A/N

Okay, it's been a long time. I have a lot to talk about, but it'll be at the end of the chapter. See you there!

Chapter 37

Earth

Neo Chicago

The Mulligan

Zavala was perched in his usual spot within the commander center of the Mulligan, a platform high over the rest of the operators that filled the room. After decades of service to the Vanguard from within the Tower, Zavala was still in the process of adjusting to his new setting.

The Hall of Guardians was like a home to him. It felt strange to lead the Vanguard from a new position, but he would have to. Despite the Mulligan being a near perfect copy of the old Tower, the addition of the Barrel, the new commander center, meant that the Hall of Guardians had now become a place of instruction.

Taking a glance around the Barrel once again, Zavala had to admit that this fulfilled its purpose as mission HQ splendidly. With the abundance of operators constantly monitoring fireteams out in the field, it was very rare that any Guardians were caught off guard during routine patrols. The support and supervision solidified their constant defense of New Chicago.

Since its activation, there had only been two missions the Vanguard couldn't support from here with their intelligence and resources.

The first one had been the Guardians initial assault on the Dreadnaught to rescue Tobias. The Vanguard knew nothing about what to expect on that ship, and this resulted in them losing all communications with fireteam Undaunted once they entered the Ascendant Realm. After the successful completion of that mission, the Vanguard wasted no time ordering the Guardians to scour the ship, gathering any intel related to the Hive.

Even with some of the new information they had learned, it didn't change the problem they faced when fireteam Undaunted returned to the Ascendant Realm a second time. Their pursuit of Ir Anuk had taken them through a Rupture on the Dreadnaught, and the Vanguard hadn't heard a word from them in hours.

Situations like this made Zavala anxious. He wanted to be out on the field himself, but as Vanguard Commander his leadership couldn't be tied to just one team. All the Guardian looked to him for guidance, so he always had to be available.

"Commander." One of the operators called out, gaining his attention.

"What is it?" He asked in return.

"I'm receiving a signal from Venus from a fireteam of five Guardians. They're claiming to be fireteam Undaunted." The operator explained to him, causing Zavala to furrow his brow.

"That's…impossible." Zavala said to himself, trying to consider the possibilities.

It had only been a few hours since Undaunted had left for their mission into the Ascendant Realm. How did they get to Venus? Not only that, they had left as a fireteam of four. Where did this fifth Guardian come from?

"Captain Diana Amano's Ghost just gave me its verification." The operator said suddenly. "It really is them…"

"Put them through." Zavala said quickly, eager to question Guardians.

"Yes, sir." The operator said. A few moments passed before they motioned for Zavala to speak.

"Come in fireteam, this is Commander Zavala. Who am I speaking to?" He demanded, his voice filled with authority.

"Commander, this Captain Diana Amano." Diana declared in response. "You're not going to believe where we've been."

Hall of Guardians

"Okay, hold on, run that by me again." Cayde said, blinking a few times.

As soon as the members of Undaunted arrived in the plaza of the Mulligan, they were ushered into Hall of Guardians were the Vanguard Mentors had been expecting them. All three of them were clearly anxious to hear how their mission into the Ascendant Realm had gone, and Diana's declaration that they wouldn't believe it would hold true. Ikora and Zavala were at a loss for words. Cayde however, needed to hear it a second time.

Recounting the tale for them once again, the Mentors fought to wrap their heads around the adventure Undaunted had just gone on. It had only been a few hours since they had first left, but according to Diana, they had gone three months into the future and had found a way to go back in time, returning them to the present.

"So…after taking out Oryx's sister, you all got lost in the Ascendant Realm which resulted in you traveling to the future due to some kind of time dilation. And in this future, you found out the Vanguard and the Traveler had been destroyed. So, you used the Vex to get outside of time, where you stumbled into Osiris who showed you how to get back to the present." Cayde clarified as he stared at the group. The two Hunters of Undaunted gave him a nod and a grin of pride. "Well damn, you all should've brought me along for that one."

"In hindsight of their adventure, now isn't the time to be impressed by their tale Cayde." Ikora pointed out, focusing everyone on the matter at hand. "According to what you've shared with us, a threat emerged from the Dreadnaught that wiped out everything pertaining to the Vanguard and the Guardians."

"Yes, that was Titus." Tobias stated, causing Ikora to make eye contact with him.

