"So I don't have to go to an Asylum or anything?"

Scorpio nodded as she drove Virgo home. "We'll go to the pharmacy later and pick up your prescription medicine. Since you only have hallucinations, and no schizophrenia as far as they can tell, there's no need for you to be locked up in an Asylum. Just take your medication and you'll be alright."

Virgo sighed. His eyes were heavy and tired from staying up so late at the hospital. "At least it's just hallucinations. It could have been much worst."

"What if the next curse is worst?" Scorpio bit the inside of her cheek, before thinking out loud. "I think the curse affects someone badly, then not so badly, then badly. Libra had a nut allergy and almost died. Aquarius had low nutrients and passed out, that one wasn't as big of a deal. Taurus became paraplegic. You see hallucinations. Whoever gets affected next might get a really bad curse."

"That makes sense."

I wonder if that's how it works. Scorpio concentrated on driving as she thought. There's thirteen of us. Gemini said the first and last ones will be the worst ones. So we started with Libra, and we have an odd number of zodiacs. That means it's possible for the curse to switch between bad and really bad. Isn't that a little too predictable though? The person who cursed us could be doing this to give us a false sense of security after something really bad happens. "I wonder what my curse will be."

"I'd say I hope you don't get a really bad one, but I don't want anyone else to get a really bad one either."

"Maybe I'll be lucky and everyone else will go before me."

Virgo furrowed his brow, before realization hit him like a brick in the face. "You want to be the one that suffers most. If anyone has to get the worst curse, you'd rather it be you than watch it happen to someone else."

"Shut up. You're making it seem like I'm emotional. I don't actually care that much."

"Liar, liar, scorpion on fire."

"Liar, liar, you're about to get kicked out of the car and forced to walk home."

"It's a beautiful day outside. The grass is still wet from that thunderstorm but it's still nice outside."

Scorpio sighed. "Text the others and tell them what happened."

***

The others were still sleeping when Virgo texted.

Virgo: I have hallucinations now but I'm getting medicine to make them go away

Libra: was it your curse?

Virgo: I think so

Libra: At least all you get is hallucinations

Pisces: we shouldn't go to school today

Libra: why not?

Pisces: my curse is being allergic to school

Taurus: get ready for school or i'll run over your ankles!

Virgo: 🤔

Taurus: I'll have to hold you in place with vines or something, because I'm not fast enough to chase you in my wheelchair :)

Leo: so what are we going to do today?

Sagittarius: let's make a pillow fort!

Gem: yeah. For me and Sag. Nobody else can enter because peasants aren't allowed in

Aries: can I come in

Gem: yes

Cancer: can I come in

Gem: okay fine you and Pisces are the only other exceptions

Scorpio: hi

Gem: Scorpio too

Libra: wait Scorpio aren't you supposed to be driving?

Scorpio: red traffic light

Taurus: what about me?

Sagittarius: no peasants

Taurus: 🤔

Sagittarius: OKAY YOU CAN ENTER AS WELL SINCE I DONT WANT YOU TO RUN OVER MY ANKLES

Virgo: you guys are still pretending she can chase you in her wheelchair

Aquarius: we're not pretending

Taurus: 😊

Libra: you're all going to be late if you don't get ready for school. We can build a pillow fort on the hammock floor later if you guys want

Capricorn: or we can all hide from you and not go to school

Leo: I have a chemistry test today so I have to go

Aries: me too

Aquarius: Gemini won't wake up so if he gets to sleep in so do I

Libra: what do you mean he won't wake up

Aquarius: when I try to wake him he pushes me away and tries to go back to sleep

Gem: push him out of bed

Capricorn: good idea!

Aquarius: no

Sagittarius: I forgot Aquarius is boring

Gemini: thanks guys

Gem: were you pushed out of bed?

Gemini: no

Gem: 😑

Gemini: I'll sneak in your room and grab your ankles while you're sleeping

Cancer: that sounds familiar. Right PISCES

Gem: you can't get in my room without one of us waking up

Cancer: RIGHT PISCES

Gemini: I'll ask Scorpio for help

Pisces: Cancer what are you talking about

Pisces: I don't prank sleeping people

Leo: I call bullshit

Aries: come on Sag, if we leave early we can get smoothies before class

Sagittarius: coming!

