Hades, the god of the underworld, was in the midst of triggering a cunning plan in order to overthrow king Zeus. However, shady as ever, Hades had concocted a plan then kept him far from the front line, using the zodiacs as pawns to take down the ruler on Mount Olympus. The underworld tactician had even managed to convince Zeus to build a training ground for those who would eventually topple him, ensuring that the signs would be able to control their power. Hades advised Zeus to build a school in order to provide guidance and training, teaching the zodiacs to fight in future wars. The king eventually agreed to the plan and approves the building of the education facility, with Hades and Ares at the forefront of its design. Enrollment letters were sent out to potential students and the initial steppingstones towards Zeus' demise were well and truly laid.
Lionel travelled through the burning embers of the forest, still tormented by Hades' words as he looked to the sky in search of a sense of calmness in his heart.
"What do I do now? Where do I go?"
Suddenly a loud scream echoed in his ears. No sooner had he looked up than it appeared someone was falling through the clouds.
"Look out below!" A voice bellowed, confirming Lionel's fear. The mystery figure landed in the earth beside him with a grunt and exhale of breath.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Lionel exclaimed.
The figure, who Lionel could now see was a young boy, thin and small in stature, leapt to his feet and dusted himself down, "Whoops, my bad. Guess I miscalculated that jump! Say, you're not from around here, are you?"
"I could ask the same of you," Lionel grunted.
The boy chuckled, "I guess you could, friend! Do you know what happened here? This place may be burnt to a crisp now, but it was once a luscious forest…"
"You don't say."
Lionel scanned his new friend up and down, craning his neck around to spot a quiver filled with arrows on his back.
"Those arrows, are they yours?" he asked.
"Sure are. I've had them for as long as I can remember."
"What's your name kid?"
"The names Emmanuel… and you are?"
"Lionel."
Emmanuel's charisma and charming smile put Lionel at ease, instantly breaking the ice as the two began to talk as comrades rather than enemies. However, during their conversation, Lionel noticed an intriguing archer emblem on Emmanuel's shoulder.
"So, you're a zodiac…" he thought aloud.
Emmanuel laughed with a surprised yet interested look on his face, "Is that what this is? I honestly wasn't sure what it meant."
Lionel looked quizzically at the young boy but decided not to push him for answers. He didn't peg him for a liar. It seemed as though Emmanuel had picked up the emblem out of curiosity more than anything.
"You asked me what happened to the forest… do you have any ideas?" Lionel asked instead.
"I was just testing you, my friend. I know exactly what happened here," Emmanuel replied with one raised eyebrow.
"Care to elaborate?"
"It was me!" he exclaimed.
"What?! What do you mean?" Lionel gasped.
"It turns out I have far more strength than even I was aware of," Emmanuel giggled with glee. "Fingers crossed no one got hurt."
Lionel was lost for words.
"Hey! Over here!"
Lionel was dragged back down to earth as he sprinted through the trees to find Leo and Sagittarius squaring off against a girl.
"Her names Erica," Leo explained. "And she seems very determined to start a fight!"
Leo certainly wasn't wrong; Lionel could see by the fire behind Erica's eyes and the way her feet were planted into the ground that she was ready to strike at any moment. Leo and Sagittarius, in turn, had adopted fighting stances. However, something told Lionel that all was not as it seemed as he stepped between the two aggressing parties.
"Hey, Erica? It seems like you've been going through some things… maybe we can help?" he said.
"We all go through things. It's part of life," the girl replied bluntly.
Lionel lowered his voice and spoke as calmly as possible, given the situation, "Whatever you're going through, it doesn't mean that you have to pick fights with other people."
"Lionel, what are you trying to do?" Emmanuel whispered urgently.
Lionel turned his head and returned in hushed tones, "What does it look like? Trying to calm her down."
"If you must know," Erica interrupted. "I actually enjoy fighting; it's what makes me stronger!"
"Do you fight to get stronger or do you fight to conceal your pain?" Lionel challenged.
Erica's face instantly turned red, her aggressive nature now partnered with a hurt sense of pride. Without warning, she leapt towards Leo, her nearest opponent, and struck a fierce blow to the side of his head.
Leo scrambled back in defense and struck the handle of his sword against her shoulder before sweeping her legs away. No sooner than she hit the ground, Erica backflipped to her feet again and soared through the air towards her adversary. Leo dodged her blade my mere inches. The two of them rolled around in the dirt, jostling for the upper hand, seemingly evenly matched in strength, desire and skill. Finally, as they broke free of each others' grasp, they both went for the killer shot, pausing their blades millimeters from the opposing necks.
"Well played," Erica grinned.
"Likewise," Leo replied.
"I shall train harder ahead of our rematch," she declared before marching off into the wilderness, leaving the rest of them dumbfounded by the entire experience.
"What on Earth was that all about?" Emmanuel chuckled in disbelief.
"I don't have the slightest clue," Lionel admitted. "But I'm sure that's not the last we'll see of her."
As the four of them regrouped next to a large burnt oak tree, a letter fluttered through the air from above and landed directly into Lionel's arms. It declared that both Lionel and Emmanuel had been accepted to attend Astro Academy.
If only they knew that Erica had received a similar letter…