Chapter 8
By: MimiYamatoForever
(A/N: I goofed in the last chapter. I didn't mention Athena saying or going back to Sanctuary and I had put her there without realizing it. My bad.)
All this time…Our whole lives…
Ikki sat locked in his room. He wasn't speaking to anyone or bothering to open the door when they came knocking. He had been locked in his room for the past nine hours. Everything that was happening…he just couldn't accept it.
I can't believe that since the day he was born…he was really a God reborn. One of the three most powerful Gods of ancient mythology. I just can't seem to accept it. There's just no way I can. I have to see for myself if it's true or not.
There was a knock on the door but Ikki didn't move to answer it. He just wanted to be alone right now.
"Ikki." Seiya's voice called through the door. "Ikki, locking yourself away like this isn't going to help Shun. The others and I are going to Sanctuary to see Athena and we want you to come with us."
Ikki stood and answered the door. "I'll go. But only to find a way to help Shun."
"Alright." Seiya said with a nod. "I'll let the others know you're coming with us. We're leaving early in the morning."
Ikki shut the door and placed his forehead against it. Shun, whether you're a God or not, I'll find a way to save you and bring you back home. I promise little brother.
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At the crack of dawn, a jet had landed in Athens and allowed its four passengers off. The four saints had quickly put on their cloths and together they hiked their way to the Sanctuary. It hadn't taken long for them to reach the training grounds where soldiers were busy training.
Almost instantly they saw Mu waiting for them in his regular clothing.
"Hello Mu." Hyoga greeted as they walked over to the Aries saint.
"Hello." Mu replied. "It's nice to see all of you again."
"Same to you. I just wish it was under better conditions." Shiryu said.
"Yes, Miss Athena wishes the same. She is waiting for all of you in the palace." Mu said and began to escort them up the stairs leading to his temple.
"Does anyone else besides Miss Athena know what's going on, Mu?" Seiya asked as they neared the exit of the Aries temple.
"Yes." Mu answered. "All of the gold saints know as well and are ready for Athena's orders on what to do. But Athena wishes to discuss this matter with each of you before anything is done."
The Aries saint noticed how quiet Ikki was being and that he was at the back of the group. His eyes were lowered in thought. But Mu knew that Ikki might not want to talk about this matter just yet. It might be something that he would want to talk to Athena about alone. After all, Shun is Ikki's brother.
As the group started to pass through the other temples, the gold saints of each temple started to join them in heading for the palace.
The whole time, Ikki remained silent and continued to stay silent as they entered the Sanctuary palace and headed for the throne room. But as they neared the doors to the throne room they noticed that the new chief of staff was standing in front of the doors.
All of the Bronze Saints eyed the man as they had never seen him before but the Gold Saints seemed comfortable around him so they tried not to seem judgemental.
"Lady Athena wishes to speak with the phoenix saint alone." The man said.
The saints were confused by this announcement but didn't say anything. Ikki nodded and walked into the room. He walked down the aisle as the doors closed to let the conversation be private. Ikki stopped before the steps leading to the throne.
He kneeled and bowed his head to the Goddess who sat on the throne.
"Ikki, I apologize for all that has happened to your dear brother." Athena said. "I agree that this curse shouldn't have befallen upon him. But fate has decided differently for him. He is both a saint and a God."
"I'm sorry, Athena." Ikki said looking up at her. "But trying to accept Shun for what he might be is just something I may not be able to do."
"I understand, Ikki." Athena said with a single nod. "I myself am still having a little trouble accepting it as well. That Andromeda Shun is Hades."
Ikki lowered his head a little hearing her words but then looked at Athena straight on. "Athena, is it true that my brother, Shun, really was Hades in the past?" he asked.
Athena lightly sighed and Ikki already felt bad news coming.
"I'm afraid that it is true." she answered.
Ikki balled his hands into fists and lowered his head again.
"But you shouldn't be too worried." Athena said causing Ikki to look at her again. "Just like me, Shun and Hades share the same body but soon their souls will merge and then Hades will be fully reborn."
"Is it possible to drive Hades out again and keep him from trying to take control of Shun?" Ikki asked.
