A/N: Thanks to Andromeda Sage, Purestrongpoem, and CrazyChick808 for reviewing. Sorry for not sending individual responses this time. I started a new job and have been insanely busy. Enjoy!
Manigoldo sat in Pisces temple and had lunch with Albafica on the day Athena was scheduled to arrive at the Sanctuary. He was extremely excited to see the Goddess he had heard so much about from Sage.
"What do you think she'll be like?" he asked Albafica between bites of fish and vegetables. "The old man says she'll just be a little girl right now, but she won't stay a child forever."
Albafica glanced up from his own plate, where he had been mindlessly moving the food about without eating much of it.
"I think she'll be physically beautiful" the Pisces saint replied slowly. "And she will be kind and smart. She will have the wisdom to guide us through difficult situations."
"More beautiful than you?", Manigoldo teased.
"Yes. More beautiful than me."
Albafica's face briefly flashed a small smile.
"Is it safe to bring her here now? She doesn't have all her Gold Saints yet, after all."
Manigoldo hadn't even thought about that. Nonetheless, he waved his friend's concern aside with a flick of his hand.
"We're here, and so are Sisyphos, El Cid, Aldebarran, and Asperos. Degel and Kardia will be returning from their training soon. Surely we can take on a few spectres."
Albafica didn't look too convinced.
"Ilias couldn't."
"He was sick", Manigoldo reminded his friend. "We're not."
Albafica shrugged and flipped his hair off his shoulder.
"Should I send out out warnings once Kardia returns? Let everyone know that war could break out any moment?"
Manigoldo snorted.
"Hardly. He's not worth my time. Besides, I promised the old man I would stay away from him."
He stood up and stretched.
"I need to get going. I've got somewhere I have to be."
Albafica cocked an eyebrow.
"It doesn't involve anything you shouldn't be doing, does it?"
Manigoldo flashed a grin.
"Bye!"
He tore out of Pisces temple, ignoring the look of confusion on his friend's face.
He was planning to ask Sage permission to go to town and get some flowers for Athena's arrival, but he didn't want to tell Albafica. He couldn't have people thinking he was going soft.
He hurried into Sage's public quarters. To his surprise, his master was no where to be found. He heard rustling and spotted a small, black-haired boy rummaging through the old Pope's belongings.
It looked like Sage's little rescue was making himself right at home.
"Suisho! " he called, making the boy jump. "What are you doing in here? "
The young boy dropped a stack of papers he was holding and turned to stare at the Cancer saint. His brown eyes were hard as ice. Though Manigoldo had surprised him, it was obvious the kid was not afraid of him.
" You can't just come in the old man's office and move his things around. "
The Cancer saint rubbed his temples. He was no good at this stuff. Where the hell was Sisyphos when he needed him?
"Mind your own business. "
Ok. That was not what Manigoldo had been expecting. How mad would Sage be if he punched the brat in the gut to show him his place?
"Listen here, Brat" Manigoldo snapped. "I am trying to help your sorry ass. If the old man catches you in here, messing with his stuff, you will be in serious trouble."
Suisho's eyes didn't soften. He drew himself up to his full height and stared Manigoldo straight in the eye.
"What does it matter to you? All you Saints are the same, aren't you? You pretend to care now, but you'll just run off and leave me alone, same as my brother. Your master wants me to train and take over Suikyo's cloth. What a joke."
Manigoldo lifted the papers Suisho had dropped off of the floor and set them neatly on the Papal desk.
"If you don't want to be a Saint, just tell my master. You haven't started training yet."
"The penalty is still death. I'm not ready to die yet. I have to teach that brother of mine a lesson."
Manigoldo felt a shiver run through his body as an icy blast of air hit his bare arms.
"Than train. Train as hard as you can, become the best you can. Show that brother of yours the mistake he made."
Suisho's shoulders slumped.
Manigoldo took the opportunity to seize control of the situation.
"Now. Get out of here. Take this money, go into town, and buy some flowers. Lady Athena is arriving today and this place needs to look perfect."
The boy looked surprised, but eventually took the money.
"Heh. You're not as tough as your reputation makes you out to be."
Without warning, Manigoldo whirled on the kid and acted as though he were going to punch him. He stopped less than a centimeter from the boy's nose.
The child backed away, tripping and landing on his butt.
The Cancer Saint tossed him his iciest glare.
"Now. Get out of here."
The boy scrambled to his feet.
"Yes, Sir."
As Suisho raced off to do as he had been told, Manigoldo shook his head.
"Better keep an eye out on that one" he muttered to himself.
Then he laughed.
By the time Sisyphos arrived back at the Sanctuary, Manigoldo had forgotten all about his run-in with Suisho. The young Athena was taken off by several handmaids to wash up and get changed, Sisyphos gave a report of the mission to the Pope, and the rest of the Gold saints waited anxiously for their chance to glimpse the girl who would eventually guide them through times of war.
"How long does it take for a girl to take a bath and get dressed?" he muttered.
"Shhh" Asperos whispered from his right side. "Have you no manners?"
"Nope. None" Asmita answered for him from Manigoldo's left.
"Why are you even here?" the Cancer saint asked.
"Because I am going to be a Gold Saint. And because even though I am not a Saint yet, I could beat you."
Next to Asmita, Sisyphos shot them a warning look and held a finger to his lips, signaling for them to be quiet.
Manigoldo was taken aback by the intense look of sadness in the Sagittarius Saint's eyes. It hit him suddenly that Asmita was standing where Ilias should have been, and he immediately sobered up.
"I'm sorry" Asmita mumbled.
Manigoldo was so used to the boy's uncanny ability to perceive everything that he didn't even bother to ask how he knew what was going on when Sisyphos hadn't said a word.
Asperos elbowed Manigoldo's side. His green eyes bore into Manigoldo's, silently ordering him to apologize, too. The Cancer saint shot the Gemini a glare, sighed, and muttered "Right. Sorry."
The Cancer saint focused his attention on the line. No one stood where Aries should be, nor were the spots for Leo, Libra, Scorpio, or Aquarius occupied. Albafica stood at the end of the row, stiff and rigid, his posture stating he was clearly uncomfortable. Before he could ask Albafica if he was alright, the door to the Pope's chamber opened.
All the saints dropped to bended knee as Sage walked in, followed closely by Erin. Behind Erin, looking both hesitant and confident, was a small girl, about six years old. She was dressed in a gown of purest white. Her light purple hair was on the short side, hanging just below her pale jawline. Even though she was very young, Manigoldo could tell she was going to be a petite thing.
The girl lifted her head and looked each one of them in the face. Manigoldo noticed, with amusement, that her eyes were, infact, green, just as he had predicted years before. She offered them a warm, friendly smile that could have melted even Kardia's heart.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Sasha."