Chapter Eight: Lion Heart II

Thirteen Years Ago

It was difficult to see what was going on. The third temple was quite a distance from the empty House of Cancer, yet the sound that carried in the wind was oh so very familiar. He ran as fast as he could, easily pushing the Cancer doors since there was no one training there. From there, the seven-year-old got a better view and could see two blue-haired kids that were his age. The thuds got louder as he hurried closer. Once he was halfway down, it was obvious that one Gemini twin was standing next to the other, slamming his foot repeatedly.

He was going to go fetch something in town as a small surprise, for his little brother, but he felt he shouldn't ignore it. In fact, he still wasn't quite sure what to do. They were in a sparring ring and the other had not given the signal to surrender but was clearly conscious and not doing anything.

"Get up, Saga!" Kanon shouted as he gave another kick. He knelt and grabbed his brother by the back of his short blue crown and lifted his head, their equally light cerulean locks seemingly meld together.

But Saga blew his bangs and just continued to avert his gaze. "I don't want to spar today. This is the anniversary of her death."

Kanon dropped his older brother's head on the ground and was about ready to start over when he felt someone grabbed his light blue trainer in the back.

"Kanon, stop! He said he wants to mourn, let him mourn. He has that right," Aiolos spoke as gripped the collar, only letting go when Kanon turned to him. Aiolos stared at his face. The two looked exactly alike. Lately, he noticed that they've been working on using their cosmos to either make one's hair slightly lighter or darker but trying to maintain it was hard at their level. When neither altered their hue, the only thing that separated them was during sparring where they demonstrated different temperaments, or if they call out the other's name. It was not uncommon for the two's win/loss scores to be mixed up.

The younger Gemini gave a stupid look to him. "It's been six months. That's not an anniversary. Who mourns again after half a year? They still haven't even put the stones on their graves yet."

"It doesn't matter. If someone needs more time, let them have it. He's your brother, have some sympathy! I haven't even spent a full night in the House of Sagittarius because I lay next to my brother every night to keep the nightmares away in the House of Leo." From the moment Saga entered the Twelve Houses to train, it was clear he was determined to earn the Cloth. When they were with the Pope, Saga would find every mean to show he was better. For Aiolos to see him lying there with such sad eyes meant Saga wasn't playing around. "You two have been training non-stop since you came and we're not going to stop until someone dumps soil over us. One day isn't going to hurt. Kicking your brother like a sack of beans is a waste. He's not going to suddenly stand up and be ready to fight if you do that enough and you'd get more exercise by doing a temple run."

But Kanon looked down and gave such a strong kick to Saga that his body flipped over.

Aiolos narrowed his eyes. There was fighting and there was taking sick pleasure in another's suffering. He was tired and had already spent all morning independent training in his House, but he needed to step in. But not as a match. Something more down to earth. "You want a fight, how about a round of Numbers."

Kanon raised a brow and placed his hands on his hips. "What's that?"

Aiolos folded his arms. He wasn't surprised. In Rodario, there were two types of citizens, the Protótypos(originals), those who adhere to the traditional ancient Greek life as his family had and Montérnos(moderns), like the Gemini twin trainees, those who either incorporate modern life such as electricity or culture such as going to school or using a tele-cam. Neither side had any animosity toward the other, in fact, they got along just fine. Montérnos, since they were far more educated and connected, were in positions that helped bridge Sanctuary with the ever-changing modern world. However, Montérnos were often seen as too soft and too out of touch with the cosmos to make a good Saint or soldier. In his eyes, while their combat skills could use some brushing up, and Saga would tell him how bored he was in the House of Gemini. However, their cosmos was not only up to par, but Saga used it in ways he didn't think was possible, partially due to his intelligence and a bit of creativity that made their sparring fun.

But he wasn't interested in cosmos today. The brunette slowly stepped forward and tilted his head. "A game me and my friends would play in the country. We each say a number of how many punches we think it will take to knock the other out. Someone goes first and uses their punches and then the other. The max is twenty. No cosmos. So how about it?"

Kanon paused and narrowed his eyes. He wanted to make sure he heard right. "So whatever number I say, I get to use them all at once and then you take your turn?" Aiolos nodded. He smiled. "Alright, I wouldn't mind punching someone twenty times. It's a change of pace from kicking someone a hundred," he retorted as he glanced down, relishing the middle finger that Saga quickly branded.

Aiolos raised a brow. "Twenty… so you think it will take twenty times… the higher the number, the bigger the wimp." His eyes scanned Kanon's posture and the color of his face. He walked up and stared him straight in the face. "One."

The younger Gemini bit his lip. "You're serious."

Aiolos nodded. "Never make a threat unless you're prepared to back it up." He gave a quick head jerk. "You're first." He said as he readied his stance, tapping his feet a bit to get them a bit warmed up.

Kanon came over and prepared his, spreading his feet and drawing his hands close to his face. He ran forward and swung his fists five times with the Sagittarius jerking his head and dodging each one with lightning grace. "Why are you moving?"

The brunette leaped backward. "I said I wouldn't punch until you were done. You honestly think I would stand there and take it like a bitch? Where's the fun in that?" He slipped under another fist and rolled away as another swung down. "That's seven! Goddess stop wasting your moves. If I would've known you're going to do this, I would've given you a handicap of fifty."

"Fuck you!" Kanon grabbed Aiolos' neck and swung his fist as hard as he can.

Aiolos pulled his own feet from under him, causing Kanon's balance to be thrown off, and his fist slamming into the stardust infused column from behind. The Gemini let go of Aiolos neck and gritted his teeth as blood dripped from his broken hand.

Aiolos stood back up and rubbed the bruises left by Kanon's fingers on the sides. "Well, aren't you going to keep going?"

"My fucking hand!" shouted the Gemini.

Aiolos shrugged his shoulders. "Use your other fucking hand." He easily dodged the next two. "That's ten. But it's a bit too easy and boring. Let's make things more interesting," he spoke as he took his red headband and slid it over his closed eyes and tightened it in the back.

"Fine, be an idiot!" Kanon took his wrap and rolled around his broken hand before he ran to the Sagittarius and swung wildly, shocked as he dodged the next two strikes. "You're cheating! You're using your cosmos to see."

But he shook his head no. "Oh please, your so out of breath like a hog in the heat and you won't shut up." He dodged another punch. "Although some may consider what I'm doing a power-up," he grinned as his ears could hear the boot slide and moved away to dodge another double combo. "That's fifteen… you're down to five left." He moved away to dodge another before he turned and ran a little bit to put some distance before he pulled his headband back up to its normal spot. "Four now. But… I'm feeling generous." He changed his stance and folded his arms. "Last four, I won't run. Go ahead, have at it."

