"Panpolemos" (Global War)
Author's warnings: This is a post-Hades fic, starting ten years after the Holy War in which Seiya and the Gold Saints died and based on both the manga and the anime. It's pretty neutral so far, but it will contain yaoi (though het will be there as well), so hit the back button if you don't know what that is or if you don't like it. Other than that, please just forgive any mistakes in grammar, English is not my mother language. On the other hand, please do not hesitate to point out any mistakes concerning timeline / characters / canon facts / etc. Thanks a lot to all who take the time to read this.
Disclaimer: If I owned them, I'd be called Athena!
Chapter 7. Friends and Foes
Death Mask proceeded in silence as he and Libra Dokho moved swiftly through the countryside, steering clear of roads and towns to avoid being noticed. When the sun rose higher in the sky, they took a brief pause near a thin stream, stopping to get refreshment and drink. The long run to Delphi was taxing, even for gold saints.
"When… when we talked in Gonro-ho…"
Dokho turned to his travelling companion. He knew that Death Mask must have had a reason for asking to go with him, but he was surprised that the other saint would bring up their encounter previous to the war at the Twelve Temples, of all topics of conversation.
"Yes?" he inquired neutrally, trying look friendly and serious at the same time.
"You told me then… that no evil action could ever turn to good, no matter what. If that is really true, then why has she forgiven me? Why can I wear the Cancer cloth again? It refused to defend me when I fought with your pupil."
The question was a legitimate one, from Death Mask's point of view, even if he appeared to have missed the reply he could have easily guessed by himself. It was an effortless pleasure for Dokho to provide the clarification for him.
"That's how great Athena is, Death Mask. She can see the good in us, no matter how little it is. In her immense love for all things living, she can take that little good and use it to redeem us. To her, no one is hopeless or lost. Think of Ikki, some of the Silver Saints… even Saga and Kanon. They were saved by her trust in the part of them that was noble and good. We are all safe and cherished in the divine embrace of her love."
"Then why do I feel like this?" the Cancer Saint asked dejectedly, apparently not relieved in the slightest by Libra's explanation.
"Like what?"
"Like… like my life is out of my hands" Death Mask explained hesitantly. "It was different last time we came back to life, pretending to fight for Hades, I didn't feel so... I don't know. Helpless? Maybe it was because we were all so engrossed with the task at hand… But now there is something that gnaws at me from within, something which makes me want to scream and cry in horror. Is this… remorse?"
Dokho looked at the sun, already high in the south-eastern sky, and decided they had better pick up a pace. He did intend to get to the bottom of the matter with Death Mask, however. Even if he believed everything he had said about the Goddess' power of curing a misled heart, it was difficult to think that the man standing in front of him was the same who once had thrown Shun Rei down a cliff without hesitation.
Merciless Cancer Death Mask had now been replaced by a man whose soul, though troubled and hesitant, certainly belonged to justice. It didn't even appear to be a case of split personality, like Gemini's. Such a sudden conversion warranted both investigation and friendly support. Death Mask regarded him as a man of wisdom. He would not disappoint his fellow saint. Unfortunately, they had a task to complete before they could sit down and talk properly.
"The answers you seek require a great deal of meditation, my friend. What I do know, however, is that you belong to Athena now, as you did the day you won your cloth. What happened between then and now is forgiven and forgotten. But we should talk of this again, when we can both spare a moment of quiet to have a proper conversation."
The Cancer Saint remained silent for a moment, weighing Dokho's words. He wasn't entirely convinced about their veracity. Perhaps he had been forgiven, but he could not forget. Not when he still felt the darkness he had succumbed to for so many years still present within him.
"Hmm… alright. In the meantime, though, I can be of very little help. My best attack is completely invalidated. What use am I like this?"
"I'm sure you'll figure out something" Dokho reassured him with a smile. "Shall we go?"
"Yeah… let's get moving. Oh… this conversation never happened, understood?"
The Libra Saint smiled. He had expected a bit of tough act, but then Cancer managed to surprise him once more.
"Oh, by the way… real name's Sertan, if you care."
Julian Solo turned his eyes to the summit of the mountain, where the Temple of Athena sat majestically, overlooking the whole Sanctuary. His human stomach experienced once more the strange sensation that inevitably accompanied thoughts of Saori Kido, the Goddess' present reincarnation.
