Destiny: "End?"
[The Author's Note-12/9/16]
Dear Readers,
This is the Post Note that I was mentioning in the past chapter.
Where I am to tell you all of the plans I had for Master Chief Petty Officer Nero Exodus, or "NeXT" as we know him.
First off however, I would just like to reiterate my previous statements.
Thank you all for sticking around for this story, to see what may or may not happen to NeXT and the gang. It means a whole lot to me to see that. I hope you all forgive me, and leave it within your hearts to understand why I had to do this.
I just am not in love with Destiny anymore. I don't have my team, and yes, they are a team that I will never ever replace. This was a decision I made on my own part, though they did have a part to play in it, please do not feel sad or frustrated towards them in any way. I just cannot bring it in me to continue trying to write a story for something I do not love. They were my reason for writing this story.
So, again, thank you all again for your continuous support, but I must put this to rest. Maybe one day I'll get back to this, but until then, you all deserve to know my master plan.
What came first? Well, the introduction of all concepts and characters. That was my simple plan for Destiny: "The Awakening"
You were all to meet the Fireteam, NeXT, Kahaar, Wicked and C.A.M. The reason why I did not include Edgz in the list, was because of a rather simple reason.
He was actually my plan on introducing Osiris and the Exo-Stranger's ordeals in the depths of space. His job was to be a spy, to keep close tabs on the Tower and the Guardians, or more specifically NeXT. So he masked himself as the character you were all introduced to.
The reason?
Well I'm sure plenty of you might have caught onto it by now. The grand theory that the Guardians, are not good. The Darkness is evil, but maybe the Traveler the Guardians believe in with such faith, the Light, perhaps there is an even truer evil to it.
As you all might have noticed, I did introduce the Prometheans and the Forerunners in Mission 08. That was the plan. The Traveler turning out to be not a savior, but a prison, a cryptum of sorts, housing a powerful and ancient enemy. The 'Real' Darkness as I called them in my files, "Providence" was their name, led by the Darkness itself, a being named Rosyu.
The Awakening was going to simply introduce the central characters, no more, no less.
The second part of the story would have been called, "The Team" which would be a collection of short stories, filled with adventures of the team prior to their formation, including NeXT's time as a Spartan, as well as the accounts of the real Nero Exodus. "The Team" would have also included short stories and cameos of submitted characters from the first story, as well as some extras. Again, I apologize for not being able to get to it.
The Third part of the story would have been played with similarly to the first, actually being centered around "The Taken King" where NeXT and the others would gain their third subclasses, and defeat Oryx. This was to be the turning point in the story. Where Oryx would have left our heroes with the real questions. Oryx was just avenging his son's death. We not only killed his son, but slaughtered everyone he cared about. He was avenging his fallen loved ones. Other than survival what do the Guardians really fight for? In all honesty, it seems a lot like they are the villains rather than the heroes.
Part four, "The Exile", was to be the first half of the story's introduction to the true enemy. Where NeXT and the others, having questioned the Tower, the Guardians, the Speaker and the Traveler in its whole, would have been exiled from the Tower. Hunted down for being 'traitors to the light'. They would have been sent far out of the reaches of the Guardians and the Tower. There they would discover many things.
Not only were they shut off from the powers of the Traveler's light due to not being anywhere near it anymore, but they discover that the outreaches of space, previously thought to be unsafe and void of life after the Darkness' arrival, was actually thriving with various forms of life still strong and living. They would have met Osiris, Edgz would have revealed his true self to them. Not only that, but they'd be sent around to learn from the past. They would have been granted new powers and abilities never before touched by the hands of Guardians. They would have learned powers of the Sangheili from the current Arbiter. They would have forged their own unique subclasses through rigorous training. They would have built up an army, and with that army they'd lead the story into Part five, "The Truth".
In "Destiny: "The Truth" NeXT and the gang would lead a full scale war against the Tower and the Guardians. The fight was to be long, and not without deaths, but in the end, NeXT was to confront the Speaker, who reveals themselves to be a Promethean AI. The two would fight, and The Speaker would further reveal that he came here with the traveler to siphon the souls of the Guardians and people of the solar system in order to feed his true master, sealed within the Traveler.
NeXT sees the Speaker as a madman, and after defeating him goes to shut down the Traveler. However, this proves to be a great mistake as when he shuts down the Traveler, all the power in the solar system shuts down.
