Chapter 30

The High War

Threshold

Niko blinked, and then he blinked again, slower this time. He wasn't certain if he could trust what he was seeing right now. Was this or dream, or reality?

They had come so close to defeating Oryx, but they had come up short right at the end. The Taken King had prevailed as he finally succeeding in casting Doxology onto them. Everything had turned white, he was positive that they were dead. And yet, he was staring at his teammates as they celebrated their victory over Oryx.

Tobias was back on his feet now, although Carmen and Gale were still attached to him as they asked him how he managed to come to their rescue. But Zeke shut down all of their questions as he stepped up to Tobias, grabbed a hold of the collar of his robes and placed an accusing finger on his chest.

"You told me he was dead." Zeke said angrily. "You said that you killed him, so why was he here waiting for us?!"

"What are you talking about?" Gale asked.

"Just stay out this!" Zeke snapped at him before focusing on Tobias.

"Zeke, I really don't know what to say to you. You saw what I did to him when were on Earth." Tobias said to him.

"Yeah, Tobias wrecked that dude last time." Carmen added.

"We all thought he was dead. We were just as surprised as you were." Diana said, trying to calm down Zeke who hadn't loosened his grip on Tobias' clothing.

"Did you kill him this time?" Zeke asked, unable to drop the subject. Titus was responsible for the death of his teammates. Zeke had taken up this mission to kill Oryx to avenge his comrades, but he never expected to run into their killer here. He wanted nothing more than see that man…no, that being dead.

"I…don't even know how to take his life. I hit him with everything I had last time." Tobias responded. It was obviously a bad idea to reveal that he had let Titus go.

"I don't care about that. What did you do this time?" Zeke pressed. He had to know. He had tried everything he could both times to kill Titus and he was overwhelmed both times. He could only trust in Tobias to avenge Sheryl and Axel. Tobias sighed deeply as he realized what he would have to do.

"I did what I could. I cut him down until there was nothing left." Tobias stated, giving Zeke a moment take that in. "I'm not certain if I killed him, but there was nothing left when I was finished."

Zeke remained silent though as he looked past Tobias now, eyeing the corpse of Oryx which was now a considerable distance from them. For something that was so large when they fought, the Taken King looked so small now. He was dead, thanks to Tobias. And Titus was gone as well.

"Thank you." Zeke said in a low voice before turning away from, beginning to walk down the center lane of the room with his head lowered. Fortunately none of them could see his face thanks to his helmet, preventing them from seeing the tears that were running down his cheeks.

He could recall the day he Sheryl and Axel had agreed to form fireteam Salamander. The three of them stood in a circle, piling their hands on top of each other's as they made a vow to one day surpass Undaunted and be remembered as the greatest fireteam of all time. He could recall the expressions they wore at that exact moment. The almost cheeky grin Axel wore which look odd at first glance since his mechanical jaw hung sideways to create that grin. Sheryl wore a confident smirk, the most she was willing to show them at the time since they were still getting to know each other. And Zeke was positive that he was smiling ear to ear at them, eager to start working side by side with his new teammates.

'Rest my friends, your battle is over now.' Zeke said softly as he passed Niko, bumping into his shoulder which finally snapped the Hunter out of his daze.

"Ha…" Niko took a deep breath. He wasn't dreaming! "HA-HAAA!"

Niko came running at Tobias who braced himself as Niko jumped into him. Tobias managed to remain on his feet this time as Niko landed, throwing a fist in the air before he gave Tobias a shove. Niko was on cloud nine at the moment.

Hall of Souls

The Rupture sounded as it opened up, immediately drawing the attention of the few Guardians that had been assigned to watch over this area. It was just one team of six, who anxiously gathered around the portal, waiting to see who had returned.

The news had already been shared with the Guardians on board the Dreadnaught. The Taken King was dead, which meant the Guardians had free reign now. Clear out the ship. Anything that moves was to be eliminated!

The fate of the raid team that had gone into the Rupture was yet to be determined though. So they could only hope that Undaunted had returned with all its members.

Carmen was the first person to step through the portal, and she turned back immediately, waiting for the others to come through as well. Zeke followed her out next, along with Gale. Then Niko and Tobias. And finally Diana. Everyone had made it back!

"You made it!" The Guardians exclaimed as they hounded the six of them, asking them questions about what was on the other side of the Rupture. They asked Tobias how he fared being in there so long, and if Oryx had tortured him. They wanted to know everything, but Zeke put their little interrogation to an end.

"What's the order from Commander Zavala?" Zeke asked them.

"They're launching a full scale attack on the Dreadnaught now. The Red Jacks are on route and the rest of us have already started to push into the levels above and below this area." They explained.

"Alright then, you heard the order." Niko said as he drew his hand cannon.

"Those orders don't apply to you guys." The Guardians said as they cut off Niko.

"Your ship is waiting for you in the transmat zone where we landed. You all are heading back to Earth."