Now that Poseidon had completely awakened, his conscience had become one and the same with Julian's, and the two could no longer be told apart. If they ever where separated again, there was the distinct possibility that the mortal would not survive. Yet it was that frail human nature that caused him so much interior turmoil.
Even if it had been the selfish, puerile feeling of his teenage years, Julian had loved Saori. The refusal she had opposed to his marriage proposal had angered him at the time, but it had also caused him to admire the girl's strength and independence. Poseidon was bewildered and intrigued at the same time. He didn't recall ever finding Athena so alluring in the age of myth. In fact, he remembered being positively annoyed by her virtuous aloofness.
And, beneath the curiosity of the god, the feelings of the man remained. Yes, it would be good to join forces with his former adversary, even if that meant recognizing her superiority. The Sea King was aware that he had already let his pride damage his people beyond telling. It was time for a change of attitude.
With his generals in tow, he headed for the First Temple, Aries. The villagers of Sanctuary interrupted their morning activities, looking at them in awe as they paraded by. Still, there were no soldiers in sight, nobody that could announce their arrival. When he reached the bottom of the stairs leading to the top, however, Poseidon found that someone had preceded them.
The four men about to take the same path he intended to walk looked remarkably familiar, but it was their cosmos, more than their appearance, that told him who they were.
Shun, Ikki, Hyoga and Shiryu turned, alerted by the sound of steps approaching them from behind. Their eyes went round as breath seemed to suddenly fail them. There could be no mistake. Julian Solo was standing only a few steps away with his escort, and all of them were wearing their scales. The Lord of the Oceans had returned.
Siren Sorrento exchanged a quick glance with his king, then moved forward and spoke in his name, preventing any questions the four warriors may have.
"Our respects, saints of Athena. My Lord Poseidon is here to confer with the Goddess. It appears that you are headed to the main temple as well. Could you perhaps escort us?"
The four Bronze Saints regained their composure and took on a defensive stance. Though Sorrento had proved to be the most reasonable marine general by far, he had also always shown a fail-proof loyalty to his sovereign, which meant he could lie and deceive if Poseidon ordered him to.
Only Hyoga was momentarily estranged from his companions' tension. He stared intensely at Isaac, who returned his look with a slight smile of recognition. His childhood friend, twice lost and once more returned, seemed to have cast off the cold edge he had shown during their battle under the sea. He looked less posturing and more serene, as if he'd finally found something he had long been searching for.
The Cygnus Saint opened his mouth to speak, but Shun preceded him.
"Sorrento… what have you done?" he asked incredulously. "Did you wake Poseidon from slumber? I thought you'd had enough of the battle of ten years ago!"
The South Atlantic general shook his head in denial.
"I have done nothing. Lord Poseidon was broken out of his forced sleep by… an alien force, we believe, probably the same which returned my fellow generals to the land of the living. My king comes here in peace, wishing to consult Athena about this odd occurrence. Please, do not hinder our step. Lead the way up for us. It is in your interest as well. Didn't you wonder why no one welcomed you at your arrival? Or came to meet us? Something happened here as well."
The four warriors stood in silence, weighing Sorrento's words and studying Poseidon and his generals. The first looked impassive, but not hostile, while the latter showed plain signs of uneasiness. Embarrassment, they realized with surprise.
Exchanging a quick glance, the Bronze Saints deposited their cloth coffers to the ground and stripped of all superfluous garments, keeping only their undershirts and trousers. Even if they had not been worn in a long time, all it took was a simple summon from their rightful owners. The bronze cloths appeared in a multicoloured flash of cosmo energy, and each rushed almost impatiently to cover the body of the respective saint.
"Your armors look quite different from what I recall" Julian observed with interest, willing to forget for a moment that what he had just witnessed could be interpreted as a sign of hostility.
"They were reborn with the blood of the Goddess during the war against Hades" Shiryu explained, seeing no harm in satisfying the god's curiosity. "They're stronger than ever, the closest thing to a divine cloth."
"Fascinating" Poseidon commented honestly, taking a step closer to observe the beautifully chiselled cloths. "However, I pray that you excuse my rudeness, but I need to see Athena immediately. I hoped you would accompany us, but I see you have worn your cloths. I do not wish to fight with you. If you're not willing to let us pass, we shall wait here as one of you goes up to inform the Goddess. Would that be suitable?"
