Norah felt as if she was about to sink in an eternal abyss as she guided the broken High goddess across the rippling water. She dared to gaze up at the twinkling sky above. The sky seemed to be dancing the purples and dark blues all blended together in a hypnotic manner. Stars riddled the sky like fireflies on a summer night that flickered above the dark emerald grass.

The more she stared at the endless starry sky the smaller she felt in the world. She had this feeling that she was under someone’s thumb being squashed like an ant crawling somewhere it shouldn’t.

“ Kid! Bring her over here!” Taurus’s voice echoed throughout the empty space. Norah gazed at the shollie, and her blood just froze. Standing with Azrail, Allen, and Taurus were the twelve constellation zodiacs. They were all ghostly white figures with their signature colors in their manes, hairs, horns, fins, and eyes. Each zodiac gazed across the empty space at Norah and Vita. Norah realized she was trembling in her armor.

The Constellations…I’ve heard of them…I’ve heard of their power….gods I can’t move….is-is North also afraid of them?

“ Little one bring the traitor here,” roared the giant lion impatiently. Norah nodded nervously as she guided Vita toward the crowd of gods and constellations. When she finally arrived at the small crowd she kneeled before them with her body still shaking nervously. Some of the constellations chuckled and shook their heads.

“ Oh young one there’s no need for that. Please stand up,” said the large crab that had a gentle, kind voice. Norah did as commanded and to her surprise she wasn’t wet from the water they stood on.

“ Can we just get to the point? Norah and the dog will stand aside. While we get the trial underway,” croaked the large scorpion. Norah and Taurus bowed then stepped away from the crowd. Suddenly a comfortable couch appeared behind them and the two sat down and watched.

Leo the lion constellation unleashed a thunderous roar that serenaded throughout the empty galactic space. Almost at an instant Tempus, Astro, and Reamer all appeared from separate portals. Tempus and Astro looked even more elegant and dignified than they were in their paintings. Reamer floated in sitting on his manta ray plush toy, and floated next to Allen.

All twelve constellations sat in a large circle surrounding the other gods that surrounded Vita making the center. It was pathetic seeing Vita on her knees and her head dropping resembling dangling fruit from a tree. Everyone that surrounded her stared down at her in either disappointment or resentment.

“ Azrail tell us exactly why you are blaming my innocent daughter for everything? She’s not some dark puppet master,” Tempus said as she pushed her hair behind her shoulders.

“ Oh yes the goddess who manipulated a chosen one to kill the High god of Death, who used her angels to police the mortal world, attempted to conquer other god’s and goddess’s lands, basically stole another High gods property, threw the world out of balance for 13 years, brainwashed anyone who enters Heaven and had falsely accused another god of crimes. Yeah she’s totally innocent,” Azrail snapped in a sarcastic tone as Allen gently held his hand to hold him back.

“ I did none of those things!! Mother! Father! Don’t let this heartless dog get the best of us!” Vita yelled desperately as tears began to flood from her face. Astro didn’t even glance in Vita’s direction, but Tempus gave Vita an expression of sympathy and pity.

“ My daughter makes a point. Maybe she has gone insane from the fall of Nameless which was caused by Azrail! So this was all his fault!” Tempus shouted as she crouched to her daughter’s side holding Vita close.

“ And Tantibus did destroy Vita in a psyche battle recently,” Astro stated.

“ If it’s anyone’s fault it’s yours you idjit hag! Ye and yer husband have raised yer children with perfectionist complexes the size of Russia and China!! And babying this wench is only feeding it! This is who she is! A murderous bitch who threw the world out of balance!! It’s time for her to pay! Everything we’ve done to her is out of justice!” Allen shouted while Azrail held him back from attacking Astro and Tempus.

“ I didn’t understand a word this. This snarling beast said, but if my daughter is so guilty, where's the evidence?” Tempus stated. Azrail had a smirk of confidence sprouting on his mouth.

“ Vita is my evidence. Reamer if you please,” Azrail stated.