The Gemini stared hard at him as if he was a liar. He approached the Sagittarius and slowly stepped around him as if it was another trick. He swung once and stopped mere centimeters, yet the Sagittarius didn't flinch.

"You're technically down to three, a swing counts, but since you didn't know that," his blue eyes turned and matched his. "I'll let it slide. You still have four left." He smiled as he felt the fist strike his face rolling his head with it. "That's all? Really? I let you hit me and tha-" Another strike landed on the other side, again rolling with the punch. Blood trickled down his lip and nose. He casually wiped it away like drops of sweat as he watched Kanon rub his fist on his leg since his other hand injured. "Let's go pillow fist." He felt the final two and was a bit disappointed. "That's-" three quick punches struck his face, but Aiolos merely shrugged it off. "Twenty-three." It's no wonder Saga talked about how much his brother tended to play dirty. He then noticed Kanon's hand glow, not that he was playing fair before.

"My turn," Aiolos spat the blood from his mouth, quickly dodged the fist of cosmos and countered with a good uppercut to the jaw, knocking him out. "One." He heard another set of steps behind him and assumed it was Saga. Aiolos knelt and began to hold Kanon's hand and started to patch it up with his healing cosmos. "You alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," spoke Saga as he held his side and was using cosmos on it. He turned to his brother and then to Aiolos. When he first heard the game, he thought it was just going to be them just hitting each other mindlessly. Instead, Aiolos was able to wear his brother down, get out of a chokehold, disable his dominant hand, mock him to throw off his concentration and drain the rest of his strength before knocking him out. It was one thing to watch, analyze, and attempt to practice it, but it was another to perform it so effortlessly. When he first met him, he thought as a Protótypo, he would be as stupid as a lot of the other foot soldiers, especially since he looked like one. But he was very interpersonal and had this insane awareness of his environment whether it be on a chessboard or the fight just now, a skill that he wanted to learn more from. Saga looked down as Aiolos took far too much care in his healing cosmos. He would've just stopped the bleeding and that was it. "Just let a maiden take care of it. He doesn't deserve it, he was cheating."

But Aiolos moved his hands over to the bruise on Kanon's face. "Fight's over. Whoever I spar, I heal. If that's what a Gold Saint will do, then I won't be any different." Aiolos turned his blue eyes toward him. "Besides, he's your brother."

Saga paused and brushed some stray short strands from his face as if to further extend the delay of his answer. "Sometimes, I wish he wasn't. You would understand if you knew what he's like over here."

They were heavy words to ponder. Kanon preferred to only fight with his brother, and Aiolos sat there, delicately removing the swelling on Kanon's cheek. Once he was done, he turned back around, curious at the change of heart from before. "I thought you said he was practically your best friend when we first got here?" He could see it too. The two Gemini mirrored each other through finishing each other's words and motion as if they had rehearsed every action whether it be the way they walked to how they eat.

The older Gemini sided his eyes. "We were close… but now we're competing for the same Cloth."

You train, you earn, or you are nothing.

Unlike Bronze and Silver, the candidates who were chosen were very precise. Stars were read and everything from the region they were from to blood type were heavily considered. While the death rate of trainees for Silver Cloths was about sixty percent and Bronze Cloths hovered between seventy to ninety, the Gold Cloths only had about less than five percent due to how much scrutiny was involved. At the same time, Gold Saints really didn't compete to wear their Cloths, the only exception was due to Gemini. What happens to the other twin was anyone's guess. They were practically invisible in the history of Saints.

Saga continued. "Be glad you and your brother don't have to do the same." He tilted his head with a sly smile. "Although, if you both did, maybe you'll stop babying him."

He shrugged. "He's three. Besides, the Pope stated he can't spar with others until he's five. Remember, we weren't born five minutes apart. Older brother helps the mom with everything like washing the cloth diapers."

Saga knelt next to him. "Sleeping by him every night to where you aren't even at your own House? Really? Aren't you embarrassed?"

Aiolos shrugged. "We did at our old house and were expected to do so until we moved out."

Saga nodded. He and his brother had their own separate rooms growing up. Hell, they had separate everything and being twins, it always matched with some slight variation. It didn't help that he was Kristopher and his brother was Kallen at the time so when it came to pick a new name, they made sure that aspect wasn't as confusing. He turned back to his friend, "Technically, you did move out. Plus what about that time afterwards when after we did a few temple runs and he was so tired that you helped feed him. Or all those times you left practice early to give him a bath."

Aiolos laughed and winced. "Okay, I forgot about those. So," he paused and grimaced, certain that the sharp Gemini could find a hundred other examples in his short time there. "Maybe a little, but he's all I have." It was true. They don't have pictures and very few things. Aiolia, who he once called Theo, was the most precious thing he had, and he would die before anything bad happened to him. He tilted his head. "Although, being too hard is bad too," he spoke as he pointed to Saga's side, before giving it a quick heal to show he hoped Saga was alright.

Saga sighed. He wasn't even sure where it came from. He woke up and was just sad that his mother wasn't there. He didn't feel like eating, meditating, hell he didn't want to even get out of bed. Instead, Kanon dragged him out there. It was painful, not over the fact that it hurt, but Kanon didn't care about mother or him. At least someone out there was thinking of his feelings.

"That's true." Saga's hands reached over and touched the spot where Kanon struck Aiolos on his cheeks and began to use his cosmos, to heal him back, taking care to remove the bruises on his face. "I wish we could be the way we used to be. But I don't think that's going to happen." He gazed at Aiolos gentle expression. It was hard to believe how quickly he could go from some foul mouth brute to a coddling brother. That was the type of behavior a Gemini would have. At the same time, Kanon was being a complete dick and needed a good strike to the face after what he did. "Thanks for what you did. I appreciate it."

Aiolos nodded. "Anytime."

O|=======|O

The two riders were silent along the dusty path along the edge of Rodario. The grass was so long that it could reach the chest of the sandy horse with a brown mane. Sometimes the male rider would take his little brother through it as a shortcut to avoid getting in trouble for coming home too late, only for his mother to yell at him for getting ticks in their hair. He thought she was overreacting back then since they were such tiny insects, but now he took his time to go around it to ensure his Goddess wasn't covered in them.

"It's so pretty out here," Athena whispered as her bright orange cap kept bumping into his back. The plains were so open and wide that every time she turned, she could see the distant village of Rodario on one side, the path to Cyrene, one of the minor villages at another and the set of woods that her Sagittarius seemed to talk about a lot.

