THE 'G' IN GOD
CHAPTER NINE
ROSES AND THORNS
The Libra saint watched intently, from his place at the top of the Sanctuary clock, how a man he'd once known as a dear friend and strong ally fought against his own pupil. He would light the clock's flames soon enough, and then the battle would officially start. At the moment though, he would just observe.
Even concealed, as he was, by that unholy cloak, Dohko could see Shion had somehow regained his youth and strength. He was almost excited about seeing him again, alive and full of energy, even if it was just an illusion.
Curious things, illusions. They were more than just deceit to the eye. They were wishes, nightmares or, in his case, hope. A hope of keeping his world safe from people capable of selling their own friends out for their own personal gain. People like Shion.
Dohko sighed. He really wanted to believe- had the suspicion- that there was more to the whole thing than mere betrayal; that Shion wouldn't sink so low. He had twelve hours to find out, he thought, as the blue flames began their countdown.
The sound of the plane engine was working as a bizarre lullaby and Shun's eyelids started to feel heavy. It wasn't so much that he was truly tired; the constant humming, barely audible yet completely unavoidable, just lured him into a trance-like state. It was hypnotic.
To his right sat Ikki, with an expression of such grief and resignation that, for a split second, the youngest part of him felt bad for him. All in all, he was merely amused by his blood brother's devotion, that would make him go to such lengths in spite of what his conscience was telling him was right, just to support him. He appreciated it, but he still thought it was curious. Humans were so curious.
On the row behind him, the three silver saints sat in absolute silence. Silence brought on by fear, Shun could tell as much. They must have been too stupid or misinformed- or both- to recognize him, but they apparently now knew very well who he was and what he was capable of. He wasn't sure if it had been his idea to recruit former Athena's saints to do the specters' job. He could think of a reason or two why he could have, though. First of, that way no specters would get hurt unless it was absolutely necessary. As someone who'd lived betrayal first hand so often, he knew how to appreciate loyalty, even if he didn't quite believe in it. The specters had given it all up for him. For the time being, he owed them.
Another reason would have simply been that it was down right ironic. Maybe if the little bitch realized what kind of scum fought for her cause, she'd see she couldn't surround herself with shit and come up smelling like roses; no matter how expensive her perfume was.
It still seemed like a bad strategy- one that Radamanthys would surely not have approved off- and it put his whole mission in danger. It didn't matter though, if it had been his idea or someone else's mistake. Now only time would tell.
But the fact that he would have given the order to kill the bronze saints he couldn't quite understand. Split in two as he had been, it was possible that the half of him who'd represented his memories hadn't been aware of the bronze saints being the only people in the stinking bunch that was Athena's army that were worth something (with the exception of a gold saint or two, maybe.)
Somehow, as confusing as his immediate past was at the moment, he didn't think that had been the reason for the order. It was too late now to fix it, and that was perhaps a plus. Maybe it would be better if the bronze saints died before the big battle. Shun- Hades- loved them deeply. Not all his memories of his past could change what he felt for his friends, and that endangered his plans. There was no point in wishing they would see things his way; support him as Ikki had. Athena had done a fine job in washing their brains. Would he have to face them? He knew first hand the courage those children- they were children, weren't they?- had in their hearts and minds; the fire in their souls. Could he kill Seiya, if it came to that again?
Yes, there had been wisdom in his ordering to kill them and, though he really doubted those weak excuses for warriors that were the silver saints would ever succeed, he found himself wishing they would; just so that he wouldn't have to kill them himself if they got in his way.
Shaking those thoughts away, he focused his attention on the person in front of him, to sort of remember 'why' he was doing this. He had to admit Julian had been very kind in offering his private jet to make the journey. It was a luxurious little thing and, lets not forget, it allowed him to watch his brother's face all the way to Germany. The smile he was giving him might have been a bit much, but the uncomfortable expression on Julian's face because of it was priceless, so he kept it.
By the way he was holding Sorrento's hand, by the furtive glances they shared every once and again, Shun could swear it was more than mere lust on Poseidon's part. He loved the boy passionately, and he was loved in return. The thought that his brother was capable of such a feeling was rather disconcerting; though the realization brought as much anger in him as it did confusion. His smile turned even more vicious. The son of a bitch had no right being in love. He had no right having the person he loved by his side.
