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Two
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Julian Solo's manor, a week after the revival.
Two figures stood up facing each other in the hall of the manor. An attractive, handsome ocean-blue-haired young man with royal clothes, and a beautiful young lady with purple hair.
"So that's the reason why you revived them?" asked Athena, her face was impassive.
Julian smiled. "I don't think you need to ask me again, Athena."
"You can't!" snapped Athena immediately. "I truly can't believe your dirty game, Poseidon. So you revived them only because you want one of them to be your later vessel?!"
…
"You know very well," continued Poseidon coldly. "This Solo young man body will get older as the time being. I myself have just aware of it pre my—his—seventeenth birthday. I can't depend on his body forever; I need another vessel to keep me existing two hundred years later. Whoever they will be, the future Gold Saint's vessel won't do without the original souls which have existed since the era of myth. And the original souls, you know very well, was cursed and sealed in that statue. I have no choice except using my enormous cosmos to release them."
Athena shook her head in disbelief. "Of million people you can choose as your vessel, Poseidon…why Gold Saints?"
"A lot of reasons," he answered, smiling. "The most is simply because it without doubt would cause a very honorable chaos."
"But who…? Which Gold Saints would you choose as your future vessel…?"
"I'm sorry I can't tell you now, my dearly niece," said Poseidon, walking back and forth slowly. "You will know by the time being."
Stillness filled the huge room for quite long time. Athena still stared at Poseidon hopelessly, still couldn't believe the game he was playing.
"There, there," encouraged Poseidon then. "Don't be too stricken, Athena. At least I've done useful thing, haven't I? I released them from long agonies. I've done better than certain someone who can only lament their fate without doing anything."
Athena's face flushed on his judgment. "I couldn't do it," said Athena mournfully. "I've tried, but my bronze saints prevented me—"
"Because they know it will drain your cosmos and send you into a dangerous state, am I right?"
Saori didn't answer. Tears started to stream down her cheeks. "There are more reasons—"
"You're fragile, Athena," said Poseidon coldly. "Since your existence you have known you are."
"You know that reviving them means the anger of Zeus," said Athena, trying to gain her composure. "It'll cause a war which can endanger human beings, Poseidon. Meanwhile, my duty now is to make up the relationship between the Olympians, but you messed up everything by sending massive attack to Zeus and destroyed almost three-fourth part of Olympus Mountain."
"In other words," said Poseidon in a winning tone. "It's not a big problem if your saints are trapped in a statue forever, isn't it? To hell with their screams and agonies."
"It's not like that, Poseidon—"
"Yes it is," cut Poseidon cooly. "You and your saints confirm it. 'We have to sacrifice something to gain our purpose, no matter even it means sacrificing our own comrades'. That's your famous motto, isn't it, Athena?"
Tears never stopped trickling down Athena's face.
The most agonizing thing from Poseidon's words is the fact that it was right…
"But," said Poseidon then, "you don't have to worry. Your Gold Saints think it was you who was in act. They believed it was you whohave revived them. So I think it is not a big problem."
"Whatever it is…," said Athena, now she gave him a sincere smile. "…I feel thankful because you have shown your concern to my saints…"
"Who said I put my concern on them?" replied Poseidon sternly. "I only meant to say how useless you are, it doesn't have anything to do with any…concerns…"
"Then may I ask you one more question, Poseidon?"
"What—"
"Why you didn't simply release their souls and let them die? Why you revived them as well?"
…
Something flashed in Poseidon's eyes post-Athena's question. It was only a second, but it was enough to make Athena gazing at him more piercingly than before.
"In our beliefs," Athena continued. "…reincarnation could happen without the existence of the bodies. We only need the soul, and we can let the former body to rest in peace under the ground. And soul, Poseidon, could be revitalized at anytime. But you chose to revive my saints directly after you released their souls, while you just need their souls two hundred years later. Why?"
"Do I have to tell you again? What I'm trying to do is just showing you I have much better endeavor," he turned around, his long royal clothes swept the marble floor. "Please close the door when you leave this manor, Athena," he teased.
With his word, he exited the hall and completely lost from Athena's sights.
Athena stood silently in full mourn and lament.
"You lied…," she whispered.
Why you revived my saints, Poseidon? It's because one of them had released you from your long sleep in the urn… Aside from the fact that he was tricking you…you owed him so much…for he gave you the chance to breath, to be free, to see the faithful marinas you…
…love…
Like it or not, you have indebted him.
And I believe it is the most fundamental truth behind the resurrection you did to my saints…
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