Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife
Chapter Eighty-Six
Caught within the stress of the battle. Sailor Moon moved fast enough to avoid another long shot impact coming from the sky caused by the disruption of the typhoon from where Endymion had forced Chaos to come out, or at least that is what she thought so far. On instinct for self-defense, she used her tiare and blasted a herd of shadows coming her way with the same pattern of violence and hunger for elimination gleaming in their red eyes like melted glass as they lured close after to her.
She had kept her focus up until now and been taking care to prevent the energy emitted from the battle zone reach the rim to the city using the purifying power of the silver crystal. That is when Serenity realized how far they actually were from home. She couldn't help it, the more shots of dark energy and fire came down from the sky, every time a violent lighting stroke; when she felt the ground rumbling from deep underneath, she couldn't help thinking about her family. Her loving mother, and how would she be feeling to know her daughter was right here in the middle of this heist of evil risking her life. Her father, who was always so protective and wonderful; she could imagine her brother stepping in to help and make decisions for the both of them, she was proud of how Shingo had grown up.
Silently she prayed for them to be all right. How much she missed them and all those afternoons drinking tea and trying out one of Ikuko's new recipes while talking about literally anything; staying up late playing games with Shingo or keeping her father company while he worked on editing an article for work. Those times she would fit her school and work schedule so she could still join them for their now-famous movie nights, a tradition in their household.
With every shot of magic she threw to dissolve shadows and demons alike, Sailor Moon wondered if they were home or if they had to escape; if they did, she wondered if they drove out all the way to her father's aunt house in Okutama at the very outskirts of Tokyo or with any other of her father's relatives living at other neighboring prefectures. It's been so long, Usagi thought, it felt like ages since she last saw them and her heart ached with so much longing for them.
For a moment she felt trapped in her fourteen year old self and break into tears and make the loudest of tantrums. For a moment she wanted to stomp her heels on the ground and scream at the top of her lungs to express her frustration. She wanted to yell at the sky the worst of curses she could think of and say the nastiest of things despite being aware that her words would just get swallowed by the thick veil of darkness hovering over them. This is what Chaos wants, and she wouldn't yield her emotions to him; she didn't do it before and she won't do it now, nor ever.
"Just a little while longer, Usagi," Sailor Moon said under her breath, rubbing her eyes with her gloved hand, "Just hang on a little while longer... you got this..."
As she walked deeper into the crumbled streets of Yokohama, now truly far away from home, she couldn't help feeling so much nostalgia for all the things that has happened before this very minute. With every shot of energy at full-fledged demons and wary shadows disintegrating in its purifying light, her simple life as a bunny girl merged with her strong identity as a warrior princess and her determination grew along with her enormous desire to go back and be that girl that loved the simplest things in life.
Now more than ever she wanted all this to be a bad dream and wake up from it; wake up and move on.
Another strong charge of energy from her tiare took care of another herd of demons. With a heavy sigh, Sailor Moon turned to where the sea should be seen and mirror the light from either the sun or the moon in the distance and felt a hole in the deep of her stomach at not being able to see anything. Everything was so dark; everything was so eerie and poisoned it was hard to believe this once was the same place where families would come to spend their Sunday afternoons, sitting in a bench or having a picnic on the grass close to the pond she now was sure it was also gone. It was hard to believe the beauty surrounding this planet was now close to be non-existent. It was hard to believe this was a place they all felt they belonged to.
A loud clash distracted her from her thoughts and quickly perched up and looked up at where Endymion was facing Chaos in a brutal fight. Her eyes could barely keep up as one moved to one side to the other dodging and doing quick turns and heaps to avoid getting slashed. Up to this day, it was impressive for her to see this side of him, a different spectrum from what she knew as a mysterious agent—they decided that was the best term to describe him since he didn't feel he had the right to be called a soldier once he had left his thieving adventures way past behind him. It was a solid agreement and also the base of many teasing jokes for so many years to come. But now, not only he had all the right to be called a soldier, he was owning the title with every leap and turn, every turn and downward clash to push back Chaos' blade away from him.
Endymion was capable to give war, very capable, and Chaos had started to notice that just like him, he was no ordinary opponent. But something was strange, as Sailor Moon stood with her eyes glued on the two men fighting ahead and she wasn't sure whether was a good or a bad sign. She felt the tension in the air and more than tension, the unbearable sense of death. Her fingers twitched in hesitation, whether or not raise her tiare to charge her own attack at the dark titan. Deciding when might be the best time to step in and if it was going to help the prince or not.
Sailor Moon clenched her teeth; she didn't want to stand on the sidelines of the battle but she also knew why Endymion asked her to do so. Chaos was not going to do the same things he did when he was imprisoned, nor things would be the same as when she faced his essence in the cauldron of stars. For what she was seeing, Chaos was on a different level than Galaxia ever was and it took a lot of will and sacrifice to put her down and spare her the suffering of carrying the darkness of Chaos possessing her mind.
The energy force of the aftershock from the impact of both weapons clashing against each other resulted in painful echoes and a chain of magnetic reactions resulting in strong quakes and gusts of wind breaking the concrete below their feet and lifting up the pieces with every move they made. The increased power of their auras started to influence the ground and all of their surroundings and it had even started affecting her; it was too strong, overwhelming, and impure.
Serenity was aware of the danger this meant. With two forces equally focused to annihilate each other, it would bring bigger and graver consequences if she didn't act fast and do something to cushion the abrasive energy coming her way. When another violent gust of wind came her way, she acted quickly by jumping the cracks and the blisters of scorching matter steaming from underground, rolling away from the shadows threatening to crawl out any minute; confirming earth had reached an alarming point of infection.
Sailor Moon used her moon rod to appease the pain, this was her way to act, by gaining ground. She knew what Endymion was feeling despite being focused in his fight with Chaos and it worried her deeply. This confrontation was a ticking bomb.
She continued with her initial plan to create a purifying barrier to counteract the effects of the magnetic force with the help of her silver crystal's healing energy. Her mission was to keep the land behind her as far from more danger as possible but her eyes were glued on the two soldiers in black; her heart pounding in her chest as she watched Endymion move again to dodge Chaos' swing of his double-bladed weapon.
