The day had started so strangely for Pisces.
For starters, she could see.
Pisces didn't have a clue as to how she ended up with sight. Reawakening came to to her mind, but she shook the thought away. All she wanted to think about now was her new gift.
She stared down at her hands, feet, legs, arms. There was an strange glow to them, as if she was translucent.
Sunlight peaked through her window, lighting up her room. Her room decorated with pictures and blankets and stuffed animals.
Currently, Pisces was fixated on a framed blue picture. A small brown boy and a blonde girl were smiling with an even smaller brown girl. Pisces blinked, feeling a smile creep on her lips. She hoped she was the small brown girl in the middle.
"Pisces, dear~" Nona suddenly called, walking into her room.
"Nona!" Pisces shot her head in grandmother's direction, tears in her eyes. "Nona, I can see!"
Nona didn't look in her direction. Only the bed. "Pisces, dear?" Nona shook the small lump, but it didn't move. "Pisces?! Oh no..." She put a hand over the mound, before covering her mouth, sobbing into her hand.
"Nona?" Pisces raised her voice. Tears were invading her eyes, slowly leaking out. "Nona, please... I'm right here..." Nona wouldn't play a cruel joke like that, not yet anyway. Pisces knew Scorpio's birthday hadn't passed, so it wasn't Halloween yet. Right, no time for jokes.
An awful realization hit Pisces hard in her heart.
She can't see me.
All of the joy and elation that Pisces was feeling from her newfound sight was ripped away in an instant. There was no point if she was invisible to others.
Pisces walked to the pretty bed. Before she kneeled down, she finally gave the small lump in her bed attention. The woman had round cheeks and a small nose, and long braids were frayed across her pillow. That's what I look like. Pisces smiled. She was glad that she was pretty.
Kneeling down to her Nona, Pisces got a good look at her grandmother. She looked youthful for her age, and matched Pisces's dark chocolate skin.
Pisces always had hope that she'd be able to see Nona some day. Not like this... With her eyes full of tears, Pisces reached out to hug Nona.
Her arms went right through the older woman. Gasping, she pulled them back. Nona was frantic in her phone, calling someone. Pisces could hear her, the words weren't processing. All she could do was stare at her see-through hands.
Minutes must have gone by. Nona had hung up but was still crying in her hands. Suddenly, a man and a woman burst into Pisces's room. Pisces was too distracted to flinch, but slowly looked up at them.
The man was tall, tears streaming down his umber cheeks. He was panting and sweaty, and had sticky, long curls rolling down his back. He almost looked related to her. The woman was smaller and had an identical expression to Nona, hands covering her mouth and tears running down her cheeks, too. Her eyes were a deep blue, so cute. Seeing them made Pisces smile. The two people from the picture!
But, something was strange. The man had a tail, and the woman had a tail too, but it was different. And she had strange ears. Who are these people?
Her question was answered in seconds. "Pisces..." The man whispered, hoarse but distinct. Pisces knew that voice. She stood, widening her eyes.
Scorpio...
The woman had to be Cancer. She walked slowly toward Nona, still not acknowledging Pisces. She grabbed Nona and Nona collapsed into sobs in Cancer's shoulder. "It's... okay, Nona." Pulling her up, Cancer led Nona out of the room. Scorpio flinched when they came close, sidestepping out of the way. Nona was too frantic to notice how strange they looked.
Pisces didn't follow them. She didn't want to keep seeing Nona cry. Scorpio slowly walked closer to her body, getting on his knees.
"The world really likes to kick me while I'm down, huh..." He whispered, leaning on her bed. Pisces always found his voice to be so soothing. Even now, with his voice choked with tears. Pisces stood by him, wishing she could touch him. "I'm sorry, Pi. I'm so-"
"Pisces!!" A woman suddenly cried, with her distinct Brooklyn accent. She was loudly sobbing in the doorway before moving so fast, Pisces could barely make her out from a blur. She was right by Scorpio's side, clinging to him. His expression darkened but he didn't make her move. Sag...? "Oh, Pisces, you were the best one!" Yep, definitely Sag.
Two men followed her in at normal speed. They looked strange, just like Cancer. The taller one had wings, and the shorter had a black tail that matched Cancer's. Pisces didn't know what was going on, but she had a feeling that all of this was related to her reawakening.
"This is crazy." The taller man said. Aries. His skin looked rough and bumpy. The other man has to be Leo. She was glad he didn't say anything. "Is she really...?"
