”Can I ask what this Libra is like? I have not met everyone. Only you, Gem, Scorpio, and on some level Aquarius. But I haven’t gotten the chance to her to talk at length. But you have me curious, I have announced that I was originally sabotaging your ship yet it does not seem your aiming to rip my head off….what has Libra done to earn this honor?”

Valdis shrugged when asked what she knew about the old prince.

”Not much yet, only what Scorpio felt the need to give to me. I have not any more visions regarding him. All I know was he was deeply in love with the moon princess, he was killed along with her when the moon kingdom was attacked. Why is it that you ask?”
It was interesting to hear that Taurus would change her allegiance if Virgo’s plan did not fall in line with her own. It only confirmed the fact that the Zodiac were indeed left to think clearly. She blinked when Taurus brought to attention a matter that did not even cross Vals mind in the least. Her face scrunched up with a form of shock mixed with a bit of horror. Not because of the two species but more of the act itself.

”….How would that work in certain cases….like that twitchy beast…they don’t even have the same parts!....and who would let that in down there….and how would you know that!”

It was quite obvious procreating never had even come close in the realm of Vals thinking. Actually procreating had never come across Vals mind. In this Val did show her age of being only seventeen. After all Nazo was the closest to a romantic relationship she had even come close to…and that was hardly considered in the normal range. Although luckily for her the conversation took a turn back to a topic she was more comfortable in.

”For new growth to spring forth one must not continue to tread upon the upturned earth for they will trample the new life before it even had a chance to grow. However that idea has been expressed towards me there is a strong chance that will not be the case moving forward. I do not pretend to know if that is the majority of the group’s feelings on the matter. I personally am on the same page as you when it comes to that matter. I do not think it would fix anything…I think its horrible band aid patch job to the real problem. So you can count me in as ally to working towards making sure that does not happen.”

She smiled back at Taurus, it was possible she had found someone who was fighting the same battle as she was….a bit differently but it would seem they had the same end goals. So Valdis extended her hand.

”Shall we call ourselves partners bound together by a common goal for a better future?”

She began to walk with Tauros; it made sense to move away from the storm.

”What is or was your name….otherwise I’m going to continue to refer to you as the Cow.”

Taurus stops momentarily, trying to find the words to describe exactly why she hated Libra. “He turns men into husks. He brings the dead back to life but removes all traces of what they formerly were. They are like zombies in the traditional voodoo sense. I could perhaps overlook his megalomania and deceitfulness if it weren’t for that. Actually, no, I would just hate him less.”


Taurus can’t help but laugh at the girl’s reaction to procreation. “You probably shouldn’t think about that one too hard. And I’m not sure whether it would be true for him. But how about the more human ones? Some of them are interchangeable with humans in terms of appearance. We have eyes everywhere, and who suspects the one with a family?” Shaking her head but still smiling, she says, “You really are just a young girl.”


She shakes Val’s hand, “It is written.”


Taurus blinks as she asks for her name. “Well, my old name hardly matters at this point. I don’t think I am that woman anymore, and I wouldn’t respond to it if someone called me by it either. Most know me as Taurus, so that is fine. I do believe Cow is a running joke though. How about you? How would you like me to address you, so I don’t call you, young girl?”

Valdis eyebrows shot up in surprise; didn’t Gemini kinda make zombies…they were skeletons afterall…then again she had a feeling that the cow was referring to something completely different.

”What do you mean exactly? For some reason I don’t think this is like Gems raise the skeletons bit..”

She admired the conviction that Taurus had when it came to preserving ones true self. She chuckled when the cow went to explain more about Libra’s personality.

”Narcissistic people are so fun to mess with, especially when you stick a mirror up somewhere discreetly behind you or wear something reflective. So easily distracted….kike a parrot. You can make a game out of how many times they look. That and its amusing their reactions when you praise them.”

Valdis certainly did like to play with people, it was one of her favorite past times. Valdis did stop to think about the whole family aspect. It did make sense…after all her manager had a human form. She looked down at her clawed hand and wondered.