This was no common fight and he was no common man. For the long moment they had been engaged in their sword fight, none a single word has been spoken; nor a curse or mocking banter. Unlike Chaos who has kept a stoic face even in the most elaborate leaps and turns to counter-attack, Endymion has been very silent aside from the occasional guttural grunt or shorts gasps for air every time he made a force to keep the sharp blade away from his face and this simple act put Sailor Moon on the edge. Then she noticed: Endymion was being erratic, and it was taking him longer time to land with success another offensive attack. He wasn't doing anything in a certain order, he was not following a pattern she knew he made every time he fought and in consequence, he wasn't gaining any advantage. There was no strategy, no thought, it was brutal and unpredicted force but also uncertain because it didn't guarantee a successful result.
Endymion skidded on the gravel trying to keep his balance and pinned his sword down to lean his weight on it for a second and looked up, brows furrowed, eyes piercing with anger through his dark hair. In the following instant almost hard to perceive with a naked eye, he snapped his fingers and twisted his wrist to pull his sword from the ground. The blade had a golden sheen that gave the appearance it was made of crystal as it moved, leaving a golden trail of light in the air, nothing Sailor Moon had seen before.
"Aureus ille gladio," (The famous golden sword,)
Chaos arched his brow high, pushing aside all casualty in his reaction. A slight but prominent expression from the man that held no empathy for anything or anyone. His eyes quickly changed in color, like pools of liquid gold shifting into a deeper shade; honey meeting amber. His body showed some tension but it didn't sprout from intimidation, it was more as if he was rejecting the image of the weapon itself and the meaning of its existence.
His eyes moved from the gleaming weapon to its carrier, expression unchanging "Igitur hereditate possedit te gladius. In ipso sculpsit illud sigillum quod unus Tartarus quia ultus sum in sæcula. Qui pone ipsum fatum efficiantur; quis posuit in vestri pretium sanguinis. Quid mirum in hæreditatem, ut non sit?"
(So you inherited the sword. The very one that carved the seal that kept me in Tartarus for eons. The very one that sets your fate to be disposable; what put a price on your blood. What a marvelous inheritance, is it not?)
Endymion didn't flinch from his position. Chaos was a force of nature more than just a deity with a complex of superiority; he hated to admit Chaos was superior and it showed. He didn't rely on taunts and scripted speeches of conquest; he was not playful and he didn't find enjoyment in any advantage he got in the battle. Chaos didn't show interest in what he was doing unless it was for his benefit. He did it because he was a force of nature and because to him, it was how the universe had to be, not because he cared to be the ruler of it all. But the more he listened, the more Endymion was able to find a lining in his voice that spoke with disdain and mockery.
Ever since he woke to his ancient self and started his journey, ever since Mamoru learned he was more than a boy lost in the world and to later discover he was actually the one mother Earth gave birth to, he was given a side of things. His name and existence were proof to be the personification of something stronger and he was taught to control and while he knew his purpose and desire was to be and to do good, he couldn't shut the echo in the back of his mind that told him not everything could be as good; that there were always two sides of a truth and being in this battle confirmed it. Gaia, his divine mother, was one, and Chaos was the other, and that he, as part of it all, stood right in the middle of both ends.
Endymion was a level in this whole story, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. All of Obelix's lessons and Gaia's benevolent character; the little he had heard of Chaos fitted with every swing of his sword and presence and the force put in every single blow and guarding position. He could decipher he was dealing with the opposite extreme of the spectrum of Helios' descendance.
"An cor quod tenes in manu tua? Superbis quid gestum sit?"
(Are you proud of what you hold in your hand? Are you proud of what you have done with it?)
Chaos rested his weapon over his shoulder and moved his head pointing in Endymion's direction "Numquid nescis quid agit? Tu, enim scis protector... quam multa capta est vitam sustentare eum, qui blasphemaverat Gaia ei; qui maledixerit tibi, quia estis ut diu exstiterat? Eodem modo inveniri dimicant."
(Do you even know what it represents? You, the protector... do you know how many lives it has taken to aid those who cursed Gaia; those who have cursed you for as long you have existed? The same ones you are fighting for right now.)
"Hoc non faciunt ea. Non faciunt aliquid ad te hoc probare." Endymion said lowly, his grip tightened. The terran prince glanced back at Chaos with the same disconnection in which Chaos was addressing him. The handsome titan let out the faintest of scoffs, his eyes never leaving Endymion's "Ilud est quod te putes, nec? Quod vos non facitis quod ad aliorum... imperitia. Sede vacante verba non sunt realistica exspectationes."
(That's what you would think, no? That you are not doing this for anybody... foolishness. Vacant declarations with unrealistic expectations.)
Chaos arched his brow and with a similar move he charged his weapon and charged at the prince again without any given signal and swung it across, Endymion was fast enough to block the attack and aimed his free hand, already charged right on Chaos' stomach "La Smoking Bomber!"
The light obeyed at his command in a blinding explosion, not even Sailor Moon could see through. Loud roars of following shocks blasted on par with the thundering in the sky, seconds of uncertainty pass like hours weighting down the suspense until one long thunder roars down right where the two were fighting to break the blast into specks like burnt ash; she froze.
Sailor Moon felt her heart pounding in her chest with anxiety, "Mamo-chan..."
Her heart felt like it could leave her anytime, each beat like a loud drum echoing in her ears. She felt panic creeping in and helpless washing over her spirits; she shivered of both fright and frustration, of the terror of seeing her husband summited to the circumstances.
With one hand Chaos held the glowing blade merely inches away from his chest while he held Endymion's neck with the other, lifting him high enough his feet barely touched the ground. He was not making a single noise, he looked as if he was unconscious with his head low and his long hair covering his face.
Motionless, soundless, zero response. Chaos tightened his grip on the prince's neck. His amber eyes squinted slowly, demanding for more. He took a step closer and shifted the position of his weapon in his hand exposing what would be a deathly move.
"Putasne habent vetas quicquam? An experimentum nihil aliud intendit repellere nociuum set es me. Et conatus est facere contra te de meo telum est. Impeditis conceptus nihil aliud ratione belli."
(Do you think you have the power to forbid me anything? You are nothing but an experiment to repel me. They tried to make a weapon out of you to counteract my existence. Your conception was nothing else but an intricate strategy for war.)
Chaos finally broke the heavy silence but the price remained the same position without giving any signals that either was conscious or not. Carelessly, he tried to snatch the golden blade when he felt the resistance and looked up to meet Endymion's deep blue eyes glaring at him "Ilud est quod te putes, nec?"
(That is what you would think, no?)
Chaos frowned at the second he felt a warmth coming from Endymion who had his sword to distract the titan while his other hand aimed at his chest this time, his voice was hoarse from the pressure on his neck, still he managed to shout a divine prayer "Solaris Ardeat!"
