[b]I need to get my butt in gear. I'm so sorry about my absence!!! Family crap hit me hard. Chapter 74: She Needs Me[/b] "My Guardian needs me." A single sentence like that, spoken loudly, can make a large majority of certain people turning their heads. Some would summon forth their companions to make sure that they weren't the ones that had spoke. To make sure that they weren't without their first friend. And what would that be? Go ahead and ask any Guardian of the Light and they can tell you straight away. A [i]Ghost[/i]. The Ghosts were there first. A tiny spark of the Traveler and its power stored into a tiny compact shell that chose the warriors of the Light. They were always there, the first one to see and the the first one to follow to places unknown. Every Ghost knew their tale by heart, by memory. To every tiny detail on their journey finding their Guardian to the last sight they ever saw before the end came. And sometimes, the end came too soon. The tales of Guardians with lost Ghosts were not uncommon but were a sad tale indeed. A battle born person of the Light without a Ghost is much as useful as a civilian with any gun though. Their lives cut short to one life once more, the threat of death final and scary to some. Some Guardians went beyond the walls and never came back, shouldering that last life like a weight. Some Guardians just up and left, not sparing another glance back. The Ghost didn't want her to be like that. It was right here! Safe and sound! "My Guardian needs me." It knew it's Guardian was in pain, the connection to her still strong. Still so strong, yet she was getting further and further away with each second passing. A dwindling star in this endless galaxy of stars and planets. It made the Ghost angry but angry at what? All these confusing emotions weren't something any Ghost should have, but it grounded the little machine. Kept it from drifting away from their bond even though the distance was eating it up. The Ghost felt so alone. It wanted it's Guardian there. Wanted her to say that it was going to be okay. But now, it's Guardian didn't need it. She needed it to stay here, stay close to her treasure, to guard him with its life. But what could one tiny Ghost do? Trouble always came, wars always fought, and lives lost. What could [i]it do?[/i] Lock and unlock doors? Give advice on how not to die? Oh it gave advice. Gave so much advice and given some in return from others and from her. She gave it a new perspective on life, a new look on how lives should be liven and not how to follow what others expect of them. "I miss her." It lamented, eye downcast. The small space of the cockpit hummed, the directions to their destination yet unknown but the Ghost didn't want to find out. A part of it wanted to know, curious as always. A clawed hand reached out and it perched itself there, seemingly drooping under the worried gaze directed at it. "I miss her too." The Ghost looked down, thinking of what to say to make this situation better. To cheer up her treasure. She always had a way with him, knew just what to say and do to make it all better. It knew because standing, or floating, by her since her revival was always interesting. It watched her grow, fight, and learn from the best. And then she raised him, something so new and different but it felt nice. She gave direction to her young like it had done to her all those years with her. Pride welled up within the Ghost at the thought, proud for its Guardian and proud for her child to have learned. Something fell on the Ghost, the shock bringing it out of its thoughts. Confused, it looked down to where a drop of water slid down its shell before landing on the palm below it. And then there was another one. And another, and another. Startled, it looked up to see her boy crying. "I m-miss my mommy. I want her here! I-I'm scared and lost and I don't know what to do!" Large tears leaked out of his eyes, a wet hiccup rising from his throat. One of his hands rose to wipe at his face but more tears replaced them. Something twinged within the Ghost. "Oh Bolt. Shhhhh it's ok. Shhhhhhh it'll be ok. Believe me, okay? It's okay." The Ghost floated up, the tears landing on its shell more often but it didn't care. Bolt sobbed, hunching over in an effort to hug it but was already too big. The Ghost closed its eye, leaning forward to rest upon his chest in an effort to hug back. Bolt curled upon himself even more at the effort, and it hurt to see her treasure in pain. [i]When did you grow so fast?[/i] It felt like forever ago that it's Guardian picked him up. Raised such a creature with so much love and care that it unnerved most. But then a few came around and found that maybe change was something they could try. "My Guardian wanted me to keep an eye on you. It's a promise and I intend to keep it." The words were calming, soft and trying to hold the hope and love it could muster in that sentence. Bolt must have found the right thing to say for his head nodded weakly. "I'm scared." The Ghost looked around, half worried and angry if anything around was scaring the Fallen. Finding nothing, it faced back towards her boy, tilting ever so slightly in question. "If anything makes you scared again, the necklace she gave you will help and I am here as well if you want to talk about it." Bolt jumped, suddenly remembering about that and reached around his neck for the chain. He found it with a chirp of joy, pulling it until the Hunter sigil necklace rested in his hand. With a simple click and a press of a button, the Fallen watched with wide eyes of memories not his own. Played just for him, a memento of his mother he could carry with him always. "She worked hard on that." The Ghost commented, watching with him. "She was always talented, much more so in the design department." Bolt hummed, eyes never leaving its Guardian's holographic face, as if to imprint the image into his mind. The Ghost floated away after a while, leaving her treasure to continue watching. It looked outside, the countless galaxies twinkling in the far, far distance. It remembered being out there, searching for its Guardian, searching for [i]her.[/i] And then it did find her. A miracle found out in the wilds of Venus, her small frame holding so much Light it almost blinded the machine. The years together was the best it had, lonely no more and sharing their adventures together. And then Bolt came along, it's Guardian's Light flaring once more as to tune itself to her heart that was so big, so caring and kind. Those memories carried a pain now, the Ghost wanting to run back to her. Make her feel better and make everyone see that her boy was something special. But now all it could do is search for safety from her kind. To protect her child, hidden until she came back. But when would that be? Days? Weeks? Months? It didn't want to image the years without her, unable to think about what would happen without her. Another glance at Bolt melted away those worries. The Fallen was clicking happily, crooning at yet another memory played. The tears were still there, the Ghost wanting to wipe them away but it stayed hovering where it was. At that moment, the Ghost swore to the stars and her life that Bolt would be okay. That it would stay here, keep him safe. For her. For Vala.