Well, well, well. I bet you guys will never guess what I've been doing instead of writing. But my crippling addiction aside, Lightfall is finally here. I'll give my two cents at the end if any of you care.

In the meantime, it's time for Any Sport in a Storm. Hope you guys enjoy.


Chapter 26: Titans Clash

"The simulations of the Vex are so accurate that they can drive people insane, wondering if their entire life is just a digital prison." -Field Log of Royal-6


Hunter sat cross-legged on his bed, knitting away at his cloak. He deftly wove the needle in and out of the fabric, dragging the thread through the sigil he was sewing onto the cloak. Flapjack chirped as he landed on the Guard's shoulder. Hunter smiled and turned to the Palisman.

"Yeah, it does look good as new!" He boasted, holding the cloak up. To say the patchwork was rough would be an understatement. The sigil, a golden bird, was only being held on by some loose tape and sheer force of will. Hunter grimaced a little as he got a better look at his handiwork.

"Yeah, I have no idea what I'm doing."

A knock on his door stole his attention. He quickly tucked Flapjack away and answered the door. Two Coven scouts were waiting for him. Rather than say anything, one of them simply handed him a letter. Hunter accepted it and the scouts departed. Closing the door behind him, Hunter opened the letter and read it aloud.

"My duties are keeping me busy. I entrust you to lead the Coven Heads today. Consider this a test." He tucked the letter in his pocket and quickly threw on his cloak. Rushing through the castle halls, he arrived at the meeting room. As he arrived, the door swung open and the Coven Heads began to file out.

"Ah good, you're all here," he said, "We can get started- hey!" The Heads pushed past him, most of them not sparing a glance. Raine did look back for a moment before being shepherded away by Terra.

"Where are you going?" Hunter questioned, "Get back here!" The final two Coven Heads exited the chamber, deep in conversation.

"Darius! Eberwolf! Why is everyone leaving?"

"And a good morning to you too, little prince," Darius sighed, "We've decided to reschedule the meeting, so go play arts and crafts or whatever you do in your free time." His eyebrow rose as he noticed Hunter's cloak, "Oh, it seems you've already gotten started." He summoned an Abomination lash and snatched the cape off Hunter's back.

"This is impressively bad," he said, barely holding in a laugh as he held the cloak up, "Wait, is that the old Golden Guard sigil?"

"Of course it is," Hunter snapped, "And this is no way to treat the Emperor's-"

"Nephew?" Darius interrupted snidely, "I knew your predecessor. He was my mentor and one of the strongest Witches I ever knew. You? Not so much."

"Belos says I don't need magic to serve the Coven," Hunter said weakly, looking away from Darius's accusatory gaze. The Abomination Witch scoffed.

"And I say you're not worthy to wear this patch." He clutched the cloak in his hands as he began to walk off, Eberwolf trailing right behind him.

"What should I do?" Hunter asked, "To… earn it?"

"I don't know, find us some more recruits or something," Darius dismissed, "The best and brightest in the Isles. Then, maybe I'll consider giving it back."


"Come on Brother, one foot in front of the other." Paladin groaned slightly at Venator's encouragement. His wounds were healed and he was back at full fighting capacity. Unfortunately, the Hunter either hadn't gotten the message or just didn't care.

"For the last time, I'm fine," he said. Thatch whistled at him.

"Listen to Venator," she ordered, "You need to take it slow for a while."

"I only have your best interests in mind," Venator said innocently, "In your old age, I'm worried that you might start falling apart."

"I may be a few centuries old, but my servos are as strong as ever," the Titan replied, "And I can still dismantle you with both hands behind my back."

"Tell you what," Venator said, absently flipping a knife, "I'll get off your case if you tell me how you got stuck here. I mean, it's only fair." Paladin's hands tightened, Arc energy subconsciously flowing over them. Venator's eyebrows shot up under her helmet.

"Alright, tripped on a landmine," she backed off, "I'll drop it."

"No, it's fine," Paladin said with forced calm, "Honestly, I probably need to get it off my chest by now."


"Don't worry about me Brother, I'll find my own way home."

Those were the last things Paladin heard before he jumped through the portal. He had finally done it, he had escaped the Vex Domain. It had been so long since he had been lost but now, thanks to his Brothers sacrifice, he was free.

I'll come back for you Scholar, he vowed as he plummeted through the unreality around him, No one gets left behind.

His feet finally hit the grass-covered ground. He slammed into the earth like a meteor. He remained on his knee for a moment before rising back to his feet. He looked to the sun and basked in its warmth.

"Thatch, where are we?"

"One second," his Ghost chirped, "Alright, got it. We're not far from the City. I'm picking up radio signals but… somethings wrong."

"How so?" He asked. Instead of verbally responding, Thatch played a transmission over the radio.

"This is a maximum priority message to all Guardians in the system!" Commander Zavala shouted over the comms, "The City is under attack! If you can hear this, we need you now!"

"How far from the City are we?" Paladin asked, hopping on his Sparrow.

"Not far, thirty minutes max."

"Then we better get moving," he said, gunning the engine and taking off. He raced across the surface of Earth, pushing his Sparrow as fast as it could go. What he wouldn't give to have his Jumpship right now. Thatch continued to pry the radio waves, trying to piece together what was happening. All she could gather through the garbled cries was that things looked grim. Paladin crested a large ridge overlooking the city. His jaw dropped at the sight before him.

A massive ship hung above the City, pointed directly at the Traveler. Though calling it a ship may not be entirely accurate. It was better described as a colossal pyramid, forged of strange, onyx material. Paladin could feel the Darkness radiating off it. All around the Pyramid, he could see Hive and Fallen ships dropping off troops and fighting the City's airforce. A few large Vex frames tore the walls down. Cabal drop pods rained from the sky, depositing their troops into the streets below. The Traveler remained in the air, heavily scarred but still standing.

"By the Light," Thatch whispered, "What… what is this?" Paladin's face twisted in rage as he gunned his Sparrows engine once again.

"Our last stand."