"Yes, it is," Aiolos turned his head briefly before he continued to guide Zephyr, his partner, along the same path his family once used hundreds of times. He remembered as a kid, of getting so tired of walking that his parents had to carry him. Later as a Saint, his house, the one he grew up in, seemed so close especially compared to the others like Aldebaran, who chose a spot on the mountains near Mount Vesuvius near Pompeii.

He could tell by the horse's gait that it was frustrated at moving at the speed of a normal horse. Zephyr loved feeling the cosmos flow through him and moving like the wind with the grace of a ballerina. Right now, he was snorting occasionally, as if he was hinting that he desired the chance to get to run at least Mach 1.

Aiolos turned his head and could see Athena's bright red face. "Here, we'll be there soon, I promise. Then you can at least take off some of that stuff," he whispered in attempt to assure her they were close. He'll be glad when he could take a break from it too. Tatsumi dropped off Seiya while the two of them had a fake permit to hunt a bear. He was to be one of Kido's long-lost sons from Belgium and Athena was just Saori Kido. He was worried that the excuse wouldn't work, but with the businessman's salacious history and reign in the tabloids, he didn't even need to pull out his fake passport.

When he first heard the plan, he assumed he'd just carry his bow in the case like he had a rifle, throw a hat on, wear casual clothes, and go to his old house to meet the others. But it wasn't enough, at least to Tatsumi, and forced them into a disguise. Between him and his Goddess, the cost of their gear was more than enough to feed the local orphanage in Rodario for the next fifty years, and neither were comfortable wearing it. The moment the butler began to muse about giving him a haircut to blend in more, he was out of there. At least it was a temporary thing. Athena had her white dress, fit for a goddess, underneath, while Aiolia said he would go into supplies and have a trainer ready since all his extras at his house were made for a fifteen-year-old. Aldebaran would bring two Taurus servant cloaks and Aiolia would later fetch Zephyr's horse armor and light speed it back to the House of Aries.

He sucked his breath a bit as the familiar low brown roof came into view. The house seemed so much smaller than he remembered. It was made of light-colored tan bricks, contributing to its sturdiness and age. It was more modern, compared to the more ancient designs in the village but was still a good hundred years old. There was no electricity or plumbing and so water must be carried from the nearby stream. Looking back, it was hard, but back then it was just part of what had to be done.

Gold Saints always had an extra home, for allowing guests or simple meetings. It was far easier to do that than to go through the hell of figuring out if a person was a guest, a lost tourist, or an intruder, especially for those who were at the front. Unless they originally didn't have a home or it was too far away, it is expected to use one from the family and Aiolos wouldn't have it any other way.

"Do you sense anyone near here?" He turned around and watched her dreamily close her eyes. Her cosmos was so powerful that he knew she was burning it hundreds of times greater than what he could ever dream of, yet due to its gentle nature and fluidity felt like a warm gentle breeze. In a way, she burned it in a manner that was so graceful that it was practically undetectable except for those who were aware she was doing it. It was so amazing to be near it since such mastery would take people like him decades to make it flow as it did and the reason that her great cosmos couldn't be tracked when they made their run years ago.

"Your brother is in the back. There are also some baby rabbits under the porch, about thirty birds, half from one murder of crows while the rest a mixture of doves and sparrows, three squirrels competing for the recent crop of berries and one large boar about twenty feet away," she ended it with a sweet smile.

Aiolos narrowed his eyes. "Don't tempt me. You know I don't have time to grab a slab of morning bacon," he playfully replied.

She shrugged, "I thought they were your favorite?"

He shook his head. "I used to talk about them a lot because they were destructive and delicious. If we didn't get enough of them, they would tear up mother's garden. Come on, let's go see him." Aiolos paused as he saw Athena took her hand and touched her forehead. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head no. "A little overheated. May I go inside?"

"Don't ask. You gave me my place for the last three years and you are always welcomed over here." He reached over and grabbed her hand. While holding steady on the side, he used his arm strength to lift her and set her down to the soft grass. He then pointed to the front door.

"Is the key under the rock?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes, it is," while he could admit that it was another bit of Goddess wisdom, he attributed it more to the fact that it was a bad spot to hide. But back then, trying to train while carrying a house key was always troublesome. Aiolia would keep melting his and somehow his own copy would keep falling out when Saga used Another Dimension. After twelve copies, it was obvious that neither could be trusted with it. "If things are still the same, when you go in the kitchen, there's a blue pitcher that we usually keep some water in and a couple of wooden cups by the window. If they are flipped down, they're clean."

The six-year-old smiled before she opened the door and immediately began to take off the coat and hat. It was a simple layout. A large room with old wooden furniture and a table with a small empty vase that once held flowers by the window. She giggled when she could see on the side of the table, little knife etchings on the side that were crooked and jagged, like a small child trying to be an artist. Judging by the abrupt stop, a mother or a father must have put an end to it. She looked over toward the wall. Two embroidered pictures of flower bracelets were hung with one with the name Lucas and the other Theo. "Baptism gifts." She knew the flower bracelet was as sacred as a symbol as a cross to a Christian. She carried her stuff and placed them over by a wooden chair with a soft, worn down crocheted seat cover. She closed her eyes and sensed an old familiar cosmos from long ago. She turned her head toward a small table next to it and pulled the drawer open. She picked up the book and touched her hand on it. Her eyes close before her hand drew upon her lips in shock before she ran over and set it over on the kitchen table.

O|=======|O

Aiolos slowly guided Zephyr toward the fence while taking in the view. "I'm home," he thought. He raised his head and gazed from afar. The old tree that he and his father used to hang their kills on had toppled over. He then looked over toward the flowerbed. When he was training, he would pull go through and pull the weeds. He didn't allow Aiolia to do it back then because he kept pulling the wrong stuff. Looking down, his little brother seemed to be doing a good job in his place while even adding river stones for edging. He then felt Zephyr lower his head, forcing him to pull the reins. "No… not those. Those are Mom's and I don't know if they'll make you sick or not."

"Aiolos!" Aiolia shouted as he walked out in the back yard with a book in one hand and waving his hand with the other. He walked over and pulled the gate open to allow his brother in. He took his leather gloved hands and gave the horse a nice rub before looking at its teeth. Shura liked horses too and showed him how to judge its health and quality. Although, he never saw Shura use cosmos with his. "He looks good, what's his name?"

"I wanted Goldie, but I settled for Zephyr."

