Note: Belated Merry Christmas for everyone who celebrate it. ConstellationReader and Jenny DeVic, Thank you for the kind review and always following this fic. For readers and followers, thank you that you keep reading this fic. *bow*

Warning: grammar and vocabulary error.

Disclaimer: none of the character below are mine, they are copyright of Masami Kurumada. I'm only borrowing for fanfic sake

It's Cooking Time!

Part 46

They were all had been listening to the story of how the gold saints baited Aiolos into the prank. Baiting bronze saints were simple as Camus' words were taken seriously but Aiolos on the other hand, was a little difficult since he is careful and one of the goldies who had grown up with, thus knowing that he needed to check and recheck just to make sure. He never thought all of them were taking part with it!

Athena had laughed in amusement as she found out what had happened. She was actually glad that the gold clothes had bound so much that they were working together in pranking one of their senior member and juniors/students. There was no dull moment with her saints. Dohko seemed proud with the achievement. Shion for once didn't comment on anything after hearing a full story.

However, he was not amused with Deathmask and began lecturing of how dangerous it was to drag Hyoga into the mission without adequate clothing. While it was harmless, he was going too far. It was a strange sight when Shaka actually defended him. The blonde hair Virgo had made sure that he had not feel any disturbance in the area before going into the forest and had asked Mu to follow undetected, for just in case.

Mu indeed confirming that he was following behind the scene with both Shaka and Deathmask, adding more headache for Shion. If there was any emergency, the Aries saint would teleport the boy immediately. So, everything was basically 'covered'.

For once, papacy was not able to continue his usual long scolding and sulked, murmuring 'Bunch of foxes.' He thought with more ages, his students should had been more mature but in the span of 13 years since his 'death' nothing had really change. He didn't know if he should be glad or not.

"I can't believe you all are ganging on me!" Aiolos pouted.

"I can't believe sensei started it!" Hyoga let out a distressed sigh.

"I can't believe I fall for that!" Ikki glared to no one in particular.

"I believe when sensei say that he was the first one that started this." Shiryu was rubbing his forehead slightly in annoyed. Seiya and Shun did find it was amusing, but next time they want to be in the team instead of the target. But all in all, the prank was harmless and it was indeed a tradition started first by Dohko in this generation.

The next day…

"Al, you say to give you half of the butchered cow?" Shura was coming back from Sanctuary carrying half steer on one hand as if it weight nothing.

"Oh, is all 20 arrived?"

"Yes, with the other food stocks. I will be checking the listing but what should we do with the cows?"

"Direct distribution after I cut that little part. Can you wait until I finish with this one?"

"All right."

"Meanwhile you can check with Saga and let Aphro prepare the paperwork to distributed to Rodoria?"

"Will do then." He nodded then moving the carcass onto the kitchen counter. Even with huge counter, a half steer took so much space. Without any other word, Shura teleported out from the mansion and back into the Sanctuary, leaving him alone. Aldebaran began to sharpen the knife and asked Shun to come if he wanted to learn how to butcher. With the teen next to him, Aldebaran patiently working and showed him how to cut the cut.

First, he cut it into four, round, loin, rib and chuck. The he took the round first and cut it into pieces. He could even remember the name such as sirloin tip, shank, rounds etc.

"This one here, is oyster steak. The most tender part."

"Huh? What about tenderloin?"

"This one had more flavor. Butcher didn't sell this out due to small amount; they usually take it home for themselves." He said, pointing at the small part. He cleaned the other cut from the fat before moving to take the next part and process with the new cut. Suet, tenderloin, sirloin flap, striploin etc. Next the rib then the chuck. Shun was amazed, how did the big guy know about this?

"You see, I was sent back to Brazil after I got the cloth. I'm under supervision of one silver saint stationed there. There was always celebration in our area and he usually help with butchering and preparing for bbq. That's how I learned to do this." He said as if he was reading the boy's mind when he found the questioning gaze from the teen. He was giving a sharp knife and Shun was asked to trim. Al patiently guided him on where and which to cut. After several minutes, the cuts were finished. The gold saint was putting parts that he used and took all of the unused parts back to Sanctuary.

Later on, Alde was back with all the oyster cuts from the rest of the butchered steers. He put it aside for the dinner tonight, which was also made by Aldebaran. A seared oyster steaks, with side of fries and salad. Shun indeed agree, the steak was the most tender he ever tasted. Tomorrow the big day of barbequing would be coming. After this it was Mu's turn, he didn't know if he should sigh in relief or felt disappointed that it's over.

