Author's Note: I don't own the Saint Seiya characters!
Happy Birthday to our Geminis, Saga and Kanon! Kampai!
You lost
For Kanon his elder twin was like the personification of the almighty God. Saga was strong, Saga was intelligent, Saga was beautiful. Always kind to everyone; always helpful, when he could do something for someone else. He always had a smile on his young, charming face; he always had some nice words to say, especially to these one with the sad eyes. He was a skilled trainee, praised by his teacher every day. His power overwhelmed the cosmo of many Saints, its level were already considering as a Silver Saint's one. Everyone was telling him that for sure he would gain the Gold Cloth of the Gemini in matter of the time. Well, Kanon though that too. For such an amazing person like Saga, it was really easy to fulfill his dream. Saga could do that, he could reach the stars.
And for him, Kanon, the younger twin, Saga was a link to the wonderful world of Saints.
As a younger one, he couldn't be the Saint. He had no right to get the Cloth, he never would be able to have the final test of his strength, he never would have the chance of putting the armor on his body and fight as a Knight. There was no future as a proud Saint of Athena for him.
But he could train like his brother. He could be in the Sanctuary and have the training under the care of the Saint, so someday he could be one of these young men, who were guarding the Sanctuary. He had the right of being on the fighting fields and spend his time with others young men. He even could spare with them.
Yes, he, Kanon could have the low existence of the second.
But even if he was the mere shadow of his great brother, he loved Saga. For Kanon, he was his only family he had, his only support in his hard life. Even if the elder of the twin was going to gain the Gold Cloth of the Gemini, he never treated Kanon as someone worse. He was always treating him as an equal. But the others trainee were not so nice, Kanon many times had to face the cruelty of his companions. It was painful to hear all these insulting comments, coming from every side of the Sanctuary. They were showing him the worst kind of pity, laughing at him, asking how it was to be the worse one. And only his twin, Saga had always the words of encouragement. Saga was always beside him in these awful times. Saga was always supporting him and taking care of him.
Kanon really loved him, his great brother. They were talking a lot after the long days; they had even the special place where their talks had the place. It was the grassy cliff at the border of the sea, falling down straight to the water. There was the tree on that cliff, the lonely tree, only one in that part of the Sanctuary. The nice wind were always tugging their hair there, sometimes blowing so strongly, that they couldn't hear each other.
And Kanon loved that place and he loved their talks. It was making him happy, making him feel like the world was less cruel, and he, Kanon, wasn't the second.
But of course it didn't stop Kanon from training hardly every day. He wanted to show everyone that he was as strong as Saga or even stronger. He wanted them to see that being the second didn't mean to be the weaker.
It was a few years after they started their training, they were still young boys, but Kanon could see that their skills surpassed these ones belonging to the Silver Saints the were training under. The younger twin requested the duel with Saga, duel in the deserted part of the Sanctuary in the light of the sundown. Saga agreed without even the surprise. He knew what for Kanon was attempting. They had no secrets between themselves.
So the fight begun, when the sun reached the horizon.
"You lost, Kanon," murmured the long-haired boy, carrying on his back his younger, half consciousness brother. It was a good fight, he himself had a few serious wounds, but his little brother was in a worse shape.
"Shut up, Saga," answered the boy, barely opening his eyes and holding tightly his brother. "Someday I will defeat you."
For him this fight was a miserable failure, Saga defeated him really quickly, like dealing with his younger brother wasn't the big deal at all.
Saga laughed resonantly and after a while stopped finally. Kanon looked weakly around himself and saw their special place. The elder twin put him gently under the tree and started to taking care of their wounds.
"Yes, you will. I can't wait for it, Kanon. It will be the fun to be defeated by you."
Kanon snorted under his nose, allowing his brother to bandaging his arm. Saga's eyes saddened a little.
"I hate them…" he murmured, tightening his fingers on Kanon's wrist.
"Who?" asked the younger twin, looking at his brother's expression, full of worry and hidden anger.
"All these people that treat you like a trash. I want to beat them all."
After the first surprise, Kanon growled angrily.
"I don't need your pity, Saga. Someday I will defeat you, so they will see that I'm stronger than you, even if I'm the second."
"I'm not feeling the pity for you," said Saga, looking inside the dark eyes of his twin. "I admire you that you never gave up. You are as strong as me; you are training every day like me, even if they try to crush your dreams."
Kanon run away with his eyes. He couldn't bear this look of Saga, full of sadness over Kanon's life. It was making him mad.
"If I would have the choice," added quietly the elder twin, "I would gladly switch the place with you. If it would really make you happy, I would happily become the second for you, Kanon."
"Shut up," growled Kanon, really angry at now. He couldn't bear this sadness in Saga's voice; he couldn't bear these words, full of love for the younger twin. Kanon really hated to by pitied, and for him it was exactly what Saga was doing. Pitying him. "I like to be the second. And I don't care what others are saying about me. Someday I will show them who is better."
