Forsaken Light

Everything shuddered as Cayde came too, how he was even alive, he wasn't entirely sure. His whole back burned and seared with each movement as he was jostled around in the arms of Fanatic. Cayde's optics glowed as he looked up at the fallen that was carrying him like a child. He could walk... maybe...

"This is as far as you go." Uldren stated as the Fanatic looked at his leader before laying the Exo on the ground actually quite gently.

"Please. For you, I go instead. All know darkness lives here. Death. You are not of Ether. Can't bring you back." The Fanatic says as he takes a step towards the Awoken. Cayde notices Uldren's eyes as the red starts to turn black, the darkness consuming him. He has to do something, he needs to get out of here. Cayde holds back a whimper as he tries to push himself up or at least move. Sparks fly and he bites back a curse as he forces himself back down, he was useless here and at their mercy.

"All the same." Uldren answers as the baron kneels.

"Yes, Father. We ever serve and await return."

"Go. Inspire... and avenge your murdered friends." Uldren states as the fallen turns leaving. Cayde can almost laugh at the statement, with Ikora and Zavala here the Fanatic doesn't stand a chance and if Cass is here. Oh, good luck.

"Good, you're awake." Uldren mutters as he walks over to Cayde. "It would have been quite troublesome to have to carry your unconscious body to where the sacrifice is needed." Cayde stared up at the prince for a few moments.

"Sacrifice?" Cayde's voice came in a rough cough, one he couldn't even attempt to suppress.

"Of course why else would I have kept you alive?" Uldren chuckled at the question before grabbing the hunter's arm, hauling him to his feet and wrapping the Exo's arm around his shoulders.

"Uldren, this is insane." Cayde started another cough rocking his system as his mechanisms spasmed. The Awoken didn't blink, he just kept moving having the Exo's feet dragging on the ground as they walked. A wall of black mist stood between them and the rest of the Watchtower and the Awoken hesitated.
"Mara's dead. I'm sorry but she is. Whatever this is, whatever it is your hearing. It's not her, I know it's not her." He couldn't lie, not anymore. He couldn't fight, he could hardly move what did lying achieve at this point.

"Listen to me Uldren, please!" The prince didn't look at him, his attention in front of him staring at something that Cayde knew he couldn't see. Without a word, the Awoken pulled them through the barrier stepping into the dark world on the other side.

"I knew you were lying to me." Uldren muttered.

"To some degree I was yes, but another no. I did hear voices Uldren, and I know what is real and what isn't. I know that whatever... whoever you are talking to isn't Mara." His circuits roared with a small jostle as the prince carried him further and further into the tower.

"How do you know?"

"Mara wouldn't have you being brought to the Watchtower, this is the home of the Taken. She knew better than anyone of this place's corruption and she's corrupting you. Your eyes are black, that's the power of the taken. It's corrupting you Uldren and you seem to not care about that at all." Cayde stated but Uldren continued to ignore him. An explosion echoed below them, but the prince kept moving, his steps never faltering. Black tendrils swam along the Awoken's skin as he walked mumbling to himself as they moved.

A towering door came into view as Cayde tried and failed to get out of the Awoken's grip. He didn't have the strength, he didn't have the ability and he most certainly didn't have much fight left in him.

"I'm not afraid..." Uldren whispered as he practically dropped Cayde to the floor, his body screaming with the sudden force of the ground as he met it. Pushing his good arm under him, he forced himself onto his side with a pained groan as he heard the click of the Ace of Spades. Cayde turned to gaze at the Awoken who had the hand cannon pointed at him.

"Uldren... this isn't you... this thing is manipulating you... please..." Cayde coughed as the Awoken's hand started to shake.

"I can't..." Uldren muttered as Cayde's optics snapped to him. "I..."

"Uldren. Mara's gone, who you're talking to. It isn't her." Cayde whispered as the Awoken hesitated the barrel of the gun pointed at Exo's head.

"I can free her, I just need your light and your life for hers. Light for light and a life for a life..." Uldren mumbled as Cayde tried to keep his calm, but there was only so much calm left in him now. His system screamed as he tried to push himself up a bit more, he wouldn't die on the ground like a worm.

"What'll that get you?" Cayde asked.

"What?"

"Her life for mine, what'll that get you? You devoted everything for your sister and yet here you are, still following her like a lost puppy even after her death. You are her puppet, Uldren. You never fully understood that, she always just used you. No matter how loyal you were to her, you were replaceable with the guardians who could actually do something useful for her. She always used you Uldren." Cayde admitted as the Awoken stared at him, his mouth hung open a bit. "Why would you still be following her orders? You're the last royal of the Reef and you've been on this mad quest to bring your sister home. You've destroyed your home and your kingdom and any relationship with your allies that remained. Do you realize that?" Cayde whispered as another coughing fit rolled through him.

"I... I..."

"Drop the gun!" Ikora's voice carried strong over the area as she almost glowed the void magic swarming around her hands. The shotgun leveled at the Awoken prince as Zavala raised his pulse rifle at Uldren as well, the Vanguard's anger flaring through his eyes. His own void magic swarmed around his arms in a flurry of movements. Uldren's eyes widened as Cayde stared at the two Vanguard. They came, they actually came for him. He couldn't believe it, Zavala and Ikora were here. He stalled long enough for them to catch up, he felt his circuits soaring. A round of coughing broke his thoughts as he lowered himself back down to the ground, damn everything hurt. He needed to stay awake, to stay alive until he got back to the tower and got looked at. He could do that, he could do that for Ikora and Zavala.

"Get away. You'll ruin everything!" Uldren shouted his hand shaking, but the hand cannon never lowered.

"It's over Uldren. Your Barons are dead, just give it up." Zavala ordered as he took a small step to the side ready to rush forward if it was needed.

"I'm so close, I can get her. I can free Mara, don't you see. I can free her."

"Uldren, Mara's dead. We found the remains of her ship, she's gone." Ikora informed as the panicked look in Uldren's eyes grew more intense. "I'm sorry."

"She can't be dead. I know she isn't, she's here. I can hear her, I can see her." Uldren shouted as he glanced at the towering door behind him and then down to Cayde. His hand continued to shake, but after a few moments, Uldren lowered the hand cannon. Ikora was moving forward fast as Zavala kept his rifle trained on the once prince. The warlock Vanguard quickly returned her shotgun to her shoulder as she started to rush across the area to her fireteam member. Cayde could almost cry as the two Vanguard's got closer the feeling of relief overtaking his system. He was going home.

BANG!
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Here's the next chapter! Hope you guys are enjoying