Hello, you wonderful people; we are back with Chapter 27. I combined the Investigation and the Ghost into one chapter since the Investigation is a pretty short mission overall. And, oh boy, that was a mistake. These campaign missions make for loooooooooooooooong chapters.

If you enjoy it, feel free to leave a review saying what you liked. If you dislike it, feel free to leave a review sending Royal to some much needed therapy (Read: Getting squished between Elsie's thighs).


Chapter 27: Through Shadow and Smoke


"You are not brave. You've merely forgotten the fear of death. Allow me to reacquaint you." - Dominus Ghaul of the Red Legion


After the forging of Iris's new glaive, the Guardians were forced to limp back to the Tower, licking their wounds. Apparently, Commander Zavala had requested their return as soon as possible. Their actions on Mars had not gone unnoticed, and the leader of the Cabal had come to parley. The remnants of the Cabal Empire and the Last City had held a tenuous peace for a few months while whatever disparate rogue Cabal elements did as they wished. They weren't allies, but they weren't at war either. An emissary of the Cabal had even been invited to the meeting with the Isles as a show of good faith. Unfortunately, whatever faith had been built up was thoroughly dashed.

The four entered the hangar of the Tower. The usual activity had ceased, and all personnel had seemingly vacated the area. Only a few people were left, clearly amid a heated debate. Iris took the lead as they headed toward the source of the argument. Crow wasn't far, leaning against a stack of crates as he balanced a knife on his palm. As they approached, he turned to acknowledge the Guardians, shooting Iris a wry grin.

"Not sure I'd go in there if I were you," he said.

"Don't think we really have a choice," Iris replied, pushing past him. Crow gave a morose nod before sheathing his knife and falling in.

"Whatever you did, it really pissed the Cabal off," Crow whispered to Luz. "Don't suppose you'll tell me?"

"Maybe later," Luz replied. She stopped as they arrived at the meeting. Though calling it such felt disingenuous. It was evident by the atmosphere that tempers were short, and blades were within reach. On one side were two Titans: Commander Zavala and a second grizzled man, whom Luz recognized as Saladin Forge, the last of the Iron Lords. Saladin spared the new arrivals only the briefest glance, though Luz swore she saw the slightest tilt of his head toward Iris. On the Cabal side were two Psions, one of whom Royal recognized as Yzmet from the treaty. Accompanying them were a score of massive Cabal soldiers clad in baroque blue armor bearing proud crests and heraldry. The last was none other than Empress Caiatl of the Cabal.

The alien woman was massive, easily twice as tall as either Titan she faced off with and with the bulk to match. She even managed to make Royal appear short. Her armor was fashioned from gold with deep, elaborate engravings. A matching warhammer was slung over her back, with a head as thick as Luz's entire chest and no doubt twice as heavy. A pair of proud ivory tusks sprouted between the gaps of her elaborate helmet. A few teal feathers adorned her armor, contrasting her glowering eyes. Luz didn't need to see her face to know that the Empress was pissed.

"The rules of engagement had changed!" She snapped, glaring at Saladin. The Iron Lord scoffed, shaking his head.

"I don't need to listen to this." His voice was gruff and sharp like untempered flint. It spoke of a man who had a scar for every year of his ancient life.

"Guardians," Commander Zavala said, turning to address the newcomers. "What fortuitous timing."

"Indeed," Caiatl said, holding her rage in check as she cast an appraising eye over the Guardians. Luz saw Royal tense, his fingers curling into a fist. Caiatl seemed to notice as well, though she refrained from commenting. Eventually, her gaze passed on to Luz, then Amity.

Caiatl sneered. "It appears that your Guardians are only getting shorter, Commander." Crow barely suppressed a snicker at that remark, prompting Saladin to glare at him.

"I'm fresh from performing Cabal funeral rites," Caiatl continued. She turned to Iris, leering over the Hunter. "Care to explain?"

"Our condolences, Empress. Your warriors fought and died with honor." It was Royal's turn to scoff, averting his gaze from the Cabal as he did. Iris quickly dug her elbow into his side to shut him up. "But we must focus on the greater enemy before us." If the Empress's height intimidated Iris, she certainly didn't show it.

"We can all prevent future losses if we choose to put the incident on Mars behind us and work together," Zavala said, drawing Caiatl's focus away from Royal. Zavala withdrew a small holo-projector from his belt and activated it. The device flickered as it displayed an image of the Hive Sentinel Luz and Royal had fought. "What we discovered there is a threat to both Humanity and the Cabal."

"You want my help?" Caiatl asked though it was clear the question was rhetorical.

"Want is a strong word," Royal muttered, receiving another elbow from Iris and a glare from Caiatl for his trouble.

"You need my help," she said, stressing the word need. The servos in Royal's knuckles audibly whirred, so tight was he clenching them.

"I don't know how the Hive came into possession of the Light," Zavala said, once again pulling Caiatl's focus off the Warlock. "Ikora will find out. In the meantime-"

"Invincibility lies in the defense," Caiatl said. "The possibility of victory in the attack."

"Sun Tzu," Saladin noted with curiosity.

"I've read your texts," Caiatl said dismissively. She turned back to Zavala, staring at the hologram for a moment. "You want us to hit them?"

Zaval deactivated the holo-projector and stowed it on his belt. "I need us to hit them. Hard." Caiatl chuckled at that, a strange war-lust in her eyes.

"Very well, Commander," she said. "I will overlook the incident on Mars this one time, and you shall have my legion's aid."

Zavala was visibly relieved. "Thank you, Empress. I'm certain we can-"

"But it will not do for us to start this alliance on such uncertain ground," Caiatl said. "Such a thing is doomed to failure. We must all be of clear mind." She turned to Royal, her eyes hungry with challenge. "You. Purple one. Something gnaws at you. Speak."

"Your Eminence, that may not be wise," Luz said, stepping forward and putting a hand across Royal's chest before the Warlock could speak.

"I am not addressing you, child." Caiatl didn't even turn to address her, staring at Royal's faceplate. "I wish to hear from him."

"What do you want to hear?" Royal asked. "Do you want platitudes? Threats? Pleas for fucking mercy?"

"Royal, you're out of line," Zavala said.

"Yes, Commander," Royal snapped. "But so is everyone else." He jabbed a finger at Caiatl. "What right do you have to be here, in this city? What audacity has clouded your mind that your wretched kind is welcome here? After what you did to us?" His last question came out as a shout, filled with such fury that Luz physically recoiled.

"The rage of a veteran facing his enemy," Caiatl chuckled. "You fought in the Red War?"

"I did more than fight," Royal spat. "I lost. I bled. I suffered. All because of your people! How many Legionnaires that once marched under Ghauls banner now rally behind yours? More than you can count, I'd imagine!"

"Royal, you need to calm down," Amity said. She tried to set a hand on his shoulder, only for the Exo to shrug her off.

"I don't know why I'm the only one who cares." He was ablaze now, fire rolling up and down his body. He glared at the Empress with a hatred usually reserved for the Vex. "I WAS THERE! ON THE GROUND! IN THE FRAY!" He took a moment to force his breathing to calm. "I remember what your kind did to mine. Rest assured, I have repaid that pain a thousand times over."

"Yet you still wish to avenge your kin?" Caiatl asked. "An honorable endeavor. I would invite you to keep avenging, all the way up to me." One of her hands wrapped around the pommel of her warhammer, inviting a challenge. For a moment, Luz thought he was about to draw his blade and attack the Empress. She didn't know what to do in that circumstance; try to restrain her mentor or stay out of the fray. However, as she watched the Exo for any signs, his body began to shake. This wasn't just rage; Luz had been around him enough to tell. This was something else. Grief, sorrow, and perhaps a tinge of fear.

Without warning, Royal spun on his heels and stormed out of the hangar. The fires on his body gradually receded as he rounded the corner and vanished from sight. Everyone watched him go, a melody of expressions and moods. Luz looked at the group, slowly inching away.

"I should probably make sure he doesn't set something on fire." With that, she turned and ran after Royal as fast as her amplified legs could carry her.


