Gundam Zodiac Astral Prologue

Court of Capricorn

We might have called Gemini cursed because he has two personalities, but he's just a constellation with an enchanted mask fitted onto his helmet that contains his secondary personality. But that's nothing compared to what I'd faced. I was the real cursed one.

The Astral Gundams never existed until 10 billion Earth years ago, the first Astral Initiation Ritual Fight started 11 billion Earth years ago which was when the Zodiac Courts were given their purpose. So during that 1-billion-year period, we fought physically to determine who was worthy to sit in the Courts. I didn't get my spot the first few million times, so I got frustrated and turned to the darkness just to acquire some extra power.

???: Hahaha, you want my power? Alright, but there's a price to pay.

Capricorn: I don't care. I just want to become stronger and earn my place in the 12 Courts!

???: Very well.

Capricorn: (Well, that was easy...)

I was too much of a hothead to care about the cost of acquiring that power, for I just wanted to win. However, during one of the fights, I had gone mad, like a system gone amok. I had lost all control of myself and attacked randomly, attacking the spectators and even Mother Asteria herself. Consequently, I was disqualified from the fight, and feared by all constellations, but Aquarius. She decided to purify me with the water she bears (That's the way she recalled it to me, I had no idea what that means.), and cleansed the dark powers that were corrupting me.

I trained with Aquarius ever since, furthermore strengthening my abilities. Thankfully, Mother decided to forgive me and allowed me to join the last fight of that 1-billion-year period. As a result of training and participating, I've earned myself a spot in the Courts. After the entire fight was over, Aquarius popped by the Court of Capricorn to celebrate with me.

Aquarius: Congratulations, Capricorn! What we've been doing hasn't gone to waste.

Capricorn: Yeah, I guess so.

Aquarius: You looked great out there, don't worry too much about your performance.

I remained silent. Something was stirring in my mind, and the memories of the previous fight were flashing in my head. But, Aquarius didn't know yet.

Aquarius: What's wrong? You look troubled. It's not about your loss against Sagittarius, is it?

Capricorn: No... It's something else.

Aquarius: What is it?

I tried my best to organize what I was about to say, but all I got in my head was a mess.

Capricorn: I'm sorry, can you give me a moment?

Aquarius: Don't stress, take your time.

???: How dare you abandon my generous gift to you! You're like the others, defiling me. Now SUFFER!!

He was in my head again. That headache was the most painful one I've ever suffered from. It's nothing like getting injured from being rammed by a comet or being directly hit by a solar flare, those are nothing to me. It's like countless supernovas going off in my head one after the other, releasing that huge surge of power in my head, yet not destroying it. Those explosions were relentless,
I might as well have my head destroyed to release the pent up energy.

Aquarius: Capricorn! Are you alright??

Capricorn: Garrgh!! Aqua...rius...

Everything started fading, my strength was drained. I felt like my existence is going to end, but who am I kidding? We constellations can be resurrected after a moment (literally 1.5 minutes) as long as the stars that gave us life aren't out of alignment. Before I blacked out, a figure flashed in front of me. It wasn't anyone I knew back then nor know now, but I had a strange affinity with that entity.