"Yep." Scorpio answered, finally pushing Sag away. "She's dead."
The words sent a hard shiver through Pisces. I'm not dead. I'm right here. "No I'm not." Pisces told herself. "At least... I don't think so..."
More people continued to come into her room. Quickly, she realized that they were all her friends. To her, everyone so pretty and odd looking. Aquarius's hair was a pretty teal. Gemini was floating, and Libra had pretty wings. Feathers fell onto Pisces' floor, and she crouched down to touch one, but, her fingers went right through.
Her room was getting crowded, but Pisces didn't mind. She always enjoyed company, even if they couldn't see, touch, or hear her.
There were two last guys to show up: one on the shorter side and an actual giant. The taller one was absolutely stunning. Neat dreads pulled up in a bun. Broad shoulders. Big arms. Intricate, see-through wings. And his eyes, if they weren't cast down, they'd be such a beautiful green. Pisces didn't realize she was walking towards him.
"Taurus..." Capricorn's voice came from the smaller man. Taurus...? Pisces blinked, craning her neck up. She had always assumed Taurus was attractive, but she didn't realize he'd be this gorgeous. I want to stare at him forever... "Come on, lets say goodbye..."
"This can't be right..." Taurus mumbled. "She can't be gone, it isn't fair..."
Pisces shrank back. She was hurting everyone, and Taurus... he looked so broken. She longed to reach out and touch him, tell him it was alright, but she only held her sides. She couldn't touch him, or anyone. How horrible...
"Life isn't fair." Scorpio snapped. He hadn't moved from his spot next to Pisces's body. Taurus flinched. "You suck it up, and keep moving."
"That's a little harsh." Gemini commented. Scorpio only rolled his eyes.
"It's also not healthy." Cap added. Pisces watched him, knowing he was one of the only ones who could talk to Scorpio without getting angry. To distract herself, she marveled at the intricate black tattoo on his right arm. "Scorpio, you pretty much lost a sister. It's okay to be upset."
You know he won't admit that. "I'm fine." Scorpio's voice hardened. "I'm fine."
"Like hell you are." Leo said. Pisces wished she had the power to will him to shut up. "Pisces is our friend, and the fact that you barely want to show any grief shows how close you-"
Pisces gasped. The air around her shifted, growing darker. She felt herself shivering, and everyone else flinched too. Scorpio was shaking, his tail completely still. His eyes were different, no pupils, no irises. Just black pits. No one said a word, not even Leo.
Even after his eyes turned back to normal, Pisces could tell no one was comfortable enough to speak again. She noticed Scorpio realized what he had done and looked at the floor. Pisces noticed there were little flecks of darkness around his fingers.
"Oh, good, everyone's here." A new voice again. Pisces recognized it as Hellta, Virgo's mother. She was in the doorway, her eyes a glowing purple. A woman who looked just like her was to her left, and Cancer was at her right.
Pisces's words were lost in her throat. Hellta was staring right into Pisces's eyes. "Hello, Zodiac." She said.
"Hi, Lady Hellta." Pisces answered.
"Hello, Pisces." Everyone sent wild looks at Lady Hellta. Pisces gasped.
"You heard me..."
"I did."
"So I'm not dead."
"No, you aren't."
"I'm sorry." Aries put his hands in front of his broad chest. "Hecate, who the fuck are you talking to?"
"Pisces. She isn't dead."
"What?" Libra asked.
"I know what it looks like." Hellta - or Hecate, Pisces had no idea why Aries called her that - explained. "But her spirit just left her body. It was apart of her reawakening."
"So..." Aquarius slowly let out his question. "She just needs to go back into her body, and she'll be fine?"
"Precisely." Lady Hellta nodded to Pisces. Everyone was staring at the spot where she stood, or at least tried to. Aries had no idea where to look, and it made Pisces giggle. "Go on, Pisces, back to your body."
Pisces sucked in her cheeks. She didn't want to go back. That was a world of darkness, a world she didn't have to be stuck in anymore. She could go out and see the sun, read a book - if she could find a way to turn the pages - and watch Taurus all day.
Seeing was a luxury she greedily wanted to hold on to. But as a strange ghost? It didn't sound like the life Pisces wanted to stay in. Even with sight, no one saw her. She bitterly smiled. What a sick joke.
"Will I still be able to see?" She asked Hellta.
