Zodiac Girls

The Breaking News

“Excuse me…? We’re what?” Rain breathed out in disbelief, as Sherry released her hold on her.

“You heard me right. We are reincarnates of those beasties,” Principal Vyper repeated.

“Reincarnates… You’re not really referring to people of the past getting reborn or their soul transferred to someone from the future, are you?”

“Unless if there is another definition of the word that we don’t know about, that is exactly what she is referring to, Freshie,” Rain’s soccer coach confirmed.

Rain shook her head, finding it quite hard to believe what she was hearing. “No… No. There is no way that is possible.”

“Reincarnation is not possible, but having these powers is?” Vyper questioned, silencing the girl. “Also, throughout the many times you’ve had those memories, thinking they were dreams, how many of those times did they feel real to you? And how many of those times did you emotionally feel the same way the beastie felt?”

At those questions, Rain looked down, recalling all the times when she did feel something towards the many things that happened to Clara in those dreams. She was a sucker for emotional moments, but even for that, she could not help but feel exceptionally affected to what happened with Clara. This is especially when some of the more painful moments with her lingered in Rain’s mind, something that would not happen if it were a dream.

“You see?” Vyper noticing the realized expression on the teen’s face. “If those were any normal dreams, we would not be affected as though we were the ones going through their actions. Adding to the fact that we have powers in relation to the beastie’s species, I believe it is more that reasonable enough to say we are their reincarnates.”

That last part caught Rain’s attention. “You ‘believe’ it? You mean you’re not sure yourself if we are reincarnates as you claim?”

“And for a good reason. Though we have memories of the beasties we are reincarnated from, they come in form of a dream. Not only that, but they don’t have a clear sequence of what event had occurred. Although… there is one thing from our memories that certainly felt especially real to us all.”

“And that would be…?”

“Our deaths,” Rain’s soccer captain answered that time. “Out of everything else in those memories, the beasties’ death is especially real to us, as well as how they had died.”

“How they died?”

“That’s right. The last time they were alive, from what we could remember, they did not die of old age or illness, or from a natural disaster. They were in the middle of a battle, against a fearsome and powerful opponent. One that can obliterate them in the blink of an eye. Against that sort of foe… They all died horrible deaths…”

To say she was shocked would not even begin to describe Rain’s reaction to what she heard. Those fantasy people… They fought against someone powerful and died horribly?! What sort of enemy were they fighting?! From what Rain could remember from the dreams- that is… Clara’s memories, assuming they were telling the truth about those imaginations- the only enemies to beasties were humans. While some humans get along well with beasties, others… So to say, pretty much the same as the organization that tried to capture and kill her. But it couldn’t be a human that killed them, could it? Not when beasties were superior to them in strength. Plus, Rain’s captain said they were taken out by ‘an opponent’; singular, not plural. So it couldn’t be human.

“If… If that’s true… what killed them, exactly?” Rain dared ask.

At her question, the reincarnates all turned to each other, worried expression on their faces, before looking back at the teen.

“In all honesty… we had hoped you would know,” Principal Vyper confessed, much to her surprise.

“You don’t know who killed them?!”

“Believe it or not,” Lucy spoke then. “The only thing we remember about their deaths was how they died. However, regarding who caused them… We’re pretty much on the same boat as you in that regard.”

“But we do know how we got reincarnated,” Sherry added. “Just moments after their deaths, the god who looks after beasties arrived and blessed them the ability to reincarnate, believing it to be unfair how they had died the way they did, as well as wanted to give them a second chance to better live normally amongst humans.”

Upon hearing that, Rain could not help but feel quite irritated with the info. “‘God blessed them’… And in exchange just tossed our own lives away…”

The others looked at her in confusion at the words, before realizing one important thing. While they had accepted the beastie resting in them, Rain was different. Forget not accepting the other soul in her, she did not even know she had another soul resting in her. Not to mention how she had acted when she found out Sherry also had powers. There was no way she was taking this as nicely as they were.

“Miss Takone, I understand you must be furious about this situation, but-“

“No, I don’t think you understand!” Rain interrupted the principal. “I had to deal with a bunch of s**t because of these powers! I was chased by people who don’t even see me as a kid all throughout childhood! I couldn’t live a normal life any kid would have because of these powers- because of this other soul you claim is in me! Day in and day out, I have been on the run and have done everything I can just to survive, when all I want is to live! I couldn’t stay in one place long enough to call it a home! Luminoir Academy was the longest stay I have ever had, of three months. And of those three months, not once did any one of you reach out to say anything to be about this! You just decided to wait! For what? For me to leave? Oh wait, that’s right. I don’t even have that sort of privilege. I don’t know exactly what you people are planning here exactly, but I want no part of it!”

“You better watch yourself there, Freshie. You’re crossing a dangerous line here,” the soccer coach warned, glaring at the teen.

“If you’re warning me about that with that tone, all you’re doing is confirming my thought; you people are just like- if not, then worse- than that persistent organization!”

When she said that, Principal Vyper slammed her hands on the desk and rose from her seat. “Do NOT compare us to those imbeciles!” she hissed, causing half the girls in the room the flinch in fright, including Rain.

Despite this, the teen stood her ground, refusing to yield again. “Or what? Pray tell, what would you do if I do? Kill me like you did them? Like they tried to do me?!"

"Rain, you don't understand. We're not murderers," Sherry tried to tell her.

"This coming from the very girl who- not only killed three people- but also practically tortured two of the three victims before ending them! You are especially the last person I ever want to hear talking about how she isn't even remotely a killer!" 

At those words, the blonde sadly diverted her eyes from the orangette, knowing full well how right she was about that.

"Rain, I know you must be incredibly stressed with everything, but you have to understand. When we awakened to these powers, it took us a while to get used to, too," the soccer captain spoke.

"I am not just talking about getting used to these powers," Rain retorted. "I never even asked for this, or to be chased down by those people throughout most of my life! If you people knew I was one of you, you should've reached out and told me the truth the moment you found out! I thought I was alone on this the whole time! ... And now I see even amongst people who are supposedly like me, I will always be alone."

Not wanting to be in the same room as these people for another second, Rain turned and made her way to the door. Rather than letting her through, though, her coach blocked her way.

"Hold it right there. Where do you think you're going?" she questioned.

"Anywhere but with any of you," the teen answered, slipping past the woman's arms.

The coach was about to stop her, when Vyper called out to the woman. "Don't, Ox."

'Ox' turned to the principal in bafflement at the command. "But leader, she-"

"- needs time to be alone," Vyper interrupted, as she took her seat and rested her head on her hands with a sigh. "Perhaps she is right... I was naive to think things would be better if we had waited for her to completely remember, especially considering the two times that place had sent people to target her, specifically..."

"Then... What should we do?" Lucy asked.

"... For now, it is dangerous to leave her alone. But at the same time, we can't limit her freedom here." To Sherry, Vyper asked, "I understand this will be hard for you as things are now, but is there any chance you can keep watch over her? You were best friends."

Sherry looked down with a saddened expression at the request. "Yeah... Were..."