Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Kunzite looked at Serenity standing in the middle of the hallway with her sleek platinum hair down; it had been hours since she had gone to take her makeup off and changed her clothes back into Endymion's gray hoodie and her flower pants; Megumi even confirmed she was already asleep when she went to check on her but it was as if the general's presence had brought her back from her slumber and was now there, looking at him with an unfaltering stare that could paralyze anyone with her determination.

Since they returned from her meeting with Chieko, Serenity remained mostly quiet for the rest of the afternoon. Megumi would keep her company and even sat on the table and had dinner with her; she even tried to lighten the mood by teaching the princess some basic concepts and pronunciation rules when speaking Latin, a lesson she immediately felt engrossed into it but even from time to time, she would fall silent and distant—frustrated even, because as she said, she wasn't too good at it. Just as Megumi thought, and just as she said to the general, there was more to the princess' quiet and straight-forward behavior; it had come the time for her to finally speak about what happened but she also needed answers, answers only Kunzite could give her.

"Princess, I thought—"

"That I was asleep, I know... I heard," Serenity walked to the living room and stood behind the sofa's backrest, "But it should come as no surprise to know that I can't sleep without Endymion."

Kunzite nodded, "I understand,"

"I can't keep pretending I don't know what you are talking about and I can't stay silent, anymore." Serenity frowned, "Kunzite, I need to know the truth. I need to know what's going on. I need to know why Endymion stayed in Inferno and I won't take any deviations on the matter." She shook her head, "The more I think about it, the more I hear his voice in my head asking me to understand that I have his soul in my hands... pleading me to never forget it..." The princess felt a lump in the back of her throat and took a minute to continue but her tears were starting to betray her, once again. She hated to be so emotional—if only she could be more like her husband and not break into tears for almost everything—she thought with bitterness. She took a deep breath and exhaled, "I know he was trying to tell me something... I know there is more to his stay but whatever that is, I want to do whatever it takes to bring him back."

Megumi and Kunzite watched the princess keeping her stance with bravery; a new leaf the first in command of the shitennou could no longer ignore. As the prince's right hand, he knew more to him than the rest, as his advisor, he didn't falter in telling him the truth as of what was the best course of action would be when creating political or battle strategies, as his friend, he swore he would keep his beloved wife safe but also, he swore his loyalty to her. He came to accept he no longer served the prince alone, he served her too and he no longer confided in the prince alone, but he confided in the princess too. Endymion was not his sole leader anymore, Serenity was too.

Kunzite bowed his head and closed his eyes, completely aware of what he was going to do, "The reason why Endymion was silent about this is because there are many factors that if not handled with discretion, it would put your life and this planet at risk. He did not keep this from you because he did not trust you, but on the contrary—it is because he trusts you more than anyone, because only you have the power and the strength to take his place and fight in his name, Sailor Moon." He looked up at the princess and saw her glossy eyes but stayed in his place by the window, "You are right, Princess, Endymion confided me with information I am obliged to keep to myself due to my position as his right hand, but things have occurred somewhat different than we all expected, and that is what it is forcing me to break my vow of silence and loyalty to him and come forward with you with the truth,"

"What do you mean with truth, Kunzite? Serenity frowned, "Are you saying Endymion had this planned from the very beginning?"

Megumi's eyes widened and turned to the general with the same confused look as Serenity. Kunzite took a deep breath and exhaled, "This is more difficult than I thought it would be—I have never broken my solemn vow of privacy..."

"Kunzite..." Serenity walked over to him and cupped his cheek to make him look at her, "We will keep this conversation between us—neither Megumi or myself will break this vow, but I need to know... as his wife... as sailor senshi... I need to know so I can fight. I don't want to feel like I can't do anything. I don't want to feel like I can't help him... you said so yourself, I need to be his equal in battle and that's what I am trying to do, help me, please, Kunzite; help me understand."

Kunzite motioned the princess to take a seat on the sofa and took another deep breath, "When Endymion fought Asteria and fell into an unconscious state, it was because he summoned the power of the Golden Crystal. Since he was yet not prepared neither mentally or physically to make full use of it, as a result, his soul was pulled from his body and was locked in a suspended place known as Purgatorio—a realm between the dead and the living. During that time, he went through a cathartic journey to learn and reconnect with his roots and recognize his nature and later, prepared him to learn and take full control of the crystal and continue with his family's legacy. As to how he did it or how he learned, I do not know, but, he did and it was proved the moment he opened his eyes; he returned with a sharp intuition and a different, much clearer aura—as you probably noticed when you held his hand."

Serenity felt a knot in the pit of her stomach when she realized this was probably the exact moment he learned what happened to her and what happened to the spark of life growing in her womb. She did feel a different energy flowing around him she couldn't put words to describe it, but it was there, clear, protective, and strong. The way he looked at her right into her soul, the way he spoke and explained things to her with so much certainty in his words while still being his usual reserved self only proved he had resolved his grudge and that he had finally let go—that he was finally free from the guilt and remorse that was pinning him down for being who he was. Serenity sighed to release some of the guilt she had been carrying around, mentally kicking herself because she often forgot the psychometry that allowed him to see things and feel someone's emotions through his touch and how it went beyond just having simple premonitions. A small nudge of panic creeped in her chest as she wondered if the general knew of her miscarriage but the general dismissed her suspicions right after he clarified the prince wasn't vocal on what went through his mind the moment he opened his eyes.