"Unless we find a way to seal Hades soul away there is no way to prevent it." Athena answered and saw Ikki's distress. "We may not be able to permanently keep Hades out of Shun but we can limit his presence. It will be like we have put a limitation on Hades and his powers while he resides within Shun."
"I just hope to keep my brother alive and well." Ikki said.
"We shall do our best." Athena said before motioning for him to stand. Just as Ikki stood, the doors to the throne room opened and the bronze and gold saints entered and bowed to Athena just as Ikki had done.
Now they began to discuss their next course of action.
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[Underworld]
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Athena is planning to bring herself and her saints to stop me. Hades thought quietly as he sat on his throne. They have discovered that the Andromeda saint isn't just my vessel and link to this world. They have discovered that he and I are one in the same. I'm sure this irritates those little bronze saints. Especially Phoenix Ikki.
"Leave my brother alone." a stern voice yelled in the back of his mind.
Hades lightly smirked and everything went dark. A single light seemed to shine down on him as he sat on his throne and Shun's spirit appeared in the light a few feet away.
"Your brother cannot deny the fact that you were me in the past for very long." Hades said.
"There's no way for you to prove it anyway."
Hades smirked. "Do you recall those strange dreams you had after Athena defeated me in my true body? They weren't dreams or nightmares. They were memories."
"Memories?"
"From our time on Mount Olympus and the Underworld. Our memories have nearly returned and once they have you will be sure that you and I are the same." Hades said.
Shun right away looked sad.
"It will be hard for you to accept this truth but you will with time." Hades said. "Just as your brother will accept it."
"Leave Ikki out of this!"
"Only for the reason that you and I are the same person I will. After all," Hades paused as he stood and slightly grinned. "He's my brother now too."
Shun clenched his fists and sneered.
"It's for that fact alone that no harm will come to Phoenix Ikki. I may even offer him the chance to be at my side in the next world." Hades said.
Shun continued to give Hades a cold glare.
"I'm sure Ikki would take that chance since he doesn't wish harm upon you." Hades continued. "Wouldn't it be hilarious if Ikki turned out to be a reincarnation of our brother Zeus."
"Zeus was your brother. Not mine." Shun stated.
Hades lightly sighed. "Deny it all you wish but when our memories have fully returned the reincarnation with be complete and you will see for yourself who you were in ancient times."
Hades watched as Shun's soul vanished and the throne room appeared again. He smiled to himself and sat down again.
"He will see soon for the reincarnation is nearly complete."
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[Sanctuary]
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Ikki had left Athena's throne room when she began to talk to the rest of the saints on what their next step was. The phoenix walked outside the palace and stood alone as he looked up at the stars.
He right away found the Andromeda constellation and pictured his brother in his mind.
Is it true Shun? Can you really be Hades reborn? he asked himself. If so, did you know about it? How long have you known? And why didn't you tell me? Were you scared that I would be upset?
Ikki had been so deep in thought that he didn't even hear someone walking over to him.
"Pretty stressful, isn't it?"
Ikki looked over and saw Milo standing a few feet away with his helmet held under his left arm.
"You wouldn't know, Milo." Ikki replied turning his head away.
"I may not know what it means to have a brother but Andromeda Shun is a part of our little saint family. I know how important he is to all of us and you know that I am ready to help you rescue him from his other side." Milo said.
Ikki glared at the gold saint. "Shun has no other side!"
"Then do you have any other explanation for why the soul of Hades continues to take control of your brother? And not just because of the way Hades wishes to be reincarnated." Milo asked.
Ikki glared at the scorpion saint before turning his head away again.
"I understand that you wish it wasn't true of your brother Ikki but Lady Athena has promised a way to help." Milo said.
"But her way doesn't promise Shun will ever be completely free of Hades." Ikki replied. "The only way to stop him is to limit his presence within Shun. Shun will continue to live but Hades will always be inside him."
"Do you know of any other way to stop a Gods soul without destroying his physical being?" Milo questioned.
"I'll find a way. Just watch." Ikki vowed.
Milo stared at the phoenix saint before turning around to leave. "I wish that you do, Ikki." he said before walking away.
Ikki watched Milo head back into the palace before looking back up at the Andromeda pattern in the sky.
You're not the only one who wishes, Milo. Ikki thought to himself.
