Work Text
Zavala had noticed that in the months after the defeat of Ghual Cayde was different. At first he had brushed it off, of course Cayde was different, they all were. After losing their light and having their home destroyed and countless friends slaughtered before them, Zavala would be worried if he wasn't a bit different. But Cayde seemed almost too different, like a completely different person. He seemed more serious more darker. At night in the privacy of their room they he was no longer soft, and gentle and the slightest bit bashful, no he was rough and abrasive and not even the sightly apologetic, eyes a malice red that seemed so familiar to Zavala but he couldn't put a finger on it but as soon after his eyes were back to being the kind blue Zavala was used to. When Cayde looked at Zavala and saw the bruise he cause on the titan vanguards body he would devolve into a ball of quit tears, apologizing over and over again. That's what made Zavala hesitant to seek help, to tell Ikora something about Cayde was off, because if he was really no longer himself he wouldn't reacted that way to seeing Zavala hurt. Zavala now regrets that decision not ask for help, to keep this a secret. As he moved around the dark underneath of the tower trying to get…. That thing of tail. What ever was chasing him may look like Cayde but it wasn't him. His eyes were glowing red and malice like and how he moved and spoke reminded Zavala of a old golden age movie Cayde had shown him. Zavala stopped to catch his breath, a fatal error. He whirled around to see two crimson optic staring at him as his once lover moved forward towards him. Zavala punched Cayde, trying to by him some time to run, but what he saw shocked him into paralysis. From Cayde's face leaked a white electrical fluid, undeniably identified as radiolarian fluid. … Cayde was no longer Cayde he was just a vex drone,The now vex Cayde rushed forward pinning him against the wall and opened its mouth to speak. Its voice was similar to Cayde's but it had no humor no warmth only ice and static, like a broken frame. He didn't understand the words coming from its mouth, it didn't give him a chance before it's lips were against his. He could feel the burn of radiolarian fluid entering the his blood stream he struggled to get free from the this monsters grasp, until he remembered the knife Cayde had given him years ago, that he kept hidden in the strap of his mark. He pulled it out and drove it through the beasts chest and the red eyed ghost the attempted to heal it. The red eyes faded away and were replaced with dull blue, Cayde was back if only for a moment, and in that moment he gave Zavala a pained smile and muttered “Thank you” before his eyes went dark forever. Zavala fell to the ground in pain as he could feel the Radiolairan fluid inside him began converting his very being. Before his vision went black from the burning pain that engulfed his entire body he grabbed Caydes now lifeless body and held it close to his chest as he soon blacked out from pain The next morning Ikora and several warlocks found Caydes lifeless body being gentle held by a vex Minotaur with one glowing blue eye that seemed to hold so much anguish and emotion that normal vex couldn't convey.