The Forgotten Zodiac

The Divine flickered its eyes open, unable to see far or see much. "S...y...las..." it rasped, barely having the energy to breathe, much less speak. "I'm...sorry... I meant...to be...here...for you...but...now..." It gurgled past the blood in its throat, then said "Galai...mother...Titus...father...watch over...him... He...has...my...blessing..." The words were coming slower and slower. "Take...what...I...give..." it whispered, its eyes already closing. "It's...all...I...have...left..." The huge creature started to fade away, its entire body turned as gray as the stripes on its back before it slowly crumbled into dust, which continued crumbling until there was nothing left. "I...love..." was the final whisper in the air, but it wasn't able to even finish.

It left behind three glistening orbs, one for each person it had spoken to. A white one for Galai, a black one for Titus, and a gray one for Sylas. Galai wailed and picked up her orb, clutching it close and crying her heart out.

Sylas grabbed up his own orb, his tears falling on the orb as he looked at it,

"We cannot leave now, Galai..." Titus said quietly. "Or this bridge and this world will collapse. And after that..." He sighed heavily, taking the black orb in his hand. "This situation is growing more dangerous by the second..." He rested his hand on Galai's shoulder, then hugged her close.

She leaned against him, sobbing and crying. She clutched her orb close, holding it defensively, as if afraid that someone was going to try and take it from her. She didn't unlock it yet, as the pain of losing her child was far too great. She put her head into her hands and wailed, her frail body shaking violently.

Leo took panther form and slipped over to Sylas, nudging under his arm and starting to help him back to the infirmary, leaving the two beings to mourn their child. Losing the Divine was a crushing blow to both of their worlds; the Divine was sacred to their people. Telling them that it had died would be hard.

Sylas crawled onto Leo's back, holding his orb tightly. He didn't dare open it yet for fear that whatever inside would slip from his weak fingers and fall into the abyss. He cried silently the entire way back to Amnairus and didn't even try to stop until he was safe in the bed. "Wh-what are we going to do..." He trembled, biting his lip. "All of these worlds are in danger now..." He looked down at his orb, sighing heavily. He laughed once, nervously. "I'll have to find somewhere else to retire..."

Leo curled up next to him on the bed, licking his paws slowly. "Whatever you choose, you won't be alone," he said, continuing his methodical licking. "I'll be here." He paused, thinking, then carefully transferred his tongue to Sylas' hand, licking slowly and soothingly. He rested his head on Sylas' legs, watching his friend closely and blinking softly at him. "I'm so sorry, my friend," he murmured, wishing he could've done more but knowing in his heart that the second he would've acted against Death, his soul would've been gone in the blink of an eye.

"I think...we should help Werr." Sylas said quietly. "My son is well on his way to bringing Malice down...I have to urge him on. It must be done, we can't spend any more time waiting around here. The dragons are out of the way, so the only thing Werr has to worry about, really, is getting the Artifacts from the Silver Tornado..." He rubbed the orb thoughtfully, then put his hands on each side of the seam and pulled, carefully opening the orb to see what was inside.

The orb slowly opened in a glittering little ball, wiggling and wafting around in circles. It slowly formed the outline of the Divine, only very small. It was a personal memory of the Divine's, recorded and stored away in the tiny little orb.

My dearest Sylas. If you're seeing this, then I've somehow died away, which I find highly unlikely. You humans have such puny little lifespans, after all.

It snorted softly, as if laughing.

But yes, if you're seeing this, then I'm dead. I'm sorry I couldn't be there until you died. You really were my favorite human. You...understood me. In a way no other human that I've ever shown myself to has.

It went quiet for a moment, sighing softly.

You gave me real memories. You helped fill some of my terribly loneliness. And my loneliness was a horrible thing indeed. I can't tell you how many times I looked through the memories of humans and longed for the laughter and happiness they seemed to have. For instance, what IS a birthday party all about? I just never understood that concept. But, I get ahead of myself.

Sylas, you're dear to me. That's why I'll entrust you with what I've placed inside this orb. At the end of this message, a one-inch-tall orb is going to appear, on a necklace. That orb will contain a copy of every memory I have of you. Give it to the new Divine, once it's born. It will know you as well as I do. The new Divine will be me, so to speak, just as I was the Divine before me. With this orb, you can basically reincarnate me into my next form. I won't have any other memories except the ones you give me through this; I'll have to make new ones on my own.

I don't have a concept of love. It surpasses me. But I feel a 'pull' towards you, like I feel towards my dear mother and father. Watch over Galai for me, would you? If this messages plays, then I am dead, which I know will break her heart. I'm sorry I couldn't last forever, though there were times when it's felt like forever had passed and I would live...without count.

I'm sorry, my dear Sylas.

Then the message faded and the tiny gray orb on the necklace formed, resting in Sylas' hand.

