"A journey of a lifetime that one shall cherish."
I find the EDZ to be pretty this time of year, well, as somewhat as one would expect from the ruins of one of the most prosperous places back in the Golden Age, ruined by the forces that still ravaged this system. Fallen Dregs and Vandals are widespread here, present to loot and steal both from themselves and the species that once dominated this planet. Personally, I won't go to places like this; I prefer ones where I won't have to hide every five minutes or so.
Ahhh, I should've stayed back at the Farm at this time. The snow here, while not as bad as those in Europa or even in the Arctic and Antarctica, is still nearly unbearable this year. The forecasts said that it would only be a little bit of snow, perhaps a few centimeters of snowfall. Well, I'm pretty sure they lied, though. This isn't just a "little" snowfall.
It's a bloody blizzard!
Nevertheless, here I am, scouring the ruins of this part of the EDZ. Hoping, hoping, that I'll finally see them here. My chosen one. My Other Half.
But it seems that my Guardian is not here. I think I should move on to another location instead; I have been here for a few good hours, and the weather keeps getting worse. Another place of false hopes and promises, it seems. But on the bright side, I managed to overhear a Fallen Captain discussing possible raids on nearby human settlements using the snowstorm as a cover, which I quickly reported to the nearest Fireteam, so at least my time here is not all that much of a waste.
As I move through the ruins, I cannot help but think back to the past, of the times when life was even more poor, nasty, brutish, and short. I was naïve back then. Back when my siblings and I were made under the gaze of the Traveler. It was those times when I went from sight to sight, exploring new places and seeing both wonders and horrors the world can offer.
But Earth is not the only place there is to wander, so I went off-world. I saw the dark magic of the Hive on the Moon, the planet-spanning Vex constructs of Mercury and Venus, the great war machines of the Cabal on Mars, and the preserved remnants of the Golden Age in the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. From the asteroid belt, a den of scum and villainy, to the great fantasy-like City of the Awoken. I saw them all.
Yet all those pale in comparison to those we raise.
Wonder. Awe. Reverence.
That's what I felt every time I saw them. Every time I saw them fight. Every time I saw them endure a life they did not ask.
This second chance saw them wake from a desolate and broken world. And despite all that, they endured. They stood their ground in defiance to all that would see the little spark Humanity has remaining to be put out. And they had done so time and again, against odds too innumerable to count.
It is inspiring. It's a great honor to know that I've seen it all.
I saw the heroism and the rise of legends in the Battle of the Six Fronts, the desperation and bravery at the Twilight Gap, I saw how they were slaughtered in the Great Disaster on the Moon and their subsequent return, which led to the defeat of the Hive pantheon; of how they pruned the Black Garden; of how they scattered the Fallen Houses. I saw Ghaul and his Red Legion, even when they severed the Light from us, suffer defeat at their hands.
Even the return of the Pyramids and the Darkness did not stop them from enduring. So many threats and challenges, yet they endured and persisted. So many tales of heroics. So many heroics that are done and yet to be done. So many heroics I had seen and yet to be seen.
Perhaps Kaiser was right. That their greatest gift and greatest weapon are their courage, their strength, and their humanity. Being blessed by the Light is merely an added bonus.
That's why I was so struck awe when I saw one of them. Their will and determination. Their bravery and fire. Their joy and hope. Their power and greatness. Their strength to be able to carve their own destinies and futures in this broken world and those beyond it.
At the same time, I was searching for my Chosen One. Corpse after corpse, I found, yet not one had that spark I was looking for. None had that flame in them. Those I met along the way, the ones who had found theirs, had given me uplifting words.
Do not give up, they said. It takes time but eventually, you'll meet them.
It lifted my spirits back then for a time. Still, it slowly eroded as the days went by, then weeks, then months, then years, then eventually, centuries. I took a break at that time. Instead of searching for them, I helped those who needed guidance, the ones who needed a guiding hand to the Last City, guiding them through which way was the shortest, the easiest, and the safest.
It gave me a purpose for a time.
But I knew my Guardian was just out there, waiting to be raised. Eventually, I decided to search for my Guardian again.
As I shake off those thoughts, I spot a very familiar church nearby. From the occasional gunshots I hear as I approach it, it seems that Devrim Kay is there as always. I swear he never leaves that blasted church. I might as well say hello to him while I'm here. To tell the truth, I quite like chatting with him, especially during his teatime.
I weave through the streets and enter the church. I see a few Guardians resting near a corner, sharing stories around a little fire they made. The church still looked the same after all these years, but seriously though, he's been here all this time, and he still doesn't put some effort into making this place a little lively.
"Ah, Harp! I did not expect you to make a visit this time of year." Devrim said, glancing at me approaching before looking down at his scope, his rifle firing a moment later, and screams followed soon after. Seems that he still puts No Land Beyond to good use.