Reamer smiled brightly like the stars themselves and went over to Vita. After shooing Tempus away from Vita he got off of his plush toy he lightly gripped the back of Vita’s head. The goddesses eyes glowed like pure light itself and then the space around them all changed.

Their surroundings where the gods had their councils with the various thrones that decorated the area. Almost every single throne was filled with various divine beings.

Young Vita and young Azrail, who looked to be around early 30’s and late 20 years, sat across from each other in their respective thrones with glaring eyes causing a thick tension to fester between the two High gods.

“ Where’s your beloved husband?” Young Azrail was wearing an old fashioned dark suit from the old world with his normal dog skulls on his shoulders and head, and a cane leaned against his throne.

“ This second world war took a lot out of him,” Young Vita was wearing a white old world buttoned shirt with a skirt that draped over her knees.

Both of the High gods had dark circles under their lifeless eyes. They both were trying to keep themselves from passing out in their thrones.

“ I don’t see why I’m here. I didn’t start this war. My son barely had to start this war. So punish your creations,” young Azrail scowled but he sounded tired and angry. Several voices murmured in agreement with Azrail.

“ My creations have done nothing! They are perfect! The only thing imperfect about them is caused by you!” She took a breath to recompose herself.

“ You’re here because I want to make a deal with you. This war, between us, admittedly has taken a toll on all of us one way or another. So I propose this treaty to keep things civil between us so that we don’t rip reality. My terms are you give me and my husband total control over Heaven, hand over Serenity, and give up your control over the angels. In return I will leave you and your family alone until the Phoenix Prophecy comes. When that time comes we’ll finish this,” young Vita said very politely as she slid a piece of paper over Azrail. Gasps and whispers coursed through the thrones all around. Azrail slammed his hand on the treaty and rubbed the bridge of his nose as tiredness consumed Azrail.

“ You’re saying I should give up the kingdom I created, give up my sacred weapon that my husband crafted for me, and all you do is leave me alone. All because you provoked me for doing my job,” he glanced at the paper then took in a deep breath of irritation then exhaled fatigue from his nose.

“ Azrail do the right thing. I can tell you’re exhausted from the war and deciding the fate of thousands of souls. Signing this will remove a weight from your shoulders.”

“ Fine. I’ll sign it. I just want this to be over with. Some of us have lives,” young Azrail signed his name with the pen that Vita tossed him. Murmurs of surprise filled the room of the image.

The image faded away and a new vision appeared of young Vita once again in the council meeting place of the gods. But this time the meeting place looked more like a courtroom. In the center of it all stood a man that looked exactly like the man in the picture frame in Azrail’s room but he was wearing a white coat with an old world undershirt and tie.

The man stood there in shackles with golden blood stained on the side of his head. Young Vita was standing in front of the man with disgust.

In the crowd young Azrail was trying to shove through all of the other divine beings to get to the man in the center, but they only held him back.

“ You see! Ferro, the god of the arts, crafts, weaponry and invention, has been crafting weapons that are capable of mass destruction! He released those weapons upon mortals! If he is capable of this then what else is he capable of! He then has begun using the pale flames to create more destructive weapons!” Young Vita protested.

“ I was only experimenting with the pale flames! And I merely inspired the mortals to create a weapon I never told them to-” Ferro was cut off.

“ You see! He is the reason for so many deaths! Please mother, father get rid of him before he kills someone else!” Vita argued. Azrail managed to get through enough of the crowd to see Ferro in chains but not enough to go to him since Medela was holding him back.

“ I agree. Ferro will be executed and his soul will be destroyed on the crime of attempted murder of a High goddess, crafting destructive weapons and needlessly killing thousands of mortals,” Tempus said in a calm tone. Several beings protested in an outrage.

“ Mother! Isn’t that punishment a bit too harsh? He personally didn’t activate it! Ferro didn’t mean for this to happen! Humans are just-” the thunder god said as the crowd quieted down, but he was interrupted by Vita whispering to Tempus.

