The Twelve Forgotten Zodiacs (SDS Fic)

Chapter 48

Laying on the ground, the close range team was injured gravely— their unmoving limp bodies scattered around Hendrickson with blood pooling around them. They were dead.

"We gave everything we had... and it still wasn't enough."
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Brooks was angry, she was in pain, she was torn to bits. Emotions swirled around inside her. And then, she felt nothing.

"Commander?" Vivian asked, feeling the sudden rise in the teal haired girl's power.

Brooks didn't respond. She untied her braids and her hair started to flow behind her. The whites of her eyes turned black, and her appearance turned to look more siren-like.

The zodiacs realized what was happening.

"Everyone get back!" Sage warned, getting into his centaur form and starting to move away.

"What's happening?" Gilthunder asked— he too could feel the sudden pressure of power.

"It's our Commanders Key ability." Tut said, the expression on his face serious —a strange appearance on the bullheaded man. "It's called detach. Once activated, everything except her body and her anger shuts down. She becomes a killing machine. Sage is normally able to pull her out of it, but this time... it'll take a lot more than an arrow through a limb to snap her out of this. It's best to let her just run this out."

"You killed them." Brooks seethed, water surrounding her fists and wind whipping around her body. "You killed my comrades. My friends." She lunged forewords and sent multiple punches at Hendrickson. Each punch sent a wave of pressure extending out from the two, keeping everyone at their distance.

Hendrickson reeled his arm back, and punched Brooks in the gut, sending her flying back.

"It seems I have underestimated your strength." He said, the bloodied wounds healing on his skin. The same black orbs as before started to surround him, though they seemed different. "I will end this quick." The orbs shot out in different directions.

Though when they made contact with any living being, it didn't kill them immediately. They seemed to graze past, burning their skin—only a couple seconds after did they fall to the ground.

Brooks saw Meliodas move in front of Elizabeth, shielding her from one of the orbs that was headed straight towards her. It wasn't long until he fell onto the ground.

Brooks felt a burning sensation herself, and looked down towards her chest, seeing that some of her clothing had burned off and her skin was red, some blood running down from a couple cuts.

He shoulders slouched, and her eyes turned back to normal. Swaying slightly, Brooks noticed some of her friends running towards her.

"Commander! No!" Leah shouted.

"Sorry... guys. I guess... I wasn't enough for this demon."

"If you give up, then what hope do we have!" Tut shouted, anger blazing in his red eyes.

Not too far away, the beam of green light rose from the ground.

Vivian tensed, this power was familiar, it was a power she was born with herself. Looking around her feet, she noticed that flowers were starting to break through the rock. A warmth spread through her, and she looked at her wings, the black feathers turning into a glowing white.

"The goddess clan..." She muttered. Then a small smile appeared on her face. A ray of brilliant silver light beamed up from the sky, joining the green light.

All around them, knights who were previously on the ground were sitting up, all of the surprised at what they were seeing.

Brooks sat up herself, placing a hand over her newly healed chest. "Vivian... you know what's happening, don't you?"

Vivian smiled, "The apostle." She said simply, then she closed her eyes, the beams of light enlarging.

Brooks and Meliodas stood up, both of them looked towards Hendrickson who was standing in the middle of the clearing. Taking the chance of his slight distraction, the two of them lunged, Brooks sending punches at his spine and back of the neck, while Meliodas sent punches towards his gut and heart— or hearts now.

After the two of them sent the final blows, they jumped back.

The next few seconds were tense, a silence hung in the air just before Hendrickson fell to the ground, his body mangled and bloodied.

"That's what you deserve. You demon." Brooks said. She started to walk back to her group. Once she reached them, everything hit her at once. Sorrow for her lost friends, exhaustion, pain— everything. Tears streamed down her face. "We lost so many... I'm... so sorry guys. I'm so sorry."

"Uh, Commander." Gabriel started.

Brooks looked up, seeing Them pointing behind her. Turning, she saw a group of familiar beings get up from the ground, hands on their heads and confusion in their eyes.

"Rammy?" Tut asked, tears filling his eyes as he started to run towards the smaller pink haired girl. "Rammy, you're alive!" He wrapped his arms around the girl, keeping her close.

"Is there something you want to tell us, bullbrain?" A voice asked, and everyone looked up to see Sierra walking towards the group.

"Sierra... Leander... Aria... all of you, you're alive? But... how?"

"I think we have three people to thank." Pandora stated, looking towards Elizabeth, Vivian, and Ophius.

Elizabeth was busy talking with the Sins— who were celebrating the newly revived Ban, Gowther, and Hawk, though Vivian and Ophius were standing a bit apart from the Zodiacs.

"The goddess clan... they temporarily returned my full abilities." Vivian said, "Those, combined with my zodiac power allowed me to help heal those who were down."

"The sssoulsss were ssstill alive. I placed them back into their bodiesss before they were taken away by sssome other entity." He explained. "I'm tired now... I mussst go back into my ssslumber..." His eyes were closed and his body started to glow, disappearing suddenly.

After he vanished, Brooks stood up and looked toward her group. All of them were standing in front of her, alive and well. She stumbled forewords, feeling multiple arms catch her.

"You're all alive. I'm so happy." She muttered, closing her eyes as tears kept streaming down her face. "Let's go join the others, alright?"

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Are you sure you don't want to join us with the rest of our journey?" Meliodas asked. The sins were just about to head out on another journey, everyone had rested up and with the help of some healers from the kingdom— not every injury was healed by the three.

"Yeah. We'll be staying for the festival, but it's been a long time since we've been together as a team again, the world has changed and. We want to see it for ourselves." Brooks said, the others behind her nodding in agreement.

"But don't worry, dragon boy, we won't be completely out of touch." Tut said.

"Right." Brooks held out her hand and saw Meliodas take it. They gave a small handshake before the two separated. "I have a feeling we might see each other sooner than later. In the meantime, stay alive."

With those words, the Zodiacs turned and started to walk away from the kingdom. Starting their own journey of seeing the world.

———————
And it's done... I've finally completed this book.
Thank you all so much for reading, I'm honestly getting kinda emotional. I've gotten really attached to these characters...

Maybe they'll be a sequel.
But I'll have to get some other stories on the plan list done first.

Thank you all for reading.

-Sin