It was an earthquake, but not a surprising one. Located right on Ring of Fire, Japan was prone to earthquake. Every child who graduated from elementary school knew that. Paramedics, firefighters, and reporters were everywhere. Fortunately, there weren't many deaths or losses.
Seiya climbed out of the rubble and Saori was besides him. Only she and the Saints knew the real reason behind this natural disaster - that Poseidon caused the it before his defeat and Saori used her cosmo to protect as many as she could.
"Ojou-sama!" Tatsumi spotted her and Seiya. He was covered in dust but suffered no injury. He was relieved to see her. "Have you forgotten something?"
Saori looked at him blankly.
"This!" Tatsumi fished out her phone from his pocket. "You left this behind." He went on to lecture Seiya. "When did you start to drink? Three bottles of beer in one day! Alcohol is bad for you! How can you protect Ojou-sama if you are not in the right mind?" He was still talking when Shiryu, Shun, and Hyoga joined them. Tatusmi then turned his attention on Hyoga and Shun. "Hyoga, you jumped on a bike and off you went. Did you even bother to wear a helmet? Shun! Next time when you see things amiss, do something! Don't just sit there! And Shiryu...when did you come back?"
As Tatsumi went on and on, Saori saw a battered body of a blonde woman; it was Thetis. Not too far away she spotted Julian, who dug through the rubble with his bare hands.
"Sorrento! Sorrento!"
His face was desperate.
Looking at Thetis again, Saori found that she was no longer in human form, but turned back into a fish - a dead fish. Soon she was picked up by a firefighter who threw her away like a garbage. Regardless what she did, Thetis did harbor genuine feelings towards Julian, whether he was man or god. She had given him everything she could. But all her efforts were fruitless. Now Thetis would soon be forgotten. Saori did warn her that Julian didn't care for her. Still, her last words were Julian-sama. When the building collapsed, she threw herself onto Julian to protect him. However, Julian only cared for Sorrento. Would he even remember Thetis now that Poseidon left his body? No, Thetis wasn't evil. She was just foolish.
Sickness filled her stomach.
"Ojou-sama?" Tatsumi noticed how pale she was.
"Saori?"
Saori blinked her eyes and found Julian standing before her.
"What are you doing here?" Julian asked her. "And you look like a total mess!"
Without a word, she threw threw up and vomited all over Julian's suit.
She was dizzy and sounds began to fade away. Before she knew it, she passed out.
"Saori-san!"
When she came to, she found herself in bed but not in her room.
She certainly wasn't in her mansion. The bed was rather hard.
The door opened, and Seiya came in.
"You slept for a day," he said, handing her a cup. "Shiryu brought this from Roshan. It's good for you."
Saori drank it but found it incredibly bitter.
"Didn't mean that it tastes good," Seiya said.
Saori placed the cup aside.
"Come on, you need to drink all of it," Seiya said.
"I'll finish it later," Saori said. "This is your house. I was here once."
"You were unconscious and Tatsumi went crazy. The roads were blocked and closest place is here. Shiryu brought herbs from Roshan. He knows about your wound."
Saori placed her hand over her abdomen. She was afraid to even think how much the curse from Ptolemy's arrow had spread in her body.
"You know Shiryu's master is a Gold Saint?"
Saori was surprised. "Wow, that's totally unexpected."
"Kiki's master is one too."
"Oh that strange kid," Saori muttered. "That makes four. Sagittarius, Leo, and two others. But if I remember correctly there are twelve. One for each zodiac."
"Good news is that Shiryu and Kiki's masters are on our side."
"Seiya, I have to go to the Sanctuary," Saori said slowly. "It doesn't matter which side these Gold Saints stand. If I don't go, then the arrow from that Silver Saint may kill me."
"Don't think about it," Seiya said. "Leave it to us."
"No, I can't," Saori said. "I'm going to the Sanctuary, even if it's the last thing I do. This is my battle as well."
"Where's Ikki?" Hyoga asked. While Saori and Seiya were inside, the rest of Bronze Saints and Tatsumi were outside by the dock. Ikki and Shaina were nowhere to be seen after the earthquake.
"Brother will be fine," Shun said. "Knowing him, he doesn't like to stick with groups. But he will join us at the Sanctuary. What is to come has to come."
Shiryu agreed. "I never thought that Roshi is actually Libra Gold Saint. When I took Seiya's cloth and mine to Roshi, he told me to take them to Jamir where I met Mu. It was he to repaired the cloths. After I returned to Roshan, I met Mu again. He revealed that he too is a Gold Saint and told me about the Seventh sense."
"Seventh sense?" Shun asked.
Hyoga said nothing but stared into the water.
"If we are to face the Gold Saints in battle, we must master the Seventh Sense," Shiryu continued. But before he could say anything more, the voices inside Seiya's house was getting louder and louder.
"You are too weak to go! You stay here with Tatsumi!"
"Shall I remind you that I am Goddess Athena and you are my Saint! You do not tell me what to do!"
"You are quite difficult for a Goddess!"
"Difficult or not, I am Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War! The Sanctuary is under my patronage! If this too hard for you to understand, why don't you go take a walk and cool off!"
"Wait, you are kicking me out of my house?"
"Yes, and that's how upset I am!"
The door opened and Seiya walked out.
"Saori-san-"
"Back to her annoying old self," Seiya said. "Shiryu's herbs worked wonders."
When Tatsumi went to check on Saori, but found Seiya's room empty. She did remember to take her phone this time, though. Tatsumi thought of calling her, but then decided not to. Goddess or mortal, Saori was a girl of sixteen.
After a day of resting, Saori regained much of her energy; the herbs from Roshan helped too. Her wound still caused her pain but at least it was not that unbearable.
No, it wasn't fair for Seiya to take her battle away from her. Plus, why couldn't he understand that she's not a weakling or damsel distress wanting to hide behind his back? And he's quite bossy too!
After their argument, she kicked Seiya out. Yet she felt bad after he left, so she went out to find him.
As her mother Metis had taught her, the Goddess and her Saints are connected through their cosmos. Seiya could find her, and she could find him.
He actually wasn't too far away from the dock, but he was with someone - Miho. Quickly, Saori hid behind a tree but listened into their conversation.
"Miho, I'm leaving Tokyo," Seiya said.
"Where are you going? How long?"
"Don't ask," Seiya said. "But I will return."
"Is it that Saori Kido again?" Miho sounded angry. "She's using you! Don't you realize what she's putting you through?"
"She's not, Miho," Seiya said. "It's my choice."
"Wait, what?" Miho couldn't believe her ears.
"Saori-san is important to me," Seiya said genuinely.
"Seiya tell me the truth," Miho said. "Do you like her?"
"Who?"
"Saori Kido."
Saori walked away before Seiya answered. Perhaps she didn't need to hear his answer. She reminisced the moment she kissed Seiya. The thought of it made her giggle.
But it wasn't just that kiss.
Seiya wasn't like Thetis, who blindly loved Julian. Since he returned from Greece, they bickered, argued, but also fought in battles together. Unlike everyone else - including Tatsumi - Seiya was the only one honest with her and treated her like a stubborn sixteen year-old, which exactly what she is and wants to be.
He wanted her to stay out of battle because he cares for her. She, on the other hand, wanted to fight the battles not only because she knew it's her destiny but also she wanted to be by his side. After defeating Poseidon, she didn't want to be parted from Seiya, not even a day.
Saggitarius will return to you.
Her mother Thetis had told her.
No, mother because he already has.