What if? [DESTINY OC STORY]

21- Arjun

The creature of black stepped out from their tear in the timeline, finding themself on Nessus. Wandering out of the space of Vex, dazed, they took a look around, absorbing all the information they could from the Vex and Fallen they took into their sludge.

"Adriana?" Their comm chirped. They recognized the voice- Azariah. He was close.

Arjun leapt into the nearest tree, staring down at the exo. "Adriana?" He called out again into his comms. Azariah huffed, antsy and anxious for his lover. "I should go check up on her. She wouldn't leave me hanging while on Europa." Arjun blinked as they leaned further, curious. Black dripped from the tree, drawing Azariah's attention. "What the-" He looked up to see nothing but a branch stained with tar.

Without another thought, Arjun shot themself up to Europa. They knew they could stay and learn more but... if Elsie was there- their Elsie- they wanted to talk to her. If not, they'd continue after Vulkan.

Arjun found Elsie at her camp, Adriana discussing something with her. "Why is the discrepancy so thick here? Did you do something? It's jamming my signal, too." Elsie shook her head apologetically. "I've been... busy. I didn't realize my arrival here would do so much." Adriana huffed. "Yeah, well... I don't know. There's been a lot of these anomalies across the system. I can't help but worry." Elsie frowned. "What type of anomalies?"

"Paracausal. It's unlike anything we've ever seen. It's neither Dark nor Light."

Elsie's eyes widened with shock as she realized the reason why. "Get out- get to the Last City- hide there and don't let anyone from your fireteam leave- especially not Vulkan or Aurora." Adriana frowned. "What- why?"

"Just go, Adriana!" The warlock flinched, taken aback by Elsie's yell. "O-okay. You better explain everything to us later." Elsie sighed as the warlock left, disappearing into a shimmer of data. "If we make it through this, we will." Elsie clenched her fists, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Arjun, I know you're there."

A shadow rose from the snow, dripping black before solidifying. "Elsie, why did you leave?" They asked, voice full of confusion and sorrow. Elsie did not dare turn towards them and curse herself with the expression on their face. It'd only hurt more if she did. "That timeline is lost. As are you." Arjun flinched as if they'd been struck. Elsie could hear the way their breath hitched with hurt. "I... I didn't mean to. I didn't want this. But I can't live with this knowledge and not do anything about it. You have to understand that, right?"

"Arjun, you're insane." She said it monotonously. Arjun sagged. "Am I really?" Elsie honestly wasn't sure- she believed anyone in Arjun's position would be, but their mind seemed mostly unchanged by the transformation. It was peculiar. Elsie didn't want to say she didn't know, though. That wouldn't be a proper response to such a situation. "Do you truly believe in what you're doing?" Is what Elsie asked instead, not knowing what she hoped to hear in response, all while knowing she hoped for one. For something. She knew she'd get it, but what?

"Yes. Yes, I do. I have to." Was their response. Elsie felt something tug at her heart. Finally, she turned towards Arjun. Finally she glimpsed their broken and forlorn expression, hair wet and messy and stained with black in some areas, white and dry in others. The black hardly dripped from their skin anymore, the slime crystalizing black with the slightest sheen of wetness, becoming the cloak they had once worn. It had remarkable similarities to obsidian. "Do you truly believe you'll succeed?" Elsie asked. "Yes. I know I will. And because I know I will, I will." There was a moment of silence between the two as Elsie scoured their expression, trying to sense any doubt in their mind.

"Remember what I told you after my year of corruption?"

"I could never forget. I had asked you why you feel the need to keep trying, to keep winning."