Theia

## Story

Theia, Theia minor, Theia major. Pa**theia**, Commonweal**theia**. To whom do we speak. To whom is this Theia. That depends on you. Your wish, your desire. Her story shifts and alters, at the whim of the storyteller, like that of Vale Von Dalvanberg. Shifts and alters. With many paths.  A story with many branches. Each leading in different directions. Each one depending on your belief or purpose of telling the story. But they all start the same. Start in the same place we all do. In the black everlasting void.

Where everything and nothing comes from. The everlasting void. It’s dark foreboding majesty speckled with the twinkling of burning light. The mothers light. Her love and kindness radiating out into the vast nothingness of the fathers cold merciless void.

There, in the stellar nursery came our mother. Sol. Sparking into existence in a fiery explosion. Her heat, her light illuminating the once dark wasteland. She is bright and beautiful, kind and caring. A true daughter of the mother. From there she created her children. Their number in the millions. Each one, beloved by her.

But as time is wanting to do, it thundered forward. With no care or consideration for the chaos that it would unleash upon the mother’s requiem. As it marched onwards and the mothers children grew older. Moving away from her loving embrace. They grew bitter and angry. Filled with rage and jealousy. Till one day it became too much and fire and flame erupted across the heavens.

All she could do. Our mother Sol. Was watch, as her eldest children battled in heaven. The smallest of her children running away towards the void. Never to be seen again. As her largest chased after them, butchering them as they ran. Ripping off chunks of flesh and bone. Using the corpses for their falling brothers and sisters as weapons in their brutal war.

It is unknown what caused the mothers children to grow angry and hateful. Maybe it was the void father's rage. Tickling in the back of their minds. Whispering to them, maybe it was just what happens when the children leave her warm embrace. Maybe it is just the whims of the gods. Their thoughts and action unknowable to us mere mortals that call Terra home.

Whatever the reason, whether cruel or benevolent, whether by the storytellers purpose or will. The result is always the same, a war upon the mothers' requiem. A war between gods. Their number once in the millions now a hand full, their essence falling into the strongest of her children, their strength, their beauty, their souls. Being absorbed into the most brutal and ruthless of her children.

Until one day as the strongest of her children, Jupiter and Saturn battled within the heavens. Jupiter throwing flaming whirlwinds as Saturn defends himself with his mighty blades. A song so beautiful, so magical, so divine. That the creations of man pail in comparison to the majesty of it.  Floated into the cosmos.

Causing the battling giants to pause in their senseless war. Even with Saturn having gotten the upper hand nearly impaling Jupiter with his blade. The calming melody draught him to a stop moment from killing his brother.

The song drifted out from the warmth of the now distraught mothers light. Her eyes closed turned away from her children and the chaos they had chosen. Though the song did not come from her. Nor from the youngest of her children. Small little Mercury, Too young to comprehend why his mother was so sad. Why she would not open her eyes. Why she would not look at him. His face covered with tears as he desperately tried to get his mother attention. But the song did not come from him.

Then there was their rage filled sister. Her face mar with thunderous clouds. Her anger and fury for her warring brothers and sisters dragged inwards. Held at bay by her steadfast will. Anger and fury, no song to be had.

As their gaze turned, the source of the song, nearly in sight. Their vision was obstructed by their brother Mars. Sentinel of the young. His unwavering strength and ferocity, showcased before them. A mountain of corpses piled high all bearing the mark of his mighty spear. All their siblings, all those that had tried to bring the war to the young. All those, now a bloodied decaying mess. All those struck down by their brother and his friends. The two that ran from the chaos back to the mother. Phobos and Deimos veterans of the war. Small but might, escaping from the battling giants as Sol turned away. Without her power, without her light to hold back the tide. The young were vulnerable and the giants knew it. So the two brothers ran towards the light. As the first of the giants moved in to kill the young. Only for the giant to fall before them, a spear in his eye, the sentinel Mars floating above them.

So a pact was signed. An alliance forged, and by their swords and spears the giants fell one, by one. Till mountains of brothers and sisters formed a bulwark against the rest. No song. Only death twinkling in their eyes, as they prepared for the next foolish sibling to brave the mountains of corpses.

