Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Eighty-Seven

"Left!"

"Better turn here!"

"No! Right!"

"Left!"

"Which way?!" Motoki turned the wheel when another light explosion "Never mind, I got it!" He stepped on the break when he spotted a large crowd of possessed bodies and shadows and swallowed "Damn it..."

Uranus peeked from the back seat "Everything has now fallen to a rotten state," her deep blue eyes narrowed "People and shadows are one and the same..."

Neptune sighed, "Those that surrendered their fears to Chaos..."

"This is really fucked up..." Motoki grunted as he turned the wheel with both hands, almost feeling like losing control of the wheel "Really fucked up,"

"Pedal that gas Motoki!" Uranus pointed ahead "Keep focused on what's ahead!"

"We've reached the barrier," Neptune leaned closer to the windshield to look at the sky "This is it! This is where they are!"

"Are you sure?" Motoki felt goosebumps all over "Are we close to Usa-chan and Mamoru?"

"No, but we might be able to get somewhat close if we make the effort..." Uranus bit her lower lip in thought "But it's clear one of them is keeping this barrier active."

"Somewhat?!"

"This is just the first barrier, Motoki-san." Neptune frowned with worry "Filthy creatures from the underworld are feeding on people's fears..." She looked down into her mirror, "If this spreads further, it will be a complete loss."

"This is far worse than I imagined, yes, but not impossible..." Uranus said under her breath; Motoki moved the level to park the van and frowned, the engine roaring as they waited "Some of them might still be spared... this is where I come in."

"All right, Isha-san," Uranus put her hand on his shoulder "We'll clear the way. Oh, and once this is all done... remind me to give you some proper lessons on how to drive with speed. You've been driving like a madman,"

"Hey, it's a state of emergency!" Motoki turned over his shoulder as he watched Uranus step out of the vehicle "W-Wait... Where are you going? You're not expecting me to drive and leave you here, are you?!" He blinked when he felt Neptune's hand patting his arm "Don't worry... she'll run," her aquamarine eyes locked with her lover's "She could shed a few pounds either way."

Uranus chuckled "Excuse me?"

"Am I lying?"

"Well... no... but... that was a little harsh..."

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Actually..." Uranus wiggled her brows "I do—"

"Oi..." Motoki blushed three shades of red and cleared his throat "You guys are so intense,"

"What?" Neptune giggled "Intimidated?"

"No... just..." Motoki pointed ahead "We really need your lover to take care of those..."

"I'm on it," Uranus cracked her knuckles "Motoki! Get ready to pedal that gas to the max!" She started walking towards the shadows and turned when she heard Nephrite stopping his celestial stallion next to them with Jupiter pulling the reins along with him, "We will go ahead!" Both yelled.

"Straight ahead! It's pulsing!" Neptune turned and used her mirror to eliminate the shadows crawling up "We'll take care of this! Go!"

"World—" Uranus raised her hand and closed her fist and pound it on the ground "Shaking!

Motoki did as he was instructed and wasted no time to step on the gas, screeching the tires on the broken asphalt as it went down the very bumpy road "I hope the hospital doesn't charge me for the conditions I'll be returning this car."

Neptune chuckled and went to take the passenger's seat pulling the window down to look behind at Uranus kicking and punching another herd of demons before charging a blast again "Uranus!"

No one denied the sky senshi's speed and agility; looking over her shoulder she measured the distance and started running after them jumping and taking crumbled buildings as levels to jump high and get closer to the car.

To Motoki's left, Venus turned and saw her fellow senshi and pointed ahead when another light explosion shook the ground "Kunzite!"

"Grant me a stage of an attack, Venus!" The general pulled the reins tighter. The blonde aimed ahead "Crescent Beam!"

"Hold tight! We are getting close!"

"Kunzite!" Zoisite caught up with his leader "I feel Endymion's aura close but also the magnetic barrier around... It is strong! I am not sure I can manipulate it to allow us leverage!"

"It's very strong..." Mars said under her breath "It's malefic... I don't think that's coming from Endymion,"

Mercury activated her goggles and adjusted them to take a more in-depth look at the coordinates and frequency; her blue eyes widened "Sailor Moon is the one responsible for keeping the ultrasonic waves and venomous energy from causing more damage!"

"Are you certain?" Zoisite blinked, impressed. Mercury nodded "Yes, I am having a reading; it's the silver crystal, I'm sure!"

"Then that is our chance..." Jadeite turned with his bow ready to charge at a demon coming at them; Mars charged hers and pushed herself higher on her seat behind Jadeite, and took an aim as well "Mars—Flame Sniper!

"We part ways from this point!" Kunzite pointed to his left "Jadeite, Nephrite, go East. Zoisite and I will go West! We need to locate Endymion and try to prevent him from doing anything stupid..."

Jadeite nodded and pulled his reins, followed by Nephrite while Zoisite followed Kunzite "Get ready Venus. We are getting closer!"

Venus nodded; her fingers curled tight around the reins and licked her lips nervously, worried for her sister "Please be all right, Usagi..." she took a deep breath "Please be all right."

O—o—o—o—O

Sailor Moon stood still on a pile of rubble with one knee bent, trying to keep her balance. Her crystal blue eyes glued to the man with a fiery glare; short for breath. Endymion, beaten on the ground, slowly turns his head to stare at his wife through his long fringe; his lips barely moved in a whisper calling her name in both remorse and relief.

"Usa..."

"The divine heir of the White Moon. At last, we meet face to face." Chaos lowered his weapon and rests it diagonally across his back, his amber eyes locked on her lean figure. He arched a brow in complete amusement, "You took your time to manifest,"

He leaned his weight on the long polearm and looked around "I see you are still fixated with that same stupid idea of saving humanity." He pointed in the distance almost carelessly "You are the one responsible for that pointless barrier..."