Aiolia nodded. "The west wind, I like it." With their names, he practically memorized the three or four different versions of the myth of the Bag of Aiolos by heart. He stroked its smooth sandy coat and ran his hand in its brown mane. He could tell that his brother must've pampered it with daily brushings as if it was a God itself. "But too bad about Goldie, I would've picked that too. I think Shura had a couple called that too." He raised his hand and burned some cosmos, watching the horse grow a little bit anxious before it calmed down as if it saw connections between him and his brother's cosmos. "Good temperament. You choose a good one. Your clothes on the other hand..." he trailed with an uneasy face before a tossed pair of gloves struck him on his face and rested on the collarbone of his chest.

"I'm not going like this! I had to wear this because Tatsumi wouldn't believe me when I said the customs area would be a cinch. You did pick up a trainer for me, right?"

Aiolia produced a thumb toward the house. "Yeah, I found a couple of different sizes for you to try out. Light blue pants and the dark brown shirt that you always seemed to wear," he turned to the gloves and examined them, rubbing the soft texture. "These do feel nice, are they any good?"

Aiolos shrugged. "No clue, but they were crafted with the leather of three extinct reptiles," he watched Aiolia's jaw drop. "I know, I thought the same thing. That's the rich for you." Odd that when he was a kid, he considered porcelain dishes as a luxury. Aiolia tried to pass him the gloves back, but politely declined. If his brother liked them, he can have them. As Aiolia stuck them in his pocket, Aiolos turned toward the object in his brother's hand. "Is that a book?"

He lifted the hefty hardback and passed it over to his older brother. He knew he was curious since he wasn't afraid to admit that studying The Illiad and The Odyssey was fucking boring and had to practically get wrestled down by him just to crack it open. "You know about my house arrest situation after...that event." He swallowed before he looked up. "I was bored. I had trouble focusing and I couldn't add any more physical training in the day." Like Camus, his cosmos was mostly elemental based. He told everyone it was lightning, but that was just layman's terms since it was technically plasma. Element cosmos had room for more creative uses, but when used repeatedly in the same Temple, it got hot and if he didn't go to a different area to train or stop, it would start melting the tempered stone. "I tried to meditate, but couldn't focus, dozens of candles but those were a mess. I tried drinking a bunch of wine, a ton of tea and nothing was helping. So, Camus noticed, secretly, at least a secret at the time, he invited me to join him and Milo's little contemporary book club, The Frogs of Aristophanes." He scratched the back of his head. "I... actually really liked it and they snuck in books for me! Now that I'm out, I can openly read them now."

"That's good!" Aiolos remembered Milo and Camus talking about it. When he saw the bookmark of a jolly dancing frog in a toga that Milo would doodle, it all started coming back to him. Books outside of Greek Literature were considered a material luxury that couldn't be purchased with funds by Gold Saints. So, the two would send a book list to the foot soldiers since they traveled the world more frequently and offer some wine in exchange for the title, allowing them to amass quite a collection. Clubs came and went in the twelve Houses, especially since Saga and himself were the only teenagers while the rest were still kids. Some clubs lasted a day or a couple of years, due to either disinterest or time commitments, so it was nice that out of all of them, the Frogs of Aristophanes continued.

Aiolia continued. "Yeah, so there was this series that I started during my imprisonment, and I just couldn't stop. I would literally read the books like three times before handing them back just so I didn't miss anything. Anyways, I had one last book to complete, but I had to wait for my turn, and I was in Japan. So, before we go to Sanctuary, I wanted to finish it and I did, twice actually," spoke the proud Leo.

Aiolos was proud of him, but at the same time, when he mentioned that he should get what he wanted done, he was hoping he would include someone else. "Sounds like you enjoyed it."

"Actually, I fucking hated the ending."

Now he was confused. He looked physically hurt than anything else. "What was wrong with it? Why are you taking it so seriously? It's a book. You've met your goal and you can go and find something else to read."

He bared his teeth and began to pace in the yard. "It's not just a book… it is an experience. It's like a whole different world! It was magical and funny, sad and endearing. Goddess, it's like the Odyssey, but less dry and amazing." He paused and shut his eyes. "But...she had to do it. Camus warned me. Milo warned me, but I didn't listen." His brilliant blue eyes stared straight into his brothers as he tightened his fist. "Hermione… married… Ron…."

"Hermione married Ron?" the Sagittarius repeated dryly unsure who these people were.

Aiolia took his hand and pointed it straight at him. "You don't get it! Hermione and Harry belong together, not that red-headed twat! Three years of waiting to find out what happens in the end and she went with him! Why would one of the most brilliant writers of all-time pair up the two people who fight all the time over the two who are always supporting each other! It's madness!"

Aiolos sighed and drew his hand on his face. Here he thought that his brother left his House of Leo imprisonment unscathed but apparently being locked up for a year will cause one to lose a few screws. "Do you know what's madness? I don't think you told Marin yet did you?" The roll of the eyes was quick but telling. "I knew it."

"I will! Just not now!" Aiolia screamed.

Even when his little brother and her were ten, he could tell they liked each other. The moment the two were alone, it was way too obvious. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the letters he received back in Japan. He sighed as he passed it in his little brother's hands.

The Leo unfolded it, and his eyes began to scan it. It was a mostly professional letter requesting more info on Seiya, but at the bottom, it was clear that his brother, observant as he was, used the graphite to gently reveal a hidden message that she pressed into the paper, written in Japanese kanji. Below it, his brother translated it for him.

Please come back and try again. He needs you and I love him so much that it hurts to see him like this.

He shut his eyes and drew it close to his face. "If I tell her and die, she'll be so upset that she may not find someone else!" It was the best lie he could give. The truth was, Marin was already facing a lot of hate for being Japanese. Despite him being the Saint of Leo was a secret to the public, people knew he was related to the traitor. She had enough shit to deal with and didn't need him to make her life worse. Hopefully things will work out afterwards. "So… what about Futaba? Did you tell her?" His brothers' eyes don't change expression, yet he drew a hand over his mouth, unable to hide a slight carnal smile. "Oh?"

The Sagittarius wasn't sure what to say. Aside from spending all of daylight to get Zephyr ready for this, he should've been honing his own skills in the evenings. Aside from his recovery time after his coma, he's never missed a day of training or at least meditation. But once he started coming over, he just couldn't stop and neither did she. He didn't give out exact details, but he let her know he was only going to be there for two more weeks and was going to leave. She told him that she didn't want to forget the funny foreigner and he was not ready to let go of her either. So every night, she was always ready with some delicious tea, an amazing dinner, and the shikibuton all laid out. He found his Japanese speaking skills improved quite a bit by day four. By day five, he started using cosmos. He didn't want to reveal he had it, so he could add a notch on the list of the many uses of his headband. Bless her heart, on day eleven she called for two days off at work and Mitsumasa Kido called for a search party on day thirteen.

