Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Ninety-One


"There it is..."

Ares narrowed his gray eyes, muttering other inaudible words under his breath, his training as polemarchos taking over of his usual explosive personality; making Mars feel even more uneasy about the drastic turn of events.

"It explains why Endymion has distanced himself from us with those barriers of scorching matter and energy," Mercury said with caution "He knows what will follow."

"I am not sure I want to know..." Jupiter swallowed thickly, nervously wetting her lips as she turned to her friend "But... at this point... we need to know."

Mercury's blue eyes narrowed in thought, "He is letting himself go insane to be able to withstand Chaos' corrupt presence."

"What?!" Venus turned horrified, "Y-You can't be serious... Going insane?!" Her brows furrowed, "That is like surrendering yourself to Chaos and give him what he wants!"

"When the laws of the universe are breached, extreme measures must be taken to never be on the side of failure. That is a polemarchos's number one principle."

All eyes went to Saturn. Her dark violet eyes watching the display from both equal forces fighting in the sky. Sailor Moon felt as if thunder had pierced through her body and shook her head, almost in a panic. Saturn broke poise and looked at Megumi in the princess' arms, finding it hard to breathe with every passing minute and couldn't help feeling an incredible sense of melancholy.

She went to kneel in front of her and combed her wet fringe to the side "You are very brave, Megumi-san. Your courage will not go unnoticed. Do not fear..."

Megumi's eyes filled with tears "Lady Saturn..."

"Princess,"

Saturn took a deep breath and exhaled. Slowly standing up to meet face to face with the monarch "I was called to serve. As a bringer of silence, I must lay down my glaive to help the preservation of that order. It is my duty as the emissary of the Underworld."

"I can't let you do this," Sailor Moon frowned, "Unleashing the power of the Silence Glaive is a life sentence. A double-edged sword and this isn't over! We are still fighting and we won't give up until we come out of this together!"

Saturn stomped the sharp end of her glaive on the poisonous ground to numb the shadows and keep them from coming closer to them. Her strong gaze unwavering "You know my jurisdiction better than anyone. As Princess Serenity, even you, our light of hope, know there are laws that must never be broken."

Her stare softened, showing the loving girl she's known to be when not in duty. "I know well the good in your intentions. Your pure heart and your undying desire to protect us all from danger is always heartwarming. But these demons have crossed from the depths of the underworld and it is my duty to serve as an accountant of souls. They need to be punished for their trespassing."

"Then why is he here?" Uranus looked at her with hurt, feeling betrayed. "He is still waiting for that damn contract to serve to its terms, isn't it?" She felt Sailor Moon's eyes on her, knowing the princess was thinking at least something close to what she had asked. On top of everything that had unraveled, and most had forgotten, the prince's soul was still linked to Hades' laws, and the god of the dead was making sure his great catch would not go out of his sight.

"Hotaru... please..." Uranus's deep voice breaking a little.

Saturn sighed softly, "If Prince Endymion made a deal with Hades, that is something he agreed on in his free will; I cannot break the contract they made. My hands are tied too Haruka-Papa. It was a plan very well executed and under the stress of that current time, I couldn't be of much help other than to listen to the prince's urgent request on taking Princess Serenity out of Inferno. Right now, I can be of aid so that sacrifice won't go to waste."

"How can you say that as if any of our efforts mattered?!" Neptune stepped in with that same frustration "Like if your life didn't matter!?"

Saturn tilted her head "It is because I know how much all of your efforts matter, that I am doing this. I am not afraid, Michiru-Mama. Rebirth awaits and with it, a brighter era will come. Death is just the welcoming gate." Her violet eyes darkened, "It's my choice to step in. Something I thought about doing ever since I knew Chaos was showing signs of manifestation and coming out of control. I remained quiet, frustrated, but it's my decision to use my glaive to serve a divine command and shut down all this noise that diverts us from what really matters." She gave her princess a soft smile "Pluto is doing her part in this fight. Now it is my turn to step in and help her sort order with all the portals and dimensions that have been wrenched open."

Sailor Moon held her tears, never in her life has given the young senshi a more saddest glance "I refuse to believe Endymion asked you to do this... I refuse to accept it."

Saturn shook his head slowly, "Usagi-san... for the longest of time I had to stay quiet; feeling my hands tied as I watched you fight every single obstacle thrown in your way without rest. I watched in silence while Mamoru-san was cutting deals with Hades and you were maxing out your energy to fight Asteria. I felt your pain and your desperation and I didn't do anything to stop it... I just... watched. My jurisdiction often forces me to stay still in the cruelest of ways."

Saturn felt her heart scrunching in her chest, despite being calm. "But this is the power vested in me, and it is for a reason. I am not afraid of the dark. If Chaos keeps bending reality, we will not stand a chance and then, there will be nothing to protect because there won't be anything left to rebuild. Pluto is close to drain her energy by manipulating the gears of time and there is still much to be done. For Prince Endymion to completely focus on Chaos, we need to split commands and realms to rip the darkness from the surface of the earth and take care of it in a separate plane from this one. That he knows, what he did ask me to do—what needs to be done."

Sailor Moon frowned with stress with this new revelation, "He is..." She shook her head, trying to look for him in the gusts of dust storming above "Doing that only means Mamo-chan is heading back to the Underworld..."

Saturn closed her eyes for a minute and gave one slow nod. As if she was answering a calling no one else could hear but her.

"I hear it... the sound of madness. The laments of the damned. It is always a haunting song... it cannot be stopped by any means." She slowly opened them again and looked at Sailor Moon "I know you will find a way to break that contract, Usagi-san, I believe you will."

"Hotaru-chan..." Sailor Moon felt a knot in her throat, she tried to move but her body would not respond. The young senshi had already started to put her own plan into motion. She swung her glaive as she turned to walk away; the shadows growling and screaming obscene things to her as she kept them numb at her feet as she passed through.

Megumi felt helpless under the somber tone of the young senshi; watching her get lost in the swirls of thick smoke and couldn't help remembering the words she said:

"Without death, there cannot be life."

Her brown eyes went wide, falling into sense. She remembered the voice calling her in that subconscious dream while trapped under a pile of debris "Evolution cannot happen without fall... Miracles cannot happen without hope..."

Sailor Moon heard Megumi's faint voice and slowly nodded "And hope is what we have the most..." She brought her close in a tight hug "We cannot give up..." She sniffed and held Megumi tight as she stood up "We won't give up."

"That bastard... he pisses me off," Jupiter said between gritted teeth, she takes another deep breath "Chaos is very strong, but I won't let him break me. Let's take him down piece by piece," She looks up with a frown marking her beautiful face all smudged with ash and dirt "Let's give it our all," She turned to Uranus "You're ready, Haruka?"

Uranus cracked her knuckles "I am more than ready. He's stealing my baby girl."

"He is stealing from all of us," Jupiter started walking never breaking eye contact with her princess and friend "You are not alone in this. I have your back,"

Sailor Moon looked at her with worry "Jupiter, please—"

"There is a limit to how much two people in love can be apart from one another and you two have been pulled apart for far too long, Usagi-chan." Jupiter tried to fight her tears, "As a woman who breathes and lives for love, it's not fair to see you struggling, it's not right. What you should be doing is to live your honeymoon phase like the newlyweds that you are." The Amazon soldier sighed with sadness written all over her face, "I've seen you cry more times in these past couples of months than I have in all my years knowing you. I've seen you curse, sob, and muffle your screams in the dark. I've seen you starve and cry yourself to sleep with nothing but excruciating pain accompanying you like a ghost and I can't take it anymore because this isn't what you deserve. No one does." She cupped Sailor Moon's cheek very gently, letting her kind self-show for a brief moment "I will give it my all... until my knuckles feel numb from all the times I must charge my hands with this power of mine. I will fight for us all. And once this is all over... I promise we will bake something delicious to celebrate your birthdays because you will survive this!"

The way she said those words made it a declaration more than a plead to hang on. Jupiter was done hanging on; for the first time in a long time, she was excited for the unknown. She wanted to reach and set new goals as a soldier and a woman and make her dreams come true; she wanted to fight for her dreams and she wanted to fight for her friends' too.

