A/N: A rewrite, for this fic, was drastically needed. It was getting to the point of ridiculousness. I needed to haul it back in, and couldn't do it without re-doing the beginning. This one has some MUCH better plot set up than the other, and is less confused on its tone. The original wanted to be both serious and silly at the same time, and ended up failing at being much of anything.

Anyway, hope you like this.

P.S. : Calus is obviously not really speaking English, it's the Cabal dialect. Duh.

P.P.S. : This is not linear (If you didn't notice)

The cosmos seemed to shimmer brighter than any day that he could recall. Each star was like a diamond, and all hung from a thousand strings as some unknown god bounced and puppeted them in an illusory dance. They tempted him, as they had his forebears, and called him towards a dream unreachable. A dream which, should he take a moment to truly visualize within his mind, would not be one from which he could return. For the man was not in a place nor time in which stargazing was a plausible consumption of ones focus. And his situation hammered down upon the fact. He still wished to dream now; of those stars and their seemingly infinite light. But she was here. To kill him; and then to rend those stars to fit her dreams of darkness. A darkness which she, not alone in power could, but alone in desire would control and weave.

"Such an oddity you are, little light." Auryx's cruel voice beautifully cut through his mind. All she was, to him, was a defiance to reality; a beautiful and bestial thing. A unholy goddess, and a divine leviathan.

"Truly, you have fought and tried so hard, little light. Truly, and I say this with more sincerity than I offer even my adoptive children, you above all have awed me." The Queen of the Taken spoke with her venomously honied tone, "You are made of such weak form, yet you have for a moment equaled me. You are a profit of a lesser power, yet it has quelled all but I, the darkness's true champion. You have murdered the child that I had reared and yet, I hold no ill will towards you."

"For you have started the most sacred and ancient ritual of my people: the act of courtship."

His mind froze. What else could he do? He had not, and would not have, imagined that in a million years. If he had eons to ponder what her response would be, he would not have come up with that.

"I accept your act of courtship. No other came so close to besting me. No other presented such a pile of sacrifices to me. Dead warriors, kings, kells, gods... my own child's head. All of it has impressed me. And so, I offer you respite: take me as your mate, let me crown you and make you mine, and I shall spare your people. What say you, oh lover mine?"

He couldn't think of a proper response. What was there to say!? How could he abandon his people? But then, how could he betray his race? He... he...

"I- I accept your terms, Auryx. As long as you promise to spare my people, my-... my heart goes to you." He responded, voice filled with defeat.

A smile split the goddess's lips. Well, if you could call it a smile.

"Oh King of mine! I know you shall not regret it! I need not love here, for I have eons to get it from you. I need only compliance, willing or not. One day, you shall desire me. Yet, within a week, I request that, and by request I mean demand that, you bed me. Our children will be the greatest of my, and soon to be our, race."

When the Guardian awoke, he knew he had changed. Something about him, something defining and important, had changed. He was still the same man, but his flesh was not. His form was not.

Claws and immaculate bone-white armour greeted his clearing vision. The rest of his body was the same, he was hive now, no doubt of that. The room around him was odd, and almost homely. Cozy, even, but that was a stretch. Maybe someday...

"Oh lover mine, you're up I see." A voice called from his side, "Do you like your new form?"

He could not deny he felt good. Both from his new, not-broken-into-a-million-pieces body, and the oddly arousing state of her body pressed against his back. Not that he'd admit to the last part.

"I feel fine, Auryx."

Soft laughter filled the air, and he felt shaking behind him.

"So cold, my King? Is that the way you treat your mate? Be more personal. Even if it is pretend. Do it for your people, and for yourself. Enjoy this."

Arms wrapped around him and he felt her press tighter around his body. Tough muscle, chitin, and rough flesh never felt so good. Maybe it was this new form's instincts, maybe he was just a pervert, but he new he was aroused by this. He new he was... almost contemplating just following her orders. Just... giving in and letting fate guide his path.

Maybe that was better. Maybe it was worse. But any way he looked..

"Maybe I should..."

He had to admit. He could see himself falling for Auryx.

And it scared him.