"That's your Taken counterpart, correct?" Ikora asked, recalling what she had briefly read from their debriefing. Tobias' Ghost had shared with a wealth of information with them about Titus. Tobias gave her a nod. "I remember that he made an appearance when we assaulted the fortress the Hive had made on Earth, as well as on the Dreadnaught when you all killed Oryx. Both times you had declared that you had killed him, yet he is apparently our next great foe."

Tobias sunk down a bit at her statements.

"The first time here on Earth…I honestly had tried to kill him. Then on the Dreadnaught, as we got close to killing Oryx, Titus started to act differently. It felt like I was talking to a completely different person, and he promised me that if we had killed Oryx, he would be free of Oryx's control. I let him go." Tobias explained, lowering his voice as he continued. "Then I heard he rescued us from Savathun. I thought maybe he was an ally only to find out he was the reason the Vanguard fell in the future we saw."

"The question still stands, is he friend or foe?" Ikora asked him, causing Tobias to pinch the bridge of his nose with a sigh. Then he shook his head.

"I don't know. I just…don't." Tobias replied before making eye contact with the Warlock Vanguard. "That doesn't matter this time though. He is a threat to Earth and the Vanguard, I will stand against him."

"I believe that was all we needed to hear," Zavala stated, taking over the conversation now. "With this threat approaching, now is the time to begin developing countermeasures. That future you all witnessed was unprepared for his attack. We will strive to do better."

"Right-o," Cayde said as he pulled up the report from their debriefing. "So according to this, you all said that this Titus guy went to Mars, took out the Cabal, went to the Reef, wiped out the Awoken, and then came to Earth, and cut the whole planet in half."

Diana nodded to Cadye who had raised a hand, counting the places Titus had decimated.

"Well, I'd prefer if that didn't happen this time," Cayde said as he activated the halo-map at the center of the table, bringing up an image of Mars. "I'm not into the whole Vex mumbo-jumbo future stuff, but if everything follows the same course you all saw, I think our best bet is to meet him face to face on Mars."

"Our alliance with the Awoken still stands. Preventing their destruction, even if they aren't aware of it…will have its benefits." Ikora said, earning a nod of agreement from Zavala.

"Titus isn't someone to take lightly though. He destroyed everything by himself. You can't send just anyone to fight him." Tobias stated, causing everyone to look toward him.

"Do you intend to fight him by yourself then Tobias?" Ikora inquired. Tobias met her gaze.

"I feel like…that's our best option." He stated.

The mood in the room darkened at his statement.

"Tobias…" Diana said in a whisper, placing a hand on his shoulder. Instantly the discussion they had returning from the Dreadnaught came back to him.

"There are better ways than trying to carry the burden by yourself."

Sighing inwardly, Tobias then shook his head.

"But to stop Titus, we're going to need all of the firepower that we can get," Tobias added, a smirk forming on his face as he glanced at his teammates. "And who packs more firepower than we do?"

"…I was going to make a comment," Cayde interjected, raising a hand. "-but then I remembered that Diana has a Gjallarhorn."

Ikora rolled her eyes at his statement before glancing at Zavala. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest, staring closely at the hologram of Mars.

"Zavala, what are you thinking about?" Ikora asked him, causing everyone to focus on the Vanguard Commander.

"This enemy…devastated the entire system by himself." Zavala noted, raising one of his hands to stroke the bottom of his chin. "We need more than just firepower to take him down. We need a plan."

"Well let's start talking then." Cayde said, looking around at the group with open arms.

"Tobias!" Trisha exclaimed as he hoisted both her and Cody into the air. Tobias could barely contain himself upon entering their apartment, catching both by surprise. He had grabbed both in his arms and smothered them in a hug.

His trip into the future had been an emotional rollercoaster as he had to accept the thought of them having been killed during Titus' attack on Earth. However, that ride wasn't over since he had managed to return to his present where the two of them were alive and well. Rushing to Trisha's apartment after his meeting with the Vanguard Mentors, Tobias enjoyed a deep sense of relief having confirmed with his own eyes that they were alive.

"What's going on?!" Trisha demanded to know as he set her back down on his feet, then kneeling to put Cody down on his own.

"I've just…been through a lot." Tobias replied, grinning a bit.

"Like what?" Cody asked him.

"More than I think you'd care to hear." Tobias said with a chuckle, scratching the bridge of his nose.

"I wanna hear!" Cody retorted, and Trisha gave a nod of agreement.

