Welcome back, you lovely people. I hope you're all ready cause this one will be interesting. A lot of plot threads are being unraveled here and a lot of foreshadowing will, hopefully, pay off. Now, including this chapter, we have five chapters left of season two. Also, real quick, today's chapter is not Edge of the World, that will be the next one.

Also, since I haven't detailed their appearances, here's Venator and Paladin's looks.

Paladin

Helmet- Iron Companion helm

Arms- Kabr's Brazen Grips

Chest- Hardened Basalisk Chestplate

Legs- Knightly Noire Greaves

Mark- Mark of the Great Hunt

Shader- Pole Position on everything

Thatch uses the Elegant Guard Shell with Dawning Celebration

Venator

Helmet- Pathfinder's Helmet

Arms- Luxe Sleeves

Chest- Iron Companion vest

Legs- Righteous Strides

Cloak- Shattered vault Cloak

Shader- Ensilvered Snare on everything, save the helmet which uses Seven Sisters

Blip uses the Wayfinders shell with Omnichromia


Chapter 28: Heroes and Failures

"To fall within the Vex Domain is not simply to perish. It is to be erased from time, to have never existed in the first place." -Field Log of Royal-6


Royal stepped into Luz's room, taking great care to gently close the door. The girl lay in her bed, curled up into a ball. After the events of last night, she had tried to get some sleep. She did not rest well. Manifesting a chair, Royal took a seat beside her. He began to reach out, only to falter and pull his arm back.

"How are you doing?" He asked. Luz didn't respond, facing away from the Warlock.

"That bad, huh?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she mumbled.

"Look, kid, it's going to be alright," Royal comforted, "You don't have to deal with this on your own. Remember what you told me? No more lone wolf." Luz remained silent, pondering his words. She wanted to tell someone, but how could she? She had helped Belos meet the Collector, given him the last piece he needed. Now, everyone on the Isles was in danger of being slaughtered by a genocidal Witch Hunter. And it was all her fault.

"It's all my fault," she whispered, echoing her thoughts, "I'm a failure."

"No," Royals words were forceful, almost aggressive, "You are the last person who should be calling themself that. Whatever it is that's bothering you, you can tell me. I promise it won't leave this room until you're ready." Luz was silent for a moment before she finally spoke up.

"I helped him."

"Who?"

"Belos," she said, sitting up, "Or Phillip. Whichever he really is. I helped him! Helped a Witch Hunter! Gave him everything he needed to find the Collector. Now, everyone is in danger and it's all my fault."

"I know you feel like shit, but it's alright, we'll figure this out," Royal comforted.

"Easy for you to say," Luz scoffed, rolling to face away from him, "You're a world-saving hero."

"You think I'm a stranger to failure?" Royal asked evenly, "I've failed more times than you've rolled out of bed. In my first skirmish with the Fallen, I got my gut cleaved open because I went for a fancy stab. Every time I step into the Crucible, I single-handedly drag the average kill ratio down by several points. During the Red War, I…" His voice got caught in his throat. Luz cautiously peeked over her shoulder.

"When the Cabal raided the City and Ghaul stole the Light, we were all left powerless," he said, "Something happened to Lancer. He went dark, practically lifeless. And there was nothing I could do." His hands curled into fists as his voice became sharp and angry. Smoke began to spill through his fingers before he let out a sigh, forcing himself to calm down.

"But that wasn't the worst of it," he continued, "Do you want to know what my worst failure was?" Luz sat up and nodded.

"It was a long time ago," he began, "Back in the Vex Domain." He stopped and rubbed his chin.

"You know, this is a long story," he said, "If I'm telling it, then I think everyone deserves to hear." He scooped Luz up in his arms and began to carry her downstairs. Down in the living room, everyone was waiting anxiously. Eda was perched on a chair, nervously bouncing one of her legs up and down while King sat on the armrest. Lilith stood behind her, wringing her hands while Hooty hovered nearby. Amity sat on the couch, having shown up as soon as the sun broke the clouds. It was a school day, so she wouldn't be able to stay long, but her presence was appreciated.

Royal entered the living room, carrying Luz bridal style. Walking over to Amity, he gently lowered Luz to lie beside her girlfriend. Her head rested on Amity's lap, a comfort she gratefully accepted.

