A/N: To make a long story short, I've decided to dust off an old fic and rewrite it completely to get back into writing (more) after a long af hiatus because of life and personal issues and etc. The premise is still the same as the original, just taking into account what I have finally seen of The Lost Canvas and Hades Chapter along with the original show. I'd accommodate for stuff like Omega except that's in a parallel timeline according to Word of God, and can't really account for Soul of Gold either because that has zilch to do with the central character. That said, I haven't finished The Lost Canvas so this story will not account for everything that happens in it. Episode G and Episode G:Assassin are off the table as well due to not having read them. Anyway, without further ado, enjoy the fic!
The sky was clear that evening, a waxing moon and the stars shining high above him. There were better views in high, open places but the wizened man in black robes stays put, gazing at the sky, through the sky. A light breeze picks up, swirling playfully about his robes and making the beads around his neck swing, the colored glass lightly thumping against his chest.
Soon, it would be time to go. But for now, Shion remains, enjoying the quiet, the night breeze, and darkened sky.
"You're surprisingly calm for someone who knowingly walks to their demise," a voice whispers in the darkness, or perhaps his mind? The tone is factual, detached… For a brief instance, he thinks he feels the ghost of an embrace encircling from behind, then it is gone.
"I've come to terms with it all. My life, my actions… I've done all I can for this place and its people. My mistakes, my oversights… I am content."
Shion can imagine the speaker nodding in understanding, perhaps circling about to stand in front of him. Recently, his silhouette, at one point felt but unseen, was becoming clearer to his eyes. Whether that was due to the encroaching end or something else, the old Pope didn't know.
"What of those you're leaving behind? The only sign they will have of your passing is your cosmos snuffed out like a flame slowly smothered by the melted wax around it. And then of course, the matter of your body…"
He feels a hand on his shoulder, and the touch feels strangely comforting. Looking down from the sky, he thinks he espies a beautiful face, the features enhanced by the silver eyes and matching mane, a faint shine cast over it reminiscent of stardust.
"You'll probably be left where you fall on the ground, with no limestone sarcophagus or grave coin in your mouth. Not even an unmarked grave for Your Holiness." The hand lifts from his shoulder, and the ghostly silhouette takes a step back.
"You will be trapped on the shores of the Styx for a long time, perhaps even forever." It shouldn't surprise him to hear the note of pity in the voice by now but it seems some reactions were set in stone. Then again, these were words he never expected to hear from someone he regarded as enemy.
"I would have thought such circumstances would amuse you and your masters, to take delight at my expense and that of many other fallen saints with unmarked graves. Your side and mine are fated to fight again, after all."
A brief pause as he considers the unasked question with the voiced one.
"If that is my body's fate, then nothing else can be done. As for the rest… I'm certain they will continue on. They will grieve and lament but ultimately settle back into the familiar patterns of their lives. I'm certain that my old friend will weather the process. As for my student…" He trails off, thinking of the boy.
Mu would survive. In silence, he would grieve for the father and mentor he lost but he would continue his training, both as gold saint and Cloth Mender. Should trouble come for him, Shion knew it wouldn't catch the boy unawares. And yet…
He will have to grow up faster than he already has, was the prevailing thought in his mind. Despite every logical argument he made, the sadness of realization lingered. But then, even with efforts to keep some distance in their relationship as teacher and student, he had slowly come to view Mu as a son, adding an emotional burden that neither of them probably needed. Mu likely shared in that burden as well.
He would have continued on this train of thought if not for Thanatos cutting through the track;
"I suppose it would be expected of me and mine to take pleasure in the deaths of Athena and her saints. Even so, I will admit the pity I feel for your situation is genuine, former gold saint Aries Shion. You will die, and the truth will be buried with you. And what about your goddess? I can't imagine Sanctuary will be safe with you gone-"
"Enough. I'm heading for Star Hill. Are you coming along to keep me company on my last trip or not?" He asks as he moves past the ghostly silhouette, the tone clad in the vestiges of power that he would soon lose.