A new leaf of courage sprouted in said declaration, and it showed. Turning, Jupiter ruffled Serenity's half-done buns "Time to turn this roast around,"

Sailor Moon pulled the girls into her arms and held each other tight, "I love you." The princess said softly, "This won't tear us down."

Venus turned her head at her and sniffed "No, we won't break."

"We're stronger." Neptune smiled "We are a team."

"We are a family." Mars held hands with Jupiter.

"They won't bring us down," Uranus said lowly "Let's kick ass together,"

Sailor Moon nodded with encouragement "Let's do this."

"Let's do this!"

Breaking their little moment of encouragement, all of them more than ready to take action in this new stage in the battle. Mars gave Jupiter a wry glance once they let go of each other and walked to take their respective positions of attack "Food puns at times like these? How saucy of you..."

Jupiter smirked, "Ah, look at you! You're getting it, finally." A sweet chuckle came out "So, you have to be in some sort of apocalyptic event to make light jokes."

"Hmm..." Mars narrowed her violet gaze "Jadeite's strange humor must be rubbing onto me."

"Who would have thought..."

"I know, how ironic."

Venus walked over to them as she wrapped her golden chain around her right arm and started swirling it to gain speed and force "Alright everyone! To get to Endymion, we need to tackle this distortion by layers. Mercury—"

Mercury activated her goggles to take several readings "Ground zero, no civilians—few to none casualties. We can head straight on and take Saturn's first stance as our signal,"

"Is it possible to settle this within another dimension?"

"We are already in between dimensions. Impossible at this point."

"Right." Venus bit her lips and turned to her Amazon friend "Jupiter—take the front, Mercury, I need you to guide us—Mars,"

"I'm coming behind you," Mars said out loud as she followed the blonde and took hold of her fire bow. "I got your back."

"Uranus, Neptune—"

"We will take the front with Jupiter and create a diversion to clear the path and protect you from all impact coming from the storm,"

"Right. Let's go!"

O—o—O

Saturn's soft echo of her heels pressing with each step felt like the tick of a clock; numbing the noise around her in a vacuuming sound. Putting a sentence to all that surrounded her.

"Your breach is unforgiving. Your presence in the world of the living repulsive. Return to the hole from where you came from! In the name of its guardian!" Saturn raised her weapon high above her head "Silence Glaive—Surprise!"

A raging force burst from the glaive summiting the demons with its powerful force. Saturn slightly turned over her shoulder, aware of the girl's plan and gave them a slow nod. The window to grant them permission to cross before everything is put down to her command.

"Got it!" Jupiter turned, quickly sensing danger coming at the princess and Megumi and acted on instinct, charging her hands and throwing consequent electric blasts at a herd of demons "Sparkling Wide—Pressure!"

Neptune raised her arms and summoned her power to join the mission alongside her lover "Deep Submerge!"

"World—Shaking!"

"Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!"

"Submarine Reflection!"

"Space Sword—Blaster!"

"W-What..." Jupiter widened her eyes when she saw a man standing in the distance in between the gusts of smoke that resulted to be none other than Hades showcasing his own share of death and war in his armor and glorious scythe; almost as if he was monitoring Saturn's work.

His elegant face smudged with blood and ash just like everyone else. Next to him, she spotted another presence similar to his and Ares, and immediately knew who he was.

"You came..." The tall senshi muttered under her breath with a mixture of disapproval and impression "Huh..."

Uranus and Neptune noticed his presence next and felt the same bone-chill, making them stop for a moment. Megumi's gasp was all they needed to raise their defense. Sailor Moon felt it too, that same puncturing chill into her bones and slowly turned; the second her eyes spotted the culprit of such deep unsettling feeling of discomfort her whole body tensed. Everything in her spiked all sorts of emotions, anger, pain, and sadness.

From the thick pillars of smoke, it appeared; the shadow of Athamas, former general and commander of Andromeda.

Sailor Moon felt as if she had been hit with a cannonball aimed straight at her stomach. Her eyes twitched; her pulse started to shake and her lips parted in complete disbelief. Her hands curled into tight fists and her legs felt that were taking all of her will to remain standing. Her pale blue eyes burned with tears but held them from falling. No, she would not fall for it again. She could not allow herself to cry for the man coming closer. A man that was now clearly away from his own principles and free will.

The dark tar she knew filled every inch of his lungs dripped down his face as well, showing an unnatural color in his skin and unparalleled madness in his sunken and darkened eyes.

Uranus noticed the change in the princess's posture and immediately triggered her protective nature "That is..."

"Uranus, Neptune..." Sailor Moon slowly let go of Megumi and let Neptune take her place in giving the support the young maiden needed to walk. Her crystalline eyes red with tears, "I need you to go with Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury."

"Sailor Moon but—"

"He's here to torment me because of what he represents in my life. If he didn't die by Endymion's hand then it only means he will keep respawning and haunt us like a nightmare but that doesn't mean I have to keep running from it. He will go as far as I let him and this has to stop." She turned to her friends "But that is something I have to do on my own. I need you to keep our plan in motion."

"You saw him again?" Venus stood next to the princess who kept her gaze fixed on Athamas "On our way here... Endymion and I confronted him. But it is as I suspected... his bargain backfired and Chaos claimed his favor back. Now he has full control of his soul, meaning it doesn't matter how many times we take him down... he will come back over and over again, just like any other shadow."

"There is a strong evil presence around him," Mercury stood next Sailor Moon and blinked with shock when the princess didn't wait for any other instructions and started walking from them "W-Wait—"

"This is my responsibility... it's me who has to face him. It's me who has to stop him but to do that, I have to focus... Endymion is my focus; our freedom my mission." Sailor Moon took advantage of Saturn's energy pinning the shadows down to walk in Athamas's direction with her tiare in hand. Every cell of her being terrified of what she could be facing, but she also knew that it was something she had to do to keep moving forward.

Serenity feared his abuse would follow her like a shadow for as long as her pain and shame remained in her body. All mixed with the guilt of having lost her baby and the inability to take him down ever since he reappeared was concocting a dangerous poison for her soul.

"Venus," She turned and pointed at the former general "You need to keep going forward, whatever it is... do not stop. Do not yield. Just... trust me on this. This is something I have to do."

Without arguing her princess' decision, Venus whipped her chain around him and pulled but he was too strong for her to create enough tension to stop him "Venus Love Me Chain!"

Jupiter cracked her knuckles and stepped in to give her support "Flower—Hurricane!" The petals on her belt attacked the shadows, peeling one layer of protection from the Andromedan. With the energy kneading in her palms, she threw another electric blow while Venus still kept him locked with her chain "Sparkling Wide—Pressure!"

Caught in the impressive electric charge, Athamas fell unconscious making a loud splash on the pools of tar all around him. Sailor Moon looked up and felt her heart pound strong in her chest; she took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. She wiped the dirt off her face with her white glove as she looked at the vortex in the sky.

"Is everyone together?" She raised her voice to counteract the sound of grabble and thunder. Her voice quivered a little, the senshi of love noticed. She could read the dread in her aura, but also her desire to keep fighting. She nodded "Ready to take action, Princess." Venus pointed in Endymion's direction "It's coming from him... all that vicious energy,"

"I know," Sailor Moon raised her hand to protect her eyes from the gritty dust flying in every direction "But that's why I'm here. I am the anchor he needs to keep him steady,"

"Usagi—"

"I will protect Mamo-chan with all that I have in me, Minako-chan. But I need you to be a second layer of force," Sailor Moon pointed in the direction of the storm "He is taking Chaos as far as possible from this plane. If there is something I have learned from this nightmare is how Mamo-chan will never make a move without having thought of other attacks ahead of time. Even in his current state, he might still somewhat conscious; even if he only has one sliver of sanity left... I know I can still grasp it and make contact with him..."

"But what about Megumi? She's hurt!"

"It's all right, Lady Venus," Megumi took a deep breath, taking Neptune's arm to stay balanced "If my life is set to take a different path, I will take it with pride for having served my purpose. I will make it worth, every single tear and every single prayer... it is all to serve my guardian."