"Chaos..." Sailor Moon's eyes squinted angrily. Her voice came out raspy from how low it came out of her.

"Intruding where you are not required, exactly like your flawed mother always did,"

"You have no right to be here, Chaos." Sailor Moon stretched her arms and pointed her eternal tiare at the titan "You don't have any right to take and bend laws at your will, you don't belong here!"

"You, of all creatures telling me I have no right?"

Chaos fully turns to look at her; his golden eyes glistened. "As expected, you are no different than any other Olympian. Always exploiting other resources... Always plumping your ego by stealing from someone else's glory; claiming what it is not yours." He looked down at Endymion coughing and arched a brow "To even dare to go to the very lengths of toying with our lineage... even in its most impure state..."

He turns to kick the prince aside, triggering Sailor Moon's anxiety "Endymion!" Her instant reaction broke the façade and looked at Chaos with anger "You are a demon!"

"Even your words are weak to my ears." A very low chuckle managed to escape from the titan "Is it something I should care for? I have heard those words too many times in the past I do not even know the intention behind it. Helios, Geb, Nut... Ares... Gaia... All living creatures in Olympus have called me a demon at some point but with what purpose?" His brow arched high, "Call me all you want, the one that remains, in the end, is still me. Demon or not, all that they fear in the end, is me."

His charming face instantly turned much more somber, "Not even the all-mighty Helios could stop the stupidity of those of your race and it all resulted in predictable betrayal." He turned over his shoulder to give a glance at Sailor Moon "Not even if it took thousands of years for you to be reborn. Just by standing in front of me, you are declaring to the universe that you, in fact, cracked the seal that took years Gaia to cast on me by attaching yourself with her hybrid scion."

"No," Sailor Moon shook her head and tried to take one more step when she caught Endymion slowly moving his head to look up; blood running from his broken lip and forehead. His eyes quickly darted at the princess "Usa... get... away... from him..."

Sailor Moon widened her eyes and tried to run toward him "Mamo—"

"Get away from him!"

Endymion shouted a painful yell when Chaos stepped on his wounded shoulder. With a stern face and a piercing glare, he frowned, "Have you not realized it yet, Moon Olympian?" Chaos pointed at the stormy sky and opened his arms wide "This is all because of your own selfish wishing; because it has always been about you. You welcomed me into this reality."

"That's a lie!" Sailor Moon took a step back; reluctantly following her husband's request. Chaos twisted his boot on Endymion's wound, putting more pressure to test Sailor Moon's nerves.

"Take the hybrid scion for example..." Chaos cocked a brow "He had promise. Trained to be at my level of skill and strength, yet he fights for your sake and not for the rightfulness of his ancestry; which makes all this very disappointing... his weakness is you."

"Bastard..." Endymion slowly shook his head, trying to make eye contact with Sailor Moon, "Usa... Don't—"

"—All this is nothing but proof of how much I can break this flawed man's mind entirely just by getting to you. You see it now, Olympian?" Chaos put more pressure on Endymion's wounded shoulder and curved his lips up just barely to show a smirk "All this is nothing but the result of your own wishes, of your own selfish acts."

Sailor Moon stared at him with loathe. Her stomach burned, her face felt hot from the anger she was piling up inside of her "I would never wish for you to roam free. I would never betray this planet's fate and put innocent lives in danger. You are a disease, the curse that turns everything to decay."

"Did you not wish for the darkness to be of free will in the minds of humanity?" Chaos tilted his head with peaked interest, "This is what happens when you give underlings so much power; it is easy to manipulate their fickle minds always so desperate and hungry to have control over everything."

Sailor Moon froze, she remembered this; the moment Chaos was talking about. When she threw Galaxia into the cauldron and rebooted the cosmic order with the power of her crystal to bring everyone back from its depths.

She believed in the goodness of humanity and relied on their strength to go full force against the darkness Chaos had brought up to the surface. She took a leap of faith and chose to ignore malice could loom and gain power again. Not when everyone wished for the same and live in peace. But now, that leap of faith was betraying her good wishes and Chaos was there to remind her that darkness lurks and plays even with the purest of hearts.

"You are as an accomplice of this moment as I am by having manipulated the order of the universe when you were at the cauldron. You broke universal law; you allowed stars and planets burn to dust in order to save those of your interest for your own selfish needs and be venerated for it. You acted like their savior but at the first test of loyalty, they will turn their backs on you and betray you."

"No..." Sailor Moon shook her head "That's a lie!"

Chaos pulled his weapon from the ground and slowly swayed it in the same infinite motion, the sharp blade echoing as it glided through the air "Think your words again Olympian. Demonizing me will not change anything. The facts will remain intact; you are a victim of your own lies and dragged everyone with you and even toyed with ancestry."

He starts walking towards the princess, his eyes gleaming with interest, "You have yet not realized this magma stone is the result of my influence in the universe and not an act of your useless light and benevolence. Your mother did not own it; it was me who created it. It has not endured because your clan saved it, but because it feeds on the power of those of titan blood; because Gaia chose to preserve what bloomed along with her birth. I could care less for it, so rural and unpolished. It ticks my patience, how you dare to claim it as your own."

"I don't claim anything," Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes with threat, "I guard this planet alongside its rightful protector because I share its same views and beliefs. Because I share Queen Gaia's dream and values and because I hold the promise my mother made when she swore to watch over it. I care for it because I see beauty and promise. There are millions of innocent lives at stake and we will not surrender; we will not yield! Not even to you!"

Chaos turned his glaive to rest across from him and narrowed his eyes, "What an incessive need to protect the unprotectable, the unreliable, the predictable fate of those with mortality. You cannot grasp the fact that Terra is flawed and erratic; it harbors nothing but a waste of matter and energy. This planet was never worthy of my attention, much less now that a titan like Gaia allowed an Olympian to plant the seed of your rebirth."