Thanatos takes the hint, and backs away, his voice dropping to a lover's whisper as he fades with the dying wind,
"I will see you soon, Shion."
He steals away from the Papal Palace during the guard shift, figuring this to be his only chance to reach Star Hill before anyone presses him to bring along an escort. That hurdle is cleared and now he simply has to descend the mountain through the Road of Helios. However, another problem soon presents itself:
The Gold Saints. A few among them would certainly be keeping up late hours of vigil. They wouldn't stop him from passing through but Shion was concerned they'd start asking questions he couldn't answer. He decides to take the chance in the end, outfitting himself with the ceremonial mask and helm of his office before starting his descent in earnest. He would need it for the rose garden, after all.
In hindsight, there were a dozen other ways he could have reached Star Hill without crossing through the Houses but this… This felt right, somehow. One last walk through Sanctuary, his Sanctuary, which he had rebuilt and fortified and improved for the Holy War to come. His robes rustle as they brush past roses, his footfalls eventually crossing into the threshold of Pisces House.
He walks on, focusing his psychic powers on himself, to better cloak his presence from the House's guardian. A beautiful youth, recently ascended into his role. He would be able to fool this one, and perhaps the next set of gold saints before him. If he is detected…
Alea iacta est, he thinks, resolve rooting firmly in his heart. The descent resumes, and for the most part he is unchallenged by the Gold Saints, though whether that is because they can't sense him due to his cloaked presence or because they don't perceive a threat is unknown to him.
He moves through the Houses unchallenged, until he reaches the Seventh House of Sagittarius.
"Who's there?" The voice cracking halfway through the question lessens the intimidation the owner was going for but he recognizes the voice of Sagittarius Aiolos all the same. Shrugging off the glamour as though it was simply another layer of clothing, he steps further into the temple.
"My apologies, Aiolos. I was simply passing through."
The boy stops short as he sees the Pope seemingly appear out of nowhere, confusion in his gaze. "Your Holiness, as the Pope you can cross through the Twelve Houses without fear. Why are you…?" The question trails off into silence as Aiolos remembers who he is addressing.
The expected reprimand never comes, Shion instead moving closer to him.
"I'd rather make my way to Star Hill without an escort at this time. The quiet helps me focus my thoughts."
"A-ah, I see. I understand, Your Holiness." He shifts to step aside but something stops him. "Your Holiness? May we speak plainly for a little before you go on?"
Shion considers the question, looking at him through the masked helmet for a few seconds before reaching up and pulling it off of his head, revealing a wrinkled face and a mane of hair the color of withered grass, though every day it was growing whiter. "I'm listening."
"Are you certain about this choice? Making me your successor, that is."
"You doubt yourself?"
"I simply wonder if I'm up to it. Up to leading the Sanctuary when war inevitably comes knocking."
Shion doesn't answer at first, pondering over the answer he would give. Finally, he speaks;
"I became Pope at the end of the last Holy War. In a lot of ways, I wasn't prepared for the role: I had no one to help groom me into it, nor any advisors at the beginning. But I powered through; you could even say I had no other choice. And just like wartime, peace comes with its own challenges."
He pauses, considering what else to say, fingernails lightly tapping against the metal surface of the helmet in his hands.
"In the end, at least you'll have some help: I will guide you to the seat of ruling, and you will have Saga to help you out with advice or whatever form of assistance you may need. In the meantime, simply keep to the spirit of our laws: to rule with justice and fairness, to treat all equally under it whether they be Bronze, Silver, Gold or even simply one of the lay people living here. The optimal way to employ your subordinates is to have them work where they're best at. I'd say more but I think that's all the advice I can give you right now, Aiolos; your experiences as Pope will be very different from mine."