Venus stared greatly surprised by the maiden's fearless stance. Her heart was pounding, still worried for her friends "Serenity, whatever you are trying to do could bring more consequences than solutions. With Endymion completely stripped of his sanity and solely focused on Chaos, you are the link that is keeping this planet alive!"

Sailor Moon shook her head "Exactly," she turned to look at her "I can't be more certain that I am more a solution than a consequence. Endymion has completely put his fate in my hands. I am his sanity and I know what I need to do." Her hand searched for Venus's and held it close to her aching chest "I can't sit and wait—I can't stand looking at him like that; knowing that in some twisted way, I am responsible for it. Minako, I need to protect him from that sadistic maniac."

Sailor Moon looked down at her brooch and pressed it tight against her chest, "I channeled my power to the crystal tower on the Moon. Luna and Artemis are there praying for me... so I…" with a new boost of confidence, Serenity turned over her shoulder to look at her, "With the power that remains... I must pray to keep him safe. I must believe I am not alone... I know somewhere... in this madness... he can hear me..."

Kunzite caught her words and turned to Sailor Moon, "Princess," he frowned, deeply concerned that she hadn't changed her mind about it; knowing the high risks on both the prince and princess lives "The energy around them is very dense; it would mean to throw yourself into a trap. Endymion is not—"

"For thousands of years, the gods have ignored and denied the power and the sanctity of the Terran family and their heritage—Earth." Serenity looked up with determination, "I am not one of those gods, Kunzite. My place is not in Olympus." She turned to him with the same stern look, "I love this planet more than you can imagine. Its evolution was Queen Gaia's duty and its care and preservation was my mother's mission. They made a promise from their solid friendship that they would always protect it together. Now it's Endymion's and mine; we made that same promise and it's born from our love. We were reborn here to be free."

The nostalgic glisten in her eyes enhanced the emotion in her words, "From the very moment I stepped foot here thousands of years ago as a deity, Earth welcomed me with its wonders and beauty and like one of its own. I've seen that there is so much more than just divinity and that all I was taught to believe, was a lie. There was never a monster; there was never hatred aimed at us. I always believed it, and it is manifesting." She looked at Kunzite "Endymion has the blessings of the Sun to protect this planet and keep pulsing it with life; he is one with Earth, and Earth is my home. This is where I belong… where I chose to be; with him. This is our home, and we can't surrender it to Chaos or any other deity in the universe. I will not give the gods the right to prove their false accusations; we are so much more than that." She nodded, "When Metallia re-emerged, Luna and Artemis left to the Moon to pray at the tower and gave me the power I needed to unleash the silver crystal and fight against her and it was Endymion's energy what gave me that support to stay on my feet. Now, it's my turn to join him and fight with him in this battle."

Jadeite shook his head with panic "Endymion's connection with us has faded away, Princess."

Serenity tightened her grip on her tiare, "I still have to try. Endymion would never give up like this. He has never given up on me and I am not going to give on him."

"Usagi," Venus looked at her confused and scared, and let her sisterhood shine through "You're talking about risking both of your lives… you know what that means… the same effect the silver crystal does to you, the golden crystal might do to him as well…"

"I am well aware of the risks, Minako-chan…" Sailor Moon licked her lips with so much rush it showed she wasn't even trying to hide the anxiety trying to take over her; the same one that had latched onto her ever since Endymion was in Purgatorio.

Venus understood her princess's feelings more than ever. With the possibility to save them from oblivion in one hand and the cost of risking the life of her one true love in the other. The same fear she had with Kunzite, the same desperate attempt to keep everything together. She could see the desperation in her body language, how her body would betray her from time to time showing how much Chaos has affected her. It was clear, how her eyes would not stop tearing or her lips trembling; she was shaking. Sailor Moon was on the very verge of having a mental breakdown but her spirit and her desire for this to be all over and be with her husband was far stronger and she had to deliver.

Sailor Moon closed her hand into a tight fist and took a deep breath with as much control as she could to bring herself some sense and fight the overpowering fear taking over her. She wanted to close her eyes and shut herself from this nightmare. She wanted to scream, instead, she let her tears be the reminder that it was now more than ever that she had to stay awake. The fear of losing everything is what brought sense to her life right now; the fear of losing her soulmate was pounding inside of her but she had to stay awake for both of their sakes.

Her hand went to rest on top of her golden brooch and exhaled. Venus blinked with startlement at the sudden change in her friend "Usa-chan?"

Sailor Moon turned to Venus with a faint smile on her face, one of sympathy and respect. She was tired. Her body was tired, but more than physical exhaustion Usagi was tired to be pulled back; she was tired of being forced to wait and struggle to be where she knows she belongs to be. Heck, Venus thought. As if she had been taken a cloth off her eyes and felt a tug in her heart that reminded her on one crucial thing: Usagi was strong. Usagi didn't become a sailor senshi yesterday, she wasn't forced to do it; unlike her, that her duty was set and given, it was a choice she made for herself.

More than two thousand years ago she did the impossible and debunked the myth of the gods by taking a leap of faith and cherish the bond she shared with the prince of earth. She swallowed the pain of their constant separation and dealt with the strain that came attached to their forbidden love; all this, while protecting them from the repercussions of her actions. Her, the princess that needed to be protected by them.

As Venus stood there, it all came back to her as if she was standing next to her previous self, dealing with the last minutes of her past staring with horror as how Princess Serenity held Prince Endymion's sword and pointed its sharp blade on her heart before she fearlessly took her life with the promise that she would look for him in the future.

The future.

Their future.

This future.

Their present.

Princess Serenity found her prince and not just any prince, but unbreakable support to carry on any mission. A dream to pursue. A life with freedom. A future.

Princess Serenity fell in love; deep love. And due to that powerful love, she fulfilled her pledge to never allow the same tragedy to happen again and carried her duty to step away from any limitations that once tied her hands in the past. Serenity found her way and was reborn with divinity as second nature as Usagi, the girl with her heart on her sleeve. A heart so big that carried the weight of the world; a heart so big that put duty over self-indulgence. Usagi is the light breeze of fresh air that calms the soul; the sweetness and reliance every single one of them needed in their lives that has naturally made everyone be overprotective of her.

This dawned on Venus more than anyone because of them all, she always had been the first one to react to anything that happens to her. The first to step in and take the lead so she would never have to worry. It's in her blood, to be this way. Maybe because she didn't have any brothers or sisters, maybe because she grew up a lonely girl; maybe because as the first senshi to be found and to get hold of her memories and awaken to her divinity—she never could put her finger on the one true reason. But the moment she met Usagi, things changed. And she knew that she had made a friend for life. One she would give her life to keep safe.

But now, with their lives on the line, she could see things clearly and with the strain of all the events that have happened, her best friend has been put through the most bitter tests of all so unexpectedly and how she has endured it all. The inability to enjoy the new stage in her life with her recent marriage; the shock attached to her sudden pregnancy and the sense of loss that followed with her miscarriage. All the terrors she must have experienced from having been dragged to hell and the heartbreak of leaving her husband behind with the uncertainty of his return. And now, the horror of confronting Chaos on her own.

Above all, Usagi is still standing, she is still thriving, pushing—fighting.

Usagi is a fighter. As Serenity, a divine princess; as Usagi, a girl with a thousand dreams. She learned from her mistakes, earned experience, matured, and became a fighter. For love and for justice. A true soldier of mystery and miracle.

Venus didn't do that. She didn't fight, not enough. Unlike Serenity, Venus was trained to fight yet she followed the current and did what she was told to do. She excelled at it, but to her, it didn't feel groundbreaking; it felt like an imposed obligation. Venus followed the rules by the book; trying her best to stay in line. Rebel at heart—yes—but also afraid to lose the little she had. Venus' biggest regret was not being able to fight for her dreams and once found, for the love of her life, and she lost him... twice.

Minako gave up her dream to become an idol for a man that didn't value her. A man that had ambition over love, proving that again, she went with the current and that again, her attempts to fight were more to survive rather than a passion. Her spirit as a bringer of justice and a descendant of the goddess of love shackled somewhere along the way and didn't found the inspiration to gain it all back, to remind herself what she was always so proud to be: a goddess of love and beauty.

