Chapter 1

A/N: first Destiny fic is here! Obviously not everything will be exactly like the game as I want to explore some of my own ideas about the game. However, it will follow the general story of the game in terms of the quests, patrols, strikes, and raids of all expansions.

"Legends are carved across history by the brave."

It had been searching for weeks.

Scratch that. It had only been six days, but it certainly seemed longer.

Ghost searched high and low across the Cosmodrome for its lost Guardian. Nothing about this job was easy. While it could easily brave the harsh weather conditions, evading swarms of Fallen as it passed through various areas, well, that was a different story.

It was a grueling process, and being able to think for itself allowed it to doubt that it would ever find its Guardian. But Ghost knew that was impossible. Every single ghost had its own Guardian they were assigned to guide and help protect. This Guardian would be theirs for as long as either of them existed.

Ghost was looking for a female, a Warlock. It repetitively scanned the surface as it floated along, decomposed bodies scattered all around the Cosmodrome area. Some were full skeletons, and others had only a few bones remaining. Ghost often wondered what it must have been like to die out here, during or after the Collapse. But the worst part was that no one knew who they were. No one would know their name, what they enjoyed, what their personality was like. There was no memory left of these poor souls, forgotten for ages by now.

A ragged screech sounded from behind Ghost. It knew the Fallen had been following it ever since it got here. There was really no way to avoid them. Once the Cosmodrome fell all those years ago the Fallen instantly took it as their own.

"I need to find my Guardian," Ghost thought out loud. "They have to be here somewhere."

Ghost scanned the ground again, and this time, its scan blinked, and several beeps sounded, letting it know that its Guardian was near. Ghost went back into its archive for a moment, reviewing the information that had been presented about its Guardian. It was looking for one called Tatum. Tatum Elion. It was rare to have a known last name. For a ghost to receive one meant that the Guardian had known family, whether they were Guardians themselves or citizens of the Last City. The incredible fact alone was that this Tatum girl had a history and there were people who would remember her back in the city.

With another scan of the surface, a rapid beeping alerted Ghost that it had found the place of its Guardian. There was a mound in the dirt, and once Ghost had zapped all the debris, leaves, and dirt away, it saw its Guardian for the first time.

It took a few attempts to jump-start the Guardian to consciousness, and once Ghost did, the young woman shot up, taking rapid breaths as her grey eyes darted all around, trying to adjust to her surroundings.

"Eyes up, Guardian," Ghost said, focusing on her.

She was young, no more than eighteen. The harsh wind whipped through her shaggy, short brown hair. Ghost could see she was confused. And who wouldn't be?

"Wh-Where am I?" she asked.

"In the Cosmodrome," Ghost responded as if it was the simplest thing. It started conjuring the basic armor Tatum would need if she wanted to survive. It didn't have any advanced materials, just the earth surrounding it, thus a simple helmet and sets of leg, arm, and chest armor were made. They would provide basic protection and support for life, but nothing more than that.

"Wait…what's happening?" Tatum asked as Ghost donned her in the simple armor. The armor was rough and fairly uncomfortable. Granted, Ghost had just made it out of literal dirt and plant matter. It was all white, and it had a slight leathery texture to it. Tatum didn't know how, but she knew she would have to get used to this armor for a small while.

"There will be time for questions later," Ghost answered as it scanned Tatum's first Warlock bond onto her left arm. It was so simple, literally made from the rocks around them, but it was enough for Ghost. A Warlock's bond was sacred, as were each special item to each Guardian class. "We won't make it out here in these conditions," Ghost continued. "We need to get inside the wall."

Tatum stood, her legs shaky for a moment, and she flexed her hands and arms, her body still getting used to, well…living.

"Can I ask one more question?"

"Yes, but let's head toward the wall," Ghost said. Tatum saw a small radar displayed in the left corner of her helmet, and Ghost directed her where to go through that.

"How long have I been out here?" she asked.

"You've been dead for…one second…" Ghost went through its archives to find exactly how long it was. "You've been dead for exactly two-hundred-twenty-four years."

"Okay…that only makes everything more confusing. I'll just let you tell me what to do for now," Tatum answered as she jogged toward the wall.

Another screech sounded, and this time it was closer.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Fallen," Ghost said. "Come on…once we're inside the wall we can figure things out."