Once freed from his grasp, he threw another blast "Aphelion!"*
A sharp stinging sound came first followed by streams of blinding light bursting from Endymion's hand holding the sword with a tight grip and latching onto Chaos' darkness and causing a mass explosion.
Before the gravel and dust settled, both were already engaged in their battle again. The only hint Sailor Moon could get to confirm it, was the loud sound of blade against blade, the low grunts, and the light following every move Endymion made with his sword.
He was moving faster this time, more like she was accustomed to see, how she knew he did. His movements were precise and calculated, more fixed on assault than defense as he crashed his blade in three consecutive blows as he jumped to go for a full-frontal attack on Chaos. He lands, turns, and charges his blade with energy again and throws another three consecutive blows depending on the long-range of damage he could get out with the sword. His attacks were direct, using the blade to manipulate the magnetic field around them every time they clashed, shifting it to his advantage.
These chains of movements and control are what Serenity had wanted to see every time Endymion asked her to close her eyes when fighting Metallia and Beryl in the past. Watching him run and jump high from poles or walls to impulse himself back and charge at Chaos with the impeccable dexterity of a man that knew how to kill that even he used his tactics for defense as a valuable source to inflict damage, but even then, even with all that polished and memorized skill and unforgiving strength, Chaos seemed unaffected. Serenity noticed that the more Endymion lost himself in the battle, the more Chaos' eyes gleamed with interest and made her feel uneasy because it all pointed that Chaos had planned all this ahead of time.
Sailor Moon felt the urge to intervene and snap Endymion out of the rage pit he was falling into but lost her balance when another impact came between the two men. She rolls down and manages to get away from the shadows, using the magnetic energy of the aftershock to her advantage and protect herself from the shadows with the help of her silver crystal. She moved closer, desperate to do more than just watch.
With her tiare in hand and the urge to fight burning in the pit of her stomach, Sailor Moon took a stance to aid her husband who was now coming close and prepared to land down another energy attack. As many times it has happened before, Endymion had lent her his power enough to even summon weapons or create new ones with their combined powers and the strong will in their hearts. She wanted that, she wanted to give him what he has given her in times of crisis and in need but time was barely on her side.
Regardless of what they agreed on, Sailor Moon couldn't just ignore the sole reason for this battle and just let him sacrifice every ounce of will and energy on his own. No matter how many times he said it, no matter in how many ways he explained it to her, how many times he pled, or if the queen herself asked for such tremendous favor, Sailor Moon had made up her mind and was not going leave Endymion's side, no matter how many times he asked, she was not going to leave his side. Period.
She looked at the two titans deeply focused on their own deadly combats, breaking everything in their way and manipulating their surroundings with life-threatening levels of magnetic energy. She ran around the perimeter to avoid being caught in the midst of their fight and be safe enough for her to have a broader look at their movements and calculate when was best to intervene. She quietly followed Endymion's every move with teary eyes; her short breaths were a sign of the tension and how dangerous it was for him every time he and Chaos came close to strike another attack.
As soon Chaos blasted Endymion with dark energy, Endymion always landed right on time to counteract with an energy barrier of the same aggressive caliber causing impacts and buildings in the perimeter to get affected. With a snap of his fingers, Chaos would create a void that would feed on the fire Endymion would ignite by snapping his. With his hand aimed at Chaos, he took position and sent another strong blast, his fingers sparked with specks of light again and held it for several seconds, much more than Sailor Moon has ever seen him withstand an attack that relied completely on his aura and inner energy without using the crystal to unleash it, showcasing he had reached another level of skill.
With his eyes fixed in his target ahead, Endymion moved forward while still keeping the energy stream on Chaos, but surprisingly for him and for Sailor Moon who was pendant of every single movement, Chaos took the same position and started to bend the fire to his command, putting it down with a flick of his hand.
His long hair flowed behind him proudly with the gust of hot air from the streams and swirls of fire vanished in specks of ashes around him; he extends his arm to call for his weapon he had lost in one of the explosions and swung it down to finish putting down the fire and stomped one of the sharp blades on the crumbled ground, tracing a symbol allowing more demons sprout out from another created dimension.
The trickles of sweat rolled down over Endymion's chapped lips and hung on his chiseled jaw as he looked up at the sky breaking into another hole and clenched his teeth with anger "Haec est ratio de potestate tua?" He growled with disgust and looked at Chaos "Haec vestra est quae facit differentia dici de aliquo alio, quae in hoc planeta ut conatus est?"
(Is this your equivalence of power? Is this what makes you claim your difference from any other that has attempted to take over this planet?)
Chaos squinted his eyes "Potestatem? Ego capere quod meum est."
(I take what is mine.)
"Obumbratio evocata ab inferis,"
(By summoning shadows from the underworld,)
"Et ut auferrent ab obsistunt,"
(To get rid of hindrances,)
Endymion turned quickly to look over his shoulder and widened his eyes when he saw demons surrounding them and coming closer to Sailor Moon. He stabbed one with his dagger and dodged another quick and cut its head to get to her fast, but his intervention was soon halted by Chaos. His trust in her was proved once more when he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of the heroine kicking and using her tiare as a weapon to knock them out of her way. His blue eyes quickly moved to search for Chaos when he heard footsteps close by.
"Et hoc est quod planeta sit magma tamen lapis est id quod subest, quae pertinet ad me, quid hic accessit ad recuperare."
(This planet is nothing but a magma stone, is what lies underneath what belongs to me, what I came here to retrieve.)
Endymion turned to look at him over his shoulder, eyes glaring with anger; dark like a stormy ocean. With a strong swing, he wiped the blood on his blade and walked toward Chaos, charging his sword again to blast him with another threefold attack.
"Nocte Lux Solis!" Endymion swung down his sword, casting a long blast of energy at Chaos who immediately counteracted with a similar command. Chaos mimicked the attack with his long weapon and aimed his palm at the terran prince "Sol Nocturnus!"
Both energies clashed, one light, one dark both equally devastating as if they came from the same source. "Tu contradictio, hybrid proles." Chaos lowered his hand, "Pugnans quod in potestate tua ne hoc sit in primo loco,"
(You are a contradiction, hybrid scion. Fighting with power that it is not yours in the first place.)
Endymion was quick to follow and felt a chill down his spine when he realized what lied behind Chaos' words "What?"