Libra: if you're getting smoothies make sure you get back to class on time

Sagittarius: the reason we get smoothies is so that we're intentionally late

Capricorn: If Virgo doesn't have to get ready yet, then why do we have to

Libra: Virgo was in the hospital last night. That's why he gets to come home and sleep if he wants to. Scorpio too

Cancer: I think I have a class presentation in language class today

Pisces: we get to start another swimming unit in P.E. today Aqua and Virgo!

Aquarius: oh no annoying Becky is going to whine about her fingers getting wrinkly after spending an hour in the pool again

Gemini: nobody got kicked yet

Libra: SHHHHHHHHHH!

Capricorn: everyone behaved today

Gem: we're too tired to cause trouble

Libra: ???

Gem: I was kept awake by nightmares

Capricorn: what nightmares

Gem: I dreamt...

Gem: that...

Gem: I was...

Gem: ...

Gem: related to Gemini

Capricorn: you could never be related to that loser

Gem: thanks Cap! 😊

Gemini: why is it pick on Gemini day

Capricorn: when isn't it pick on Gemini day

Gemini: let's pick on Gem today

Capricorn: why would we pick on the superior twin?

Gemini: I'll kill you both

Capricorn: love you too

Gem: I could have killed you back when I met you. You let a girl stay in your house and believed that she was your sister just because she looked like you

Gemini: you looked familiar when I saw you

Gem: you're lucky I'm not a crazy murderer

Capricorn: at least I had enough sense to be suspicious

Gemini: she seemed sincere. That's why I believed her

Libra: that still makes you gullible

Taurus: Libra you're also gullible

Libra: ANYWAY EVERYONE HAS TO GET READY FOR SCHOOL OR ELSE I'LL LOCK YOU IN THE CAGE AND LET THE SPIDERS PLAY WITH YOU

Everyone decided to get ready for school.

***

After school, Gem, Sagittarius, Cancer, and Pisces were building a pillow fort in the hammock room.

"How big are we going to make it?" Cancer finished stacking couch cushions on top of each other.

Pisces shrugged. "Let's make a big one."

Sagittarius cuddled her fuzzy blanket in the corner of the room. "Let me know when it's done."

Gem put her hands on her hips. "Should we kick her out?"

Sagittarius started piling pillows. "Okay, I'll help out."

Cancer tripped and knocked down a stack of pillows. "This fort is very unstable."

"We need something to help keep the pillows from falling over." Pisces sat down to think about what they could do.

"What if we glued the cushions together?" chuckled Sagittarius.

Gem shook her head. "We'll be killed."

"What if we make our fort in Scorpio's room?" asked Pisces.

Gem furrowed her brow. "Why would we do that?"

Cancer shrugged. "See how long it takes her to notice."

"But she has motion sensors," thought Sagittarius out loud. "Unless someone takes her phone so she won't get updates."

Gem checked her phone. "Scorpio, Libra, and Gemini booked the training room for the next hour. She won't get the updates for a while."

Pisces picked up a stack of pillows. "Then that's where we'll go."

***

Everyone began stacking pillows in the bottom part of Scorpio's room, next to the pool.

"How do you guys think she'll kill us?" asked Sagittarius.

Gem shrugged. "She might just drown us in the pool. I don't know how she'll kill Pisces and Cancer."

"Maybe she'll knock us out and throw us off the roof," suggested Pisces. "Unlike the earth signs, our powers won't automatically save us from heights unless we create something to catch ourselves."

Sagittarius spread the blankets over the top of the piles of cushions. "Me and Gem are the queens of this pillow fort. You two are the peasants."

"Can't I at least be a prince?" asked Pisces.

"But I'm more deserving to be a prince." Cancer looked at Sagittarius.

Sagittarius shook her head. "No, you're both peasants."

"Peasants! Go fetch me a fuzzy blanket!" demanded Gem from inside the pillow fort.

Pisces picked up the fuzzy blanket and threw it in the pool.

"That was MY fuzzy blanket!" Sagittarius pushed Pisces in the water.

"Why did you do that?" asked Cancer.

Pisces shrugged and leaned against the edge of the pool. "I'm not a peasant."

All of the sudden, Sagittarius slipped on a puddle of water and fell into the pool. "That water wasn't there five seconds ago!"

