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originally posted in:The Collective Anomaly
Edited by ChorrizoTapatio: 8/15/2015 6:33:08 PM
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[CLOSED] Community Colab Contest: TCA Writing Conest.

[CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED] Hey, everyone! Not good at drawing or graphic design? Me neither. I'm here to invite you to participate in a community collaboration for contests hosted by Art n stuff, The Collective Anomaly, and...some other groups! Winners will be awarded with cool stuff some from [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Profile/254/2062634]Progo[/url]. So, how do you enter? Ladies and gentlemen this contest will be business as usual for those who have participated in one of our writing contests previously. For those who have not, allow me to explain: In order to qualify for this contest you must submit a piece of [b]original[/b] content written by yourself. This piece of literature must be no longer than the body of a post and a minimum of two paragraphs. It must also focus on the theme which will be below. All entries must be submitted by [SEE EDIT] and the winner will be announced no later than 8/19/2015. [b]THEME:[/b] [spoiler]The struggle of a Guardian. [/spoiler] [b]THE PRIZE:[/b] [spoiler]A prize given by Progo. [/spoiler] Judges will be anonymous and I wish you all the best of luck. Have fun! Link to Progo's contest: https://www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Post/39813/144362841/0/0 EDIT: Since Cozmo may spread the word about the writing contest I am extending the deadline to 8/14/15 so more people may participate. [CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED]

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  • It's sad, actually, because I literally just wrote something that could fit. The worst part was that it was actually too long to fit in a post, so I had to submit it to DeviantArt XD

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  • So, who won?

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    • (Took this as a chance to finally start writing again. Didn't really take any time to edit it, and I'm not super happy with it, but I hope someone out there enjoys it, even if for a moment.) A Guardian stands alone in the Tower, leaning on the railing overlooking Earth’s final city. A second approaches him, surveying him curiously. “You waiting on word of new bounties, too?” The first Guardian tilts his head slightly to his left, just enough to register the approaching Titan in his periphery. He then returns his gaze to the city below and nods. “What’s a Guardian without a mission, right?” The Titan laughs and joins him at the railing, following the lone Warlock’s gaze out over the twinkling lights in the distance. “You ever think about how weird it is that none of us ever go down there? I mean, one city left on Earth, and we never leave this tower to explore it. Feels weird.” The Warlock’s gaze doesn’t leave the city as the Titan speaks. His voice remains measured and even as he responds. “We never go down there because we can’t.” This draws a look of confusion from the Titan. “And why is that?” “We’re in this Tower… and only this Tower, so that the people down there can forget about us. The second we leave this place and join them there, we become real. The second we become real, the Darkness does. As long as we stay locked up in this Tower, they can forget about us, and forget about the Darkness, and live. Live like people are supposed to. Smile. Laugh. Love each other, have kids. Keep humanity alive. We’re brought back from death, to a time removed from our own by god knows how many years, and baptized by blood and bullets as we crash against endless waves of nightmares. We kill creatures we barely understand with weapons we understand less so that they can stay down there, separate from us. Safe and oblivious.” Both the Warlock and Titan are silent for a moment. Then the Titan nods. “I guess you’re right.” He spits over the railing down at the city. “-blam!- ‘em.” The Titan returns his gaze to the Warlock, who is still gazing out over the City with a faint smile on his face. “If you’re right, and that’s why things are the way they are, why bother looking down at them? Why not ignore them like they do us? Give ourselves a chance to forget that someone out there has the normal lives we can’t have?” The Warlock’s gaze leaves the City for the first time during the two Guardians’ brief conversation as he locks eyes with the Titan. He shakes his head and smiles. “I don’t want to forget. I come here to remember. I come here to remember why I fight. Why day after day I go where no normal man or woman would; why I run into the Darkness head first and I fight.” The Guardians are interrupted by a crackling in the background as Xander 99-40’s robotic vocals break the Tower’s relative silence. “ATTENTION GUARDIANS, NEW BOUNTIES ARE NOW AVAILABLE.” The Warlock pushes himself back from the railing and picks up the helmet that had been perched on the railing next to him. He turns to back to the Titan and smiles. He uses his free hand to pat the stranger on the shoulder. “Back to work.” The Titan nods to the Warlock as the latter departs, headed back up the steps behind them. The Titan does not move, however. Instead he returns his gaze to the City, where he looks out over the twinkling lights below.

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    • Edited by ChorrizoTapatio: 8/19/2015 8:15:45 PM
      Winners have been selected and are being notfied now. Thank you everyone who participated! There were a ton of great stories submitted and honestly it wasn't an easy choice. The winners wrote some great pieces I felt fit the theme really well and honestly were just something I really enjoyed reading. Congrats to the winners and thanks again to everyone who participated. Winning submissions: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/146203289/0/0/1 https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/146123732/0/0/1 https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/145516340/0/0/1