Now, her bright blue eyes stared into her friend's crystal ones and found it. That: Inspiration.

In Usagi's tired and beaten body, in the cuts and bruises on her skin. In her tangled pearlescent hair and her torn uniform. In her undying love for the ones she loves, but most importantly, in her unbreakable desire to be back in the arms of her beloved. Fighting wasn't a duty for her but her passion, and that is where she found the inspiration.

"I see..." Venus mumbled weakly, more to herself than to Sailor Moon. She tilted her head low as she lowered her gaze with acceptance, "I see it now, I understand..." the blonde shook her head slowly, in a gesture to mock herself for her stubbornness. "You never cease to amaze me." She looked up with pride showing in her eyes "After all that has happened, you still take the time to teach me valuable lessons."

Venus looked up and narrowed her bright blue eyes, gleaming with confidence "Chaos seems to forget you take part in that family. You have far more right to be where you are and he needs to be told by no other than you."

Putting aside their little sisterly moment for some other time; Venus turned with her chain glowing like incandescent gold around her hand. She frowned with determination, "Mars,"

"Chaos' prolongated presence is stirring more panic and terror. We need brutal force to break the first cursed barrier." Mars regrouped with them. Sailor Uranus smirked, "Well, good we have plenty of that." She turned to Sailor Moon "We will fight with everything we have, Odango-chan,"

Sailor Moon's eyes widened when she felt a pair of arms hugging her from behind and turned to look at her. Uranus lowered her face close to her ear "Before all this happened, you said he asked you to pray, and he came back to you. Your voice is loudest than anyone else's, speak up to bring back the light—he'll hear you. In all this madness, it's you who he is going to listen the most." She moved and cupped Sailor Moon's cheek "I promised I would help you so you could pray louder and to bring a better future; pray Princess, like the goddess of light that you are."

Sailor Moon felt her eyes burning with tears, "It's weird... you of all people... telling me this..."

"I'm a woman in love too." Uranus gave Sailor Moon a smile as she pressed her hand on her chest "I've seen enough to lift the fog and understand that love has no boundaries. That all you ever did, was to feel a deep love and connection with one another."

"Haruka..." Sailor Moon let her tears roll down, tears Uranus quickly dried with her hand "You are not alone. Go and save your prince from darkness, Sailor Moon."

Mercury looked up and parted her lips in amazement "Get ready everyone! Another wave of poisonous energy is rising and it's coming towards us with more demons!"

A long echoing thundering overpowered their conversation. They all turned to see Chaos swinging his doubled bladed glaive at Endymion who was charging at him with another blast of energy that made them stumble with the aftershock.

"He is moving with Chaos away from our perimeter," Kunzite raised his voice and turned to his brothers, "Shitennou, this is our call!" His gray eyes widened when he saw the former general coming close "Princess! We may be able to breach an opening to Elysion, but in order to cross..."

"I understand, leave the rest to me," Sailor Moon kept walking and turned to Megumi who had found herself a metal bar that had fallen close from the many explosions and ran towards the rim.

"Princess..." Megumi's brown eyes widened when spotted Athamas coming out of the veil of smoke aiming at Sailor Moon with his bloodshot eyes. Like a beast out of its cage he ran and curled his long-limbed fingers around her neck pressing into her skin to cut all airflow and circulation.

"Princess!"

Sailor Moon widened her eyes, panicked, scared. The force he was using on her was far more different than the last time they fought. With a herd of shadows crawling behind him, her first instinct was to push Megumi out of the way and hit him with her tiare to gain space between them. She didn't need to be told he wasn't himself anymore; just by seeing him living from his own pain, it was more than clear he had fallen from all grace. If it wasn't for the sound of his voice, she couldn't tell Athamas apart from any other shadow. He was almost unrecognizable. His skin was scorched and there was barely any hair left in his head. His movements were erratic, clearly, his body was going against his will. Fighting wasn't inevitable, there would be blood as if it hadn't been shed enough already.

They were out of range from everyone, and she was alone. She gasped for air, forcing her lungs to cooperate and give her enough to stay focused and find a way out.

Sailor Moon wasn't sure anymore what kind of sick game Chaos was playing on her but it was torturing her. She held her tiare close to her chest to protect herself from his fist; his bones cracking on the impact but then the unimaginable happened in that split of a second she crossed glances with him.

His eyes were swollen and wet. For a brief second, he grasped lucidity and looked down at his blistered hands. He was aware of the fate she had warned him would come to be for him.

"Cursed..." He grunted rabidly and turned to grab her from her bow, trying to pull her brooch from her "I'm... Cursed!"

"A-Athamas..." Sailor Moon tries pushing him back and lifted her knee-high enough to put tension between them as she tried to pull his hand off her bow "Athamas!"

"LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" His fingers dig in her flesh "YOU LET HIM CORRUPT YOU!"

Sailor Moon raised her tiare and swung it down hitting him hard on his head, so hard, she swore to feel his skull breaking. An instant rush of adrenaline gave her the strength and the speed she needed to break free from his grasp and move back.

"He's never going to leave us alone, isn't he?"

-o-

Looking down at her hand with a dark fresh stain, her eyes widened; her breathing paced with horror when she saw Athamas's screaming like a madman with his face rubbing against the ground as he tried to stand up.

"He'll just keep re-spawning like a maniac demon and be on the hunt for us..."

-o-

"He is never going to leave us alone..." She said on the verge of tears of pure frustration, remembering her conversation with Endymion. She felt desolated, like if she had her hands tied. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't cross that barrier that still made her feel vulnerable to his presence; the memory of the man he used to be.

She had gotten nothing of what she was hoping. She tried relying on the Terran prince to put the final period to this twisted love triangle that seemed to have followed them for thousands of years, but not even him could do it. Being senseless didn't do anything, it didn't bring her resolution or peace of mind; not even a minuscule sense of closure. Instead, she felt exactly how Endymion had expressed his concern on how she would feel—insecure and with so much self-loathe.

"Mamo-chan..." Sailor Moon whispered to herself as she stared with horror at her stained hands. The feeling of Athamas' thick blood drenching the skin-like fabric of her gloves urged her to take them off "I-I... W-What have I done...?" She shook her head and saw Athamas' wound on his head and more of that same dark blood pooling down his side. "W-What have I done...?!"

"You have always been weak, Serenity."

Sailor Moon shook her head, but that didn't stop Athamas from continuing spitting his venom "You have always been and you let him get into your head with all that nonsense of true love. He does not know anything about love,"

"Shut up..."

"He is no prince charming, Serenity, open your eyes already and see for yourself the monster you are so obsessed with!"

"Shut up!"

"He's a curse!"

"No!"

"The moment you set your eyes on him, you were cursed, Serenity. You are no different than me or any of these demons eating me alive. You are just as corrupted, as bad and contaminated by the stench of blood and death just by being attached to him..." A creepy grin reached his ears, full of pleasure to see her face overtaking with terror "Are you satisfied? Is this what you wanted... Sailor Moon?"

Athamas' thick voice penetrated her mind, freezing her with disgust for herself and everything that had brought her to be trapped in this rotten situation. As if it was possible, everything around her went dark, feeling like she had been pulled apart from the world.

Sailor Moon started losing focus. The noise clogging her ears had started to become a thick echo blocking all understanding. Megumi's calling didn't reach her, the girl's attacks she knew were happening close by didn't either. She felt alone.

"Princess!" Megumi's strained voice pulled her out of her momentary trance. She was doing her own fight, swinging her metal pipe one side to the other with no technique or ability to wield any sort of weapon but she still managed to hit the demons out of her way to try and get to her faster. Her eyes widened when she saw Athamas was about to pull Serenity into his grasp.

"I will make you open your eyes... Damn you, Serenity... Damn you!"

'PRINCESS!' Megumi's voice pierced through, allowing her reason to bring Endymion's voice to soothe her nerves. His low and calm voice that always made her feel safe and grounded.

"The Andromedan's fate is not in my hands, Baby. You know he won't find peace or closure if the favor comes from me."