"Look at the losers in the pool," chuckled Gem. Sagittarius grabbed Gem by the ankle and pulled her into the pool.

Cancer laughed nervously. "I get to stay on dry land... right?"

"What do you think the answer to that is?" asked Pisces.

Cancer hid behind a tower of pillows. Suddenly a bunch of water puddled on the floor under Cancer. Before he could react, a mini wave pushed him and the pillow fort into the pool.

Sagittarius sat on top of a cushion. "How many hours do you guys think we have left to live until Libra discovers that we got the couch cushions wet?"

Gem wrapped the wet blanket around herself and sat on the pool ladder. "Aries is the official leader. We'll just get her to defend us."

Pisces sat on top of a blanket, and held onto the ledge of the pool so that the blanket wouldn't sink under his weight. "Where's Cancer?"

Cancer popped up from underwater. "I guess our pillow fort is a pool fort now."

Sagittarius shrugged. "Let's enjoy it while it lasts."

***

Scorpio, Gemini, and Libra were in the training room.

"What do you guys want to do now?" asked Scorpio.

"Let's do the one where we have to kill simulation enemies within a time limit," suggested Libra.

Scorpio started the next round. Suddenly, simulation enemies charged at them with swords. Scorpio put her hand in the air, and closed her fist when a simulation bow appeared. Libra summoned a lance and Gemini summoned a sword. Scorpio pulled back on the string, the simulation arrow suddenly appeared out of midair, ready to be fired. Libra waited for enemies to come to her before killing them, while Gemini charged at enemies to try and build his stamina.

After the simulation was over, everyone sat against the wall and panted.

Scorpio took off her wrist band. "I think our training is coming along well."

Libra nodded. "Everyone improved so much."

Gemini wiped sweat from his forehead. "How much longer until the trials?"

"We're in the beginning of march now," said Libra. "Assuming the trials wait until we're out of school, it could be another three months or so."

Scorpio sighed. "It depends on what Leon meant by summer. Did he mean when the weather gets warm, or did he mean when summer officially starts?"

"That's also assuming they start according to plan." Gemini frowned. "What if they start early?"

"Why would they start early?" asked Libra.

Scorpio shrugged. "The alternates are unpredictable. Ophiuchus may try something when we're not expecting it."

Libra nodded. "So Ophiuchus may have tricked Leon into thinking the trials were in the summer, knowing he'd tell us, while they could be sometime in May or something."

Gemini sighed. "I don't even know if I automatically get my kingdom back, or I have to fight Gem or something."

"I guess we'll find out later." Libra stood up. "I'm ready for another round of training."

"Me too." Gemini looked at Scorpio. "What about you?"

Scorpio walked towards the door. "I have a weird feeling. I'll just go to my room and check on the others with my spy cameras."

Libra looked at Gemini. "Do you want to try a round of battle mode then?"

Gemini nodded. "See if you can beat me this time."

"I only lost last time because I tripped."

"Then you should beat me this time."

***

Scorpio walked into her room to see pillows, blankets, couch cushions, and four zodiacs in her pool.

"WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING?"

Everyone looked up and gasped when they saw Scorpio. They all tried climbing out of the pool, but Scorpio quickly drained the water, causing them to fall to the bottom.

Scorpio peered over the edge of the pool. "Hi guys."

Gem used air currents to boost her out, but then Scorpio made a bubble around her so that she couldn't move.

Sagittarius jumped and tried to reach for the ladder, but the pool was way too deep.

"Hi Scorpio," replied Cancer. "Guys, she said hi. Don't be rude and ignore her."

Scorpio smirked. "Do you guys want to guess what happens next?"

"You let us go without hurting us?" asked Sagittarius.

Pisces nodded. "That's a really good idea. I really like that one."

Scorpio made the bubble around Gem pop. Gem fell towards the pool, but used air currents to catch herself before she hit the bottom.

"I trust you won't try to escape again. Who's idea was it to do this in my room?"

"PISCES!" screamed Gem, Sagittarius and Cancer.

"CANCER!" screamed Pisces.

Cancer glared at Pisces. "You coward."

Scorpio sat along the edge of the pool. "What should I do with you guys?"

Gem crossed her arms. "Sagittarius had a pretty good idea earlier."

