Mahabarata

Summary

A great queen long ago could not conceive a child with the king. So she climbed to the top of the mountains that gods rested upon. She begged the king of gods to give her a child. He said that her visit was fate. His brother would give her a child, but in six years she must return and he will grant her another.
"Fate has called you here. A child we shall give you. But in 6 celestial rotations you shall return and we will give you another. A hero who will bring the gods to heel as cataclysm falls over existence."
The queen returned to her husband with a child. A child they named Arjuna. He grew up with great power and wealth. Groomed to be king he was the ideal leader. That was until another came, one who threatened him. His mother returned with another child on his sixth birthday. A child they named Karna. He was born of the great god Shiva and with his power buried inside he surpassed Arjuna in everything.
The queen was so happy with her new son but her husband was not. He was afraid that the childs immense power would allow him to challenge his throne so he demanded that he be executed. The queen tried to fight it but to little success. Eventually she agreed as long as she was allowed to do it. The king agreed, she took him down to a lake but couldn't do it. Instead she placed him within a basket and sent him down stream.
Karna was found by a family of priests who took him in and raised him. With his great power and immense piety Karna became a great hero for the people. Always respecting any request. But as he became more and more famous he started taking light away from the exploits of his long lost brother. Eventually Arjuna couldn't take it anymore. He challenged Karna to a duel to the death. Karna never denying a request said yes.
The day before the duel was to take place Arjuna's true father Indra knew he would loose so decided to trick Karna. He approached him disguised as a priest, while Karna was washing his clothes. Indra asked Karna to give him his unbreakable armour. Karna never one to deny a request complied. Indra was shocked, he realised that Karna was much greater than Arjuna and so gifted him a spear made of pure lightning. A spear that could kill anything in existence: the Vasavi Shakti.
During the duel the wheel on Karna's chariot broke and when he got off to fix it Arjuna stabbed him in the back. Killing him instantly. For a short time after Arjuna was given fame and admiration from the people for his great victory. But rumours began to spread and eventually the people turned on Arjuna. They revolted and started attacking his guards. Eventually the crushing guilt was too much for Arjuna. He committed suicide within his own bed chamber.
It is believed that Karna and Arjuna were cursed by the gods to repeat these events for the rest of time, placed in the sky as punishment for their cowardice.