Chapter 10
Cardiac, Corazon, Coeur, Kokoro…Heart
Seiya's dock house, seven p.m.
The Bronze Saints were sitting gloomily on the couch that evening. The situation didn't turn better and it made them definitely frustrated. The news Kiki (their spy) reported from Kido's mansion got worse and worse all the time.
Seiya then stood up after he lost all his patience. "That's it," Seiya said. "Let's go to Olympus mountain to see Saori-san."
Nobody took his plan seriously.
"Moshi-moshi?!" Seiya snarld.
"Seiya, the one who has license—"
"—to visit Saori-san is only the grand Pope!" Seiya cut Shiryu's words. "So what?! Should we wait for Shion in this very urgent moment?! We've been successful in entering Elysion before, I'm sure we can get the same luck if we head to Saori-san's dwelling this time! Neither Shion nor the Gold Saints are able to solve this problem—we're all only hopes!"
"You're wrong, Seiya," Ikki replied. "Shion has a plan."
"What?"
All looked at Ikki, and their faces tinted with shock when Ikki murmured the word 'Poseidon'.
"Poseidon?!" Hyoga, Shiryu, Shun, and Seiya snapped in shock. "Is Shion crazy?!"
"Sort of plan B, he said," sighed Ikki.
"Shion is really weird," murmured Shiryu. "When he got plenty of time to visit Olympus mountain to see Athena, he didn't do it—remember that he chose Shunlei's cooking instead of Athena? And now he doesn't even think to ask for Athena's help to get the mansion back—he prefers to think about…Poseidon…"
"He knows!" Shun suddenly yelled. "Shion knows something!"
"What do you mean, Shun?"
"Shion knows the reason why Saori-san agrees to sell the mansion to Hades, that's why he doesn't think about Athena's help. That's why he accepts Hades's requests, that's why he chooses to defeat Hades with Poseidon's assistance instead of Athena's. I bet Athena has told Shion all about these messes and all things he needs to do!"
Shun's statement made sense, but it made his friends turned more bewildered than before.
"Ok, let's pretend that your theory is right, Shun," said Shiryu. "The question now is: what is Athena's purpose?"
"It's still too early to ask about that," Seiya answered. "But whatever her purpose is I'm sure she doesn't mean to cause difficulties for us."
"Yeah, you're right, Seiya…," said Hyoga sarcastically. He stood up. "My sensei's arm…"
"That's the risk we have to pay—"
"Risks, you say!" snapped Hyoga. At the same time the atmosphere in the house turned gloomier. "Can you guarantee we won't meet the Gold Saints' corpses when we re-visit them?! Do you dare to say Saori-san doesn't have any contribution with it if it happens?!"
"Saori-san wouldn't do anything that can lead her saints to death!"
"Twelve temples battle! Asgard, Poseidon, the battle against Hades in Sanctuary, Inferno, Elysion!"
"That's not her fault!"
"Seiya, Hyoga!" Shun directly marched between both of them. "We mustn't fight!"
"He mocked Saori-san!" Seiya looked at Hyoga with loath.
"Hyoga is pressured, Seiya, he's really worried about his teacher, can't you understand?! I'm sure Hyoga didn't mean to say it, right, Hyoga?" asked Shun in despair.
Hyoga didn't answer. He only closed his bright blue eyes and sank himself on the comfortable couch behind him.
Minutes later he murmured, "I'm sorry."
Silence covered the dock house for some times before Ikki spoke, "Ok then," he said as he stood up and paced slowly. "What will we do now? Going to Greece to ask for Poseidon's help?"
"The Golds won't allow you," a voice from the door.
The bronze saints turned their heads, and their eyes sparkled seeing two slender and beautiful women standing elegantly there. "Marin! Shaina!"
Shaina and Marin smiled at them. Marin ruffled Seiya's hair when he approached her.
"Shaina-san, even you are here!" beamed Seiya.
"Since few days ago," answered Shaina. "Marin and I watched the mansion secretly, but today we decide to visit you."
"They won't let you come to Poseidon, it's too risky," said Marin, repeating her former words.
"So? Will they visit Poseidon all by themselves?" responded Ikki flatly. "How? Using magical I-want-to-go-whatever-I-want door?"
"If Shion decides to ask for Poseidon's assistance, I'm sure he had arranged the best plan," Shaina said as she walked to the couch and sitting in the middle of the Bronze saints. "And if he doesn't order us anything then it means we aren't included in the plan. I guess we have to let it the way it is."
"Otherwise we will ruin his plan if we don't," Marin continued.
The Bronze could only took deep breaths.
"Yeah…," Seiya sighed, "We can only wait…waiting…waiting…"
xxx
The next day.