"After years of thinking I wasn't good enough, I finally found something I can be good at," Willow monologued to herself, standing proud in the mirror, "Switching to the Plant track was just the beginning. I'm finally on the way to becoming the Witch I wanna be. I can do this!" Her pose shook a little as doubts began to creep into her mind. She had been looked down on almost her entire life. Breaking out of that cycle wouldn't be easy. She took a picture off her wall and held it up. It was a newspaper clipping that read; The Ghouls Celebrate Their First Flyer Derby Win! Both of her dads were celebrating with their team, holding a trophy overhead. She looked back up at her reflection and smiled.

"Eye of the liger, you got this girl."

She left for Hexside and went through her day as normal. Banners were strung up all over campus. Today was the club fair, an event she had been looking forward to for a while. As she walked through the halls, she heard a pair of feet running her way. She turned in time to see Gus and Luz running toward her, being chased by a locker. Luz tried to send a few icicles and bullets their way, only for the locker to dodge them. Acting quickly, Willow summoned a horde of vines to entrap the maddened creature.

"Thanks for the save," Luz panted, finally coming to a stop.

"And that is why we don't keep our lunches in our locker," Gus explained, also stopping to catch his breath.

"So, club fair," Luz changed the subject, "You ready Willow? Considering joining Amity and I in the… Azura Book Club?" She tried to hold up all five books at once, only for them to slip from her grasp. Willow chuckled as the Human scrambled to pick her books up.

"Thanks for the offer," she said, "But I'm a little more interested in something with more drama, flair, and facepaint."

"I'm so excited to hear the next words to come out of your mouth," Luz said eagerly.

"I'm staring up Hexside's first Flyer Derby team!" Willow declared, showing the two a recording of a Flyer Derby match on her Scroll. Her friends cheered in excitement as they watched.

"Speaking of which," she continued, "It's about time to get set up." The three moved outside where other students were already setting up their stands. Luz slipped behind one she had prebuilt and set up a stack of Azura books.

"Journey with us to a world of magic unlike any other! Or, well, a bit like this world, just tuned for ages six to eleven." Unfortunately, most students walked past without sparing her a second glance.

"Why isn't anyone interested?" Luz asked. She saw someone approach and began to smile, only for her expression to fall as Boscha nabbed a book off the table.

"The art isn't doing it any favors," the Triclops criticized.

"Not judging books by their covers is a rule even babies know," Luz objected, "And besides, you don't read books for the art. The magic is in the words." Boscha rolled her eyes and flipped the book open to a random page.

"Twice have I tarried at Tanabrack. Yet e'er have I kept my troth to thee, Azura," she recited.

"Ok, the prose can be a bit ornate," Luz admitted, "But it's also about the crackling emotions! The convoluted magic system! The smell of the pages!" She pressed her face into a book, causing Boscha to grimace slightly. While Luz tried to make her case, Hunter poked his head through a bush, inspecting the bustling crowd of students. He was disguised in the uniform of a Potions student.

"Look at all these potential recruits," he said, already planning out his route. Flapjack hopped onto his shoulder and whistled in his ear.

"Well, no I've never actually spoken with Witches my age," Hunter admitted, "But I'm sure they're into the same things as me. Like authority! And rules!" He pushed out of his hiding spot and singled out a student wearing the colors of the Plant and Abomination tracks.

"You!" He declared, "How would you like to rise to the top by joining the Emperor's Coven?" He stuck a heroic pose as Flapjack flew overhead. Jerbo was less than impressed.

"Eh, not interested."

"Wait, what?" Hunter was dumbfounded.

"I mean, would I like to study all kinds of magic? Heck yes!" Jerbo explained, "But why is joining the Emperor's Coven my only option? When I graduate, I'm going to give this system a long-overdue update." Hunter backed up, staring at the Witch as if he had just painted runes on his face and sworn allegiance to the Human Emperor. At least, Hunter assumed the Humans had an Emperor.

"What treason is this?" Hunter muttered as he continued to back up. Unfortunately, since he wasn't paying attention, he accidentally stepped on someone's tail. He spun around just in time to get a face full of angry Griffin.

"It's ok Puddles," Viney tried to calm her pet, "He didn't mean it! Down, Puddles!"

Across the club fair, Willow finally finished setting up her stand. She pulled out a megaphone and activated it.

"Let out your inner flying freak!" She announced, drawing the eyes of a few curious students, "Once the Flyer Derby club is approved, we'll travel across the Isles in rocking outfits, taking victories as a team!"

"Good luck with that," a haughty voice said.

"Professor Hermonculus," Willow said, shocked, "What are you doing here?" Hermonculus was her old Abomination teacher from before she had swapped tracks. He was a stickler for perfection and had always been especially critical of her work.

"I'm overseeing club approvals this year," he said, "And I doubt your Flyer Derby team is worth investing in."

"Well, just because it's not as popular as Grudgby doesn't mean-" Willow tried to justify, only for the Professor to cut her off.

"You misunderstand. I'm shutting it down unless you step down as captain. I don't have any confidence in a team led by a quitter."

"You're just mad that she dropped your dumb class," Gus defended, "Give her a chance."

"Alright then," Hermonculus began, "Put together a team for a friendly game of Flyer Derby after school. If you can lead your team to victory, then I'll consider approving your club." The Professor stalked off after delivering his ultimatum, a smug grin on his face. Gus glared at him as he left while Willow looked despondent.

"You can do this Willow," Gus comforted, "Don't let him get to you."

"But we don't have a team," Willow objected, "Luz and Amity are busy. I don't know where we're going to find enough players."

Calm down, Flea-Magnet!"

Gus and Willow, along with most other nearby students, looked over to the source of the new voice. A Potions student flew through the air on their staff, dodging around an angry Griffin. Puddles managed to snag one of his shoes and tore it off his foot while the Witch flew away. Spinning around, the Witch dove toward the ground, directly at the enraged Griffin. Puddles let out a cry and surged at the Potions student. He narrowly dodged the Griffins' attack and snatched his shoe from the Griffins' beak. He pulled up and soared overhead, blitzing past Willow, who now had an intrigued sparkle in her eyes.

