The Zodiac Family

The Beginning

Reilly and Charles were on their honeymoon on planet Earth. Enjoying their marriage and thinking of the future as parents while a baby was growing in Reilly's womb, just three weeks old.

Lynn and Nathaniel were still deeply in love. Never leaving each other's side. I believe I overheard a conversation or two about marriage, While I couldn't get enough of their cuteness, there was something deeply wrong with me. A week after Reilly and Charles left, I was vomiting up chunks of blood each night.

I didn't know what was going on with me. But I knew that this was only going to get worse. And I may not come out of it alive. I kept this illness to myself, knowing that everyone, especially Allie, would worry about me. But I only had to tell just one. My little sister and heir to the throne of Zodious.

When Lynn heard my story, while she worried about me, she also worried for herself. If I was to die, she would have to rise up and claim my legacy as Queen. She told me she wasn't ready. That I was too young. I agreed with all of it. But I knew this disease was inevitable. And I told Lynn that she had to prepare herself for the worst.

On Earth, the worst was yet to come. Victoria, still furious about losing her son and being humiliated by me, sent out her men to take Charles in the middle of the night. He was imprisoned in Victoria's dungeon in Mercury. When my little sister woke up, and when she didn't see her dear husband next to her, she was determined as all hell to get him back.

When Reilly returned to tell us what had happened, I couldn't be at her aid. My illness had now worsened to the point where I was throwing up blood every other hour. My body had weakened and numbed me from the waist down. Allie was beside herself. Crying in my arms, saying she didn't want me to die. But when Reilly returned, it was not about me anymore

I had called Catherine to Zodious and told her to go with Reilly to protect her and save her husband. When they got to the dungeons of Mercury, they released Charles from his chains. But before they escaped, the guards had seized them. While Catherine tried to fight them off, she was defeated and stabbed in the heart. Right in front of Reilly and Charles.

Victoria smiled at the suffering of Reilly as she held the body of her now dead governess and good friend. Now she had destroyed their spirit, she stood before them with a sword, ready to take their lives.

Yet as Victoria lifted her sword to obtain her revenge, an arrow shot through the air and went through her neck, killing her instantly. This savior was revealed to be Aaron. Once he took Victoria's life, he easily took down the small group of guards.

He took his heartbroken daughter and beaten down son-in law in his arms and escaped Mercury. When they returned to Zodious, there was no time for celebration. For my condition was at its climax. My face had paled, every movement caused me great pain and my coughing fits were happening every ten minutes.

I knew that tonight would be my last. I had already said my goodbyes to Lynn and Allie. I just wanted to be with my family one last time. When Reilly and Charles came into my room, I was overjoyed to see them. Even though it was painful, I smiled widely.

"Reilly." I weakly held my arm out to her. She ran to me, sat down on the bed and took my hand. "Natalia, we already lost Catherine. We can't lose you too." She said as tears poured out of her eyes.

"It'll be alright little sister. My only joy is to see you and Charles alive and well." I said as I brushed away her tears. "We'd be dead if it wasn't for Aaron. He saved us." She told me.

My eyes widened. Was it true? Did Aaron really save them? I barely believed it, I isolated him from myself in the castle, still angry at what he had done to my mother Amber. If what Reilly said is true, then in my eyes, he would be worthy of a second chance.

I told Lynn to bring Aaron into the room. "Aaron." I called out. He walked to me and knelled before my bed. When I saw the dried blood on his face and tired look in his eyes, I knew Reilly was telling the truth. There were so many things I wanted to say to him, but I could only say one.

"I-I," I started to say before I had another coughing fit. Blood was coming out of my mouth as I tried to get myself together. After I had relaxed, I looked at him and he looked back at me. I grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

"Aaron, I forgive you for your past sins. Thank you for bringing them back to me. Thank you, father." This was the first time I had called him father in years. He started to tear up as he gently embraced me. "I love you so much. I love you my child."

"I love you father" I whispered. As he let me go, I turned to my youngest sister.

"Reilly, there is something that has accrued, while you were gone, Lynn stepped down from her title. She is no longer the crown princess. You are."

As Reilly realized what I was saying, she shook her head. "I can't. I can't!" She cried. I held her face and looked into her eyes. "You can. I know you can. You and Charles are loved and adored by the people. Even they know you will bring a new era of joy and an abundance of love to Zodious. And I know you will be the greatest mother." I said as I looked down at her womb.

Reilly slowly crawled into my arms. I held her just like I held her when she was a newborn.

"You are not alone, little sister. You will never be. Look around you" I then looked at everyone. Lynn, my little sister on my right. Nathaniel, the love of her life next to her. Allie, my soulmate resting her head on my left shoulder. Aaron, my father who never stopped loving us standing next to Charles at the foot of my bed.

Everyone was here. Even Amber, Grandma Jennifer and Grampa Jamie. Very soon, I would be joining them. And I was ready.

"Tell this to the people. Tell this to your children. Whenever you feel the warmth of the son, it will be me embracing you."

"For I am the sun, and I will always give you light."

The sun had started to rise. It shined on my face. My body had started to shine brightly.

It was time for me to become one with my zodiac.

I closed my eyes. I emitted a blinding light, what was heard throughout the light, was the roar of a mighty lioness.

Then I was gone. I was dead

My sisters and my wife completely broke down in sorrow. And so did the kingdom of Zodious.

I died on May the twenty-eighth. Two day after Reilly's eighteenth birthday.

Allie crowned Reilly and Charles King and Queen of Zodious a week after my funeral. Two days after the coronation, Allie was found dead. She had passed on in her sleep. Due to a broken heart. As much as she wanted to live for me, her heart wasn't strong enough and she joined me beyond the Galaxy. 

Seven months after my death, joy was brought to Zodious for the first time in a long time.  Reilly had her first child. A boy, she named Peter.

Two months later, Lynn married Nathaniel and had their first child Eliana.

Five years later, Reilly had a girl, Penolape.

Two years later, Lynn gave birth to twin girls, Sabrina ad Layla, who were born on the same day I was

Five months later, Reilly was pregnant again but the unborn baby had the same unknown illness as I had, and passed away when it was only a twenty week old fetus.

Devastated, my sister and Charles traveled to Neptune, only to meet a poor street child. A young boy named Simon. Reilly had an immediate motherly urge towards him and he was taken off the streets and adopted the next day.

Reilly didn't know it yet, but she had created a dynasty that would last ages. Through good and evil.