The Zodiac: Chapter 26

Cancer got himself to his feet slowly and coughed. He stared at his hand and saw the blood there. Shaking slightly, he chuckled. So, this is what it felt like. To really have a fight and feel like he could die. Cancer for the first time in a while had to come to grips with killing Gemini and that thought gave him pause.

Gemini stared at his friend and his arms ached. His body was more than tired from the war and all of the fighting. He’d gotten one good blow onto Cancer before they separated from their deadlock again. Though at this rate he wasn’t going to win.

They both discovered quickly during the fight that this place affected their powers. It made them stronger and gain different properties. Using them seemed to cost more for both Zodiac as well. But it didn’t take long for either of them to get the hang of it.

“Gem! This fight. I must say that this is an elation I’ve never felt before!” He said laughing.

Gemini shook his head. “You’re talking like this is a game Cancer!”

“This has never been a game for me Gem.” Cancer said, his eyes hard. “My goals are the same. I’m enjoying this fight but I haven’t lost sight of my goal.”

They dashed at one another sending ripples after them. When their blades collided, the ground exploded. Their blades were a flurry of attacks and blocks. Offense and defense blending seamlessly together.

Gemini jumped over him and he split apart. Umbra lunged from behind and Luce slashed from the front. Cancer blocked Luce and dodged around Umbra. Umbra dashed forward slashing at his exposed side.

Cancer’s shield blocked it quickly but Umbra punched him in the face sending him into the ground. Luce chased after him, stabbing his sword downward. Cancer caught the blade swiftly but it was a strained maneuver. His leg shot out, catching the white twin in the knee.

Luce shouted in pain, stumbling down as he whipped his sword around. He stabbed it into the ground to keep himself standing. Cancer got to his feet and thrust his katar at the twin. Umbra jumped over Luce and kicked the blade away.

Cancer hopped backwards but his eyes widened as the ground started to turn black. The twins stood and then shot their swords into the air. “Gemini Tempest!” They chanted together and a tornado exploded upwards.

Cancer threw up his shield to weather the storm but it wore down and then expelled him quickly. Catching himself quickly Cancer pointed his katar forward. “Cancer Impact.” The bolt of grey energy that shot forward forced the twins to leap to the side. Cancer stepped forward firing another bolt from his second katar hitting Luce in the chest.

Luce’s eyes were wide but he faded away and Gemini sank to his knee where Umbra had landed. Holding his chest tightly he winced but split his swords apart.  Slashing them through the air quickly he meant to attack him with the wind. However, the winds he summoned manifested as black swords identical to his own.

They whistled through the air as Cancer shot them down. Each beam stopped a single sword causing small explosions of energy. But the swords were coming faster than the crab could track. “Cancer Protect.” Turning he covered his head as one of the swords slammed into his armored body. The armor held for the time being but the onslaught didn’t end there.

Gemini ran forward and then jumped as he slashed down on his head. The blade cut down over one of his eyes causing him to shout in pain. He slashed out angrily and his blade cut open Gemini’s shirt sending blood flying forth. With a swift punch to the same spot Cancer sent Gemini to the ground howling in pain.

Cancer hissed as he held a hand to his head. “Cancer Protect.” He growled and the water flowed over the wound and then froze. It made him wince but it was enough to stop himself from hurting right now.

Gemini put a hand to his stomach and grunted as he got to his feet. He slumped forward but got his bearings. He couldn’t turn without the stinging pain and he couldn’t walk without wanting to fall. “Split… Gemini.”

Umbra and Luce leaned against one another before standing. The pain was lessoned but they weren’t fit for a real fight. By the looks of things neither was Cancer. Cancer got to his feet and dropped one of his katars. He didn’t need them both at this point.

Umbra and Luce glanced at one another. “I’ll go first. You know the plan.” Luce said handing over his sword to his twin.

Umbra growled but held both the blades and nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

Cancer stared at the pair of them not sure as to what was going to happen. Gemini always knew how to surprise him. Suddenly they ran forward, Luce leading the charge with Umbra in his shadow. Cancer gripped his weapon tightly water condensing along the edge, ready for anything.

Luce jumped and shouted “Gemini Tempest!” He turned himself into the wind and dashed forward. The gust was enough to startle him. Cancer was blown to the ground and was blind to Umbra. He saw the shadow seconds too late and his eyes widened.

“Cancer!!”

“Gemini!!”

Gemini stood over Cancer, both his swords pushed deep into his chest. His chest was heaving rapidly. The tip of Cancer’s katar was pressed above his chest, a neat bullet wound in his stomach. Blood dribbled down Cancer’s open mouth as his vision started to fade.