"He was far away in an astral level, Princess, that is why he couldn't react to your presence and that is why he couldn't manifest or connect with you in your dreams. But during that time, he discovered the truth of his dynasty and what he is fighting against. You see, Princess, the reason why his nature is so dreaded among divine gods is because he comes from an ancient bloodline. Helios is of titan nature and so, all of his descendance. You probably know the story of the Titanomachy, the war—"

"Between Olympians and Titans, yes, I am familiar with it." Serenity sighed softly and looked down, "A tragic story of power and cruelty that sparked from the madness of the Giants." She turned to Megumi who was staring at Kunzite with wonder, "Titans... the Prince... he is a titan?" Serenity nodded and put her hand over Megumi's, "Yes, Megumi. Endymion is in reality, a titan deity... well... sort of." She sighed lightly, "It's a little complicated to try and put him under a specific category."

Kunzite looked at the princess with genuine surprise, "Y-You know about this?" Serenity answered him with a single nod and turned to Megumi who was still trying to process this new piece of information about the terran prince. "B-But... how..." Megumi shook her head with wonder, "In all my years wandering the universe I heard so many stories, so many things... titans are a myth... how can this be true? How can my Prince be one of those myths if he is from Earth?"

Kunzite cleared his throat, "There are titans still living among gods in the divine realm, Megumi, but in order to coexist all together, their nature was completely ignored and their titles were changed to that of a god. That is why Queen Gaia was known as the Goddess of Earth. The chain of descendance, however, takes an interesting turn when Queen Gaia resigns to her divinity and marries King Eros, and later gives birth to Prince Endymion; making him the first of his kind. It is a known fact that demigods exist but it had never existed a child born from a titan and a mortal. Titans are from an ancient lineage and so, their powers differ from those of the gods. Endymion became a threat to Olympus by creating a bond between two realms because while demigods can easily be ignored and most have been murdered right before they could cross realms; Titans, however, are different because they have a different jurisdiction—they are a different race." Kunzite looked at Serenity, "Your relationship with Endymion had more reasons to be banned and loathed because not only you disobeyed their rules by having contact with those from Earth, but you also got yourself involved in a romantic relationship with who they consider heresy."

"I cannot believe this..." Megumi covered her mouth with shock "My Prince... I knew there was something special about him... that night... when he put this planet to sleep." Kunzite sighed softly, "The truth behind his many names has been changing over time but it all boils down to who Endymion really is."

Serenity remembered the conversation she had with the terran queen that reassured her that in fact, it wasn't a dream after all. It happened. She had seen her mother in law and she now held a valuable piece of truth in her hands. Serenity nodded and wiped her tears with the back of her hand, "Asteria exposed Endymion's titan nature when they were fighting—" she looked up to look at the general with fresh tears glossing her beautiful icy-blue eyes, "When I saw that glare that freezes you to the bone... I saw it... it came clear to me..."

Kunzite nodded, understanding what she meant and leaned close to dry her tears, "Princess... Endy—"

"That doesn't make me love him any less. They all keep calling him names and exposing his nature like it would make me change my mind... like if they all have been trying to convert me, to convince me he's evil when in reality, it only makes me love him more because it has only exposed the wrongdoings of many gods in Olympus. Their divine laws contradict their actions—after having so much power flowing through him, Endymion is not after control or possession, he fights for the good in this world. Yes, he is a warrior, and yes, he wields a sword and has killed, but he does not fall in the same vile category Asteria, Chaos, or even Hades does. He's different, you said so yourself... he is his own kind." Serenity shook her head, "I understand all of this and I embrace it, but that doesn't answer my questions, Kunzite. Why did he stay? Why is he there? Why did he tell me it was something he had to do alone?"

"Because he is trying to save the little that is left of his family, Princess."

"All of you keep telling me this and I don't understand!" Serenity rubbed her hands over her face in frustration, "I don't understand!"

"While Endymion was in Purgatorio, he learned Kind Eros was imprisoned in Tartarus."

"W-What?" Serenity's eyes widened twice in size and looked up at the general, "King... Eros...?"

"Sanctus caelum..." (Blessed heavens...) Megumi looked at Kunzite with great disbelief "Are you saying... H-His Majesty King Eros is alive?!"

"I do not know how, why, or if he is still alive..." Kunzite shook his head, "The reasons are no longer important... but it is a fact, and the prince was looking for an opportunity to go and bring his father back." He looked at Serenity, "Endymion wanted to take care of you until you were strong enough to stand on your own and talk to you about all this. Your health was affected by the previous events and in such weak state, there was not much you could have done since you need enough energy to use the crystal properly. He also needed to heal; he didn't want to use his energy entirely because he was trying to have some alone time with you. He also mentioned there was something of high priority he wanted to take care of, but that was a matter he only wanted to talk to you about."