More tortures for the Gold Saints. Hades suddenly asked all the Goldies to wake up at four p.m. to clean the whole house. Looked like he'd found another ways to reduce the Goldies's salaries.
"There is still a dot of dust left, Aries. Your salary is re-reduced five percents."
"You use the carbole I really detest, Pisces. Twenty percents of your salary is reduced."
"I have given you two minutes to clean the table, haven't I, Capricornus? Yet you take two a half minutes to finish it. Ten percents of your salary is reduced."
"But—" Shura gasped.
"No 'but'!" snapped Hades. "I do not accept any excuse nor defense! This kind of mistake is the root of the biggest mistake in the universe, in case you do not know!"
Shura sighed irritably. Betetr he left Hades before he lost patience and punched Hades's nose.
"Fifteen percents more because you sighed, Capricornus," Hades added, made Shura had to prevent multiple urges to turn Hades into paperdolls.
At the corridor near the library (the one in which the chandelier broke from the ceilings), Milo and Kanon swept the floor. They both were so silent, sleepy.
But they no longer feel sleepy anymore when the ceilings broke and collapsed once again. Kanon and Milo gasped in shock; they automatically ran away to avoid the shower of dusts and debris.
After the 'shower' ended, Kanon immediately ran to Rhadamanthys's room.
"Kanon!" Milo ran after his fellow in anxiety.
"I'LL KILL HIM!!!" shouted Kanon. When he arrived at Rhadamanthys's room, he directly snapped open the door more harshly than Hyoga did. "DARE YOU DESTROY THE CEILINGS AGAIN!" Kanon snapped.
Rhadamanthys, who was still wearing sleeping kimono and pouring liquor into his wineglass, only tilted his head a little. "Morning, Kanon," he said in indifferent voice.
"I'll kill you!" Kanon was so ready to march at his old enemy, but Milo soon grabbed his hand to prevent him.
"As if I give any damn," Rhadamanthys sneered as he sat on his sofa and drank his liquor.
"What do you want?!" Kanon snarled again. "Has it been your only hobby?! Destroying ceilings?!"
"Your intelligence is just the same with the little goose's," said Rhadamanthys lazily. "Fourteen years older but same idiotic brains."
"SAY IT AGAIN AND I'LL MAKE YOU DIE IN AGONY!"
"Nice offer," Rhadamanthys said as he took the newspaper beside him. "Haven't the little goose tell you I don't have anything to do with the %^&$%# ceilings?"
"Oh yeah, I believe you, Rhada!" scowled Kanon sarcastically.
"Good boy."
"You—"
"Kanon, stop it!" Milo soon pulled Kanon's waist when he was about to jump at Rhadamanthys. "There's no use!"
Kanon panted. He still glared at Rhadamanthys with the look which said I-really-want-to-see-you-throw-yourself-from-the-balcony.
"Let's go," Milo said in a low voice, led Kanon to turn around. "Besides an hour later I have to serve his &%&*$ master."
"Good luck, Scorpius," behind him Rhadamanthys jeered in amuse. "Hope you don't inherit Kardia's disease."
Milo suddenly stopped stepping and turned around to face Rhadamanthys again.
"What's your business if I did have it?" Milo smirked.
"You'll die," answered Rhadamanthys simply. "You're so dead. You'll wear lord Hades's pendant, won't you? Heart disease will definitely be the biggest weakness—the pendant will kill you so easily then."
Milo laughed slightly, still with his usual smirk. "Thank you so much for the information, Rhada. Sorry for disappointing you, but I don't posses such disease."
"Thanks goodness," replied Rhadamanthys, with the tone which showed the opposite.
Milo continued walking then. As he stepped away a strange smile appeared on his handsome face. It wasn't smirk, nor grin, nor even amuse. It was…strange.
"Totally challenging," he murmured unconsciously.
"What?" replied Kanon puzzlingly.
"Ah…no," smiled Milo. "Nothing."
xxx
An hour later in the Goldies's room.
"Hey," said Milo as he approached his best friend. He looked at his surroundings to make sure Shion and Dohko didn't pay any attention on him, then he took Camus's hand and grasped it tightly. Camus's hand was very cold, as usual. "Great," he said in relief. Afterwards he put Camus's hand on his—Milo's—chest.
Camus never stopped staring at his best friend, totally bewildered.
"Meaning?" he asked when he had been able to talk.
"No," chuckled Milo several minutes later. He then released Camus's hand asShion, Dohko, also the others began to encircle him. Today would be a simple reservation—Aiolos had taken Aiolia's position the previous days. Hades therefore asked Milo to serve him all by himself.
Milo accepted the pendant from Shaka, gazed at it for seconds, then immediately wore it.
The pentagram soon let out luminous glow.
"You're alright?" asked Camus. There was slight worry in his voice.