Royal stumbled through the Tower as though he were moving through a haze. He shoved past other Guardians, ignoring the chatter of the Tower as people moved about. He spared the briefest glance at that one pair of Guardians, somehow still dancing even after all this time.

Ignoring the noise as best he could, he moved into a secluded corridor and slumped against the wall. His mind flashed with fire and blades. He could hear the people screaming, see Cabal drop pods crashing from the sky, and feel their flesh tear in his hands.

He tried to take a deep breath to calm himself. It didn't work. The Cabal had always been a sore spot for him. He resented the Fallen, but it had never been this personal. He hated the Vex, but that had always been for what they did to him specifically and the threat they could pose. But the Cabal? Oh, how he loathed the Cabal.

"Royal, look at me," Lancer said. His Ghost floated before him, watching through one concerned optic. "Breathe in. Breathe out."

Royal closed his eyes and took a slow, shaky breath. He forced the air back out and repeated the cycle. Time faded away, receding into the background. Visions from that day still haunted him. The day that the Red Legion sieged the city, shattering its walls and slaughtering innocents. To have them here in the city as guests was a betrayal to all those who lost their lives, civilian and Lightbearer alike. He could still hear the screams as he sank to the ground.

He heard someone take a seat beside him. He didn't need to look up to know who it was. "I want to be alone, Luz."

"I'm sure you do," she said. "But I don't think that's what you need."

"And you know what I need?"

"I have an idea," Luz said. "I can tell that you're hurting."

"You never saw the Red War," Royal said. "And Traveler willing, you will never see anything like it. The things I saw. The things the Cabal did to us…" He stopped, bringing a hand up to his face as if to wipe away tears that did not exist. He stopped, resting his fingertips against the steel of his faceplate. "I wasn't much older than you are now."

"I've gone through the records," Luz said. "I think I get it. I may not have the same connection with it now as I did then, but I was a hurricane of emotions when I heard that the Hive were invading the Isles. I wanted the Hive to hurt. I wanted them to suffer. I hate them." She spat out those last words like a wad of venom. Lightning arced between her fingers, but she didn't seem to notice.

"It's those moments that make me wish I could still cry," Royal said, dragging his fingers down his cheek and curling his hand into a tight fist. "Something, anything to help me grieve. To let the pain physically leave my body." His fist began to shake. "But that was stolen from me, and I am left to mourn the shattered lives. With each strike, I avenge them."

"You don't have to forgive them," Luz said. "But the Cabal have lost their home as well. To Xivu Arath. We all share a common cause."

"Forgive me if I'm not exactly feeling sympathetic."

"Royal, you can't keep doing this to yourself. Bottling your anger, your hatred up like this until you explode… it's poisoning you."

Royal set a hand over his breastplate, feeling his reactor humming in his chest. His heart, his true heart, may have been long since gone. But sometimes, he swore his reactor would beat. Despite everything he may wish, there would be no tears today.


After Iris and Zavala ensured that the situation with the Cabal wasn't in danger of spilling over into open war, the Guardians returned to Mars. The Hidden had been hard at work securing a landing zone to move supplies to and from the Throne World. Thanks to their efforts, the Guardians had a foothold.

Royal, Luz, and Amity transmatted into Savathûn's realm, landing in the same garden they had first entered. Amity took a moment to marvel at the sights before her while Royal and Luz dispersed. The area was devoid of Hive, though psychic energy was laced into the air. As they moved, the radio crackled to life.

"Ground team, how you guys looking?" Gus asked.

"We're clear," Royal said. "No issues with our landing." He looked ahead to the temple where they had confronted Savathûn, then to the gate locked behind Hive seals. "The way forward is still blocked."

"Eris says that Throne Worlds are a reflection of the minds that sculpt them," Gus said. "Knowing Savathûn, the way forward likely won't be obvious." The line fell silent as Royal approached the gate to inspect it more closely.

"There's more than just Light here," Amity said, kneeling and running her hand through the crimson leaves of the bushes. "There's magic in everything."

"Savathûn did spend years studying the Isles," Luz said. "Makes sense she'd take something with her."

"But how did she weave them together?" Amity asked. "Every time we've tried, it always ends poorly. How does Savathûn understand the intricacies of magic so well?"

"Every step leaves us with more questions," Luz said. "I'm still trying to figure out why Savathûn even allows us to be here. She must know that this is the one place she's vulnerable."

Amity didn't respond, not having an answer to give. The two continued their investigation, poking around for anything that might lead them in the right direction. Despite that, Amity's mind couldn't help but wander back to her earlier question. It continued to nag at her. Just another question atop hundreds.

Luz scanned the exterior wall, looking for hidden alcoves or paths. The Throne World offered nothing in the way of revelations. As she walked down the path, she passed through a particularly dense clump of psychic energy. She stopped, staggered by the sheer mental pressure of the thing. Her mind was submerged in ice-cold water, drowning in the depths of some frigid wasteland.

Leaning against the wall, she fought against the psychic energy. Savathûn sought to command and dominate. It was how she had stolen the Light: through subversion and usurpation. Now, Luz would turn that very treachery against her.

Light burned within her, slowly pushing the psychic assault away. She curled her arms near her head, fighting to push the Darkness from her brain. Shadows bled from her eyes, and the energy retreated. Luz gasped at the sudden whiplash, wrenching her eyes shut and shaking as the coldness slipped out of her mind.

The Darkness finally faded, and the Throne World buckled to her will. The wall morphed, revealing a hidden passage leading into the shadowy depths of Savathûn's mind. A layer of fog clung to the air, obscuring the truth of Savathûn. Where it had appeared resplendent, in truth, it was horrid and poisoned.

Luz stepped into the damp tunnel, hand cannon held at the ready. Aurora floated over her shoulder, illuminating the passageway. Shadows dashed across the wall, morphing strange shapes. Images of Thrall dove at her, swiping with intangible claws. Walls appeared and evaporated, trying to send her in circles. But she pushed through, dispelling the illusions and revealing them for the falsehoods they were.

The wall before her melted away, and she returned to the false sunlight of Savathûn's Throne World. She found herself on the other side of the barrier, standing before a long pathway leading into the depths of the Throne World. The stairs before her crept upward, beckoning her forward.

Her radio suddenly sparked to life as someone sought to establish a connection. A private line opened between Luz and an unknown caller as they tuned into her frequency.

"You're not supposed to be here," the stranger hissed. "This place isn't safe for Guardians."

Luz set a hand on the side of her helmet, trying to clear the static in the transmission. "Who is this? Are you with the Vanguard? Identify yourself."

"That's need-to-know information, pal. And you don't. Need to know, that is." Who this stranger was, he seemed to be having some difficulty properly getting his words out. "Look, just get out before Savathûn and her light-up goons realize you're here." The line went dead with a final burst of static, aggravating Luz's ears as she tried to reconnect.

"That call originated from elsewhere in the Throne World," Aurora said. "Matched the usual signal of a Ghost."

"Maybe one of Ikora's Hidden made their way further in," Luz proposed.

"Then why would they want us to leave?" Aurora asked.

"Only way to find answers is to find them," Luz said, returning to the gate. "Let's focus on that first." She approached the Hive runes from behind, once again passing through a cloud of dense psychic energy. With a wave of her hand and a push from her mind, she dispelled Savathûn's enchantment. The barrier fell away, allowing Royal and Amity through.

"I was wondering where you got off to," Royal remarked as he stepped through. "Looks like you've found the way forward."

"You weren't worried that I got nabbed by Hive?" Luz asked, somewhat off-put by the Exo's comment.

"We knew you could handle yourself," Amity said, striding past the two. Royal shook his head.

"I knew you'd be fine," Royal said. "She was a nervous wreck."

"He's exaggerating," Amity shot back. "I was moderately concerned at worst." Luz glanced between the two, unsure of who to fully believe. She pushed the question to the back of her head and joined their march.

"There's something else, I was contacted by someone in the Throne World. They really didn't seem to want us here."