“ My word is final, son. North! Sage! Continue with the execution,” Tempus ordered.

A beautiful violet-turquoise flaming phoenix sat in front of Ferro and a person in a dark leathery coat and a hood over their head to cover their face.

“ Any last words?” Tempus demanded. Ferro gazed, hopelessly, into the crowd locking eyes with Azrail.

“ Azrail…my love…..my children…. don’t forget me. Bring justice to my legacy, honorably,” a smile sprouted across his lips as tears flooded down. When Tempus gave the order, North cawed a brilliant fire upon Ferro and the courtroom echoed with the sound of the pair screaming agony as Ferro’s body turned to a pile of ashes. Then the cloaked mortal summoned a gust of orange wind that ripped something apart until it became nothing but orange particles that flowed away with it’s ashes.

Young Azrail had finally made his way through the crowd in a dog form with dark purple flames bursting from his jaws. He leapt toward Vita but Astro somehow grabbed hold of the raging dog. Azrail struggled as he barked through his crying with his eyes now glowing a dark purplish crimson.

“ You broke our treaty, goddess of lies! For that I curse you Vita and Nameless! When humanity is at its peak I will ride to bring them to ashes like you did my husband!”

The image faded and was replaced with Vita watching from a glass wall. In front of her was a confused angel asking for answers. The angel was chained to a chair by their wrists and ankles with some sort of metallic worm hanging from the ceiling. Vita merely signalled her goons.

The metallic worm came to life as it slithered to the chained angel. The worm used it’s circular teeth to stick onto the angel’s forehead, and began to steal the angel’s memories. The poor angel screamed and wailed. Begging for it stop, but Vita stood there watching it happen. But then the angel’s form began to change to a different angel then that one changed, over and over they changed forms to thousands of different angels. All screamin in agony. All begging for the misery to stop.

“ Stop it! I get it!” Tempus shouted, then everything returned to the galactic purple sky with rippling water beneath their feet.

“ Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Virgo asked Vita.

“ My creations were once perfect…no struggle, no diseases, and no death. Everyone did their part to build and create the world. But that filthy misbreed came into the world. Thanks to Medela. And he ruined the world, him and his Riders…Everything I’ve done…all of this…was for perfection…I only wanted a perfect world for my creations…I saw how they suffered through the decades….of course Nameless always said that they needed to do things their own way..they needed to be free. Why he defended you I will never understand. But when Nameless was exiled…I could find perfection again. That is all I wanted for my creations! Why can’t I give it to them?!”

“ Isn’t that a noble cause? Can’t we be lenient on her for being so noble? She’s only doing her job!” Tempus held her daughter closer to her.

“ Noble cause…how dare you call that noble. Perfection is a never ending cycle that only causes more pain. Is it really terrible that your creations die? Predators could eat. Humans could be relieved from sickness, and had a reason to live. You can’t hear it but thousands upon millions of souls are crying for me. They beg for me. I am the reason your creations even bother to do anything with their lives. You have caused them nothing but suffering. All for what?” Azrail glared down at the High goddess.

“ For perfection!” Vita screamed with tears flooding down her face.

“ Nah, lass, you’re doin’ this for ego. You can’t fathom that you or anythin’ ye created aren’t perfect. You’re so blinded by perfection that you’re ignoring the beauty of imperfections,” Allen snarled.

“ I think we’ve heard enough,” Cancer mumbled.

“ Indeed let’s punish Vita and be done with it,” Sagittarius commented.

“ Vita isn’t the only one at fault. It is clear that the glorious Tempus has failed her duties as the High goddess of Order and Time. You and Astro willingly allowed your child to cause such chaos in the world, and Tempus allowed her to interfere with the course of destiny. Astro you will be punished as well for being on the sidelines during all of this since you are Vita’s and Azrail’s father. You could’ve stopped this as a father,” the person with a blindfold on and holding two scales said. “ Now, Allen as the god of punishment. Deal with them as you may,” they continued.