Saint

Seiya

Since the morning, Alde and Shun was busy with cutting, cleaning, marinating and preparing for tonight dinner. Hades was back just in time to witness chickens killing. Shun was hesitated in twisting the neck, what with the chicken staring at him… in that time, Hades was taking over forcefully. He did the killing without even using his hands as he elevated the chicken. With a flick of finger, the neck was twisted even the head was pulled out from the neck bone.

Blood pouring and dripping from the headless chicken much to Aphrodite's horror. Poor Aphro, he had unassumingly walked in into the kitchen to take something from the cupboard… his scream of murder could be heard through the mansion. That shout made people who were still in the mansion running toward the man only to find Shun with elevated, blood dripping headless chicken and elevated chicken's head. His eyes had shifted to black as he let out a small smirk. The saints quickly decided to leave for their respective task giving Shun (Hades) a pleasure of beheading another 4-5 chickens… But all in all, the process of making dinner today was consisted of making fire pit for the barbeque, salad and of course, dessert. After all Aldebaran was famous on making meat course and sweets.

When the smell of something bake spread around the mansion, Mu appeared on the kitchen with a reason to check but Alde knew. Oh yeah, he knew all right. The younger lad had never passed a chance to sampling his cake. The word of 'sampling' for Alderbaran, by the way was not giving a bite size or so cake but was giving two slices of chocolate cakes that he just baked. As the lad disappeared with a smile on his face and a prize on his hands, Shun was questioning on 'why two slices?'

"One for Mu." The bull star said while letting out a laugh. Mu coming always had been a habit of him every time he was baking chocolate cake in the past. As if that lad could sniff his cake from afar. "Another one is for Camus." Shun looked at him while shaking his head. That means Mu and Camus the 'baby brother' huh?

Afternoon came and the barbeque had lined up on the pit burning slowly with Aldebaran watching over them while the sweet smelling of something spread around the mansion. This time instead of only Tatsumi and Shun, the other servants that worked in the mansion were lining up on the garden. The dining room suddenly had the restaurant feel. When someone arrived at the dining room door, they were suddenly being escorted toward the table, even with the honorific of 'sir' in front of the name. Which, by the way made some people re-think if it was a good idea of wearing casual cloth.

"Emmm, give me a minute." Aphro said immediately when he was about to be escorted, he ran back to second floor where his room located. Minutes later he was back with a stylish long sleeve pastel blue collared shirt, the long sleeves were both rolled up to the elbows and darker pink short. He even wore blueish with pink flowery print shoes.

"Are you sure you want to wear that? I mean we are eating Brazilian barbeque." Milo who also just walk in into the area, commented about his choice of clothes.

"… I thought Saori-san already say that we can't wear shoes inside the house." Camus warned.

"This is new shoes, all right. Not dirty. And what the problem with wearing this cloth while eating barbeque?" Hopefully whatever sauce, Aldebaran had made was not dripped into his shirt when he was eating... or the next day this one would basically complain to no end and made the work on Sanctuary a headache.

Once again, Hades was there in person but instead of sitting inside the dinner room, he opted to stay in a chair in the garden looking at the grilling scene in front of him.

His eyes were looking at the fire. It had been several million years since the battle with titans. The human technology had been gone from not being able to make fire into something like smartphone. They grew so fast with it but with the cost, if they kept this up… Gaia would be throwing another tantrum.

Last time he heard (as he and his siblings were not even born yet); she had fed up with low intelligent creature and boredom that she asked Chaos to end all the creatures in a single day. Some had survived, evolved further into birds and smaller lizards. After some void million years passed with only smaller animal roaming through the earth, along with the battle of titans ended. They had agreed to create the first human…

But… this might be not a good decision. Demeter who painstakingly trying to mend the earth, was horrified with the degree of destruction of earth. What's affect Demeter, affect his wife, Persephone. She had that sadness lingering on her eyes whenever she was back from her spring/summer time and what he wanted to do was to cheer her up. One solution was to wipe out some of the race of human and once again re-populated but this time by guiding instead of watching.

But alas, Athena had been managed to defeat his attempt with the help of her saints, twice. Centuries ago, Apollo had also fed up with human that he rained his arrows and delivered the death plague. The underworld was by then, jampacked with souls but it was small scarified to give, a little rest to Demeter which in turn, made his wife a little happier. But it was with another cost, Athena and Apollo had been on the bad term since then.