Endymion turned in Chaos' direction and felt a shot of panic when he saw the titan slightly dragging his blade and tried to push himself up to stop him, but it was too late. Sailor Moon felt like she was being pulled and turned over her shoulder right at the moment Chaos was swinging down his blade fast and strong; seconds in between she did a perfect backflip barely missing the strike. Her focus was still on Endymion but she wasn't given much time to plan a strategy when another swing came close, this time, missing her face just barely.

It was impressive how she had been handling Chaos' brutal approach. Endymion watched her dodging and how she was using the strength of her kicks to increase her level of damage. She turned, her long half-done buns and streams of pearlescent hair floating in the swirls of wind and smoke. Face flushed, lips dry, vision fixed on the target; regaining confidence in her performance and skills with keen precision. It was like he was watching the most bewitching battle dance; the way she moved without relying solely on her magic power. The dry tap of her heels pounding almost at the same fast rhythm as his heart, carefully studying her; admiring her. She had gone a very long way and it showed.

Chaos noticed it too. The woman running full speed and jumping with perfect timing to every single one of the blows he did with his weapon was not the same woman he confronted at the Alpha Galaxy. But his experience as a soldier speaks for itself, and his amusement was running low.

He snapped his fingers; a thick smoke curtain surrounding him instantly diverted her focus. Sailor Moon gathered all of the strength of her abdomen to keep her breathing steady; silently reminding herself every single lesson she could get out of her combat lessons with Endymion. All the hours spent in that living room breaking lamps, moving furniture, and engaging in a sweaty dance of hits and misses and the occasional accidental punch with a mop stick was paying a great tribute to her polemarch husband, but most importantly, it was proving what Endymion had been repeating her for years: she was more than capable to take his place and fight with superb strength.

Sailor Moon threw a high kick, missing for just centimeters and quickly recovered, this time channeling her power into her eternal tiare appearing once again in her hand at her command. One quick flip and turn and shouted the words to unleash her light power to fight Chaos straight on in a very timed, very Endymion-esque way by leveling up the range of attack to gain more terrain and limit her opponent's range.

"Endymion..."

-O-

Mamoru slowly opened his eyes and saw his wife was moving slightly back, enough to let him know there was more to discuss.

After having dinner, they had gone back to bed since his leg had started to hurt from sitting for more than an hour but they stayed up talking about what happened between realities during his miserable and later soul-searching time in Purgatorio.

It was late, now past midnight, and silence had started to be more present between each pause they took. But despite the tranquil moment, there was something still vivid in Usagi's mind. Something that she has been dying to ask ever since Mamoru opened his eyes. Usagi stared at him with a special gleam in her crystal blue eyes, curiosity at its best. Mamoru blinked slowly, trying his best not to fall asleep again "Yes, Serenitati?"

Usagi smiled, later broke a soft giggle but brushed aside the shyness of being completely under the charming spell of his velvety voice dragging the sound of her name with drowsiness. She moved slightly closer, her face turning serious "Can you tell me how to do it?"

"Do what?"

"To face an enemy like that... how to know..."

Mamoru's brows furrowed a little, now curious as well, "What do you mean?"

Usagi blinked herself awake, "I had never seen you fight like that before... you know, doing those consecutive blows without breaking pace or giving an opponent a chance to fight back. How do you know when it's the right time to strike and what would be best to use to do so?"

Mamoru chuckled a little shyly "Ah... that..." he cleared his throat and tucked a long lock of hair behind her ear with a gentle touch. "Well... you have to pay close attention to your surroundings and how your opponent is coming at you. There will be times when you will face a situation where you don't have many options but to counterattack straight on but also, that could be the breaking point in a battle." A lazy caress traced her jaw with a gentle touch, his finger gently pulling her bottom lip as he dragged it down to her neck, "In Asterias' case, she had much to her advantage with the shadows, the heavy chains, and power. I had to counter with something she lacked in that precise moment: speed."

Usagi blinked "But... she's fast..."

"Yes, but she also relies too much on her chains. I knew that if I pushed myself a little more, I could move faster. And while doing so, my best bet was to gather as much energy to counter-attack by throwing a sequence of blows each growing in strength and range of damage to break her routine. Once she was close and limited to make another move, it's when I applied physical force—"

"The trick with the chains," Usagi said quickly, making Mamoru chuckle "You saw that?"

"Of course, I did!"

"But you were also busy with a handful of shadows!"

"I never lose sight of you, Baby," Usagi winked an eye at him; her hand gently stroking his face, "Thank you, for always trusting me."

Mamoru smiled, his deep blue eyes staring into hers with devoted passion, "You are a superb warrior, Usa. I'm so proud to see you become an even greater version of that beautiful soldier you already are."

Usagi blushed "Mamo-chan..."

"Always believe in yourself, Luna Bunny. Trust your instincts, feel certain of everything you do. Focus your energy, use every muscle in your body and punish the heck out of them in the name of the Moon. You got this." Mamoru leaned closer with a sweet smile and kissed her forehead.

"Show them who's in charge, Sailor Moon."

-O-

Sailor Moon took her position, knee slightly bent, arm aiming straight at Chaos; she had no time and this was one of those situations when she had to go full force.

"Moon Princess Escalation!" Without changing stance, Sailor Moon heightened her range of power with a second attack "Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

Endymion felt the change of energy in his wife's summons and tried to steal as much as he could to recover enough and get back in the battle. As he tried to move again, he focused into putting all his strength into every single muscle in his body. The pain was excruciating. He felt as if his skin was torn; it burned, itched, ached... everything ached. His breathing was agitated and forced.

He looked up again to keep attentive to Sailor Moon's position and licked his chapped and bloody lips. Using energy from the crystal would compromise both of them, it was strange, it felt strange. Endymion felt as if his power was being stolen by Chaos; his energy, his vitality, and stamina. He felt heavy. As if his bones were a thousand pounds forced into the ground.