He's seen other guards openly brag about this type of stuff and as special as his brother was, he wasn't going to share the details. These memories were his and Futaba's and were too precious. He should tell him something so that he wouldn't be hounding him for the rest of their lives no matter how short or long they will be. "I forgot a sock at her apartment."

Leo reached and gave him a high five. "Bravo, man." He then watched his face sadden. Everyone always thought he was always calm, relax or happy, but he was one of the few who he will let his guard down too. "What do you mean?!"

"If I die, I won't see her. If I become Pope, it is extremely rare to leave outside of missions and I would need a very good excuse to even get out of Greece. She's so beautiful… I won't bring her here." Funny how when he first woke up from his coma that he wanted nothing more than to go back to Greece. When it came time to resume life as a Saint, he didn't want to leave Japan either.

Aiolia watched him take his hand and gripped his own face like it was reflecting the pain he felt at that moment. He had several days like that in the House of Leo during imprisonment. It was the same thing that his Dad did during trying times and knew he should let him be for a bit. "Hey, is Athena in the house?" He watched his older brother nodded. "I'm going to go check on her." He looked over toward the horse. "You want me to set up your wheelchair so you can come…" he trailed as Aiolos turned to him with a soft glare. He had forgotten that his brother hated anyone touching or pushing his wheelchair without permission. "Sorry. I'll see you when you come in," he waved and smiled when his brother waved back. He grabbed the door and pulled the door open and walked through the small room.

The mounted Saint stared listlessly as he listened to the door closed. He watched as his horse turned his head to him as if wondering what was wrong. He reached down petted him on the head before he clicked his mouth and signaled him to move. Riding Zephyr had grown more to a need, but something else. He could ride him for hours and as long as Zephyr got an occasional boost of cosmos he will do the same. It was said that Sagittarius Gestalt was often made fun of in Saint history for wishing his horse came back, only to get tricked into thinking he became a centaur by an enemy that was lost in time. He used to think the same, but now that he used one for movement, save for inside certain buildings, he could see that it may not be as maddening as it would seem even if it didn't change his ranking on dumbest Gold Saint list.

He turned toward the fallen tree. It was the first thing he saw, and there was something that bothered him about it before he got distracted. He whistled and guided Zephyr over to it. The roots were not quite torn out, but they were pulled. He looked further up, and the middle was caved in a bit. "He was surely mad at me," he said with a small chuckle. It was just a tree, and he went through a lot of pain over the years. He almost started to head to the house when he turned his head again. His instinct was going off again. Maybe it's because he's been in the concrete jungle known as Japan for a while, but there was something about the tree that bothered him. He leaned closer and examined the bark. "Still alive, yet not much rot. Some time has passed." He guessed that it must have happened within the year, but not within the last six months, but that can't be. "He was on a mission in Japan. Or was he?"

Aiolos allowed his breath to pass. "No... don't think that. He said he ran messages back to Greece. He has lightspeed, he can come back quickly. But if it was undercover, he is expected to get his job done and head back as soon as possible." Aiolia probably would have even more pressure to move quickly as a Gold Saint doing a simple job. His mind was racing with red flags. He did notice that his brother didn't seem too familiar with Japanese culture despite being there just if he was unless he was exaggerating the amount of time he was there or doing something else. Aiolia wasn't dumb. Was he so happy to see him how he used to be that he was blind to the shift in personality? There was a difference between his brother being angry with him and him outright lying after he thought they made up.

O|========|O

Aiolia took his boots and set them aside. Mom expected a clean house and hated when they tracked dirt inside. He opened the next door and reached the kitchen. Standing in the middle, dressed in a long white dress while holding a wooden cup was Athena. She turned her head, her bright blue eyes shimmered. He could sense the gentle cosmos and immediately went to his knee and knelt. "My Goddess, I, Aiolia of Leo, am here to serve you."

She smiled. "Rise, My Leo, it is good to see you again." She waited until he got up. She knew he was quite embarrassed the first time they met each other, and it was important to allow him to make it up. "Do you feel ready to battle?"

"I am. I've been ready. But," he looked down. As great as she was, her human body was as vulnerable as any other. Any battle with a Gold Saint was vicious and bloody. It only took a stray blast of cosmos or someone getting struck for it all to end. "Goddess, with all due respect, you know this is going to be dangerous. You should be in Japan!" Aiolia pleaded. "It's not too late."

But the Goddess turned her head toward the small window, revealing the sky and the fields. "I love Japan and my Grandfather took quite good care of me. But I belong here. Your brother has protected me since I was a baby, and I know he will continue to do so. But I thank you for your concern and honesty."

"No, thank you." Aiolia looked around. "Is there anything I can get you?" he watched her as she passed him the empty cup. He walked over to the pitcher.

She turned her head to the walls. "Do you have any pictures of you or your family?"

He filled the cup and returned it to her. "We never owned any cameras. The only pictures we have are in our minds and hearts. The only decor you see is the stuff that our mother embroidered," he said as he pointed toward a framed embroidered symbol of the gold bird symbol of Athena that was on her staff.

It was clear that the two brothers were raised to be very faithful to her and she could feel it. In fact, there was a sense of resonance when she was around those who were faithful to her and those who weren't like the ordinary people of Japan. It hurt her to do this, but it must be done. She took her hand and gestured him to come forward to the living room, which he willingly followed. "My grandfather would have my picture taken every day. He would have a private photographer come so that each one would reflect a different memory permanently or to share for others."

Aiolia turned his head. "Like a wedding photographer? I used to see a few of those. They used to go to the main square where there is a replica of the water bringer of Aquarius." It became too popular to the point that they moved it to another city for security reasons.

"Yes, that's exactly it. Of course, since I enjoyed being around your brother, he was in them every day too. At first, it was very difficult because he was ashamed of his condition. He would find an excuse to be out of the frame. But I didn't care, because when he smiles you can't help but be drawn to that and not what he was sitting on. Every day, we were very happy. When I was sad and he's not there, I have those memories to look back on."

The Leo nodded. "That sounds like him. He likes to bring up people. Cheer them up. I'm pretty lucky to have him, and I'm glad that he's alive."

"Back then, it didn't seem like you did. In fact, if Marin wasn't there, you probably would've killed him."

