Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife
Chapter Eighty-Four
Artemis felt his throat becoming dry when the flashes of light and the strong echoing sound of thunder rumbled all the way down beneath his feet. He had heard about this before, he studied about it, was taught about it, and learned everything that revolved around a divine war but most importantly, the consequences.
The lessons he had concerning divine politics, failed attempts of closure and agreements; his father's strict tone still echoing in his mind with that characteristic dryness in his voice, warning him to always be prepared. Every time he spoke about it, he remembered his face change to a much somber expression and noticed his body stiffening. It was a very subtle way to tell him that he got himself caught in the horrors of one and lived throughout it. By the way Artemis' father spoke, he understood he knew perfectly well what he was talking about. Now, it was him who was a part of it—war. The bitter brew of another Titanomachy. But unlike his father who survived it, he was still trapped in the penumbra of not knowing what was going to happen to him and his loved ones.
As a scholar in politics, a keen negotiator—the best of his generation—and a quiet legend back on Mau for his impressive credentials and experience as advisor to the royal family of the Moon. He was more than qualified to understand the levels of danger and gravity of any given situation and also knew how to level tensions between monarchs; something his family was very well known and sought for.
The number one rule for any advisor to a monarchy is to find a solution before the problem even starts. And despite being aware, he never imagined he would be caught in the middle of the wrath of the gods.
Wrath. The word was so sinister. It crawled around his mind like a centipede.
The Mauian elite searched in the deepest parts of his brain, trying his best to remember every single detail on how to control and manage a situation like this and how to act, how to be of aid instead of just a hassle.
Artemis was tense, very tense. He had no power, none that could be a match of neither the senshi or the princess and prince. He was quick and agile like a cat, sure, but his strengths were not based on muscle or divinity. His skills were solely on strategies, numbers, and words... many words. But now, none of those things that made him the most capable of his rank and position in a royal house were useful in a moment so dense and horrid like this.
With Ares nowhere to be seen and with the information Mars and Jadeite just exchanged with them, it led him to think things had escalated to something worse where not even the god of war could intervene for their salvation. His green eyes grew with panic and his mouth gaped, but could not allow to verbalize any words and this, Luna noticed.
"Artemis,"
Not sure how many times she repeated his name, Luna's soft voice finally ringed in his ears. Her gentle touch on his forehead brought him back from his thoughts and made him slowly break from his frightful trance. Artemis blinked a couple of times but he didn't dare to deviate his green feline eyes from the angry sky above them. Luna tried to follow his glare and she could not ignore the worry in the way he was looking up and the tension taking over his body. She tried again and slowly leaned closer; her hand cupping his cheek to try and gain more control over his fear, "Artemis, what do you mean?"
"We are part of the war, Luna. We are no different than debris... no different than dust. We are being forgotten—ignored," Artemis said with heavy desolation, "If the Celestial Army is here... it only means the gods have given their approval and Lord Ares has given the command to the polemarchs to destroy the obstacles in their way and his word for them is absolute."
Luna felt a chill all over her body. It was so strange to hear Artemis speak with so much desolation and lack of composure. Usually, he would be his usual stoic and controlled self; something she often complained about and now wished to see in him to reassure her everything was a misunderstanding but that little wish was nowhere to be seen in his handsome face.
"That... no," she let out a weak chuckle, one that still lingered with hope and shook her head completely disbelieving her partner's words "That can't be right... he is on our side... Lord Ares is on our side," Luna frowned, "He always has been..."
"This isn't just any battle, Luna." Artemis blinked the tears burning at the rim of his beautiful eyes, "This is the wrath of the gods... what Queen Serenity always warned us about and always stepped in to prevent."
"Nothing like this happened before, Artemis. Not while we were at her service, at least that is."
"We never got to live it because she always knew how to deal with them and keep their fury under control. It was because of her close relationship with Queen Gaia that she learned all that she needed to know to handle it. Let us not forget, Goddess Gaia was a sailor senshi with a rank that escalated to one of a polemarch. Her Majesty had her entire support and used that for the benefit of her kingdom. She learned to deal with all the unsettled negotiations that once concerned King Athan after his crossing to the underworld."
"But—"
"Luna," Artemis interrupted, a small shake on his head made this more difficult to process "If there is something I have more than clear is that polemarchos are not like sailor senshi." He trailed off, swallowing more fear as he continued "And..." His hands curled into fists and started to shake with frustration, "If they are here, that just means—" his eyes widened when he felt a strong seizure taking over his mind and fell on his knees and held his head with a frantic grip "It—it—"
Luna's burgundy eyes widened and leaned to hold him when he started losing reason, "Artemis!"
Her arms wrapped around him as he started to shake with no control over his body, "Artemis! What's happening!? Artemis!"
The shitennou and senshi turned to look at the Mauian advisor and started to feel it too like claws digging into their subconscious, causing the worst of pains. Kunzite put one hand on his head and quickly turned to look for Venus to check if she was alright, but just like him, she was dealing with her own kind of pain.
"I can't..." Mercury closed her eyes and started tearing as a reflex of her physical pain "I can't... think... I can't..."
Zoisite pulled her closer and widened his eyes when he heard a loud sob, it was Mars with wide eyes as she looked up into something only she could see in the sky. Jadeite went to her aid, frantic and dealing with his own pain, a pain that made him feel like if his flesh was being ripped off his bones "Mars!"
"H-Here..." Mars mumbled and pointed her finger up and slowly held Jadeite's hand, "It's... Here..."
Jadeite frowned and closed his eyes, trying his best to calm his troubled mind. He spoke in whispers, "Longitude at 2 degrees sharp with 8 minutes, 30.5 seconds east. Latitude, 37 degrees inclination, 19.027 minutes North."
There was a sudden change in the density of the air, gravity had shifted and it was like all were being crashed into the ground. They felt heavy and confused, they felt pain and didn't even know where they just felt it.
Saturn leaned on her glaive and shook her head to clear her mind, "Dementia..." her first instinct was to crawl over to hold Megumi and wrapped her arms around her to protect her from the thick fog taking control over their emotions, "Don't give in Megumi..." she whispered in the maiden's ear, "I know it hurts... but do not surrender your sanity."
"My sanity?" Megumi's teary eyes widened, "W-What is happening to us?"
"We are going mad..." Saturn mumbled weakly as she tightened her grip on her glaive and held onto Megumi as they kneeled on the ground, "Fight it, Megumi."
Megumi felt it. Like a cold hand pulling all of her emotions inside of her, an invisible force taking control over her mind. Learning all of her secrets and looking into her thoughts, "P-Prince!" she closed her eyes and let her tears roll down, "Princess!" she thought with panic.
Pluto felt like she could lose her grip on her long key rod. Her lips barely moved as she tried to chant some words but her voice could come out, or better said, there was a bigger force keeping her silent. Her garnet colored eyes widened as tears started to roll down her cheeks. Neptune turned to hold Uranus who was also being dragged into her own nightmare. Crying, the senshi of the skies pounded the ground angrily and turned to one side, "Damn it," she growled.
