[b]When life gives you lemons, spray the juice in your eyes, scream, and run into a wall. These are true events that I have been stupid enough to do. Chapter 60: Wake Up[/b] [i]Blue and so vast.[/i] This was the first thing she thought up as she opened her eyes. The sky was always a sight to see and she always found herself looking up at it. Like somewhere out there, another person was doing the same thing. Vala squinted, watching a lone bird fly across her vision from up high before disappearing. She realized that she was laying down in a patch up grass, brown eyes watching above and the crisp air brushing against her skin. After a few minutes, she finally willed herself to sit up and look around. Vala then sighed, once again finding herself back to the place she loved and dreaded all the same. Oh how her dreams haunted her so. "Andal?" Her voice called out, somehow echoing across the landscape in front of her. The rusted planes of the Mothyard were her only company it seemed but Vala didn't even look at them. It was too serene. Too quiet. She didn't like it. The last time she was here in her dreams, her old mentor was snatched away by the shadows. Shuddering, he rubbed her arms, hoping to not see the sight again. "You called?" Whirling around to the voice behind her, she made a small squeak of surprise when the male Hunter appeared suddenly there. "Andal!!" Opening his arms wide, Vala took the invitation to crash into him. Her arms wound themselves around his torso, pulling him close. He was warm surprisingly, not cold as death. "How's my favorite crybaby? Are you crying now? You totally are! Holy-ow!!" Andal shouted in surprise when she pulled back and punched him in the arm. The old Vanguard Hunter rubbed the spot tenderly and grinned at her in return. Vala shook her head at him, rubbing her eyes with her hands and pulling away to look at her old friend. "I'm still me, Vala." He laughed, the sound bringing back warm memories. "You called me here anyways. Do you need something?" For a few seconds, all thoughts were thrown out the window as she stared at the supposed dead Hunter. He looked okay though, as if he wasn't dead at all and not a figment of her imagination. Even if this was just a dream, the Andal she knew and loved was still the same as she remembered. "It's just..." The words couldn't come as easy to her no matter how much she wished they did. "You're here. After spending so many years wishing you were alive somewhere is just a little hard to take in. I'm just happy to finally see you again once more." Andal ruffled her hair gently, a smile on his face. She closed her eyes, smiling too and basking in the attention he gave her like old times. When he pulled away, Vala pouted a little which received a laugh from Andal. "So what's going on in your life, Vala?" The old Hunter said, sitting down and making himself comfortable. Vala chuckled, sitting down next to him. The silence was nice between them, the only sounds were the gentle breeze and the calls of distant birds overhead. In truth, she had no idea how to explain that her whole race was out to get her. Pursing her lips, a scowl appeared on her face. Andal had apparently seen it seeing as he started cracking up. After punching him once more, Vala grimaced at the triumphant look he gave her. "Tomorrow is going to be hell." Vala said, flopping down on her back. Closing her eyes, an image of Bolt as a child came to mind. She didn't expect Andal to exclaim in surprise as she did that and opened her eyes, quickly sitting up. Her body suddenly felt an extra weight on her, a familiar one at that. Looking down, her eyes widened in surprise and confusion at what exactly was on her. [i]By the Traveler....[/i] Bolt, albeit a lot smaller than she had remembered sleeping next to, was sitting on her lap. His bright blue eyes were wide, his expression very happy as he bounced in her lap. Instinctively, she steadied him with her hands before he fell over and hurt himself. "Mommy!!" Dear god even her [i]dreams[/i] were messing with her. But as torturous as it was, a large smile appeared on her face. "How..." She started, looking to Andal who only shrugged. "It's a dream, Vala. Anything can happen." As if to prove his point, a small cloud appeared the Hunter and started raining glimmer. "Like this." He said, smiling like an idiot as the money bounced off his form. For a few minutes it was silent, only broken by Bolt's squeaks and giggles as she prodded at him playfully. "So that's your boy?" Vala jumped, completely overlooking and ignoring Andal who was watching her and Bolt with interest. The cloud was gone when she