[b]Chapter 15. The Truth [/b] [i]The highway was crowded as people fled to try and find a safe haven. Car horns blared, and people swore, some trying to force their cars through the small gaps between other vehicles. It was hot, and the sun beamed down on them with a passion; everyone was so tired from the heat and the long travel to get here. Most came by boat, while the few lucky ones came by aircraft. Tensions were building as cars rammed into each other, people jumping out of their cars to scream at one another. It might've been comical to watch if it wasn't for the world ending. Their angered screams soon turned into ones of fear as animalistic howls echoed throughout the valley. Alien ships flew overhead, those horrid creatures jumping out of each ship and landing on the cars, completely shattering the windows and crushing the people inside. Everyone ran, her grip tight on the teen's wrist as she pulled him through the crowd. Shots fired, and people fell to the ground, some shots coming from civilians but mainly from the aliens. Those who fought back were killed instantly; there was no choice but to run. The boy's voice was muffled as if he were speaking underwater. No matter how hard she strained her ears to listen, she couldn't hear him. Her blood ran cold as she heard a scream of pain; she turned her head to see the boy lying on the ground, blood oozing from his torso. She cried out and picked him up; she wouldn't let him happen, not again. She tried to run with him in her arms, the movement causing him to cry out with even more pain. She jumped onto the grass, figuring it was a safer bet than staying on the highway. She regretted the decision when she felt a searing pain shoot through her chest. She fell onto the ground, the boy still wrapped tightly in her arms. She tried to breathe, but it hurt so badly. She stared down at the boy, his body pale and unmoving. Tears filled her eyes as she stared down, praying to whatever God that would listen that this was a bad dream. A low voice began to speak, the words made no sense, and a clicking noise could be heard at the end of the sentence. She looked to see one of the creatures staring down at her, its eyes staring into her soul as it watched her. Her breathing got quicker; this was the end, she knew it was; everything she did for him was worthless. The alien raised its weapon and took a shot. [/i] The alarm blared, causing Jack to wake up with a start. She looked over at the alarm clock and groaned, throwing her arm over her eyes. "I don't see how you could get used to that." She groggily reached over and shut off the alarm, rolling over as she tightened the blankets around her body. She had never had a vivid dream before; usually, it was confusing, and she could barely make sense of anything, but this? This was different. [i]"Cayde's expecting us." [/i] She grinned at the familiar voice, "Hey, you're back." [i]"For now," [/i]he responded, [i]"Now, get up; you don't want to be late." [/i] She sighed, "Just a few more minutes." [i]"No, now. He's probably already waiting for you." [/i] She groaned as she sat up, "Fine, fine." She went and did her daily routine, doing her business in the bathroom before brushing her hair, putting it back into a ponytail, and then getting changed. She made her way down to the courtyard when she was finished, confused when she saw that Cayde wasn't there. "I told you we could've slept for longer," she sighed. Sheldon ignored her comment, [i]"I wonder where he could be?" [/i] Cayde walked out of the Hall of Guardians as if on cue, his pace quicker than usual. Jack looked down at the holopad he held in his arm, curious as to why he had it. "Hey, kid," Cayde said as he walked up to her, glancing behind his shoulder periodically, "Ready for training?" "As ready as ever." "Great!" He beamed, "Let's get going." They made their way to the hanger, greeting Amanda as they passed by her. He helped Jack into the Queen and quickly powered up the ship, and soon, they were flying across the mountainside. "So, what's the plan for today?" She asked as she turned herself to look at the Vanguard. "Oh, y'know, the regular, shooting, scouting, jumping, looking through your old files... the regular," he grinned as he pulled the dog tags from around his neck and handed them to her. Her eyes widened as she gripped the dog tags, "Really!? What did you find?!" He scoffed, "Thank you, Cayde, you're such an amazing guy, thank you so much for putting yourself on the line just for me and my goals." She sighed and smiled at him, "Thank you, Cayde; seriously, I mean it." He returned her smile, "No problem, kid, I'm glad I could help." She nodded, "So, what did you find?" His smile faded, "Just wait a little longer; I want to land this girl before we get into the nitty-gritty." She frowned but respected his decision; it must've been bad if he didn't want to tell her like this. The rest of the trip was clouded in silence as Jack watched the trees and mountains pass them, mind racing with what-ifs about the past. When they landed, Cayde ushered her to follow him up a small trail; the sun was just rising, and the higher they went, the more of the beautiful landscape she could see. "Remember when I told you about the beautiful spot I found that was perfect for watching the sunrise?" Cayde questioned after several minutes of walking. "Yeah, why?" "This is it," Cayde smiled as they finally reached the top of the trail. He wasn't wrong; it was gorgeous. The way the light bathed the trees in a yellow glow was breathtaking, and the snow on the distance mountains showed so brightly it was almost blinding. "It's beautiful," Jack breathed as she looked out at the golden sky; she then turned to Cayde and smirked, "There a reason you took me to this spot, in particular, Cayde-6...?" His cheek lights brightened as he took in her meaning, "Don't flatter yourself, kid," he chuckled and ruffled her hair before handing her the holopad, his expression turning into one of seriousness, "This is what I managed to recover. I couldn't get anything on your mom. But I did manage to find some stuff on your dad and brother." She gave him a confused look as she took the pad; she looked down and saw a picture of an older man with brown hair, "This man, I've seen him in my dreams." He nodded, "Look at the boy." She did, and her heart stopped, "Sheldon, his name's Sheldon?"