Undaunted along with Zeke were all seated in the main chamber of Diana's ship as it reached light speed, beginning their return trip to Earth with Diana's Ghost acting as the pilot. With the exception of Zeke, all eyes were on Tobias.

"Is there any reason you're all staring at me?" Tobias asked, slightly unnerved that his teammates had been looking at him so intently since they had boarded the ship.

Diana looked toward Carmen, giving her a small nod. Carmen did the same to Niko, who did it to Gale as if they were sending some kind of message to each other without saying a word.

"Tobias, you got some splainin' to do~" Carmen said as they all looked at him once again.

"What?" Tobias asked with a bit of snort.

"We want to know what made you think you could go on to the Dreadnaught without us." Diana explained with a stoic expression, as Zeke now looked toward Tobias as well. This was something that had crossed his mind as well.

"Yeah, not cool." Gale added as Tobias looked down, unable to make eye contact with them as he gathered his thoughts.

"And don't say any crap like you didn't think we were strong enough. You've been our teammate for months now so you know we can hold our own." Niko stated, watching as Tobias furrowed his brow.

"It's…nothing like that. Or rather, it's not that I didn't think you guys are strong enough…but I didn't want to lose anyone else." Tobias explained as he took a small glance at Zeke who was last person he expected to see on the Dreadnaught.

Ever since Tobias had gained that new form fighting Titus the first time, she had noticed that he was beginning to act different. He began to doubt the strength of his teammates and allies. Before that mission, Diana could tell that Tobias had always been unsure of his strength. But she could assume that when he saw how wide the gap was between himself and everyone else as they fought Titus that-that was when this doubt started to take shape. And it only grew as Guardians fell fighting the Taken back on Earth.

"So what made you think it was good idea to try to take on Oryx by yourself then?" Diana asked him, giving him a hard stare.

"You could've been killed in there before any of us even got the Dreadnaught." Niko pointed out.

"It's like I just said, I didn't want to lose anyone. We lost a lot of people fighting the Taken, and I didn't want anyone else to be another one of Oryx's victims." Tobias replied as he met their gaze now.

"So that gives you the right to just blow off your team and get killed by yourself?!" Diana snapped at him uncharacteristically. "You said it yourself, we're a team, and we stick together. Do or die, we're together!"

Everyone was a bit startled from Diana's outburst, remaining silent as she took a few deep breaths.

"Promise me." Diana said to him, leaving Tobias confused.

"What?"

"Promise me that you won't do anything so selfish again." She stated, her cheeks tinted purple as she tried to calm down.

Tobias raised his eyebrows at this. Someone else had called him selfish recently too.

"Don't you think you're being a bit selfish Tobias?"

That therapist or psychologist…whatever she was. She had said he was being selfish as well. That he was trying to do everything on his own. And he was; he couldn't deny that.

"We're a team Tobias. There's no reason to throw yourself at the enemy, by yourself. We stick together."

That was one of the last things he heard Briggs-6 say. Sighing inwardly, Tobias glanced at Carmen and immediately thought back to their small exchange back on the Forgotten Shore.

"…The biggest thing I learned is that in this team, we always look out for each other."

He had said that himself, to Carmen. And that was exactly what he was trying to do.

"All I'm trying to do is protect everyone." Tobias said, trying to justify his stance.

"There's better ways than trying to carry the burden by yourself." Diana said to him as their gaze met once again. "There's a reason Guardians work together. Even though our hearts don't beat anymore, it still desires companions."

Tobias seemed to raise his head at this, straightening up in his seat.

"I know firsthand what it feels like to lose someone I care about. We all know that it hurts Tobias. But you can't bottle things up or else you'll end up doing something stupid." Diana explained to him. "I know that firsthand too."

She had challenged Skolas by herself and received a thrashing at the hands of the Kell.

"You know what, you're right Diana. I did do something stupid." Tobias said as he compared his actions to Diana's.

She had gone out to avenge the loved ones she had lost to the Wolves, challenging Skolas by herself. Tobias was trying to make sure the people he cared about didn't become involved in a direct confrontation with Oryx, so he tried to kill the Taken King by himself. Diana was right, and if Oryx hadn't been trying to use him as bait to draw out all of the Guardians, he would have surely been put to death.

Tobias shook his head though as he looked around at them.

"I give you my word." Tobias stated, although his chest became tight as he found himself falling into a bad habit of lying to those around him. First to Zeke, and now to Diana. He was certain now that he was beginning to walk down his own path. There was something that he still had to settle alone.

"You won't regret this." Titus said to him before they parted ways.

Tobias could still recall that just before he had beaten Titus the first time, the man had told him that their fated showdown still hadn't taken place. Tobias couldn't shake this thought. He would have to fight Titus again at some point. He just knew it.

That dream he had-had during his first Stormcaller meditation on Venus was a warning. That Exo had told Tobias of a threat that was waiting for him in the Moon. He knew now that-that threat was Titus. And the Exo told him that Titus was greater than Oryx.