Serenity closed her eyes and hung her head low, feeling completely dismantled, "That's why he didn't want me to leave his side..."

"As to why he didn't say anything when he sent you back... we don't know for sure. The Shitennou and I have a theory as to what must have happened. He entered in a rage trance when you were taken hostage; none of us had ever seen him like that before, not even in his worst days during a war. He fought us, opened portals, crossed dimensions, battled countless of enemies, and made the necessary arrangements to get to you faster and we will not know exactly what else he did until we see him again but he had already made the decision to look for his father and bring him back as well. I suspect and I am more than certain he was not clear to you about it is because he knew Hades was listening—he did not want to risk your safety as you made your way back to Earth, you are his top priority, Princess Serenity. He did whatever needed to be done to secure your return without any complications."

"Remember I am yours..." Serenity mumbled and looked up at Kunzite with wide eyes, realizing he must have made some sort of deal with Hades to go all the way to find her and send her back, "That is why he said it was something he had to do on his own..."

Megumi turned to the princess and put a hand on top of hers, "That is probably why he said it Latin... because he knew you were not going to let it go and eventually you would have asked us to translate his words for you, once you were on safe grounds. It was a puzzle... a hidden clue,"

"That makes much sense, Megumi," Kunzite nodded with a small smile and turned to Serenity, "Princess... this planet is linked to Endymion. As the guardian of the Golden Crystal, he not only monitors its status but he also pulses life into it because of his connections with the Sun, and as expected, his absence to another dimension would have affected Earth's safety and lifeforce. You being here is what is preventing everything from collapsing. As of now, you are connected to him through that stone and you are channeling part of his power into this planet—that is why you could not stay there with him, aside from the fact that it must be a horrible place. Endymion trusts you to step in and take his place—none of us is better suited to take over such an impressive task and level of responsibility."

Serenity felt her eyes burning with tears and looked down at the rings glistening on her finger and came to her own conclusion. Just like Endymion did, this was her own catharsis to understand that she was given a new opportunity to set the record straight and do things right. She was chosen as senshi to fight for good, for justice, and for love; this is the path she chose thousands of years ago, this is the life she wanted, one where she could help people and one that led her to her warrior prince and now that she was in that point in her life where she had accomplished it, she was not going to back down. She wasn't normal, she was Sailor Moon—she was the heir of the throne of the moon kingdom, a goddess from Olympus, she had a voice and this time, she was going to make herself heard.

"Titan, monster, curse, hybrid, or mortal—I love him. I love him madly. Endymion is my husband and I promised him I could take any punches as long as I did this with him." Her voice while quivering it was strong and charged with determination, "I am crying because I miss him horribly. I am worried about him, but I won't stop until I help him find his way back home. He's not theirs to have and mistreat—his soul is bound to mine, he said so himself—we are one, we love each other and that is not going to change no matter how many obstacles they try to throw at us. We will fight whoever tries to stand in our way! We have taken too much hatred from the gods to accept these are the laws of nature—fuck their stupid laws of nature! I don't believe in them! I believe in my marriage. I believe in love and on this planet. I promised Endymion I would stand by his side and fight for peace for this planet because this is where we belong... to the Moon and back... this is where we belong!"

"I see, this is how you captured his heart."

Serenity blinked a little startled, "W-What?"

"You are an inspiration for him, the fire that lits up his spirit. He admires you without measure... and this is why. You are a fortress." Kunzite looked at her with pride, "Serenity is stronger than everybody thinks she is—stronger than she actually believes she is." He smiled, "Those were his exact words..."

Serenity looked at him with a blush on her cheeks, "H-He said that?"

"He also told me how you asked him to teach you combat skills and self-defense techniques. I am very impressed, Princess." Kunzite crossed his arms, "You could not have asked for a better teacher, he can turn any object into a deadly weapon. Although, I know he does not want you to take a life."

"No, and he made me promise him that," Serenity frowned, "But I am willing to break that promise if that is what it takes to help him return. I am not afraid."

Kunzite let out a heavy sigh and shook his head, "I will not allow it, Princess Serenity. As Endymion's Shitennou we all made a vow to protect you, but I take his request much more personal because like I said to both of you before, just as he is a brother to me, you are my sister. He warned me that a time where he had to be away would eventually come and I swore to him I would step in to support you in battle. But I wish to make you understand there are reasons that go beyond why Endymion is strict about that particular matter. He does not want you to stain your hands with blood just to prove a point, that is not what warriors do. You may have eliminated many treats in the past but you have not ever taken a weapon and handled death with your own hands. Endymion does not want you to follow his footsteps and I support his stance. Killing will not make you stronger, Princess, and it will not make any difference if your mind is clouded with a fixation for something—even justice can be tainted if you are obsessed with unhealthy sentiments. In consequence, it will only tie your soul to the same torment that took Endymion two thousand years to purge from his soul. You have battled and destroyed enemies, yes, if peace is compromised but blood is not an equivalent of victory. Endymion is not stopping you from holding a weapon, that you have—many to count; he is stopping you from feeding unnecessary insecurities that can spark controversy in your life and later affect your peace of mind." He leaned closer to dry the tears streaming down her cheeks, "You are his light of hope, Princess. More than this planet itself... his reason to live is you. His reason to fight is you."

