Unlucky Numbers
By Chash
There were five of them. On occasion, they would meet to discuss the thirteen. The fourth had always said they should have kept twelve. Thirteen was unlucky. The third disagreed. So the five had put it to a vote. The thirteenth was necessary, it was decided. All were necessary.
"Scorpio is chosen," the first told them. The fifth nodded, a smile on his face. He was a hulk of a man, in comparison to the others in particular, and he had special interest in Virgo.
"As I told you he would," the hulking fifth said, leaning back in his chair. The second swore slightly under his breath, long nose and scarred face turned away from the fifth.
"Cancer would have been a better choice," the second told them. "And I told you, First, that Aries would never succeed in his mission."
"It was worth a try," replied the first, an alien metal arm clutching a glass of water.
"But Taurus and Virgo had such wonderful history," said the fourth with his black moustache.
"Keep in mind, gentlemen, that you would not receive Virgo if your charge had," pointed out the third, strange casing covering his nose. The other four nodded. "Besides, there is still the matter of the thirteenth." The first raised a deathly white eyebrow.
"Yes, the thirteenth. I believe Aries heard him."
"He did," the fourth acknowledged. "Imagine, a grown man weeping."
"Such is the lure of Virgo," the fifth shrugged. "His is a mysterious beauty, and an undeniable one."
"Yes. Still, I doubt this is over," the third was thoughtful.
"Because of Opiuchus?" asked the second.
"Because of Virgo."
The five nodded and the room plunged into darkness as the meeting drew to a close.
*
"What now?" it was Cancer who asked it. Yuy knew that Gemini, Taurus and Sagittarius had been thinking it as well, though, just as Yuy himself had. "There is no more chase. Virgo has chosen."
"Scorpio is chosen," added Gemini, tracing patterns in the dirt with his coin. Yuy nodded.
"Missions failed ends future missions. I have nothing to go back to," he commented.
"Virgo's choice was all there was," said Sagittarius, "for all of us. Whether we knew it, like Gemini and I, or we did not. Gemini and I knew that everything was over."
"Why did you stay?" asked Taurus. He looked like a very young boy. Far too young to understand love and beauty. Yuy got the impression that Taurus knew better than any of them what had been lost, though.
"Because Virgo has power over us twelve that none of us can explain," replied Sagittarius, leaning back to stare up at the clouds, which were white and drifting in the sky.
"Eleven," corrected Yuy without knowing it. Sagittarius looked away from the rolling sky to the boy.
"Hm? What'd you say, Aries?"
"There are eleven of us, minus Virgo. Eleven zodiacs."
Sagittarius smiled and looked back to the sky, amusement in her eyes. "You do not understand."
"Hey, who are all of you, really?" asked Cancer, joining Sagittarius in looking at the clouds.
"What do you mean?" asked Gemini.
"Your real names, y'know? I'm Duo Maxwell."
"Oh, that way," Taurus leaned back as well. "My name is Quatre Raberba Winner."
"Nanashi," replied Gemini. Taurus elbowed him in the stomach. Rolling his eyes, Gemini lay down as well. "Fine, Trowa."
"How about you, Aries?" asked Cancer. Yuy was the only one sitting now, all the others lay, eyes fixed on the sky.
"Does it matter?" asked the boy. Cancer shook his head.
"No. But I'd like to know anyway."
"…Heero Yuy."
"Heero Yuy, huh? Well, nice to meet you. I don't think you'll ever be Aries again."
"It was my codename for missions," replied Yuy, looking to the clouds without lying down.
"Granted by the Five, correct?" asked Gemini. Yuy saw the sparkle of the boy's coin against the bright sky.
"Yes. It was them behind all of this, right?" asked Yuy. Sagittarius nodded.
"You were told the least, Heero."
"Oi, Sagittarius, you never told us your name," Cancer told her.
"Noin."
"Who is Scorpio?" asked Taurus, quiet.
"Zechs," replied Sagittarius.
"You loved him, didn't you? More than you were drawn to Virgo, you loved Scorpio," said Taurus, and Yuy had to concentrate to hear. Sagittarius nodded.
"But it was not fate. Fate is all that matters."
"Was it fate that brought us close/ and now leaves me behind?" Cancer was singing softly, a song Yuy almost knew. Almost.
"Voice from the past, joining yours and mine/ adding up the layers of harmony/ and so it goes on and on/ melodies of life, to the sky beyond the flying birds/ forever and beyond…." Cancer kept singing, and all other voices ceased.
Before the 'beyond' of Cancer was even half finished, Gemini took up the next verse, "If I should leave this lonely world behind," Taurus and Sagittarius joined, and all Yuy could see or hear was white and the music.
"I am sorry," something cut through everything. White exploded into reality, and sound crumbled apart into the world. Yuy could see Virgo there, and no sign of Scorpio. Virgo bowed, to each and then to all. "The choice was made."
"Such was fate," Sagittarius shrugged.
"Yes, fate," murmured Virgo. "How many are there?"
"How many asks the lord?" asked Cancer. He smiled. "There's a little debate about that. We all, except for Lady Noin and possibly Lord Trowa over there, think that there are twelve."
"Thirteen," said Sagittarius and Gemini at once. Virgo nodded, something strange in his eyes.
"Aries, Cancer, Scorpio, Gemini, Taurus, Virgo, Libra, Leo, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces," listed Yuy, kicking a bit of dirt on the ground.
"Opiuchus," added Sagittarius. Virgo looked at her.
"The thirteenth?"
"Yes."
"For everything?"
"Yes."
Virgo nodded. "I am Chang Wufei. I know Quatre already. I look forward to working with the rest of you."
With haste, but not so much that it was unbecoming, Virgo left. Cancer looked after, confusion in his eyes.
"Working?" asked Taurus. Cancer nodded.
"I was wondering the same thing myself," he added. Sagittarius smiled, that secret smile of hers.
"You didn't think that Virgo was the end, did you?"
Gemini's coin spun in the air, making sparkling arcs across the sky, "Virgo is only the beginning."
Owari
What am I doing to myself? Oh yeah, as if I hadn't already taken enough from Final Fantasy IX, the song they were singing was "Melodies of Life".