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"So we will only limit Hades soul within Shun's body." Seiya quietly said to himself.
"Ikki will not like this plan but it's the only way to ensure Shun's life." Hyoga added leaning against a wall.
"Shun will not like it either and I am sure that he will wish for us to destroy Hades and himself." Shiryu said.
"Well we're not going to let that happen." Seiya declared. "Shun is like a brother to us and we can't just let something like this continue to happen."
"I agree Seiya but how are we going to do it?" Hyoga asked.
"Can't we try something like when we went against Poseidon?" Seiya asked. "We managed to get Poseidon out of Julian Solo and sealed his soul in the ancient vase with Athena's seal."
"But we would need something to seal Hades soul in." Shiryu stated. "What would we use?"
"What about that necklace he tricked Shun into believe it was his mother's?" Seiya suggested.
"The pentagram necklace?" Hyoga asked. "I'm not sure if we could use jewelry, Seiya."
"Right. It has to be something bigger." Seiya agreed.
"Pandora's box!" Shiryu suddenly said.
"Pandora's…box?" Seiya asked.
"Remember, Ikki told us that she had opened a box that had contained Hypnos and Thanatos. Those two are gone and we can use that box to seal Hades soul." Shiryu explained.
"That may work." Hyoga said thoughtfully.
"Let's go tell Miss Athena and see what she has to say." Seiya declared.
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No one knows what I'm going through. Ikki thought as he marched down a hallway alone. His armored feet were making small noises as he walked but other than that he was completely silent. The hallway was dark and only a few torches here and there were the only light.
I'm the only one who can help Shun. I have to help him on my own. I may be going against Athena's wishes and orders but I don't have much of a choice.
"Ikki!"
The phoenix stopped and turned to see who was calling him. It was Aiolos running over in his Sagittarius cloth.
"Tell me you're not planning on going to the Underworld on your own." Aiolos said stopping a few feet away.
"You of all people would be the closest to understanding my situation." Ikki replied.
"We are both older brothers, yes, that's true. But this is going against Athena's orders Ikki. You could get in serious trouble for doing this."
"There were times I didn't follow Athena's orders before but I've never really seemed to care. I'm doing what I have to in order to save my little brother. Didn't you try the same for yours?"
Aiolos was silent for a while remembering what he had gone through to save Athena when she had been a baby. He knew what he had been getting himself into by doing that but he had also had his young brother in mind.
If he had stayed in Sanctuary after being called a traitor, Aioria would surely have had a few harsh times and possibly marked as a traitor himself.
"If you really know what I'm going through Aiolos then you won't interfere." Ikki warned.
"I can't stop you Ikki but you do know that I will inform Athena of what you are doing." Aiolos said.
"I'll do what I have to and you do what you have to." Ikki said before taking off down the hall at great speed.
Aiolos watched as Ikki disappeared down the hall and into the darkness. The gold saint turned and started to head back to the main part of the palace. He had to go inform Athena of what Ikki was doing. He already knew that she wasn't going to like it.
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Ikki rushed down the hallway and went around a corner. It was then that he came up to a large wall that had a round door on it. On the door was a carving of a river. On one side of the river there were luscious plants and animals. On the other side was a barren land with skeletal figures.
It was a carving of the Acheron river symbolizing the line between life and death. A line that Ikki himself has crossed many times.
Once he opened this door he would instantly be transported to the Underworld where he would have to cross all of the prisons and valleys to get to Hades' palace where his brother was. It was going to be a difficult task since he was going alone.
I'm on my way Shun. Ikki thought to himself before heading for the door.
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"He's going alone?" Seiya exclaimed looking at Aiolos as he knelt before Athena.
"I'm afraid so." Aiolos answered. "He's very determined to save his brother."
Athena looked upset that one of her saints went on this dangerous mission alone. She knew that Ikki wanted to save his only family but she never thought that he would go as far as to do something so drastic.
"Miss Athena, what do you wish to do?" Aiolos asked.
Athena stood up and looked at all of her saints.
"Follow Ikki." She ordered. "I want all of you to be extremely careful about going into the Underworld. Stay together as much as possible. It's time to launch our attack."
"Yes ma'am!" The saints boomed together.