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      • This was pretty much my first story, but here ya go. Before we begin I'd like to express the three types of special text I'll be using. Bold is emphasis, italic is omnipotent being telling the parts without the main, and underlined is deeper conscious. [b][u]Arttu and the Ahamkara | Complete[/u][/b] [i]He stands in the shadows, waiting for the next guardian he'll send on the way to their destiny. The nine command him.[/i] Arttu walks slowly to Xur, he didn't want to be noticed. Today Xur was below the FWC though so it was pretty obvious to any who saw him walk down those steps what he sought. Arttu mastered the ways of the gunslinger, and with his trip mines he was nearly unstoppable. Setting the trap was easy, it's deciding who to lure first that's hard. "Greetings guardian. Do you wish to see my wares?" Xur called as Arttu approached. "You know that's why I'm here. What have you today? I've heard rumors..." Arttu was cut off by Xur, he didn't speak; simply held out the gauntlet. The gauntlet clearly crafted from the now extinct ahamkara. The rumors were true. "...how much?" Arttu asked. It was clear Xur knew he wanted it, the price would probably be higher. "All I seek is the coins you carry." That wasn't much, only about 15, why was Xur giving me a deal? Probably better not to ask. "Deal." Arttu replied, handing Xur his coins. Arttu walked away, past dead orbit, past the sights of Holliday and the vanguard frame, out to the wall overlooking the city. He put on his new armour. [u]Venus[/u] ~ [i] The titan felt the bullet slam into the back of his head, it didn't matter though, his helmet could stop a Cabal slug. He quickly turned to meet his opponent but saw nothing but the whip of a cloak, long and thin black with a grey circle at its base. He recognized that cloak, it belonged to Arttu, he had been stopping him this entire match. They were the last two left, and the titan was proud and thought Arttu saw who it was so he turned to run, he was wrong.[/i] They were in the Shores of Time, Arttu was ready to win. He shot the titan and turned to run, back from point C through the cave to wrap around back to B. He stopped in the cave, this was where he'd set his trap. [u]not there, oh bearer of mine[/u] A chill went down his spine and he started walking a little more, this was where he'd lay his trap. [u]yes, now the titan will [b]burn[/b][/u] He tossed his trip mine and crouched into the corner, just poking out enough for that titan to see him. [i]The titan gazed into the cave, he quickly saw the barrel of Arttu's scout rifle poking out from the corner, and didn't see that familiar flash of that dreadful trip mine. He charged into the cave, fist of havoc ready.[/i] ////BANG\\\\ [u]yes titan, burn[/u] A now familiar chill went down Arttu's spine again, the match was over, he had finished it. ~ in the tower ~ "You cheated somehow!" The titan explodes at Arttu. "I stopped to check for that Damn trip mine, it wasn't there!" Lord Shaxx stepped between them. "Arttu did not cheat, I was watching closely. He considered throwing the trip mine where you would see it, but must have realized because he placed it farther ahead." He said calmly but firm. The titan walked away mad, muttering under his breath casual slurs about hunters in general. "That was impressive guardian." Lord Shaxx said, a smile in his voice hidden by his helmet. "It was for situations like that, that i created the crucible. You will go far." ~ [i]Arttu doesn't sleep well that night.[/i] Arttu leans up against the railing, looking down at the city he protects below. It was peaceful. Everything seemed...viscous? Lately like everyone around him was a wild dog baring their teeth. The city burned. [u]Waiting[/u] He made his way to the cryptarch, people stepped up to him holding engrams to be decrypted, but they didn't touch the ground. One guardian received a shard from his and he actually bit at Master Rahool. [u]Ryluth[/u] He went to the Arach, looking for new boots, and found they all felt as if they were a small horrible animal. Not fitting snugly on his slender legs, but devouring them. [u]Venus[/u] He made his way to the Speaker, perhaps there was something wrong with him, everyone was smiling and watching him. Their mouths were over stuffed with large teeth. [u]Ishtar[/u] He noticed Xur by the large doors, his hood was down, he saw his face was nothing but a large toothy smile. They were more like fangs, fitting snugly within each other. But still, he seemed somewhat sad, as if he had played a cruel joke on Arttu and now regret it. [u]Search[/u] He climbed the stairs and saw the Speaker, his ghost was gone, back turned to him. The Speaker turned, his mask was removed, there was nothing. [u]Peace[/u] [i]Arttu shot awake in his bed.[/i] "...something..."Arttu said to himself panting in a cold sweat. "...is on Venus..." He stood up from his bed. "...and I think I know what." ~ [i]Far off in the Ishtar Sink on Venus Ryluth waits. He is a surviving ahamkara. When the order was put to end their existence a deal was struck, they would not interfere with the human race, and the humans would leave them in peace. Who knows what may have caused him to start speaking to Arttu. All we can say for sure is that Arttu is listening.[/i] I touch down in Venus, there's an ahamkara here I just know it, but where? Why has it been speaking to me, and what does it intend to show me here? Arttu sets off on his sparrow, cloak billowing in the wind behind him, he passed fallen and vex alike just waiting to feel that chill. He made his way to the citadel, heavily guarded by the vex, and felt it. That horrible chill, that horrible chill that he'd grown to love. He was closer now. There were guardians beneath him, someone was hurt bad, they just stopped a vex sacrifice. He kept going though, he knew the ahamkara was close. There were two minotaurs standing in his path, he made short work of them with his trip mine. They didn't even fight back, almost as if they didn't see him. [i]Ryluth wakes from his slumber, knowing Arttu approaches. His time would be coming soon, and Arttu would be the catalyst to his power.[/i] Arttu made his way farther than he has ever before, his missions from Cayde-6 seemed to avoid this place, but he began to hear something. Something in the back of his mind was guiding him, making sure he got to where he was needed to go. There was a large mountain in the distance, he knew the quickest path. It came to a sheer drop, with a narrow path along the wall, but he knew where not to step. There was a cave, and something new spoke, something that didn't want him to go inside. He ignored it. [i]The ahamkara sighed, knowing his visitor was at his doorstep. He chose this place because it felt formal and traditional, a guardian comes to the mouth of a cave with a question, and a voice answers. But this, this would be different, this guardian would come inside the cave and ask no questions. Only listen.[/i] ~ Arttu stood against the railing again looking over the city, gazing out over the peaceful calm of the world below. He had no memory of going to Venus, he had no memory of his dreams of teeth, but he had an urge... An urge to do something he didn't quite understand. Arttu had a deeper understanding of things now it seemed, like he almost felt the flap of the wings of the birds in the tower resonate in his head, like...if he wished it...He could stop them in mid flight without even moving. [u]slow[/u] A chill ran down his spine, but also the spine he wore on his arm, he liked it. He concentrated on those birds, on their wings, on the resonate thud growing louder, and then... slower. The birds no longer darted across his view, but gently floated past, almost as if they didn't need to flap but were told to. The chill began to sting, and then it was gone. The birds darted out of his vision and down below to the city. Had they actually slowed? He thought about it, and decided it was impossible. Perhaps he should see the Speaker about taking a leave of absence. Then he remembered something, not entirely though, just that half thought of a memory running away from you. The speakers face, a solid black...no not solid, a deep black with something inside...Something with teeth, and the memory was gone, but the unease was still there. Maybe he should see Cayde-6 about taking that leave... [i]Lord Shaxx had been keeping an eye on Arttu since the other day when he had shown signs of being guided. He was sure it was nothing, sure that the Hunter was just clever and really got the drop on that enraged titan, but if he did stop... if he did check for the flash in that cave...There was no way he could have missed it. Shaxx had a sinking feeling in his stomach that the titan did look, that the titan looked for the flash and didn't see it even though it was there, because to him...It wasn't.[/i] "Ah! Arttu!" Lord Shaxx boomed as Arttu walked by. "Back to try your strength in the crucible? Back to show off your skills with that deadly trip mine of yours?" "Actually Lord Shaxx, I was going..." Arttu was cut off. "C'mon guardian, just one match. Word has spread and people want the challenge of going up against you!" "...Yea sure, one match." ~ Rusted Lands ~ /Maybe I am fine, Arttu thought, being in the field again feels natural. Like this is where I'm meant to be./ (Continued in comment)

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        • A Captain was present with a Shrapnel Launcher, and he wasted no time getting to work on me. I've only faced two of these before, one in Dock 13, which took me a bit of evading, a grenade, and some tact to kill. The other I took out from a distance, so it couldn't shoot back. This one was closer, and I know the Shrapnel Launcher to be a deadly piece of machinery after my battle with the Archon. Couple that with my lack of strong cover, limited space, and ineffective anti-shield weapon, this meant I was at a severe disadvantage. I tossed a vortex grenade at the beast, followed by rolling out of the way of its shrapnel. The grenade landed near its feet and proceeded to whittle down the shield. It didn't do much, but paired with pulse rifle fire, the shield went down after a number of bursts. I fired another burst toward it's launcher, and the triad of bullets caused the launcher to explode in its hand. The beast roared, and charged me. I fired two more bursts, but ran out of ammunition right there. The gun clicked, and in shock, I made a mistake: I took my eyes off the Fallen. The Captain was still going strong, and grabbed me off the ground by the neck and ribs with its four arms. I tried to beat at its arms with my left fist and my rifle, which only angered it further. It threw me off the broken edge of the deck behind it, and I couldn't conjure anything below me to break my fall. I released my rifle and made mistake number two: I extended my arms down beneath me to try and lessen the damage. Turns out, that only made my situation worse. My left wrist made first contact with the hard ground, and it twisted back up toward my arm. I heard a snap, and a surge of severe pain went up my arm. I let out a cry, and fell to my side, clutching at my wrist. The rest of my body was fine, fortunately. The Captain wasn't satisfied. It drew a pair of large swords from a sort of scabbard on its belt and jumped down off the upper deck. I rolled quickly to avoid it, and the swords stuck in the ground where my head just was, not seconds prior. I escaped deeper into the ruined section of the boat, only to corner myself near a pile of wreckage. The Captain pulled its swords from the ground and began to walk toward me slowly. It seemed to laugh as it drew closer. I had to think of something fast, or I was Fallen chow. I felt a bizarre sensation in my right arm, and looked directly to it. It was seething in a sort of glove of Void light, and I knew exactly what to do. I focused the energy into a sphere in my hand, spun around once, and launched the Nova Bomb, directly for the Captain. ((I figured I should use this opportunity to get the word out that I'll be writing this story again starting soon. Read the whole thing on Wattpad here: https://www.wattpad.com/story/23647117-destiny-the-novelization-warlock ))

