Traveling through space and time, we reunite to welcome the future without breaking our bond as a family.
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Disclaimer:
Saint Seiya © Masami Kurumada
Saint Seiya : The Lost Canvas © Shiori Teshirogi
Warning: Possibly OOC, possibly crack, contains shonen-ai (Kardia x Dégel and Defteros x Asmita)
Second genre(s): Family, Supranatural, Romance, slight humor
I do not take benefit upon writing this fanfiction.
New Year 2018 edition
Miracle for Those Who Deserve it
White covered the streets of Paris. Snowfall occasionally bumped into each other and danced with the breeze before falling on nearby objects adding another layer of snow blankets. Flickering decorative lights adored storefronts on the left and right side of the road. Christmas had always brought up different atmosphere from daily basis. Thanks to the much-awaited celebration, the city didn't seem die on winter nights.
Traffic jam made a man in a silver car didn't realize the day was late. When his gaze shifted to his watch then he barely realized it was two o'clock in the predawn. He accelerated the speed of the vehicle, through the increasingly thickening snow.
"You came home too late." It was a greeting he received when his feet barely stepped into his apartment. He hadn't even had time to hang his jacket on a coat stand near the front door.
The green-haired man didn't immediately anwered. He decided to hang his jacket and take off shoes and socks first. "Didn't I tell you today I have an operation schedule? I've also asked you to go to bed first."
"That's not the problem, Dégel." The man clad in pajamas frowned. "The weather outside is bad. Why force yourself to go home and not staying in the hospital?"
The tired streaks on Dégel's didn't prevent him to curve a smile. "Sometimes you sound like me, Kardia." He cheered casually. Usually Dégel was the one who got worried about little things related to the man he called Kardia. Apparently, table could turn sometimes.
"Yeah, you give a good influence to me."
A shake of head and a mild chuckle were his respond to Kardia's sarcasm.
"I'll warm up the food. Go take a quick shower." Kardia said as he went to the kitchen.
"All right." Dégel said resignedly, then climbed up the stairs to his bedroom on the second floor. His original plan after arriving at the apartment was to take a bath then sleep due to fatigue. However, Kardia wouldn't let him sleep with an empty stomach, as if he could read Dégel's mind that he skipped dinner due to the dense schedule. The number of patients in the hospital where he worked increased in winter, an unavoidable annual phenomenon. Therefore, doctors and medics must be prepared for a dense schedule.
After a quick shower, the man immediately went into the kitchen where Kardia have been waiting. Without further ado, he sat down on an empty chair and began to devour Kardia's creamy soup.
"You look exhausted." Kardia said after a few minutes of silence.
"I have no other choice. I have to add shifts for a week to get the holiday we've planned." Dégel said. "You yourself are busy too, aren't you?"
"But I'm not as busy as you are." Kardia answered quickly. Afterwards they didn't continue their conversation until Dégel finished his dinner—which was too late to be so called. "Let me clean the dishes. Go sleep."
Dégel nodded, too tired to argue. The only thing he did was to give a light peck on Kardia's cheek as manifestation of gratitude. Kardia smiled before cleaning the dirty dishes in the kitchen, turned off all the lights in the first floor, and went to their room.
Kardia expected to find Dégel asleep when he entered the room. Instead, he found the doctor wide awake, staring at a golden envelope in his hand.
Sighing, the blue-haired man snatched the envelope from Dégel's hand and placed it in nightstand drawer. Then he climbed to the king-sized bed they shared every night to rest. As soon as Kardia lay down, Dégel immediately wrapped an arm around him and leaned his head against Kardia's arm.
Kardia caressed Dégel's long hair while staring at the ceiling. They were currently thinking about the same thing and silent until Dégel asked, "Do you think all of them will come?"
"I'm not entirely sure. Receiving the letter alone makes me can't stop wondering. I hope they are all in the same state as us, with complete memories."
"Not all memories are sweet to be remembered, Kardia." Dégel whispered calmly yet his tone contained lots of emotions. He placed a hand on Kardia's left chest, feeling the heartbeat of the blue-haired man carefully. Grateful for Kardia's healthy heart which beat as vigorously as the life force of its owner.
Understanding the reason behind those words, Kardia held Dégel's hand which was resting on his chest. "Good or bad memories, they are still a part of us, aren't they?"
After a few seconds of silence, Dégel finally replied, "You're right." A brief pause. "What time is our flight?"
"Eight. Are you busy that day? "
"Unfortunately so. My last shift finished at six o'clock. I do not think I managed to get home. Will you pick me up at the hospital and bring my suitcase? We go straight to the airport afterwards. I'll pack my things tomorrow morning before go to work. "
A sigh escaped Kardia's lips. "You're really forcing yourself. All right, I'll pick you up. "
"Thank you." Dégel whispered before closed his eyes and finally fell asleep after receiving a sweet kiss on his forehead.
Once certain that Dégel was in a deep slumber, Kardia opened the drawer with one hand without getting out of bed. He picked up two golden envelopes containing a letter in each which arrived last week.
Letters that made them believe that miracles do exist.
Before Kardia put envelopes back to its place, once again he read the name written on each envelope.
Scorpio Kardia, and
Aquarius Dégel.
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A cup of hot coffee is the most sought after thing during cold weather. A sight of coffee shop full of costumers was no longer an astonishing one. Talking with colleagues, friends, or lover while enjoying hot coffee was one of favorite activities in winter. In the corner of one of the most famous coffee shops in New York City, at a table near the window, a man was seen enjoying his coffee alone. Unlike other visitors. he didn't wear layers of warm clothes. Simply clad in a shirt, jeans, shoes, and a hat which helped to hide his face.