Ash started to rise from the ground, adhering itself to long-limbed creatures, stronger than the common shadows they had been fighting so far. Venus held her chain and called for power under her breath but she was feeling too weak to throw enough force to whip it. Uranus turned to Saturn and waved her hand, taking lead and jumped back up, Saturn opened her eyes and formed a barrier to protect Megumi, Luna, and Artemis who was still dealing with much stress and pain.
Sailor Neptune raised her arms and called for her power, "Deep Submerge!"
Sailor Mercury jumped into action and used her powers to make a double attack and create sharp shards of ice moving along Neptunes' crashing waves of energy, "Shine Snow Illusion!"
Her dark blue eyes widened when she noticed an uncommon gleam in one of the shadow's eyes, one in the multitude that marked a red flag in her mind and diverted her aim. In a quick move, she activated her goggles again and analyzed the energy surrounding them and their enemies and stretched her arms out to stop everyone, "These are not shadows!"
Kunzite turned with his quartz sword in hand gleaming and ready to charge. Borrowing every ounce of strength within him to stand back up, he led Venus out of the way of attack and swung his blade to cut through one of the dark entities coming close but stopped abruptly. His grey eyes widened, quickly understanding what she meant when it didn't feel the same energy as the others and the distinctive scent alerted him, "Humans..." he muttered, horrified. He looked at the large crowd slowly marching towards them and tightened his grip on his blade, "Everyone, stop! These are not demons! These are civilians! Retrieve your weapons!"
Venus felt her blood cold as she laid down her hand holding her gleaming chain tight, "Humans..." she frowned, panicked "How did they even get to this condition?!"
"Possession..." Mars muttered, "The same evil energy is taking over them, over the troubles in their minds. It's out of our control and it's lurking on us too,"
"We cannot risk it," Jadeite muttered, "This is a plan... the lowest of kinds."
"What do we do?" Uranus frowned, she turned to Kunzite, "If we don't act now, they will take the advantage,"
The stepping sound on gravel sounded so loud in their minds, like nails scratching a chalkboard. Kunzite turned over his shoulder but his eyes couldn't focus of anything. It was like staring in vain at something uncertain.
"We need to get rid of them to pass and take the culprit!" Uranus narrowed her eyes, Neptune shook her head, "That would be committing mass murder,"
"I highly doubt they are even past any some sort of salvation."
Neptune looked down at her mirror, "We cannot risk it, this is a manipulation... a stronger force is making us see things this distorted and forcing us to believe things that aren't there." She took a deep breath, "I feel it, clogging my chest... I don't need the mirror to foreshadow we are cursed,"
"Oi," Jadeite jerked his head, his brows knitted with frustration, "I am not—" his eyes went wide, a chill crawled down his spine and turned to Kunzite who has the same expression in his stoic face. Pluto looked up at her garnet stone and turned when she recognized the alert it was giving her, that's when she noticed they were not alone. The strange silhouette of a man appeared behind a curtain of fog and it stood there for what it felt the longest of time without casting one single move.
"What is that?" Uranus muttered, knowing her erratic reaction and way to attack an enemy.
Pluto quickly stretched her arm to give her a sign to stay still. Uranus' blue eyes met with Pluto's garnet ones and noticed it, the seriousness and fear pooling in them as she shook her head, taking the warning much more seriously. Saturn's silence was also an alerting a red flag; she studied her in silence for a brief minute and she saw it that just as Pluto, Saturn was also taking the same posture Pluto was, being her the first and if not the only one to step in to lay down her glaive without thinking it twice when things spiral out of control.
"What is—" She tried asking when she was interrupted by the ominous presence, making her feel glued to the ground. Her limbs felt heavy, her heart started to race in alert. Next to her, laid Mars. She frowned, and slowly turned and extended her arm when she spotted the creature standing eerily in the distance, yet not too far away from them, "Mars!"
Sparks that soon changed to forceful streams of fire surrounded the war senshi as they formed into her famous war bow and pulled the fire arrow back; her amethyst eyes aimed for its target.
Ready to take the stand and attack first, Saturn turned. Her dark violet eyes narrowed, her arms slowly let go of Megumi and pushed herself off the ground without leaving the maiden unprotected, startling everyone, "From the depths, you have risen like a master shadow,"
Saturn exchanged a quick glance with Pluto, who was the only one besides Saturn that knew the basics of the entity in comparison to the rest of the sailor senshi. As odd as it appeared, Silence and Time were the sailor senshi that had the most complex upbringing and lives than any other sailor senshi due to the power and the length of their jurisdiction. While Saturn sacrificed her life every time she used her power, she would always be reborn and awaken to her ancient self and Pluto, while having died when she broke the highest taboo of her jurisdiction, her essence remained the same by existing in all the fragments of time. Every time Saturn died, Pluto guided her soul through the loop of time and brought her back to be reborn, sometimes without even noticing it. They were always gravitating towards one another, making perfect sense as to why Pluto adopted her as her daughter in this present era.
Of them all, they were the most studied on divinity and its laws that even went beyond Mercury's outstanding knowledge. Since they were first born, the high gods prepared and treated them differently. Unlike the other girls who were raised as part of divine nobility, Pluto and Saturn were always forced to think and act as tools for battle which now justified their lack of emotion and detached behavior whenever they needed to make a hard decision. But not even then they were allowed to know more than they should and having more power than any of their peers had, the myth of Chaos was new despite having known of his existence since ancient times. They grew up believing he was an entity, not an actual deity and one that turned out to be related to their Princess' beloved.
Unexpectedly, like a beast unleashed, a large shadow ran in their direction, in a matter of seconds catching up with them and pounding the ground with its large fists. Once in clear view, the monster was considerably bigger than any other demon they had encountered in the past; it was more of a creature made of burnt flesh, with no recognizable face and body with the exception of its limbs glowing blood red.
Mars was first to attack and released a blast of fire arrows that landed on its large back, Jadeite quickly followed behind when he heard the beast growl, clearly manifesting some sort of pain aside its unfiltered rage.
Mars blinked, completely shocked at the young senshi standing without showing any sort of emotion as she watched the events unfolding. Saturn didn't lose her focus and without alerting anybody she raised her glaive more as to give the others an alibi to get away than to use her power but before she could give a command the temperature around them dropped considerably stalling her from using her weapon.
They started fighting, one demon after the other, one shadow to the next pouring out of the giant. Mercury took the lead and instructed the shitennou through codes which one were possessed humans and which ones came straight from hell's wasteland while the senshi took the front by using their divine powers on the shadows coming after them like hungry hyenas.
"Venus—Wink Chain Sword!"
Venus whipped her bright gold chain right after the attack to get a wider range; Kunzite slashed demons with his quartz sword gleaming in a soft pink hue.
