Sanctuary of Athena, Greece, 2018

POV Saori

She remembered like it was yesterday. The day she thought the nightmare would end. And it just begun.

When Saori accepted her mission as Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, that protects the Earth and mankind, the first question that passed through her mind was: why did she need to reincarnate every 200 years to face the evil? After all, if she was a goddess, why she was not able to the war once and for all?

Hades. He was the evil that she needed to fight.

Saori was the was the least lucky Athena reincarnation. She barely was born, and she already had to fight against a rebellion caused by one of her knights. Saga was tormented by an evil spirit and he tried to kill her so many times, until the bronze knights bravely faced him and overcame him. She never felt so weak, until she saw her knights struggling and killing each other, but she could not do anything but pray and send her cosmos to them. But Saga was not the true evil, he was just a lost soul she could not save. He suicided in front of her, and she feels this pain until today.

How could she save the Earth if she were not able to save even one knight with a tormented soul?

Then Polaris Hilda appeared, the Odin's representative on Asgard. One more poor lost soul, because her will was being controlled by Nibelungen Ring. She saw all her warriors die, all the blood poured out in Asgardian land, to protect her, even her God Warriors did not know she was being manipulated. And Saori tried, one more time, do something. But she did not know what the hell she could do, so she just sent her cosmos to comfort her knights. In the end, she saved Hilda, but so many bloods were wasted.

How could she save the Earth if she were not able to save seven God Warriors?

Then came Poseidon, and Saori thought that it was the great evil to be destroyed. Poseidon possessed Julian Solo's body to reach his goals, and controlled Polaris Hilda, using the Nibelungen Ring to stop Athena. Saori tried to convince herself that he was the great evil, but something was wrong. Poseidon should not wake up now, only in the next generation (1). Why has Poseidon woken up? Furthermore, she did not feel the great evil inside him. Of course, he to end mankind to create another one, but was trying to save some people, including herself. He valued bravery and firmness in humans, and he wanted a peaceful world, just like her. The only problem was the fact that he wanted to end mankind, and she would not allow this.

But fate likes to play with us. And the evil behind Poseidon's plans was not Poseidon himself.

It was Kanon, her knight. And he just became evil because of her.

Sanctuary's rule, her Sanctuary, were truly clear. Only one Gemini gold saint could exist. If there was another (which was rare, because giving birth to twins was complicated), he would be a shadow, a substitute, The Second. He would live the rest of his life in hiding, until his older brother dies, and then, he could take his place. Until there, he would be nothing more than a ghost, and no one could see him.

She should have known; nobody would submit themselves to this. Not even that boy Defteros (2) did that, and he never had bad intentions. Why Kanon would submit himself? Of course, Kanon would curse his own fate. Who would like to lose his own identity to be someone's shadow? Who would be happy with an institution that treats you as an evil being, just because you were born minutes after your twin brother? Who would be happy to be hidden from the world, while your brother is filled with glories?

It was obvious he would be another tormented soul. Because of her. That happened under her nose, and she did nothing.

Then, one more goddamn time, she did not know what she had to do. So, she went to the Mainstay Pillar to pray, receiving a part of the water that would destroy the Earth and send her cosmos to comfort her knights.

How could she save the Earth if she could not save another tormented soul and a young man possessed by a god?

But then she realized she needed to give an end in this story. Hades was the reincarnation of the Evil; he was the god that wanted to control the Earth and mankind. But again, something was wrong. Why the others Athenas did not destroyed him once and for all? Why did she have to lock him if he would reincarnate in the next 200 years?

Then she discovered. In the worst way possible. One of her knights, Andromeda, her friend Shun, that saw her grow up, was the chosen one to be Hades' body. There was no kinder creature than Shun, and he chose him as if Shun was a shirt to be dressed.

That was enough. That fight needed to end. This time, she would not only save her generation, but all the generations that would come after her.

That is why she went to Elysian Fields. And this time, she gave her blood, literally, to wake their divine clothes and fight. They killed Hypnos and Thanatos. And then she fought, she could finally fight against Hades, with all her strength, and killed him.

But killing Hades costed her somethings. The most precious one, and Saori cries until today.

Seiya.

Pegasus always were a close Saint to Athena, in all generations. In the previous generation, the young Temna protected Sasha as his sister, until the end of his days. She thought it would be the same between Seiya and her, that they would be close friends, as their stars and their fate.

