High in the heavens of Semsara resides the home of the gods. In the Etherial Coliseum, where no mortal has ever stepped foot, the gods watch over all of Semsara to guide their children in the ideals they saw fit for them to thrive. The great chamber was a marvel of shifting starlight and radiant marble that bent and reshaped with the will of its occupants. Pillars of crystal fire flickered with the hues of each constellation, their glow pulsing in rhythm with the rising arguments.
In the great hall the gods sat upon thrones that shimmered with their celestial emblems, discussing how the people of Semsara were to be. Normally their tones were civil, words measured like the flow of rivers. Today, however, was different. Heated arguments filled the air, voices striking like lightning and rolling like thunder across the vaulted dome. Insults cut sharper than blades, and in the far corners of the chamber, sparks of magic flared as divine tempers broke into brief but startling brawls before attendants calmed them.
"The Libran people are taking too much power for themselves while claiming to be keepers of the peace!" A naturally hooded figure asserted from a distance. The hood slipped back to reveal Queen Scorpio, her dark eyes gleaming like poisoned jewels. Libra, Leo, and Aries turned to face her with narrowed glares.
"You claim to want peace for all the people, yet you allow your children to pass judgment on others without being held accountable for their own actions." Her words hissed like venom, and a ripple of unease spread among the council.
"The Libran people were decided to be the judicator of our world because of our ability to make the difficult decisions," answered King Libra, his tone firm but tempered. "We base our judgments on evidence, striving to be fair to all. This was decided hundreds of millennia ago, Queen Scorpio, as you yourself agreed to in the vote. What has changed your decision?"
A hush fell over the hall. Even fiery Aries and proud Sagittarius leaned forward to hear her reply. Scorpio straightened, her silken robes brushing the crystal floor. "The Libran nation is not as high and mighty as they make themselves out to be. They have their corruptions and scandals as bad as the next nation. They are simply more skilled at hiding it from the rest of the world. I feel a new change of judication should be made in Semsara, and I elect my vote to the Cancerians and their king."
Gasps and murmurs spread through the gods, spouses whispering urgently to one another. The revelation of a Cancer–Scorpio alliance unsettled even the most stoic among them. Aries pounded a fist upon his throne, sparks scattering across the floor. Capricorn leaned back, lips tight, as if measuring the weight of the tides shifting before them.
"If a change of judication is required," Libra countered, "then let us place this to a vote." His eyes swept the room, noting nods from some, silence from others. He counted his allies—Queen Libra, Aries, Leo, Sagittarius—but doubt gnawed at him.
The uncertainty was why Scorpio and Cancer had bound themselves together. They had never been known to side with one another. Why now? What had changed?
"Let us take a few moments to collect ourselves before the vote," Libra declared, his voice echoing across the chamber. "Each side will be allowed to present their case, and then the rest shall cast their judgment. As always, the ruling may only be overturned with two-thirds of the council's vote."
The walls themselves responded to his decree, reshaping into an amphitheater of radiant stone and astral fire, designed so every god's voice could ring true and unchallenged.
In a rush, King Libra returned to his quarters, Leo close behind. Their footsteps echoed through marble corridors alive with whispers of divine energy. "What was that in there?!" Libra muttered, breath sharp.
Surprised himself, Leo frowned. "I wish I knew. I have never known Cancer and Scorpio to ever be on the same page—let alone vouch for each other." His golden mane of light flickered as his temper stirred.
Within the Libra chambers, Queen Libra greeted her husband with a steadying embrace, though worry shone in her eyes. "I heard what happened at the council meeting. What is happening?"
"We will be having a tribunal," Libra said grimly, already summoning scrolls of celestial law to his desk. "Scorpio has been preparing for this moment, perhaps gathering allies in secret."
"I will check with the others to see how far her influence has spread," Leo declared, his eyes blazing like twin suns. The King nodded gratefully.
"Thank you, my friend. I will see you in the hall."
As Leo departed, Queen Libra lowered herself beside her king. "Why do you think Scorpio is doing this? What is her endgame?"
"I wish I knew," Libra murmured, quill scratching furiously against parchment. "This could be a ruse. Something larger is coming. I can feel it in the weave of the stars. We must be ready."
Hours passed. The great hall filled once more. The thrones of the gods and their queens lined the stage, each resplendent with symbols of their constellations. A hush of anticipation fell across the coliseum. By popular demand, King Leo was asked to act as Master of Ceremonies. Though it stung Libra to lose his ally's vote of neutrality, he carried himself with quiet resolve.
The debates were fierce. Libra spoke of law, order, and fairness; Scorpio countered with secrets, corruption, and betrayal. Cancer added solemn words of compassion for the oppressed, his voice like rolling tides, promising a gentler justice. For hours the voices of gods thundered, shaking the walls.
At last the vote was called. Silence rang heavier than steel. One by one, gods cast their voices. For a brief, terrifying moment, Libra's heart faltered as the tally hung uncertain. Then the scales tipped in his favor—eight to three.
A roar of congratulations erupted. Celestial trumpets blared, their tones washing the chamber with golden light. Yet in the corners of the hall, shadows pooled like ink. The defeated three—Cancer, Scorpio, and Taurus—remained quiet, their eyes glinting with unspoken promises.
In the viewing chamber beyond, the trio leaned over the astral tables, their reflections showing their people below. Cancer's lips curled in a rare smile. "Soon, my children. Soon Semsara will be ours." Scorpio and Taurus answered with solemn nods. Together they dropped scrolls into the table's heart. In a shimmer of light, the scrolls vanished—reappearing upon the desks of their mortal generals. Orders had been given.
"Now we wait," King Cancer said. "Our plan is in motion."
They returned to the celebration, their faces masked in false cheer. None noticed their departure—save for one.
Down a dark corridor, a tall hooded figure melted back into shadow. Silent as smoke, he descended into the dungeon's stone halls until he reached a chamber with nothing but a mirror framed in wood. Within the glass, a Libran visage stared back, but his complexion bore Virgo's mark, his eyes the burning hue of a Leo.
"It has begun," he whispered. The reflection nodded, fading into darkness.
The figure turned, kneeling before a flickering candle. His breath steadied into meditation. The door creaked open. A female, cloaked in shadow, slipped inside.
"They have no idea what the Cancerians have planned," she whispered.
His eyes opened, glimmering faintly. "They will not know until it is too late. But it is not our place to interfere with the will of the gods. We will bide our time. When the moment is right, we will reveal ourselves… and claim our rightful place among them."
The candle guttered, the flame dancing like a serpent's tongue, as silence swallowed the chamber once more.