Dark Star

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

She was a devil: crimson red eyes and silver hair, her battle dress black, white, and red. The pure embodiment of pain and terror with the power to cast stars and galaxies at her foes. Her heart a broken mess, her eyes hold back tears, her movements fast as if she were afraid. Some say after she kills she laughs only to scream in agony and collapse, clutching her heart and crying. Darkness and stars and galaxies would flood the area, making it seem that you were standing in the universe itself and there you would find her: in the center of the universe. She became known as The Dark Star. Most only went for Star.

But her friends, the only ones who mattered,

Called her Lucy.

Chapter 1

Silver hair cascaded down her shoulders as Star undid her pigtails, it had been a long day and the lead assassin was tired. Sitting on her wooden chair and looking at her make shift vanity, she takes out a brush while focusing on the mirror. There's a knock on the door and Star looks to see Cancer peering in.

"Need help?"

"Sure Cancer. Can you do a braid?"

Star sits perfectly still as Cancer brushes her hair before braiding it. He was taller than she was, his dark skin giving his identity away. Every member of the Zodiacs was from Minstrel, a war-torn country full of orphans and mayhem. Natives of Minstrel were characteristically white or tan, but Cancer was dark and even admitted his nationality was Joya, a country to the upper side of Minstrel.

There were 13 Zodiac members:Leo and Star, who had both families die in a bombing.

Ares, whose town was attacked by chemical weapons.

The Gemini twins who were left to die in the rubble of their house.

Cancer and Aquarius, who both lost their fathers in battle.

Virgo and Capricorn, who lost everything in a raid.

Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Libra who got kicked out of a refugee camp for stealing medicine.

And lastly, Pisces, the mother and son that fought and stole to live.

It was a kill or be killed world, a constant cycle of chaos and destruction. All but Pisces and the Gemini twins killed to get by. Each of them casts away their true names and donned the names of the constellations. Eventually all the calculated murders branded them as the Zodiacs, an elite group of assassins who cut down anyone in their way.

But at the end of the day, they were teenagers, just kids. The only adult was Pisces. Even though they made it into Fiore, the ptsd trapped them in that dreaded war. They were never safe, never loved, condemned to live a life covered in blood.

If only people could see how controlled, they were by fear.

"Cancer," Star can't help but ask, "If you weren't an assassin, what would you be?"

It was a dangerous question, all 13 of them were branded as monsters. So, what was the point of dreams?

"A hair stylist."

"Oh."

An awkward silence fills the air as Cancer goes to leave, but just as he opens the door Star calls out to him.

"Cameron!", he looks back at her surprised to hear his true name, "I think you'll make a great stylist!"

For the first time in years, Cameron smiles. This was his dream after all, and to hear someone cheer him on was enlightening. But even so, the Zodiacs weren't allowed to dream. And although he hated to admit it, a dream was just a dream.

After changing into an over-sized shirt, Star picks up the file that she had placed previously on her vanity. It contained a picture of a young girl with blue hair and brown eyes. Her name was Wendy, she was a Fairy Tail mage and about 12 years old. The client, Minerva, was offering the Zodiacs 1 million dollars in the successful murder of Wendy.

With this money they might get a life. Living in an abandoned factory was getting to be a hassle. Sure, there was electricity and they had high tech that made missions easier, not to mention a hidden underground basement. But it never felt like home.

That was Star's dream: to have a house with enough rooms for all of them. To eat expensive steaks and wear beautiful clothes, maybe even go to school. A place to feel safe and loved, somewhere she could break away from the chaos.

With the money Minerva was offering, that dream might come true. The young girl lets out a sigh as she makes her way to bed, leaving the file alone. They would have to plan the murder tomorrow, it would take a week of investigating Wendy and planning the kill.

Laying in her makeshift bed, she can't help but think of that little girl. Wendy was her ticket to a normal life, but she was only a child. Was this really the right thing to do? Hopefully the investigations and research would prove her innocence and Star wouldn't have to kill her.

Closing her eyes Star gives into her drowsiness and falls into a deep sleep.