Chaos snapped his fingers to command the same fiery force to surround him in a protective shield "Simul transitus dies et nox nocti diem; nonam tacitum. Et iter penumbra imago solis et obscuratus est relaxat, vertuntur species... Chaos, ex Nocturnus Sol," His eyes gleamed a deeper shade of amber "The rightful successor of the Titan of the Sun."
(The moment of transition from day to night and night to the day. The path of the umbra and penumbra of the sun; the phases of an eclipse. The very meaning of the name given to me at the moment of my birth... Chaos, the Nocturnal Sun.)
"The rightful..." Sailor Moon's eyes widened "...Successor?"
Endymion froze. His mind quickly pulling back to the moment he was trapped in Purgatorio with Obelix explaining the origins of his family; his deep voice echoed, making him feel like sinking into the burning ground.
-o-
"You knew him, Chaos?"
Obelix made one slight nod and gave him a side glance for a second before turning to see him. His face was serious, so his tone on the matter "Of course, I did."
There was a change in Chaos' stance with his weapon, resting the doubled bladed weapon across him and pointed at the vortex spiraling in the stormy sky.
"The first to take control of Terra. Chosen and trained to be a polemarchos by Lord Helios himself and later by Ares."
His grip on his golden sword tightened; his heart raced. His stormy blue eyes were glued to the man, in the way his long hair moved in the gusts of wind along with thick black cape exposing his black armor. Obelix's thick voice still echoing in his mind, reminding him of the truth of who he had in front of him.
"The promising warrior of the Olympian Army; the next in line to take Helios' place."
Chaos snapped his fingers and a blast of dark lighting broke in the sky, lighting it up and exposing the countless amount of demons coming into the planet through the immensity of the vortex he had been feeding with Earth's energy.
"Chaos was not born evil; it was a choice he made."
-o-
"Et tu quaeris manipulate potestas sol nocturnus pugnare contra me?" He swung his long blade at Endymion sending a strong gust of wind sharp as if the blade itself had moved destroying everything in its path, "Ego Mediae Sol," He hid in the shadows of the dark, like smoke Chaos appeared behind Endymion and tilted his head close to his ear and ran his hand through his long hair "Quid est elit quia elegit te feci... Endymion, Solis Occasum." He said in a mocking tone. (You seek to manipulate the power of the Nocturnal Sun to fight against me? I am the Nocturnal Sun. What an interesting choice you just made... Endymion, the Setting Sun.)
Endymion felt rage and shame coming over him for not noticing it before. The truth fell like a bucket of ice falling over him, like if acid was pumping through his veins burning him inside out. Never in his life has he ever felt so disgusted and stupid.
"Vos omnes esse obliviscamur videtur quod Helios sanguinem et mi. Et sol non est nisi quod potest manipulare, hybrid proles. Non sentio sic priuilegiatis. Secus autem, non habeo infecta sanguine. Non sum uber mortis. Est quia universum non existit; et naturae vi, hoc nomen meum, Chaos. Tu sine Me et mortale hoc familia nunquam exstitisse. Sine me haec vestris tueri conantur Aqua Planetæ tam perdite lapis numquam existat. Et dixi, quod in via lactea existit. Etiam non metuant. Quare ergo me etiam tionibus succursurum nemo." Chaos dragged his sharp blade on the ground and raised it high above his head, his eyes fixed on him like a beast ready to behead its victim limiting Endymion to move until he was close enough to look at him face to face, inches away from each other "Quid vobis videtur solis macula formatae in primo locum?"
(You all seem to forget that I have Helios' blood in me. The Sun is not something only you can manipulate, hybrid scion, do not feel so privileged. Unlike you, I have no tainted blood. I am no product of mortality. I exist because the universe exists; a force of nature, hence my name, Chaos. Without me... you and your mortal clan would never have existed. Without me, this magma stone you so desperately try to protect and call your planet would never have been formed. The galaxy exists because I said so. It is what it is because I said so... it was the gods who came to take the leftovers of my strategy for manipulation and claimed my power as theirs. But even they fear me. Even they are vulnerable to my presence hence why no one has come to your aid. Why do you think the sunspots formed in the first place?)
Endymion slightly turned to give the man a side glance, his body felt stiff like if he had no control over his movements. Chaos' presence was so strong he had the power enough to manipulate the energy surrounding him and sparing him from dying from the poison lurking in the ambiance.
There was a heatwave, his blade pressed against the skin of his neck, limiting to plan a way to counterattack.
"Ne tu, et auitae prosapiae splendor... terran princeps."
(Not even you and the ancestral lineage you carry within... terran prince.)
"Endymion..." Sailor Moon felt her heart pound in her chest and immediately ignored her part of the deal and ran toward the prince with her rod in hand, using her cleansing energy to open way to get closer; she raises her arms high above her head and calls for the power of her crystal encased inside the crystal orb of her tiare.
"Silver Moon Crystal Power Therapy Kiss!"
Within seconds, ribbons of clear and bright light pierced through blocking Chaos blade and granting Endymion mere seconds to act; she knew she was breaking part of their deal and that it might change the risks by exposing herself to Chaos, which had been Endymion's main focus all along because he wanted to rely on her to work from outside of the battle zone that now had turned into a new, much bigger and stronger warp in space and continuum devouring everything in its course.
The heaviness in Endymion's aura changed; it shifted. Serenity felt it, maybe the strong bond they have or the connection they share as husband and wife that she can tell that he's reaching dangerous levels of stress. From her position, she watched him do a backflip and manage to kick Chaos' weapon far enough to escape its unforgiving glide and sent a shot of energy at Chaos. His guttural grunts and strained yelling whenever he blasted another attack showed her how much he was giving of himself to become more and more to that man she met in Thanatos; the man that had fought and tortured Asteria until she met her death.
Sailor Moon could read in his fast movements that he was going berserk; that Endymion's eyes at this point were probably darker than the sky above and the pit below. That his mind was set to kill whatever stood in his way and that he wasn't going to stop until he held Chaos' head in his hand and it worried her, it deeply worried her because she knew he was trained to use the power of his ancestry but she didn't know how much control he could have over the golden crystal; if he could actually unlock it and be able to come back unharmed was even a possibility.
She knew this firsthand; the demands of the sacred crystal over one's body if unleashed its power to high levels. Their lives become one with it, their souls merge with its energy and respond as divine deities. As Sailor Moon, Serenity has put her life at risk one too many times in the past to avenge and save the lives of others and she knew Endymion's objectives would not be different from hers in times like these, but as crazy and unreasonable as it may sound in her head—as she was sure it was—she didn't want him to use it because she couldn't bear to even think of losing him all over again.