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          • Edited by el sidewinder: 8/15/2015 2:51:53 AM
            All Hunters go to heaven. At least, Celcius Krix hoped that were true as he sat on the threshold of what would quite possibly be the last firefight of his resurrected life. If there was some god or benevolent spirit animal that guided the fortunes of all created things, he figured a good guardian would start praying to it then; but Krix wasn’t a good guardian, so he wouldn’t start now. To some guardians he was Krix the Heretic. To others he was Krix the Impotent. Impotent because the all-hallowed Light had never blessed him with the power of the Golden Gun. Oh well. For the faithless Hunter a quick wit and a quicker trigger finger had been religion enough: he would make no supplication to the cloying light. Instead he counted the six lonely shells which remained to his most loyal friend. Six was a meager prayer. One by one he slid the holy rounds into [i]Deliverance[/i], each one an offering to the jet black hand cannon. Better than nothing, right? Right. “Salvation will not be found in lead and steel. The path we tread is naught but Light and Void,” came the hollow voice of Sarae Deadstar behind him. Krix turned to face the dour Warlock. The vaguely apocalyptic anecdotes were a small price to pay for having her on the fireteam; her knack for obliterating Fallen with various space magics had served them well on their mission and saved Krix’ life more than once. She wasn’t bad with a pulser either. “Listen, Deadstar,” She obviously made that name up. “I can appreciate your way of doing things. I must admit I loved watching you burn half a Ketch worth of Dregs into thin air back there, and you looked great doing it-you probably looked even better under that obsidian dome of yours-“ “The point, Hunter.” “The point being,” continued Krix. “you have your way of doing things, I have mine. You embrace the void, I’ll count my bullets. I want to make sure I can actually go out with guns blazing before I go out with guns blazing. And I, personally, don’t need a sermon as I come to grips with my fate. Isn’t that right, Frank?” The stoic Titan working the panel to the control room door before them flashed a lazy thumbs up in Krix’ direction. The mute Titan had perfected an art that transcended words. “See, Frank agrees.” Krix imagined the she-Warlock digging into him with purple-fired eyes beneath her helm. “We do not embrace the Void” she said after a moment. “The Void embraces us.” “Well let’s hope it gives nicer hugs than the Baron behind this door, huh?” Krix smiled a stupid smile that she obviously couldn’t see. Were their ghosts not frantically sealing shut every carcass-ridden hallway behind them to prevent the Fallen cavalry from catching them, Frank wouldn’t have been left to work the panel to the last damn doorway to the Baron. But left to work he was, so he continued his delicate persuasion by smashing the panel with his fists. Again, his communication with the tech was transcending words. (Stories varied as to how Frank lost his voice. Some said a Hive wizard tore it out before Frank took her head. Others said he got it caught in the engine of a sparrow. No one knows, and he was obviously not talking about it.) Krix spun [i]Deliverance’s[/i] chamber into position with a satisfying click. “Well, it’s been-“ *CRUNCH* *HISSSSSSS* At last the doors gave in to Frank’s wrath and disappeared in terror. The control room was crawling with Fallen, ready and waiting, a seething Baron at the center atop a flight of stairs. He screamed defiance in an alien tongue. His followers frenzied, more Dregs poured from hidden holes about the room. This was it and there was no time for last goodbyes. The three guardians crossed the threshold; what followed was chaos and bliss. Lead, fire, and arc seared the air. What felt like a final eternity to Krix may have been a minute, it may have been ten. Captain, dreg, and shank alike fell to his burning blade. His six shots were yet unspent. The Warlock, the Titan, and the Hunter crashed through endless waves of rabid animals and hateful machines. Deadstar’s scream cut through the madness, “Push to the target, Krix! Frank, we must clear the way!” There was no need for affirmation. Krix pushed forward. Fire and void blistered in a maelstrom to his right. Deadstar seemed to be wielding light in one hand and darkness in the other: a violent and terrible beauty. But was that possible? There was no time to verify. Krix kept running and stabbing. Meanwhile, Frank was making widows of Dreg wives from the deeping throng of screaming Fallen. *CRUNCH* *CRACK* Things sounded like they were going pretty well. A clutch of vandals fell before Krix’ light-speed blade. Bracing for a melee, an unsuspecting Captain crumpled instantly with a single round from [i]Deliverance[/i]. Two more Captains took his place. Five seconds and two rounds later, Krix found himself ten feet from his prey atop the center platform. The Baron locked his death gaze upon the hunter-one of them was going to die and they both knew it. The Baron screamed a long and terrible scream that shook Krix’ unbelieving soul. Krix took that moment to shoot him in the face. The Baron disappeared. The bullet buried itself in the ceiling somewhere. “Wonderful.” Krix said as the Baron blinked three feet closer. Krix braced for the final charge but the Baron did not advance. Breaking his gaze from the Hunter, the Fallen beast surveyed the room that had become a battlefield and cackled. Something was wrong. Krix could no longer hear alien skulls crack nor bones shatter. He turned about to see that the lights behind had ceased to glow. Sarae lay still at the foot of the stairs, arc energy caressing her body. In the far corner of the room Frank was disappearing beneath a writhing mass of vengeful Fallen flesh. The beast before him laughed again-Krix was left alone with his best friend. He couldn’t recall how many shots [i]Deliverance[/i] had left to give as he backed away from the approaching Baron. Krix was jarred by the pillar behind him. He was about to spend the last of his leaden prayers. *BANG* *BANG* *CLICK* *CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK* No answer. The Baron was upon him. With two arms and one motion the Fallen demon wrenched the knife from Krix’ hand and took hold of his neck. Helplessly held aloft in the Baron’s grip, he probably wasn’t going to breathe ever again. As capillaries burst and vision began to blur, Krix felt the welcome sensation of warmth. Odd, considering all the talk about the “icy hand of death”. It started from the outside then grew from within. It made him smile. The room was hot and bright. There was light behind the Baron. Beneath him. Inside him. [i]What? [/i] Straining with eyes that were set to burst from his skull, Krix found the source of light and warmth. At the bottom of the stairs, cloaked in radiant flame, was Sarae Deadstar. Her obsidian helm floated in splinters about her, mad planets orbiting the fiercest sun in the universe. She was beautiful, and she was filling the room with light. Tendrils of flame reached from her ascending body into the debris of battle, sparking a blue eruption in the center of a Fallen crowd. With outstretched arms the invigorated Frank rose and eviscerated every Fallen about him. The Baron’s grip twitched as he heard his forces die below him, Krix’ lungs grasped for the air, clutching enough to steady his vision. The fiery tendrils had come to him. [i]Deliverance[/i] was in his hand and she was aglow. She was golden. “Let the Light ride through you, Celcius Krix,” the radiant Sarae Deadstar sang to him from below. Celcius Krix smiled a stupid smile that she obviously couldn’t see. And he let the Light ride.

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          • [b]Ghost Fragment: Mysteries 4[/b] “A Dead Orbit fireteam had been lost in Old Chicago” spoke my ghost in its robotic voice. “So what? Those clowns tend to be danger-prone, and with the release of the Hive, why send me away from the fight? I, a survivor of the Six Fronts, the Great Disaster, and the Twilight Gap, get to tend to the bones of some careless archaeologists. Some luck I have.” “Well don’t blame me for a Vanguard decision. Who knows? This could be a nice challenge.” “Implying I was blaming you. But don’t get your hopes up, friend.” We went across the surface, barely hitting the crumbling skyscrapers in our path. “Sending you down now. Welcome to Old Chicago.” The air was dank, and an infinite swamp was all that could be seen in every direction. I followed the nav markers my ghost put around leading me to the ruins of a tower, whose sides were lined completely by glass, and covered in vines with thorns, unnerving me. But I am stronger than any other, I had to remind myself, and then dashed inside, my ghost shining a light into the pitch black room. A slow growl was heard. “What the hell was that?” I said aloud. My question was answered as a dark apparition formed in front of me, a ghostly mist, vaguely resembling a man, and must have been eight feet in height faced me, with eyes of blue fire. And it spoke in a hiss, “Light? Where does it come? No matter, it will estingui-” and I shot the shadow through with my fusion rifle. The mist flew away from it, and it fell to the ground. There lay now a man, but no just a man, a man wearing a bond of Dead Orbit. Two more shadows appeared from the darkness, two more victims of the dark mist. This was a domain of the Darkness now, I realized. These shadows now spoke further, and I couldn’t help but listen. “Little light, give yourself up. I always win. I am alive. I am strength. I am power. I am a thing beyond your Traveler. It loses. It is dead. It is weak. It is useless. It is below all else.” “You lie. You are the Darkness, the Traveler is Light. You offer death, it offers life.” I stammered. “I offer truth, it offers a false hope.” The shadows reached out with hands of ice, welcoming me. “I will not join you. You kill, and that is all things of your kind do.” “And? Are you so [i]different [/i]from us?” The words physically hurt now, the arms of the shadow forms seemed closer than before, and all I had to do was take them. “I offer immortality. What does your Traveler give you? An army of the chosen undead, tortured to feel death, only to be revived to die again, and again. and again. That is no salvation. That is no hope. You, and all like you, live an unlife. I can save you from it. Just take my hand.” I took out my ghost, it said some sort of warning, but I can’t remember it, and I tossed it aside, and its Light was swallowed by the shadows. I took its hand. It was cold and warm at the same time, and I began to feel a sleepiness within myself. The last thing I heard was “Eternity is very close. Can you feel yourself slipping?” And whoever I was didn’t exist anymore.