"If it's got you acting like that, I think I want to hear too." She added. "Do you want anything to drink?"

Soon enough the three of them were seated around the table in Trisha's kitchen where Tobias told of his adventure into the Ascendant Realm and the future he had witnessed. Cody was amazed by his grand adventure, while Trisha was grateful that had come back from this in one piece.

"I must say, that has got to be the craziest thing I've ever experienced. Nothing made sense while we were in the future. We had to steal a ship from the Fallen to get off the Moon that's how crazy it was." Tobias revealed with a laugh. "And then once we got on Venus we-"

Trisha furrowed her brow when Tobias suddenly stopped talking. Looking up at him, she saw that his gaze was unfocused.

"Tobias?" She said softly, waving a hand in front of him.

A chill ran down Tobias' spine, the type of chill he had only ever felt in one place. The Ascendant Realm.

The Darkness was suffocating the Light.

"He's here." Tobias muttered.

A deep feeling of dread suddenly overwhelmed Cody, and Trisha felt this as well. Cody immediately slid off his chair and darted over to his mother who quickly took him into her arms.

"What's happening?" Trisha asked as she looked around him. It felt as though someone had the intent to kill around her, smothering her in this feeling of malice. Never had she felt it so strongly before.

"Don't worry, you're going to be alright," Tobias said as he rose from his seat. "We're going to take care of this."

Hall of Guardians

The trio of Vanguard Mentors had been in a rather tense discussion, but they had all gone silent simultaneously at the sudden presence of the Darkness. It was at that very moment that they all understood the power of their foe.

"You all…feel that?" Cayde asked tentatively.

"We're not ready." Zavala stated suddenly, waving his hand through the hologram of Mars, causing it to waver away.

"What do you mean?" Ikora asked him, watching as he turned away from the table.

Zavala couldn't even face his peers. His breath had become short at the overwhelming Darkness. This was beyond anything he had ever experienced. The Darkness they had felt while attacking the Hive Fortress on Earth paled in comparison to what was hanging over them now.

"I've never once feared the Darkness…but, this is…" Zavala seemed to be struggling to speak, clearly shaken by the imposing presence. The Darkness had never been this strong, not even when the Guardians had boarded the Dreadnaught. Titus was on a level they couldn't begin to fathom.

"Zavala…" His Ghost began as it formed beside him. It looked down solemnly before returning its gaze to the commander. "A transmission just came in from the Dreadnaught. The Guardians stationed there…they're gone."

"…Play it back for us."

Zavala's Ghost split its shell, beginning to playback the recording. The static was almost ear piercing as it almost overpowered the voice of the Guardian speaking.

"This is fireteam Panther reporting from the Dreadnaught. A Rupture here just opened and…the Darkness…it's like nothing we've ever felt before." A male voice was speaking through the recording.

"Something just came through!" Another voice cried out, and this was followed immediately by gunfire. An explosion went off that almost startled the Mentors listening.

"Oh my god!" Another voice hollered.

"NO!"

"Look out!"

The static grew even louder before the transmission ended abruptly.

"All of the fireteams on the Dreadnaught have gone dark." Zavala's Ghost stated.

"He's coming." Ikora noted; looking from Cayde to Zavala whose back was turned to her.

"And we've only developed one viable tactic." Zavala stressed, shaking his head.

"Don't forget, we've got Tobias too." Cayde pointed out, causing Zavala to glance over his shoulder at the Hunter Vanguard.

"Cayde, I'm not even sure he can overcome this opponent." Zavala stated.

"Ghost." Ikora said, calling for her companion who appeared at her request. "Give out the order to the Hunters we've selected. Tell them to go to the coordinates on Mars right now."

"Ikora, we are not prepared to face this threat." Zavala said sharply, turning completely to face her.

"There's no time." She replied.

"You're sending these Guardians to be slaughtered." Zavala snapped at her. "Our foe carries a power beyond anything we've faced!"

"And what else is new?" She asked vehemently. "The odds have always been stacked against the Guardians, and that has never stopped us from succeeding. I may be thinking irrationally at this point, but all we can do this time is have faith!"

Ikora turned on her heels, beginning to walk toward the exit. She would be on this battlefield, whether Zavala was there or not.

The room was silent as only Zavala and Cayde remained. The Hunter shifted for a few moments as he stared at Zavala.