"Is she ready to talk?" Eda whispered, "What did she see?"

"It's not my place to tell," Royal responded in a similar hushed tone, "But I have an idea to get her out of her funk." He walked to the center of the room, manifesting another chair.

"Well, I know that we all had an eventful night," he said, "Luz most of all. But I think it's time I told you all something important, as per her request." All eyes were on him. Royal took a deep breath, his mind flashing with painful memories.

"Let me tell you the tale of the Scholar and the Vex," he said, "Let me tell you the tale of my Brothers and Sisters."


"Brake left!" Lancer shouted. Royal obliged, yanking the throttle as hard as he could. He narrowly dodged a massive Void blast from a Vex Cyclops. He cursed, readjusting just in time to avoid a massive pillar. More Cyclopses appeared ahead of him, preparing to open fire. Soon, the air was filled with Void projectiles. Royal tried his best to steer around them, but alas, he was no Amanda Holliday. His right engine went up in smoke, causing the rest of his jumpship to buckle.

"I HATE MERCURY!" He screamed in anger as his ship spiraled to the ground. Seconds before impact, he ejected, landing on the ground. His ship crashed into a pillar near him, letting out a massive explosion. Royal found himself flung back by the shockwave, sending him flying. Groaning, he stood back up. Vex forms began to appear around him. Royal quickly pushed himself forward, diving behind cover as they opened fire. Pulling out a scout rifle, he took aim at the Vex. However, the ground shook before he could open fire. Metal plates began to drift, sliding over each other. A massive chasm opened before the Guardian, revealing a swirling vortex of data. Royal stumbled as the Vex continued to fire at him.

"Any idea where that thing leads?" He asked his Ghost. Lancer let out an unconfident whistle.

"Not at all."

"Well, anywhere's better than here," Royal groaned. Slinging his rifle across his back, he leaped into the pit. His body entered the vortex and vanished. His senses faded as he traveled between time, only to abruptly return as he arrived at the vortex's endpoint. The area around him was an expansive void, empty of anything save a few scattered islands made out of neon blocks. Directly below him, he could see a colossal Vex form doing battle with something too small to make out.

"I'm detecting Light," Lancer reported, "Right near that Vex Mind."

"Another Guardian? They might be able to help us." Royal tucked his arms and legs in, angling his descent. As he drew closer, he could see more details of the battle beneath him. Another Guardian dodged around the Minds attacks, welding a long staff with a razor-sharp blade on the other end. He dragged the blade across the ground, flinging a wave of Void energy at the Vex. Seeing an opening, Royal summoned his Dawnblade and plunged it into the Minds back, aiding his strike with his momentum. He dragged it down the Mind, toward the ground. Once he reached its waist, he pulled it out and lept clear. The other Guardian jumped up, burying his glaive in the Minds face. It let out a guttural scream as it began to collapse. The other Guardian landed before Royal as the Mind collapsed behind him.

"Thanks for the assist stranger," he said with an oddly familiar voice, "Pretty sure I could've handled it myself, but that wasn't bad."

"My pleasure," Royal responded, looking around, "Where are we?"

"You don't know?" The stranger asked. Royal shook his head, causing the stranger to let out a laugh.

"You, my friend, have the misfortune of getting stranded in the Vex Domain, just like me," he said, spreading his arms wide, "I'll give you the tour later, but real quick, I have something very pressing to take care of." He walked over to the collapsed Mind and placed his hand on it. The stranger focused, his Light radiating around him. The Mind dissolved into a swarm of small, glowing cubes that flew through the air, into the stranger's hand. His body tensed as he absorbed the energy, before slackening again.

"What did you just do?" Lancer questioned.

"Little trick I picked up," he responded, "I destroyed the Mind. This way, it won't be able to come after us again." Royal watched in awe.

"That's incredible," the Warlock praised, "Can you teach me how to do that?"

"Maybe," the stranger said, "It's a… difficult technique. In the meantime, I just realized you haven't told me your name."

"Oh, right," Royal said, "I'm Royal-6, Warlock of the Last City." The stranger froze and slowly turned to face him.

"Well ain't amusing," he said. Royal and Lancer shared an awkward glance.

