Now though, she almost glowed in comparison to how she\u2019d been before. That, if nothing else, Natela mused, made all the rest of it bearable. She finished changing into her, comfortable, properly fitting street clothes\u2026 something she\u2019d never thought she\u2019d have just two months ago\u2026 and headed out. She swung by the small cafeteria style space on her way out, paid for a single nutrient bar while covertly pocketing three, then hurried towards the elevator that would take her down to The Tower\u2019s ground level. She\u2019d just rounded the last corner between her and the elevator when her Ghost began nagging her again, this time with a much more urgent sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour sister\u2019s school is calling,\u201d it began as soon as she pulled it out of her pocket. \u201cYour sister collapsed roughly thirty minutes ago and they haven\u2019t been able to revive her. She\u2019s being taken to Traveler\u2019s Light General as we speak.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet me transport, now,\u201d Natela ordered as she broke into a run.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiverting public transport during Green Level city status is illegal\u2026 but that\u2019s never stopped you before,\u201d her Ghost replied wryly. \u201cI\u2019ll have something waiting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Natela cursed as she missed the elevator, but then realized it was probably a blessing in disguise. She burst into the nearby stairwell and, without even thinking about it, flung her self over the railing. There was a certain thrill to it, falling as floor after floor zipped by far faster than any elevator would have. At the last second Natela looked up and blinked<\/em> upward. The sudden burst of directed speed largely canceled out her downward momentum, reducing what would have been a painful, life threatening impact to merely a heavy but manageable landing. It scared the heck out of a maintenance worker one level above her, though. Sprinting again, Natela emerged on the street in front of The Tower and spotted a frustrated technician yelling at an uncooperative auto-taxi. Realizing it was waiting for her, she charged past him and threw herself into the back seat just as the door opened. The car immediately sped off, leaving the bewildered tech to wonder what had happened.<\/p>\n

Twenty minutes later Natela burst into the ER lobby demanding to know the whereabouts of her sister. It took two then three nurses to calm her down and lead her to a seat in the waiting area. They only managed to get away from her with the promise that someone would speak to her soon. That someone turned out to Dr. Eman, a young ER doctor not all that much older than she was.<\/p>\n

\u201cMs. Murk? You\u2019re Luminita\u2019s sister and guardian, correct?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am,\u201d Natela said, standing and shaking his hand, not really sure why she was doing it. \u201cWhat\u2019s happened to my sister, is she hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot\u2026 exactly,\u201d the doctor told her. He indicated that she should sit, then took a seat across from her before speaking again. \u201cYour sister arrived in a kind of shock. Her body had begun to shutdown due to a rare enzyme deficiency. We\u2019ve stabilized her for now, but I\u2019m afraid her long term prognosis is\u2026 hard to predict.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

The young doctor took a deep breath, then explained, \u201cWe\u2019ve seen this condition a few times before but have never cracked what exactly causes it. A patient\u2019s key enzyme levels will vary higher and lower over the course of weeks or months or sometimes even years. They might be stable for long stretches, then dip for a few days, and then return to normal. A small dip might show as fatigue or weakness, but a larger drop\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait\u2026\u201d Natela said. \u201cWould this\u2026 she\u2019s had poor health all her life. She\u2019d feel bad some days, and get sick\u2026 tired mostly\u2026 every few months. Once a couple of years ago she got real bad. I thought she was\u2026 I thought I was going to lose her. She slept for three days straight but then came out of it.\u201d Natela looked down at the floor for a moment then speaking more quietly said, \u201cI don\u2019t remember it that well\u2026 but I think it\u2019s how our mother died.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would likely be a genetic condition,\u201d Dr. Eman confirmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Luminita is going to be all right now, isn\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the short term, yes,\u201d Dr. Eman said. \u201cWe can synthesize the enzymes her body needs easily enough. Long term though\u2026\u201d he said, \u201c\u2026the hospital doesn\u2019t have the resources to treat her long term. Nobody does.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you just said\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Eman took a quick glance around the waiting room checking for anyone in earshot. \u201cYou\u2019re a Guardian, right?\u201d He asked in a hushed tone. \u201cNot Luminita\u2019s legal guardian, but an actual Guardian of The City?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2026\u201d Natela answered, unsure what he was leading up to.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only way to synthesize the injections your sister needs is by reprograming Glimmer. The hospital has an emergency supply, some of which we used to stabilize your sister, but now that we know her condition is long term we can\u2019t afford to\u2026 to waste our supply on someone with a terminal condition. But, if we had…\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026if there was an outside supply it would be possible to keep her healthy.\u201d Natela finished, getting it.<\/p>\n

It sounded simple, Natela realized, but the weight of what she\u2019d just suggested pressed down on her, dampening her spirits. She crossed her arms over her chest as she considered the ramifications. Glimmer was essential to The City and to the war effort, that had been drilled into her time and time again over the past two months. A large percentage Guardians found outside the walls was marked for their use in the defense of The City. The rest was doled out in specific, highly controlled amounts. With such limited supplies, too much going to any one industry could be disastrous, or might be used for profiteering\u2026 something The City, Humanity itself even, just couldn\u2019t afford. Therefore, any unauthorized Glimmer smuggling was considered to be highly illegal. Beyond permanent induced coma style illegal, even.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what I\u2019m asking is\u2026 difficult,\u201d Dr. Eman said, \u201cbut it\u2019s your sister\u2019s only long term hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Natela nodded, but then her hand brushed over the two nutrient bars she\u2019d stolen earlier and she smiled a small smile. \u201cYou\u2019re right, it is difficult, but that\u2019s never stopped me before. I\u2019ll do it. Can I see my sister now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, right this way,\u201d Dr. Eman replied.<\/p>\n

He led her back to one of the emergency triage rooms. Inside, Luminita was awake and responsive. She smiled as she saw her big sister approaching.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d Natela asked as she sat in a chair next to her sister\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter, I think. My head still hurts though\u2026\u201d She paused then worriedly said, \u201cI don\u2019t know what happened\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s ok,\u201d Natela replied gently, \u201cI do. It was your sickness again, but the doctors and I think we know how to fix it now.\u201d Her sister smiled and Natela smiled back.<\/p>\n

Three days later, with her sister recovering at their home, Natela stepped off a FOTC transport in the midst of Old Russia. Before, she\u2019d held back, she\u2019d been afraid. Agreeing to become a Guardian had simply been a way to get her and her sister off the streets. But to actually commit to it, to stop holding back, to put her life on the line\u2026 that had taken something more.<\/p>\n

Before, she\u2019d needed a reason to go beyond The City\u2019s walls.<\/p>\n

Now, she had one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reason. Natela tensed as the gun was drawn from its holster and then pointed directly at her. She\u2019d stared down the barrel of a gun one or twice before, but back then it had always been with the assumption that its wielder would not fire unless she did something stupid. Now, that assumption was reversed. […]<\/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":[104,101,97,100,99,76,105],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748"}],"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=748"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":766,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748\/revisions\/766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}