”I work at the shrine, the priestess told me there was a darkness that was naturally in me. No matter how hard she tried to purify it out it wouldn’t budge…hurt like a bitch as she tried. It’s kinda been established that I was born with it….which makes me wonder if my mother was a Youma and my father and I never knew it…”

It was hard to picture her mother as a youma ever, she was always so kind to people. She smiled when Tauros decided she was just a young girl.

”I will be eighteen this December, so yes I do suppose I am young.”

Valdis smiled when Taurus agreed to be partners, it was good to have an ally within the Zodiac. However time would tell how much of an ally the cow could be. But at least she would have someone other then Gem to poke while she was among the Zodiac.

”In this form I go by Nyx, however my name is Valdis.”

Taurus shakes her head, “No. It’s not. Hopefully, you won’t run into one of his pet creations. However, if you do, you will now know exactly who they belong to as soon as you see their dead, soulless eyes. It’s humanity stripped of freedom of thought.” She seems to ponder something for a moment before adding, “Did you get a good look at the SPECTOR units? Supposedly, they are human, but did you see much of that left in them? Or did they appear empty like shells?”

Her mind goes back to the dead SPECTOR she left at his feet. “No. He is not fun to mess with. And I’ve broken so many of his possessions too. It is difficult to assess whether you are defying his will or playing into his hand.”

She almost looks sympathetic as the girl talks about her mother. Taurus shrugs, “Not knowing your mother, I can’t answer that question. However, if you were born with it, it seems likely. Perhaps, she never came to an understanding of what she was herself. It isn’t as if some helpful youma comes to your doorstep to explain the nature of your new existence.”

Taurus sighs, “Well, you gave me your first name, so it is only fair that I give my old one. Aliyah.”

”Gems seemed pretty dead to me, but then again they were skeletons….I ended up throwing him at them….then melted them as he was being thrown at them for good measure. However what your describing sounds …wrong…I hope I don’t run into such things…I wouldn’t know how to react. As for the SPECTORS, I did not get a good look, however I know they’re a mechanical human hybrid that the military has been working on”

Valdis tilted her head, curious to learn more.

”Breaking things is one thing but have you tried playing into the narcissistic side? But out of curiosity…do you make a habit of breaking other people’s things on a regular basis? I’m curious to how that all played out, it sounds like it would be an amusing story”

She chuckled at the helpful youma comment.

”No guess not but the Senshi’s get cats to do it! We need a youma dog or something to do the same…I’d throw it at the black cat…and frankly an explanation would have been wonderful. All I got was a you’re tainted and destined to play a great part bla bla bla for good or evil who knows but first lets remove this taint in the most painful way possible for your own good…..As you can see that didn’t quite work out as planned. Quite frankly it was just at the beginning of this month that this all started up until then I hadn’t shown a lick of any signs of odd abilities…an instruction manual would be greatly appreciated.”

She laughed slightly; Tauros seemed to be the give and take type so she ventured to ask another question.

”So…you said you were once human, how did all of this start for you?”

“The SPECTORS are a bit more mechanical than human in my opinion,” Taurus answers, “My dealings with him are not all that interesting. I just can’t stand to be in his presence for long. I distract myself from my anger by breaking tin men and cups. As for playing to his own narcissism, I don’t think I have the patience to do so, or could do so without feeling terrible about myself later.”


Looking at Val, she says, “You seemed to figure it out fine though.”


Somewhat distantly, Taurus thinks for a little bit, “As to how I became corrupted? Do you remember when the Obelisks first landed? They sang to the anger of my soul, and I tried to ignore it for a bit. For something to probe so deeply into your mind, it is disturbing. I wandered as far as I could from the closest Obelisk, but it seemed like it lit undying fires in my soul. After some time, I recognized it as an opportunity, so I accepted what was there. For me, it was a slow process before I realized what I became. For others, I believe it might happen much more quickly. After that, I grew power quickly because I fostered it and still had my own mind. I fought my way to talking to the Zodiac members that were around at that point. By that, I mean, I razed a few cities and helped topple regimes that I associated with human rights abuse of the past. I wasn’t sure whether they would put me down or recruit me at first. They offered me this position because she knew how much I wanted this war, I think.”

