Valley of the Kings
Meridian Bay, Mars
"Guardian? Get up, Guardian!"
That was what the woman woke up to. A female voice saying that.
She opens her eyes to see a white orb floating in front of her face. "It worked! You don't know how long I've been looking for you!" The orb says.
"What are you talking about?" The woman says. She is a young woman, looking about in her twenties, with scarlet hair and sky blue eyes with Caucasian skin. "And… who am I?"
"How do I put this? You've been dead for a while." The orb says. "I have no idea who you were."
"What?!" The woman says, immediately trying to sit up, causing a lot of noise.
"Quiet!" The orb says in a hushed voice. "We're in Cabal territory. If they find you, you're not going to be able to fight them."
"Then what are we going to do?" The woman says. "And what are you?"
"Firstly, you're going to sprint to the transmat zone. Secondly, I'm your Ghost." The Ghost says.
"Okay, lead the way." The woman says.
Before she can start moving, an indistinguishable call comes from behind. "Cabal! Run!" The Ghost yells.
The woman starts running when a huge, heavily armored humanoid, who the woman assumes must be a Cabal, lands in front of her, aiming its gun at her. This causes her to stop, dead in her tracks. Two more Cabal, not as heavily armored as the first one, walk up behind her, both aiming their guns at her. The first one presses a button on its helmet.
"I am Centurion Ta'aurm. I suggest that you get down on your knees and surrender, Guardian, otherwise I will be forced to fire upon you." The Cabal says in English.
"I think it's a good idea." The Ghost says. "Only thing I can think of that gets us out of this alive."
The woman doesn't say anything, but she slowly kneels down and puts her hands behind her head.
"Wise choice, Guardian." The Centurion says. He looks to the two other Cabal behind the woman and nods to them. They take the woman's hands and cuff them behind her back. They force her to stand up and walk with them.
Then they all hear gunfire. They turn around to see a humanoid, human-sized, running toward them, holding a rifle, in armor, an orange and white helmet with one horn. He starts firing at the Cabal, who fire back. He kills the two lesser Cabal. The Centurion grabs the woman and holds her close to him, causing the humanoid to stop firing.
"Looks like we've got ourselves a stand-off." The humanoid says in a British male voice.
"Indeed." Ta'aurm says. "So, how about you walk away and I don't crush her skull?"
The man chuckles. "It's almost funny how you think you're in control of the situation." He says. He then quickly draws a sniper rifle and fires it at the Centurion's head four times in rapid succession. The four shots break through the Centurion's solar shield and blew his head off. The man then starts shooting at the incoming Cabal with an auto rifle, mowing the Cabal down like grass. When all of the Cabal are dead, he walks over to the woman. "You'd better watch yourself. Never know when that might happen. Where are your weapons, Guardian?" He asks as he helps her out of the cuffs.
"I-I don't have any." The woman says.
"I just revived her, Lord Shaxx." The Ghost says. "And might I ask why you aren't in the Tower?"
"I was checking on a recently acquired section of Mars that will be used for the Crucible called 'the Bastion.'" Shaxx explains. "I received your distress call and decided to help."
"Whatever the case may be, thank you." The woman says.
"Not a problem." Shaxx says. "Do you need a ride?"
The Ghost bobs in a nodding motion.
"Alright then." Shaxx says, holding his hand out in front of him, palm facing the sky. A Ghost materializes, floating above it.
"To the ship?" Shaxx's Ghost asks.
Shaxx nods in response. "And take them with us." He says.
His Ghost nods and dematerialzes. They are all transmatted into Shaxx's ship.
"Thank you for this, Lord Shaxx." The woman's Ghost says.
Shaxx waves it off. "Don't worry about it. I was going to head back to the Tower, anyway."
"Still, thanks." The woman says, a bit shyly.
"You're welcome." Shaxx says. "Have you come up with a name for yourself?"
"Uh… n-no." The woman says.
"Getting away from the Cabal and staying alive seemed like the priority at the time." The woman's Ghost says.
"Fair enough." Shaxx chuckles. "How about Scarlett?"
The woman thinks about it and shakes her head.
"Amber?"
Again, the woman shakes her head.
"Maybe I should stray away from basing it off of your hair color…" Shaxx says. "How about… Shannon?"