Willow watched Hunter land and, with a dismissive flick of her hand, tied Puddles to the ground with some vines. With a spin of her finger, she sent a wave of vines at Hunter. He noticed at the last second and tried to escape, but he was too late. The plants dragged him before Willow and he looked up into her obscured eyes. The Plant Witch held up a pamphlet with an innocent smile on her face.

"Wanna join my Flyer Derby team?" Hunter looked around uncertainly while Willow waited.

"Don't really feel like I'm being given a choice here," he muttered. Willow spun her finger again and freed her captive.

"Sorry about that," she apologized while Gus joined her, "I'm Willow Park, future captain of Hexside's Grudgby team." She grabbed Hunters hand and shook it vigorously, dragging Hunter along with her.

"You're flying was amazing," she continued while Hunter tried to reorient himself, "You're a new student, right?"

"Yeah, weird that we've never seen you around here," Gus narrowed his eyes, "What's your name?" Hunter looked around in a panic before Flapjack whistled in his ear.

"Uhhh, Caleb," he answered, "I'm a recent transfer from the Toes. But I'm not here to play Flyer Derby, I have my own mission." He turned to leave, only for Willow to quickly grab him by the shoulder.

"At least take a pamphlet." Hunter reluctantly accepted, quickly reading the paper.

"Wait, do you really think your club will attract the best and brightest?" He asked, gesturing to the caption on the pamphlet.

"Absolutely, Flyer Derby isn't for the faint Witch," Willow confirmed. Hunter looked at the pamphlet again before turning back to Willow.

"Alright, maybe I'll give it a try," he relented, "So, how will you evaluate the others? A Witches Duel? Maze full of traps? Strand them at the top of a mountain and see who makes it down? That one's a classic."

"We… might not have time for that," Willow declined, "But you can help by attracting people with your sick flying skills." She held up her staff and gestured to the stand, skipping off to make preparations. Hunter furrowed his brow and pressed a hand against his forehead.

"I don't feel sick," he said.

"Look, I don't know what kind of mission you're on," Gus spoke up, "But it's been a tough year for Willow. She's really looking forward to making this team work. Don't mess this up for her." He shot Hunter a look to let him know that Gus would be watching him before leaving to join Willow. Hunter watched them both leave as Flapjack perched on his shoulder.

"Man, teenagers are weird."


Mankind had struggled against the horrors of the Universe for centuries. Aliens raiders and cosmic powers sought their extinction. Time and time again, they had raised their blade. Time and time again, they had been stopped. Lord Shaxx had seen his fair share of apocalypses. He had endured all of them, this one would be no different.

"Come on Guardians!" He roared, crushing a Hive Knight's skull with his fists, "Didn't your mothers ever teach you to shoot straight?" He spun, drawing his Raze-Lighter and decapitating a charging horde of Thrall.

"On second thought, don't answer that." He summoned forth a thermite grenade and threw it into the ground, producing a wave of fire that incinerated dozens of Hive.

"Tamas, it's called 'aim and shoot'! Not aim and aim and aim! Fire your weapon!" Shaxx ordered, "Karlan, stop swapping weapons like it's going out of style, you're burning through your ammo reserves! Iriel, for the love of the Traveler, learn to reload on a sensible timescale or I will send you out there with a rusty spoon! If we were stuck with you lot at Twilight Gap, we'd have been speaking Fallen for centuries!"

Shaxx continued to lead the defense on the ground. The great walls of the City had been breached and he was determined to hold back the encroaching horde. With Raze-Lighter in one hand and a hammer made of fire in the other, he carved through the Hive.

"Lord Shaxx, behind you!" One of the other Guardians called. Shaxx turned just in time to see a large, grass-covered Minotaur bring its fist down on him. He caught the blow on his sword, bracing the blade with his other hand. He pushed the Minotaur off and swiped at its midsection. The Radiolaria chamber split open, spilling its contents on the ground. As the Minotaur collapsed, Shaxx could see an army of Vex advancing on their position.

"A pincer maneuver," he laughed, "Classic. You all could learn something from them." He readied his blade as the two races prepared to collapse upon him. Before they could, however, he heard a familiar voice emerge over his radio.

"On your six!"

Shaxx turned, watching as a Titan clad in plate as dark as the night sky lept over the Hive army. His fists became charged with Arc Light as he brought them down on the ground. The nearby hive exploded in lightning, disintegrating into subatomic particles. The Titan rose and slammed his fists together.

"Strong alone," Paladin said. Shaxx let out a loud laugh.

"Stronger together!" The two fought back-to-back against the armies of Darkness. Acolytes were pummeled into nothing. Goblins were skewered upon the blades of the Light. Together, the two Titans fought like legends. Eventually, the fight died down as Paladin crushed an Acolyte's head under his boot. He looked up at Shaxx and tilted his head toward a Harpy.

"You missed one," he said. Shaxx spun his sword and, without looking, thrust it cleanly into the Harpy's optic.

"One of our brightest returns," the Lord of the Crucible welcomed while the other Guardians gathered in awe, "We all thought you were dead. Where has my ward been all these years?"

"Introducing myself to the Vex," Paladin answered, "What's the situation here?"

"Our worst fears," Shaxx said as his Ghost projected a holomap of the City that was covered in red marks. He gestured to it and Paladin grimaced.

"All of our enemies have converged at once," Shaxx reported, "The Sol Divisive, the Shadow Legion, House Salvation, and the forces of Xivu Arath. Worst of all, some of our own have been swayed by the fell powers of the Darkness."

"I've missed a lot," Paladin whistled.

"At least you're here now, when it counts," Shaxx said, "We've been evacuating as many Civilians as we can. It's time we pulled back to the spaceport. The last ship is about to launch."

"Alright," Paladin said, slinging his shotgun off his back and racking a shell, "Let's move."


"Students of Hexside!" Willow announced to the crowd, "Got a Palisman? Got a need for thrills, chills, and theatrics? Well this could be you!" She gestured above her as Hunter soared overhead. The assembled students watched in awe as Hunter deftly wove through the air. He stood atop his staff, riding it like a skateboard.

