Orphans of Light

by Fyiad

The City is lost, the Tower has fallen, and the Light been taken. But hope is not gone. Four Guardians have been chosen to take back the Light, for while separated they may fall, together they will stand.

She still remembered her father's face.

She supposed that was the oddest thing. Over 1400 years of combat and war, and that was the strongest memory she had from her first life. She still remembered the gray whiskers that made up his beard, the lines that came from the stress of his occupation, the bags and rings under his eyes from lack of sleep. They all combined to a face that was hard and weathered, one that had taken the slings and arrows of life and had come out swinging.

Yet somehow, that face had never seemed scary to her. If anything, it had been a warm comfort, one that never failed to bring light to her day. No matter how hard she had cried, no matter how much she had been scared, no matter how much she was down, a single weathered smile from that face had always cheered her day.

Perhaps it hadn't even been the face. Perhaps it had simply been the visualization of everything her father represented. The man had seemed indomitable to her. He had to be. He had been a general raising a daughter alone after her mother had abandoned them. The stress of having countless lives under his command, the stress of having to raise a single precious life. Each one was a difficult task on their own. Together they created a near impossible burden that would have broken a lesser man.

Yet he had shouldered it without complaint, and she loved him all the more for it and tried to be the best daughter she could. She grew up quick, took on responsibility, accepted work and hardship without complaint, all to ease his burden and make him proud.

And he was proud, and stated so often. That, in turn, made her proud, spurring her onto new heights. It did not hurt that his line was descended from the Knights of old, warriors clad in shining armor that protected the weak and ruled with honor and chivalry. In some stories he told her they were even descended from the greatest Knight of all, the Once and Future King.

She was unsure of how much to believe, but she took the lessons to heart. Theirs was the responsibility to protect those who could not protect themselves. He did so by taking on command of the modern day warriors and legions, placing them in situations where they could create the greatest effect.

She sought to succeed him, but was unsure of how he would respond. After all, his occupation may save lives in the end, but to do so one must cover their hands in blood. A single mistake, a single misstep could spell the end for God knows how many souls. The job not only required confidence and knowledge, but also self-sacrifice.

In the end she told him, afraid for his reaction. Would he demand that she change her course? Would he be resigned and regretful? Would he beg and plead for her not to? Possibilities played out in her mind leading up to the event, each one more terrible than the last.

Yet, in the end, all he did was smile and say how proud he was of her.

And so she set out to become the commander she knew she could be. She trained, she studied, and did everything she could to improve herself. She set her course and strode down it without hesitation, ignoring and refusing anything that may sway her from it. She would make him proud. She would become a great and mighty commander, one that would serve justly and proudly.

And then she died.

She didn't remember how, and perhaps that was for the best. What she did remember was awaking to a small machine floating in front of her, telling her that she had been dead for a long, long time.

She had been scared, she would willingly admit that. To wake up in such a situation, realizing that everything you knew and loved was gone... it terrified her, nearly paralyzed her.

But then she remembered her father's face, and although that did not wipe away the fear, it gave her the strength to overcome it. She hardened her heart, faced forward, and began to once more walk along her path.

It was not easy. Foes rose up to face her, hideous and fearsome monsters that she could only have imagined in her nightmares. Four armed monstrosities that wielded weapons that crackled with lightning and roared with fire. They came at her in droves, outnumbering her greatly.

Yet she was not one to simply surrender and die. She faced them, with gun and blade and fist. She used whatever she could as a weapon, refusing to surrender or back down to these invaders.

And it was in those fights that she discovered her own talent. The energy that pulsed through her very soul welled to the surface and exploded into action, seering her enemies with its might.

Sometimes a sword is not enough, for although a blade is excellent at attacking, it can leave the wielder vulnerable. Sometimes one needs more than just offense.

It was in one battle that her Light became a true weapon, and she smote her enemies with not just fist, for although a shield can be used for defense, a true warrior knows how to use every tool at their disposal to lay low their foes.

Eventually she arrived at the city below the shell of a broken god. She saw the walls that were being raised around it, the scared and desperate people, and in that moment she remembered the face of her father. She remembered the duality of care and sternness in his gaze, the weight of his burden that lay upon his expression.

And she knew what she must do.

So she proved herself. She fought and built, escorting the weak and frail to the city where they may sleep easy. She traveled and explored and discovered the places where her history had been lost, and the places where it may be regained.

And all the while she learned. She absorbed whatever information she could in order to become stronger, to become the person that her father would be proud of, to become the person that could protect the ones who could not protect themselves.

