This also came out wayyyyy different then i thought it would... and also a lot longer. Whoops! 

Sorry if this wasn’t what you had in mind but this is what my brain made ¯(°_o)/¯

(also thank you for asking a prompt, im not popular so youre the only person who asked anything (ﾉﾟ0ﾟ)ﾉ)

It looked to be about mid-day when Z got to the EDZ. 

A weird communication sent to her ghost, Luna, had them leaving Titan early. Trying to find more of the weird spiral things that Sloane wants in exchange for different gear. Its a process that has had Z and Luna going into weird places all around the barges and into the deeper parts of the archaology.

This caused them to find more of the weird orange things, but it also go Z killed a lot. If it not being that accidentally killed herself with the rocket launcher. Getting swarmed by the hive. Or jumping off something she couldn’t survive the fall from. (Okay, some of them she knew she couldn’t survive but it was still worth trying.) 

Learning her powers given to her by the traveler … was interesting. Is the easiest way to put it. Z was only a few weeks old technically from her re-birth? Rise from the dead? Un-deading?

Z has to think that out off all the planets she’s gone to so far, Titan is her least favorite. If only because the Hive and the fact that their screams pierce her ears and make her freeze up every time shes heard them so far. 

Z shivered at that thought. 

“You ok, Z?” Luna noticed the shiver, whoops. 

Not wanting to worry her ghost, Z gave a nod and picking up the pace as she and Luna trucked on words to the location on her hud. 

Luna filled the silence with her chatter. Z not really being a talker so far, which she feels a little rude to her ghost, but her ghost told her its normal. Other Guardians also didn’t talk much when they were first brought back. It’s a process. To figure out who you are now that you’re a guardian. 

“Oh- look we’re here!” Luna exclaimed when they stopped. 

It was a base camp? Or what looked to be the remains of one. Everything was blown up and or scorched. Although it didn’t look recent… more like it happened then nothing. Odd? Or was this a normal occurrence in the EDZ? 

“This is odd, but these are the coordinates. Could this have been a mistake? Or a prank?” Luna twisted around Z’s head trying to figure out what was happening and if they’d just brought into an ambush. 

Then they heard a chuckle from above them. 

While Z may be a new guardian, these past few weeks had her get ingrained into grabbing her gun at any sound. (This may have also gotten her in trouble at the tower. She may or may not have shot a warlock … or 3. When they came up from behind her while she was looking at something. It wasn’t on purpose and they understood what it was like. Still. Not a good thing.) 

Pointing her hand cannon at the sound, ready to shoot. The person they saw wasn’t who they were expecting. 

There in the tree leaning against one of the branches was the Hunter Vanguard- Cayde-6. 

Z has met Cayde-6 2 other times. When she was first brought to the tower and given armor and the whole city spiel. The second time when he was running away from someone in the tower to the city. The rumor channel said that Cayde had catapulted a chicken at Commander Zavala. He was running away to make sure he wouldn’t become Cayde-7. 

Which brings the question…

“How did they let you leave the tower?” Luna asking the burning question that was on both their minds. Letting Cayde leave the tower always spells trouble. Or at least that’s whats told to all the guardians and from what’s she’s learned. There is a reason for it. 

“First of all- that’s hurtful. I come here in peace to see how one of my newest hunters is fairing as a kinder guardian and I am immediately attacked. I was worried you ‘ya know. Of course I worry about all my hunters but the new ones, WHEW. Those guys can get into trouble fast and often.” Cayde jumps down from the tree and puts both his hands over what Z assumes to be an EXO’s heart, “They make me so proud. It almost brings a tear to my eye.” An over dramatic sniffle and wipe across his eye follows. 

“Well that is unless you’re them, but they just go into head first into anything and come out.” Cayde crossed his arms over his chest and gave a thoughtful nod. 

“Them?” Luna asked. 

Cayde’s face hardened and he gave the two of them a once over. Like he was trying to see in side them. Who they were… what they were… why they were who they were. Which when being the Hunter Vanguard and to have lived as long as he had. He’s looking for something specific. 

Whatever it seemed like Cayde was looking for, maybe he found it. 

“The Greatest guardian to ever live, and lucky they’re on our side.” 

Our side? 

Z noticed Luna about to ask. Z shook her head at Luna. This wasn’t the time to ask about that. At least not yet. 

Deciding to speak, “Why … are you here?” Z’s own voice still sounds weird to her. 

Cayde smiled, “To give you this. Sundance! Can you please do the honors of gracing the other Hunter with her present?” 

A ghost popped up in front of Z.

“Hello! Here’s your delivery!”

Z was so startled that when the ghost transmitted the thing Cayde had brought. Z dropped it straight on to her foot. 

Immediately the pain shot up through her leg and she yelped. Falling down to grab her foot she looked at the thing that dropped on it and almost had half a mind to kick it with her good foot. 

What the hell is that? 

“What is that?” Luna mirrored her thought to the outside world. 

Cayde gave a chuckle, which Z knew wasn’t only for the dumb question. 

“That is a bow.”

A bow?

Cayde walked over to Z and picked up the bow.

“It’s a weapon that not a lot of Guardians use, but seeing how you have knack for precision shooting. Don’t give me that look I’ve been watching you while you were here in the EDZ. Which reminds me we need to get you up to not be able to be trailed easily. What’s your subclass? Gunslinger?”

“Arcstrider.”

Cayde gave Z a look.

“Really? Well every guardian is different and maybe mass destruction is still in your future.”

Z feels very lost from half of this entire conversation. Somehow Z thinks that’s what happens when you talk to Cayde regardless though.

“Well whatever your subclass is. This is how you use a bow. Pull back, aim, and let it go. Not too much different from a gun only that your arms get a work out and you can’t hold the shot for too long. Unless you’ve got the arms for it.” Cayde mimicked what he was saying as he said it.

“You got all that Hunter?”

Z wasn’t sure if it was rhetorical or not but she nodded her head anyway.

“Fantastic! Here now you try.”

Taking the bow back from Cayde. Z got out the … bullets from where they dropped next to her feet. Looked very different from normal bullets but what does Z know? She’s been confused since Cayde showed up.

Following Cayde’s instructions Z shot her first arrow.

It felt slightly more satisfying then shooting a gun for some reason.

“Yeppie! Nice shot! But you know maybe this isn’t a good idea? What if giving all the hunters a bow they become buff enough to be mistaken for titans? Hey Sundance-“

Z took a few more shots with the bow, just getting a feel for the movement. When she noticed there was a toggle on the bow. Not knowing any better she pressed the button. Nothing exploded immediately so Z figured she was in the clear. There was only a little light up on the reticle that had changed anything.

Looking for a target to see with the light up reticle. Z chose a box in the middle of the trees close by. Pulling her arm back and releasing the bullet. The moment it made impact with the box- it exploded. Z dropped the bow on her foot … again.

“WHOA- WHOA! Did you press the button! I didn’t tell you to press the button yet! Why would you press- the trees on fire! THE TREES ARE ON FIRE! GET SOME WATER!”