So I think everyone can agree that Zavala is an awesome character and it really sucks that Bungie is retiring him. Lance was incredible but Kieth did a wonderful job as well. I hate to see him go, but what if he doesn't have to? This is what I came up with: Zavala has been retired for some time now and he is living in the last city trying to adjust to regular life but he feels hollow. He feels like something is missing. After all these centuries of fighting it's strange to not have a burden or responsibilities. He didn't want to retire but mortality forced him to. He is also alone, his family, Amanda, Cayde, Targe all gone. He wishes he wasn't alone. One day he gets enveloped by a light and wakes up in the pale heart. There he meets with Targe (acting as the voice of the traveler as Sundance did with Cayde). He finally voices his frustrations about the traveler to Targe (who is the voice of the traveler). They argue and speak for a long time but finally Zavala begins to understand the traveler. He begins to see that everything the traveler did was for the long run. It needed to win the ultimate war not a few battles. This is when the traveler reveals that it chooses Zavala to be it's new speaker. A ghost emerges and imbues Zavala with the power of the light once more and gives him a new set of armor worthy of a speaker. From there, the traveler shows Zavala new powers and secrets and Zavala and his new ghost, who is a female and is named Safi by Zavala (after months of training and bonding inside the pale heart)because she reminds him of his late wife, spend the next few years inside unexplored sections of the pale heart learning new powers and understanding the traveler more and more. Then one day when the city is threatened He returns and helps defend the city and becomes the hero of the day and presents himself as the new speaker. Of course he is proudly accepted by the city and vanguard who are glad to see their old champion return with a rekindled spark. Just some thoughts. I'm sure Bungie could write a better story of Zavalas return as the speaker and I hope they do. It just seems like such a waste to let his story end like this.