Saga looked surprised inside the eyes of his brother. He could see it, this hatred inside them and that evilness, tainting the sea color he loved so much. It scared him a little; it was just the pure evil.
"Just leave me alone, Saga," added Kanon.
The elder twin frowned with the sadness but he stood up and walk away from the cliff, leaving his younger brother alone.
Since that time Kanon doubled his efforts to become stronger than Saga. He was training every day from the dawn to the night, forcing his mind and body to do the impossible. His hatred towards the other trainees was deepening with the every day, but he tried to ignore them. He couldn't let these trashes to interrupt his desire; he couldn't let them destroy his dream. He was just moving forward, every day further and further, forgetting about many important things, forgetting about his brother and their talks evening's talks. Their special place was abandoned by them completely; Kanon promised himself that the next time he would go there will be after his win with Saga.
But before Kanon managed to duel with Saga one more time, the elder brother passed his final test and gained the Gold Cloth of the Gemini. Ironic, wasn't it? The elder twin became the Guardian of the Gemini Temple.
For Kanon it was the worst day ever. He couldn't believe he didn't make it in the time. He didn't manage to show everyone who is more worth of being the Gold Saint of Athena. His dream was destroyed cruelly against the golden armor of him twin, Saga.
It was the time when he felt the hatred for Saga for the first time. He was sure that his brother gained the Cloth before their duel in the purpose. To humiliate him. To show him, that he was a real trash, just the second. Damn hypocrite! Firstly talking about love for Kanon, almost crying over his life and at the end being the same as the other people in the Sanctuary. Saga was truly evil. Just like him, Kanon the Second.
Yes, Kanon knew that he was evil. He could feel this hatred towards other people; he could feel the angry when he was looking at the others. And he just wanted them to pay for their sins very painfully.
And Saga was the same. Maybe it wasn't clear at now, but Kanon was sure that the evil was sleeping inside Saga's mind, ready to wake up someday. He had to be the same, they were twins after all. But for now, Saga was acting so innocently, alongside with the Gold Saint of Sagittarius keeping an eye on the peace. Fighting for the justice!
And that justice was so righteous, really! What was so righteous in place where the second was treated like a trash? When the second twin had no chance of fulfilling his dreams, of being the Saint? But Saga never tried to change that. Even if he was one of the most powerful Saints in the Sanctuary he didn't even try to change it. The Sanctuary remained as the place where the weaklings could be the warriors of Athena and the powerful one was just a trash. Where the power given by the Gods to Kanon was keeping in the darkness.
And Kanon wanted to show that it wass wrong. Powerful people should be at the top, the weaklings should be just the weaklings. But to fulfill his new dream, Kanon had to wake up this evilness in Saga. So they two could change the Sanctuary. Together they were able to rule this place, to make the law of the Holy Land, to choose who should be the Saint and who shouldn't. Then Kanon could take the Gold Cloth and became the Gold Saint himself. And as the Gold Saint he could defeat Saga, to take the revenge against him.
The younger twin tried to wake up Saga's evilness. He was trying to do that every day, but without any effect. It was frustrating him, especially when Saga was still acting so innocently. But Kanon never gave up. He couldn't to that. If he gave up, it meant for him, that he was defeated by weaklings, that Sanctuary still would be the place with the fake justice, where weakling was considered as heroes, and strong people were just trashes.
In the last act of despair, he tried to persuade his elder twin to killing the current Pope and the baby, which was the current reincarnation of Athena. For Kanon that baby was just a baby; who would ever believe that Goddess would incarnate as a common girl, born no one knew where? He had the hope that while killing the innocent one, Saga finally would surrender to his darkness and both of them would rule the Sanctuary.
But Saga again refused to his words, being so innocent, acting as the right hand of the Justice.
They were fighting back then, Saga was trying to knock out form his brother this evilness; Kanon was trying to show him that he was right. It was long fight, making the Sanctuary to tremble violently.
And then were only the hum of the sea and the steel bars of his prison. Cape Sounion.
„You lost again," said Saga, looking at his younger brother with the sadness inside his dark eyes. "You lost to your dark soul, brother. Consider all your sins before you die."
Kanon growled with the frustration, looking as his twin was walking away, climbing the stairs slowly.
"Some day you will become evil too, Saga," Kanon screamed loudly. "You are like me, so be careful."
He laughed. This situation was so ironic that he couldn't help it. His laugh was filling the cave, spreading around that prison, and surely reaching the Gold Saint of the Gemini.
He would never die in that cave. He was too powerful to die here, alone, locked by his brother. Someday he would manage to break free and then the time for his revenge would come.
And he didn't die. Every time the cave was filled by the water, something was helping him to stay alive. Kanon could feel the powerful and warm cosmo keeping him alive all the time. He had no idea who was doing such a thing, but it didn't have the matter for him. It was good that he could remain alive.
