Cancy woke up to see someone sent her an email. She sighed after reading it.

Cancy: Ophiuchus is coming back today. She wants a meeting after lunch

Pisces: tf does she want

Cancer: idk maybe feeding off of our misery isn't enough and now she wants our souls

Taurus: there has to be something we could do

Gemini: there isn't. Us originals already look bad, and now the alternates look bad. Ophiuchus probably seems like the only person the citizens can trust

Vinn: and if we all expose her together?

Scor: it would look like we're trying to take her down because she's the one pretending to expose us alternates and doing interviews explaining how disgusted she is with us

Virgo: and if we tried, it would look like we're just getting her back from expelling us

Gem: I refuse to pretend to be Gina

Lee: you don't have a choice. There's no proof of your existence

Gem: identical twins still have different finger prints

Scorpio: where will they find one of her fingerprints? I know it's cruel, but Ophiuchus can easily argue that the "Gem" who went to school with the rest of us was Gina all along with a different name. It would even support her claim that Gina abandoned her people

Ares: how do we take her out?

Pie: we don't know what kind of powers she has. She claimed she's not strong enough to handle all 24 of us, but I think she used that as an excuse to have Cetus spy on us while she's gone

Aquari: she could be a lot stronger than we think

Cancer: that doesn't stop you guys from spending her money and pissing her off

Leon: the difference is that she can't kill us over money while we're in the middle of The Trials. Before The Trials, we could easily be replaced. Now that The Trials have started, it would look suspicious if either of us suddenly died

Libra: but it seems like she's not above one of us dying or being severely injured during a trial

Aquarius: but then that simply adds more drama and suspense to her Trials reality show or whatever she turned this into

Pisces: right. We can die, she just can't have anything relating her to our deaths

Aries: but if we die during the trials she made, its obviously her fault

Saggi: unless she makes it look like someone else was responsible

Ares: aren't The Trials being aired live on television?

Taur: I don't think the public will get to see us compete in The Trials. I think she'll release edited clips

Cancy: that makes more sense for her

Capricorn: so how does this stop us from stopping her

Capri: do you want to tragically die during the next trial? She won't waste her time and energy covering up our deaths for pissing her off. But defying her or challenging her? She might

Leo: just when I was finally starting to understand how The Trials worked Ophiuchus messes it all up

Lee: we have to stop her somehow

Vinn: we'll have to think carefully first

Lee: and wait for her to ruin someone else's reputation?

Sagittarius: I'm impatient but even I know we need to plan carefully first. Unless you WANT to die

Aquarius: I wonder what powers she really has

Pisces: what if she has no powers that's why she needs Cetus

Virgo: I have no intention to find out. Let's complete The Trials first. Then once half of us have our kingdoms back, we can plot against her

Lee: and wait for me to lose my kingdom? I'm in F class and my popularity score has been rigged

Libra: it hasn't been rigged just because you're losing

Lee: You're probably the one that rigged it. Watch out

Lee left the chat

Libra: did he threaten me?

Capri: he won't actually hurt you. He has a big mouth

Gem: you better be right about that

Capri: if I was worried he'd hurt you, I'd let you know

***

At the meeting, there was an uncomfortable silence. Ophiuchus started by sighing. "I am very disappointed in you guys."

"In us?" laughed Lee.

Ophiuchus nodded. "For everything you've done. Especially Saggi."

"Why are you lying to the public?" demanded Saggi.

Ophiuchus shook her head. "I have documents that prove you did everything you were accused of. It's too late to save your image now."

"So what's your point?" demanded Scor.

"I called this meeting to inform you guys of a precaution I took to protect your cities. For now on, neither of you are allowed to suggest any new laws or rules without it first being approved by me."

"But Saggi didn't suggest that rule." Pie glared at Ophiuchus. "We all know you did."

"I've also restricted your authority over your countries until The Trials are over. I will gain temporary authority."

"Isn't ruling Geminus enough for her?" muttered Aquari.

Pisces sighed. "Does she want to rule our kingdoms? Or just restrict our power?"

Capri shrugged. "Probably both."

"Is there a way to stop her?" asked Pisces.

Aquarius dragged a finger across his throat. "That's the only way."

"What are you guys talking about in the back?" demanded Ophiuchus.

"Just about how unfair this is," shrugged Capricorn.

"Unfair? If you cannot be trusted, then you cannot rule kingdoms on your own."

