Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Ninety


Below and between debris and crumbled stone lay Uranus who could barely keep her eyes open; needless to say, how she felt like she had failed her mission. Every muscle in her body ached, every nerve, every cell in her being, corrupted.

"H-Haruka..."

Neptune's sweet voice brought her back to her senses. Not too far away, her lover laid as exhausted as she was; trying her best to stand back up again. Her eyes stared intensely at her despite feeling as if her soul could leave her body any minute. Uranus took a long deep breath and let it out in the weakest form of a chuckle "I thought for a moment you have abandoned me..."

"...Never," Neptune smiled weakly, "Even if you want me to..."

"Never..." Uranus smiled the same way, "We made a promise... a long time ago... you're stuck with me..."

Neptune slowly moved her arm, wishing to be closer and be able to touch her beloved's hand "Don't believe it..."

The blonde shook her head "He isn't lying... I am what he says..." she released a puff of air through her mouth "But just because he shares one truth, it doesn't mean I won't want to kick his ass even more. His attempts at breaking me only made me see the flaws of the laws of the gods even more."

She flinched as she pushed herself off the ground and stumbled her way to Neptune to help her stand too "Break-time is over. Time to get back to work, we have a Princess and a Prince with very busy hands."

The sandy blonde, in all the dirt that covered her face and uniform, finally gathered enough strength to carry on and grabbed Neptune's hand with a grin and gently pulled her slowly back on her feet. Another explosion made them turn their heads, two pairs of eyes glued to the impressive visual of fire set in the sky, setting the tone that this war had escalated to grave lengths.

Uranus tightened her hold on Neptune's hand, her first reaction was to be her siren's shield as she stood in front of her until the thick smoke dissipated enough for them to move again. Deeply concerned for the others that were left in the eye of the storm, Uranus squeezed Neptune's hand one more time and started walking towards the storm, "Let's go."

O—o—o—o—O

In the midst of tragedy and sense of loss, all have moved in the shadows to get to the position they had planned from the beginning. Endymion was reaching his limits of exhaustion; his body burned and ached in ways he never imagined a body could hurt. He felt the wound on his side wet and pulsing, by now, the stitches Motoki gave him to help it heal were practically gone and he knew by his sudden flashes and lack of focus that he had lost too much blood. He had pulled the broken regalia impaled in his shoulder and let it fall absently. The wound pounded with the same excruciating pain and so did the damn bite Chaos gave him to excerpt control and feed his own pleasure of having him under his influence and break his psyche.

Endymion was too beaten up, too worn out, but also too damn stubborn to give up. No matter the pain or the exhaustion, he would not give Chaos the gratification of having him on his knees regardless of what he did to toy with his patience and tricked his mind. He was pushing hard, relying on his last resources to keep himself standing and maxing every source of energy within him, putting his body to a hard trial of endurance.

Appearances were everything now, otherwise, Chaos would read him like an open book. Despite feeling like his body could give up on the demands of his aura, his eyes searched almost desperate for the very one that he was most worried about but due to his position, it was not giving much chance to locate her, not even for a glance to charge his spirit before heading to war without turning back.

He wanted to call out to her, but his throat was so dry it burned to just swallow. It was if he drank the poisoned waters of the rivers of hell, the same ones he sailed on with Charon in the underworld. A slow hiss made him turn his face to Chaos and took position with Orion's remaining chain sword—the Betelgeuse—charged and ready to pay one last homage to its constellation.

This was the hardest trial Endymion had yet to overcome: give his life and still find a way to return not as the man he was before, confused and in denial, but as someone capable of building a new ground to live in peace. The future he promised at the altar, and that he swore to protect to give his goddess the life she deserves.

O—o—O

Chaos charged at him, claiming the remaining celestial weapon in Endymion's hand. The sound of the chain breaking snapped him from his momentum. In a quick move, he managed to pull on the end of the chain swirling in the air and tug with a strong pull to bring Endymion close to his range. Golden and blue met for a second, eyes mirroring each other's hypnotic allure and intensity, both hauntingly beautiful yet so full of desire for each other's annihilation.

"She birthed you just to carry on with her pointless ideals. Filled your mind with useless faith and absurd beliefs," Chaos' voice fell deep, his hot breath crashing on Endymion's bruised jaw "Made a doll out of you to distract her mind from the truth and quiet her guilt." Between forced grunts, both men fidgeted, but Chaos didn't yield "She betrayed her own blood the same way Helios did by siding with those that killed our kind."

"Our kind?" Endymion said with a mocking tone between gritted teeth and forced breathing; his sarcastic personality peeking through "I have heard you repeating the same thing over and over to a point of exhaustion; enough to make me wonder. You haven't even made clear what kind is that because you don't even know what you are." His eyes darkened, Prussian taking over Indigo, "A Titan? Is that it? Is that the kind you are speaking of? Because you have spoken against and in favor of Titans... you make no sense." He scoffed as he kept pressing and pushing Chaos away from his face, "There is nothing inside of you that can truly give a valuable hint of what you are trying to defend so much. One minute you are trying to preserve it and the other you are trying to destroy it, pick a side already, goddammit! She did, why can't you?!"

There it was again, Endymion noticed. The sudden change of color in Chaos' eyes—the trigger. The thread he needed to pull to unravel the very intricate mind of the titan before him as he felt his cold fingers wrapped around his neck with a deadly grip, cutting the airflow with every passing second. His silence was enough to expose another vein for Endymion to pinch "What are you gaining from destroying the noise you say bothers you when the noise of it all is you?" He tasted the blood trickling down his lip but his eyes didn't quiver as he stared into Chaos's prismatic ones "You don't have a kind. You don't belong anywhere, Chaos. You will not get what you want... and do you know why?" He grunted, trying to force his voice out from the lack of air "Because you are obsessed with something that doesn't exist."

Chaos tightened his grip on Endymion's neck but instead of making him growl or flinch in pain, the prince let out a weak chuckle yet heavy with that same charring sarcasm he was so famous of owning like second nature. The very one that ticked his wife's patience up to this very day.

"You will never be satisfied with any outcome. You will never get what you want... because... it... does... not... exist..."

"Are you done?" Chaos narrowed his blazing eyes, the energy in them moving like wine and melted gold "Is your incessant redundancy supposed to affect me in some way?"

"No," Endymion shrugged his bloodied shoulder carelessly "It's just a conclusion I came up for my own peace of mind." He narrowed his stormy blue eyes as he tightened the grip on the dagger he still had secured in his belt and stealthily pulled it out of its sheath "And the perfect alibi to put you in the same position you put her through, you damn fuckup prick,"

Chaos stared confused "Quid?" (What?)

"I told you to never touch her again." Endymion stabbed the dagger on Chaos' chest and kicked him to get free, catching the titan off guard as he got pulled back and punched him in the face "La Smoking—Bomber!"

Chaos tried to cover himself from the impact but Endymion didn't give him any chance. He shoved his knee with so much force in Chaos' stomach the armor did little to nothing to protect him and thrust his elbow on the back of his neck, giving Endymion a brief pause to catch up his breath and choking Chaos with the air pulled out of his lungs.

