Saori POV
Silence hung over the room. The thirteen men looked at her and blinked their eyes in astonishment. Mu, Aldebaran, Milo, and Camus shook their heads in confusion. Saga, Death Mask, Aphrodite and Shura gave a light laughter, indignant. Shaka did not have any feelings. Dohko was seriously considering what she said. Aiolia looked scared, looking at Marin, looking for answers. There were only two people who seemed very angry at the information. The first one was Kanon, obviously. The second, surprisingly, was Aiolos.
"Ma'am" Kanon began "I believe that you, rich people use many… Illicit substances. That's the only explanation for your story."
"I assure you that I have not used any illegal substance."
One more silence.
"Oh, no? So, if we're a gold saint who protected you in the past, how come we don't remember?" asked Aldebaran.
"You died bravely in the battle of Hades" Shun said softly. Death Mask snorted "they gave their lives for a greater cause, to defeat the god. They died and were resurrected, with no memory of you."
"You can only be kidding me, dear" Aphrodite said, "I'm definitely not a warrior."
"All of you are excellent and brave saints" said Saori "This is my story, the truth. It's not possible that you don't remember anything, that you don't feel anything! Don't you feel your cosmos?"
"I believe in you, Saori" said Shaka "since I entered this room, I felt that our energies were connected from the beginning. If you call it the cosmos, that's fine. I accept and believe your words."
All the other gold saints rolled their eyes impatiently. Saori smiled. She always knew she could trust Shaka's wisdom.
"So, what is cosmos?" Camus asked.
"This" said Ikki "is the cosmos."
Ikki closed his eyes, and Saori felt her cosmos lift slightly, concentrating on his hands. Ikki's hands flared with the fire of the famous and powerful Phoenix, ardent and full of determination as expected from Ikki himself. Saori could feel that Ikki's little patience was slipping away. Of course, most of the guys were scared and almost jumped out of their chairs. Only two people looked intrigued and annoyed with the situation: Saga and, once again, Aiolos.
"Ma'am" said Saga "this could easily be some kind of magic trick. I'm sure this guy must have taken some illusionism course and..."
"No Saga, he..."
"Cosmos, ma'am" Saga began, in his professorial tone "is a very poetic term that we use to talk about the universe."
"Yes, the cosmos is the universe" said Hyoga "the universe that exists within us. Every atom that exists in our body was created during the Big Bang, which connects us to the universe and makes us expand our cosmos."
"Sir, it is not because the atoms in your body were created together with the Big Bang that you can burn your hand. Or cast powers. The whole story she's telling is preposterous."
"And why would it be?" Said Shun "you can see, in front of you, my brother lighting up the cosmos with all his power. You see the Phoenix flame in your hands. Don't you feel anything?"
Saga looked at him, confused.
"What should I feel?"
The bronze saints looked at each other, confused. Did the gold saints feel nothing?
The cosmos of each of them flamed, as strong and ardent as in their glory days of battle. Saori could feel and differentiate each one of them. Saga's highly explosive cosmos. Dohko's wise cosmos. Shaka's immense cosmos. It was as if they had never stopped being gold saints. If their cosmos were still present, how could they not feel their cosmos' interactions with each other?
Of course, there were exceptions. And obviously, the exception was Kanon, who was far weaker in the cosmos than she remembered. Kanon's cosmos should be as explosive and uncontrolled as Saga's, but no. His cosmos was still, low. Serene. What could that mean?
"The cosmos" Hyoga began "is the root of all our energies. It is within us, within our spirit and connects us with everything around us. When we learn to use it and control its powers, we fight battles, in Athena's name, to ensure that the evil on Earth is eradicated."
"Everything that exists and is around us is made of atoms. The ability of Athena's saints, and especially of the gold saints, is to use the cosmos to destroy all those atoms. That's why we make..."
"Are you crazy?" said Saga "you don't destroy atoms with your bare hands!"