Sylas watched as the orb dissolved, leaving behind the necklace. "I will..." Sylas said quietly. "Whenever another Divine is made, no matter what, I'll give this to it. I don't even care what it thinks of me, but I'll do it for you." He sighed heavily, leaning against Leo as he put the necklace on, tucking it under his shirt. The orb was warm, but didn't seem like it would break easily. He closed his eyes, shaking his head and then burying his face in his arms.

Leo put his chin on top of Sylas' head, closing his eyes and holding his friend close, trying to comfort him as well as he could.

*

Galai leaned heavily against Titus, still shuddering as she cried softly.

The king and queen were still sitting at the Place Between Worlds, mourning their lost child. Galai was practically sick with grief, coughing and still crying heavily. Her orb was held so tightly in one hand that she had nearly made her skin raw, one hand clutching tightly to Titus' clothes. She was limp against her mate, breathing heavily.

Titus hadn't shed a tear. He was being strong for Galai, of course. He hugged her tightly, worried about her coughing. "Please calm down, dearest...please don't hurt yourself like this...we have to be strong for our people," He murmured, but didn't chide her any further. He didn't want her to cry. He hated the sound. He held tightly onto his own orb, looking at the gleaming surface, then decided to try and open the small thing.

Slowly, it unravelled and turned into a shimmering black hologram of the Divine. This version wasn't like Sylas'. Sylas' had been the Divine with both male and female halves. This was the single male half of the Divine, and it spoke in a gravelly, yet strong, voice.

Father. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to survive whatever cast me down. I've inserted something very special inside this orb, just for you. I've been going over the possible things I could ever give to you that hold meaning, since you are part of what created me, and I think this was the best. Creating this was very difficult for me. It took several mistakes and much trial and error before I could successfully say 'It is done'. I took a copy of Forin Dulce's memories, along with the memories of many hundreds of people, and slowly, piece by piece, copied FROM the memories themselves. It was very hard to do this, but I managed to create three things for you that I mixed into this single object.

Your weakness, father, is your emotion. Once this message is finished, you will be presented with a small black orb that contains three emotions that I managed to copy from Forin and the humans I tested this on.

The first is love. I know you love Galai very much and wish you could truly feel that love for her, as you once did. So I crafted the emotion of love for you. Because I myself 'love' you, as my dear father.

The second is happiness. You know fullwell how to have anger and hatred and the like. You deserve to be truly happy, for you cause Galai much happiness in her life. There is not another creature alive that can make her smile as you do, that can love her as you do. You should be proud to be her husband, as I know you are.

The third and final emotion is sorrow. True, passionate, sadness. So you may cry tears of your own and so you may feel the plight of others. So many times, creatures are devoid of sorrow and mercy towards their fellow beings. I'm not asking you to try and change the world, or to free every being in every prison. I just want you to be able to truly and wholeheartedly mourn a loss.

These are the gifts I pass on to you. To me, it isn't much, but...I feel you'll think otherwise. Just swallow the black orb and you'll receive the emotions I crafted for you. I respected you until my very end, dear father. Watch over mother; she'll kill herself with her sadness, if she's not careful. As I'm sure you're finding out, if you're watching this.

Goodbye, father.

The vision faded, revealing the shimmering black orb that the Divine had gifted its father.

Titus blinked in shock at the small orb, closing his eyes and putting it in his mouth immediately. The emotions that Forin stole...perhaps he didn't need to take them back. It wasn't worth the effort if he had this. He swallowed hard, feeling his heart start to ache. He regretted taking it now; he couldn't stay strong any longer. He wept bitterly, wiping his eyes before hugging Galai closely. "I won't let her. She won't get the chance..."

Galai whimpered hoarsely, coughing badly before going limp again. She sounded bad from crying so hard, her breathing rasping in and out of her lungs. She swallowed quietly, gasping for air once she was finished, then slowly managed to open her orb, though her hands fell limp as soon as she opened it.

Again, the image of the Divine formed, but this time, it was the white female half. It giggled softly, it voice light like air, then spoke.

My dearest mother. I'm so sorry you're watching this, because this means I'm no longer alive. I had no emotion of true 'love', sadly, and I only wish I could've stayed longer. But that wasn't meant to be. I know you'll cry and hurt yourself over my death. Please, dear mother and queen, I beg you. Don't hurt yourself over me. You have so much that you need to live for. That's why my gift to you is strength. That's your weakness; you have a kind and caring heart, but when it comes to fighting and protecting yourself, you fall short. When this message ends, you will be presented with a white orb that I embued with part of my own strength. Swallow the orb and you'll get the strength to carry on, the endurance to fight, and the power you need to protect those dear to you. I only wish I could've given more to you, light of Amnairus.

I understand that you'll mourn for me. I know you. Even now, I imagine that you're crying just at hearing my voice.

It was true. More tears than ever were weakly sliding down Galai's pale cheeks. She didn't even have the energy to raise her head, simply keeping her eyes closed and listening quietly.