The memory of auburn locks shining under Elysium's sun invaded his brain. They, his own family, had taken his life, his dignity, but he had forgiven them. They had put the 'mistake' away, denied him a heaven that was rightfully his, and he'd forgiven them. But then the bastards had given him love. He'd been happy as he'd never been before; and just when he'd thought it would always be that way, they had taken it away, letting him know of their real intentions. They had given him that so they could take it away.
Watching Sorrento's face, so clueless and loving, Hades came to a decision. He'd thought of leaving the 'innocent' boy alone. Now he could also remember the way Saori's eyes sparkled whenever Seiya was around. No; he wasn't one to hurt innocents. Yes, he loved Seiya, and respected Sorrento as a worthy adversary. But both of them would have to pay the price of their acquaintance; they would be casualties of war, in a way; as sad as it was. But there was no other way. Poetic justice; but justice nonetheless. They would know the heartache they'd made him feel, first hand. He would never forget those auburn locks; he'd never forgive them now.
His rage was subsiding and his reason returning. The bloody figure of the man in front of him wouldn't let him forget his outburst, though; or the fact that he needed to fix his mess.
Not once Kanon had lost his dignity, his determination. It was now obvious that- though Milo seriously doubted someone could change as much as he claimed to have done- the man meant what he'd said. At least this once, his intentions were honorable. It was no wonder either, that Kanon was fighting on their side, if what he- Milo- had felt was as dangerous as he'd felt it to be.
The point was, the former Gemini Saint was now bleeding to death. Though Milo didn't quite regret his actions- they may have been brought on by all the wrong reasons, but the result was still useful; Kanon was trustworthy- it was time to deliver one last strike. Anthares would judge where his grieving mind could not.
Time stopped. Yes, this was Kanon, a traitor, a megalomaniac. But even Kanon's life would weigh on his soul if he should die as a result of his inability to keep his hot blooded nature under control. And while his cosmo flared, the Scorpio saint felt, for an instant that felt like decades, how his spirit connected with the universe. In that universe, whatever was happening, whatever was to come, didn't matter. Somewhere in that universe, were his friends; Camus was there, connected as he was, and Milo could feel it. The feeling soon turned into a vision he couldn't understand. Nothing like that had ever happened to him before, but he was powerless to stop it.
He could also detect a bittersweet energy overpowering it all. The universe itself didn't feel at all endless; in fact, it felt imprisoned. But whatever walls were holding it- and while doing so, turning that bittersweet energy so concentrated it made it hard to breathe- seemed to be fighting to break. It was as if the walls themselves wanted to set the universe free. Something was stopping it, though. A bunch of creatures so awful and vile it made his blood run cold and his stomach lurch. They laughed and mocked and kept whatever was out there from getting in. They didn't seem to notice the energy growing in that small space that was the universe, and Milo could tell it would be their undoing.
It was such a powerful, mind numbing experience, that Milo forgot all about Athena, his pain, Kanon; it all seemed small in comparison. But as it had come, the sensation- the vision- left him and his mind, not being ready to deal with what he'd just seen, decided to pretend it hadn't happened. Everything was back to normal, though Milo felt he was not the same anymore, if only unconsciously. Something had been revealed to him, for whatever reason.
Kanon was in front of him again, awaiting. Raising his finger, and for some reason avoiding to look at Athena's impassive self, he buried his Scarlet Needle deep in the other man's chest. It was over and done with.
Kanon lay on the ground, immobile for a few minutes, causing the Scorpio saint to hold his breath in dread and expectation. Finally, the messy, blood stained mass of blue hair rose, showing the man's battered face porting a self-satisfied smile. Milo held his stare; that friendly defiance was all that was keeping his mind from the unwanted epiphany he'd just had.
But Athena had to step in, place herself between them, breaking the moment and making Milo painfully aware of why he'd avoided to look at her in the first place.
Her smile was sweet and forgiving; honest, he'd have to admit. But in that moment, when he'd had that disturbing revelation, a fold had been lifted from his eyes, or so it seemed. Long gone was the cute purple haired girl with a cocky attitude. Long gone the warm golden cosmo. It wasn't warm, it burned; like a thousand hearths; it wasn't golden, it was fire. And Athena was no longer a girl, but one of those disgusting nymphs holding the universe captive.
Milo fell to his knees, truly afraid for the first time in his life, and stared at the creature before him with eyes wide as saucers.
"Athena..." he whispered, in utter disbelief. What spell was this? Who dared play with his mind, with the sacred image of the goddess, in such a shameless way? It had to be a trick, an illusion. It had to!