"Man, this Caleb guy is great," Willow commented, handing out pamphlets to her fellow students, "With him, I think we can really get our team approved."

"This girl would be a perfect candidate for the Emperor's Coven," Hunter said to himself, still flying through the air, "If there are any more Witches like her, we'll be set." He touched down beside Willow as she finished assembling the team.

"Allow me to introduce you to the best and brightest of Hexside," she said, sweeping her arm behind her. Hunter looked past the Plant Witch, inspecting his potential recruits. He was less than impressed.

"Look Puddles, it's the friend you made earlier," Viney tried to keep her Griffin under control. The beast bucked and snarled, glaring at Hunter with vitriol. Skara sat on the steps behind her, absently tapping away on her scroll. She glanced over at Hunter, not offering any sign of interest. Off to the side, Gus attempted to mount his staff and take off, only to crash into a wall.

"Just a few weeks ago, I'd have been considered the weak link in any team," Willow said proudly, "Now, I'm leading one! Alright girl, don't let the power go to your head." She turned to continue talking to Hunter, only to see him walking away.

"Wait, Caleb, where are you going? The field is this way."

"You said you would find the best Witches for this team!" Hunter snapped, "But them? They're pathetic!"

"You just met them," Willow argued, "Give them a chance."

"Where I'm from, chances have to be earned," Hunter said contemptuously, "Especially if your considered Half-a-Witch like me. Sorry, Captain. Good luck with your match." Hunter stormed off while Willow watched with a strange light in her eyes. She was going to get her team together, by any means necessary. She spun a spell circle, snaring Hunters foot with a lash of vines. As he looked down in confusion, Willow pulled back on the vines. Hunter let out a cry of panic as he was dragged into the ground.

Hunter reappeared in the middle of the field. He raised his staff, frantically looking around for any threats. When none showed themselves, he lowered Flapjack in confusion. Hearing footsteps behind him, he spun and pointed his staff at Skara. The Witch didn't seem to mind much.

"Sorry I was distracted," she said cheerily, "I've played Grudgby for so long, I had to brush up on the latest Flyer Derby strats." She held up her Scroll, showing Hunter some of the maneuvers she had been researching.

"Looks… complicated," he hesitantly admitted. Skara confirmed as Viney approached from behind, dusting off her hands. Her body was covered in claw marks, with some of them looking fairly deep.

"Finally got Puddles to fall asleep," she greeted, casting a healing spell to knit her wounds closed, "Now I'm only scared emotionally." Hunter was about to speak up before something blitzed past him. Gus rode in on his staff, riding it as Hunter had earlier.

"I thought you couldn't fly?"

"I can't fly normally," the young Witch said, "Besides, my ways more fun."

"That's cool, I guess," Hunter muttered. Gus leaned in smugly, cupping one of his ears.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I said it was cool, alright!"

The ground beside Hunter parted and Willow emerged next to him. She gestured to the rest of the team.

"Gus is a natural speed demon, Skara's a strategic mastermind, and Viney's the best healer in school," she explained, "We've all been misjudged at one point or another. Still think we're pathetic?" Hunter meekly shook his head.

"Good," Willow said, pulling out a small jar of green face paint, "Now let's get our game faces on!"


Paladin placed his hands against a large chunk of rubble, getting an estimate for how much it weighed. A large building had collapsed due to Cabal artillery, trapping dozens of Lightless civilians inside. He began to channel Arc power through his fists. He raised an arm, preparing to pummel through the stone.

"Easy," Thatch cautioned, "The only thing keeping this building from collapsing in on itself is prayers and good thoughts." Paladin nodded, letting the power fade. He seized the chunk and, with a nod from Thatch, began to lift it over himself. It must've weighed easily over three tons. For most men, far too much to even conceive of. For a Titan, a mild warmup. The civilians watched in awe as the Guardian freed them from their tomb. They rushed out into the street, joining the ever-growing crowd of refugees that had been recused. Paladin let the stone drop with a loud crash and turned to the crowd.

"We need to keep moving," he said, projecting his voice as far back as he could, "Evacuation shuttles are waiting at the spaceport. Follow Lord Shaxx, I'll bring up the rear."

The procession began to shuffle off, moving as fast as the war-torn streets would allow. As they did, Paladin felt a chill come over him. Looking around, he didn't see anything. He shook his head and quickly caught up with the others. As he departed, a nearby ledge became encased in ice. The frozen blue crystals crept up to the edge, slowly crawling across its surface. They weren't ice in the traditional sense, but rather a physical manifestation of Absolute Zero. A Warlock walked up to the edge, gazing in the direction the procession had left. He thrust out a hand, summoning a staff made of frost. A small horde of Thrall cautiously approached from behind him. He absently placed his hand on a Thralls head as he tapped his staff against the ground.

"Take us to our flock."

The Shaderbinder set off in pursuit of the Lightbearers, entropic power swirling around him as he marched.


Hunter snuck away from the rest of his team under the guise of going for a water break. Their match was about to begin and Willow was hyping the team up. He, however, had a call to make. He pulled out a crow-phone and dialed in Darius' contact information.

"Darius, it's me!"

"What? How did you get this number?" The Abomination Head asked incredulously.

"Doesn't matter," Hunter dismissed, "I've found some recruits at Hexside. I'm earning my place, just like you said!"

"Of course you are," Darius groaned, rubbing his face in exhaustion, "I was just trying to get you to leave me alone."

"What was that?"

"Hey, Caleb!" Willow shouted, "We're waiting on you bud!"

"Oh, crap. Gotta go." He hung up and rejoined his team. On the other side of the field were their opponents. Only four of them were present and, aside from the professor, Willow didn't recognize any of them. Finally, their opponent's fifth member arrived as Jerbo ran up to the group.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. Thanks for letting me…" His voice trailed off as he faced Willow's team and made eye contact with Viney.

"Traitor," she hissed at her friend, narrowing her eyes and dragging a finger across her throat. Jerbo's eyes widened and he shuffled away from her, trying to hide from her glare. Willow pulled her team into a huddle.