To his credit, the boy was listening intently, the determined light in his eyes indicative of his willingness to soak these words into his being like a sponge. After a moment of silence, he breaks it,
"I will do my best to live up to your vote of confidence, Your Holiness. From simply learning to be Pope to whatever else it requires. I swear it on-"
Shion holds up a hand, cutting him off. "Your words and the emotions in them ring true enough, Aiolos. Such an oath isn't needed here." He lifts his arms to place the masked helmet on his head, covering his face again, leaving Aiolos to puzzle out how he manages to stuff all that hair so neatly into the confined space.
"If that is all, I will be going now," he declares as he looks to the Sagittarius saint. The younger man quickly salutes and steps to the side to let him through. "Enjoy the rest of your night, Holiness." In response, Shion simply nods and resumes his descent, his form fading from sight to blend in with the shadows and low lighting as he employs his glamour again.
He's barely stepped onto the threshold of Gemini House when he feels it, the Labyrinth of the Twins tugging at the edges of his mind to draw him into its world of light and shadows. Exercising his will against the labyrinth's power, Shion steps inside the temple, intent on continuing the descent. Briefly, there is the regret that he never found the time or opportunity to try and study this ancient magic but he shakes it off.
The temple feels a bit off tonight, if only because of how he can only sense the one cosmos where there once was two. It's a blindspot that frustrates Shion, as barely even whispers of the boy's disappearance reached the Papal Palace. It spells trouble; someone is in a favorable position to control the flow of information, it could even be one from his inner circle.
If ever there was a time to get the answers he needed regarding Kanon's disappearance, it is now. The thought only just forms in his mind when he is suddenly challenged.
"You are up late, Your Holiness," comes the voice of Gemini Saga, somewhat distorted as it filters through the metal of the helmet.
"So I am." Pause. "Do you object to it, Saga?"
"I am certain whatever business keeping you from sleep is indubitably important to matters of state in Sanctuary, Your Holiness." A courtier's answer, neatly evading the question and any potential traps therein. But then, Saga learned well from observing how those in non-combatant roles operated in the higher levels of sanctuary. It is to be expected.
"Indeed. Still, there is something troubling me, and I hope you can assuage those concerns, however you can."
"I will do what I can, Your Holiness. What's wrong?"
Shion stops beating around the bush. "Your brother. I've only heard the barest rumors of him disappearing. Supposedly he deserted but we would have picked up on him leaving if that were the case. I would hear the truth from you, Saga."
He can't see the boy's expression too well, obscured by the shadows and the helmet of Gemini Cloth. Even so, he thinks he sees him stiffen, drawing himself up tightly before releasing as the mask of composure reasserts itself.
"He wanted to incite treason, and tried to pull me into his schemes. I took initiative and locked him up in the dungeon in Cape Sounio for his crimes."
The pieces fall into place as he listens. Being imprisoned in Cape Sounio would do it, particularly since Athena's cosmos mingled with Poseidon's there, smothering and effectively cloaking the presence of any cosmos that was not divine. That was not the issue.
"We have systems in place to deal with this, Saga. You could have brought the matter to me, and Kanon's punishment would have been settled with a trial." Never mind that the outcome would have likely been Cape Sounio, anyway. Unless the appointed jury voted for a swift execution instead-
Details.
"Explain your reasoning for bypassing the law."
The Gemini Saint seems to hesitate, considering how best to answer. It does not take long for him to offer one:
"I felt it was best keeping such a matter away from the public view, nor did I want to chance the risk of him spreading his ideas to others since he failed to win me over."
Pause.
"Finally, he's my brother, Your Holiness. I felt I had to take responsibility for his actions and act accordingly."
All the reasons are sound ones, and yet…
"You took the law into your own hands, being your brother's judge, jury and executioner. I will not overturn the decision to imprison Kanon but you will be disciplined for it. You may have risen high in my inner circle Saga but it does not exempt you from punishment. Are we clear on this?"
The pause in conversation is drawn out a bit more but eventually, the Gemini saint bows his head in acknowledgment.
"Clearer than glass, Your Holiness."