Sagittarius picked up a wet couch cushion. "Scorpio! I can't believe you got the couch cushions wet! Libra is going to be mad when she finds this out."

Pisces smirked. "Yeah! You have no proof we did anything."

Scorpio turned around and took a selfie with Sagittarius, Cancer, Pisces, and Gem in the background. "Now I do."

"Snitches get stitches," frowned Cancer.

"It's not snitching. It's revenge for using my pool without permission, and entering my room without permission."

"Why can't we just blame Pisces?" asked Gem.

"Yeah!" agreed Sagittarius. "Blame Perverted PeecisPoo."

Pisces furrowed his brow. "Since when did that nickname get worst?"

"Anyway." Scorpio jumped down, making enough water to break her fall. "You're all coming with me."

***

Leo, Taurus, Capricorn, and Virgo were playing Mario cart in the video game room.

"First place!" screamed Leo as she passed Taurus.

Taurus shrugged. "The race isn't over yet."

"Leo?" smirked Capricorn.

"Don't you dare!"

"BLUE SHELL!"

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Leo slowed down enough for her and Taurus to get hit by the shell, allowing Capricorn and Virgo to pass them both.

Virgo, who had three red shells, waited for Leo and Taurus to pass him before using them.

"What was that for?" whined Taurus.

"You could have used those shells on Capricorn!" gasped Leo.

Virgo shrugged. "But messing with you guys is more fun."

"SUCKERS!" Capricorn did a victory dance when he won.

"Let's make a bet," smirked Virgo.

"What kind of bet?" asked Leo.

"The loser has to do a dare."

Taurus shrugged. "Alright. Let's all team on Virgo to make him lose then."

"What?"

Capricorn nodded. "Yeah. Let's make sure Virgo loses."

"I hate you guys."

Leo smiled. "I think I have a nice dare picked out for him already."

Suddenly, the next round started. As soon as the characters reached a cliff, Capricorn and Leo tried to push Virgo off, resulting in all three of them falling.

"Sucks to be you guys," chuckled Taurus.

Leo sighed. "This is all Virgo's fault."

Suddenly, Virgo got a good item from the mystery box and caught up to Taurus.

Capricorn picked up a mystery box. "I hope I get a shell to use against Virgo."

Virgo glanced at Capricorn's screen and laughed. "You got a banana peel."

Taurus bit her lip. "Guys, we need to knock Virgo out of second place!"

"Or I can knock you out of first."

"What?"

Virgo passed Taurus.

Leo's adrenaline pumped through her veins as she realized she was currently in last place. "GUYS! WE NEED TO TAKE VIRGO OUT!"

Virgo stuck his tongue out.

The game ended with Virgo in first place, and Leo in last.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Leo fell off the couch and pretended she was dead.

Virgo stood up and started doing funny dance moves. "In your face! I won! Woohoo! Virgo won! Go Virgo! Go Virgo! Woot woot! Go Virgo!"

Taurus threw a pillow at him.

"What dare are we going to give Leo?" asked Capricorn.

"Maybe we could make her do something embarrassing at school tomorrow," suggested Taurus.

Leo got up and ran for the door. She ran face first into a wall of vines.

Capricorn smirked. "I have the perfect idea."

***

Aries was relaxing in the library when Aquarius entered.

Aries looked up from her book on Romanian grammar rules.

Aquarius sat down in a chair next to her. "I know you're the one that likes Leo."

Aries went back to reading her book, ignoring Aquarius.

Aquarius stared at her.

"Do you have any proof?"

"I don't need proof."

Aries put her book down. "Then why are you here? To brag that she's more likely to choose you than me?"

"I came here to talk."

"Bold of you to assume I'd be interested in talking to you."

"How much do you like her?"

"That's none if your business."

"I like her a lot too. Whatever happens, I don't want us to get jealous over each other, or sabotage each other, okay?"

"It doesn't matter what we do. She'll pick who she likes best, which will probably end up being you."

"Because I'm a guy."

"Exactly."

"This is why I came to talk to you."

"I won't kill you if she starts to like you."

"But you can be aggressive when you're angry. And you're the petty type who likes to get revenge."

"If Leo likes you, that's out of my control. I won't try to ruin your life over it."