”…. I suddenly have the image of you running head long into a well-placed china cabinet.”

She looked at the cow with a serious expression on her face.

”Do I need to be careful about wearing red around you? Because really that limits my wardrobe a bit more considering not much goes with purple hair. While these white locks are a wonderful opportunity to expand my color pallet I’m afraid that other than hear I can’t walk about in this form.”

Valdis chuckled when Taurus mentioned her figuring it out well enough.

”Once I embraced it I progressed quite fast, considering how behind I was compared to the short skirt squad...I come here to practice nightly. Which means I really should be seeking my twin for tonight’s training session. Plus I owe him an air horning.”

Valdis listened with interest as she heard the cows full story on how she came to be. She tilted her head to the side as she wondered what Virgo would be like in person. She was sure she’d be charming on the surface; she had convinced so many to fallow her. Sometimes Val wondered how she would fair against the woman’s charm when the time came. She saw how the woman could distort the mind, Scorpios visions allowed her to see the effect without falling prey to it….She could only hope it would be enough in the end to maintain her own views on the matter. Perhaps now that she shared some of the visions with Taurus she may pick up on cracks that were so easily over looked before…but caring about it would be another matter altogether. Valdis chuckled at the end of Taurus’s tale.

”Well you’re a step ahead of me, I helped kill one of the old ones, and tried to sabotage your ship. That and I’m associated with the short skirt squad, not off to the best start now am I? Best I have done is help some youma escape to this side…and unknowingly have been used to recruit a large mass of the covenants lower members through my music…which I’m not happy about. I feel the same way about music as you do when it comes to the human essence.”

“If I wasn’t good at breaking fragile things, I wouldn’t be here,” Taurus comments. A bull in a china shop. “However, I tend to do it on purpose.”


“Actually, red is one of my favorite colors, so it would be terrible if I grew angry at the sight of it,” Taurus responds, “As for stylistic tips, I am afraid I lack those.”


“I bare no grudge about those things. It isn’t worth the energy. I do wish Scorpio at least lived to see what happens next after waiting millennia for it. He got so close to it after all. However, we don’t get to choose when we or anyone else dies or how it happens. A bunch of teenagers playing superhero and casting you as the part of the villain seems like a terrible way to go out. He wasn’t half as terrible as some others I’ve met or known of. And the boat is replaceable. The vast majority made it out unscathed as well. So you are a performer? What do you play? And what had you intended for your music to be?” she asks. She hadn’t recognized her, but her knowledge of popular culture ended about the time the Obelisks arrived. She wasn’t a fan of it before then either.

”Still it brings an amusing mental image whether it was done on purpose or accident…and as for stylistic tips if you ever want any and don’t mind a bit of odd fashion then I am your girl”

Valdis shrugs when she mentioned the way that Scorpio had gone out was unfortunate.

”To be fare when we first encountered him he had brought forth a youma that was going to desolate the city if it wasn’t stopped. Second time he was draining energy in the middle of the park causing mass panic in order to make up for his fumble when he first met the Senshi. Even then the goal that the Senshi had was to purify him of the chaos taint…I know one member in particular was …very troubled that he had to die….I’m afraid that towards the end the chaos energy finally corrupted his mind and he lost it….he wouldn’t have been an asset to the Zodiac after crossing that path as well.”

She frowned thinking back to that day.

”He was quite peeved when he realized he hadn’t actually killed me the first time we had met. I tried to kick him in the head because he was sitting on my rafters… So he doused me with is poison….I was the first to arrive that day for that battle to. I threatened if the others didn’t show up and do something I was going to chuck my phone at his head from the tree I decided to take up residence in. Although the earth knight was the first one to engage in battle with Scorpio….However in the end when the chaos was purified away there was not much left of Scorpio. He regretted a lot of his actions mainly the actions he had taken against the original Earth Kingdom prince...he asked for his forgiveness and accepted his fate.”

