Under the bright sunlight, the Saints were preoccupied in cleaning up the Sanctuary. The battle against Gemini Saga had caused much damage. The remaining Gold Saints - Aries Mu, Taurus Aldebaran, Leo Aiolia, Virgo Shaka, Scorpio Milo, Capricorn Shura, and Aquarius Camus - worked on the big pieces while Bronze Saints cleaned up after them. Ikki left on his own again, to no one's surprise. Hyoga, Shiryu, and Shun were still recovering after having battling against Gold Saints but helped with all they could.
Hydra Ichi looked around and found no sight of Seiya.
"Hey, is Seiya still sleeping?" He asked Jabu.
"He needs time to recover," Leo Aiolia said. "Seiya have achieved his seventh sense but his body wasn't ready for the Gold Cloth."
"Is he a Gold Saint or a Bronze Saint?" Ichi asked with curiosity and some jealousy.
No one answered him.
Honestly, everyone was surprised when Seiya donned Sagittarius Gold Cloth. While Gemini Saga overpowered other Gold Saints, he wasn't able to do so with Seiya. All Gold Saints were wondering the reason behind it.
"You know," Ichi spoke again. "I think there's something going on between Saori-san and Seiya. If they get married, would that make Seiya a God Saint?"
"Shut up Ichi!" All Bronze Saints and Shaina yelled in unison with annoyance.
In the Pope's chamber, Seiya was resting in bed. The battle against Saga took a lot on him. He was at the height of his power when he was in the Sagittarius Gold Cloth. Once Saga was defeated, however, the Gold Cloth left him and he was completely drained of his energy.
Saori came in with fruit and wine. Seiya had to admit that she is a clever girl. Ikki did drive Saga crazy with his illusions; crazy enough that Saga mistaken Seiya for Aiolos and saw the Sanctuary collapsing in the hands of Zeus. None of it was real but Saga could no longer distinguish illusion from reality. In despair, he pulled out that gold dagger - the same one he used to wound Aiolos - stabbed it into his own heart.
He died right before the final flame went out.
And the curse on her body was gone.
"This will be good for you," Saori said, pouring him a cup of wine.
He drank the wine and took her hand. She didn't pull back but enjoyed the warmth and strength from his hand.
"Tell me," he began.
"Tell you what?" Saori blushed.
"Are you disappointed that I'm not Sagittarius Gold Saint?" He asked.
It took her by surprise. "No! Why are you asking me this? Don't tell me Ikki damaged our brain too."
"Do you like me or Aiolos?"
Saori sensed that Seiya was jealous when she went after Saga for what he did to Aiolos, at least a little. After all, she had been dreaming and worshiped the Sagittarius Gold Saint since she couldn't remember.
And Aiolos was indeed handsome from what she saw in her vision. Leo Aiolia resembled his brother in many ways.
"Vlákas (Idiot)," Saori muttered, grabbing a pomegranate."My grandfather had told me the story of Sagittarius Aiolos since I could remember. I envisioned him as a tall and handsome warrior. But if I were to choose, the one that's important to me is that boy who refused to be my horse and bickered with me since he returned from Greece."
"Really?"
"Yes," Saori said. "I don't care if he's a Gold Saint or Bronze Saint."
"What about Julian?"
"I was engaged to Julian because I thought it is what all girls would do. But now I know I wouldn't marry him even if he were straight. We would be living in separate lives; Julian would be travel and staring at the ocean and I'd be...doing whatever I'm doing."
"And Jabu? I saw you wearing his shoes. What was that about?"
"He was being nice," Saori said. "My feet were hurting from these heels."
"Me agapás?" (Do you love me?)
Looking into his eyes, now Saori realized what he really wanted is to hear her saying these words.
"Answer my question first," Saori said, shoving the game right back at him. "When Shaina said that you saw her face and you saw everything, what exactly did you see?"
"What?" Seiya's face fell. "I only saw her face and her kindness. What are you thinking?"
"I thought she was your first."
"Had she been my first she wouldn't come all the way to Tokyo to kill me!"
Saori burst out laughing. She laughed so hard that she choked on the pomegranate seed. Seiya rubbed her back before pulling her into his arms. Saori buried her face into his chest while feeling the strength of his arms. Those arms had been fighting enemies; now they were protecting and loving her.
"And that girl who brought you flowers?"
"Miho? She's my friend. Wait, are you jealous?"
"No," she whispered. "Seiya, ki ego se agapo."
She had been dreaming of flying in Sagittarius' arms, but with Seiya she never flew so high. It was that moment she truly found herself without a world on her shoulders. It was just her and him. He was there like he promised her.
Her mother had told her to never to give her heart to a man who value power over her. Now she knew what she meant. Seiya valued her above everything. He never treasured her because she is a goddess or a girl with wealth. He loved her for her. Among all the people in her life, only he treated her the way she always wanted to be treated. He never lied to her or hid his feelings. Perhaps she had fallen in love with him since the day he refused to be her horse. The whip hit her on the wrist as well as in the heart.
The moon shined so bright and she saw Seiya fading away.
"Seiya?"
She reached out for his hand but he was gone.
She ran out to find him, but she found herself alone.
"Seiya?"
Athena...Athena...
It was Metis. She sounded concerned.
"Athena, you can't love him," Metis said. "It will doom him."
"How?"
"It's dangerous to love a goddess," Metis told her. "The war is not over yet. More enemies are to come."
"What? He-"
"Your father will not give up, my daughter," Metis said. "If you want to save the Sanctuary, there is something you must do. You will never see him again."
"That will break my heart."
"Athena, as deities, there are sacrifices to make. Many lives will be lost if this war were to continue. You father will invade and destroy Sanctuary with his army. All Saints will die. They have protected you and now you must protect them."
Soon Saori found herself in the darkness. She was surrounded by dark warriors wearing armors similar to the Saints'. She heard sound of fighting. It was Seiya, who came for her as he always did. A tall, dark figure waved his sword and stabbed right into his heart-
"No!
She woke up in sweats and found herself alone. The dream was a warning. She knew her dreams are foreseeing of the future. She stepped out side and found the moon full and bright. A wind blew by and petals flew to her face. She caught them and found letters written on them.
á-d-i-s
Oh mother, must I? Tears fell from her eyes and her hands shook.
Without him, what would life be for me?
Without me, what would life be for him?