Shion nods and resumes his walk, moving past him. Just when Saga thinks that's the end of it, Shion's voice cuts in again,
"We will discuss this further in the morning. For now, just keep your watch."
"Understood, Your Holiness."
The mask hides his face but a slow dread is simmering deep within him as he crosses into Aries House. Out of all the possible encounters along the Road of Helios, this was the one he was dreading the most. Shion hadn't lied to Thanatos when he told him he had come to terms with his encroaching death and how he had lived his life up to this point.
But some things were easier said than done.
He doesn't even have time to steel himself for the encounter ahead when it is upon him-
"Master, why are you up so late? You...You need your rest," a child's voice pipes up at him from below. There is silence at first, then the boy hears a soft chuckle echoing out from the helmeted mask covering Shion's face.
"And what of you? You shouldn't be keeping up such late hours yourself, Mu."
"...I can't sleep."
A breeze picks up then, playing with the hem of Shion's robes and Mu's tunic, making the fabric ripple across their bodies while it gifted them with a brief respite of cool air in an otherwise stifling night. Shion raises his hands, removing the helmet and tucking it under his arm. He thinks he can hear his bones creak in his body as he takes a seat on the base of an incomplete column. Presumably it had been meant for another building but had been forgotten, being repurposed as an improvised seat in Aries House.
"Is it a nightmare?" Shion asks as he gestures for the boy to join him.
The child Aries Saint takes a seat beside the former, looking to the stardusted skies above them in silence for a moment or two before he answers.
"No nightmare. The feeling is very similar though."
A tale Shion knew well, having experienced it more than once throughout his long life. "The ghost of a sting, or pinprick, perhaps?"
"Y-yes, that's it! And whenever I try to trace the source-"
"Gone, only to appear elsewhere." Shion finishes for him as he moves the helmet from under his arm to his lap. Silence hangs between them, heavier than stone. After a while, Mu breaks through;
"Something's happening, isn't it."
"...Yes, and it will envelop the whole of Sanctuary. I suppose my only regret regarding that is that I won't be able to prevent it, even if I had the time or strength to do so."
Hearing his master speak with such finality jarrs the boy, and the feeling that had been troubling him throughout the night comes back. Instead of stings, it's a volley and through the anguish, he thinks he understands why Shion is out at this hour and in Aries House with him.
Shion, lost in his own thoughts, is suddenly jostled out of them by the warmth of a small body pressing against his own, arms encircling him in the tightest hug they can manage at their current length and size. He looks over to Mu, pride and regret overflowing him as he sees that the boy is trying to hold back tears.
In an ideal world, it wouldn't be like this. But then, an ideal world would have no need of Gods or the Holy Warriors serving them. In such a world, perhaps…
There is little point dwelling in what-ifs and maybes at this time. Briefly, Shion wonders if he ever had that luxury at any point in his life.
"Is there nothing I can do to help you, Master? Am I just not... "
A gnarled, wrinkled hand lights upon Mu's head, the sensation of having his hair ruffled and stroked comforting and familiar. It also has the effect of interrupting the last question, which is what Shion intended.
"You'll grow into your power and the Cloth with you. It will take time, there will be struggles but it will happen… You've more than proven yourself as my successor to Aries, Mu. I'm confident-no, I know you will weather the storm that's coming." He doesn't say what they're both thinking, that Mu has no other choice but to weather it, and survive. Still, given how tightly the boy holds on to him, he shouldn't let it end on that note.
"Mu."
The young Aries Saint lifts his head, doing an admirable effort of pulling himself together and wiping any emotion from his face. It's not perfect: Shion can still see the turmoil in his eyes but he overlooks that.
"Are you listening? This is important."
"Yes."
"After tonight, things will start to change in Sanctuary. It won't be sudden or obvious, but it will happen, like rot growing inside a fruit. If you feel that Sanctuary has become a trap, seek her out." He states as he locks eyes with the boy.
Mu blinks in surprise. There is only one 'her' his master could be talking about.