"Weather's shit." A woman said, taking a drag on a cigarette immediately after.

She held it for a minute before she let it out, blowing smoke into the air like a wreath around her head. The man beside her seemed to take offense at that action, however, and turned towards her.

"That's all you're gonna say after that?" A man in full Titan regalia said, arms crossed and leaning against a wall, "You rant to me for fifteen minutes and all you finish with is a comment on the weather and another fucking smoke? While we're surrounded by kids. You're a piece of shit, know that?"

She just took another drag, holding this one for a little bit longer. She let it out without a care for finesse this time, and it blew out in front of her like breath on a winter morning, before letting it float over her head as if her own personal rain cloud hovered above her.

"What else do I say, Trey? I got it all out and now I'm done and over it." The woman said.

The man, a certain Trey-1, senior Titan and all around good man, was currently having trouble with keeping his emotions in check.

"You called Eve a whore."

She looked back at him with a dismissive expression, but her cheeks were still tinged red from embarrassment.

"So? I did it cause she- cause she is. You see her out there! She was practically riding the Hive Knight's cock since she met him, she-"

"ENOUGH!" Trey shouted, getting into the woman's face, "Don't you disrespect Eve! I've known her for well over a hundred years. She's my friend. My partner. YOU are important to me, more than you know, but you're still nothing compared to what she is to me!"

He backed off immediately afterwards, as tears of shock, anger, and regret filled the woman's eyes.

"Sorry. Lost control of myself there." He said, his voice losing its edge, "It's what you said about the Cabal being right. They aren't. It's clear that their leader is just a cornered and scared animal, running from the Emperor of the Cabal. Ghaul is trying to use the Traveler, that the Hive repaired, to fight her fights. She couldn't convince all the people to rebel, and quarter of her race, a really powerful quarter, hates her. The Space Rhinos aren't to be trusted to make wise choices."

The woman giggled and smiled slightly at that, and her tear-stained face seemed just a bit less bleary.

"Yeah. I just- everything has been in disarray for the past few years. Ever since Cayde 'left' and 'The Guardian of Guardians', Iridium, became a fucking Hive King... Hell, I still don't know if Cayde really did leave to be with his family. I mean, wasn't his family, you know, dead? And don't even get me started on Iridium." The woman said, her face still in a smile, but her voice not showing it.

Trey leaned against the wall of the barn that they had all gathered around; 'all' meaning the large group of guardians and refugees that didn't side with the Red Legion. The light was luckily still with the Guardians, as the Traveler was awake and hadn't fallen to the attempted caging the Cabal pulled. Otherwise, there would be a lot less alive to make it out.

"I don't know either, and neither does the Vanguard from the sounds of it. The Cayde thing, that is." Trey said, grumbling, "Stupid smug fuck probably jumped the moment he thought he could. Phrased it like that to make people guilty if they chase him. Probably got some hooker to screw in his ship, said somethin to the tune of 'I pay you, you pretend to marry me' and is rollin with her. Or he's with another renegade and that's the both of their covers. So, I'm with you on that, Nania."

It was at that moment that they noticed the large gathering of people in the middle of the farm grounds, around some sort of spectacle. It was obviously intriguing, whatever it was, and even more important for them; Eve was there.

They ran up to the Warlock, Trey greeting her politely, with a hug, while Nania stood awkwardly to the side and waved.

"So what is go...-" Trey began, a loud voice blasting in his ears before he could finish.

"Gather around, one and all! Guardian or not, this announcement is of the highest importance! I am Jessie Ward, the only living member of Iridium's fireteam, and his Prophet to you!" A woman in a pearly white cloak shouted, her voice echoing across the farm, "I offer you a way to forge GRAND weaponry, and GLORIOUS armour! A way to test and build your skills and teamwork! And a way to aid in the recapturing of the city!"

The woman's voice was chock full of vigor, and dripping with glee. Her eyes glimmered with hope, and what Trey thought was a tinge of fanaticism as her hands waved and gestured with every word.