No matter how much they insisted, Tobias couldn't let them get involved with Titus.

'You shouldn't underestimate your allies like that Tobias.' The Traveler said to him. 'They've already proven themselves pushing Oryx to his very limit. Without them you wouldn't have prevailed against Oryx.'

'I…I want to believe them. I really do. But I don't have even the slightest idea what's going to happen going forward, and I'll be damned if I lose any of them.' Tobias said sternly.

Earth

Neo Chicago

The Mulligan

Niko yawned audibly as he led his teammates down into the Hall of Guardians. It wasn't until they all got comfortable in their seats on the ride back that they realized just how tired they were. Fighting Oryx within the Dreadnaught had taken a greater toll on them than they had imagined. Most of them had gotten in a quick nap on the ride back, being awakened by their Ghosts as the ship landed in the air field before ushering them out of the ship.

"Man, I could really use another nap." Carmen muttered as she rubbed one of her eyes with her palm, fighting the urge to drop to the floor and go back to sleep.

Fortunately for the gang of sleepy Guardians, the audience waiting for them in the Hall of Guardians erupted with applause as they entered; blowing away any drowsiness they were suffering from. The entire hall was filled with all sorts of people, operators, maintenance workers, and even the faction representatives and some of their subordinates.

"Whoa, what's all this?" Gale asked as Executor Hideo approached them with a small smile. He bowed to them slowly before motioning for them to follow him. Leading them down into the room where that acted as the headquarters of the Vanguard, the raid team could see that all of the various figureheads that gathered in times of great distress. But for once they were together for a happy occasion.

"Ha-ha!" Shaxx yelled triumphantly upon spotting the team. "The slayers of Oryx!"

The crowd responded with a cheer at this declaration. Carmen, Gale and Niko wasted no time accepting this applause, waving to the crowd with cheery smiles. Zeke didn't seem to be too interested in this gathering, but he could understand the occasion. And Diana found herself at the center of all this attention for leading the rescue team into the Ascendant Realm. Everyone wanted the details on what took place in there.

"I saw you land the kill blow." Cayde commented as he placed an arm around Tobias' neck. "I knew you had it in ya."

Tobias was a bit surprised when Cayde suddenly yanked him downward so that he could speak to him quietly.

"And don't tell anyone, but I'm glad you made it back." Cayde added before he released his hold on Tobias, giving him a shove toward the crowd that was eagerly waiting to speak to him. Tobias glanced back at the Hunter Vanguard who motioned for him to focus on the people around him. It was a time for merriment!

"I see you've been working on your Cayde impersonation Niko." Diana commented as she took a seat in the booth Niko had reserved for them. It hadn't even been a full day since they had returned from the Dreadnaught before Niko called Diana, requesting to meet with her at a local bar near the Mulligan.

"What makes you say that?" Niko asked her as she got comfortable in her seat.

"Cayde does this whenever he had a big mission for us. He'd call up me or Iggy to go over the details with us at some bar over drinks." Diana explained, causing Niko to raise his brow.

"What, he's never done that with me!" Niko exclaimed.

"Oh, well I guess you're not one of his drinking buddies then." Diana said with a bit of a frown before shrugging it off. Niko though, couldn't drop the subject.

"Hold the phone, what do you mean I'm not one of his drinking buddies?" Niko asked her. "I'm one of the best Hunters around and you're telling me that Cayde doesn't think I'm cool enough to drink with him?"

"Well I never said that, but…yeah." Diana said with pursed lips before looked up at their waitress who approached their booth.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked Diana.

"Uh, I'll take a gin and cola." Diana replied to her.

"Comin' right up." She said with a smile before giving Niko a wink. The Hunter wore a sly grin, giving the waitress a nod as she walked away.

"The heck was that?" Diana asked him as she motioned toward the waitress with her eyes.

"Oh…that. That was nothing." Niko responded slowly as he took a sip of his drink.

"Don't even try that. There's something going on between you two." Diana said as she leaned forward with a smirk on her face.

"Let's not get side tracked Diana." Niko began as the waitress returned, setting down Diana's drink in front of her. She then smiled at Niko once more before she left them, causing Diana to raise one eyebrow at him.

"It sure doesn't look like nothing to me." She commented before raising her drink to have a taste.

"Don't get distracted Diana. I called you here to talk about your feelings for Tobias." Niko stated as he stared Diana. She almost choked on her drink at this, staring at Niko incredulously.

"What are you talking about?" She asked him as she took a napkin to wipe her mouth.

"Oh…you're still in denial." Niko noted, leaving Diana dumbfounded.

"Niko, what are you going on about?" Diana asked a second time, looking him in the eyes. Niko stared into her eyes for a moment before raising his eyebrows, impressed that Diana was truly unaware of her own feelings.

"Wow, you're really that ignorant." He said.

"Watch it Niko." Diana warned him as she leaned back in her seat. "Now come on, stop messing with me."

