"ITS SAGITTARIUS I SAW HER VENT!"

Sagittarius glared at Gem. "Funny because I saw YOU vent and kill Virgo in front of me."

Aries, Leo, Gem, Sagittarius, Virgo, Saggi, Taur, and Capricorn all played Among us in the hotel lobby.

"Who should we vote?" asked Taur.

"Sagittarius!" announced Gem.

"NO ITS GEM!"

"Who killed you Virgo?" asked Capricorn.

Virgo pressed his lips together.

"Sagittarius first then Gem," announced Saggi. Everyone nodded in agreement except for Sagittarius who began listing all her tasks.

Everyone cheered as Sagittarius got voted off and they won.

"What's that game?" asked Capri who was passing by.

"Among us. It's the best game ever," replied Leo.

"Can me and Lee play?"

Virgo nodded. "Okay. Sagittarius and Aries should sit this one out since they were the imposters last round."

"Can't we just change the game to ten people?" asked Saggi.

"Too lazy," replied Virgo.

"Come on Lee!" Cheered Capri. "Let's download the game and play."

Lee joined Capri in the circle of zodiacs and began installing the game. After explaining the rules to Capri and Lee, they began playing.

"What does emergency meeting mean?" asked Capri.

"Someone saw something suspicious," replied Aries.

"What suspicious thing did you guys see?"

"Just vote someone," replied Virgo.

Capri furrowed her brow and randomly voted someone.

Everyone except for two people voted Lee out.

"Wait why was I kicked out?" asked Lee.

"I thought I saw you vent," shrugged Saggi.

Gem chuckled. "Oops guess we killed him by accident."

"I don't want to play anymore." Lee left.

Capri stayed and continued playing.

"A dead body!" Taur reported he body. "Who killed Gem in the cafeteria?"

Leo looked Virgo in the eyes. "I suspect Virgo."

"You guys suspect me every round!" Virgo voted Leo.

Gem sighed and shook her head. "I trusted you."

"It was Capricorn!" announced Taur. "I saw him with Gem earlier!"

"But then I left her to do wires in electrical," replied Capricorn." Capri was headed towards cafeteria when I last saw her!"

"I'm in the place with the emergency button," announced Capri. "Where is that?"

Saggi sighed. "I can't tell if she's actually the imposter and pretending she doesn't know how to play, or if she's really clueless."

"You're in the cafeteria. Where Gem was killed." Virgo looked around the room. "I will find out who the imposter is."

"Who is it?" asked Aries.

Gem pointed to her screen.

"Skip!" Taur shook his head. "We'll vote next round."

"Hey Leo why is your name red?" announced Sagittarius who looked over her shoulder.

Leo rolled her eyes. "If you guys believe her you're actually dumb."

"Wait how do I open the things on the floor?" asked Capri.

"The vents?" asked Aries.

"Who did you see do it?" asked Capricorn.

"I don't know I just saw it close."

Virgo sighed. "When you see someone open those they're the imposter."

Capri gasped. "AHHH SOMEONE KILLED ME!"

"Shhhhh!" hushed Sagittarius. "If you're dead you can't speak."

Capri pretended to pull a zipper across her lips.

"Gem, Capri, Lee, and Taur are all dead," announced Virgo. "Which one of you is it?"

"Can we just vote Virgo out?" joked Capricorn.

"If you do its over."

"It's Leo," announced Saggi. "I trust Sagittarius."

"Okay it's Leo!" Capricorn voted.

"Wait you're going to let the imposters win!" Leo sighed as everyone else voted her.

Virgo cheered and high-fived Capricorn.

"We should probably get something to eat," announced Capri. "Then train a bit for the trial tonight."

"Can't I just drop out?" groaned Saggi. "I don't want a kingdom anymore it's too much bullshit."

"Remember that your people hate you." Gem yawned. "If you try to lose you'll look really bad."

"Not as bad as you do." Sagittarius checked the news app on her phone. "Looks like Ophi didn't spread anymore lies yet."

"What will she say next?" thought Capri outloud.

"Whatever it is we just have to play along," sighed Taur.

Saggi frowned. "I hope we don't have to dress up and read a script now that the trials are being aired on tv."

Leo shrugged. "I think she'll just edit clips to use. I don't think she'll turn this into a tv series or anything."

"The Trials sucked before but now they're gone to hell." Aries checked the popularity poll. "Why does my popularity keep decreasing?"

