scars so deep
Characters: Aquarius, Aries
Summary: She wants her big sister back.
Nothing is right.
Aries is crying in her room and Aquarius is slumped down in front of the door, standing guard over her older sister, the only celestial spirit with a fire element she has ever found a friend in. But Aries is no longer the fiery one she used to be. Her crimson hair as faded into pale pink and instead of fire rays, she throws wool. This is not the Aries who has been among the strongest combat spirits a few human centuries ago. She is a broken woman and her sobbing betrays the last hope that she might recover and become the woman she has used to be once.
The Water Bearer scowls as she sees Leo who has done nothing, absolutely nothing to protect the Ram but deep down she knows that it is not his fault even though it would make things far easier than they are at the moment. She looks for someone to blame, someone other than Aries' human masters who have never appreciate her the way she is, the way she has been supposed to stay. Aries is not weak – she has never been weak and she never will be weak either. She is a kind soul, someone who does not deserve to be treated like she is less than dirt.
The blue-haired woman remembers the day of origin quite clearly, she remembers the days when she has been small and weak, when she has clung to Aries who is older and who has led her to strength and self-confidence. She wants those days to return because Aries is still one of the most important persons in her life and she cannot imagine what it would feel like to lose her sister completely.
It already has hurt so damn much to watch how crimson has faded into pink and to imagine that Aries might continue to fade away is an idea Aquarius cannot even comprehend because it simply hurts. But the younger spirit is doomed to watch because she cannot do anything but to tell Aries that it is okay and that there will be better, kinder masters at some point.
In the end, Aquarius loses this hope. There will never be a master deserving of Aries' kindness and the strength that has to be still there, hidden under thick layers of wool and Aquarius learns to accept that she is the one who has to protect now.
And yet, she never stops looking whether the pink hair turns darker again, whether the wool becomes hotter.
One day – and this is her secret hope, her silent prayer – there will be again a time when the Ram will be the leader of the Zodiac, when Leo will have his old partner once again. The Fire Spirits have been feared a long time ago and somehow, Aquarius wants their fame to return.