Zoisite modified his weapon into his now famous quartz spear and tackled the monsters in the front while Mars and Jadeite used their bows to target the ones far behind, taking a farther range of attack.
The plan was working, the barricade was coming down, clearing their way and join Nephrite and Jupiter to ground zero where the first bomb of fire crossed the atmosphere and crashed by the bay.
Venus turned over her shoulder after leaping away, barely missing the attack from a demon "Uranus! Grant me your power! We need an advantage!"
Uranus ran to get Megumi from Saturn but Neptune was quick to intervene and take place in protecting her along with Luna and Artemis using the energy from her mirror and running away from the battle scene. The sky senshi didn't even wait for another command to come her way, she was ready for action, she raised her hand and charged it with enough energy and swung his arm back down, pounding her fist on the ground, "World—Shaking!"
The ripples of force and the burst of energy moved from underground straight to the enemy, disbalancing and tearing them apart. Uranus didn't wait, from here she repeated the attack three more times, each one stronger and more charged than the last. Without having to give the command to alert her comrades again, she pounded the ground again and grinned with pleasure when she saw progress was finally within their grasp, that they were finally getting somewhere.
Mercury typed fast and joined the battle, with her goggles on to be able to measure the level of attack, "I know it's not ethical and Usagi-chan would most certainly never approve but in this case…"
"What?" Venus turned to look at her wide-eyed, Mercury sighed, "It's necessary..."
"Mercury!"
"I'm not going to kill them," Mercury raised her arms, "Just… stall them for a little bit,"
"Then why are you saying Usagi wouldn't approve your method?" Venus jumped and whipped her chain again; Mercury snapped her fingers "Because I'm going to freeze them until they reach a level of unconsciousness comparable to one of an induced coma. And since there are so many, well… it will look a little too graphic,"
"Can we guarantee the safety of these people?" Mars threw a fire mandala along with Jadeite's charged arrows.
"No,"
Mars turned to Saturn, "What?"
"No, we can't." Saturn repeated, this time with a more certain tone in her voice, "As long as they are under the influence of dementia, there is not much for us to do… there are times where not even the strongest of lights can reach the bottom of a pit of darkness."
"Are you saying they're condemned to die?"
"I am saying that even when they will be trapped in an induced coma to be spared from dying a tragic death or feel any pain, they will continue to suffer because they're trapped in their own nightmares. If they live or die is beyond our control, we do not have access to their minds. All much we can do is to pause their fate for an uncertain amount of time." Saturn looked up, "The sky is breaking, clearly the enemy… our real enemy is crossing through there."
Mercury flinched and brought a hand to her head and started taking sharp breaths, "Mercury!" Kunzite turned alarmed when he heard Zoisite's forced breathing too, "Zoisite!"
"Whatever this is..." Zoisite held his head between both hands, feeling as if it was being ripped apart, "It is mocking us..."
"As if my mind... isn't my own... it hurts..." Mercury closed her eyes, "I... can't..."
"What do we do!?" Mars turned to Saturn, "Are you going to tell me they are having the same effect?!" She grabbed the young senshi by the shoulders and shook her with panic "Saturn!"
Saturn tightened her grip on her glaive and closed her violet eyes, "We're not alone,"
"W-What?!"
"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"
All sailor senshi and shitennou widened their eyes and turned in the direction of the voice. A burst of white light mirroring shards of kaleidoscopic colors pierced through the thick fog disintegrating it along with the ash and smell of decay. Like a strong breeze of fresh air, Mars instantly felt relieved when she saw Mercury and Zoisite regain their strength and Artemis stopped having the strange seizures.
"Artemis!" Luna cried as she held him tight in her arms, the white-haired advisor started to regain a normal pace of his breathing and slowly opened his green eyes, "L-Luna... W-What..." Artemis blinked, slowly "What happened?"
As an instant response to his question, Endymion was seen running towards the enemy with his sword secure in hand "Ambusti Terrae!" He said out loud. Sailor Moon tapped the moon symbol gleaming on her forehead and threw her tiara to blasted another charge of light to clear Endymion's path.
"Boreas!" Sailor Moon pointed her tiare in perfect synchrony with Endymion's movements, she recovered her tiara and used her moon rod to charge with light strong enough for the prince to move without having to max out his energy; same he was saving to keep the planet stabilized. Her crystal blue eyes narrowed and kept pointing north "Ictos!"
Everyone watched with wide eyes and a gaping mouth at their perfect synchronization. With Sailor Moon being the one guiding Endymion to their target and him following her instructions with precision. Kunzite smirked proudly, thinking of the many times he advised the princess of not being afraid of using the prince's ancient training to her advantage and not to measure their level of skill or power and rely on each other to take down any obstacle that stands in their way. This was the opportunity to work as one and prove that together, they are truly one amazing team and an unstoppable force.
Venus noticed different energy coming from Sailor Moon. She didn't look fickle by her current problems but a soldier that grew over the years of massive experience with previous enemies and challenges. The one soldier she was proud to also call her princess, the woman she loved to call her sister and best friend.
"Serenity..." She mumbled with amaze by the warrior princess' stance and locked gaze on her husband's every move. Her hand holding tight her moon tiare still glowing and clearing the area for the prince to move through and take down the dark presence taking everyone hostage.
Without glancing at the group, Endymion went straight to the shadow giant and dodged a swing of its large fist using the force of its swing as an impulse to jump high and turn his body mid-air to face down at it. He changed the angle of his blade, positioned it above his head and stabbed it in its back, gliding it all the way down as he lost height and landed behind it, letting the poison and guts pour from the large wound in a similar way as when he returned from the underworld.
He pulled the weapon from the rotten flesh and swung it with force to glide the remains of black blood from it and turned over his shoulder, raising his arm and give Kunzite a silent command to take care of the rest. The white-haired shitennou immediately caught up to follow up and ran toward him with Zoisite and Jadeite already set with his weapon charged with energy.
Kunzite turned to Zoisite and pointed the beast still fighting to survive, "Lock it!"
Zoisite brought his hands together to charge his weapon and dragged his crystal spear on the ground as he traced a perimeter "Zoi!" He raised his arm to build a crystal barrier to lock the monster and the poison that was still pouring out from it while Jadeite and Kunzite jumped in to slash the remains of the body to pieces.
"Uranus!" Mars called out and joined the battle and raised her hands to call for her own power, "Akuryo Taisan!"
The sacred orbs of fire from the Shinto warrior blessed the ground, disintegrating the shadows into ash. Sailor Uranus acted seconds and threw several punches to the ground, intensifying the attack. Mercury found this the perfect opportunity to follow her plan to help the people caught up in the madness, "Shine Snow Illusion!"
Uranus pounded the ground with her charge fist "World—Shacking!"
Even if it was for a moment, there was a warmth their bodies had been needing to recover, a soothing power coming from none other than "Sailor Moon..." Venus mumbled as she looked up and sighed with tremendous relief when the light had started to clear the fog surrounding them, revealing the couple standing back to back, unscathed. One last swing to glide the tar from the crystal blade, Endymion put it back in its sacred sheath.