Endymion ran from one crumbled building to another, leaping through the cracks and landing securely behind Chaos to attack him again with his sword fully charged with energy, ready to strike again. The prince jumped again and threw a side kick to push Chaos' long polearm and blade back giving himself a very tight but promising opening to hit the man in the face and buy himself more time. At a simple glance, it looked like all he was doing was to jump out of Chaos' way and in theory, he was. He had to, but it wasn't without a reason and a cause.
The reason: to avoid getting beheaded by the masterful skills of the dark titan and his double-bladed weapon.
The cause: To get as far from the city so he could fight without restrictions and be able to keep up with his plan.
Endymion dodges again and this time manages to land a strong punch right on Chaos' jaw but the titan didn't even flinch in reaction. The smallest trickle of blood appeared coming from his bottom lip but he didn't even paid attention to it but instead applied the same tricking technique and vanished from his sight and appeared close behind Endymion with his own weapon charged and ready to swing again with its merciless power. Endymion turns fast enough with his sword and held the opposite blade with his for a couple of minutes; Chaos shifts the position of his long weapon to what Endymion turns to the other side and dodges it but leaving himself open to get a side attack. He raises his arm to cover his face and kicks Chaos on the stomach to push him back and jumps, flipping in the air to land an aerial strike. Chaos looks up and quickly catches the gleaming blade with his right hand, not even reacting to the blood trickling from the deep wound and running through his fingers as he holds it tight, so tight it's impossible for Endymion to move.
Chaos holds his glaive tight with his left hand, his golden eyes reacting to the energy flowing inside Endymion's sacred regalia and with one strong and swift swing of his blade, he shattered the blade into hundreds of specks of light.
Endymion felt daunted as he watched, panicked. How the sword he knew had existed and protected many generations and that had earned his mother's many victories in the past was now reduced to be just a broken relic. He didn't have much time to process what had just happened when Chaos returned the punch and grabbed a handful of hair to pull him closer to him and glided his blade across his chest.
Sailor Moon watched with eyes burning with tears and it took a sob to crack her regained confidence; she looked down at her tiare to pray for it when a loud metal screech made her look up with wide eyes at Chaos standing over the edge of the cliff from the crumbled buildings from they had been fighting hitting Endymion in the face and neck to cut the flow of air and asphyxiate him faster, then throwing a strong kick in his stomach that sent him flying several feet away, lading over a pile of crumbled concrete and sparking wire.
In a matter of minutes, seconds maybe—she couldn't tell—another screech echoed loudly forcing her to cover her ears. It was painful, like a long sting in the back of your head taking over your senses. Her eyes opened to the sight of Chaos walking over the prince who was now struggling to stand, gasping heavily for air while pressing his hand over the wound across his chest.
Chaos swung his doubled bladed glaive in an infinite-figure move as he walked closer creating gusts of wind and magnetic waves, lifting a massive cloud of dark smoke. Sailor Moon turned, her heart felt like pounding a thousand times per minute, tension shown in her face, anxiety screaming the worst of curses in her head, playing the worst of scenarios.
Endymion looked up, sweat with blood trickling down his face; vision clouded from the pain. His breathing was forced, fast, his heart hurt with every heartbeat as if Chaos had found a way to crush it with his bare hand. Limited and wounded, he hated to admit he underestimated Chaos by a million percent even when he knew well, he was impossible, his greatest threat.
Eyes went wide when in a gust of smoke, the titan was out of sight again sending a shot of panic through his body and turned to roll out of the way right on time when he caught a sleek gleam from the corner of his eye going down in his direction. The sharp sound of concrete being carved like hot butter as Chaos glided his weapon back in a circular motion and then dashed again to stamp it on the spot from where Endymion had rolled his way out of the impact again, putting more tension to the moment.
All he could do was drag himself out of the way, without his regalia there was nothing he could use to protect himself and counteract Chaos' attacks. He turns slightly over his shoulder and catches the slight gleam of the hilt of his sword. With all the energy he could gather, Endymion pushed himself off the ground, stumbling and slightly hazed; the effect of Chaos had started to play with his mind jeopardizing his concentration as he weakly tries to go get the remains of his weapon but his knees were giving in, slumping him to the ground as Chaos pulled the strings of his energy to keep him still. His ears ringed as if he had a concussion, pulling him back to the old days and making him remember the pain of being alone and confused. The bitter, metal taste of his blood caught the tip of his tongue proved he was more wounded than he thought. The pain in his muscles making it hard for him to move, his lungs hurt, there was little air just passing through making all it worse and all he could do in return was to land a miserable punch in the titan's face.
Angry at himself for such poor accomplishment, Endymion tried again, he wasn't stubborn for anything. He shakes his head, wishing his long fringe to be out of his way; eyes go wide when he spots Chaos standing in front of him and glares up with blazing anger.
"Oculis ipso," (The same eyes,) Chaos narrowed his "Quod enim operor non intellego non enim habet esse," (I do not understand why it has to be you,) he snapped his fingers, forcing the shadows to act as his command and lifted the prince in a swirl of thorny veins engulfed in dark fire and grabbed him by the collar once they were face to face. Chaos tilts his head to the side and arched a brow "Homo ignobilis, plena industria vastata est homo," (A man with no honor, a man so full of wasted energy,) his grip tightened, Endymion coughs between gasps. He feels Chaos' stare and an indescribable pain in the back of his head made him scream from the pit of his stomach with gut-wrenching desperation. His blue eyes changed of color almost as if every shade meant a stage of his life; mortal and divine.
"You should have died that day."
Chaos' low and monotone voice and his sudden change from Latin to modern tongue made Endymion dart his gaze at him with horror when the titan tug at him to bring him closer and pulled his hair back to expose his skin hiding under his collar. He moved down and bit him so strong that made Endymion shot with panic as he screamed at the top of his lungs in excruciating pain. Chaos stayed still, pressing his teeth, tearing Endymion's skin as he held the prince captive under his iron hold.
Tears filled Endymion's eyes but far from reacting out of pain, it was more of the panic and worry for what would happen after this. His body had started feeling limp and heavy, Chaos was clearly feeding himself off him like a beast on a hunt. He had become his prey and he was not going to stop until there was nothing left of him.
With every grit of Chaos' teeth, Endymion felt the earth shake and destabilize; the protective mantle he had created was starting to crack.