"The premise is simple: You are to go to locations around the solar system with me, and use the technology I have created to capture powerful enemies, and slaughter the less poignant threats! Gather the motes of dark left behind by the defeated, as well as the forms of the captured, and take them to the drop off zone to summon a primeval! Kill it, and win the round, and thus the goods forged using the gathered materials and motes!"

The people gathered around looked on with mixed reactions. Some saw it as amazing, depending on the goods that this 'Jessie Ward', this 'Teammate of Iridium', could give out. Others thought it a scam.

"Why, you ask? For Iridium~ ! To empower you with a drop of his might! With each mote of dark, my machine grows stronger, strong enough to pierce the realm of the Taken! We can Take enemies!"

Now, radical devotion, zeal to the point of near euphoria, madly glinted in her eye. It was worship, for sure. Trey, however, saw a bit of deviousness there that he hadn't before. A spark of selfishness. Maybe it was a simple desire to be with her... hero ...but maybe it wasn't.

"Really? This is all unbelievable! Iridium infamously fought alongside only three others, occasionally, and you claim to be one of 'em? Hog shit. Maybe, if that was all you were claiming, I'd be fine. Not totally, but I'd be willing to accept it. If it was that alone. Then there's also the issue of how in the light's name you got Golden Age tech. Absolute Cabal urine." One onlooker shouted, numerous others nodding and muttering along with her.

Jessie Ward smiled beneath her hood.

"WITNESS!" She shouted, a fireteam identification medallion in her now raised hand, displaying the holographic projection of the name 'Last Dawn', as well as sending out the identification frequency specific to the fireteam.

The crowd was shocked, gasps and whispers spread throughout. At least, amongst the guardians. Now they believed her first few claims, and knew she could be trusted. Somewhat. If He did, then they could. It also proved that she probably would actually want to make an offering to her friend. Though, whether that was all she wanted... was yet to be seen.

"The game, if you could call this project such a thing," She continued, sneering at the thought that someone would degrade her work, "Is called 'Gambit ', will be available starting three days from now! All who are interested, be it for the weapons and loot... or FOR GLORIOUS IRIDIUM, AND THE SAKE OF HUMANITY, come and meet me at Titan, alongside the remaining Vanguard. I hope, for your sake, that you attend."

The Guardians began to murmur among themselves over the news, before many started to rush in order to get ready and leave for Titan. Trey, however, wanted to talk to this 'Jessie Ward' before he left. Something about her was off, even if she was a part of Iridium's fireteam. It wasn't her fanatical attitude towards his respected fellow Titan, many worshiped the ground he had walked upon; it wasn't her method of worship, as it was wise to disguise the gathering of force as a game; but rather, the timing of her arrival was what threw him off.

She came here at the perfect moment; endeared herself to everyone, or at least showed she was 'trustworthy' because of her fireteam status; and then casually mentions, to crowd of depressed, gunless, practically armourless, and angry guardians that she has a game that will give them strong guns, strong armour, and also give them a way to help defeat the Red Legion. It was too perfect, and it sounded like a clear scam. And not just any scam, a dangerous one. Deadly, even, if allowed to take full root and bloom.

He waited for the crowd to clear before heading towards her. A few guardians had already done so, acquiring some sort of card each time, after asking some questions about the tournament.

He strutted up to her after the last man cleared from around her, and most guardians had begun shuttling survivors to Titan. Eve and Nania stood back a good meter, not daring to interrupt the old Titan when he was this determined.

"What the hell are you pulling?" He said in a harsh whisper, getting straight to the point, "I'll believe that you were his partner, I'll believe you have Golden Age tech, hell I'll even believe you intend to present an offering to Iridium and all this Taken hoohaw. But I refuse to believe that you don't get anything out of this. I sense a crazy in you, and not just this devoted insanity you try, and I said try, to give off. I think you're a rat."

He was always blunt, a true titan in this sense, and he wasn't going to stop now.

Jessie Ward simply smiled at him from under her helmet, and chuckled amicably.

"You're right: I do gain something, and I'm not some Brother Vance-esque disciple. I'm the partner, or former partner, of the Greatest Guardian of All Time! I'm the girl with a silver gun!" She chuckled, twirling First Curse in her hands, "I do mean good, though. I intend to use this in order to show others that Light and Dark in unity are stronger! That a balance is the most healthy way! I want to show that the power to Take is not intrinsically bad, and that we can use it to fight back against the Cabal, and the traitorous Guardians that sided with them."