Both the Bronze Saints and the Marine Generals were taken aback by the accommodating tone of his voice, not to mention by the proposal itself. Poseidon was not renown for his patience with those who stood in his way. The four saints of Athena exchanged glances once more, but the decision was taken out of their hands before they could come up with a reply.
"Welcome to Sanctuary, Lord Poseidon. Athena is waiting for you."
Shiryu, Hyoga, Ikki and Shun felt their hearts miss a bit and then launch into a mad race. The voice who had spoken, that quiet, clear voice they hadn't heard in ten years, was not one they could have forgotten. When they turned around and looked up, they saw Aries Mu, its owner, standing at the top of the stairs that led to the First Temple.
"Mu…?" they asked in turn, taking in the sight of the friend they had believed lost forever.
"Yes, it's me" he assured them with an understanding smile. "You're not suffering from a delusion… or, if you are, so am I, and everybody else in Sanctuary. We will explain to the best of our ability but for the moment, please, just escort Poseidon to Athena's chambers. I cannot leave the First Temple. In case of a sudden attack, immediate defence is my responsibility."
Reaching out with their cosmos, they recognized Mu's unique energy. Drawing a steadying breath, they were almost ready to cast all worries aside when the absurdity of the situation hit them. If the dead returning to life for no apparent purpose wasn't enough of a warning, there was still the matter of the 'alien force' to be discussed.
"Let me get this straight, Mu" Hyoga said, addressing the gold saint. "You are saying that someone, we don't know who, is resurrecting people and freeing sleeping gods for an unknown reason?"
"That's all we have been able to gather, so far. Roshi and Death Mask set out for the Oracle of Delphi, seeking the Pythia's advice. They should return within the afternoon."
"Roshi is alive as well?!" exclaimed Shiryu, exultant at the possibility to see his former teacher again, almost beyond caring of how that was possible. Being reunited with him, at least, was almost too wonderful to believe.
Mu nodded, smiling at the young man's enthusiasm. He had imagined him and the others changed, and they had certainly, but not so much after all. He almost laughed when he realized that relief was the name of the feeling pervading him. He was a Gold Saint, yet the presence of the four supposedly lesser warriors did wonders for his confidence. Those four seemed to carry hope with them wherever they went. He could only imagine what would happen when they were reunited with the fifth member of their little group of miracle-workers.
"The Oracle has not been consulted in centuries" Poseidon interjected. "Are you sure there is still a prophesying priestess there?"
"We are not sure, but it's worth checking. It is our only option to interrogate the constellations, as Athena's Star Hill temple has been desecrated with blood twenty-three years ago. Fellow saints" he continued, talking to his brothers-in-arms "please do as I asked. As you traverse each temple, you should be able to meet the respective guardian."
No further encouragement was needed. The thought of seeing all the other Gold Saints again, after believing them lost, filled them with impatience.
"If you will follow us" Shun said to the Sea King and his Generals, gesturing their guests to proceed before them.
In her council room, surrounded by the God Warriors, Hilda paced nervously. She realized she should try to calm down and look more like the leader they saw in her, but she was well beyond that sort of concern. Realizing she would not settle unless encouraged, Siegfried raised from the seat he occupied and approached her, hindering her step. She looked up at him with an expression of such confusion and distress that it took all his restraint not to embrace her, even at the presence of all the other warriors.
"My Queen, do not wear yourself out with worry. We realize the circumstances are unsettling, but we have already done the best we could at present, which is to consult Odin. Has the god replied your pleas yet?"
She shook her head, consternated to admit that their protector had remained mute in spite of all her prayers.
"It makes little sense" Alberich said, almost as if to himself. "If we give for certain that the crimson aurora is an omen of doom, the prophecy of some sort of coming danger, it is logical to believe that an occult enemy force is at work. Still, why resurrect warriors who would only fight against it? My Queen, are you positive it wasn't Odin's will to call us back from the grave? If there really is danger, perhaps it was him who brought us back to defend Asgard."
"I am afraid that whatever will happen, will not touch only Asgard" she replied, shaking her head. "And besides, also Poseidon was caught by surprise by the appearance of his generals, who died ten years ago as well."
"But can we trust Poseidon at all?" the Delta Warrior objected. "It could have been all an act. It is also out of character that he would immediately seek the counsel of Athena, who is his former enemy."
"You're someone to talk about being trustworthy" Syd commented ironically.
Megrez Alberich glared at the other warrior, but Hilda intervened before he could reply.