With one gasp of air, Endymion manages to roll to the side and keeps his eyes on Sailor Moon as she jumps back and throws Chaos another stronger attack.

"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

The burst of energy was strong; Sailor Moon believed in the power coming from within, the call of her heart and her duty as a soldier she has been carrying as her truth. Her tiare reacted to that same conviction and became brighter. Sailor Moon noticed a change in the energy manifesting from it and widened her eyes when she saw Chaos disappearing from sight again, the same it happened with Endymion. She turns and leans back, ready to send another charge when she felt a strong pull; like a magnet dragged to its opposite pole and felt a sharp pain on her body, forcing her to stay still.

"Predictable,"

Standing in an opposite side from her, Chaos extended his arm; palm facing down and moving his fingers as he manipulated the invisible strings of energy controlling her.

Sailor Moon grunted while fighting his negative energy with all her might. The pain increased and starts to fall under the nauseous effect of being close to Chaos as he approached her. As an instinctive move, she uses the power of the crystal to clear the air and break free but before she could cut all ties, a cold shot sent shivers down her spine that makes it impossible for her to move again. Another cold shot followed that stunned her; Chaos was now standing right behind her. Her heart started to race, its thumps in her chest echoed like a Japanese drum; her ears had started to ring. She felt panic. She wants to scream but her lips won't move.

Like a cool and soothing breeze, Endymion's voice echoed in her mind as she watched him slowly moving in the distance.

"Believe in yourself, Luna Bunny."

Her eyes gleamed with reassurance; she knew what to do. Her friends believed in her, her husband believed in her, and most importantly, she believed in herself.

"You got this,"

"I don't care if I am predictable or not, I care about fighting. I care for peace and for justice. One way or another... I am going to fight, even if it's you a thousand times... I won't give up without a fight, so come on!"

Chaos turned quick to catch her in the move. In quick action, Sailor Moon tapped the moon symbol on her forehead, in a flash her tiara appears and turned with the most fearless stare at the titan coming down right at her "Moon Tiara—Boomerang!"

The sharp light weapon flew from her hand aimed at Chaos' face breaking the tension that was keeping her prisoner. Once free, Sailor Moon turned with a high kick, knocking the titan off guard. She raised her hand, eyes fixed on Chaos quickly moving towards her "I got this..."

The orb at the top of her tiare that encased the silver crystal gleamed with blinding light "Silver Moon—" she narrowed her eyes to protect them from the strong gusts of wind swirling around her "Crystal Power Therapy—"

Chaos swung his long blade stopping her attack like slicing a sheet of paper. Sailor Moon widened her eyes and held her tiare with both hands to protect herself from the titan's clash. It was taking her more energy to hold up against him and while it wasn't surprising for this happen, she still had to deliver and stay strong even when her knees felt like they could give in to the pressure Chaos was putting down with his blade, pressing her into the ground.

Sailor Moon took a hasty breath and tried harder, her arms now feeling the strain of what it was like carrying the weight of the world. Chaos was strong; very strong, and now that she was facing him full-on, she admired Endymion's strength and performance even more.

Time seemed to stop for all of them a long time ago but this very moment felt like it had only been going on for mere minutes when in fact, they both had been engaged in a life or death battle with the titan for hours. Not to mention the events they had to overcome before that, even when Chaos was not entirely present, it was all because he pulled the strings to get them done by other strong forces.

Sailor Moon looked up, clenched teeth, anger possessing her always bright and clear icy-blue eyes. With a deep grunt, she pushed harder to endure and increase the strength that enabled her to throw a high kick to give herself a tiny opening for her to act and take another stance before Chaos used his deadly weapon again.

Right at this moment, every second counted, every breath was an advantage to endure, every heartbeat a pump of life and a grain of hope.

This was it, her chain of reaction; her window of offense. One elbow to Chaos' jaw, her fist on his cheek, another kick straight to his stomach; one, two, three, punches and leaps back out of his range and aims her tiare to charge a bolt of energy at him but her eyes go wide when she misses Chaos's position. Her pulse raises, she turns and feels the desolation and that same cold shot running all over her body that was keeping her still just moments ago.

"You learned new tricks... how cheeky,"

Sailor Moon gasped when she catches Chaos appearing from the thick veil of ash and runs his tongue through his bottom lip, tasting the trickle of blood she got out of him.

"But it does not matter how much you learn and try to mimic the posture of a warrior; you are still nothing but an adornment... a tool. Although, there is something else that I do find more appealing." His hand quickly latched on her neck, his influence once again taking control of her and this time, tearing all of her self-control.

"Usa..."

Endymion shook his head as he pushes again with a thick grunt; his knees buckle and falls again and drags himself towards them when he caught a subtle gleam in the corner of his eye; the broken sword.

Chaos pulls Sailor Moon to him brusquely and uses his hand to force her to look straight at him. "I know there is something in you that will trigger my real interest..."

They were now only inches away from each other as he and leans down; his eyes boring into hers like pools of golden fire. Serenity wanted to scream with all of her might, she felt his incisive and burning gaze deep inside of her mind, blinding her reason. Taking over what was left of her rebuilt hope.

"If the hybrid is not giving me what I came here to collect, then you will."

"No! Usa!" Endymion dragged on the ground towards him but felt being pulled back by the shadows coming out from underground "Noooo!"

Chaos wrapped his hand around her long stream of platinum hair and pulled down, creating tension to tilt Sailor Moon's head back. She widened her eyes with horror when she felt a stronger shot running all over and her body no longer felt her own. The more her eyes got lost in the deep stare of golden abyss from Chaos' eyes, the less control she had over her.

