y"In all the centuries of the City's history, the Speaker's great work has never changed - to guide new Guardians, heal the Traveler, and raise our crippled protector from its slumber." - Grimoire of the Speaker

Harley rose early the next morning, refreshed from the extra rest he'd gotten. He exited his room, breathing in the morning air. "What's on the agenda today, Prism?"

"The Vanguard would like you to meet with the Speaker."

"Who's that?"

"He acts as an advisor to the Guardians, as well as the Vanguard. He actually helped to build the Last City alongside others like Lord Saladin, Commander Zavala, and Lord Shaxx... He has a study in the North Tower. I can lead you there."

"Ok." Harley followed his Ghost across the plaza, glancing at some of the people standing around. I'll have to check out the plaza after I meet this 'Speaker.'

Prism led him down a twisting corridor until they arrived in a courtyard quite a bit smaller than the plaza. A massive tower dominated Harley's view. A small bridge connected it to everything else. As he crossed it, Harley noticed a strange configuration of spinning rings next to a swooping staircase. He climbed the stairs and found a study with books and papers strewn haphazardly about. There was no one there. Guess he's out doing something else. Harley's gaze lit upon a desk near the railing. A selection of blueish-purple crystals sat on a tray upon it. Intrigued, Harley moved closer for a better look. He reached out, wanting to touch one. His hand was inches away when he heard someone speak.

"Have you ever heard of the Golden Age saying 'curiosity killed the cat?'"

Harley snatched his hand away, turning around. He was met with the visage of a strangely-dressed man. The man wore white robes with a hood, as well as a white mask that covered his entire face.

"Greetings, Guardian," he said.

"...Hi. Um, who...are you exactly?"

The man sighed. "...We used to be stronger, you know. Back before the Darkness came and weakened our solar system… Until it wakes and finds its voice, I am the one who speaks for the Traveler."

Understanding broke over Harley like a tidal wave. "So you're the Speaker."

"Indeed, I am. And I have been waiting for you."

"What? How'd you know about me?"

"I have been aware of your existence ever since you arrived on Earth… I did not seek you out, because I knew that you would come here yourself, given time… You must have many questions, Guardian. I assume your Ghost has already told you how you came to be?"

"She told me a bit, yeah… How exactly does the Traveler know who should be revived as a Guardian?"

"The Ghosts seek out the few that are able to wield Light as a weapon to defend our world from the Darkness. In a sense, the Traveler acts through you, through all Guardians, to do what it cannot."

"Why can't it?"

The Speaker sighed again. "Long ago, the Traveler was crippled in a great battle against the Darkness. It is much weaker now than it once was...and the Darkness is returning, surrounding us on all sides."

"How can I help?"

"You must work with others to push back its armies. The Tower is more empty now that it has been for many years… Fewer Guardians return from missions each time, lost in the fight."

"Where?"

"Everywhere. Earth, Venus, Mars...the list goes on and our numbers dwindle. But perhaps you could help us turn the tide."

"Me?" Harley tried not to laugh. "I'm just one guy! I can't- I don't know how to do any of the stuff you talked about! 'Wielding Light as a weapon?' I can't do that!"

"Then you will learn," said the Speaker, "Your Ghost chose you for a reason, Guardian. Do you trust her judgment?"

Harley's mouth opened and closed soundlessly as he struggled for an answer. "I-of course I do!"

"Then you must also trust in yourself. You can learn. The key is believing you can."

"Then...where do I start?"

"You must begin by discovering your class."

"What's that?"

"There are three: Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters. We have tests to determine which one a Guardian belongs to. If you are ready, then we shall go to the Vanguard."

Harley winced, not feeling ready at all, but he knew he couldn't afford to delay. He took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

The Vanguards looked up as the Speaker entered, followed by Harley. Cayde chuckled. Kid looks like he's going to his execution.

"He is ready for the test," said the Speaker.

"Excellent," said Zavala, "Ikora, will do you the honors?"

Ikora nodded before going to a chest in the corner of the room. Cayde noticed Harley eying her the way a deer might eye a hunting wolf. He laughed again. "Relax, kid. The 'test' is way less dramatic than you're thinkin'."

Ikora returned, carrying three guns in her arms.

Harley looked confused. "What...is this exactly?"

Cayde answered him. "Basically, each class is drawn to a different sorta weapon. Ikora's gonna lay these guns out, and all you gotta do is pick one."

"That's it?" The kid looked like he expected some kind of trick.

"That's it… These are the three guns that best represented each class… Knock yourself out."

Ikora stepped back from the table, leaving the guns lying on it.

Harley eyed them. There looked to be a sniper rifle, a shotgun, and another he didn't recognize.

"That's a fusion rifle," Prism said in his ear, "They shoot a wave of energy beams, which can allow the user to sweep across several targets. They're meant for medium-ranged combat and have to charge up for a couple seconds before firing."

"Thanks." Harley stepped closer to the table, feeling the eyes of everyone else on him. It was extremely disconcerting.