"We've done it countless times, Saga." Shun said
"No, you didn't" said Saga you don't destroy atoms that way, young man. What you call the cosmos doesn't destroy a damn thing because our bodies don't emit enough energy to destroy atoms!"
"Saga" began Shaka, worried "I believe their wisdom is different from what you've built over the years..."
"No Shaka" said Saga "I understand that you and I have different wisdoms, because we start from different precepts. I respect you and you respect me. Now that what they are saying is unscientific! It's dangerous! Pseudoscience is deceiving people all over the world and they are more of these charlatans! Where have you ever seen breaking atoms with your hands?"
"Saga..." Shaka hesitated.
"It is the cosmos who breaks the atoms, Saga, the energy present in our body and spirit" said Kiki, who seemed terrified with all that chaos. He was eighteen years old, but Saori still treated him like a boy. And she regretted letting him see all that mess.
"Kid" Saga said, pressing his fingers to the tip of his nose, with his elbows resting on the table, with his eyes closed "if you destroy atoms now, he will emit radiation. Radiation, understand? That energy that can even kill us! And if you do it now, we won't be left to tell the story!"
"Oh, ok" said Hyoga "then explain to me how I'm going to do it now."
Hyoga raised his hands and directed them towards Saga. He turned his palm over and focused the cosmos. Saori thought he would form an ice cube in his hand, a trick he performed very often (and which was very useful at parties and in summer). But no. The hand that was next to Saga's face started to freeze quickly, which made him very scared. Suddenly, his entire hand was covered in a very thin but still paralyzing ice. Saga jumped from his chair, scared and Kanon went to meet him, trying to help him.
"What is it?" he exclaimed, with the thinnest voice.
"This" said Hyoga, smiling candidly "is the cosmos."
Saga looked at Hyoga, scared.
"Get it off of him, immediately!" said Kanon.
"Ok."
And suddenly, Saga's hand was not only thawed, but it was also dry. As if nothing had happened.
"All that you see, all that we do" said Hyoga "all this is the cosmos and the Sanctuary. The cosmos connects us and strengthens us, and it is with this strength that we fight against the evil that tries to end humanity."
"Sounds like something from a religious sect" Shura said.
Hyoga compressed his lips, slightly irritated.
"If you prefer to face it that way, that's all right" said Shiryu "but you know that it's not the truth. We are not a religious sect. We are a Sanctuary that protects the Earth and humans against all the evils of humanity, real evils."
"It still sounds like a religious sect speech" Camus said.
Saori breathed. She tried to move one more piece in this tricky game.
"I know… supposedly you weren't born yet" said Saori, running her fingers across her forehead "but I believe you have already heard of the Galactic War."
The grandiose Galactic War of 1986, which took place exactly thirty-two years ago, which was reported around the world, promoted by Saori herself. To her, it felt like it had happened yesterday, or last week.
"Yes" said Dohko "fighters from all over the world gathered in Japan to promote a historic fight. The difference is that they didn't use common techniques. She was even promoted by a girl with the same name as hers."
That was one of the biggest lies Saori Kido had to tell. "Saori Kido" disappeared in 1986, shortly after the Galactic War. Thus, those responsible for their assets had to guard them for a certain time, until they had to sell all the shares, dividends, and assets of the Kido family, in 2008, due to the long period that "that" Saori Kido had disappeared. Even employees and personal belongings were destined for the subject. They sold it to an eccentric and very little-known millionaire, who also shared the same surname as the Kidos. Unfortunately, the poor man died and left the entire inheritance to his daughter. What's her name? Saori Kido.
Many documents had to be falsified, many illegalities had to be committed. She hated having done everything from the simplest forgery to the most severe "hiding" of property. But she became hostage to the very chaos she created.
Every day, she prayed that Seiya would forgive her. She hoped so.