"Maybe because thousands of people are dead from the war that Pie started but we got blamed for," shrugged Sagittarius.

"Meanwhile I'm forced to pretend that I'm my dead sister." Gem stood up. "Let's get some pancakes."

***

"I have a present!" Scorpio put her hands in her pocket.

Ares rolled his eyes. "Did you finally find my phobia?" They were training outdoors and running laps since class F was no longer allowed in the training arena at this time.

Scorpio pulled two friendship bracelets out of her pocket. "I made these."

"Why do you have friendship bracelets?"

"For my new friend!"

Ares inspected it carefully. "Where's the hidden microphone?"

"There is none."

"I can't find a hidden camera either."

"I'm... a bit sorry for how harsh I was on you before. That's why I made those bracelets, as a piece offering."

Ares narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Okay now I know something is up."

"I genuinely want to be your friend. I thought it over, and I'm tired to fighting with you. It'll be more fun if we stay rivals, but also friends."

"I told you that before."

"But now I'm actually listening to you. I actually want to be your friend this time."

Ares put the bracelet on his wrist. It was a braided pattern of red, black, and silver thread. "I still don't trust you."

"Did I ask you to trust me or be my friend?"

"We'll then, if we're actually friends this time then I have some rules." Ares paused and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.

Scorpio rolled her eyes. "What rules?"

"Rule number one, no sabotaging each other. Rule number two, no spying on each other. Rule number three, no trying to find each other's phobias. Rule number four, don't fall-"

"If you say don't fall in love with me I will beat you to death and leave your dead body for the crows."

"... rule number four, no threatening me."

"I'll agree to every rule except three. Is it dogs? Many people are afraid of dogs."

"Fine. Every rule except three."

Scorpio smiled and slid the other bracelet over her wrist.

***

Taurus, Gemini, and Libra were trying to study in the empty meeting room. They reviewed grammar in their second languages.

"I'm glad I watch anime with Cancer," announced Taurus. "It helped me remember my Japanese."

"I'm starting to forget German." Gemini sighed. "Maybe I'll have to talk to Gem in German."

Libra rolled her eyes. "So that we can hear you two argue in German and not English?"

"We don't argue."

"Yesterday you argued over who had the bluest eyes. Then you pulled Capricorn into the argument."

Gemini rolled his eyes. "He only picked Gem to torment me."

"What the hell is an imposter?" asked Libra while looking at her phone.

"Something you can play as in this new really popular game. I'll teach you how to play later," promised Taurus.

"Virgo texted me asking if he looks like an imposter because everyone keeps voting him out."

"Virgo should just change his name so that nobody knows it's him." Gemini looked up from his book. "His username is literally Virgo."

"What kind of trial do you guys think we'll have this time?" asked Gemini.

"If it's something to do with swimming I'll die." Taurus awkwardly looked away. She was secretly very worried about the trials in the water countries.

"Can we break all the cameras so that we don't get filmed?" asked Libra.

"I'm sure Ophiuchus planted lots of them." Gemini rolled his eyes. "She's such an attention-seeker. Made her own reality show and everything."

"At least I'll get the extra bonus," cheered Libra.

"Oh yeah either a bonus for the winner of the popularity poll or a punishment for those who lose." Taurus closed her book and sighed. "I don't want anything to do with this show."

Libra nodded. "She's only doing the show so that nobody drops out or tries to lose on purpose. I'm tired of her manipulative schemes."

Gemini chuckled. "She's a real-life imposter."

***

Cancer and Pisces were hanging out in the class F lobby with Aquarius since he wasn't allowed to go up any other floors.

"I hope the trial isn't outside." Cancer looked out the window and watched as a mild hurricane shook the trees outside. "I am very worried for our safety."

Pisces stretched, accidentally poking a hole in the beat-up couch with his foot. "I'm always worried for our safety."

"Can Ophiuchus cancel a trial?" asked Aquarius.

Cancer shrugged. "She's probably not too concerned about a hurricane."

"And if we die she'll have less people to worry about. I doubt she'll cancel it." Pisces stretched his arms, careful not to damage anymore furniture.

Cheeto walked into the room and sat on Pisces' lap.

Pisces petted the cat.

"I wonder where we're going next. One of the earth countries probably." Cancer smiled. "I hope it's Cibus. Taurus' country is so cool."

Everyone turned to see Lee stomping past them.

"Having a bad day?" provoked Pisces.