"One of Ikora's agents?" Amity asked.

"Possible, but unlikely," Royal muttered. "More plausible, it's another trick of Savathûn, meant to mislead us. I would ignore it."

"Any lead's a good lead when you have no lead," Amity said. "We should investigate." Royal seemed to relent as they entered a large chapel. Large swathes of pastel and fuschia shimmered on the walls as they passed, beguiling them with the beauty of the Throne World. For all her evils, Savathûn certainly did have an eye for good color composition.

Eventually, the chapel led them to a massive courtyard that stretched as far as the eye could see. Savathûn's palace dominated the landscape, stretching up like a bowl meant to hold the stars. Rows of bloody hedges outlined paths of pearly bone. Savathûn's Lucent Brood was on guard, patrolling the courtyard for any sign of intruders.

The Guardians set upon the Hive in a flash of violence. Blades, bullets, and Light blazed at the two sides set into each other. Royal, in particular, burned bright, exceeding his usual brutality. The Hive were torn apart, disembowled, and left to whimper in piles of smoldering flesh.

"I know you talked to him, but are you sure he's ok?" Amity asked Luz as she blocked a sword swipe with her shield, retaliating with an Abomination-enhanced strike. "I'm not so sure he should be out here. Seems like a danger to himself."

"At this point, I think he just needs to work it all out," Luz said. Amity didn't seem terribly convinced but elected to let it slide. As they continued to fight, Luz's radio sparked to life again. Aurora opened the call to all their channels, allowing the others to listen in and speak themselves.

"Hey, hey, hey! You're stirring up the Hive," the stranger complained, audibly panicked. "This is exactly why I told you to leave!"

"Whoever you are, time to start talking," Royal said. "What do you know about the Hive stealing the Light?"

There was a pause as the stranger stopped to weigh up his query. "So that's why you're here, isn't it?"

"That's need-to-know," Luz replied.

"Yeah, yeah." There was another pause, accentuated by a strange organic clicking sound. "Look, alright, I really shouldn't be doing this, but come meet me outside the fortress. Just be discrete, alright?"

The line went dead again, leaving the Guardians to continue carving through the courtyard. The Hive fought fiercely but lacked the numbers to truly resist. As her arms flowed along the current, Luz pondered why Savathûn's forces were so thin. Surely she would know they were here?

Eventually, they reached a path leading out of Savathûn's fortress. A Swordbearer Knight bared his teeth at the Guardians as they approached. With a shout, a squad of Acolytes began to lash a pair of Ogres chained to a winch. The Ogres howled and pushed on the wheel. A massive gate of jagged metal bars slammed down, barring the path. The Swordbearer charged at Royal and the two locked blades. Luz flung lightning at the Acolytes while Amity's shield tore through the Ogres.

"Hey! What did you do?" The stranger shouted. "Oh, you've triggered the alarm! The Hive are gonna be swarming all over this place. What happened to being discrete?"

"Discrete isn't really our style," Amity said as Royal split the Swordbearer in half. Holstering Lament on his back, he approached the gate. His hands were instantly set ablaze, and he gripped the bars tightly, trying to melt through. The metal refused to warp before him, remaining firm and unyielding.

"It's enchanted," he said, relinquishing his grip. "We can't force it open. Amity, grab the winch and help me get it open."

"Why me?"

"You're a Titan," Royal said, grabbing one of the spokes. "Do Titan things." Amity rolled her eyes and summoned a pair of Abominations to aid them. While they pushed against the wheel, Luz watched the gate as it rose. As it did, the distant sounds of gunfire could barely be heard over the screeching metal.

She slipped under the half-opened gate and looked ahead. The path veered sharply to the right, with a large pit resting to the side. The bottom was obscured by dense fog, utterly obscuring it. She walked around the bend and approached a small garden with an archway at the other end. The garden was filled with Savathûn's Hive doing battle with ranks of Scorn wrapped in hastily bolted-together yellow metal. Stalkers and Acolytes clashed, tearing each other apart with claws and mauls. Screebs detonated in the Hive ranks, spraying boiling Ether over Savathûn's forces. Luz crouched near a large row of shrubbery as Royal and Amity caught up with her.

"What are the Scorn doing here?" Amity asked. "I thought they only acted if someone was directing them."

"They're supposed to," Royal said. "And Fikrul's been too busy hiding from the Black Fleet. Not even the Hidden have been able to find him. There's no way he could coordinate an assault on Savathûn's Throne World."

Before them, a Knight and a Wraith were locked in a bitter melee. The Hive's sword and the Scorn's blazing torches smashed together as the Guardians prepared their weapons. The Wraith tanked a slash to his chest, the blade easily tearing through his rotting flesh, and retaliated by burying his torches in the Knight's face. The Knight howled as burning ashes spilled down his chitin, cooking him alive. Should the Wraith be capable of relishing in his kill, he wasn't granted the chance to, as Royal's sword split him in half.

He looked up, already preparing to charge into the fray. Before he could take a step, a lightning bolt slammed into his chest and sent him flying back. He slammed into the ground as smoke rose from his chest. Amity had to raise her shield to block a similar strike. The air filled with ionic charge that clung to their armor. Across the way, leading the Hive defenses was a Wizard wielding Arc Light in her hands.

She screeched and fired more bursts of electricity. Amity rushed to the side as she absorbed the blasts with her shield. Luz retaliated with lightning of her own. Their bolts collided in midair, exploding in brilliant flashes of blinding blue sparks. Amity slowly stalked closer to the Lightbearer Wizard, trying to flank her. She charged the Wizard with gritted teeth, leaping into the air as she reared back for a vicious punch. A flick of the Wizard's wrist sent a lightning bolt into Amity's chest. More Scorn descends upon her, forcing the Witch to try and fight them off.

Royal groaned as he pushed himself up. His artificial nerves were shot, and it felt like his brain was on fire as every fiber optic and circuit was shooting off signals at the same time. He looked up, seeing Luz and the Wizard locked in battle while Amity was forced to deal with the clashing armies.

Royal tried to surge forward, only to yet again be forced down by a bolt of lightning to the chest. His body screamed as electricity racked every wire within him. Energy ravaged his internals, sending him into overdrive. His optical lenses threatened to burst from the overload. Slowly, he absorbed the Arc into himself, letting it charge him. He propelled the energy outward as a massive beam of crackling electricity directly into the Wizard. She raised a hand to deflect his Light with her own, trying to redirect it as he did. Luz quickly joined him, unleashing her own beam. The Wizard screeched as the flesh on her hands peeled away, revealing stark bones. Her skin and meat boiled, evaporating into the air. A pained howl tore free from the Wizards' lips, shrill and piercing like the lash of an electrical shock.

The Wizard collapsed to the ground, her body disintegrating as her atoms tore free and dissipated. Royal immediately charged forward, seizing her Ghost and gripping it tightly. He forced down the wave of revulsion that inevitably followed and crushed it. A shockwave of Light rushed outward, disturbing Luz's robes and Amity's mark. Royal slowly lowered his hand.

"Our mystery contact isn't much further," Royal said, his voice devoid of emotion as he suppressed a lot of things he wasn't ready to confront right now. "It's about time we got some answers."

Luz crouched beside the pile of charred ash that used to be a Lightbearer, gazing at it with a melody of thoughts in her head. "I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing Hive wield the Light. Or Ghosts willingly serving them."

"All Ghosts were created after the Collapse when the Traveler sacrificed itself to save Humanity," Aurora said. "It was its last act before falling dormant. These Ghosts had thousands of opportunities to choose Humanity. Instead, they passed right over you and chose one of the Traveler's oldest enemies."

"We do not know that it was a choice," Royal said. "It may yet be another trick of the Witch Queen. Corruption, or something similar. Have faith, Aurora. The Traveler has not forsaken us."

The radio crackled to life once more, the signal clearer than ever. "Hey, did you take care of the Hive yet?"

"We're getting close," Amity responded. "Sit tight, we're almost there."

