Disclaimer: Saint Seiya belongs to Masami Kurumada.
His Heartless Blue Sin
It was a quiet windy yet gloomy night outside Athens. The curious Moon was peeping into the dark buildings of Rodorio, unveiling the secrets and wishes of the inhabitants. But she kept her eyes in someone moving in the shadows of the holy shrine.
Through the big windows, the dark robed figure saw the stars shining over the Sanctuary like a myriad of fine diamonds scattered on a black velvet cloak. Suddenly, it seemed they were turned into rubies, a minatory shower of blood drops falling on him. He shivered and held the cloak tightly around his body.
Then, watching the silent Moon, he was ashen in fear. With her round pale face, she was the divine witness of his misdeeds, his unwilling accomplice, one who knew all the secrets of the creatures of the darkness and the sinners. The young man shook as he walked. With muffled slow steps, he approached the unguarded wooden doors at the end of the corridor in the highest floor of this huge palace.
Astonishingly, he slowly motioned, although he used to be the fastest and strongest of all the fighters. Each silent step meant a big effort for him, the brawny sportsman and powerful fine warrior. It seemed like his feet weighted tons of lead now. But he kept walking because he needed to move with haste. As he moved forward, he fought the long flowing dark blue robe that wrapped his long muscular legs and the weight of many precious necklaces which embellished his neck and beautified his thick tunic. The attire that was wearing now, the one he fancied to dress one day, was an ominous memory of his crimes and broken oaths. It was the image of his true self: a dark murderer.
Damned! This is really heavy! I feel like Atlas going through the Styx with the world on my shoulders!
Behind the expressionless mask, he was sweating and breathing with difficulty, feeling like he might faint and fall into oblivion at any moment. The huge sculpted helmet was heavy and suffocating, too. Big drops of sweat fell down his neck like shiny oval beads, mixing up with the jewels of his ritual necklaces. He stopped and sat down on the floor.
Watching through the dark mask, things looked so different now, cursed and gloomy: the solitude, the high responsibility, the strict protocol, the inner suspicion, his constant contradiction, the emotional and ritual blackmail. He couldn't shut up the crying voices who blamed him in the dark. Power wasn't enough to cancel memories and feelings… and guilt. In fact, all that glitters was not gold. Not here in this famous yet stale shrine.
The Moon shone on him as he tried to stand up. Instead of being boosted by her silver light, he was able to understand how unforgivable his crimes were. The tall man in the dark robe moaned in despair. All his determination was failing now as his horrible deeds were showing their real grinning faces at last like fiends attacking him.
I cannot move back now! There's no way back!
With aching reddish eyes, he looked around for salvation as he heavily sighed. The Moon went behind the thick clouds, escaping from him as a horrified maiden.
I am alone now!
But he only had one way to go: forward to the end.
In his head, a poisonous voice repeated the evil plot like a mantra, destroying all his moral defenses and surrendering his wretched spirit. The owner of that voice was attacking him with a mightiest Galaxian Explosion who destroyed his pure soul. Yes, he was dutifully fulfilling this insane scheme like a cool blooded psycho, aiming to make true all his ambitions. Although part of him screamed in horror, he had made a choice.
I cannot hold back the flood I am in! I must do it! Now!
He held his head with shaky hands and put pressure on his temple through the dark helmet, trying to silence the voice of his evil alter ego as well as the whispers of his sanity, while his moral backbone kept shouting against his crimes and the new horrors to come.
He sat down until the nausea passed and stood up, arranging his robe. At last, he realized that he was doomed to go until the end, all the way down the muddy pit of his tragic fate to raise himself up to reach the top of the Sanctuary like a blue mighty Phoenix dressed with the Pope's robe. Now he must be ready for his last unforgivable sin.
Before he could change his mind again, his big hands pushed the wooden doors and they silently opened. The bedroom was quiet with a dim light. Under a rich embroidered canopy, a little baby was soundly sleeping in a crib. Her small body was comfortably snuggling on the silky pinkish sheets.
He quietly stepped forward and stared at her. The baby was smiling, having sweet dreams, an innocent wee person he was supposed to love and care. At last, she was there among them, a miracle of faith. She was their beloved leader in the next Holy War. The spark of divinity shone over her. Breathing slowly, her wee eyelids closed, she slept with the innocent confidence of the ones that didn't know about cruelty and evil of the real world. Tenderly watching her, he was assaulted by the last doubts but he pushed them apart.
It was paradoxical. Although being the Goddess of Wisdom, she was misled now: she wasn't safe in her Sanctuary in the hands of the criminal fake Pope. Being just a baby, she was forced to trust someone like him, her own killer. He grinned.
Great job, Saga! So you are cheating on the Goddess of Wisdom! I was right: you're more than a demigod! You were born to rule the world! We are invincible!
This was the moment of triumph but, instead of rejoicing, he shook his head to get rid of those poisonous words. But he couldn't: these words seemed to be branded in the soul of the tall man. Saga, the Gemini Gold Saint, wanted to cry in desperation but he couldn't stop now.
He might have chosen something different if many things didn't happen in the last days. Or was it written in the stars? How much could he blame his fate? Wasn't he doing it with free will?
Is this what I wanted, the absolute power? Or is this what Kanon wanted?
He sighed as he looked towards the dark night. The silvery Moon, which shyly hid away moments before, was getting out some thick clouds and flooding the Twelve Temples with a wondrous light. Curiously, she was peeping into the shadowy chamber where the fake Pope stood up.
