Sun and Moon

Earth, Moon.

Apollo, Artemis, Athena, and Hephaestus appeared in silvery light on the rocky surface of the moon, within a bubble filled with air. After Hephaestus and Apollo struck an accord, they immediately teleported from the forges to the moon.

Hephaestus grumbled impatiently. "Centre. There is no better venue to create the bow of the moon than there."

Artemis nodded and waved her hand. The surface in front of them began to fade, revealing a square hole with descending steps. It was leading to the moon's core.

Apollo peered down the falling stairwell, discovering a place quite similar to his limitless realm of light beyond reality.

The 'core' of the moon did not refer to a metaphysical 'core,' but to the 'core' of all that the moon symbolises and represents, such as purity, yin, feminity, and so on. To put it another way, the 'core' within the moon is the physical manifestation of the concept of the moon in the universe.

And Hephaestus wasn't wrong; there is no other suitable place in the universe to construct the moon's weapon than here. However, the moon gods and goddesses of other pantheons will most likely detect their presence. But, as his sister pointed out, even if they detect them, the core of the moon is chaotic, even for the moon gods, filled with concepts and rules. In this chaos, Artemis can conceal them using her power. And he is also there, using his authority.

Artemis extended her hand. Three glowing stones emerged from the moonlight in her palm. Then he tossed them one at a time, warning.

"For outsiders, the centre of the moon is an extremely perilous domain. These stones will shield you from harm. Never, ever let it go. Or else. Losing your life suddenly may well be considered a blessing in comparison to many other outcomes." She said hazily.

"Outcomes?" Hephaestus pressed on, his brow furrowed.

"Well." Artemis said, wagging her finger. "If you get extremely unlucky by chance, the realm will permanently turn you into a gorgeous and plump woman."

While Athena chuckled, Hephaestus and Apollo instinctively tightened their grip on the silver stones.

Artemis saw Athena's laughter and continued in a kind tone. "The moon is a symbol of purity. It can purify anything, including wisdom."

Athena's laughter vanished in an instant. Finally, Artemis nodded in contentment as she swept her gaze over them, taking in their stillness and solemnity. Then, she clasped her hand, saying loudly.

"Follow my lead."

They set out on their journey towards the realm of the moon, led by Artemis. The long stairway led to a great expanse of silver light, with several moons floating around, some as small as a planet and some as large as the sun. The moons were manifestations of the divine will of the moon Gods and Goddesses of all the pantheon. The varying sizes represent their degree of control of the moon.

"Which is yours?" Apollo asked, his gaze darting across the gleaming expanse.

"That is mine." Artemis pointed to her moon, which eclipsed all but the largest.

Meanwhile, Athena turned to face the larger ones in the centre. Noticing this, Artemis continued solemnly, "The largest belonged to Tsukuyomi, Khonsu, Thoth, and Chang'e."

Before Apollo and Athena could speak up, Hephaestus interrupted, dragging his scorching hammer across the silvery ground.

"First and foremost, forging. You'll have plenty of time to talk about it afterwards." Hephaestus summoned his equipment and forge in the land of the moon without waiting for their response.

Artemis waved her hand, causing all the moons to vanish into the expanse, and went towards the forge, her ever-present serious visage crumbling. Hephaestus raised his hand, summoning Artemis' Adamantine and Vibranium and flinging them into his massive forge.

Meanwhile, Athena and Apollo strolled slowly, shoulder to shoulder, as Hephaestus continued to prepare his forge after throwing the metals in, with Artemis examining the moulds for her divine bow.

"How did you get the inspiration to combine the metals?" Athena inquired, her inquisitive gaze fixated on Apollo.

Looking ahead, Apollo stated. "I wanted the best of the best."

"That doesn't answer my question." Athena stated emphatically.

Apollo smiled. "But, in a way, it does, doesn't it?"

Athena remained silent as she walked silently with Apollo to the forge. Hephaestus had finished his preparations by the time they arrived at the forge, looking forward and shouting. "Come on, Apollo! Every minute counts when it comes to forging!"

Apollo strode to the forge and took a position in front of it. Hephaestus stood on the other side, while Artemis faced him, then Athena stood near them.

Hephaestus turned to face Artemis, his gaze sombre. "At my command, Artemis, begin infusing your divinity and will into the forge. You should not, under any circumstances, stop. Everything can be lost with a single mistake, blunder, or distraction. This will be your weapon, your will, your symbol of power, Artemis. Even if I am the forger, it cannot be created without your assistance."