Serenity wanted to cry and what was worse, she couldn't. She felt the burn in her eyes but she couldn't even blink; she couldn't move her fingers, nor one single toe. She felt something lurking inside of her, like a ghost feeding from every fiber of her soul, manipulating and stretching its sharp manipulative claws into her thoughts and memories. Like plucking the petals of a flower, all of her emotions were out in the open, every secret, every sentiment of fear and anger. Every single tear. She wanted to look away and she couldn't, it hurt. It was more painful than trying to break free from any sort of physical abuse, this was worse than Athamas trying to take her by force in hell. There was no way to escape.

It was horrifying, macabre, and cruel. Chaos was cruel. She couldn't fight and she couldn't break contact with him. All she could do was to stay there and stare into the eyes of a beautiful man so cursed he took her power as his own and started to steal her energy to feed his. Her weaknesses were now his advantages and he feasted on them; she could see it in him despite him not showing any sort of emotion.

Chaos tilted his head to the side, then slowly to the other, studying her, paying close attention to every little detail he was taking from her as if trying to understand all that he was seeing in his mind. His lips, so lustful, glossed by the many times he ran the tip of his tongue gently over them. Savoring the suffering and mental turmoil of his victim.

This was another level of intimidation and he had the power to master it completely. Too much information, too much knowledge, too many keys to open many doors. He was looking into everything. His amber eyes gleamed, his pupils dilated showing its majestic lure and power, taking full control of her. And then... he saw it.

Chaos tilted his head to the other side again "You mocked nature to conceive..." He muttered, still wondering; confused. His golden eyes narrowed, "There was a life forming inside of you..." His brows knitted "And it died."

Desolated to hear what happened to her out loud, Serenity felt a strong sting in her heart. As if claws were tangled in every string of her being. She wanted to scream with all of her might, she felt his incisive and burning gaze playing with her suffering. He had reached deep down, the was putting a voice to her deepest regret, the most painful wound in her soul. Touching the most sensitive nerve of her spirit.

"Those eyes... filled with something... is it anger? Regret? Disgust?"

Chaos' slender fingers slid down from her wet cheeks to her collarbone and felt the fast pulse of her heart "It is latent, pulsing with so much power... this thick energy. I see it, every single gleam within your soul. I hear you crying... I hear your strained voice screeching in the back of your mind, pleading for help... asking the ones in the heavens to explain why?"

He pulled Serenity's head down slightly more and bore deep into her panicked stare "Why? I hear you asking over and over again... why,"

"Hmm..." He was intrigued. He was enjoying this. Chaos tightened his grip on her neck and narrowed his eyes, "I will tell you why, Olympian. It is because of you that what you carried in your fickle womb was not strong enough to survive."

Fresh tears started to roll down Serenity's flushed cheeks, her lips trembled without her being able to control it. Chaos tilted his head again, reaping deeper into her pain in the most morbid of ways "It did not endure because it was an error of nature, a fault in the universe." He arched his brow "Here you are... facing the same weak fate as your mother, unable to conceive and create life, unable to be of worth. No wonder why your useless father disappeared... it was more bearable for him to be taken to the underworld than to remain tied to your feeble mother."

Serenity widened her eyes and tried to move but all she could do was to force a muffled scream, the more Chaos moved his manipulative power in her mind, the more her vision blurred, the painful all of her thoughts became. Memories she didn't even remember she had come as vivid as if they happened right in front of her.

"It has all come to you, is it not? Now you wonder what happened to your so-called father." Chaos arched his brow, his hold tightening, bruising the soft skin of her flushed cheeks as he held her closer "Athan from Delta of Andromeda. A general and strategist from the royal army and although his fate changed when he married your idealistic mother, he ended up having an affair with none other but the queen of the dark side of the Moon. In the midst of it all, you were conceived from your mother's pain thrown at the Cauldron of Stars. A deity born from fear and from grief; your mother's greatest secret and regret. Nehellenia cursing you and Athan giving his life in exchange for yours was just an added charm to this classic, rather boring story."

Chaos sighed, his thumbs roughly moved down to pull down her chin as he kept digging deeper into her mind, "If we put things in perspective... the flawed one here is you. You could not be conceived in the first place, and now... here you are thousands of years later trying to carry that flawed descendance, none the less, with one of titan blood." His eyes darkened as he digs deeper into her mind, "You are a broken spirit; one wish that was forced to come into existence. You are weak, you are worthless."

Chaos tilted his head with allure, "Do you hear those voices? They are all telling you something you already know... you just do not want to listen to the truth. You keep this ongoing need to meddle with the strings of fate and control it as your own but nobody is going to defend you, Goddess. Your crystal bubble is no more." Intrigued, he let out a soft scoff "Did you really expect it to survive? Did you really believe it was going to happen for you? That hindrance was fated to die before you even knew you had it in you, that is how unwanted you are... not even a sinful creature wished to be born from you. You are a shell, Moon Goddess... an empty, used vessel."

With a bored glance, Chaos threw a catatonic Serenity to the side, discarding her without a single care and sighed "What a disappointment. You were being so feisty... for a descendant of Selene, the infamous guardian of the silver crystal and Helios' confidant... I expected more..."

It took all of her will and much more to be able to move her lips, barely, unnoticeable. Her eyes burned more, the pain intensified as it all senses that were stolen were now slowly coming back to her, this was a livid nightmare. Her breathing has now forced, barely air entered her lungs. She felt numb, almost as if she was giving up without wanting it.

Serenity finally woke from Chaos' spell and screamed at the top of her lungs until her throat felt like it had been burned with acid. Her mind was completely broken.

Endymion felt the sting in his chest and tilted his head, his blue eyes widened with anger. He knew what Chaos had done and he heard it loud and clear within Serenity's wrenching screaming; ripping him from the inside. He had never felt so much rage inside of him, never felt so impotent, never felt something so disgusting in his life but he knew deep in his gut this was it. This was hatred.