"I'm just ahead in the Quagmire. Big pit of mud and Scorn; can't miss it. Just… please don't shoot." The line went dead again, leaving the Guardians to move forward as they pondered that last statement. True to their informant's words, the Quagmire was crawling with Scorn. The zombie-Fallen proved little more than fodder as they hurled themselves at the Guardians, only to be cut down like the infestation of vermin they were.

As they cut through the Scorn, they drew closer to the origin point of the signal. They rounded a bend that took them above the swamp and into a shallow cave. There, waiting for the trio, was a Lightbearer Knight. They immediately prepared their weapons, only for the Knight to remain unresponsive. He was slumped against the wall, his body limp and his eyes dull. Royal nudged the Knight with his foot, and his corpse fell to the ground with a dull thud.

"It's… dead," Amity said. "Our contact must be a Hidden agent. Who else could've killed this thing?"

"Not exactly…" the voice of their contact said from the shadows of the cave. The three Guardians instantly swung their weapons to face the source of the noise, prompting a startled beep from the contact. "Easy! No shooting, remember?"

"Step where we can see you," Royal instructed. "Keep your hands in the air."

"Yeah, that may be a problem." To their surprise, a Hive Ghost flew out of the cave. His optic of glistening green fire darted between the three nervously as his shell twitched. Luz noted with some small amount of concern that one of the tusks of his shell was broken, leaving him somewhat lopsided. Their own Ghosts also came out, each giving the newcomer a different look. Lancer seemed mostly confused, and Aurora appeared slightly indignant. Strangest of all, Pal seemed to be sheepishly avoiding the Hive Ghost's gaze, even going so far as to skulk behind Amity.

"You brought us here?" Aurora asked, no small amount of venom dripping from her voice. Luz gave her Ghost a strange look, unprepared for the sheer amount of vitriol from her partner. The Hive Ghost sighed, his shell rotating awkwardly as he looked over the six.

"Just let me explain, please," he said. "Name's Fynch. And that pile of ash and bones behind me is… was my Guardian."

"What happened to him?" Royal asked, curling his fingers anxiously, as though he were ready to snatch Fynch from the air and crush him.

"The Scorn happened," Fynch said. "And I- well, I left him like this. Now that we've got the awkward out of the way, it's nice to meet you. For real real."

"Whatever the Hive did to you, you're safe now," Luz said.

Fynch seemed confused. "They didn't do anything to me. Well, nothing weird by Human standards. Long story short, all us wandering Ghosts gave into the Hive believing we'd finally found our purpose. It was actually Immaru's idea. I knew I shouldn't have listened to him, but by the time I realized I'd made a mistake, it was too late to back out. Peer pressure's a hell of a thing."

"How can you so brazenly defy the Traveler's will?" Aurora asked, clearly disgusted. Fynch gave his best equivalent of a shrug, but surprisingly, Pal spoke up first.

"Pretty easy to do when the Traveler's will is so nebulous," he muttered. "It never talks to us. Never guides us. It brought us into existence and left us to hang. Kinda hard not to grow resentful after a while."

"Exactly," Fynch said. "But then you see Hive Guardians blowing up Humans with the Light, and you start to question things. So now, here I am. Stuck in the mud. Literally, I guess."

"That's all very fascinating, but Savathûn is planning something," Royal said. "We need to get to the bottom of it. And as far as I'm concerned, you are a traitor to the Light." He reached out with his hand and set it on fire. Fynch stared at the crackling flames, and despite lacking a face, Luz could tell he was nervous.

"Hey, easy! I'm not interested in picking fights," he hurriedly said. "Cool it with the threats, man; we're on the same side."

"I've been hearing that a lot lately," Royal said, his gaze unwavering. "Doesn't mean I believe a lick of it."

"Well, regardless, I have leads, and you don't," Fynch said. "Crush me, and you'll be wandering in the dark. What do you say we help each other out? You scratch my shell; I scratch yours." Royal stared at the Ghost for a moment before meeting Lancer's gaze. The two shared a silent conversation before Royal finally grunted and extinguished his flame.

"There, now we're friends," Fynch said. "And as a boon of friendship, there's an old Hive temple filled with secrets of Savathûn not far from here. If you want to dig up some clues, that seems like a pretty good place to check."

"That does sound like a pretty good lead," Luz said. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"That's all I know," Fynch said. "It's a bit hard to get places by myself. And I've got a feeling this guy won't be in the helping mood should I wake him up." He limply gestured toward the rotting body of his Guardian. "The what and why is your field. I'll stay out here and keep digging up what I can. Sound good?"

"Not without supervision, you won't," Royal said.

"What, you don't trust me not to go squealing to Savathûn?" Fynch asked. Royal responded with the slightest tilt of his head to the Throne World around them. Fynch nodded in response. "Alright, fair enough."

"Amity, you mind babysitting?" Royal asked. The Witch gave a sharp nod in reply.

"I won't let him out of my sight."

"Perfect, I'll send you guys the coordinates. Just be warned, the Scorn are tearing this place apart, and the Hive aren't exactly calm either."

"Then we have a plan," Royal said. "Amity, stay safe. Luz, let's go."

"Stay safe yourselves," Amity said as they left her with Fynch. The two waited in uncomfortable silence, Amity fiddling with her pulse rifle and Fynch occasionally twitching.

"So… you're one of those Witches I've been hearing about," Fynch said slowly.

"How can you tell?" Amity asked, narrowing her eyes under her helmet.

"I don't have to be inclined to the mystic arts to feel the magic radiating off you," he replied. "You know, I felt something similar not long back. Though this was way more powerful. And her citadel is practically drenched in the stuff. Savathûn used it to help sculpt her Throne World in the first place."

"Paladin did mention that Savathûn made off with an artifact of some kind," Amity muttered. "Though he seemed hesitant to actually disclose what it was to anyone other than the Vanguard and his siblings."

"Right…" Fynch's voice trailed off, and his gaze darted to the side. "I'm gonna go sort through some of my findings if it's all the same to you." He drifted back to the cave. Amity glanced at a stack of mottled papers covered with messy scrawl.

"You can write?"

Fynch laughed. "Trust me, it's not easy. But when the closest thing you have to a pair of hands is currently laying on the ground doing his best impression of a lump of rocks, you get real good, real fast. Wanna help me sort through 'em?"

"As tempting as that sounds, I have some things of my own to work on," she said. Fynch rolled his shell, producing a bony click for his efforts. Amity stalked into the Quagmire, close enough to keep an eye on their newest 'ally' while still giving herself the space to work. The Hive assault on the Isles had driven home just how weak she was. Her Light was fine; nothing incredible, but more than enough to get the job done. It was her magic that had suffered. Ever since those Tombships first split the sky, she had been relentlessly working to reacquire her old strength. The results had been less than promising.

She drew a spell circle, forcing her magic outward and commanding a large Abomination to take shape. She could feel her heart pumping and her bile sac filtering the energy through her veins. It was so familiar, exactly as it had been all those years ago. But now there was something else. She hadn't noticed it at first, attributing it to wear or some kind of after-effect of resurrection. Eventually, it had just faded into the back of her mind. But now that she was looking for it, she could easily feel it.

As magic flowed from her body to the world around her, something resisted it. It served as a dam, stemming the tide and bottling her up. Logic told her that it could only be one thing: her Light.

"Light and magic don't mix," she muttered, her voice tinged with frustration. Her muscles strained as she tried to shift her body into sludge and become one with her summons. It had once been so effortless, as easy as breathing or pumping blood. She pushed hard, straining her magic as hard as she could. She hadn't confided this struggle in anyone outside of Carolyn; who else would understand? Royal, in all his variants, were machines whose bodies could not truly feel. Willow and the others had no understanding of the disconnect between lives. Even Luz, despite her talents, could never know what it meant to have magic flowing through her veins—Aside from her brief stint as a Titan, those circumstances were hardly common and it's not like she even remembered that anyway.