The woman thinks about it. "I like that name."
"Then Shannon it is!" Shaxx celebrates.
"I'll log this." Shannon's Ghost says.
They fly back to Earth.
The Tower
The Last City, Earth
Ryan lands in the Tower with Flame by his side and Crux standing behind him. "Welcome to the Last City on Earth, Ryan, and welcome to your new home, the Tower." Flame says. "Where the Guardians live."
Ryan turns to look over the balcony at the City and the huge orb floating above it. He is in awe at how large the City is. Then he hears someone fall to the floor. He quickly turns to see a woman lying on the floor. He looks up to see the man that had come with her walking away.
Ryan takes off his helmet and walks over to the woman who has no helmet on. She has scarlet hair and sky blue eyes. She's beautiful. Ryan thinks to himself.
"Ryan, let's go to the Hall of Guardians." Crux says. "I'm sure that the Vanguard will love to hear the news about Riksis."
"Right, just give me a moment." Ryan says. "Ma'am, need some help?" He offers his hand to the woman on the ground.
She looks at him, smiles, and takes his hand. He pulls her up off of the floor. "Thank you." She says once she is back on two feet.
"No problem." Ryan says with a smile. "What's your name, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Shannon." She says.
"Ryan." Ryan says. "Nice to meet you, Shannon."
"Nice to meet you, too, Ryan." Shannon says.
Shannon's Ghost materializes at her side. "Shannon, we should go to the Hall of Guardians to meet with the Vanguard." She says.
"Right." Shannon agrees.
"Well, looks like we're going to the same place." Ryan says. "Might as well get going."
Shannon nods, and they walk over to Crux, who then leads the way. They walk down a set of stairs in the middle of the courtyard. They then walk through a hallway. In the hallway, they see Lord Shaxx on the right, and a robot, not an Exo, on the left. They continue down the hallway and down a smaller set of stairs into a large room with a long table in the middle. There are three people standing at the table.
The man at the end of the table is the first to notice their entrance. Ryan notices that he has light-blue skin and piercing blue eyes. No hair. Wearing similar armor to that of Crux.
The first to speak was the Exo on the left side of the table. He is wearing light armor and a cloak. He has blue eyes, or optics, rather. "Ace! What've you brought for us today?!" He says.
"Well, Cayde. This is Ryan…" Crux says, motioning to Ryan. "… the new Guardian you had me pick up. And I have no clue who she is." He continues, referring to Shannon.
"I'm Shannon." She says.
"I believe Ryan has good news to share with you." Crux says.
"What would that be?" The woman standing closest to the new Guardians asks. She has no hair and black skin. Human. She is wearing violet robes.
"Well… uh…" Ryan starts.
Flame materializes in front of him. "He blew up a Devil ketch without going inside." He says, full of pride. He lets that sink in on the three Vanguards before continuing. "And Devil Archon Riksis was inside at the time."
Cayde smirks.
"I don't believe you, Ghost." The woman says.
"Well believe it, Ikora. Here's the proof." With that, Flame shows the Vanguards the picture of Ryan doing jazz hands in front of the explosion.
Cayde breaks out in laughter.
"That is certainly an impressive feat." The man at the end of the table says.
"Indeed." The woman, Ikora, says, clearly satisfied with the proof.
"Nice job, Blaze!" Cayde says, pulling himself back together.
"Me?" Ryan asks.
"Yep! That's your new nickname!" Cayde says, cheerily.
"I like it." Ryan says after pondering on it.
"Good, because it's the only thing that I'm ever going to call you." Cayde says.
Shannon chuckles a bit, barely audible.
"So, did you accomplish anything, Shannon?" Ikora asks.
"Uh…" Shannon starts.
"Long story short, Lord Shaxx saved our asses from the Cabal." Shannon's Ghost says when she doesn't continue.
"So… that's a 'no,' then?" Cayde says.
Shannon's Ghost nods.
"Well, new guardians are new guardians." Cayde says. "Have you figured out what classes that you are in?"
"I'm sorry, classes?" Ryan asks. "I thought I was here to protect humanity, not get a bachelor's degree."
"Class of guardian." The man at the end of the table clarifies. "Hunter, Warlock, or Titan."
"Don't know what any of those are." Ryan says.