Everything that had the place later happened really quickly. He found the Trident that all the time was so close to him. Then he spent many years in the depths of the sea, where he could make the plans for the revenge. Now he had everything in his own hands, everything he desired. The power of a God, his own underwater kingdom and even a few underlings he could command. His live became exactly as beautiful as he always desired. Now he could take the lives of people who made fun of him, who were treating him as a trash. He could show them who was at the top.
Yes, he had everything. But even that, he lost.
He lost to the young Saint, the Bronze Saint of Athena. Everything disappeared in the warmth of Her cosmo and the determination of the five young warriors. His kingdom collapsed, surrendered to the power of the Goddess he wanted to kill now and many years ago.
And he recognized that warm cosmo, full of love and compassion for everyone, even for him. It was the cosmo that saved him many times in the Cape Sounion. It was the cosmo that help him to stay alive, that was filling his soul every time the cave was under water. Now he could feel the cosmo too, filling him with the warmness. It shocked him; after all he wanted Her to die for the sake of his own desires. He wanted to take her life, the fragile life of the Goddess who saved him in the past. But even if he had so many sins he could feel the love she felt for him.
He cried. He was crying, looking at the crumbling kingdom he tried to create. He was crying, looking at remains of his power, at his so called revenge. He was looking at it and didn't care. He was wrong all the time, trying to commit the worst sin. Killing Athena wouldn't bring him the victory; he would only erase this warm cosmo from the world, when nothing else would change.
For the first time in his life he regretted. He regretted everything, every sin he committed. And he wanted to redeem all his mistakes.
"You lost again, Kanon," he heard the voice of the nightmare from his childhood; the voice he hated so much for such a long time. It reminded him that evening when he fought with him for the first time and when he was defeated so miserable. He twitched from the awful feeling, when the embarrassment spread around his mind. It was a real failure, to make his brother to fight with him, when he, Kanon wasn't prepared for that.
He opened his eyes, wanting to look inside these dark eyes of his brother, the eyes he saw hours ago for the first time since they were stupid teenagers. He really wanted to see them, to look deep inside and smile. He wanted to say 'sorry' to him and to start over again.
But he saw only the sky in the color of horrible red and the bodies of his enemies, Specters.
Right, he was in the Underworld, not able to move after the suicidal fight with the Rhadamanthys, looking at the disappearing Kingdom of Hades.
Kanon chuckled under his nose, closing his eyes and waiting for his end. Soon he will die, from the wounds if the falling Underworld Kingdom wouldn't do it first. But it had no matter for Kanon; he had no regrets about his life anymore. Athena forgave him and deep inside his soul he knew, that Saga forgave him too.
He was prepared to die. And… And he would die as a proud warrior of Athena, the Saint that fought by Her side.
His senses fade away finally; his soul left the destroyed body, heading to the world of the better life, where he surely could be happier…
…the slight sigh reached his ears through the deep darkness he was covered with. Every sound was muffled and distant. He could feel the warmth radiating from something, but he was too sleepy to open his eyes and discovered what was happening to his body. He had so strange dream that was making him a little confused.
His body was so sore; he could feel the pain almost in his every limb. And he was swaying in the rhythm of someone's steps. Why? Where he was and what happened?
"Oh, Kanon," he heard just beside his ear. That voice was so nice, sounding just like his own voice. It was so comfortable to hear these tones, that were making him to feel save. "You lost again to me."
Oh, that's right. They were fighting again. He challenged his elder twin for another round, hoping that maybe this time he would win. It had been a long time since they were dueling like that. How many years it was? The first duel had the place when they were really young, so it had to be more than 20 years ago. And since then he never defeated his brother. Even once.
He opened his eyes with difficulty. He wanted to sink into the warm unconsciousness one more time and wait until his painful wounds disappear.
He saw the blonde, long hair beside his eyes, the blonde hair similar to his own, but surely belonging to his elder twin, Saga. He was carried carefully on the strong back of Saga, who was walking slowly through the stony area. Kanon knew where they were heading. To their special place.
"I wonder," added Saga, not being aware that his brother regained the consciousness, "if someday you will be able to defeat me, Kanon."
The younger one snorted weakly.
"Fuck you, Saga. Of course I will," he answered with the self-assurance.
Saga chuckled quietly, entering the high cliff, where the lonely tree was growing since many decades already. He put carefully his younger brother on the ground, smiling widely to him. He saw the red blushes on the face of Kanon. It was always like that; his smile was making Kanon happy and shy as if the younger twin never expected to see that innocent gesture.
"How long it is already, since you want to defeat me, Kanon?" Saga asked, starting to treat his twin's wounds, and smiling gently all the time.
Kanon snorted shortly, trying to avoid the look of the clearly blue eyes of his brother. He couldn't. He loved these eyes to much, he loved the color, he loved the seriousness of them and that kindness inside.
Then he lost again. He lost to these blue eyes and this kind smile, that was making him to feel save and happy. He caught the chin of Saga and kissed him strongly, crushing their lips together and feeling like this smile turned into the touch of the desire…