Museum of Stars- A Zodiac Story

Chapter 9: The Puppet from the Past

In Sagittarius' Point of View

No! No, don't set me on fire- Oh! Sorry about that. I can't sleep. I keep having these weird nightmares. So, I decided to go out of Lakeside Inn, looking at the clock to see that it was 2:30 AM. You know, these weird nightmares also kept showing up 5 days ago. But don't tell anyone, they'll get worried for sure.

Anyway, here I am, walking the dark streets of Paris. I'm a bit lost, can't you tell? No one can speak English here, apparently. Or so I thought. I planned to keep walking until I get tired. Or at least when I find the Inn.

But then I saw it. It was at the side of the road, leaning against the brick wall.

"Wh-Whoa! No way! This is my puppet I lost from when I was a kid, isn't it? Oh but, how did it get here?" I exclaimed.

Some people turned heads, and one of them approached me. It's a wonder there are still people roaming around the streets at this hour.

"S'il te plait ne crie pas," the man pleaded.

"Sir, I don't speak Chinese," I said sheepishly.

"It's French, my boy!" the man laughed. "You are lucky I speak English. I said, please don't scream. The guards arrive any time now."

"Ah," I sighed in relief, "Thank you very much. And yes, I will not shout anymore."

"Have a good night!" the man said.

"Wai-Wait! Can you please point me the direction to Lakeside Inn?" I called out.

The man laughed again. "Just make two lefts from this street and you're there." I smiled, "Thank you very mu-" But he had disappeared. Weird. Well, usually this is what happens in movies, but- Hold up! This is what happens in movies. There's probably going to be an epic moment when I'm going to stare in awe and see the man again and be all like, "Hold up, I know you!" But that's not right now.

I picked up the puppet. It was made of more than just a sock. It had the form of a tabby cat holding a bow and arrow. His eyes were green, so I used to call him Jade.

"I can't believe, I've found you," I said in a low voice, smiling and caressing the puppet. Then I saw that the sun was beginning to rise. "Look, Jade. The dawn has come." My voice turned embarrassed. "We were lost all night..."

"Jade is in there! Save him!"

My brother coughs. "No, Sagittarius. We must get out of here first. The experts will save whatever they find left. And Jade will survive."

"But you have to get him! Please, please?" I climbed up the walls of our house. I was about to try out my power.

My brother called for me. "Stop, please! We must get out! You haven't mastered Fire Manipulating yet!" The fire was about to reach me. Claws appeared from his fingertips. Cat-like ears. Thinner pupils. A tail. It was my brother, the cat. He took the blow for me. I ended up not crying for just my lost puppet. I cried for my brother.

Everyone thinks it was the rat's fault or something that the cat of the Chinese Zodiac didn't make the top twelve. But no. It was because he had to save me. And no one else had seen him again.

"Sag?"

"Fire attack- Oh, Capricorn, it's you! I'm sorry about that, I-"

Capricorn raised a hand, to signal silence. "Fire attack wouldn't have been useful to the situation, if ever you really get attacked from behind. You could have set Paris on fire, and we shouldn't attract attention since we'll be leaving Earth anyway."

I frowned. "Right."

"Why are you out so early? You shouldn't wander away from the group," Capricorn scolded. I clenched my fist. "Right, right. I just couldn't sleep. And I couldn't think of anything else to do but to walk until I was tired."

"You could've just laid down until you eventually fall back to sleep."

See, that was the problem. I was impatient and claustrophobic. I can't fall asleep if my room isn't big.

"Right," I said again.

"Are you planning on going back to the Inn?" Capricorn asked. I nodded. "I guess so. Are the others awake?"

"Nope," then he hesitated, "I think I saw Libra leave before I did." I couldn't believe how casually he could say that right after he rejected her. I just nodded, "Ah." Libra had been planning to tell him since the two of them met! And he rejects her before she even got to speak. How did I know of all this? I have an ear for news.

And Gemini told me.

Why did she tell me? Who knows? But back to the topic, Libra always thought Capricorn was so perfect. She even tried to draw him sometimes. I think. All of these are stuff I heard from Leo, who heard from Aquarius, who heard from Gemini, who heard it from Libra herself. I repeat, Libra always thought Capricorn was perfect.

As much as Leo thinks Aquarius is perfect.

Maybe I'm jealous of Aqua. Maybe. But they're destined to be with each other, Master told us. Like how Taurus and Scorpio are destined for each other, and Taurus wouldn't stop bugging Scorpio ever since.

"Well then." Capricorn waved and started walking, though I didn't really hear the other things he said before that.

"Go on, Cap," I said, putting on my puppet on one hand, and added "We'll follow you!" talking through Jade. Capricorn stopped walking, seeing what I was holding. "Is that... what I think it is?"

"He's not it, he's he." I huffed jokingly. "So which way to the Inn?" I immediately forgot the man's instructions. What? A brain can only hold information for so long. But Capricorn kept staring at Jade, as if he'd seen a ghost. Though I don't think he's afraid of ghosts, just shocked if he ever saw one. His face had paled. "How could it have... It doesn't matter. Let's go back to the Inn and see if they know where to eat, Sagittarius."

"Oh yeah!" I laughed. "I saw Pancake Place somewhere nearby..."

I kept smiling and laughing. Whatever they said about Jade, I would just smile. If it was a joke, I'd laugh. If it was another it's-so-great-you-found-him, I'd smile and thank them. And talk with pancakes in my mouth.

Loaded with syrup.