Behind them. Behind Mars, Phobos and Deimos. Behind the mountains of death. Two figures danced. Terra and Theia, sisters, friends. The best of friends. Have been since the day they were born. Always together, always happy. At least they try to be happy. Happy together, keeping each other's spirits up. Even as the chaos of the war echoed around them. The sounds of their siblings screams. Their tortuous moans reverberating through the heavens.

Turned away the mother did. Turned away, and her light dimed. Her light, her protection and Terra feared that their sibling would come for them. Come and butcher them. She feared for her life, for her soul. For her sister. But Theia would not fear, she would not surrender to fear, to her siblings rage, she would stand with Terra till the bitter end.

So she turned, turned away from the approaching terrors, to her sister Terra, she turned as Mars marched onwards to halt the advancing horrors. She turned and whispered to Terra. That they would face the fears and horrors together. Together. Terra repeated. Together they watched as Mars began his defence. Watched as the bodies piled high. Months, years, centuries they watched as Mars defended the young. Till one day Terra could not watch anymore. She could not, would not watch as more of her family died. To look at the mountains of corpses. The eyes of her brothers and sisters staring at them, cold and lifeless. Glazed over as their blood formed rivers and lakes that dripped from Mars's scared surface.

She turned away, turned away much like their mother did centuries ago. Turned away never to open her eyes again. “Dance with me.” she heard Theia whisper. Taking her hands in hers. “Dance with me.” she repeated when Terra refused to open her eyes. “Why. There is nothing to dance for. There isn’t even any music.” she eventually replied, peeking out at Theia’s smiling face. “Then we make our own music.” She urged. “Come on, it’ll make you feel better.” She finished. Slowly moving their joined arms from side to side. Her smile starting to glow as her sister began to move. “I-I don’t know.” She continued to hesitate. But when Theia began to quietly sing, she gave up and joined in. Moving slowly, singing quietly. Starting off peacefully. The sounds of Saturn's agony over shadowing their song.

Terra winced at the sound, her song becoming a whisper, her eyes pools of tears. Turned away she would have, turned away to never look back. If not for Theia. Her voice becoming a crescendo in its volume. Slowly she joined in. Quiet at first, her voice barely visible, amongst her sisters. But as they continued to dance. Their movements becoming more fluid, her voice rose to join in harmony with Theia’s. Till it reverberated through the cosmos. Ceasing their brothers endless war, and causing Sol to glance back at her children a slight smile on her lips.

It was beautiful, magical, divine. They were happy. Happy and content as they danced and sang. Happy. Till Sol’s light dimed once more, and the ground reverberated with the footsteps of approaching giants. “ To war!” Mars cried out. Phobos and Deimos at his side as they charge into the fray. Only for rocks and Hellfire to fall upon them. Severing Phobos’s arm. Slicing through deimos’s chest. Leaving Mars alone for the first time in eons. Alone to face the towering giants. Jupiter and Saturn, as they flung rocks and brimstone faster than the mind can comprehend. Mars was battered. Mars was broken. His defence shattered, by the endless bombardment. Mars sentinel of the young, broken and the young was at the mercy of monstrous gods.

As Jupiter and Saturn approached, climbing over the mountains of corpses. Venus, their thunderous sister, allowed her clouds to clear. Grabbed her flaming lighting bolt and moved to defend her youngest brother Mercury. Mercury, who was too excited from seeing his mother smile to pay attention to her defensive stance or the weapon in her hand.

Once the giants reached the summit. They stared down at the cowering young, and the broken Mars. Stomping Mars into the mountain of corpses. Jupiter bent down to receive a ball of rock and lit it upon Mars’s spear. The weapon that had protected the young for eons. Now used to spell their boom.

And so flaming rocks rained down from the heavens across the mothers requiem. Her light, her strength used to protect little Mercury as Venus clouded his back. But they were not the brothers' targets. No, they did not care for little mercury. Nor did they wish to face their sister’s rage. No, they wished to end that pervasive song. To end their sisters' happiness. A task that they took great pleasure in committing.

As meteors fell from up high onto the two sisters. Theia cowered in terror as her sister took the brunt of the attack. Shielding her sister with her body, as the rock ripped into her flesh. Though she stood strong. The pain of the endless waves of rocks, miniscule to the pain of having her sister get hurt. So she stood. Stood in place as the rocks pummeled her chest. Stood as her strength began to fade. Stood for what felt like centuries. Stood until she was thrown to the floor.

