Young Wolf's Ship, Interplanetary Jump, Sol System

The Young Wolf was resting in the cockpit of his ship, staring into the flashing and swirling abyss of space outside, just letting his mind drift. He was tired. So, so tired. So much had happened, in so little time.

"The day we've been dreading has finally arrived. The Darkness is here."

A Shadow hangs over Io, storms brew on the horizon.

"You bring weapons. You will not need them. We offer only truth."

A portal to a Court of Darkness, filled with many watching, malevolent eyes.

"But this. This is something. A Tree of Silver Wings."

A great Tree, in the Cradle, under the Shadow. Beneath the Tree, a Seed.

"I don't see a ship. I see a being… Paracausal in nature."

"Like the Traveler."

A Commander, worn and weary, grasping for some measure of hope.

"Help Eris where you can, but be ready to deal with the enemy fleet when it arrives. We need you, Guardian."

"Guardian? Guardian, are you alright?"

With a sigh, the Young Wolf refocused on the world around him, and patted his Ghost, "Just tired and thinking, Little Light."

Ghost bobbed around the cockpit, "You have every reason to be! Between the evacuation efforts, running interference against Savathûn's forces, that whole business with the Nine, and of course the Darkness itself, even I'm feeling worn thin!"

The Young Wolf snorted, as Ghost floated around, managing the ship's systems.

"I don't think we've been this busy since the Red War."

Ghost hummed in agreement, "With any luck, our current excursion will put an end to at least one of our many problems."

A moment later, the ship dropped out of its warp, and suddenly the swirling cloud from sub-light travel was gone, and in its place was Io.

The Young Wolf grunted, "You ready for this, Ghost? We don't know what lengths Savathûn will go to stop us this time." The ship entered the atmosphere, while he checked over his gear and looked up as Ghost answered.

"Ready as always, Guardian!" Ghost chirped, the flitting of his flaps belaying his nervousness.

-LINE BREAK-

The Cradle, Echo Mesa, Io, Sol System

With one last shot from his hand cannon, the Young Wolf finished off a group of Taken. Seconds later, the swirling cloud of Darkness indicative of more Taken appeared, and he darted into cover behind a rock formation. Peeking around it, he had mere moments to realize there was a Taken Ogre as it looked right at him, before he threw himself back in cover, a beam from its eye rocketed past, blowing off his left arm. He hissed in pain, slamming his back against the rock as his mind raced.

"Guardian?! Are you okay? Do you want me to heal you?" Ghost rushed out, more than a little concerned.

"Not yet, Little Light, it's not safe," the Guardian bit out, casting his eyes about for a solution.

Just in front of him, he noticed a sizable bone on the ground, and grinned as a reckless plan began to form in his mind. He scrambled with his foot to bring the bone closer, taking it in his right hand, getting a good grip on it, tensing his body up again. At the same time, he pulled at the deep pool of Light within him, letting it wash over him in preparation. Despite the pain of his missing arm, or perhaps because of it, he felt a rare grin form on his face.

"Guardian… what exactly are you doing?"

He laughed, "Something reckless."

The Young Wolf burst into motion, throwing the bone out from behind the rock on the same side he had peeked from, guessing the Ogre was still watching it, and at the same time, he darted the other way. As he ran, he felt the Void envelop him, making him invisible for a brief few seconds.

Luckily, a few seconds was all he needed.

Sprinting at the Ogre from the side, as it continued to blindly shoot where the bone had landed, he drew his sword wreathed in his Light and leaped in the air. Before the Ogre even knew what was happening, it had been cut in two. He stumbled and fell to the ground as he landed, laughing in exhilaration. Ghost appeared before him with a huff, and bathed him in a soothing Light, healing all his injuries.

"When you said reckless, I didn't realize you meant that reckless, Guardian," Ghost murmured, flitting around his Guardian's head.

"Sorry, I got a bit carried away."

Ghost simply huffed again, and, finished healing him, disappeared once more. The Young Wolf glanced around cautiously, fully focused on the situation, now that he wasn't delirious from pain.

"Are you alright, Guardian?" Eris asked over comms, her voice just as measured as usual, "You seemed to have some trouble there at the end."

"I'm fine now. That seems to be all of them, but usually at this point, we get-"

-LINE BREAK-

Court of Savathûn, Ascendant Plane, Sol System

"-Teleported into the Ascendant… oh," the Guardian trailed off, taking in their new surroundings.

They were back in the swirling darkness of the Ascendant Plane, with the usual floating debris and nearly destroyed structures, but ahead of them was a larger structure than normal, with what appeared to be a great Taken sphere in the distance behind it, and in front of the Taken sphere there seemed to be a portal.

"This is definitely different than normal," Ghost mused quietly, "Whatever place in the Ascendant Plane this is, it reminds me of…"

"The Oversoul Throne and the Court of Oryx, I know," the Guardian grimly finished, "Seems like we might be finishing all of this today after all. What do you think-"

Suddenly a familiar, rasping voice boomed across the Ascendant Plane, making the Young Wolf wince, "You are a child reaching toward a flame. The Taken Queen would not have you burnt. Pledge your allegiance and be reborn."

"Nokris?" Eris sounded mildly surprised, even over comms, "Oryx's foundling and exiled brother to Crota."