Chaos pressed his teeth once more before throwing Endymion like a puppet on the ground almost unconscious and ran his tongue to clean the blood staining his lips and spat the remains "Oculum pro oculo, Gaia." (Eye for an eye, Gaia.)
He looked down and kicked the prince away with disinterest "Sanguis enim eius tuus," (His blood for yours.)a brow arched with pride,"Hoc tanto praesumuntur habere aurea Solis crystallum? Qui autem gustavit defectum, quod communis hominum mente creaturae." (Is this what you so much presumed to be the chosen to hold the Sun's crystal? He tastes of failure, what a vulgar intent of creation.)
Chaos feels a burst of energy gathering and quickly turns to meet a strong beam of light aimed at him.
"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"
Sailor Moon stood on top of a crumbled roof watching with horror the scene and in a desperate attempt to get to her husband fast, she threw another blast of energy stronger than the last to cover her tracks and ran towards him without being unnoticed; little did she know she was exposing herself to something much more macabre.
She silently called for her tiare to manifest again out of thin air and charged it with energy when her heart skipped a beat and felt as if all of her blood had left her face when she felt his strong gaze now focused on her.
"The rabbit came out of its hole." Chaos slowly turned to look at her directly over his shoulder with a blood-stained face, amber eyes gleaming like two orbs of melted gold "You have finally shown your face, Goddess of the White Moon."
O—o—o—o—O
Centaurus pulled the reins of his stallion to make an abrupt stop when he felt another disruption in the air. A light explosion caught his eye and let out a heavy sigh and frowned "Chaos..."
The polemarch of Omega summoned the power of his constellation to call for more horses from his army to help the sailor senshi and shitennou reach their destination faster while he planned his next move. Centaurus stayed behind to check the perimeter and close some of the portals he created with Pluto's help before heading on his way so she could focus on the task she still had at hand.
Another light explosion happened, this time with a loud growling rising from underground; Centaurus was about to pull the reins of his stallion again when another presence close by diverted his attention and turned, his face paled almost instantly, "Aegeus,"
From the shadows, the polemarch of Orion walked until he was clear to view "It took me time to track your whereabouts, Centaurus," Aegeus' voice rumbled like a maddening thunder, thick and low. His face marked with the signs of distress and war; his armor stained with blood, cut and bruised everywhere.
Centaurus quickly stepped down from his celestial beast and walked up to him with urgency "What are you doing here?"
Aegeus sniffed and immediately made a grimace of disgust "Things are much more macabre than I imagined,"
"Yes," Centaurus pointed north, he frowned "Aegeus—"
"The Giants have breached," Aegeus cut through Centaurus' words, "There is a spiral of madness above. The rim of the galaxy is still sealed but the lockdown has become weak, we are running out of time and we are losing too many resources." He shook his head "This planet is contaminated; the whole galaxy is. We lost **Tycho—*Rho is fighting alone. ***Cassiopeia is close to being gone."
Centaurus tensed "What about Ares?"
"Ares and Hades went into the portal, but there is not much to be done, they are considering their options... which are now running thin." Aegeus shook his head "It is like the past has merged with the future. It is total havoc. Ares sent me here; it will not be long until we close the rim and aim our target. He has called *Altair, Alshain, Tarazed, and Okab to take my place. It is time Centaurus, either we live to accomplish our duty or meet our death trying."
"I will not move from here, Aegeus,"
"Centaurus!"
"Chaos is using the power of the black hole of Omega to open these portals, Aegeus," Centaurus shook his head "I am here to retrieve it. Otherwise the disbalance will be greater... I cannot leave."
"This planet has a death sentence already, Centaurus... it's over." Aegeus frowned "We must fight for what can still be saved in the universe,"
"I refuse to accept your words,"
"Since when you are so attached to this planet? It has been eons since you stepped foot in this place."
"The Sol Polemarch is here."
Aegeus froze and frowned, confused "Gaia's position?"
"Yes,"
"You found him?"
"Yes,"
"I see," Aegeus sighed "This is more than just retrieving the black hole, then..."
"It is much more than just simple vengeance, Aegeus. My past with Chaos forces me to stay here but it is not out of wrath, this is not because he betrayed me and used our friendship as a tactic to plan his strategies of attack without being noticed." Centaurus frowned "Ares has high expectations for this new polemarch and I want to see why. I am not here for Chaos; I am here for whom is supposed to take his place, to see it with my own eyes."
"Where is he now?" Aegeus followed Centaurus pointing ahead and narrowed his eyes "Is he worthy?"
"Let's just say..." Centaurus crossed his arms "I would not have offered my help is he wasn't."
Aegeus turned, eyes wide with astonishment "So it is true..."
"It could be," Centaurus said with glimpses of hope "He could be the one to carry Helios' legacy and if he is, I want to see it with my own eyes. I reject the idea of Chaos still holding that title... I failed at stopping him before and the consequences have now extended to an extreme that is now breaking the fibers of existence,"
"This is not like you, Centaurus." Aegeus frowned "To speak with such defeat,"
"I know Chaos, Aegeus." Centaurus sighed "We fought side by side long enough to know what he is capable of. When he was sealed in Tartarus, there was something that always made me think he would find a way to come back. I feared for this moment... Gaia was his seal and now that she is gone, there is nothing that can force him to stop. He is not going to stop because he does not feel anything is worthy to withstand his presence but if this planet is still here despite its condition, it might be because that force exists and it is strong enough to fight him." He turned to his peer "He is not fighting alone, there is a whole network of strategy and skillful soldiers fighting on his side. This might be the first time a sailor senshi and a polemarchos team up for a greater cause. I would never forgive myself if I let this opportunity to witness this pass me by."
"Where are they?"
"They went to aid the Moon Goddess,"
Aegeus widened his eyes "Moon Goddess?" He turned "An Olympian?"
Centaurus nodded "Chronos' and Hades' daughters are here; Aphrodite's, Hermes', Ares', and even Zeus' Amazon daughter too."
"Well..." Aegeus kept his gaze locked in the distance and crossed his arms "Now I am intrigued."
The faint sound of panting caught both soldier's attention and turned, Centaurus' eyes widened when he saw Megumi alone and trying her best to stay on her feet. Her knees shook, giving in as she looked up with a tear-stained face at the man in silver armor and fell on her knees on the verge of falling unconscious.
-O-
"How did you know we were here?!"