looked to him, instead a sniper resting on the man's lap. She nodded, starting to rock herself back and forth as Bolt purred contentedly. "My one and only." She whispered as tears began to well up in her eyes. "You know Andal I wish you were still alive to see him. To see how much we spend killing and not trying to [i]understand[/i] things." "Didn't Toland and Osiris say something like that?" Andal interrupted, a frown on his face. "Toland went on a raid to kill a Hive god the last I heard of him. And Osiris was exiled after he spoke against the views of the Speaker." Vala shrugged at the concerned look she got from Andal. She didn't know what happened to those two Guardians, only hearing snippets of rumors from time to time. Wherever their Light went, she hoped they were faring well. "Sometimes you just gotta try, Vala." Andal's solemn tone had something in it that bugged her. Like there was a hidden meaning she wasn't catching. "I have tried, Andal." Vala murmured, "I have tried my best and had the chance to change a few people's views. But I feel like he's growing up too fast. My little boy isn't so little anymore but I can't imagine anything else." The dream Bolt purred, snuggling close to her chest, his four arms trying to pull himself even closer to her. It seemed her dream was proving her point by the mere presence of him. "You can't stay in past, Vala." Andal started, his voice stern. Frowning, she turned away but a hand under her chin stopped her and forced her to face him. "You can't stay here," he gestured to himself and the landscape around him, "trapped in the past, wishing and wanting things to have turned out different. Something is going to give sooner or later and I don't think you want that." His face melted into a kind look and began to wipe at the tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "You can't keep beating yourself up over what had should been and focus of what you [i]should do.[/i]" Vala forced a nod, her heart aching at the truth he had laid out to her. With a tired sigh, he let go of her face and ruffled her hair once more. "Don't let things hold you down, Hunter. Take measures into your own hands and fight tooth and nail for it. It's what we're damn good at." Vala laughed, the sound relieving some on the tension. With that sound it seemed to egg on Andal further. "Well, we can't punch like a Titan or revive ourselves like Warlocks but we're cool too. We make a crap ton of money and we get all the ladies! Let's see those Titans do that! Ha!" She was outright laughing at this point, Bolt jumping up in surprise. Andal looked smug for the accomplishment and held his nose up pridefully. When her laughter finally did die down to chuckles, she punched Andal once again. "It's surprising," Vala said out loud, Bolt disappearing in a small flash of light. "that you are giving me advice when I need it. You used to always say to wing it." "Hey I once told Cayde he was Rasputin. I try my best, Vala. And sometimes it's all we can do." With a knowing smile, Andal winked. "Thank you, Andal." Perking up at her sincere tone, Vala leaned over and hugged him. Andal placed an arm around her shoulders in return, drawing her close as they sat in silence. "I wish you were still alive Andal. I wish for so many things and I wish for so many ways to show how my boy is different. Is [i]special.[/i]" she murmured into his shoulder. "I wish I was alive too but the past is the past. We have to move on." Suddenly, Andal stood up, surprising her. Grabbing her arm, he hoisted her up to her feet. "And now it's time to wake up, Vala." Bewildered, she stared at Andal as if he had grown a second head. Then her eyes went to the sky as it darkened, the landscape melting away to the darkness she knew. "Wake up. Wake up!!" He urged again. He shook her and a burst of nausea hit her. "Be strong, Vala Tash. Wake up." Then the world spun, the last of the landscape a swirl of fading colors and the sensation of falling. With a gasp, Vala sat up. Breathing hard, she felt around until she found Bolt's arms and then his fingers. Entwining them with ease she finally breathed a sigh of relief. "I see you've woken up. Good morning, oh rogue Hunter." Time froze for Vala at that second. Her heart stopped. Her breathing stilled. Her body frozen in panic and fear. But then it moved on and her eyes went to an unfamiliar figure sitting on the floor of the cave. Brain wired and setting off like fireworks, she took in every detail she could. [i]Warlock. Male. Unidentified. Enemy.[/i] [i]Be brave, Hunter.[/i] With Andal's words ringing in her head, Vala leaped at the threat. [i]Be strong.[/i]