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          • Edited by tuckers baby: 8/10/2015 5:00:17 PM
            My Depiction of the Destiny Universe The low hum of the dropship traveling through slipspace eased Rythe’s mind. He checked over his auto rifle once more, as they’d be breaking Mars orbit within the minute. The guardian across from him broke the momentary silence; “Any intel about our opposition sarge?” The NCO turned his head to face the young Hunter. “First team’s gone dark ever since we broke Earth orbit, there’s no telling how many Cabal will be there when we hit.” The Sergant, a gruff well aged Titan who we presumed went by the name of Duncan, turned back to his datapad. The Hunter, now worried, began sharpening his bayonet to distract himself from the task at hand. Rythe didn’t have much experience himself either. If he ended up living through this mission that would make this his second real-combat encounter in the field. Rythe felt the savage jerk as the dropship jolted from slipspace into the surrounding debris of Mars. Both Guardian and Cabal ships alike peppered the surrounding area as far as one’s eyes could see, torn to pieces by skirmishes and the Cabal’s in-atmosphere Orbital Acceleration Canon. After initial contact, fleets were sent to the Guardians aid, only to be torn asunder upon exiting into normal space. Smaller craft however, could easily slip past the defenses and reach the ground. That’s what happened when those lucky enough to escape the fleet’s annihilation crashed upon Mars’ surface. The Cabal soon located and swamped the remaining survivors. Outnumbered seven to one, a couple Warlocks jury-rigged a transmitter and sent out a distress call to the tower. Within eleven minutes the signal vanished, just as the last few transports were entering slipspace. The faint reddish-orange hue of the planet seemed to contrast immensely with the thoughts racing through Rythe’s mind. The planet, steadily growing larger and larger by the second, then rattled the craft as a beast does its cage. He could feel the bulkhead’s heat as they began the steep descent. POW! PING! The dropship shook as a Cabal anti-aircraft rounds began to ricochet off the energy shields. “Hang on,” cried the warlock pilot as she evaded fire to the best of her ability. The dropship had to be stripped of most its weaponry to accommodate for the cram-packed amount of troops. KA-THUNK! One of the engines had just received a fatal blow, critically handicapping the craft. The ship began to pitch drastically in the direction of the blown engine. “I can see the landing zone,” stated the co-pilot, “they’re still kicking down there.” Rythe moved his head to get a view out the cockpit. Sure enough, he could faintly make out gunfire in the distance. There was a loud explosion as the smoking engine burst into flames. The dropship then shifted almost instantly 30 degrees to the right before snapping back with a thud. The pilot had purposely hit a sand dune to stabilize the vessel. There was a crack as the craft then struck the rocky surface, preforming a spin before ultimately coming to a silent halt. “Everyone alright?” The sergeant’s question was soon followed by a thick cough. “Yeah.” “Same here.” “I think so.” Responses sounded off one after another confirming a safe landing. “Okay, let’s move people,” sounded off a titan corporal as he hit the release for the landing ramp. “Base camp‘ll need all the help they can g- A cabal slug let off a loud SZACK as it flew straight through his neck. “MOVE,” shouted the sergeant! Shots pinged off the ship striking Guardians one after another, dropping into the now blood soaked sand. Rythe grabbed his VANQUISHER VIII auto rifle and sprinted out of the dropship as fast as he could. At the door he picked up a corpse and held it outstretched in front of him, acting it as some sort of meatshield. The sickening shush of hot slugs penetrating the dead Guardians armor echoed in Rythe’s mind, but he didn’t care at the moment. The only thing he was focused on right now was living. Tossing the bullet hole-ridden body aside, Rythe dove behind a sand dune. The slaps of Cabal rounds striking the earth behind him was deafening, even with the sound dampeners of his padded MONITOR TYPE 2 helmet. Other Guardians that had survived the crash began pouring over the natural barricade, including the sergeant and that young Hunter from earlier. The sergeant then raised his hand to his earpiece as he received a call. “What do you mean surrounded,” he barked into his comm. He then proceeded to peek over the other side of the sandy trench. “Aw hell! Romero! Flatts! Get me some fire on those boagies behind us! The rest of you, cover their rear!” Two titans wielding machine guns dug into the rear of the trench. “Alpha team, get your heads down!” Soon as the NCO barked orders into the comm, the two titans opened up behind us. Cabal yells could be heard loud and clear from behind, but Rythe was too focused on the army ahead. Marching forward ever so steadily was a whole Cabal battalion. There must have been at least five hundred of them, minimum. Rythe squeezed off short bursts from his rifle, doing his best to conserve his ammo. The enemy was in standard formation, The Phalanx’s with their massive shields up front, base Legionary troops in back. Spread in-between were the human-sized Psions, dwarfed in comparison to their eight-foot-tall counterparts. Rythe and the young Hunter were doing their best to thin the ranks ahead of them. One of the nearby Hunters dropped as a round penetrated his skull, his sniper rifle falling with him. Rythe crawled along the sand and dragged both the gun and corpse nearby. He then passed the rifle to the young Hunter. “You know how to use one of these?” He instinctly took the gun and nodded his head. Rythe tossed him a few more clips of ammo he scavenged off the corpse and primed a grenade. He tossed it over the mound and seconds later the earth before him shook violently. Rythe turned his head to see what caused the explosion. Two rockets flew past his vison slamming into the Cabal formations, scattering limbs and armor fragments across the battlefield. Two more dropships had landed behind them, providing covering the Guardians still trapped behind the sand dune. Two squads of Titans accompanied by a couple Warlocks poured out from the ships, armed to the tooth with rocket launchers and fusion rifles. Both groups began a charge across the middle ground the two titans in Rythe’s group had cleared earlier. Receiving very minimal casualties upon arriving at the frontline. “Who’s in charge here,” ordered a Warlock lieutenant. An artillery round struck theside of the dune, barely missing the sergeant. “I am, sir,” he said as he threw up a quick salute. The Cabal line had finally halted its advance and began to regroup its forces. The lieutenant turned to face the sergeant. “Is this all that’s left of your platoon sergeant?” “Sir, yes sir,” he said inbetween bursts of gunfire. “That’s a shame,” the Warlock officer answered, “nevertheless we need to secure this position for the other parties. Then our next step is to take out that damn cannon.” Another artillery blast shelled the area, sending sand, rock, and rubble everywhere. “I’ve got two bombers in atmosphere awaiting orders. If we can get a designation here, they could wipe the floor with these troops.” “Duly noted,” acknowledged the sergeant, “You two!” He pointed to Rythe and the young Hunter beside him. “Think you can plant a beacon out there?” The two looked nervously at each other before Rythe spoke up. “Possibly, I could grab a Phalanx shield and provide cover until we reach the target area, protecting him while he plants the beacon.” “Sounds good enough,” nodded the lieutenant. “Here.” He pulled from his satchel a long metallic probe and handed it to the Hunter. Rythe and the Hunter gathered at the edge of the dune. A titan dodging enemy fire slid a shield down the ground of the trench. Rythe equipped the massive hunk of metal. This thing was massive, about as big as he was, but that beside the point. This should provide ample protection for the two of them. Rythe turned to the young Hunter. “You ready?” He nodded. The two vaulted over the dune, Rythe in front. It took all his strength to brace the indestructible shield against the oncoming shower of Cabal slugs. Eventually the pair reached the destination. Besides the shield Ryth was holding, there was no cover to be found, and they were a good distance ahead of their allies behind them. The Hunter pulled out the beacon and planted it firmly into the sand. He slid up the primer on the beacon and began inputting the coordinates into the metal sliver. Rythe’s strength was depleting, he didn’t know how much longer he could hold the shield. “Done,” the Hunter yelled as he popped shut the beacons activation switch. Sure enough, as soon as the beacon went active, two bombers came curving around a nearby mountain The bombers were closing in fast, and it would be suicide to try to run back to the trench in time. “Get down,” Rythe yelled. He dropped the shield and spread his arms outstretched. A purple ward covered the two, just as the payload was dropped from the aircraft. Explosions scattered all around them, leaving a deafening ring inside the protective bubble. The Cabal force was in full retreat, funneling into the nearby bunkers behind them. Guardian’s cheers echoed through the battlefield as they celebrated their victory. The ward around Rythe and the Hunter then dissipated, leaving the two in awe at what they’d accomplished. While the enemy had indeed pulled back, that cannon still had to be disposed of before any major reinforcements could arrive. The Martian campaign had only just begun.

