The Tower's infirmary was still a bustling place, many of the more heavily wounded from the Red War's final battle still recovering. Otherwise, it was rare when a new patient came in.

Even more so when that patient was a Guardian. Yet here Maruko Faulkin laid, gash across their chest only slightly healed, large wraps of bandages covering it. Their Ghost watched them over dutifully, even as they drifted between sleep and the waking world.

Bendy watched them through a window, worry plaguing their features. They weren't used to anything like this. Whenever Boris or Alice ever got hurt, they always sprang back. Even for themselves, damage was something superficial, something for a joke.

But this was no joke, there was no punchline. Only worry and fear.

"He'll be fine, you know." came a voice to their side. The worried demon looked over to find Cayde, the Hunter Vanguard. "Though i'm guessin' doc's not lettin' you through, huh?"

Bendy vigorously nodded.

Cayde gave their approximation of a smile before pulling something from their pocket. "Luckily…"

The item in question was a keycard, which unlocked the door without issue. "Being part of the Vanguard has it's perks."

A smile formed on Bendy's face for a moment at that, and the two headed inside.

Maruko was luckily awake, hands messing with what appeared to be an old Rubik's Cube, looking upward as the two came in.

"Oh… hey Bendy. Cayde." Maruko spoke, voice somewhat lower than usual. Their Ghost floated next to them, looking to the two.

"You get your prognosis?" Cyade asked, Bendy butting in a little.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Bendy spoke, worry clear in their face.

"On me not dying, yeah, i'm going to be fine, Bendy." Maruko spoke, putting down the Rubik's Cube and reaching over to Bendy, giving them a little pat between the horns.

"On me being a Guardian, though…" Maruko spoke, laying back on their pillow. "That thing's swipe drained me of my Light. Can't even get a spark of flame going."

Bendy's face contorted into an even more sad expression. Maruko gave a little laugh regardless.

"Aw, it's okay, bud. I saw what you did out there. I think my vacancy is not going to be open long with you here." Maruko started. "I just find it funny, is all. Forces of Crota, someone who's a literal Hive god can't stop me, but some malformed demonic croissant does in a single hit." Maruko joked.

Cayde made a small internal laugh, stopping immediately as Bendy shot a fierce glare their way.

"What, I mean, he's not wrong. You're a crescent, that thing was clearly a croissant." Bendy proceeded to move upward with a tiny Glide, slapping Cayde in the face before turning their attention back to Maruko, while Cayde rubbed the slapped half tenderly.

"Cayde, I know you probably have important business to discuss, but could you leave for just a bit? Just come in when Bendy goes." Maruko stated, the Vanguard sighing. "Fine, fine. Just don't take forever."

The two waited for them to leave, leaving them in general silence for a bit.

"So you're… done?" Bendy asked, taking a seat in a small folding chair. "Does that mean i'm done, too?"

"What? No, unless you want it to." Maruko replied. "Why do you say that?"

Bendy rose a hand, placing a finger on one of their fingers, and began a list.

"I'm inexperienced, I don't have a ship, I don't how to fly a ship, I don't have a Ghost-"

"That's something I wanted to talk to you about, actually." Maruko interrupted, leaving Bendy somewhat confused. "Ghost, you explain."

"Well, put simply, their Light has been drained in it's totality. While I could stick around with them, and I do genuinely want to… that's not what Ghosts are for." the Ghost started, a small sense of realization slowly dawning on Bendy's features.

"We're always meant to find our Guardian. To serve them, to revive them, etc, etc. But now, my Guardian's technically lost. I'm… not of use here. We argued for days and nights, but…"

"I've decided I'd like to be your Ghost, Bendy." the Ghost finished, moving closer to the little ink demon, hovering right in front of their face.

"I.. um." Bendy sputtered, somewhat at a loss for words. They looked over to Maruko, who simply gestured towards the Ghost.

"I… I accept, I guess." Bendy finally said, The Ghost's shells realigning into a more cheerful looking eye as Maruko looked on with a somewhat sad smile.

"I think you'll do great out there, little demon." Maruko commented. "On a side note, i've transferred some stuff to your Vault account to help you."

Bendy looked confused, raising a finger before Maruko added "And I made a Vault account for you."

Bendy blinked at that. "So… does that mean i'm a full Guardian now?"

"Technically, yes." the Ghost started. "But i'll have to calibrate to your Light to actually revive you. We can do that later, though."

"So… what are you gonna do after this, then?" Bendy asked, looking to Maruko once more.

Maruko gave a shrug, gritting their teeth a little when they did so. "I dunno. Probably work with the Vanguard. Tactical duty, supervisor. Maybe I can still help you from the other side of the comm-link from time to time."