That strength was tested not five years after she arrived, when the monsters attacked from six fronts. It was in that battle where her mentor was killed, never to rise again. It was that battle where she was thrown into the fire, and where she came out all the stronger.

She took command, and her comrades followed her. With tooth and nail, gun and fist, Light and might she fought and commanded, delivering death to her foes and orders to where they were most needed. The number under her command were merely a handful, but together they tore a path through the enemy and slew one of their champions.

Her deeds did not go unnoticed. Those she lead admired her. Those she saved loved her. And those she served under did not just notice her, but respected her for her actions. For such a young Guardian to not only lead a fireteam, but lead it to achieve a difficult objective? It could be considered nothing short of incredible.

It was such an incredible feat, in fact, that one Guardian in particular noticed it. He was a well renowned warrior, having fought and served for several hundred years, since before The City was a city. And the young Titan's actions had been enough that he had been intrigued at her potential.

And so was she brought under the wing of the Saint.

When a fine teacher tutors a poor student, it breeds frustration and mutual dislike. When a poor teacher tutors a fine student, it breeds resentment and rebellion. But when a fine teacher tutors a fine student, then something incredible happens.

Such as it was with her and the Saint. He taught and she learned. He lead and she followed. He fought, and so did she by his side. Together their footsteps caused the earth to shatter in their wake. Enemies quaked when they saw the pair come for them. Together they were unstoppable.

For nearly three centuries they were of the closest companions. Even when he had nothing left to teach her did they travel together to the farthest reaches, where the Light barely touched. Together they survived all that the galaxy had to throw at them, growing ever stronger side by side.

But, as with all things, their time together came to an end. It was not because of tragedy, or conflict, or any great cause. It was simply that their paths diverged. The Saint found his calling in waging a crusade against the four armed creatures that attacked their home.

Meanwhile, she found her true talents in the foes that had claimed the red planet. They were a war machine; a military. They thought and fought logically, using intelligent tactics, ones that were tried and true from countless other wars.

She found that she could not only understand these tactics, but predict them. Counter them. Overwhelm them. Where she took the field the enemy crumbled. Where she took command of her soldiers the enemy fell.

And eventually they came to fear her. "Legionbreaker" they called her. The bane of the Cabal.

But after a time she became tired of the bloodshed. Of the combat. She felt as if she was trying to break a brick wall by slamming her head against it. What could one Guardian do against an entire military force? True, she could take out key targets, but more would simply be promoted. She could slay soldiers, but more would take their place. She could destroy facilities, but more would simply be built.

So she hung up her sword. Laid down her arms and retired to the Tower where she could be better served training the next generation of Guardians and commanding soldiers in the field. Her brilliant mind served to create tactics and strategies, assisting the Vanguard in waging war against their enemies.

Almost half of a millennium she stayed in that Tower, only rarely venturing out to fight key targets that other could not. It was there that she commanded. It was there she strategized. It was there she mentored.

And it was there that she, Lady Amaris, the General's Daughter, the Legionbreaker, Deputy Commander of the Vanguard, Titan, met a very strange Warlock by the name of Odin.

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Amaris stared at the datapad in her hand and let out a growl of frustration. Communications in the City were occasionally spotty; it was a simple way of life due to the lack of supplies and limited manpower available, but this was on a whole other level. It seemed as though everything was down, which wasn't helping when Amaris was trying to get in contact with her fireteams in the field.

Amaris had a number of these fireteams. Each one contained members who she had mentored and hand picked. While Ikora had the Hidden, which acted as spies and informants, Amaris had these fireteams which acted as her limbs and insurgents, taking out key targets that other Guardians may have not been able to.

But right now she couldn't get in contact with them, which was beyond frustrating for her. The thunderstorm outside didn't help either, Amaris hated the rain. It lowered visibility and casted everything in baleful shadow.

All this together was starting to give her a stress headache, one that was promising to become worse as Cayde strode into the Vanguard chambers. He glanced at her and gave her a grin and a wink. She scowled in response, causing the Hunter Vanguard to chuckle.

As the Exo started to talk to Ikora, Amaris went back to the datapad. She had a bad feeling about this whole situation. She wanted to believe that everything was going to work out, but there was a part of her that was ringing alarm bells in her head.

"Even if everything seems to be going right, if there's even a small part of you that feels as though something is wrong, assume everything is about to go to shit." Odin had said those words to her once. Briefly, she wished that he was here in the Tower to help figure things out, but he was on Venus investigating the Vex. He had been going there often ever since he had escaped from the trap that the machines had set for him in space around Venus.