"Why so?" the Ghost asked. The stranger responded by reaching up and tugging off his helmet. Royal's optics widened in shock as his own face stared back at him.

"Because I'm Royal-6."


"Wait," Lilith did a double take, "There's two of you?"

"No," Royal deadpanned. Lilith let out a sigh of relief.

"Good, because I thought-"

"There's way more than that." He would be lying if he said he didn't find a small amount of joy in the Witches pathetic squeak.

"So you met yourself?" Amity prodded. The Guardian nodded.

"I met many versions of myself, hailing from different realities," he said, "The Vex Domain is the place where timelines meet." He turned to Eda.

"Remember my first night here, when I told you I met alternate versions of myself?" The Witch nodded as the pieces clicked together.

"We all share the same name," he elaborated, "And roughly the same face. But make no mistake, there's no other Royal like me."


Royal and his duplicate stood back to back, holding their ground against the Vex. Royal fired off his auto rifle, blasting a few Goblins to pieces. Champion spun his glaive with impressive dexterity, slicing and stabbing with reckless abandon. The two had settled on a more convenient method of distinguishing each other. Hence, Royal had chosen the moniker of Scholar, while his older companion chose Champion. It was an awkward arrangement, but it worked.

"You've got some moves, Brother," Royal complimented, grabbing a Hobgoblin by its neck and slamming it into the ground.

"You're not half bad yourself," Champion replied, impaling a Minotaurs optic and blasting it with his glaives built-in gun.

"Where's the Mind directing the Vex forces located?" Royal questioned. Champions Ghost, Renegade, popped out beside him.

"I am unable to locate the Mind," she reported, "However, there is a large concentration of Vex forces nearby."

"Yeah, I was just about to say that," Lancer quickly added, not wanting to be outdone.

"Let's not keep our generous hosts waiting then," Champion said, charging toward Renegades' ping.

"You should probably follow him," the Ghost said, "Please."

"Yeah, of course," Royal concurred, setting off after his Brother. Wherever Champion went, he left scores of butchered Vex in his wake. No mercy was shown, no quarter was offered. Royal almost felt a little bad for them. For the most part, he ignored it. Champion stood on the edge of a large overhand, looking down at the battlefield below.

Royal and his Brother watched yet another Vex army doing battle with two other Guardians. A massive Titan was completely surrounded by Vex, much to their misfortune. With each swing of his fist, dozens of Vex exploded in Arc Light. Not far away from him, a vague shadowy figure dashed through their lines, dropping grenades and cutting with knives.

"More Guardians," Champion commented, "I guess the Vex Domain is just the place to be nowadays."

"Do we go down there?"

"Here, I'll take the right, you take the left."

"But there's twice as many on the left!" Royal complained. Champion flashed him a smug grin.

"Yeah, I can count." With that, he jumped into the air, pointing his glaive at the ground and laughing maniacally.

"I hate it when he does that," Renegade sighed, sounding exhausted. Royal elected to stay where he was, drawing his rocket launcher and bombarding the Vex horde. For a while, everything went smoothly. As the last of the Vex collapsed, the Titan made his way over to Champion.

"We appreciate the assistance stranger," he thanked while Royal dropped in behind his Brother, "The Light provides."

"The Light?" Champion scoffed, "You praise the Traveler when we are the ones who aided you!" Royal placed a hand on his Brothers shoulder to calm him. Champion glared at the Titan and Hunter, taking note of the Dark weapon slung on her hip.

"Jeez, who crammed a grenade up his ass and pulled the pin?" The Hunter asked, propping herself up against her Titan companion, only to be pushed off.

"Sorry about him," Royal apologized. He held out his hand, "I'm called Scholar. This is Champion."

"Your mothers must've hated you," the Hunter snipped, shaking the Warlocks hand, "Name's Royal and this big lugs name is also Royal. We're One and Two respectively."

"No no," the Titan objected, "I'm One, you're Two."

"Wait, you're also Royal's?" The Warlock questioned. The two nodded, and Royal rubbed his helmet in confusion.

"This is starting to get confusing," he muttered, "Two, four, how many Royals are there?"

"Theoretically infinite," Champion remarked, "Infinite timelines, infinite Royals."