Tatum sprinted the last hundred yards or so to the wall, wanting to get as far away from whatever was making those horrendous screeching noises. She followed her ghost's directions, and they traveled up a few levels and down a few dark hallways before they came to an opening. Already, Tatum didn't like the looks of it.

"Fallen thrive in the dark," Ghost said, it's voice coming directly through her helmet. "Stay here while I figure out how to turn the lights on. Maybe we can draw them out."

"Draw them out?!"

But Ghost had already floated off. Tatum could see the faint blue glow of its center roaming around. Then it stopped, and within moments the entire section of the wall lit up. She could see the creatures Ghost called Fallen scrambling away, and those screeching and hissing noises returned.

"They're coming for us!" Ghost said. "Here! I found a rifle for you!"

Tatum followed her radar around the corner, and she found the rifle leaning against what looked like an empty weapon case.

"I hope you know how to use that thing," Ghost continued. "We'll have to fight through them, but we need to find a ship if we want to get back to the city."

Everything Ghost was saying just confused Tatum more, so she shook her head as she lifted the rifle and started forward, following the directions Ghost displayed for her.

It was steady moving for a short while, and they made it up another level without any Fallen encounters. But once she rounded the next corner, several Fallen sprung up from the level below. The way in which Tatum fired bullets at them came effortlessly, and the first Fallen went down within moments. The second one jumped behind a wall, and Tatum waited patiently before it jumped back again. They fired at the same time, and Tatum put several bullets into its body before it fell. Though one of its shock pistol bullets caught her in her side.

"Well…now I know what the armor is for," Tatum mumbled, noting that only a small burning sensation lingered for only a few moments.

"Just don't take too much damage," Ghost answered. "Any armor you wear can only deflect so much before you'll start taking direct injuries to your body."

"What happens then?"

"Ah-ah…questions later."

Tatum rolled her eyes in response. "Okay…but at least tell me what those things were."

"Those were Fallen, specifically Dregs. They're the lowest rank in the Fallen army. Fallen are ruthless scavengers, and after the Collapse they flocked to the Cosmodrome and many other areas throughout our solar system."

The second they entered the next hallway, several more Dregs popped out behind red laser beams crossing diagonally.

"Trip wires," Ghost said. "Stay away from those."

Tatum picked off the Dregs quickly. They didn't pose much of a threat, but she imagined in high numbers they could definitely do some damage. But then two different Fallen dropped from above, and she had to take a few steps back, nearly bringing herself right into the trip wires. They were taller than the Dregs, wore tattered red capes, and they were equipped with rifles.

"Those are Vandals," Ghost said as Tatum began firing her rifle at them. One of the Vandals came at her, but she evaded with a quick step and launched forward with an open palm, a harsh spark of light radiating from her hand as she made contact with the Vandal, and it fell to the ground dead. She picked off the second Vandal with a few bullets to the head, but not without taking a couple of its own shock rifle bullets to her chest armor. A stronger burn persisted for about fifteen seconds from the shots, and Tatum grunted out in slight pain before the feeling went away.

After starting down another hallway, Tatum saw faint green lights in the shadows.

"That's a loot chest," Ghost said, directing its Guardian to it. "Let's see what's inside."

Tatum opened the chest, and there she found a basic shotgun. She picked it up, and her ghost surrounded it in its blue scan light, and within moments the weapon was hitched to her back.

"I guess this isn't a good time to ask how that works," Tatum comments, referring to the way Ghost can seemingly teleport objects.

"That would be correct. Let's keep moving. We're getting closer."

They encountered a large group of Fallen as they crossed the Divide in the Cosmodrome in order for Tatum to enter Dock 13. That was when Tatum had her first experience as to what Ghost meant when he told her that her armor could only take so much damage.

The Fallen had come at them strong, several Vandals, Shanks, and Dregs firing relentlessly. Tatum decided to be bold and light them up, firing round after round. But, she took heavy damage in return. Her leg armor had been broken through, and the next shock rifle bullet that hit her broke through her own skin. Luckily, she was able to eliminate the Fallen in time for her ghost to heal her.

That experience of her ghost literally zapping away the blood and repairing her wound through several scans and zaps of its laser only raised more questions for Tatum. Then Ghost had repaired her armor as well.