"Ludere idem ludum, ego video." The prince turned to look the other side and narrowed his indigo eyes, "Ut non videatur, haec ars tua."
(Playing the same game, I see. Not to be seen, this tactic of yours.)
He ran his tongue over his dry lips and swallowed, trying his best to keep his calm while studying their surroundings. Sailor Moon caught the change in his voice to a lower tone and immediately felt a hole in the pit of her stomach, momentarily her mind pulling her back to just mere moments ago.
-O-
His eyes darkened when he looked up at the sky and saw the clouds started to move in concentric circles, similar to a tornado brewing its force to make contact with the ground. Sailor Moon looked up; her angelic face frowned with concern "En—"
"Boreas," His baritone voice pierced through her soft voice. Sailor Moon snapped from her own somber thoughts and turned to him remembering they agreed to keep their names hidden, with a nod she cleared her throat, "Are we too far from everyone?"
"Somewhat far," Endymion put his dagger back in its sheath and held her hand as they walked ahead, "But we can take a shortcut from here to get to them faster. I got the coordinates from Jadeite; the shadows are spread all over the city and it will be literally impossible to tackle them since they respawn in a matter of seconds and twice in number." His indigo eyes turned sapphire, sensing eerie silage swirling in the wind "The world is suspended in darkness. Our plan is in motion, there is no turning back now. My energy is still limited due to my constant monitoring of Earth. This is the time when I put my trust in other people's hands," He slowly turned to make eye contact with her, "But it's you who I trust the most,"
"You have me to give you the energy you need," Sailor Moon felt a flutter in her chest, feeling completely drawn to him "I am not going anywhere."
Serenity learned over time to appreciate and value her place as a warrior in the universe. An ally to others and also a leader. She had incredible soldiers guarding her back on the battlefield, but she always had very clear that her pillar and support, the one that always pulled her back was the man standing in front of her. And now that he had awoken to the ancient nature of his clan, to hear him say she was whom he trusted the most was the best compliment in her world.
Endymion gave her a faint smile, "You are my source of energy... the bearer of my fate,"
Sailor Moon looked for his hand and laced her fingers with his, not caring a single damn this wasn't the best time to be romantic "I won't lose sight of you. I won't lose sight of the road ahead of us. I won't turn away from that future because now more than ever I am certain that I am ready to fight for it and make this a better world, the place where we belong."
Her eyes stared at the marks on his wrist and tightened her grip on his hands, fighting her tears with all her might, "My place is where you are; I chose the path that would lead me to you so we can walk together, hand in hand. That's the only truth I need to feel safe and I won't give up. I know you won't give up on us because you have never done it... you never break your promises..." Sailor Moon looked up at him, but before she could say another word, her lips were captured by his in a heartfelt kiss that fed her soul with certainty and love, so much love.
Endymion parted slowly and ran his thumb gently across her swollen lips as he looked into her eyes; thinking the same "You believing in me is all I need to know I can do this. I had to kiss you to seal my eternal vow to you, Sailor Moon."
Sailor Moon felt her heart flutter in her chest again, no matter the time and circumstance, the man had a talent to make her feel like the only girl in the world. She blinked, surprised "But... the protocol for battle... You said..."
"All that can go straight to hell for all I care as long as I can taste your lips again," Endymion leaned down to kiss her again. His warm lips nibbling on hers as he spoke in whispers between short catches of breath, each hushed word charged with raw desire and love for her, "Everything changed the moment you walked into my life. This makes more sense... what is between you and me is far better than following any protocol. Screw protocol... I love you." He cupped her cheek and took a deep breath, "Looking into those beautiful eyes of yours I get the certainty I need to keep going. To know what I am fighting for. To know that we can get this done and move forward..."
Sailor Moon pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes, "Sprinkles," she heard him whisper in her ear, "Please hold on a little while longer..."
Her eyes fluttered open in an instant, instant tears wavering on her eyes.
"Just a little longer, Baby... please..."
Sailor Moon slid her hands from his face to his neck, her fingers wrapped in his midnight hair and took one long breath. She slowly nodded, knowing what he was trying to tell her in silence. They were in the middle of two battles, both strong on their own and both life-changing. But it was the way he was asking her to hold on what made her realized it was her whom he was most worried about, that it was her the one in his mind subconsciously taking his full attention.
"Mamo-chan... I don't—" She said with a broken voice, trying to move enough to look into his eyes but Endymion tightened his arms around her to stop her, "You're my wife, Usa, it's impossible to ask me not to,"
"I can do this. Fighting is a way for me to cope with my own demons... my own way to remind myself that I am strong enough to endure this. I know there are many things I need to overcome but right now, we must take care of this; with you by my side... I cannot be afraid." Sailor Moon finally looked into his eyes, "I want to take care of you. I will protect you."
Endymion wiped the last remains of moist in Sailor Moon's face with his sleeve and took a deep breath when he felt another haunting feeling in the pit of his stomach crawling all the way up in his chest when he heard it in his mind; Jadeite's voice speaking sharp and urgent. Sailor Moon noticed it and read the tension in his face when Endymion exhaled with a nod, never leaving his eyes on hers, "He's here."
-O-
Pluto tightened her grip on her key staff when she heard the prince talking to the nothingness ahead like he could see something no one else could. Her garnet eyes dilated and slowly opened wide when she felt another strong presence by that was different from the one standing away from them. Her lips parted; her body didn't feel her own but she could clearly feel being pulled back in a somber state of mind. For a fraction of a second, she caught a fast glimpse of a tall man, his face was slightly hidden by the darkness around him.
"That is..." Her deep colored lips barely moved as she whispered the daunting truth to finally make sense.
"Sanguis gustare possum, non possum te nidore sentiret... sphaeram vestris: tam consimilest atque ego; certae. Titanas sphaeram."
(I can taste the blood, I can sense your smell... your aura, the same as mine, unmistakable. The aura of titans.)
Pluto swallowed nervously; the threat was palpable so the vicious glare set on them. Her brows knitted together when trying to focus on their target "What is that?"
The shadow slowly became clearer to everyone, the energy the same eerie force playing with their minds. Rejoicing in their confusion, manipulating every single drop of self-control. The presence was deceitful to their eyes, the senshi, shitennou, even Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn found it difficult to focus, being Pluto and Endymion, the only ones standing the weight that felt like carrying a ton of bricks on their backs.
"Quam novus, omnia in unum locum. Quibus planetarum cum benedictione quae ferunt Sanguinem ex Olympii deos. Amisso iam obsidionis abrogationem tueri conatur auferre. Quid est tibi, ut incipiat cum, velut si partes ludere in eis salvatorem."
(How interesting, all in one place. Those with the blessing of planets carrying the blood of Olympian gods. A useless siege trying to protect what is already lost and taken. What is not yours, to begin with, pretending to play the role of a savior.)
