Girl-of-Action: Two-shot of the Destiny 1 guardian recovering after the Red War and the Speakers death. First part features a more generic female guardian protag, while in the second part I start to develop her into my own OC. I may add more to this later.
The guardian is one of many to speak at the Speaker's funeral. Unfortunately, the guardian has always been one of few words, and agonized on what to say for days leading up to the event. She wrote several iterations of speeches, researched on the city network and practiced in front of her ghost who offered helpful critiques. When it got to the point that she rehearsed the speech even in her dreams, she decided she was as ready as she would ever be.
Yet, standing on the balcony in front of thousands of Last City citizens, not to mention the millions no doubt watching online? She freezes up. Her vision whitens, and there is a roaring in her ears. "Funny," she thinks hysterically in the semi-privacy of her mind. "I can run headfirst into a platoon of cabal without blinking an eye, but this is what sends me into a panic?"
"Eyes up, Guardian," comes the soothing voice of her ghost. "Don't look at them. Look up at the Traveller."
She forces herself to comply, dragging her gaze up from the confused and expectant faces- to the glorious sight of the Traveller reconstructing itself with pure light. A colossus white orb of radiant brilliance hovering protectively in the sky. She swallows down a lump in her throat.
"There. That's it," her ghost continues gently. "Just… forget everything else, okay? The speech. Everything. Just talk to the Traveller. Tell it about the Speaker."
She blinks as the sunlight reflects off the surface of the Great Machine and into her eyes. Almost a minute has passed in silence before she begins to speak, the microphone near her lips amplifying her words across immeasurable distances. "I- I once asked the Speaker why you chose us to be guardians… Imbued us with your light. Dust and bone spread out among the cosmos. Long forgotten."
She sucks in a sharp breath through her teeth. "Devotion. Bravery. Self-sacrifice. Death. We must exhibit all these things in our first life. Only then, he said, are we reborn in the Traveller's light to do it all over again. And again, and again, until our final death." She blinks back tears. The reflected light in her eyes is not solely to blame.
"Then what happens? I almost didn't ask. But he simply said- 'What else? We are reborn in light for the final time.'" She clasps her hands behind her back, to hide the trembling from the masses. "Human. Exo. Awoken. Guardian and non-guardian alike. And, of course, your most devoted servant- the Speaker, who showed us the way. Please, Traveller," she says earnestly, voice lowering to a near whisper. "Grant them their final rebirth in your light." And with that, she speed walks away from the balcony.
Along the way Cayde-6 lightly bumps her shoulder with one fist. "Hey, kid, you did great out there," he says softly. The guardian gives him a shaky smile, an equally soft thanks, and moves on. Ikora is smiling sadly, looking close to tears herself. Zavala gives a respectful, solemn nod.
She sits stiffly in the chair assigned to her to hear out the rest of the funeral speeches. Next up is the hero of the Red War, the lone guardian who regained the light from the shard of the Traveller. She notes absently that the newcomer is a much better orator, but doesn't have the energy to be jealous. She's just relieved she did not disgrace the Speaker's memory.
"Cayde's right; you did good. I'm proud to be your ghost."
"And I'm thankful to be your guardian. You really saved me out there, little light." Usually she feels a burst of annoyance at the use of the nickname, but right now all she feels is warmth and love radiating from him.
"It was nothing. You're the one who went up there and spoke from the heart. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if the Traveller itself took notice too."
To this, she says nothing. Only stares into the light until it burns, and remembers her too short time with the Speaker.