"Solaris Ardeat!" He fired up from the ground, lifting the titan with a rising kick and blazing energy. He looked up, not granting Chaos a second to build his defense—not anymore—he thought. Bringing his hands together, Endymion concentrated his energy in his palms and chanted the ancient prayer, this time, believing in the power hidden with each word "Lapis sacro voco virtutem tuam pro tutela cæce—unda tuo soli, servare malum contra eam—Impugnare malum, lavabit tenebrae—occurret, potentiam tuam ostende!"

The streams of fire and light swirled around him to his command as he aimed his palm at the titan, his hands burned and despite him being in control, it was painful to manipulate what he learned to know it was the quintessence of the energy coming straight from the Sun's core.

Accessing to it wasn't close to what he had felt when the golden crystal appeared, it wasn't a cleansing light like the one from Serenity's silver crystal, but the total opposite. It was eating him alive, one nerve at a time. Using the power of the golden crystal was demanding and it required more concentration and control than he imagined, finally understanding why Obelix was so damn strict with his training and studies.

As a full-fledged titan, he would not have a problem. He would be able to bend and break it to manipulate the laws of the universe as Chaos can, but as a human, he was well aware of his limitations and what having access to this sort of power demanded. That was the rare downside of being his own kind.

Endymion was well aware he stood right in the middle. This is what it meant to be a hybrid. A man merging between both worlds with the blessings and duties of both but the real challenge was to learn how to endure both, mortal and divine. The real lesson was to find the balance and access both without risking one or the other.

All this time, he was thought to be the representation of one side only due to his credentials as the rightful heir of the throne of earth when in reality, he was representing both: the power of the sun and the evolution of the earth. Endymion was the much-needed balance that linked both in harmony. What Helios wanted from the very beginning and Gaia gave her life to preserve. He was a man with an undying sense to serve and protect; and as such, he was born to inherit the ancient power of his great grandfather to look after and protect his mother's planet inside out. This is what it meant to be Helios's successor and this time, he wasn't alone.

Endymion raised his arm and moved his finger in the air to trace a perfect circle, allowing the energy around him allow more power to come through "Tempus Custos! Scindite seorsum caelum, et aperuerit spatium-vicis ostium mihi!"

In seconds, a strong gust of wind manifested engulfing him with its mystical powers; between streams of electricity, Pluto appeared in all her glory running from one crumbled building to the next with her staff up high and ready to intercede. Her voice, serene and menacing, echoed the supreme command.

"Death Scream!"

Endymion's eyes changed color to an ultramarine shade, reacting to the success of Pluto's perfectly-timed performance—pun intended. He quickly turned over his shoulder and saw her running towards him as she used the force of the winds of time to lock Chaos under the effect of her blessed power and shared a quick glance with him that confirmed their alliance with a single nod.

-O-

"Definitely," Pluto side-grinned and nodded, "It is a Titan thing."

She let out a soft breath as she watches him turn to walk where Sailor Moon was waiting for him, "One more thing... Mamoru..." Pluto said a little louder to get his attention, still finding it odd to call him a name that once felt like second nature just months ago. After everything that has happened, and under the circumstances they were currently in, it was hard to find casualty no matter how much either he or the princess tried to convince her. To her eyes, they were the same cosmic monarchs fighting for their planet.

"Before you step straight into Chaos' hell, I need to make something clear,"

Endymion stopped and turned to face her. Pluto looked at him straight in the eye and narrowed hers with determination "It may not be a good idea to cross to the fourth dimension right now. And I know I cannot go head to head with the Titan that brings void and dementia because it is not my task; but to be part of the battle against him, whatever it is—even if you say no—I will not—"

"—I know." Endymion interrupted with a firm tone, "And I would expect nothing else from Chronos' daughter. I would never step in your way and stop you from doing what you know it's fair to do to win a battle, that is not my intention. As a sailor senshi, it is your duty and as a soldier myself, I must respect your decision." He gave her a soft smile to lighten the tension a little, but it barely reached the mystic allure showing in his eyes "Let's consider it payback for all the bad reputation Chaos has given us and balance the scale, no?" He arched his brow with a warning, "But do not mistake my words, Setsuna. I said I won't be an obstacle to you, and while I will need you to change those circumstances to our advantage, I won't accept you going as far as stopping time."

"I was given the task to use my power to a greater scale... Father gave me the mission to stand and fight alongside the warrior that was put to sleep in order to fight in another time." Pluto nodded with a prideful smile "But now, that warrior has woken up and this is the time I am allowed to break taboos. I will take advantage of it and do the closest thing that is to stopping time." Her garnet eyes changed into a more vibrant scarlet color, showing the same mystic power Endymion's had as they narrowed with concern, "But just so we're clear... this isn't cheating, right?"

Endymion arched his brow "With Chaos being involved in this mess, that is what you're worried about?"

"Wouldn't that make us the same as those punished in Tartarus?"

Endymion looked up at the monstrous sky, his brows furrowed with deep thought "As far beneath the depths of the underworld as the earth is beneath the sky. So dark, the night is poured around it in three rows like a collar around the neck of a beast. Yes... that sounds about right..." He said absently. His voice fell low, distant; cold.

Pluto noticed him taking a deep breath to clear whatever was crossing his mind, something that was clearly making him feel uneasy and suddenly insecure as he spoke those morbid words. Her eyes widened slightly, finally coming to the realization that the prince had gone deeper than she thought; that even after the princess' return, he stayed. And by the conditions in which he returned, there was more that he saw than just the realm of the underworld. There wasn't really much time to catch up, and with a fair reason, the little he had, he gave it all to Serenity.

But the truth was still there, unspoken, what he saw, what he felt—what he went through in there. The pact with Hades and what he did to get out. Her lips parted with an utter shock when she finally sensed the darkness behind his words "Mamoru... did you..."

"—I don't know what to say that could actually explain my situation; Setsuna. I've seen, heard, and done too much to know for sure what will happen to me after this. But you..." Endymion turned to look at her "I swear that you don't even come close to any of that." He tilted his head low "Pluto; when I say one of us must fight to balance the scale and save the good that's left of that ancestry... I am not talking about me," His eyes stared directly into hers "I am talking about you."

Pluto widened her eyes, startled; she felt her cheeks warming up. Endymion sighed, "I don't think of myself as a full-fledged Titan. Even when I am expected to be because of the blood I carry, I am not here to steal that pride. I embrace who I am as it is. As someone that stands in the middle of both ancestries to honor both of my families' heritage in perfect synchrony. That is my pride; what I will worthily share with my family with my most endearment, what I am fighting for. But you, you are a Titan without the need to prove it... it always been like that and it shows. You are the best to represent that ancestral lineage I am part of with class and dignity." His royal blue eyes darkened, "So, I ask of you... Titan of Time; Senshi of Revolution, to please be careful. No matter what, that good must remain. You are the perfect living homage for all who fell fighting for justice like Helios and Chronos once did."

"Those aren't the words of a longtime friend but of a monarch," Pluto said with emotion. She sighed heavily when she saw him nod, "That is unfair,"

"What is?"

"To hand over such heavy jurisdiction..." Pluto closed her eyes to contain her tears, "To just give away such power to a soldier like me,"

"I am not giving it away, and you are not just any soldier." Endymion's low voice urged Pluto to look at him again, "I have responsibilities and the best way to start serving to them is by trusting the best to honor our ancestry until it is time to be taken by someone equally worthy to continue the same duty with the highest dignity. That is my way to protect it."