"I know," the Young Wolf replied bitterly, "I killed him on Mars a couple years ago."

Eris hummed thoughtfully, "He is now bound to Savathûn as a catalyst for her interference. Silence it."

The Guardian tightened his grip on his hand cannon, beginning to run the only way he could, towards the portal, and cursed his luck. Of course the damned necromancer hadn't stayed dead, that would have been too easy.

As he rushed forward, he asked under his breath, "You ready, Little Light?"

"Always, Guardian."

When they reached the portal, it activated, and out of it came the imposing form of Nokris.

As the Young Wolf dove for cover, Nokris spoke once more, already throwing Hive magic at him, "Oryx, Crota, Xol. Gods with gods. End your faith and walk unhindered."

For the next few minutes, it became a game of dodging Nokris' attacks and peppering him with as many bullets as the Guardian could, until eventually Nokris had him pinned behind a rock, unable to fire back.

"This feels familiar somehow," the Young Wolf groaned.

"Would the same trick from earlier work here?" Ghost suggested.

"I doubt it, and regardless, I don't have anything to distract him with this time."

As the Guardian ran through his options, Nokris' voice boomed from the other side of the area, "The Tree brings ruin. Fell its might or be buried in the shadow of its leaves."

"He's a bit melodramatic, isn't he?" Ghost whispered.

The Young Wolf snorted, "No kidding." Sobering up, he continued, "Alright, I think I have a plan."

"Is it a good one?"

The Guardian carefully turned towards the rock he was hiding behind, pulling at the comforting warmth of his Light, "I'd say so, but I guess we'll see, won't we?" Taking a momentary peek around the corner of the rock to check where Nokris was, he ducked back before Nokris could react and closed his eyes, concentrating.

Nokris, meanwhile, continued his spiel, "Light and Dark are locked blades. A logic simple and narrow. A bridge with only one path."

The Young Wolf reached deeper within himself than he had in a long time. He would need as much strength as he could get for this to succeed, and as he felt the Solar Light within him beginning to take shape in his hand, he knew it was going to work.

With the tip of the newly formed hand cannon made of nothing but Solar Light pressed against the rock, pointed where he knew Nokris to be, he smirked.

The Light grew to be near blinding, and the rock touching it began to glow red-hot.

His finger tightened on the conjured trigger.

"Savathûn shields from dire truths. Submit and be free."

He fired.

Instantly, all the Light that had built up burned straight through the rock and was sent in a single shot as hot as the Sun, slamming into Nokris before he even had the chance to react, incinerating him instantly.

Just like that, it was over.

The Guardian fell to the ground, panting, having used every bit of strength and Light he had in that shot. Ghost appeared in front of him, and began scanning him for injuries.

He looked up at Ghost, smirk still on his face, "Told you it was a good plan." If Ghost could roll his eyes, the Young Wolf was sure he would at that moment.

"It was," Ghost admitted.

Eris spoke up over comms for the first time since the fight started, "Nokris is an abomination, his name stricken from the World's Grave. You've done well to purge his stain from this failing court."

"Why would Savathûn work with him?" responded Ghost.

"With? Nokris is an exploited outcast, Little Light. A Necromancer. Though I'm sure the 'Taken Queen' saw value in his craft: death rituals to buck the Worm's game. I dare not wonder how she meant to wield that knowledge."

"We shouldn't dwell on it, you know," Ghost chirped, "He's not coming back from that."

"Good riddance," Eris seemed relieved, "Savathûn's haze has diminished considerably, though not completely."

"She's still out there. Hiding," Ghost agreed, sounding exhausted. The Guardian rose to his feet, having mostly recovered from the fight, and shared a look with Ghost. Though the battle with Nokris was over, their fight with Savathûn was likely just beginning.

"Then I hope she saw what became of her brood," Eris' voice lowered in concentration, "Hold still. I will fetch you."

As the Young Wolf walked towards the portal Eris had conjured, he turned to Ghost, "Well, today was certainly eventful."

Ghost's flaps whirled around him in agitation as they moved through the portal, "You need to start coming up with plans that aren't so dangerous, I can't always-"

"What the-" the Guardian looked around in confusion, the portal had transported them somewhere, certainly, but it was not where it should have taken them. Before him lay an open room, full of strange statues, seeming to represent all the factions within the Sol System, all facing towards the center of the room, where a… "A Pyramid…" He quickly pulled out his hand cannon, preparing for a potential fight, "Ghost, hide, now!"

There was no response.

He glanced at Ghost where he had frozen upon exiting the portal, and felt a chill run down his spine. Ghost was twitching, his eye turned red, flicking around aimlessly.

"Dammit, not this again! Ghost!" he reached for Ghost, but as he did, Ghost's eye darted to him and stayed staring at him, causing him to freeze in place.

Then that voice, that damned voice, spoke from within his Ghost, sending a wave of nausea washing over him, "Don't you see? This is as we once said. In Light, there is only weakness. Only failure. Only death. But where the Light takes, the Dark gives. No longer will you be a pawn. No longer will you watch the lives of those you care for be lost. Remember, in Darkness, there is only strength. Only victory. Only life. Ancient power awaits you on Europa."

A new portal opened in front of them, as Ghost fell limp, and the Young Wolf rushed to catch him, cradling Ghost to himself, his jaw clenched in frustration.

The Darkness beckoned.