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            • Edited by TwoGz: 8/10/2015 2:32:14 PM
              He didn't remember the first time. Nobody did. Thing was, he couldn't remember the last time either. That should probably bother him more than it did. "Guardian down!" "Revive!" He opened his eyes. Felt for the hole that should have been in his chest, sucked for the air that should have wheezed through a punctured lung. Rage burned like acid in his blood. Revenge. The four-armed Fallen still stood over him, blades wet with his blood. A burst from his auto rifle stitched it from crotch to forehead, lifting it and tossing it aside like a rag doll. "Revive!" He killed the hive knight that had only just killed him cooly, dispassionately. A bug crushed under his heel. "Revive!" He sprang back to his feet, blade already arcing through the neck of the cabal that had felled him. Precise. Like taking apart a clock. "Revive!" The red eye of a Vex blinked out. "Revive!" The half lives, the tiny victories and countless defeats frayed and blurred together. "Revive!" Who... What... Wait... "Revive!" No... Stop... "Revive!" Make it stop... "Revive!" "Revive!" "Revive!" He found the old ship, rusted and beached, leaning drunkenly against a sand dune a hundred kilometers from the shrunken sea shore. Set up a signal, made sure the Fallen could hear it. An event like this demanded an audience. Crawled down into its bowels, found the warheads. Spiky trefoil warning labels. Smiled to himself, for the first time in, well, he'd lost count. Set to work, wiring, connecting. Ignoring his Ghost's questions. Waited until the ketch touched ground a few clicks away. Felt the detonator, smooth on his hands. It felt like, felt like he had a choice. Free from any destiny. "Guardian down," he whispered to himself. And pressed the switch.

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              • Branches dance in the gentle summer breeze, their leaves brush against one another in harmony with the subtle rattle of chains. Soft laughter echoes across the patch of green, their legs sway back and forth as the two of them are lifted higher. They smile back at one another, grins spread from ear to ear. The boy sticks out his tongue and the girl laughs at him. Her gentle smile was a comfort to him, it always made him forget about his life at home. She was the reason why he could still smile, the reason why he could still go on living in this miserable world. He turns his face away as his hand fumbles with the ring in his pocket. [i]G...d..n[/i] The trees whisper gossip to one another as he descends onto one knee, the ring resting in the palm of his outreached hand. [i]Gua..an[/i] Her smile was brighter than he had ever seen, her azure eyes glistened with tears as the explosions echoed through the field. Her gentle smile contorts into a look of anguish for a mere moment as the intense light engulfs her body in flames. "Guardian!" A voice echoes as the fire begins to consume his body. The field fades into nothingness. The burnt corpse of the girl vanishes like smoke as the heavy hand of a Titan falls upon my shoulder. "You okay buddy?" He asks as he lifts his visor to reveal a concerned expression. His face is scarred from battle, scar tissue riddles half of his face, as if a child had drawn upon it with crayon. "Do you remember anything from your past life?" I ask as I stare out over the city, over the last remnants of life on earth. "Like before you became a guardian." The Titan looks at me puzzled, as if I had just asked him why he follows the Traveler blindly, then bursts into laughter. "That's a good one mate!" He exclaims through a fit of boisterous laughter, a heavy hand slapping repeatedly against my back. "Now enough with the jokes, the Vanguard needs us for a scouting mission" he says as he begins to walk towards the lower deck of the tower. "Yeah...you're right " I reply as I turn away from the railing. He stops to look over his shoulder at the city for the last time. "Just a joke" He whispers as he turns his face away fumbling with the ring in his pocket.

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              • Edited by cat65: 8/12/2015 10:35:28 PM
                Probably late as well but I just found this. [b]Sleeping[/b] If you were to scout the outer ridges of The Walls of the City, then you would find a lone Hunter out there, sitting atop of a medium sized rock quietly. If you were to look closer, then you would see that the precise gender would be of a female and Human by her cream colored skin against the darkening day. Her light brown hair moved with the gentle breeze that caressed her frame, her cloak fluttering along with it. Her legs were crossed on top off each other, her hands folding themselves together delicately atop them. The Stars peeked out as the night came closer, the clouds ambling away revealing the breathtaking sight to anyone who looked up. Blue colored eyes looked to the stars, each taking in their twinkling lights and then to the scene around her. She could clearly see the Traveler, the Great Machine hovering over the City like a mother protecting her children. And she was a child of the Traveler, a child of the Light. [i]A Guardian[/i]. Her blue eyes then looked to her surroundings, taking in the mountain range and trees that added to the beauty of the old Earth before her time. Before she was brought back. Before being a Guardian. "Time flows so fast when all you do is fight..." She whispered, blinking at the slowly ending day and oncoming night. As the sun sunk lower, the stars seemed more brave and shone brighter. She watched, a small smile playing at her lips as everything moved around her. Only when the sun had completely gone away did her companion show itself. In a bright flash, a small machine appeared out of nowhere and provided light to the night from its single shining light blue eye. "Ghost," she said, regarding the machine with a soft smile, "isn't this all beautiful?" The Ghost looked around its surroundings, a small light appearing and turning into a flashlight so it could see better. "Everything is so beautiful if only time would slow." "Indeed it is, Guardian." The Ghost answered, floating around and come to rest a few feet away, scanning a tree. The Hunter chuckled at the it, but the Ghost did not turn to acknowledge her at the moment. "May I inquire as to why you are out here? It's dark and enemies may be lurking about, wanting your head." The question sounded innocent enough but she could read the small tone of concern and curiosity in its robotic voice. She glanced at the Ghost, pondering about the question as to [i]why[/i] she was out here as well. She should have been out on Mars, probably looking for treasure and hunting down the Cabal. But here she was, sitting outside the Walls of the City like a sitting duck for any roving enemy nearby. "I found [i]this...[/i]" The Ghost floated slowly back to the Huntress, looking to her hands as they opened. In her enclosed hands was a small bird, the creature still and unmoving. It's feathers were brown, the plumage soft to the touch but the stiffness of its body a little saddening. It lay on its back, it's two skinny legs facing the sky as if it was submitting itself to the world. The Guardian petted the still body with her thumbs, smiling sadly at its unresponsiveness to her touches. "You found a Sparrow? Is this what you are doing out here? Petting a dead animal?" She pursed her lips at her Ghost but chose not to respond and instead look at the bird in her hand cage. [i]So small. So innocent. So brave to live out in this harsh world. Such a brave thing...[/i] "I'm not petting a dead animal for the fun of it, Ghost." She responded, not looking at her companion. "I found it while wandering around here. And looking at it made me start thinking things..." "What things may I inquire, Guardian?" It took a few minutes for her to answer, her mind flitting around different ways to respond. Her eyes once returned to the dead bird, figuring out the answer the longer she stared. "I thought...about things, Ghost." She started, looking up to the sky once more. "How we are revived and brought back again and again and [i]again[/i] only to fight. We live, we die, and we are brought back to repeat the process. It's all so tiring sometimes." "It's what the Traveler gave to us, Guardian. A reason to get up again and fight the Darkness." The Ghost said, giving her a pointed stare. "Yes, I know. But sometimes...sometimes I wonder what would happen if we could just...just [i]stop[/i] time and look around us." Again, her thumbs brushed against the soft feathers, the feeling even there through her gloves. "I don't understand." "Of course you don't." She quipped, unfolding her legs and standing up to face the little machine at full height. "We're all [i]here,[/i] trying to make something of ourselves before our Light eventually dies off. We fight, hoping that our battles will one day ring as legend to the ones that follow us when we depart. We all just want to be [i]remembered[/i], Ghost. We all just want some proof that we [i]mattered[/i] before we die. It's all we do." Her Ghost looked at her in confusion, but felt like it should not approach the topic anymore. Instead, it turned around and looked to the sky and the many other Guardians and Ghosts probably out there traveling and fighting their own battles. "It's a struggle to all us Guardians, Ghost." The Huntress whispered quietly. "We try to make our fame and try to make our mark when all we need to do is cherish this. Cherish [i]life.[/i] Cherish every moment because you don't know when you will die. I don't want Glimmer. I don't want treasure. I don't want a legend for people to remember. I just want to remember all this new life has had to offer me. That's all I want." Both did not speak after that, the silence comforting to her troubled mind. Her Ghost only gave her sideways glances and whirred once in a while, trying to think of something to say. "We should go, Guardian. Cayde will wonder where we've been." Snorting derisively, the Hunter rolled her eyes but nodded her head. "Cayde just wants an excuse to barter for me to take his place as Hunter Vanguard. But let's go, Ghost." After a few minutes, the Hunter and Ghost left to make their way back towards the Tower. Behind them, the rock she had sat on had her weapon leaning on it. Her Hunter cloak was flattened against the rock, a few smaller rocks placed on top of it, keeping it in place as well as her gun. In front of the stone was a small lump of fresh rearranged dirt from where she buried the small bird. Looking back, she gave one last sad smile to the grave. [i]Sleep, little one...your journey is over. Time will still flow but you shall remain in my memories.[/i]