But Seiya was special. He was different of everything that she and all Athenas had seen. He was not devoted to Athena, the goddess. He loved Saori, the human. Even if Saori was a mortal challenging the Gods, he would be at her side, together, against the world. Even if she fell in misfortune, even if she lost her powers, he would be there. Because he loved her, as a man loves a woman, romantic love. Human love, mortal love, but only Seiya did that to her.

And Saori and Athena realized that. It was the first time that both, human and goddess, fell in love to a man. But there were burdens to be carried.

And Seiya was gone. And she had seen everything but did nothing. The only thing she could do was cry for gim.

How could she save the Earth if even her lover she could not save?

She admits. When she killed Hades, there was so much more the determination in her soul. There was also hatred. How did he think he had the right to end the life of the man who loved her? Who he thought he was? He killed the only man she fell in love. In that time, she understood the anger that Zeus had when someone did something bad to his lovers. And it was not fair.

Then she murdered Hades with her golden staff. And she thought it would end there, that was the end of her suffering. She could live in peace, as mankind.

Such a mistake.

Right after the battle, the Underworld stared to collapse, because his owner was gone. She tried to send the knights to the Living world, but she noticed something was wrong (again).

"Athena, from now on, you and all your Saints are in custody. Present yourself to the Olympus immediately, with your Bronze Saints or mankind will suffer the consequences". That was Zeus' voice, the King God. She had to obey.

An extraordinary meeting was called at Olympus. Apparently, the gods were not good with the battle they saw. One of the most powerful gods, one of the Trinity of the gods, was dead. Of course, he was immortal, and a god do not die, but he has no shape, he was just a weak god, a spirit.

Her attitude was reproved by the gods, that felt threatened by her and her saints. And now she killed a god, so she needed to be punished.

And then the hell started.

In that meeting, all immortals showed themselves. Gods, heroes, creatures, nymphs, spirits. But only the Olympian Gods could vote because Zeus wanted a fair trial to his daughter, to evaluate the damage she caused. On the one hand, those in favor of her acquittal argued that Athena never intended to interfere in any domain of any god, and that she only did so when the other gods wanted to interfere in their domain. Furthermore, Athena never used unfair methods of war, even her saints did not use weapons. Those who wanted her condemnation claimed that she had gone too far in killing a god, and worse, one of the most powerful gods, who controlled the Underworld. The damage caused by that action would be incalculable, and she should pay for it.

The meeting lasted 22 years. A blink of an eye for the gods, an eternity for humans.

During these 22 years, she stayed at Olympus, with Shun, Shiryu, Hyoga, Ikki and Seiya, who was not dead, but with his soul sealed and, therefore, he was unconscious of everything that happened. Her Sanctuary became an annex to Olympus, and the time, which did not pass in the dwelling of the gods, also did not pass in the Sanctuary. This occurred because, shortly after Hades' death, Zeus took the Sanctuary, placing it in his custody, to know whether the remaining knights would be guilty or not. So, Shaina, Marin, Jabu, Ichi, Geki, Nachi, Ban, Kiki and Seiya did not age, and what was years, for them also passed as hours. Even Shunrei (whom Saori had a special admiration for because she knew that loving a knight was the same as asking to suffer) had to come to trial. The gods wanted everyone involved on that occasion.

After years of waiting, the final judgment came. The gods should vote on whether Athena would suffer severe punishment or not.

It was a close contest. Zeus, Demeter, Artemis, Hephaestus, and Hermes sided with her. Hera, Ares, Apollo, Venus (3), and Dionysus voted against her. The casting vote was missing. That this time, it was not in her hands, but Poseidon's. The one who, due to one vote, a woman's vote, lost control over Attica and, therefore, over Athens, the city that only honored her because she had won the region (4). Poseidon, now in the body of Julian Solo, who was now as Poseidon as Saori was Athena, and who was accompanied by the only ones left: Thetys and Sorento. She looked at Poseidon, who did not look like the ruthless god of the seas, but only Julian, a man tired and even resentful of her, with everything she did.

He looked at her, and she nodded. Okay, she deserved it.

"For a long time, I mistrusted and mocked humanity," said Poseidon. "I took women and men for myself, created intrigue and confusion among humans and even destroyed them once, through the flood."

"I want Athena to know, that nothing I am doing, I am doing for her, but for humans. I have seen miracles happen, and I have seen humans who can still be good and can purify the heart. And I know that it is only the indomitable girl who can protect them. I vote for your absolution."