"Well, let's find out what classes these two are." Cayde says.
The man at the end of the table nods.
"We have a test that is guaranteed to correctly determine your class of Guardian." Ikora explains. She takes three small, glowing orbs from the table. One glows orange, one glows blue, and the other glows purple. She walks over to Ryan. "Close your eyes and concentrate. I want you to choose the two orbs that you are most drawn to. The two that feel like you were meant to choose them."
Ryan nods and closes his eyes. He takes a few deep breaths before reaching his hands out to grab two of the orbs. He opens his eyes to see that he chose the orange and blue orbs.
"Yes! I knew it!" Cayde cheers. "A Hunter!"
Ikora takes the orbs back and walks over to Shannon. "I want you to do the same."
Shannon closes her eyes and takes two orbs. She opens her eyes to see that she chose the orange and purple orbs. She looks up at Ikora to see her smiling.
"Welcome, Warlock." Ikora says.
"Wouldn't she technically be a Witch?" Ryan asks. "Wouldn't you?"
Cayde laughs when he sees the glare that Ikora sends Ryan's way.
"That… is hilarious!" Cayde says.
Ryan smirks.
Ikora and the blue-skinned man both roll their eyes. Shannon returns the orbs to Ikora, who takes them back to the table.
"Welcome, new Guardians." The blue one says. "I am Commander Zavala, leader of the Vanguard. You will be fighting against the Darkness, protecting humanity from any evils that plague the City. Using the Light of the Traveler, you will be the Guardians of the Last City."
"Come 'ere!" Cayde says to Ryan.
Ikora simply beckons Shannon.
They both walk over to their respective mentors.
"So, Blaze, I can already tell that you're my kind of guy. You show potential as a Hunter, and I can tell that you're going to do amazing things." Cayde says. "And create many explosions. That's kind of a Hunter pastime."
"Shannon, the path of a Warlock is not an easy one. A Warlock must understand her enemy, understand how to defeat her enemy, and understand what she is fighting for." Ikora explains. "But I see a light in you that I have not seen in anybody in a long time. I have confidence that you are destined for great things."
As the Warlock and Hunter Vanguards speak with their new protégés, Zavala nods at Crux, who nods and walks over to him in reply.
"Yes, Commander?" Crux asks.
"I think it's just about time that you get out in the field. You've trained enough in the Crucible. You're strong enough to finally go out there and take the fight to the Darkness." Zavala explains. "I want you to join these two new guardians. I see as much potential in them as I do in you, but they don't know as much as you. They will need someone to be their guide."
Crux nods in response.
After a few moments the three Vanguards stop talking and look to the top of the stairs.
The three guardians follow suit. They see a man in grey robes and a white mask and a black hood standing at the top of the stairs.
"Speaker, to what do we owe the honor of your visit?" Ikora is the first to speak, respectfully.
"I am here to speak with our two new guardians and Crux." The Speaker says. "I sensed their Light as they arrived at the Tower, and I have been keeping an eye on Crux for quite some time. Their Light shine brighter than that of any other Guardian. These three are destined for many things working together."
The Vanguards nod and look to their protégés.
Ryan shrugs and walks over to the Speaker. Shannon and Crux follow. The Speaker nods to them and starts walking through the hallway. The three Guardians follow him.
They walk through a different hallway, one leading to a place called "Tower North." Once there, they see a large room that looks like a planetarium. They walk inside, where they see a large device with a glowing orb in the center. As they enter, all three of their Ghosts materialize and float about the room. The Speaker walks up a set of stairs.
"There was a time when we were much more powerful." The Speaker says without turning to face the three. "But that was long ago. Until it wakes and finds its voice, I am the one who speaks for the Traveler. Crux, you've already heard this story, but Ryan and Shannon, you have not."
Crux nods in response, understanding.
"The Golden Age. Brought about when humans landed on Mars and discovered it." The Speaker continues, this time turning to them. "The Traveler brought about technological advancements and cured a large amount of diseases. Human lifespans tripled."
"Wow." Ryan says.
"Humans created robotic lifeforms in their image: Exos." The Speaker says, motioning to Crux. "They also explored to the Moon and other planets in the solar system, setting up colonies."