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              • Will you read the winner's story in a sexy voice on your YouTube channel?

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                • Thanks for putting this on. Shoot me a PM when you announce the winners.

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                  • Is the next contest going to be "write about the struggle of reading through all of the last contest's entries?"

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                    • With the extension, I'll be able to enter!

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                      • Hype! I'll get this added to the Supdate and linked to my contest ASAP.

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                        • Ergo-12 was happy. More than that, he was [i]ecstatic[/i]. For he had single-handedly retrieved an Artifact from the Vex the members of his Order believed was meant to Terraform Mars into another Vex World. He had found it deep in the Exclusion Zone, guarded by a Gate Lord. Oddly enough, halfway through the fight, the Gate Lord and his reinforcements fled. [i]But no matter that[/i], Ergo thought. [i]I am a hero![/i] He was in the Tower Great Hall, celebrating the Victory with his fellow Guardians. He even got a "Congratulations" from Ikora! Long after the celebrations ended, he snuck down to the Cryptarchs's labs. There he studied his prize, and when he did, he noticed something. A small, crude drawing of an Eye. He touched it, and it shined brighter than the sun, blinding him. Then everything went dark. [spoiler]Part 2 if I get the requests. Also I know I didn't meet the deadline, I just did this for fun.[/spoiler]

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                        • Edited by TheVanguardBR: 8/14/2015 6:44:52 AM
                          [i] Empty. Silence. Lost. I don't feel hungry, thirst, I don't even know if it's air that I’m breathing now. I don't know how long i am here. Neither what place is “here”. I thought I was dead. I was. Am I? I will be. I fought for a cause. I can't fight for nothing… Fight for what? It is my new struggle? For some reason, I'm still at the Vault. But not in the Vault that everyone sees. Here, space and time are despicable measures. What have I become? I don't have my ghost anymore. But I didn't die. Or did I? Maybe I am at some kind of Purgatory and will die soon. What I can say, for sure, is that I am locked wherever is this place that I find myself into. But I know that is the Vault. I can see all the tunnels and platforms. I can hear echoing voices. A Fireteam enters. I can feel their lights, their bodies anxious in a mix of fear and joy. - Come on! - Shouts a Hunter, with five Guardians next to him – Follow through the Trial of Kabr. Kabr. This name. I was this name. Now I don't know what I am, neither what I will become. I see Guardians entering the Vault, all the time. Or it's my raid in another line of time and space? I see Fireteams being decimated by the Oracles. I try to help, but there's no way. Everything seems a great mathematical code from where I am now. I have left some clues to help the Guardians against the Oracles and the fearsome Templar. I don't know how I remember this, but I’ve managed to hurt the Darkness in the Vault. I've lost my Ghost and part of my own Light to create something on a Vex carcass. Something illuminated amidst the Darkness. I created an Aegis that protected… protects… Will protect anyone that possess it. I couldn't be saved by it but, from where I am now, I've managed to change a bit of the Vault's code and insert the Aegis, make it real. Not what I am now, just a dream. I saw Guardians been erased from existence by the Gorgons. Some Guardians have glimpses of me when they are removed from the fabric of reality. I see their scared faces. The link of light, that their Fireteam forms at entering the Vault, don't let them have the same fate than me. I saw. I see. And I will be seeing Aetheon, the Time's Conflux of the Vex, prevail against the Guardians that try to destroy him a quantity of times equal to the numbers of failures of Aetheon himself. Is the Vault a gigantic Vex simulation, where we are fated to never prevail definitely? I've noticed that, no matter the result, Aetheon emits a sound like an ominous laugh. If machines know how to laugh, that is what Aetheon does. What bothers me is that the Vex seems to see me, here, where I am. I can feel their red eyes staring at the void, in my direction. And Aetheon Almost every time looks into my direction, killing all Fireteam or being destroyed by them, showing an evil brightness in his big shining eye, as if he's saying that everything done here is in vain. I always challenge him, ripping apart the Darkness again to send the Aegis to the Guardians, hoping that they stand a chance to leave the Vault alive. I can't remember exactly why I've come here, I know what I must do now and I imagine what I will have to do. The time flows weird where I am. I saw Guardians destroying, at his heart, a Vex Corrupted version of the Traveler. I saw the Guardians fight a Hive God and prevail. And die. I saw a Fallen House raise arms against an Awoken Queen. I saw, through the time, the Colapse. The end of the Golden Age. I saw the Traveler, sacrificing itself to stop the Darkness. I saw what it did at Mercury and now I know what the Vex did to it. They've hurt it. It wasn't just the Darkness. This Vault exists to prevent the Traveler from recover its wounds, draining its light and infecting with this evil-filled technology. This place must be destroyed. I just want to know how. But I know how! I will know soon. I saw the one, who called himself Kell of Kells, beholding the time portals, trying to bring his house through the time. I saw him tremble seeing what the future will bring. I would have tremble too, if I was still capable of that. An evil like no other is coming, even Aetheon knows that. Because I noticed in the moment that the Wolf Kell knelt, fearing the dreadful menace that is coming, the Time's Conflux emitted a different sound. A sound like a cry, a sorrow, a wheezing of torment. No one is safe. I knew how to save the Traveler. I know how, or will know someday. It's a pity that no one saved me. Someone is trying to save me? I will be saved. And I will save them all. I was a Guardian. I am Kabr. I will become a legend.[/i]