"You are one strict monarch, Prince Endymion."

"It is the monarchal jurisdiction what's strict, Pluto. As such, Serenity and I have an obligation to serve and protect as ones with that kind of authority, but neither us can't succeed without the very best soldiers to support us. We can work together for a greater good, for the sake and peace of everyone... us included."

So many years, decades, centuries have passed. So many things Pluto was witness of, so many beings and creatures she has seen and fought and never she had felt this proud of being who she was. For the first time, her life as the honorable daughter of Chronos was out in the open and embraced with equality and respect. With fair acceptance and endearment, it was as if her father had been brought back into her life in the best of ways, whom she thought she had lost in a nameless battle. Now, with a future ahead, with so many innocent lives at stake and a family she has found on her own, she could not say no and turn away. With the best allies like the inner and outer senshi, allies like the Mauian advisors, Megumi, and the shitennou. Powerful and kindhearted and brave allies like Princess Serenity, and honorable allies like him. It all came to make sense, why back in that future, she learned to value and respect that king as much as she did. But as much as she saw that similarity, they were not the same. The man before her was no king, and surprisingly, he was already acting like one, but also, as a supportive friend.

The more she talked about this with the prince, the more she understood what Chronos meant by aiding his kind; and how he wanted her to do the same. He wanted her to find her path to companionship. He wanted her to find the ones that would understand her with open arms. That would make her feel she had found... her kind.

Companionship.

Friends.

A family.

With a smile, warmer than before, Pluto nodded "I accept such honor and will make sure to take care of it with grace and pride." Her ever-changing garnet eyes, still glossed with tears looked up at the breaking sky and tightened her grip on her key rod "Well, then... let's put our little side plan into motion—"

"Endymion,"

Pluto and Endymion turned to Kunzite and Jadeite approaching "Nos sentire fluctus de perturbationibus, ad cardinalis parte septemtrionis. Quid faciemus procedere? Nephrite quidem promptus est ex parte modi."

(We are sensing a disturbing wave towards the Northern Cardinal point. How shall we proceed? Nephrite is willing to part ways.)

Endymion pressed his lips "Videre..." He turned to Pluto and gave Pluto a complicit smile, one she quickly picked up to confirm their agreement "When the time comes... I'll know exactly what to do."

-O-

"Father Chronos... I will fight for you too, your cause will not be in vain," Pluto raised her time rod and channeled her energy into the stone at the top "I command the winds of the space continuum flow in harmony and bring the gears to spin in my favor!" She felt the gravity around her become thick and heavy accompanied by the suctioning sound that let her know her orders were absolute. Her hands tightened around the long key rod and looked up "Time Flux — Interlock!"

She shared a quick glance with Endymion to confirm the course of their plan "First Gear!"

The garnet talisman started to shine intensely as she moved her rod counter clock to pull the gears of time to go as slow as possible all around them with the exception of Endymion that had gone after the titan moving in between the demons and shadows commanded to spur out of every nook and dark hole.

Chaos' eyes darkened while charging back "Sol Noctis!"

"Second Gear!" Pluto pulled her time rod back one more time to manipulate the flow of time at a lower rate, giving Endymion another leverage to move and throw another blast "Combustio!"

Chaos quickly raised his weapon and swung it down to counter-attack the force "Heliopause!"

Pluto felt the strain of Chaos' force against theirs, she frowns and turns her rod counter clock one more time to lower time to its maximum before reaching complete stasis. Endymion raised his hand again to call for another weapon. From his position, Jadeite quickly noticed and charged as fast as he could blasting shadows with several sandstorms and turned to the prince who was still suspended in gravity "Endymion! Insidis!"

The blonde skidded before he reached a broken cliff and threw the bow Ares gave him up high, grinning with accomplishment when Endymion caught the divine regalia and started shooting a sequence of arrows made of his own energy to slow Chaos' tactics to resurge and counterattack and give Pluto another leverage to join him.

"Third Gear!" Pluto found this a perfect moment to take it further one more nudge. She pulled the strings of time and charged the attack using her own, risking the very limit of her energy and raised her time rod and talisman high above her head as she turned with increasing force from the winds of time and space creating a vacuum around them, "Chronos Typhoon!"

Floating in the waves of time Pluto had been manipulating, Endymion was determined not to get caught in Chaos' trap; he dodged the attack quickly and responded with his own counter-attack. He pulled another arrow charged with energy and narrowed his eyes as he calculated his aim and let it go but Chaos was quick to block it with his palm charged at him.

"Termination Shock!"

The strong forces of magnetic energy collided with a strong wave destroying everything in its path with the power of the shock wave and the intense flux of magnetic force coming from both ends.

In an almost automated motion, Endymion wore the bow across his chest and closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting himself being taken by the current of the storm. He took a deep breath as he manipulated another charge of energy blazing in between his hands, he exhaled and let himself go, giving up the remains of his humanity to the charge of energy bursting inside of him; reaching another level of depth within the golden crystal that pulsed through him. The challenge imposed by Obelix was too great, even for him for he had studied and trained his best but he was too damn stubborn not to push himself to try.

To stand up to Chaos, he needed to be more than just a man holding a balance. He needed to let go and become the same destructive force.

"I love you... Usa..."

After a minute, his eyes slowly opened, showing a deep shade of gold taking over the ocean blue color of his eyes. He snapped his fingers catching in fire the energy surrounding him increasing the force of the typhoon Pluto created and limiting everyone from getting close by locking Chaos and him in the same force from the vortex. Streams of gold, dancing like the same plasma pooling in the Sun's core swirled around him as he aimed the attack at Chaos, who was now preparing to strike back with his own. The magnetic field surrounding him was so heavy everything that came close to him was instantly swallowed by its energy.

"Iram Helios!"

The titan tried to break the time-slowing effect when he saw Endymion throwing three consecutive balls of fire, piercing through his energy.

One shot after the other put Chaos in a closed trap. He felt the suffocation of getting caught under the same force that gave him life. Again, another pulse from deep within echoed in his ears, that same sharp feeling he could not control. Chaos tries to pull back but this time it was Endymion the one holding him against him with one hand wrapping around his neck and the other one wielding a golden claymore that went right in where Chaos had impaled him with his golden sword and used his body to push him back as he did a backflip to get distance.

His eyes went wide when he saw Endymion running full speed at him with the weapon in hand and ready to use, one he immediately recognized. His eyes quickly went on the lookout of its owner and found Ares with his arm up high. His gray eyes locked with his target and held up with anticipation "He is starting to feel it,"

Mars watched in complete shock, mirroring the expression of everyone else, including the shitennou and polemarchos guarding the area and locking the perimeter, containing the energy from leaving the atmosphere and sucking into the vortex above them. By now, all have regained consciousness and taken new positions: Mars stood with Ares taking the front line with Jupiter and Uranus while Venus and Neptune stood with Mercury while she scanned and studied the masses and complexities of the vortex breaking the sky, giving them the status and readings of the battle ahead between both titans.

"There is another change in the temperature; be prepared!"