"What are the odds we all ended up here?" The Hunter asked as her Ghost flew out from behind her.

"It sounds like you- Have the shittiest luck in the Universe! -are some kind of Universal constant," he theorized. The Titan's Ghost appeared as well.

"If you're all done with the family reunion, I've got a massive Vex reading bearing down on us!" She panicked. The four Guardians tensed up as a massive Vex teleported in near them. It rose up, staring down at the Lightbearers with its malicious gaze.

"Fathoria, the Rusted Mind," One (maybe Two) grimaced as he balled his fists.

"Well, it's about time!" Two (possibly One) cheered, drawing her knives. Champion pulled out his glaive as Royal Began to summon his Solar Light. The Minds gaze passed over the four before lingering on Champion. It froze, before stepping back and teleporting away.

"Did it just… run away?" One (or was it Two?) asked while Two (unless it was One) cursed in frustration and threw her blades on the ground.

"A mystery for another time," Champion said, "We have to get back to finding a way out Brother."

"Of course," Royal agreed before turning to the other two, "Care to join us? After all, who can you trust more than yourself?" Champion pulled him aside while One and Two conversed.

"Brother, we don't need them," he argued, "The last thing we need is a blind devotee and a follower of Darkness."

"Like it or not, they're kin," Royal countered, "Besides, strength in numbers."

"We'll join you," the Titan said, "Better than wandering around here aimlessly."

"Great, now we'll probably need a different way to refer to you," Royal said, "How about… Paladin and Venator?"


Royal swung his blade through the air, cleaving at his opponent's neck. They raised their own blade, parrying his blow. They retaliated by bringing the hammer end of their glaive around. Royal dashed back, narrowly avoiding the attack. He lunged back forward, stabbing at his foe. They pulled their blade back, catching Royal's strike and batting it aside. The two continued to struggle, locked in their duel while their audience watched.

"Which do you think will win?" Venator asked. Beside her, Blip calculated the outcome.

"While Scholar has seen considerable improvement, I believe that Champion still outclasses him in this regard."

"I'm with Blip," Paladin mused. Thatch chirped slightly.

"Don't count him out just yet, he might surprise you."

"He's just a rookie," Paladin chuckled as Champion pushed Royal back and swiped the glaive out of his hand, "Barely six months out of the grave. Champion has been fighting for centuries. Maybe even longer than me." The two Guardians had their helmets off, revealing faces that matched Royals. Paladins was slightly bulkier, featuring additional armor plating, whereas Venators was slim and had black stips running over her scalp.

"Don't be so quick to judge," Champion said calmly as he forced Royal back. He casually parried the Warlocks blows before sweeping out his legs. Royal fell onto his back and instantly had a blade held up to his neck.

"I yield," he said. Champion flipped his weapon around, holding the staff end out to the Warlock who gratefully accepted it.

"Good showing, little Brother," he said, pulling Royal back to his feet. Champion picked up Royals glaive and held it out to him. He accepted, looking down in disappointment.

"Don't beat yourself up, Brother," Champion comforted, "I've had more fights than Venator's had lovers." The Hunter whistled, impressed.

"Damn, you are old." Champion smirked, about to respond, before letting out a gasp of pain. He doubled over, clutching his arm. Royal acted quickly, charging a healing grenade and pressing it into his Brothers chest. Champion let out a sigh of relief, shaking his arm.

"Thanks, Brother."

"It's getting worse," Paladin said bluntly, "I know that destroying the Minds we encounter is important, but the effort is destroying you."

"It doesn't matter," Champion dismissed, "This is too important."

"Maybe if you told us how you ended up here, we could help," Venator offered. Champions expression darkened considerably.

"The rest of you are here by chance," he said, "I'm here by choice. Let's leave it at that." He turned sharply and walked off. Venator looked over at Paladin and shrugged. The Titan sighed and shook his head.

"I'll go talk to him," Royal said. Paladin nodded and Royal ran off to regroup with Champion. He could see his brother conversing with his Ghost. Not wanting to disturb them, he waited out of sight.

"I know you're hurt," she said, "But this… this isn't the way to fix it. You're going too far."