"I don't know." Hellta answered, walking closer to her. There was a strange sense of regality to her now. Pisces felt attracted and repulsed at the same time, keeping her rooted in place as Hellta approached. "I didn't even know you could see me now. But there's only one way to find out."
"I suppose that's true." Pisces sighed. She had no idea what would happen once she entered her still, blind body. Nor did she want to find out.
Hellta hummed, sensing her apprehension. "Zodiac." Her voice rang with superiority. "Can you all help convince Pisces to go back to her body? I'm sure she'd listen to her friends."
Pisces blinked, embarrassed. Never in her life has she had this much attention at once. She expected Aries to blurt something out first, and when he did, she smiled. "Come on back, Pisces! I mean, I miss you a lot. And the rest of us do, too."
Even with his brash tone, Pisces knew he was sincere. "Well, Pisces," Aquarius went next. Pisces turned to him sitting on the floor. He always had interesting things to say. "You can only continue your journey if you keep moving forward, and I doubt you can do that in whatever limbo you're in."
"He's right." Cancer added, taking a step away from Hellta. Her voice was as soft ever, a stark contrast to both Aries and Aquarius. Pisces welcomed it with another smile. "Think of all of the fun stuff we can do together! All of us, as a family..."
"No matter what happens," Libra picked up for Cancer, who got choked up. "We're here for you Pisces. Forever and always." Her voice was just as beautiful and eloquent as her feathers. Pisces noticed that, even though he kept his distance, Leo's eyes were pinned warmly on her.
"But," Pisces was surprised that Scorpio wanted to say something. His voice was coarse, probably from crying. "You don't have to come back."
A silent shock filled Pisces's room.
"What the fuck?!" Leo broke it almost instantly. She swore she could hear him growling. "How could you be so-"
"Leo." Scorpio lost the color in his eyes again. Pisces couldn't help but cower, shuffling closer to Taurus. She noticed everyone stiffen as Scorpio stood. "One more word, one, and I will fucking strangle you."
Before Leo could challenge him, Libra shot to him to keep him in place. She was so fast with her wings, more feathers fell onto the floor. One touch from her, and Leo was calm again.
"What I was trying to say," Scorpio continued, his eyes returning to normal. "Was... look, Pisces, be wherever you're happy. That's all that matters to me. If you're happy... wherever your are, then stay. Don't let us decide what you do."
Though it was morbid, Pisces was grateful for his words, too. "Thank you." She told him, know he couldn't hear her.
"It needed to be said," Taurus agreed. Pisces immediately looked up at him again, eager to hear more of his voice. She was smiling, even if he wasn't looking in her general direction. "Pisces... we'd - I'd miss you. I'm sure you can find a way to be happy back with us. You always do. But," He raised his large arms in surrender. "Scorpio is right. It's your choice."
Hellta cleared her throat once, twice before Pisces paid her any mind. She asked Pisces, "They want you to decide, so what is your choice?"
She looked around at each of her friends, lingering on Taurus. His expression was gentle, but she could tell he was worried and nervous - his wings beat in short spurts. Gazing into his emerald eyes, Pisces knew what she wanted to do.
She took slow, but purposeful steps towards her bed. Her body was limp in the sheets. Pisces took her time observing everyone, and herself, not sure when she'd be able to see again, if at all.
Once again, she lingered on Taurus. She wanted to burn every aspect of his face and body into her memory. No matter what, she vowed to always remember him, even if she forgot what everything else looked like. I will never forget.
Taking a deep breath, Pisces knew it was time. If she lingered any longer, she'd never go back. Forcing her way to her body, she phased through her bed and reached out to touch her own forehead.
As soon as she made contact with her body, a icy shockwave was sent through her entire body. Pisces gasped, then screamed.
Then nothing.
Pisces felt her eyes open. She felt herself sit up. But to her frantic disappointment, she was yet again surrounded by the nothingness that consumed her every day for nearly 21 years.
Warm tears rolled down her cheeks. I took a gamble, and I lost. It was to be expected...
She opened her mouth to let everyone know she was fine, but a sudden marvel made her gasp.
She knew there were 12 others in the room. Pisces could feel 12 distinct, unique energies, all recognizable. If she concentrated just a little harder, everyone's feelings about various things were open to her like a book. Even without her memory, she knew where everyone was, who everyone was.
The nothingness was still there, everywhere, but she was no longer blind.
