A/N: Hello…^^ These are the next chapters, hope you'll enjoy it. Once again constructive criticism is widely accepted.

Chapter 9

The Lion's and the Virgin's Tales

Early in the morning…

"Here is the newspaper, Hades-sama," said Rhadamanthys as he courteously handed the new newspaper to his master.

"Thank you, Rhadamanthys," said Hades calmly. He received the newspaper and directly read it.

Rhadamanthys stood up silently. His eyes never left Hades's face. There were lots of things in his mind now, lots of things he wanted to confirm, he desired to verify.

Hades seemed able to feel his uneasiness. He smiled slightly without tilting his eyes from the newspaper. "Do you want to ask me something?"

Rhadamanthys coughed a little, before he let out the thing that disturbed his mind most.

"Hades-sama…," he murmured, "Do you happen to know about where Lady Pandora is?"

Hades smiled. It wasn't an affectionate smile. It was the smile that most tyrants had in their period of powers. "Zeus only decided to revitalize me, Poseidon, and the specters that are faithful in me."

"And Hypnos and Thanatos?"

"Zeus asked me whether I want them to come back. I answered no. They were deities as well, I do not think they are still willing to serve me the way my specters do."

"What about Lady Pandora, Hades-sama?"

"I do not want her to come back."

"Why?"

Hades turned his head and looked at Rhadamanthys sharply. Rhadamanthys bowed his head a little, finally realized how rough his voice was.

"F…forgive me," said Rhadamanthys. "I…just want to know."

"Why do you want to know?"

Rhadamanthys didn't answer.

Hades continued reading and saying, "Forget about Pandora. You have to understand, Rhadamanthys, sometimes it is better for a mortal to merely be a memory."

Silence covered the room. Rhadamanthys decided not say anything more. He suddenly felt some kind of feelings mixed in his heart as his thoughts flew back to the past.

Pandora…delightful…cheerful…then she opened the box…Hypnos and Thanatos appeared…Hades was born…all of her families died…at last Pandora died…because of him. Because of the deity in front of him.

Rhadamanthys began to recognize the most dominant feeling in his mind when he looked at Hades's empty eyes.

Was it…hatred…?

xxx

Meanwhile in the Gold Saints' room, as usual all standing encircling those who had got turns to wear the pendant.

"I'll wear it," said Aiolia fearlessly. Everyone had guessed it. Now…no matter how irritable Deathmask was, Aiolia still put respect on him (he was one of the Gold Saints, after all), that's why he was willing to take this burden. Besides, Deathmask would never be able to do Hades's order if his weakness emerged (more discounts for their salaries then….) Everybody had discovered Deathmask's weakness, quite long time ago when they faced chaos in their powerless effect (*see Powerless). At that time Deathmask got extreme psychological problem (he felt he saw thousands death people ran after him and tried to kill him).

"Why?!" Deathmask suddenly snapped. "Do you think I can't endure the pentagram's cruelty?!"

"It's not like that—" Aiolia couldn't continue his sentence, as Deathmask grabbed the pendant from his hand and directly wore it. Aiolia and his fellows could only sigh. "Whatever…"

The same as Mu, the effect of the pendant began to emerge on their ways to Hades's room. Deathmask suddenly stopped his steps and his eyes looked wildly towards his surroundings. "…try to capture me…"

"What?"

"Look!"

Aiolia gasped seeing extreme fear in Deathmask's eyes…the Cancer even clutched Aiolia's arm so tight and almost hugged him. The pendant on his chest almost blinded Aiolia's eyes, as it was gleaming luminously. "Devils!" yelled Deathmask. "Trying to stab me!"

"Deathmask, there is nothing here!"

"Don't do that, please don't do that!!!" Deathmask shouted to whatever he saw was. His gesture was really weird, as if he tried to protect himself from unseen weapon.

Then he screamed uncontrollably. Aiolia reacted so fast on the incident: he soon grabbed the pendant from Deathmask's neck, released the Cancer from its control.

Even when DM didn't wear the pendant he couldn't focus on anything. Seemed like he was still influenced by his hallucination. "BRING ME OUTTA HERE!" screamed Deathmask.

"Alright, alright! Let's go back to our room!" Aiolia shouted to surpass Deathmask's hysterical voice. He fetched his Cancer fellow, took him back to the Gold Saints' room.

That's it, Deathmask really couldn't Hades's order that day.

Aiolia didn't say anything to his fellows when he and DM arrived at their room. He even didn't stop by to explain about what had happened (as he was sure his fellows had understood). All that he did was taking Deathmask in, getting out of the room, and directly stepping to Hades's. He stared at the pendant for a while before encircling it around his neck.

The pendant instantaneously shone brightly, and suddenly Aiolos popped up in front of him. Wearing Sagittarius Gold Cloth.

