Ancient Reincarnations
After ten minutes or less, things settled down, and the cops were called to arrest the gangsters who were brutally beating up the homeless in the alleyway. He could've possibly died if it wasn't for the likes of Kinzaki stepping in, and Atticus coming to the rescue.
Kinzaki was walking down the pavement, his wounds were treated from first aid by Atticus, with bandages wrapped around his neck, cheek, nose, and even eyelids. He was badly beaten without a doubt. Not to mention the bruises were fresh, so they still hurt to touch.
"I wonder what they'll think," Kinzaki looked down at the pavement while walking forward, holding the strap of his backpack, "I told them I'm just going to get something to eat... and now I don't even have my mocha with me, or food for that matter. I hope they don't overreact."
Kinzaki soon came to a stop. He could hear familiar voices up ahead.
It was his friends!? Ashley, Theodore, and Bennet. They were all waiting for his arrival, even though he was extremely late.
"Crap... there they're! S-Should I approach them? I don't think it's a good idea... m-maybe I should go back home." Kinzaki closed his eyes, whimpering. But then, he remembered something.
It was something that he said, not too long ago;
{"I'll be the one who brings it back! This city can count on me to win our races. I'll make Yasuville feel like home for everyone!"}
He remembered it clear as day. The words he told Atticus.
He couldn't turn back now, and he knew that. It was his only chance to speak to the mayor for him to change Yasuville once and for all.
'I have to approach them… so I'll just make up some excuse about what happened! If they found out the truth, they would definitely act irrational, and probably hunt those gangsters down. My friends are no joke, they're like older siblings to me.' Kinzaki only stared at them from afar, whilst they talked to each other, 'I don't have much time left before the field trip starts. If I lose this chance to speak to the mayor, then I would have to wait another five years for the festival to come back. The mayor is such an important figure, he never leaves his office and lets his men do most of his daily necessities, while he takes care of our city.' Kinzaki stepped forward, taking a deep breath, 'Fuck it! I'm going in!' Kinzaki paced himself forward, feeling his heartbeat accelerate.
"Hey, it's been almost thirty minutes by now, where is Kinzaki? Didn't he just say he was gonna buy some food?" Asked Ashley.
"Eh, who knows? It must be busy inside the store for all we know." Responded Theodore.
"Yeah, but thirty whole minutes? Franks isn't that busy, the place rarely gets any customers from what I heard." Exclaimed Bennett.
"Wait… who is that?" Theodore moved his head to the side, peeking around Bennett's shoulder, "Is that… who I think it is?"
Kinzaki didn't make eye contact, he just walked… and walked… and walked… and walked. His pace steady increased by the second, until he could hear his name being called out.
"Kinzaki?! Is that you?" Theodore called out his name as he jogged over to his friend. Bennett and Ashley followed behind, cluelessly. They didn't recognize Kinzaki from his dirty clothes, and… beaten up face. "What happened? Kinzaki, are you okay??! What happened to your face? Y-Your clothes too? Were you attacked?" Theodore placed his palms against Kinzaki's shoulder, shaking him in distress.
"Oh my god… Kinzaki… wh-what happened? Who did this to you?" Ashley soon walked towards his friend, looking into his busted eyes. The sight was horrific.
"I'm gonna kill the bastard who did this to you! Give me their description, it won't take me long to find them and beat them until they're bloody fucking red!" Bennett was angry. His frown was apparent, and the back of his hand gained a visible vein. For Bennett, he was hotheaded, and he did have a short temper on things, but this had really done it. His anger couldn't be controlled any longer, and they all noticed that.
"I-I'm fine, believe me! It was just some misunderstanding that happened… and it ended like this. But I'm doing okay now." Kinzaki tried easing the tense atmosphere, but that seemed impossible.
"You don't look okay! Look at your face, Kinzaki! Also Bennet, calm down! Don't do anything stupid." Ashley glanced at Bennett who was squeezing his fist shut, and closing his eyes.
"Did you report this incident at least? You had time to get bandaged, which means you should've had time to call the cops, right?" Theodore asked.
"Yeah… I contacted the police, they should be taking care of the situation, no doubt. I didn't wanna worry you guys… especially you, Bennett."
"Me?" Asked Bennett.
"Yeah… isn't it obvious? You're the hothead of the group, and you're seriously scary once you get angry. I didn't want those assholes feeling your ultimate wrath." Kinzaki jokingly said.