Chaos' deep voice asking the unexplainable to the nothingness around them and mocking his wife's suffering was the trigger to unleash his madness and Serenity's painful cries the rage to unlock that part of him he locked deep down and wished for her never to see again.

He turned, his pupils dilated; he pulled his leg with force, ripping the shadow's limbs as they tried to pin him on the ground "Te aeternum damnati sint vobis in ira mea est."

(You condemned your eternal existence to the rage of mine.)

Endymion pounded his fist on the tar-covered ground, igniting the flames once again and burning everything around. He turned and stretched his arm; the broken blade reacting to the fire and flying over to his hand and pushed himself off the ground stomping on the corpses screeching in pain, relying solely on his hatred and the thirst to annihilate the dark titan's soul.

"I will cut your head off for what you have done!"

Chaos looked over his shoulder with boredom, "Try,"

He swung his weapon to keep the golden flames and Endymion who had launched at him to keep him at bay; broken sword in hand and pushed him back with a similar fire attack charged with dark energy.

"So... your true self comes out of your devotion for this Olympian..." His eyes narrowed "Still trying to protect those who have condemned you from the very beginning..."

Chaos snapped his fingers to appease the flames and arched his brow "You are still not well aware of what has happened to the dynasty you are from and the blood running through your veins. We are cursed, no matter how much you try to deny it."

"I am not denying anything, I know who I am." Endymion took position, eyes glaring with rage "The curse that has stayed for far too long over us like a fucking leech is you."

Chaos turned to Endymion and started walking past Serenity still trying to recover from Chaos' presence.

"I am the curse? No, Hybrid, get your facts straight. Helios created this descendance just for the sake of the golden stone and this planet you are so obsessed over to protect. To glorify Olympians like her, titans were outcasted. You are fighting in the name of those who tortured Gaia and condemned your mortal father to what you saw in Tartarus; the same ones that gave the order to get rid of you while you were still latching to her womb." Chaos narrowed his golden eyes "Just because Ares went to your rescue like a damsel in distress, it does not mean he did it as an act of benevolence. He did it because he knew I was coming and he was desperate. He used Gaia to his convenience to lock me in Tartarus and later went after her like a rabid boar when he found out she took the crystal with her, despite declaring his passionate love for her. It is the infinite-long desire and lust Ares has for Gaia what urged him to come to your aid so he can appease the guilt in his mind and feel like a hero in this story."

He arched his brow with defiance "You are part of that same curse as any of us are, Endymion. But in the end, it was you who put the last nail to Gaia's sentence by giving her mortality the moment you were born."

"Don't use my name to uphold your maniac ideas." Endymion looked at him through his long fringe, his eyes glazing with anger "You and I are not the same."

"However you wish to see it, hybrid scion," Chaos tilted his head back "Your name and mine are just two sides of the same coin, and the end result is fated to be the same."

"Good I have two, and neither are close to matching your pointless ideocracy. Don't stain them by calling me with your bilious voice, it's disgusting." Endymion curled his fingers tight around the hilt of his broken sword and lashed out at Chaos and took advantage of the swing of his long murder glaive as a level to be at a higher distance from him. He looked down, broken blade pointing at his target as he dodged the next blunt swing and threw a side kick straight to his face, sending him back with force, spilling blood as he fell back.

Stomping his foot on the ground, Endymion summoned for the sacred flames again, then brought his hands together and charged them in a ball of energy as he ran full-speed towards Chaos, with his dark eyes fixed on him as he went on "Combustio!" He threw the ball of fire that multiplied on the impact in three massive explosions.

"Sol Noctis!" Chaos reacted fast and raised his hand to block the next charge of fire thrown at him and jumped back up right on time to counteract Endymion's third energy attack.

"Solaris Flagro!"

Chaos turned his weapon "Inanis Mediae!"

"Solaris Ardeat!"

"Nocte Lux Solis!"

"La Smoking Bomber!"

"Heliopause!" Chaos closed his fist to create a void to slow Endymion. The strong magnetic vacuum swallowed the energy he had knead and swift the prince off his feet allowing the titan to hold him by the neck again. Endymion growled and threw a strong punch straight to Chaos' nose but the titan didn't let go; in a quick untraceable move, Endymion takes his dagger from his belt and stabs it in Chaos' chest.

Chaos widens his eyes and looks down and snatches the broken blade and stabs it on Endymion's shoulder to pin him down and arched a brow "I will not deny your skill nor the wit in your personality." His golden eyes squinted slowly, clearly feeling the sting of the wound but never moving from the prince "But it bothers me… there is much of her in you… it bothers me to see her come alive through you."

He steps on the hilt to make it go deeper breaking Endymion to scream and taking hasty breaths to deal with the pain.

"How stubborn..." Chaos tilted his head and looked down at the blade still impaled in his shoulder and pulled it out, throwing it next to the prince "...It is sinful."

He bends his knees and grabs a handful of Endymion's hair to pull his head back enough for him to look into his eyes when another flash of light, strong in its own right hits him and forcing him to pull back. Endymion grunts and slowly turns to find Serenity in the same state but with her tiare tightly secured in her hand; her tear glossed eyes were on him, almost pleading him to stop the pain. Her lips trembled, barely moving as if she was trying to tell him something.

Endymion's eyes burned with tears to see her having so much difficulty to breathe and to keep herself conscious and what's worse, he couldn't get close to her. They didn't want to break that silent contact; neither of them wanted to divert their gaze from each other. It was somber, both wanting to speak and none unable to do so.

Chaos was not stopping and they felt they had reached their limit; the growls of the shadows coming closer and overpowering the sounds of their heartbeats trying to connect. It was bitter... almost as if they were asking each other for forgiveness for not keeping up the promise they made to each other.

