2.

"I don't think I ever thanked you for coming over to see me, back then…" Miho would say, much later, and Hyoga would reply that she didn't have to, that it was bad enough that nobody else had done so…but that it had been…difficult.And that he should be the one to thank her, for she had made him realise the… wrongness of it all.

It wasn't easy. It seemed like the decent thing to do , but even as he was walking towards the 'Children of the Stars' orphanage there was a little voice at every step telling him to turn back. And another one egging him on.

He entered the courtyard. This was where Seiya and most of the others had spent their childhood. The part of the Kido 'brotherhood' he did not share . Of the 100 children – all sons- of Mitsumasa Kido only a couple of dozen had been born outside of Japan, and had ended up in the orphanage one way or another. As far as he knew, he was the only one to have been captured ( Càptured? Shouldn't put it in those terms, what made me?…My…my father – our father- meant for the best, preparing us for the hard life that was to be our lot as Saints of Athena, like my master Camu always said : sentiment is a weakness a Saint can not afford, and an ordinary family life breeds sentiment… but wasn't that what we went to Japan for, mamma and I? She said so, we were to join my papa, a man with a great sense of peace and justice, she sàid so, and when I would be older I would help him, she wanted me to promise, but I never did…And it all turned out different, mamma would not have wanted me to suffer so, that's not what mothers want for their children, I'm sure none of the other mothers would either, wonder what happened to them no I must not think that way, everything was for Athena, father was right,must think only of Athena…) tàken, then, at the relatively late age of eight. Even Ikki had been younger. He had lived with his mother for all of three years, before being sent to the orphanage with his baby brother, so likely he remembered her still, as must Seika, who was in a similar position – at least, as far as Seika remembered anything these days. So that made three of them…and of the one hundred , just nine had survived.

"Ninety of them didn't make it through training… I don't even remember what they were called! I had ninety brothers and they are dead and I don't know their names… but if they all spent time at the orphanage maybe the others do , or the people who run it, there must be records or something. Maybe that Miho knows. Hey, there's an idea, that's what I'll do. I'll ask about my other dead brothers…what do I say? How shall I begin?

Can't say, hello Miho, sorry about Seiya, do you happen to know… No! Can't do that. Will I even be able to make myself understood? My japanese isn't all that good…"

Yes, there was the language problem, too. His mother had insisted on teaching him japanese, though she barely spoke it herself, using a dictionary. Not the best way to learn and anyway he had hated it. The other kids had mocked him because of his accent, though inwardly he much preferred his russian lilt to their harsh, clipped tones.The problem had persisted on coming back to Russia, to train with Camu. Being french, the latter had no gift for languages anyhow, and barely spoke russian, let alone japanese. Isaac, on the other hand, frankly refused to speak russian at all. Like most Finns, he had a chip on his shoulder about Russia, something to do with the Great Patriottic War (Hyoga had learned about that when still in in school in Russia and had sang songs about it as a pioneer, proudly sporting his red scarf like all russian children from age six onwards, another thing that marked his difference from the other Kido's : hardly anyone had had any schooling and most of them could barely read) and Isaac had been very angry with him when he called it thus (" You bloody Russians invaded us ! Call that patriotism? We had as much right to exist as you did!" ) one of the rare occasions that they quarreled, another being when his friend learned the real reason why Hyoga wanted to become a Saint.

Neither of the two boys spoke french, but all three had a smattering of english, which became their lingua franca untill they mastered the Classic Greek, which was as obligatory as being able to crush a stone in your bare fist. And of course Camu insisted upon their learning 'la plus belle langue du monde' as he chauvinistically put it.

And so it was that Hyoga spoke four languages besides his own (plus a couple of finnish curses) and all of them badly.

It took him full five minutes to decide to climb the few steps to the entrance, and another five to enter. It never occured to him to knock: breaking and entering was the Saint's way, and being polite had not been a training requirement. The finer points of common civil behaviour escaped them.

Immediately beyond the door was a long corridor with several doors left and right, probably leading to classrooms, but all the signs where written in japanese.

"Great."

Hyoga decided to hazard a guess and opened one door – to find himself staring into a broom cupboard. Bad choice.

He made for another door, and was about to open it, when a voice hailed him from behind :

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

For a moment he h was the proud Ice-Saint again, ready to freeze (quite literally) anyone who stood between him and his goal, as he turned to meet his opponent.