Pisces smiled so wide, her cheeks hurt. She couldn't help but laugh, more tears falling from her eyes. No, I've won. I've truly won!
Taking in her new form of vision, she realized one energy vastly outshone the others in the room. It was like a beacon of never-ending hope and happiness. Pisces wanted to touch it, touch him, be as close to the beacon as possible.
"Taurie!" She exclaimed and, out of pure instinct, leapt towards her giant beacon. For a moment, she was in the air longer than she expected, there was a sudden cry, and then she quickly realized she never hit the ground. "Oh, what happened?"
She heard heavy breathing and grunting, and knew something went wrong. For a second, she wished she could really see again, just to see what happened.
"Taurus..." Gemini asked. Pisces felt her friend to be close. "You okay?"
"Mhm..." Taurus was slow to answer. "Pisces," She smiled, happy that he was giving her attention. "You... went through me... and, you aren't wearing any clothes..."
"Oh, I'm not?" Pisces blinked. I never took my pajamas off... how strange. Now that it was brought to her attention, she didn't fell any clothes on her.
"I can fix that." Hellta said. Pisces heard a finger snap, and quickly felt silk cover her shoulders. "There. Now, Pisces, tell us how you feel."
"Wonderful!" She rejoiced, falling into her giggling fit again. Taurus was so close to her, she saw him shine even brighter. It was almost blinding to Pisces. "Taurie, you were right. I can always find a way to be happy!"
"So, can you see again?" Sag asked.
Pisces's smile turned somber. "No," Her answer was slow, more focused on trying to land herself. She felt Sag come closer, grab her hands and help her to the floor again. "Oh, thank you, Sagittarius. But no, I can't see you, but I can see you."
"What?" Aries questioned.
"Hm." Pisces had a feeling that he, out of all of her friends, would understand the least. "It's hard to explain. But know this, I am no longer blind." Turning towards Taurus, she stepped towards him again, unable to resist his pull. "I see many beautiful things now." Hearing his wings quickly buzz again, Pisces fell into yet another fit of giggles.
"Interesting." Hellta said, probably to herself. Her presence was hard to ignore for Pisces. If Taurus wasn't there, she would have been drawn to Hellta instead. "Now, The Zodiac Cycle is complete. I'm very proud of all of you, but it isn't over. There's lots to prepare for."
"Such as?" Aquarius asked.
"The fate of the Five Realms as we know it." Hellta said, then Pisces heard two claps. "There's not much time to waste. Everyone, follow me. I must take you to your new home."
Pisces heard lots of footsteps, the special energies from everyone fading with distance. She felt large hands cover her small ones. "Pisces," Taurus shakily asked. She heard his wings beating rapidly. "I can help you down the stairs, if you need it."
Pisces could just float down the stairs, but she accepted anyway. "I'd like that." She felt her small frame scooped into his large arms. Instantly, she snuggled into his chest, happy that he wasn't wearing a shirt.
She wanted to stay in his arms forever, but he put her down at the bottom of the stairs. After patting her head, he walked on, his energy wavering in such strange ways. Pisces tried to make sense of why, but was soon distracted again.
Virgo's energy nearly matched her mother's, but there were obvious differences. Pisces approached her, and realized there was a much softer, fainter energy right in front of her. "Mom cast a spell on Nona," Virgo told her. "She'll be fine when she wakes up."
"Good." Nona would be fine, but it bothered Pisces that her grandmother wasn't clear and bright like her friends and Hellta. Pisces would have to ask about it later. "I love you, Nona."
"She loves you, too." Virgo said, giving her a hug. Pisces did her best to hug back. "Come on, we need to catch up with everyone else."
Virgo was still holding Pisces's hand when she broke the embrace, leading her to who knows where. "Where are we going, Virgo?" Pisces asked her friend.
Taking one more step, Pisces realized she was outside, seeing so much life around her. The grass beneath her flowed gracefully, in complete time with the trees by her sides. And Virgo... Virgo's shimmering energy brought it all together in a beautiful harmony. To Pisces, the orchestration was almost as spectacular as Taurus.
"Mom's taking us home." Virgo answered, pulling Pisces deeper into the wild symphony.
•••
Hey everyone! This took a long time but I'm so glad as to how it turned out! All of the zodiac are reawakened, but this is only the beginning.
What awaits them as these 12 magical beings discover themselves? Only one way to find out!
Stay Starry! 💫