Ultimately, Amity's efforts gained her nothing. No matter how hard she pushed, the Light would not budge. She tread through the thick swamp, the air heavy and damp enough to rust the armor on her back. Amity's boot sank into the mud halfway down her calf, and the Witch let out a curse as she tried to free her leg. All the while, Pal watched her with silent judgment.

"Great, wonderful," she muttered. "Stuck in a world sculpted by Savathûn's mind, fighting off Hive wielding the Light, and now my boot is SINKING INTO THE DAMN MUD!"

She managed to pull her leg free from the muds cold embrace. It let out a sickening squelch as she stumbled back. She retched as the thick sludge dripped off her armor.

"So magic slime is perfectly fine, but this is too dirty for you?" Pal asked with audible annoyance that bordered on contempt. Amity frowned but elected to ignore her Ghost.

"Of course, that's not to mention that apparently, Savathûn is somehow BETTER THAN ME AT FUCKING MAGIC!"

"Traveler above, can you do anything but whine?" Pal hissed. "From the moment I dragged you out of the grave, it's been nothing but incessant bitching. 'These bullets hurt.' 'I'm starving.' 'Why doesn't she love me?' Not everything is about you!"

"And I just had to get stuck with a Ghost who's so far up his own ass, he'd rather actively sabotage us than help me out for once in his MISERABLE LIFE!" Her previous attempts at ignoring her Ghost had long since failed, and she was now practically screaming at him. Pal contracted his shell tightly as he matched her glare.

"To think I was created to find you," he spat. "It's a sick joke. You're a disgrace of a Guardian and even more so a Titan."

"I'm sorry that everything hasn't been easy, but I'm doing the best I can," Amity hissed. Ghost set a paw against the side of Amity's head, purring gently as she tried to offer some form of support.

Pal scoffed. "Well, ain't that depressing. You're not even good at the one thing that sets you apart."

"Why do you even stick around?" Amity snapped. "What's stopping you from leaving my body in a pit? Why do you insist on burdening me with your presence?"

"You think I haven't considered it?" Pal asked. "I was alone for centuries. Nothing but my own thoughts to keep me company and prayers to a silent creator to keep me safe. The only thing that kept me going was the thought that I might eventually find my Guardian. And just when I was about to give up all hope, I finally found who I was made for. My partner. My other half." He looked down at her, his optic glistening with years of pent-up anger directed entirely at her. "And you're the person I find. But I have a job to do, despite my feelings on the matter."

"So I'm a disappointment to you?" Amity asked.

"Obviously!"

"WELL AT LEAST WE CAN AGREE ON THAT!" Amity threw her hands up as she screamed at Pal. The Ghost flinched under her shout, visibly taken aback. Amity breathed heavily as she continued glaring at him. Eventually, she turned away and waved him off. "Why don't you just leave so I can get back to figuring this out on my own like I've had to since you raised me."

"You've never been on your own," Pal scoffed. "You've been surrounded by Guardians who've been watching your back since you got to the Tower."

"And what about before then?" Amity questioned. Pal was about to respond, only to realize he had nothing to say. His shell retracted, prompting a nod from Amity. "Sure, I've had other Guardians looking out for me. But only because I sought them out. And I had to seek them out because you weren't doing your job. The person watching my back is supposed to be you, but you were only ever doing the bare minimum. Aurora has been looking out for Luz since day one, and she has my gratitude for that. Royal and Lancer have been inseparable for as long as I've known them. All the other Witches get along just fine with their Guardians. Did you ever consider that the outlier here is you?"

Pal didn't seem to have an answer for that, averting his gaze slightly as he thought. To his chagrin, Amity wasn't wrong. The Witch saw her Ghost relent and sighed.

"Look, I get that I wasn't what you were expecting," she said. "But I was brought into a foreign time and place with nothing but the rags on my back. You never talked to me. Never guided me. You brought me back into existence and left me to hang. It's kinda hard not to grow resentful, isn't it?"

The two fell silent, listening to the distant cries of Scorn crawling through the muck. Amity's words seemed to have struck a nerve, leaving Pal contemplative. Eventually, the Ghost contracted his shell and faded, leaving Amity in silence. The Witch sighed, and her shoulders slumped.

"I don't know what I was expecting." She turned back to the swamp around her and resumed her practice. She would need to be as strong as possible to confront Savathûn.

Seeking another approach, she inspected the fabric the Throne World was woven from. She could taste the magics spliced together, Isles and Hive, cast in a mold of Light. How had Savathûn done it?

She cast a spell circle, cutting into Savathûn's domain. A sharp pain sliced at her finger, and she recoiled, crying out in pain. At the moment of contact, a strange coldness flowed between the Throne World and her.

"Fine," she hissed. "Keep your secrets."


Royal and Luz crept through the damp caves of Savathûn's realm, up to their ankles in mud and up to their necks in Scorn. The wretched zombie Fallen threw themselves at the Guardians with reckless abandon, only to be cut down with little in the way of acknowledgment. The Hive were also present as they went further down. A few Shriekers dotted the caves, serving as Savathûn's eyes. They were swiftly gouged out.

As they went further down, the caves grew dark. Shadows loomed over them, stretching across the cave ceiling to fully envelop the Guardians. Sacs of luminous fluid clung to the cave walls, providing scant glimpses of orange light. Their Ghosts lit the way as they descended.

"Fynch, we're getting close to the temple," Lancer said.

"Woah, woah, woah, hey! No names over the radio," Fynch objected. "Don't want the Lucent Hive catching on to our little friendship."

"Fair enough," Lancer replied. "Mind telling us what it is we're looking for anyway?"

"Oh, right." There was a pause as Fynch ruffled through his notes. "You know the old Warlock, Osiris? Well, Savathûn has his Ghost! Or, what's left of her."

"You mean Sagira?" Royal asked.

"Bingo, that's the one. You know what happened to her? How she… you know. I bet that's how Savathûn was able to wear Osiris's skin. Must've been key to how she stole the Light."

Royal and Luz shared a look as they crept through the tunnels. Even under his armor, Luz could tell that Royal was wary. She shared the feeling.

"It's certainly a theory," she said.

"I'm sensing some skepticism," Fynch replied.

"We still don't know you," Luz said. "And you're very eager to help us out. Can you really blame us?"

"Hey, look—you're not the only one taking a risk with trust here. I bet you'll change your tune once you find Sagira's shell."

"Assuming it's even there," Aurora said.

"If you have a better idea, feel free to turn around."

Royal ran his hand over the stone and grimaced. "I don't like it, but he's got a point. Trap or no, this is the only lead we have." As he spoke, the two entered a large cavern held up by pillars. Hive and Scorn were tearing each other apart with gunfire and explosives. Moths detonated in the Scorn ranks as the Hive attempted to breach a doorway the Scorn were defending. Waves of Scorn threw themselves onto the Hive blades, slowly driving them back.

As the two sides clashed, there was a crack of fire. A barrage of searing hot knives flew into the Scorn ranks like a hail of comets. The piles of decaying flesh burned in the dull light of the cavern. Two Lightbearer Acolytes strode forward, one flipping a burning knife while the other hefted a boomer cannon. They shared a few words through guttural barks before the one with the knife summoned a pair of knives and charged the Scorn. The other laid down covering fire from afar.

Royal signed to advance, and the two snuck closer. The closer Hunter continued firing as they drew closer, his cloak swaying from the recoil. Royal reached up to draw his sword, and the Hunter whipped around, lightning sparking between his fingers and molding itself into a long staff with a curved blade at the end. The Acolyte swung the guandao at Royal in a wide, crackling arc. The Warlock barely managed to throw himself back, narrowly avoiding having his neck cut clean through.

While Royal backtracked, Luz was already stepping forward to blast the Hunter into atoms. As she did, more Solar knives buried themselves in her robes and armor, pinning her to the ground. Luz gritted her teeth in pain as the two Hunters charged. Royal's Dawnblade was a blur as he tried to hold off both Hunters. They were swift and relentless, effortlessly covering each other as though they had been fighting side-by-side for centuries.