Frowning, she looked at her Ghost floating nearby. "Chiron, go with local lines. Fireteam Marathon should be close enough to get in contact with without satellites."

The Ghost bobbed, doing an imitation of a nod. "Right, I'll try."

A few seconds went by before there was the crackling of static in her ear. "Fireteam Marathon," Amaris said, "come in."

A moment went by before there was a response, heavily cloaked in static. "Ama-s, is tha- -ou?"

The deputy commander frowned. There were other sounds on the line. They sounded like gunfire. Were they fighting Fallen? "Yes. Fireteam Marathon, I need a report."

"Lady Ama- -ou need to evac-te the Cit-! The Ca- are on -rth!"

Her eyebrows narrowed. "Repeat your last Marathon? What?"

"Th- Cabal ar- -n Earth! Th- invading!"

Amaris' eyes shot open. She whirled towards the end of the room where Zavala was. "Comma-"

"BATTLESTATIONS!" Shouted the Titan Vanguard, cutting Amaris off before she could finish. Through the window she could see missiles speeding towards the tower, launched from Cabal ships emerging from the clouds.

"Everyone, with me!" Zavala once again shouted. He brought his hands close to his body, summoning his Light before projecting it out in a massive Ward of Dawn. The Titan Vanguard was one of the greatest Defenders among the Guardians, and not only was his Ward almost twice as large as average, but it was all but indestructible.

Amaris didn't hesitate. Fabian Strategy, the assault rifle hand crafted only for her by Banshee-44, appeared in her hands as she began to run towards Zavala. In front of her there was an explosion as the first of the missiles began to impact. Zathra, the Vanguard Secretary, was thrown to the ground by the shockwave.

Amaris barely slowed her stride as she reached down and grabbed her by the waist, hefting the secretary over her shoulder like a bag of potatoes. "T-thanks Amaris," the woman said, holding her side.

"Don't mention it," Amaris said as she slid into Zavala's bubble. She glanced over at the Vanguard Commander's face. Sweat dripped down his brow, and his face was a combination of pain and strain as he pushed as much Light he could into the shield. His boots began to scrape backwards as missile after missile impacted against the Ward.

He wouldn't make it. Amaris knew it. There's no way he would be able to last. As he reeled back and began to close his eyes, she charged forward, pooling as much Light as she could at once, projecting it forward in front of her. It wasn't a Ward, merely a wall of Void Light.

But it was enough to withstand the final assault, and as Amaris was launched backwards from the explosions, as she began to slam against, and then through walls, she knew that for this, the Cabal were going to pay.

---

AN: Hello and welcome to the first chapter of Orphans of Light. Whether you're reading my stuff for the first time or you've read Son of Light, I welcome you back and hope you enjoy this story.

As you may have guessed, this story follows the plotline of Destiny 2. There are four protagonists in this series, two of which are mine, while the other two are from two friends of mine. In addition there will be several OCs that appear in the story, a few from my friends and many from you all who submitted OC Guardians.

The protagonists, in order from oldest to youngest are:

Amaris

An old and well respected Human Titan, Amaris arrived in The City shortly before the battle of Six Fronts. After her mentor was killed during the fight, she assumed command of several Fireteams and lead them to take out several key targets, helping to turn the tide.

Her actions caught the attention of Saint-14 and he decided to mentor her. They traveled together for a while, and he eventually gifted his helmet to her when they parted ways.

Amaris specializes in fighting Cabal, and has lead several campaigns against them, eventually earning herself the title of Legionbreaker. She's a brilliant tactician, and a strict but skilled teacher, having mentored several dozen Guardians during her second life. About a quarter of all living Guardians can trace their mentorship back to her somehow. She has mentored the other three protagonists.

She prefers to use the Sentinel subclass, having pioneered the art early in her time as a Guardian.

Her armor set is:

Helm: Helm of Saint-14

Arms: Ruin Wings

Chest: Crest of Alpha Lupi

Legs: Justicar's Greaves

Bond: Mark of the Bulwarks

Shader: Stolen Chalice

Her unique weapon is the Fabian Strategy, as you may have guessed. Her Ghost's name is Chiron.

Odin

The protagonist of Son of Light and the Human Warlock that we all know and Love. He was previously a physicist in Old Russia during the dawn of the Golden Age and was killed in a freak accident. He was reawakened by his Ghost and eventually made it to the Tower.