"I understand." Artemis nodded swiftly and took deep breaths before staring him in the eyes. "Hephaestus, you have my complete dedication."

Hephaestus nodded, contented. Then he turned to face Apollo.

"Do you trust me?" Apollo inquired once more, earnestly.

"No." Hephaestus said, dead-serious. "I don't trust you, Phoebus Apollo. I am hoping for the possibility, not for you. Make a mistake. And I shall pursue you till the end of the world."

Apollo looked him in the eyes. "Then, Hephaestus, let us make history."

Hephaestus broke into laughter. "Apollo, you are seriously..." He suddenly sighed, shaking his head, and declared. "Let's do it. Let's make history!"

He immediately imbued the forge with his crimson flames, scorching power coursing through it, dyeing everything yellow and white. The Adamantine and Vibranium bars gradually melted on top of each other.

"Now!" Hephaestus hollered.

Under the sharp eyes of all, Apollo pointed his hand at the melting metals, his palm gleaming in dark-golden light.

His golden surging eyes settled into complete tranquilly.

His order authority finally erupted, surged, and shrouded the melting metals of Adamantium and Vibranium in the forge.

He perceived the metals. Their construction, defects, durability, and even their history. They were melting on top of one another, joining and merging. However, based on what he saw in the merging areas, the process was already destined for failure. They were collapsing in chaos.

Apollo did not use his authority to modify the structure or even the composition because the possibilities of him succeeding through this material approach were almost nil.

So, he took the conceptual approach. His dark-golden eyes gleamed as he observed the chaos that prevented the merger.

Chaos and order are ever-present throughout existence, binding and unbreakable, and bringing balance to everything. However, the balance within these combining metals had been broken; chaos consumed the order.

And it was more powerful than he had anticipated. And it instantly rebelled vehemently, having noticed his orderly power. It appeared to be actively attempting to prevent the metals from merging.

Apollo's pupils narrowed. He never expected it to be that simple. As he put more of his strength into it, his palms began to shine brighter, almost blinding others. His eyes were filled with white light.

Order and Chaos squared off and battled. In a single wave of chaos, most becomes meaningless. The laws and rules of reality were corrupted by chaos and collapsed into dreary darkness. Meanwhile, order was extended, asserting its authority and control over rules, also establishing and rewriting laws to its will. Order and Chaos then clashed in a battle of control and domain over reality.

Time passed. Apollo stood motionless, his hands blazing with light. Others stood there, ignoring the glare, their convention swaying with each passing minute.

A thunderous boom burst from the forge, reverberating throughout the moon's realm.

The forge's melting metals were bathed in dark-golden light, which guided them. The molten metals sizzled and swirled as they slowly merged under the influence of light.

The golden order swelled and smashed within them, submerging the chaos and organising it. The Chaos and Order swirled within the combining metals, settling down.

A balance was achieved.

Adamantine and Vibranium combined in the forge, becoming Proto-Adamantine, one of, if not the, strongest metal in existence.

Hephaestus peered into the forge, inspecting everything with piercing eyes, while Athena's grey eyes were wide. Artemis, on the other hand, didn't seem startled, turning and looking at her brother, who still had his palms directed at the forge, as if he hadn't finished.

"You really made history." Sighing at Apollo, Hephaestus remarked. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he turned away from the forge and Apollo, catching his gaze.

"Go on, Hephaestus." Apollo spoke loudly, his palm still glowing, his power enveloping the forge. "The chaos may still rise from within."

Even though Hephaestus didn't understand anything that Apollo uttered, he still knew time is neigh.

He hoisted his hammer above his head and kicked the forge, causing the motel metal to precisely descend into the mould and fill it.

"Artemis, infuse it." Hephaestus roared. Artemis began immediately injecting her divinity and will into the motel metal. Then, under the watchful gaze of Athena and Apollo, Hephaestus struck down his massive hammer.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The forging began. Each clang reverberated across the core of the moon, stirring the entire realm. Slowly but steadily, the power of the realm began to flow to the forge.

It began as a wave, then a river, and then an ocean of moonlight that swirled above the forge before sinking into it.

A part of the essence of the moon bathed the forming bow, combining with it.

Apollo and Athena's sparkling eyes were fixated on the forge, witnessing everything. Artemis' hands were still pointing at the forge, infusing it with her will and divinity with the utmost solemnity.