"I'm not messing with you Diana. Can't you tell that you feel something toward Tobias?" Niko asked her as he looked at her expectantly.

"Yeah, I feel like he's my teammate." She stated obviously.

"Diana, drop the charade." Niko said, his face lacking any expression. It wasn't often he became serious about something. With a sigh Diana lifted her drink once again and took a gulp this time before she set it down in front of her, ready to talk with him. "Are you ready now?"

"Yeah."

"So come on, out with it. What do you feel toward him?" Niko asked her, getting straight to the point.

"First off, what makes you think that the feelings I have for Tobias are any different than what I'd have for say….you?" Diana asked him return, causing Niko to roll his eyes.

"Diana, I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen you get visibly upset. Four. The first two times involved the House of Wolves." Niko explained to her. "The other two times, both involved Tobias."

"And what does that prove?" Diana inquired, trying to steer the conversation away from the truth.

"That you obviously your relationship with him is different from what you had with the rest of your teammates. You've seen Briggs and I die on the battlefield, but I've never seen you act the way you did when we were rushing Tobias to the Reef for treatment, and then again when we were going into the Dreadnaught to rescue him." Niko went on. "You can deny it all you want, but I can tell there's something there that you don't want to admit is there."

Diana looked down, placing both her hands around her glass as she stared into her drink, admiring the lime slice that was hooked onto the brim of the glass…

There was something there.

Tobias reminded her of her fiancé. Everything about him matched the man that she was supposed to marry with the exception of his skin color.

Tobias was uncertain of himself when they first met, but Diana had the privilege of observing him as he gained confidence in himself and his abilities. She watched as he matured into a stronger person who valued those around him. She could see that Tobias liked to take care of people, and that he genuinely cared for them as well. His work ethic was top notch, he never wasted a moment. And whenever she was around him, she felt a certain calmness that she only ever experienced around her fiancé.

"He reminds me of the man I was supposed to marry." Diana replied, causing Niko's eyes to widen momentarily. He hadn't been expecting an answer like that, but he didn't let the surprise show for long as he became stoic again.

"I see. And this is the same guy that was killed during the Reef Wars, right?" Niko asked tentatively. He knew that was a sensitive subject for Diana, but she seemed to be handling it well. She nodded in response before downing the rest of her drink.

"My memory of him is a bit foggy, but whenever I'm around Tobias, it feels like I'm around him." She explained. "And I guess whenever Tobias gets into trouble, it feels like I'm going to lose my fiancé all over again."

"I'd give you a hug Diana, but I'm not a…a hugger." Niko said softly before eyeing her empty glass. He then raised his hand, calling over the waitress who quickly fixed Diana up with a second drink. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know right now."

"I can't settle for that Diana." Niko replied, causing her to furrow her brow.

"What does this have to do with you?" Diana asked as she glanced at Niko, a smirk forming on her face. "Unless, are you in love with me?"

"Hell no." Niko replied instantly. "But I'm not going to lie, seeing you all broken up at the memorial for Briggs did hurt a bit. I don't want you to get hurt like that again, so I think it'll be better that you deal with these feelings now rather than when it's too late."

Diana was touched that Niko was showing this much concern for him. It wasn't often that he openly stepped in to help someone.

"Thanks Niko." Diana said softly as he looked away from her, taking another sip of his drink. No matter how tough he acted on the outside, Niko was still a big teddy bear.

The Mulligan

Hall of Guardians

It had been two months since the fall of the Taken King, two months that had been even more hectic for the Guardians than their effort to reclaim the Earth from the Taken.

With Oryx dead, the Vanguard set their sights on the Dreadnaught, aiming to eradicate the Hive from it entirely. Even its monarch now dead, the vessel still held many untold horrors, most of which became very active. Clearly just Oryx's very presence had maintained order on that ship, because without him, the Hive on the ship descended into total anarchy.

The Vanguard had always believed the Hive to be united, but these creatures turned on each other with no hesitation, revealing various sects within the Hive that the Guardians had never paid much mind to.

"The pantheon of the Hive within the Dreadnaught has been shattered now that Oryx is gone." Eris explained. "Without him at the very top, his subordinates are fighting for control over the throne."

The Guardians were shocked to say the least as a civil war seemed to break out on the Dreadnaught. The Hive didn't care to protect their Dreadnaught, rather fighting for dominance than anything else. Even with the Guardians invading their ship.

The Vanguard ordered a full scale invasion. The mission to kill Oryx had allowed the Guardians to establish a beachhead on the Dreadnaught, now allowing the Vanguard to unleash their full might upon the Hive. Shaxx and his army of battle frames, better known as the Red Jacks, led the charge against the Hive, overwhelming them in various sectors of the ship while the remaining Guardians targeted their breeding grounds.

Even with the infighting among the Hive, cleaning out the Dreadnaught still took a great deal of time. But as time passed, the Hive gradually began to gather around a power that was comparable to Oryx. The Hive began to reestablish themselves, defending themselves from the Guardians.

