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Everything happened so fast, it wasn't until days later Valia had time to sit and reflect back on things. The Darkness had come and everything has changed, the planets, the enemy movements, and unlikely allies made for strange bedfellows, even her Ghost had changed and her relationship with the Drifter feels...challenged.
One thing was for sure, it's here, it's happening, and that bastard of a rat was right along. As much as it grated her she owed him a huge apology. She had been so mistrusting, always doubting, despite him slowly showing her a little more as the seasons passed and changed.
The first contact, it was like time slowed, everything started to fall in place, her and the other guardians knew exactly what to do as if it was instinct. Like clockwork. The Drifter's words started ringing in her head.
"This is what gambit has been leading to."
"Gambit is a chance at salvation."
Her heart swelled with so many emotions, gratitude, guilt, pleasantly surprised and glad to be wrong. Oh she owed him, and she owed him big time. Especially after all the shit and grief she's given him.
But first, her Ghost. She needed to know he was going to be ok.
She sat on the cliffs in the Lost Oasis on Io and brought out her Ghost. His eye was lazy and tired, and his cat eye seemed to have lost it's green. He looks around lazily before staring back at her slowly blinking.
"What did they do to you, Ghost? Your little light isn't so bright anymore." He shutters and vibrates slowly as if annoyed, but stays silent.
He's barely said anything since that day with the pyramids. They had their disagreements and shared a fair amount of arguments but this was different. This wasn't like when Cayde died and she'd sometimes let rage and vengeance consume her. This wasn't like when she started to stupidly fall for the Drifter. This happened once the Darkness touched him, possessed him, hurt him.
"Will you ever come back?" she wipes a stray tear, "I know you used to annoy me sometimes, I know you know that. But I also knew it was because you were just doing your job, keeping me from falling to Darkness." her Ghost closes his eye. "You always had something clever to say even when I wanted you to zip it." she let's a bitter chuckle escape her, she took her Ghost for granted, and she was so sorry.
Destroy her tower, take her Light, but leave her ghost alone. She could and would take it all, that was her job as a guardian. "I'd give anything to hear one of your stupid jokes again. Just say anything."
A piercing sound fills the air, cutting the peaceful silence like sharp rough metal. Her ghost looks at her with a knowing bob. She glances back at the pyramid that has just presented itself. She shakes her head and stands up, "No, I'm done here for the day. Send a message to the Drifter, tell him to meet me on the derelict." her ghost did as she asked as she boarded her ship and left Io and its Taken behind.
Valia paced the derelict impatiently, "Damn it, where is he?!"
Her ghost floated around her slowly, "He is a lot busier than usual."
She sighed annoyingly, "I know that, why did you think I asked you to tell him to meet me he - wait...Ghost!" she was so bothered the Drifter still hasn't come it took a moment to dawn on her, her ghost spoke for the first time in days.
"Yea well, I wouldn't get used to it."
Her face lit up and beamed, and started to hum her tune, "this little light of mine..."
Ghost twirled around like he was turning his back on her, "Don't do that, you know I -"
"I'm gonna let it shine!"
"hate that!" Ghost finished as he whipped back around.
"Oh c'mon ghost, what did I tell you when you berated me for getting too close to the Drifter? Our Light is brighter than the Dark."
Their conversation was interrupted with the door shutting behind them, "And like I told you before, there are things in the dark only the dark can overcome. Our Light cast shadows."
Her face fell sullen as she turned to him, "Drifter I..."
He smirks at her, "Your ghost said you wanted to meet here? Annex gettin' too cozy for ya'?"
"I am so sorry I ever doubted you. Do you still have that seat saved?"
He smiles wickedly and his eyes darken and says, "It's always been there. You ready to get Dark?"
Valia laughs, "I wouldn't have it any other way."
She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding in and closes the gap between them and crashes into him, kissing him hard. The impact of her embrace knocks them down and she straddles him. She comes up for breath and looks down at him apologetically
"Its good to have you on the crew, darlin'."
"Its good to be had."
With that they embrace again giving into each other and losing themselves in intoxicating lust and passion for the rest of the night. Both of their ghosts leaving the room shaking their shells in visible disgust.