"Reality will no longer be what we know of it." Uranus narrowed her eyes. Like the rest, Uranus and Neptune had found their way to join their comrades and also got prepared to attack. Without Pluto and Saturn there, as outer senshi, they took the front as force allies to Mars with what remained of their sacred talismans.

Mercury nodded, worried, "Yes, that is indeed true." She looked up as she read the information showing in her goggles "And it's coming from the very source that keeps this planet alive,"

"Endymion is doing this?" The raven-haired warrior frowned, stunned. Mercury took a sharp breath "I am reading strong waves and the radiation is coming from him," her deep blue eyes narrowed "And it is escalating to a level that is far from us to control. This must be because of his link to the golden crystal."

Venus felt an unsettling hunch in the back of her throat as someone would when feeling helpless. Mercury's words fell heavy over her shoulders because she could read the meaning between the lines. Her blue eyes were glued on Kunzite; her lips had started to tremble, betraying her courageous stand in the battle. If it wasn't for her gloves, her knuckles would be shown white from the force put in her closed fists, all to conceal her mortification. She had too much at stake, too much to lose—too much.

From the general, her gaze now moved to her best friend and sensed the turmoil in her heart. She was hurt and looked beyond exhausted; her uniform ragged and dirty, her hair almost coming undone. Sailor Moon had reached her limits physically, she looked like she could plummet any second now, but what mortified her the most was that she knew what would come next.

Minako knew that Usagi was far from being a quitter, the whole world could work against her and she would still kick back and when her loved ones were involved in the mix, there was no way of stopping her, that she knew better than anyone. But under the conditions she saw her friend, it was a matter of life or death and this time, despite her attempts, she had to step in not as a leader of the inner senshi, but as her friend.

"Usagi is hurt, she needs to—"

"Serenity is not leaving his side until this is over."

Venus watched Ares moved to face her. His gray eyes stared with pride "She is on a mission,"

"The Shitennou will go after the prince! As Endymion's guardians, they can bring him back!"

"They are guardians, that is true, but they do not have the power to bring Endymion back. The Shitennou's mission is to keep a balance now that their link with the Terran prince is faltered. While they hold celestial power, they are not able to contain a force like that." Ares spotted Sailor Moon standing close to the storm, "As the warrior she has grown up to be, Serenity will take the lead as expected from a queen's true successor."

Venus' widened her eyes, the word sinking in with power and allure; finally falling like a missing piece of a never-ending puzzle. Ares nodded as he kept his eyes staring at the battle ahead "Serenity has broken every single stereotype of what a princess should be and she will continue doing it because the woman you see right there is the only soldier that knows how to fight and protect a man like him."

Aegeus and Centaurus watched frozen in their place at the display of overbearing power they all thought extinct. Centaurus felt a chill overpowering his senses, still finding it hard to believe a man whom literally everyone considered a taboo because of his heritage could be a match to fight the one force they had to lock in the depths of hell to be able to live.

The polemarchos of Omega were not known for being a prideful man but he was one of honor and he always put his duties before anything else. The well-being of the emperors and the inhabitants of the powerful galaxy was his priority but, as hard as it was for him to admit, it was because he had to prepare mentally to serve. In this case, it was a battle for the sake of humanity and they all were giving their lives because the passion bound to their duty was far stronger than his unfaltering sense of servitude.

Megumi stared mouth gaping at the chain of explosions and blasts of light and fire that went on and on without pause. It was as if someone had ignited an infinite stack of firecrackers to a very massive scale. The light piercing through the thick clouds of smoke and shadows along with the salty mist from the ocean storming close ahead was hard for her to pinpoint the prince's exact location but as another thundering blast roared in the sky, the ground increased its force. Her arms while shaking, still held the princess tight as she tried to keep her balance as she also kept her crystal blue eyes locked in the incessant war.

"I love you... Usa..."

Sailor Moon's eyes widened. She felt a strong pull inside of her—his voice echoed in her head, "Mamo-chan..." she breathed in the thick smoke and shook her head, fighting the pain in her chest "Mamo-chan!"

Megumi turned when she felt Serenity shaking and trying to move away from her arms "Mamoru!"

"Princess!"

"Endymion!" Serenity called on the verge of tears and tried to pull herself away "Let me go! Megumi, let me go!"

"Princess!"

Serenity shook her head, still in shock "I need to go! Let me—" A strong howl made her stop in her tracks, she looked up at the clouds swirling in a centrifugal force revealing what had been kept in total anonymity for what felt an eternity. Her blood ran cold, her chapped lips parted, slowly mouthing her husband's name in the faintest of whispers.

From the endless streams of darkness, smoke, and fire, Endymion appeared perched on a sky-high monolith of solidified magma that poured from the depths of the earth in response to his new state. His long cape flowed in sync with his long hair that covered half of his blood smudged face.

The burst of fire revealed an intricate new armor that stepped away from his classic navy-black half-armored uniform. It showed graceful curves in long leaf forms, stamping rivets and eyelets in a brass gold finish showing through the sleek obsidian-like material. The cuirass was made of curved plates and thin strips of dark leather. The front and back sections of the cuirass laced together at the sides and between the shoulder blades that now wrapped down following the natural curve of his shoulders instead of peeking from underneath his black lined cape. The front plates are riveted to each other at the sides and fasten across the front by metal clasps with the same antique golden brass finish. The sharp points are covered by small raindrop-shaped plates and the back piece laced to the shoulder straps with three segments of the articulated pieces laced to the cuirass shoulder straps and buckled on his upper arms granting extra protection without compromising his freedom of movement. The hip belt was made of three pieces of what appeared to also be leather lacing all that way back. At each side, three more straps hang down to buckle to the thigh and leg guards of the same dark material with the same sleek sheen and appearance elegantly stitched with center seams. On each arm, bracers and handguards completed the piece that was clearly suited for one that knew archery and other skills with armory. The flexible, double-segmented bracers lace closed and the handguards protected the backs of his hands, leaving his fingers and thumbs free to move as he prepared to charge again with another weapon.

Serenity watched the change with wide eyes; shocked. She knew this stance first-hand; she'd seen it, she'd feared it. The more he would attack, the more hostile he would get; the more vicious he would become and stepped aside from the kindhearted persona that made him so different from everyone else. She waited, hoping the longer strands of his fringe would sweep away to reveal his face and catch a glimpse of his eyes.

"Endymion..." Sailor Moon whispered, her voice breaking. "Please look at me..." tears rolled down her flushed cheeks, she desperate to see him "Baby, please look at me..."

Endymion stayed still, his chiseled jaw and lips the only thing visible from underneath his midnight hair flowing with the current, against the princess' wishes.

Sailor Moon cried, almost falling to her knees while trying to walk in his direction "Look at me..."

Megumi heard Sailor Moon's weak whispers between hushed sniffs and sobs and looked up when she felt the same overpowering chill running all over her body. Her gut instantly warned her of what was coming next and pulled the princess' arm to bring her back with her but Serenity was completely glued in place.

"Please look at me..." Usagi took another step closer to the edge, her voice choking with emotion "Please... Mamo-chan... look at me..."

"Princess you cannot go any further! It's too dangerous!"

"Mamo-chan! Look at me!"

"Princess!"