An uncomfortable feeling swelled in him. Suddenly the warm cosmos was gone. Was she angry at him? "Yes… I did. I was angry. I thought he tried to kill you back then and they wouldn't let me leave for a whole year in my own House!" Aiolia never expected this. "I told him. He knows. I love him. I missed him. I came to him. Things are different now."

She nodded. "You suffered and yes, you did tell him and that was the right thing to do." Her eyes shifted. "You wrote in your book so that I can hear your prayers. Now I can answer them because I read them...all of them, no matter how descriptive you are to my savior."

Aiolia went to a knee. "It was different back then. I had no one! Galan was dead! I was mostly alone. Writing was the only thing that I could do! I just needed something…"

"But...what about earlier? The traces of cosmos don't fade as quickly as you think. You may not feel it. Aiolos won't either, but I do."

He watched her move to the wooden chair. She sat down and placed her left foot upon her right knee. She cocked her head just like him.

She gave a mischievous smile just like him.

Her hand with the cup shifted as if holding the cup, just like him. "Of course, this isn't proof. But writing is. Buried in the pages of hate, is a confession. I couldn't take it anymore, I had to go to him. Athena, please forgive me. But he must pay for what he has done."

A distant door closed. Aiolia looked at her. "Do you forgive me?" To his surprise, she walked over and grabbed his hand. It was warm and he could feel her cosmos glow to show comfort once more.

She nodded. "Of course, because this is a good thing."

Now the Leo was confused. "What do you mean? How is this good?"

"It's good… because you betrayed him and if he knows that you are capable of betraying him, his own brother, he will learn that others will do the same," to her it was a way to protect him. "And they will." She reached over toward the table and pulled to reveal an empty drawer.

Now he understood. He turned toward the kitchen and tucked along the side was his book, now in the hands of his older brother. He turned back briefly to the living room, but Athena walked through the front door and closed it, leaving the two behind. "Aiolos…" he paused. He wanted to tell him to leave it be, but Athena was here even if she's now outside.

"Didn't know you actually used a prayer book," Aiolos spoke.

The Leo could see that it was unopened since the ribbon was still wrapped exactly as he did it. Of course, how Athena read it, was another mystery. "How… do you know, that's what it is?" Aiolia asked.

He turned it toward his nose. "It smells like myrtle, just like mine." The maidens whose job was to craft them would bless them with the scent.

Aiolia exhaled oh so lightly. Even if he looked at the first five pages, he filled them with common prayers such as wishing for good health for a sick friend or good weather. Of course, things get a lot more detailed and darker after that. He just wanted him to hand it over before he could see any of it. But his brother was holding onto it for an unusually long time and if he demanded it too much, it may bring suspicion."Aiolos?" Aiolia whispered. "Brother…"

"Anything special happened when you returned from Japan, besides the book?" Aiolos asked.

Aiolia grabbed his hair. "I didn't write in it for a month."

"I'm talking about the book you read twice," Aiolos clarified.

He forgot about that. "No, nothing."

He was acting so suspicious. There was so much in his hands. So many secrets. He could tell by the tremble in Aiolia's voice that he feared what he would see in there. But it was a type of guilt that showed he did care. "Here, you shouldn't leave this over in the kitchen, it could get wet." He passes it over his shoulder and back to Aiolia, unread.

Aiolia looked down and noticed that if squeezed it just right, one could make out a few lines. "Did you read it?"

"That's a prayer journal. It's only between you and the Goddess we serve. It was never meant for me to peer through," Aiolos sided his eyes before he returned it back to him. "I enjoyed our talk outside."

Those words rang very true. "Yeah, me too." He watched his brother's shoulders move a bit as if stifling a laugh. "What is it?"

"Just wondering what Mother would think," Aiolos turned to him. "When she learns that you were the one that got into novels and writing while I watched Sailormoon with Athena."

The two started to laugh again. It was hearty and honest.

Aiolia shrugged and slapped his brother on his shoulder. "That's quite a sacrifice."

The Sagittarius nodded, "her will, my hands," he quoted the oath of a Roman slave to their master.

"Whatever admit it. You liked it," Aiolia retorted.

"I like Hermione...with Ron…" he countered, the last words seething in delight.

Aiolia rolled his eyes. "Man, if you tell Camus and Milo that, they not only won't join us, but they're going to chuck you off the side of the mountain…again."

O|========|O

Aldebaran sat atop his Pandora's box in his light brown trainer. He watched her in the tall grass with several wildflowers in a pile. He thought about going inside to meet the others, but Athena insisted on waiting a bit. He still couldn't believe this was her. Her age seemed about right, but the wisdom behind her words exceeded that. Aiolia spoke of her cosmos and how different it was to everything else, and he was certainly right with that even if he had trouble getting the whole story.

Not wanting to leave any writing around, they first tried to do training while Aiolia informed him. It was a good idea on paper, in practice, the sounds of crashing lightning drowned out every other word from the Leo while the rest would be muffled when he was pounding the little shrimp into the ground. Things got easier when he simply suggested they just go and weed out the garden he tended, and they could just whisper to each other.

"There, all done," she said. "What do you think?" she spoke as she held a long string of flowers as if she was carrying a length of the legendary Nebula chain itself.

"It's beautiful. You were quick too. What is it for?" He watched her tear a section before she approached him and tied a custom bracelet to fit his large wrist that was bigger than her head. To his surprise, even though he could feel a fraction of her cosmos within the bracelet, but what little he felt was soothing and strong. He knew from past stories that Athena only gave them to her champions, and they were always victorious. He thought that they were mere decorations, but it was clear there was divinity within them. He got off his box and just like he did when he first saw her, went down on one knee and knelt. He felt her hand touch his head before he got back up.

"Come, let's go in now," she spoke as she heard more laughter.

Aldebaran walked inside, leaning down as he must for these older houses of Rodario. He turned to the center of the room where Aiolia stood with the black sunglasses on his face with his fingers winged out in amazement. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, just trying some expensive sh-" he paused as Athena peered behind the large Taurus' leg. "-stuff out." Aiolia turned his head to the others.

Aldebaran turned over toward the side to spot an old familiar face. "Five years..." He muttered, unable to grasp at the passage of time that has passed. He was only eleven years old when everything happened. He couldn't believe that the one who helped him learn Greek would ever do such a thing and was thrilled that his gut instinct was right. Aiolia said he lost a little muscle, but he couldn't tell. He still looked just as built except now he was just sitting in a wheelchair, but they were brothers and probably knew each other well. "You've grown."