"That stupid bitch can't do anything right..." muttered Lee who slammed the door to his room behind him.

Aquarius shrugged. "Well whatever that was about, he probably deserved it."

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Pie ran down the hallway and began banging on Lee's door.

"What happened?" asked a concerned Cancer.

Pie was interrupted by Saggi, Cancy, and Taur running straight to Lee's room.

"You guys seem really angry but what happened?" repeated Cancer.

Cancy approached Cancer. "He said, said someth-thing mean to Capri after she ac-accidentally burnt his toast."

They heard screaming from within Lee's room.

"Looks like Vinn has it under control." Pie began walking away. "She probably teleported herself and someone else in there to beat him up."

"He made a big-big scene in fr-front of everyone." Cancy sighed. "Is-is there a way to eliminate h-him?"

"I wish there was." Aquarius looked outside. "Can we kick him out of the hotel? There's a hurricane right now."

"AND YOU WILL APOLOGIZE TOO!" Vinn opened Lee's door and dragged him down the hallway by the ear with the help of Scor.

"I'm going to go train for a bit." Pisces stood up, passing Cheeto to Aquarius.

The cat happily rested her chin on Aquarius' lap.

"It it feathers?"

Scorpio and Ares entered the second floor, both soaked from the rain.

"Its scorpions," replied Ares.

Cheeto woke up and ran towards Scorpio.

"Come on Cheeto. We'll find out his phobia eventually." Scorpio entered her room. Ares rolled his eyes and entered his room.

"Everyone keeps entering this floor." Cancer grinned. "Let's set a tripwire outside the elevator!"

"I won't tell anyone if you do."

"Great!" Cancer jumped up, looking for a string.

***

At ten at night, everyone stood in the lobby wearing their trial suits.

"Ophiuchus didn't cancel the trial." Cetus looked outside. "The hurricane seems to have calmed a bit."

"We're going to a trial in a hurricane?" asked Pisces.

"Apparently. You're all going by boat."

Ares gasped. Scorpio smirked at him before realizing he was trying to trick her into thinking that was his phobia.

"Alright, let's go."

The zodiacs hesitantly followed Cetus.

***

Cetus lead them onto a boat that drove them to a platform in the middle of the ocean. After getting their needles to temporarily make their powers disappear, they stepped onto the round platform. It was shaped like a circle with a bar in the shape of a T sprouting from the middle. Like a clock, the two ends of the bar stretched from one end of the platform to the other. The bar was about four feet high.

"Now, I have to give this to everyone who lost the popularity poll." Ophiuchus put a two-pound cuff around all the originals legs except for Gemini, Scorpio, Libra, And Sagittarius who won the poll. Their alternates got the cuff instead.

"Don't tell me that bar is going to start spinning." Vinn shielded her face from the strong wind.

Cetus whispered a hint to Capri who placed first last time. Capri nodded "Every minute you said?"

Cetus nodded. "Ugh so much work." Cetus began putting a two-pound cuff on the legs of everyone in class F. "She needs to take out that popularity poll it it's causing too much work."

"I agree," said Aries who had a cuff around each of her legs.

"How does this trial work?" asked Leon.

Cetus shrugged. "Ophiuchus didn't say anything. I guess you'll find out when it starts."

A drone suddenly appeared, filming the zodiacs as it flew around, unbothered by the wind.

"Let's just start!" demanded Aquari who was growing impatient.

Cetus climbed back into the boat. The zodiacs heard a timer counting down.

Then the bar started turning clockwise. Everyone began ducking under it.

Taurus' face paled as she realized she had no way to avoid the bar. Before it hit her, she quickly wrapped her arms around it. Taurus clung onto the bars with her arms as her legs dragged behind her.

"ITS GOING TO LOWER!" screamed Capri who wanted to help the others. After a minute, the bar suddenly dropped to two feet high. Taurus held on as everyone began jumping over it.

"This feels like a child's game and not a trial!" screamed Scor.

Cancy sighed. "Yes a child's game w-with weights and a-a hurricane."

"So what happens if you fall off?" asked Gemini who looked at the water around them. A wave crashed into the platform, flooding it with water.

Capri remembered her hint. "It's going to turn the other way!"

Everyone prepared as the bar stopped and began rotating counter-clockwise.

"So the last person left standing wins?" asked Sagittarius.

Vinn jumped over the bar. "Seems like it."