"Well if you have authority now, then can't you stop the new tax law in Pertinax?" asked Scorpio.

Ophiuchus paused to think. "No. It was made before I gained authority. There is nothing I can do to stop it."

Lee slammed his fist against the table. "That's bullshit and you know it!"

"So how is another ruler supposed to stop it then?" asked Libra. "You told the public that voting Sagittarius into power was the only way to stop this law. But she will also gain authority after the law was made."

"Because I don't have full authority. I only have partial authority."

"She's at a loss. You can tell by the way she's saying anything and pretending it makes sense," whispered Virgo.

Vinn furrowed her brow. "Well if we don't have full authority then we can't make any new laws to harm our citizens."

"So then how will she sabotage us in the future?" whispered Leon.

"She'll find a way," replied Vinn.

"Also can I ask what she's doing here?" Ares pointed to Cetus who sat in a chair in the corner of the room.

"She's my assistant. Here to keep the rest of you in line." Ophiuchus rolled her eyes. "I've already told you this."

Leo glanced at Cetus who looked uncomfortable. "But she doesn't do anything. Besides round us up for Trials."

"Because she hasn't had to discipline you guys yet. Hopefully she never will."

Taurus wanted to speak, but she was too close to Ophiuchus. She wanted to sign to Libra and Scorpio, but they weren't looking at her. She signed to herself I still don't believe her.

"Which country is next?" asked Aries.

"Next for visit? Luna."

Cancy cheered. "I can't w-wait to go, go back!"

"I haven't seen Luna in forever." Cancer smiled happily.

"When are we leaving?" asked Gem.

"Tomorrow. So start packing today. Our meeting is over. I have more business to attend to in the other countries. Cetus will watch over you guys again." And with that Ophiuchus left.

"At least we're visiting Luna tomorrow." Taur grinned. "I love the beaches there."

"Assuming Ophiuchus doesn't destroy the country before we get there." Gemini stood up and left. Everyone followed.

***

Later on that night, Gemini was sleeping peacefully until suddenly Gina appeared in front of him.

"I haven't see you in a long time." Gemini stood awkwardly, not quite knowing what to say.

"I was busy." Gina awkwardly looked around. "I don't think they followed me."

"They?"

"The royal family. Ive been spending a lot of time with them lately."

"At least you get to hang out with the royal family in death."

"It doesn't work like that. Actually, never mind. You have to let Gem read that note."

"I've already tried. She doesn't remember the language you guys invented."

"But Vinn returned her memory."

"Somehow that part is still forgotten. Is there anything you can tell me about Ophiuchus?"

"I tried to spy on her. Somehow I can't watch her from here."

"You can't see her at all?"

"Not anymore. I can watch you guys, but not her."

"So what happened anyway? With you and Gem and the classes. I want to ask you to make sure the story that Gem remembers is the real story and not a false memory."

Gina sighed. "We attended the classes together, but we planned to run away and warn you guys of Ophiuchus' plan. Ophiuchus wiped our memories and gave Gem a false memory of being your twin so that she'd go find you guys while I stay in class. Somehow, she still ended up finding me, and I brought her back to class. After attempting to run away again, our memories were wiped again, except this time Ophiuchus sent Gem to Geminus. She even gave her a false name to use, which was Gina."

"I'm surprised you guys didn't develop memory impairments from all the messing around Vinn did with your heads."

"Ophiuchus told us that if anyone tries to run away, she'd kill us all. Since I tried running away twice, Pie was afraid I'd try to run away again. Not taking any chances, she pushed me off a cliff in attempt to kill me. So I ended up in Capra with amnesia and somehow met Gem. When she told me her name was Gina, something clicked. That's how I managed to keep my real name."

"And then you guys travelled around together, searching for me."

"And then I was killed because my memories were coming back. Gem's memories were supposed to be wiped, but Vinn only pretended to wipe them. I don't know why. Your memories were wiped too."

"Yeah, I realized that after Vinn restored those memories of you guys."

"How is it possible that Gem doesn't remember the note if everything else came back to her?"

"Maybe Vinn restored all her memories except that one."

"But she didn't even know what the note was about."

"Can't you tell me what it's about?"

"No. I only want Gem to know what it says."

"She might never be able to read it."

"Then nobody will read it. That note contains information that will help her."

"Help her for what?"

"The Trials. And if you think about burning it-"

"I'm not going to burn it. Even if it disadvantages me, I'll still give her the note." Suddenly the dream ended and Gina disappeared.