"He's... he's not..." Sailor Moon sniffed, trying to keep her sobs low. She turned to Megumi with tears in her eyes, fighting the knot in the back of her throat "If I don't do anything, he will—" A strenuous bang interrupted her as the raging ring of fire started to burst out of control with the force from the vortex swirling around it with the presence of another living nightmare.

O—o—o—o—O

"Another quake has passed..."

"...Yet it won't be long for another to come,"

The cringing or torn wood and the crackling sounds of gravel outside calmed down. It had stopped, another grumbling quake. It had been so many, each different in time and force, they knew right away what they had to do to stay safe. Kenji took a deep breath as he helped Ikuko come out from under the dining table and tried to find his wife's eyes, even in the dark, he wanted to see her "Ikuko—"

"I'm all right, Kenji; I'm all right." Ikuko said softly, trying her best not to break into tears as she was known to do whenever she felt too stressed about something. No, she was not okay, her voice gave it away, she was beyond mortified. The last time she saw or heard anything from Usagi was that morning when she came for a visit. She knew something was going on—call it a mother's instinct—she could see it in her daughter's eyes. More than a mission as the soldier of love and justice, it was something that was coming from within. Ikuko remembered clearly, ever since she left the house the look in her eyes haunted her.

She knew her daughter very well, she learned how to read her as she grew up and became more independent. That including her secret—not so secret—missions as Sailor Moon. She knew her daughter well, every glance, blink, and smile. She knew her well, and that day, as she sat on that same dining table and shared a cup of tea together, she knew something was not quite right.

She was extremely feminine and sweet. Despite her ongoing clumsiness, Usagi became a very graceful woman. Usagi was delicate, like a rose petal, delicate, but never fragile.

That day, Usagi looked fragile and that she was about to break like glass.

Her milky skin was lacking that glow that made her be one of a kind. Her face lacked color, the peach color on her cheeks was gone and she swore that even her eyes, despite very pale, they lacked that sparkle that made them so unique. Usagi acted nervous, another strange turn of events. She was always so open and joyful, the perfect example of an extrovert; to see her quiet and careful of her words was strange for Ikuko to see. She immediately wondered if things with Mamoru were fine, being literally newlyweds, she was expecting her daughter would be in her honeymoon phase and tell her everything about her new life as a married woman. Those concerns quickly went out the window when she saw her cheeks gained a little flush every time Mamoru's name came out of her mouth; no, it wasn't about them. It was something else, something that was happening to her. Just her, and that scared her even more.

Her heart began to race in her chest; her mind started to wander... and then she realized it. The look in Usagi's eyes was trying to tell her something. She was scared. Usagi was very scared. Her lips parted, letting the faintest of puffs come out.

Kenji, bearing his own share of worry for his daughter turned to his son with a frown, the same one that had been unchanging ever since it all happened. His hands shaking as he tried to hold his wife and his eyes almost burning with exhaustion and tears "Shingo... anything on Usagi and Mamoru?"

"No..."

"Have you tried reaching them again?"

"Yes,"

"And?"

"All electricity and reception are gone, Papa. The lines are dead too. I don't have any signal on my phone." Shingo sighed as he tapped his dead device with frustration, him worried too for his newlywed sister and brother. "It's like we are literally stuck in the twilight zone."

He turned to his girlfriend, who happened to be at the Tsukino household when all the commotion started. Living away from her family sure was difficult at times like these where you couldn't run to them and make sure they're fine—Shingo thought. It was needless to say how frightened she was, her hands were shaking and her eyes were a clear proof of the many times she had broken into tears. The blonde young man reached out and laced his fingers with hers in a silent attempt to calm her down and show her his support even if it was minimum "I'm sure your family is okay, Akari,"

"I'm so scared," She said in whispers, "I'm so scared."

"You're not alone, Akari-chan." Ikuko said softly, trying her best to stay calm to clear the tension between them even if it was on a minimal scale. She had to, not for nothing she was the glue that kept them all together. "We all are scared but we have each other." Her eyes landed on her son, "Shingo, dear; bring Akari-chan some water, please. We have bottles in the pantry for emergencies."

Shingo nodded and sprinted to the kitchen to look for a cup that had resisted the magnitude of the quakes they've been experiencing non-stop for what now felt an eternity. Ikuko knew her house and family like the palm of her hand, proving the very one who led the ship in the Tsukino household, was her.

Ikuko kneeled down to be at the same height as the girl, and cupped her cheek, immediately letting her motherly instincts shine through "Let's hope he doesn't break any more of my valuable china he and Usagi have taken the serious task to completely destroy with their clumsiness."

The comment finally made Akari break a tiny giggle, finally cracking the fear looming over her when recognizing her boyfriend's clumsy tactics. A thread Ikuko felt she needed to pull to make her feel better and snap her out of her trance. The girl giggled again "He is very clumsy,"

"Oh..." Ikuko sighed when she heard another piece of glass breaking and Shingo saying sorry countless times in the back, "And Usagi is far worse. She trips, she falls, she breaks things..." She let out a dramatic sigh, "I don't know how Mamoru-kun can keep up with the whirlpool I have for a daughter."

"Usagi-san is clumsy?"

"Oh, terribly distracted,"

Akari giggled again "Really?"

"Mhm... Mamoru-kun would never let me lie," Ikuko said gently. If there was light, her tears would give her façade away in an instant. "You two would get along very well because you are very much on the same boat with those two." A long sigh came after, more with melancholy "I want nothing more than to have all of my children here... I want nothing more..." she turned to Akari, her smile fading a little bit "When all this started and were told to evacuate, I couldn't leave. Not when I know a part of my family is somewhere in this mad city. I am not moving. I will keep waiting for them because I know they will come back."

The girl nodded, tried her best to respond with a smile. A smile that hardly came; Ikuko noticed. She couldn't blame her as she was equally mortified. But what was worse, because she knew why her missing children were not there. A secret she has kept for so many years to protect her daughter and that still couldn't let it be out in the open.

She turned to look the mess around the house, planters broken on the floor, her pots and pans, books, and whatnot. They had been trapped she had lost track of time, if days have passed or just mere few hours. When it first began, their first and best option would have been to escape and go find refugee with one of their family members outside of Tokyo, but Ikuko didn't want to leave, no matter what, she wanted to stay and wait and Kenji didn't want to go against his wife's wishes. She had been a solid rock, keeping her calm and emotions at bay but what she most was afraid of was knowing that her daughter and now son were involved in fighting against it. Like any parent, her frustration was that there was nothing she could do but to just... wait.

Ikuko wanted to go out in search for them like any desperate mother would but her gut told her it was not wise and her heart told her it was something Usagi would had pleaded her not to do, so she did everything to prevent neither of them to even step close to any doors or windows and waited. They waited for this nightmare to be over.

Kenji pursed his lips, the fine wrinkles furrowing more than normal, "With all these earthquakes, the sea currents must be mad and finding their way back... I'm afraid it won't be long until they crash." He rearranged his glasses with a shaky hand "But with all these disastrous occurrences, all I can think about is them."

Her tears couldn't hold longer as she slowly closed her eyes; leaning on a wall, Ikuko took a deep breath. She felt her husband's hand over her should in support as he pulled her into his arms and finally let her emotions take over her, "They're out there... our children are out there..."