"I haven't gone far enough," Champion whispered back, "Those monsters turned from the Light, swore their souls to the Darkness. I will not live in a Universe where Light fades and Dark prevails. History will not remember me as the man who stood by and did nothing while everything burned."

"And what about the others?" Renegade hissed, "What if they do not accept it?" Champion flexed his hand, letting Vex data spiral around it.

"Then they'll meet the same fate as the others."

"Brother?" Royal finally spoke up, "Are you alright?" Champion jumped slightly, spinning to face his brother. He pointed his glaive at the Warlock, only to realize who it was.

"Sorry, I'm fine," he said, "Just going through some things."

"If you need some help, I'm right here," Royal offered. Champion weighed it up for a second.

"You know, you're the best of us all," he said suddenly. Royal's brow furrowed.

"What are you talking about, I'm nothing compared to Venator, Paladin, or you."

"You downplay yourself, Brother," Champion said, "Venator strays close to the Dark, always one wrong step away from damnation." Royal didn't miss how his voice seemed to coil with hostility. It was no secret that he disproved of Venators wish to stray from the Light.

"Paladin is a good man, but he's too orthodox," Champion continued, "He would never be able to understand. And me? I'm the greatest failure of us all."

"How are you a failure?" Royal questioned. Champion let out a mirthless laugh.

"As I said earlier, my presence here is a choice. I hail from a dark timeline, where the Darkness won and the Traveler fled. Mankind lies in ruins. I was sent here by an old specter from my past. Our past. There is more I could tell you, but I need to know that I can trust you unequivocally."

"You can," Royal said with determination. Champion grinned, summoning a spiral of data.

"Then let's get to work."


It was difficult to tell just how much time had passed. It could've been days, it could've been millennia. The Guardians trekked on regardless. Along the way, they met other Royals. Some joined them, others did not. All were temporary though. A few may have even died and been erased, leaving no memory of their existence.

"The Rusted Mind has been through there," Venator said, pointing toward a large structure in the distance.

"You're certain?" Paladin questioned.

"Do you really need to ask?"

"Yes."

"That's enough," Champion said, gazing at where the Mind was supposedly hiding. It had been a thorn in their side for a while now and they were here to rid themselves of it. The group had been hunting Minds for a while now. This one continued to evade them, ever since their first encounter. Champion clapped Royal on the shoulder.

"What's the plan?"

"Wait, what?" The Warlock asked, dumbfounded, "Why are you asking me?"

"Think of it as your final trial," Champion whispered. Royal nodded.

"Sister, what was the strength of Fathoria's forces?"

"Nonexistent."

"Perfect," Royal turned to Paladin, "Brother, you and I will charge up the center. Draw its attention. Venator, you sneak around the flanks and bind it. Once it's tied up, we'll bring the beast down. Then, Champion comes in for the killing blow."

"Sounds good to me," Venator said cheerfully. Paladin flashed a thumbs up. Royal turned to Champion, waiting for his response.

"Simple, but the most effective plans tend to be."

"Fewer moving parts means fewer things that can go wrong," Royal grinned.

"Then it's a plan," Champion said, "Let's move." The others set off. As they did, Champion clutched his wrist, feeling the data stored within himself rising up again.

"Hold it together," he muttered, "Just a little bit more."


"So Champion was your teacher?" Luz asked, finally sitting up, "Like you taught me."

"I… I do not want to be compared to him," Royal whispered.

"Why not?" Luz pushed.

"We're getting to that," Royal said, regret hanging in his voice.


Royal dodged a shot from the Rusted Mind. The shot scoured a deep hole in the ground. He pulled out his rocket launcher and fired it. The Mind avoided the rocket by teleporting across the arena. Paladin jumped onto its back, blasting away with his shotgun. While the Mind tried to shake him off, Venator ran overhead. She summoned a bow of Void Light and pulled back on the string. She released it and let the power fly through the air. Void tethers landed near the Minds legs, binding them together. Champion dove in from above, plunging his glaive into the Mind. It screeched and collapsed. The four Guardians regrouped near its corpse.

"Now that was a display of power!" Venator cheered, dropping down to her Brothers, "Scholar, you got some moves in the air!"

"A Dawnblade with no wings is like a gun with no trigger," he replied.

"And Paladin, the way you lept on its back without a care in the world!"