"She's right you know," Cayde said, causing Zavala to glance at him. "When the chips are down, or we get dealt a bad hand, Undaunted has always come through. We just gotta back them up this time."

Cayde turned and left as well, calling for his Ghost to open a transmat to his ship. As the Hunter was warped away, Zavala stood alone for a few moments. He sighed deeply as he leaned forward, placing his hands on the table.

Mars

Meridian Bay

"We're approaching the combat zone." Diana's Ghost stated as fireteam Undaunted approached their landing zone within Diana's jump ship. The barren hills of Mars raced by underneath them and they could see the signs of an intense battle over the horizon. Mushroom clouds and energy blasts filled the skies.

"I can't believe he got to Mars so quickly." Diana noted, her stomach sinking as they approached what had to be the densest Darkness she had ever felt.

The Guardians had mobilized from Earth within minutes of sensing the Darkness from Titus. Despite moving faster than light speed in their transports, Titus still arrived on Mars before the Guardians from a far greater distance.

Guardians stationed on Mars had been watching as Titus descended to the surface of the planet, the skies darkening with his presence. Cabal Firebase Rubicon was the first to face Titus as he arrived on Mars. Even with the ever-present threat of the Guardians and Vex on Mars, never had the Cabal prepared for a threat so quickly. Within minutes the battle-hardened race had deployed their troops to face Titus, but it didn't mean much at all.

The being that had been labeled as Titus slaughtered the Cabal mercilessly. His assault on the base had been nothing short of a massacre as he destroyed Cabal drop ships, annihilated their infantry and shattered the walls of their base.

"There's our landing zone." Diana's Ghost said as it prepped the transmat, sending the four Guardians within the ship down to the surface of Mars. Following immediately were the dozens of Guardians that had been assigned to backup Undaunted as they faced Titus.

The landing zone was on a tall hill overlooking the Firebase where the Guardians could see Titus as he decimated the Cabal and what remained of their forces.

As the Guardians gathered on this hill, many of them swallowed their fear and steeled themselves for the battle. Once Titus was done with the Cabal, they would be his next opponent.

Stepping through the crowd of Guardians, Ikora now stood at the front of the group where she looked down at the battlefield.

"I'm certain that your Ghosts briefed you on the strategy we've prepared," Ikora stated as her Ghost opened a channel between herself and the Guardians present. "It's very likely that this will be our one shot to take him down. Tobias will take the lead in combating Titus. Only when we get Titus into position will we carry out our plan."

"And if that fails, well it was nice knowing y'all." Cayde added as he took his place beside Ikora. The Warlock Vanguard shook her head at Cayde's statement.

"Failure isn't an option." A commanding voice boomed, causing the Guardians to turn. Standing behind them was none other than Commander Zavala. The crowd parted, allowing him to walk through them and join the other Mentors. "The lives of all mankind rest on our shoulders. The safety of the Traveler rests on our shoulders. If we fail here, all is lost. In the face of certain doom, the Guardians have stood…even against the greatest of odds. Because that is our duty as Guardians, to surmount any foe and secure the future of humanity. So, I ask you, to stand beside me, beside us! And bring our reckoning upon this enemy."

The Guardians roared, raising the weapons they held over their heads.

"See, that's why I leave the motivational speeches to you." Cayde said as he placed a hand on Zavala's shoulder. Zavala smirked beneath his helmet and nodded to Cayde. Then he raised his hands, calling for everyone's attention.

"As Ikora said, Tobias will lead our effort against Titus. You all have been briefed so we will act when the time arrives." Zavala stated, reminding Tobias that he was the central piece in this effort.

Tobias drew in a deep breath, summoning his Light.

Titus perked up at this, remembering this familiar presence. Looking around for a moment, his gaze eventually locked onto the Guardians that had gathered in the distance. Among them was Tobias.

Giving a great shout, Titus rose up over the firebase, raising his hands as the skies darkened. Thunder boomed as a black lightning bolt dropped from the sky, straight into his hands. He then thrust his hands down at the firebase, launching the lightning into what remained of the Cabal forces beneath him. There was a deafening clap, and the Guardians out in the distance had to plant their feet as a furious gust of wind lashed out against them.

In an instant, the entire firebase and all the Cabal located there were gone. The entire plane had been leveled as the dusted settled. Some of the Guardians gulped audibly as they watched Titus descend to the center of this area, a dark aura beginning to dance around him. All that malice that had previously been directed at the Cabal, had now fallen upon the Guardians.