But don't weep for too long. You'll bear a new Divine and you'll shower it with love and affection. Just like you did for me. Please, dear mother. Your people, and your husband, both need you.

Goodbye, mother.

The message ended and the shimmering white orb formed, but Galai was too weak to pick it up, much less swallow it. She coughed softly, unable to even lift her head from Titus' shoulder.

Titus scooped up the orb in his own fingers, shadows forming a goblet in his hand. He placed the orb inside and watched as the shadows crushed it into a fine, shimmering powder. The cup filled with water in an instant, stirring itself and dissolving the powder. Titus raised it to Galai's lips. "Drink every drop," He said softly, starting to let the water trickle down Galai's throat. "Our dear child made this for you, Galai...you must drink." He wrapped his many wings around her and cradled her gently. If she coughed or spluttered, the shadows around him were ready to catch every single drop of the water. As Titus wanted.

She slowly managed to drink, having to pause every few sips to attempt a weak cough. In the end, she managed to drink it all, then just rested against Titus. After a few moments, she gave a weak cry of "Ah!" and arched her back, her head falling back as strength flooded through her, her golden hair draping over Titus' arm, as soft as the finest of silks. She shuddered, her eyes wide, then slumped against the king again, breathing softly. She wasn't coughing anymore and she wasn't as pale. She now had a healthy rosy tint to her cheeks, her white eyes bright and stunning. She could still cry herself sick, of course, but now she had far more strength and power and energy. In a way, the Divine had made both king and queen equals. Titus had emotion like Galai, and she had power like him.

Galai blinked a few times, then slowly lifted her head slightly and stared up at Titus, her eyes framed by her long white lashes. "Oh, Titus..." she murmured, tears forming in her eyes again. They weren't as bad this time, and they were for a few different reasons. She moved one delicate hand up and touched his cheek, murmuring "You've been crying..."

"How could I not?" Titus murmured, hugging her tightly. "The divine...gave that ability back to me." He brushed her hair back behind her ear and kissed her gently on the forehead. He wiped his tears away and summoned their thrones, though he didn't make Galai sit in her own. He sat down in his, still holding his beloved Galai close. The bridge widened to accommodate their thrones, naturally. They would be here for awhile anyways, if neither of them could leave without destroying the place between worlds.

Galai lifted her hand and gently touched Titus' chin, looking up at him sadly. She rested her head against his chest, sighing and curling her wings close to her body. Despite her newfound strength, she was still a delicate little being, astounding in her beauty. One blow could crush her beneath it, though now she had the power to fight back and protect herself. "What do we do now?" she murmured, closing her eyes. "Normally, by the time the Divine was ready to pass on, I would've been ready to deliver the next one. Now, the Divine is gone and I'm not even pregnant. It'll take a while for the new little one to grow. What do we do until then? Our worlds need us, but if we leave...without the Divine's powers keeping it afloat, the Place Between Worlds will fall."

((I hold with me an idea. What if they temporarily combine Tartarus and Amnairus into a twilight state? Where the light and darkness are mixed together into a state that both Amnairians and Tartarans can both live in?

For the lore of their kinds, I've always had the idea that the very first king and queen lived together with their people in a state of twilight, where both kinds could intermingle with each other and the human race. Then they slowly separated for some reason.))

((They separated due to the conflicts between Amnarians and Tartarans. And this new joining will be exactly what Malice wants, because Amnairus and Tartarus can be destroyed in a single blow like that.

Let's do eet.))

"Perhaps...we should do away with this world for now. Just until there is another Divine to keep it stable. If we join our worlds...the gate will be a portal from one world to another, and the Place Between Worlds will be remade when the next Divine is brought forth." Titus said quietly. "You know how it's done, my dearest, and our worlds can be one again..."

((Yes. -nuzzle-))

Galai's eyes lit up and she blinked at her mate, her eyes betraying her utmost longing. If they combined their worlds, she wouldn't have to long for him so much. He would be right beside her, and she him. Where they were meant to be. In the old days, at the first creation of Tartarus and Amnairus, the two kinds had lived in the same world. In a state of perpetual, safe twilight. That was back when they had a relationship with the human race, of course. But the point was that it had been like that once. Just as the two worlds couldn't survive without each other, so too could they thrive with each other.

She slipped her hand behind his head and brought him down to her so she could kiss his cheek, soft and quiet. "I love you," she murmured, feeling new tears seep from her eyes.

"I love you too..." Titus said quietly. He couldn't bring himself to tell Galai how dangerous this would be. With the light dimmed, Tartarans and Amnairians would be weakened alike. It must be done, though... Titus closed his eyes, sighing heavily. "Then we shall return to our own worlds and begin the joining. Everything will be alright, my dear..." He swept up her tears with his thumb, smiling a little. He took her hands in his and led her down the bridge, right to the threshhold of Amnairus. He paused. "You know what to do, yes...? Will you be alright?" He questioned, nervous.