"He is my reason to live, to fight... to breath, to laugh..." Serenity sniffed and rubbed her swollen eyes, "I just don't know what to do, Kunzite... I feel so impotent... so lost... I don't know which direction I should go... where to start looking..."

"I know, Your Highness," Megumi leaned closer to Serenity and wrapped her arms around her, "But just like Lord Kunzite has said... his reason to fight is you, that is why you need to take good care of yourself."

"That is why we are here, Princess." Kunzite nodded, "The Shitennou and Sailor Senshi have your back."

Serenity smiled and felt thankful for their words and let herself be snuggled by the young maiden, "The weather is changing..." she looked at Kunzite, "It's worrying me,"

"Nephrite warned us about this—but you are the link to keep this planet pulsing with life, Princess." Kunzite said and turned to look out the large window behind him, "We are working on a strategy; Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus. We are hoping Sailor Pluto, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Saturn, and Sailor Uranus can join us in this plan as well,"

"Why wouldn't they?" Serenity frowned, "Saturn helped me come back... she was with Endymion when he found me and sent me back..." she gave the man a solidary nod, "I see... you say it because Uranus has been a little defensive toward Endymion. Regardless of what she thinks, I know deep down she knows the truth,"

"That is the problem, Princess, I do not know just how much of that truth they know and I do not know how much aid they are willing to give us."

"That is something I still need to talk to them," Serenity sighed softly, "I don't need much explanation to understand things between you have been a little difficult and I feel responsible for not addressing it properly, but I will take care of this matter. We are a team, we are all fighting for the safety of this planet and we must stay united."

"Princess Sere—"

"—About this conversation Kunzite, don't worry, it will not leave this room. I understand and respect your loyalty to Endymion and while you didn't say anything compromising, I know you do not want him to distrust you because of the moral code you have with your soul brother." Serenity gave Kunzite a sad smile, "Endymion has a strong sense of responsibility and he is very loyal but also very hermetic. I know how upset he gets whenever his privacy is lightly tainted with intrusion."

"That is true,"

"All I ask in return, Kunzite, is not to be pushed away. Please keep me informed. If you find anything that could give us a clue to know where he is, report it to me immediately. I am worried sick for him... but as his wife, I deserve to know everything—good or bad."

Kunzite felt the authority in her voice despite being respectful and sweet; there was so much she has learned from all these events in this past couple of months her growth had become more evident—not that she wasn't mature enough or weak but now, she was taking the reins of the situation just like Endymion had hoped and said she would. He felt immediately mesmerized by her regal posture and went on one knee and bowed his head with deep respect, "You have my word, Your Highness. I, Kunzite, Knight of Purity and Affection, First in Command of the Shitennou, solemnly vow to you my loyalty and servitude—as my leader in battle, and also, as my future Queen."

"My time has passed—so has my reign and everything in it. I did what I had to do in my time to live the life I wanted, I fought in any ways that I could... as a goddess and as a mortal, but now, the time to pass the crown to its rightful successor has come."

Serenity's eyes widened and blinked when she felt the weight of Gaia's words pounding her reason like a drum, "Kunzite..."

O—o—o—o—O

The elegant sheen of the golden dagger in Athamas' hand had him mesmerized in his own triumph as he looked at his reflection and cracked a thick chuckle, "The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun..." he looked down at Endymion, his dark green eyes gleamed with realization, "It was you... all this time... it has been you..." he pointed the dagger at the prince and licked his bloody lip slowly, "Your blood is the key, not the sword..."

Endymion pushed himself back up and used his sleeve to wipe the blood from his broken lip. He turned to face Athamas with a murderous glare. Athamas shook his head with amazed recognition, "For thousands of years, I went on a hunt for that girl believing the sword was the key to break the seal, the one that voice echoing in my mind has been asking me to find. The reason to get to that girl was not because of the sword, but because it would eventually lead me to you... the key that would give me infinite power and respect among the gods of Olympus." His eyes narrowed, "Since the day I joined the Army in Andromeda I heard it—that voice calling out to me. Me, it chose me." He looked down at the dagger in his hand, "I have heard stories about that hybrid creature—the monster—living in that forbidden planet so primitive yet, desired by so many, and it became clear: I had to kill that famous monster to have the respect I deserved." Athamas frowned as he looked at his reflection on the sleek golden blade, "The title and position I deserved, the power I deserved. I was going to become King! I was on my way to becoming invincible until you meddled in!" He turned to Endymion and punched him in the jaw with his closed fist again, "You—" he grabbed a handful of black hair to pull the prince's head back and punched him again on the other side "—Stole—" he repeated and punched him again on his right side "—Her—" and repeated on the left side and kicked him back to the floor, "From me!"