He examined the shotgun only briefly - he knew it was the wrong type of weapon for him - but spent much longer deliberating between the sniper and the fusion rifle. The idea of the fusion rifle interested him, but it also felt like too alien of a concept. He looked at the sniper rifle. Its shape seemed familiar, comfortable even. He liked the idea of being able to kill enemies from a great distance. Almost unconsciously, he reached forward, hands tracing the weapon's shape before lifting it off the table. A loud cheer sounded from the side, startling him.

He looked up. It was Cayde-6, and he seemed extremely excited.

"Yes!" shouted the Vanguard, doing a fist pump, "A Hunter! In your faces!"

Zavala and Ikora frowned at him but seemed amused at the same time.

"You have chosen," said the Speaker solemnly, "Welcome, Hunter."

There was a pause as Harley processed the choice he'd just made. I've just set the course of my life, he realized, I wonder what would've happened if I'd chosen differently?

The silence was broken by the Speaker. "I'm afraid I must return to my study." He spoke mostly to the Vanguard but turned to Harley. "We will meet again. Until then, goodbye, Guardian, and good luck... May the Light go with you." With that, he turned and exited, leaving Harley alone with the three Vanguards.

Cayde was still chuckling. "First Guardian resurrected in 6 years and a Hunter to boot!"

Ikora smiled and shook her head as she gathered the guns to put them away. Zavala returned to the head of the table to resume his work. Harley attempted to hand the sniper rifle back, but Ikora waved him off. "Keep it. You'll be needing it soon."

Talk about unsettling, thought Harley as he slung the weapon across his back.

"Right," said Cayde, "First thing you need to do as a new Hunter is get some better armor. No offense, I'm sure those Vex leftovers protect you just fine, but that armor's a lot bulkier than what we Hunters use. Zavala set you up with some Glimmer to get you started, but don't worry about paying for this. Just tell Rahool that Cayde sent ya, and he'll set you up with everything you need...except a gun. For that, you gotta see Banshee. And listen to him, 'cause he knows his shit, especially when it comes to guns. I mean, you could continue using that piece of Vex scrap-metal if you're attached. Hey! It's your neck! Anyway, I think that covers everything. If you got extra time, you might wanna start acquaintin' yourself with the other folks around here...you'll be doin' a lot of business with 'em in the future. So, any questions?"

"...I think you managed to cancel out all the questions you gave me."

Cayde shrugged. "Hey, it's better than I usually do. I'll take it. Good luck, Hunter."

Harley nodded, then turned and made his way back out into the plaza. "So...where is this Rahool guy?"

"He's just past the vaults. This way."

He followed his Ghost through a cluster of small structures with screens on each side and found himself standing in front of a stall. The man running it was blue-skinned like Zavala and wore yellow robes. He held a datapad in his hands but looked up at Harley's approach.

"Ah. A new Guardian? It's been quite some time since the last one, you know."

"Yeah, I've heard... So who are you exactly?"

"Me? My name is Master Rahool. I'm a crypto-archaeologist or cryptarch for short. We are in charge of decoding the past, as it were. Although, I'll also decode things from our enemies, such as transmissions and weapons and the like. Guardians like yourself often bring me engrams they pick up on their missions, which I'll decode free of charge."

"What are engrams?"

"Engrams are the fourth state of matter. They can be encoded with patterns of armor, weaponry, and almost any other item you could think of. You'll most likely come across quite a few on your missions… I assume that's why you're here?"

"What?"

"To prepare for a mission. All newcomers pass through eventually."

"Oh. Yeah. That's right. I need some new armor… Cayde said you'd help me out."

The cryptarch nodded before turning and searching through some bins. After a few minutes, he pulled out several glowing green polyhedrons. "These should do nicely. I'll decode them and then your Ghost can store them for you."

The decoding took a few minutes, but by the end, Harley had a brand new set of armor. He said goodbye to the cryptarch, who reminded him to "Come back before I get bored." Then, he made his way up several steps to the gunsmith's area.

The gunsmith looked up. "Morning, Guardian. Name's Banshee. Banshee-44, but you can leave off the number."

"Hey… I need a gun."

"Came to the right place… What kind? Primary? Secondary?"

"Uh, primary. Already got my secondary."

"Alright, let's see here...most Hunters prefer hand-cannons but there're some that go for auto-rifles… How about I set you up with one of each?"

"That should work… How'd you know I was a Hunter?"

"Cayde told me you were coming. Special case, it seems." He passed over two guns, which Prism stored. "Take care of those guns Guardian."

"Will do."

Banshee nodded. "See you around."

A/N: Sorry that my updates have been lagging a bit. Tons of stuff going on right now. But hey! Harley finally has a class! Now that you know he's a Hunter, my question is: What subclass do you think he's going to have? Leave a review telling me what you think!

Guest: Thank you! It took me a while to get the Vanguard to sound right ;)

DoomDragon2: I know! I haven't been writing Destiny long but this story has been really fun to write :3

ConnorPerson: Thanks for reviewing! Sorry that chapter was so short XP

Cf96: Many thanks! Sadly they can't all be as long as I'd like. I end the chapters where it makes the most sense to me and I was also a bit rushed ;3

- TheWolfParadox