After that they only ran into one more small group of Fallen before they reached the open hangar area in Dock 13 that held a jump-ship. But just as they were about to start toward the ship, several groups of Fallen dropped down from the ship. And then, a much bigger Fallen jumped into the center of them.

"That's Rahn, one of the captains of the House of Devils," Tatum heard her ghost say. "You need to eliminate them, and then we can get our hands on that ship."

The fight was tiring, and Tatum picked off the Dregs and Shanks first before she turned her bullets to the Vandals. Rahn kept his distance, occasionally firing his rifle at her when she broke cover to take down a Vandal. The last Vandal left came at her wielding a dagger, and it landed a few blows to her arm before she was able to land her own melee, effectively killing it.

"Shotgun?" Tatum got out, and within a split second her shotgun was in her hands and her rifle on her back.

She charged out of her cover, hurling her grenade at Rahn. Once it detonated she fired heavy bullet after heavy bullet, breaking through his weak shield and eventually dealing strong damage. She took a few hard bullets to her chest and leg armor, but it didn't stop her from pulling the trigger on her shotgun, and a few more bullets to Rahn's body did him in.

"Wow…you just defeated your first Fallen Captain…impressive," Ghost commented. "They'll only get harder though."

"Well that's comforting. So…what do we need this ship for?"

"I'm going to take you back to the Last City. Specifically the Tower, which is where all Guardians go," Ghost replied. "Give me a moment to reboot this ship. It's not much…but it'll be enough to get us back. We were lucky the Fallen didn't take anything more from this."

Tatum watched as her ghost floated around the ship, and several zaps and scans later, the ships engines began to run.

"Fallen!" Ghost alerted.

Tatum turned, ready to fight, but these Fallen were unlike any she had seen so far. Bigger, stronger, and much more intimidating. She wasn't sure she would be able to handle them.

"I'm scanning you in!"

And before she knew what actually happened, she was sitting behind the controls of the ship. Well…her ghost was actually controlling the ship, and it elevated them just as the Fallen began shooting at them. They made it out though, and soon they were soaring above the Cosmodrome and toward the Last City.

From above, it was all so beautiful. Mountains jutted into the horizon all around them, and the sunlight reflected off the snow-covered ground below and the clouds they flew through. They did pass through a patch of stormy weather, the thunder booming and lightning relentless around them. But somehow Ghost navigated them safely through it.

"So…can I ask you some questions now?"

"I would say yes, but you will have some of them answered once we reach the Tower," Ghost replied.

"What exactly is that?" Tatum asked anyway.

"It's where all the Guardians stay. That's what you are now. You fight against the darkness."

"What's-,"

"Ah…that's something the Speaker will answer. We'll also find out who you'll be training with. It's essential that you gain experience."

Tatum nodded. She was impatient, and she wanted answers. But hopefully this Speaker dude could answer some of them.

The sun was almost completely set when they arrived at the Tower, and quite literally, it was a towering structure that looked over the entire city. Tatum thought it was beautiful, and she thought it was incredible how an entire, thriving city existed among all the chaos that waited outside its walls.

Once their ship came to a halt, hovering at the front of the Tower, Ghost scanned them out of the ship and officially into the Tower.

There were other Guardians scattered throughout the main plaza area, wearing much more complex and incredible armor than she was. A few of them looked over at her, and they smiled and waved, glad to see that new Guardians were still being brought in.

"This is the top level of the Tower," Ghost said. "It's where all the Guardians arrive and depart for their missions and it's where they all hang out together. You'll find all the vendors on this level too. I can introduce you to them later. First, we need to see the Speaker."

On their short walk to Tower North, Ghost told Tatum the basics of the Speaker. He was a representative of The Traveler, which, Tatum learned, was that giant yet damaged white orb floating in their sky. She didn't know what it did, but she guessed that was something the Speaker would tell her.

They entered Tower North, and Ghost directed Tatum down a short flight of steps before they rounded the corner, coming to an open observatory-like area, two giant rings rotating in the middle of it.

"Hello, Guardian," a deep, calm voice said.

Tatum glanced over and saw a figure in white and black robes coming down the stairs. He wore a white mask, his true face hidden, and Tatum wondered why.

"You must be the Speaker," Tatum said. "My ghost was just telling me about you."