Endymion tried to sit back up and brusquely wiped the trickle of blood off his face with his sleeve, "How desperate for attention do you really must be—" he turned to spit some blood pooling in his mouth and turned to Athamas with an angry glare "—To sell your soul this way."

"I did not sell my soul. I was doing more than well until you appeared and ruined every single one of my plans."

"I have nothing to do with your failures."

"Serenity was mine and you stole—"

"You lost Serenity long before we even met." Endymion wiped the blood still pooling from his lip and glared at Athamas, "What burns you inside with rage is that you realized it too late and like a spoiled child, you wanted to take her back by any means." He frowned, "You think this is all there is? That once you get whatever is that you want everyone will bow to you with deep respect? Please... that's not how it works. This is nothing but a stupid tantrum of yours where you are not even aware of the consequences from your stupid mindless actions."

"Tantrum? A spoiled child you say?" Athamas' maniac laugh soon changed to unsettling growls of rage, "You have no idea of all the things I have been put through—of what my life was back in Andromeda!" He bent his knees to be face to face with the terran prince and grabbed a handful of his hair to pull Endymion closer to him, never losing visual contact, "You do not know what it is like to starve—to feel cold, to be alone. You were born in a golden crib surrounded by the luxury and comfort only a royal can enjoy—what do you know of what real life is about!? What do you know about suffering?! About pain!?"

"Ugh..." Endymion rolled his eyes with a heavy snarl. In a quick reflex, he raised his hand to stop Athamas' fist right before it hit his face and narrowed his eyes, "This isn't about you. It never has. Long gone is the time when you had a chance to speak and be heard, Andromedian. I am not here to have a motivational pep-talk with you, of all people; all that has happened to you is your problem. You can truly go fuck yourself for all I care. I don't give a damn about your shitty life back in Andromeda or whatever happened to you after you were disposed and later rescued by Asteria. Do you want to make me understand your struggle? Do you want me to feel sorry for you? I don't get it..." Endymion's sapphire eyes turned indigo, "Life is hard and it doesn't always go the way you want to, so stop bitching about it—there—comforted enough?"

"You may not care about me, but you care about Serenity," Athamas grinned maniacally, "And you will not be there to prevent me from making her mine, not this time." He looked at the blade in his hand and noticed the sword's hilt in the prince's belt and leaned closer to pull it out of its protective onyx scabbard when Endymion knocked him to the side with his head to prevent him from getting a hold of it, "You dare touch her again and I swear I will make sure to burn you to the ground as many times I need to until your body can no longer respawn from its ashes." He muttered between clenched teeth.

"That is where you do not seem to understand the situation," Athamas stepped back and looked at Endymion with triumph, then snapped his fingers at the corpses to give them a silent command to restrain the prince. Endymion grunted as he tried to free from the thick matter suffocating him and frowned when he saw Athamas taking a reverse grip on his golden dagger as he moved toward him, "You see hybrid, this is as far as you will go—you came here to die." With his free hand, he grabbed Endymion's collar and pulled him close enough to speak in his ear, "Do not worry, Prince of Earth; I will make sure to give Serenity my condolences in the best way possible."

Athamas stabbed Endymion's dagger on his side and leaned closer to make a deeper cut through his armor and flesh. Endymion gasped for air when he felt the hot blade twisting inside of him and tried to push the andromedian away but both arms and legs were now completely restrained by the corpses under his command.

The andromedian saw Endymion's blood started to pool from his deep wound and grinned like if he had found the answer to all his prayers and pulled the blade back. Cupping his hands to let them soak in the prince's warm blood and let it drip on the ground before he turned to smear it on the carved scriptures as he continued repeating the words like a mantra, "The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun..."

"The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun!"

"The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun!"

"The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun!"

"No... no..." Endymion looked down at his soaked black uniform and armor and took hoarse breaths to keep himself from fainting, with horror mirrored in his handsome face, he shook his head, "What have you done... you damn bastard..."

Athamas grinned with satisfaction as he placed both hands on each side of the blade in his hand, "The cursed blood of the monster... forgive me mortal for taking advantage of your mysterious privileges," he chuckled and turned to look over his shoulder at the dying prince and narrowed his eyes, "Enjoy your slow death."

The ground began to shake and rumble with increasing force that shook the demon corpses off Endymion's body releasing him from his restrain and making him fall to the ground. The terran prince turned to look up to and tried to stand up but his strength and energy were quickly draining from his body with every drop of blood. "No..." He groaned weakly as he watched the stone wall violently cracking all the way down to the metal circle and a cross emblem on the floor from where many dark vines with needle-like thorns started to pour out, lifting the ground in flakes of ash.

A deafening symphony of screams and laments broke loose as the evil trapped inside started to pour without control feeding itself from the corpses' pain and dementia while crawling out of the pit impaling them all and trapping them in between the heavy and sharp coils of vicious vines. Endymion jerked his head to look for his father and took a sharp breath to stay focused. With the remains of his strength, he dragged himself toward the king and laid on top to protect him from the vines viciously coiling around them and taking over the entire dark chamber. He secured his arms around the man and held him tight, feeling the thorns piercing through his clothes and armor but remained in position trying his best to use his body as a shield for his father.