Luz pried the burning knives out of her partially melted armor and drew Coldheart. The weapons fusion reactor activated with an audible hum as Luz brought the sights to her eye. With a pull of the trigger, a beam of concentrated electrical energy bursts from the emitter. The beam scythed through the air and slammed into the Arc Acolyte. The Hive cried out in pain as his flesh was cooked. He held out his guandao and spun it, projecting a barrier between himself and Luz that absorbed the beam. Now free to solely focus on one Hunter, Royal pressured the knife-wielder.

Luz's target spun out of the path of her beam and threw his polearm at her. The blade punctured her shoulder, dragging her back and pinning her against the wall. Luz barely silenced a scream as the blade ground against her bones, and lightning lashed at her body. Raising her trace rifle with her free hand, she fired again. The Hunter held up his hands to try and block the beam. His flesh boiled, melting off his bones as he slowly pushed toward Luz.

Coldheart beeped as its battery began to run low. Luz discarded the weapon and wrapped her fingers around the shaft of the guandao. Biting back a curse, she tore the blade out. Her left arm hung as a limp, mangled mess while she dropped into a one-handed stance. The Hunter's hands crackled with lightning as he charged. His fists were almost too fast to see, leaving Luz with little time to dodge. She jabbed at the Hunter with her good arm, trying to find an opening that wouldn't result in her getting her skull caved in.

Luz ducked under another strike that shattered the stone behind her. She buried her own fist in the Hunter's ribs, only for it to be deflected. The Acolyte retaliated with a backhand that cracked Luz's jaw, knocking a few teeth out of her mouth. A burst of lightning escaped from her palm, driving the Hunter back.

Aurora finished repairing her other arm, and she brought it up just in time for the Hunter to charge her again. She blocked his jabs and strikes, moving with the blow to mitigate the damage. As she did, Royal was still locked in his duel with the Solar Acolyte. Sparks flew from their blades, melting the stone around them into magma.

The Hunter continued pressuring her with a flurry of blows that Luz only barely managed to block. The blows hammered against her arms, slowly pushing her against the cavern wall. Royal noticed and shoved his own quarry away. He spun, slicing the air with his blade and sending a lash of fire at the Acolyte. The Solar Hunter drove his knives into Royal's back while he was turned, but the attack had achieved its purpose. The Arc Acolyte staggered, his cloak set ablaze by Royal's flames. Luz quickly capitalized, grabbing hold of his chest and positively exploding with lightning. The air between the two burst with energy, disorienting the Hunter. Luz pulled back and switched to Void, cycling the abyssal power in her grip. She struck the Hunter again, and the antimatter in her fists detonated, atomizing the Hunter and leaving nothing but his Ghost and a pile of ashes.

Luz flung a Void orb at the other Hunter. The orb latched onto its quarry and began leeching off him, sapping the Hive's strength. Royal, searing knives still buried in his body, tore free from the Acolyte's grip and swung his Dawnblade. He sliced upward, vertically bisecting the Hunter. A single line of singed flesh and carapace divided the Hunter into two symmetrical halves that slowly separated, spraying burning blood and charred meat on the ground. The two Humans quickly snatched the Ghosts and, after bracing themselves for the backlash, destroyed them.

Luz felt her stomach churn as the Ghost died in her hand. She doubted that she would ever get used to that sensation. Royal breathed heavily as he dragged the knives out of his body. Lancer was already resealing the holes in his metal.

"You good?" Royal asked, looking to Luz as he readied himself to deal with the clashing Scorn and Hive.

"For what it's worth," Luz managed to force out. Royal nodded and drew his hand cannon. He opened fire on the nearby battle, not caring who or what he hit. Luz reloaded Coldheart and opened fire as well, slicing through the horde with her high-powered, ionized beam. It was only a matter of seconds before both armies were finished, leaving the two in a cavern filled with the reek of bloody death.

"Hey, how's it going down there?" Fynch asked as they pushed through the door the Scorn had been defending. "You found anything yet?"

"Just more traitorous Ghosts serving the hive," Aurora spat. "They got what they deserved. Good riddance."

"So, by that logic, I should be crushed to dust too, huh?" Fynch asked.

"I'm still not convinced you shouldn't," Aurora shot back. As she did, the two Guardians entered a vast chasm cast in shadows. They skirted alongside the edges of their ledge, leaping from outcropping to outcropping.

"That's some pretty blind judgment there, my friend," Fynch said. "Easy for you to preach from your hill when you found your Guardian."

"Meeting you confirmed a suspicion: siding with the Hive was a choice, one you all made willingly."

"Making a choice doesn't always mean you have multiple options, you know?" Fynch replied. "I'm not saying buddying up with the Hive was the best call, and yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah—maybe a lot of us deserve what's coming. But me—I'm just a guy trying to write my wrongs."

"What matters is that you're trying to be better," Royal said quietly as they drew closer to the exit, signified by light shining through the rocks.

Fynch audibly perked up. "Yeah. That's gotta count for something."

"That's surprisingly forgiving of you," Luz said as they dropped to the cave floor. "Who imparted this wisdom upon you?"

Royal didn't look at her as he marched forward. "You did."

Luz smiled as they reached the end of the cave. The stone receded, giving way to bright sunlight that baked the mud-encrusted foliage. The air was damp and humid, so filled with moisture that it felt like wading through an ocean. The area before them was a field of dark plants leading up to the base of a large temple.

A powerful, mechanized groan filled the air. The ground shook under heavy steps, and the Guardians quickly slipped behind the rocks as a Scorn walker lumbered into the clearing. A horde of Stalkers led by a Chieftain walked alongside it. The Chieftain barked a few guttural growls and hisses, and the Stalkers dispersed.

"Fynch wasn't lying," Luz said. "The Scorn really are dug in. They must be here for something important."

"Which still raises the question of why," Lancer chirped. "The Scorn are mindless; what could be so important that it would have drawn them here?"

"I already told ya, they're here for Sagira," Fynch said. "The Scorn being here should be all the proof you need."

"This screams of a trap," Aurora muttered.

Fynch beeped as he tried to defend himself. "Aw, come on—look, interrogate me all you want, but I am not hiding anything. I promise."

"Honesty goes a long way with my Guardians," Ikora said, suddenly cutting in over the radio.

"Ikora, good to hear you," Royal said as he moved around the tank, carefully taking note of the Scorn's strength. "We're closing in on a lead right now."

"Ikora Rey," Fynch mumbled, slightly awed. "Wow. I always wanted to work for the Vanguard."

"With, not for," Ikora corrected. "Do right by us, and we can discuss a more permanent role once Savathûn is dealt with. Now, Guardians, what have you found?"

"If Fynch's reports are true, we're closing in on Sagira. Or at least, what's left of her," Royal said. "With luck, she might be able to offer some insight into Savathûn's ambitions."

"Understood, proceed with all due haste. When you find anything worth reporting, let me know." The line went dead, and Luz prepared her grenade launcher.

"Time to go loud?" She asked.

Royal hefted his rifle. "You know it." The two spun out of cover and opened fire, blasting the Scorn to pieces with gunfire. The Chieftain growled and brought his own weapon to bear. Luz beat him to the punch, summoning a staff of frost and launching an entropic blast at him. The Chieftain's snarl died in his throat as his body froze.

Luz slammed her staff into the ground, releasing a shockwave that shattered the Chieftain. The walker groaned as it swung to face her. The front of the

spider tank began to glow before it belched a storm of fire. Luz dove out of the way while Royal opened fire on one of its legs. He hammered the metal plating and the walker retaliated by unleashing a flurry of missiles.

He dashed out of the way as the missiles exploded, flinging shrapnel in every direction and nicking the hem of his robes. Royal reloaded his rifle while Luz leaped atop the tank's missile pods. She planted the barrel of her grenade launcher in the silo, braced herself, and squeezed the trigger. The reaction was instant as the walker's top was consumed in fire. The machine staggered, struggling to support its own weight.

The walker collapsed to the ground, and the protective covering on its engine slid off. The ramshackle machinery underneath was white-hot as acrid smoke poured into the clear sky. Royal lined up a grenade and sank it directly in the center of the engine. With a burst of Solar Light, the machine was silenced.