"Yeah," replied Milo. Without looking at Camus nor his other fellows, he walked out the door.
On the way to the corridor he grasped his chest so tight. His marvelous blue eyes gazed at the pendant. It was shining…so bright…
"He wasn't kidding…," he whispered. He felt great pain in his heart…it was like being stabbed…
Milo took a deep breath, letting fresh air getting into his lungs. It was somehow successful to reduce the pain, although only a little bit. Then he continued his steps and headed to Hades's room; he released his hand from his heart after he arrived in front of the door. He didn't want Hades to discover his weakness—he would never give him any satisfaction.
"Come in," Hades usual icy voice could be heard from outside. Milo then opened the door. He stared at Hades for a while before starting to tidy up Hades's bedroom. Luckily Hades was sitting with his back on him; in the middle of his activity he closed his eyes so tight—the extreme constriction in his heart was the cause…
"How close is your friendship with Aquarius?" Hades suddenly asked.
Milo tilted his head a little.
"Very close," he answered, trying so hard to make his voice normal.
"What if someday he betrays you?"
"He won't," Milo closed his eyes again. He almost screamed. It hurt…really hurt…
"Why are you so sure?"
"We believe in each other…that's the basic requirement of such relationship."
"You care about him?"
Milo dropped his knees on the floor without any sound. The pendant got brighter and brighter that it was able to lit the dark space underneath the bed. He tried to take it off, but strangely the pendant was locked on his chest, as if it was glued. Right now Milo felt like he could kill himself by stabbing his heart with his hand…just like Rhadamanthys did to Unity two hundred years before…maybe it could sweep away all agonies he suffered…
"I ask you," Hades sounded colder than before. "Do you care about your best friend?"
As Camus's shadow appeared in Milo's mind, he finally managed to stand up, although with a very huge effort.
"Yes…," Milo said. "Like a big brother."
Hades's hand contracted. His empty eyes were filled with blazing fire.
"What about Sagittarius and Leo?" asked Hades then. "How close is their brotherhood?"
Milo stared at the ceilings, his eyes half-closed. He suddenly let out slight laughter. "Why're you so curious?"
"Your salary is reduced 50 percents for your impoliteness," snapped Hades.
Milo only shook his head, trying to continue his job again. "The same," he said, answering Hades's question. "Aiolos and Aiolia have very amazing brotherhood."
"And the Geminis?"
"The same."
"Shion and Dohko?"
"The same…," Milo clutched his chest again.
Hades stared at nowhere before saying, "Then it has to be solved."
"What?" for a second Milo forgot about his pain.
Hades smirked. "You will know."
"What are you talking about?!"
Yet Milo never knew what Hades talked about as Rhadamanthys suddenly entered the room without knocking the door.
"Lord Hades—"
"You better have good reason about why you did not knock my door, Wyvern Rhadamanthys," said Hades shrilly.
Rhadamanthys bowed his back. "I beg your apologize, lord Hades, but your Rumanian-based cooperation is sabotaged."
"What?"
"Someone burns it, now the firefighters are trying to put out the fire."
Hades immediately stood up and walked outside. He seemed forgetting Milo was there. "Come, Rhadamanthys, we must take a flight there. I will make them pay this…," said Hades, followed by Rhadamanthys behind him.
Now Milo was all alone. He soon marched at the door and shut it. He really couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't help to cry in pain…he clutched his chest, his eyes were so wild, and he hardly could breath when he felt extreme heat in his chest. Hurt…really hurt…it was like being boiled…. His sweats ran down his face, his tears fell because of the excruciating pain he had to cope. Once again he felt like his heart was stabbed for hundred times by rusty trident. Hades's pendant worked…it was successful in making him dying…maybe even dead…
He lent on the wall, then slid down with never stopped grasping his chest. He screamed, shouted…but he tried to make it inaudible from outside…. He didn't want anybody—especially him—to know about it…. He had to keep it secret…
When he almost arrived in the valley of unconsciousness, he heard a woman's hysteric voice.
"Milo! Oh…what happens with you…Milo…?!"
He didn't know who she was. He only knew that her voice was mixed with sobs and that very warm and soft arms immediately encircled his body. Whoever she was, he would be so happy to have her arms as his last dwelling…she was warm and there was definitely thick love in her heart…
Before his eyes were completely closed, he still managed to say a word. Probably the last word he managed to say…
For the last time…
"Ca…mu…s…"
Then he fell motionless.
"Milo…oh Milo…," the young woman sobbed as she hugged Milo so tight. She pressed her face against his, as if it could make his feature less paler.
"Oh…please forgive me…Milo…," the young woman whispered as her hot tears fell on his blue hair, and as her long purple hair covered his handsome face.
Next:
Home Sweet Home: Valediction