<Everyone at this point in time on the forums, and even some on my friends list, know that I talk about the Darkness a LOT. Almost to the point of obsession. Like, -blam!- Toland and Osiris, it's all about THE DEEP. Anyway, a long while ago some stuff on Reddit came out about dialogue for future events, specifically the Dreaming City. This included an argument between a couple characters and some weird shit about Vex and the destruction (wholesale) of Mercury. So, what does this have to do with the Darkness? Someone had to reciprocate the information to the forums. This person was ghost59. Here's the twist. The first thing he said was something unrelated entirely to the post on Reddit, and he edited out because of this... but... I gave it some thought and it ACTUALLY MAKES SOME -blam!-ING SENSE... A LITTLE TOO MUCH SENSE. Here's a paraphrase of what he said, [b]"the Darkness was dead and the pyramid ships are its closest followers trying to resurrect it using the Traveler"[/b]. So... how does this make sense? Let me tell you. This entire time the Darkness has been chasing the Traveler, wreaking havoc on every single system IT could get its hands on. Thousands of worlds fell to the Queen of Final Shapes and its minions. Here's the thing nearly every minion of the Deep seems to forget, they won't live to see the end. So WHAT IF the Darkness entity truly died in the Collapse? Let me (re)introduce you to my understanding of Light and Dark. From what I can gather, the powers work similar to the Force. As in it's both a moral or given thing. For example, a Guardian of Light turned Dark can get the ability to use the Dark. Likewise, a being of the Dark that's able to resist the urge can turn to the Light. There's also a patron entity for these abilities. I believe the best way to describe it is by dividing it into two things. Sources and entities. The entities control the ultimate flow of the powers but the sources can bring them and inevitably keep them in this world. As long as those sources are available, we can use whatever power we have. For example, I believe had the Gift Mast not been destroyed, we could've had our Light throughout the Red War. If the Darkness entity were dead, then logically the Hive and Taken would depower or not exist at all. However, we see the Hive still using their power on Titan before the Traveler woke. This can be explained by saying there are multiple sources of Dark power. Whether it's the amount of Blight left behind or another Gift Mast-like object, we don't know. Maybe it's other powerful beings... like the Nine, but we'll get to that in a bit. Either way, with this in mind, the Darkness entity dying and the power still remaining makes sense. Now how would a spectral entity die? It's not unheard of. Let me bring you back to the Force and introduce you to a little place called Mortis. On this world there lived a small group of individuals named The Daughter (light side), The Son (dark side), and The Father (balance). They were unbelievably powerful. If one were to get rid of or suppress the other significantly, then there would be a galactic imbalance. The Son kills the Daughter (by accident, but still) and everything starts going dark... metaphorically speaking. However, when the Son dies, balance is restored. Point is, these beings could die. So can the Queen of Final Shapes and the Gardener. Hell, the latter fears for its life constantly. Perhaps its sacrifice was so powerful the Dark died. The Dark Entity has a personality, it wouldn't be surprising if it had an ego on it, too. The fact that the Traveler stayed and fought back is something it reasonably shouldn't expect. IT was caught off guard. Hell, it caught everyone else off guard. Did I explain that well? I don't really think I did but I'm sure someone will get it. What about the other part? About the ships being its closest followers? Well I got something for that to. Enter the Nine... again. I don't think I have to explain why I distrust them so, but here's a summary. Nine hate Light Jovians hurt by Light Shady as all hell Kidnap Awoken Have relation to Ahamkara Cabal still don't know what they really are Unknown Space almost took Variks So many triangles in Equinox The very first theory about what the Nine are involve the survivors of cis-Jovian colonies that made a COMPACT WITH AN ALIEN FORCE TO SURVIVE. Sound familiar? It gets better. Xur says the Nine made the change but pretty much everything physical about him points to the Darkness, so how can the Nine be responsible UNLESS THEY ARE A SOURCE OF DARKNESS. [quote]The Nine are the aspects of the Darkness, broken by the Traveler's rebuke, working to destroy us from within.[/quote] ANOTHER LINE DIRECTLY FROM THE GRIMOIRE. Recently nearly every theory is being proven in some way. The 9 Ghosts, Awoken, Deep-Orbit Minds, etc. It's all part of the Nine. The Nine aren't simply 9 entities with a shit ton of pawns. The Nine is a bloody faction of spies. Do you know how easy it is to ruin us from within? They don't have our full trust but the Queen totally puts enough faith in them for SOMETHING (probably the end of the Hive). It would be WAY TOO EASY to turn around and point the gun at the head of Sol. And what about this, the very last theory of the Nine? [quote]The Nine are the shadows left by the annihilation of a transcendent shape, burned into the weft of what is.[/quote] That could be it. The death of the Dark, but the power flowing through. They are another source of Darkness. They transformed the Jovians, for what, the latter's survival? There's another purpose for them, surely. I'm going to continue my belief that the Jovians built the ships, but under the Nine's orders as they work to dismantle us slowly and every other thing that enters the system. But then why do the Nine work to destroy the Hive? Why do they hate Oryx so much? Simple. The Hive aren't worthy. They were never part of the Final Shape. They will NEVER be strong enough to survive until the end of everything. The Worms fooled them, the Hive will starve... and then the Worms with them as the Hive desperately find things to kill. Also, Oryx was set on destroying the Traveler. Why would you let him when you need the Gardener to resurrect the Deep? So the Osmium Dynasty will fall. Then the Nine will -blam!- us up in one swift motion and invade us with those ships based so clearly off the Queen of Armies and her vessel. There, it all comes together and in the end, the Nine still did the dirty work. Now it's a waiting game to see if I'm one of Destiny's most insane conspiracy theorists or I guessed the plot points way too -blam!-ing early. I also realized I can explain this better while talking, not writing.>