Trey was taken aback by her sudden change in tone; her casual disposition and apparent honesty in her speech changed her appearance entirely. He could respect her for admitting such a goal, despite its odd and nebulous nature. So, he nodded approvingly towards her, accepting her story. A big mistake he'd come to regret later, but he was obviously oblivious to that.

"You may have recognized my name, too." Jessie Ward continued, "Jaren Ward was Shin Malphur's adoptive father, as well as the wielder of The Last Word. He's my sibling, so Shin is my nephew, if you want another connection."

Her look turned dark at this, and she leaned in to whisper in Trey's ear as the others moved in to hear her.

"Though, currently, I want to put a bullet through my nephew's skull. He shot my first official fireteam dead, and tried to kill me over a scuffle with the Dredgens! I simply thought that killing their Ghosts was a useless waste. He didn't." She said, real rage showing through in her voice, "I'm gonna track his sorry ass across the galaxy if I have to, and end his insanity."

The wind whistled, and the harsh cold sliced through the skin of the two surviving members of a doomed "expedition." Blood stained the alien snow, and bodies littered the campgrounds. It had been a tough shootout, and a tough time leading up to it.

But now? Only two remained, and soon, one of them would be gone as well.

"Look, sister, we can cut a deal, alright? I have plenty of glimmer! Weapons as well, anything! I know how to get outta here, and I- I have this idea for a- a thing called Gambit! You could make a whooooole lotta cash that way!" The man on the ground said, wincing after the woman jabbed her handcannon's barrel at his face.

"Shut up. I know about your 'Gambit', and I know about your ship and path out of this place. Knew it for a while." She said, his face going stiff in shock, "And glimmer? No need for it. Money means nothing. Only power."

A wide grin split her face, as she prepared to rant to this sad, sad creature that called itself a man. Venom stained her eyes. Venom and devotion. Her voice came out through grit teeth, clenched shut in hatred for this thing before her. This rat.

"I knew everything about you, know everything. But you knew, and know, nothing about me. So I'll illuminate. We share such similar views, it's ironic! Both rebelling against the tyranny of Light and Dark. But we have such differing methods." She monologued, still pointing her silver Tex-Mechanica handgun at the shaking man before her, "We also had such different ways of coming to our methods. You saw the horror of Light, and the Terror of Dark, and decided neither were good. I saw Him. The Guardian of Guardians. The Champion of the Traveler. The Godslayer! The Timebreaker! I was in a team with him once, while I was hunting down Shin Malphur in a desperate bid for revenge. The 'Man With The Golden Gun' killed my fireteam, and I would do anything to make him suffer for that, Ikora be damned!"

The voice of the woman began to grow crazed, even fanatical, as she continued her ranting. She emphasized every mention of her idol, her voice taking a sickly, love-struck tinge.

"He taught me what power was; what the path forward was. No 'pure-hearted' and blindly obedient servant of the light would slaughter a Hive god using its own sword. Yet, no blinded and wicked follower of the dark could come back to save a race of people he barely knew as much as he did. He gave me hope, true hope, Dredgen. Not some bullshit 'the light will always prevail' hope, but the kinda hope you get when you know that someone mighty is watching your back. That, for every big fish out there, he's there and even bigger! I know he will save us. Not when, sure, but I know he will. He'll slaughter the Red Legion and all those blasphemers who sided with them." She said, her voice crescendoing into a peak, "He is mighty. He is a GOD! And he gave me this! This weapon! It can kill you, or any guardian, or any being of Dark, dead. Permanently dead! The First Curse! The Hollow Gun! The Strength Eater! Its rounds will leave you empty. Nothing in you. No light, no dark. Just Dead."

The woman began to breathe heavily, her eyes showing her madness to the poor man at her mercy. The man who had slaughtered and ran for a thousand years, just to die in this hellhole. Like a chump.

