[b][u]Lightfall[/u][/b] There they stood. The cosmic barrier between the light and dark. Umbra had worked very decisively to get here. It was here where he planned to finally end the light. He seemed to be in a large room, maybe a mile across. He stood only a few meters from the light side of the room. Behind him was a consuming shadow that faded into a suffocating blackness. Before him was a being as radiant as a neutron star. It’s side was a bright white. Something stood on the light side of the room, a few meters away from the dark side. It was a person, or rather, a guardian. Umbra felt like he shouldn’t be concerned, but something about the guardian gave him an uneasy feeling. Umbra: So this is what the traveler hides. A god, and, this place. The guardian turned to face Umbra. Umbra summoned a firearm and shot down the guardian and its ghost. For a moment, he felt as though he had won, but then, time seemed to jump. The guardian was alive again. Umbra: What the hell? Darkness: You can’t defeat this one. Umbra: But I followed your instructions. I gained the power necessary. Why can’t I kill this guardian? Darkness: It breaths with power beyond yours. It has become the embodiment of light. Umbra: So what do we do now? Darkness: You will first need me. Turn around. Umbra turned to stare into the endless abyss that was, the darkness. This darkness was the kind that would drive ordinary people mad. Tendris drove into Umbra. After a few moments, Umbra exhumed an aura of darkness. He turned back to face the guardian. Umbra summoned two blades. A black fire surround them. The guardian summoned two blades that seemed to be made of pure light. Umbra: So this is it then? The end. Umbra walked toward the division between the light and the dark. The guardian did the same. As they closed the distance between each other, they increased their walking pace until they eventually broke into a run. They lounged at each other and clashed blades. Bursts of light and shadow bounced off the swords upon impact. Umbra pulled back and took another heavy swing at the guardian. The guardian blocked the swing, and tried to stab Umbra with the other blade, but Umbra knocked it off course with his knee. The battle continued for a long while like this. Umbra: I understand now. You can’t kill me, but you won’t let me kill you. A cycle as old as these two forces. You act like you will kill me, but you don’t lounge with the intent to kill. Umbra locked blades with the guardian again. Umbra: Why don’t you speak. The traveler was never so silent until it was on the edge of death. Are you trying to say I’m winning. Suddenly, a ghost appeared over the guardian’s shoulder. Ghost: You’ve killed us once. We didn’t die. The universe won’t allow it. Umbra: This would normally be true, but I have gained the power. I’ve bonded with the darkness, you and I now stand on even grounds. We can both die now. Umbra tried to slide his blade at the ghost, but the guardian pushed Umbra back before he could get out of the lock. Another volley of clashes ensued. Ghost: Why would you want the last city to fall? Why kill off the light? Umbra: You couldn’t possibly understand the reasons ghost. Ghost: But Cayde did. Umbra froze for a second. He lost himself in memory before having to snap back into focus. He resumed the battle. Ghost: I know there's another reason. Something before curiosity.Guilt. Umbra stopped his onslaught for only a second. He then started attacking even more ferociously than before. Ghost: You couldn’t handle your guilt. You let them down. Umbra: They let themselves down! Ghost: They just wanted to rebuild. They wanted their old lives back. Umbra: They left all their responsibilities on MY shoulders! Umbra’s attacks became even more ferocious as the ghost talked. Ghost: and that is the weight guardians must carry. Umbra’s barrage of swings came to a dead stop. He looked down at the ground. Umbra: I was chosen to be a guardian once. I’m certain my ghost chose wrong. I couldn’t even help one small settlement. Ghost: I believe that “settlement” had a name. Umbra: No, it really didn’t. Most just called it the ruins of Stalingrad. Ghost: It’s still a name. Umbra: Names don’t matter. Ghost: is that you, or the darkness talking? A lingering silence took a hold of the two for a while. Ghost: We can’t always succeed in our endeavours as guardians. Umbra: You say that, though I know exactly who [i]you[/i] are. The black heart, time’s conflux, Crota, Skolas, Oryx, SIVA. Ghost: What about them? Umbra: It was you that killed them all. [i]You[/i] have never failed. Ghost: But we have. Umbra: Your actions suggest otherwise. Ghost: We’ve died a great many times before