"Holy crap."

"Yup…we're going to die."

The Guardians struggled to hold back their comments in the face of this threat. The tension around them was thick, and the pressure Titus was exerting onto them was crushing. Even Zavala was struggling to move under these circumstances.

Fireteam Undaunted looked around the Guardians that surrounded them, now realizing what they were experiencing. None of them had been in Oryx's presence within the Ascendant Realm. Or standing beneath Savathun on the High Coven. They were now experiencing having the Light practically disappear. How cold it was without the Traveler's Light.

Titus raised his hands once again, summoning another black lightning bolt which he hurled at the Guardians. The attack covered the distance between the two parties in an instant, but it was batted away by Tobias. The ground shook slightly as the lightning bolt hit the ground miles from their location, but all eyes were Tobias as he floated in front of all the Guardians. His hands that he had used to knock away the lightning glowed white with the Radiant Light. He then clenched his hands into fists, summoning his strength as he became engulfed in the Radiant Light.

The Guardians nearby breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar warmth Tobias provided them, and this seemed to boost morale as his teammates gave him a shout of encouragement.

"That's right Tobias!" Niko hollered, throwing a fist into the air. "Now show that punk whose boss!"

All the Guardians piped up with a cheer as well and Tobias took in a deep breath, staring at his opponent. They began to move toward each other, eventually meeting partway over the area Titus had just flattened. A silence set in as they observed one another, taking in every detail.

The differences between Titus now and when he had last seen him sent chills down Tobias' spine. The man who had almost seemed human when they were on the High War, had been swallowed whole by the Darkness. He still retained some of his human features, such as his face, but Tobias struggled to make eye contact with Titus. They were completely black once again, and just like the first few times they had met.

"What happened to you?" Tobias asked him.

In response, Titus hunched over and began to gasp for air. Then he threw his head back with a scream as the Darkness flared around him. Tobias crossed his arms in front of his face as a sudden shockwave of energy was emitted from Titus, threatening to throw him away. Fighting through it, Tobias remained firm but the other Guardians on the ground didn't handle it as well. Many of them had fallen over, marveling at the power Titus could unleash at his choosing.

"I…I must…destroy you!" Titus roared furiously as his hand became jelly-like, morphing into a saber that was the length of his torso. Titus then darted at Tobias, thrusting the dark blade at his target that reacted accordingly. Turning his body to create just enough space for the blade to slip past him, Tobias used this moment as they were so close to slam his palm into the side of Titus' torso. A Void Light surged from his hand which sent Titus spiraling to the ground, creating a sizable crater. Tobias could hear the cheers from his fellow Guardians through the comm line, but his attention remained firmly focused on the crater Titus was resting in.

The skies above them darkened, causing everyone to look up with concern. However, they all quickly realized that the cause of this was unnatural as the ground beneath them began to quake. Titus rose from the crater, a dark aura emanating from his body as he looked up at Tobias.

Then suddenly Titus was in front of Tobias, driving his remaining hand into Tobias' gut causing him to writhe in pain.

"I will hold nothing back for you." Titus warned him, as Tobias was left staggered from the blow. He hadn't even seen Titus move yet he had landed such a fearsome blow to him in that space of time.

Titus followed by raising his other arm and driving his elbow into Tobias' back, sending him plummeting to the ground below. Quickly reorienting himself in midair, Tobias braced himself to hit the ground, but he struck from his side which sent him flying toward the base of the hill the Guardians were located on. Realizing that he couldn't allow this battle to get close to his allies, Tobias opened an entrance into the Void to put some distance between himself and the Guardians. Titus, however, thought otherwise.

Tobias was utterly shocked to see Titus palm the forehead of his helmet as both traveled into the seam Tobias had opened into the Void. Before they could go to the destination Tobias had envisioned, Titus altered their trajectory, and Tobias was pummeled into the hill beneath the Guardians. The entire hill collapsed as the Guardians scattered, performing an immediate roll call as they reached a safe distance, or so they thought.

The dust and debris were sent flying out in every direction, pelting the Guardians with stones. With some shouts of complaint, there was a call for Tobias as everyone discovered that he was on his side staring up at Titus who had his sword-arm raised. He then took his weapon and thrust it into Tobias' stomach earning a pained gasp from him. Those who had seen this take place stood in shocked silence as Titus ripped his blade out of Tobias and grabbed the collar of his cloak to hoist him into the air.