"Nor did I," I tell him, my voice sounding a bit clipped; I'm still upset that I did not find my Guardian, and I guess that takes a toll on me. "But it's the only safe haven in this area right now. With the weather worsening, it might not even be safe for me to move without risking running into a Fallen patrol when I can't even see a few meters in front of me."
Devrim hums in response. He peers over the window to find targets, but the gathering snow and wind make it hard for him to spot things to shoot. After a while, he looks away and sits on a nearby chair. He looks at me.
"Do you want some tea, Harp?"
"You know I can't drink on account of me being a Ghost, right?"
Devrim shrugs his shoulders, "I've seen some things in my life. A Ghost having the ability to drink does not seem so outlandish."
He stands up from his seat to prepare some tea from a kettle that did not seem to be there a few minutes ago. Seriously, where does he get that? I don't think he can transmat things, so where does he get those? Does he hide them? No, I don't think he does, considering it's one of the few things he enjoys sharing with others.
"Oh, by the way, Harp, are you going back to the City come the Dawning? It is starting only a few weeks from now."
"No, I do not think so unless I managed to find my Guardian by that time," I replied. "Why? Do you need something sent there? I know a few Guardians who plan to go home this week."
"Oh no, none of that," Devrim said while sipping his tea. "It's just that you should take a break. I don't think being always on the lookout for your Guardian is good; it takes a toll on you. Besides, it's the Dawning, the time of the year for cheer and song and laughter."
"Thanks for your concern, Dev," I warmly said. It feels good to have people who look out for you. "But I think I'll skip it again this year; I don't think this is the right time for me to go back yet."
"May I ask why?" Devrim replied to me. "I do not think the City would not warmly welcome the Little Guide."
Ah, yes, my title, The Little Guide. Not the best of titles. All I did was guide a couple of refugee caravans to the City's walls and some people to safety when the Fallen breached the walls long ago. Countless others had done the same things I did, so I should be no different.
I gave him a sigh. "Please, stop with that. I haven't really done anything to deserve such a name."
"On the contrary, my little friend," Devrim said, his expression concealed behind the cup. "You, out of all the Ghosts out there, had guided more people back to the Traveler's embrace than any other. Why, I heard that you had even beaten the Pilgrim Guard in the number of refugees brought to the City a few decades ago. I say your name is well deserved."
Well, when you put it that way…
"Even so, I don't think I should be granted a name…."
"Oh please, don't discount yourself, Harp. It's not a bad thing to celebrate a simple life as being a guiding light for others. Have a little bit of pride in yourself."
"I will… but only when I find my Guardian."
We fall into a comfortable silence, calmly listening to the relaxing winter winds outside. Both of us were lost in our thoughts. I hear the few Guardians who took refuge from the cold, laughing, cheering, and joking.
Then Devrim said to me. "Well, on the topic of finding your Guardian… Do you have a gift when you finally meet them?"
"Oh, right! I have, yes." I tell him. "I believe what I got will help them greatly, based on my conversations with other Ghosts."
Devrim raises one of his eyebrows, "Oh? And pray tell, what have you decided to gift him? If that's fine for you."
It seems I have piqued his interest. Well, there's no harm in telling him about it anyways. I have been trying to put it all together, but I guess I don't really have the best expertise in these types of things… nor the body parts necessary for it.
"A gun!" I say, "Not the best gift in the system, but there's no better gift than something that'll keep you alive in the wilds."
"I'd say that's the best gift you could give someone out there in the wilderness," Devrim replied before reaching out for his kettle to pour another cup of tea. "I've heard of Guardians that say they had to wander for days in the wild with nothing but the clothes on their back and their little Ghosts to guide them."
To be fair to them, a Guardian is superhuman in every sense of the word. Being able to wield the Traveler's Light with brutal efficiency allows them to make short work of the many enemies of Humanity they would meet. I feel like they would be fine with having a crude wooden spear as their only weapon when they are raised.
Not that I'd raise them without a way to defend themselves, though! As much as a Guardian is a superhuman with paracausal powers, they are not truly immortal; they're just very hard to truly kill. A skilled sniper taking a Ghost out when they are exposed would most likely be followed with a very tragic end for their Guardian.
I would know… I personally saw a few of my friends die that way. One moment they were bantering and chatting with their Guardian, then the next, a wire rifle takes them out, followed by their Guardian dying a final death.
Then there are those I knew that had suffered a fate worse than being taken out by a Vandal's rifle.
Farewell, Jax. Oh, how I miss your sarcastic wit.
Adieu, Brya. You were always one of the bravest I had ever met.
