A/N: This is it. The Epilogue chapter. This story is officially finished. I've already started The Fates that Seal, though, so look for that in two weeks. I am going to make every attempt to update bi-weekly from now on.

t was a hot August afternoon when Manigoldo received the word that Atticus had passed on. A letter arrived, hand-delivered to him by Aldebaran, that told him of the news. Manigoldo was not surprised. Somehow, he'd known before he even got word. He had felt his friend's spirit leave this life.

Sage noticed a change in his student in the weeks following Atticus' death. On the surface, he was still confident and cocky. He still spoke informally. He trained harder than ever before. Yet Sage could tell he was depressed. His eyes were no longer bright, but dull, and he seemed to be spending more and more time on his own.

One day while he was going through the children's training reports, an idea came to him. Pisces Lugonis' pupil, Albafica. A child who would live a life of solitude.

"You summoned me, Sir?"

Sage didn't even have to look up to know it as Lugonis. The heady aroma of fresh-cut roses filled the air almost immediately. Pisces saints became the very essence of the roses they used, until even their own blood was toxic. He knew Lugonis' scent well.

"I had a question about young Albafica. How is he handling his training?"

"I have no reservations about his abilities. He is more than capable of becoming my successor." Lugonis shifted back away from the Papal desk a little bit as he spoke. "However, he seems to have a gentle heart. He does not want to harm anyone."

"And you have not yet told him what the final test for the Pisces cloth will be?"

Sage already knew the answer.

"I have not. I am afraid if he knows that, for him to live, I have to die, he won't take his training seriously anymore. The fact is, in a few years, only one of us will still be alive. That is how it always has been." Lugonis pulled his fingers through his long hair.

"You have to tell him, Lugonis. He has a right to know what he is going in to."

"I will, in time. He still has five years left of his training. No need to burden him with the news now."

Sage smiled a touch sadly.

"It goes quickly."

He had difficulty believing at times that Manigoldo was already twelve. It seemed like just the other day he had found the child and brought him in for training.

"Was that all, Sir?" Lugonis asked.

Sage had the feeling that the younger man was craving the solitude of his temple.

"I would like to arrange a meeting between your pupil and mine" Sage replied. "As you are aware, the nature of the Cancer constellation provides a partial immunity against the Pisces poison. Manigoldo would be in no danger so long as he does not get Albafica's blood on him, and even then, it is doubtful he would die. I feel both could benefit from the companionship."

He did not add that ever since Sisyphos was awarded his cloth, the tension between El Cid and Manigoldo had become nearly tangible. The Sagittarius saint had helped smooth the tension, but with him gone, it was apparent that El Cid and Manigoldo clashed.

Lugonis eyed Sage, as though thinking over the Pope's suggestion. Finally, he agreed.

Sage thanked the man and dismissed him. Albafica had a private study session in the library that very afternoon.

Manigoldo was less than thrilled with the news.

"You really expect me to go spend time with a freak who never shows his face around here?"

"He's not a freak" Sage responded.

Manigoldo glared at Sage.

"You're trying to replace Atticus. I don't need a new friend!"

Sage shook his head.

"You're wrong, Manigoldo. I know no one can take his place-just as no one could take my brother's place in my heart. I am not trying to find a replacement friend for you. I just think you might handle this difficult time a little easier if you had someone to talk to."

Manigoldo sighed. His master always got soft when he mentioned his twin. He also knew he had to obey.

"Fine. But if I don't like him, I'm not being nice to him."

"Oh, you'll like him" Asmita's voice piped up from Sage's side.

Manigoldo frowned.

"Where did you come from?"

Asmita grinned cheekily.

"I've been here the whole time."

Sage chuckled.

"Don't worry about him. Go to the library and meet Albafica."

Manigoldo didn't even respond.

Manigoldo arrived to the library to find it almost completely deserted. There was only one person studying at a long table. The person was slender and graceful-looking. A curtain of pale blue, glossy hair hung in a straight sheet around the stranger's shoulders as the stranger hunched over a book, studying.