Apparently the Long Black Coffee served on his desk wasn't as attractive as a gold envelope he was now staring at. Eyes were fixed on it, but his thought wandered away. Considering what decision he should make regarding to the content of letter he received several days ago. The look on his face and eyes clearly reflected doubts. Dilemma disturbed him. Especially when he once again read the name written on the envelope.
Gemini Defteros.
"Have you decided?" asked a man who had just arrived and joined him. Straight to the point without further ado, even though the man himself was still busy cleaning his head and jacket from snowflakes.
Defteros leaned his back as his gaze shifted to the fallen snowflakes outside. It took him a few extra minutes to consider, before a sigh escaped along with the final decision. "I accept this invitation."
This time, a sigh was heard from his interlocutor who seemed to be slightly disappointed with aforementioned decision. "Being off for one day alone is already troublesome enough. Now you're asking me to rearrange the schedule so you can be off for three days?"
"Isn't that your job?"
The manager sighed again, defeated. Taking care of a top-notch stubborn model was never been an easy job. He finally pulled out a note and a ballpoint from inside his bag to rearrange the schedule.
"What kind of event is that anyway? It seems very important that you can't decline it. Family reunion?" asked the manager while busy crossing out some activities on his notes.
"Yeah."
"Then your twin brother will come too?"
Defteros snorted. "I have to force him to come, or else he would say he is too busy to come even though he doesn't have to deal with the trouble of taking plane to Greece."
"Hmm… I really want to meet a man who successfully leads a big company at such a young age." The manager bit the tip of his bolpion, frowning while considering what activities he should cancel or switch to another day. "Come to think of it, you deserve time to return to your hometown. Need me to accompany you? I wouldn't mind— "
"No need. You stay here and take care of all the protests regarding to the canceled events and photo shoots."
The desperate sigh of the manager provoked a mischievous grin on the face of the tan-skinned model.
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Winter in Greece wasn't as cold as winters in other European countries. This country rarely shrouded in snow. The lowest average temperature was no less than 9 degrees Celsius, unlike other countries that even reach below 0 degrees. The frenzy of Greece inhabitants didn't decrease significantly, even at night. Nor did they wear more than two layers of clothing.
The traffic around Athens was still quite crowded. In the midst of the traffic, seen a taxi carrying three passengers in it—two male and a female. The girl had been watching the view out the window all the time, reluctant to ever shift her gaze away. Although the two boys sitting in the back seat were busy with their conversation, she remained uninterested to their topic. Her fingers intertwined on her lap, occasionally sighed.
"You look nervous," said a brown-haired teenager as he patted the girl on the shoulder.
"Ah." A little surprised, the lavender-haired girl turned her head. "Yes, I'm a bit nervous. Return to this place and soon meet those people I've been longing for."
"You know, my heart is also pounding. I'm sure everything will pay off when we meet them. Calm down."
The girl nodded, then turned her gaze to a long-haired blond teenager who just smiled softly at her.
Having managed to break through the traffic density, the car was driven to a coastal area. When it arrived, two of three passengers got off the car, while the other remained inside.
"Promise to come before late," said the girl.
The figure sitting in the taxi smiled. "I promise. I'll just meet him for a while, then I'll join you. "
The light onshore breeze which carried salty aroma welcomed them, accompanied by beautiful sight of deep blue sea. But nothing was more mesmerizing than a warm smile shown by a handsome man who rushed up to them.
"I've been waiting for this great opportunity to meet you again, Athena-sama."
The man quickly knelt down and placed a hand on his left chest, his head dipped down to show such deep respect. The honor was given to the young girl who seemed to be surprised by said act.
"Sisyphus." The girl rushed over to the man named Sisyphus, grabbed his shoulder to ask him to stand up. Tears pooled in her eyelids when she came face-to-face with this man. "Put down the formality, please. I'm no longer Athena. Please just call me Sasha."
Although Sisyphus at last stood on his feet, the smile on his face had not been erased. "As you wish, Sasha-sama."
Sasha chuckled at it. It seemed of no use asking Sisyphus to remove the suffix. If that made him more comfortable, Sasha wouldn't ask for more.
The gaze of the handsome man now turned to the young man behind Sasha. "How are you, Tenma?"
Tenma was a little startled when a question was directed at him. Since he still couldn't completely believe he would ever meet this man again. "Uh? I am healthy!"
A slight laugh escaped Sisyphus' lips before saying, "alow me to lead you. Sage-sama and Hakurei-sama are waiting."
Nodding, Sasha and Tenma therefore followed Sisyphus's steps towards the shoreline that had been decorated in such a way. Colorful lanterns hang on the ropes strung across them. A long table served as a place to put drinks and snacks. Empty glasses and dinnerware were neatly arranged on a square table next to the long table. As they looked straight ahead, dozens of sitting cushions had been neatly arranged into three large layers of circles with mats. In the middle of the circle, some dried wood had been arranged neatly as well. A few meters from the circles was seen several grills with charcoal that had been heated, ready to be used.
"You prepared all this, Sisyphus? Sorry for not helping in the preparation," said Sasha, amazed by the preparations and decorations upon her sight.
Sisyphus chuckled. "Since the location of our meeting is here, as the host it is my duty to welcome the guest as well as possible, isn't it? Not to mention, I'm not preparing this alone."