Athamas watched the brutal massacre unfolding without control and his victorious grin soon started to fade when he saw the thorns were not exempting anyone in the room and that he too was another target to feed on. What started as a victory it was now a fight for his life; he tried to escape but the ground was now too unstable to keep his balance and brutally was thrown on his knees; his eyes widened when he saw the remains of the gold medallion on the ground cracked into pieces.

At the opposite side of the crumbling chamber, Endymion turned his head but he had started to lose vision and consciousness due to the blood he had lost from his wound. He could see blurry movement ahead and he could hear the mind-wrenching screams of pain of the entities scattered all around but his body was slowly started to fail him. He narrowed his deep blue eyes when he saw something else or better said, someone walking out to the surface and clenched his jaw, trying to fight the strong wave of malice taking over and felt smothered by the drastic shift and density in the air and held on to dear life to his father's body and used the remains of his energy to repel the shadows from them.

Athamas felt a strong force revolving inside his chest like if he was being stripped of a sharp splinter in his heart and gasped with pain as he leaned his back against the wall and began suffering the ravages of the entity that was now standing in the middle of the chamber claiming its power full force and manipulating the dark veins pouring out like barb wire flowing around him in a hypnotic rhythm. The mystic presence was too strong it was making it impossible to look at it, it was like if it was playing with his mind, making him have vicious and wicked hallucinations. He felt a rush of chills running all over him and brought his hands to cover his face when he sensed the presence had started to move. The tall figure turned and saw in the direction the golden dagger with blood was stuck on the stone wall and extended his arm to call for it and looked at his reflection for a minute as he looked at his face and felt his body being revitalized by the energy around him. He turned to Athamas who was still trying to free himself from the vines wrapping around his body and walked over to him and put him out of consciousness with a snap of his fingers. He used his body to feed on his energy and move with more ease throughout Tartarus' pit and dragged the andromedian along with him like a useful latch.

With every step he took, the ashes floating around his body adhered to him and started shaping his dark cloak and clothes. With a flick of a wrist, the stone blocking the pit from the surface started to morph into a long stone staircase that led him to the valleys of Tartarus and out of his imposed imprisonment for more lifetimes he could count. In a chain reaction, the ground started to respond to the strong magnetism of his presence as well making every tortured soul and punisher become more hostile against each other. The rivers of gore and fire started to overflow with force and went overboard from their course swallowing everything in their path all the way to its very edge. He crossed the bridge of laments with a steady and secure stride and stood before in front of the gates that knew connected this realm with the Underworld and narrowed his intense eyes.

O—o—O

At the other side of the gates, a long line of soldiers ordered to stay by Agamemnon to guard the rim that divided the Underworld from the Abyss of Tartarus heard a loud cracking sound paired with heavy growls and unsettling screams. With worry and horror in their faces, they watched the barrier and stone walls had started to crumble and raised their weapons to fight the force that was trying to cross. They would think they were prepared to fight and that fear was not something they got to experience in a realm like this, as soldiers from the army of shadows, they have seen and encountered every unsettling creature, demon, and entity—they were there for a reason, but they never imagined they would get to see those heavy gates of murder and coal shaking to a point of demolition.

"We need to send the alert to Agamemnon!" one of the soldiers exclaimed as he held his long sword up and frowned "We will not be able to contain this strange force for much longer!"

"Raise your guard!" The leader pointed his chain weapon at the gates, "We must not let it pass—" he turned to another soldier, "We must send an emergency signal and call for reinfor—" his dark eyes widened when he saw another large piece of stone crumbled in front of them and took a deep breath when he felt an incontrollable shaking possessing his body. The soldiers standing behind looked at their leader and tried to come closer but the energy pouring out from the cracks was too strong for them to contain, it was out of their control.

One last piece of stone keeping the gates in one piece finally cracked and crumbled in flakes of ashes and smoke. The gates no one ever believed could be faulted opened in all their splendor revealing the horrors it silently kept inside. The squad leader felt he was running out of air; in an attempt to leave, he turned to look up and watched a dark entity standing with authority at the other side, letting all kinds of demons in Tartarus flow freely from their prison, "W-What..." The soldier shook his head and weakly turned to the others, "Charge at it! Do not let them pass!"

The long line of soldiers dashed to attack but they were quickly devoured by the demons crossing over, turning them into what they initially were—shadows. The leader widened his eyes when he saw the dark man finally crossing over and sent an aggressive wave of energy with just the flick of his wrist putting everyone in a catatonic state of dementia.

The soldier felt his body itching and tried to look up but the second the man in black came close, his vision turned blurry, corrupted; like he wasn't allowed to look at whoever was crossing the gates. He felt his body move against his will and later started to convulse, almost as he was being forced to look away, "W-Who are—"

The dark silhouette flicked his hand ever so gently and cracked the soldier's neck and killed him in an instant and narrowed its eyes. He turned to look at the rivers of the Underworld fiercely reacting to the demonic force from Tartarus.