"And, you know what? It's great! Cause dead. Is. Better. For the weak." She cackled out, her voice still coming through her clenched teeth, a mix of maniacal glee and pure hatred. She was still aiming at his head, waiting to pull the trigger, "But... you're without your Ghost anyway, so what does it matter? It's no fun! Wait, I know! Come on! Stand and shoot! I know you have a pistol!"

Madness.

That was all that was left of her. Aunor, the last loyal member of Fireteam 'Last Dawn.' Of Iridium's team.

Madness, and devotion. Nothing to lose, all to gain. People like her, Drifter knew, were the most dangerous people in the universe.

"It's empty!" He called out, trying to bluff her, "Just shoot me already, you punk!"

"My ass! I know of that secret round, use it! Or do you want to die?"She asked, "Why look a gift horse in the mouth? Are you just that stubborn? Sticking to your lies? Are you just gonna lay there and die?"

He simply glared at her, as part of him truly did. A part truly wanted this to end. Wanted to know if they were right...

To know what death, his final death, felt like...

'I feel nothing...'

'It's so cold...'

'I feel so empty...'

The words rang in his head, and that cold fear of death, and warm feeling of desire, filled him. He needed to live. For himself, and all those who he kept alive with his memories.

But mostly for himself.

He stood up slowly, wincing.

"Alright, punk. You asked for it!" he said, quickly drawing his trusty sidearm and pulling the special trigger. A bullet of darkness shot out, a Thorn bullet, and struck the woman in the center of her head.

He smiled and began to laugh and gloat as best as his broken body could manage.

"Guess I'll keep on driftin' another day." He said, though his soul wasn't in it.

Was this it? This felt empty. Like shooting a puppy.

He felt sick.

*Thrung Chsss*

A sound like the tolling of church bells rang across the campgrounds. The woman had raised her handcannon and fired a bullet straight through his chest.

"H-How?" He gurgled out, staring at the wound he inflicted, only for his eyes to widen in shock.

A black, viscous material, with specks of white like stars flowed out of her wound, repairing it with ease.

"I don't need the Light or the Dark to be immortal! I can use both with complete ease! Total power! And when He comes back, He'll realize what I've done to spread His teachings. He'll see that I am His Prophet!" She screamed gesturing to the sky, "Goodbye, Dredgen Hope! Though, tell me, before you go: how do you feel?"

She was leaning over, her face inches from his. The man's vision was going dark, barely able to see her wicked smile. He was dying. And, to tell the truth, he felt- well...

"I feel... nothing..." He said, his last breath eeking out of dead lips.

She closed his eyes with her hand, before looting his gear off of him, and taking a bit out of his flesh.

She finished up, putting her winter gear back on as she walked away to loot the camp site.

"What you just did..." The voice of an elderly woman called from behind her, "It truly disturbs me..."

She smiled.

"Gonna abandon me, Ghost?" She questioned.

"Never, deary! But... I can't stand what you're becoming!" The Ghost said, it's blue and orange chassis shifting to show concern, "Aunor, you're becoming a monster. Like that man."

Her face turned blank.

"That thing?" She said, gesturing towards the desecrated body, "I can't be that low. I'm not a rat like him. I have strength, and integrity."

The Ghost simply shook her form like a disappointed mother shaking her head.

"I hate what you're doing. It isn't right! Why do it? I truly am concerned for you, Aunor!" The Ghost said, voice full of worry.

Aunor laughed.

"I must do this all for Him! So that he may recognize me! So that the world will know the true path is the Path of the Hollow! The Empty Path! I shall guide them, first towards the dark, and then back away from it. Show them the might of both sides combined! Show them true power. Then, when they have learned it, I shall forge more Hollow Guns, and induct them all into my Lord's fold!" She shouted, "Oh, and call me Jessie Ward. Want to lure out that little thorn in my side."

The Ghost glared at her guardian at that.

"You are truly falling down! What has he done? He only-"

She gripped the Ghost and squeezed hard.