"Alanna? But isn't she-"
"She is."
"Haven't you always told me never to trust them completely?"
"I have."
So what separates Alanna from all the others, is the unasked question lingering thickly between them.
"I've known her since forever, back when I was still young and only starting out as Pope. She's proved a valuable ally when I least expected it, and a treasured companion throughout my life." Pause. "You can count on her for whenever you need a back door out of Sanctuary." The possibility that he might not be able to trust anyone on the inside goes unsaid.
"And of course, you know where to go if you leave."
"R-right." He gets it but it's still a little jarring to hear that things could get worse than they were. Even so, he won't let his nerves get the better of him. He pulls away from Shion, drawing himself to full height. It's not an impressive sight right now but then, he is only seven years old."I'll take your words to heart, Master Shion. And… goodbye."
Shion rises, a melancholy smile growing on his wrinkled face as he reaches over and ruffles Mu's hair for the last time.
"I'm sure we'll meet again in the next life, Mu."
In younger days, Shion not only walked all way to Star Hill; he also made the climb every time instead of relying on something like teleportation to bypass it. It often resulted in dirty, sometimes torn robes (much to the frustration of his tailors) but he stuck with it, maintaining the habit until his body had become too old and worn to continue climbing anymore.
Until recent days, there hasn't been much need to visit the place, the lone pillar with its small shrine at the top, usually used for scrying the stars, to divine matters such as narrowing down where Athena would be reborn in mortal flesh and when, or seeking ancient knowledge lost to humanity, that sort of thing. Results varied wildly, from Popes who had clear, succinct visions to ones who could barely access the stars and of course those in between. He's no gifted seer or oracle but Shion feels he's at least been moderately successful at divining the stars.
Stepping inside the shrine, it doesn't take long to reach the sanctum. Typically, there'd be a small altar set up, the space cleansed physically and spiritually before an idol of the god was installed within. It would be a home away from home, for times of worship and festival.
That wasn't the case with the Star Shrine.
Instead, the space of the sanctum is empty, the floor isn't even tiled, instead being rough stone from the local quarry that had been sanded down to a smooth surface. The only instances of any decoration are on the inner walls, adorned with old frescoes depicting Asteria and Urania. Looking upon them as best he can in the darkness, Shion wonders if they can be restored.
The other decorative feature in the shrine is above him, a space on the roof having been cut to make space for panels of glass, crafted to magnify the night sky for anyone gazing up beneath them. That said, it didn't make for the best telescope, its primary function to assist in star scrying with astronomy as a secondary concern. This isn't a problem; he's not here to study the dance of heavenly bodies.
Carefully, gingerly, he kneels, feeling his bones and muscles protest as he sits on his knees, a sardonic smile forming on his lips as he reflects that this would be the one time he wouldn't be feeling the pain later. The smile fades as he lifts his head up to the sky, purging his mind of all thoughts to better focus on the scrying, a golden corona surrounding him as he burns his cosmos, feeling it wrap around him with heat and light.
He, or perhaps his consciousness, dives into his own universe, then past it, and before he can properly react to the disembodied feeling he's already there, floating among the stars and planets in the cosmic abyss. What he sees is an image, doubled over on itself: there is Space as it actually appears in reality, cold, dark and devoid of color save for the few objects that have it. At the same time, it appears just as people imagine it and more besides: Color blooms as smoke and clouds from nebulas in many hues, perhaps even more than he can see with human eyes. Describing it is challenging and he feels his vocabulary insufficient for the task… but if Shion had to put it into words, floating in the primordial sea of Nun, or Chaos, or the mingling waters of Apsu and Tiamat.
This was likely the closest any human would get to such an experience.
He shakes off these thoughts and focuses on his dive, all the stars and planets around him floating amidst a fog of images, a mosaic of a billion potential futures in a multitude of universes and timelines. On some other occasion and perhaps with more knowledge, he would have explored these stories, functionally the same but with alterations of their own making.