Kenji took his glasses off and closed his eyes, his arms holding Ikuko tight as he leaned down to plant a kiss on her temple "She will come back to us, Ikuko... both of them." His dark brown eyes slowly opened, showing tears threatening to fall as well "She is strong, and she is not alone. He promised he would protect her..." He tightened his arms and said with more conviction even though his heart felt like a shattering like a piece of glass "He promised on his life that he would protect her... and our son never breaks his promises."

O—o—o—o—O

At the other side of the city; Motoki went to aid another injured person with what he still had available to supply. With every passing hour—minute—second—he no longer knew, things got worse. Being outside on the streets was not an option anymore because the van he was using had gone dead. His face could no longer keep up with his spirits of encouragement and it had started to show; his eyes, always sparkling with mischief and kindness were sunken in misery and fright. His mind was busy keeping up with his rushing thoughts, all making him feel guilty, all making him feel like he made a wrong decision. He knew he had done the best by leaving Reika where he knew she would be safe, as heartless as it may appeared at first, his life would always come second if it was about her. She had to live, no matter what, she had to live.

Deep down he knew he was going to see her; that he would find a way to get to her. God, how much she missed her. Her darling face, her smile, her voice. Her. She missed her. This was for the best, he thought; trying to push aside the bad thoughts and the insecurity from his mind. This is something she wanted as well, to help in ways only she could and she would never forgive herself if she gotten herself involved and him, doing what he is supposed to be doing: saving lives. Which is where his thoughts sailed right after. His friends. The ones dealing with the mess happening outside.

"We are not going to make it..."

The morbid comment made Motoki turn to a woman sitting on the floor, hugging her legs close to her chest "I hear whispers and voices... this isn't normal... this is not something we'll be able to survive."

"Oi..." Motoki tried to come close to her but she started to break into tears, "This is the end of the world." She sobbed, "We won't come out alive out of this."

"There are people fight—"

"—What difference does that make?" The woman, probably in her late twenties raised her voice at Motoki "You say they're fighting but things are only getting worse!"

Motoki better than anyone what being overcome with frustration felt like, as a doctor, he knew what it was like to be in positions where he had no good responses to situations out of his control. He knew they were in great danger, and being honest with himself, he felt this might be the last time he would blink to live another minute. Things were so daunting and uncertain he didn't feel hopeful, he felt desperate. Angry. Depressed. But he also felt pride—how could he give in so easily? How could he ever give up? To this... he knew he couldn't give up, his friends needed him, his wife needed him, his family and them... the people he had rescued and kept safe so far this war had been going on.

"What if they di—"

"Don't."

The young woman looked up, her white button shirt dirty and drenched in her tears. Her eyes widened when he made eye contact with the blonde doctor, staring back at her with the coldest glare he was sure has ever given someone in his life. The fear ghosting their beauty coming through "Don't you dare say those words."

"You don't know where they are," the woman argued with some indifference and much frustration "You haven't been able to track them down. You don't even know what they're doing!" She looked up, breaking into tears of rage "You don't know anything!"

Motoki walked and kneeled down to be face to face with her "We're still here. To me, that is enough proof that they are doing something." He narrowed his emerald eyes, "I don't need to know their location because I don't have the means to do what they can and I would only get in the way. I don't have the power they have to face off whatever is threatening us. My part in this battle is to be useful here. Am I worried? You damn right I am! I wish this never had to happen! I wish they didn't have to go through the things they have—all of them. Like you, they all have lives with many challenges, hopes, and dreams. And trust me, this wasn't part of their plan. But right now, they are risking their lives to keep ours intact; you crying and me trying to reason with you is solid proof... we are still alive! Panic will get us nowhere, blaming this on them either. So be brave and have a little faith. I know them too well to know they are not ones to give up so easily. We are trapped in a broken building and we are limited with resources and means to escape, that's true, but damn it, we're alive!"

"And if they win—what will become of them? Those lives?"

Another man said. His voice quivering with fright. Motoki sighed "That pretty much will be up to you." His mellow voice was gone at this point, "I truly don't know what's going to happen... I might be losing them; their families as well." He sighed with heavy pain in his soul, "In exchange for my life, my family, and everything I hold dear, I might lose all of them. I might lose the only friend I've ever dared to call my brother and the only girl I shamelessly called my little sister... my dear friends. Old and new." He turned over his shoulder and tried to look for his face in the multitude he had managed to gathered and kept safe inside the cold and damaged building.

"I won't say it doesn't break my heart to come to this conclusion, but if they get to return and try to rebuild their lives, I will be the first one to help them. But I am concerned whether you spare them of the stigma of being who they are and let them be free. I truly hope you let them be free."

Resigned, Motoki slowly sat on the ground with his back resting against the freezing cold wall. He propped a knee up and leaned his head on it, trying his best not to break down into tears himself. This was as far as he could keep his emotions in check, as far as he could keep himself from fearing the worst.

He sighed heavily, more than the last time "Damn responsibilities... we just wanted a beer for old times' sake." He joked bitterly when he remembered the last conversation he had with Mamoru. His eyes blinked when he felt his legs had started to shamble. He looked up at the dark ceiling and felt little pieces of debris falling onto his face meaning only one thing.

"Another quake is coming," A young man's voice said with alert; Motoki immediately jumped from his position and went to help them find their previous spot for shelter. His feet felt weak against the strong wave shaking them underneath, it was strong. The best definition he would say was that he felt as if he was walking on a table and somebody was pulling a cloth; like a magic trick. Along with the heavy movement, howls and gagged screaming flowed with the strong streams of air that swallowed whatever came across their path. To this, Motoki felt the urge to know what was going on despite being aware it wasn't the best of choices.

"W-What is that?!"

"What?"

"Are those... people?"

"Where?!"

"Oh heavens..."

"That... that can't be people..."

"What are those strange lights!"

"Aliens?!"

"Demons!"

"What's going on?!"

"It's like the air is bursting into flames!"

"An explosion!"

"There goes another one!"

"Is so strong! It hurts!"

"Cover your eyes!"

He heard a teen asking with horror and joined him by the crack that would allow them to look outside. Motoki's green eyes widened when he spotted the massive hole in the sky and the forces flowing all around it.

"Who the hell are these people?!"

"Divine beings, Furu-chan—gods if you want to call them that way,"

All the color that remained in his face soon vanished; his blood ran cold. His lips trembled, not sure if it was because he was scared to death or amazed to see with his very own eyes this was actually reality and not a bloody nightmare.

"Gods? Wait, is what the news been saying true? Is what the archaeologists found real? Is the cosmic monarch they are talking about... you?!"

Panic started to take over his body when their words finally settled into place, finally making sense and claiming their right of authenticity; anchoring what a man of science and rational human being still refused to be believe was true. Mamoru and Usagi, his beloved friends were royalty, and not just any kind of royalty but cosmic ones. The kind that dealt with those threatening from out and above their sky. The kind that had fallen under speculation and myth because they could not be seen... until now.

There was too much to process. Motoki tried to rub his eyes but he found himself unable to move. He was in complete shock. His lips parted wide open, just the same as the rest of the people witnessing the hundreds if not thousands of bodies of light moving across the sky, battling inhuman creatures of pure darkness that came down in all shapes, forms, and sizes; things he could only call as demons. Some were wearing armors other strange garments while others stood still all around the massive black hole merged with their atmosphere.