"What could cause the Hive to become organized after they've fallen so far out of line?" Zavala asked as he read through a report about their losses on the Dreadnaught. The battle on the Dreadnaught had been relatively loss free up until this point.

"This is the work of Alak-Hul, the Darkblade." Eris stated as she joined the Vanguard Mentors in the Hall of Guardians. "He was one of Oryx's most powerful subordinates, and the only one worthy of being the successor to the throne. With Oryx gone it seems the Hive are beginning to recognize him as the new Taken King."

"We cannot allow this Darkblade to establish himself as the new Taken King. Assemble a team and take, him, out." Zavala ordered.

The Hanging Crypts became the site of the next great battle on the Dreadnaught as Shaxx led the Red Jacks into this area along with a number of other Guardians. Considering the fact that the Darkblade was considered to be the successor of Oryx's crown, his throne was far from what the Guardians had expected. He didn't have a throne, but rather a cell. Alak-Hul had been imprisoned by Oryx for treason, but one of Oryx's remaining subordinates, Ecthar, was going to release Alak-Hul to take the crown.

The Guardians pressed into the Asylum, engaging Ecthar there before he could go any further into the Hanging Crypts. It didn't take them long to realize that their abilities and weapons were useless against Ecthar, although they lost many frames to him. The only thing that could hurt him was the blade that he was wielding.

It took a clever trap by Shaxx and Guardians to steal Ecthar's sword from him and use it to slay him. Shaxx took great interest in Ecthar's sword, choosing to keep it to study later. From there, the Guardians set their sights on Alak-Hul. Eris had declared that eliminating him now was the best choice, even if he was imprisoned. Advancing to the Hanging Crypts, the Guardians discovered that Ecthar wasn't the only being that had aimed to release Alak-Hul.

Sardok, the Eye of Oryx was trying to do the same. Leading a large army of Hive, Sardok used them to keep the Guardian at bay while he went to Alak-Hul's cell, breaking the seal on it. But despite the great number of Hive soldiers that accompanied him, they proved to be no match for the Guardians as they trapped Sardok in Alak-Hul's cell. The Guardians would eliminate them both in this cell, crushing the Hive's final effort to establish a new Taken King.

"The Darkblade is dead!" Shaxx proclaimed over the comm line, causing the commanders who had gathered in the Hall of Guardians to nod with approval. Most of the Dreadnaught had been swept clean, and even they had even squashed the Hive's best effort to stand against them.

"It is done." Eris stated as she stared at the green sphere she held, her lips turned upward for once. "With the death of Alak-Hul, there are no successors to Oryx's throne. The Hive Pantheon is crumbling."

"In other words, good work out there Guardians!" Cayde interjected as he gave a thumbs up to those standing around him. "Come back home to us now, we're waitin' for you."

There were whoops and cheers from the Guardians through the comms as they began to celebrate. Despite how overwhelming it had been fighting Oryx and the Taken after first, they prevailed in the end. Mankind was back on Earth within the safety of Neo Chicago, and for the time being, there were no threats in the system. It was time relax!

Neo Chicago

"We really did it guys." Tobias noted softly as he looked up, staring at the Traveler which was now floating above Neo Chicago. They had really succeeded in taking back Earth from the Taken, and bringing both mankind and the Traveler back to Earth. None of the others with Tobias seemed to be concerned with the Traveler though…

"Don't you think this is a bit much?!" Zeke shouted for the other Guardians with him to hear his voice.

"A bit much?!" Carmen hollered in return. "I always wanted a parade!"

The members of the raid team who had killed Oryx stood together on a hovering parade float that was currently traveling down a major boulevard through the heart of Neo Chicago. Confetti rained down from the buildings above as the streets were decorated for the occasion.

It had been about a week since the Vanguard had announced that the Taken were no longer a threat, so the citizens of Neo Chicago held a parade in honor of the Guardians who had fought so valiantly to reclaim Earth and eliminate the Taken. People filled the sidewalks, waving and cheering not only for the raid team, but the Guardians behind them, all of which were on their own floats.

"Just take it easy Zeke." Diana said to him as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is for all the hard work and sacrifices we've made."

Zeke sighed inwardly as he glanced at the crowds they were passing. All these people barely knew him, or what he had gone through during the past few months. But at the same time, they had gone through their own struggles because of the Taken. They were just happy to back on familiar grounds with no threats to their security. And they were showing their gratitude for this.

"Yeah, I suppose." He said as he raised one hand, waving back to their audience.

"Are you having fun Gale?!" Carmen asked the Exo who stood beside her, waving with both his hands to all of the people. Seeing so many smiling faces for the first time really warmed his circuits. He was having a great time!

"Definitely!" He shouted in response.

Tobias and Niko stood toward the front of the float, giving the crowd bright smiles as they approached Consensus Hall.

"Hey Tobias, I'm having a little party later tonight, just for the six of us." Niko said to him. "Can you make it?"

