"They will pay," Libra promised.
"Pay? For what?" Pavo Mal asked. "I didn't drown the boy. And perhaps he should've listened to his friend before anything else."
"What - what do you mean?" Sagittarius cautiously asked.
Virgo checked her watch. Midnight. It was two days. The spell. Once they distracted Ms Mal, they could do the spell.
"You didn't know? Little Cancer warned him, but he didn't listen. That's a teenager for you," Pavo snickered.
"Stay away from us," Gem mumbled. She didn't stand up or look at anyone.
"I don't take pleasure in killing children. I'm here on a job." Pavo rolled her eyes, as if it was basic knowledge.
"Who are you working for?" Pisces asked.
Ms Mal wouldn't say, but Virgo has other ways. She peered into her thoughts.
Serpens. "Serpens." Virgo said aloud. "That's who she works for."
"Who?" Nye asked her.
"That's Phoenix's uncle. Hydrus' dad." Pisces' eyes widened. "No wonder Hydrus wants to kill us."
"Good for you. A plus. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to kill Gem," Pavo informed them.
"I'm sorry, you've gotta kill Who now?" Capricorn asked.
"Your girlfriend isn't meant to exist," Pavo told him. Pavo raised her gun and aimed at Gems forehead.
"But I do exist, and I'd rather keep it that way," Gem replies snarkily. Gem used her powers to grab Pavo's gun and handed it to Sagittarius. "To protect yourself."
"We've gotta get out of here," Taurus told them.
The rest of them nodded. Pavo was still there and nobody payed attention to why she hadn't since moved. That is, until they heard the gunshot. Eleven of the remaining twelve Zodiacs whipped around to see Pavo Mal bleeding out on the ground. Two more gunshots rang out. Sagittarius stood there shakily holding the gun.
"Foolish girl," Pavo choked out. "Killing me won't stop this. Gem will still die. Many more friends will too."
"Gem will not die," Sagittarius growled at her. "She should exist."
"Even if she survives this war, she will die at by eighteen years old. Unless Nye dies first," Pavo growled back.
"Looks like I'm going to die," Nye announced.
"You are the one fate wants alive, young hero," Pavo snarled. "There can only be one of each zodiac. And you were born first."
"Is that right?" Gem asked Nye. "I could have sworn I was older."
"I'm - I'm not sure," Nye frowned.
"Um, guys? Should we heal her?" Cancer furrowed her eyebrows. "Because otherwise Sagittarius is a murderer."
Sagittarius dropped the gun and stepped away from it. Cancer picked it up and pocketed it for safe keeping.
"I'll heal her, but we're tying her up," Cancer decided, since everyone else was too wrapped up in Gem supposedly dying.
Cancer pulled Capricorn over without warning. She dragged Pavo over to a tree and started to heal her wounds.
"Use your powers to trap her," she commanded Capricorn.
Capricorn just shrugged and started to use vines and plants to tie up Pavo. But Capricorn isn't known for being that simple, so he bent the tree she was up against and twisted it around her. The rest of the zodiacs turned to look at him as if he was crazy.
"What? It's effective." Capricorn shrugged.
"Well, he's not wrong," Cancer agreed.
"Serious stuff is happening you guys," Taurus hissed at them.
"That's why we tied her up, so she wouldn't screw it up," Cancer countered, crossing her arms.
"Stop arguing. We aren't getting anywhere with this. We should do the spell," Virgo decided.
"Or you could not." The twelve zodiacs turned around to see Hydrus, casually sitting on a tree.
"What do you want, Hydrus?" Pisces snarled.
"You all to die in a pit." Hydrus jumped down from the tree smoothly. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Aries. Since I was running from the forest fire coming our way, I found you guys."
"Shit. It's coming our way?" Leo asked, already gathering her stuff.
"Well, I can see it from here," Hydrus answered sassily. "Don't worry, you guys'll be dead."
"Hell no. I just got acrylics last week," Libra shouted. She used her air powers to put him on the highest tree. "Good luck getting down, biotch."
"Guys, we've gotta get to the lake. If we do that, Pisces can use her powers to save us," Leo said. She was already trying to pull Gem and Nye with her.
"Lee, that's where Aries died," Scorpio scolded. "We can't go back. Not now."
"We don't have a choice." Leo pushed past him.
"And worse," Sagittarius added, "it looks like we won't be able to make it."
The way to the lake was burning up. They had nowhere to go but deeper into the forest. They came to a silent decision and all started running, with Leo ironically covering everyone from behind. Gem stayed with her best friend in the back, since she had never seen Leo so worried or distraught.