Valdis bit her lip remembering the details of that day.

”Scorpio would have had to be removed from power one way or another that day. From what I have gathered Japan is an energy harvesting field for the covenant. It’s partly why the city itself has remained untouched for so long. Scorpio was becoming reckless. One of his last orders was to eliminate a large population using me and one of my concerts. It would have killed thousands”

Valdis shook her head with a frown.

”Even if he wasn’t associated with the covenant he would have marked himself as a villain because the value of a life no longer mattered to him.

Valdis smiled when the topic of conversation turned to that of her own career.

”I am the lead singer for the band called Sirens as for what we play it was generally pop music with a gothic flair to it. Catchy enough to stay on the top charts, but I fear it wasn’t our best work. Our managers wanted us to stick to darker themes…In my mind great music should enrapture a persons soul, music can create a connection to someone like nothing else can. It shouldn’t matter whether you speak the language of the lyrics or not, the message should be clear. A great song can move a person to feel what the artist feels…I find music to be a magic all on its own. It does not need to be tainted by outside sources and subliminal messages. It is an insult to me as an artist.”

There was a passion like no other that a lit in Valdis eyes when she spoke about music.

”I want my band and I to create such a piece that speaks on a deeper level to people. A song that no matter who listens too it they have to acknowledge it does something to them. That is what I want to do with my music. I don’t want to create something that will be listened to just for this generation but for many to come”

“I suppose if he lost all ability to think reasonably, then it was time. Then it is a shame that he lost his mind. I wonder what pushed him over the edge and sent him down that spiral. Too bad that you didn’t get to meet him earlier on. He wasn’t always insane, but you already know that. Mindless destroying parts of the city, as much as I hate Tokyo, is admittedly psychotic. Destruction should have purpose and meaning. Lives should be ended for a point,” Taurus says in agreement.

“Endymion though,” she says distantly, “If I were him, I don’t think I could ever forgive him.” The name seems to bother her. “Not that he can do so now anyways.”

“Art does more that speak. It argues and changes minds,” Taurus says, “So one must be aware of the messages they send. How does that quote go? ‘They have guns, we have poets. Therefore, we will win.’ However, I have always believed art was inseparable from the political, no matter the topic at hand. So what message do you want to create?”

" I see how it is, How long was everyone going to keep this a secret from me? " A male's voice interrupted from behind Valdis where a tall slender man stood. Dressed in a lab coat and brown slacks. His dark pink eyes locked on the two with a serious scowl, however, the seriousness about him seemed to fade as a smile crept across his lips. The frustration clearly leaving him as he took a few steps forward with his head tilted to one side. One brow arched as he looked down at Valdis. Once again the Zodiac had failed to mention anything about this, which he had found out the hard way. So here he was, standing to face with Gemini's newest toy and Taurus.

" Wow, You're very cute. Makes me what to steal a kiss. " He playfully flirted, examining her up and down while he circled around her one time. When he was done circling the young girl he had yet to meet he stopped. Tilted his head back to the point where he was staring at Valdis but his body was facing Taurus. An odd pose to take, but then again the man didn't keep it very long. " I never imagined you having a conversation about art, Al. " He winked, straightening his body back up to a proper stance before stuffing both his hands in his lab coat pockets.

" I seem to be the one out of the loop an manners." he says with a chuckle, " Titus is the name, pleasure, love, and fame are my games. " He smiles so cheerfully and playfully.

Valdis frowned when she to contemplate to what drove Scorpio to that state…she defiantly had a theory she’d bet her money on. However it would have been interesting to have known him before the chaos tainted his mind.