"Et sigillum contritum fuerit, consecutiones quod attinet ad faciem existimavit ponens in carcerem, deos."*

O—o—o—o—O

"Ares..."

"I spoke to her, Athena, I saw Gaia."

"Y-You did what?! Athena went pale and widened her eyes with shock, "She lives?! Gaia lives!?"

Ares shook his head and sighed softly, "It is a very long story, one, I cannot tell you here. Her soul was protected by Chronos, which proves we cannot bend divine laws the way Titans can. I need to help Gaia cross to this realm... but to do that, I need to find the pocket in time where she is being sheltered."

"Why not asking Pluto for help? She is his daughter..."

"Their attention is on all of them due to the closeness they have with the Moon Princess and the Terran Prince. I need to do this behind their back... so they won't notice."

"What you are doing is considered treason to your brothers—to your own kind," Athena shook her head, "Are you aware of the seriousness of this?"

"Yes Athena, I am, but I do not care. Mars will carry my legacy if I fall and I want her to do it with those worthy of her trust and loyalty."

"I still think it is very dangerous for you to follow that plan, Ares," Athena frowned "I know you are trying to do things right but there are other ways to do so, this could cause your existence and your future to—"

"This is not about me, Athena, and it goes far beyond of just doing the right thing. This is about bringing some order to the universe, and yes, I am protecting my daughter but I also believe Helios' legacy is worth preserving." Ares' determination made Athena smile with complicity, "My, my, what a loyal disciple..."

Ares crossed his arms, "The more I think about it, the more I believe our laws are falling behind the waves of time. We are not evolving, and this constant fight for power is what will bring our demise. This is what Serenity tried to warn us two thousand years ago, and while I came to understand her vision quite late, it cannot be unseen, it is crystal clear." He shook his head, "This is not just a whim of mine, Athena, we are all divided and we must remember that we are not the only ones in the universe."

"You are starting to sound like Helios himself, Ares." Athena arched her brow with pride and gave the god of war a smirk of satisfaction, "You should leave that to his descendants, the ones that truly carry his blood in their veins."

"There is only one left," Ares cracked a dry chuckle, "And believe me, that is exactly what I am trying to do,"

"Two,"

"What?"

"There are only two left," Athena arched her brow, "Let us not forget... one resides in Tartarus' pit."

"True, but you and I know only one must prevail and it must not be him."

"I must say, it is endearing to see you this determinant—it has been long since I have seen that gleam in your always tormented eyes, thank heavens."

Ares sighed softly, "I really believe they have what it takes to change things. They have proven us wrong for thousands of years."

Athena nodded "Well then, I—" her eyes widened and turned to look at a group of soldiers walking with urgency to the conclave where the high gods were having their meeting but were soon stalled by the divine guards at the doors "No entrance is allowed—the High Gods are in session."

"Let me pass!"

Athena frowned, "Ares..."

The god of war nodded when he recognized the man in dark armor arguing with the olympian guards and felt a heavy weight in his chest, already fearing the worst. He turned to Athena and pulled her closer, "Now is the time Athena, we need to move fast." Athena nodded "I will do my best." With that, the beautiful goddess of wisdom summoned for her power and disappeared in flashes of rose gold sparks right before Ares' eyes, letting the lord of war know she has left the olympian realm.

Ares turned quickly and went after the arguing guards outside the private study and stomped the scabbard of his long claymore sword on the marble ground to quiet both parties, "Your presence here confirms what I was fearing," Ares' gray eyes narrowed as he locked his intense gaze with Agamemnon's for a minute and raised his hand, "Release the seal of the conclave,"

The olympian guards widened their eyes, "B-But God Ares... the High Gods are—"

"I am a High God as well," Ares frowned and turned to the guards with a menacing look in his eyes, "And I am giving the order to interrupt the conclave. Let them pass, now!" The guards bowed their head in respect and turned to open the large golden doors to allow the shadow soldiers walk in, interrupting the meeting. Hades arched his brow with clear surprise to see his soldier there "Agamemnon,"

Poseidon frowned and turned to the dark soldiers, "What is this!? How dare you to interrupt this audience! It is a priva—" his eyes widened when he saw Ares walking back inside the large room like a beast out of its cage. Hades frowned and turned to Agamemnon, already expecting bad news, "You are here."

"Milord," Agamemnon bowed his head in respect and went on one knee to acknowledge the other god's presence, "I know this is not my place, but I felt obliged to bring you the report myself since it was my responsibility."

"Was?" Hermes narrowed his blue eyes, "What do you mean, soldier?"

Agamemnon swallowed, "There has been an incident at the rim between the Underworld and Tartarus and it has caused severe ripples of energy that are creating unstable grounds—it is breaking, our realm is in danger."

Hades' eyes darkened and arched his brow, "It crossed." Agamemnon slowly nodded and looked up at Hades with fear, "It is in Tartarus."

"What!?" Zeus widened his eyes and turned to Hades, "You said you had this under control!" He turned to the dark soldier with anger, "What is the meaning of this?!"