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                        • The Legend of Layth the Hunter, Guardian of Birchwood Plains. A Friend To All! (Well, I didnt hear about this until today, so I wrote this in about two hours tonight. Hope you enjoy it!) “At some point in our lives we come to some type of crossroad, a life changing moment. A moment when we have to decide what kind of person we must become. A moment that sets our life in a whole different direction. The human instinct is a curious thing, and often I find that our instincts change based off of which roads we take. Where one being’s instinct may be to run to aid a person in need, another’s might be to run away. Furthermore, the choices that we make are not just those that affect us, but others as well. Be brave. It is the Guardian’s way” -as stated by Layth, A fallen Guardian. Always remembered. (as read on his tombstone…) Dreams are so curious to me. While you experience them, the real world doesn't exist. You enter what seems like a whole different universe for a night, a whole new realm of possibilities. In this particular dream, I saw a woman. She was human, beautiful. Wait, no. Beyond that, she was almost celestial. Her pale skin almost glowed in the autumn sun. Copper colored eyes beamed at me. Yes, she was celestial indeed. At first we seemed to be strangers, but then we were more. As the seconds passed (more likely minutes in the real world) I realized that I loved her. She did in fact exist. Or she did at one time. She slowly began to wonder into the wood, near where we lived, I had realized. She laughed and begged me to chase her as a young girl popped out from behind a tree. Elisa was the little girls name. My daughter. My heart leaped and I ran towards them. But the closer I got the more sullen their faces became. The darker the skies. The thicker the wood became. Shadows overcast me, taking whatever light I once had. “Laila!” I screamed, but only silence came forth. My wife and daughter sank into the darkness, but not before our eyes met one final moment. Despair was what I saw. As they faded away into nothingness, a glimpse of green, bright but hidden, swallowed them whole. And there he was, darkness incarnate! The ghostless man. The thorn that drained the hearts of New Highland in a pool of blood red and bright green. It is at this point in dreams, that they become somewhat of reality. And it was at this point that I awake. ------- ----- ---------- -------- ---------- --------- - - - - -------------------- - - - - - --------- - -- - - ------------ Layth sat up, drenched in sweat. Smoke billowed behind him in the dark, though he could not see, he could smell. A Fallen Ketch lay waste somewhere, miles away. Ghost materialized in front of him, “did you dream again?” it asked. “Do you understand how annoying that is?” Layth sat up and rubbed his eyes and blinked wildly. “So..” Ghost paused, “yes?” Layth sighed and stood up, “We should keep moving” “Im not so sure about that..” “Why?” “Im picking up movement a few clicks out” “Well thats was expected” Layth said, putting his helmet on. The sun had begun to rise through the trees and outlined the smoke stack coming from the Fallen wreckage. “No.” Ghost said, “Its human” Layth stopped and looked at Ghost, “Well, better now than never” he said as he pulled his hood over his head, and began to make his hike down the hill. “Oh boy” Ghost stated, unenthused. There was a certain stench to Darkness. It wasn't like a rotted corpse, it was worse. It was a feeling. A feeling of sullen, depression, and destain. It seemed to have been following Layth for a long time now. The darkness affected most humans just the same, but not Guardians. It takes much more than the Darkness to turn a Guardian away from the Travelers power. It takes choice, something much more controllable. For the last nine months, Layth had been tracking someone, or something. A being, overtaken by the Darkness. A creature that had the training of a Guardian, yet had no Ghost. Who bore a weapon not like any other. A weapon that slowly drained the life out of its victims. Merchants and mercenaries told Layth it was called, Thorn. But that it was only legend. This man, or shadow of a man, had massacred New Highland close to twelve months prior. Came in the night and disappeared by morning. Layth was assigned to protect New Highland, but had been gone, tracking Fallen that were sighted in the mountains nearby. Not one man, woman, or child was spared. Not one house burned, or table overturned. Just people, lifeless people. It wasn't the first time, Layth had found through his journeys. Layth’s wife and daughter among those killed. . “Dont you think were getting just a little close?” Ghost asked as they reached the break in the trees, revealing part of the crashed Ketch. “Would you shut up? We need these supplies.” “We?” Layth stopped and crouched down, behind a tree. “It doesnt appear that the Fallen are around” Ghost concluded. “They must have…” “Must have headed off late afternoon day prior yesterday, right after they crashed.” Layth finished. “Woulda thought they'd stuck around, but look” Layth pointed. The sun now out, revealing several people gathering up parts and pieces of the ship, including some left over supplies left by the Fallen. A branch cracked behind him. In one fluid movement, Layth turned around, hand cannon drawn aiming it at a young girl who had unknowingly snuck up behind him. She stood, holding wreckage, dirt covered her clothes. Her mouth dropped, along with everything she was holding. “Are you?” She began Layth dropped his gun and turned around. Several of the scavengers had congregated near him. “We must take you to Master Chen’le!” the girl said, pulling his arm. He hadn't seen this many people at once, not since New Highland. He thought the Fallen or Hive had wiped most settlements out. The girl walked Layth a few meters into the wood to a transport, “I’ll be back in an hours time, I promise!” the girl yelled back to the rest of the group who were still staring. “Who are you?” Ghost asked, materializing “Whoa! are you a real Ghost?” the girl exclaimed, smile bursting, “ We are people of the Plain..does he not talk?” She side nodded at Layth beside her. “Sorry”Layth said, “Where are you taking us?” “ I just told you! The Plain!” she happily announced as they transport hovered out of the forest into a field. A large town inhabited the farthest side. “Whats your name?” Layth asked “I’m Hermia! And this is Birchwood Plains!” she explained as they pulled up to what seemed to Layth as a front gate, “Ive found a Guardian! Please get Master Chen’le! Please as fast as you can!” The gate opened, and a moment later a middle aged man came trotting over. He stopped a good distance away from the transport, as Layth got out, he moved closer. “What a pleasure this is!” Chen’le welcomed, “A Guardian in our courts again, what an honour it is. An honour indeed!” Layth didn't know what to do. He had been on the road for so long. Nights alone, missed meals, no bed. Haunted by the ghostless man, he was perplexed. Chen’le stood there grinning, awkwardly. Layth lifted his helmet off this head and Ghost stored it for him, “My name is Layth” “Well, Layth, welcome to the Plains” Chen’le motioned for him, “Let me show you your room” That night Layth told his many stories of his travels. Battles with the Fallen, skirmishes with Hive. Yet he kept the tale of the ghostless man to himself. It was not something you should tell at first meeting, or ever. Truth be told, though Layth be broken and torn regarding the loss of his family, to see his kind care for such a stranger, brought hope and peace back into his heart. But, the tale of the ghostless man never left his mind. It wasn't that Layth had given up hope in avenging his family, It was that he decided the closer he got to revenge, darkness, and evil, the harder it would be for him to come back. Maybe it was a selfish choice, but it was his choice all the same. Birchwood Plains needed a Guardian, and it wasn't just 5 years after Layth was brought, that the Hive invaded. Layth led a small force in defense of the town. The Hive were pushed back and defeated! Birchwood lost its greatest hero that day, a sacrifice Layth was willing to make. A choice he wasn't able to make for New Highland. But a choice he would never change, even if given the opportunity. ------------------------ ----- - - - - - ----------------------- - - - - - ------------------------------- - - ----------------- “At some point in our lives we come to some type of crossroad, a life changing moment. A moment when we have to decide what kind of person we must become. A moment that sets our life in a whole different direction. The human instinct is a curious thing, and often I find that our instincts change based off of which roads we take. Where one being’s instinct may be to run to aid a person in need, another’s might be to run away. Furthermore, the choices that we make are not just those that affect us, but others as well. Be brave. It is the Guardian’s way” -as stated by Layth, A fallen Guardian. Always remembered. (as read on his tombstone in Birchwood Plains)

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                        • Edited by VaShTHEsTaMp33d: 8/14/2015 9:25:28 PM
                          Legend: [b] "guardian"[/b] , [b][i]guardian to himself[/i] [/b], "ghost" In a moment his motions faded. As if a mirror reflected the shadow of the place and time his figure once stood, now five paces to his right. Same stance. Blade still facing outward. All in vain. A futile attempt made to warn its kin, snuffed out in the blink of an eye. Respectable it may have been, the air was inevitably silent of their presence. For the weapon was already in place, and its voice forever muted. "Must you show off?" [b]"Quiet."[/b] "...fine...but when did they start using these?" [b]"I said be quiet. I dont know and I dont care. He can have it back."[/b] He glared at the lifeless body before him. His thoughts quickly disrupted by the flickering light of his companion. "The others?" [b]"He saw us, they won't."[/b] "Sure about that?" [b]"Im sure you shouldn't be here."[/b] "That wasn't called.." The guardian decided to elaborate his words, however not revealing his thoughts in their entirety. [b]"Nothing is welcome in Jovian Territory."[/b] "Well I can't say you're wrong there, but still.." [b]"Good, so you can finally be quiet."[/b] [b][i]Just a little more[/i][/b], he thought. A few steps further and it would all be within grasp. Loathing. Pity. [b][i]Why?[/i][/b] He chose this. His attention quickly diverted by slightest displacement of air heading his direction. The hovering spark, a mere fraction of what it once was, proceeded forward past his motionless body. He used the opportunity to look upon the battered warrior one final time, then thrust the sword deep into the ground with incredible force. The Ice broke at the point of impact, seemingly cracking in every direction and giving him the brief chance to whisper a faint eulogy under his breath. [b]"Your weapon. For the next life."[/b] He did not move or avert his eyes. Only spoke. [b]"Ghost, we've seen what we need to. Time to leave."[/b] "Where to next?" His endless stare reflected the vastness of his thoughts. His inner turmoil, pain of both before and after. In that moment, uncharacteristically, the ghost spoke with a sympathetic tone. "Prae.." It didn't take much to bring him back and before the ghost could finish he answered with conviction. [b]"Another place. Another time."[/b]