Saori posed her hands on his shoulders, staring down at him with pity and concern. Her hands burned his skin, making him feel blisters forming. And the smell... he wanted to throw up. Fire and brimstone, it's what she was.
"Milo," she said, and at least her voice he recognized. He hoped. In spite of his resentment, his grief, for a moment he wished this was the work of their enemy. He wanted to trust her, to believe in her. To believe that she, as the goddess she was supposed to be, had felt the interference in his mind and come to his rescue. Her next words though, crushed those hopes. "Milo; my faithful Milo. There's no need to kneel down; to ask for forgiveness. I knew you wouldn't kill him, just as I know he means no harm. I can read it in your hearts, remember?"
Milo lowered his eyes, not baring the sight of her. Yes, somehow she knew more than your average human did; more than any of them did. But she could not- never had been able to- read their hearts. He would be dead by now if she'd could.
When he stood, the illusion- or was it reality?- was gone. Saori was herself again. But Milo had seen- learned- more than enough. He mumbled something about needing to guard his temple and rushed out of there as fast as his feet allowed. What it all meant, he didn't know. But he sure as hell would find out.
The wind had ceased; there still remained some giant blocks of ice, spurting from the ground, consequence and testimony of their mock of a fight. Everyone in town had witnessed it and, since with the fight had died the storm, were now leaving their shelters. Some to see what had happened, some to help out. Hyoga could spot Jake's face in between the small crowd, looking at him with innocent concern.
The Cygnus saint was as livid as he was thrilled. Both the row and his mixed emotions were making his head start to spin. What the hell had just happened? Was this to have been another one of the Crystal saints' lessons? Those two sure could use some help regarding didactic methods!
He stared, a scold firm on his face, down at his beaten up master. He did feel happy to see him again; immensely happy. But, if it hadn't been something as close as to what had almost happened, he'd said he wanted to re-kill the idiot. What the fuck was that he'd supposedly learned?
Trying to control his anger- there would be plenty of time to externalize it later- he stretched his hand in order to help his master up. He had to admit, seeing how much damage he'd done to the one who'd taught him everything- and with just one attack, too- boosted his pride a little bit. But only because Crystal was still alive, and that had been a close call.
The older man was smiling, even if a wince did show on his face now and then. He took Hyoga's hand in his and stood up shakily, at the same time snorting.
"You've grown a little more than what I had expected," he said sheepishly, "I assure you, ending up falling flat on my behind with your first blow was not in my plans."
The blond didn't answer, biting his tongue to stop himself from biting his master's head off. He was taking it so lightly! As if he hadn't just caused Hyoga to almost kill him again for the fun of it! It was funny that he, of all people, needed to cool off; nothing had ever been more true, though.
"So?" Crystal spoke again, as they both started walking- limping, in the older man's case- toward Jakob's cabin.
"So, what?" Hyoga barked, not turning to look at him.
"So," he insisted, "Who was it?" Crystal sounded almost exited. Hyoga rolled his eyes.
"Who was who?" Needless to say, his attempts to get his annoyance at his master under control were failing, miserably; not that Crystal was being of much help, though.
"My, aren't we snippy today," the older man joked. One glance from Hyoga and he was raising his hands apologetically. "I mean the one you thought about, of course, when I asked you if there wasn't anyone worth fighting for, remember?" The crystal saint's knowing look, plus his teasing tone, would have been enough to earn him yet another 'Diamond dust' directed at his face. Hyoga was too busy looking down in embarrassment, though.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he mumbled. Crystal nodded, smirking as he did, but he didn't push the subject.
Hyoga did know what he'd meant. His anger may have diverted his attention from it, but he knew it was Shun's face he'd seen. Of course it could simply mean that he valued the sacrifice his friend had made to save him, hence feeling he owed his life to him. The concept that he could care about one of the bronze saints more than he did the rest was puzzling and, in some way, disturbing.
So, he cared for Shun more than Seiya; it didn't mean he cared little about the Pegasus saint. After all, though they had all saved each other's lives in more than one occasion, no one- not even himself- had done something as selfless or noble as what Shun had done that day between the Libra temple's walls. Then, if it was just that, why was it that every time he remembered that event, it wasn't the sacrifice he remembered, but the feeling of Shun's body resting next to his.
Hyoga wouldn't say a word to Crystal about it- he was thankful for his physiological inability to blush- but the image of Shun getting hurt because of his stupid self pity drove him out of his mind. Hyoga had no idea of what it meant, but it sure was scary. He could not, under any circumstances, lose Shun as well.