Sailor Moon felt bone-chilling energy around them the moment the deep voice echoed through the fog. It was clear, the flow of its speech had a strong similarity to the one she heard from the Cauldron of Stars and also, the use of Latin was clear proof of who was speaking in the dark. It was so chilling to notice the same low notes that also graced Endymion's smooth baritone voice.
Endymion stood still staring at the long-limbed creature that still didn't cast a single move, "Hoc est a recurrente forte vobiscum? Ut dependeat in eo manifestat per obumbratio vocem tuam et caligo in an impalpabilis gravita speculativa destitutam?"
(Is this a recurrent with you? To manifest through shadows and let your voice hang in an impalpable mist of speculation?)
"Quod proles hybrida loquitur lingua veteres..." (The hybrid scion speaks the language of ancients...)
Endymion narrowed his eyes, "Hoc quousque non exspectare me ad vos credere qui stabant coram nobis?" (How long do you expect me to believe you are standing before us?)
"Nec poteris ineptias non in mea sit coram nudo oculo qni honore indigni,"
(My time is not to be wasted in such trivialities nor my presence should be an honor of those unworthy to bear it with a naked eye.)
"Non dignum tamen... hic estis." (Not worthy... yet, here you are.) Endymion frowned, "Sed tu ut tuo adhuc subintroierunt explorare libertatem aliorum vita vivat et in loco ubi nemo dignus aspectu apud te. Tua ratio est contradictio, Chaos."
(Yet, you still stole the life of others to get your freedom and live in a place where no one is worthy of looking at you. Your logic is a contradiction, Chaos.)
"Chaos..." Jadeite mumbled and widened his eyes, turning to Kunzite with panic, "Oi... did he just say Chaos?!"
Kunzite swallowed; tension visible all over his face, failing to keep his usual stoic poise. Zoisite took a sharp breath, "The power coming from that point... it is... it has to be..."
"Et locutus est contradictio sine mente, cum quoque is esses cum ab uno et duo capti inter bina illa unum sunt sanguine non realiter sed unus. Hoc est digna ponderatio auri comperta est antiquis dynastia sua extremum auxilium experirentur."
(You speak of a contradiction too mindlessly when your existence is one by being trapped between two realities and two bloodlines without really belonging to a single one. Yet this invaluable scrap of an ancient dynasty is their last resource.)
The low soft-spoken voice had everyone on a trance despite most of them being unable to understand the conversation between the prince and the creature shrouded in mystery. Finally, it moved, its eyes started glowing in the midst of darkness like rubies caught under the light. Endymion had to be very careful on how to plan his next move, whether it was best to tackle it there or just wait a little while longer to see how this would develop.
It was a clear fact Chaos had his eyes on them. He was aware, but as much harrowing the atmosphere was and how obvious it was his presence luring over them, he wasn't entirely there, magnifying his manipulating power and leaving clear how intricate his strategy truly is.
Chaos was a silent character, a menace with a fine web of information that worked beyond the expectations of everyone; even his who knew these kinds of sly tactics like the back of his hand.
"Ego autem non est ultima experiens auxilia," (I am no one's last resource,) Endymion said in the same low and menacing tone, matching Chaos'. He slowly slid his hand to rest over the hilt of his sword, preparing for any outcome the titan might take "Et ne quis me aliquid inter capti. Scis exacte sum qui sum,"
(And I am no one trapped between anything. I know exactly who I am,)
"Endymion, non est?" Chaos' voice echoed like the most elegant chant, "Est dorso, ad derivatione vero intrabit... quod est venereum fabulam post matrem tuam ut te ad nomine. Etenim non sciebant, quid illa ageret. Et durus es clavis, in sacris concipiuntur ipsa terra de utero natus. In apicem de aureum hora mea, quae multiplex et magnifice consilium. Procul occasu solis ortus formam humanam penitus negaretur pandens hereditatem; vitium necopinatum. Sed, cum potentia ad cataracta imo in sacris talis dynastia."
(Endymion, is it? - To dive, to enter... that is the true derivation behind the romantic story your mother told you about that name. In truth, she always knew what she was doing; she knew you were a key. Conceived in the sacred womb of Earth itself with the seed of a mortal of royal heritage. Born at the peak of the golden hour, my, what a magnificent and meticulous plan. The embodiment of the sun setting in the distance was born human, completely denied of its titan heritage; unwanted. Yet, with the power to lock in its very depths the sacred of such dynasty.)
Endymion's eyes gleamed, quickly changed colors from sapphire to Prussian the second he sensed the threat in Chaos' voice.
At the other side, Megumi felt a tug in her chest and widened her eyes when she remembered her dream, "Golden hour..." she frowned, trying to put up the pieces of the words she heard and shook her head, "The seal can be broken... at the peak of the golden hour..." she looked up, pale and horrified "No..."
"Megumi?" Artemis looked at her, Megumi shook her head again, "No, it cannot be..."
The shadow started to move closer, "Si quaedam verba: Venite et videte quam multa in vos can serva,"
(If your words are certain, let us see how much of both you can preserve,)
"Stand back," Endymion muttered, quickly glancing at Pluto who was the closest to him and turned with wide eyes, "Prince!"
"Stand back!" Endymion stretched his arm, aiming his glowing palm at the shadow moving in front of them and countered the blast of dark energy thrown at them with his own, resulting in a massive explosion, one Pluto shielded everyone from the abrasive results thanks to her garnet talisman.
Sailor Moon was quick to answer to the cause and used the power of her moon rod to appease the flames left after the explosion and to prevent any more damage while Endymion still holding the attack "Moon Princess Halation!"
"Mars!" Venus gave the command and ran toward the princess to join forces and channeled their power with hers, the fire senshi summoned her power "Burning Mandala!"
Venus took her stance and threw a shower of golden light at the demons crawling around them, "Venus—Love and Beauty Shock!"
Uranus and Neptune with their attacks ready, the blonde senshi leaped and landed a strong fist at the ground while Neptune in her nymph-like dance shouted the deep secrets of the heavenly oceans and shouted in par with her lover "Deep—Submerge!"
"World—Shaking!"
Pluto turned to Saturn and gave her a silent request to cover for the others while she stood by the prince's side, with one loud stomp of her key rod on the ground she aimed her energy at Chaos "Chronos Typhoon!"
Saturn raised her glaive and shouted, "Silence Wall!"
"Terran proles... Tu ambitiosum. Et quia desperata est piquing salvos mea interest. Vicis lenis quidem tecum, sed frustra. Et de semine regio et tetigit sigillum potest altero omittente rumpatur testamentum est sol in lucem. Hic est responsum sed eorum verborum significatione, ubi jacet: in quibus jus sum."
(Terran scion... You are intriguing. The desperation for your survival is piquing my interest. Even with Silence and Time on your side, it is pointless. The seal can be broken by one of royal blood touched by the light of the Sun. The answer is not here but where the meaning of those words lies: right where I am.)