"Aiolos?" Aiolia wondered as he stopped walking on impulse. "How—you were in our room, weren't you? How come you arrive here so fast?"

Aiolos smiled at him, made Aiolia got stricken.

No…no…it wasn't Aiolos's style to smile like that. The smile was…wicked…

"Look at me, Aiolia," Aiolos stated. Aiolia saw his brother's body gleaming so bright…and seconds later he didn't wear Gold Cloth anymore.

He wore Sagittarius black surplice.

"No…," Aiolia whispered upon his shock. This couldn't be…this was only his imagination…

"I've put my allegiance to Hades, brother… I've come to steal Athena's head…"

"You're not my brother!" Aiolia snapped.

The sentence created effect. The stardust in front of Aiolia disappeared at once, exchanged by fogs.

Still trying to control his feeling and setting aside Aiolos-wearing-surplice's shadow in his mind, Aiolia marched to Hades's room. The sooner he served the ex-deity, the better. When he arrived he knocked the door impatiently.

"Come in," an ice-cold voice from inside.

Aiolia got in, slightly panted. He looked at Hades with abhorrence in his eyes.

"Where is Cancer?" was the first sentence Hades said.

"He's ill," answered Aiolia impassively. He didn't want to tell him the truth, he didn't want to give Hades pleasure regarding to the trouble created by the pendant.

"No salary for Cancer then," Hades responded with the same impassive tone.

Aiolia said nothing. He directly cleaned Hades's room with no words. The pendant on his chest was still gleaming, but he didn't care. Aiolos's shadow was still floating in his mind, the winged and loyal saint with surplice, looking at him wickedly… His mind suddenly traveled to the past, when he discovered that Saga, Camus, Shura, Aphrodite, and Deathmask returned from the land of deaths and stated that they had turned their loyalties to Hades. Nobody saw how anxious Aiolia was at that time, nobody discovered that he was afraid…so afraid he would find his brother wearing the same black surplice. Yet later he could take a relief breath, for Aiolos was too loyal to revive. Aiolia was sure Aiolos didn't want to accept Hades's offer—he'd better sleep forever than agree on Shion's crazy plan: although all were purposed to gain Athena's cloth, Aiolos would never join the game if it meant sacrificing his juniors' lives…

Maybe that was the reason why he saw Aiolos wearing the Sagittarius surplice. Yes…the pendant recognized weakness…Aiolia's weakness was his fear…his fear was seeing his brother turned into a completely different person…from the most loyal saint to an unforgivable traitor…

"Are you listening, Leo?" that icy-voice asked.

Aiolia turned his head, baffled. "W…what…?"

"You dropped my books on the floor," said Hades.

Aiolia blinked. From the sentence Aiolia guessed Hades had warned him more than once, only he didn't hear it. He soon picked the books and returned it to its place. He could guess what Hades planned to say afterwards…

"Your salary is reduced thirty percents because of your carelessness," Hades affirmed.

Aiolia didn't react.

"Do you hear me, Leo?"

"Yes, I hear you."

"Twenty percents more because you are impolite."

Aiolia took a very deep breath and finally banged Hades's books to the floor. He really had lost ALL his patience, moreover he still felt the frustration resulted by the pendant's control. Just like he was in the battle against Hades…his temper could so easily got heated…just like a disturbed lion.

"That's it!" Aiolia snapped. "Don't you ever expect me to serve a false deity like you, Hades!" he took the pentagram pendant off then threw it to the floor harshly. Without looking at Hades's reaction upon his lack of control, he got out of the room and left the mansion as well.

xxx

He was in a coffee shop in Shibuya, sitting silently. In front of him there was a cup of hot jasmine tea, its scent somehow could a little bit erase the dark atmosphere in his mind. Not only the scent of the tea; the clean and brilliant-lighted café, the bright and cozy surroundings…all were things he really yearned.

How long he didn't get out from the mansion anyway? Five days? Five centuries…?

The young woman sitting next to him never stopped gazing at him with mixture of worry and sympathy.

"You're not allowed to get out of the house, aren't you?" asked Marin softly after silence for only heaven knows how long.

Aiolia responded with slight smile. His brown eyes was looking at the froth of the tea for a while, then turned on Marin's feature. She looked so beautiful today, or was it just because Aiolia hadn't seen her for decades? (actually only for about two weeks…). Since the Holy War had ended she didn't wear any mask again, the same as Shaina. She had brown eyes, her curls were red in colour. She wore a gown with spring-floral motives. The burden in Aiolia's shoulder began to decrease as he gazed at her.

"You've got to have a little patience," said Marin, replied by Aiolia's sigh.