"On this issue of the Galactic War, it's a long story" said Saori "that involves me too. But that story will be for another day. What I need you to understand is that back then, there was a lot of publicity about what saints were. Even the way they fought."
"I think so, ma'am" said Dohko "but little was said about the nature of their power."
"It was the cosmos" said Saori, patiently "that's exactly what we're talking about. The cosmos is everything that surrounds us. I can feel your cosmos, as ardent as when you were sai..."
"Lady" said Aiolos, interrupting her "enough, please."
Saori was startled by the harsh tone of Aiolos' voice.
"First you say that gods exist and that they are the Greek gods from mythology" said Aiolos, finally "Ok. Perhaps you are part of some religious group that has the intention of restoring the worship of ancient Greek gods. Now, say we're involved in this? Are you trying to say that our whole life, all our stories are lies?"
"You told us that the Gold Saints were revived two years ago. And that we are these revived Gold Saints" interrupted Shura "that means that our whole life before those two years, was what? A lie? An illusion?"
Saori would start to speak but was interrupted by Capricorn.
"I've known my wife for three years, ma'am. I have a daughter a year and a few months old. When you say that everything my wife and I lived is a lie, it is disrespectful to me and my family. You kidnap me, put me in captivity and tell me I must be your Saint. What you want? Is it ransom money? How much do you want?"
"No, I don't want any money! I do not need!" Saori said, desperate.
"And what do you want then?"
Saori sighed and looked at the Saints. All of them. Why did she think it would be easy? Where was when she thought that? All those men weren't loyal to Athena. They were ordinary men, living their ordinary lives. They never had any mysterious and supernatural manifestations in their lives, no callings, no doubts. For them, it's as if their cosmos doesn't even exist. She could feel the fiery cosmos of each of them, and the bronze saints too. But they didn't feel Ikki's cosmos as he concentrated the force of the Phoenix constellation in his hands. Nor Hyoga's when he froze Saga's hand.
And then she remembered the warnings. Marin. Hyoga. Shiryu. They all had said the same thing.
They are normal people, Saori. It is no longer the glorious Gold Saints. It is going to be like putting rabbits to compete with wolves.
Once again, she was being selfish in putting people into battle who were not theirs.
Saori took a deep breath and lowered her head. Her legs shook with nervousness, and she really did not want to feel her tears. The last memories she wanted to remember at that moment were revived: her, just a useless little girl fighting the gods and praying for her saints. Shiryu losing sight of both eyes. Ikki almost dying. Hyoga being frozen. Shun becoming Hades. Seiya dying in her arms.
It was thanks to her, her weakness, that Seiya was in a wheelchair, trapped, oblivious to the world. All this because she was unable to fight, unable to take courage and fight her own battles. The weight on her shoulders was huge, preventing her from walking, from looking at people with dignity, from sleeping at night, from breathing properly.
Her despair screamed when, two years ago, she felt the power of the cosmos that prowled the Earth. Both she and her friends knew that evil was brewing after thirty years of peace. She knew that nothing that happened was by chance: the fierce political conflicts between countries, the rise of groups and parties with ideologies that killed people, all the warlike and apocalyptic air that lived on Earth. The resurrection of the Gold Saints only demonstrated how much they were still needed for the protection of humanity.
Were they still able to protect the Earth? Saori knew it was and had no doubts when she felt the cosmos of each of them. But did they want to protect the Earth? Did they want to fight long battles with the gods and sacrifice their lives?
Saori had the answer now. And it hurt, as it hurt to see that truth now, after ignoring the advice of his friends, who told him and prepared him for this moment.
The painful truth was that, and it slapped Saori across the face. All the effort Saori made for this moment, all the good and bad things she had to allow herself to do to find and gather the saints was not motivated solely by the desire to save Earth. Of saving Seiya. But it was also a way, selfish and childish, for her to prove to herself that she could be a good warrior, a good leader, a good strategist in battle. She wanted to prove she was capable. But, once again, instead of her trying to fight her battles alone, or at least with the few saints she had, he decided to involve people who, after long battles fought, after so much suffering, pain, fury, hatred, and betrayal, had the right to rest, to live like normal humans, to be just ordinary people living their lives.