"She might not even like me."

"There's still a better chance of her liking you though."

"Look, if you don't end up with Leo, you'll find someone else. You're pretty, funny, smart, you speak almost every language, and you're very clever. You'll find someone, weather it's Leo or not."

"If you don't end up with Leo, you'll live forever alone because you're ugly."

Aquarius blinked in surprise.

Aries laughed. "I'm joking! Maybe."

Aquarius chuckled. "You remind me so much of Sagittarius."

Aries stood up, and flicked Aquarius on the back of the head as she walked towards the exit with her book. "You and Leo would be cute together. If she does start to like you, you better treat her right."

"She might not even like me. For all we know she could like you."

Aries smiled sadly. "I'm not going to get my hopes up."

Aquarius watched her leave. At least I'm not competing with another guy over Leo. Once of us probably doesn't stand a chance with her, so it all depends on who she likes best.

***

Scorpio sat on a couch cushion as Gem, Sagittarius, Pisces, and Cancer tried to move it back on the couch.

Cancer was starting to run out of breath. "This is a cruel punishment."

Scorpio shrugged. "It was Libra's idea."

"We already had to dry all the cushions," whined Sagittarius. "Then we had to dry them all again after Virgo "accidentally" dumped a bucket of water on them."

Pisces sighed. "It's too hard to move all the cushions to the couch with you sitting on top."

"Am I supposed to care?"

They finally reached the couch with the first cushion, and slowly lowered it down. Scorpio jumped up and sat on top of the next cushion.

The guilty zodiacs walked over to the next cushion and picked it up.

Gem sighed. "This would be so easy if I could use my powers."

"Better hurry up," taunted Scorpio. "You guys have seven more minutes to replace all the other cushions, or else Libra will give you another punishment."

The four zodiacs all groaned in unison.

***

Later on that night, Gemini was leading an army of gummy bears on his throne when suddenly he was pulled upwards until he was sitting in space.

Gemini stood up and looked at Gina. "Hi."

"Do you have any questions for me?"

"I have a lot, but I don't think you'd answer any."

"As long as it doesn't interfere with Gem, I'll try to help you."

"Did you spy on Olive yet?"

"Oh that girl that Libra likes to hang out with. Yeah, I know a lot about her now."

"What did you find?"

"She's not dangerous or anything. As far as I know, you can trust her."

"But I still don't know if I can trust you."

Gina sighed. "I don't think I'd trust me either. I'm dead, after all."

"Some of the things you told me ended up not happening. Even if the plan changed since you were around, that's still suspicious. You also won't tell me anything big, and you make me figure out everything myself."

"I don't want to give you an advantage over Gem in case she's still supposed to fight against you."

"I'm supposed to fight against you, but you're dead!"

"That's why I think Gem will take my spot. A lot of things have changed since I was killed though."

"If she wants my kingdom, she can have it. I'm not fighting my sister."

"You were one of the ones who decided to give up your kingdom in the first place."

"If I have to get my kingdom back, I'll consider changing the government."

"You still want the people to choose their leader."

"Yes."

"And if Gem gets the kingdom and she doesn't want the government to change?"

"Then she can live happily as the queen of Geminus."

"Maybe I can trust you a bit more, since you'll let Gem take the kingdom if she wants it. I don't think you're lying to me."

"But I still don't know if you're actually Gina, or if Ophiuchus or that magic alternate are messing with me to make me think I'm seeing you."

"Ask me a question then."

"When did I first meet you?"

"At Capricorn's coronation, where I met Gem."

"Where did you and Gem live after Pisces' coronation?"

"We had a small apartment in Geminus."

"How did you react after Gem fell down the stairs during your tour of the castle?"

"I don't remember Gem falling down the stairs."

"I still don't completely trust you."

"You're too smart to trust someone you can't touch. Or who isn't even alive anymore."

"When are the trials scheduled for?"

"They're supposed to be in June or July, but Ophiuchus has been moving along a lot quicker than she expected."

"Will they start soon then?"

"If I were to guess, the beginning of June."

"So is she going to show up and kidnap us or something?"

"Unless the alternates try to take things into their own hands, she'll probably come get you guys, and knock you out if you don't come willingly."

Gemini knew he was starting to wake up when Gina disappeared.