"I'm just tired, you see," he said then. "The house has been like a hell…with his presence and Rhadamanthys's…," he shook his head before leaning his back on the chair. His handsome brown eyes stared at the ceilings in despair. "I can't take it anymore, Marin…"

"But you have to. Maybe you have to see this chaos from different side. I mean, I think sometimes you need to see Hades from different point of view."

"What do you mean?" Aiolia frowned his forehead as he looked at Marin again.

"Maybe he's just…lonely?"

"Lonely?"

"Who knows? People didn't turn bad because of nothing."

Aiolia was silent when Marin grasped his hand. He couldn't help to think about how ironic gender distinction was: when he and his fellows thought about how to send Hades to the sea of fire, Marin oppositely thought of Hades's different side. He never even thought Hades could have any soft-side…it was like imagining Deathmask's personality transformed into Mu's.

"I hope you're right," Aiolia finally sighed.

Marin gave him a warm smile. Only that smile, and Aiolia felt like he would never be able to leave the coffee shop until the next two hundred years.

"Why is this happening?" Aiolia asked in a soft voice. "When will we get the peacefulness we need anyway?"

"There won't be such time," answered Marin. "Nothing in this world can get lasting peacefulness, even peacefulness itself. It exists because chaos exists, otherwise we wouldn't call it 'peaceful'."

Aiolia gazed at the young woman. As time went by, the ghost of smile began to appear on his hadsome face, made Marin's eyes shone in bliss.

"Have you been Shaka's apprentice?" asked Aiolia, replied by Marin's laughter. "No…," she said in the middle of her laugh. Aiolia finally chuckled as well.

"Shaina and me watched the mansion everyday," Marin said then.

"Shaina?" Aiolia baffled. Marin replied with nod. She smiled, playing with her cup of orange-flavour tea. "The mansion indeed had turned different, yet we never stop hoping. We believe in all of you, after all…coz you have done a lot of things that made us wonder…amazed…"

Aiolia smiled seeing her blush.

"It's because you struggle for the thing the evil side detests," Marin continued

"What is it?" asked Aiolia in sadness. "Bathtub?"

Marin chuckled before she answered.

"No…," she gazed at Aiolia, her eyes shone brighter than ever. "It's love, Aiolia. Love…"

Love…

The house which was full of love…

The shadow of Kido's mansion then appeared in front of Aiolia's eyes. Kido's mansion, with beautiful and bright atmosphere… Kido's mansion the weeks before… Then the Gold Saints wandered happily in its garden, doing pranks to each other…

He really couldn't give up this fast…

"You're right…," Aiolia whispered as he grasped Marin's hands so tight.

xxx

When Aiolia arrived at the Goldies's room at night (with Kiki's help), all watched him in silence.

"Forgive me," was all Aiolia said. He bowed his head, didn't dare to look at his fellows, moreover his brother.

Then someone took place in front of him. He knew who it was.

"Where have you been?" asked Aiolos. His voice was a little bit cold.

"Marin," Aiolia answered shortly.

"Look at me, Aiolia."

Aiolia didn't have any choice except looking at his brother. He felt deep remorse after doing it; he'd better look at Hades's face. The disappointment in Aiolos's eyes was worst than anything.

"Hades decides not to earn you this month," said Aiolos then. In his hands there was Hades's pendant which Aiolia had thrown. "He was so wrathful. He canceled his meeting with Lune and Minos. He even threatened to torture you with his pendant. Then I offered myself to take your place—I served him this day, I would do anything he wanted, I also allowed him to slash my body if he wanted to, I would accept anything as long as he doesn't hurt you."

Aiolia bowed his head again. The quietness which came afterwards was ringing.

"I'm so upset of you, Aiolia…," Aiolos stated.

"Don't be so touchy, bro," Aiolia finally spoke, trying to cool down the situation with a little joke, as his brother usually could turn calmer when he heard his funny words. "I just want to have a good time—"

"Don't call me 'bro'!" Aiolos spontaneously snapped. "I'm not your brother!"

Aiolia got completely stricken with the excruciating words. No…it wasn't only Aiolia…the others were holding their breaths as well. This wasn't a common thing…Aiolos was so virtuous in nature, snapping was definitely not the thing he would do, moreover to his beloved brother…

Aiolos took a very deep breath when once again he saw Aiolia bowing his head. He didn't want to shout at his brother…for Heaven's sake he didn't want to…. But he must. Sadly, he must….

"Listen…," whispered Aiolos after silence for about five minutes. "I didn't return from the death land to see my brother endangering himself…. I know this is difficult for you, but would you please be patient…? This won't last forever, Aiolia…trust me…"

Aiolia nodded briefly. He didn't answer. His throat was like being choked…he couldn't even say a single word.

"You're the only family I have…," whispered Aiolos again when he grasped his brother's shoulders.