A soft glare in the distance cut through her fogged vision, almost as if it was calling for her. The light of the explosions and attacks from everyone made it clear to her eyes it was the golden sword still catching the light even in its broken state. Her eyes widened. The truth finally reached her.

As she looked up to see Athamas ready to grab her limp arm, Sailor Moon remembered something Endymion had said that didn't make much sense at that moment. There was so much grief in her heart for the loss of their baby, she didn't allow herself to believe she had any power left.

Ever since he woke up from Purgatorio, she had been pushing him back when all he wanted to do was to encourage her to move forward and the only way to do that is by facing her fears. Ever since she met him, Endymion was strictly against her following the same path he took. He always told her that he didn't want them to share the same fate and she could finally see the reason why.

Back then, as a princess, she wanted nothing more but to be strong so her voice could be heard. She wanted to learn how to fight but she felt she was being pulled back. She thought the only way to break barriers was to smash everything down and go from there. Now, as a sailor senshi, and with all the power and experience she had gained; she still felt strangely impaired. Without really noticing, she wanted to keep up with him and be the perfect accomplice in battle without realizing she already was. Ever since this battle started, with Athamas, with Asteria, Hades, and now Chaos, she felt one step behind and it frustrated her why she could not reach the bar she set of what she felt it should be.

It ringed bitterly in her head, she got confused and, in the process, had lost faith in herself. With her own personal battles and struggles, she had stopped believing in the power she had and more importantly, in who she was. Suddenly, like a gauze taken off her eyes, she could see that despite her desire to be more like him, Endymion had been trying to make her see and understand the power she emits. Through thick and thin, through all the massacre and tragedy; he was always there to remind her what she had forgotten along the way.

She wasn't meant to be this type of soldier; she was meant to be someone that would challenge the stereotype and become one that actually defied it. A bar so high, not even someone like him was able to reach. A soldier of mystery. The soldier of mystery... Sailor Moon.

"You are well aware of the situation, Usa. You know your strengths but you also know your limits. You know there is a very thin line that no matter how much you want to do it; you cannot cross it because it is not who you are."

"It's not who I am..." Sailor Moon raised her tiare and aimed it at Athamas moving closer. Her tears started rolling down her cheeks as she heard his voice louder and clearer in her head. "I'm not like you..."

"You are a soldier of mystery; you cleanse and purify—you fight, you punish evil, and you inflict pain to those who do wrong. A soldier that brings redemption and gives a much-needed balance to the universe. You don't work with chaos to achieve peace... you create your own path. If you need me, I am here. If you need to rely on the power of a weapon, I will use it for you because we are a team—we're together in this and in any other battle that gets in our way. I may have a destructive nature that burns everything in its path, but you Sailor Moon, you are the cleansing light that will appease the flames and build a new world from its ashes."

"Defender of love and justice—Soldier of Mystery. In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!" Sailor Moon raised her tiare and let it gleam with its majestic power "Moon Healing Escalation!"

Athamas broke into screams, but not even an attack as strong as Jupiter's was enough to seize him. Sailor Moon aimed her tiare, allowing the light to spur the demons inside of him. Like a total creature of the night, he hissed out loud "Stop throwing your useless light at me!" His voice came out strained, wrapped in what appeared tens more, all screeching and cursing nasty curses at her for trying to cleanse the darkness out of him—but not quite. Serenity didn't want to save him. She wanted to stop him. But to reach that goal, she had to get rid of the other spirits feeding on him first.

Elevating her aura, Sailor Moon called for a stronger attack to break the curse "Moon Princess Halation!"

The blast hit Athamas again, catching him in ribbons of silver light slowing him down. Sailor Moon didn't wait, she already knew it was going to take more than one strike to cause some effect with Chaos' mind force controlling Athamas like his shadow puppet. But she couldn't give up, she knew it was something that depended on her and accessed to a higher stage of power "Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

Athamas moved fast along with the other shadow demons sprawling from the pit in the sky but she saw tar pouring out of him, giving her the signal that he was shedding part of his cursed possession. At this point, Sailor Moon didn't know how broken Athamas's mind was or if he truly knew he was fighting her and not an illusion, but that didn't matter anymore. She had to see the bigger picture and that picture didn't include the Andromedan. The who did was at the other side of that portal and she was not going to stop until she found a way to cross. One way or another, she was going to get him back to the world they belong together.

"Princess!" Megumi ran after her so fast it was too late for Neptune to stop her "Megumi! Wait!"

Sailor Moon turned with her tiare held up high and grounded herself despite the shadows starting to grab onto her and pull her down again. The intense gleam in the moon symbol on her forehead showed she was elevating her aura, closing in to give up her humanity and reach a complete deity state "If you can't be a host... then you become incapable of going further." Her grip tightened, her focus solely on Athamas crawling over to her and released her hold on the tiare, letting it stand on its own in front of her as she slowly spread her arms wide open like the wings of an angel "I forbid you from spreading more poison into this world. As many times you respawn Athamas... you will not go any further. You will not hurt anyone, anymore!"

Megumi stopped in her tracks. She watched in complete awe by the power coming from Sailor Moon. Like a clean wash to all the grime invading the earth, she felt almost fully healed from her tiredness and wounds.

"Silver Moon Crystal Power Therapy Kiss!"

The blast of light grew in intensity, finally trapping the former general in its perimeter forcing him to kneel before her. Like a creature shedding its fur, shadows fell off of him in endless strings of tar and decay leaving the man completely stripped from all the demons living inside his body. Vulnerable to the environment, no longer under the protection of any side, good or bad, Athamas widened his eyes and tried to look up but in an instant feeling his skin flaking, reacting to the venom in the air.

"Serenity..." His chapped lips slowly called out to her. His milky eyes still searching for hers, knowing this was as far as he would go and for the first time, he was fine to let go. His body was slowly giving in, no longer having any more strength left in him to even lift a finger.

"I never imagined... things would come... to this," His hoarse and tired voice finally came through, a weak cackle till mocking the situation and how the tables had turned for him.

"I always aimed for victory... and glamour. I escalated my way towards it... but then... I met you. And since then... nothing was ever good enough. Perfection was impossible to attain because you were it and... I could not have you... I could not attain... you." He let another weak cackle come out, "You... always so unattainable... a goddess always adorned with strings of pearls and crystals... made from stardust... now looks down on me... cut and bruised and with so... much... disgust..."

Sailor Moon looked down at the man crumbling in front of her but there was anything else she could say that she hadn't said before or anything else she could feel for him.

"Whatever you are trying to achieve... it is pointless..." Athamas slowly shook his head "I saw it in his eyes... the darkness that stirs from within... the connection he has with the Void. If only I had learned this sooner..." A weak chuckle escaped from the back of his throat, "Chaos... Void... the embodiment of torment... he is too big for anyone to overcome... once he enters your mind, the curse will not leave you until you are on the verge of death... and that man... is the same. I do not understand... Serenity... why is it worth it?" His gaze finally found hers, too tired to even blink, "Why is he worth all of this?"

The question dawned on her like a weighted cloak over her shoulders. There was always that question—why—and it always landed on her and her decisions.

"I see... You cannot give an answer." Athamas cackled weakly, "Because you do not know it either... you just see... what you want to—"

"You don't need to understand anything." Sailor Moon's beautiful gaze hardened, there was no need to express her indignation with words; the morbid and constant pry into her life.

"You keep repeating the same reasons... that he listened... that he saw what others did not. That he loved you when others just wanted a seat in the throne... But... is that really a fair reason or you just want to justify your behavior that is no different than the witch's?"

Sailor Moon frowned. He was talking about Beryl, the only woman she has secretly has not being able to let go. The only memory that made her feel intimidated for what she represented and for the tragedy that led her to be a lost soul.

"What a stupid caprice of yours... in the end, you only traded places with her." Athamas looked at her with a serious face "I will bitterly admit you have power, Serenity, but... you are not strong enough to spare that one soul you so desperately want to keep from its cursed fate."