"You all know what to do," she said confidently, "Fly high, snag some flags, and take home the gold." The team broke and moved into position as Professor Hermonculus met Willow in the center of the field.

"Let's see what you can do, captain," he sneered as the players mounted their staves. One of his Abominations blew into a whistle, signaling the start of the match. Hermonculus immediately sent a lash of Abomination goo at Willow. Acting quickly, Viney raised a shield to protect her captain. The players took off into the air and began their bout. Hunter quickly teleported behind one of his opponents and swiped their flag. He passed it to Gus, who dodged around the enemy team and slipped it onto their pole, knocking that player out of the game.

"Gus, that was amazing!" Hunter praised. They didn't have much time to celebrate, as another Abomination blast was sent at Gus. He narrowly dodged it, only for it to hit Skara instead. The Bard cried out in shock as she was pinned to the stands. She groaned in pain as the referee blew their whistle. Hunter and Viney helped to peel her off the wall and handed her flag over to the other team.

The game continued without much incident. Jerbo and Viney had a midair collision that didn't result in any flag captures. Skara was still a little disoriented after being forcibly introduced to the wall. With both teams down two players, Gus and Willow tried to make a dive at the enemy team. They responded by firing magic at the two. Willow and Gus narrowly dodged, much to Hermonculus' frustration.

"They're right there!" He shouted, "Can't you see them?" Hunter teleported in behind him, appearing in a flash of yellow light.

"Boo." He nabbed the professor's flag and flew off while Willow summoned a storm of vines to snare the other players. She snagged their flags but, before she could capitalize, a blast of Abomination mud hit her from behind. On the sidelines, Professor Hermonculus lowered his hand.

"Oops," he said innocently, "My finger slipped." The other players glared at him but could do little about it. Willow managed to pass the flags she had captured to Hunter before she hit the ground. With Gus running interference on the remaining players, Hunter managed to place them on the pole, knocking the remaining enemy players out of the game.

Collectively, Willow's team let out a cheer. Hunter landed and was immediately met with Viney pouring a vat of questionable liquid over him. Hermonculus reluctantly stalked over.

"What is your team name?" He begrudgingly asked.

"Oh shoot, we never thought of a name," Willow realized.

"How about the Emerald Entrails?" Hunter proposed. The others looked at him, causing the Witch to shrink slightly.

"You know cause we're green," he awkwardly explained, "And there's more to us than you think."

"I love it!" Viney declared. The others began to chant as Willow pulled them in for a group photo. Hunter smiled as his teammates squeezed in from all sides. He was right, they were the perfect recruits.


Paladin swung his fist into a Fallen Captain, sending them flying into a wall. They crashed through it, breaking their shield and their spine in one blow. The Titan dodged back, avoiding a jab from a Wretch. He grabbed their spear and snapped it with his hand. Planting his shotgun under their chin, he pulled the trigger. Brains and Ether spilled out of the Fallen's shattered skull as they dropped to the ground.

"Bring it on you miserable bastards!" He shouted, "I thought you would at least have the decency to give me a worthy fight!" Paladin stood in the front of a small force of Guardians, leading the defense of the last spaceport. Civilians crowded the building, trying to evacuate as fast as possible. The Guardians were the only thing standing between them and the hordes of Darkness.

"In the name of the Traveler, hold them back!" The Titan shouted, shouldering his rocket launcher. He fired off a volley of rockets, decimating waves of Thralls, Dregs, and Goblins. The encroaching army pushed on regardless, with no concern for their own well-being.

A loud rumble could be heard from behind the Guardians as a large transport took off. It reached into the skies, beginning to pierce the clouds. Before it could, however, the mysterious pyramid reacted. It let out an orange shockwave. The transport buckled as explosions ripped it apart. Paladin watched in horror as the ship fell to the ground, coating the battlefield in dust.

"Sir, should we send a rescue team?" A nearby Hunter asked. Paladin watched Hive ships descending upon the wreckage.

"No," he said in a hollow voice, "There's no point. Continue to defend the spaceport. If we fail, we lose everything." The Hunter was about to respond before being hit by a spiraling blue projectile. His body instantly froze, becoming encased in crystal. Paladin whipped around, seeing a Warlock drop to the ground, flanked by Hive on all sides. The Shadebinder tapped his staff against the ground, causing the Hunter to shatter. Paladin felt his Light fade as the man died his final death.

"No!" He yelled, clutching a few of the broken remnants. His fists tightened as he turned to the desecrated Warlock, fury bubbling up within him.

"You will pay dearly for his life!"

The Titan lept into action, surging Arc power through his fists. Before he could strike the Shadebinder, something tackled him from the side. Paladin slid across the ground as his assailant rose and instantly lunged at him again. Paladin dodged and took note of the mark flying between their legs. The two Titans circled for a moment, eyeing each other up. The Striker moved first, punching at the Behemoth with his right hand. With a grunt, she caught it. Paladin struck with his other hand, only for it to be caught as well. The Behemoth encased her fists in ice, locking Paladin in place. She pushed down on him, forcing him to one knee.

"You shame your kin, traitor," he growled, "You are not worthy to be called Human." With a loud roar, he pulled her into a headbutt. The Behemoth cried out in shock and stumbled back. Paladin grabbed her by the throat and swung her overhead. Planting the fallen Guardian in the ground, he pulled back his fist and crushed her skull. Looking back over to the entrance to the spaceport, he saw the last of his allies drop to the ground. A Hunter, wielding two kamas, stepped over them. The Shadebinder floated just behind her.

"Tell me, misguided one," the Warlock said with a voice that chilled the air, "How does it feel to die in the name of a god who never cared?" Paladin's radio sparked to life as Lord Shaxx began to speak.

"The last transport is away!" He shouted, "Where are you?" Looking overhead, Paladin watched the transports taking to the sky. The pyramid fired its shockwave again, only for it to break against a barrier made of Light. To everyone's shock, the Traveler began to move, leading the ships into orbit.