A loud rumble, shook the ground enough to make them lose balance and focus. The dark fog quickly dissipated in falling ash, revealing the shadows and demons armed with rusty weapons cornered into Chaos' trap.
"Damn it," Endymion growled under his breath when he saw energy leaving the body he was possessing to speak for him just seconds ago leaving it deformed and traumatized. Noticing the tension in Endymion's face, the very one when you did not get the expected result from a negotiation, Kunzite took the lead in taking care of the demons ahead and left the prince to deal with the urgent matter with Chaos. Zoisite joined too with his crystal spear in hand, piercing the bodies of those equally condemned and that was beyond salvation.
"Supreme—Thunder!"
The burst of lightening mapped on the ground, revealing Jupiter in position channeling the massive energy attack with Nephrite aiding her as a conduit to open the skies and borrow the energy of the corrupted stars. Jupiter, in all of her glory with her eternal sailor uniform, charged and sparking with light green and blue specks of charge aimed her palms at the shadow and turned to Uranus, as of lately who she had been very much in sync whenever they wanted to cause unforgiving punishment.
"Jupiter—Coconut Cyclone!"
Uranus felt the weight on her body lift off her and dashed after the demons, raising her hand in the air she called for her sword, "My Magic Tool—Talisman!" The glowing weapon appeared in her hand, "Show thy power and protect me!" The senshi of the skies swung the blade down, "Space Sword Blaster!"
The fast blasting orbs of energy caught up in the whirlwind of the other's attacks, heightening the force and range of the attack, scattering the shadows that soon after turned into flakes of ash. For now, they had gotten the advantage over Chaos, the shadows had somehow diminished which meant only one thing: Chaos was one step ahead of them.
Endymion knew this and he had to think fast to step up and catch up with his ancestor. There was no time for him to measure the situation and take out his sword, it was either attack the demon upfront or get caught in the nightmare. Caught in his own thoughts, as he turned on his heel his gaze locked with Megumi's as she walked over to him and felt a pull in his chest, an unforgiving sense of guilt and shame overcoming him, as if he hadn't been honest with the girl who had sacrificed her life and freedom for his for too long.
"Master," Kunzite looked at him with worry as he put his sword back in its sheath, "Jadeite heard word from Ares,"
Jadeite joined them soon after and nodded, "He has given orders to the army of polemarchos—they're here." The blonde general bit her lower lip and swallowed, very hesitant, "Oi... was that really Chaos?"
Endymion looked at him and slowly confirmed the damning truth, "Part of him..." He started to walk away with a hurry, "What do you mean part of him?!" Jadeite felt a chill down his bones as he followed the prince. Endymion frowned, "It means he's not here."
"Then... where is—"
The ground rumbled with angry force again; it was inhuman and making it impossible to make a steady step. Constructions had started to collapse, pieces of metal and concrete fell and flew without distance, just to the mercy of the heavy gusty winds. Like a typhoon, the force of void was taking everything away; into its bottomless penumbra.
The sky had lost all meaning as of now. It was a massive vortex without separation between the divine and the mortal realm. It was a massive black hole and it was sucking everything away. The centrifugal force was so strong, stronger than when Saturn used the power of her glaive; merciless, charged with anger. Temperatures had completely dropped. The ground was in shackles, cracking in big chunks of frozen asphalt and dirt and yet, bolts of lightning burst above them.
"The fourth dimension is being taken over... the divine realm has begun to merge with the mortal realm..."
"I'm going to face Chaos," Endymion locked eyes with Sailor Moon who was now running in his direction; her face said it all, suddenly remembering he still had a wound healing on his side. Uranus frowned when she noticed the white shirt of his tuxedo stained red, "You haven't healed..." she blinked, still very dumbfounded by his performance despite being at a disadvantage, "Are you insane?!"
"Letting Chaos take over is what's insane," Sailor Moon said in a low tone and with much more authority than before, "What happened in the Cauldron is just a fraction of what's happening now and we're running out of time," She turned to Endymion, "We need to take Luna, Artemis, and Megumi to safety,"
Her calm demeanor left Uranus in shock, not because she didn't think the princess knew battle and how to fight but because she was not trying in the minimum to stop the prince from leaving her side like she had been doing it in previous battles, leaving the sky senshi with nothing to argue.
"We only have one way to go from here but they can't come with us, it's not safe. The Moon Tower is my safest option,"
"Pluto," Endymion turned over his shoulder to look at the senshi of time with a slight flinch. In the midst of her own challenges, Pluto licked her lips and turned to Luna, then to Sailor Moon and sighed, "I can rely on one of Chronos' keys and it would have to be now. The only thing against us right now is that it will require a great amount of energy because using one of Father's keys literally means creating a new portal in the continuum, and to do it... I would need... well..." she rolled her eyes at the irony of her words, "Time..."
Endymion's breathing came out through clenched teeth, forced and short. Sailor Moon noticed the tension in his lips every time he spoke a word. She knew how to read him like an open book; every gesture, every smile, glance, frown, and blink. Usagi knew him with impressive accuracy and she knew very well that every time Mamoru lightly dragged his teeth over his bottom lip is because he was truly exasperated or in a tremendous amount of pain. Right now, he was both.
"It cannot be stopped," His deep blue eyes found Saturn's deep violet ones. Saturn nodded but stayed close to Luna and Artemis. The fabric of her white glove squeaked from the friction caused by the force with which she held her glaive, her violet eyes gleamed in the darkness of their surroundings, "The portal is feeding on the remains of energy pulsing on Earth..."
"I will take care of that," Endymion turned over his shoulder to look at the senshi of time, "I trust you on this matter, Pluto."
"Of course," Pluto nodded, "As for Chaos..."
"I will get the space you need to take us off this plane." Endymion nodded at Saturn "I trust your judgment and will rely on the power of your glaive,"
Sailor Moon felt chills down her spine as she heard the youngest of the senshi speak with so much somberness and much worse when she heard her husband's course of action. She looked up at the sky again, finding it had to believe this was really happening, that this wasn't a dream; that she couldn't pinch herself and wake up and later forget about it with something sweet and ordinary.
Never in her life had seen something like this. This was the first time she feared her fate, that she felt uncertain of the outcome and the aftermath of this war. There was so much destruction wherever she turned to look at, there was so much blood, hatred, and anger that just thinking of ordinary, the word itself felt so alien and so unattainable; more like a dream than actual reality.
"This is the manifestation of Chaos—who he is."
A rich bass voice rumbled from behind like a drum, making her turn quickly over her shoulder. Her long pearlescent hair flowing messy in the brassy wind, sticking to her dirty face. Her crystal blue eyes glossed with tears when she saw the line of soldiers lined ahead; soldiers she only knew as living myths, hidden from the eyes of everyone. Her heart sank at the sight of the man in heavy armor and frowned, somewhat fearful of what he might say next.
"Chaos does not need to feed on anything, Chaos is void. This is Chaos."