The silence of seconds seemed to last for months. And suddenly, a revolt broke out in Olympus. Screams, protests, exclamations everywhere. What does he mean, he had forgiven her? She sealed him! If he was powerless, it was her fault! Why did he do that?

After Zeus managed to calm everyone down, he met with the gods who voted to set the parameters. So, when he returned, he gave his sentence.

"Athena, by six votes to five, you have just been cleared of your accusations. Thus, Athena will not lose her powers, just as she will not lose her possession on Earth and the protection of humanity. She will not be expelled from Olympus nor will she carry out any type of sentence. Her living knights will not suffer any kind of punishment."

Athena breathed, relieved.

"However, you cannot go unpunished."

My gods, no.

"We can do nothing about the Pegasus Saint because it was Hades who sealed him. Unless a miracle occurs, the human will continue as he is, unconscious and condemned to silence."

A dull ache went through his body, as if it had hit extremely hard against the wall. But the worst was yet to come.

Not Seiya, for the love of the gods. Not Seiya.

She held back the tears as much as she could.

"Furthermore, the gods are thirsty for revenge. As the victory has been tight, I will give you a punishment, my daughter, as a way of rewarding them. I admit that it is little compared to what you did, but that it will be enough for everyone."

"You will no longer constitute an army. Your remaining saints will live normal human lives and will no longer fight alongside you."

"Well," Saori thought, "I already wanted this anyway".

"The golden staff returns to my hands. You will no longer have Nike in your possession, but you will be assured of the absence of its need, as the gods will not try to dominate your territory."

Saori laughed internally at his father's innocence but understood. As long as they didn't touch humans, especially her saints, dead or alive, everything would be fine.

"And all the golden saints, the most powerful among your knights, will have their souls sealed and will suffer for all eternity for the sins they have committed. They should serve as a lesson for what they have done for the next generations."

Not that.

"Dad, please don't!" cried Athena "Please, I beg you! They are mortal, mere mortals, they cannot suffer for all eternity! I am the guilty one, I created the army and I put them into battle! Free Seiya and the golden knights from eternal suffering, please!"

"That is the decision of Olympus. Nothing can be done."

The final word of the King God was law.

The seal was removed from the Sanctuary. The extraordinary meeting was disbanded. This was in the year that humans call two thousand and eight after the birth of the God that most of humanity adores whose name was Jesus Christ.

But she, the goddess, had just died there.

She would not be able to bear to see her saints suffering. Neither of them. She thought of those closest to her, who came to live with her. She thought of Mu, and all his patience and serenity, always obedient to her orders. Aldebaran, always outgoing, playful, with a good spirit and that made her smile in difficult times. She thought of Aiolia, the indomitable lion, who despite his impulsiveness, was combative, helpful, and kind, always guiding the bronze saints. Shaka, the closest to God, the wisest, always had advice to give her when she needed it, a friendly shoulder to welcome her when she felt lost. Dohko, the oldest of them all, who spent 243 years waiting for Hades' seal to weaken, and kept it, just to warn her of the battle, showing his loyalty. Milo, who always followed his cosmos, was a companion and a good friend, with a thirst for justice and a desire to protect humanity so strong and unshakable. And she thought of Kanon, the man who came back from the sea only to help her in the battle, who, on the outside, appeared to be cold and unshakable, but on the inside, he had as much justice and affection for humanity as any other saint. Yes, affection for humanity, because Kanon had mixed feelings, and although he could not understand, she understood, and very well.

She even thought of the knights who did not live with her. DeathMask, which yes, he was loyal to her, but evil has corrupted him. Aiolos, my gods Aiolos, who so young faced all kinds of evil to save her when she was just a baby, handing her over to a stranger, entrusting his world to him. He thought of Shura, the most loyal saint, who was deceived by evil, but who still gave his life to save Shiryu. Camus, who also gave his life to give the last teaching to his pupil Hyoga, so that he could protect her. Aphrodite, who distrusted her, but who nevertheless tried to fight for justice on Earth. Shion, her Pope, who also waited more than 200 years to see her, protected and administered her Sanctuary throughout this period, only to face evil once again. And she thought of Saga, who was corrupted by evil, saw himself doing atrocities, but who, deep down, wanted forgiveness, wanted to get rid of all that suffering. It was in him that she trusted to kill her, because she knew that he was not an ordinary human, there was something else there, an almost divine cosmos that she would not be able to explain.

All of them, imprisoned. Their souls sealed. The statue that symbolizes the imprisonment of their souls in the middle of the Sanctuary, as an example for those who defied the gods.