"Don't worry about me, Shaxx," Paladin said calmly as the forces of Darkness encircled him, "I'll find my own way home. Lead our people across the stars. It was my greatest honor to study under your tutelage. Tell my story, and tell it well." Shaxx tried to reply, but Paladin switched off his radio. He turned to face the Revenant, Shadebinder, and freshly-resurrected Behemoth.

"Even if I fall, it will not avail you," he challenged, "I shall endure a thousand deaths before I yield!" He crouched as the horde charged him, staring directly at the Shadebinder. Arc power surged within him as he waited for the perfect moment. Finally, he saw it. Pushing off the ground, he let the lightning flow through him. He flew through the air like a thunderbolt, disintegrating anything foolish enough to get close to him. Balling his hand into a fist, he struck the Shadebinder and unleashed a massive explosion that destroyed everything around him.

Paladin landed on his feet as lightning jolted through his foes. The three fallen Guardians disintegrated into ash, leaving only their Ghosts behind. Paladin knew he should crush them to prevent them from rising again. Yet, despite everything, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Destroying another Guardians Ghost was sacrilege. Instead, he turned and set off into the destroyed city. Maybe, if he was lucky, he would be able to find a functional ship.


Hunter walked across the field to where the rest of the team was celebrating. It had been a few hours since the match and the hype had not died down.

"I can't believe I almost bailed on you guys," he exclaimed, "Today was amazing! Thanks for giving me another shot."

"Of course," Viney said, "Always down to make new friends. Especially since I'm in the market for a new one." She glared daggers at Jerbo who was skulking off the field. The Witch flinched and quickly made himself scarce.

"We wouldn't have gotten here without you," Willow agreed, placing a hand on Hunters shoulder.

"Yeah, I shouldn't have been so suspicious," Gus apologized.

"We can forget all about that when we play next time… as part of the Emperor's Coven!" Hunter declared, striking a pose. The others stared at him blankly for a moment.

"Sorry, what?"

"My name's not actually Caleb," he explained, "It's Hunter! And I'm the Emperor's right-hand man. You know, the Golden Guard!"

"You're the one Luz told us about?" Willow managed to get out. Hunter nodded, not noticing her panicked expression. He spun Flapjack through the air, transforming his Flyer Derby outfit into his Golden Guard uniform.

"This would look a lot cooler with the cloak but I don't have it right now. It's a long story," he said awkwardly while the others backed up in shock. To their, and Hunter's, surprise, numerous Coven scouts emerged from the forest and encircled the students. Steve walked over to Hunter.

"Where did you all come from?" Hunter questioned, "I didn't order reinforcements."

"Darius sent us to collect your recruits," Steve explained.

"Ah, yes, very good then," Hunter accepted, "Then there won't be any delay in branding you with Coven sigils and taking you away from your friends and family forever. Hooray!" Gus, Willow, and Viney all glared at the Coven scouts angrily while Skara began to sob.


Paladin ducked around a corner, stopping to reload his weapons. After a second he peeked his head around the bend, only to pull it back the second a shot slammed into the stone beside him. Shaking his head, he surveyed the area around him.

"We're running out of options here," Thatch said frantically, "I really hope you have a plan."

"I'm open to suggestions." His cover shattered as a Hydra brought its weapons to bear. Paladin raised a barrier and readied his shotgun. Before he could do anything, a wall of Stasis crystals appeared behind him. Looking up, he saw the Revenant diving toward him. Paladin quickly lept out of the way. The Hunter slammed into the ground, shattering the crystals with a loud crunching sound. The Behemoth and Shadebinder waited behind him, watching the lone Titan.

"Alright, I think I have an idea, but it's incredibly stupid," Thatch reported.

"It can't be worse than this," Paladin muttered as the Vex closed ranks around him.

"Yeah, you'd think that," Thatch half-joked, "The Vex set up a gateway not far from here. We could potentially use it to escape. No telling where we'll end up though. So our options are stay here and die, or go there and die."

"What other option do we have?" She didn't respond and Paladin nodded grimly. The Revenant summoned a pair of sickles and held them ready.

"Embrace your salvation," he hissed.

"Still gotta get past these guys first," Thatch whistled, "I'll, uhh, just let you handle it."

"Please, this thing is no more terrible than I." Paladin punched the ground with a single fist, causing the pavement to crack. The Revenant stumbled and instantly ate a shotgun pellet to the chest. The Vex immediately opened fire and the other two Dark Guardians descended. Reaching out, Paladin clutched a Hammer of Sol and flung it at the Behemoth. As she exploded in flame, Paladin spun and pummeled the first Minotaur unfortunate enough to be in range. Thatch highlighted the location of the Vex portal on his HUD and he instantly moved.

He pushed through the ruins of the City, battling the Vex and Dark Guardians all the way. The Shadebinder floated overhead, raining Stasis projectiles on him the entire time. The Portal finally appeared before him. A few Vex, including a Gate Lord, could be seen protecting it. With the Stasis-wielding Guardians bearing down on him, he charged at the Portal.

The Vex responded instantly, pouring into him with their guns. Paladin pushed through it, ignoring how his HUD flashed with bright warning lights. His shields began to buckle as he sprinted straight at the Gate Lord. He pushed off the ground, Arc Light sparking across his body, and shoulder-charged the Gate Lord into the portal. The two fell through, vanishing in a blinding flash of light. The three corrupted Guardians stopped just outside. The Behemoth encased her fists in ice and prepared to pursue, only for the Shadebinder to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Kill the portal," he ordered, "He chose this end, who are we to deny it."


Hunter sighed as he carried four Palismen staves to the corner of the room. His teammates had been taken to the Bonesborough police precinct where they would be waiting for Darius to pick them up.

"Ok, I'm sorry about the whole cell thing," he apologized, setting the Palismen against the wall, "But did you really have to punch Steve, Skara?" Said scout was sitting in a chair against the wall, holding an ice pack to his head. His mask had been severely deformed, caved in almost to the point of being unwearable.

"No, I get it," Steve murmured, "Emotions are running high right now. Ice packs for Steve." He offered a limp thumbs up.

