how we saved the world •a zodiac story•

across the universe

Libra's heart sank. Even after Aquarius raised her voice at her, she found herself remarkably disappointed to seen her cot empty. She carefully got up, making sure not to wake Gemini, and unzipped her tent. She raised her hand to the horizon and measured the time with her fingers and thumb.

It was roughly almost seven in the morning judging from the sun's position and the air was still crisp and dew still sat on the surface of the vegetation. From what she could see, nobody else had woken up.

She wandered the site, following a narrow trail in the nearby forest. Knowing her friend, she stepped off the path. She hoisted herself atop a tree branch to survey more area.

Her eyes caught the attention of a figure, casually slouched on a thick branch. Without speaking she did her best to make her way down the tree.

With her best guess, it was exactly who she hoped.

"Hey," she waved from below, "Guess who?"

Aquarius frowned, she had a searing headache, and her stomach was killing her. Libra never heard a response.

"I know you're up there, Aqua." she looked sideways at her from below.

Silence.

She kicked the dirt underneath her, "Please, I'm worried about you."

"There's nothing to worry about," she replied, "I'll be back at camp soon, okay?"

Libra shook her head, "I'm not falling for that."

She dug her foot into the creases of the tree's bark, pulling herself up by the branches. Aquarius nonchalantly looked down, an irritated look on her face. Libra miraculously made it to the same branch as her and huffed.

"So, you didn't sleep last night," she carefully avoided looking down. 

"Doesn't matter."

"It does to me," she scowled, "Look at me."

"So you and Gemini?" Aquarius broached, staring her straight in the eyes.

"So you and Scorpio?" she shot back. Aquarius' face contorted in confusion.

"What?"

"Nevermind."

"Libra, don't do this to yourself, go back to camp."

"Shut up, shut your fucking mouth. Dammit, Aquarius. Just-" Libra felt too frustrated to properly articulate her thoughts. Aquarius knew she deserved to be yelled at but regardless, Libra was wasting her energy. She kept her face plain but she was taken aback. Libra gritted her teeth, it was a foreign sight to see her so angry.

"Is there a problem?" Aquarius teased, knowing there was. Libra's eyes narrowed, her mouth pressed into a straight line.

"Are you joking?" she exclaimed, "Of course there's a problem!"

"Figures."

Libra's eye twitched,"You're going to come back to the camp with me, you're going to finish a plate of food, and then you're going to get as much sleep as you can before we leave, do you understand me."

Aquarius dully stared at her for a long moment, without saying anything. She took a breath, "I don't have time."

Libra clenched her fists, "Say one more stupid comment and I'll remind you what Gemini taught me during fighting lessons and force you."

"Thanks."

×××

"What you said last night was not okay, either way." Capricorn insisted.