Destiny One Shot: Just Admiring the View

Seated onto a cliff that framed the Shattered Coast, I took in the beautiful view that it gifted me. Listening to the crashing ocean, hearing the rustle of the thick, healthy, lush forest against the wind, seeing how everything harmoniously moved, pushing and pulling against the tide of water and wind… It was simply breathtaking.

It wasn't often that a Guardian would have such moments. Fighting, running, protecting, rinse and repeat. While things are never dull in the sense that something new and dangerous is always happening, it was a rare occasion when a Guardian could pause, take a breath, and admire what beauty is left in the world. It truly was stunning, how life, no matter how difficult or how impossible it may seem, would persist and blossom in such a dark time.

"You're awfully quiet, Guardian. What's got you thinking so hard?" A robotic voice spoke up from behind me. Ghost floated to where it was level with my shoulder.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing in particular, Ghost. Just admiring the view." I hummed, shifting positions slightly.

Ghost chuckled. "It is a pretty view, huh?" It said, turning towards the ocean.

"You talking about the sea or me?" I grinned, snickering at how quickly it turned to look at me.

"I- Well, I'm, uh… Huh…" It looked around for a brief moment. I smirked.

"Any answer is a wrong answer… So, both?" It paused for a moment, noticing the surprised raised eyebrow I threw at it.

"Platonically, of course!" It added quickly. I couldn't hold it back; I burst out laughing, clutching my gut and falling to the ground as I did so.

"W-What's so funny! Hey! Guardian! Heeey!" Ghost called, bumping my shoulder to punctuate every last syllable.

"Oh, stop! Stop it! You're killing me!" I gasped between laughing fits. I swear, despite being a serious robot, Ghost could be extremely funny at times. Cute, even. 'Platonically, of course!'

"You-You didn't answer my question! What's s-so funny?" It stuttered. I can't believe that a machine can get embarrassed, let alone stutter when it gets nervous.

"You are too cute for your own good sometimes, Ghost." I giggled, sitting up cross legged.

"W-What?! I am n-not cute, G-Guardian!" It shouted bobbing up and down

, solidifying my statement further.

"Aww, look at you! Soo cute!" I cooed, poking and stroking Ghost with my index finger. This only proved to make it even more flustered and irritated, to my amusement, of course.

"N-NO! I am n-not cute! Stop that!" It cried, attempting, though mostly failing, to avoid my pokes and prods.

I lowered my hand and began to chuckle softly. 'These moments are definitely rare, for a Guardian, at least.' I thought, absentmindedly resting my chin on the palm of my hand.

"What are you thinking about, anyways?" Ghost asked, warry of the hand that I raised in the air.

"Hmm, the beautiful view, life, you know, nice things, for once." I murmured softly, gesturing to the surrounding area with my raised hand.

"Life, huh?" It asked, looking to the thick forest that lined the Shattered Coast.

"Mhmm, life and other nice things." I repeated, removing my chin from my palm. I brought my legs up to my chest and I rested my cheek on my knees.

"Well, life is pretty nice. What is it about life that you were thinking about?" Ghost asked, glancing over at me.

"How it always persists no matter the hardships. Whether it's something as complex as humans or as simple as bacteria, life always seems to find a way, no?" I asked, looking up at Ghost who floated a few inches away.

"Hmm, that is true; life is an unsurprisingly stubborn Light to extinguish. It is a remarkable beauty. Like a delicate flower!" Ghost bobbed up and down in agreement to its statement.

"Or like an undying cockroach." I snickered. Ghost gave me a disapproving glare.

"Why do you always have to make things weird and gross?" It asked with a sigh.

I shrugged, pulling the hood of my cloak over my head to hide my giggles.

"Weirdo…" Ghost muttered quietly. I shooed it away with my hand.

I sighed softly, attempting to quiet the giggles that racked my body. I did not succeed. I rubbed my cheeks with the palm of my hands and rested my head in my hands.

"You are acting strange. Well, stranger than you usually do." Ghost said, its voice calming back down to its usual monotone level.

"Hmm, am I? Not meaning to be strange. Just…" I looked back out onto the horizon, taking in the clash of red, yellow, and orange that was splashed against the slowly darkening sky. "…admiring the view."