”He seemed like he would have been interesting….As for the prince I think he forgives him, the Earth Knight had said something about him already been forgiven…Don’t ask me how I haven’t quite discovered that yet. Me and the Earth Knight are not quite on the friendliest of terms…He left me out in the woods blind and burned and confused after a youma attack. This was before I discovered I had any special abilities. So as you can imagine there’s some sore points there, and I’m one to hold a bit of a grudge.”

Valdis grin only grew when Taurus understood exactly what she was trying to get across. When the question was asked Vals gaze softened.

”A new song will be coming out soon by the Sirens, when it does you tell me.”

Their conversation was interrupted when another gentlemen arrived. A sly grin spread across her face as she fluttered her eyelashes and looked bashful at the sudden flirtation.

”You’re not too bad yourself pinky.”

“Then I suppose I have a reason to listen to the radio then.”

Titus’ appearance wasn’t anticipated. This wasn’t the kind of place that he frequented. In fact, it wasn’t terribly often the two crossed paths. She looks at him confused.

Taurus shakes her head at the mention of a kiss. “If you feel like causing problems between yourself and Gemini, then I’m taking no part in it.”

The nickname doesn’t faze her at all, but she feels somewhat insulted by the idea that she couldn’t appreciate art. With a scowl, Taurus defends herself, “Believe it or not, I find art important like most forms of expression. Art is an interesting medium in terms of how one voices opinions and dissent, and a varied one too. Admittedly, I preferred visual mediums though. However, I do admire the fact that songs can be subtly subversive and can get past all censors to reach the ears that need to hear it.”

Looking over to Val, she says, “I believe Capricorn is a name that you would better recognize.”

" I like this one. " Titus laughed, his lips curled back into a large grin. However, his attention to the new 'toy' didn't last very long, not when Taurus mentioned Gemini. His nose wrinkled up slightly at the mere mention of Gemini's name. Titus almost felt underplayed with Gemini always getting to have all the fun 'toys'. Such a let down; but not so much that it would take away his famous shit eating grin. In fact, he almost seemed amused.

" Me? Causing problems with Gemini, now why would you think I would do such a thing? " Titus smiled so innocently. " Besides you can't tell me it wouldn't be hilarious to see ol' Gemmy's face all flustered, aye? " He winked, lifting up both arms and placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner. A brow raised at the conversation about art and what not. Not that he didn't appreciate art and all of its many forms... The fact of the matter was, he really didn't care. In fact, Titus didn't know much about art... Now music he listened to, but that was about it.

" Okay okay, I get it. You appreciate art and all of its magical, fantastic, and orgasmic forms. I was just saying, I didn't expect you to open up so. It's nice..." Titus smirked, moving his hands around to where both index fingers were pointing at the corners of his lips. " It all depends on the words that leave your lips and the tune you carry. "

His smile fading when he looked back at Valdis and then to Taurus with almost a over dramatic hurt expression. " Ba-ba! Now thats not nice, giving away a man's secret before he can at least get to know a person. Geez, oh well I guess it was to be discovered soon enough. " Capricorn sighed, placing his hand over his heart and then wiping away a non-existing tear. " Alas! What she says is true, I am Capricorn. "

”Holy crap…”

She looked over at the cow with a surprised expression.

”I made a good first impression alert the presses! It’s a freaking miracle!”

Valdis chuckled at the thought of bugging Gemini, she made a motion towards her utility trick belt. It was quite obvious she had intended to cause issues.

”I think I do that on my own without any help, however I agree with Pinky here his flustered face I imagine would be hysterical. But I haven’t actually seen his face, just the skeleton mask…which I have been dying to sharpie.”

It was a wonder how Val hadn't gotten herself killed yet considering she had an arsenal of pranks ready for her Zodiac that had claimed her. However this was the person who tried to ninja kick a Zodiac when she hadn’t had any special powers other than healing abnormally fast. She chuckled however when Pinky was revealed to be Capricorn, and his reaction to it.

”Well Titus my names Nyx or a better known name would be Valdis….So I know why I am out here, and that was to air horn Gemini and ended up getting his familiar energy signature mixed up with the cows here…but why are you two out here?”