"Please, let us not argue. We need to stand close against what may come. Accusations and reproaches do not help. And yes, Alberich, I considered the possibility that Poseidon might be trying to deceive me, but somehow I don't think that is the case. What would his gain be?"
"I can't tell" the Delta Warrior replied gravely "but if it is not Odin's will which brought us back from the dead, then we may very well consider anyone a potential enemy. The only obvious thing is that they are using a great deal of subterfuge to attain their goal. Why would they have resurrected us, otherwise? As I said, it's not logical to raise potential enemies from the dead. Someone is trying to confuse us and throw us off balance… and they are succeeding, I might add. We have to choose our allies carefully in this situation, my Queen. The mind behind all this could be anywhere, even among those who we believe to be friends."
"Maybe who orchestrated this was looking exactly for this reaction."
Everybody turned to the warrior who had spoken. Fenrir seldom voiced any kind of opinion, unless forced to. Usually that sort of meetings elicited nothing more than absent stares from him, but something had apparently caught his interest this time.
"Explain" Siegfried encouraged his companion.
"Maybe Alberich is right, someone is trying to throw the world off balance, but I think their intent may be creating distrust and diffidence that make men enemies of their own brothers. Maybe the intention of the one who resurrected us is to set us up one against the other. Asgard against Poseidon, Poseidon against Athena, and on and on. While we argue and fight over old grievances, whoever it is that set us up this way could act undisturbed. It was probably thinking this that Poseidon sought to join forces with Athena. A wise decision."
"You're suggesting we should join forces with them as well" Mime completed for him.
"I'm saying, in the snowstorm the pack sticks together. That's all I know."
"Interesting insight, coming from one that shuns the company of his own species" Alberich remarked wryly.
"You are a very good example of why I do that normally, Alberich. Unfortunately extreme situations require extreme sacrifices. I'm afraid I won't have any other choice but to endure you for a while. I'm sure Poseidon will make a less difficult subject."
A collective gasp of surprise was heard in the council room. It was not frequently that someone could manage to give Alberich his due. The Delta Warrior snorted disdainfully, but remained otherwise silent. Siegfried pondered if they hadn't perhaps misjudged who was the most intelligent among them.
"I think the best we can do under the situation is to wait for Odin's counsel and then consult Athena ourselves" Hilda concluded, realizing that their discussion was accomplishing little and raising the tension they all felt. "She has helped us in the past, though we failed to see it at the time."
It was in that moment that queen lost awareness of her surroundings as a powerful cosmo reached out to her. She recognized the blessed energy immediately, though it had not touched her directly since ten years before.
"Hilda, voice to my will, come to the altar with your warriors" Odin's voice said, beckoning her.
Author's note: Phew, another one in. This one was less pain that the previous, but a pain nonetheless… Oh, well, on with the notes!
The name I gave to Death Mask, Sertan, is the name of one of the stars in the Cancer constellation. I am not much into the name-changing business (though I did change Kiki's name), but Death Mask has to be a nick. I mean, what parent would call their child that way?! At first I wanted to give him an Italian name, but I didn't like any of those that came up to mind, so I resolved to use Sertan instead. After all, the saints have names that don't necessarily respect their origins… unless in Brazil it is normal to call a baby boy Aldebaran. And is Saga even a Greek name? Also Shaka doesn't sound very Hindu, if you ask me… Camus, on the other hand, is a French last name… Oh, well…
On a side note, I meant to apologize for a few mistakes in the past chapters. The tournament organized by Saori was the Galaxian War (and not Galactic as I wrote). Second, I have ignored the fact that after the Poseidon chapters Julian Solo gave all his wealth up to charity. I imagine he could still lead his company and work on charitable initiatives at the same time, but to be honest it was a simple mistake on my part. I don't know if I'll fix it though, I kinda like it that way.
Btw, I've decided that I will disregard the OAVs, meaning I will not consider them as part of the canon timeline. So no Abel, no Discord, etc. and especially no Lucifer. They mess up things too much and they're not that good in any case (in my opinion). Uhm, sorry about this being so slow, but I feel comfortable with this pace and I don't think it will change. I want to focus on the characters, since they're what make Saint Seiya so special. There will be plenty of action in the (far) future, and though not all of it will be purely StS-styled, I still trust it will make up for the excruciatingly slow pace of the first part. For those readers who'll survive till the end, I promise I'll find a way to reward you (pure, unadulterated bribing, this is)!