"Ultimate wrath?" Bennett scoffed at the comment, turning his head to the side, "I never heard that one from you before. It's pretty funny, I guess my wrath is pretty scary."
"Scary? Terrifying is a better word. You flipped a 6'0 grown man over your shoulder, while you're only 5'6! You're basically Superman when you're pissed off." Proclaimed Theodore.
"Hey… who's that guy approaching us?" Ashley had halted the comedic atmosphere, notifying everyone about a stranger heading their way. They all glanced towards the streets, and they could see a man holding an iPhone inside his hand.
"…Are you sure he's approaching us?" Asked Theodore.
"Well duh? Why else would he be looking our way?" Ashley whispered.
"I-It's him…" Said Kinzaki.
"Who?" Bennett asked, as they all looked towards Kinzaki, visibly confused at the situation.
"The homeless man… that was getting beaten up in the alleyway. H-How can he walk? I thought his ribcage was broken! The ambulance is also suppose to be picking him up, yet he's standing on two feet."
"The hell? What are you hiding from us Kinzaki? You didn't mention anything about a homeless man, and ambulances. What happened while we were gone?" Whispered Ashley.
"It's you." The homeless man spoke in a raspy voice, stopping a few meters in front of them.
"…H-How are you standing up right now? Are you okay sir? Should I call the ambulance to pick you up here instead? A-Actually, let me do that!" Kinzaki reached into his pocket, but was halted-
"No, there is no need." The man held up the iPhone inside his hand, and turned it around so they could see the screen, "Can you all see what's on this screen?"
Ashley, Theodore, Bennet, and Kinzaki all looked at each other, confused.
"Y-Yes…" They all responded.
"Can you tell me what it is, that you see?" Asked the homeless man.
"Umm… it's like a wheel, full of the zodiac signs. Why ask?" Proclaimed Bennett.
"It can't be… it's really true. It's really true!!" The homeless man fell to his knees… placing his hands upon the floor as he dropped the phone. He started to tear up… and his crying soon became hearable.
The high schoolers all looked at each other, weirded out except for Kinzaki.
"Psst. What should we do?" Whispered Ashley.
"I dunno… should we go inside? He's obviously a crackhead on drugs or something." Said Bennett.
"What do you think, Kinzaki?" Theodore asked.
"What I think?" Kinzaki just stared at the homeless man that cried tears of unknown emotions. Was he sad? Heartbroken? Relieved? Joyful? What was the purpose for him to cry? Kinzaki had some gut feeling that talking to him may reveal the truth, so, he did. Kinzaki Urato approached the old man, holding onto the strap of his backpack. His friends watched closely, making sure nothing suspicious happened.
"Hey… why are you crying? Does the picture on your phone mean something to you?" Kinzaki asked while kneeling down to his knees.
"Long ago, after the creation of our universe, twelve celestial bodies were spread out across the endless void of space."
"Huh?" Kinzaki exclaimed, "w-what are you talking about?"
"During that time, these celestial bodies were known as the twelve zodiacs. Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces. Each and every one of these celestial bodies were sentient. They understood the ways of the universe, and could comprehend their existence, which is something that no celestial body should be able to do. Their understanding was so great, that they could speak to us humans, and be worshipped like gods from the heavens."
Kinzaki looked back at his friends, questioning if his approach was the best idea.
"That is how some religions came to be. Some zodiacs wanted to be worshipped as gods, so they took advantage of their cosmic knowledge… but-" The homeless man paused for a second, closing his eyes.
"B-But what?" Asked Ashley, who was invested in the story.
"But… evil struck. Evil known as the seven deadly sins. That is what they called themselves; powerful intergalactic warriors from different regions of space, joining together to create such an unstoppable group. Each and everyone of them are a different race from across space, and their goal was to conquer the universe, and even the twelve zodiacs themselves, however, the zodiacs rebelled."
"Rebelled?" Asked Ashley.
"They rebelled by creating humanoid versions of themselves. These versions would represent who the twelve zodiacs were, but in humanoid form! However, the ones who took humanoid form died long ago, in the battle between the seven deadly sins… but… I have enough proof that they reincarnated."
"You do?" Asked Theodore in a sarcastic tone.
"Yes, I believe that all of you… ARE REINCARNATIONS OF THE TWELVE ZODIACS!"
"EHHHH?" Kinzaki stood up, cringing in confusion.