He looked at the sky, the night was starless here, it was as black as his underworld night. If he managed to win, he would wipe out 99% of the population, then the earth might have another chance to recover and maybe, Persephone also could enjoy her time on the surface more and Demeter had her chance to rest just like when the great plague happened that time, centuries ago. Too bad… while the 18th Alone was not really a good vessel, this time he chose the one that also destined to be Athena's saint. Fate seemed to play him this time, with unprecedented result too. He looked back at Shun who was busy with barbequing. His ears pick up a sound of piano that had been left inside the dining room. The rose grower was once again playing a light tune of music.

"Lost in thought?" He heard and glanced toward the spoken Goddess.

"… not really." He said as he saw Shion dragged one chair to his table. Athena sat before dismissing the lad. Though reluctant to leave his goddess with the archenemy, the former Aries moved away from the place, giving both of the deities some space to speak.

"Don't you enjoy the peace?"

"No, not at the cost of my wife happiness."

"… I promised, human will be evolved for better, they will be more careful with the world that they are living in."

"I doubt that, not with what I see. If they don't, we will at war once again."

"I really hope we won't." She spoke. She looked at the saints who were mostly chatting and waiting. Some had ventured outside to the pit to watch Alderbaran. "Human are like us, but without extraordinary power. They have been trying to renew their source of energy and more conscious with the earth right now. Most people are also good people and not as you say, a sinner."

"The small amount of them, yes. But it is override with the majority. I doubt they will catch up with it. As I and Poseidon had said, if nothing change..."

"I have faith, if they didn't… I'll let Apollo put on another plague."

"Plague didn't help much. Total annihilation will." There was uncomfortable silent before he spoke. "But you had my words." He smirked lightly. "I give you quarter thousand-year time. I spare two of your saints, one as pope and another as advisor."

"I already have my choice but..."

"Which?"

"… The twins and one more."

"I said two not three." He frowned.

"Please spare another one."

"You are making this difficult."

"…" There was nothing she could say back, Saori could only looked at him with determination in her eyes. She would not back down from it but also wouldn't say anything that made situation even worse.

"Tsk… who?" He said, annoyed as he might be.

"Shun."

"My vessel?"

"As long as Shun is here, you are going to be able to visit the surface. You will be able to see and watch human up close, then you can judge if it is worth not to wipe them up."

"…" Hades stared at her, finding nothing but sincerely. "Very well."

"Thank you, Hades…" She smiled gratefully. Her gold saints will be back to the place where they belong until they are summoned back in next reincarnation but at least both twins had each other to manage Sanctuary until their comrades arrived back with her. And Shun… she was sorry to let him stay here without anyone, not even his brother but… it for the future of human. She knew Shun could shoulder this burden and with Hades on his side… Athena knew that she had made this gamble but if it could spare the next war, it will worth a try. The conversations quiet down when there was a clink on the glass as everyone looked at the source.

"Please go back to your table, there is this token on your table." He said as he showed the token up on the air. "Each of you will got one and if you want to stop or finish eating, please place your token on the red color. As long as it is green, the server will be cutting and giving you the food." There were murmured as people took seat. The servants had begun to distribute some frizzle drink of lemonade soda and for alcohol lover, red wine. "Oh, another request from Aegle, she had heard about this and say to shove both Shaka and Aphrodite with more meat." He grinned while Shaka groaned and Aphrodite let out a murderous glare. "And to go light on Kanon."

"Oh, come on!" There's a protest while some were just chuckling.

The chatters were back and this time peoples walking back and forward from the firepit outside. Carrying a large meat skewered, knife and tray. Each and everyone seemed had been trained properly by Alderbaran. Meats (mostly beef) was sliced neatly and put into the plates in pair. Other than meats, Tatsumi also put out salads and grill pineapple. Even though the center of attention suppose to be bbq. His dessert of Bolo de brigadeiro, the chocolate cake was a hit especially for sweet tooth people. It become more prominent right now who and who had weak spot for sweets. Saga had been force-taking the fifth slices of cake from his brother's hand and lecturing about his sugar rush and his weight. Milo had been reminding his best friend about the episode of fatigue that happened not long ago when the lad was about to take the third slices. And… Mu had been taking the fourth slices if Shaka hadn't took the fork off his hand. Saori had also let her self lose this time as she took the third slices. She should let Alde baked more cake in future.

To be continue…

Bolo de brigadeiro: traditional staple three layers cake made with tender and moist crumb, chocolate cake and fudgy filling and frosting