DISCLAIMER: I don't own Saint Seiya.

A / N: My fic is based on the manga's storyline. This means that i don't consider the "Asgard chapter", the story finishes with the "Hades chapter".

Please be patient English is not my mother-tongue.

Direct speeches are contained in " " while personal thoughts are written in italic

Enjoy!


Eagle and Lion

By Smiling cat

Chapter one: The Mission

The battle was over, Justice triumphed thanks to the Bronze Saints' courage.

Peace reigned now over the Sanctuary, but Victory had a bitter taste….

The losses had been hard and tragic: Aquarius Camus, Capricorn Shura, Cancer Death Mask, Pisces Aphrodite…… and Saga, angel and demon in the same body, good and evil unable to combine and balance each other.

Many tragedies wouldn't havehappened if the old Pope would have revealed his doubts about the Gemini Saint. First of all the Pope's death and than Aiolos'….. the brave Sagittarius Saint who had been considered a traitor for so long.

Perhaps even the Bronze Saints' sufferings could've…… no!

Those were part of their unchangeable destiny as Saints of Athena.

These were the thoughts of Saori Kido, incarnation of the Goddess Athena, while she was attending to the obsequies of the dead Saints and warriors. All the surviving inhabitants of the Sanctuary were gatheredaround her: the remaining Goldies had pleaded for her forgivness and swore their fidelty; the others had followed their example.

Everyone wore sadness and regreat on their faces, especially Leo Aiolia, that being Aiolos' brother, had been particularly affected by the last revelations about the past and Saga, his brother's ex-best friend, who tricked him into a cruel mindgame.

It must have been hard on him growing up alone as the brother of a traitor…

she saw it for a moment the night he came to retrieve the Sagittarius Cloth and kill Seiya.

Seiya….. He and his "brothers" laid at the hospital severely wounded and deep asleep.

How much she desired to do something to ease the pain caused by the infernal childhood they went through because of her… to let her survive and claim her rightfull position.

She looked at Eagle Marin, Seiya's teacher, her masked face unable to show her sorrow.

But Saori could feel it: the female warriorwas really sorry for her Pupil and his friends, she wished she could have help them more.

Suddenly an idea flashed throughHer mind

Maybe there's somethingI can do after all; with the help of the right person

The girl thought, smiling to herself for the first time in days.


The Service was over….. the dead had been burried and now everyone was back to their duties: there was a lot of work to do to fix the damages occured during the battle at the 12 Temples.

Even so Marin of the Eagle was very reluctant to go back to her job: she had so many depressing things in mind! First of all the fact that Seiya was still in a coma.

A voice startled her from behindsaying, as if reading her mind:

" He will surely make it, that boy is too stubborn for dying!"

" Aiolia!"

She greeted recognizing him immediatly from his voice.

"You shouldn't be wasting your time with my troubles,

you have enough of your own ones"

The Gold Saint smiled bitterly.

" You're right, I have too much to choose from! Maybe that's why I prefer to mind your difficulties. There's no solution to my problems because they belong to the past, I can do nothing but accept them and try to go on as best asI can."

She clasped his arm impulsively.

"It's true, they belong to the past, but that doesn't mean they hurt less! Remember you're not alone: if you need help I will be at your side!"

The young man took her hand and kissed it, smiling gently.

" I came to cheer you up but in the end it was you who rejoiced me!"

Marin secretly thanked her mask for once: it prevented him from seeing her blushing

Nobody has ever done something like this to me!

Feeling embarrassed she drew back her hand and left in a hurry, talking about something that required her attention.

Aiolia stood there smiling to himself while watching her parting figure.

He had always liked her, perhaps because she was the only one who never avoided him during the years that followed his brother's death, marked by the ostracism of the whole Sanctuary towards him.

It's probably 'cause she was an outsider too

She was the only japanase that ever entered the Temples before Seiya, plus she was a woman and she proved herself to be better than most Greek and European males, winning a Silver Cloth.

Enough to to make the old Popes turn over in their graves!

He told himself with sarcasm.

Friends…… Are we really only friends?

This sudden thought surprised him. He came back to his Tample in a hurry

I'm an idiot! If she knew what I am thinking she would never talk to me again!


Marin was thinking at the same things while patroling the opposite zone of the Sanctuary

I'm stupid! Sure that we are only friends! What else should we be! But I must admit that he makes me feel serene as nobody else can, not even Seiya who's like a brother to me….Today his touch thrilled me…

A messenger arrived cutting her thoughts

" The Goddess wishes to talk with you at the first Temple Eagle Saint!"

She set off at a run, questioning Athena's motivations for summoning her.

Saori Kido set thoughtfully under a tree in the garden near the first Temple, surveyed by Aries Mu.

Many people would be surprised seeing her like this, but she was used at doing things as it pleased her, without minding others' disapproval. She roused herself at the arrival of the redheaded female warrior and invited her to sit beside her.

Marin bowed saying:

"I'm at your service Milady"

than accepted her invitation and sat down.

" Marin"

Saori started

" Seiya spoke a lot about you and I understand that you are very attached to each other…… He even thinks that you might be his sister! Stay sure I know it's not true!"

She prevented her from denying

" You see, I really want to do something for him, to pay him back for his sacrifices.I promised him once that I would find his sister using Grado Foundation but they didn't make it. Now I want to assign this task to someone trustworthy……"

The Silver Saint continued for her

" And you want this someone to be me!"