"Weak." Titus declared before he threw Tobias back down to the ground with such force that the ground shook. "I know you have more power than this. Do you truly think you can fight me while holding back?"

"Why are you holding back Tobias!?" The Traveler practically screeched at him.

Tobias lay on his side in a stunned silence, his hands trembling as he placed it over the wound on his stomach. It was already healing thanks to the Radiant Light, but Tobias found himself growing fearful as this battle continued.

This wasn't like fighting Oryx. The true extent of Oryx's power only showed in his domain. Titus, however, was exerting even more power outside of a Hive Throne World. Would he be able to fight Titus?

"It looks like you all have forgotten what I'm capable of," Titus said as he turned his back to Tobias, observing the Guardians that were watching them. "It looks like a reminder is in order."

There was a scream as Titus appeared in front of the closest Hunter, lashing out with his cleaver. With pinpoint accuracy, Titus had laid waste to this Guardian's physical form and their Ghost with just this one swing. As the other Guardians realized Titus had adjusted his target, he took out three more of them in an instant. Permanent death.

"That's…impossible. All of the Guardians died when the Traveler was destroyed three years ago."

"Are you saying that…Titus is responsible for all of this?" Tobias exclaimed as a feeling of uncertainty washed over him. Eva looked at him grimly and gave him a slow nod.

It didn't matter if Tobias could fight Titus evenly or not. He was the only one with even a puncher's chance among the Guardians. The others were just getting slaughtered by Titus so there was no time to be fearful of him! Everyone was relying on him!

Fireteam Undaunted. The Vanguard Mentors. The Guardians. The Traveler. The people of Earth. Trisha and Cody. Every living thing in this entire star system needed him to stop Titus. Or certain destruction is what all of them would face.

'Traveler give me everything.' Tobias stated as he rose up from the ground, climbing to his feet. Titus' assault on the other Guardians can and abrupt stop as he felt Tobias' power bubble forth. Everyone felt this as the overwhelming pressure that Titus had placed on the area disappeared again, the Light became the dominant presence.

Tobias stood on both feet now, the Radiant Light overflowing from him. Everyone could feel a noticeable difference between now and just moments earlier. His power had reached a whole new plane, and hopefully, this would allow him to fight Titus equally.

Titus rushed at Tobias, chopping down at him with his cleaver. In response Tobias raised his forearm to block this attack, the impact sending out a shockwave. Their audience fought to maintain their balance from the force of the waves, astounded that just their physical attacks were so powerful. Sharing a glance for just a moment, Tobias then planted his feet and Titus quickly caught on to what he wanted. A test of power.

Titus' cleaver morphed back into a hand as he lowered his center of gravity. He and Tobias then reeled their fists back and deliver a blow to the other's face.

"Oh crap!" Carmen exclaimed as she and everyone else was sent tumbling backward. Not even the Titans could withstand the sheer force that was coming in waves from Titus and Tobias as they exchanged blows. It was a stalemate though as they went back and forth. Their bone crushing power didn't seem to faze the other in the slightest as they took a hit and went right back for me.

The question arose though…who would break this stalemate?

Tobias threw out a haymaker with everything he could muster, aiming to knock Titus' head off his shoulders. All he struck was empty space though as Titus disappeared. His eyes widening briefly, Tobias felt movement behind him which afforded him the time to prepare for a blow. Titus was behind him, floating in mid-air as he threw out a jump kick at Tobias. Though he managed to block this kick, Tobias was sent flying away.

Titus immediately took flight to pursue Tobias, and their battle escalated once again. Their duel had seemed to mirror a battle between Guardians, but with each passing moment, it ascended to a point where all present were simply in awe. The sky above them became ignited with a dazzling display of their powers as the duo darted around the air, searching for an opening to strike down their opponent. The display was nothing short of spectacular, a battle for the ages. And with each exchange between these opponents, they saw something they may have never witnessed again.

Mastery over the three types of Light.

There was a flash of teal light at their next exchange on the ground, and Tobias became ignited in Arc Light. Electricity surged forth from the point of impact between them, electrifying Titus. This bought Tobias enough time to spin and throw a heel strike into Titus' torso which threw him to the ground. Titus roared from the blow as his body bounced up, but as he rose he met a far more fearsome blow.