"There are things we can't see but you do, and not just that... you also have the power to fight it,"

His lips slowly regained confidence in smiling again. Certain that somewhere in between those beings he never imagined he would ever get to see with his own eyes were his friends, battling the fight of their lives.

In a flash of light, the answer to his question manifested and he knew, deep down, Motoki knew who that light was coming from.

"You have the power to fight it... whatever that is," He muttered taking a deep breath to regain his courage, "Damn right you have it," he frowned, "Don't you dare to give up."

O—o—o—o—O

What everybody thought would be his limit, the titan of void was proving to be the force he had been professing ever since he appeared. Just like Endymion did, Chaos awoke to the power resonating inside of him and let it manifest without restraint. In a swift of strong winds charged with dark specks of energy, his armor also showed signs of modification.

Heavier in appearance, his chest and arms covered in large dragon-like scales in the same pitch-black material as the princes' obsidian armor minus the subtle golden sheen and instead of a cape, Chaos kept the thick high collar cloak around his shoulders falling down his back. His long hair streamed like smoke from his high ponytail but the extreme change didn't come from the outside, but what was happening inside of him. His most famous feature vanished as it was revealed the beautiful golden shade in his eyes had been taken over a deep crimson color breaking the allure of his irises like cursed blood. His body tensed, his grip tightened, his eyes twitched, proving not even him was immune to any sort of sentiment. He slightly turned his face to spit the blood pooling in his mouth and took another couple of hasty breaths.

"Who do you think you are to face me with such insolence?"

Endymion remained silent to the question. He narrowed his golden eyes but remained silent staring at Chaos grotesquely pulling Ares' sword and throwing it carelessly to the side.

"Stealing power that had marked us for millions of years now all to waste with the disgusting lifeline that came with your birth. You ruin the purity of the crest of our dynasty."

Endymion's frown deepened "After killing everyone I can relate to... now you speak of dynasty. Their blood stains your hands and now you're feeling familiar."

Chaos' eyes never leaving Endymion's "I do not stand the idea of you being a descendant of my line of blood."

"I don't either—Arm!" In a flash of light, another celestial weapon appeared for Endymion to dispose of. A longbow that instantly caught the flames raging inside of him as he aimed the sharp arrow at Chaos "But here I am."

Chaos raised his weapon and pointed his dark blade to the vortex storming above them finally merge with earth's atmosphere bringing hell on land; sinking everything in a dark cloak of madness. The screams of demons and tortured souls was unbearable to hear, worse than when Metallia escaped; worse than when Galaxia stole millions of starseeds or when Nehellenia played with nightmares.

The sky was no more as it was devoured completely and all that remained was an inversed pit, it was all pitch darkness.

With impressive speed and force, Chaos glided his weapon through the arrow Endymion shot his way and used the magnetic force of his swing to break the last fiber of what was known as reality; divinity's oldest taboo:

To be visible to the naked eye of humanity.

With his weapon held straight up high, Chaos awoke the madness raging inside the pit above, breaking the barrier that kept the divine realm hidden from those of eyes with mortality.

He locked his deadly gaze with Endymion's in a silent threat like a true leader of disaster. An unnatural smile crossed his bruised face and charged an immense amount of energy breaking all laws of nature and reason. The demons poured straight from Tartarus with the sound of gut-wrenching screams and skin arising howls possessing everything in its reach.

"Denique ego ad modicum utilis videatur. Hospes es odium quasi altera natura. Calumniam et tumultum quam... odio indulgentem spiritum tuum imple."

(Finally, I see some value. You host hatred like second nature. Violence and guilt fill your spirit... how indulging.)

Chaos' voice deepened, setting aside from his usual unexpressive tone, showing corruption and vile intentions. Enjoyment. He was enjoying torturing the innocent.

"Ego vis ortus atque obitus natura," His blood-red eyes gleamed like orbs of fire truly revealing the side he kept well hidden under his enchanting looks, beauty had never been on the side of something so evil.

"Et nemo potest flectere quae ex fibris et conteram in re sua ad voluntatem; ratio et causa est et non morieris."

(I am the force of nature of creation and destruction. The one that can bend and break the fibers of reality to its will; the reason you exist and the reason you will die.)

Chaos swung his glaive aiming strong blasts of energy at Endymion to bring him down from his anchoring point increasing the force of the vacuum swallowing everything in its path. Endymion's first thought was to let go but if he wasn't careful enough, he would get instantly swallowed into the void. He turned to get hold of a demon coming at him to make weight and go down to Chaos; he stretched his arm and let the energy cracking at the tip of his fingers activate with the thick energy of the storm going fierce into strong streams of fire "Adolebitque ea ad vescendum, et tenebrae super terram ejus,"

His voice was hoarse, almost getting lost in the screams and cries of the tortured souls of Tartarus and the demon squirming in his asphyxiating hold "Cum de Inferno descendere solitudine nihil mirum," his voice fell as deep and unrecognizable as Chaos'.

(When you go down to Inferno's wasteland, nothing comes as a surprise anymore.)

"Nec?" Chaos arched a brow "Si arma gerunt; iam tibi fallit, sanguinem, non sunt tamen mori. Non possum videre ruere momento sphaera—in tempore non tuo metiri. Quia non potes habere divinam sicut antiquitus. Ne fiduciam mortalis adhuc moriturus Tartaro reverteris."

(Even if you wear his armor; you are still bleeding, you are still dying. I can see your aura evaporating—your time is measured. Just because you hold divine ancestry does not mean you can live like one. Do not act so confident, mortal, you are still going to die and to Tartarus you will return because to the gods, you are still a problem in disguise.)

Chaos moved his glaive in an infinite figure motion in front of him, using its gravity force to his advantage and steer the attacks from him. His blood red eyes never left Endymion as he turned over his shoulder and saw a herd of shadow demons rising from the ground and moving after their prey.

"Sed me maxime spikes infirmitate consuerat inquit libenter exponere."

(But what most spikes my intrigue is how you expose your weaknesses so willingly.)

Endymion's brows knitted. Something at the corner of his eye-catching his immediate attention and felt a wave of rage coming over him. Chaos had enough power and control to bend and break their reality to his convenience and true, he knew well what could trigger his patience and what could make him desperate.

From a pool of swirling scorched and rotten bodies, the very ones tortured over and over in Tartarus, one stood out. One that needed no more details to know it was condemned to their same fate. Dead and alive at the same time, suspended between pain and an undying wish to be redeemed. The worst fate ever laid down on someone.

Chaos was playing with their pain, that was clear. But what impressed Endymion the most is how much he could get out of a broken soul like Athamas'.

"In Tartarus, you live to die again..." Endymion muttered, coming to realization of Obelix's words and what he personally witnessed in the land of the fetid, "I see... he made the same deal..." He turned to Chaos with anger "But instead of doing it with the Underworld Lord, he did it with you; cursing his fate from the very start."

"Nunquam enim ens, inquantum est quoddam sine pondere et coniectans Andromedan non desunt fossicia harenaria tanta Dea Lunae et motus et mens."

(I would never have guessed an insignificant being as it is the Andromedan could boil up so much turmoil in the mind of the Moon Goddess.)