"Hello, Athena-sama! Tenma!"
They looked up at the sound source. Found a young man with a face similar to Sisyphus sat on a folding ladder to tie the lantern strap on a wooden pole.
"Regulus!"
Soon, two middle-aged men with almost exact stature and face rushed towards them.
"Sage, Hakurei, glad to see you in good health. Ah, I should have called you 'uncle', shouln't I?"
"Uncle? They are too old to be called uncle. Grandpa sounds more suitable—a-arh!" Tenma's protest was instantly rewarded by a jew from Hakurei.
"No way. We are still young!" Hakurei protested before he released Tenma.
Sage and Sisyphus shook their heads, while Sasha giggled.
"Are you in good health?" Sage asked. "Your journey from Italy must be tiring."
"Very healthy. I've been waiting for this moment." Sasha replied with a warm smile.
"Me as well. All preparations are done, we just have to wait for the others to be around in an hour."
When it came to waiting, the time seemed to go extremely slow. Made those who wait anxious and impatient. Some could refrain themselves from acting strangely, but the rest failed to do so. Tenma had been standing for a long time near the entrance made of woven rattan decorated with roses and colorful chrysanthemums, waiting the arrival of the others. Hakurei walked around in front of the Sage and Sasha who sit quietly while talking lightly. Sisyphus was busy checking back everything that was neatly arranged on the table, making sure nothing was missing. While Regulus stole some snacks without Sisyphus' knowing.
"OH—YATO!" Tenma's appeal made everyone look at him. "Yuzuriha too!"
Sasha strode to the entrance. She found a boy of their age was coming down from the taxi followed by a beautiful young woman behind. Not long after, another taxi pulled up next to the first one and dropped two men.
"Shion! Dohko!" This time Sasha exclaimed cheerfully.
"DOHKO!" Tenma shouted.
As the four of them approached, Dohko immediately embraced Tenma and ruffle his hair. "I missed you, Tenma!"
"Oi! My hair!" Tenma protested, struggling to free himself from Dohko's embrace.
"How could you come together?" Sasha asked.
"We happened to stay the same hotel." Yuzuriha replied politely while smiling.
A warm hug was given by Hakurei to his former disciple.
"Master..." Shion hugged his master back tightly.
Hakurei subsequently did the same thing to Yuzuriha who was his disciple as well.
"Oh, look who's coming!" exclaimed Dohko after finally let Tenma go.
Sasha herself rushed over to the two guests who had just stepped into the party.
"Kardia!" shouted the girl who hugged Kardia with force until the blue-haired man had to backtrack a few steps.
Kardia blinked into a warm welcome before finally laughed and returned Sasha's hug, also patting the top of the girl's head. "Someone will get jealous." Kardia joked as he glanced at a man who—just as he expected—was staring at them while clearing his throat; Sisyphus.
Either didn't understand who Kardia referred to or simply didn't want to respond about it, Sasha didn't answer. Maybe she was trying to control herself from overflowing emotions. Somehow, when with Kardia, Sasha always acted as if she was with her brother.
"Don't cry here, crybaby." Kardia wiped the tears in the corner eyes of the girl's eyes.
Releasing her arms from Kardia, she hugged the man standing next to Kardia.
"Dégel, glad to see you again."
"So am I." Dégel said politely. Rather awkward and embarrassed, Dégel finally managed to returned the short hug.
"Finally we are having our phenomenal duo back," said Dohko. "How did it feel when seeing each other again after all this time?"
"Well..." Kardia shrugged. "Actually I've met him a few years ago."
The others stared at each other before chuckling in awe.
"Is that so called soulmates?" Regulus asked innocently, but enough to make the two flushed.
"Dégel, is Kardia's heart..." Sasha whispered softly to Dégel, intending to ask whether Kardia's heart condition was the same as it had been before or not.
Dégel smiled. "There is no need to worry. Kardia's heart is very healthy. He has no fragility in his heart."
"Thank goodness. This is an incredible blessing."
Dégel could see how Sasha's eyes reflected deep gratefulness.
"Heh, it's crowded here."
Their attentions were stolen by the arrival of two men.
"Manigoldo!" Tenma exclaimed, rushing over again.
"Somehow, it's feels like I just met you yesterday." Manigoldo said as he ruffled Tenma's hair. "You too, Yato, Yuzuriha."
Yuzuriha bowed respectfully while Yato rubbed his nose while smiling broadly. Ignoring Tenma, who once again protested because of his messy hair, Manigoldo smiled at Sage, who immediately responded with the same smile—as if they were communicating only through their eyes and smiles.
"Albafica." Shion whispered softly as his gaze fell upon the figure of a man standing behind Manigoldo. Though his whisper was not heard by anyone else because of Tenma's yells, Albafica somehow met face-to-face with Shion and smiled a soft smile.
"While waiting for the others, you can enjoy some snacks and drinks while talking to each other," said Sisyphus while pointing toward the banquet table.
"Ah, before that..." Sasha was busy picking up some flower necklaces. Seeing the girl overwhelmed to bring in a considerable amount, Sisyphus immediately helped her. Then Sasha draped the flower arrangement to all attendants one by one. As for herself, Sisyphus did it.
Not long after, one by one party participants were present on the coast. Warm greetings, emotional embrace, laughter, and even tears occasionally color the meeting with those who had been longing for each other.
