how we saved the world •a zodiac story•

control

Poloma was a cold, mountainous planet– technically it was too small to be a planet but the Spirit of Poloma wouldn't have you caught dead calling him a dwarf.

With that being said,the terrain was jagged but even though it was hard to navigate, it was perfect for hiding a Temple. Past the mountains were chilly wetlands, deep in the isolated valleys slept a small, reflective obsidian gemstone that was none other than the Heart of Reality.

Poloma, as laid back as he was, didn't spend a lot of time there. He couldn't pride himself on being the home of the Heart of Reality, because it was largely taboo information. Despite that, he let the Heart make him feel a little too confident than he probably should have been.

Scorpio and Pisces trudged through the knee-deep wetlands as Cancer hopped from rock to rock to avoid getting his suit wet, even though it was completely waterproof. It was because he didn't want to get cold, but to Scorpio and Pisces, there were bigger problems than the temperature.

Scorpio pointed in the his direction, "Cancer, you turn invisible, Pisces will hide in the water and I'll talk to Aquarius when we see her, okay?"

Cancer shook his head, "I should talk to her, I know what she's going through, I can talk to her."

Scorpio gave him a pleading look but gave in. He knew Cancer would be the best candidate to convince her to stop. She should be at the courtyard, likely fighting off monsters so that Eris and Orion could get the Heart. They knew they were gaining on them because the wetland water was more disturbed and the water would be less murky if they were farther ahead.

"Okay, so what do you suggest I do," Scorpio asked.

"You go around the Temple to stop Eris and Orion from..."

"Aquarius..."

The trio swiveled. The face of a devastating spirit shot him a miserable glare. She stood knee-deep in the wetlands. Her gloved hands dropped to her side and she refused to make eye contact.

"You... need to go..." Her voice was low and breaking. Aquarius stomach lurched as she saw Cancer stand there in his usual sorry disposition. Orion told her this would happen. Aquarius was a threat to them, of course they were here. Since they couldn't kill her last time. Exactly how Orion said.

"You don't have to do this– Aquarius, please... come back." Scorpio's voice was tender. He strode forward, slowly through the wetland water.

Her pupils narrowed in shock but they slightly grew wider and angry. "Believe me," She sneered, "I can't come back, the damage is done."

There were dark circles under her eyes, clearly, she hadn't slept in days. Too much to think about. Pisces guessed she wasn't in a stable state of mind. She reached for his wrist, getting a jerking reaction as she pulled backward. Scorpio shot his glare over his shoulder at Pisces but nodded, taking a step back.

"You can't trust Orion..." Cancer implored. Aquarius felt a bubble of laughter rise in her chest. She faced him completely and paused before she responded.

"You should leave," she said, "I know I'm probably a– a villain to you and that's fine with me, really, but... still, I don't wanna have to hurt any of you."

"You're not the bad guy, Aqua, just come back," Scorpio said, but Pisces pulled on his arm to get him to stop. It was a lie, she was the bad guy. Even before she cheated them– when she was their partner and friend, she was never a hero. Somehow, she always felt like the antagonist.

"You like her? Orion?" Cancer said.

She lifted her hand and aimed her palm at him. Her jaw trembled but she kept her arm steady. She was a weapon she wasn't afraid to use. "Don't– you don't get to blame her for this."