Rest in Peace

Luna had always been prone to sentiment, holding on to mementos and the like to remember people and places and experiences she'd had. She often filled journals not just with notes, but also sketches of stunning vistas throughout the Sol System. Everything from the quiet forests of the EDZ, to the unending desert of Mars, to the majesty of the Dreaming City; she'd seen it all and captured those moments in pen and ink so that it wouldn't just be the image that was familiar. That core sentimentality was part of why she maintained her weapons and armor so religiously. By maintaining those weapons and armor, she maintained the memories of how she'd acquired them, and the people she'd acquired them from.

The Ace of Spades was a prime example of this. She'd worked with Cayde and Banshee to build the weapon, and it had served her well in so many situations that it was easily her most prized possession. She couldn't count how many times having that weapon on hand had saved her life.

From her old home in the Sol System, Luna had most of the weapons she'd brought with her, with the exception of the Raze Lighter; more ammunition-synthesizers than she'd ever need here; her Reef-Awoken armor; her journals; her heirloom necklace from her mothers; and her sisters, Mae and Rose. The fact that they'd followed her was something she never expected, but was overjoyed about nonetheless.

From this new world, she'd acquired plenty of new keepsakes and mementos. Among them, all of her new pony friends; from ~Applejack~ to ~Celestia~ to ~Chrysalis~, she'd managed to make more friends here than she ever had in the Sol System. She was dating ~Luna~ now, to the surprise of only Mae and Rose.

She sat back in her bed, ~Luna~ cuddled up next to her as she held the Ace in one hand, her other absently stroking through the pony's mane. Memories of the good times with Cayde played out in her mind, including several practical jokes she'd helped him pull on Zavala and Ikora. Memories of exchanging tales from the fronts, talking about what they felt when they tapped their Light in some ramen shop in the City. Memories of the missions she got directly from him, and how every single one inevitably went wrong. A melancholy smile graced her lips.

She set down the Ace on her nightstand, before turning out the light in her room. The warm light of the incandescent bulb was replaced with the soft, pale light of the uninfested moon of ~Equis~ spilling in from the balcony window. She settled back down beneath the blankets and closed her eyes. Warmth radiated from ~Luna~ and Nova, contrasting with the cool autumn air coming in from the balcony window.

Here, on this world inhabited by ponies, Luna could finally rest in peace.

[Mercury, Fields of Glass: Ten days before Contact]

The gate to the Infinite Forest was being constantly watched by several Guardians after the Atheon Incident. The device that had appeared and begun spitting out copies of Atheon had been dismantled violently, leaving deep scars on the landscape outside Brother Vance's tower.

The Forest door flashed, and from it stepped a lone Hunter, clad in brilliant purple armor with an Ace in her hand. A moment later, a Titan in blue and a robeless Warlock followed. The three shared a look with each other, and stepped forth, back into the world.

A Warlock clad in fine black robes attempted to approach the three, but a lone ship passed over them, transmat firing and pulling them all inside as it blasted away from Mercury, back towards Earth.