"It was nothing."

"And of course, there's the man who finished it," Venator continued, turning to Champion. He wasn't paying attention, instead staring at the defeated Mind.

"This is the last one," he whispered.

"Sorry?" Venator asked. Champion turned in surprise, almost as if he had forgotten they were there.

"This Mind," he elaborated, reaching out for it, "It's the last one I need."

"What do you mean?" Paladin interrogated.

"I haven't been entirely truthful with you," he said "I'm not destroying the Minds. I'm absorbing them."

"What!" Royal shouted. The three Guardians stepped back.

"It is as I told you, Brother, I am here with a purpose." He placed his hand on the Mind and absorbed it. The data swirled around his hand as he held his glaive in the other.

"We must look outside of the binary that has governed us for so long," he preached, holding both hands out, "Light. Dark. Both have brought nothing but ruin. I reject the duality and forge my own truth." He combined the swirling Mind data and his glaive into one, forging a new weapon. His glaive had been transformed into one forged of glowing blue matter. Physical data was clutched in his hands. His optics changed in color, from the usual proud orange to a burning, hateful crimson.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Royal asked. Behind him, Paladin readied his rifle.

"Scholar, back away," he ordered.

"Be not afraid, my kin," Champion soothed. His voice had become harsh, with multiple others overlaid on top of it.

"What have you done?" Royal asked again.

"I have ascended," Champion explained, "Bent the Vex to my will." His head jerked back as his eyes glowed brighter. He opened his mouth, only for a thousand voices to emerge from it, all screaming different things.

"That doesn't sound like dominance," Venator said, pulling out her Malfeasance. Champions gaze instantly snapped to it, glaring at the Hunter.

"With this power, I shall return to my time and eradicate our foes. Mankind will survive, because of us!"

"You are deluded," Paladin challenged, "The Vex cannot be controlled. You are nothing but a puppet." Champion writhed again as the Vex within him tried to take control.

"Brother," he pleaded, staring at Royal, "I know you will understand. Join me, and together we can reclaim Humanities birthright!"

"You did this to yourself," Royal muttered in shock, "Willingly? You use alien power you do not understand! This… this is not salvation!"

"You are all so quick to judge," Champion scoffed, "I knew they would not understand, Scholar, but I hoped you would be different. Oh well, you have already done enough. None of this would've been possible without you."

"You used us!" Royal shouted, "Was anything you said genuine? Or was it all twisted manipulations from the Vex?"

"Oh the Vex tell me many things," Champion replied, "But my actions are entirely my own. Alas, they were right. This time. It appears that every Royal in every other timeline is destined to oppose me." He reached into transmat, pulling out a long cord. Numerous Ghost shells hung from it, empty and Lightless.

"Kinsman," Paladin questioned in horror, "What have you done."

"This one, a ruthless Warlord from the Dark Ages," Champion said, gesturing to one Ghost, "This one, a fresh New-Light of immense potential. This one, a deserter who never wished to pick up arms again." His finger finally ended on the shell of Renegade.

"This one, an eternal nagging presence who would not listen to reason."

"You've been slaughtering your own kin?" Venator was disgusted, "Your own Ghost?"

"None of them understood," Champion admitted, "Regretfully, I now find myself with three more Ghosts to add to my collection."

He lunged into action, bringing his new glaive down on Venator. She dove out of the way and summoned a flurry of Solar knives. She flung them at Champion, only for the twisted Exo to simply raise his hand. The Vex Domain obeyed, raising a wall to protect him. Paladin charged through it, shield in hand. Champion snapped his fingers, teleporting behind the Titan. Before he could cut his Brother down. A beam of Arc Light crashed into him. Royal fired his Chaos Reach into his fallen Brother. Champion raised his glaive, projecting a shield from it to protect himself.

"It's like I said, Scholar!" He shouted, "You are the best of us! But you are unable to make the hard choices!" He pulled the trigger on his weapon, firing a spread of Void projectiles into the Warlock. He let out a grunt of pain as it punched through his shields. As he dropped his super, Venator lept toward her fallen Brother, knives drawn. Paladin wasn't far behind her, his fists carving through the air.

"Weak," Champion criticized, parrying Venators knives and striking her in the face with the shaft of his weapon.