He lifted his eyes and found Crystal staring at him; not in mirth this time. His eyes were filled with paternal affection and a hint of sadness.
"I'm glad you came to your senses in the end. I don't care who was it that made you see how silly you were being."
Hyoga did smile faintly at this, but changed the subject.
"Sanctuary in trouble again, huh? When do we leave?"
His master's eyes darkened considerably for a moment.
"You need to leave at once. All of you have only twelve hours to stop Hades' minions from killing Athena." His tone was grave. Hyoga nodded.
"So, it's Hades this time? Why am I not surprised that we have twelve hours? Wait..." He stopped walking, glaring at his master. "What do you mean I have to go? Aren't you coming as well?"
The older man shook his head no, surprising Hyoga.
"I think I'm going to stay here, catch up with old friends, tell stories of hell. You know how it goes." The crystal saint's tone was light, his expression warm, yet Hyoga saw underneath it. He got the message. Somehow, he realized his master didn't have a place in that fight, as well as that much time left.
A normal person would have hugged their father tight if they'd realized there was a chance they wouldn't see them again. But hey, they were crystal saints. His look said it all and his master understood, responding in kind. It was all the affection they needed to show. After the silent farewell, Hyoga took off, heading toward the Sanctuary, toward a life he hated and yet another senseless war, as fast as he could and without any regrets in his heart.
Everyone had felt the moment the attack at the Sanctuary had begun. Now the clock had been lit, which let them all know they had to prepare themselves. Some had more time to do so than others, though. Even if the new sacred war was only a temple away from him, Aldebaran decided to take a moment to enjoy the little peace he had left.
Mu was fighting at that moment; that on itself meant this was no ordinary battle. Few men had had the chance to see the Aries saint fight. Aldebaran had, and he felt a little bad for the idiot who'd brought that upon himself. It worried him, though. He may have been a pacifist, but Mu was one of the strongest amongst them. The only reason he could think of for the lilac haired man to fight, was that the opponent was truly dangerous.
He sighed, fingering a little forget-me-not, making it twirl and remembering how, just a few days ago, a little girl in Rodorio had given it to him as a gift. He liked peace as much as Mu did. He liked it so much that he was willing to give his own peace up so that girls like that one could have theirs. Sadly, that was the way of the world. Some had to die for others to live, some had to suffer for other's happiness. At least he did the sacrifice willingly.
The Taurus saint never saw it coming, so immerse he was in his thoughts; so sure he'd been that the enemy would play by the rules, as all the others before. As the stinking odor, that in a moment's notice had invaded the entire temple, started to choke him, Aldebaran realized he'd been too naive.
"Taurus, the bull. What an honor!" a shrieky voice mocked, hidden behind the fetid vapor. Aldebaran bolted from his seat, the flower falling from his finger.
"Who dares taint this holy ground!" he yelled. In truth, he was shocked- scared even. He hadn't felt anyone's presence; he still couldn't. He knew first hand that could mean one of two things. Either this idiot was too weak, or two strong. He hoped for the first, prepared for the second and assumed his battle stance.
"I'm Niobe. One out of 108 specters under Lord Hades' command and you, my friend, are dead."
Hades, he thought; that couldn't mean anything good. But there were more tangible and immediate issues to think about at the moment. How had that man got there so fast, anyway? Was Mu dead? No; he could still feel his friend's cosmo. This guy was just a sneaky bastard who stood no chance against him. His powerful horn would take care of his disrespect. Aldebaran let his attack loose. Niobe was history.
It didn't take him long to notice his mistake. His body had frozen as soon as his attack was out, still in battle stance. Whatever it was he'd breathed, was now consuming him from the inside out. The technique of this Niobe hadn't been as weak as he'd thought. In fact, the sneaky bastard might have been dead- or just minutes away from being dead- but he'd managed to take a gold saint with him.
Aldebaran knew he was as good as dead.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye. Whatever force they were facing this time, wasn't like anything they'd encountered before. He'd heard stories about the Lord of the Underworld. He just never had thought he'd find they were true in such a way. He feared; for Mu, for his friends, for that little girl in Rodorio. Gathering the last of his strength, Aldebaran left a warning, his last memories, sheltered between the petals of the forget-me-not. Someone would find it; someone would warn the others. This enemy played dirty.
The faintest of pains cursed through his body, now nothing more than an empty carcass. At least he'd taken Niobe down. At least his death wouldn't be completely in vain. With one last wish of luck for all his friends, Taurus Aldebaran was no more.
TBC