He tried to keep his gaze on her but his body was failing him; he started to lose focus, breathing pained him, his lips barely moved to whisper her name. A gentle, troubled voice echoed in the distance but he was too confused, too much in pain to pay attention.

His eyes changed to indigo blue as he tried to keep Serenity's focused on him, his tired body demanding him to stop but, how could he? When all his life he has fought to make way into the world. It was like he was breaking his vow to his princess and that was unacceptable.

Endymion gasped for air; he heard it again, that voice. A gentle but firm voice in the back of his mind that always reminded him to snap out of his comfort zone, out of his fears and doubts; out of his somberness. He felt heavy, very heavy. Exhausted. And then, he didn't know what happened; his vision blurred and everything went black.

"Mamoru, could you come in here please, dear?"

-O-

Freshly turned six-year-old Mamoru walked into the room his parents used as an office in their condo, the one with most lighting, and where they spent most of their time.

His mother was well known to love working with natural light; she would always slide the curtains aside to let the sun come in and spend hours knitting or reading while listening to music. Jazz was always her first choice. She liked dancing to the sound of smooth jazz.

There she was, sitting on the floor surrounded by stacks of sheets of paper and books: Chiba Harumi. Now with her hair longer, a soft wavy bob barely gracing the line of her jaw as she tilted her head low to leave another paper on said pile. Her blotted red lips curved in a soft smile when she listened to the light footsteps coming closer and lifted her face to meet with her son, "Bonjour," (Good morning,)

Mamoru smiled, "Bonjour Mama,"

Harumi smiled and raised her finger and tapped her cheek very gently, "Quoi, je n'ai pas droit à un baiser du matin de mon garçon d'anniversaire?" (What, I don't get a morning kiss from my birthday boy?)

Mamoru giggled and leaned closer, gifting his mother a small peck on her cheek as she requested. Harumi pulled him into her arms lovingly and kissed the top of his head, " Mon petit prince va avoir six ans," (My little prince is turning six,) She smiled and tightened her arms around her son, "Je suis si fière," (I'm so proud,)

"Le suis grand," (I'm big,) Mamoru looked up, his deep blue eyes staring into his mother's brown ones, "Pas vrai, Mama?" (Right, mama?)

"Oui, oui," Harumi leaned down to kiss his head again, fascinated by the way her child had embraced their little foreign tradition. As an expert linguist, it was expected of her to pass her son as much knowledge as she could. Since he was a baby, Mamoru proved he was not going to be an ordinary child; his eyes always gleamed with interest and curiosity and to Natsuo and Harumi, it was only natural to feed that curiosity and stimulate his intelligence and sharp skills that would someday help him in the real world when he came of age. Long afternoons would be spent accompanied with so much music and stories from all kinds of books from many places around the globe.

It was a passion for her, the many cultures that enriched the world. She started talking to him in other languages ever since he was born and much to her surprise, his reaction was always positive, not to mention the outstanding results. At his young age, he was fluent in more than one language, but French was always the one they most returned to mostly because it was Harumi's favorite ever since she visited Paris. She loved the sweet sound of the words rolling casually on her tongue. It was their own little tradition.

She looked up with a beaming smile and held his chubby hands, "Tu es un grand garçon," (You are a big boy,) she combed his raven hair back and looked into his eyes, " Vous êtes sur la bonne voie pour devenir un vrai gentilhomme... un vrai prince royal." (You are on the right path to becoming quite the gentleman... a true regal prince.)

Mamoru blinked, "Comme mon Papa?" (Just like Papa?)

Harumi chuckled, "Oui, tout comme ton Papa," (Yes, just like your Papa,)

"Et comme toi?" Mamoru smiled, "Suis-je plus proche de toi maintenant, Mama?" (And like you? Am I closer to you, Mama?)

Harumi felt her eyes burning with tears and slowly nodded, "Oui, tu es aussi chaleureux et protecteur que ta Mama…" her smile widened with emotion "Le même que ta Mama… têtu aussi." (Yes, you are as warm and protective as your Mama… the same as your Mama… stubborn too.)

She tilted her head and cupped her son's cheek, "Il ne fait aucun doute que vous êtes un petit rayon de soleil." (There is no doubt that you are a little ray of sunshine.)

Her warm hand caressed his flushed cheek with her thumb and smiled, "Vous êtes né au sommet de l'heure d'or; le heure exact où le soleil brille plus véhément et où sa lumière est plus chaude et apaisante et baigne tout dans une couverture d'or pur," (You were born at the peak of the golden hour; the exact moment when the Sun shines more intense and when its light is more warm and soothing and basks everything in a blanket of pure gold.)

Mamoru blinked, partly confused and awed, "Mama?"

Harumi cupped his face, "You were born on a very sunny day. You are, without a doubt a little piece of the Sun… a blessing; a dream come true. Never forget how much you are loved,"

At that moment, Mamoru was replaced by his adult self and shook his head; his deep blue eyes gleaming with emotion "You—"

"Mamoru," Harumi combed his black hair back to clear his face. Harumi's elegant movements were as caring as one of a protective angel, one that held nothing but love,"Dès la première fois que vous avez ouvert les yeux, j'ai su que vous auriez la personnalité d'un lion, protecteur et loyal. Même quand j'étais bébé, j'ai toujours eu l'impression que tu prenais soin de moi, et je n'avais pas tort. Cela a fait partie de vous de prendre soin des autres sans rien attendre en retour. Pour protéger... c'est ce que tu es. C'est ce que vous avez toujours été destiné à être, quelqu'un qui protège la bonté et la beauté de la Terre. Comme le Soleil qui s'occupe de nous le jour jusqu'à ce que la Lune puisse sortir et nous rafraîchir la nuit." She smiled with melancholy, "C'est pourquoi j'ai choisi de t'appeler Mamoru. Un hommage silencieux."

