Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Saint Seiya franchise of any kind, manga, anime or movie. I claim no association with the people and companies who DO own the rights to the series. I am merely a fan who decided to write something based on it that has been stuck in my head for ages. I am not making a profit off of this fanfic in any way. Boy, was that disclaimer long enough to make the point, huh?

Note: This fic takes place after the Hades OVA (obviously, if you read this intro), and I'm pretty much ignoring all of the movies including the fifth, since I don't think they're considered canon. I've only read some of the manga, so most of this is based on the anime. If there are any inconsistencies, my apologies and feel free to correct me…within reason. My first fic, so constructive criticism is good, and flames are used to cook turkey.

Shun

Did we make it? Yes…somehow we made it, back to the surface, far away from the Underworld and back into the sunlight of the living. It was such a relief to be back in the light after all that time in the Land of the Dead. Even Elysian Fields, as peaceful as they seemed as the resting place for heroes and the virtuous, was strangely unnerving in its own way. And the different levels of hell… Nevermind the amount of time Hades was in control of my body. It still gave me shivers just thinking about it, and I didn't want to return until it was truly my time. But that was the past now.

Yes, we made it…

At least, we mostly made it. Hades had been defeated once and for all, slain by Athena and her Saints, including myself. But it had come at an enormous price. Seiya had been injured in the final battle and he…he…

Well, I wasn't sure exactly what happened. The Pegasus Saint had taken the blow from Hades' sword for Athena, and now he was lying comatose, his Cosmo dwindling away like drops of water through a sieve. Athena…Saori was able to stabilize him, but he was in no way recovering. He just lied there, motionless except for some shallow breathing.

Our return to Sanctuary was bittersweet. We received a hero's welcome for defeating Hades and stopping the Greatest Eclipse, but once the others saw Seiya's condition all thoughts of celebration went out the window. Jabu was silent, staring at Seiya's form as if he didn't believe what he was seeing. Ichi, Nach, Ban and Geki weren't much better off, but at least Nachi had the nerve to ask about what had happened, though we were hesitant to talk about it. Kiki kept shaking his head in disbelief. Who knew what Shaina and Marin thought (which wasn't a surprise, since their masks kept their expressions hidden), but Marin had placed a hand on Seiya's shoulder and shook it, as if trying to wake him up. Of course, the younger Saint just lied there.

The biggest surprise obviously was the appearance of Seika, Seiya's older sister. What irony. The person Seiya had been searching for, the reason he had become a Saint to begin with, was finally here and he wasn't conscious to speak with her. That weighed heavily on my heart. If I was in her position and Ikki was in Seiya's…I don't know what I would think. She was mourning, and would not let the body of her little brother out of her sight.

"His body." The way I thought of it at the time sounded like he was already dead. I forced myself to not think like that. Seiya was still alive, just unconscious. Under a spell, or something. His Cosmo was still there; I could feel its faint light inside him, but I could tell it was slipping away.

I had to admit though, the others and I weren't feeling much better. Hyoga and Shiryu had both lost their masters in the process of reaching Athena to save her. Hyoga especially…what was it like to think your sensei was back (however breifly) only to have him taken from you again? And Shiryu, he had been especially close to Dohko, so there was no doubt in my mind of the grief the blind Saint was feeling. Ikki was understandably more concerned about me, considering Hades' possession of my body, but I wasn't thinking about that at the time. There was only one question running though my head.

What could we do to save Seiya?

Saori left the chambers that Seiya was being kept in and joined the others in the main hall of Sanctuary. The other four Bronze Saints, along with Marin, Shaina Kiki, waited for an update there. Saori had made multiple attempts to wake their companion, but so far nothing made the younger man stir. No words, screams, threats or other movements or sounds made him react. His face was blank, staring off into nothingness, and ears deaf to the world around him. Seika, his sister, stayed by his side, not leaving even to sleep or eat. Another bed had been brought in for her, and the others took every chance to bring her a meal.

All of the Saints stood when Saori—Athena—entered the hall. Marin was the one who stepped forward. Naturally, she was most concerned about her former student, although she was apt to hide it from others in public.

"Any improvement?" the eagle Saint asked.

"None at all," Saori replied. "I don't think he's in any danger of dying, but…"

"Unless he doesn't wake up," Hyoga interjected. "If he stays like this, the thing to worry about is him starving to death."

"We should take him to a hospital," suggested Shun. "They can give fluids and—"

"That won't solve the problem of his Cosmo fading," Marin interrupted. "They could keep his body alive, but it won't wake him or his Cosmo. He'll just stay like this unless we do something."

"We can't let that happen," Shiryu proclaimed, sitting down again to think. "We need another plan."

"Does anyone know about attacks from the gods?" Shaina wondered, voice heavy with strange concern. "Their effects? Any cures? I'm afraid I don't know much about them."

"Mu was very familiar with different remedies, and he was very in touch with a person's Cosmo," Shiryu reasoned. He turned to the youngest member there, although he of course could not see him. "Kiki, Mu wouldn't have happened to mention anything like this to you?"

Kiki sat with his arms crossed, thinking as hard as he could for a while. The others sat in similar silence, letting him have a moment to contemplate. Eventually, the youngster shook his head.

"I can't remember," Kiki answered. Everyone else sighed. "Master Mu knew a lot about fixing cloths and other objects, but I don't know about someone's Cosmo."

"Wish he was here, so we could ask," Shun said.

"That's the problem, isn't it?" Hyoga rationalized, eyes closed. "The Gold Saints are dead, and they were the most knowledgable about this sort of thing."

"Yeah, they would know what to do," agreed Shaina. "But we're out of luck there."

Ikki, who had been leaning against a wall silently the entire time, finally spoke. "Honestly, there aren't many Saints left, except us and a few of the other Bronze Saints. Most have been killed."

"Are there any Saints left at all who would know about cures for a god-induced coma?" Saori wondered. "At this point, I'd be willing to try anything…"

There were more minutes of contemplative silence. A helpless feeling fell over the room. Shaina and Marin both turned to stare at the sky, as if the heavens would provide an answer. Shun sat thinking with his head in his hands, and Hyoga stared at the ground, eyes tearing a hole through the stone. Kiki started to annoyingly tap his foot on his chair. Shiryu and Ikki were no better, but they didn't fidget nearly as much. Even Saori sat down in despair. After days of this, could anything be done to revive Seiya? They were running out of both options and time.

Finally, it was Marin who spoke next. She slowly turned back to the others, though her face couldn't be read behind her mask so they couldn't know what she was thinking.

"I believe…I know one."