Sailor Moon wasn't sure why Athamas' words sting her the way it did. Maybe because after all that has happened, and even probably what could be thought as the most lucid state he's been in centuries, he still held pride over his actions and didn't admit any wrongdoings. He was still the same obnoxious man she met back then and wished deep down he wasn't to somehow justify any sort of pettiness. But even in the brink of death, he was still believing the same twisted truth, and the best way for her to win this mental battle with him is to kick back every single trash word he's given her the same way he did to her.

"The choices I have made, the reasons behind my actions, and the dreams I pursue are not for anyone to judge; much less you." The picture was bigger than just Athamas falling to demise; her crystal blue eyes narrowed "Be mindful of your words, Athamas, because the one who is still standing in this war is me, not you."

"Serenity..."

"I can't save you, Athamas. You are expecting a form of redemption I cannot give you and I won't speak on your behalf once your soul gets dragged out of this realm. There hasn't been one single selfless act on your end that can be a point of salvation for your soul. Your sins, just like mine, or Endymion's, are set in stone and either you carry them, or carry on. You made your choice and carried every single one of them with pride. I made mine... and I chose to carry on."

"It is done Serenity! You cannot stop it—your precious toy world will collapse any second now along with that curse of a man... S-Serenity!" His eyes widened when Sailor Moon walked away with nothing else to say and without a single glance in his direction. Left completely alone to flake to his death, there wasn't much left for Athamas to do but to painfully wait for his end. His green eyes burned with tears; his fear and panic strangely coming out in weak chuckles, as he felt the shadows lurking closer.

"S-Serenity!"

Like erasing his trace with every step she took; like burning the pages of a diary from her past and finally be rid of the words of abuse written in bold letters. She used the remains of light in her tiare to clear her path towards the broken sword.

"Serenity!"

"Princess..."

Sailor Moon was in deep thought she didn't realize Megumi walking right behind her. The maiden stopped, a concerned look in her face while the princess remained quiet and still. She blinked when she saw her holding the remains of the broken sword with both hands, stained with blood and dirt, yet never losing its sleek shine.

"That is..."

Sailor Moon licked her lips and looked up, hoping to see Endymion through the thick clouds thundering in the sky with light and howls. Her eyes burning with longing for him "To the Moon and back to the world we belong... I will bring you back... I promise."

O—o—o—o—O

Standing in a safe perimeter, Ares turned to his brother watching the battle in silence "Where is Zeus?"

"Fighting and protecting the perimeter with *Alioth and *Polaris,"

Hades noticed the frown on Ares' lips, expressing what he did not want to ask out loud. He watched the battle with allure "I needed to come and see with my own eyes how much of worth it was for him to break out of the Underworld."

Ares stared at his brother with disbelief, "After everything that has happened, do you—"

"The Hybrid made a deal with me in exchange for a favor. One thing does not have to do with the other." His gray eyes darkened as he watched Endymion catching another demon in fire and throwing it at Chaos like a cannonball.

"There are boundaries one must never cross; not even him, who has defied the laws of nature. I want him to confront Chaos as much as you do, Brother, but he still committed crimes that have not been settled with any sort of payment. I am here to make sure he hasn't come in vain."

Ares stayed quiet for a minute, fully thinking what might be going through Hades' mind and for once, he understood what he was trying to say. There was no threat or a cynical tone in his words, the lord of death was being as straight forward as he's ever been in all his ruling as monarch of the Underworld. He wasn't lying, Endymion had broken rules and had defied their authority in all ways possible, but his eyes could not deny there was more weight to his actions than intentions and deep down, Hades was aware of it as well.

"What will it take?" Ares said lowly as he watched the prince charring another herd of demons aimed in his way and throwing them back at Chaos with impressive skill and force. His gray eyes narrowed slowly, "What will it take for that deal to be outlooked?"

Hades exhaled; his tongue moved over his front teeth in an automatic fashion "As expected of you."

Ares turned to his brother but stayed quiet. The perfect cue to Hades to continue "You are correct, Ares. His freedom while not impossible to obtain, comes, in fact, with a very high price."

Ares' eyes narrowed with suspicion "Gaia,"

Hades tilted his head, barely giving a good glance at his brother "Respect,"

Ares frowned "You want him to owe you respect? After everything you have done?"

"No," Hades watched at Endymion taking another stance, "He has to earn mine."

Immediately, this was something Ares understood and bitterly agreed on its high demand in complexity. His price was not just earning respect, but what came attached to it as well: Trust.

Hades did not trust easily, and he did not get impressed with anything. And what was even harder, he did not believe in the goodness of titans—if he ever thought there was any. The god of death was well conscious that their lives were spared thanks to Helios' intermission but to be fair, it was Ares' life who he saved; not his. Hades grew up and learned his trade alone and without any guidance or a master that would teach him the ways of how to keep and respect the balance in the universe. Helios did not take him under his protection. Unlike Ares, Hades did not learn there was more about titans that what was already known and because of that, he never saw goodness in those that remained. To him, they were all creatures of savage nature—natural bringers of ruin. Incontrollable and unreliable.

Helios never won Hades' respect; in fact, this was very well stated in many situations where Hades, already known as the lord of the underworld, did not often agree with Helios and in consequence, did not offer any sort of aid in many wars. There was something deep down that always had him on an edge, and he could not totally forgive titans for the mass destruction and bad ruling they did in ancient times.

Despite Helios' quiet personality, it was his distant approach what always made Hades feel he would turn his back and betray them all, putting everything they fought for many centuries at risk and it all came a reality for him the moment Chaos rebelled, and later when Gaia broke divine law. From there on, his ongoing dispute and distrust for his dynasty spiked to a high desire to annihilate it completely and take control over everything they ever owned.

But now, slowly but surely, he had been seeing a different side. Finally, Hades' attention was caught by Endymion's performance. Ares could see this because his brother would never have gone to Earth if he wasn't this intrigued, but still, he knew there was still a long way to go for Hades to see what he saw and find the meaning when Helios said his duty was to burn the anomalies of this universe to plow a new ground for those on the rise, acting as a medium for it to manifest.

"If Chaos falls..." Ares let a long exhale, his grip on his longbow tightened "...It still does not have to do with your contract; that fact alone will not change the other."

Hades turned to Ares, his gray eyes unwavering to any sort of emotion. "You and I see different things. We measure the laws of the universe differently, and everything that comes in between. I do not believe in justice but in the natural order of the universe. We hold different stances in the divine realm as we do not share the same perception of how we settle our scores. I cannot find myself to be amicable to a dynasty that brought both opportunities and ruin into our lives." He tilted his scythe to point towards Endymion and Chaos fighting, his gray eyes fixed on the Terran prince's every move.

"However you wish to look at it, Ares. It really does not matter who is siding with whom; they represent the same force. One exists to annihilate the other... it is Titan nature." His handsome face darkened in all seriousness "Until proven otherwise, I will still hold my reservations."

Ares sighed, bringing his attention back to his brother, "Perhaps... that has been what we knew of them for years..." His lips slightly curved with pride, "But as of now... I would not be so sure."

He turned and quietly glanced down, following Sailor Moon while standing at the brink of destruction. She was very close to the battle zone, and that really impressed him thinking how never in his life he thought this would be something he would get to witness from Serenity's daughter; the untouchable princess.

"Little flower... if only you could see your daughter doing her part in this war with so much authority, like the true leader no one ever expected the princess to be. You, for certain, would be the proudest mother of them all. That I am sure."

O—o—o—o—O

In a flash of light, as Ares had promised, a sword was granted for each shitennou to use. Venus felt a chill down her spine that shook her core; the words felt daunting, like a life-sentence.

Her bright blue eyes looked at him take hold of the gleaming weapon and run away; she blinks when she sees him turn slightly over his shoulder barely enough to give her one last glance and a complicit smile equally charged with melancholy and feels her heart tremble inside her chest.

With her impressive known skills of movement and speed, Uranus dodged and leaped and quickly raised both arms above her head and laced her fingers to come up with a supercharge "World—Shacking!" She bent and pounded both hands to cause a destructive effect underground Jupiter quickly picked up as she gathered energy into her hands and manipulated the electric charge in between her fingers "Jupiter—Oak Evolution!"