"Predictable," he scolded, spinning around Paladins punch and blasting him in the back. Royal screamed in anger and drew his glaive, charging to meet Champion.

"Undisciplined," he scoffed, blocking Royal's attacks. Pushing the Warlock to the ground, he prepared to deliver the killing blow. Suddenly, his body hitched as the Vex tried to seize control again. Different voices spoke through him.

"We are…"

"...A timeless chorus…"

"...Unity of purpose…"

"...The end of suffering…"

"...Join the pattern…"

"...And let us…"

"...Sing your bitter resolve!"

"You are not in control," Champion painfully forced out, "I AM!" Reasserting control, he looked back down at Royal, glaring in rage. His expression soon morphed into one of shock, and then confusion. Looking down, he saw Royals glaive impaled in his chest. He feebly grasped at the wound, unable to pull the blade out. Royal pushed him off the blade and Champion stumbled back. Paladin rushed forward, striking Champion in the face with an Arc-powered fist. While Champion stumbled back, Venator flipped over his back, swiping at his face. She dropped to one knee, letting Royal push off her shoulder and stab his Dawnblade through the traitors shoulder.

"Your treachery ends here," Royal spat.

"This is not defeat," Champion gasped, "I lose nothing but time. Let resignation be my final virtue." The light in his optics went out and he slumped over, lifeless. His body dissolved into data, fading into the Vex Domain. And thus, Royal-6 the Champion was no more.

Royal-6 the Outcast had been born.


No one at the Owl House knew how to process that. Fighting someone was one thing, killing them was another. But being forced to slay another version of yourself? That was something none of them could grasp.

"I should've known," Royal despaired, "All the signs were there. But I was so desperate for someone I could look up to. Paladin had been trained by Lord Shaxx, Venator by someone called the Drifter. I had no one. Thrown into my life after life without any guidance. And in my foolishness, I let him trick me." He stared into Luz's eyes, regret filling his optics.

"Entire timelines are in danger, and it is all my fault."

"Royal, you can't keep blaming yourself," Lancer began, only for the Warlock to hold up a hand.

"At least, that's what I kept telling myself for the longest time," he continued, "Then, something happened."

"What?" Luz asked.

"I met all of you."


Royal marched through the Vex Domain without direction or purpose. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he care. Paladin and Venator trailed behind him, conversing among themselves.

"He's taking this pretty hard," Venator whispered. Paladin sighed, nodding in agreement.

"He is strong, he will endure."

Royal stopped as Lancer scanned the surrounding area. His grip around his glaive was tight. Paladin walked up behind him.

"Lancer, what have you found?" He asked.

"I'm detecting a weak point in the Vex Domain," the Ghost reported, "If my calculations are correct, which they always are, it should lead back to Venators time."

"Sounds good," the Hunter said, "I wouldn't want to deprive the women of Sol any longer." As Lancer, with Thatch and Blips' help, pried at the Vex Domain, the ground began to shake. The three Guardians looked around uncertainly. Outcasts' actions had caused great strife in the Vex Domain. Now, they were seeking vengeance. And the Vex did not distinguish between Royals.

"Synegorus is drawing closer," Royal said bluntly, "Lancer, Thatch, Blip, what's the status on that portal?"

"Give us a second," Lancer said, "Aaaaaaaand we are good." The ground began to spin into a vortex. Venator stepped up to it, peering into the abyss.

"It should take back to your own time," Thatch reported, "We don't know exactly where you'll end up, but it should be in Sol."

"What are the odds?" Venator asked.

"Thirty-Seventy," Lancer said bluntly.

"I'll take it!" She turned back to her Brothers, taking off her helmet and snapping a lazy salute, "End of the line. It's been a pleasure to meet you, but I imagine it was an even greater pleasure to meet me. See you around Brothers." The other Guardians offered their farewells and she slowly tipped back, falling into the portal. Blip flew in after her and the vortex collapsed.

"You know, I already miss her banter," Paladin said somberly, "What's next Brother."

"We find you an exit," Royal said, not leaving any room for argument.