As fire raged out, Hephaestus clanged his hammer into the mould, dyeing in the essence of the moon, turning into platinum flames, symbolising the eternal moon.

Time ticked on. Minutes turned into hours, and hours turned into days, but no one relented. They forged on and on in the realm of the moon.

Finally, after nearly 9 days and 8 nights, from within the swirling mass of silver light that was larger than the solar system, rose a silver bow, bathed in an argent glow.

"Wield it, Artemis!" Hephaestus boomed out of the swirl of light. "The bow is your will and divinity! It is your symbol of power! It will grow with you and follow you for the rest of eternity!"

Out of the light ascended a hand, and then a beautiful and ethereal goddess, who took the silver bow in her hand, pulled the string heavily, a wisp of moonlight erupting and morphing into a platinum arrow.

Artemis released the cord, and the arrow shot into the infinite realm of the moon, and exploded in a brilliant argent glow that illuminated it all.

It was her bow, her will, her symbol of power.

It was her Stella.

_________________

Apollo, Hephaestus, Artemis, and Athena stood around the forge in the heart of the sun, where all concepts related to the sun were interwoven together. Without further ado, they teleported here under the protection of the Apollo, after the forging of Stella.

Hephaestus looked pumped up, hollering. "Come on, Apollo. Let's do it. The strongest, you said, remember."

"Let's make it true, then." Apollo smiled, pointed his palms at the forge with the Adamantine and Vibranium, glowing brightly.

They began. At first, Apollo brought balance to the metals and began instilling his authority and will in them. They combined into Proto-Adamantium as Hephaestus raised his hammer and clashed mightily with the mould.

In the realm of the sun, a part of the essence of the sun swirled around the forge, descending and combining with the forming golden bow.

Time passed. Days and nights go by. The sun and moon rise and set nine times. Then, on the tenth day, the sun was shaded white, scorching and blazing.

At the core of the sun, out of the infinite light, rose a golden bow, bathed in auric light. But, Apollo didn't just wield it yet, focusing on Hephaestus, who had finished his preparations to forge his next weapon.

"I have a feeling..." Hephaestus murmured as he took a deep breath.

"What?" Apollo raised his brows.

"The next weapon." Hephaestus pointed at the forge; his eyes looked into Apollo's eyes. Solemnity took over him. "I feel it is going to be the greatest. I mean the greatest. I feel excitement in my heart involuntarily just thinking about it."

Athena was holding a book filled with equations and drawings, while Artemis looked at Apollo and the floating glow bow, her eyes inquisitive.

"It's ridiculous, isn't it?" Hephaestus said, looking at his quivering hands.

"Well, there is only one way to find out." Apollo pointed his palm at the forge, glowing in light.

"The greatest…" Hephaestus sighed, nodding. He raised his hammer high and brought it down, burning brightly in crimson flames.

The forging of the final weapon began. With it, the shard of the sun was attracted to the forming weapon again. But Apollo interfered this time, attracting the shard of the sun towards him and absorbing it.

As a replacement, he tore apart a shard from the concept of light itself and infused it with the forming weapon. The very primordial essence of light began to combine with his weapon.

He could do it with his control over the realm of light, despite the fact that it would strain him. And all of his actions related to light were completely ignored by others, as he made a law of concealment through authority of order, but he still swept his senses against others, especially Athena, just as a precaution. In the end, everything went according to his plans.

With the infusion of the shard of light, the entire forge began to glow in an ethereal white light.

The forging continued on. The clangs of metal reverberated through the realm of the sun, trembling it. Time passed. A full moon appeared in the night sky. 15 days had passed.

Boom!

A deafening sound shook the entire realm. A white light burst forth with the rise of a white spear, engraved with esoteric symbols, emanating a majestic aura that seemed to dwarf it all.

Hephaestus suddenly laughed, a laugh of bliss, his emotional eyes fixed on the white spear. 'Now I see it. Eternity.'

Then, he waved impatiently, suppressing his smile. "Wield it, Apollo. It will grow with you and follow you on your journey in perpetuity."

Apollo ascended high, his hands taking the white spear and golden bow, wielding them. He felt a connection with them.

They were his weapons. They were his will.

Apollo looked at the bow and declared, naming it. "Sol invictus."

Then, he turned to the spear, grabbing it tightly. "Spear of Eternity."

They were his symbols of power.