Tobias had actually been planning to visit Trisha and Cody for the first time since he had last seen them in the Reef. He was eager to see them in fact. It had been months after all. But he couldn't miss this little gathering. Right now, he had all the time in the world to visit them. One more day couldn't hurt.

"Yeah, I'll be there." Tobias replied.

"And so I imagine that it's with great pleasure that all of you stand on the Earth once again." The Speaker said as his voice echoed through the streets connecting the Consensus Hall at the heart of Neo Chicago. The crowd that had gathered numbered in the tens of thousands, all of which were eager to show their appreciation for the Guardians.

The event was being covered by the only media outlet that had been set up since their return to Earth, but it was broadcast to the Reef as well for those who had yet to return to the Earth. The Taken who had invaded Earth had been defeated, allowing man to stand on the Earth once again. There wasn't a soul there who wasn't grateful to the Guardians for all they had done.

"Oryx, is dead. The Taken, are gone. And our home, is ours once more!" The Speaker proclaimed, causing the crowd to erupt with applause. The Speaker stood on at the top of the large stairway that led up to Consensus Hall where a podium had been set up for him to address the audience. The Speaker then glanced back at the fireteam who stood behind, the group who had killed Oryx.

Setting his sights on Diana, he motioned for her to step up to the podium now to speak to the crowd.

"And now, the leader of the brave fireteam who defeated Oryx. Commander Diana Amano!" He announced, reviving the cheering that was starting to quiet down before he stepped aside for Diana to take his spot behind the podium. Diana stepped forward in his place, her face now being showing on the massive projectors that had been set up for those that didn't have a great position among the large audience.

Despite the incredible gathering of people that all stood before her, Diana remained poised as she let the audience quiet down.

"While it's nice to receive such an honor, our fireteam only played a small role in the defeat of Oryx. It was the combined efforts of the Guardians that allowed us to prevail. The six of us alone couldn't have done it. The real heroes…are all the Guardians who fought shoulder to shoulder here on Earth, and on the Dreadnaught." Diana said as she smiled warmly at the audience who applauded this statement.

Tobias along with the rest of the team stood farther back behind Diana as she spoke, just far enough that they couldn't be seen on the monitors.

"Man, I'm so glad Diana is the one giving this speech." Carmen noted. "I wouldn't know what to say up there."

"This is coming from the girl who tried to bad mouth Oryx as we fought him." Niko mumbled, getting a chuckle from Gale.

"It's been awhile since we've spoken Tobias." The Speaker said as he now stood beside Tobias who had been watching Diana. Tobias looked up in thought. It really had been a long time since he had conversed with this man in a setting like this. Not since his first day in the Tower.

"Ah, that's true." Tobias noted, nodding his head in agreement. It had been just over a year since that day. One long year. So much had happened since then.

"I see you've made vast improvements though. Not once have you failed to impress me." The Speaker said, getting a chuckle from Tobias.

"Thanks, that's much appreciated."

"Although, I will admit that I'm curious as to how much latent power there is within you." The Speaker continued, causing Tobias to raise his brow at the man.

"What are you talking about?" Tobias asked him.

"I've been watching you since you returned Tobias. And even though it's taking some time, you've finally broken through the surface of the Traveler's power." The Speaker explained to him, receiving nothing but a look of uncertainty from Tobias.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"As I said, I've seen all your battles Tobias. As you fought the Wolves your teammates couldn't deny your vast improvements, but you were only scratching the surface. But with full access to the Radiant Light, it's clear now that you've begun digging deeper into that well of power."

'As informed as ever Reginald.' The Traveler commented within Tobias who shook his head.

"There's always something for me to improve." Tobias replied. Fighting in the Ascendant Realm had reminded him that he couldn't become overly reliant on this power. He needed all of his skills to be top notch to ensure that he always had something to turn to, no matter the situation.

"That is true. Keep growing stronger Tobias, for everyone's sake." The Speaker stated, giving him a nod before his attention was drawn to Diana who had invited him to return to the podium.

Returning to her teammates, Diana was greeted with high fives from Carmen, Gale and Tobias.

"Good job up there Diana." Zeke said to her as she exhaled loudly.

"I'm just glad that's over." Diana said, glancing back at the Speaker. She couldn't understand how the man was so calm speaking in front of so many people, but with a title like 'The Speaker' obviously this must have come naturally to him.

"Don't relax just yet." Niko said to her as the Speaker beckoned for all of them to join him by the podium now.

"Make no mistake, what Diana said was true. The efforts of all of the Guardians is the reason we are standing on Earth once again. But I feel as though this fireteam behind me deserves special attention for what they went through to defeat Oryx. And I'm sure their fellow Guardians can agree." The Speaker said as he raised his arms, signaling the guards that had been standing further down to come up to him, each of them holding a small case with a medal in it. "The Vanguard and I felt it necessary to reward you all for your merits, so I present to this team, a medal of honor for each of you."