"Opponent! Enemy! Just imagine, we had been brainwashed into thinking of other people in those terms!" Shun would say, the bitterness in his voice even deeper than before; "Don't ask questions, exterminate! The perfect killing machine!" " Yes, well, to be fair, the only other people we met where either other Saints or Marinas or Spectres set to exterminate us, so that was the only proper response to any challenge, wasn't it ?" Ikki would argue, reasonably; "Otherwise you'd be dead.". "Always provided that the other had had the same reaction drilled into him. No wonder the God Wars lasted forever; no-one ever stopped to think! Except you, Hyoga…" Shun would turn to the former Cygnus Saint, gratefully , "And that changed everything."

He stood facing a priest, black cassocked and white collared – and scowling. " Gaijin!"

Gaijin. Foreigner. If there was one word of japanese he would never forget ( if he'd never speak it again in his life!) it would be that. Gaijin. The first word his brothers had spoken to him, that day long ago , when, just after meeting his 'father' he was introduced to them.

"You are on no account to tell them who you are." Mitsumasa Kido had said –practically the only words he had spoken to his son-" You will train, eat, drink and sleep with them, but you will not make friends."

As if he could. From the little he had understood of what they were saying, they were not inclined to be friendly anyway. Only Shun would sometimes smile at him- but then, Shun smiled at anyone. And quickly stop as soon as Ikki noticed, to be dragged away by his elder brother " And don't let me see you come near to that filthy 'gaijin'".

Jabu made no bones about the fact that he despised all foreigners, and had often led a little band of bullies to pick a fight with the russian boy. Hyoga had ignored the taunts- which was easy as he could not understand them- and that spoiled the fun somewhat, so they fell on him and beat him up. Of course, no-one would come to his aid, not even Seiya, though he and Jabu were more often than not at each other like cat and dog. After a while the ever-dark bespectacled guards would come and seperate them. They had been cheerfully aware of the taunting and the fights from the start, but it was considered good practise for the kids- and entertainment for them.

Brought before Tatsumi, they would be punished, of course, which meant that Jabu and the others were sent to do some onerous task like cleaning the loo or something, whereas Hyoga, who could not explain, was given the preferred treatment for recalcitrant child : bound and hung from a rope and beaten with a bamboo cane.

"And I bet he'd jack himself afterwards" Ikki would say, grimly, " He was the kind who gets his kicks hurting others; and I know of some of the others- the ones who didn't make it – who were… interfered with too. I was always so worried for you, Shun…"

" "Why did we think that was normal? Why did we not find it odd – to say the least- that such a sadistic pervert would be in the service of Athena?" " Hey, that's what brainwashing does to you! Were we suckers for punishment or what?"" Considering how often Tatsumi took me to his torture chamber, I should count myself lucky I was 'only' beaten. Maybe gaijins were not to his taste." " Yeah, I guess. Me, I suppose he was weary of me, he knew I'd kick his ass if he'd so much as try". Upon which Shunrei would burst into tears saying she had no idea it had been so bad, she was so sorry, so terribly , terribly sorry, and they would hasten to assure her that Shiryu, he had never been taken to Tatsumi's torture chamber.

"What are you doing here, gaijin" the priest repeated, even more menacingly.

"I come from the Graad Foundation. Miss Saori Kido…" Hyoga stammered in what he hoped was his best japanese.

It wasn't, but the priest had caught the words 'Graad' and 'Kido' , and that was enough to make him bow like a penknife. Gone were the scowl and the 'gaijin', it was all kowtows and smiles and what can I do for the 'totoï gaijin'.

So now he was a honourable foreigner eh?

"I come for miss Miho."

Big Smile turned into Slight Frown, only half-hidden by a bow. Apparently Miho was not popular here.

"Of course, sensei, I shall fetch her at once. " The man scuttled off.

"Must be magic words, 'Graad' and 'Kido', " Hyoga muttered to himself. " Here I am, promoted from 'gaijin' via 'totoï' to 'sensei'."

Then he started to worry.

"What am I going to say to her? Wish Shun were here; at least hé has met this wretched girl. But with Ikki hovering over him like vulture…wish Shiryu were here, next best thing, hé knows girls, well, one anyway, what's-her-name, Sun-ray or something, the one he grew up with in China..; oh help there they are…."

The priest, all smiles, had indeed come back, a girl ( all scowls) in tow. As he pushed her forward , he hissed in her ear :

"Where are your manners, girl? This sensei is from the Graad Foundation sent by miss Saori Kido herself!"