The Vex fight constantly, knowing that their death, their doom is imminent, and not even time travel could stop it. This was the day they were waiting for. The end of the light. For when NeXT shut down the Traveler, he inadvertently released an ancient enemy stronger than any other before… 'Providence'...
I actually had a full document made just for them. Swarms of Beetles as their 'shank' equivalent. They'd fly around and swarm guardians, devouring their light. Focusing on physical attacks rather than ranged, it would have been the easiest thing to fight. The Soldiers were akin to dregs and the likes. Winged goblin-like creatures that'd move in lightning. It would be akin to fighting an infinite blade dancer. However, they were a quick shot to kill.
What made Providence so devastating was their higher tier soldiers. Dark Guardians being the lowest of the tiers. Being the very prime of all guardians, they were faster, stronger, and just as dangerous if not more. There were Summoners, which could not only raise the dead, but they could call reinforcements to fight.
The Shogun was a Boss-sized enemy that'd appear as the leaders of the highest of armies. They used swords as their central weapons, though their power level was akin to any boss with all modifiers.
There was also the return of the Ahamkara, due to Rosyu's dragon, the First Ahamkara having been sealed with him and his second in command, The First Spawn (of Darkness).
Anyways, these are just a few examples of the enemies I had planned for NeXT and the Team to face.
The shutdown of the Traveler would have released them into the world. Doomed all life on Earth, and in turn, transform it into Rosyu's palace.
Hence the title I had placed, the "Shadow of Rosyu", all leading to the finale of the first half of the story, "Rosyu's Shadow" the sixth part. In this part, everyone that was not in the final chamber, aka not NeXT, had been hit with a Obedience ray from the Cryptum. Rosyu gains control of everyone in the solar system.
All hope seems lost. NeXT is tasked with the ultimate mission of facing all the evils in the world, alone. Eventually, when all seems lost, Edgz returns with reinforcements from outside of the solar system, and they free the Team from their brainwashing. The unified army fight back, however, they are still outnumbered and outgunned.
NeXT...realizes there is only one way to end this.
He faces off against Rosyu, and in the fight the two trade words, namely about the rights and wrongs. Rosyu is a noble leader. Everything he does is simply in the name of the 'Light' aka his Queen, the one who balances him, who had been killed by the greed of mankind long ago. NeXT does not see Rosyu as an overall bad person.
However, the two, despite finding respect in one another, realize that the peace they both seek will never be achieved in either of their 'solutions' In the end, the two kill each other, and throw themselves into the depths of the cryptum as it explodes.
Order seemingly returns to the universe, and all beings of darkness and light rejoice, joining hand in hand...and they honor the sacrifices made in order to assure them of the peace.
The second half of the story would have seen that the explosion of the Cryptum had actually sent NeXT into a time vortex. Rosyu, not wanting NeXT to be stuck in a timeless world, as he did not see any reason to allow him to be cursed with a life of loneliness and immortality, destroys his sword, which allows NeXT to be thrown into a random timeline. Part Seven was called, "Remember 137" a reference to NeXT's service tag.
NeXT discovers here, that the time he had been thrown into was his original timeline, almost four decades after he had been 'shut off' for the first time. NeXT however, finds himself on board an insurrectionist ship orbiting the Earth. After discovering that he had been stripped of the powers he learned and trained for with the Sangheili and on his own, including his personal subclass, NeXT thinks all is lost after confronting the Insurrectionists aboard the ship with no weapons. However, he soon discovers that while he doesn't have those abilities, he had regained purified and upgraded versions of the three Taken King Subclasses, courtesy of Rosyu.
NeXT makes his escape and everyone is initially unsure if they should trust the return of Spartan R-137. Despite this, NeXT quickly proves himself, and he resumes his campaign in the UNSC. However, he soon finds...he was not the only thing to have traveled through time. The UNSC begins to face off against the beginning of the Darkness, more accurately, the Vex, having been reactivated after his and Rosyu's 'deaths' traveled through time to destroy him, who they saw as an imbalance in space and time.
NeXT faces off against the Vex and the Insurrectionists, as well as Space Pirates along the way through part seven and eight. The end of which takes the three enemies to the same place, the place missing from NeXT's memories, the place where he had sealed off his 'Brother' the AI NEO. The three enemies accidentally reawaken NEO, who quickly proves himself to be stronger than even Rosyu. However, NEO is a true madman. NEO begins consuming all the abilities and knowledge NeXT possesses, and learns everything thing that NeXT has, and more. He does not kill his brother however, believing that his brother should bear witness to the future he will not be able to save. NEO then travels to the future, where NeXT cannot follow.