“It’s over… Cancer.” Gemini said slowly.

“Well p-played… Gem.” His arm was shaking slowly and his constellation fluctuated wildly.

Gemini coughed through gritted teeth and felt the blood coat his mouth. His eyes fluttered slightly before his grip on his blades slacked. Slowly he slid to the side and fell onto his back.

Cancer choked through a laugh and then shut his eyes as his body racked with pain. “This is…h-how we… die.”

“You al-l-ways w-were… a sore loser.” Gemini snorted a laugh that made his body spasm. “Is t-this… a G-god’s death?”

“Per…perhaps.”

The pair of them laughed as they stared into empty white. Slowly their eyes shut and their constellation faded with it. The thing that made them Zodiac left their bodies. Once it was gone, they both breathed their last and the world around them crumbled. In an instant the bodies of the former Zodiac returned to the battlefield.

Leo was walking along the battlefield when the pain hit her. She gripped her chest and it felt as if her heart was tearing in two. It was like the pain she felt earlier but more personal. She stumbled forward almost falling over entirely.

She was out there now to help find any wounded that couldn’t make it back . She was going to help their soldiers find their friends. So far, they had managed to find only a small handful still alive. But any was better than none though. She grunted as she continued forward the pain aching with every step.

She had her eyes on the ground scanning the dead when she saw it in the distance, or rather felt it in her heart, and she panicked. There was no other term for the fluttering in her chest and her sudden inability to breathe.

She started running forward and stumbled amongst the bodies. She shoved the living and fought the urge to kick the dead out of her way. People started to move out of her way at the fear of her blind charge. They saw the look on her face and they felt her pain without knowing it’s cause.

Leo slowed down and she stared. Gemini’s eyes were closed as he lay against the ground, Cancer beside him. They looked as if they were asleep. She couldn’t not see the dark red spot on Gemini’s chest and the brighter red line within it. She sank to her knees in front of him and she couldn’t process this. He wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be dead.

“Leo, I’m so glad I found you.” Leo’s eyes went wide as she heard her voice. Whirling around she saw Aquarius approaching and her mind was muddled. She knew how the water bearer would react and yet she couldn’t form the words to stop her. Her mouth moved to say ‘stop’ but no sound came out.

Aquarius slowed down before she came close to Leo. Her lips parted and her eyes widened. “No.” She said softly as she continued forward. Leo stood then as Aquarius tried to run forward. Leo’s arms wrapped tightly around her as Aquarius tried to break free of her grip. “No! No! No! You promised Gem! You promised we’d be together again! You can’t break the promise too! You can’t be dead!”

Her hands gripped Leo tightly as the tears ran forth. Leo’s own tears ran down her cheeks but holding onto to Aqua gave her some strength. They held onto one another tightly. Aquarius sank to her knees as she stared at him and her sobs only grew worse.

She couldn’t touch him. She could barely stand to look at him. Leo kneeled down slowly and then picked him up. Aquarius looked at him and her tears came harder. She forced herself to look away and then turned to look at Cancer. For the first time since this had started, she saw her brother. Not the monster.

“I knew it.” Aquarius turned as Aries walked toward them. Capricorn was limping beside him, his arm around the ram’s shoulders. Neither of them looked that steady on their feet.

Capricorn’s eyes were barely open but he was able to see Gemini. The pain crumpled his face but he didn’t say anything. Aries’s face was a mask of calm but his eyes betrayed him. Aries walked toward Aquarius and she took Capricorn’s arm. He leaned against her, his arm going around her shoulders and she put her arm around his waist.

Aries limped forward but he kept his gait steady. Kneeling down he picked up Cancer and it hurt. Only in death had Cancer looked that peaceful in recent years. Aries walked back to their side and he shared a look with Leo. She shook her head and Aries understood.

The four of them walked back to the others. Pisces saw her coming first as he always did. However, as he saw them coming, saw their dead he shut his eyes and stared at the ground.

Aries and Leo came forward and seeing Scorpio dead surprised them but Virgo was another stab in the heart. Aries and Leo laid Cancer and Gemini down beside their brothers. The living were standing together but reality was painful.

“Four members of our family died for this.” Capricorn said with a shake of his head.  “Never again.”

Libra shook her head. “I don’t want anyone else to die.” Capricorn looked down and then took her hand gently. Libra squeezed it hard. “I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

“You won’t.” Capricorn said softly. He grunted as he kneeled down but he managed to pick her up with his good arm. “We’re never gonna fight again. Not against each other.”

Leo nodded. “We fix the country together and we’ll protect it together. For the sake of those of us alive now,” She looked at each of them before her eyes rested on the departed. “and for those yet to come.”