Uranus wasted no time to pick up, a grin crossing her elegant face as she grabbed a large demon coming straight at her as she jumped in the air "Spiral Buster!" She flipped around and drove the demon's head against the ground. Jupiter followed suit and went to physically strike several demons with a blow charged with electricity.

Nephrite was the first to react from the shitennou as soon as he saw Endymion coming into full view. He stood next to Sailor Moon and couldn't help noticing she was holding the remains of the prince's sword.

"I sense a very hostile force pulsing from within..." His moss-colored eyes narrowed as he glanced up "What did you do, Endymion?"

Zoisite watched the ground acting as a magnet around both the prince and titan and frowned with concern, "I can feel it too... it is as if he has completely shut down what was left of his humanity. He is in a completely different place than us, mentally."

Jadeite watched and felt a tug in his chest; taking him to a specific moment into their past. His gray-blue eyes stared with both wonder and fright at the displays of unmeasured power coming from the prince, who was the first to ditch his title and call him his brother.

From the four, Jadeite was the first that saw potential in Endymion and the first that ever called him by his name without a care for his title. Jadeite was the first person that ever treated the prince like any other normal human being.

He knew well who he was from the very moment he met him, but he never cared to treat him differently when all the prince wanted was to be treated as an equal. In the palace, Endymion had people he could trust, but Jadeite was his first true friend. The first one that ever crossed words with him, and with who he grew an appreciation that went beyond the fact that he was the crowned prince of Earth and Endymion always kept this into consideration.

-O-

"You were called here as well?"

"Yes, I am not exactly sure what is happening—" Kunzite said to a very concerned Jadeite who was fidgeting nervously by the sudden reunion in total secrecy.

Their training in the military camps had ended and they had just returned from war and touched royal grounds for the very first time. But unexpectedly, they were separated from the rest and guided to a private room inside the palace.

"That is why you were called here, General Kunzite,"

Queen Gaia appeared walking inside the room. The four soldiers immediately responded to her presence by going down on one knee and bowing their heads to show their respects to the majestic Terran queen.

"Excelsus Regina De Terra,"

Gaia stood in front of them and stared with pride, "You may stand soldiers of Elysion. It has been a long journey. I have heard nothing but good things about you, and as expected, you have grown to be exemplary men. I am glad to finally be able to meet you."

"Do you know us, Your Majesty?" Nephrite blinked surprised.

"Of course," Gaia tilted her head and smiled at the dark man "I have known you all since before you were born; Nephrite; son of Admes Ó Rinn." The queen looked at them with a pride smile, remembering the very moment she knew they were an important part of this world and their lives. Her eyes landed on each, "Zoisite, son of General Kalel and Isadora Lécuyer. Jadeite, son of Zulma De Abbacia; Kunzite, son of Ianthe Shinmar... I have been waiting for this moment to come for quite some time…"

The chestnut-haired man widened his eyes with shock by the queen's full knowledge of their family's names.

"Waiting?" Zoisite asked softly, still very much startled. As equally confused as his blonde comrade, Jadeite looked around and frowned "Is His Royal Highness meeting us here?"

"Endymion is with his father as we speak. There are other matters he must attend first," Gaia shook her head, "Which for now, it will be just you and me as this is something I wish to address with you in total privacy."

"I do not believe I follow, Your Royal Grace," Kunzite said with gracious care and respect.

"I do not need or intend to hide this from you any longer," Gaia arched her brow, "I know you four hold something special within you. Wisdom, clairvoyance, honest judgment, and a strong character of loyalty." She took a step forward, "Each of you is being protected by those that hold ancient sanctity, which is why you were chosen to fulfill an important mission as holy guardians,"

"Guardians?" Jadeite blinked.

"Sanctity?" Nephrite frowned confused.

"Chosen, us?" Zoisite asked as well after his blonde friend.

Gaia smiled "There is no coincidence of why you have met; young soldiers. As to why you are here. A path was already traced for you by destiny,"

"With all due respect Your Royal Grace, but... are you saying this was all planned?" Kunzite looked at his queen with concern.

"It was you who chose to become who you are right now; Kunzite. I just helped you achieve enlightenment by giving you what I know you hold and carry with you at all times." Gaia looked at him calmly, "A family heirloom... A treasure... A charm... A keepsake... However you wish to call it, it is there. I can sense their energy calling out to me in response to my presence."

The four men widened their eyes in shock "H-How…" Jadeite trailed off and took a sharp breath, feeling his precious mineral stone vibrate to the sound of the queen's voice. "My mother used to tell me stories about my name's origin. It was because of that stone that the wish for my health was granted. She always spoke of a beautiful goddess that gifted it to her... but..." he shook his head in complete disbelief, "The stone and the goddess from that tale, was it you, Your Majesty? Was that not just a fairytale?"

"It is not a tale, Jadeite." Gaia walked down the stairs from her throne, breaking royal protocol by coming close to them, "What I am about to tell you may not leave this room." She said in a serious tone. The four soldiers nodded their heads in respect and agreement.

"It exists an ancient legend. A warrior born under the guidance and protection of the Sun linked to the Earth, destined to protect this planet." Gaia said and took another step closer, "Four Cardinal Kingdoms work in perfect synchrony to protect Elysion; the heart of the Earth. But also, it is known there are four strong points on this planet that work as one to protect that warrior, the fated protector of Earth."

Nephrite narrowed his eyes with curiosity, "And these four points... Your Grace, are you talking about... us?"

"W-What...?" Zoisite turned to look at Nephrite then at the queen "If we are the strong points of this planet then… the warrior Her Majesty is talking about is…" he trailed off.

"Endymion," Gaia brought her hands together, "Yes, Zoisite. You are correct."

"That myth is true?" Kunzite asked with a tone of shock.

"I have been keeping this information from my son over the years, but it does not matter how many times you try to escape from fate, it always catches up with you and someday, it will find him. You proved to me you were the rightful owners of the stones you carry as amulets for protection. You are chosen to become Endymion's Shitennou, just as Helios, who once had his four guardian horsemen that served as his trusted advisors. They fell in a bloodlust war but their essence was kept in the stones you carry once Helios left the divine realm and I took his place. But it was not me, who they were waiting over to protect, but you."

"Us... Celestial Knights... Us..." Jadeite said softly "This... This is all very surreal..."

"Think of your choice carefully, young warriors. For the task I am about to ask of you is one of great challenge. Endymion can be a strong ally, but also, he can become his own worst enemy." Gaia looked at them with serious caution, "Can I trust you to carry on this life-long mission?" She arched her brow, "Are you willing to protect Endymion's life as if you were protecting your own? To guide him, and serve him as his Shitennou?" She asked in a serious tone, "If darkness approaches, would you be able to take a stand by his side and fight with him to protect this planet?"

The four honorable men lowered their heads, "Yes, Your Majesty," they said in unison. Kunzite tilted his head lower, "We vow to serve our Kingdom and serve our Master with loyalty and respect." He looked up at his queen, "We are honored to be of Her Majesty's entire trust for this life's mission." His eyes gleamed with concern, "Your Royal Grace, if I may ask. Is His Highness aware of all this? About this power you speak of with such secrecy?"

"No, and it will remain that way until the gears of fate force us to decide otherwise," Gaia looked at the white-haired man and sighed lightly, "I do not wish this truth to fog my son's perspective. Endymion is aware there is something different about him, but it was my decision to keep this from him for the time being. Young knights, in this universe there are entities who want something only concerns to him to master. His life is on the line of fire. That is why it is important to keep this secret as a divine vow; in order to keep the life that connects his with this planet safe from the darkness."

"Excelsus Regina, Dea de la Terra... we will keep our vow intact." All four men bowed their heads low with deep respect as they responded to their duty in unison.

Gaia took a step forward and stood in front of the four men, raising her long golden staff she pointed it at Jadeite "Forth in command, Head of the Far Eastern Division, Knight of Patience and Harmony. General Jadeite, you are to keep the spark and clarity of our Guardian. I trust your good judgment and kind-hearted spirit to keep him with a focused mind."