killing just one of them. Umbra: What of it? Ghost: I can’t bring back guardians in a dark zone. Umbra seemed a little confused. The darkness spoke to him. Darkness: There’s something more. Not just the light, but a will beyond both mine and the light’s. Umbra: A will? Darkness: Something else drives that guardian. Something beyond the bounds of the veil, something beyond this reality. Umbra: What is it? Darkness: I can only describe it as a will. Be weary. I fear this guardian will not die easily. Umbra returned to a ready stance. He prepared for anything. Ghost: The point is, we’ve failed. Though you might not have seen them, we’ve failed. We can’t always win. Umbra: I will never fail again. It was their fault that the fallen attacked. They should have known better than expand with only one guardian to defend. Ghost: Maybe it was. But that guilt still eats at you. Umbra: I’m stronger now. Ghost: But you still have a weakness. Your memories. Umbra stood silently. His stance was a little more loose. Ghost: You knew everyone from the ruins. You spent time with them. Umbra: I should have never cared. Ghost: You wouldn’t be a guardian if you didn’t. You cared for them too much. Umbra: I should have left them when I had the chance. Ghost: You promised you’d protect them. You wouldn’t let them get hurt again. Umbra: Look how much that matters now. Ghost: Now you serve right alongside their murderers. Umbra: The fallen are my toys now. When they finish off humanity, I’ll make them rip out each other’s hearts. Ghost: What would they care? They finally finished off humanity, just like they dreamed about. You’re only making them happy. Umbra: They will know misery by the end. Umbra lounged again. He locked blades but kicked the guardian and slashed the ghost. The guardian looked down in surprise at the ghost. Umbra lounged again and drove one blade into the guardian’s arm. The guardian tried to take the blade out, but Umbra drove his second sword into the guardian’s chest. Umbra: Now finally, you die- Time seemed to jump again. Umbra was back on the dark side of the room again. The guardian was on the other side, alive and well. Umbra: How? Darkness: I can’t quite describe this. It’s as though this universe refuses to let this guardian die. Time almost seems to reset here, but the events outside this space are unaffected by it. It would also seem that the traveler has disappeared. I’m uncertain where it has gone. Ghost: Like I said. We’ve failed many times. Darkness: It’s power exceeds our combine power. Umbra: How do I obtain more? Darkness: You would have to kill more. Umbra charged at the guardian again. Umbra: Then I’ll kill you a million times over If I must. They resumed their fight. Both moving with incredible strength, speed and precision. Umbra spoke with the Darkness in his head. Umbra: The light lacks the will to kill the dark. I see this guardian struggling to fight me and not kill me. Darkness: Such has happened for millennia. This light and I have built up and destroyed thousands civilizations. There have been times when I pushed the light to a single world, and there have been times when the light has pushed me back to a single world. But every time, we find a way to survive. Umbra: Now we are both confined to a single closed space. There is no more running. No more seeking. Just this. Umbra looked over at the being of light. He locked a single blade with the guardian, then tossed the second blade with all his might. It flew straight toward the being like a bullet. It made contact. The being slowly shriveled up and disappeared. Ghost: what did you- Umbra: You are not my target. Darkness: Well done. Now. The shadow quickly claimed the empty white space. A single white sphere glowed where the being once was. Darkness: We must return, and consume the rest of the cosmos. Go through it. Finish this. The guardian got between Umbra and the sphere. Umbra: So that’s how it’s going to be? Umbra summoned a new blade. Ghost: We won’t let you leave. Umbra: I will kill you as many times as I need. Guardian: And I no longer have a reason to hold back. I will kill you. Umbra: very well then. But I only wonder. How long will the universe last without it’s light? Umbra and the guardian attacked again. The guardian's attacks became much harder for Umbra to dodge and block, he became concerned the guardian may actually win. But he was determined to be the victor, and that was all he needed. [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/221314755]Epilogue[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/220623137]Last part: Dark rise[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/217968013]To the collection:[/url]