Jupiter walked over to a very shocked Motoki who had stepped out of the vehicle all covered in dirt. He too showing the signs of being in his own kind of battle. The blonde shook his wrist, showing the communicator "It's active," he sighed as he looked into the distance "The second I heard Mamoru was leaving with Usagi-chan, I asked Ami for your location. I couldn't stay knowing they would need all the help they can get."
"We can take care of this. It's very dangerous, Motoki... you need to go find—" Mercury said with worry. Motoki shook his head "Reika is safe; Mamoru confirmed it to me... she's safe. I spoke over the phone with her after our last meeting from his apartment; we agreed to do this... she wants me to be a part of this. She knows..." He sighed with a little defeat, "You all have a lot explaining to do."
"And I promise you, we will," Jupiter smiled and wrapped her arms around her friend "Thank you, Motoki."
"Always, Mako... always." Motoki kissed her temple as he responded to the Jupiter's hug. Uranus licked her lips "What about the people you were helping?"
"I left people in charge. They are all committing to help; in times like these all you want to do is survive... if they didn't believe there was a divine war coming and that the people that could fight it was here, they do now." Motoki turned over his shoulder "I set up camps in different areas with people taking care of others while looking for more victims. If I wasn't sure they were going to be okay, I wouldn't have left them... trust me."
"That's true..." Mercury turned to Uranus and nodded "He's very responsible,"
"Thanks, Ami."
"When he wants to be, of course."
"Again... thank you, Ami."
"We will find more victims as we move forward." Neptune turned to the young doctor, who nodded "Here is where I enter. I can take them to one of the safe areas or at least out of ground zero."
Jadeite nodded "All right then, we have a plan. Motoki might not be able to get as close, but it's a good way to get you there faster." He turned to the blonde "Endymion won't be happy to know you came with us... but I can see you can keep your ground pretty well."
"Yeah, I have some experience." Motoki cracked a light chuckle, "Don't worry, I know how to deal with an angry Mamoru."
Zoisite smiled, "I believe we just found the fifth Shitennou."
Motoki cracked a weak laugh, "I doubt it. You have the royal credentials... I am just a man trying to help his best friend."
"Endymion trusts you to a great extent. Royal or not, you are more than worthy to be a part of his team." Jadeite said with a proud grin; one Motoki greatly appreciated.
"Do we have a signal to follow?" Venus turned agitated. Mercury looked down at her compact computer and added numbers to what she was getting from her virtual goggles "The ambiance is changing; I am getting alerts of high levels of magnetism changing quickly and now coming from the North,"
"The barriers are weakening, we need to take the lead to work on them to protect the rest as we approach the site," Zoisite looked up at the dark sky; Jadeite stood next to him and nodded "You can sense it too... I agree."
"We need to move quickly," Nephrite clenched his teeth and turned to Kunzite "There is no question that Chaos is here. I can feel his ominous energy..."
Mars took a gasp of air, Neptune caught it and turned "Mars, are you alright?"
"I don't know..." Mars put a hand on her chest and took a sharp breath, "This sense of desolation keeps haunting me..."
A bright light in the distance alerted them something was happening; Pluto tightened her grip on her rod and licked her lips "Another portal has been forged open."
"This is getting worse by the minute," Kunzite turned to his beloved "Venus,"
The blonde nodded "Once we're there we will divide into two groups. That way we have a wider range of offense." Venus said and moved closer to hold the general's hand "I will go with Uranus and Neptune," she turned to Jupiter "You take the lead with Mars and Mercury."
Jupiter nodded "Got it." She turns to the advisors and Megumi "Please be careful..."
Luna nodded "We promise, Jupiter."
"Can we all fit inside that vehicle?" Zoisite arched a brow, Jadeite shrugged his shoulder "I am sure we can manage."
"That is not going to be a problem."
All eyes turned to Centaurus snapping his fingers to give another command and put their plan into motion. In seconds flashes of light moved across the sky materializing in four celestial stallions.
"Proxima, Theta, Gamma, Epsilon—use them to get to your destination."
Nephrite blinked surprised, he felt chills running down his spine "These are all..."
"Of all, you are the most familiar with their names." Centaurus turned over his shoulder and nodded, "The stars of the constellation I represent."
"We will take the front then. Nephrite, Zoisite, Jadeite, it is time." Kunzite turned and pointed a horse, guiding his soul brothers to choose one to mount; then turned to the girls but Venus objected before he even suggested anything else "I'll go with you."
"We are too," Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury sided with Venus. Neptune nodded "We'll go with Motoki then; in case he needs to treat more injured, Uranus can take the wheel."
"We will get rid of any obstacle so Motoki can drive as close to ground zero as possible," Kunzite nodded and looked at the young doctor "But as soon as we reach the magnetic wall... we will ask you to stand behind. Things will get violent from this point onward,"
"I just want my friends back." Motoki nodded "I want them to be free from all of this."
"I will create an interspatial shield," Mercury pressed her earring to deactivate her goggles and walked up to Zoisite; her gloved hand cupping his cheek and she looked into his eyes "Don't lose contact..."
Zoisite bent down to kiss her forehead "I won't Ballerina."
Venus turned over her shoulder "Wait, Pluto..."
"I will catch up with you later, first I need to open the path for Luna, Artemis, and Megumi." Pluto said, "Please be careful."
The leader of the inner later looked at Saturn; the young senshi nodded "Aid our Prince and Princess in our name."
"We will."
Centaurus nodded "Very well. I will depart... I need to search the area for other anomalies, this is very likely not the only hole Chaos has created. Tartarus is an open field as we speak and the demons in that pit are far stronger than the shadows from the Underworld." He pulled the reins of his stallion and gave the Kunzite a silent nod "Let us hope your Prince stays true to his word."
Kunzite nodded and turned to grab one of the horse's reins and pulled Venus to sit in front of him, "Endymion will not stop until he gets the task done, that I am certain." His deep gray eyes narrowed "But that does not mean his life is guaranteed to be spared, it is still very dangerous for him to do it alone."
Megumi turned to look at him with eyes wide, heart beating fast in her chest. Kunzite sighed "Princess Serenity's whereabouts concern me as well. I am aware of the caliber of her power, but she cannot face Chaos on her own either."
His thoughts went quickly to the moment the princess returned from the Underworld and he discussed with her what she had witnessed when the prince confronted Asteria. Endymion had a dark side, independent of how he was with her. When in battle, he didn't touch his heart to give anyone any sort of redemption and when given a task he would not stop until he could get it done regardless of what would happen to him.