NeXT, beaten and badly damaged, thinks all is lost...however, his original fireteam, his Team from his time as a Spartan, return to save him. He asks them to place his broken body and his real body in the place in Old Russia so Ghost can find him in the future.
In his dying moments, he discovers that GS had been in stasis mode, until he had sensed NeXT dying. Ready to heal him, NeXT stops GS, and tells him to wait until the time is right, and when NEO appears in the future, to revive him.
In Part nine "The Return" NeXT is reactivated by an older GS, who had been waiting for the day to revive his 'Best Friend'.
When the two return to the city...they discover that instead of fighting, all life has blossomed into a better life, a better world. Without discrimination and hate, without any need for violence. All races were welcomed. Even the Eliksni and the Hive. The two proceed to the remnants of the Tower, which had been since renovated, with Wicked as its leader. C.A.M. having sacrificed himself in Part Five, and Kahaar not wanting the position. In turn, Kahaar had been made general of the army, and Edgz into their best shadow agent. After explaining the situation, there is a solar system wide council meeting where they prepare for the next war.
Part ten, "Revolution" centers around NeXT and his memories in fighting NEO the first time, whilst staying on guard with Kahaar and the others, trying to fight NEO for the second time. For the most part, it does not seem like the AI built for war and destruction, NEO, wanted to rule or anything. Rather, he seemed to only destroy what his dear little brother loved so much. They realize they once again are set to face off against an enemy they're not even sure if they can beat. This part ends with the death of Wicker and Edgz at the hands of NEO, who decides that it would be fun to see the world burn from the center of it all, and becomes 'King' of the Universe.
"Regicide" is the Eleventh part of the series, it would have seen the fight of NeXT and Kahaar, trying to keep their ground against the likes of NEO's tyranny. Eventually, they manage to gain the upperhand, and in the end, defeat NEO in the one way NeXT knew how.
In the final fight against NEO, NeXT, realizing there will never be an end to evil and suffering as long as he is alive, finally uses the one command that he was built for, to 'complete' NEO. When the two merge, NEO seems frantic at first. The idea that the very reason why he had been doing everything, NeXT, had merged with him. He did not want this. He did not want to have to see everything through NeXT's eyes. To understand the universe and its inhabitants. He did not want to feel emotions. Yet, that was exactly what he did. Seizing the opportunity, NeXT, inside of NEO's body, reprograms the two from the inside into an EMP, and in doing so, 'self destructs' leaving no traces of NEO or Himself other than their bodies, both now void of any form of life.
GS returns to the Tower alone, the war had been won, but the cost of which felt too high. However they would not let their legacy fall. Kahaar and GS return order to the Universe for a second and hopefully final time. They have a Hall of Knights built at the Tower, holding statues of the Five, including Edgz this time, and bury their bodies and weapons at their respective statutes. Kahaar then appoints a new leader to the Tower, the Last Guardian created from the Traveler's light before the wars began, named "Eternum" and asks to be left alone to be with his fallen friends.
It is then where Kahaar approaches his own statue, a hole in the ground before him with an open casket. He lies himself down in his deathbed, and 'rests' having been old, even for the standards of the Awoken. He dies peacefully, with GS gently closing him from the world. GS...following a final order, asked of him by NeXT, to see the world in peace at last...goes to his best friend's statues and gives a chuckle, before setting down on a pedestal by his feet.
The Old Ghost, slowly dies reminiscing of the times he spent at NeXT's side.
So there you have it people. That was, everything I had intended for this story. Again, I am so sorry that I was never able to get to all parts of the story. I think it would have been amazing to be able to see it finished. However, I do not see myself able to do so with the way things are in my life, as well as not having my team with me.
They are:
TheItNess13-Wicked
Gamzee_Makara420-C.A.M.
Hellothisismuffin-Kahaar
Edgz06-Edgz
I'm so sorry guys that I am unable to finish this story right now.
But...I will forever be grateful to all of you for sticking with me up until now. This is all I can say for now. Again, maybe one day I'll continue this, but for now...I just can't see myself doing so.
Thank you all, and I wish you all the best for now and to your futures. If anyone has any questions, or wants to do their own thing with this, please contact me privately. Otherwise, I will surely miss you all and writing the stories of NeXT and the rest.
For now though...until NeXT time everyone,
-Infinity Calix
[Author's Note: Over…]