"Well I don't get it," Hunter argued, "You guys are joining the best Coven out there! You get to keep all your magic, free room and board, and you can still practice Flyer Derby on your day off. Well, this year's day off has already passed. But hey, the next one is only fifty-two weeks away!"

"We don't care!" Skara objected, still nursing her hand, "None of us want this!"

"You will eventually," Hunter comforted, "Trust me, I'm your friend now."

"Friends don't stab each other in the back," Gus shot.

"Sure they do," Hunter shrugged, "The Coven heads do it all the time. Captain, you agree, right?" Willow was sat at the back of the cell, facing the wall. Her expression was sullen and she hadn't moved a muscle since they arrived.

"I… I thought I could be good at this," she whispered. Hunter's smile fell as he heard her. Suddenly, Abomination goo wrapped up from the floor, whisking the Witches away. Hunter raced outside where Darius had parked an airship. He set the new recruits down on the ship as another scout brought out the Palismen, now bound in a cage.

"Darius, I did it," he boasted, "I found recruits!"

"Yes, you did," the Witch groaned, "And you're making me work on my day off. Take this and quit bothering me." He flung Hunters cloak over the edge and he quickly caught it.

"So I can wear this proudly now?" He asked hesitantly. Darius looked down at him with a sneer.

"Can you?" Without another word, he took off, heading back for the castle. Steve emerged from behind Hunter, still nursing his aching skull.

"I do not envy those kids man," he commented.

"They just have to go through basic training to become scouts," Hunter dismissed with a wave, "It's not that bad."

"Dude, do you remember what training was like? The duels, the mazes with the traps, we even got stranded on a mountain."

"Classic."

"And of course, Belos takes everyone's Palisman. Steve is really beginning to regret his life choices." He walked off, leaving Hunter alone on the steps. Hunter looked at the retreating form of Darius' airship.

"Yeah, so am I."

On board the airship, Darius mindlessly flipped through Penstagram, letting an Abomination do the flying for him. He came across a post from Alador and he sneered.

"Ugh, mute."

Behind him, the students all sat huddled on the floor. They made a few attempts to reclaim their Palismen, only for Darius to swat them away whenever they got close.

"You're going to need to be a little more clever than that," he derided. Suddenly, Hunter teleported next to him, causing the older Witch to stumble back slightly.

"Darius!" Hunter shouted, Flapjack in hand. Off to the back, Willow saw her opening.

"Now!" Collectively, the four students dove off the side of the airship. Hunter and Darus both rushed over, only to see them vanish in a cloud of blue smoke.

"An illusion," Darius realized, spinning around. The students batted away his pilot and quickly set to work sabotaging the controls. Darius tried to stop them, but he was too late. The airship plummeted out of the sky, plowing a trench through the ground. The students tried to make their escape, only for a large Abomination to cut them off. Darius rose from the now smoldering wreckage, fury in his eyes.

"Did you really think you would get away with endangering a Coven head? Do you have any idea what I'm capable of?" He transformed his arm into a scythe and prepared to swing. Before he could, Hunter dove in between them.

"Stay out of my way, little prince," Darius threatened.

"No! I was mistaken. These four are insolent agitators who are unfit to join the Emperor's Coven." He looked down in shame, "And I am unfit to wear the sigil of the Golden Guard." Hunter took off his cloak and dropped it on the ground. Darius stared at him for a second before addressing the others.

"You can go."

Willow tried to reach out for Hunter, only for Darius to shoot her a warning glare.

"Please, captain."

"Let's move team. We need to find a replacement," she said, turning away. A sly grin crossed her face as she cast a glance back at Hunter, "After all, it'll be fifty-two weeks until Caleb can play again."

"You… befriended them?" Darius was incredulous, "And then betrayed me to protect them?" He raised his scythe and Hunter flinched, preparing for the strike. However, instead of cutting him down, Darius lightly chopped Hunters head with his normal hand.

"I'm impressed," he admitted, "I had you all wrong."

"Huh?"

"You're, what, sixteen? It's time you made some friends outside the castle." Darius summoned a scroll and dropped it into Hunters hands.

"I've taken the liberty of setting up a Penstagram account for you," he explained.

"But, the recruits?"

"We have plenty of recruits," Darius dismissed, "Honestly, I was just going to drop them off at Hexside."

"Are you going to tell Belos about this?" Hunter asked worriedly.

"Are you going to tell him about your secret Palisman?" Hunter realized in a panic that Flapjack was still in his hands.

"Magic or not, I think you'll make your predecessor proud," Darius said. He picked up Hunters cloak and spun a circle. He offered it back to Hunter, who could now see that his previously shoddy patchwork had been professionally redone.

"But you could still use some sewing lessons."


Paladin and the Gate Lord tumbled through the portal. Eventually, they came to a stop. Paladin instantly shot to his feet and lunged at the struggling Vex. He Thundercrashed straight into its chest, causing the Vex form to explode and collapse. As it died, Paladin looked around. His fists tightened as he realized he was back in the Vex Domain. Legions of Vex stared down at him in confusion before readying their weapons. He glanced behind himself, only to see the portal close.

"Alright," Paladin said, pumping his shotgun, "There's only one of me and a theoretically infinite number of you. So, tell you what, I'll make this fair and use my guns instead of my hands."

The Vex charged to slay him and the Titan responded in kind.


And there ya have it. Paladin relives some traumatic experiences and Hunter learns the true meaning of friendship. I can imagine you guys might have some questions about Paladin. Questions that I will not be answering, not yet at least. Hopefully, I've sprinkled in enough hints for you guys to figure it out. Now, onto Lightfall. Spoilers, obviously.

So community reception to Lightfall has been... extreme to say the least. Personally, I've been enjoying the absolute hell out of it. Neomuna is beautiful, the news guns are fun, and I like Nimbus for the most part. I've run the campaign through on Warlock and Titan, both on legendary. On a mission-to-mission gameplay basis, I think it's a step up from Witch Queen. I didn't have nearly as many encounters where I was stuck for hours on end and got frustrated.