Aiolia nodded once more.

"I'm sorry," he finally let out a sentence.

When Aiolos encircled his arms around him and gave him a hug, he knew he was still Aiolos's little brother…

xxx

The next day.

Aiolia had returned to his old self the next day. He was no longer touchy or gloomy—oppositely he often created lots of jokes that made his fellows laughed out loud.

Meanwhile Shiryu was sitting next to Dohko at the corner of the room. Dohko didn't know how he managed to enter the mansion, but he thought it was less important than asking his student to leave the house soon. Apparently it didn't work, for Shiryu only replied with, "I can look into my own self, Roshi, I can tell whether I'm in danger or not. I think you do not need to prevent me visiting you here."

Shiryu was sure his master could accept his theory, not to mention being amazed by it, as he only sighed slightly and murmuring the word 'youth' on his student's statement.

"Would you wear it?" asked Shiryu. He stared at the pendant in Dohko's hand in anxiety.

"I think so," Dohko said slowly. "I'm much more senior than Shaka anyway."

"But Shaka is more powerful," Shiryu said with no means to underestimate his master's power.

"This is not about power," smiled Dohko. "This is about responsibility."

"Then may I take the responsibility, Libra no Dohko?" a calm voice from their right side. Dohko and Shiryu turned their heads and saw Shaka smiling at them. Biki was on his shoulder.

"Shaka…," said Dhoko. He was so startled that he wasn't aware the other Gold Saints started to gaze at him and Shaka.

"We have to give the youngsters more chance, don't we?" Shaka asked again. Dohko stood up, looked deeply at Shaka's closed eyes. In the Virgin's serene feature he saw thoughtfulness and chivalry.

The Libra smiled warmly after thinking for quite long time. He then gave the pendant to Shaka. "You're right, Virgo Shaka," he said. It wasn't because he was afraid of wearing the pendant. It was because he believed in his junior's faith, that youngster often could do better than elders.

Shaka smiled. He received the pendant, then directly wore it, upon which Biki suddenly flew away from his shoulder. His fellows held their breaths seeing the pendant encircling his neck—it was so weird seeing Shaka wearing it. It was like seeing a very calm and pure river intoxicated by nuclear waste.

But they could take relief breath, as they saw that, being worn by Shaka, the pendant didn't even glint.

"This is it?" murmured Shaka in amuse. "Is that all the strength Hades's pendant contains?"

Nobody answered him. Everybody was mesmerized by the strange view in front of them: the man closest to god wearing an evil pendant and made fun on it.

Shaka turned around. His usual serene smile appeared. Dohko followed him, and together they headed to Hades's room. Different with the others, Shaka chose to reach Hades's room with passing the beautiful garden of Kido's mansion. Dohko decided to follow him. Both were fearless.

"Libra Dohko," said Shaka as the wind blew his hair gracefully. The scents of flowers in the morning were escorting his presence.

"Yes, Shaka?"

"Hades's presence is not as bad as we have thought, is it?"

The words made Dohko stunned. Was Shaka actually possessed yet he and his fellows weren't aware…?

But as he heard Shaka's next words, he knew Shaka totally was not possessed.

Hearing his words…he let out a smile. Hearing his words…his optimism rose up…

"There is someone saying that life is about dualism. There is good and there is evil. Each tries to defeat the other, and each tries to exist all alone. Yet in terms of human beings, there is no absolute good nor evil. Beings are somewhat paradoxical, good and evil are sometimes mixed as one. Thus no one can make perfect distinction between them.

"Hades is one of the instance. In my vision he is not a deity, only a being. In terms of the Greatest Eclipse, he is evil. But in terms of another thing that only scrutinizing eyes can see, he is good. Why? Just remember the years before we stood together to fight against him. How were we? We made great distance with each other…nobody cared about who, nobody cared about what. Each temples were divided by hundred treads. We only managed to show off our powers. We only knew about killing, pride, and battle.

"When Hades came into presence everything was changing. Each of us was no longer a selfish monkey who only cared about our own throats. We started to hold each other's hands. Power was no longer the most important thing. We learnt about loyalties…friendship. The culmination of the understanding finally emerged in front of the Wailing Wall, where we unified ourselves to destroy it into pieces. With the arrow of The Archer we combined our powers, not to show off—showing off had been a kind of trash. We united our powers because we believed in something we had neglected for long. It is love. I realize that I fall in love. Falling in love with the inhabitants of the Earth. And believe it or not….you. I have fallen for you…all of you…

"Everything has a beginning, everything has an end. The time in which I finally realized that I have this feeling…? The time when Hades started the game.

"The time I realized…that I truly care about my worthless fellows…"

Next:

Home Sweet Home: Cardiac, Corazon, Coeur, Kokoro…Heart