Manigoldo pulled out the chair across from this person.

"Are you Albafica?"

The stranger lifted their head and Manigoldo found himself staring at the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Hadn't Sage said Albafica was a boy?

Large eyes as blue as the sky stared at him.

"Yes, my name is Albafica."

The boy sounded confused.

Manigoldo forced a smile onto his face, wondering why he had agreed to this.

"My name's Manigoldo. I'm Pope Sage's student…"

Albafica shrugged his shoulders.

"I know who you are. Nice to meet you, I guess."

Manigoldo sighed and got up, crossing over to Albafica's side. Maybe the boy was reading something he had already studied and he could open up a conversation that way. He hated the thought of spending the afternoon talking about books, but he couldn't return now, either.

Albafica jumped as though Manigoldo had electrocuted him. His pale, thin hand slammed against the rough, splintered corner of the table he was working on. Manigoldo winced as a deep cut formed on the Pisces trainee's palm.

"You're hurt" he said. "Let me see."

"NO!" Albafica shouted. By now, he looked like a cornered animal. His blue eyes were wide in alarm and he clutched his bleeding hand to his chest. "Don't touch it!"

"Look, just let me wrap it for you-you can't wrap your own hand…"

Tears sprung in Albafica's eyes and he shook his head. His expression was tortured.

"N-no. You don't understand. I can't explain. Don't touch it!"

The light-haired boy scrambled from the library.

Manigoldo stared after him, stunned.

Clearly, there was something Sage wasn't telling him. Something involving Albafica's blood.

After all, normal blood held a metallic scent. Call him crazy, but he was sure Albafica's smelled like flowers.

"I had no idea the child was that far along in his training."

Of all the responses Sage could have given him, that was the last one Manigoldo expected.

"Training? What are you talking about?"

"Manigoldo, there's a reason I wanted you to become friends with Albafica. It's because, of all the Gold saints, you'll be the only one who can be around him for any period of time. When it comes time for you two to do missions, you will have to go together."

Manigoldo blinked at his master.

"Ok, that was the last answer I was expected. I'm confused. Why am I the only one who can be around him?"

Sage smiled, though it was a sad smile.

"As you know, Cancer is a cloth that deals primarily with souls and the dead. For some reason, this gives Cancer a natural immunity to the poison of Pisces. As Albafica gets stronger, his blood will become more and more toxic-so toxic, a person would not be able to be around him for long. You yourself stated his blood did not smell right."

Manigoldo nodded.

"It smelled like flowers-the scent was faint, but his blood did not smell metallic at all."

"Albafica ran away from you because he didn't want to harm you. You can be around him, but your immunity to the poison is not complete."

"S-so if I had touched his blood, I would have gotten sick?" Manigoldo whispered the question. The thought of toxic blood made him suddenly pity the Pisces trainee.

"Probably." Sage replied.

"I have to go find him and apologize" Manigoldo said. "If I had known, I wouldn't have gone right up to his side like that. I freaked him out and made him cut himself."

Sage nodded.

It was incredible how much Manigoldo had matured since that night he'd discovered him.

As it turned out, Manigoldo did not need to find Albafica. The Pisces trainee was the one who found him first. Manigoldo was glad to see his hand had been cleaned and wrapped.

"I wanted to apologize for how I acted yesterday" Albafica said quietly.

"Ah, no worries" Manigoldo replied lazily. "My master explained what happened. But I think we should try to get to know each other. After all, we're going to be sent on missions together once we're both Gold saints."

Albafica smiled shyly.

"I would like that."

Manigoldo wasn't sure what the future would hold for them. He had no way of knowing what the Gods would throw at them, but he was prepared. He was not going to be a pawn, he would work his hardest and live his life to the fullest.

As he walked back to the library with Albafica, he swore he saw Atticus smiling at him. His friend's image was gone before he could even blink.

Yes, he would live every day to the fullest and be the best Saint he could be.

He smiled heavenward. His future suddenly seemed bright.