On the other hand, the narrative is a bit of a mess. I didn't have too much of a problem with any of the characters, though I don't feel like we got to know Rohan as much as I would've liked. I also would've liked to see Nimbus do a little more mourning, but we got that in the Deterministic Chaos mission so whatever. My main problem is how nothing really got explained, important characters got sidelined, Strand felt like an awkwardly forced inclusion, and the ending was kind of contrived. That being said, Calus and the Witness absolutely stole every scene they were in. I especially loved seeing the Witness just snap at Calus' shit.

Strand itself has been fun. I've pieced together a neato Broodmaster Threadling-spam build that is pretty goofy to use. I don't care for Berzerker too much as of right now and I don't have Threadrunner yet.

I'm looking forward to running Root of Nightmares. But enough talk, onto the reviews.

Elthreee: Well thank you for the compliment, glad to have you here.

Trials sweat: I find myself having to weigh up what episodes I allow myself to cover because I have a set amount I gave myself to work with. There are several ones I've skipped that I definitely could've added too but I don't feel like it would've been anything substantial or interesting.

Thatnewguy11: I can't promise anything with the Voice in the Darkness. All I can say is stay tuned.

OMAC001: I wasn't planning on having a heart-to-heart like that but once the words start flowing, I cannot be stopped. I got to really dig into Royal's psyche there and address some aspects of his character that, while present, haven't been focused on too much in this story.

GodzillaMaster: Oh god, I've become predictable. The reason Lancer didn't sense anything from the mirror was because it's not an object of Darkness. At least, that's my interpretation based on what we know from the show. The Collector is looking through it, but that is through his own power, not the power of the Darkness.


Hunter took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. The rest of his team stood beside him, eagerly awaiting the start of the match. Hunter flexed his fingers, progressively tightening and loosening his grip on Flapjack. Eventually, a buzzer sounded and the team moved onto the field.

"Welcome everyone, to the first Flyer Derby match of the season," the ever-present voice of Henson Landiger boomed. The crowd cheered with excitement. Across the field, the Glandus team stood, awaiting the beginning of the match.

"It's Hexside's first time competing in this sport," Landiger continued, "But from what I've heard, they've got a killer roster lined up. But Glandus is no easy foe and they're ready to show these newcomers just what Flyer Derby is all about. I'm your announcer, Henson Landinger. And rejoining us is a familiar face. You know him, you love him, you quite possibly fear him a little bit, it's Lord Shaxx!"

"Ah it's good to be back Landiger," the lord of the Crucible said, taking a seat beside his companion, positively dwarfing the Witch.

"And it's good to have you back. However, we also have another surprise guest joining us tonight. He's a grizzled veteran fighting to uphold the legacy of his fallen brothers and sisters. Please welcome, Saladin Forge of the Iron Lords!" Another Titan sat down on the other side of Landiger. Unlike Shaxx, he wasn't wearing a helmet. Instead, his eyes swept the field, deconstructing everything before him.

"Flyer Derby is simply a bout of ritualistic violence," he said, his voice deep and rough, "Back in the Dark Ages, we would've called this 'fun'."

"Now, if both teams would take their positions, we can start the match." The Emerald Entrails and Glandus' Vermillion Vitaes each readied themselves. Lord Saladin raised his hand over the buzzer.

"Now, fight like Iron Lords!" He smashed the button, signaling for the match to begin. Both teams took off and began their aerial bout. The crowd cheered the whole time, watching eagerly as players swooped and dove around each other. Utilizing his Illusion magic, Gus was able to sneak past the Vitaes and swipe the first flag of the match.

"And Augustus Porter takes the first point for Hexside!" Landiger announced.

"We had fighters like him during the Dark Age," Saladin said gruffly, "We called them 'smart people'."

Before the Entrails could celebrate their lead, the Vitaes countered. A bulky Oracle student swiped Gus' flag and quickly captured it, evening the score. The teams went back to their bout. Little by little, the Entrails were whittled down, unable to successfully counterattack.

Viney wove around an opposing Potions student, trying to dodge the vials being lobbed at her. Unfortunately, she didn't notice the Oracle student from before diving at her. They snatched her flag, knocking her out of the game.

"And Glandus takes the lead," Landiger commented, "How will Hexside respond?"

"Your enemy has taken the lead Entrails," Shaxx lectured, "Might I suggest throwing a few grenades?"

Unfortunately for the Entrails, they lacked any grenades to throw. Skara managed to swipe a flag but found herself cornered for her efforts. Hunter flew past and Skara passed her prize off before her own flag was taken.

"If they win, it won't be because you let them," Saladin growled to the remaining Entrails, "This isn't over until Shaxx sings. And Shaxx is very shy."

While Shaxx tried to defend himself, Willow and Hunter focused on the match at hand. The remaining Vitaes turned their focus to Hunter. They descended on him, trying to snatch his flag while he teleported around. He lead them across the field, straight into Willow's waiting arms. She summoned a massive tangle of vines that ensnared the remaining Glandus students. They acted quickly, stealing their flags and knocking their opponents out of the game.

"And that's the game folks! Hexside wins!"

Hunter and Willow touched down as their teammates swarmed them, celebrating their victory. As they did, the two Titans each took to the field to impart their wisdom.

"It is said that Warlocks view battle as Arithmetic," Saladin mused to the Entrails, "You are very good at Arithmetic."

"Indeed," Shaxx agreed, "But I would suggest being a little more gentle next time, I don't think they'll ever want to match with you again!"

"Now as for you," Saladin said, turning to the Vitaes, "The Cabal have a term for such a display: Uro'ok nur. You do not want to know what it translates to."

"Oh come on Saladin," Shaxx chastised, "They fought hard, they just happened to lose this one. But the real question you need to ask yourselves is; did I throw enough grenades?"

Suddenly, a swarm of teleportation effects appeared around the two Titans. Shaxx let out a jovial laugh as he was pulled back to his own time. Saladin let out a gruff huff as he turned back to the field.

"You would do well to remember what you have learned here." With those words, he vanished. Hunter rubbed his chin as he stared at the spot they had occupied.

"Wait, who even were those guys?"