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                        • Edited by zebrawithasword: 8/13/2015 12:33:36 PM
                          [b]The bed you’ve laid in for 1000 years is the hardest bed to get out of[/b] TYPE: Transcript. DESCRIPTION: Conversation. PARTIES: Two [2]. Two [2] confirmed [c.1, c.2]. LOCATION: Cosmodrome //AUDIO UNAVAILABLE// //TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS.../ [c.1:0.1][b]T[/b]here, it worked! Guardian. Guardian? [c.2:0.1][b]H[/b]mph, huh? [c.1:0.2][b]E[/b]yes up Guardian, I'm your Ghost and we need to get out of fallen territory. [c.2:0.2][b]S[/b]hhhh, five more minutes. [c.1:0.3][b]T[/b]itan, you’ve been dead for a long time, haven’t you had enough sle- [c.2:0.3][b]R[/b]ead my lips…. Five. More. Minutes. [c.1:0.4][b]U[/b]nacceptable! I didn't bring you back just to die again. We have to move. [c.2:0.4][b]G[/b]host. Please. [c.1:0.5][b]G[/b]uardian, we don’t have ti- [c.2:0.5][b]L[/b]et me have five minutes and I will blindly follow you without question... [c.1:0.6][b]E[/b]ven if we have to kill wizards on the moon? Or fight time-bending robots? [c.2:0.6][b]I[/b]… wizards on the moon? Whatever. I accept. [c.1:0.7][b]S[/b]leep tight then guardian…..... [c.1:0.8][b]R[/b]ing, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring! [c.1:0.9][b]E[/b]yes up guardian, you’ve had five minutes and the fallen heard that alarm. [c.2:0.7][b]A[/b]lready? What the heck?! [c.1:1.0][b]L[/b]et’s go. We need to find you a conveniently placed weapon. /...END TRANSCRIPT/// This was fun! I hope it isn't too short!

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                        • Edited by shadowtrooper34: 8/13/2015 10:47:16 PM
                          He landed on the planet, Venus, it was nighttime, he knew what Kayde had told him to do. Kill an Archon, but this was different than all the other strikes, he was alone. He continued on the mission, slaying any who dare oppose his flaming hand Cannon and trusty auto Rifle. But it all turned bad, he reached the end of the mission, and the Archon, he just threw him into a wall like a kid throwing a bouncing ball, and he was beaten and thrown. But he survived, he stood up, he had the solar burn of the sun in his eyes, and in an instant he dropped his gun and grabbed the solar energy he so desperately needed, and crafted it into a hand Cannon, and he shot, and hit every shot. The Archon was dead. He had gotten his reward. Finally, after 3 months of searching he got it, The Last Word. It was his now. It was his alone.

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                        • Edited by MurdiusMaximus: 8/13/2015 10:28:30 PM
                          Some of the people in the City think we Guardians have it easy. They see us, and they see indomitable warriors, just shy of Gods or the Traveler itself. They see heroes of war; undying soldiers with powers of Light and the courage to face the worst the galaxy has to offer. They see the greatest of the Humans, Exos and Awoken. The fortunate few chosen by a Ghost from the Traveler itself to carry on with the defense of Humanity in the name of It that no longer can. In the name of the one that sacrificed everything, to give us something more valuable than any technology: hope. They can't see the reality. The reality of holding a dying brother or sister in your hands, who can't just come back because their Ghost was shattered into a million pieces by a frenzied Minotaur. Ghosts don't come back. Once they're gone, there is nobody to resurrect [i]them[/i]. So when one of our own loses their Ghost, and then fall themselves, they're just...gone. The people of the City don't have to witness the Light of a trusted friend, who has stood by you through countless scraps and had your back every step of the way, just fade away. The shine that was once so vibrant in their eyes slip away into nothing and become the dull sockets that you sadly have come to know all to well. The people can't see the struggle of lost memory, of who we were before we died; they don't even know the struggle of knowing that you are a walking corpse, something against the very laws of nature, an abomination to the cycle of life. They don't understand that everything that you were before is gone, whatever legacy or actions you did in your previous life mean nothing, because a Ghost saw that you had what it took to face the horrors the Darkness had waiting for us. Those people don't know what it feels like as a legion of Vex pop up out of nowhere when you set up camp for the night, intent on destroying you and those who accompany you on whatever suicide run you're on. They don't know what it takes to truly conquer your instinct to run and hide, and instead, defiantly push the feeling aside and stand directly in the way of a Cabal Phalanx formation as they storm towards you. They don't know the terrors of the dark hollows of the Moon, where even the light shined by your Ghost is drowned out as Thrall maul and tear at you, intent on devouring every part of you simply because it gives them joy to do so. They don't know what it's like to see a Kell hoist you up and stare you down before they thrust their swords deep inside of you, bringing you close and laughing as you die, your final memory being that of shattering pain, and the companions with you scrambling to keep the monster off your Ghost long enough to bring you back. There is no reward for what we endure, and there is seemingly no end in sight. We don't get to relax and take a load off because our enemies will never relent and never tire. Our lives are lives of bloodshed and warfare, misery, loss and muck and grime. We feel every bullet, plasma round, explosion and cut. We feel loss. We feel true fear. We feel sorrow and rage. Even when our Ghosts put us back together to continue the fight, we remember all of it, and still push onward into more. But what the people also don't know, is that we endure it all because we [i]choose[/i] to. When we are chosen by our Ghosts, we could walk away and ignore the Tower and those it defends, going rogue like some have, but we don't. We face down the truest terrors the Darkness has to offer not just because we choose to, but because most of what's left of humanity [i]can't[/i]. We stand defiant because they cannot. We endure death after death because we can, and they cannot. We do it for the love of our races, not just for the Traveler or the Speaker, but because somewhere in the God-awful mess of this galaxy, we have a right to go on. We put ourselves in harm's way for our people's right to live. We fight so that the children of today can hopefully have a future tomorrow without suffering and loss, or the Darkness bearing down on them. They will never know how hard we have it – and I sincerely hope that not a single one of them ever has to. -Cayde-6

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                          • Where did you get your avatar?

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                            • [b]44th Purpose[/b] by doublezeus (lol) Everyday, I wake up to the sound of engrams being decrypted, guardians purchasing new gear... But do they not see me, am I feared? The time has come..it has neared. I've served my mentors, but it wasn't enough. This job I had, might I say, it was tough. A Guardian, that's what they called me. Were they not satisfied with 'free'? And now I live...beside a tree.. Here I am, crushing on a Guardian that just passed Talking to everyone, with me..as the last. Is there no use for someone slightly outclassed? Staring at a ball...asleep it'll make you fall. Can I have a glimpse...from the Moon an Eclipse? I've grown weary. Too much motes I have to carry. But I have to be thankful, with me no one competes. Not even in the Reef, where their assets are complete. Please help me! I'm not such a fool I need a real job, not like Rahool! If everyone needs me like this, I'm sure in time, this work is bliss. I apologize, I haven't introduced Sorry for my rambling, I tend to get confused. I'm here to aid, but not for free.. The name, I used to be called..'tis Banshee. [b]TL;DR [/b]This is about a guardian left out of fieldwork, let go to serve his purpose as a tower man. He shares his experience, he shares what he wants to experience. This so-called guardian, his name, was Banshee.

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