FALLEN

Ikki flew towards Shaka and was surprised when he didn't even try to dodge the Houou Gemna Ken attack. Ikki whirled and paused to watch the effect of the phantom attack on Shaka and was shocked when he simply turned to face Ikki untroubled.

"I hope that wasn't your best." Shaka's eyes were shut again and his head slightly bowed. "You will have to do better than that."

Ikki charged again and attacked with his flaming punch. He gasped as just two of Shaka's fingers held up in the way of his attack stopped his fist.

"If this is your best I will just kill you now." Shaka opened his eyes suddenly and still gripping Ikki's fist with one hand drove his other hand, fisted into Ikki's neck.

He let go of the hand and watched Ikki drop to the floor. "Too easy."

He had been sitting in the gloom again meditating when he felt something stir around him.

"I'm not done with you." Ikki stood to his feet rolling his head on his neck.

"Impossible." Shaka opened his eyes and stared partly surprised at Ikki.

"Never say never." was the sarcastic reply.

Shaka paused. Phoenix cloth...rises from the ashes. "You don't die."

"Perceptive too."

"So maybe you're body won't ever die." Shaka tilted his head slightly. "Do you know what living death is?"

"Zombies and vampires I assume." He sent a flaming wing attack at Shaka who simply brushed it away.

"I'll show you what it is." Shaka started to sway gently. "First your eyes get dark."

"What the..."

"You lose taste. Then you can't feel. Not yourself or anything around you."

"Stop it!" Ikki shot an attack at where Shaka had been but he stepped aside.

"Eventually you can't hear my voice. And lastly...your voice begins to die off." He stared at Ikki interestedly. "No last words? Wait then again you didn't hear me, did you?" a serene smile ghosted across his lips.

Ikki knew his feet were still on the ground. Or so he assumed but fear made him afraid to move not being able to feel anything around him. So he used his sixth sense.

"Irritating." Shaka took that too walking away from him. "I hope you try to move though. I don't really need rotting skeletons in my temple."

He didn't notice the saint gathering power behind him.

Shun woke slowly, in pain. He rolled over and looked at Shiryu and Seiya still passed out. But before he had he'd felt Ikki. Where was he?

Shun sat up and crawled over to Shiryu and Seiya.

"Wake up." He shook them both as hard as he could and smiled as they opened their eyes.

"Shun? Where's Shaka?" Seiya sat up sharply.

"Did you...?" Shiryu started but Shun shook his head.

"Ikki was here. I felt his cosmo before I passed out but now he and Shaka are gone." Shun looked downcast. "I mean really gone. I can't feel them anywhere close by."

Seiya looked around. "How long have we been lying here if they've managed to fight already?!"

Shiryu stood up and helped up Shun while Seiya scrambled up. "Lets go."

"Where to next?"

"Libra temple." Shiryu said seriously.

They both wanted to assure Shiryu his master wouldn't be there but neither wanted to bring it up. So they all ran off to Libra temple.

"Camus!"

Hyoga couldn't believe his eyes as the person stepped into the light. He'd thought Camus was dead but here he was! He would help them save Athena for sure, Hyoga ran to him. But why was he just standing there, he won't even speak to me. Hyoga stopped just before him and looked into his face.

"I thought you were dead."

"I'm not." Camus' eyes showed no emotion.

"Camus, how come...you're so cold to me?" Hyoga's hurt was in his voice.

"Hyoga. I'm sorry for what I have to do."

Hyoga backed away slowly, shocked. "You're with the...other gold saints?"

"Yes and I have to stop you from facing the patriarch. I don't want to do this but it's for your own good. Forgive me."

Camus attacked Hyoga and Hyoga surprised pushed off him and whirled to find Camus had done the same. "I don't want to fight you."

"Neither do I but I do this to protect you." Camus used the Aurora Execution attack to knock out Hyoga and considered him on the floor. He frowned through the tears gathering in his eyes before using his Furizigu Kofuin attack.

He gazed at Hyoga, beautifully at peace in his ice coffin and cried. "I'm so sorry."

A/N: "Camus how come you're so cold to me?" ---rolls on floor in stitches. I didn't realize how damn funny that was til i was proof reading...what a...pun!lol