She was very surprised by the outcoming of this talk

"That's it. I know you're a resourceful Saint and that you love Seiya…. You'd probably do it on your own if you could leave the Sanctuary. Now you can do it with my permission. "

Seeing the girl's hesitation she asked:

" Is there something that holds you here? "

The Saint got nervous, making Saori think about the scene she evesdropped some hours ago between her and the Leo Saint. She had to restrain herself from laughing mischievously while Marin was finally saying:

" No no... there's nothing! "

Aiolia's handsome tanned face invaded her mind but she erased it angrily

Why should I be thinking of him in such an important moment!

Saori was on the merge of bursting out in joius laughter: it was good to see love again after all these dark times in which hope seemed dead!

That's worth fighting for!

Than the thought that she was going to separate them upset her

It doesn't matter! If The Eagle and the Lion are destined to be toghather, as I belive, than they will reunite in spite of everything!

She addressed the Silver Saint with authority:

"I order you to look for Seiya' s sister, Seika, till you find her. This mission will have priority over everything, even a Holy War! You will leave as soon as Tatsumi will be finished briefing you with the info collected by the Foundation. I will take care of informing of your absence. And please…. Don't talk about this with Seiya when he will wake up…. He will be willing to follow you. Good luck! "

Marin stood up, aware that the conversation was over, and bowed respectfully.

" I will successfully fulfill my mission! "

Than she disappeared quickly.

Inside the Temple, Aries Mu was thinking uneasily at what he had just heard

During all these years Marin has been an important element for the Sanctuary's stability even if she didn't make it evident…. What will happen now that she's leaving?… Athena is back but she won't be able to do everything….. and I have the feeling that she's going to leave for Japan soon!

And Who knows how will Aiolia take the news?

This last thought brought a rare cheerful smile on Mu's face, that was usually so composed and serene.


Aiolia sat on the stairs leading to the Golden Leo Temple, admiring the sunset while deep in thoughts. He was ruminating again upon his last conversation with Marin after the Funeral Service three days previous. In fact he hadn't seen her from than on, as if she was tring to avoid him!

But why!

Maybe she was annoyed by the liberty he took kissing her hand… female saints were very touchy on these things.

No she would have reacted immediatly if she felt offended…. Damn! That's not like her atall! She has always been a calm and frank person!

Anger started flaring up within him and he immediatly suppressed it

I must learn to control myself! I already had a lesson about the risks of my impulsive nature

He concentrated on his Cosmos and calm immediatly took possession of him. He was so lost in its dephts that he didn't notice the Eagle Saint's arrival until she was sat beside him.

He opened his eyes wincing:

" Marin! What are you doing here! "

He unwillingly spoke with harshness so she spat back coldly

" If you don't want me around, you only have to say it! "

She rose to leave but he took her wrist and sat her down again

" It ain't like this! You only startled me, that's all! "

She drew back her arm and hugged her knees; they both looked silently at the sunset for a while.

Finally Marin spoke

" I came to tell you I'm leaving tonight, Athena entrustedme with amission… I don't know how long I'll be gone "

Aiolia felt as if someone had just punched him and managed to say only

" You're leaving…. "

" Yes. I must look for Seiya's sister, do yuo remeber? He often talked about her. Now Milady wants me to find her at all costs. It'll be my only task so I don't know when I'll be back! "

In the meantime Aiolia managed to recollect himself from the shock

" If it's Athena's order you must go…. Is this the reason why you disappeared during the past days? Where you preparing yourself? "

Marin felt guilty because she deliberately tryed to avoid him in order to clear her mind….but it didn't work.

" Well….. Yes….. "

She lied without conviction

" I worked as fast as I could to have time to see you before leaving "

She blushed

" Why? "

" Well you see…. You are my only true friend here, there's no need to say good-bye to someone else…. "

Aiolia replyed with anger

" Is that what we are? Only friends? "

He was amazed by his own words but he couldn't stop

" And don't lie to me this time! Don't ever do it again! "

He made her turn towards him to make her look him in the face

Damn mask that forbids me to look her in the eyes!

Time seemed to have stop when she finally wishpered

" I don't know, not anymore…. "

Surprised by the answer and the implied feelings he instinctively reached out to embrace her

" I'm not certain myself… but I don't feel it wrong… "

He than expanded his Cosmos, letting herfeel it, look into him as noone have ever done before.

Surrounded by Aiolia's Cosmos she was scared for an istant by the overwelming emotion and power but she decided to face it: she spread out her own Cosmos.

A blue lighthouse in his golden see.

For the first time they saw each other for what they really were: two lonely souls searching for their mate, for a hand to clasp in the dark path of Life, that have finally found eachother; they felt serene andwhole for a time that seemed endless!

Then it was over.

Marin's uncertanties and doubts surfaced again: she suddenly drew back from the Gold Saint and ran away.

" I must go…. But I will be back! "

Aiolia didn't try to stop her, he had seen deep down Marin's soul and knew her fears…

If he had forced her to face him nowhe would have lost her forever.

Even so It hurted badly….

Who knows when will I see her again? I know she will come back, she always keeps her word….. But who am I try to fool? Even if she would have told me that she wasn't going to come back I would wait her forever!

He laid down on the stairs, arms crossed behind his head and stood there looking at the stars that had rose in the meantime.


That's all folks! For now….

I will post the next chap as soon as I can. The story is already finished ( I already published it in Italian ) i only have to translate it into english.

READ & REVIEW I really appreciate criticisms (and corrections for the language)

Bye