Sides of a Mirror

20- Things Are Never...

Sorry for not writing, guys! But I had a tablet ban and that really sucked. Anyway, this is a continuation of the last chapter, After All. Leo, Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio are all in this one. Maybe the others, but I'm not sure. Read on and find out!

Leo's eyes flew open. The first thing she noticed was her newly formed appendages; mainly two golden furred ears and a slim tail to match. It occurred to her that she was in the same form as when she'd lashed out at her mother. How interesting... Leo flicked her tail, angling her ears to hear better. She listened to the others chatting, also in animalistic forms. Then, a burning sensation tingled in her every nerve, and Leo shut her eyes involuntarily.
Before Leo was a stretching golden plain. The grasses gleamed an unnatural color, their sparse stalks carrying flame colored blossoms. A soft growl caught Leo's attention, and she turned to see a sleek golden lioness crouching in front of her.
My lady.
I beg your pardon? I'm no lady!
You are to me.
What? I don't understand...
The lioness pushed a soft gold cushion towards her. On it, sat the most richly amber colored stone Leo had ever seen. Etched onto its surface was a glimmering black symbol.
What is this...?
Ignis, my lady.
Ignis, right. And stop calling me that! I want to be addressed by my name!
Sorry, Leo. That is yours.
What is it?
You'll need it. Just take it! Please!
Oh! Umm... Alright, I will...
Leo still had little idea of what the gem was, but a tiny voice in her head told her to trust this strange lion. Ignis, that was her name. Latin, most likely. Leo bent down, placing her hand on Ignis' back in a gesture of thanks, and grabbed the stone. As soon as the gem touched her fingers, a brilliant heat shot up her arm and throughout her entire body. It shook her to her knees, causing her to collapse. Still, Leo did not let go, battling willfully against the roaring pain in her limbs.
Leo awoke with a shuddering gasp. Her hand still held the stone, and it gleamed in the lamp's light. The pain was all but gone now, allowing her to think clearly. What... Just happened? She didn't dwell on it. She'd need it, Ignis said. Then, understanding some of what the lioness had meant, she raised the stone and pressed it to the mark on her back. It flared painfully for a moment, then vanished from her hands. After a brief moment of exhaustion, a new found strength filled Leo. Yeah, she thought, I did need that.

Virgo slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze first examined herself, checking for injuries or the like, but she could see none. That was a relief. Except for the fact a tiny brown and white speckled tail now stuck out of her backside. And the two pearly white horns that'd grown from her skull, tiny green symbols etched into their surfaces. Yeah, that wasn't a relief. In fact, it surprised Virgo, if not frightened her. Freezing, Virgo's head spun and her eyes fell shut as a vision swam into her head.
A beautiful green meadow spread far as the eye could see around Virgo. Tiny white flowers bloomed amidst the springy emerald foliage. A few feet ahead of her, a gorgeous tawny deer stood, waiting for her, on the grass. Virgo glanced around them, finding a ring of distant deciduous trees around them. She had a feeling they were still a place here, though perhaps not for her to see.
You're right about that, my friend.
Oh! I- wait. Who's talking?
I am.
The deer Virgo had seen before was now closer to her, its liquid brown eyes staring expectantly into hers.
That's new...
Quite. I am Herba, your Guardian.
Guardian?
The animal that symbolizes your sign. The maiden and deer share similar qualities, so I'm as it is, and so are you.
I see. What is that behind you?
Virgo had noticed a few moments earlier the green velvet cushion sitting on the ground behind Herba. She wondered what was on it, as Virgo could glimpse a sparkle or two coming from something on it, though not directly it.
Your stone. It will help you in your times of trouble.
Trouble?
Yes. You will have moments when you'll need all the power you can get. The stone will also allow you to call me.
Right. What if I don't have it?
You always will.
Okay then, I trust you.
The deer stepped away from the cushion, giving Virgo a wide birth to it. Virgo, knowing what would happen, though mentally a bit freaked out, walked to the stone, emerald with a silver symbol carved on the surface, and grasped it without hesitation. Almost instantly, a rush of emotion shook Virgo to her very core. It was cool, clear, yet foggy and hot at the same time. Virgo squeezed her eyes shut, hearing one last phrase;
Be safe, my friend. I will come when you call me!
Virgo's eyes snapped open. Her hand still holding the gem, warm in her palms. Waisting no time, Virgo slid the stone under her shirt and to the mark on her stomach. It tingled, sending a feeling of safety to Virgo's tensed consciousness. That certainly helped.
"Finally, you're awake!" Leo... Oh boy!