Aquari jumped over the bar and tripped Lee, causing him to fall in the water. The section of the platform where Lee was standing began crumbling.

Lee gripped the edge of the platform next to him, trying to stay afloat as the waves crashed into him.  He tried to pull himself over the edge, but the hurricane made it too difficult to do so.

"Okay so after we trip the part of the platform under us will crumble," announced Aquari. "What a weird trial."

After about five minutes, Leon, Cancy, and Vinn also fell in the water. The bar continued to spontaneously rise, lower, spin faster, slower, and rotate the other way. Eventually Taurus' hands slipped and she fell from the bar. The platform under her crumbled as she fell into the water, unable to resurface.

"NO!" Cancer dived off the platform, searching underwater for Taurus.

He began panicking as he couldn't find her.

Cancer's lungs screamed for air but he knew he had to find Taurus immediately or he'd likely never see her again.

Cancer dove deeper until eventually he felt light-headed.

I have to find her! Where did she go?

Cancer swam under the platform but still couldn't see her.

I guess this is how I die. Underwater ironically.

That's the last thing Cancer thought before he passed out.

***

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.

Cancer's eyes opened slightly. All he saw was a very bright white light.

"OH MY GOD HES ALIVE!" Cancer's eyes opened to see Pisces wrap his arms firmly around him.

Cancer suddenly turned away and heaved up a bunch of water. "What happened?"

"It's amazing how the water signs can keep water in their lungs and still breathe like that." Cetus approached Cancer. "How are you feeling?"

Cancer looked around the room. He was connected to a machine that read his blood pressure, pulse, oxygen, and displayed electric heart waves. He was lying on a hospital bed with half the zodiacs surrounding him.

"Am I in a hospital?"

Cetus nodded. "You almost drowned. After Aquarius jumped in the water to save you, the nurse on the boat gave you a needle that inhibits the effects of the needle you received before the trials. So basically it gave you your powers back, letting you breath in the water in your lungs. We didn't know if it worked or not because you were unconscious so we rushed you to the hospital room here in the hotel."

"I didn't even know we had a hospital room. My memory is so foggy. I forgot what happened."

Gem sat beside Cancer on the bed. "After Taurus got knocked off the platform, you dived in after her. After neither of you surfaced, the rest of us dived in to find you guys. Aquarius managed to haul you back over to the boat."

Cancer's eyes widened. "WAIT TAURUS!"

Cetus nodded. "We found her too but she's gone."

The blood drained from Cancer's face. "WHAT?"

"OH MY GOD I MEANT SHE LEFT THE ROOM!" Cetus laughed nervously. "She's alive too. Scorpio was able to haul her onto the boat and Libra was able to perform CPR on her and save her."

"Taurus should be on the ground floor somewhere," announced Leo. "Gemini, Capricorn and Leon went to comfort her."

"I'll go find her." Cancer took the blood pressure cuff off his arm along with the pulse clip on his finger and the sticky patches placed on his chest for the heart monitor before leaving the room.

"It's incredible," said Virgo. "How his powers came back and he's been breathing water for the past two hours. Someone who isn't a water sign would have drowned."

"Why did you have an antidote to that first injection?" asked Vinn.

Cetus shrugged. "It seemed dangerous that Ophiuchus took away your powers and put you in a dangerous situation. After the second trial I asked around Libra and Lee's country for something that could reverse it in case something bad happened."

"Well, you saved Cancer's life." Pisces jumped off the bed and headed for the door. "I don't trust you but I do have to thank you."

***

"TAURUS!"

Taurus turned around when she heard her name. Her, Capricorn, Gemini and Leon were in the training room. They built a fort out of gym mats where they hid and watched YouTube videos on Gemini's I-Pad. She was surrounded by a comfy blanket that Leon told her she could keep.

"In the fort!"

Cancer pushed Taurus' new wheelchair out of the way and pulled a mat back so that he could enter. Then he wrapped his arms around her and sobbed into her chest. "I thought you were going to die."

Taurus patted Cancer on the head. "I'm okay. I'm super pissed about everything involving that trial but I'm alright."

"So Ophiuchus is ableist amongst everything else." Gemini shook his head. "Though are we really surprised?"

"Everything about that last trial was super weird," agreed Leon. "First it takes place during a hurricane, then you're at risk of drowning once you fall off the platform, and the fact that it didn't test any physical ability."

Capricorn sighed. "Watch her say it's a test of our ability to predict what will happen next."

