An Iron Sunset

by Dragon Angel Knight

Perilous Quest

Author's Note:

Another chapter up! I've got more ideas of how to do this, but I'm trying to pace myself a bit more than I did with my previous stories. Bit off more than I could chew with them and, well, I don't want to do that here.

As always, have fun reading the chapter and leave a comment!

Also, I'm using the names of Shaders in the Destiny universe for the titles of chapters. I'm trying to keep them Iron Banner themed but it's a bit challenging to find names among those shaders that fit the theme of the chapter, lol

Perilous Quest

Saladin sighed heavily as he got up out of bed, not feeling the weight of his usual set of armor. It had been about a month since the Speaker had insisted he raise Sunset as his own, and frankly, the Iron Lord wasn’t sure if he was up to the task. Saladin had a suspicion that at least one other Iron Lord (or Lady in this case) was still around, but she had yet to respond to any messages he had sent her way.

Saladin guessed it was for the best. After the battle in the SIVA replication complex, he had fallen into a deep depression, the only thing keeping him going at that point was his eternal watch against a return of the damnable nanomachines. He had sealed ALL records of the Iron Lords’ search for it in the Iron Temple on Vostok, along with statues of his fallen comrades. Beyond that, however…

“Sala-daddy!!” came a small voice, “’m hungry!”

“Of course, Sunset,” Saladin called back, a wry chuckle escaping his lips. Sunset had grown rather quickly in the last month. She was, by no means, anywhere near ready to attempt using the Light she had within her frame, and the Iron Lord was a hundred percent certain she called him “Sala-daddy” just to be cute.… Much to his chagrin, it worked and his Ghost wouldn’t let him hear the end of it.

Making his way to the small kitchenette in the apartment he’d been given, Saladin set about making breakfast for the two of them. He had learned that Sunset could, and often did eat meat, but it was mostly fish. She had tried bacon once and after that first time, she had turned her nose up at it at every meal, often saying ‘m not bacon…’ in a quiet voice. When asked, the foal had responded with a shrug and a non-answer before digging into whatever else it was that was in front of her.

“Wat we gonna do today?” Sunset asked happily as she dug into the eggs in front of her.

“I have some business to attend to at the Tower,” Saladin replied, “I’ll need you to be on your best behavior, alright?”

“Okie, Sala-daddy!” Sunset nodded with a happy smile, a bit of egg on her chin.

“What have I gotten myself into…?” Saladin asked himself as he wiped the foal’s face off, then finished his own meal before standing to get into his armor.

`~`~`~`~`~

Arriving at the Tower, Saladin and Sunset walked over to the Vanguard table room, the little pony running every which way and saying a happy hello to anyone that would listen, though Arcite 99-40, in an uncharacteristic display of humanity, leaned down from his work and scratched the little one behind the ear.

“Zavala,” Saladin said in greeting as Sunset ran about the room.

“Lord Saladin,” Zavala replied in kind, holding out a hand to his fellow Titan, “To what do we owe this pleasure?”

“I had an idea over the last few weeks that I thought I would run by you,” the Iron Lord said, “I suppose Shaxx should hear of it as well, however…”

“I am well aware of the history,” Zavala said with an understanding look, “He and I have had… less than kind words to be said about that day as well. He does keep things professional, however.”

“That is good to hear,” Saladin says in a neutral tone, “Though I am not sure how he would react to this idea. No time like the present to ask, I suppose…”

“Indeed,” the Titan Vanguard responds as he keeps an eye on Sunset… who was running circles around Cayde. Literally.

“Whoa!!” the Hunter exclaims in surprise as he falls to his seat, “She could be a damn good scout! How’re you training her?”

“I’m not. Not yet,” Saladin responds harshly, “She is far too young yet to get into any kind of fight. I’d rather not have her getting into anything my axe can’t handle.”

“Fair point,” Cayde says with a shrug as he stands up. As he does so, he offers the Iron Lord one of his knives, “For when she gets old enough. Never know when a good knife can get you out of a spot of trouble.”

Looking it over, Saladin nods, accepts the gift, and slides it into one of his gauntlets, the handle poking out the side closest to his elbow.

“When she gets old enough,” Saladin agreed.