"Walker destroyed," Luz said, walking over to Royal and offering her fist. He bumped his own against it, and the two moved into the temple. With some exertion, the doors were forced open, leading to a large atrium with a deep pit in the center. Royal kicked a nearby rock down the shaft, listening to it clatter against the walls.

"I really don't wanna go down there," Luz said, staring into the obscured depths.

"Too bad, 'cause that's where Fynch's coordinates are pointing us," Royal replied. "See you at the bottom." He jumped over the edge, dropped into the pit, and descended into the Temple of the Wrathful. His boots slammed into the soggy ground, immediately coating his lower body with mud.

He took a few cautious steps forward as Luz landed behind him. They were in a large, underground chamber with a raised podium in the center. Another pit waited in the heart of the podium, though it was barred by fangs of green fire. Rotted pillars supported the roof overhead, cracked and overgrown. Long hallways stretched in every direction, shrouded in shadows with a thick aura of malice.

As Royal stepped forward, a loud crash occurred, and something heavy slammed into the ground. A large line of flame raced out of the darkness, heading straight toward Royal. He dashed out of the way, rolling over the ground and raising his rifle. A massive Scorn stomped out of the darkness, dragging a barbed flail leaking flame over the ground.

The Scorn growled, thick trails of rancid saliva leaking from under his eyeless helmet. With a loud snarl, he swung his flail over his head, bringing it down toward Royal. The Warlock narrowly dodged out of the way, barely escaping the waves of flames that erupted from the point of impact.

"That is one big Scorn," Luz said, firing her machine gun into the creature's side as he dragged his flail out of the ground. His free hand lashed out at her, forcing her away. "I think we have a Baron on our hands."

"The same Barons that Prince Uldren created to rule the Scorn?" Fynch asked. "That's not possible, they're all dead… aren't they?"

"Iris slew most of them years ago," Ikora confirmed. "And the Fanatic has been in hiding for a while now."

"Whatever it is, it's trying to kill us," Royal said as he dodged another wave of flame. He emptied his rifle magazine into the Scorn's helmet. Most of his rounds bounced off harmlessly, prompting a mocking laugh from the monstrosity. The Scorn's body faded away into a trail of dark ether, and he slipped away into the central chasm. The barrier of Hive magic faded away, inviting them further down. Royal and Luz gathered around the edge and peered into the depths. The distant cackles of the Scorn could still be heard.

"That thing knows what we're after," Royal said. "He's taunting us. These Scorn are organized. Powerful."

"If they act, it's because someone is telling them to," Ikora said. "Perhaps Fikrul is still exerting his will over his children."

"Eh, I don't think so," Fynch said. "Savathûn's Throne World is drenched in Light. It's supposed to be capital P powerful; keep anything Dark out. And yet, somehow, the Scorn found their way in. Makes you think they found some kind of power to match, huh?"

"We are seriously out of our depth here," Luz muttered.

"All you can do is stay focused on the task at hand," Ikora instructed. "Get in there and find Sagira. Then we can start unraveling Savathûn's web of lies."

"You ready for one more drop?" Royal asked.

Luz sighed. "Not really, but when has that ever mattered." The two jumped down the final pit, landing in a large chamber where the Scorn was waiting for them. It was dimly lit, with the only light coming from their Ghosts, sacs of that strange fluid, and the Scorn's flail. The remnants of a statue lay in the middle of the room, though everything above the knees had been shattered to the point of becoming unrecognizable. Sure enough, between the feet of the statue and bound in a small cage of Hive magic was none other than Sagira. Her shell was dormant, utterly devoid of Light. An aura of perversion emanated from the shell; the sheer wrongness of whatever Savathûn had done clinging to what was left of the Ghost.

"Lightbearers," the Scorn growled, his voice scratchy as though his vocal cords were untested. "Welcome to… final place."

"Hand over Sagira, and I'll make this quick," Royal said, gunning Lament's engine. The Scorn was visibly amused by the Warlock's threat.

"You are… key… to break cage," he said, slightly slurred. "Brutiks shall… serve… where maker turned." Brutiks hefted his flail, letting it slowly rotate in his grasp as he glared at the Warlocks. "Say… goodbye."

Brutiks surged into motion, swinging his flail overhead. It smashed into the roof, breaking through the bony material as he brought it down. Debris rained on the Guardians as they tried to avoid the weapon. Royal instantly went in with his sword, cutting away at Brutiks's calves. Luz bombarded him with lightning as he pulled his flail back around.

The massive burning weight swung around the room in a wide arc, illuminating the deepest recesses of the chamber. Bruktiks swung low, sending the massive flail at Luz. She leaped into the air, narrowly clearing the weapon. The flail slammed into the wall, tearing out a huge chunk as Brutiks yanked it back to himself. He tried to stomp Royal, forcing the Dawnblade back. Brutiks swung again, this time taking out a pillar on the side of the room. The ceiling buckled, raining dust and fragments of bone down on the combatants.

"Will pull… this whole temple… down on you… if must," Brutiks snarled. Gaining an idea, Luz charged her arms with lightning.

"Come on, big and ugly, look at me!" She shouted, firing electricity from her fingers. Brutiks roared as his rotting flesh boiled and charged. He swung his weapon at Luz. She dove out of the way, allowing him to shatter another pillar. Royal quickly caught on and began planting small Solar charges in the nearby supports.

"Luz! Lead him back here!" He said over comms. Luz obliged and raced over to him with Brutiks hot on her heels. The Scorn thundered through the chamber, shaking the ground with his feet. Luz soon found herself backed into a corner between Royal's sabotage and Brutiks. Grinning, she charged at the Scorn. He raised his flail over his head, preparing to crush her flat beneath it. She slid as the weapon came down. Seconds before impact, she let her body fade into pure energy. The weapon slammed into the ground as Luz—now a being of raw lightning—slid past him. Royal snapped his fingers, instantly igniting the charges he had set.

The chamber rattled as Solar fire consumed the supports. The ceiling above Brutiks began to cave in, buckling beneath the weight of the temple above it. Brutiks looked up and raged at the temple as it collapsed atop him. Royal and Luz put as much distance between themselves and the downpour of debris as possible, praying that they wouldn't be buried under the temple.

After a few moments of painful waiting, the sounds stopped. Brutiks was nowhere to be seen, buried underneath a massive pile of stone and rubble that spilled into the room. Despite that, the temple seemed to be holding up well enough.

"Ikora, the Scorn is dust," Royal said. "We're moving to secure Sagira."

"Understood," Ikora said. "Eris already has an idea of what to do next. Regroup with us at the Enclave once you're done. Good work, Guardians."

Luz knelt beside Sagira's Lightless shell. The cage snapped at her, Hive magics lashing out to protect Savathûn's prize. She shook her hand, cursing softly as she nursed the sting. She poured her Light into her palm and tried to pry open the shield. To her surprise, it opened for her without complaint. She reached out to take the shell, offering her condolences to the life lost.

The instant her fingers touched the shell, there was a burst of psychic energy. Darkness gripped her mind, gently plucking at her neurons. Royal seemed to feel it as well, swaying under the sudden presence.

"I stand before a being with a thousand names." Savathûn's voice emanated from the shell and echoed through Luz's mind, bouncing off the inside of her skull. "It whispers one above all others: the Witness. Remember it. Remember that name."

The psychic force receded, fading to the back of Luz's mind. Royal shook his head to clear the miasma from his brain.

"Did you hear that?" Luz asked. Royal grimaced and nodded.

"Hard not to," he muttered. "What the hell is the Witness?"

"I was kinda hoping you would know," Luz admitted. Royal gave his head one last, forceful shake.

"Whatever it is, we've got what we came for. Let's get out of here."

Luz stood up, gently cradling Sagira's shell in her hands, and looked up the way they had come. "Right. How are we supposed to do that again?"

Royal sighed. "Guess we better start climbing."