"I've grown? I feel like a mouse in front of you," Aiolos chuckled.

Aldebaran reached over and patted his shoulder. It was him, who could make comments and elevate people with sometimes, a touch of humor. "It's good to see you again," he raised a strong hand and watched him reach over and gripped it back, the two then engaged in a battle of the grip. He's just as strong, if not stronger than ever, perhaps to compensate for using his arms and upper body more.

Aldebaran looked up to Aiolia as he was fiddling with the side button. He could see a brown and green Kido label on the side and knew it was a serious piece of military technology since whenever he had a mission on the outside, he's seen soldiers wear them. "Anything special about them?"

Leo shifted his eyes. "It's got thermal." He turned to each one and saw each rainbow blob as well as the small footprints that slowly faded. "It's like when you cast a cosmos ping to track someone or try to reveal someone hidden, but murkier and less accurate." He pulled them off and raised them up. "Want another souvenir for your collection?" He waited until the Taurus raised a hand before tossing him the thousand-euro eyewear.

Aldebaran reached back and slipped the sunglasses into his Cloth box. He preferred little statues and trinkets, but he's sure he could use them to trade them for something. "Anything else?" Aiolos reached to his side and produced a long black handgun for him. The Brazilian turned to the two brothers as they reflected the same dumbfounded expression from his own face as the weapon was passed into his hands.

Aiolos watched as the Brazilian held the gun in his left hand and then fired four bullets quickly into his right. He effortlessly catches each one in between the gaps of his fingers before he casually brought the four spent pieces of metal close to his eyes. He tossed the pieces and gun in the air before he clapped and smashed the two with strength and cosmos, reducing the superfluous weapon into a metal plate. "Here, a new dish for some fruit," he spoke as he sat it down. Despite his size, it was a testament that his reflexes and speed were just as nimble as them all which was quite a scary thought. He turned to his Goddess, while all the others did the same.

Athena took her rope of flowers and walked over to her Sagittarius. She reached for his hand and like most Saints, felt the hard calluses that built up from years of training. She tore a section off and tied it around his wrist.

Along with covering his stuff, wheelchair, and now his bow and the reins of Zephyr with endless Hello Kitty stickers, she made him far too many flower bracelets to count. But this one was different. He felt her cosmos through it, and it was just as smooth, powerful yet gentle, just like how it felt when she was using it earlier. His heart felt light, like the sad thoughts from earlier lifted away and replaced it with with even more determination.

Aiolia watched as the Goddess came to him. He took a deep breath. He knew she read his prayer book since she could quote it. Every dark thought, every dark wish and she read everything. He turned downward as her two small hands reached down and clutched it, and he could feel her amazing cosmos. "Be brave, my Leo," she then reached over and tied the bracelet around his hand as well.

He couldn't stand to look at her anymore. Instead, he turned around the room. He ran over and began to quickly snatch the useless hunter gear that Athena and his brother were wearing. "I'm going to put this up. It's a mess," he muttered, ignoring the looks he was receiving. Once he had a pile, he carried them upstairs where his brother couldn't go, Aldebaran was too big, and Athena was too modest to enter.

He carried them into the old bedroom that he and his brother once shared as children. It was about as simple as the rest of the house. A modest bed that they shared with a crocheted brown blanket, a couple of open shelves for their clothes, and old shiny stones, bits of snakeskin and funny looking sticks that they once regarded as precious treasure from all the times they explored the woods as kids. Right by the window, was a wooden replica of the great Athena statue, her face, dress, and shield were worn down from them, handling her like some action figure. He just needed to be by himself.

O|====Two Weeks Ago====|O

"Marin, guess who's back?" Aiolia smiled as he walked down the familiar path, using his cosmos to contact his friend. He was so excited that he didn't care if he was talking out loud. He was in the middle of nowhere. "Yes, I know." He gave a hearty laugh as she told him an incident involving Crow Jamian, a wooden pole, and a fish. He threw his hands on his face and laughed some more, "Goddess...that's awful! Oh no! Oh no... Is that possible?" He widened his eyes and laughed some more. "I don't think any Gold Saint is going to heal him after that!" He paused. "No way! That's his own damn fault!" He groaned. "Fine… just for you… and only you…" he paused once more as he noticed the front door of his old family home wide open. His eyes narrowed. He dropped his bag and twisted his neck before he light sped straight to the front, his bright yellow cosmos burned fiercely before it flickered out.

Saga sat in the wooden chair, his left foot upon his right knee. His head was cocked with a mischievous smile as he held a wooden cup in his hand. He watched the Leo's eyes switch back and forth. "Relax, I would never kick down the door of a family home." His gold gauntlet reached over to the small table and produced the small dingy key. He flicked it back to Aiolia and watched him snatch it in the air. "You know, you could easily improve security by placing more than one rock out there. I recommend five. Because people will typically give up looking after three."

Aiolia closed the door, half tempted to lock it from the inside, but decided otherwise. He pauses and watches the Gemini as he sits calmly there, his dark blue eyes illuminated by the white ball of cosmos next to him. "I couldn't find anything. I was wrong. He wasn't there."

The Gemini placed the wooden cup down and folded his arms. "You know, you sounded quite happy out there. If I wasted three years of my life, chasing the one who ruined me, I would be angry and furious."

The Leo tightened his fist, struggling to resist the urge to smash the wall. "I told you, I had a source that said he was in Japan, he wasn't sure. I tried to be thorough, I checked every hospital and he wasn't there! That bronze mission was over, I ran out of time. He's probably under some rocks out there, like you said."

He shook his dark blue mane and closed his eyes. "Wow… that was…" he produced a small smile. "A really bad lie." He stood up and placed his hands on his hips. "When there was no body to be had of your brother, I combed twelve countries of Europe just to try to find him. Embarrassingly, I had to withdraw that plan, because the foot soldiers kept killing muscular teenagers with short curly hair even if their skin was as dark as that trainer on you or happened to be a woman!" He drew his hand to his face in frustration. While the military aspect of Sanctuary was better, he still had a great deal of trouble organizing it. "But then… two years after the events, you randomly come to me, and say I think he's in Japan." He raised a finger, "You were quite hesitant back then, weren't you? You want to sentence him to his death, and you were quite excited to do so. But then you had second thoughts, and you couldn't quite specify where in Japan. You named a source that didn't exist, and you volunteered for the mission that you were highly overqualified for because you were stuck." He shrugged his shoulders, "but you were thirteen. We all were young and dumb at that age."