"It means that our brother's plan has not entirely succeeded, Zeus." Ares narrowed his eyes and turned to Hades, "It means that your own ambitions are now playing a bitter joke on you,"

"I do not have time for this—close the gates. Hydra will take Cerberus' place, for the time being, he cannot respawn as of now." The lord of the dead clenched his jaw with anger and clear frustration and turned to the soldier, "How did it cross?"

"The gates reacted to the hybrid's presence, Milord," Agamemnon looked up again with fear in his eyes, "He was sucked in but the energy flowing is strong,"

"What is the status as of now?"

"Unknown."

"And now what?" Poseidon turned frustrated at Agamemnon, "Are we supposed to take this as a valid answer?! Why are you here!? Your duties are to create a barrier—you are a soldier of the Underworld!" He turned angrily at Hades who had his hand up to stop the lord of the ocean's rant, "There is not much the hybrid can do in Tartarus—its soul will be devoured by the demonic ambiance of such destructive realm."

"How can you be so tranquil about this?" Apollo frowned, "What if it falters?!"

Ares turned to Zeus, Poseidon, Hermes, and Apollo, "This might not be the most appropriate time to start bonding with your daughters, but, given the circumstances... you will have to break the mold and step out of your comfort zone. It will not take long until the Sailor Senshi notice these disruptions as well and we must act before something else happens—something much more macabre This is the first warning..."

"The barrier created will give enough reinforcement but guarding those gates is not the shadows' jurisdiction."

"Well they better make it part of their jurisdiction," Poseidon looked at Hades with rage; "Who knows what can happen if those gates break. You better have things under control, Hades."

"God Zeus! God Zeus!" Zeus raised his hand to interrupt the lord of the oceans and turned to the guards that were rushing into the chambers with urgency, "Now what!? What is it?"

"There is a strong tidal of dark energy heading toward us!"

"Location?" Ares narrowed his eyes, the soldier shook his head "It is still unknown Lord Ares, it is difficult to track their origin,"

"Close all gates to Olympus—no one comes in and no one comes out." Ares turned to another guard, "Contain the damage done and report its status immediately. Concentrate the number of soldiers at every gate." Ares turned on his heel and walked over Hera and pulled her close enough to whisper in her ear, "Get shelter, now." Hera widened her eyes and stiffened under his protective touch, "Ares?"

"You have been silent, but I know you believe me and you know this is not something you can fight. You may be a High Goddess, Hera, but you are also my sister and I cannot let anything happen to you." Hera turned slightly to give his brother in law a side glance, "Ares, what are you going to do?"

"Whatever needs to be done, Hera," Ares frowned, "Whatever is necessary to protect us from evil."

O—o—o—o—O

Another large of soldiers gathered to create a second energy fort at the rim of the underworld to prevent the leak from the gates of Tartarus merged with the current of the Underworlds' rivers and consequently take over the entire realm but to their shock and surprise, none of their efforts could match the wrecking force coming against them from the hole in the gate, or, better said, from the creature walking out of it.

To some, it was a shadow, to others a demon-like creature with long limbs and no head; a monster blasting dark energy at them or a cluster of dark matter filtering through the cracked gates. To Athamas, it was something else. He felt it, a burning force pulling his soul inside out and feeding on him like a leech, feasting with every ounce of his strained life. He could hear noises, the screams of horror and pain and the loud thundering sound he imagined were the result of swords clashing against each other but he couldn't open his eyes, he couldn't be in control—he wasn't in control. He couldn't command his own body to follow his will—his body was no longer his. He frowned, trying to use the remains of his energy to free from the invisible force that was keeping tied to something else, he felt dragged, used and stirred to someone else's convenience, but he couldn't do anything about it. He wanted to see what was happening, he wanted to witness with his very own eyes the embodiment of his insanity and the gods' deepest secret and deepest regret.

He wanted to see, but no matter how much he tried, all he could do was to hear the painful and screeching sound of coils of barb wire that had come out from the very same pit they came out of. He felt them moving around him and piercing whoever was there fighting against them and suddenly, all noise, the grunts, the screaming, the cries for help and the characteristic sounds of cracking bones and slashing blood fell dead, leaving only one low echo murmuring in his head. The same one that had nested in him for thousands of years.

"Esse autem Andromedan infirmi, vos have vestri propositi atque servivit."**

Like a granted wish, but not entirely, Athamas was finally able to open his eyes and look at the scene before him. His body froze when he realized he was the only one left alive in the middle of a quiet valley of dismembered bodies trapped between the coils of rusty wire and poisoned thorns. For the first time in his life, Athamas felt a cold chill running down his spine proving that the embodiment of fear, dementia, and void truly existed beyond the myth and that it had a name.

Chaos.

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

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

A/N: Your response to Fates and the Afterlife has been formidable. It makes my heart flip with content. Thank you so much.

Latin Glossary:

(The seal has been broken, face the consequences for putting me in restraint, gods.)

((To be a weak Andromedian, you have served your purpose well.))