Oh my gosh! I love you guys so much! You have no idea how much it means to me. I had been writing this story for some time and put it down because I had gotten to a place where I just didn't know what to do. But then earlier I went back and read over all of the reviews that I have gotten so far for this story! You have inspired me all over again to continue and you've made me come up with some new ideas for the story! I hope you'll continue to support me throughout this story, because you guys are the reason I continue to write!

This chapter is a rather short one where Shun realizes the situation he's in and where he realizes what Arles has done. It's a little heartwarming, sad and frustrating at the same time. It's a fairly short chapter, but it has importance later on in the story, as well as sets up the time for the next chapter where there are a few realizations. Chapter nine also has a slight twist that you may or may not have expected.

Lol you guys say that everything so far is cruel? Wait until the true storyline of the story starts. It goes from just cruel to even worse, whatever that might be. :3

Shout outs to very important people: Time (thanks for continuously supporting me!) Odette12 (have I updated enough yet? xD) Selphina (love your help) Guest (original name but great comments! xD) Ruby Tsuki (Thanks for your uplifting comments) but also to everyone else who has commented and made me feel so happy! I love you guys!

So here's the next chapter just for you!


Chapter Seven: The Power of the Hostage

Shun finally woke up, though pure instinct made him keep his eyes closed. For a moment, he couldn't remember what had happened. But then his side gave a pang from where Arles' attack had hit him. Then he realized that he was in a cell, no doubt somewhere that only Arles and those truly loyal to him knew where to find. He was here with four people. The Bronze Saints from before? What were they doing here? His head was resting in a young woman's lap, and when he winced from the pain of his wounds she laid her hands on his head as if to ease the pain. Even though it was daylight outside, the other three Bronze Saints were all still asleep. He turned his head towards her face and she paused.

"You're awake," she said, relieved. "you haven't moved for two days. We were starting to get worried."

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"After you passed out, Arles decided that we were traitors," the young female Bronze Saint said with a shudder. "He couldn't have any witnesses to where he was taking you, so he locked us here too. Deathmask said he was going to kill you if we didn't come. We didn't have any choice." Shun paused a moment. They had locked himself in here with him to protect him? "You're a good person Shun. Even if you heart is hidden behind the mask of Virgo, your heart is filled with light. We couldn't just let him hurt you. If we did, then we'd be no better than Arles or Deathmask." Then she sighed and looked towards the window. "We're stuck. Only Athena can open this cell, and I dont know if she even exists now. We can't burn our cosmos in here, and no one outside can hear us if we call. We've tried. No one knows we're here. But... people ask Arles where we are. The saints are growing restless."

"We're in a pocket of time where only we exist," Shun attempted to explain. "That's why no one can hear us." She looked at him a moment, and then hung her head.

"Do you think Athena exists?" she asked, terrified. "Do you think she'll help us?"

"Of course," Shun replied with conviction. "I met her no long ago. She'll help us."

He felt his heart go out to her. She seemed so scared. She was trying to be strong, but she didn't know how. Shun knew he'd have to be strong so she could be too. Shun started to sit up, but she gasped and pushed him back down as gently as she could. Shun paused, surprised, a dull flicker of the emotion passing over his mask for a moment.

"Don't move," she cried. "You'll hurt yourself! You have to get better, and that means you need rest. Please, don't push yourself. I don't think we could take that."

Shun paused as the young woman laid her hands on his chest. She was beautiful, with long orange hair. Her armor was silver and blue and there was a whip at her side. She wore a silver face mask, like all female Saints, though he could tell her face was pinched with worry and fear. She was watching his face, pleading silently with him.

"What's your name?" The Gold Saint asked.

"I'm June," she said. "the Chameleon Saint. But you have to promise me that you'll be careful." Shun regarded her for a moment.

"Alright," he said. "I'll be careful." She relaxed a little.

"Thank you," June sighed. "We just want to make sure that you're going to be okay. You saved us from Arles...But that's what all of you under him have been doing isn't it? At least, all of you that don't serve him for evil purposes. We all thought you were evil. But you aren't." Bitterness entered her voice. "And we were too late to see it."

Shun paused a moment, sensing his surroundings. His body ached from the wounds he had received from Arles. The young Saint that he had stepped in front of to save had a few injuries too, but none of them were severe and he was alive. The Bronze Saints had all realized when Shun didn't wake up for so long how deadly that attack was. They knew that if it had made contact their friend would be dead. For that, they had grown more fond of the Gold Saint. Deathmask was their jailor, and the Bronze Saints always bristled whenever he came near. They wouldn't let him hurt Shun. But they could do nothing and it only served to amuse Deathmask.

The other Bronze Saints began to stir, waking from their fitful dreams. As they woke, they looked over to Shun, making sure that at least visibly he was doing alright.

"He's awake," June told them gently. "He's still hurt, but he's awake now." The relieved Bronze Saints came closer. Shun's head turned a little towards them.

"Easy," one said. "It's okay...how are you feeling?"

"I'll heal," Shun replied simply but tiredly.

"We were really worried," another of the Bronze Saints said. "We didn't know how badly hurt you were."

"We're glad you're a little better now," the last said. "So just rest okay? Don't hurt yourself." Shun nodded though he wanted to sigh in both frustration and amusement. How many times would they say that to him?

Then they all paused however. A large group had just appeared. Out the window they could hear many angry Saints yelling at once. Quite a large group of them had gathered, and they were demanding that Arles tell them what had happened. Too much stress had built up and suddenly it had broke over. Deathmask was trying to repel them, but even he was having trouble, and Shaina refused to offer any assistance to either side.