Solar Light erupted around Tobias, all of it converging within the pistol that had formed in his hand which he pressed into Titus' torso. A moment of silence set in for Titus as he felt the pistol dig into his chest, then there was a click. The Guardian marveled at the sudden fury of flames that consumed the battlefield along with the two clashing opponents.

"This is it!" Tobias screamed out over the comms as a signal to his allies. From the fiery field, a flash of light broke out. As it rose into the sky it grew darker, a royal purple that caused would cause any Voidwalker to smirk. It was one of their most potent abilities.

Soul Rip.

This distinct glow from Tobias' right hand could be seen by all despite his immense height. Stretching his fingers momentarily, Tobias eyed the blazing landscape beneath him and spotted his target. Titus rested on his back, the flames eating away at his form continually, almost matching the pace of his rapid recovery. The focus on regeneration forced him to remain on the field, staring up at Tobias was prepared his final blow. Tobias began to free fall, extending his hand in front of him to meet with Titus who fought to move in his current state.

"Hunters, fire!" Tobias barked as he met with his target. Planting his open palm in Titus' chest, a dense shockwave flew out that shook the ground beneath them. Titus gasped from this blow, feeling the Void Light invade his body. Unlike the Solar Light that had been eating away at his form, the Void Light was wreaking havoc within him, sapping his strength.

Titus screamed, trying to lift himself from the ground but it was to no avail. Whatever strength he could muster was being suppressed by the dozens of Tethers that were rained down onto him by the Hunters that accompanied Tobias. The fiery ropes of Void Light entangled him, restricting his movements which forced him to look up at Tobias. The Guardian straightened up, meeting Titus' gaze as he stood over him.

"This is goodbye." Tobias stated, and Titus' eyes widen as he looked past Tobias. In the heavens of Mars was a particle cannon that was now positioned above him.

"Nightingale-1, fire the particle cannon!" Zavala ordered.

Hearing Zavala's command through the comms, Tobias spared Titus one last glance before rising into the air. He darted off in a flash of light, leaving Titus to stare up at the weapon as it cycled to begin its firing sequence. Light gathered into the barrel of this weapon of destruction, and Titus realized that he had been completely caught.

A beam of light came thundering down onto Titus, burning a hole deep into the planet's crust. The surrounding Guardians had taken shelter within the Ward of Dawns that had been dropped by the Titans that were present. If not for these shields they might have been lost in the subsequent quakes caused by the blast. As the particle beam wavered out of sight, the dust was allowed to settle and the Guardians enjoyed a sense of relief.

The crushing Darkness that Titus had been exerting, it had faded completely. All they could feel was the immense warmth that was provided from Tobias and the Traveler within him.

They did it.

"WE DID IT!" Cheers from the Guardians filled the comms.

For a foe that had razed the Cabal to the ground, they had defeated him handily. Obviously, that was thanks in no small part to Tobias who many of the Guardians looked up to with great admiration. He floated over the battlefield, resolute and determined. They had captured their victory and knocked off another threat to mankind.

Tobias though peered down into the crater that the particle cannon had punched into Mars' surface. With glance up at the particle cannon overhead, Tobias grew more impressed with this weapon each time it was used. The first time it had been used it popped a Taken Blight that was the size of the Last City as if it were a balloon. And now it had just decimated the man that had supposedly become the successor to Oryx's power.

Where would they be without this weapon?

Tobias looked back into the crater, noticing a twinkle from deep within it. That small gleam of light became a flash that blinded him, and in that instant, a black dome began to expand from it. It raced outward in all directions, seizing the Guardians who did receive an opportunity to react to it. The whoops of celebration were silenced within this negative space.

Everyone was just...frozen.

Tobias blinked, his vision being restored immediately, and he observed this scene with a sense of dread. He was cold, and his Light was being stifled.

"Traveler, what is this?" Tobias asked in a whisper, rubbing his biceps to stay warm.

"This is…Hive Arcana. He has applied Sword Logic to our realm. Because your allies lack power, everyone here has been frozen in time." The Traveler exclaimed in bewilderment.

This wasn't over.

The Darkness that had abated earlier, it returned in full force. And at the epicenter of this was Titus.

Rising from the crater he had been buried in just moments prior, the Darkness pulsated around him, reacting to each breath he took. He looked around, taking in his surroundings.

Tobias and Titus made eye contact briefly. Again, he saw Titus' hazel eyes. The eyes he likely possessed before he was Taken.