Especially when Hasgard—or known as Aldebaran—came. Tenma once again made a scene. Manigoldo called him 'crybaby' when he saw Tenma shed tears even though quickly swept by the owner.
"Don't be mean, Manigoldo. After all Tenma is still a kid," said Hasgard, sounded defending Tenma, but contained a tease behind it.
"I'm not a kid!"
They shared many stories to one another. About how their life in this era was much different from the previous one. Cheerishing the memories they would never let go, which was a part of them forever. Accompanied by snacks and various types of drinks—from drinks for minors, to alcoholic drinks in reasonable portions.
At first glance, this event looked like a beach party in general. Only those who joined it could feel how emotional and precious this event was.
Unlike most of the busy participants, Albafica seemed a little aloof. He preferred to observe the roses used as decorations. Tied and arranged in such a way on wooden poles. Gently touched the beautiful crown, his mind wandered far into the past.
"The rose isn't poisonous."
Albafica turned around and found Shion standing behind him, with a friendly warm smile.
"Shion."
"Even if it is, I won't avoid it." Shion said, hooking up the first sentence.
Albafica fell silent, knowing exactly what Shion meant. In a time when Albafica considered himself a poisonous rose due to the toxic blood running through his veins capable of killing anyone who was in direct contact with the blood, Shion was one of a few who insisted on being close to him.
"There's no excuse for you to stay away from us anymore, Albafica." Shion offered a glass of wine.
Albafica hesitated at first, but eventually received the wine Shion offered.
"Come on, join the others."
After nodding slowly, Albafica finally followed Shion to join their friends.
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Everyone who came and join the party would be greeted warmly by Sasha by draping a flower arrangement around their neck. With no exception.
For this guest, however, Sisyphus himself personally greeted the guest accompanying Sasha.
"Welcome, El Cid," greeted Sisyphus warmly, replied by a smile from the well-known cold and expressionless man named El Cid. Only the closest ones could witness some of El Cid's rare expressions. "May I get you a drink?"
"Thank you."
"Let's join the others. They're waiting."
When joining, warm welcomes were given by his colleagues. Hasgard embraced him and El CId didn't protest.
"You seem bothered, Sasha-sama," said Sisyphus as he found Sasha glancing over the entrance a couple times.
"Ah, no, it's nothing." Sasha tried to reenter the conversation. Actually she was waiting for some more people she feared would not come. Three more, then everyone would be complete.
About ten minutes later, one of those three people arrived at the party. Unlike before, this time Tenma didm't shout out their name. Nor did he rush to greet. He could do nothing but stare at the newly arrived guest with eyes widened in surprise.
"As...mita..."
"Asmita?!" This time Regulus exclaimed, making everyone aware of the presence of a figure with blond hair dangling his back as he stood at the entrance. Instead of coming straight up to greet him, they just drowned in silence for a few seconds. With almost simultaneous expressions of shock and stunned.
Tenma was the first person who managed to free himself from his surprise. He finally ran towards Asmita and greeted the man with a tight embrace, along with tears streaming down his cheeks. It simply reminded Asmita of the tears Tenma shed on their departure.
Shortly thereafter, Sasha followed. After placing the flower necklace around Asmita's neck, she aimed his fingers to touch Asmita's cheeks while staring deeply into a pair of bright blue eyes as clear as a summer sky and as deep as ocean.
"Your eyes... You can see, Asmita," Sasha whispered in a quavering voice holding back her tears.
It was the precise reason of the surprise. The Asmita they knew was a religious man without sense of sight. Both eyelids were always tightly closed, never saw the light, without ever witnessed the beauty of sunset or full moon. However the one they were seeing right now was Asmita who could return their gaze, Asmita whose eyelids didn't close all the time. Asmita whose eyes were so beautiful and mesmerizing.
"I finally have an opportunity to see your face, Athena." Asmita said as he wiped the tears on Sasha's cheeks with his free hand, while the other one patted Tenma's head gently.
He loved them both. Those who played great roles in helping him to find the purpose of life and seek enlightenment in his past life.
After a long time of hugging, Tenma wiped his tears and pulled Asmita to join the others. The blond man looked at one by one of those who stared back at him, recognizing unfamiliar faces.
"I think we should introduce ourselves again, for you could no longer recognize us through cosmo. Maybe you could recognize some of us through voices. I'm Sisyphus." The mans patted Asmita's shoulder. "Glad you rejoined us, Asmita."
"Wait. Introducing oneself is less exciting. What if you guess who we are?" challenged Manigoldo, idly. But it didn't get any protest from the others. They agreed secretly, without intending to offend Asmita.
"I do not think that would be hard." Asmita said confidently. His expression remained calm, but his eyes indicated he was ready to win the challenge given by Manigoldo.
However, the challenge apparently wasn't as easy as Asmita expected. Very few of them were close to him in the past. Let alone being close, only a few had talked to him outside formal assemblies. After all, he always planted himself in his temple, meditating. Not an easy matter to recognize them only by voice, especially through face. Therefore, he would analyze them from facial expressions and gestures.
"Master Hakurei, Pope Sage." He started from two middle-aged men who were twins. It was easy enough for him to distinguish between Hakurei and the Sage. Even though their faces were similar, Hakurei had greater passion, while Sage was calmer. Then he proceeded to a fairly easy one to recognize.
"Regulus."
"Yay!" Regulus exclaimed, delighted to be recognized by Asmita.
Then he turned to the two men standing next to each other.
