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“Your gates have been opened . . .
. . . Come out from the Celestial World . . .
. . . Aries and Cancer!”
Aries and Cancer came out from the magic circles. My body seemed to announce how weak I already was that time but I was trying to ignore it.
Their faces were a picture of curiosity and disbelief, gayo’n din ang mga kasama ko. And I also admitted na pati ako ay hindi rin makapaniwala. I just summoned Aries and Cancer gayo’ng isa akong Capricorn. Maybe because . . . I’m a Rare Blood and my parents were an Aries and―
I stopped my thoughts. Ngayon ko lang napansin. Madame told me that my parents were an Aries and a Gemini, but . . . how did I able to summon Cancer? Hindi ba dapat si Gemini?
“Racchina,” Cancer spoke, “I know this is unbelievable but we already have to move.”
“You’ll have to explain this later, young Capricorn,” Aries told me with a threatening face.
“’China. . . .” everyone called me with disbelief in their eyes.
My secret was out. They already knew I’m a Rare Blood but that didn’t matter this time. I have to keep moving for them. “Cancer,” I turned my self in seriousness, “use your Celestial sword to cut their scales,” I ordered and ignored the throbbing of my heart due to the poison and fatigue.
“Aye!” Cancer already moved and did her best to defeat numbers of serpents. She slashed their bodies and the serpents were cut into halves in one blow.
“Aries,” I called. “Use your manipulation ability to defeat them and make sure my co-Bearers will be safe,” I commanded him to use the Manipulation kahit na pumasok lang iyon sa utak ko.
“Sure thing!” Aries ascertained. He already waved his hands many times. And when the serpents tried to attack him, he manipulated it with the use of the strings he planted on them. In no time, a war between serpents and another group of serpents was witnessed.
Agad ko namang nilapitan sina Adiya at itanayo but seemed like they couldn’t at napaluhod na lang.
“Ra-cchin-na,” Gemida called, on the verge of giving up. “How long have you b-been hiding this from us?” tanong niya habang nakaupo.
“This is not the right time to discuss that,” Xayl’ interrupted.
But Gemida continued, “Alam mo bang malaking kaparusahan ang maaaring ipataw sa iyo?”
I sighed. Gemida’s right. I could be sentenced to jail―nope, to death.
“That’s enough, Gemida,” Zyke scolwed. “We need to be healed or else Zoidion will face darkness,” he meant if we lose our breath, our Spirits would no longer be able to fight because they would vanish.
“We n-need Virgo,” Kases stuttered as he tried to stand up.
“C-China,” Adiya talked. “By any chance, can you summon Virgo as well?” she asked.
“Nope,” Drok answered for me. “She’s a daughter of an Aries and a Cancer, that’s why she can only summon them.”
A few seconds of silence ruled over us before Zyke dared to talk. “We need to wake Taru,” he said but then, he suddenly fell on the ground with the others.
“Z-Zyke! Xayl’, Adiya, Drok!” I called when they weren’t already moving. “Kases, G-Gemida. . . .” I blurted nang makaramdam ako nang pagbigat ng mga mata ko. I felt my body had gone to its limitation. I fell on my feet. The poison was already killing us up―my vision had gone blurry.
“Leo!” Capricorn’s voice yelled when Leo plunged onto the ground and became a Key. Everyone did. After that, there were only silence and black.
•
A great noise awakened us.
I slowly opened my eyes and got to remember everything. Napatingin naman ako sa paligid at nakita ko ang mga kasama ko.
“What’s happening?” Taru asked nang magkamalay siya’t makita ang napakaraming tao sa Great Circle. Kahit ako’y nabigla rin nang makita ang napakaraming tao with different Signs. They were up against number of serpents. Nagkakagulo sa lugar sa mga oras na ‘yon. Lahat ay ipinagtatanggol ang mga sarili. And what shocked us the most was former Bearers working hand in hand against . . . Ophiuchus.
“Hindi ko alam kung bakit maraming tao rito,” Con blurted.