"Oh, great, another unwanted guest," Uranus frowned and crossed her arms "Who are you?!"
The warrior in silver tilted his head low, his gleaming eyes focused intensely at the group, "I am the Polemarchos of Omega, Third in Command of the Celestial Army, Centaurus." He turned to Sailor Moon, and lightly bowed his head, "My presence here is no casualty, Sailor Moon," he looked at the void above, "I am following specific orders,"
"Polemarchos... of Omega..." Sailor Moon shook her head confused, "You know who I am..."
Centaurus's expression softened for a minute, "Princess of the White Moon, the heir of a strong empire that chose the path of a soldier, of course, I know. Your existence and perseverance are a well-known legend."
Sailor Moon blushed, "Legend?"
"You once confronted Chaos... in its essence. A manipulation of his power. That is something that reached the ears of many of my league, myself included." Centaurus turned and tilted his head with prideful flair at Endymion, "Polemarchos of Sol, it took me time to track your whereabouts... You come and go as a flickering light in the dark from a common mortal to an ancient warrior; the control over your aura is outstanding."
Jadeite frowned confused, "Sol? Isn't he... Earth?" He turned to Zoisite but the blonde shook his head, not wanting to miss any piece of this conversation.
"I am not leaving Earth," Endymion went straight to the point and narrowed his sapphire eyes, "I thought I made myself clear to Ares,"
The polemarchos in silver secured his large blade on the sheath across his back, "I am not here to recruit you, Sol Polemarch, that is not my job."
Centaurus studied the prince's features, his lips barely moved in a side smirk, "Your aura while different, it truly holds that raging force characteristic of Helios' descendants,"
"Get to the point, Centauri," Endymion frowned "Why are you here?"
"Like you, I have my own mission to address with Chaos that diverts me from the rest of my peers." Centaurus looked at the prince with the same defiance he was staring at him, "Chaos stole the black hole sitting at the center of the Omega Galaxy; that is the medium he is using to bend and break portals in the universe."
"A black hole?" Pluto's eyes widened, "Mend and break portals? Is this why parallels are merged, then?"
Centaurus nodded, "Black holes are valuable sources of energy but it happens that the one from Omega is part of my jurisdiction. It feeds the Omega Galaxy with life despite its destructive nature; my Emperors keep it safe but Chaos knowing his way through the universe knew how to get it without a trace. I confronted him but winning that battle was not a guarantee for Omega's survival... we are in the same league yet Chaos surpassed my level of skill and power,"
"How great is the damage so far?" Sailor Moon looked at him with worry, "How much Chaos has done with it?"
Centaurus turned to Sailor Moon a little taken aback by the fearlessness in her serious voice, "He has many galaxies under his command: Andromeda, Omega, and Coma Berenice's galaxies are by far the most affected. The Milky Way has started to suffer his presence too. He is very well protected, the soldiers here are not just shadows and demons from the Underworld, but spectres that fell under his influence from all those places... he created an army to feed his will," The imposing polemarch sighed, "We are talking of hundreds of planets under his control—countless of lives, countless of minds corrupted."
Endymion secured the sheath of his sword on the belt hanging loosely around his waist. He looked up at the massive whirlpool in the sky taking souls and energy alike, close to making contact with land, "A lockdown,"
Centaurus frowned, "Here?"
"Ares already commanded it; I am just confirming it." Endymion arched his brow, "This is as far as he will go,"
"It is a death sentence to this planet,"
"You think I do not know what it's happening up there?" Endymion pointed a finger to the pitch back sky, "As of now, Ares has Earth surrounded and so the perimeter of this galaxy. His plan is to contain Chaos so the polemarchos' can get rid of his trail, as their duty entails. Whatever happens to Earth is the least of your concerns, but unfortunately for you, it meddles with mine and my mission and that puts us in a contradiction. Earth is the sacred land of my ancestors I vowed to protect and you all are trespassing and manipulating its course. I cannot allow it. This is my heritage, what my family has fought to protect for millions of years and now is well protected not just by me, but by a whole league of strong sailor senshi,"
"Do you even know who you are going against?!" Centaurus chuckled with sarcasm, "It is not a simple task; Chaos is not a common warrior!"
Endymion arched his brow, silently mocking the irony in his words. Centaurus exhaled when he saw the wound on his side "Have you not seen the conditions you are in?"
"Sailor Moon," Endymion turned to his wife with a softer glance, his stormy blue eyes changing to a rich sapphire shade, the color he always dedicated to her, "Please lend me your power,"
Sailor Moon nodded and held his hand, her lips barely moved but it was clear she was calling for the strong cleansing energy of her silver crystal to react to him. Seconds later a soft white light gleamed through their hands, granting Endymion the energy he needed to call for his and transform his bloody tuxedo into his navy-black uniform and armor covered by the long black cape falling over his shoulders like a protective shield.
The shitennou and senshi watched wide-eyed at the bond between the prince and princess; Megumi felt her heart beating strong in her chest, proud of the princess for regaining the strength to keep on moving forward.
"It is inarguable, you have the characteristic features of those living through his dynasty..." Centaurus muttered with spiked interest. Endymion frowned and pointed the massive typhoon forming of black matter "I need to get to that portal,"
Centaurus clenched his jaw as he followed the prince with his gaze, "What you are attempting to do is suicidal,"
"That is up to me to decide," Endymion turned over his shoulder, "You should not be bothered by it,"
"It seems all of you have that same snarky and defying attitude," Centaurus frowned, "Your mother would have said something close to that route, how stubborn you all are,"
"Is this what you came all the way here to tell me; how we all look alike?" Endymion stopped and turned to Centaurus, "I am her son, what did you expect?" His eyes darkened with anger "Tell me something I don't know for goddamn once because it's getting old. If you know us so well, then you must know we can't also stand wasting our time,"
Impressed by the prince's lack of intimidation, Centaurus raised his hand and snapped his fingers loud and clear. In seconds, a large black stallion appeared with a loud neigh, "You will need something more potent to take you there. It is my personal steed; you can trust it will do the job with the velocity you are expecting, Sol Polemarch,"
Endymion widened his eyes as he looked at the horse's beautiful black coat gleaming like a clear starry night, proving its divine and cosmic nature. Centaurus crossed his arms, "Ares has been clear about not stepping in your way, it seems he knows you have what it takes to take over this matter. If he trusts you this much, I must comply. Use it to your advantage, it will respond to the name Alpha,"
"Alpha..." Endymion arched his brow, "As in Alpha Centauri?"
"One had to pay homage. Alpha is the star of my constellation," Centaurus shrugged his shoulder; his face darkened with seriousness, "One more thing: Once you get to Chaos, I will need your coordinates. Weaponry will come at your disposal—consider the Omega Galaxy an ally in your battle,"
"Thank you, Centauri." Endymion took a deep breath and turned on his heel.
"Your Highness..."