"Kardia and Dégel."
Kardia's lips rounded in surprise. "How do you recognize us?"
A thin smile was etched on Asmita's lips. "Among the entire Saints, who else are always together, as if could not and shall not be separated?"
Laughter accompanied Asmita's sarcastic question.
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A car entered the beach's parking lot. A man inside it glanced at his wristwatch before getting out of his car. The sun had set, hence he couldn't claim himself to be arrived on time. A doubt still lingered within his mind, yet an unidentified strong motive forced him to attend the party. His heart was pounding as he took steps forwards. Slowly but surely. Without realizing it, he had stood at the entrance, staring at people milling around.
It was then until his gaze landed upon a figure standing with his back on him. With all too familiar golden mane of hair.
When one by one turned toward him, the aforementioned figure also turned around to face him.
And made his heart skip a beat.
"Master!" It was, again, Tenma who greeted him first. Though he didn't recall doing anything to deserve being called a master.
He shifted his gaze from the figure that had originally stunned him to Tenma and grinned. "You still remember me, brat."
"Of course! How could I forget?" To forget someone who threw him into a volcano without mercy during training, sounded a bit impossible, didn't it?
Ruffling Tenma's hair for a moment, he finally approached the blond man who hadn't taken his eyes off him.
"Asmita..." Reflexively, as if it wasn't the action he planned nor at least crossed his mind, his hands cupped Asmita's face and caressed the skin under Asmita's eyes with his thumbs. While his gaze locked to the blue eyes he had been yearning to see.
"Defteros." A smile bloomed on Asmita's lips, feeling grateful for the opportunity to finally see the face of a man he considered as closest friend.
Relief showered the tan-skinned man's soul when Asmita called his name. "You recognize me?"
"Who else would dare to do this to me?"
Defteros chuckled to accept Asmita's sarcasm, before slowly withdrew his hands.
"I didn't expect the busiest model would come," said Kardia who was busy chewing on an apple. No one knows how many apples he had eaten since his arrival.
"I and uncle often see your face on TV and magazines!" Regulus exclaimed, grinning.
Sasha displayed a proud smile. "You surprise us. I thought you wouldn't choose this profession eventhough it suits you perfectly."
"Yeah, we thought you were shy." Manigoldo chimed in.
Defteros moaned resignedly. He had just arrived and already being 'attacked' by those who weren't that close to him in the past.
"But where is Aspros?" Sasha asked again.
Defteros' expression instantly changed.
"I don't think he's coming. I've tried to contact him several times without success. He was neither home nor in his office."
"We will not start until everyone is complete." Sasha said softly. "Let me look for Apros."
"Allow me and Aldebaran to accompany you. We were pretty close to Aspros." Sisyphus suggested.
"Wait." Sage approached them. "Let me, Asmita, and Defteros to look for him."
After a moment's consideration, they all ended up giving a slow nod, approving Sage's suggestion. They realized only those three witnessed and were directly related to the tragedy happened to Aspros in their previous life. Others only heard stories mouth to mouth, some of them even knew nothing about Aspros' sudden disappearance.
"But where are you going to find him?"
"I have a clue," said Sage who then glanced at Asmita. As if understanding what Sage was trying to imply on him, Asmita replied with a brief nod. "As we look for him, you may start the party."
Those three therefore get into Defteros' car and started to look for Aspros.
"Why don't we start grilling now?" Dohko suggested, trying to break the ice. The suggestion received attentive responds from the rest.
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"Apparently you two have the same idea about his whereabouts." Defteros said as he turned the car on.
"Parthenon."
Defteros' hand movements paused for a moment, before a smile spread across his lips. Sage and Asmita could be called 'enemies' of Aspros back then, the ones messing up his plan. Despite that, they seemed to understand Aspros more than anyone else.
They spent quite a long time to reach their destination, for Parthenon was located at the Acropolis―the hilltop of Athens. Fog blocking sight didn't prevent them to go farther. Many assumed that Parthenon was a part of Sanctuary. Though, they didn't dare to create conclusion without further research and enough proofs, for the Greece they knew had changed a lot. However, when the Greeks longed for their Goddess, Parthenon would be the best place for them to worship Her.
Including Aspros.
Sage and Asmita's prediction turned out to be accurate. When they arrived at the location, they found Aspros silently stared at the Shrine, clad in formal outfit. Lost in thought, he didn't even notice nor heard footsteps.
"Aspros."
A tap on shoulder surprised him. He was even more surprised when he found two familiar figures standing before him. He soon regained his composure guessing intention of those three's arrival, inwardly wondering how they managed to find him.
Was he an open book?
"It's unnecessary to come all the way here. I'm not joining." He said coldly.
"Aspros. Nobody blames you. Athena has told everything." Sage said. "Your brother-in-arms would welcome you with open arms."
Aspros sighed. "I don't need that."
"Are you really Aspros?" Asmita's question made the others look at him. "Your attitude is too cowardly to be an Aspros who once craved a position as Pope. You're not running from us, you run from your guilt. Where do you think you could hide from it? Not even this shrine offers you such protection. You know, don't you? That the only way to defeat your guilt is to be at peace with yourself."
A snort faintly heard from Defteros' twin brother. "You, Asmita, always act like you know everything. Do you think you're still a man closest to God? "
"And you, Aspros, still play the antagonistic role that is no longer needed."
Antagonist. Yes, he was an antagonist in the eighteenth-century's Holy War. Where his other colleagues fought desperately to defend and protect justice, he was blinded by his obsession to become a Pope―someone who led Athena's army.