Paladin crouched behind his barricade, reloading his rocket launcher. He swung it up and aimed. After a half-second, he pulled the trigger. A flurry of tracking rockets flew out, detonating in the Vex lines. His optics widened and he quickly raced back as a massive chunk of Vex data crashed down where he had been. Synegorus flexed a talon, uprooting another chunk and flinging it at the Titan.

Before it could reach him, Royal plummeted through the air, swinging his Dawnblade. He cleaved the data in two and landed with a large burst of flame. He looked back at Paladin and the two Brothers nodded.

"Enslavers," Synegorus rumbled, shaking the Vex Domain with its voice, "We have come for you!"

"They just don't know when to quit, do they?" Paladin asked, "What's the status of the exit?"

"Shouldn't be too much longer," Royal replied, firing his pulse rifle into the Vex army, "Thatch said it's almost ready." The two began to fall back as the Vex pursued without any concern for their own well-being. Synegorus watched dispassionately, summoning more Vex forms to aid it. Royal and Paladin ducked into the cavern where their Ghosts were waiting. They partially collapsed the entrance, temporarily slowing the Vex.

"Good, you're here," Lancer greeted, "We're ready to go." True to his words, the vortex spun to life. The cavern shook as the Vex drew closer.

"There's too many of them," Royal said as Lancer and Thatch both slipped away, "We need to get out of here."

"Brother, come with me," Paladin offered, "I know it won't be not your time, but anything is better than here."

"No," Royal shook his head, "You go. I'll hold them off." He lightly slugged the Titan on the arm.

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

Paladin reluctantly nodded and stepped up to the portal. He turned back to face Royal and banged his fist against his chest. Royal returned the gesture and the Titan slipped into the portal. The Vex Domain shook once more and Royal drew his glaive.

"Never thought it would end like this," Lancer quipped, "I've got your back, all the way."

"This is not our end," the Warlock said, dropping into a combat pose. The Vex finally broke through his defenses and charged down the tunnel. Royal took in a deep breath.

"Fight for the living," he whispered calmly. The first Vex, a Harpy, turned the corner and he instantly lunged at it.

"Kill for the dead!"


"There's not much more to talk about after that," Royal said, leaning back in his seat, "I managed to escape the Vex Domain and crashed here. And, well, you all know the rest." He paused, letting his story sink in.

"What I'm trying to get at, Luz, is that we've all made mistakes. Big ones at that. I should've known what Outcast was doing. But we are measured, not by the weight of our failures, but by how well we can bear them." He stood up and walked to the base of the stairs.

"Just, think about it, alright?" With that, he left. He walked back to his room, taking a seat on the floor. Pulling off his helmet, he leaned back against the wall and sighed.

"Bravo," a mocking voice said from beside him. He looked up at them and caught sight of a familiar red and black specter.

"That was quite the speech," the Nightmare of the Outcast derided with false applause. He leaned in closer to the Guardian, grinning madly.

"Little Brother."


Mic drop. That's right. Paladin and Venator are alternate-timeline Royals. I've been sitting on that plot point for a while now. But I've left little breadcrumbs and hints throughout the previous chapters. Also, learning who Royals Nightmare from chapter 22 actually was. The best part is, we're not done with that. Expect more of Champion/Outcast as we move on.

Thatnewguy11: Technically I did in this chapter, as Champion/Outcast is wielding Vexcalibur.

OMAC001: Royal is very old school on the Light vs Dark debate. Not quite Shayura snap-and-murder-stasis-users level but he views it as ontologically evil.

GodzillaMaster: No he will not. Edge of the World will be the next chapter, sorry to keep you waiting.

SolarisHez: I was on Hatred/Find the color duty during day 1, so I was getting thrashed. What's the point of perfectly optimized tier 10 resilience and triple void resist if I'm just going to get 1-shot anyway?

I'm afraid I don't have the usual ending bit for you all this time. I had one planned, but given recent news, it just didn't feel right.


Royal walked up to the edge of the cliff overlooking the Boiling Seas. Lifting a large, flat stone, he planted it in the ground. He ignited a finger and began to carve into the stone. Once he was satisfied, he stood up and backed away. His hand raised into a salute.

"Farewell, Commander. It was an honor to serve under you."

RIP Lance Reddick

June 7, 1962 - March 17, 2023

"What we have built is only the beginning, a symbol of what we can achieve."