“Well, aren’t we an energetic one?” Ikora Rey, the Warlock Vanguard asked of Sunset as she looked up, wide eyed at her. “Can you do this, though?” And with that Ikora Blinked to the other side of the table, looking at Sunset with a smile. The foal’s eyes lit up in wonder, obviously curious as to how it was done.

“Wanna see!” she said, eyes pleading watching carefully.

“Alright, once more,” Ikora says with a smile. She Blinks again, this time to the entrance to the room, watching Sunset almost expectantly.

“I try!” Sunset said emphatically, nodding her head and closing her eyes in concentration.

“It took me years to master Blink, child,” Ikora responds with a smile, “Don’t be discouraged… if… what in the Light?”

The reason Ikora trailed off at the end was because she had noticed a slight pull of Arc Light coming from Sunset. The foal’s horn was lit up like a tiny beacon for a split second… then, she was standing next to Lord Shaxx in a flash of light, giggling like mad and saying, “I did it!!”

“By all that is Light in this world, don’t teach her any more!” Saladin cried out, “She’s enough of a handful with her levitating things on a whim!”

Cayde, not being one to be shown up yelled out, “My turn!!” Disappearing in a burst of Arc Light, he reappeared next to Sunset and tapped her. “Tag, you’re it!”

Letting out a long suffering sigh as Sunset and Cayde-6 Blinked about, the foal trying and failing to tag the Exo, Saladin turned to Shaxx who was watching the show with his expression unreadable behind his horned helm.

“Shaxx,” Saladin began, “I would like to use your Crucible for a tournament.”

This caught the Warlord’s attention as he replied, “A tournament you say? Well… let’s talk about it.”

It was plain to see that neither man was willing to come to some sort of agreement of past matters, but they had an… amicable talk as Lord Saladin explained his tournament… the Iron Banner. Saladin explained that it was to commemorate the fallen Iron Lords and prepare the Guardians of the Last City for whatever fight may come.

“I don’t see why not,” Shaxx said at length after hearing Saladin’s explanation, “Use the Crucible as you see fit for this Iron Banner of yours. More combat ready Guardians in the wild can be nothing but a benefit to the City.”

“Thank you, Shaxx,” Saladin said neutrally.

They sized each other up for a moment longer before breaking their glares and turning away from each other, Saladin calling out to a panting, but grinning Sunset, “Come along, Sunset. Time to go home.”

“Okie, Sala-daddy!!” she called out happily as she blinked up to a very surprised Cayde and hugged the exo.

A round of Ghost powered resurrections later, Shaxx looked over the camera feed from the visit of the little pony. Exactly seven Guardians had been downed by how adorable that parting had been, so the Warlord bellowed out, “SEVENTH COLUMN!!”

Cayde just laughed his horn off.

Comments

[Jmunoz13]

Wow what a kill streak!!!

[The Voice in the Water]

So, is Sunset going to end up as a warlock, hunter or titan? Who knows? (My vote's for warlock, but that's because I'm predictable. And was a warlock main when I still played.)

Sunset's weapon grade cute still continues to be the greatest potential defense the city has. Now if only they could record several hours of it and beam it directly into the vex collective. It might turn them from the Darkness to the Light simply by the power of adawableness.

[GlitchyFox]

11040333
she is already an alicorn so why not all of them but have her favore one slightly more?

[GlitchyFox]

cayde escelating the sunset blinking by turning it into tag was exactly what we needed and what he would do. thankyou

[Dragon Angel Knight]

11040359
It would legitmately be overpowered, tbh.

[GlitchyFox]

if i remember correctly you could use some events we dont know when happend but did before the main story
hawthorn sneaking out the city
osiris sneaking around in it (i think)
zavala walking around his garden and visiting his lovers grave

Also you could toy with things like
Sunset meeting all the tower people
sunset visits the hunter dens while they are still active ( we all know that would be chaos)
Sunset meets eva
Sunset plays with the ghosts (plz!!!!!)

[Just Defender]

11040362
If she ever calls him "Uncle Cayde", I swear it'll be to much for me.

[HallowedPrince]

Damn, still a youngling and she already got a Seventh Column. Way to go Sunset!