Indeed he was under control of the real mastermind of the riot―Youma. The seeds of darkness were implanted inside him, gradually turning his healthy ambition into a obscure obsession. He almost killed Pope Sage. He used innocents to fulfill his obsession. He even tried several times to kill his own brother. Despite being under control, those sins were committed by no other than him through his own hands, not others'.
Sage turned to glance at Defteros. "Defteros, say it. Tell him what you've been feeling for all along but have never said it directly. "
Defteros froze. They didn't plan anything about this, hence he could only guess what Sage meant. There were many things he wanted to tell Aspros. Indeed, their kinship as twins after being reborn in this life wasn't quite good, unlike those golden old days before Aspros was controlled by the seeds of darkness imparted to him in the past. Aspros was often acting cold to him, often avoided him, until finally Defteros was disgusted by his attitude and decided to leave Greece to start his career in New York. Could it be that Aspros acted coldly because he thought Defteros still hated him?
Either way, there was only one thing that Defteros wanted to say all along.
Defteros grasped Aspros' shoulders, asking his brother to make an eye contact with him. "Aspros." And gently, Defteros pulled his brother into a tight embrace. "Brother, I forgive you."
The phrase, that simple phrase, felt like a rain watering his long dry and arid heart. Refreshing the soul that craved forgiveness. He has lived for so long accompanied by remorse, especially to his twin. Because he knew, Defteros was the most tormented one of Aspros' downfall into the darkness. Aspros' guilt made him sometimes acted cold toward his brother. Especially everytime he remembered Defteros sacrificed his life to free Aspros from the snare of darkness. He wanted to live happily with Defteros as they used to, but remorse didn't allow him to do so.
Without realizing, tears began to pool in his eyelids when his hands moved to return the embrace.
Defteros cursed himself for not being aware of what his brother needed the most. Forgiveness, that's all. Sure, he had forgiven Aspros for a long time. After all, all the tragedies of the past were not Aspros' fault. But why didn't he realize that Aspros needed to hear i tdirectly from him?
"I'm sorry for letting you live with this sadness all along, brother." Defteros whispered, unable to hold back his tears.
They didn't even realize that Sage and Asmita had returned to Defteros' car and allowed the brothers to finish their affairs.
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The grilling activity on beach were filled with laughter. Some people took turns grilling fish, lobsters, squids, crabs, and corns. While some just went around to taste the grilled food. A joke like "Manigoldo, how does it feel to see your kids roasted?" lured laughter and relieve fatigue. Yato was seen running around chasing Kardia who casually stole the squid he had roasted with difficulty.
All the noise came to a halt when they found four people stepping from the parking lot to the party.
Sasha stepped quickly toward them, followed by Sisyphus. They couldn't help but smile upon noticing Aspros and Defteros' slightly puffy eyes.
"Thank you for rejoining us, Aspros," Sasha said while draping the flower arrangement on Aspros' neck.
"My apologies for the wait," replied Aspros.
Sasha shook her head with a warm smile. "Come, the others are impatient to meet you again," she said before returning to the party.
"You must be tired after being lectured by Asmita and Sage-sama." Sisyphus chuckled as he offered a grilled shrimps to Aspros, who thoughtfully accepted it.
The grilling activity continued about fifteen minutes more before all the raw materials had been roasted and ready to be eaten. Afterwards, the event continued with dinner. They sat in a circle while enjoying dinner, not forgetting to color the night with laughter until Sisyphus repeatedly admonished the others because for him it wasn't good to laugh while eating, or they would choke. His good intention was rewarded by jokes and tease by Manigoldo and Kardia. But Sisyphus only sighed, he was immune to those two's behaviors.
About half an hour later, the dinner was over. The day went on and the fire was turned on. They were still sitting in the same circles, but all the excitement subsided when the atmosphere around became more serious. Accompanied by the warm flame of fire in the center, each gaze of those people who sat creating three layers of circle was now fixated on one person.
"Good evening." Sasha greeted as an opening as well as ensuring the microphone she used worked perfectly. "I'd like to express my deepest gratitude for your presence in this place, sacrificing your business and schedule."
"When I was five, I often dreamed of a whole different era. I dreamed about the brave warriors clad in their respective shining armor. I dreamed of fighting with them. I had similar dreams through many years, until finally at the age of twelve I realized that it was not a mere dream, but memories of my past life. Which was getting stronger each day. When I told Alone nii-san, it turned out he was experiencing the same thing. Soon after, we met Tenma, and he also experienced it." Sasha paused for a moment, studying the expression of those who listened earnestly. Expressions that told her they were experiencing similar things. "We assumed it's not just the three of us who receive this miracle. Therefore about two years ago, we ventured to fly to Tibet to find Pope Sage and Pope Hakurei. At first we almost gave up because we never found them, but apparently fate was on our side. We found them, they were still the same as we remembered. The five of us believed that this miracle and blessing are given not only to us but to you as well."
"From there on we started gathering information about all of you. To find your home address with only Pope Sage's memory of your birthplace in the past, assuming everyone would be born in the same country as in previous life. After two years of searching, we finally found all of you." Tears blocked her visions. "And finally... 88 Saints of Athena, along with Pope Sage and Pope Hakurei have been completely assembled here and now."
"And our Athena as well." Sage added.