Libra groaned softly and opened his eyes. He shook himself, trying to rid the ringing from his ears and stiffness from his wings. Wait- wings!
Libra slowly pivoted his head to look at his two new feathery appendages. What in the name of...? He fluttered them once, twice. It felt perfectly natural, which really frightened him. The wings were moderate in size, not to large, but enough to carry his weight. Libra also noted their shining cream color, white but almost glowing. Also, a fluffy russet tail was extending from his tailbone. He reached up and felt two pointed ears on his head as well. Libra took a quick glance at Leo, who caught it and waved at him, putting a finger to her lips as a signal for silence. He nodded, knowing the others wouldn't like to be woken from their slumber, though they didn't seem very likely to do so. Just then, Libra stiffened and found his eyes sealed shut.
When he could open them, Libra was surprised they saw a shimmering cream colored castle staring back at him. It seemed to float on a bed if clouds, the sky around it clear and bright blue. The towers it possessed were massive, their gleaming golden spires scraping the sky. He entered the doors, only to find himself face to face with a lithe russet fox.
Greetings, Libra! I'm Volitantem, your Guardian!
Hi... What's a Guardian?
Your animal guide. Don't worry, it's not as weird as it seems!
Libra liked Volitantem, though he'd heard that name somewhere before. Oh yeah! Latin class. It meant flutter, a weird name for a fox, bit he did have wings, so it made some sense.
I know, I know, weird name! But hey, it's still interesting!
True. And Libra is also a weird name, considering it's a constellation.
Yup.
The fox, nosed a small pale gold cushion in front of Libra.
Here, take it.
What is it?
The object looked to be a translucent pale gold stone, but the silver carving on it told Libra otherwise.
You already know, or you will, soon.
When?
Soon.
Ugh, fine!
Libra was a bit annoyed at Volitantem's elusive answers, but he was never one to argue. That title belonged to several of the others he knew. He reached out and held the stone in his hand, muffling a gasp as an unexpected wave of drowsiness hit him. It filled Libra with sweet emotions, rocking him on his feet. It wasn't painful, actually, it was quite pleasant, just unexpected. It encouraged him to close his eyes and leave the fox and his castle behind...
Libra woke, the stone grasped loosely in his hand. He shook his head to clear it, knowing full well it'd clear on its own. Libra wasn't really one to wait either. He examined the stone, and it suddenly came to him what he had to do. He slipped the gem and his hand under the hem of his shirt and touched the stone to his mark. It jolted him, but did nothing more. That was a relief, at least he'd be okay.

Scorpio calmly opened his eyes, the emotions of others, mostly confusion or sleep, clamoured in his head. He blocked them out, focusing on his he felt at the moment. A bit drowsy, but fine nonetheless. Thank God! It occurred to Scorpio that the others seemed baffled by some strange occurrence, not just your run of the mill confusion. Of course, he didn't realize this until the vision hit himself as well.
It was dark, for a moment. Scorpio peered through the shadows, a swish of water beside him drawing his attention. To his surprise, the ripple had been made by a metallic midnight tail, plated and tipped like a scorpion's. A few seconds later he also realized it was his own. This, like many other things in his life, didn't disturb him in the slightest. After all, if you could sense what others feel all day, you'd felt a lot. No joke.
Before Scorpio was a winding underwater cavern, it's shadowy depths calling to him. Something told him that he wanted to see whatever was inside. He didn't object for once, understanding that he should trust his instincts, even if they were crazy, in this situation.
Within the cavern, the lighting was much better. Flowers of some species unknown to Scorpio lined the walls, casting a cool sea blue glow onto everything within the cavern. That included the midnight blue scorpion in front of Scorpio, colored much like his own tail.
Who are you?
I was just going to tell you that. Hello, Scorpio, I am Ostium. The animal embodiment of your sign, and your guide.
Ostium? You mean, 'venom' in Latin?
Yes, that is my name. Do you know Latin?
I do now.
Of course. Take this, you'll surely find it useful.
The scorpion scuttled aside to reveal a sea blue cushion on the cavern floor. A gem of similar color glinted on its surface, a silver symbol etched into it. Coolly, Scorpio swam towards the cushion, asking one last question before he took it.
When will I need this?
Before you know it.
Then, without doubt, Scorpio reached out and snatched the stone. It chilled him to the bone, but he didn't let go. He held it and held it until he finally fainted on the sand.
Waisting no time, as there was none to be wasted, Scorpio glanced around to check if he was being watched, then quickly press the gem to his mark. The force stung him, and he winced momentarily in pain, but the it subsided into a calming coolness. It cleared Scorpio's head, and he could hear clearly the other's thoughts more than ever. Taurus looked at him, smiling, and ran to his side. She tackled him, giggling, and he put a finger to her lips to silence her. Then, he waited.

I will update tomorrow the last segment of this, then we'll get to see the Zodiac's powers, all of them. The ones that have them already will unlock more, and ones without will get them. It's going to be exciting!
Any how, I've gotta sign out. See you in the next chapter, darlings!