They then sighed, fully laying back in the bed. "Whatever it is, it'll be a nice change of pace, I think. And if my Light ever comes back somehow? Well, who knows."

They then finally looked to Bendy with a small actual smile on their face. "Whatever happens, I'm always here if you ever need to talk. Now shoo. Ghost's got some things you need to go run off and do. Like finish registering a jumpship."

Bendy's eyes widened at that.

"Oh yeah, I got you an old jumpship of mine. Plus some other things. Ghost'll go over the list with you. Now get outta' here, you got more important things to be doing then bothering a regular civvie."

Bendy and Maruko both gave small smiles to each other, both with a bit of melancholy in each.

"Goodbye, Maruko."

"Goodbye, Bendy."

And with a final nod, the ink demon departed, Ghost in tow. Cayde came in quite soon afterwords.

"So, Faulkin..." the Exo started.

"I have a proposition for ya'."

The City at night was a beautiful sight. And despite it not being the true highest view, Bendy enjoyed it as they sat on a railing, legs kicking back and forth as they watched the hustle and bustle of the lights below.

"So, you're a Guardian now. Officially." the Ghost appeared. "Just finished the final calibrations."

"Huh. Don't feel any different." Bendy noted, idly looking over to the Ghost.

"I'd be more worried if you did." the Ghost replied. "But now, i'm officially your Ghost and we can go out at any time."

Bendy gave a smile at that before idly glancing back at the City below. "Tomorrow. From all the runnin' around, i'm tired, plus, there's one last thing we should do."

Bendy's eyes went back to the Ghost, face morphing into a questioning one. "You need a name."

The Ghost's shells arched a little into an almost quizzical look. "I'm… sorry?"

"Maruko never referred to you by name, didn't they? Just callin' you 'Ghost'. That's what you are, it's like calling a cat 'Cat', or a human 'Human'." Bendy replied.

"I… guess i'd be open to it. I'd just… never really thought about it before, honestly." the Ghost admitted. "Do you… have any ideas? I can adjust things, if you want. Voice, shell, diagnostics…"

Bendy thought for a moment. "Well, did you choose those other things, or did Maruko?"

"They did, for the most part." the Ghost quickly replied. "I've always had other things to worry about. Like them."

"Let's start with a name, then. I think you should choose those other things yourself, you know? That other stuff sounds kinda like forcing someone into clothes." Bendy spoke, going quiet for a little bit. They thought backwards, thinking to the past.

"What about…"Bendy started, rubbing their chin as they looked to the Ghost's nearly pure white shell. "Angel?"

Their shell widened their central eye' view for a moment before they cast their eye downward a little.

"Alright. I… think I can adjust to that." the newly christened Angel started. "Angel and a demon?"

Bendy smiled again at that, a half-sad, half remembering smile. "Yeah... Who better to pull a demon outta' the fire?"

"A rope. Or a fire extinguisher, to cut out the middleman." Angel replied, both of them chuckling a bit before both of them looked out to the City.

"Long day tomorrow." Angel added.

"Yep." Bendy idly spoke. "So let's make this rest count."

"Not used to it." Angel commented. "Maruko was always out and about, doing something."

"Does it bother you?" Bendy asked.

"No. It's different. Reminds me that you're not Maruko." Angel spoke a little more slowly. "And that's not a bad thing."

"Mhm." Bendy replied, and silence fell between the two.

Bendy wasn't ever sure they'd get used to it. This world and all of it's alien shapes and sounds. Half of it still didn't make sense to them. Yet, despite that, things looked up.

They were a Guardian now. Someone who could be counted on, someone respected. They felt they had a place here. Yet they still missed home. Yet the amount of evidence suggesting it wasn't real had been slowly stacking up.

Yet they had the machine, moved after the Cryptarchs secured the site. They felt a little calmer after they spoke of how they were to research it. Perhaps even if they weren't real, they could bring them back.

Thus, Bendy was filled with hope. Hope for the future and the revitalization of the past.

And for the first time since finding themselves here, they finally felt comfort, a feeling of peace radiating around them. The future would perhaps hold rough waters, but they would get through them, like anything else.

And once their friends were at their side, the demon felt nothing would be able to stop them.

Thus, they smiled, thinking to the future, to new friends and old, to the stories that have yet to come…

And their new willingness to face them head-on.

Author's Notes

And thus, it ends. Chapter's a bit shorter than others, but I think that's okay. All and all, I feel fairly good about this. Lots of filler and exposition and such, but I think the rest makes up for it. I'm really bad at ending chapters and such, the actual end being no exception.

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it. Just tell me if you're interested in seeing more of Bendy's adventures at all, as I definitely have ideas.

I don't have much more to say, so i'll say one last thing.

Thank you for reading this, and I hope you have a wonderful day.