"Oh! The show's on." Gemini showed everyone the channel with Ophiuchus' new show.

Cancer turned to watch but kept his arms around Taurus.

The first five minutes was Ophiuchus talking from the hotel in Aspectu. She explained the trials again and showed the popularity pool. The footage from the trial was displayed.

"As you can see," explained Ophiuchus. "A good leader should be prepared for unpredictability. That's why I had them jump over a bar that changes directions and heights."

"Isn't she about to expose how horrible the trials are?" asked Taurus.

The footage was edited so that it looked sunny outside with no hurricane. Ophiuchus somehow also edited the weights out on everyone's feet. Everyone also wore life jackets and they removed the parts where Capri told them what way the bar was about to turn.

"She can't be serious." Gemini pretended to punch his screen. "Ophiuchus sucks."

"Even the water looks calm," scoffed Capricorn.

When Lee was tripped and fell, the footage showed him floating in the water thanks to his life jacket.

"She completely edited everything about that trial." Leon pulled on his long hair. "I'm going to be sick. She made it look like a fun little challenge."

"How many do we have left? Nine plus one big Final Trial." Capricorn sighed. "Can we just run away?"

"Wait this is the part where I fell." Taurus watched as Cancer dived in as soon as she fell. Due to the editing, it looked like Taurus was floating above water while Cancer just gave up and jumped off the platform.

"How did she even edit us doing things we didn't do?" asked Cancer.

"There's technology in my country that can do that. It's like a video form of photoshop." Taurus watched the the video clips ended and Ophiuchus went back to talking about the trials.

"Don't forget to vote for your favourite Zodiac! Let's check the popularity poll after this episode."

The results showed Cancy now leading by ninety percent.

Capricorn glared at the screen. "They think Cancer is lazy now."

"Ever wonder how your rulers prepare for the trials? Well let's take a look." The video showed some zodiacs working hard while some clip showed the other after a workout when they weren't really trying anymore.

"It looks like she's trying to push some of us to look good while the others look bad." Gemini pointed to the screen. "She wants Sagittarius and Cancy to win the popularity polls, as well as Libra. Maybe she's purposely trying to make one of us look better than the other, because that's who she wants to be in power."

"What did I even do to her?" chuckled Taurus.

Cancer frowned. "You are too perfect so it intimidates her."

Taurus smiled and kissed Cancer on the forehead.

"I'm sick of this." Gemini turned off the screen.

"What are the rankings?" asked Cancer.

"Lee, Vinn, me, Cancy, Taurus and you are all class F," explained Leon. "Everyone jumped off at the same time after you guys, so Ophiuchus gave rankings based on who hit the water first. Pie, Capri, Aquari, Gem, Virgo and Sagittarius are class A. The rest of you are class B."

"Can we talk about anything except the trials?" asked Taurus. "Let's go back to watching funny videos."

Gemini played the videos on his phone again.

***

After everyone moved up to their new floors, Pie was reading and drinking a glass of red wine when someone knocked on her door. She sighed and opened it. "Oh. Hi Capri!"

Capri entered the room and sat on Pie's bed. "I'm tired of fighting with Lee. He always makes everything my fault. I'm starting to realize it's actually not my fault."

Pie grabbed an empty wine glass from her desk and poured some wine for Capri. "I'll support your decision if you break up with him."

Capri wiped tears from her eyes. "I don't want to break up with him yet... but I told him I wanted a break. I'm just... scared."

"I'll stick to you for now on. He won't hurt you with me around."

Capri laughed. "Thanks Pie. I wanted to tell you about all this because you're the most intimidating out of everyone on our team."

"We'll be joined at the hip for as long as you want your break to last. And if Lee tries to talk to you?" Pie beat a closed fist against her open palm. "I'll make him sorry."

"You're a good friend to me."

"Why don't you have a sleep over in my room tonight? Will that make you feel better?"

Capri nodded. "As long as Shomari stays in his cage."

"I'll put him back then."

Capri squealed and pulled her knees up as Pie pulled Shomari out from under the bed.

"He won't bite you. Not as long as I'm here."

Capri didn't know if she was referring to Lee or the snake, but the one thing she knew was that even though they used to get along so well, and a one point she thought he was her soulmate, he wasn't like that anymore and perhaps she'd be better off if she never saw him again.

A/N: I'm not finished exams yet, I just managed to finish this chapter. Hopefully you guys won't have to wait that long for an update again.