"Er…"

Before Hyoga could set matters straight on that account, the girl burst out laughing. It was not happy laughter.

"Oh, so now the Great Saori Kido has seen fit to remember me? And she even stoops down to sending me one of her minions… I am sooooo honoured !" She made an exagerrated bow.

"Insolent girl!"

The priest raised his hand to hit her, and Hyoga caught it halfway to her cheek.

"Leave her alone!"

The sneer on the girl's face made room for a puzzled frown.

"Why ? Why the sudden concern?"

"I don't want to see you hurt on my account!"

Really, this went better than he had hoped for. He even found the proper words in japanese. She was warming towards him.

" I.. I know you, don't you? I've seen you on television. You're the one who was late for the contest, the Cygnus Saint. You are Seiya's friend?!!!"

And she burst into tears.

"Oh boy."

Consoling weeping girls had not been part of his training. He struggled for the right thing to say, and of course came up with the completely, utterly, totally wrong one.

"Seiya died lieke the bravest of Saints, defending Athena!"

Weeping Girl suddenly became Screeching Banshee !

" Exactly! He died!! And all for that Big-Boobed Bitch ( God! Did I really say that? I was so worked up I didn't know whàt I was saying…" "Yes, you really did. And a very apt description it was, too. And don't apologize … except possibly for not being able to say it to her face … wish I'd seen that!") whose fault it is he got into all those fights in the first place! (Actually, guilt made me say that. Seiya had refused to have anything to do with the Galactican Tournament, but I advised him to participate so that his sister, wherever she was could see him on television… if I hadn't done that things would have turned out different, and Seiya would still be alive…"

" I doubt it. He would have been drawn into the Godgame on way or other. After all, as Pegasus Saint he was the prize pawn…")

"You don't know what you're talking about. Athena shed her own blood to save the world from a terrible catastrophe."

" Not before making you shed all of yours! Spare me your explanations, all I know is that Seiya is Dead! Dead!! Dead!!!!"

She pummeled his chest at every scream, and then susbided into helpless sobbing.

The priest was livid.

"Wretched girl! You will be punished for this!"

"She will be nothing of the sort! You will treat her with respect!"

"But…."

Time to throw some weight about, and use the Magic Words again.

"Just do it! My orders are those of Miss Kido, am I to tell her of your disobedience?"

The priest blanched visibly.

"Oh, no! No! All will be done as you say, sensei! "

He bowed so low that he almost bend double. In a minute, he'd be on his knees beating his head on the floor.

These japanese with their onwavering, total obedience! It served his purpose well, but really, before hé'd grovell like that…

"Oh , really?" Asked the little inner voice that had been at the back of his mind for days now, pushing him to come here, making him question his Sainthood – even Athena herself! – the one he'd come to identify with his conscience, his Christian conscience perhaps, "Réally?! Hé may be humiliating himself, but you were obedient enough to kill your master and your best friend …" and the other little voice, the good, obedient voice of his Cygnus Sainted Self, cut in : "But you had to save Athena, and Camus taught me a valuable lesson…" "At the price of his own life? Now that's a bit excessive, isn't it ? Now, if he'd hèlped you instead…""But he did. He made me stronger." "Perhaps, but two Ice-Saints are worth more than one, however strong, strenght in numbers, don't you know…" "Oh, stop it! What's done is done." "Very well. Just remember to what kind of extremes blind obedience can lead to. It has been drilled into you just as it has been in these japanese. And look what it can do: one minute the man is ready to throw you out on your ear, the other he's anxious to please at the merest whisper of the name Kido."

"Stop it"

He had said it aloud, and the kowtowing priest, thinking hé was being given the command, stopped.

"Is there anything else I can do to be of service, sensei?"

"There is. You can give me the list of names of all the children who were here 7 years ago, at the same time as Seiya…"

"A…? But sensei, Miss Kido hàs such a list! Surely…"

Uh-oh. Time to be arrogant again, or the man would be onto him…

"What Miss Kido has, or doesn't have, is none of your concern. I asked for the list. Now bring it me."

And he gave the man his best Camu-icy look.

It worked. The priest was running backwards and bowing at the same time.

He'd get what he wanted, but he wasn't altogether happy with the way he had gone about getting it.

Disgusted, as much with himself as with the man, Hyoga turned to have a word in private with Miha,only to find her gone.

"Oh…Hell!"