Saori decided to move on, despite the huge hole in her chest. She wanted to live a normal life, and she wanted her knights to live a normal life. She relocated the remaining ones to Japan. The pain and suffering persisted, mainly because she saw Seiya that way, but she could not do anything. At least, she could use her cosmos, so that Seiya could maintain his fitness and youth.

That was for eight years. Until something very strange happened.

She and the saints felt a powerful, overwhelming cosmos that was able to fill and suffocate them. That was the cosmos of a God, she knew, they knew. Soon after, several cosmoses appeared, countless, and she could not distinguish. Then everything disappeared, as if nothing had happened. Dissatisfied, she ignored all the good warnings, she threw the saints and amazons onto the plane and they went to the Sanctuary.

The statue that symbolized the knights' prison was broken. The golden saints managed to escape (5).

Zeus knew that it was not she who had done that. Poseidon, Artemis, and Hephaestus too. But the other gods suspected and imagined that she had devised a plan to free her gold saints. Which made no sense since none of the gold saints sought her out after their escapes. Worse, she did not know where they were. So, for the past two years, the Foundation has been dedicated to trying to find them.

Once again, she was summoned to the fight, and she knew it was a call. And unlike other times, she would not be praying, like a helpless girl. If the gods wanted to end what she loved and protected, they would have to face her fury first.

(1) Poseidon says, in the manga, that he would only like to wake up in 200 or 300 years. As Athena reincarnates every 200 years, it would be the task of Athena of the 22nd or 23rd century to deal with Poseidon. It would be, if it wasn't Kanon lol

(2) I will use Lost Canvas as the previous generation. First, there everything is closed, with no change of time, with Athena and everything. And because I like it more.

(3) I will use the Roman name of Aphrodite to speak of the goddess. So here, she will be called Venus, because there is already an Aphrodite.

(4) Saint Seiya mention it, but do not go deeper. Athena and Poseidon fought for Attica, where Athens is located. Then the two gave a gift to the city, which would vote which god would be the protector of the region. Poseidon gave the city a source of salt water, while Athena gave an olive tree. When they voted, men preferred Poseidon, and women, Athena. But there was one more woman in the city, who gave the decisive vote to the goddess of wisdom. Hence "The casting vote" (the legend varies on this point, but that is the essence). Athena stayed with the city, which became Athens, but Poseidon gave the punishment, which did not allow Athens women to vote and participate in Polis.

(5) The inspiration is in the statue of the Overture film itself. But the fic is not a continuation of the Overture, it only takes a few concepts.

Hi guys! In addition, there are some observations.

The history of Saint Seiya takes place in 1986, all the sagas (Sanctuary, Asgard, Poseidon and Hades) took place that year. The trial, which paralyzes time, will last for 22 years, ending in 2008. When the trial ends, Saori and the surviving knights are all still kids. In 2016, the gold knights will be resurrected at the age they were when they died (except for Aiolos, who will resurrect at the age he would have been if he were alive in 1986, that is 27 years old and Dohko, which I will explain shortly). In 2018, the year the story begins, Saori and the bronzeboys will be 10 years older than the original story, but the golds will be only two years older. Stays like this:

Saori, Seiya and Shun will be 23 years old.

Shiryu and Hyoga will be 24 years old.

Ikki will be 25 years old.

Jabu will be 23 years old, Nachi and Ichi will be 24 years old and Geki and Ban will be 25 years old.

Shina, Marin, and Seika will be 26 years old.

Kiki will be 18 years old (imagine Kiki at school. Yeah. Fuck.)

Of the golds, it will be like this:

Saga and Kanon will be 30 years old.

Mu, Aldebaran, Aiolia, Shaka, Milo and Camus will all be 22 years old.

Death Mask and Shura will be 25 years old.

Aphrodite will be 24 years old.

Aiolos will be 29 years old (because, in the original series, he should have been 27, but died at 14). It wouldn't make sense for him to be Aiolia's older brother at about 16 years old.

Dohko will be 263 years old, but as he ceased to be a fluffy little grape and became hot, with his 18-year-old in the series, he will think (and will have the body) like that of a 20-year-old.

And the Atlantis will be like this:

Julian and Sorento will be 26 years old.

Thetis will be 25 years old.

I hope it wasn't too much a Nolan thing, who tries to explain everything in the story, but this one I thought would be necessary. Imagine calculating all this lmao. It is better to give the information.