In her dream, she was back in space, as Virgo, looking out at the endless stars. The constellations were different, the seasons inexplicable. Everything changed at the Line; what was familiar was not, and what could be counted on in the Moon Kingdom could not. Here there were no fancy parties, no court intrigues, no Princes to woo except her own, and Eon was above reproach just like the Princess. The worst was the exhaustion, the near-unending stream of battles, the pain of a long day fighting with fists, rocks, whatever weapons she had at hand.

The best was when he, Leo, came to see her. They had covered for the Gemini twins, and now the favor was repaid. It had surprised her to see him--surprised her more to hear how long they had to simply sit there on her asteroid and talk. Now, near the end of their time, Leo laid on the ground and she knelt beside him. She ran her fingers through his hair, fussing and adjusting until it laid across his forehead just the way she liked it. "I hate how it always has to end," she said, taking one of his hands in both of her own. He cracked a smile and opened his mouth to answer

*

"Stay with me," she said, reaching for his arm.

And he said, "No."

She stared at him, struck dumb with surprise. He couldn't mean it. He wouldn't mean it--not Grayson. Not her brother. He wouldn't ever go, he couldn't go. Not forever. Not for always, but he had said it. This has to end. It would be the last time, he had said, if they were to talk again it would be through Topher and Aries, or if they must it would be emails. Cold and impersonal. There had been nothing in his eyes as he looked at her. No tense lines in his hands, just relaxation, like this was the natural way things should go. No fond recollections of things they had done, just an end. He stopped because it ended there.

"Why... why are you leaving me here?" Elke was crying, her hands pressed to her face to stop the makeup from dripping onto her Crystal uniform. But when it touched her fingers, it thickened--no longer mascara, but something darker, shiny in the light of the single streetlamp. When she drew her hands away from her face, it fell in clumps and strings with tinny splats on her shoes. "Why am I always left alone? I don't want to be alone

*

In his room, she knelt on his chest, idly picking apart his skin. He was talking, the words unintelligible, forming currents that warped around her like a cradling hug. Bits of his flesh dangled from her fingers as she ripped, prodded, tore; it was oddly bloodless. Black shadows instead pooled beneath the perfectly smooth skin. They clung to her fingers as if by glue; she dislodged them with firm shakes of her wrists, but stains remained, purple and creeping. The tendrils grew, twisting in upon themselves. He would die; that was okay, because then he would be safe. Forever kept where he couldn't be harmed--in her heart, with her.

She curled her fingers around one of his ribs, yanked upwards. It broke with two cracks, and she inspected it as if it were nothing more than debris on the ground. Then she threw it away, reached in and grabbed another. Crack.

The whole time, talking. Shadows, climbing to her elbow now. Endless words, and she just wanted him to shut up--shut up--

Inside the hole she'd made in his chest was a single glimmering star, and she picked it out like an apple from the tree. Precious and beautiful, perfect and priceless-- The instant the hard edges of the starseed touched her hand, she became aware of the audience--of Chronos' horrified expression, Aries and his revulsion, Zue's anger. Every Zodiac wore expressions of terror, disgust. She looked down at her gloved hands, at the spreading shadows (they ran over her shoulders now) up to Elke Arma standing in her place.

"They're all watching," said Elke to Virgo. "All eyes on us now." And Virgo looked down at her hands, at the starseed sparkling in the cage of her fingers. She curled her fingers over her brother's heart, tried to crush it. Her green dress had long gone black, and the shadows were working their way up to her face, whispering over her nose.

The Zodiacs turned away, towards Elke, and Virgo stood. "I'm sick of being everyone's doormat," she was saying, "I'm tired of taking it all with a smile and saying thank-you when we're done! I'm--C'mon! Listen to me!"

Chronos turned, her expression that of pity. "Virgo..."

She stepped away from the body towards them, the crystal still in hand. "Look at me," she said, and it was reasonable then, but then it escalated. "Look at me! C'mon! At the girl right in front of you!" No one turned back, but she kept screaming. "This is me! I need you!" They did not turn, gave no indication of hearing. Elke smiled and laughed, charming, perfect, vivacious. She held their attention like they had been born to smile at her antics. "Help me," Virgo begged.

They all vanished as one, and she turned to look at the last Zodiac remaining, at her brother's corpse, as crystal grew over her feet. She pressed his starseed to her lips.