Knights No More

"No gods or kings. Only man."
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It was half past midnight, and the sight of a Pyramid ship dwarfed the horizon.

In the past, when standing in sight of where the Traveler last stood, the heavens opened up and bore it's glory for all to see, distant suns burning with a light not unlike the one they commanded. It was there, on that same horizon, that they swore an oath. To uphold the same values of those who had come before, to fight against those that threatened their god, and the people who had built a life beneath them.

But where there is Light, there will also be Shadow.
The Darkness had returned, its mere presence like a weight being held against the entire Sol system, threatening them with a Collapse infinitely more devastating than the last.

And yet, in spite of the threat it posed, the Traveler was still silent, and the Vanguard was still not enough.

Eight stood in the shadow of the Pyramid, one at a distance, seven in front of him, and the last at the cliff's edge. Where he once stood proudly, he now stood in somber silence, a Titan clad in armor of silver and blue, a sword on his back and his right hand clenched.

"To think," he began. "That it'd end like this..."

"Not end," said a distant Lightbearer, stepping until he was beside the Titan, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Just a new beginning. We might walk a different path, but our destination is still the same."

"Hnh."

The noise was the one King made sometimes, when something struck him as insightful and he got thoughtful. After a few seconds, he nodded his head, and though his helmet blocked it, you could hear the smile in his voice, no matter how brief it was.

"You're right."

He turned to face the others, each a different brand of Guardian, but all a Knight through through creed and code. Not all there since the first, but all present at the last.

"Each one of you, I consider a brother. Every step we took, we took together. Every threat that rose against us, we've slain side by side, no matter the odds, and no matter who doubted us." He glanced behind him at the Pyramid. "But this? As we are now, it's beyond us. With the Vanguard, with the Traveler... we can't protect those we swore to."

They knew it was coming, but that didn't mean the blow hurt any less. In that moment, most were grateful for their helmets, facing forward with their head held high and their determination apparent. No matter how difficult, they'd see their duty through to the end.

"As of today, The Knights of The Round Tower are no more!" His voice boomed with the declaration and the emotion behind it, decades worth of fight and memories carried with each word. "Though we separate and walk beneath different stars, the memories we've made, the people we fight for, the bonds we share? They define us more than a name ever will."

"Wherever you go, know that the others are with you. Whatever path you walk, wherever you go, know that when the time comes, we'll all meet again at the end... and when we do, it'll be with a force that not even the Darkness can stand."

Did he have doubts about his decision? Of course.
Was he scared of what it might lead to? Absolutely.
But no war was won by not adapting to the enemy, and no adapting could be done beneath the rule of a group or god that refused to change, even as the world they swore to protect burned to ash around them. Change was on the horizon, and if they were to survive - no, if they were to win, then they needed to be the one who changed first. He knew that, they all did.

So they separated, one by one, disappearing into the night. In the end, it was just the two, Guardians no longer, one Lightbearer with another.

"Do you think I was wrong?" The Titan looked to the Lightbearer. No matter how great, no one was without fear. "I've wagered all we built on a fool's hope. All that we've done, and could do, on something I don't even know is possible."

"Slaying Crota was impossible," He reminded him. "Killing Oryx, stopping Ghaul, Xol, and a dozen other things. We've built our career on the impossible." He paused, and when no response came, he continued. "It won't be easy. Nothing worthwhile in this life ever is. But that doesn't mean it's not worth fighting for."

Still no response. He groaned, slapping his friend on the shoulder.

"You aren't wrong to be fearful. Who the hell isn't when facing something like the Darkness? But we've proven time and time again that we can and will rise above it. This?" He glanced at the Pyramid. "This will be no different."

The Titan sighed, standing up straighter. "I know that."

"Good." The Lightbearer turned; his Ghost materialized, bringing out his sparrow. "The others believe in you and each other. I do too. Remember that."

He's gone on that statement, the dust he left behind swirling in Io winds. The Titan turned with his departure, facing the Pyramid once more, not a King, or a Guardian, but something else. Not better, not lesser, but different.

Something... Beyond Light.