Sasha nodded slowly. She looked up to stare at the starry sky. "Gods are so kind to give us opportunity to be reborn in this peaceful life, in the same name, the same form, without forgetting the bond that ties us as a family. In the end, we finally could live as an ordinary human being." Her gaze now turned to the three men who used to be the knights of Scorpio, Virgo, and Pisces. "Kardia was born with a healthy heart, Asmita can now see light, and Albafica no longer has to stay away from us due to his poisonous blood."
The others smiled. It felt like a dream, even more wonderful than the most wonderful dream. They could call this a miracle. It sounded unreasonable, beyond comprehension, but it did happen. Perhaps all their unconditional endeavors in protecting the world and living beings in it; protecting peace, justice, and humanity, all those selfless deeds were rewarded with miracles by The Creator of universe Himself. Yes, nothing was impossible for Him.
"I hadn't had time to say this before. I am deeply grateful to you for your past struggles and sacrifices in protecting the world. The peace that the inhabitants of the earth enjoy today is the fruit of your hard work." The girl continued. "Since I am no longer Athena's incarnation, I hope you would be willing to receive my gratitude as Sasha."
"With pleasure, Sasha-sama." Sisyphus replied. "We also thank you for your guidance and kindness."
Sasha nodded as she wiped the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "I would be very happy if from now on you think of me as a sister."
"You used to have the Saints who were very loyal to you. Now you have brothers and sisters who love you dearly." This time Kardia said.
"Thank you..." Sasha whispered softly as a warm smile adorned her visage.
They then exchanged smiles.
"Actually I really want to get together with Athena's Saints before you: Pope Sage and Pope Hakurei's colleagues, then those who also helped us, like Unity and others. And also... the troops of Hades." Sasha's words this time silenced the others. "Isn't that a nice idea, Alone nii-san?"
Everyone followed to the direction of Sasha's gaze. Surprisingly, they found a figure they had known in the past as Hades―or rather, the young man chosen as the vessel for Hades' soul; Alone. They didn't notice when Alone arrived.
Alone took a seat next to Sasha. "We heard Hades and Athena have agreed on peace treaty. Therefore we shall no longer overlook Holy War. That also means Hades' forces are no longer our enemies." Alone said. "Moreover... despite choosing a different path, they also have their own reason to fight all along."
No one argued. They realized that among them, only Alone understood the real intention and reasons for the Specters to fight.
"Next time, I want them to gather with us. Do you object?"
"We don't mind." Sisyphus, as a representative of those who had once been Saints, replied.
"Thank goodness." Alone smiled warmly. "I can't be sure whether they are reborn as human beings like us or not. But I just met Kagaho, and he will help me to gather information."
Tenma chuckled. "Relax, we'll help you too. After all we still have plenty of times, right?"
They nodded, silently feeling grateful for the blessings bestowed upon them.
"Then, to celebrate our reunion, tonight we will welcome the new year with joy. Please enjoy this opportunity to have fun before we regroup to light fireworks together."
Cheers and applause were the responses of Sasha's instruction, indicating the closing of this session.
Thereafter they were freed to do anything they wanted while waiting for midnight to light fireworks. Several people sang together around the bonfire―with El Cid playing an acoustic guitar, and Sisyphus playing Cajon. Some other people sat around on the sand to play games, while the rest had a walk by the beach or simply chatting.
In the middle of a small group engrossed in game play, the head of a wine bottle pointed at someone who seemed to be forced to be a part of the game.
"Yeah, Dégel!" exclaimed Regulus. "Truth or Dare?"
Since Dégel was a man who would never do strange things, he replied, "Truth."
"Hee... no fun! I already have a plan if you choose Dare." Regulus grumbled. Then he mumbled, looking puzzled at what he should ask. "Ah! I know! Are you and Kardia dating? "
Dégel cleared his throat while the others sighed. Regulus was asking something that was already known by everyone else. Without announcement from the couple, everyone―except Regulus, could conclude that Kardia and Dégel were together.
"Yes, we are." Dégel answered shortly.
"Then you guys live together?" Out of curiosity, Regulus asked again.
"Isn't in the rule said you could only ask one question?"
"Come on. You have the heart to let Regulus die of curiosity?" Manigoldo fumed.
After sighing, Dégel surrendered. "Yes, we live together."
"When will you marry?" This time it wasn't from Regulus, but from Hasgard instead.
"The hell?!" Kardia protested, flushed in embarrassment.
The big man chuckled while patting Kardia's back. "Well, just remember that you have to invite us."
Dégel cleared his throat and immediately spinned the bottle to avoid being bombarded with another questions. This time the head of the bottle pointed at someone who was also forced to join.
"Truth or Dare?"
"Dare." Albafica replied confidently.
The little group smiled enthusiastically since finally someone picked Dare. But they couldn't expect ridiculous challenge from Dégel.
"Take a rose, give it to someone, and tell them what you haven't been able to say."
It was not a challenge that would provoke laughter. But enough to provoke curiosity.
Albafica didn't waste time. He stood to pick up a rose from decorative vase then stepped back to his friends who waited with curiosity. He handed the red rose to someone who stared at him with a startled look.
"Thank you, Shion." Albafica said with a smile. 'For a lot of things', his gaze added soundlessly. Albafica didn't need to talk much, he just needed to express his gratitude. And he was sure, Shion understood what he was thanking for.
While returning Albafica's smile, Shion accepted the rose, ignoring whistles and fake coughs of his nosy friends.