"Where is he Arles?" Shun heard Ikki snarl. Shun paused. Ikki was worried about him? Yes, Shun could sense his emotions again in his head. He felt guilty, sad, worried, protective, and angry all at the same time.

"Your brother is safe Ikki," Alres replied with as much venom in his voice as the Phoenix Saint. "For now. But he crossed me one too many times."

"Shun is Virgo," Ikki snarled. "He physically can't disobey you! What have you done and what could have possibly made you do it?"

"We felt his cosmos in pain," Shiva cried.

"What did you do to him Arles?" Agora demanded.

"Where are the Bronze Saints?" someone else cried.

"This has gone too far," another Saint snarled. Their were suddenly many shouts of agreement.

"That's none of your concern," Arles snarled angrily. "Virgo Shun is alive for now, and if you want it to stay that way you'll do exactly as I say."

A horrified silence fell, and the crowd froze abruptly. Shaina too froze and turned slowly to look at Arles. The Bronze Saints in the cell listened nervously. He was going to hurt Shun? They wouldn't let him! June's hands tightened slightly on Shun's chest protectively. Shun winced a little, but his face remained impassive.

"You would kill him?" Shaina gasped.

"Yes," Arles snarled. His eyes turned to Ikki in particular, who looked more horrified than most as he thought about how Shun had used to be and in many ways still was. A smile played on Arles' face behind his mask. Ikki was a difficult Saint to handle. But this was one more way he could reign the fiery bird in. "Yes I would kill him. I've found that Saints always preform their tasks better when they have some motivation. So here's yours: do everything I say exactly, because if one of you crosses me the wrong way I'll kill him and those Bronze Saints."

There was silence again as all of the Saints weighed their options. Many of them didn't completely trust Shun, but now they wondered if they had been wrong about him. He had saved many of them before, and now he had been captured by Arles. He couldn't be bad if Arles wanted to hurt him. The Saints felt a mixture of sorrow and guilt. They hadn't been kind to him, and now that he needed their help they couldn't give it to them. They hated Arles, but could they just let him die?

Ikki froze, again thinking of the sweet boy that was his brother. Even if his face was hidden behind the mask of Virgo, he was still kind. And Ikki hadn't been kind to him. He had hated him because of his cosmos and training, and now that he loved him again he couldn't show him that love. He still couldn't protect Shun. He had fought against Saori and her Saints, and gradually they had broken through the wall of hatred he had built to protect himself. Now, he was still as explosive as the volcano, but much more gentle.

One by one, the Saints all looked away. They couldn't help him, but they couldn't stand to be the reason that he had died.

"Don't hurt him," Shiva said sadly, defeated. "We won't disobey you."

"You have our loyalty," Agora said just as sadly. "even if it's unwilling. Just don't hurt him."

No one dared to contradict their statements. Arles glanced at Ikki, but the Phoenix Saint finally, miraculously, submitted to his gaze and looked away. There was sadness and defeat in his eyes. His head hung a little. He had finally clipped the wings of the great bird of fire. Arles again smiled behind his mask. Now he had an army that wouldn't fail him. He would have to thank Shun later. Shun on the other hand felt anger whelm up inside of him, though it never touched his face. Arles had just crushed the will of the Sanctuary. That was an unforgivable offense.

"Don't worry," June told him. "We'll do our best to make sure he doesn't hurt you." Shun didn't respond. He knew that there was little chance they could do anything if Arles did decide to hurt him. But her offer touched him all the same.

"There," Arles purred dangerously outside. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Just remember. I own all of your lives. I can give life and take it away in the blink of an eye." Then his voice changed again to a vicious snarl. "Keep me happy, or the next time you see Virgo Shun, he'll be in a grave."

The Saints outside all winced when they heard those words. They couldn't believe they had given into Arles' rule at last. But they couldn't take the chance of Arles hurting Shun. Saints loved one another, even through all of their lives and the troubles of their lives, and all of the personalities that accompanied them.

Ikki snarled slightly silently, hiding it from Arles. He had been taught to access his cosmos with hatred. But after his last battle against Seiya, Hyoga, and Shiryu when he had been sent out to kill them, he had realized that hatred was no way to fight. He had finally realized how much he still loved his little brother, and the only reason he had returned at all was so Shun wouldn't be alone in the Sanctuary under Arles. He would bear it with him. But now Arles had caught Shun. He had hit Ikki on his weak flank again. Ikki knew he had to save Shun, no matter what the cost to himself. He looked towards the statue of Athena.

Just hold on Shun, Ikki thought, praying his words would somehow reach the young Gold Saint. Please hold on. I'm going to save you. I won't let Arles take you from me. You're the only thing I have, even if you don't act like you love me anymore. So don't you give up on me.

A little ways away, hidden out of sight, the Aries Saint was watching, saddened and horrified. He had been right. Arles had wanted to use Shun as a hostage. And Shun had suddenly become one that could bring the entire Sanctuary to its knees. And with such a heavy threat, Mu knew that Saori would be extremely worried. But he still had to do something. His only hope of saving Shun was to overthrow Arles. It was a risky move. If Arles caught wind of it and spooked he wouldn't hesitate to kill Shun to hurt them. But it was one they'd have to take. Slowly, Mu slipped away to give his message to Sarai and alert his allies to the terrible price they might have to pay for freedom.


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Aww...Ikki...I can't even describe how sad and strangely happy this made me to see that he had decided to love Shun again. Shun's situation doesn't look good now. But we're drawing very close now to the tenth chapter where everything changes. This chapter is aptly named "The Fall of Arles". So soon my fans soon...ARLES WILL FALL! MUHAHAHAH! Lol you're probably very glad to hear that aren't you? XD

I'll update as soon as I can! Please continue to support me!