Megumi's voice startled Endymion, sending a shiver down his back as he slowly turned to look at her, his body tensed. Ever since this started, he had tried his best to avoid more drama for her and somehow, he felt he has failed. He felt ashamed.
"Megumi..."
The maiden walked to him. She took a second to think her words well and shook her head, trying her best not to break into tears "What he said..." she closed her eyes for a second, "If that is true, then... there is nothing else for me to question, there is no room for me to doubt,"
Endymion widened his eyes when Megumi looked up at him, "The only truth I believe is that one I was told when I was a child whose dream was to one day visit the blessed land of Elysion, the cradle of our protector."
"It seems this fate has followed us again, Megumi..." Endymion gave the young maiden an apologetic glance, "We're again stuck in a ruthless battle..."
"And again, I will put my trust in your hands," Megumi smiled, "You are not alone. I trust you and my Princess to make things right."
Endymion felt a knot in the back of his throat. He wanted to say more but couldn't find the words; he wasn't brave enough to promise her something when he had failed her in the past. He returned the smile and pinched her nose in a brotherly fashion, his hand gently cupping her cheek for a brief moment before turning on his heel toward the divine stallion and pulled the thick leather reins to impulse himself up and mount the heavenly beast. After wrapping the straps around his left wrist, Endymion turned to his wife and stretched his arm out, asking her to join him. Sailor Moon smiled and without a second thought walked towards him taking everyone by surprise.
It was as if they were talking to themselves through their minds, the way they moved and acted was so synchronized it was clear they had strengthened their bond not just on a romantic level.
"N-No... wait!" Venus was the first one to react and ran over to her, "Sailor Moon!"
Venus came close enough to hold Sailor Moon's wrist and stop her from going, "Princess!"
"I'm so glad you're all right," Sailor Moon turned and wrapped her arms around her, "Venus..."
"Usagi..."
"I have to go. I want to go. We knew this from the start." Sailor Moon said softly, "I am a sailor senshi, Minako-chan. We may have our own way to fight that's different from one another but we both want the same thing. We both dream for the same, we both wish for the same... and we both want to move on."
Her words were absolute, so was the determination in her voice. Venus knew this from the start, the princess was indeed correct, but even from way back in time. Back then, as a lonely princess who was limited in skill and hidden from the horrors in the universe. She held tight on to her beliefs and died trying to make them a reality, she died because she couldn't stand living in a time where she couldn't be seen as someone capable and strong. Truth is, Serenity has been strong all along despite not knowing how to throw a punch or when she didn't how to master the silver crystal. From the moment she decided to lead her own destiny and be in control of her life, from the moment she let go of the idea of a knight in shining armor and set her sail to different shores. The moment she met the terran prince, her life was never going to be the same; from innocence, a marvelous woman was born, one with a valuable voice and a heart big enough to believe in second chances.
It made sense to Venus as to why Serenity had been so devoted to Endymion, then and now. At first, it was a thought that she was just infatuated with him because of his handsomeness or the mystery bounded to his personality. She fought that blooming romance, she tried to break it apart but it was until the very moment she could see with her very own eyes that what had blossomed between them was much more than infatuation. Serenity understood the mystery surrounding Endymion since he met him and he understood her value not just as a divine treasure but as a woman with an outstanding will. He inspired the warrior in her to shine through and lit the spark in her heart that boosted her with courage. He showed her a world filled with vulnerability but also with so many possibilities that gave sense to why he chose the path of war to bring peace. Serenity opened her eyes to that possibility of being someone that would bring that peace and Endymion truly believed she could. He believed in her, he rooted for her from the very start; a time where not even Venus did.
Serenity held on to those beliefs and didn't want to live in a reality where that dream could not come true, so instead she gave her life to fate and held on to the man that had followed her through time and was reborn in another era to start over and now they were here, fearless to the future. They had reached a point where both of their experiences and knowledge as soldiers were strong enough to make their dream for thousands of years a reality.
Venus slowly pulled back to look at her in the eye, "After the explosion... I tried to find you,"
Sailor Moon dried Venus' tears with her gloved hand and gave her a faint smile, visible enough to encourage her soul sister to calm herself, "Endymion shielded me from the impact and we ran to take cover when the sandstorm happened. We were not that far away but we found injured people trapped inside buildings and had to take them to safety. But to protect them, we had to lay low and keep our auras dormant. We stayed in a warehouse close by to treat them, that's where Furu-chan found us." Her eyes widened, "Wait, Furu-chan... Did you—"
Venus nodded, "He's fine. Jupiter and Nephrite went to aid him with Mars and Jadeite. They all escaped safe and sound. He has been in constant contact with Mercury through the communicator but then this happened..." She sighed, "Don't you dare to do anything stupid, do you hear me, Serenity?"
Sailor Moon smiled at her friend's tone, using her alter name to prove her level of warning and raised her pinky and wrapped it around Venus' "I promise,"
She turned to Kunzite, who nodded in response to her silent command, "You know where to go from here, Venus." Sailor Moon's eyes locked again with Venus' brighter ones, "The Shitennou need you." Her grip tightened around Venus' wrist, "I need you,"
"Leave Artemis, Luna, and Megumi in our care," Venus nodded, "Mercury will keep us informed. We will find a way to get to you faster,"
Sailor Moon nodded with a smile and slowly let go of Venus' hand and started walking towards Endymion. Her gloved hand tightly held his and pulled on his arm to use it as a support and took a seat in front of him on the celestial stallion. Endymion put his left arm tight around her waist to keep her steady and wrapped the reins tightly in his right arm. He turned when Centaurus came close, stomping his way toward them enraged for their actions.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Centaurus raised his arms, flaring his anger even more. Endymion looked over his shoulder but stayed quiet, the action taunting Centaurus even more "Sailor senshi and polemarchos do not fight in the same parallel, it goes—"
"Against divine law?"
Sailor Moon shared a quick glance with Endymion and then looked down at Centaurus with her head tilted to the side and a curious, yet very serious stare. She put her hand on Endymion's arm around her waist, letting the man know she was not going anywhere.
"We're no strangers to that... to be told what not to do. What is politically incorrect. But I guess it's tradition, to do things our way and follow our instinct. If it's allowed or not doesn't matter to us... what matters is to stay strong to overcome whatever dares to destroy our peace." Sailor Moon turned to the massive storm thundering in the distance and curled her fingers tight on Endymion's sleeve "Let's go,"
"Let's go." Endymion smiled proudly and shook the reins on the horse and just as Centaurus predicted the stallion dashed like a comet through the sky and in a matter of seconds they were out of sight.
The Divinity Series is rated M. Violence, gore, cursing, and intimacy may occur.
I do not own SM. Just this plot and some of the characters.
A/N: I want to give out a special thank you to who had just started to read the series. Despite being crazy long-thank you for your support and kind words. I was not planning on posting this chapter this soon, (because of pending stuff I have on the side) but it's because of your beautiful encouragement, that I can keep finding more inspiration and writing more content. For me to enjoy writing for you to enjoy reading. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.