The Final Cycle: A Zodiac Story

𝕏𝕏𝕍𝕀𝕀𝕀

This is definitely the longest chapter yet! Buckle up, this is quite a ride!
•••

Gemini did not have a good night's rest.

Every hour or two, she woke up in a sweat from the nightmare that was the God King. She could barely close her eyes and not be attacked by Hecate's intense memory. So when the sun started to peek through her window, she simply groaned and turned over in her covers.

There was a knock at her door, to which the little psychic groaned again. The knocker took that as an affirmative to enter, Phil coming in with a smile and saying, "Rise and shine, Gemmie! You've got to get up and start training today! Come on, let's go!"

"Five more minutes..." Gem grumbled, turning away from his voice.

"You can get five minutes later, I promise." Phil cooed as if she were a child again. "But after training. You have to get ready to save the universe, remember?"

Gem grunted, sitting up. Phil was in her doorway, smiling away. Blowing hair out of her face, she sighed and said, "Fine. I'm up. Happy?"

"Very." Phil chimed, closing the door.

In her foul mood, she gave the closed door her middle finger. As much as she wasn't mentally ready to train, she still couldn't help her excitement. After all, she was a shapeshifter! Her possibilities were endless, and any time a new idea came to her, she jotted them down. Phil had to give her half a dozen new books to write in.

After getting dressed, she fixed her pixie hair and took an extra second to look at herself. What to change? She thought to herself with a head tilt. Maybe... my hair? But I like it short. Or, I could make myself a little taller, no more need for heels!

Gemini. Aquarius's voice suddenly probed her mind. She smiled, glad that he was talking to her. He had been quite reclusive since Hecate's memory had been revealed, and even though Gem wanted to ask dozens of questions with him, she held her tongue and gave him his space. Even if you are a shapeshifter - which I highly doubt without proof - why not just stay as you are? You're attractive as you are.

Yeah, well, thanks, but I want to change! I can always change back. Gem replied, ignoring her blush. You'll see, it'll be fun to play with!

Sure... His mental voice trailed, but there was an attempt for him to be a bit more upbeat when he said, Are you ready to go?

Yep! Instantly after her reply, a steady knock beat against her door. Gem skipped to it and answered, flinching when she saw Aquarius.

His eyes, even with their different colors, were bloodshot and weary. Slump shoulders made him look scrawnier, and his hair was frayed, probably from a lack of sleep. Ever so slightly, Aqua smiled, sighing, "Don't panic, I'm fine-"

"Right, sure you are, Xenakis." Gemini rolled her eyes and leaned against the door frame. "Look, after training, you and I are going to talk about what we saw-"

"Gemini, I'm fine-"

"No, you aren't!" Frustration bubbled in her throat, but Gemini knew her results would only be worse if she got mad at him. "Why push me away when I can help you? We all saw the same thing... let me help you."

He hesitated, clearly taken aback by her offer. Gem refused to relent. Her effort was rewarded, albeit mildly with a brittle handshake. "Okay," He said with a stiffened tone. "We'll talk about it... but what is there to even talk about?"

"What we saw, silly!" Gemini told him with outstretched hands as she floated in front of him. "That was our very first time we even saw a glimpse in the Divine Realm and you, Aquarius Xenakis, weirdo extraordinaire, don't want to pick that information piece by piece? Unbelievable, someone must have possessed you last night-"