“ Ah yes, the fun part. Now I decide that for Tempus and Astro they should live the mortal life for at least a year so they know what they have done to the world. Your punishment will be activated when we bring in the new life goddess. Then Vita oh sweet sweet Vita,” he crouched down to Vita’s level and held her chin with a mischievous grin.

“ I do believe your punishment is to forever live as a mortal being. From human to beast to plants to even the smallest speck of bacteria. You will constantly be reincarnated, but you only remember who you truly are until you’re moments from death. The only way for this curse to be reversed is if I say so,” Allen continued and as he spoke he shifted into his black wolf form with two pairs of tentacles steadily waving around. When he finished his sentence he opened his mouth a long pointed tongue slithered out of his mouth and it sluggishly caressed Vita’s cheek. The saliva that trailed behind the tongue buried itself in Vita’s perfect skin. Allen backed away from Vita and returned to his human self.

“ Vita High goddess of life and protection. You have dishonored your family, and have committed many atrocities against the Divine Order and the Order of the Natural World. For this you will lose your godly rights and abilities,” all of the constellations said in complete unison. Then the zodiac Leo pressed the point of his massive long claw on Vita’s head, and just like that the lion held an energy ball of sorts that emitted this feeling of power and life in its paw.

The giant lion handed the glowing ball over to Astro who morphed the ball into an elegant staff that he put away in his jacket-like cloak.

Vita herself looked drained and no longer had the dignified, regal appearance and presence. The mighty goddess felt just like any other person. Vita grabbed her mother’s dress and began begging and sobbing for her mother to fix this. But Tempus only stepped away and not even glancing at her daughter. The twin human zodiac Gemini shrunk down to Vita’s side and ushered her away.

“ Now the question remains. Who will be the new life goddess?” Azrail questioned.

“ I would assume one of her children,” Cancer the crab stated.

“ But I doubt any of her children would accept the position,” Aries the ram replied. The constellations, and the others all began to bicker about who would take the position of the life goddess. Norah and the hellhound meanwhile were sitting on the plush couch watching everything unfold. The shollie laid there bored with Norah paying close attention to everything. Norah eventually stood to her feet.

“ I will. I will be the High goddess of life,” Norah said with her voice echoing around as if it were thunder. Everyone looked at her, some had a look of absolute shock, others with disapproval, and few with approval.

“ Lass you must be joking. You. The one who broke everything. The most naive wench I have ever met. You want to be in charge of life itself,” Allen’s normal accented sadistic voice was now stern and condescending.

“ Maybe this is how she’ll redeem herself,” Taurus said standing by her side.

“ The hound makes a point. Plus Norah worked closest to Vita so she knows how things are done,” Scorpio agreed and the other constellations agreed. Tempus nodded in agreement, but remained silent. But Azrail and Allen had scowls of disapprovement on their faces.

“ I say we let the chosen one pay for her decisions. Astro hold the ceremony and make the child the new life goddess,” Capricorn stated.

“ You all must be joking. A mortal can not be a High god. It’s bad enough that a mortal became a Dream Lord,” Astro scowled and glared at Allen with disgust. Allen glared back then he flipped off the High god, and Azrail made Allen put it down.

“ Astro this ceremony is the last thing you’ll do as a High god for about a year so cherish it. Norah you have one day to get your life in order. The rest of you head back to your realms and duties. We have a world to rebuild,” Capricorn said as everyone left until it was just Allen, Taurus, and Norah left alone in the watery spacious abyss. The shollie hellhound and his owner were preparing to leave.

“ Taurus….Allen … I want to see my sister, and Helsing before I go….is that possible?” She said meekly.

“ Alright, your highness, if that is what ye really want,” Allen mocked with a grin. The nightmare king extended his hand out to Norah. She took his hand and with the blink of an eye they appeared in front of a simple cabin in the middle of a misty, silent, forest. Helsing covered in dry wounds and other’s blood was also next to Norah with a confused look.