"Do you see that as well?" The Traveler asked Tobias. "The way the Darkness bends around him…as if he is conflicted with it. Fighting it for control."

"I see it." Tobias confirmed with a nod.

"He is in control again, but who knows for how long." The Traveler noted. "I was wrong for assuming he had been lost to the Taken power. The willpower of you humans continues to astonish me. To think that one of you could claim Oryx's power and forcefully take control of it…that aside, I feel that this conflict must be laid to rest. Without the Light, he will succumb to the Taken power again. Unless you wish to fight him to time indefinite Tobias, you must end this here."

This statement from the Traveler caused Tobias to exhale. He wanted to save Titus. He wanted an opportunity to understand Titus' origin, but the cost of this was far too high. The Light flourished around Tobias as a sparkling purple gleam, and he summoned a bow of Void Light in the same fashion as his fellow Hunters. Taking aim, he drew back the string and a flaming arrow formed in the notch.

This battle between them had lasted long enough. If he was going to stop the future he had witnessed, then there were no other options.

Taking note of Tobias' presence, Titus extended his left arm and a large black sphere matching him in height formed. Tobias released his hold on the drawstring, firing a Tether to cut of Titus' escape, but his target slipped into this sphere long before the arrow came close enough to stop him.

"It's a portal, follow him!" The Traveler barked, and Tobias burst forward in pursuit.

Regardless of where they went, this would be their final and perhaps climatic showdown.

A/N

Alright, first things first, I haven't updated this story in almost a year. I can only apologize for that, though my insincere apology shouldn't mean much. I'll come right out and say that for probably the last ten months, I had little to no interest in Destiny, or writing this story. I was writing it for fun and to get me through the content droughts of D1. It worked up until D2, and I hit a wall with everything. I not going into that discussion, but all that time away from Destiny and this story gave me a fresh perspective on a lot of stuff when I came back to it about two weeks ago.

Of course, I picked up Forsaken, and I can say without a doubt that Destiny has gained its own distinct feel again. Then I look at my fanfic and I'm honestly pretty disappointed with it and some of the decisions I made during its course.

So that leads me to this. The future of this story has changed drastically. No, I'm not going to quit on it, there is a point in the near future where I can end it appropriately. I've done so many things wrong with this story that it feels like I was just throwing crap at the wall and waiting to see what sticks. I wish I could re-write it all, but I can't commit that much time to completely revamp everything either. So my intention is to give this a proper ending and move on from it.

If I were to keep writing Destiny, I want to get away from what I've done in this story. As of this moment in time, I wish I could just cut Tobias straight out of the story and push forward, but everything revolves around him and I hate that.

What really caught my attention about Forsaken, was how character-driven everything is. My fanfic is very plot-driven. Stuff happens...just because. The characters feel very bare bones to me, and I wish I had worked harder to develop them a bit more. I want it to feel like they have some significance. Right now everyone pales in comparison to Tobias. He's essentially all-powerful, and since I can't kill him without destroying my own universe, he's basically immortal. Obviously, that limits what I can do with him since we know he can't fail. I've had no choice but to embrace it and have fun with my imagination for the time being.

Then there are people like Diana and Niko. They're supposed to be Tobias' teammates, but now they're kind of just props. There's not much any Guardian can do unless I start a MASSIVE power creep to bring everyone else up to Tobias' level. But I don't want everyone being capable of cutting a planet in half Dragon Ball Z style, so that's out the question. So basically Tobias would end up becoming a one-man army, he can't fail or the story is over, which means there would be a lot of plot armor and BS somewhere down the line lol.

I'll stop whining now and give you the final verdict. I'm going to end Destiny : Pioneer of the Light within the next couple of chapters I believe.

It's not going to be some cheese ball ending either, I feel that this is a suitable point to end this story without it feeling like I made up some crap for you guys.

If I do write another Destiny fic, I want to take a more realistic approach on it and have some more originality. Destiny is such a deep universe and I would love to do that some justice.

When will I write that story? I have no idea. I'm working on something else that is going to take me a very long time to finish, and I'm really enjoying it. If anything, Destiny may become the place I go to when I have writer's block.

Well, that's enough outta of me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I don't know when the next one will be ready, but I'm going to say it again for everyone. I have no intention of dropping this story. I will finish it and the ending is close.

So until next time, eyes up Guardians!