Folklore Forest | A Zodiac Story

A Crack in The Ground

Cancer roamed around the forest. She was headed for Taurus' new shop so that she could both support him and talk to him. She knew she couldn't tell him about the situation, but she needed some clarity. And she couldn't stay at that castle, it was dreadful. The only reason she liked it at first was because it matched the depression she had fallen into. And while the depression hasn't quite fallen away, she was desperately trying to claw herself out and reunite with who she once was.

She was trying to think everything through when she hit something. She lost her footing and fell on top of a small creature. The creature let out a squeak as Cancer shut her eyes and braces for impact. The hit the ground, Cancer on top of the creature.

"Oww, Cancer!" The voice said. The voice became more familiar, and Cancer opened her eyes to see that the creature was Capricorn.

"I'm so sorry, I was totally zoned out!" Cancer apologized. "Not that that's an excuse, obviously, I take full responsibility."

Cancer pushed herself away from Capricorn and stood up. She dusted off her leggings and offered him a hand, which he gladly accepted.

"It's no problem. I'm just lost and looking at some notes, so I wasn't paying much attention either," Capricorn said, shrugging as he did so.

Cancer's interest was piqued. Capricorn was still in high school and Cancer still desperately wanted to continue her education.

"Notes? Notes on what?" Cancer asked. She slid her hands into her back pockets and peered onto Capricorn's note papers.

"Oh, they're just some old forest records," Capricorn muttered. "I'm doing some research."

Cancer slumped. "Oh. Cool." She sighed for a moment and straightened up again. "You said you were lost? I can help you find where you're headed."

Capricorn eyes widened at the gesture. He glanced around cautiously, but shrugged. "I'm trying to find my way to the Pixie Meadows?"

Cancer chuckled. "You're going in the opposite direction. I'm headed there now to meet Taurus if you would like to join."

Capricorn glanced around, and took a deep breath in. He looked back at Cancer and gave her a half smile. "Uh, sure. Sounds fun."

Cancer smiled lightly as she began walking north, the direction Capricorn had come from. Capricorn turned around and followed her.

As Cancer stepped over a branch, she said to Capricorn, "Hey, I'm really sorry about everything by the way. I take full responsibility for everything I did to you and your friends... I know I wasn't a good person and I want to make up for it."

Capricorn, startled by her words, stopped in his tracks and got hit by a tree branch that she had been pulling back. "Fuck, ow."

Cancer spun a 180 circle and her eyes widened. "You're bleeding. Oh shit. I'm so sorry. Again."

Capricorn touched his nose only to feel a drip of blood coming out of it. "Ahhh. This hurts."

Cancer pulled some leaves off of a nearby branch. She took a rock and started to mush the leaves on a tree stump. When they were all crushed, she took the cream and put it on his nose. Capricorn immediately pulled back as she went for his nose, but she managed to shove it on his cut eventually. The cut started to heal not long after and the bleeding stopped.

"How did you do that?" Capricorn asked, wiping the cream off his nose. He felt where the cut had originated, and, other than some residue blood, had entirely disappeared.

Cancer wiped her hands on some Dewey leaves and smiled at him. "It's a basil native to the forest with healing abilities. My theory is that all basil was like this until pollution forced it to evolve."