(Note: this is a continuation of my post Conversation Over Drinks, and an expansion on the idea explored therein. The first few chapters will be posted sparingly, as the relevant canon will likely change/be built upon drastically upon the release of The Taken King, and therefore I'm mostly aiming to establish characters and plot. Take that in mind.)

The rest of that night is a blur in my mind. I felt like I was walking through fog. I wasn't crazy for having those dreams after all. Ikora had them too. I wondered if we were the only ones that saw them, and my gut told me we weren't. Ikora is a powerful Warlock so it was no surprise that she had visions, but me? I'm unremarkable in every way. Never the strongest Warlock, never excelled in the Crucible. My greatest quality in the field is that I'm a damn good shot, and I can mop up a mess with a Nova Bomb pretty well. I'm no trailblazer. I'm not Ikora.

I can't tell you how long I laid in bed contemplating what it meant. The things we were seeing in our dreams were horrible and terrifying. Eventually I got out of bed and studied through my tomes, and cleaned my Trajan-C four times. Sleep still wouldn't come to me. I cleaned the rest of my guns too, and still I couldn't sleep. My Ghost offered to fetch a sedative for me, but I declined. There were important matters at hand. I pulled on a pair of pants and my coat and went for a walk.

It was summer, but walking about outside on the Tower always required a coat if you weren't wearing armor or robes. I visited six different balconies that night. As I stared at the mountains, stared at the walls, stared at the city, I pondered and thought. As I stared at the Traveler, the great sphere filled me with dread for the first time. Something was amiss. Something was wrong.

Finally I made my way to the plaza and down into the Hall of Guardians. The woman I sought was there, just as I suspected.

Ikora pored over papers and reports. She too was not dressed in her usual robes, but more utilitarian clothing emblazoned with the Vanguard logo. She didn't turn her head when I entered, but nonetheless knew who was joining her.

"I wondered how long it would take for you to find me, Quinn. Can't sleep? I don't blame you."

I nodded. "Yeah. Knowing that you know what I'm talking about... it's unsettling, to say the least. There has to be a reason we're seeing the same things, and I doubt we're the only ones either."

"These are all things I have considered, Guardian. Tell me, how long have you been having these dreams?"

"Err, a couple of weeks."

Ikora sighed. "I have had these dreams for months now. Every single night, Guardian. Every single night, I have watched the universe end and been a hostage to the sight of myself doling out death. I have been able to sleep for the most part. Until our conversation earlier, that is."

She turned towards me. "All I wanted was the company of another woman, another member of the Order. This is what I get," she lamented with a chuckle. "I truly believed it was the result of my own madness and paranoia. No, we have much graver matters on our hands, it seems. That's all well and good. It was getting boring around here anyway."

My ears pricked up. "You're leaving?"

"Aye. And you're coming with me. I have thrust myself into every ounce of knowledge that the Order has recorded here in the Tower, and nothing provides an answer to our quandary. However, I know of something that might help. I know where certain records are hidden that could provide answers. I have alerted Cayde and Zavala that I will be gone for a while, and they can handle themselves in the meantime. Get your things, Guardian. It is a long haul into the wilderness. Toland hid these notebooks well."