The Speaker nodded in return. "Welcome to the Tower…your new home. I'm sure you have many questions."

"Yes…I'm hoping you can answer them."

"Some, but not all," he replied. "I can only tell you of our history and how we came to be in this situation. That will answer some of your questions."

"I'm all ears," Tatum said with a hopeful smile.

"The Traveler," he began, motioning to the white orb in the sky, "we aren't exactly sure of its origins. But we know that wherever it goes, it brings light. The planets it went to thrived with it there. Life and resources were abundant. But the Traveler had an enemy, a darkness that followed it wherever it went. We don't know where this darkness came from, and we only assume it is the natural battle in the universe between light and dark…good and evil.

"The Traveler came to Earth, and this planet bloomed. Longevity increased as our tolerance to sickness decreased. Peace between countries surfaced, and war was nonexistent among the human race. There was something about the Traveler, the light it brought with it. I don't think we will ever truly figure out why this strange being exists, but we were thankful for it.

"The darkness found us though. It never gave up its pursuit of the light, seeking to snuff it out for good. The darkness descended upon our solar system, and Earth was ravaged by all groups and advocates for the darkness. The human race was at war again. We were not only protecting our planet…we were also protecting the Traveler. But we were not prepared, and we were not strong enough. Countries were wiped out, and much of the world's population was senselessly murdered.

"Luckily, the darkness was more concerned with destroying the Traveler, so it did not extend to all parts of the world. Those populations that remained joined together, and there was nothing more we could do but let the darkness take its course. They damaged the Traveler enough to render it nearly powerless, and then they backed away. After this Collapse, the Fallen and Hive developed colonies on Earth. The other groups took to other planets, creating their own civilizations, even warring with one another for power.

"During this calm before another inevitable storm, the Traveler pushed one effort to us, and that was giving us its Light. With this, we were able to take on the darkness. Generations and generations of people, who now called themselves Guardians of the Light, dedicated themselves to developing the weapons and armor needed to take on these proponents of the darkness.

"We've been fighting ever since. Although we don't know how you wound up dead either during or after the Collapse, we know you are a descendant of those first Guardians. This is the Last City for a reason. It is the only city left that has not been infected and destroyed by the dark forces. You were meant for this, and it is your duty to protect this city and the world. You will find you must protect other planets as well, and it is our job to collectively fight off the darkness."

There was a period of silence between them as Tatum tried to make sense of it all. For an eighteen year-old who had apparently been dead for two-hundred-twenty-four years…this was an awful lot to process. But, she knew she had to accept it. There would be time to find answers to her other questions later.

"So, uh…that's a lot to take in," Tatum started. "But I'm ready to do my part. What's the next step?"

The Speaker gave a small 'hmpf' of approval, and Tatum guessed he was smiling ever so slightly under that mask. That is…if he could smile…and, if he actually had a face under there.

"Our new Guardians are given training by more experienced Guardians. It's designed to help you learn the threats you'll face and to give you support throughout your missions as a Guardian. Obviously, there will be a point in time where you will become a mentor yourself. However, you can always choose to keep close with your own mentor, as many Guardians keep their mentors for their Fireteams."

Tatum squinted at the word 'Fireteam,' but she figured she would find out what that was later on. Now, she just had to go with this process. This was her life now.

"So who's my mentor?"

"A Hunter. Usually we like to keep the same Guardian class between mentor and student, but sometimes I assign specific Guardians to each other as I believe they can learn from each other. Your ghost will take you to her," the Speaker answered. "Good luck, Guardian."

Tatum met with all the Vanguard representatives and a few of the vendors around the Tower while they waited for her mentor to arrive from a patrol. She spoke with Ikora Rey, the Warlock Vanguard. Ikora welcomed her warmly to the Guardian community, and Tatum instantly liked her. She also spoke briefly with Commander Zavala and Cayde-6, the Titan and Hunter Vanguards. Zavala was serious, yet there was a certain kindness to him that Tatum appreciated. And Cayde…well, he was an interesting character to say the least. Tatum didn't know how she felt about him as of their brief conversation. He welcomed her to the Tower and then made some joke or complaint – Tatum couldn't tell which – about how much he hated his job.

"We still have time," Ghost said. "Let me take you to the Shipwright. We need to repair our ship."