"The rose isn't poisonous." Albafica whispered before returned to his seat. Returning the words Shion said to him hours ago.
Shion laughed softly at that.
Then, the game continued.
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On the other side, Asmita was seen sitting on a mat while staring at the vast expanse of the sea smothered by silvery moon light. He loved nature more than people in general, since in previous life he had never witnessed the beauty of nature. He was focused on the fascinating beauty until someone sat beside him.
"Not joining the others, Aspros?" Asmita asked without turning his gaze to the man he spoke to.
"I return that question to you."
Asmita just smiled and didn't reply.
"Asmita, I want to thank you."
"Mm? I don't recall ever done anything good to you. "
Aspros chuckled. "Correct. But those doings have helped me and my brother."
Not immediately replying, Asmita looked at the sea water that tickled his feet. "Now that you've gotten the second chance, take a good care of what you have."
Standing up, Aspros then replied, "I promise." Before passing to join those who sat around the bonfire.
Not long afterwards, his twin brother sat next to Asmita while offering grilled vegetables. "What were you talking about?"
"It's nothing." Asmita accepted the food Defteros offered. Despite being reborn in a different life, Asmita still carried his traits and habits of the previous life. One of them was being a vegetarian. "Defteros?"
"Hm?"
"Did the moon always look beautiful from Kanon Island?"
Asmita remembered he often visited Kanon Island where Defteros was in seclusion to train himself. Occasionally they chatted while enjoying full moon or sunset―even though only Defteros really enjoyed the sight.
As he stared at Asmita's face bathed in silver glow, Defteros replied, "yes, always."
Whether he meant to praise the beauty of the moon, or to praise the beauty of Asmita's face under the moonlight, only he knew the answer.
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The lanterns have been extinguished. However the moon wasn't alone in lighting up their night. A small spark of sparklers clasped by each person illuminated the late night of the year. The light generated from small sparks illuminated the smiles engraved on happy faces. Some were seen swinging it around, while the rest just hold it in silence while enjoying the beautiful spark. Several people seemed busy preparing for the big fireworks that would enliven their night.
"Let me hold it, uncle!" Regulus pleaded as he tried to snatched an unlit fireworks tube from Sisyphus' hand. The adults finally let Regulus, Tenma, Yato, and other young men to light or hold the fireworks tube, with the aduls watching them carefully. They may be magnificent Saints on the previous life, but now they were just children―in their eyes. Manigoldo and Dohko also seemed eager to take part in lighting fireworks with Tenma and others.
"Are you ready?" asked Sisyphus to those in charge of lighting fireworks and to those who had been busy playing with sparklers.
"Three... two... one!"
A sound of shrill reached eardrums a moment later, followed by an explosion in the air.
Cheers greeted the first period of the fireworks they light up.
Afterwards the fireworks were lighted up unceasingly. They had enough stocks to light the fireworks for the next fifteen minutes nonstop.
The closer to midnight, the more those fireworks explosion became festive. Colorful light biases adorned the sky and illuminated the dark. Those colors were reflected in the eyes of those who gazed at them in amazement.
Sisyphus, El Cid, and Aldebaran watched behind Tenma, Yato, Manigoldo, Dohko, and several others who were engrossed in fireworks. Sage and Hakurei were more interested in watching cheerful expressions of people they considered as their own children rather than the beauty of fireworks in the sky. Yuzuriha, Albafica, Shion, and Aspros stood behind Sasha and Alone, accompanying them. Kardia seemed to embrace Dégel's shoulders. Actually, he was also willing to participate in fireworks firing, but being next to his partner while enjoying the beauty of explosive colors up there was more meaningful to him.
While in the back, Defteros slowly reached for Asmita's hand to intertwine their fingers together. For Defteros, Asmita's eyes which reflected colors were much more beautiful and captivating than the blast of light on the night sky. The explosions disguised Defteros' whisper, hence only Asmita could hear it―the words which made Asmita smile while tightening their intertwined fingers.
They thought the others were too focused on watching fireworks so they were unaware of the two of them. The conviction made them unaware that Aspros was glancing at them with a warm smile on his lips.
It might not be the first time each of them celebrated New Year's Eve. But this was the first time they celebrated it people who were connected to their hearts for hundreds years. All the longing was paid off, all mistake was forgiven, all love was spread.
A minute before midnight, Sasha clasped hers hands in front of her chest with her head bowed.
To thank Deities for the second chance given to them to live as human beings in a peaceful world.
To pray for success and happiness to accompany every step of each person she loved.
As well as praying that the bonds of friendship and kinship would unite them until the end of time.
Together, welcoming the future, hand in hand.
Everything would start from here.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
After all, miracle is given only to those who deserve it
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END
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Now playing: Supercell ― Utakata Hanabi.
Happy new year 2018! May this year give us joy, happiness, and all good things we deserve.
It took me a while to finish this fanfiction. I didn't expect adding a lot of characters in a oneshot would give a lot of works xD. I'm sorry for every weakness of this fic. When I reread it, sometimes I considered the plot to be too fast, sometimes I see it as slow. Also apologize for lack of details as well as different portion of scene for each character T.T (and as always, for grammatical errors and typos ;; )
I'm planning to write a prequel or sequel (or both) of this fanfiction. Some ideas I have in mind are for Kardia and Dégel, Defteros and Asmita, also Aspros and Defteros (family). It could be a series, or oneshot for each. But let's see whether I could write them or not xD
Once again, happy new year!
With lots of love,
Cerulean Canary.