It would do no good for her to try to convince herself that she was trying to protect them from divine threats. It was a lie. She would kill them. Just like she killed Seiya.
"Ma'am" said Aiolos, harsh "I believe you have already said a lot. Now it's our turn to speak."
Saori looked at him, and took a deep breath, astonished at the coarse tone he used.
"Ma'am, I can't say for the others. But I know the reason why me, Aiolos, Aiolia and my brother are here." Kanon said, with a very calm voice "we are here because you didn't like what I did with your oil companies and your attacks. Admit it, you just want our heads on a platter."
"I understand that you have kidnapped me because I messed up your plans. I swear, I really understand. In fact, I find you very patient, if you want a compliment. In your place, I would have already placed a person like me seven feet below the ground."
"However, you cannot think that we would come to you empty-handed. We have a present, Mrs. Saori Kido."
Kanon, no, please.
Saori knew what was coming. Power is a game. And she was an amateur, and Kanon was a pro.
"Kanon told me that the information he had much more information about the oil spill that occurred in the Mediterranean" said Aiolos "he asked me to analyze some documents he had. Falsification of documents. Corruption. Misuse of money. Hiding information that should be from the authorities. Even paying a bribe to get Kanon out of jail. You turned out to be a beautiful criminal, didn't you?"
Saori's hands began to shake, and a cold sweat broke out on her back.
She needed information. Many of them. On the whereabouts of the saints, as on the leaking of the oil tankers. To do this, she had to use her power and capital to get information. Under capitalism, everything is a commodity, including access to knowledge. And she was generous in dipping authorities' hands with Graad Foundation money to get information about both.
She never did it because she wanted to. She never would. She was not that kind of person, ever. Each company of hers had a compliance department ready to help the authorities in any case of illegality. But she needed to save the saints. Not if it cost her honor.
And now, she was going to pay.
"As I said, we would not come empty-handed. Aiolos and I knew that most likely you would try, in some way... to harm our well-being. So, we prepared something."
"As soon as I left the house, I programmed in a little software that will trigger, in 48 hours, the information from the documents that accuse you and your corporation of various crimes, such as corruption and falsehood of documents. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. In addition to sending the document to an email list of several journalists who are experts in fact-checking, so that everyone can be sure you are a wolf in sheep's clothing. I didn't feel sorry for you about that."
"But" added Aiolos "we can change this whole tragedy. We didn't know you and your little friends would kidnap more people. People who didn't even know you or knew of your existence until then. And I don't just want to save my life and Kanon's life, but everyone's life."
"Before I thought you were a bitch who only thought about money" Aiolos said. Saori blinked her eyes several times, and opened her mouth "But now, listening to your whole story, I think you are much worse than that. It's not enough that you feel superior to others for having money, you also want to feel superior to others by making up this story that you are the goddess Athena. You're arrogant, you're selfish, and you think you really can do anything. You're not sorry to use your power to get what you want, and you're not sorry to slaughter us, even though you know we don't have as much power as you. So, I won't regret what I say now."
A crooked smile crossed Aiolos' face. What was that?
"Five million euros in my pocket and in Kanon's pocket, and those documents will never see the light of day. And a million in the pocket of everyone you kidnapped, to shut them up too" Aiolos said, smiling "And the freedom of all who are present here, of course. Oh, and of course, going to Kanon's house and destroying his computer won't do any good. Nobody here is dumb enough to leave software with such power in a house in Lavrio. Kanon has contacts with very powerful people to ensure that this information will be released."
Saori was gaping at what she had just heard. Was Aiolos blackmailing?
"Aiolos" said Shun "you are not that person. Do not do it, please. She... She didn't do it because she wanted to. We are not bad or corrupt people, none of that."