“You’re already awake,” a Libran woman beside us answered. And before we could ask she already explained what happened. “We were awakened with great energy. We headed here in Great Circle,” she meant the people and her companions who seemed to be healers as well, “and we saw all of you in your situation.” She continued, “We helped you regain your consciousness.”
We thanked them before Euai talked. “The former Bearers,” Euai said in anxiety, “they’re up against Ophiuchus. This is shameful. We’re the current Bearers pero tayo ang pinoprotektahan nila.”
“Mother!” Adiya yelled when Arda fell from above.
Nagulat na rin kami nang bumulusok paibaba ang iba pang former Bearers. We then hurried toward them and helped them.
“Cronus. . . .” I whispered nang makita ko ang napakaraming mga galos nito sa katawan.
“I’m s-sorry for what I have d-done to our region,” he tried to speak.
“No need to say sorry, Cronus. It’s the fault of Ordon, he poisoned your mind as well as the others.”
He smiled bitterly. “Defeat Ophiuchus. I know all of you c-can.”
“H’m,” I assented.
“Bearers, take this so you won’t be affected by Ophiuchus’ eyes,” Von of Virgo waved his hands and dusts entered our eyes.
“I know you can handle this,” Rahin of Scorpio Region believed us. And when they saw our determined faces, the Bearers were already teleported away.
We looked as each other’s eyes. This is the final battle; we couldn’t take another lives to be put on the risk. We will do everything to wipe darkness out.
So, together, we turned around and faced Ordon and Ophiuchus.
“Welcome back, Bearers,” Ordon smiled wickedly.
We closed our eyes to release our nimbi and we felt that our marks were already on our bodies. Kung nasaan man ang mga Key ay bumalik na ito sa mga katawan namin.
A few seconds after, we opened our eyes, not because we already had the Gate Keys in our hands but because . . . we could not release our nimbi.
Nakita ko ang kaba sa mukha ng mga kasama ko. Kahit sila’y hindi rin makapaniwalang hindi namin nagawa ang pagpapalabas ng mga nimbus namin.
This is not good, not good.
We heard Ordon’s mocking laugh. And when he talked again, our eyes widened, “You’re no longer who you are . . . because the 13th Region is already established.”
It echoed. It echoed loudly. “13th Region” is already established. That’s insane. That’s not true. At ngayo’y napansin naming wala na ang napakalaking magic circle sa langit. Kung gano’n ay totoo ang sinasabi niya.
I slowly bowed my head down, and there, I saw the mark on the upper part of my breast―it’s . . . it’s already, Sagittarius!
“No! no! This isn’t happening!” Irgo exclaimed in disappointment―everyone did. A Sagittarius to an Ophiuchus, Capricorn to a Sagittarius, Aquarius to a Capricorn and the others followed the same pattern.
“This is happening! Zoidion is already mine! And whoever disagrees will die!” Ordon exclaimed and then he summoned Ophiuchus, “Kill Them!” With that, Ophiuchus released a great lightning toward us.
Agad kaming tumalsik sa malayo’t naramdaman ang sakit sa buong katawan. Pero pilit kaming tumayo. That was the final battle, we couldn’t afford to lose, not because we already have our new Sign.
I snorted. “I’m still a Capricorn, no matter what!” I yelled for Ordon and everyone to hear. Nakita ko naman ang galit sa mukha niya.
“I will always be an Aquarius!” Adiya yelled.
“And I’m a Pisces!” Kases.
“I am an Aries!” Euai.
“Taurus!” Irgo.
“I’m a Gemini!” Gemida.
“Forever be a Cancer!” Suwan.
“Leo!” Zyke.
“Libra!” Drok.
“I am not a Libra. I’m a Scorpio!” Con.
Then Xayl’ talked, “Ophiuchus will never ever be able to ruin the order. I will never be an Ophiuchus; I am a Sagittarius!”
And together, we held each other’s hand.
“We summon the Spirits of the Celestial World . . . come out and invade our bodies . . .
. . . Zodiac Take Over!”
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