He looked at Saga's face, twist into a bit of sadness. Thing was, he seemed like he was always sad and depressed all the time, but it was a lot more apparent now. But what exactly did he do at that time? "Did you kill Kanon?"

The Gemini jerked his head back at him. "He's missing. I locked him up for...reasons...and when I came back three days later, he was gone…." He shook his head. "If he turns out to be some damn messiah… the world is in deep shit," he quietly mused.

"It's been years, Saga," Aiolia walked over to the other wooden seat. "He's probably dead, just like my brother. Let's just move on."

But Saga shook his head. "You know, that was pretty good, but you're still lying. Let me narrow it down, to where I think he is. Japan is full of so many restaurants and you, a Greek who's never visited the country before, was looking for someplace to eat decides to repeatedly visit the same local place, while ignoring all the others that are near where he is stationed." He watched Aiolia's eyes twitch and nodded. He drew a hand to his chin. "Is he coming back?" He paused as he felt the Leo flash in front of him, his yellow cosmos burning brightly.

"Outside… now!" Aiolia's jaw was clenched. "

"But I rather stay here." Saga spoke.

"I don't care," he hissed back.

The twenty-year-old Gemini paused curiously. Aiolia gained enough height since the incident long ago. He maybe a lot stronger but had no idea on how to wield power. "You don't care?" He walked up and placed his forehead against Leo's and pushed lightly against it, breaking the comfort zone. "I'm not going." He could feel Aiolia burn his cosmos even more until finally the Leo relaxed and backed off, allowing his cosmos to fizzle again. He knew Aiolia would willingly fight without his Cloth, but he knew the memories of this house were too precious to risk getting it destroyed even a minor scuffle. This could be quite fun. "A word of advice, don't make threats that you can't back up." He laughed. "Your brother actually told me that one." He folded his arms. "So, is he coming back or not?"

"Get out of my house!"

"Aren't you even curious as to why I'm here?" he asked. "By the way… I never said I was here for an update on the brother hunt." He spoke as he held a thick book with a picture of a dancing frog in a toga, the symbol of The Frogs of Aristophanes. He smiled as Aiolia's jaw dropped. He was always fun to pick on. "But now that we are discussing it, I suppose we should continue." He paused as Aiolia disappeared in front of him. He burned his cosmos to produce a ping and turned around. He calmly picked up the empty cup that he was drinking earlier from and strolled down to the kitchen. He took a moment to gather a little soap and then poured a little water to rinse. A clean house is a happy house and he should leave the place as it was. He burned his cosmos a bit to dry it evenly and set it back where he found it. He whistled a gentle hymn and came up to the back door to spot the Leo in the field. He stopped half a meter from the door's entrance and once more folded his arms.

Aiolia stared hard as Saga simply stood inside the house, with no intention of leaving. Goddess, he was pissing him off. "What do you want! Either tell me or get out here and fight!"

"Oh please, if we fight, your brother would be wondering who you fought here and would easily figure out that it must be the boots of another Gold Saint," Saga shrugged. "Do you really want him to know that I of all people was here?"

Saga merely turned back around while gesturing with a finger to come back inside. "Fuck!" Aiolia gritted before he flashed back into the living room where Saga sat once more.

Saga gave a slick smile. People think all Gold Saints are the same, but there was a huge difference between one who earned a Cloth and one who could wear it. "Maximize your environment and use it to your advantage. Another lesson from your brother that I know he taught you, but you still don't have mastered," he looked up toward Aiolia. "You want to know why I am here? Then come," he produced a sharp snap and gestured downwards. "Sit. The sooner I talk… the quicker I leave." He watched as Aiolia took a spot on the other wooden chair. "I don't know when he's coming, but I know he will return. This is what-"

"-shut up!" he hissed.

Saga sighed. "Oh Aiolia, hear me out. Do not worry, because I know how you feel about him. You love him, you hate him…. You love him… you hate him back and forth." He shrugged. "Everyone's a Gemini, and it's perfectly normal to feel divided." He reached over and placed his gold gauntlet hand on Aiolia's shoulder. "Listen to me. I will not force you. I'm not going to use some magical technique to get you to do what I want… I'm not that crazy… not yet. Do not worry. I will not threaten you; I will not endanger Marin, I will not endanger anyone you love or offer any sort of bribe or offering, although you will come out better in the end." He took his finger and pushed the Leo's chest. "Because after you hear me out, you will choose to betray him on your own volition." Saga quietly kept it there and examined his face. He had tamed the lion, and now he was ready to listen. "This is what I want you to do." He began to whisper it loudly as if it was the greatest secret in the world.

Aiolia's eyes focused on the old floorboards, but his ears still listened to each word. He bit his lip and widened his eyes in confusion. He jerked his head upwards at the final words. "You're fucking crazy!"

"That's just what I want," he spoke with a soft smile.

He turned toward the old embroidered flower bracelet on the wall of him and his brother before he returned his glance to the Gemini. "Wish. Fucking. Granted. Now get out of my house and never call me a Gemini ever again! If this is what your good side is like, I don't want to know what your evil side would do here."

The easy nature vanished. Saga frowned as he stood up. Nothing insulted him more than anyone referring to the side of Chaos as evil, and he was well known to tear people apart. "Fine, you are not a Gemini. You are a Leo. You're brave and defend the weak. You're strong and one who stands like a King on the plains of Africa." He laughed as he raised his hands to the heavens before he drops them down. "But that's not really a lion is it? It is too slow and pathetic to effectively hunt on its own. It tries to follow the female lioness over the stream, only to fall in the mud. It's too big to ambush anything. It must rely on all the other female lions to hunt, and it will die quickly of starvation if it loses its pride." He folded his arms. "That is who you are, you and your lion heart. The weight of everything is baring down and killing you with every step you take and every word you say. No amount of strength can save you when the pride abandons you. When they do, you will lay there, starving slowly and dying alone as a true Leo."

Saga quietly walked out the door. He was in no hurry and he knew that Aiolia will fulfill his part.

O|========|O

Aiolia's eyes stared at the flower bracelet and then back at the statue of Athena. He could feel her cosmos, but it only made him guiltier. He knew Athena would disapprove of what he will do, and his brother may never forgive him.

To Be Continued...

Author's notes: I know back in June, I wrote how I was going to finish this story at the end of that month, but over time, I just kind of fell back into writing. Originally, this story was way shorter, but I've been adding more and developing the other Golds more, in order to expand it for a second arc. Present Saga and Aldebaran have made their debut. I really hope Aiolia wasn't too confusing. I'm trying my best to make it clear how complicated his situation is.