The six of them of them failed to hide their surprise as one by one the medal was hung around their necks for everyone to see.

"Wow!" Gale exclaimed as he examined medal. It was the insignia of the Vanguard engraved in gold.

"This is like, the coolest thing ever!" Carmen shouted as she waved to the crowd as the applause broke out for them.

No matter how much he fought it, Tobias couldn't stop his lips from curving upward. It all felt so surreal to him. The endless applause, the praise from the people, and now a medal of honor.

He was… a hero.

Even though the sun had set and the skies had turned dark, Neo Chicago was still lit with activity as fireworks continued to light up the sky. Far out beyond the perimeter of the city on a hillside that overlooked the metropolis, the golden embers of a flame could barely be seen. It was insignificant when compared to the fireworks, but to the group relaxing around the flames, they embraced the warmth of the flames.

"This was a really good idea Niko." Diana said with a nod as she stretched a bit before glancing at the Hunter who stood beside her. Her took a glance at her and gave her a smile in response.

The members of Undaunted had gathered together outside of the city after the sun had gone down, to have their own little private celebration for their success. The five of them sat around a bonfire, admiring the embers as they floated up into the night.

"So what exactly am I doing?" Gale asked as he held out a thin metal pole with a few marshmallows on it just over the flames. He had received this task from Tobias a few minutes ago with no explanation, but Gale didn't bother to question this task. He did what he was asked.

"We're making s'mores." Tobias replied as he motioned for Gale to bring the marshmallows to him now.

"Making what?" Carmen asked, getting a chuckle from Tobias.

"I take it you've never had one before." Tobias assumed causing her to shake head.

"Nope. What's in it?"

"Chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows." Tobias clarified as he blew on one of the small delicacies to cool them before removing one to place it between a pair of the graham crackers and chocolate. "Give it a try."

Tobias was glad that he had asked Niko what he had been planning beforehand. Niko's only intention was for them to relax, but Tobias thought he'd do something a little special for them.

"I was just thinking we could sit back around a campfire and you know, just…relax." Niko said to him, shrugging his shoulders. He hadn't really put much thought into it, he just wanted everyone to get together under circumstances where there was nothing to worry about for a change.

Just the mention of a campfire reminded Tobias of making s'mores on a camping trip with his son. He wanted to try that again.

"Hey, this is pretty good." Niko noted after taking a bite. He wasn't big on sweets, but it was nice combination that he was enjoying.

"Well you had me at chocolate." Diana said kindly as she accepted the treat from Tobias before she looked up, hearing heavy footsteps approaching him.

"Don't worry, that's our special guest coming now." Niko said to them before their instincts would kick in. Everyone was put at ease as they all looked toward the source of the footsteps who burst into the clearing that they had been located in.

It was Zeke. With an auto rifle in hand, raised and ready to fire as he searched for the enemy.

"What the hell?" Zeke said as he lowered his weapon, seeing that there was absolutely nothing noteworthy going on. "What's going on?"

"Glad you could make it." Niko said with a grin as he motioned for Zeke to join them. Zeke was baffled for a moment as a number of questions ran through his head.

"You sent me a distress signal, what's going on?" Zeke asked him again.

"We're making, s'mores?" Niko asked he looked toward Tobias to check his pronunciation. Tobias gave him a nod. "Yeah, s'mores. And we noticed that we had some extra, so I figured I'd call you to have some."

"So you sent me a distress signal?!" Zeke exclaimed.

"Would you have come otherwise?" Niko asked him with a grin. Zeke opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't answer. There was no way he would've left the solitude of his small apartment to join them out here.

Placing his weapon on his shoulder, Zeke spun away from the group to begin his return trip to the city.

"Hey, where ya going?" Niko hollered at him.

"Back home." Zeke replied.

"Aww, you're really leaving us Zeke?" Diana asked him, causing him to freeze mid step. "Tonight won't be the same if you're not here."

Zeke glanced over his shoulder to see that she had jumped to her feet, clear disappointment on her face as he was prepared to go. With a deep sigh he turned around and returned to the group, all of which cheered for him.

"What's all this for though?" Zeke asked them as Gale delivered a s'more to him from Tobias.

"Well the last couple times we've all been together, there's always a lot of pressure on us. I just thought it'd be good for us to get together and understand that there's…no hard feelings." Niko said as he approached Zeke, his expression soft and sincere for a change.

Zeke was a bit surprised at this, but he couldn't deny that Niko was right. As much as he had looked up to the members of Undaunted, he had lost his cool on several occasions as they boarded the Dreadnaught. He didn't even think they'd be willing to associate with him anymore.

"So you guys are, willing to forgive me?" Zeke asked them tentatively, scratching the back of his neck.

"Of course man, it's all just water under the bridge." Niko said as both Carmen and Gale approached him, extending a closed fist toward him.

"You guys too?" Zeke asked them as he bent over a bit to be on eye level with these two.

"Yeah. But the next time you call us weak, believe me it's on." Carmen stated as Gale gave a nod of agreement.