Shannon nods, taking in all of this information, not bothering to interrupt the man. Ryan, though, has other plans.
"Then what happened? The Earth doesn't exactly look all that grand anymore." He says.
The Speaker hesitates before answering the question. "The Collapse." He says in a dark tone. "The Traveler had an ancient enemy that Humanity didn't know about until it came for them: The Darkness."
"Couldn't come up with a better name than that?" Ryan says under his breath, audible only to himself.
"The Darkness sent its minions to wipe out Humanity, with multiple armies." The Speaker continues. "And now, the Darkness is coming back. We will not survive it this time."
"Its armies surround us." Crux's Ghost, who has a deep, masculine voice, says.
"The Fallen are only the beginning." Flame floats in front of Ryan.
"The same goes for the Cabal." Shannon's Ghost says.
"What was the Collapse?" Shannon asks.
The Speaker hesitates before answering. "I could tell of the great battle, centuries ago… how the Traveler was crippled. I could tell you of the power of the Darkness. There are many tales told throughout the City to frighten children. Lately those tales have stopped. Now… the children are frightened anyway." He says. "But in its dying breath, the Traveler created the Ghosts, to seek out those who can wield its light as a weapon - Guardians, to protect us, and do what the Traveler itself no longer can."
"What can we do to help?" Ryan asks, already on board.
"Fight the Darkness. Push back its armies. There are other Guardians fighting here on Earth and beyond. The three of you are meant to work together, but join the others, as well." The Speaker says. "Your Ghosts will guide you." He walks back up the stairs. "I only hope they chose wisely. For now, return to the Hall of Guardians to continue your meeting with the Vanguards."
Taking that as their cue to leave, the three turned around and started walking back to the Hall of Guardians.
"I did. I'm sure of it." Flame says.
"It doesn't matter. We're in this together now, regardless." Shannon's Ghost says.
Once they reach the Hall, they return to the Vanguards, who are all waiting patiently.
"What took you so long?!" Well, almost all of them. Cayde isn't exactly the best with patience.
Ryan smirks at his new mentor's outburst. "He really likes to talk." He rebuts. He notices that both Zavala and Ikora give him dirty looks, then Cayde bursts out laughing. Those looks immediately change their targets to the Exo Hunter.
"'He likes to talk!' Hilarious!" He says before noticing the glares. "Oh, lighten up, you two! I swear, neither one of them can ever have any fun."
Ryan smirks, making a note of that for later.
"Anyway…" Ikora starts. "Now that the two of you know the history of the City, we can get you out into the fight."
The commander nods in agreement. "We need all of the Guardians that we can get out there." He says.
"You both… know how to use a gun, right?" Cayde asks.
Ryan nods, while Shannon just looks at the floor.
"Oh boy. We've got one who doesn't know how to use a gun." Cayde says. "She's a Warlock. Your problem, Ikora."
Ikora rolls her eyes. "I'm sure one of your new teammates would be more than happy to teach you, Shannon."
Crux nods and Ryan shrugs.
"We recommend the Crucible if you ever feel the need to practice." Zavala says.
"So, I guess it's already been determined that you three are going to be a fireteam." Cayde says. "So, I know he has a ship." He points to Crux. "What about you two?"
"He flew me here." Ryan says, pointing to the Exo Titan.
"The, uh… the guy back there…" Shannon starts.
"Lord Shaxx brought us here." Her Ghost says.
Cayde sighs. "Well, since you're both new and both broke, we'll give you both some Glimmer to start you off."
Shannon gives Cayde a questioning look.
"Money." Cayde says. Shannon nods, satisfied with the answer.
Cayde continues. "You can use your Glimmer to buy ships, weapons, armor, and materials from the Tower's vendors. We encourage you to see the Gunsmith. He knows his shit."
"In terms of armor, we recommend the Cryptarch." Zavala says. "Just tell him your class and Master Rahool will give you a full set."
"As for living quarters, we'll supply you with those as well." Ikora says.
"Fight well, Guardians. Traveler's Light be with you." Zavala says.
The three Guardians walk out of the room. They have job to do.
That's the end of the prologue! The next update will be the first actual chapter!
EDIT: Shannon doesn't know her name and Ryan doesn't remember anything about the Golden Age. Sorry if you thought this was a new chapter.