But he's out of time, and these musings are of no relevance at this moment.
There's no sense of time in this state but the current he's in eventually opens out into a river mouth, a crossroads in the star-dusted expanse of time and space. Shion pauses, letting himself drift as he considers which current to follow.
From lit to void, these are the futures you can divine, a line from an old text crosses his mind. The current with the most light-from stars, nebulas, planets or moons-was for learning the approximate future, the rest gradually getting darker the farther you wanted to go. Shion's barely drifted in place for a few moments before he picks a current to pull him in.
A river-sea of images leaps out at him amidst rapids while he keeps his will focused against the current. He can't lose sight of himself and his question, lest he be swept away into a broader picture than the one he seeks.
Will Athena live after I am gone? Will she save Sanctuary?
Gradually, he feels the current's pull weaken, slowing down. Without context, he finds it difficult to comprehend some of the answers he's presented: fighters grappling under harsh lights, boys forced into a life they likely never wanted, at least a hundred of them… Only ten will make it back.
An elusive darkness seems to wrap around one of them, of him and yet not, mingling with the dazzling light of a whirlpool. He'd look into it further if not for the feeling of shadows above him, the pope just making out the blurred shape of a winged horse.
After many centuries, Pegasus will be worn once more. Would it be a special case like Tenma, another demigod stepping forward to be tested by the Cloth or would this next wearer have more humble origins?
He doesn't get his answer, distracted as other shapes and lights join the pegasus: dragon, phoenix, swan, a maiden in chains. And behind them, the warmest light, enveloping them in its embrace…
Athe-!
Everything goes black.
He's aware of two things: the hollow sound of metal striking stone and the thin cord around his neck, pulling tightly against his windpipe. Naturally, he struggles, tries to slip his hand between himself and the cord for breathing room but then a foot plants down on his back, forcing him to bend over. As Shion pushes back, he hears it-
"Looks like you won't be disciplining me after all, Your Holiness."
The end is upon him, yet the old man lets out a croaked laugh. "That's it? That's why-"
"No," there is a tone of finality in the boy's voice as he crosses the ends of the silken garrote along the back of Shion's neck. "Why? Why did you choose Aiolos when you knew I was more qualified to lead?"
Because I sense the darkness in you. Because you haven't learned to temper your demons. Because…
It's getting harder to think as well as breathe while the struggle continues. He's faintly aware of Saga struggling too, though he can't say if it's only against him.
"Athena won't help us in future battles. She's too soft, too willing to play diplomat when that just makes it worse. No, we need someone with a harder, crueler heart to lead the charge against the Three Brothers, Shion."
"And...you're saying...that's you…" He gasps out before Saga presses down on his back, forcing him lower.
"You've sensed my darkness, Shion. Who else but me?" Pause. "Still… I'm sorry it had to end this way."
There's no response from Shion, more focused on the fight for his dwindling life now but also, how do you respond to that when the speaker is trying to kill you in cold blood? What's more…
He's sincere, the old man realizes as light and color are fading. If he means to say anything, it never comes, his waning focus on the one, new thing that stands out clearly even though the rest is blurring.
He hears the sharp, loud crack of snapping bone, the bloom of pain flowering out from his spine but it all seems so far away as he watches Thanatos approach. For Saga, the God is not there: not seen, not heard, not felt. But then, Thanatos didn't come for Saga's soul tonight.
"You… You will be stopped. You will...face justice." And that's when Saga pulls both ends tight and Thanatos kisses his lips.
Saga hears wind blowing into the Star Shrine as he feels the body go limp but he pays it little mind as he releases the garrote, faintly aware of flesh hitting stone while he gazes upon his hands.
There was blood on them now, and Shion's last words echo throughout his mind, somehow getting louder with each intonation.
"You will face justice."
"Perhaps it will happen… Perhaps it won't," Saga murmurs as he kneels down to pick up the helmet and mask, the latter having snapped off in the fall. Either way…
"Let them come."