Jadeite tilted his head to allow Gaia to place a medal with four golden stars around the symbol of Earth, a piece of a jadeite stone was in its center "You keep the spark alive with the light sense of humor I know you have…"

"I seal my vow with gratitude, Your Grace," Jadeite nodded and kept his head down.

Gaia turned to look at Nephrite and smiled "Third in command and Head of the Northern Division, Knight of Intelligence and Comfort. General Nephrite. I trust you to always make use of your sixth sense to do good and to always guide and protect our Guardian." The terran queen placed his respective medal with three golden stars around the symbol of Earth, the circle with the cross, on its center a nephrite's stone hung beautifully.

The dark-haired general lowered his head "I will, Your Grace, it will be my greatest honor."

Gaia stood in front of Zoisite and smiled at him "Second in command, Head of the European Division, Knight of Healing and Purification. General Zoisite. I trust your good will and sharpness to guide and advise our Guardian of this planet, and always steer his steel character from making any rash decisions."

"I will Your Grace. You have my word and loyalty," Zoisite lowered his head, Gaia placed his medal on the same place she put the others on his left side next to his heart, the golden symbol with two golden stars and a piece of zoisite stone on its center.

Gaia stood finally in front of Kunzite "It has come to my knowledge how you have been my son's toughest teacher. Always a step ahead, always unafraid of challenging him to see things with a different perspective. The soldier with conviction, you are the warrior of strength and our Guardian's advisor and right hand. Use your sharpness and skills to always do good under the protection of this blessed stone which name you carry with pride and honor. Knight of Purity and Affection; General Kunzite, I pronounce you First in command of the Shitennou, and Head of the Middle Eastern Division."

The terran queen placed Kunzite's medal, his star was bigger than the rest because it was only one and showed his high rank, the terran symbol had its kunzite stone in the middle. She looked into Kunzite's exotic ones "I trust your iron wit and unbreakable character to keep Endymion with his feet well planted on the ground."

"My vow to you, Your Grace, Gaia, Regina De Terra, is unbreakable. My loyalty and brotherhood with His Royal Highness, Prince Endymion, the destiny I choose. I will not fail you. It is my greatest honor and duty to be of reliance to the royal family."

Gaia looked at the four now generals "You all have been blessed by your respective stones and hold a rank like no other soldier of this army or any other member of the royal court. I trust you to use it wisely and with a just hand. Do you swear to serve and always protect the Guardian of this planet, to be his right hand and his most trusted advisors?

"We swear our loyalty to His Royal Highness, Endymion Princeps De Terra. To Our Royal Majesties Eros, Rex De Terra, and Gaia, Regina De Terra to serve as royal members of the Golden Kingdom with pride and honor." Kunzite said with his low voice.

"We will fulfill or duty Your Royal Grace, until our very end." Zoisite said next, his voice softer than Kunzite's.

"We will protect our Kingdom with the highest honor," Nephrite said, his voice was strong.

"And our Royal Commander, with our lives," Jadeite said with strong conviction "It is our solemn vow."

-O-

"I feel like we have no control over what happens next..." Jadeite said lowly, "He's his own enemy now..."

Kunzite saw the exact moment when Endymion's character came to its breaking point, bringing a side of him as a soldier he'd never seen. Not even during their darkest moments throughout the many battles they had faced together. It was needless to say that he could not step in and try to stop him; there were no boundaries he could set because the prince had torn the remains of his connection with them. His duty was clear; the words of his queen loud.

"No," Kunzite frowned "I will be damned if I fail my duty and position as Shitennou in this dishonorable way."

"Kunzite," Zoisite turned amazed by his brother's words. Kunzite shook his head "This is not what I vowed that day. I swore to Queen Gaia... we all did. This is our time to put our ranks as holy guardians to good use and fight with our guardian. We are honorary members of the armed court of Elysion and we will fight alongside our brother! We will fight for our future and for our rising Rex and Regina De Terra!"

His eyes mirrored the same strong determination from his comrades and brothers and urged them to follow him close to the storm. "We will take our post as the pillars of the Cardinal Points. Earth will not fall under the claws of darkness!"

Kunzite blinked when a pair of hands held tight to his arm and turned to find Venus standing next to him; her golden hair flowing like a golden mantle "Venus..."

"We will do it together." She pulled his arm, her brows furrowed "When I open my eyes... you have to be here, do you hear me?! You have to be here!"

Kunzite swallowed, so much power, so much love, so much passion he could see in the woman next to him all fighting for their future. It hit him, the level of compromise and devotion for each other; it hit him how much he loved her. His Venusian girl.

He put his hand against her flushed cheek and gently caressed her lips with his thumb; his gaze, always so sharp and cold filled with emotion. Venus' eyes widened when she saw him leaning over and touch her lips with a deep kiss. They stayed in their own little moment for a minute.

Kunzite moved slowly, his lips still gently pulling on hers as he leaned back "I love you, Venus." He took one deep breath as he looked into her eyes "We won't surrender,"

Her fingers curled tight as she held to his dark gray coat and gave him a nod of confirmation. Her cornflower eyes showing all the love her lips could not mutter "Never again."

O—o—O

Zoisite runs full speed making use of his purifying energy to create shards of crystals to attack his opponents, granting Nephrite an opening to use a much wider attack "Jadeite!"

Jadeite shots a series of consecutive arrows to clear the path for Sailor Moon and Megumi who had taken the shitennou as a shield as they ran closer to the rim Endymion had created and crossed over using her tiare to take down more demons coming close with the light from the silver crystal.

It was getting harder for her to breathe. Each time she inhaled; her body paid a bitter reminder that she was at the brim of exhaustion. Ever since she woke from Chaos' nightmare, she felt numb and as if her movements delayed. She was there physically, but her mind was still hazed; trapped between the panic of seeing her husband risking his sanity and her will to do something to step in and fight. She had not come this far to give up; she had to persevere.

By all means, she had to persevere.

Megumi turned when she felt Sailor Moon's hold started to loosen. Her brown eyes rounded when the princess had stopped completely and raised the eternal tiare high above her head, the same divine aura surrounding her "Silver Crystal..." Sailor Moon looked up, "Holy instrument that guards the sacred power of the White Moon..." Her eyes staring into the bright light bursting from its iridescent crystalline orb "In the name of my ancestors, Diana... Selene... Serenity... I ask for your guidance," She closed her eyes and concentrated "Give me strength..."

Her eyes slowly opened, gleaming bright blue, "Titan Mother of Earth, Gaia... Hear my prayer."


The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, cursing, gore, and or, intimacy may occur.

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

A/N:

Hi there, thank you for your support and reviews. As always, they are the light of my inspiration. To the person who left me a review as Guest, thank you so much for reading. I am so glad you are enjoying the story. Since I could not answer you directly because you left your review as a guest, I will leave it here in case you read this. To answer your question about Zeus, if we go a little strict with mythology, in a nutshell, Zeus is the son of Chronos and Rhea but he got rid of him and rose to be king of gods in Olympus. Disgusted, by the ways of his father, after sending him to Tartarus, he became his own race and ruled the Olympians in Olympus.

Taking this as guidance, I made an interpretation since mythology itself is very complex that would make this more difficult to follow. Choosing a different approach and marking the difference between Titans and Olympians was a better way to go on this one by just noting that Zeus, had created his own race as king of gods.

In Divinity, Jupiter was a child completely ignored and dishonored by Zeus. Hence her constant dislike for the god of thunder despite having control over the same power (if you are familiar with Divinity II). So, she learned and took everything from her mother's side as an Amazon soldier, and she is not related to Titans the way Pluto is since she is a direct link from being Chronos's daughter.

Zeus, Ares, and Hades here are siblings (while in true mythology, only Hades and Zeus are brothers) and it is explained they are a form of evolution to ancient deities but are separate from Titans, which to an extent, they are. Titans had their own war with the Giants, and Giants with other deities and the list goes on. (As I said, mythology is very complex and extremely long).

Alright. Putting this aside, I hope schedules remain the way that I am planning them and I can put up the next chapter very soon. Thank you for your constant support and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Additional Notes:

Alioth and Polaris: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor biggest stars.