Chaos' words made Endymion spike with rage and turned to grab a demon flying towards him from its long neck "Combustio!"

He threw the screeching demon caught in flames at Chaos like a cannonball. Chaos made a long swing of his double-bladed glaive and cut the creature in half, both bursts of flames passing him side by side. He raised his hand and dig the curved blade into the ground with the other, filtering poison into it much like Asteria did with her heel and released dark matter that spread in coils of veins and thorns, a solid proof that he had given her the ability to do such maneuver.

Chaos turned to fix his gaze on Sailor Moon and arched his brow, his wrist flicked to turn his glaive and aimed it at her when he felt a pull and turned fast enough to see Endymion's hand pulling the end of his cloak.

"Is that what you think? That she is my weakness?" Endymion arched his brow. His tongue traced the dry crust of ash over his lips and smirked: "How do you think I got here in the first place?"

Chaos narrowed his eyes; Endymion tilted his head "Who do you think opened a path for me to cross from your putrid land into here? Weakness?" He scoffed, "Remember who put you in place in the cauldron of stars first."

His free hand gathered enough energy to weave another ball of energy and fire and sent it straight to Chaos, breaking his balance, throwing him down. "But even with all the magnificence she represents—even if she does not need me to strive and conquer, I am still here to protect her. I am still here to fight for her." His golden eyes darkened, "And I told you not to ever touch her again." Endymion jumped back and brought his hands together "Solaris Ardeat!"

Chaos looked up and raised his hands to counter-attack the shot with his own; his red eyes twitched again as he glared at the prince aiming his charged palm again. Something in him stirred, his usual careless behavior suddenly became overflown with a sense he could not put into words but it was unpleasant; it was something beyond his well-mastered control. His eyes gleamed with intensity as he looked up; his knuckles turned white as he brought his glaive closer to him. A deep growl burst from within, like if something else was living inside of him and taking control; breaking free.

It bothered him, his own conscious mocking him. His logic challenging him to believe Gaia's son was in the same level of power he was. It bothered him to know he was no longer Helios' golden child. That he was not the prodigy of the titan dynasty.

He felt it pulsing in the tips of his fingers, charging every single cell in his inhuman body. Chaos twitched again, his breathing fastened, his heart rate increased, his pupils dilated, his lips parted and sowed disgust.

"Cho..."

"What are you doing, Cho?"

"Why? Why have you chosen this path to be your fate?"

Chaos took a deep breath, his grip tightened as he manipulated his glaive and raised it upside down and thrust it deep underground "Do not address me as if you had anything in common with me!" He muttered with bitterness, "Do not use that name on me, do not speak to me that way!"

"Cho..."

"Silence!"

"Cho..."

"Do not speak to me that way! Insolent!"

"Cho..."

"Do not use that name for me ever again!"

Endymion felt a shift in the air, colder and it pulsed in the pit of his stomach. In a fraction of a second, he lost sight of Chaos and was pulled down by an invisible force, hitting the ground. The impact suffocated him; it was strong enough to make him lose sense of orientation for a minute. His ears ringed to a point of numbness due to the concussion, his eyes losing focus. Endymion had to regain composure, every second was a matter of life or death. Every breath, every heartbeat.

"Why? Because I want to. Because I can!" Chaos said between clenched teeth, taking harsh breaths as he moved forward, letting the rage he had been caging inside his mind for millions of years slowly pour out of him.

"Fate... I do not believe in fate." His hoarse voice pierced through, feeling close, "I do not believe in anything but the power I create—in the force I beckon. In the cause and effect of my existence!"

Endymion grunted and pushed himself back up; his eyes widened when he saw Chaos stepping out of a cloud of debris with his long hair falling over his pale face. His red eyes staring back at him like a curse.

"Even in moments like these, I can hear her laments in my head." He kept walking, dragging his heavy glaive behind him carelessly "Her voice is here—" he hit his head with his palm several times in exasperation; taking Endymion by surprise by his rash behavior. Chaos' red eyes twitched again "What did you say?! That I should stop? You wanted me to exist! You created me!" Chaos shook his head again and lowered his gaze "...She birthed you!" He broke the silent tension with a chuckle as kept a steady pace "How could you be so careless and stupid, Gaia?!"

Endymion frowned confused "...Gaia?"

His lips parted; Chaos's power was so great he was not in the same plane he was and he was not talking to him. Chaos had lost sense of reality and was existing in more than one parallel in the continuum of space and time, very much like Pluto could. He was manifesting in the past, in the present, and in the future and in all pockets of time in between; even those their minds could not grasp to fathom.

Chaos was talking to Gaia. He was talking to Helios. He was talking to his parents, Geb and Nut, and he was talking to Endymion all at the same time.

"You birthed a sinful mistake. You ruined our bloodline." Chaos turned to look at Endymion and narrowed his bloodlust eyes "And it bothers me." A forced chuckle quickly turned picked up into a sadistic growl "You, existing... it bothers me... I can't stand it... knowing you came from her... I cannot stand it!"

Endymion turned over his shoulder when he sensed other presences and widened his eyes. Like he was transported into another dimension, he saw a man wearing the armor he was wearing now, a man with a golden sword stood around Chaos; his golden eyes on him passing judgment on his macabre behavior. A deity he never knew, until now...

Helios.

Next to him, the faint and blurry vision of other deities with similar auras appeared, Nut and Geb, staring at their son with the same glare. It was as if he was transported to those same pockets in time Chaos was traveling in and out, witnessing all that happened in a flash of seconds. How it was when he was still Ares pupil, and later a polemarchos in his own right. How he rebelled, how he caused war and killed both gods and titans alike. How he dared to cross realms and challenged other deities and claimed power as his.

He was inside Chaos' nightmare.

The moment Helios appeared to put sentence to his own line of blood and how he used the raw source of his power to give Gaia his sword and seal him away in Tartarus with the blessing of the golden crystal. That is why he disappeared. He sacrificed his aura by giving up his existence to the sun and become a source of nature rather than an entity.

It wasn't because he didn't care, but because he cared too much that he was aware that darkness could not be put out by him. Gaia had more influence on Chaos than Helios ever did; the one he once cared for. Chaos respected Gaia and in his turmoil and confusion, in his lack of emotion, she was the only one that could seal him away. As long as Helios lived, the crystal would not follow any other's command and while Gaia was not the rightful chosen one to master the crystal, she was someone that could bring into life the very one that could.

The only time Chronos broke the law of foretelling and giving answers before time. The parting gift that would solidify their alliance and friendship forever with the Sun titan.

Chronos knew Helios' blood would transcend in time in the child Gaia would bring to a new world as a rightful heir of his dynasty. The one that would carry the curse and blessing of the golden crystal; the scared treasure of his titan ancestors.

A strong pulse in his chest alerted him of another presence close by, finally granting its power access to manifest. With one heavy breath and exhale, Endymion nodded and closed his eyes for a second.

"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via. Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo. Prodiit, Silentium... Ut nos auferat."

(There is no easy way from the Earth to the stars, but if I cannot bend the will of Heaven; then I shall move to Hell. Come forth, Silence... Take us away.)


The Divinity Series is a long series and it is rated M. Violence, cursing, gore, and intimacy may occur.

I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters.