Chapter 7: The Broken Part Two

"Wow, this place is amazing!" cried Seiya as he hogged the biggest window. "Shiryu, I can see some pigs down there!"

Shiryu merely nodded as he was busy reading a small travel book that he found under his seat. Seiya looked down, reached over and snatched it out his hands.

"Hey, give that back," Shiryu stood up and attempted to seize it, but Seiya stuck his tongue out and waved it behind until the future Dragon's long reach proved too much for the future Pegasus.

Shiryu sighed as he turned to Aiolos or Mamoru Chiba as he was supposed to be referred to. He noticed he's been really off the last couple of days. Rumor has it that he was reunited with his brother, but he would think that it would spark joy than anything else.

When his friends first saw him, they were puzzled at why was he so great. In fact, most that left when given the choice, did so because the idea of learning how to fight by a man in a wheelchair was suicidal. He was one of the few who didn't think that way. He could sense a great strength in him, or cosmos, as he later learned. Unlike Tatsumi whose eyes were always wide and his temper quick, Aiolos had patience, but he wasn't laid back either. He could tell that he was a great fighter, back before anything happened. It would be kind of nice if he could just see a sample of what he once was.

"Shiryu, is something wrong?" Aiolos noticed the child was staring at him, something that was common with people who first met him, but not the Chinese child. In fact, of all the kids, he's been the most courteous.

That was when Shiryu reached down and placed his hand on Aiolos' arm and closed his eyes and focused as hard as he could. "Sorry, I was just thinking about when we first met." He paused. He then took a break. "I hope Seiya doesn't embarrass me in front of my new teacher."

Aiolos nodded. It was no wonder that the Old Master was drawn to him. Speaking through the cosmos was a difficult skill to perform and most don't attempt it until two or three years while Gold Saints were forced to know it in two or three months. Some liked to do it all the time to the point where they may appear introverted and shy while, like most Greeks, he personally preferred to speak face to face. But it did have its use in that it was a good way to communicate in secret among non cosmos users or send messages across long distances. The drawback was that the greater the gap, the more likely the message can be intercepted, thus preventing him from using the cosmos to contact his brother in Greece. But with Shiryu close, a little bit doesn't hurt.

The Sagittarius pressed his lips together, to avoid the slight lip movements that can happen and used his cosmos. "Let him enjoy it, he's never been out this far." As silly as it was, he too shared Seiya's excitement. Tokyo was the first time he ever visited the downtown area of a city and it was hard not to forget the first time when skyscrapers made mountains feel small. "Besides, I don't want to leave him alone with Tatsumi at the orphanage while we eat bao, would you?" Aiolos replied back.

Shiryu felt sweat down his face. Eyes still shut, he rubbed his temples as he struggled to ensure his message doesn't reach Seiya's mind and only his teacher's. "No, I guess not. When you left for Bali and Andromeda Island, it was weird not seeing you there." He took another break, performing a few deep breaths. This was harder than the first time he had to break rocks with his hands. At least with that, it was just a quick burst of cosmos, but here it felt like he was balancing an egg on a needle. "Will you come and visit?"

Aiolos took a deep breath, unsure of what will happen, on a basic level, it was a game of numbers how others will react to Saga being the Pope. It could be very bloody, but at the same time, there was a chance some diplomacy can be made, hoping for the later.

His brother was right, they do have Athena, but the battle itself was not one of good and evil, but him standing up to his best friend. He knew he killed the True Pope, he was wearing his robes. Of course, what happened, he wasn't exactly sure, and that's what frightened him on what he'll uncover. If it was the Saga from back before Kanon disappeared, he would find it downright audacious that he would resort to murder. But, there were those times, the moods that his servants would whisper about. It made him wonder if it was something to do with being a Gemini? But the Cloths were made out of desperation to defeat Poseidon and took a long time to craft. Why would, after all that effort, they would create a Cloth that was half evil? Perhaps his friend had fooled him and was always twisted. He turned back to Shiryu, feeling he's denied him an answer long enough. "We'll see." His eyes shifted over and a small smile slipped through. "By the way, Seiya's making faces at you."

Shiryu opened his eyes and gasped as Seiya was stretching his face as long as he could until his snout resembled a hog. "Ah! Seiya!" he shouted as he pushed him down.

Seiya laughed like a hyena as he threw his hands on his stomach. "Ah man, you didn't even notice until like five minutes later!" He stopped as a small bit of turbulence followed and the helicopter began to shake a bit. The pilot turned his head and signaled to him to get back in his seat, causing the six-year-old to scuttle over and buckle up as quickly as he could.

Aiolos turned toward the grassy clearing from his window. As the children were just filled with tremendous excitement at being in a new country, he was extremely nervous. The Old Master was heavily revered in Sanctuary and the last time he met him was more or less a small greeting through the cosmos welcoming him, as per the tradition of any new Gold Saint trainee. He listened to the helicopter blades slow down before Kento from the front seat next to the pilot climb out, but not before reaching for a few wires and cutting them. They needed to have a cover story prepared for why they were going to spend a long time dropping off Shiryu for Sanctuary. He was fairly certain that unless they were there overnight, they won't do anything, but it was best to be prepared and mechanical failure was a pretty solid one.

He watched Kento pulled out a semi-long box on his back from the front of the helicopter. "What do you have there?" he asked curiously.

Kento popped on the black shades that all Kido employees had to wear both inside and outside. "Oh, just radio equipment." He thumbed the back. "The area doesn't have a good radio signal so we need to boost it, especially if we are calling for transport."

Aiolos nodded and turned to Seiya as he immediately grabbed the door and slammed it open and jumped out.

The crazy Japanese kid took a deep breath. The air was incredibly fresh, much different than the humid streets of the city in the morning. He jerked his head and froze as a small old man, with rough, discolored skin, and a large bamboo conical hat stood there. The old man was dwarfed by a small Chinese girl with a plum flower dress.

Shiryu walked out and immediately tapped Seiya, flashing a stern look and demonstrated to him to bow immediately toward his new master.

Seiya nodded, understanding his friend's desire to impress his master, immediately dropped his clownish demeanor and followed his lead with as much determination.

Kento hurried out and went down on one knee, while Aiolos wheeled himself out of the helicopter before he bent his arm and lowered his head below it as a modified means of respect to one of the most famous Saints in Sanctuary.

Dohko gave a gentle chuckle. "I've been waiting a long time for all of you to arrive," he turned to Shiryu and gazed at the youth. A long time ago, during the 18th century Holy War, he was visited by the Goddess Athena, wearing her God Cloth, Andromeda Shun, Phoenix Ikki, Cygnus Hyoga and finally Dragon Shiryu. Apparently, their friend, Pegasus Seiya, was stabbed by the cursed sword of Hades and they had all returned to fetch it in order to prevent it from happening. "Hello Shiryu. I am Dohko, the guardian of the Five Peaks, and this shy flower is Shunrei. Please rise. I've heard many wonderful things about you."

Shiryu raised up and brought his hand to his fist. "Thank you, Master. My teacher,... Mamoru Chiba ... has said the same thing about you."

Dohko's brow raised up. "I'm sure he has. By the way, just call him Saint Aiolos. He's had enough disrespect to last a lifetime. If he would have some common sense, he would've picked a different name. Everyone knows that Jadeite is the best looking Sailormoon character, right Shunrei?"

The girl nodded. "He's dreamy."

Shiryu wasn't quite sure what to say. He knew he was often called Wise Old Master by Aiolos, but he didn't think he'd know much about Sailormoon. "Yes, of course, Master!"

Dohko turned his head and paused to see the one that was going for the Cloth of Pegasus. "Seiya is it? When I asked about how the rest of you were doing, he was fairly excited that you've been breaking rocks with your cosmos as of late, Congratulations."

Seiya stood up and smiled. "Oh yeah! It's so awesome and easy, I just focus and atomize it, BANG!" he said as he grabbed a pebble and smashed it into dust.

Dohko raised a brow. "Interesting. A very impressive move." He's heard many great things about Pegasus Seiya from his friends, but one thing that was quite curious was the fact that Seiya was known as a late cosmos user or one that didn't awaken it until after he turned ten years old. Yet here he was, just as capable as any other of his students. Unfortunately, his demeanor reminded him of himself when he was younger. The world is in trouble now. "I wonder which of you two could be stronger?"

Shiryu raised his eyebrows, "Seiya is strong, but I've won more matches-"

Seiya butted in. "-hey, those were the early ones, and I'm pretty sure that we're kind of even about now..."

"Ah...even. Perfect. Anyways, here is a cart. Aiolos, myself and Shunrei need to head to the Mongolian-Manchurian grasslands and we will need your help. We have some business to take care of before I take you to your training grounds, Shiryu."

Seiya's mouth dropped. He thought he was there to say goodbye and check out China. "Wait, what? We have to pull all of you-where?"

Dohko brought his cane to his chin. "We need to get to the grasslands. Don't worry Seiya, we'll ease up the load and have Aiolos take the elevator."

Seiya paused until he realized the biting sarcasm in it. His head darted over to the cart that the old man gently tapped with the blunt tip of his cane.

Kento turned to Aiolos and followed him over to the cart. He watched him set the brakes before he used his arm strength to pull his body over the edge before he reached down and grabbed the chair, as well as a backpack. He folded the chair and laid it down in the corner. He watched as the Sagittarius, despite knowing him for three years, Aiolos was reaching down and pulled his legs with his hands so subtly that one would be mistaken that he could walk again. He then walked toward the front and before he could help, the Old Master pulled himself, listening to the slew of Chinese curses that he would hear at the bar after work. Of course, he knew it was the aches in the Old Master's shoulders. Typically, he and his friends would help him to avoid their Master's pain, but Gold Saints hold a great deal of pride and pressure to appear perfect and his guess was that it was too ingrained in them.

He looked down and turned to Shunrei, his late brother's daughter and his only niece.

The little girl gave him a hug. "我很想念你！你什么时候回来？"

"我不知道，但我会回来的，我保证。" he replied as he helped her into the cart.

Seiya leaned against his handle on the cart. and passed a dirty look to Shiryu. "Really man? This is so stupid."

Shiryu shut his eyes. "Seiya, please. He's going to be my Master. Look, I know this isn't what it's supposed to be like. I thought that we can see the training ground together, they were going to make some bao-"

Seiya's jaw dropped. "Are you blind? There are donkey tracks here!" He pointed to the mud and while he wasn't sure if he was correct about the animal that made them, the fact that they were still wet was proof that they were at least fresh. " How do you think they got here? Let's just look for them and attach them to the cart."

Shiryu jerked his head toward the dark path and over toward the adults chatting with each other, looking like they were ready to set off. He clasped his hands. "Seiya, how do you think it looks on me if we just disappear to go find animals that may not exist," he spoke in a low whisper. "The worst that happens, is that we're going to be really tired from this." He could see Seiya still eyeing the dark path, sensing his friend's desire to and knew that he was going to have to raise the stakes. "I'll give you half of my bao."

Seiya's eyes widened. He was still sure that the old man was trying to trick them. He may be buried in wrinkles and worshipped as the ultimate Master, but he could tell that he was being oddly vague and careful with his language while being a bit too excited. "Fine, let's go," he said as he grabbed the wooden handle.

Aiolos watched as Shiryu pulled the cart with as much gusto as he approached virtually everything in life, while Seiya began pulling as his determination to match Shiryu took over. He watched the two boys glowing, using their cosmos to make up for the fact that they had over a hundred and fifty kilos of weight to pull. Still, he did feel bad for the boys since he did speak a bit too eagerly about the bao before coming there. "We have a helicopter, we can just fly everyone over there." He wasn't an engineer, but he saw what Kento did and it didn't look too hard to just twist a few wires back into place.

Dohko shook his head. "The place we're going to is sacred. The land has yet to be touched by modern machinery and will continue to be that way. Plus, I haven't had a chance to leave my waterfalls for a long time. A buggy ride sounded quite pleasant."

Kento, in the front and using his hand to lead the boys toward the area, turned his head. "Old Master, if you want, I can pull the cart for the children."

The Old Master waved a hand. "Oh, they are young and vibrant, even though a bit too eager. It will be good for them. It's not that hard, even I could pull this cart with ease."

"Wanna trade?" shouted Seiya before Shiryu smacked him on the head before the Old Master let out a small chuckle.

Even though he was sure it was just a joke, Aiolos was certain that it was true. Cosmos doesn't fade with age but actually increases. However, as the body ages, it becomes less efficient in burning it, thus the loss in attack power in techniques over the years. But if Dohko was a Gold Saint, even at his age, should easily be able to lift the cart over his head with one hand with cosmos, even if it would appear fairly silly. But the strange part was that Saints who weren't killed in training or War lived to be about the normal age as any other person. That begged the question about how The Old Master lived so long. He knew he wasn't Lemurian like the true Pope so what was preventing him from passing to the next life?

"Admiring my good looks?" Dohko mused.

Aiolos paused, but he decided a comeback was just too tempting to pass up. "Well if they attract beautiful ladies like this one, I was hoping you'd pass the secret before I leave." He watched as Dohko chuckled while Shunrei blushed from the compliment. He remembered Shion telling him that Dohko was a prankster growing up, and those types of people would never change.

"Speaking of beautiful ladies, how is our Goddess doing?" He thought the subject of their beloved Athena would bring joy, but instead, a cloud of despair began to form between the two."I know this is a trying time for her. She should be welcomed to Sanctuary with the cries of worship her people rain down on."

Aiolos slid his hands on his face. Last night was so surreal and draining. His mind was so cluttered that he went into the cabinet, found a bottle of the old sleep-aid that he was forced to take when he woke from his coma and used the last two so he wouldn't appear like a zombie in front of the reverent Libra. "Old Master, with all due respect, could we please, talk about something else," Aiolos muttered.

Dohko's finger rubbed the tip of his hat. From Kento's reports, Aiolos seemed like a very open and humble man who always did his best to elevate the people around him while remaining positive himself despite his condition. He would think that he would have quite a bit to say but could deduce that perhaps the remedy is a bit more time and a belly full of Shunrei's amazing pork and vegetable bao. "Of course."

"看，一只蝴蝶！" Kento spoke to Shunrei.

She reached over and saw the winged creature landed on the side of the cart. "真漂亮！"

Dohko sighed as he found the perfect topic to diverge too. "I miss being young," he muttered as Shunrei pointed out the butterfly to her Uncle. He looked over at Aiolos. "I tell you what, if I had a chance to be young with a broken back or the way I am now, I would gladly switch places."

Aiolos looked down. "I don't know if you would." He shrugged. "Do you really want a life where people are always looking down, questioning or pitying?"

"Do I want that life? Nope. Unfortunately, I already live it." Dohko reached his hand and placed it on Aiolos arm. "It's called growing old," he whispered slyly. He then took his cane and poked Aiolos legs. "I know you can't stand and I'm sure simple stuff is a little trickier for you that a typical person would take for granted, but, at least you have options."

"Yes, I do," Aiolos drew his hand, past his red headband and towards his curls, "and that's why we're here." He felt a little curious. "What do you miss about your youth?"

Dohko took his cane and touched it against the tip of his hat. He gazed at the widespread landscape of rolling grass, mountains that stood long before his ancestors existed, and sighed. "When I was young, I used to travel all across China, just because...why not! Whether I was a Bronze or Gold, I would go around and aid those less fortunate. I didn't care what it was, whether they have lost their way, suffering from some illness that no doctor would touch or some gang thinking they're all brawny and tough because they could beat up an old woman with bladder issues and steal her bag of rice," Dohko tilted his head. "Are you surprised?"

"I'm impressed," Aiolos replied. "So did you do your training before you wandered or during?"

"Both. I tried to do the rigorous get up at sunrise, meditate for this long, perform warm-ups after this...eat… get my rear handed to me by my Master for the millionth time etc… and frankly, it just didn't feel right. So for a few months at a time, I would grab my things and move around China, using my abilities however I can. I didn't slouch off, but I preferred to practice my techniques in various places, determining on my mood whether they be on a cliff or the middle of the jungle."

Dohko shrugged his small shoulders. "But that was just who I was. There is no wrong way to train. Pope Shion was as rigorous as the ticks of a clock and he did just as well." He shrank a bit and smirked as an old memory appeared that he must share. "To test this out, Pope Shion had this spot where he would perform Tai Chi and I noticed he seemed to stand in the same spot. So one day, I got up before him, ran to a tree above the spot, hung down and pressed my boots into the ground. When he got there, despite the footprints being two sizes larger and in the wrong position, he spent a good five minutes adjusting his feet to the footprints perplexed at why his body felt so awkward. Does this sound like him still?"

Aiolos sided his lip and teetered his hand. "Sort of. When he spoke, he was a good storyteller yet a little stiff. But he liked to mix up his lessons with games, debates, and hypothetical situations and always seemed open to both Saga and me even when we disagreed. But I supposed it was his way at trying to motivate me to become more hungry to win and ease Saga's extremely competitive nature," he rolled his eyes knowing that him designated next in line showed how much the True Pope's plan worked. He quickly shifted his expression, softening it in tender joy. He was in the presence of the Old Master and to have a chance to openly discuss anything as well as get a first-hand account of the old ways of Sanctuary was a great honor. "But enough about me. Was there really no other reason to be a wandering trainee?"

"I just thought that in my short life, where I thought I would be lucky to live to be nineteen, that I help others. I mean, let's face it, we're all training for Holy Wars that lasted about twenty-four hours at the most. If I carried the abilities that messiahs of different religions had, I should follow their advice and put it to the most use before my death."

As Dohko spoke, Aiolos watched the old man raised his small hand in a grip that would appear odd to those back in Greece or mistaken for him holding an invisible cane. However, based on what he's seen from Kido, Tatsumi and some other guards, with two fingers in front and his thumb in the back as if he was making the letter 'c', it was clearly in the shape of a person who drank a lot of sake or at least a small cup that would be filled with the harder stuff.

Old Master must have been a person who must have frequented such establishments, but judging by his exaggerated gestures, was one who was perhaps greeted on a first name basis. He probably used the cup, not just to drink, but to command the room and let loose his stories. With him being here, a new set of ears, he could tell that the Old Master was heavily extroverted and was desperate to show that he was more alive than the layers of old age depicted.

Dohko paused, his eyes shifted wickedly, a hand still in the air."I still remember seeing the hoards of Specters with death in their eyes and blood on their hands, and thought if this was my last day, I thanked the Goddess for giving me a chance to use my gifts of helping others. I was ready to die." He jerked his up and widened his eyes. "Surprise! I lived! Ho-ho ho," he let out a burst of hearty laughter that was contagious to the Sagittarius and even Shunrei.

It was at that moment that the feeling of reverence for the Old Master has morphed from one where he felt his words must be carefully chosen to just plain fun. "Yeah, It is so hard to decide what to do with your life after one is prepared to give it up."

The old hermit nodded. "Indeed, I wanted to get married, but plans change." He gave a piqued tilt. "Do they still have the wedding tea ceremony in my House?"

"Still there last time I checked. Every day at four am. Freshly imported from the Yunnan province." Despite it not being occupied for two hundred years, the House of Libra was always kept spotless, and as per tradition, a Chinese wedding tea ceremony was performed every day by maidens. As he stated he was going to get married, but something happened despite him surviving the last Holy War. Legend stated that the bride waited for him at the place she knew he would return. A strange letter in his handwriting was sent, stating for her that she must move on and find someone younger despite the fact that he was only eighteen at the time. Before she left, absolutely heartbroken, she performed the tea ceremony. Oddly enough, a maiden saw it and performed it the next day, as well as another maiden the day after.

Dohko shook his head. "What a waste of good tea. I told Shion that he needs to stop it since it's an absolutely pointless tradition. Are they honoring me? No! I'm clearly still alive. Are they honoring Kitsu? Definitely not. She's still alive and on husband number three. I spoke to her and apparently, the only reason she drank the tea was not to finish the ceremony, but because it was a hot day and she was thirsty. I tell you, the Lemurian women age much nicer than the Lemurian men. The men have a lifespan of about three centuries and the women were double that. The perspective of old is so different between everyone." He turned toward a familiar tree along the path, where he hung several long silk blue scarves among the branches. Such a fabric was a great expense at the time. He remembered because it was the first and last summer he would spend working in a field to afford the great care to deliver the perfect proposal. He never regretted Misopetha-Menos, but the what-ifs still carry on in his dreams. Nonetheless, he knew they were getting close. "So speaking of old, part of your plan is to enter Sanctuary using a form of fighting that's three hundred years obsolete, eh?"

"Just because it's old, does not make it ineffective."

Dohko laughed some more. "Very true. I imagined that you have already tried it without great success in Japan."

Despite the tiger's humor, he noticed he was very observant. "Yes, I did. Mitsumasa Kido, the guardian of Athena, is always trying to demonstrate his wealth and power, so he granted her a personal stable. I'll tell you what, I will always have a special place for my first horse. He was a simple stallion, small, easy temperament, and a good companion that I called-"

"-Let me guess, Hercules," spoke the old Master.

Aiolos shrugged. "Give me a break, I was three and not that creative." He paused and smiled. "But as good as Hercules was, when I got to the stable, I just couldn't believe it. Some were even thoroughbreds, with several trophies to show for it. They all had their own personal caretaker who ensured that the one they watched was brushed, exercised and cared for. They were sorted by types too. She allowed me to take what I needed. So I tried them all, even if they didn't come close to a warhorse." He smiled and closed his eyes. It was the equivalent of a child in a candy store. "The Arabians were beautiful and strong and it was nice meeting and riding famous breeds like the Clydesdale."

Dohko noticed the dreamlike tone of the Sagittarius begin to slow down. "But-"

"-But, when I attempted to use cosmos, they-well, let's just say I almost broke my back a second...third...fourth time." Of all people that had to be with him, besides Athena, was Tatsumi. "The butler, by the order of Athena, had to carry me off to the doctor to get me checked out. I know he was just trying to be helpful, but he said that I'm going to get killed if the horse threw me down the stairs and deny me of a warrior's death."

"Ah, yes," the tiger nodded. "The only thing worse than a Gold Saint killing you during your rebellion is for them to laugh at you," he retorted.

"Exactly. But, it was a fun day, but it went nowhere." He folded his arms. Shion once told them the benefits of mounted Saints. For one, they could detect the traces of indirect attacks the moment any Specter would attempt it, another was that when combined with the cosmos of a Saint, were highly efficient in light speed, able to perform maneuvers and quick turns naturally that even a Gold Saint would take years to master. Not only that, but the biggest benefit was that a Saint could focus on performing special attacks with greater ease while the horse focused on keeping its rider out of danger. "I know of several stories that the Old Pope would tell me and Saga about the many Saints who rode just fine into battle with horses. I know they were armored too, but it wasn't like I was using any dangerous cosmos. Just the type that would be used when I needed to read something in the dark."

"That is a doubt that I can easily answer." Dohko sagely replied. "The reason why the horses at that stable don't work for what you intend for them to do is the same reason why a slave typically doesn't have a light in their eyes that a free person would. No matter how fine the food they are given, how nice the quarters they receive, how many times they are groomed every day was because they were broken long before. Their survival instincts had been stifled despite it being in their blood. Animals have a cosmos of their own with instincts that could surpass a human's tenfold. While we still incorporate dogs into our regiments, any dog can quickly regain those instincts. Horses are a far trickier beast."

"How so?" Outside of dogs, the cosmos of animals was rarely discussed and simply dismissed in the education of Saints since very few of them. He wouldn't have known about Saints using horses without the True Pope.

"Well, domestic horses see cosmos just like a normal human would perceive our use of cosmos as a form of witchcraft. Most fear it, some may be entranced but very rarely would they understand it in a way to utilize it. Their instincts in the cosmos are simply dulled by the safety of their stable walls or the fence that surrounds them to mimic freedom. They don't even have any knowledge about what type of food to eat since they are trained to eat straight from a bucket no matter what. You trying to use a stable horse into battle with gold-level cosmos is like me passing my Cloth to some housewife."

"And that's why you suggested I try again over here," Aiolos quickly interjected. "You understood that finding unbroken horses became difficult."

The Old Master nodded graciously. "Combined with the fact that Lemurians were becoming increasingly rare thus forcing them to prioritize fixing the Cloths of Saints over armor for animals, it's the reason that the art of Saints on horseback has all but disappeared. That and the fact that you're putting a lot of trust in your horse to keep you alive. When it came time for Sanctuary to decide what to do with the lot, rather than send them to pull carriages or become glue, I offered to take them over here. I think of it like preserving a living piece of history of the Saints." Dohko looked down below. "Speaking of horses, how are you two doing there?"

Seiya, sweated hard, unable to answer, but ready to stop at any moment.

Shiryu turned his head. "I think this is amazing! I can already feel my arms and back grow stronger thanks to this and it's an excellent way to build teamwork."

Dohko shrugged. "Well frankly, it looks quite boring and laborious. If it were me, I would've just grabbed the donkeys, but if that's what floats your boat, go ahead and continue."

"Yes Master Dohko!" cried Shiryu.

Dohko rolled his eyes. He could tell he was a good kid who would do anything for anyone, but he's as straight as a stalk of bamboo.

"See, I told you he was messing around with you!" shouted Seiya as he was running out of breath.

"No, he would never! Right, Master Dohko?" cried Shiryu.

The old tiger quickly turned away and looked toward the horizon. "Oh look, boys! We're here!"

Kento spotted the familiar pass and gestured for the kids to stop. He raised his hand to ensure they didn't say anything more before he pulled out a bottle of water and passed it to the kids to share.

Aiolos turned toward the field and carefully watched the small cluster of herds ahead of them. Judging by the different patterns, sizes, and coats, it was clear they were all mixed, perhaps from Dohko gathering up the last of the wild horses from all over the world. It didn't take long to see a huge difference in temperament. While the ones at the stables would either run to people in order to get some sort of treat or show indifference while eating their grass, like the wild rabbit, these horses would stop and stare, keeping completely still. They weren't afraid, but yet they were unsure of what he could do and were exercising extreme caution. "Are they familiar with you, Master Dohko?"

Dohko shook his head no. "My main mission kept me by the waterfall. I would usually allow either my trainees or the younger Hidden Daggers that were too young to go on missions to keep an eye on them, but it is from such a distance that they wouldn't notice."

"Grandfather says that someday, I will watch over them, too!" cried Shunrei.

"That's right, my flower. Someday, you will ensure that my horses stay free," Dohko petted her head. "Of course, the exception being if one is dearly needed." He returned his attention to the visiting Saint and noticed how still Aiolos was as he was watching them. Everything from his shoulders to his breath was absolutely still and controlled, the tails of his headband tucked in his red t-shirt. Void of tension yet observant, it was a sign that it was second nature. It was at that moment that the small talk must cease and they must focus on the task at hand. Dohko turned his gaze as he watched a small fowl huddling close to its mother. "Remember to choose carefully. Once broken, a wild horse will have great difficulty in returning back to its herd and may die out here. Its only purpose will be for Athena and as bonds are formed, it will forget about this place and focus on training and the Holy War."

The Sagittarius gazed at the wide field and knew of the difficult decision that awaits him. "Every horse had a different personality. I need one that's brave, but loyal as well. If it's too young it's more likely to take risks, but if it's not experienced then it is still developing and careless. If it's too old, it's strength will not be at its prime and may question my judgment during times when it should not," he mused.

As Aiolos silently deliberated, six-year-old Seiya climbed up next to him, resting his chin over the Saggiterius' shoulder. "You should totally get the black one with the white ears! It looks so cool and badass like it has horns."

Shunrei joined in, her fists gripped together in excitement. "The spotted one is so pretty! It's like it has the Mickey Mouse symbol on it."

"I personally find the one with stripes quite charming," the old Master chuckled, joining in the fun.

Shiryu walked over next to the cart. He could see that Saint Aiolos was amused by the comments, but found them a bit unhelpful. "You should throw a ball of cosmos out there, and see how they react. Wasn't that the problem you had earlier when the ones at Miss Saori's stable kept throwing you off?"

Dohko smiled. He had a feeling he was going to like training this one. Even if it would be like having Shion all over again, rigid and earnest in all.

Aiolos nodded and raised his hand, creating a light gentle ball of yellow cosmos. When he first worked with the Kido children, this was how he introduced the concept to show that cosmos was life and was everywhere and everything. Like a bubble in the air, he sent it slowly floating around innocently toward one of the herds and halted it not too far from the group. He could see them standing perfectly still, eyeing the ball carefully. They studied the strange ball of light and already a number trotted away, their heads still gauging what it would do. He chuckled when a small fowl naively came close until its mother leaned down and began to guide it back away from it. He noticed a brown stallion, similar to the one he had as a child stood there. Perhaps it was destiny? He motioned his fingers forward and sent the cosmos ball harmlessly through it, but unfortunately, the horse ran off along with the others.

Determined not to give up, he turned his head toward another group of horses. He could tell they were studying what was going on with what happened to their friends. He noticed some were even approaching the ball, unafraid of its light. It was too far to tell, but he assumed the first group he was at probably was made up of females with a head stallion. Just like before, he sent the ball of cosmos through them. Their heads tracked it, one neighed when it passed through it as if they were being haunted. It was then a certain horse caught his eye. It was definitely a stallion with a sandy coat, a dark brown mane, and tail. When he compared it to the size of the ball of cosmos, he gauged it to be of a large build. He watched it as it avoided the ball of light while its head held its gaze. He increased the speed and watched as it nimbly shifted sideways. It was a good horse and one to keep in mind, but with how important the task was, he just can't pick the first one he saw.

Just when he moved the ball away toward the next herd, the sandy stallion began to chase after it. "Curiosity is not enough," he muttered as if he was speaking to it. The ball of cosmos lost it's innocent and gentle glow. It shrunk to the size of a tennis ball that was just as dense and glowed brighter. It radiated with enough heat to feel hot but not enough to burn, at least not yet. It was the same type cosmos he would use to train the boys at the orphanage to dodge. It was an important skill to have since the cosmos needed to simply move out of the way was a fraction of the cost of throwing up a shield and taking the blow head-on. "Let's see what you got." He made a fist and swung his arm watching as it struck the horse once, his blue eyes hardened and steely. After all, he knocked his brother unconscious and broke his bones on a daily basis when he turned five. It neighed and ran off to the distance. "It wasn't you either," he sighed.

He turned to the black demon that Seiya pointed out and swung the ball of cosmos toward it. It too ran away, frightened by its power.

"Aww man!" Seiya cried before Shiryu leaped over and blocked his mouth with his hand.

It was then that Aiolos noticed the sandy stallion that he thought he scared off was staring at the ball once more. Aiolos gestured for the ball to strike it once more only for it to dodge this time and run not as far as before, still eyeing the cosmos. "Not as scary, is it?" he whispered, amused at the idea of it confronting its fear. "You're probably wondering what the hell that is-," he muttered. He moved the ball around it, watching as it turned to continue facing it."-and why is it after me?"

He moved his hand in different directions. Sometimes he struck it, sometimes he didn't. "I'm sorry I have to do this," he spoke as he whipped his hand and slammed it against its shoulder, too far to hear its reaction. "But the type of life I will take you to is not for the weak. If this is not for you, follow your friends and leave," he whispered, almost begging it to change its mind even if it was the last thing he wanted. Suddenly the horse turned its head toward him as if it realized who was making it perform all these tricks. He paused his hand. The horse was too far for it to see him clearly and yet knew the direction of his presence as if it had connected the ball with him.

Dohko turned his head as he too was able to observe what just happened. "Looks good."

"Yeah…" Aiolos muttered. He noticed the stallion didn't seem to mind that he was a bit far from the herd he was in. It could mean that it was a loner, or perhaps it is protecting them from the strange ball of light. He could tell it was not the leader since it was clear that it wasn't the biggest. Whatever reason, he felt drawn to it, but he wouldn't know if it was the perfect horse unless he rides it.

This was going to be difficult. The horse was over sixty meters away. He's broken horses since he was ten years old for some of the wealthier citizens of Rodario. Typically when he did this part, the horse was fenced in. The open field will be very challenging if it runs away. Not only that, but it's going to make it fairly difficult to bring the horse down without the use of his legs since he can't hold his ground. He reached into the grey backpack. "Kento, here take this rope and listen carefully. I'm going to make a lasso. You're going to walk up slow-" he felt a cane poke his side.

"In my time, my late father used his cosmos, and kept luring it over." Even though Dohko didn't tell him that step, he was still quite impressed that the Sagittarius was attempting it earlier. However, Aiolos was perhaps too encroached in the primitive ways of working with animals. "You don't need to wrangle it to the ground, wait until all its hope is drained. Shion never did that with you. You never did that to your brother or any of these children. Why would that work now? It doesn't. It may resist, but that's okay. Think of it, not as a beast of burden, but your training partner, and this is something you must do."

Aiolos turned back to the sandy stallion still waiting out there in the field. He turned to the others and asked them to give him space. As he waited for the Old Master to climb out and Kento to pick Shunrei up, he weighed his options and his observations thus far. Once the others were far enough he produced another harmless ball of cosmos and produced a gentle whistle. The horse continued to stand there until he moved the ball over close to it. He watched it sniff it pointlessly before Aiolos moved the ball around, trying to get it to track it once more. "Come on…" he whispered. The Sagittarius gestured his hand with a bit more exaggeration and caused the ball to move a few meters before the horse began to follow albeit with a couple of hesitations. "You sense something is wrong," Aiolos whispered before a small smile cracked."That's a good thing. Blind naivety will get you killed."

It was a very slow and hot process. The wind had died down, while the cart felt like it was baking him, his clothes sticky with sweat. An hour had already passed and the horse was still thirty meters away. He took his red shirt's collar and rubbed the sweat that had perspired on his face. Back when he could walk, he could typically break a horse in about thirty minutes or less. A lasso around the neck, he would pull it down until it gave, showed he wasn't a threat and rode him until the bucks and kicks faded. Here it was like trying to coax a shy child.

He then noticed that its head turned toward its herd as they stayed together and watched from afar. It kept shifting back and forth before it finally began to move a bit faster toward him. "You're leaving your family, and yet you still don't understand your purpose."

Once it was about twenty meters away, he dropped his sore arm after having it outstretched for so long. He brought the ball of cosmos to his lap and gave another whistle in the same tone he had been doing up till now. "Come on… I won't hurt you…" he whispered. Now that they were a lot closer, it was much easier to speak and gesture to it. He watched it turn its head to the side as if to get a better look at him. He reached his hand out and noticed it backed up a bit before he created another ball of cosmos to let it know they were one and the same. He stroked its warm head, surprised at how shiny its coat was despite no one there to brush it. He watched it bob its head a bit trying to get him to scratch on the sides. It was friendly, but then again, he hasn't started the hard stuff yet.

He reached for the rope that he tied into a halter and allowed the horse to sniff it. He thought about using one of the hundreds of leather and nicer ones that Athena had at her stable but decided against it. If the rope broke at Sanctuary, he can always tie it up again and make a new one, but if the leather one snapped, it may cause trouble. Plus, he customized this one with extra a few extra loops for the neck and upper torso so he could pull himself up easier, without straining its neck. He reached down to loosen the knots to accommodate for its larger than expected head. He wanted to use the other rope as a lasso as a backup in case it ran off, but as the Old Master said, to treat it like a partner. "Easy... this won't hurt, but it will feel different…" he spoke as he reached over and loosely placed it over. The horse backed off jerking its head. Aiolos raised another ball of cosmos and gestured for it come over and to his surprise, it did. "Don't worry," he whispered as he pulled the halter over its face and adjusted it appropriately.

He chuckled a bit as the sandy horse tilted its head, seemingly weirded by its new piece of jewelry that he hung on it. "See, not so bad," he smiled as it shook its head.

He took a deep breath, and pulled off his sweaty red t-shirt and laid it on its back. It did keep the rope from rubbing the horse, but it was just something his late father did when he broke his horse, Hercules. It was one of the last few innocent memories of his father as time continued to erase them in his mind. He could barely remember his face anymore.

He grabbed the rope and flinched when the horse suddenly stepped away. He steadied his hands and used his cosmos coax it back to its spot. He reached for the rope once more and pulled himself on top, gritted his teeth, as the expected resistance came about. "Woah," he called as he grabbed the rope reins. "It's alright, I know… it probably feels uncomfortable, but you'll get used to it." He bit his lip as it bucked and began to bend forward, before kicking back.

"Oh my goodness," cried Shunrei as she placed her hands on her face. "Why is it doing that?"

"Yeah, why is it doing that? Shouldn't he be walking around now?" pointed Seiya. To him, it reminded him of a rodeo as it spun and kicked around. "They looked like they chose each other."

Shiryu turned his head. "Hey, remember when Miss Saori's friend, tried to use us as a horse?"

Seiya nodded. "Yeah, I do. That hurt." No one wants something heavy on their back. "I just dropped on my knees and got her to fall on her face. Can't believe Jabu gave her a full ride. I'm glad Saori never invited her over again."

Aiolos struggled to get it to even move straight. He forgot how wild and tense it was as he constantly jerked forward before quickly shifting his weight back just to avoid falling. It was made worse due to the fact that he couldn't use his legs and was forced to press a hand to steady himself on one side while holding the reins in the other.

He turned to the bouncing image of Old Master as he rested on his cane and standing under the shady tree. He wanted to shout for help, but the cool glance of the Libra showed he will not spare him any. "He's my partner, forget what you already know." He muttered. To break a horse, he had to ride until it tired and just accepted it. He took his hand and infused the type of cosmos he would use to give himself the strength and gave it the horse and watched it slowly calm down. "There- I don't- feel as heavy anymore, do I?" He heaved as his tense neck relaxed and cause his head to tip downwards. He pulled his tense aching hand away, rolling the fingers to ease the pain. His face and hair were dripping with so much sweat that the headband tails clung to the back of his neck.

He took a deep breath and tilted his head toward it. "Wow...you're a fighter," he reached down and patted its neck. "But that's what I need." He rested easily on top, taking in the wind as it cooled his bare chest while stroking the horse's neck. It was a different feeling to constantly send a steady stream of cosmos. It wasn't hard, he just had to force himself to think about it. He could tell the horse was getting used to it too. Its head was darting in a pleasant way as if it was feeling energized without eating or doing a thing. He also noticed it was also a lot easier to sit, like the bond of cosmos kept him on. He really debated whether to bring a saddle, but with past pictures he saw of mounted Saints showed they all didn't have it on. That was a good thing since otherwise he would have to use a lot of rope to tie his body on in battle and he could see that being an issue if the two fell down.

With the horse under control, his eyes searched for some nice flat terrain. "Here, let's try going a little faster? Alright?" he leaned forward, urging the horse into a gallop. That was the nice thing about using cosmos like this was, just like a Saint, there was no need to warm up its muscles. The cosmos was granting strength while greatly encouraging the muscles to build up. As one grew used to the flow of the cosmos, it becomes more efficient and less is needed to do more. It was probably the reason why the strongest Saints tended to seemingly age quickly when they were young, yet managed to stay looking like they are in their prime even at over sixty years old, although such chances were small since most trainees die by the age of ten, and most Saints succumb to either serious injuries or suicide before thirty.

"You ready?" he called out as his body glowed, focusing the way he would when he learned to move at Mach 1. He picked an invisible point on the ground and focused. He felt the familiar jerk and the rush of speed as the horse moved from thirty kilometers an hour to a thousand, before his light-speed reflexes pulled the reins while dramatically dropping the cosmos to force it to stop, halting it a couple of meters away from the intended target. While it wasn't perfect, this was an especially impressive feat, since most trainees who actually managed to move at such a speed were lucky if they were several hundred meters the first time through. He leaned down and took a good look at its face. Its eyes were wide as saucers, yet despite the commotion earlier, it was silent yet earnest.

Aiolos laughed jovially. "I know, it's crazy… you probably can't believe you can move that fast without feeling tired." He sighed. "It's always unforgettable the first time you do it. I really miss it." He took his hand and rubbed its mane. Suddenly, he then noticed the horse snorting and moving forward as if it was trying it again. "Oh… you like it too?" He turned to another flat spot and caused his cosmos to glow and leaned forward and did it once more, this time the horse was able to slow down with ease instead of the jerk it had earlier, hitting the exact spot he wanted. "Wow, you're a natural. When I was training Milo in the art of speed, the first time we did it, he was scared of it. During our training, I spent more time coddling him because he wouldn't stop balling his eyes out when he kept landing on his face. On the plus side, it did manage to produce a smile on Camus' face, even if he would hide it immediately afterward."

He did it once more at a faster speed, "I wasn't good myself. I actually broke a tooth when I ran into a column. The only thing scarier than a Saint that wants to kill you is one that is attempting to use cosmos to be a dentist. Because if they don't set it right the first time, then the only way to fix it is to pull out the tooth and try again."

He looked down as the horse neighed, urging him for more. "You are really excited aren't you, and you still don't feel tired. Do you know what's fun? Lightspeed. People look at it as if you think and you're there," he snapped.

The Sagittarius shook his head and closed his eyes.

"But you're not teleporting,

You can feel the movement.

First time I circled the Earth,

The sea parts around you.

The waves immediately burst into vapor.

The clouds split and the rain shifts to either side.

The sky is as cerulean as the sea as if the door to Elysium was blown open.

Every step is a strike, crushing the earth,

Tearing it apart, you smash the mountains,

reducing the boulders to pebbles the pebbles to nothingness,

convincing yourself that you left behind new universes.

But you don't care.

You chase the sun and the moment you catch it, it starts to chase you.

What is day? What is night? Who cares?

The world is a sphere, embrace the race, because as long as you keep moving, it is eternal.

Your skin is sensitive like ice, your blood feels like it's on fire.

Your muscles are thunder, you're feet are like lighting.

The harder you push, the more power you feel.

You're mind screams that you're spent, but your body feels so immortal.

So you push even harder and harder some more,

because you just want to go faster,

and faster,

and faster,

and faster,

and it feels so fucking good!"

Aiolos turned his head at the small group by the tree. He watched as the children raising their hands. He turned downwards as the horse was gesturing its neck as if it wanted to go now. "Calm down, I know you want more, and so do I. But I want you to meet my friends. Let's go."

The Old Master smiled as he watched the Sagittarius guiding the horse over to the kids and Kento. It reminded him of his youth. Before he became a Saint, his family was in charge of watching over the horses for Sanctuary, a practice he preserved over the past two hundred years even if they've given up on it. Sure he could've told him the steps on how to do it and probably shaved off a couple of hours, but he had faith that he would figure it out. Judging by the smile on his face and sense of pride that exhumed over him, it was worth it. "Congratulations, how does he compare to the stable horses?"

"It's incredible," he shouted. "He's so smooth during the transitions in speed and embraces the cosmos."

"Saint Aiolos? How come you never taught us how to move like that?" questioned Shiryu as he pointed to the chunks of grass that were tossed during the duo's runs.

The Greek bit his lip. "Oh, well… it's because since I had my wheelchair, it was very difficult to teach the mechanics of it." It was total bullshit. Once he taught the kids how to break rocks with cosmos, nothing was safe. The school had so many cracks and pits from them either pounding the walls, the grounds or taking pieces and turning it to dust. Tatsumi once yelled at him in the middle of the night to complain that the kids caused a wall to collapse. Plus he knew the nightmare of chasing his six-year-old brother to get him to take a bath, he's not going to deal with ten children in a place chock full of stairs.

"He's so pretty, what's his name?" Shunrei spoke as Kento held her up to allow her to stroke its silky mane.

Aiolos looked down and patted its coat. "Well, I guess with its color, maybe-"

"Goldie?" spoke the Old Master.

Aiolos raised a brow. "Was it really overused back then?" The Old Master nodded. "Okay, not Goldie. How about Gestalt?"

But the Old Master shook his head once more. "Bad luck to name a warhorse after a dead Saint." Especially after the stupidest Gold of all time, infamous for getting tricked into thinking he was half horse.

He rested the reins and closed his eyes. He thought back during the Greek name ceremony where he left Lucas Miles Nikolopulos behind and became Trainee Aiolos and later Saint Aiolos of Sagittarius. In Rodario, everyone kept a copy of The Iliad and The Odyssey and read it as religiously as a Bible. In The Odyssey, the chapter of when Odysseus traveled to the island of Aiolia, a name he gave his brother since he was too young to choose, he met the king that gave him the Bag of Aiolos. He didn't want a name based on the hundreds of warriors out there, because the idea of a Saint more than fighting, but serving Athena, protecting, and helping others. The winds were everywhere, it can be gentle, and in a flash, destructive as well. It was appropriate that he gave his horse based on something from that myth. "Zephyr. How's that?"

"The West Wind and father to the immortal horses, Xhantus and Bailus. Sounds nice."

"Thank you, Shiryu." Aiolos reached over and the horse contently rocked its head as if it actually understood what was going on. "Although, I didn't really want to name Zephyr until I was positive on how it would react with me using cosmos to attack." He was kind of worried that he would be jinxing himself into falling in love with it only to be disappointed.

Kento came forward. "About that." He reached over from behind and pulled out the long box behind his back. "Athena wished to surprise you," he said as he pulled out a special key and unlocked the heavy box and pried the latches.

Aiolos almost fell off. He couldn't believe it. Kento told him he was carrying radio equipment and for some reason despite him carrying a tele-cam in his pocket. His hand trembled. Surrounded by a carved solid brick of expensive concentrated stardust was his Bow of Sagittarius. He pulled it out, feeling the familiar weight and the perfect balance it had. Like all pieces of his Gold Cloth, there was always a brilliant shine as if he was holding a piece of the sun. The fact that it didn't have an actual string allowed him to use as much or as little strength in each shot. What made it different was that it was meant to pierce from up close and afar. He can imagine the panic when Saga found his Cloth and discovered that the deadliest feature was missing. "Sanctuary, can't detect it, right?" he nervously asked.

Dohko shook his head no. "These mountains are sacred and hold a special power. They can't detect anything here." It was the reason why it was chosen for the seal over the 108 Evil stars.

This was a part of him that he missed so much. He playfully took his hands and easily formed and reformed the arrows of light with ease, as he did as a warm-up every morning. He bit his lip and focused. The bow served as a key to allow him access to a small pocket dimension. The air began to waver and he reached in and pulled a handful of physical arrows, grateful he still had access to that, despite his Cloth being so far away. He hoped he won't need them. The True Pope absolutely forbid him from using those during practice sparring matches. He claimed it was because they were too deadly and he was right. However, he had a feeling it was more to do with the Gold Cloths being arduous to repair since whenever it happened, it was the only time the Pope would switch to pure Lumerian, peppered with the name 'Milo' every few seconds.

"Saint Aiolos?"

He looked down at Shunrei as she pointed at his bow. He twisted it on the other side, gave a nod before he carefully peeled the Sailor Venus sticker and stuck it on her hand.

He took the reins with one hand and raised the bow with the other, getting a good feel for the rhythm of Zephyr's gait to know how to compensate for the accuracy of any shot. His hand produced what he nicknamed a dummy arrow where the tip was covered in cosmos to spread out its piercing damage. He fired it at a tree, watching it strike the dead center of its trunk, where it bounced harmlessly on the bark yet still had enough force to rattle its branches and disturb the birds in its canopy. He looked down to check and sure enough, Zephyr stood still without even flinching, an important trait for an archer where the slightest torque of the wrist can be the difference between striking the helmet or missing and risking someone else getting struck in the back. "Good boy," he whispered before his eyes widened and flinched at light speed, dodging a fifteen-kilo boulder. He jerked his head at the source.

Dohko struck his cane on the ground, causing a small crater beneath it. "Is that it?" the Old Master puffed his chest as if he was a giant among the field. "I just told you that no one is going to discover your cosmos here and the first thing you do with the one weapon that can break through the Wailing Wall is slapping a half-dead tree?" He shouted.

He felt his head shrink a bit like a turtle to its shell. "What? I wanted to make sure I didn't scare my horse!" Aiolos shouted back as he rested his arms and bow on his shoulders.

"I wanted to make sure I didn't scare my horse…" Dohko mocked in a cranky tone before he flung another stone that the Saint promptly dodged. "Bah… in my time, Saints were using horses to jump the cliffs of Andromeda while battling Specters on the first day they broke them. Don't underestimate the skills of an untamed horse. Humans and stable horses need years to refine their usage of cosmos through their bodies while a horse in the wild is a natural. Look at Zephyr. He wants to battle and fight."

Aiolos turned to Zephyr. Noticing the hunger in its eyes for the power of the cosmos it felt earlier. He knew, he hungered for it too. Question was, how could he maximize his limited time. "Seiya, Shiryu… you both wanted to learn to move at Mach speed right?" called Aiolos as Zephyr began to canter over to them.

The two Japanese turned to each, a bit disturbed by the sudden switch of his carefree tone to one that was firm and hushed. They nervously turned before Shiryu remembered his manners and bowed. "Yes, Saint Aiolos, we do."

The Gold Saint nodded. "Alright." His hands let go, allowing the weapon to roll down his back before he swung it back in the ready position in his grip. "Well, today is your lucky day, for I will teach you the same way I taught half of the Zodiac." He raised his bow and drew a bright arrow, "run," he growled.

"Shit!" screamed Seiya as the two boys jumped out of the way as the arrow blew a three-meter crater beneath them.

Shiryu rolled before quickly getting up. He flinched as an arrow struck the tip of his shoe right between the space of his large toe and the one next to it. He stepped backward as one arrow after the other nipped the same spot, widening the hole. He turned his head as Zephyr reared up before him, staring as the archer met his eyes, and returned the gaze with an arrow trained straight between Shiryu's eyes. The nine-year-old felt his body freeze in fright for a brief second before he gritted his teeth and used his cosmos to leap out of the way.

Dohko nodded pleasantly. There was nothing more fun than the pleasant sound of trainees being torn apart. "Kento, keep your niece and I clean," he commanded.

"Yes, Master Dohko," he said as he raised a protective bubble around them.

Seiya jerked his head back and forth as he threw his hands in his hair. He could hear the thud of hooves smashing from a distance. He took a moment to pause and catch his breath when the large stallion flashed in front of him, the force knocking him back. Seiya's head was merely inches away from the rising hoof before a flurry of arrows struck the sides of his clothes and twice burning his cheeks. He paused as Aiolos stoic face gripped the reins, with a sharp snap of his voice, causing Zephyr to crash down. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" his body glowed as he forced himself forward, his shoes leaving two-inch footprints from stomping.

The Chinese trio turned their heads in perfect harmony, following the bright flashes of yellow cosmos like a set of sunflowers as bits of rock, grass and earth tossed and pounded the bubble.

"They're not going to die, Grandfather, are they?" asked Shunrei.

Dohko shook his head. "Of course not, flower. Saint Aiolos has been doing this for years with the younger ones of the Zodiac. He knows what he's doing even if he's going a bit too easy on them," he gently stroked her head just as Seiya slammed against the protective field.

"Hey! Old Master! Everyone said you were the best! Got any tips?" cried the future Pegasus as he banged on the shield leaving bloody handprints on the side. Shiryu ran up as well, hoping for an answer while ripping off the torn shirt from his body and used it to tie his dislocated shoulder.

"Keep running, and don't die." Dohko waved his hand.

Seiya rolled his eyes, "Fuck you!"

"Too-da-loo, to you too!" the old tiger spoke as the two boys split off from the charging Saint and stallion.

O|=====|O

Aiolos leaned against Zephyr as they sat under the starry sky. His eyes gazed at the Kido helicopter as Kento provided the false story that they were having mechanical trouble and were waiting for a larger transport to carry it along and secretly with his horse. "Today was a good day, wasn't it?"

The Greek stared at the long grass as it blew with the wind. The cool water from the stream bubbled alongside them and it's been a long time since he could see the stars the way they were meant to be seen since the Tokyo light pollution would dull them. He turned to his bow on his lap, while the stardust case was nearby. While he wouldn't be able to take it out until he reached Greece, there was a certain comfort knowing he'll have it nearby in his room in Japan. He turned to the case and noticed some etchings on the front.

Curiously, he picked up the case and turned it vertically. He stared at each character very slowly. "A Samurai needs his sword like a body needs a soul." He smiled. "So true…" He was so divided with Mitsumasa Kido at times. He rescued him and yet held him in the same four-block area of Tokyo for five years. Kido grabbed his bow but displayed it like a trophy in his office. At times he wondered if he was a mere pet of the Kido Foundation, but underneath it all, he truly did understand the warrior spirit albeit he wondered why he didn't trust him with it sooner. Perhaps Athena spoke with him and his concerns with his exposure with the stardust? Although he did speak with him the moment he found out about the man's plans to surround himself in it, perhaps telling him twice was needed.

It's been a long time since he's felt like this. He was sore and spent, while Shiryu and Seiya were probably going to feel it in the morning despite him treating their wounds afterward. He could tell since the moment they finished dinner, they just crashed on the floor. At least they took it quite well, Seiya especially. Of course the combination of the usage of cosmos, the desire to blow everything up, his smartass attitude, and now signs of Mach 1, he maybe bestowing Marin, Aiolia's tomodachi, a nuclear bomb.

Master Dohko's quarters were too small to fit seven people, and right now, he's enjoying the sensation of just relaxing outside in the breeze. "It's beautiful here. I'm sorry I have to take you away from this," he spoke to Zephyr as his large head took a moment to nuzzle his before it rested on the ground. It was unusual for horses to lay like this unless they were specifically trained or not feeling well. Perhaps it sensed something wrong with his legs that it wanted to stay by him. Animals were far more perceptive than people gave them credit for.

Now was a good time to think of solutions for some issues that he noticed today. While chasing the boys around, he observed that there were some slight delays in getting Zephyr to move exactly the way he needed. They were only a half-second long, but that's a lifetime when dealing with those with light speed. Commands must be tight and without his legs to squeeze and let him know when to slow or speed up, he's going to have to get used to controlling his horse with his cosmos.

At least he found out that his horse could get some protection. The Old Master had some armor that was used for horses a few centuries ago. The plating was crafted by Lemurians which probably meant that it was light and strong. When he checked it out, he was surprised it still shined as well despite being in storage for hundreds of years. Of course, such quality was expected from anything Lemurian.

Dohko told him that the difference was that unlike how a Cloth had cosmos constantly flowing through it to utilize its protective qualities, the armor for animals must have cosmos stored in it like a battery. It made perfect sense since he was already using cosmos both for control as well as his attacks. Having to focus on its protection as well during a battle would be too much micromanaging, even for his level.

He heard a small snort as the stallion leaned down, gesturing with its head. Aiolos reached down for his plate and pulled out one of the vegetable bao and offered it. He smiled a bit as it gently scooped it out. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you're treated well in Japan, no matter how brief the stay will be. Probably for two weeks. It's short but if the Old Master says that a horse with cosmos is fairly quick, then I trust him."

"You know, if you truly believed me on how fast a horse can be ready, you would be flying straight to Greece."

Aiolos turned his head as the elder Chinese walked over, with a bottle and two cups. It looked to be some hard stuff and either the Old Master was bored, or more likely looking to ply him of some answers since they already drank some beer earlier. Aiolos raised it up and took a shot. It burned his throat, but it was good. A man over two hundred should have refined tastes at this point. He watched the Old Master do the same, without so much of a flinch. "I told my brother that I would give him a heads up. Besides, it would be kind of embarrassing if I forgot Athena," he joked as he held his empty cup over and waited until it was filled. "I am nervous. This battle is either going to be very diplomatic or very bloody." He took another shot.

Dohko tilted his head curiously. He hated to question him, but his friend was murdered. "Your test for the Cloth of Sagittarius required you to shoot an arrow through an ax, from the bottom of Sanctuary to the steeple of the Pope's chamber. Your bow can pierce a Gold Cloth with ease. Why put your life, Athena's and your brother's in danger and not just shoot him from afar?"

Aiolos turned to the old tiger. "So that's what he wanted to know," he thought. His guess was that it probably hung over the Old Master's head and with the time of their departure approaching, he was probably troubled and needed to know.

He could also see that he was expecting him to pause at the thought of his decision, but he would not. Of course, the idea crossed his mind. How could it not? He's lost so much physically and he's lost so much time. "Athena has a purpose for us all. We are all a piece on a chess set and whether it be to kill or to be sacrificed doesn't matter. But the one thing a piece on a chessboard cannot do is cannibalize each other," he recited from one of the True Pope's lessons. He could tell that the Old Master did not recognize the words themselves, but was familiar with the way it was presented. "Besides, I've worked with everyone there. They are my comrades and friends. I would rather die than kill them, but at the same time, I cannot allow them to pervert the name of Athena by allowing them to get away with the death of the True Pope."

Dohko felt a little bit reassured, but not quite enough. He could understand sparing most of the Golds since many were probably about eight or nine years old at the time the betrayal happened and went along with it. But it didn't mean all though. "What about Saga? Perhaps this was his role in the plans of Athena. You speak of chess and yet you do not allow for the player to make the sacrifice. Perhaps his death will serve a purpose for the greater good? Perhaps she wants him to serve as an example..."

"No! Saga believes in Athena! At least her principles." He paused. He still remembered the two of them circling back and forth over the proper way of worshiping Athena. "Despite that, he is one of the kindest people you would ever meet. He does twist, as he would put it, between Justice and Chaos, but I know something happened to him that goes beyond it and I will never find out the truth unless I come to him myself and not strike him from afar." He shook his head. He was so used to the informal life of Japan. He drew his hands together and lowered his head. "Forgive me, Old Master. I apologize…" he then heard the bottle pop open and looked up.

The Old Master poured him another drink. "No… please forgive me. I-I let my emotions get in the way. With the death of Shion, I am but the last flame upon the clock of 18th-century Sanctuary." He looked up with grey eyes toward the stars. "These are your friends and your comrades and I think that if I was stuck in the same situation with my own, I don't think I could slay them in such a way either." He raised a glass. "Here, to the young and old, we were united by death, we will fight to the death, and we will all gather together in death."

Aiolos raised his and drank once more. He allowed the glass to linger close to his lips and paused. "Old Master, I know that was a famous quote, but do you think that the first part of being united by death is in reference..." he paused.

The Libra recognized the hesitation. Every Saint paused at the thought of something so horrible, but yet could not help. Eventually, they allow their thoughts to escape, but only to themselves. "Ahh, the Curse of Athena?"

"Yes…" he weakly whispered, until he was taken surprise by his laughter.

Dohko, partly out of sentimentalism and the fact that he drank way more too quick, sat down. "So, how did you lose yours?"

Aiolos began to feel the same disturbing sensation from earlier. "Wolves. First, they killed my stepdad, then they killed my mother and nearly got my brother and me until a Saint came."

Dohko closed his eyes. It sounded like a terrible way to die. He poured Aiolos a drink and watched the man raise it and drank it down quick. "Bad water for us. Every one of us was sick and yet I was the only survivor. I too heard the curse by passing Saints, and I too was angry about the situation. However, one day, I spoke to Shion and he told me something that has stuck to me to this day:

Did Athena really kill your family, or did she save you from what would've been an inevitable death?

"Hmm," mused the Sagittarius. "I never thought of that." He looked up. "Did the True Pope have proof or something?"

But Dohko's head shook no. "None. He was far older than I was and he could not understand the curse either. But that's not the point. It's not a matter of finding truth sometimes, but the perspective."

"Is the glass half empty or half full?" Aiolos spoke, still a bit intrigued.

"That's it." Dohko gravely pointed out before he closed his eyes. "Do not take this the wrong way, but if I had your bow, and I was there, your friend Saga would be slaughtered the moment he stepped onto the great balcony of the Pope's Chambers." He had already been through the same situation of Sanctuary turning on itself back in the 18th century and did not desire it to consume this generation either. However, he should at least concede since Aiolos had been a good guest all day. "If Shion was young and alive," he sighed. "He would probably do the same as you." He filled their cups once more, shaking the last little bit for the Sagittarius. "One more, for His Holiness and my friend. Praise Athena."

Aiolos lifted it one last time. "Praise Athena."

To Be Continued…..

Author's note: Bad news guys. I'm actually thinking of continuing this story beyond the intended ending.