"You kidnapped people, friend" said Milo "that falls under the category of 'bad people'".
"We didn't kidnap you" said Shiryu "we saved you. There are dangerous people behind you to kill you because you are the bearers of so much power."
"I don't see any danger besides you" said Aphrodite "by the way, good proposal, Aiolos, I liked it a lot. I'm in."
"Yeah, what would you say huh? I thought you were just another starched man full of rules" said Death Mask.
But Saori did not capture much. All she could do was look at Aiolos, with her mouth open, and notice details that she shouldn't notice, but her brain was so confused that she couldn't process anything right. Aiolos' dark blue blazer. His shirt slightly bluish of his. No tie. The watch on the wrist. The old red streak was not on his forehead, letting her fringe curls fall over her forehead, giving her joviality.
For a long time, she wondered who Aiolos was. The man who saved his life. Her grandfather had told her, several times, the story of the man who carried a baby in his arms, bloodied, almost dead. He handed him the reincarnation of the goddess Athena to a complete stranger, from whom he would never know if he was a kind-hearted man or not.
"Please protect this girl. She is the reincarnation of the goddess Athena."
She never met him. They never shared the same room, never even breathed the same air. But she did not stop thinking about him. He was a hero, a holy man, a determined warrior, a Saint. He risked his life and his honor in order to save a baby from injustice. And she always trusted Aiolos' justice.
But looking at him now, she understood.
For Aiolos, she is not the girl who had to be saved to protect humanity. He did not even know her. For Aiolos, she was an extremely powerful woman who is threatening the life not only of him, but of his brother, his friends, and people he does not even know. She is an enemy to be defeated, just like Saga was when he saved her from death. Saori always treated Aiolos as a hero. Now, Aiolos treats her like a villain.
Aiolos is not a perfect warrior. An immaculate saint. He is a stubborn man determined to save people. Even if he must get his hands and his honor dirty to do it.
There was someone who behaved exactly like him. And she loved him, loves him, and will love him to the end of his days. No wonder they share the same sign.
And who soon became an ally? One who deceived the gods. A man who plays power games perfectly, the man who manipulated information for thirteen years to achieve his goals. And a determined man and a manipulative man together. To end her.
She would be very, very screwed.
She would be, but it all happened too fast. She gave directions that the Bronze Saints do not harm or scare the Golden Saints. She in no way wanted to have to use her friends' cosmos to convince the saints to stay in the Sanctuary. She was the goddess of strategy. From the city. From civilization. Of human intelligence. She would have to convince them with guile and guile.
But she knew that not all her friends agreed with her.
She did not even see it, to tell the truth, despite being a goddess and being able to see objects at the speed of light. Something picked up speed behind her, passed her and shook her hair. She crossed all the presents that were there, despite the extremely high speed, something that only a bronze saint with awake seventh sense and a lot of technique could do. And suddenly, Ikki was holding Saga by the hair with one hand, leaning against the wall. The other hand glowed with the flames of the Phoenix cosmos, a blazing, hate-filled cosmos she knew all too well. And Saga was kneeling in front of her, desperate and confused, trying to understand where Ikki came from and how he managed to disarm him so easily. The other saints tried to get closer and Kanon tried to run for Saga, but Ikki concentrated the cosmos in his right hand and shot to the ground, melting the floor, and creating a hot hole, showing the threat that Saga would have to face now.
"Enough Saori, I think we've had too much patience. Kanon, I have a deal."
Geez, this was by far one of the most difficult chapters I've ever written. Every time I came back and thought "it's wrong" and wrote it all over again lol but I hope it turned out fine. I couldn't split it in two (and that's enough for God's sake, it's big anyway).
And what a mess huh? The boys are really hardheaded too, Saori didn't help much lol
Also, this is the penultimate chapter of the first part of the fanfic. No spoilers, but after that, the real mess will start, so wait for more!