Sayonara, Yuka. I had never met a Ghost as loyal as you.
Rest easy, Karsys. Though you and Omar are far apart, he became a weapon and is now slaughtering Hive in vengeance.
El-Wadaa' Sagira. Osiris is rescued, and you need not worry now.
Guren… I still don't like you… But wherever you are, I hope you're happy.
Goodbye, Sundance… you were the most fantastic Ghost I have ever met.
I shake away my thoughts. It would do me no favor to think back to past tragedies. It's better to focus on the present and the future now. I focus back on my conversation with Devrim as he pours what seems to be his third cup of tea.
"So, this gun of yours," Devrim said, curiosity gleaming from his eyes and voice. "May I see it?"
"Well… you see… about that… It's not done yet."
"Not done yet? Oh, do you mean you had commissioned someone to make a customized gun for your Guardian?"
"No, no, not that. I just scavenged some gun parts here and there and bought some parts from a few Hunters who are out scavenging."
Devrim nods in understanding. Then, an idea seems to come to his mind based on how his eyes light up. "Do you have all the parts needed to make a gun?"
"Yes, I do. I just got everything I needed a few days ago."
"Well, well, well, seems like you're in luck, my little friend. I can make the gun of your soon-to-be-Guardian for you."
"Really? Are you sure?" I ask him in surprise. I was planning on asking one of the Guardians down below to see if any of them would want to make the gun for my Guardian in exchange for some glimmer. "What's the catch for me then?"
"Your gratitude and friendship are enough, Harp," Devrim chuckles as he pulls out what seems to be a toolbox from one of the nearby stashes. "Besides, you've helped the Farm a great deal back in the Red War up until today, so you can also see it as my form of thanks for all you've done these past few years."
"Well, if you're offering to help me make the gun, then I don't see why not. Thanks, Devrim."
"Ah, don't bother. I'm doing it as a way of thanking you. You don't have to thank me in return." Devrim waves his hand, "Now, let's see what you managed to get for your Guardian."
"Well, here's what I have for the gun." I transmat the materials I got from scavenging and buying for Devrim to see.
He looks at the things I brought out with an appraising eye. "Well, let's see what we have here."
He rummages the pile, occasionally pulling out some parts. He then makes tiny piles here and there. Oh! I think he's sorting out which ones are of quality and which ones are not. Or maybe he's categorizing them based on their function. Or maybe-
"Alright, I've sorted everything out. There are some here that are much too old, some are too brittle, and a few that I'm not sure what they're for."
"But?"
"But everything else is in order." Devrim gives me a smile. "I think we've gotten enough parts here to craft a rifle, a lever action one to be precise. There's a lever for one here and a wooden stock. Hmm, yes we can definitely make a lever action rifle."
"That's excellent! Let's go with crafting a rifle. When are we starting?"
"Well, we can always do so right now. I've got time to spare, and I already got the toolkit out. So, let's iron out the details for this gun, shall we?"
I nod in agreement, eager to craft a weapon deserving of my future Guardian. We churn out the basic details, the fire-rate, the barrel, the ammo that it'll use and whether it'll fire kinetic rounds or energy rounds. I also want to give it a name, but I think I'll leave it for my Guardian, it's their gun in the end, after all.
As Devrim and I discuss further about the gun, I hear the sound of a violin filling the air with magnificent music. Apparently, someone brought one here, and I think I hear a few new voices down below; it looks like they're taking shelter from the storm as well.
Humming joins the violin. They're humming a familiar song that I and everyone that I've met knows at heart. It is an old song, preceding back way beyond the Golden Age. Its lyrics may be lost to time along with countless others, but the melody, the meaning, and the name endured.
A song for the hope for peace in a time of endless wars, and the promise of happiness and joy in a time of unceasing tragedies and disasters.
I join in their humming, taking comfort in the warmth that the song somehow gives to those that sing and listen to it. With them, I hummed to the melody of the Silent Night. I look outside, and the raging snowstorm has subsided, replaced by a calm snowfall, a clear sky, and the wondrous heavens filled with stars.
Between the celebrations of the Guardians below, Devrim's talk on weapons crafting, and the calming night outside, I feel at peace. But I will have to continue my search for my Guardian as soon as the weapon is made.
So I look back outside once again, and up high in the firmament, there's a star that shines brighter than the rest.
All of this makes me feel that, for once in a long while, all is right with the world.
The star twinkles as if calling out to me.
I 'close' my eyes and wish for a brighter tomorrow.
The star gleams brighter.
AN: Just a little plot bunny that I want to get out of my head after reading some of the lore tabs and reading a few fanfics in Destiny.
Anyways, I want to thank you if you've read this OneShot.
Don't really know what else to say in this AN so ye that's all I got. Stay safe everyone!