Tatum followed her ghost to the Tower Hangar, and soon they approached a young woman sitting on a table surrounded by various ship parts and ship blueprints.

"New Guardian?" the woman asked, and Tatum nodded. "I'm Amanda Holliday. I handle all the ships that come in here. I fixed up your ship, but it's missing a warp drive. You'll need to get one of those if you ever want to travel to other planets."

Tatum nodded as Amanda handed her a sheet of paper, which was just a simple report of what she did to the jump-ship.

"Thanks," Tatum said. "Where do I find a warp drive?"

Amanda gave her a slight, almost playful grin before she responded. "Wherever you came from. I don't have those things on reserve ya know."

"Wow, I really hated the Cosmodrome. I have to go back there?" Tatum said, and she tried to make it sound light as if she was joking. But she wasn't. She really didn't want to go back to that place anytime soon.

"It would seem that way," Amanda said, her small grin persisting. "You made it out of there once. You'll be fine. Good luck, Guardian."

"Your mentor is back," Ghost said, and Tatum gave Amanda a small nod before she followed her ghost back to the Tower Plaza.

"Do we know anything about her?" Tatum asked.

"Uh…no. Only the basics. Her name is Kasey. She's a Hunter, and she's well respected among the Vanguard and all Guardians in general as a noble fighter. And…apparently you either hate her or love her."

Tatum went to the front of the plaza and leaned on the railing. It was certainly a long drop down, and she took in the beautiful sight before her. The Traveler lingered above the Last City, and even though the sky was dark with night, the lights from the city below seemed to be illuminated even more by the Traveler's presence. It was truly breathtaking.

"You must be Tatum," a voice behind her said.

Tatum turned around to face the source of the voice, a young woman still in full armor except for her helmet. Her cloak rustled in the slight breeze behind her, and she ran a hand through her dark brown hair, pushing her bangs back while the rest draped over her shoulder in a braid. Her armor was unlike any Tatum had seen so far on the Guardians throughout the Tower. Her chest armor looked to be a basic chest plate with a white vest covering it. Her leg armor was fairly simple except for a faint branch-like design on the thighs. Her gauntlets were interesting, with her left arm having a diagonal stripe pattern while her right arm had a red patch on the forearm.

She looked…official, that's for sure, and Tatum was slightly intimidated by her. Obviously, she had reason to be. This Hunter, Kasey was her name, was highly regarded in the Guardian community. At least, that's what her ghost told her.

"Yeah…you're Kasey?" Tatum answered, and the Hunter gave a small nod in return.

"Looks like the Speaker assigned me to train you. We can start tomorrow. I'll have my ghost link with yours so it can communicate when we'll meet."

"What are we going to do?"

"Do you have any missions that need to be completed?" Kasey asked, her expression unchanging so far.

"Well I have to get a warp drive for my ship."

Kasey nodded before she replied. "Then that's what we'll do. I wanted to go on a patrol in the Cosmodrome again anyway to collect some supplies. I can help you along the way, but you'll be doing most of it on your own. See you tomorrow."

Tatum was left mildly confused by their first interaction as she watched Kasey walk away, her long cloak with a red hawk on the back of it flowing behind her.

Okay…Tatum was very confused.

She didn't know what to make of Kasey. She certainly wasn't warm, but she wasn't necessarily mean either. There was just this certain distance to her that Tatum couldn't figure out. For now, she just guessed it was because they were meeting for the first time. Things were bound to be a little awkward, right? But everything about Kasey was so professional and strict, and it seemed like it was almost purposeful. Tatum didn't know why. They were supposed to learn from each other. How could she learn from someone who kept themselves at a distance?

Tatum shook her head. She was definitely making judgements too early. Tomorrow they would be on a mission together, so she would certainly have a chance to talk to Kasey some more. There had to be a reason the Hunter acted the way she did. Maybe she was just hardened by battle. Maybe she lost someone she cared about out there. Whatever it was, Tatum was sure she would find out soon enough.

"Come on," Ghost said, interrupting Tatum's thoughts. "I'll show you to your living quarters."

A/N: hey all…hopefully that was a good enough first chapter! We'll have more character interactions in the next chapter and new character introductions as well! My updates will be slow as I am in college so...classes, ya know.

Enjoy!

- lgbtdestiny