Yup, that's all. The next chapter will be the Communion, to which I've actually added some kinda neato stuff. It doesn't deviate from the mission itself; it just adds more to it.

Also, just gotta say, really didn't vibe with the story of Echoes. Quite frankly, I've got a lot of problems with it that I just don't feel like getting into here. I've already ranted about it multiple times, so I'm not gonna repeat it here. If I do decide to cover it, it will need some extensive work.

Unity123: I need no words to show how much I loved your stories. With Gus having Risen up. The Hexsquad has been reborn as Fireteam Royal-Hex, with the Royals and Iris as auxillary members.

Given how Deepsight focuses on psychic imprnits on memories, hopefully this would a prime time for such Luz's history to return, preferabl during the time Ikora brought Savathun's worm.

I do have some ideas that may help outside of this story, and its kinda based on Amphibia and the crossover suits. At least they could make for some intersting snippets at the ends of these chapters.

Trimmed the rest out to save on space and whatnot, but I'll get to it.

First of all, thank you so much for the kind words. It really does mean more than you all know. Luz's memories will be a thing that we focus on a bit more going forward. We're not done with that plot point, I assure you.

As for additional story/ending bit ideas, I must admit to not being terribly familiar with all of the franchises you submitted, but I can offer some thoughts on the ones that were mentioned.

Amphibia: I was actually entertaining the idea of a sort of sister story featuring one of the Royal's ending up in Amphibia before/during/after the events of WnW. It probably would have been Venator. Or hell, maybe some other Royal variant we haven't properly met yet. I ultimately elected against it because I just wasn't feeling it, but that was how we got the Amphibia ending bit.

DND: I've put a bit of thought into some DND-related shenanigans, and I probably will do it as an ending bit at some point. I'd probably pin Royal as a Hexblade Warlock(because, of course)/Four Elements Monk(because I like playing Monk and punching fireballs is a very Royal thing to do). Venator would be a Ranger/Rogue with maybe a bit of Bard in there for the obvious joke. Paladin... no points for guessing his class. Luz would either be a Wizard or the DM. Amity I see as an Artificer, Gus a Sorceror, Willow a Druid, and Hunter a Fighter.

Halo: A series near and dear to my heart. I'd love to take a crack at the Halo Universe, but I'd need both an idea and a way to distinguish it from what I've already done.

The other ideas all sound quite interesting, I just don't know much about their respective franchises.

GuardianLightTheVanguard: 1) Happy 10 Years of journey my fellow Guardians! and Here's to another 10 Years with the new Saga Coming in Next Year 11 of Destiny!.

2) How cool I'm so happy that Gus is back! Now all we need to do is bring back Eda, Lilith, Raine, Camila And Vee before the LIGHTFALL Events.

3) I hope Luz Noceda and Fynch are great friends.

Hey, welcome back. Been a minute.

1. Happy 10 years to you as well, though I've not been around that long.

2. Gus is indeed back and will be contributing to the Witch Queen storyline a bit. I've already said my bit on Eda, Lilith, and Raine. Camila is probably also a no-go, she's just not much of a fighter and without her connection as Luz's mother, she's not got much going on as a character. As for Vee, I'm gonna leave the poor girl out of this. She's already been through a lot.

3. I'm sure they'll get on well.

Elthreee: Fun chapter to read. I like how you gave the Lightbearer Knight more than one subclass to use, it's something I wish was done in the game instead of the same subclass for each Lightbearer enemy. I'm totes looking forward to the rest of this, especially the Cunning whenever that'll be out. I'm excited to see what you do.

Also I'm not sure if it was on purpose or not, but you wrote the same part twice when Luz and Royal were sent back to Mars, but it wasn't a big problem.

P.S. thanks for the kind words on my fic. responding here because god knows how long it wouldve taken for me to respond in the next part.

Yeah, that's the perks of not having to code, model, rig, and animate any of this. Turns out putting words on a document is a little bit easier than putting all of that into a game. And that double crash was intentional, I wanted to give two perspectives of the same event. Might've been a bit redundant though. And lastly, of course. I'll be eagerly awaiting your glorious and/or triumphant return. I could probably use a break myself, but writing this is one of the only things keeping me sane.

BlueRoseLevi: Great start to The Witch Queen adaptation.

Finally seeing Gus in action nice to see that
Let's goooo more Royal trauma, never getting to the P in PTSD
Iris: Be nice to the bird or else, Bubblegum
Love the added destruction to the cannon base placement
Let's go even more trauma with Ghost murder
Love that you made the Lucent Hive have more supers with the other elements
Iris finally getting her glaive, wooo baby that's what I've been waiting for, that's what it's all about woooooo
Outcast being such a neat antagonist can't wait for the chaos he's gonna create

Many thanks, my dude. Looking forward to where we go from here.

davisjustus99: I'm taking your coooing liscense and promoting you to head chef. keep cooking, king. Now to dunk on Outcast with the silliest thing: Destiny Spaghetti code. and lots of it.

I am honored to accept this most prestigious reward. And I regret to inform you that Outcast transcends the spaghetti code. He's just built like that.

GodzillaMaster: Royal definitely has some issues to work out. And it's gonna get worse when he learns that the Hive DIDN'T steal the Light

And cool, Gus is back

"Royal definitely has some issues to work out"

If that's not 70% of his character in a nutshell, I don't know what is.

hornig3: Oh boy, Royal has a bit of baggage from the Red War still. I'm guessing he and Saladin are going to be in good company till the end of the season of risen and Royal gets a bit of a reality check, again. Caital is going to be pissed... but we finally get to see her so I'm happy! At least they won't have to worry about diplomatic relations when they get back to Europa.

A bit of baggage may be underselling it. The Vex Domain messed him up, but the Red War straight-up traumatized him.


"And that's the story of how we confronted the Titan Trappers and stopped them from raiding the ruins of the Collectors Pyramid to rebuild their army," Amity said, explaining some of the old adventures she had been on with Luz while they waited for Royal to finish talking with Banshee. The woman in question nodded, eagerly listening to the riveting tale.

"Wow, hard to believe that I can't remember all that," Luz said. "I'd hate to miss out on that story. My favorite part has to be when we-"

"Hey, you!" Luz and Amity looked over to the source of the shout. Another Titan was storming over to the pair. She was clad in crimson armor and had the Titan symbol proudly emblazoned on her armor. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What are you talking about?" Luz asked, only for the Titan to shush her.

"Not you." She turned to Amity. "You. What do you think you're doing?"

"Talking to my friend?" Amity said, uncertain as to why she was being yelled at. The Titan recoiled, visibly wounded.

"Have you no class pride?" She hissed. "The Warlocks are our enemies!" Royal finally noticed the newcomer and turned to her.

"Titan, shove off. This isn't the place for your bullshit," he said.

"Stow it, bookfucker," the Titan said. "You're just upset that you're losing, like every year."

"Royal, what the hell is going on?" Amity asked. Royal groaned and turned to her.

"It's time for the annual Guardian Games," he said. "Commander Zavala puts it on every year to spark some friendly competition between the classes. Unfortunately, some of us take it a bit too seriously!" He shot that last bit at the Titan, who responded with a scoff.

"Wouldn't expect much more from the class of losers," she said before turning back to Amity. "Come find us when you're done being a traitor to your class." With that, she stormed off, only to immediately get into an argument with a nearby Hunter.

"Wait, have we really never won?" Luz asked. Royal shook his head, though he didn't seem bothered by it.

"I'm still confused about how there's an entire event going on that I didn't know about," Amity said.

"It's been on for about a week and a half by now," Royal said. "How have neither of you noticed it?"

"It's not like the Tower's been covered in decorations or anything," Amity said. Royal gave her a half-lidded stare before pointing to the center of the Tower. A massive statue of all three classes stood in the middle of the walkway. Numerous braziers and stands were dotted around the courtyard. Streamers hung from the rafters, proudly displaying the symbols of the three classes.

Amity's jaw dropped while Luz gave a surprised whistle. "Yeah, we definitely shoulda saw that."