The Twelve Realms (A Zodiac Story)

Chapter 81 - Ursa's Visit

*time skip*

Nobody POV

Ursa clasped Virgo's hand in both of hers, closing her multicolored eyes. Virgo's other hand jumped to her arm as a shiver went through her -- her hair lost some of its luster and her skin seemed imperceptibly sapped of color.

She was normal again.

"I'm sorry," Ursa repeated, letting go of Virgo's hand. "The Tenebris seems to have altered my powers a little bit. I only meant to get a portal through to Statera, but it seems to have done more than that."

"So we're not calling it the darkness anymore?" Pisces asked, leaning against the wall warily. Her shimmering bubble was gone, and she was back to her old self, though her expression was suspicious, devoid of trust.

Ursa took Taurus's hand absentmindedly, thinking. "The name darkness is too . . . widespread. Anything can be dark. Of course, you may still say it, but its true name is the Tenebris . . ."

"Let me guess, it means 'darkness' in Latin, right?" Taurus asked sarcastically as the horns shrunk. He blinked and ran a hand through his hair, a slight smile spreading across his face as Ursa let go and waved her hand. Leo jumped slightly as the ears and tail disappeared in a puff.

"What about this?" he asked, fingering the gold edges to his hair.

"Those can stay if you want," Ursa murmured. "You're right, though. Taurus."

"Latin is the ancient language of the stars, so everything has to be in Latin," Libra said sarcastically, shoving her hand in front of Ursa. The constellation looked at it, then moved her multicolored eyes up to Libra's face. Libra bit her lip.

Slowly, streaks of blonde swirled through the white and black.

A sigh of relief drooped her shoulders and Libra withdrew her hand, but still stared at Ursa. "I'm right."

"You're pushy." Ursa got up and sent an analyzing glance over all the Zodiacs. "I truly am sorry that you had to be changed this way because of the Tenebris."

"Why did you even come here in the first place?" Capricorn asked, furrowing his brow. "It's not like we needed you."

"Yeah, we got through the last Realm just fine without you," Aquarius chimed in. Her posture was hardened, and she was standing, twisting her fingers. The loss of the amphora had bloomed across them, bruising her pale skin.

Ursa's dark eyes dimmed when she saw. "I understand. But I only came for one thing."

She raised her hand. Magic seeped out of her fingers, swirling up to form a small inferno that raged above her palm. Darkness spread through the twirling streaks of night sky and Ursa clenched her fist, snuffing it out. Her gaze sought out Scorpio, who was sulking by the window.

"Cancer is still out," she said.

Scorpio paled, the stars outside reflected in his troubled gray eyes. He hung his head with a sigh.

"There's no use trying to see the ground, it'll only make you nauseated," Ursa supplied. "And he'll only wake up after the Realm is claimed."

Gemini lifted her head from her hands, her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Ursa focused on the sphere of light she was spinning in her hands. "I can alter the route of the Realms and get you to one that I know will heal him. But if I do . . ." She looked up, and her expression was unreadable. "Currently the Realms have been going in the order of Earth, Fire, Air, and Water. If I alter your course, it will ruin the pattern, and you will be sent through Realms in a random order."