Dazed and confused, from blood loss, agony and the sudden fall. Terra laid there. Unsure of what was happening, of what had happened. Why were there no rocks falling onto her? Why was she on the floor? Where was Theia? Theia. She looked up to see her sister being pummelled by the endlessly falling flames. “Theia.” she whispered. “Theia” she repeated as the situation began to make sense. “Theia!” she shouted as she got to her feet. Grabbing a hold of her sister. Trying to force her out of the way. “Theia please move out of the way. Please!” she begged her sister. Her strength too weakened to do more than nudge her sister.

Slowly Theia turned around. Her chest, covered in scars. Her face bruised and bloodied, but a gentle smile pulling at her lips. “Please let me be the one to die. Please.” Terra begged once more, tugging on her sister's arms. “No.” came her simple reply. “Please Theia I can watch you die. PLEASE!” rivers of tears running down her cheek. “No” Theia said once more. Placing a hand upon her sister's cheek. “Please don’t do this. Please, you said we would face this together. Please don’t leave me alone.” Terra whispered. Looking away as her tears coated her surface becoming oceans.

Tilting Terra’s face back up to meet her gaze. Theia smiled Knowingly. Like the rocks and flames ripping her back open were mere taps. She smiled, glowing bright and her skin and flesh were sired off. Falling into Terra. Being absorbed into her body. Into her soul. “No. no I know what you are doing. No you can’t!” Terra screamed. As she unwillingly absorbed her sister's essence. Shaking, scraping at her flesh Terra tried to stop her sister from throwing her existence into her. When suddenly her hands were captured by Theia’s. She struggled for a moment. But it was hopeless. She looked up once more. Her face covered in tears. As she gazed at Theia’s smiling face. “Together.” she said simply. “Together.” Terra whispered back.

Smiling Theia exploded in a flash of blinding white light. Lighting up the heavens. Stealing the vision from the giants, and illuminating her sibling that had hid within the void. Her light, so bright that it out shone the mothers. But as it dimed all it left behind was a bawling little girl. Her surface, covered in rives, lakes, oceans of tears. Oceans that moved in gentle waves. Waves that were pulled along into rolling tides. Pulled by the gravity of a floating glistening white ball.

Opening her eyes, Terra gazed upon this ball of light. Its surface, imperfect. Scared by creators and valleys. Remnants of the battle. A testament to her actions. “Together” Terra whispered, as her tears began to dry up. “Together.” Theia’s soul echoed as the two sisters danced once more. Danced within the mothers warm embrace. Her eyes open once more. Mercury happily spinning around his mother. Venus returned to her home. Her clouds hiding her from view. Mars. the vetran returned to his post beside his brothers. Battered and bruised, but ready for a fight. Jupiter and Saturn, humbled. Their eyes blinded never to see again. Terra and Theia to dance together forever more.

Together.

Theia, Terra.

Dance forever more.

## Word travels

This story has travelled the length and breath of the old world. Being retold again and again, from mother to child, from father to son. And In each retelling some details are changed. In one they are lovers, in others they are rivals. But in each retelling, the ending is always the same. Theia gets in the way of the hail of flaming rocks and has her soul exposed to the havens.

It is unknown how this story came about, nor where it started. Though it is now widely believed, that it began as a way to teach children about how Terra came to be. It is believed that it had travelled with the retreating Union at the end of the Collapse. Being spread via word of mouth to the nations of the former Asian continent. Then as the races of Eurasia began to intermingle, and the story of Terra and Theia became a unifying force. That all people of Eurasia had heard from their mothers and fathers. The idea that they were two continents disappeared, and the Theia supercontinent began to gain traction.

As with all things during the first years post Die Nihil, it is unknown when the people of Theia began calling their land that though, it became a commonly used name for the former Eurasian continent.

## Theia major and minor

* Theia major is all the lands east of the Union technocracy, around the western border of the pre-collapse nation of Kazakhstan to the **Pacific ocean** (new name required). Not including the islands of former Asia.
* Theia minor is the lands of the former European continent. Stretching from the Patheian Union to the Union technocracy, including the entire Commonwealth though only the northern regions of the Mediterranean salt flats. With the southern regions being a part of the **African continent** (new name required. Ideas: Home continent, First home).