(From the very first time you opened your eyes, I knew that you would have the personality of a lion; protective and loyal. Even as a baby, I always felt you were looking after me, and I was not in the wrong. It has been a part of you to care for others without expecting anything in return. To protect... that is who you are. That is who you were always meant to be, someone that protects the goodness and beauty of Earth. Like the Sun looking after us during the day until the Moon can come out and cool us at night. That is why I chose to name you Mamoru. A silent homage.)

Harumi tilted her head "Je t'aime tellement," (I love you so much,) her voice broke with emotion and cleared her throat, regaining her composure.

"Je t'aime aussi..." (I love you too...) Mamoru whispered. Harumi combed her fingers through his choppy fringe and looked into his eyes and smiled, "Don't forget who you are... don't ever forget that I love you with all of my heart…"

Mamoru slowly shook his head and blinked the tears burning in his eyes, "I am never going to forget… not again."

Harumi combed his hair back and smiled "And I once thought that you could not get any more handsome, hmm?" She cupped his cheek and caressed his lips with her thumb "Forgive me, my dear… for what you had to go through on your own…"

Mamoru shook his head, "There is nothing to forgive. I have nothing to forgive you..."

"I will always be grateful for the blessing that it was to be able to protect you and bring you into this world. We tried to keep you safe, we really tried our best..."

Mamoru nodded, not fighting his tears anymore. Harumi turned to him; tears streaming down her gleeful eyes "You are truly a prince charming… but you are also a kind man with wonderful dreams. Live for those dreams, Mamoru, do not let go... do not ever let go."

"I—" Mamoru watched stunned at Harumi's change of mood, losing completely that little moment of remembrance. She cleared her throat as she stood up from the carpet. Her wrinkled skirt showed the signs of having been sitting for too long. Like a skip in time, Harumi's smile widened, completely ignoring the little moment that just happened between them and switched back to the past, "Êtes-vous prêt pour votre surprise d'anniversaire?" (Are you ready for your birthday surprise?)

Mamoru felt chills down his spine. He knew what day this was… he knew what was going to happen from this moment on.

He remembered.

In a slight bolt of panic, he looked down and noticed his hands were small again; time was ticking and he was in another small pocket in time. Mamoru looks up at the woman staring at him with a beaming smile and offering her hand "Come along, Papa's waiting for us, we have to go…"

"My dear sweet Mamoru…"

"I have to live…"

"Don't let go…"

"I have to live…"

"They're gone, Mamoru. You are the only survivor..."

"I have to live…"

"He was in an accident; he doesn't remember anything. His name is Chiba Mamoru, he's six years old, blood type A—a quiet one."

"I have to live…"

"You have nowhere else to go, Lupin, this is your home now. We are all you have, so be nice."

"I have to live…"

"Find it… the crystal… find it… find me…"

"I have to live…"

"You need to thicken your skin boy, or the world will eat you alive."

"I have to live…"

"You are nothing but just a worthless orphan with no money, no class, and no future! Is that clear enough for your polyglot brain to understand or will your stupid amnesia cut some of the words because of your stupid accident? You have no one..."

"I have to live…"

"You are too beautiful to be cursed. Accept who you are, embrace it and be good—do good. Make a difference and build a better future. The strongest girl you will ever meet is the one that gets to capture your soul. You will be loved, my sweet boy; when you find her, you will live in peace... you will feel complete... and you will see this as a distant memory... I know you are destined for greater things... it's time to move on..."

"I have to live…"

"Let the sky fall to pieces... I've got my Sun right here."

"I have to live…"

"Chaos does not define you, young Prince. You are Gaia's son."

"I have to live…"

"I believe in my Prince."

"I have to live…"

"You do not belong here. Meeting your end in a place like this would be a tremendous waste of hope,"

"I have to live…"

"I was so scared of telling you… that I had lost our baby…"

"I have to live…"

"She is waiting… she is praying for you."

"I have to live…"

"The crystal reacts to its owner. If you stay true to yourself and have a clear mind and a humble spirit you will succeed... can you feel it now? It is all coming from you."

"I must..."

"Say, Endymion... if I ever get lost and lose sight of you... would you look for me?"

"I have to keep on living…"

"Would you?"

"Usa..."

All of his life flashed in seconds. Every breath, every fall and at the brink of death; every failure and success and the people around him during each time. And when he felt he couldn't carry on, came her face. Her beautiful smiling face.

Her lips moved slowly, soft like the finest petals of a fresh rose; sweet like honeydew. All that mattered was summed up in her mere existence, in every curve of her body. In every note of her scent. She was his reason to live, the breath of fresh air that filled his lungs every single day. Her giggles lightened the burden in his soul as they echoed in his mind, and the simple words that always reminded him that he had a place in the world—her world.

"I love you, Mamo-chan," Her lips curved into a sweet and sensual smile; crystal blue eyes staring with so much love for him.

"To the Moon and back… I love you… to the world we belong... "

He was not going to say goodbye; he was never going to say goodbye to her... not again. Not ever again.

Endymion opened his eyes, rolled on his side and pushed himself back up and slowly grabbed the hilt of the broken weapon on his shoulder, one quick move and pulled it out as he looked up.

"Don't give up. Get up—keep moving."

"Wake up… my Setting Sun..."

"Don't lose sight of me..."

"...Debellatio..."

Endymion lifted his head and looked at Chaos; his eyes darkened with iron determination; completely ignoring his surroundings, the blood spilling from his wound, and the pain pulsing in his body.

Chaos saw it, the absolute power of his descendance. A deep Prussian color slowly overpowering the royal blue of his eyes, the rim of his irises shone golden like a corona during a solar eclipse; Helios' power manifesting within him like a true successor.

"Altissimum Rex Terra, Endymion De Terra."

"I won't surrender our lives nor tie my existence to you." Endymion said in a low grating voice, not recognizable anymore "This will end here; this will end now."

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

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