Again, Saga shivered and sighed. Far away, on the top of the sacred Star Hill, the corpse of the former legitimate Pope was getting colder although the mild Mediterranean weather. Fallen in the middle of the highest chamber, Shion was disheveled and motionless surrounded by his beloved books. This was the place he used to go when he wanted to read the destiny in the stars and find the answers in preparation of the next Holy War. Yes, he found all the answers before his lifeless body was soaked in blood.
So cold and red now, bathed in his blood!
His stiffness was what they called rigor mortis. In fact, Saga had killed Athena's highest priest just to fulfill his ambitions, stabbing him with the sacred dagger like a petty criminal. But he still doubted, desperately asking himself for the reasons of this crime.
Are they my ambitions or my evil side's ones?
No, Saga considered him a good-hearted man, not an ambitious one because his soul was pure and devoted. He was a demigod. He might have had some ambitions but all of them were legitimate and reasonable. He wouldn't have dared to raise his hand against Shion or his goddess. He had been poisoned by the person he trusted the most. It was his brother's fault, his prankster evil heartless twin: Kanon.
A voice came through the walls towards him, invading his mind and soul. It was his twin's hideous voice.
Don't lie to me, Saga! You wanted absolute power! Who is the most powerful warrior of all? Who was meant to be the ruler here?
The oldest twin wanted to cry. Yes, he was the most powerful Saint but also the most loyal to Athena. However, Shion's unwise decision began all this madness. Without doubt, he was fit to be the Pope's right hand, the mighty protector of the goddess' reincarnation and the commander in chief of the Sanctuary warriors.
Why did Shion choose Aiolos? Why did the Pope reject me?
That hideous voice laughed aloud again. But he couldn't enjoy the luxury of thinking about the reasons of the dead Pope neither to shut up the mocking fiend. It was time to act and to finish what he had begun a couple of hours ago on top of the sacred mountain.
With extreme care, he approached the crib where the baby Athena was sleeping and holding the sacred golden dagger, he stabbed her with a butcher's precision. A thick spurt of blood spotted his mask as high-pitched screams shook the walls of the bedroom. The tall dark robed man was in shock but he cleaned the holes of the mask so he could look down and check the outcome of his evil action. To his surprise, two hands were holding the dagger which was only centimeters away of the crying baby's body. A pair of bleeding generous strong hands he knew so well.
- Damn it! You were here! – Saga couldn't believe it.
So Aiolos was watching over the newborn like a humble babysitter!
Actually, the loyal Sagittarius was standing in front of him and preventing the murder of their goddess. His bright brown eyes were flashing as he faced the masked man.
- Why did you want to kill Athena? Are you mad, Shion? – The young man shouted as he fiercely hit the fake Pope who stumbled back.
As the weapon was taken from his hand, his ritual mask was loosened and both fell to the ground before the Sagittarius Gold Saint. The shocked Aiolos saw a handsome face that was dear to him, the one which belonged to a brother in arms and an old friend.
- Goddess, it's you…!
With an angry voice, Saga madly screamed. – You bastard! Soon you'll join Shion and Athena in the Underworld!
- Saga, you swore to protect Athena! You are a mighty Saint! What happened to you?
- Shut up!
- Explain yourself, Saga! What's going on?
- Go to Hell, Aiolos! It's time to fulfill my plan!
Saga attacked him while the young man dodged and took the baby in his arms.
- I would protect her with my life! Our fellow Saints would back me when they know what you've done, Saga!
- You are a dead man, Aiolos! This Sanctuary is mine now! I am a God!
The Gemini Saint attacked him again and the walls fell apart, granting the warrior a chance to jump outside the palace and sneak in the shadows towards the Coliseum. The night was darker as the Moon had disappeared in shame again. With extreme care, Aiolos carried the baby Athena with him. He took the Pandora Box with his Sagittarius Gold Cloth on his way down the Twelve Temples.
The color drained from Saga's face as he looked his comrade running away. He couldn't allow Aiolos to go away with that child and be a threat to his rule. No one must know his secret so he put on the mask again. From now on, he would be addressed as the Pope and ruler of the Sanctuary. The Gemini Saint swore with coarse voice.
Suddenly, he straightened up and his voice changed to a more composed and commanding one.
- Guards! Help!
A group of guards quickly approached and stood at Saga's side, watching the destruction of Athena's chamber. The Moon was out again, showering her silvery rays on the Sanctuary as trying to erase all the evil deeds that happened tonight.
- Guards! Aiolos is a traitor who had wounded the baby Athena! He wanted to swap her with his bastard baby! A creature born out of wedlock!
Saga showed them the bloody sheets and the soldiers shouted in anger. At the present moment, he had a chance to kill Athena and her protector, the Sagittarius Saint.
Addressing the Captain of the Guards, the fake Pope ordered. – Summon the Gold Saints! Go and tell Capricorn Shura that his orders are to chase Aiolos, kill him as well as his little bastard. You should bring me back the Sagittarius Gold Cloth he stole from our Goddess!
The guards left the room and Saga was left alone. Watching his stained clothes and spotted hands, he was both shocked and surprised as a greyish mane floated under the ritual helmet. A disheveled demon-like Saga laughed aloud to shut up the devil who was mocking him from a small hideous jail in Cape Sounion. He shrugged: his heartless deeds would bring suffering to many innocent people but he always came first.
Watching at the Moon who was looking at him with her wide round face, the fake Pope raised a bloody hand and defied her.
– What are you watching? Come and worship me! I am the God here!
Disgusted by the heartless disloyal warrior and mourning for the Saint who was at the death's door in one of the Sanctuary plains, the Moon left as the darkness finally fell on Saga. But she couldn't change the fact that the older Gemini twin had committed a deadly heartless sin and was the ruler now.
Meanwhile, Saga went towards the Pope's private chambers. It was time to take a bath and relax because there was a lot of work to do from now on.