"The fire is getting closer! Watch out for burning branches," Leo shouted to the front.
"Got it!" Virgo called back. "You get that Pisces?"
"Loud and clear!"
They kept running, but the fire was faster. Gem's eyes widened. She pulled Leo close to her suddenly as a burning branch the size of them nearly fell on her.
"I owe you one," Leo thanked her.
"We both come out of this alive and I'll call it even," Gem promised.
They ran on, catching up with group. Leo was determined not to use her speed, in fear of leaving her friends behind. They were the family that never truly left her. Gem and her had pulled apart a bit to flank the edges of the end of the group.
Pisces ran at the front of the group. She considered herself water control, despite only having a few stolen water bottles. She figured Libra and Gem would also be useful with the job, since Gem could levitate the objects away and Libra could blow away the objects.
Virgo flanked the middle, with Libra and Cancer. The three of them kept an eye out for everyone at the beginning and end of the group and made sure that everything was heard loud and clear. Plus Virgo wanted to make sure Cancer was alright.
Suddenly, Pisces stopped. "We're closed in!"
"We're what?" Leo asked.
"Closed in. Surrounded." Virgo repeated warily.
"Pisces, Libra, Gem, you guys are on fire control. Clear some stuff." Scorpio had taken the lead. "Nye, Leo, and I are on saving duty. The rest of you do whatever you possibly can to help. Cancer, you and Virgo can be on healing."
Everyone nodded and manned their stations. They had been lucky to had been stopped in a clearing. But not lucky enough. Gem had been trying to clear some burning branches and leaves away from the clearing when a branch started to fall. Gem was oblivious to this until it was an inch was from her head. But it never touched her head. Instead, she was shoved to the ground by a blinding force. Leo. Leo saved Gem, but wasn't quick enough to save her own life.
Leo laid under a burning branch, it resting on her neck. She screamed in pain. As soon as Gem sat up she used her powers to yank off the branch from Leo's neck.
"Em. Even." She barely mumbled out.
"No. NO!" Gem screeched. "IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME! It should have been me."
Gem sat there sobbing and screaming. "I wish I had been the one to die! SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE SAVED ME! This is all my fault!"
The rest of the zodiacs watched as Gem attempted to hold Leo's body as if it were still alive. Cancer already knew that even if she tried, it was far too late for Leo. So, she watched from afar, crying. Two friends she failed to save.
Nye approached his sister, putting his hand on her shoulder as he crouched down.
"She was my best friend," Gem sobbed. "I want my best friend back."
"I want her back too, Gem," Nye said softly. "But you have to get up. We have a spell to perform."
"I shouldn't exist," Gem mumbled. "She risked her life for someone who was going to die anyways."
"Gem, you're not going to die, I prom-" Nye was interrupted when Gem got shot in the head. Then twice. Then a third time. Then Gem fell onto her back.
The remaining ten zodiacs spun around to see Hydrus floating on a bubble in the air. He held a gun. He smirked down at them and shot Gem twice more for good measure. Gem was bleeding out and fast.
"Nye, it hurts," Gem mumbled. "I'm dizzy."
"Shh, I know. You'll be okay," Nye promised. "Cancer, come here."
"I wouldn't do that, Cancer. Did you know zodiacs aren't the only constellations with powers? I have them, as you can see. My father has them. His is magic." Hydrus smirked. "And these bullets are enchanted so that if Cancer tries to heal Gem, Cancer dies too."
"I still have to try," Cancer decided.
Gem, who looked lost in the conversation shook her head. "Don't. I don't want more people to die because of me. I'm gonna die anyways."
Nye gripped her hand tightly. "You're gonna be okay. I prom-"
"You know, at the beginning of this, Virgo told me not to make empty promises. And I did." Gem gave him a smile. "Don't make the same mistakes. Where's Cappuccino?"
Capricorn, unsuccessfully, blinked away his tears. He walked over to the girl. "I'm here, Gem. Right here."
"Take care of Nye for me, K?" Gem asked him.
"I will. I promise I will," Capricorn told her.
"I'll say hi to Aries for Tari and everyone. And I'll see Leo again. I'll see my best friend," Gem smiled warily, as if entering a dream. "And we won't be BFFs anymore. We'll be BFFEs."
"What's that?" Nye asked his sister.
"Best Friends For Eternity." Those were Gems last words.
———
Well I cried while writing this. Anyways, I heard that someone didn't get the notification for last chapter. Did that happen to anyone else too? Lmk. Anyways, four chapters left. But I'm considering cutting one out, so my question of the chapter is: How would you feel about a Zodiac prom?
Teaser below!