"Believe me, you're not the first person to snap at someone under pressure." Gale commented as the three of them bumped fists.

Gale had been holed up in the Mulligan during the campaign against the Taken on Earth. He had seen and heard his fair share of arguments over the comms between fireteams as they fought to complete their objectives. The struggle against the Taken had tested the bonds between teammates, and how they handled themselves afterward demonstrated how strong those bonds were.

Tobias threw his arm around Zeke's neck and motioned for him to take a bite of the treat he had made for him.

"We had a few squabbles of our own too, so it's nothing we're not used to Zeke. Just take it easy." Tobias said to him, giving him a smile of reassurance. "So have you had one of these before?"

"This?" Zeke asked, motioning to the s'more. "Yeah, I've had them before, although that was a really long time ago."

"No one makes them better than me." Tobias declared.

"Weren't you just saying that you had no idea whether you had done this right?" Diana asked him skeptically, causing Tobias to look away in denial.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Tobias retorted.

Soon enough the group of six were seated around the campfire, sharing stories and experiences to pass time. Gradually as they got deeper into the night and the fire waned, they began to lie back and looked up at the starry heavens above them. The night sky was decorated with stars as the moon shined brilliantly as the centerpiece.

'Huh?' Tobias said to himself, watching as a figure disappeared into the brush. Glancing around at the others who were laying around the small clearing, Tobias could see that they were all sound asleep, but a certain Warlock was missing. 'Diana.'

Rising up, he quietly pursued her into the bushes. It didn't take him long to realize where she was head as he moved through the thick foliage. There had been another clearing at the very top of the hill that Diana had spotted, but Niko and Carmen had voted for the one a bit lower down for a better view of the fireworks coming from Neo Chicago.

As Tobias arrived at the edge of this clearing, he came to a stop, remaining hidden within the bushes. Diana was at the center of the clearing, dancing.

It was just like at the night he had seen her at the Forgotten Shore. He thought he might have been hallucinating the first time he saw her, but to see it again, he knew that there was no mistaking it. She sparkled in the moonlight, prancing around the clearing. It was breathtaking to watch. She moved with such elegance, yet there was still a sharpness to her movements.

As Diana spun around, Tobias caught a glimpse of her expression as she danced. She was smiling, but he had never seen her smile like this. Her smiles had always been small, but there was always strength and reassurance backing them. But here, she wore a broad smile.

Unaware of the fact that he had been leaning forward to watch her, Tobias finally lost his balance and went tumbling out into the clearing. Diana yelped in surprise at Tobias' sudden appearance before rushing over to him to see if he was alright.

"What are you doing Tobias?" Diana asked him as he rubbed his shoulder.

"I was watching you." He replied simply, causing Diana's cheeks to become violet. No one had ever watched her dance privately before, although she had no idea this was the second time Tobias had seen her. "I saw you dance back when we were in the Reef at the banquet, but I didn't know you could dance like this."

"It's my little secret." Diana replied as their attention was drawn back to the city in the distance. Another round of fireworks went off even though it was well after two in the morning.

"Did you dance at all before you became a Guardian?" Tobias asked her curiously. He knew of her upbringing among the Awoken Royal Guard, but there was always a possibility.

"I wanted to. But it just wasn't what I was destined to be." She replied downheartedly.

"So what about, when all of this is over. What are you going to do?"

"You mean, if we destroy the Darkness?"

"Not if, when." Tobias corrected her as he took a seat on the grassy field, observing the display in the night skies. Diana felt her lips curve up into a smile at Tobias' confidence as she took a seat beside him.

"When we beat the Darkness…I would like to become a choreographer." Diana said to him as their gaze met.

"Alright, I'll hold you to it. Just make sure you make something easy for people that can't dance like me." Tobias said, getting a laugh from her.

"You're not even a bad dancer, but…it's a promise."

The smoldering mass of metallic alloy most described as Earth's core continued to do the only thing it ever did. Rotate. But for once, it had some company in the chamber that housed it within the center of the Earth. Two celestial beings floated alongside the core, unaffected by the intense heat around them.

"Let us begin the next phase." Ir Halak stated, getting a nod of agreement from her sister that floated alongside her.

A/N

And that officially ends the Taken King arc. What a wild ride! Chapter 13 was where this started practically a year ago I think and I'm really happy to see this arc come to an end. But I have so much more in store for you guys.

Those trailers were GOLD! If you haven't seen the trailers for Destiny 2 yet, I highly recommend checking them out. Cayde was fantastic, and now the setting has been prepped for the grand sequel to Destiny.

The Age of Triumph is so cool. A lot of my old clan mates and friends have come back to Destiny to raid like its Year 1 all over again, so these last few days have been a blast for me. It'll probably be a while before I update this again. I'm busy with all sorts of stuff, and whatever time I have left usually goes to playing Destiny again, so bear with me for the next update.

Thanks for reading as always everyone, have a wonderful day/night!