"He only what? Saved my life? Slayed a God? Defeated the 'Kell of Kells?' Bested a Archon Priest with his bare hands? Married a Hive Goddess?" She asked, her voice full of spite and wrath, full of fanatical devotion, "You're right! He did! Without dying once! Because if he did, he would've stayed dead forever! He never had the possibility of resurrection, always surrounded by the Dark! He is the Unbroken! He is true strength! He is my destined love. I will have him when he returns, along with all those who I shall induct into his religion. His true path of righteousness!"

She released her grip on her Ghost after that and began walking away towards where she knew the Dredgen had stored his long range hauler. And its 'special haul.'

"I still hate what I see you becoming..." The Ghost said as her Guardian walked off ahead, "You don't even seem human...

"What I'm becoming?... Less human?" She said, turning her glowing red eyes towards the little Ghost before her, "I never was, oh niave light of mine."

Calus sat within his magnificent bath, sighing as he relaxed in the cleansing liquid. A psion joined him here. They were old friends, and the psion made for good conversing. The Emperor loved him so.

"What news do you have, Iktrot, watcher of my many peoples? What things have you witnessed, oh keeper of the Menagerie?" The Cabal's voice was booming and deep, fitting for the Emperor that he was.

The psion fidgeted, before giving his stuttering response.

"Quite odd, my lord, quite odd things are happening with the Hive. A celebration, to their leader."

"To me?" Calus questioned, putting his fist to his chin in thought, "How odd, they have never praised me... this must have an explanation. Have you thought of one, Iktrot?"

The psion fidgeted again, a wince-like movement, clearly showing he was not happy about having to inform his liege about his thoughts on this.

"It has to do with their queen-"

"She died?" Calus said, raising his head a bit as he looked towards his bathing partner.

"No, no... And they aren't praising you. She has... been wed."

Calus was silent a moment, staring into space, before he tilted his head back and laughed. A hearty laugh.

"A King of the Hive? How magnificent! HOW MAGNIFICENT!" His voice boomed across the bathes, shaking even the walls.

"Not king, Mightiest Calus, but rather... an Emperor, they say. An Emperor that is visiting all of the Hive controlled moons and planets. An Emperor that has, with his... wife ...declared a week long celebration. Literally phrased, Festival Ab Imperiatore. The hive, a wizard actually, requested the- the Imperial Architects to aid in the creation of art and monuments for him, and-"
"AN EMPEROR!? Of the Hive? OH, how wondrous! I must meet him! And a Festival, you say? I must join them! Send for my tailor, I need new regalia. Oh, and send the Hive our Architects! If they wish to indulge for a week, then let them! Let them drink deep! OH HO HO HO!"

The psion quickly nodded, and hopped out of the bath to rush for the comms. He hadn't seen his Emperor so roused... And he wouldn't be the one to kill that joy.

"Quickly, Iktrot! OH, and call the chefs to prepare a feast! And the men to join the festivities! No, CALL EVERYONE TO JOIN! I can't wait to meet this..."

Calus paused as he did not know the name of this Emperor. Clearly inviting Iktrot to fill him in.

"Iridium, Sire."

"IRIDIUM! A magnificent name... though not like the Hive. From whence does he come?"

Calus looked puzzled again, fist back to his chin in thought.

"Earth, originally. He was once human, according to a Knight, "Humanity has joined the Hive."

At this, Calus turned, a look of pure delight on his face.

"Good. Gooooood! Simply delightful turn of events! He can help us drive Ghaul from, what was the planet's name, Erut?"

"Earth."

"Yes, Earth! Maybe, with him, we can drive a spear through that foul traitors heart."

The Cabal's face looked downtrodden and solemn, as if in mourning. It didn't last though, before he called out to his companion once again.

"I shall go get dressed, you get on my orders! Immediately! There is no time to waste!"

Iktrot rushed to the comms with that, chatting with the various officials needed to do what his Emperor wanted.

'No time to waste at alll...'

Afterthoughts: Oh my, what a set up! What happened to Auryx and Iridum? What of Aunor? Who are Nania, Eve, and Trey? Where's Cayde? And so, so much more! I wanted to set up a better plot this time, and I think I succeeded. But, tell me what you think! Also, loving Shadowkeep, so fun and the raid is honestly the prettiest thing I've seen. A serious nod to the design team. Aced this one.