He has become a bit of a legend among the Tower, as his deeds are those which most Guardians find unbelievable, including killing a Gate Lord alone, taking on the Black Garden, and basically going through the events of Destiny 1, much of which alone.

He was mentored by Amaris, as mentioned above, though he ended the mentorship early and went out on his own, something that many thought would be the death of him. Obviously it was not, and he learned and did much during that time.

At one point he went into the Vault of Glass alone. He returned three days later, his armor in tatters with a knife coated in Vex radiolarian fluid in his hand. He briefly ranted about seeing infinity before falling unconscious and sleeping for three days straight. When he awoke he refused to speak of what happened.

There is much controversy around Odin, as many Guardians, including the Speaker, believe that his studies of The Darkness draw him in too deep. However he has much support among other Guardians, including all of the Vanguard, for him to be exiled. His deeds and accomplishments also lend weight to his supporters.

Generally Odin likes to work alone, but he is not averse to working with other Guardians if necessary. He prefers his fireteam above others, but is more than happy to fight alongside other Guardians.

His armor set is:

Helm: Obsidian Mind

Arms: Gloves of the Hezen Lords

Chest: Voidfang Vestments

Legs: Deathsinger's Herald

Bond: Custom bond, no equivalent in game

Shader: Cryptographic

His unique weapons are Bad Juju, Hawkmoon, Thorn, Invective, and Dark Drinker.

Aithne Barros Huerta

A punch-happy Human Titan, Aithne is bursting with energy, eager to learn new techniques and always ready for a competition or dare. She is often nervous before battle, but becomes calm and focused as soon as she enters the fray. Off of the battlefield, she easily jokes and exchanges barbs with her fireteam.

Born in Barcelona in 2487, Aithne died in 2511 at the age of 24 and was reborn in the early 3000s as a Guardian. Found by Odin at the time of her resurrection, she traveled with him to the City and the Tower, eventually becoming a member of his fireteam. Under the mentorship of fellow Titan Amaris, she quickly thrived and found a place among the Guardians. After playing a key role in the SIVA Crisis, Lord Saladin initiated her into the new generation of the Iron Lords as the Young Wolf.

She specializes in fighting Fallen, possessing what seems to be a combination of natural instinct and pure luck when it comes to the scavengers. Her ability to find gaps and weaknesses in the aliens is valued in any fireteam.

Her armor set is:

Helm: Insurmountable Skullfort

Arms: No Backup Plans

Chest: Year Three Iron Breed Plate

Legs: Cosmoclast Greaves

Mark: Jolder's Iron Sash

Shader: Nebula Glow

Her preferred weapon is The Jade Rabbit

She is the creation of Pixley.

Reisen

Found on Luna by Odin with an animalistic hatred of the Hive, Reisen was a human galactic courier and former combat pilot during the Height of the Golden Age, right up to the moments of the Darkness's arrival. He was one of the first to see the Darkness. In his attempts to reach and warn Earth, his ship crashed into the moon, killing him. With his resurrection he lost all memories of his family. He can only remember the Darkness as a void that blacked out the stars.

Reisen is often a stepford smiler. The absurd and magical life he leads often leaves him dumbfounded and unsure how to deal with it. But with time he was able to develop a humorous personality. He'll crack jokes as he cracks skulls out of confidence and sheer enjoyment of having incredible powers. This helps him keep his deeper thoughts, his mental sanctity, away from prying hands. Indeed he may be as contemplative as some Warlocks, but he'll never admit it to keep his mind guarded, valuing his privacy. He also, like all Hunters, takes joy in trolling Warlocks.

When he fights Hive, an unsettling silent killer takes his place and his fighting becomes akin to cold-blooded murder. He's unsure why this is, and it unsettles him greatly. His knowledge of the alien faction rivals that of some Warlocks.

During the events of The Taken King, he was the Guardian who Cayde-6 went to in order to initially scout the Dreadnought. He was instrumental in defeating Oryx, first on the Dreadnought and second in the Taken King's Ascendant Realm.

He is currently mentoring two Guardians: An Awoken Titan named Scathach, and a Human Hunter named Takashi.

His armor set is:

Helm: Aspriet 1.0

Arms: Spektar Grasps

Chest: Long Tomorrow 9G

Legs: Circuit Striders

Cloak: Fruminous Cloak

His unique weapons is the twin of The Ace of Spades and Bolt Caster. His preferred weapons include Patience and Time, The Chaperone, and Red Death.

He is the creation of AxlMaster.