In a flash of light, Centaurus was gone. A short breath snapped Kunzite out of his train of thought, like a skip of air in his lungs and turned to Nephrite "We need to get there before he does anything stupid..."
Jadeite turned "He cannot do it without us,"
Kunzite sighed "Endymion learned more than you think while in Purgatorio, Jadeite. He is not the same prince we served years back," He turned to face his younger brother "He does not need us to unleash the power of the crystal."
The shitennous' words fell hard on Megumi; her eyes burned with tears as she watched them and the girls prepare and leave without her. She felt impotent, she felt like she was committing the worst of betrayals by leaving this planet and the prince and princess behind even if it was a direct command from them.
Whatever Pluto was talking about after the groups' departure came numb to her ears, like a distant echo. She slowly turned, eyes gleaming with tears and saw the senshi of time raising her staff above her head and call the ancient power of her talisman. The garnet color from the magic stone at the top of her rod painting her face as it increased in intensity once Pluto asked for divine permission.
"I call thy power of the Titan that represents the magnanimous power of time and space—Chronos! Help me aid my kind, guide me through the storm..." Pluto locked her power with the portal opening above them in a stream of garnet light "Reveal the path of light!"
Megumi felt her heart sink in her chest when she felt the strong gusts of wind broke way once the time gates opened for the titan senshi, feeling the realness of this moment. Pluto turned over her shoulder at the advisors "Luna, Artemis, Megumi... now!"
Artemis turned to hold both girls' hands so they would go together and started walking with them towards the open gates when Megumi felt the realness of the moment and the words she listened in her half-real dream echoed in her mind.
"Even in danger... Even in darkness... It evolves..."
"No..." Megumi pulled her hand away from Artemis' and stopped mid-way. Luna turned with panic in her burgundy eyes "Megumi?"
"No... I will not go."
"Megumi! What are you saying?!" Luna tried to pull her back but the gusts of wind were too strong to go against them "We have to leave! Megumi!"
Artemis knew the risk and pulled Luna closer to him but was unable to get a hold of Megumi "Megumi, you have to come with us! There is not much time!"
Megumi shook her head. She turned on her heel and started running all the way back to the stream of light, letting the gusts of wind push her harder to the other side. Seconds later, she makes it back surprising both Pluto and Saturn "Megumi?!"
"I cannot do this... I cannot run away."
Megumi looked at the young senshi with tears streaming down her eyes and shakes her head "This is my home. I was born in this planet... I do not belong anywhere else. This is where I fight. Here is where I must stay... even if I die... this is where I must stay."
"You know it now," Saturn said softly; Megumi took a deep breath, "It is just a new era, right? The end of the past. This planet cannot evolve if we do not act and I am part of that action because I am part of that past." She turned to Pluto, then at Saturn with determination, "I have run away for too long, I have been fearful of the night for far too long... but not anymore."
Saturn gave the maiden a soft nod and lowered her glaive, the sharp point barely touching the ground, clearing the path for Megumi to go ahead. Pluto widened her eyes, torn between the path she had to keep for Luna and Artemis and the promise to keep the maiden safe when she saw Saturn took care of the shadows for them in an instant.
Pluto couldn't control the strong flux from the gates and failed at keeping them open for much longer but by the time either of the dark senshi could run after her, the maiden was already gone.
"Megumi..."
Saturn felt empathy with Megumi's words. She wasn't a stranger with feeling like she didn't belong somewhere. With a deep breath, she looks at Pluto and swings her glaive at the shadows coming close, and she understood what Megumi was trying to say.
"We have to go after her," Pluto said with worry. Saturn looked at the dark sky, "Trust her. She is stronger than you think,"
"She is out there alone! Shadows and demons alike are—"
"She is under my protection, Pluto. I would never fail Prince Endymion after what he did for us in the Underworld. Deep down, Mamoru-san knew Megumi was not going to hide anymore; she is, after all, a girl who survived the tragedy of the Silver Millennium." A sad smile crossed her lips and she couldn't help feeling melancholic about the whole situation "Without death, there cannot be rebirth..."
"Saturn..." Pluto turned wide-eyed "Are you saying she wants to die?!"
"We have become so fond of her, we forgot that just like us, Megumi has had a mission we all have been too stubborn not to see. Her own journey, her fate." Saturn tightened her grip on her glaive "What she truly wishes is to see the birth of something new because she can no longer hold on to the past where she is from. The only thing that remains from that time... are our identities, but even now, we've changed. This is what she had survived so long to see Pluto, the afterlife. What follows it." She turned to Pluto with that same smile "And I want to give her that right."
-O-
Centaurus dashed to the maiden's aid and held her close to stabilize her "What are you doing here!? How did you—"
"Lord... Centauri..." Megumi said between pants and slowly turned her head, her tears glossed eyes looking into his "Take me to him... please..."
Aegeus caught up with the polemarch and looked down at the girl in his arms with a deep frown "Centaurus... you know this girl?"
Centaurus slowly nodded "The keeper of Helios' sword... this girl is who Ares asked us to follow and protect from afar when the Silver Millennium fell to its demise. She was supposed to flee this planet with the Moon advisors..." He looked up at another light explosion in the distance and furrowed his brows with worry "Something is not right..."
The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, gore, cursing, and intimacy may occur.
I do not own SM, just the plot and some of the characters.
-O-
A/N: Alrighty my lovely readers. This was one packed chapter and while it was written months ago it sure took me a long time to polish and perfect. Also, I have other things going on the side that really shrinks my time schedule to crazy little snippets but I truly enjoy writing this story, and it brightens my day when I read you are loving it too. Thank you for your support, new, old and current readers; in a fandom that is slowly falling quiet, I feel very much loved by you all.
Happy Holidays!
Notes:
Aphelion: The point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is furthest from the sun.
The constellation of Cassiopeia hosts some of the most luminous stars known, including the yellow hypergiants Rho Cassiopeiae. Tycho Brahe's supernova flared brightly in Cassiopeia.
Aquila is a constellation on the celestial equator. Its name is Latin for 'eagle' and it represents the bird that carried Zeus/Jupiter's thunderbolts in Greco-Roman mythology. Altair is the brightest star in this constellation and one of the closest naked-eye stars to Earth at a distance of 17 light-years. Alshain is a yellow-hued star of magnitude 3.7, 45 light-years from Earth. Tarazed is an orange-hued giant star of magnitude 2.7, 460 light-years from Earth. Okab is a blue-white hued star of magnitude 3.0, 83 light-years from Earth.