Chapter 11: Halfway Up, The Dark Prophecy
O|=========|O
2 Weeks Ago
THREE LESSONS
"It only seems like yesterday when I found you, doesn't it?" The old businessman stood at the gates of his private airport. It was so quiet without his employees or closing every business within a five mile radius to keep things tightly underwraps. "Five years."
Aiolos turned toward Mitsumasa Kido as he sat on his horse. "It feels like three."
The old businessman turned his head and nodded. "Yes… I suppose for you, it should." He looked down at the black case on the side. It took a long time to create the box, but Athena wanted some means of protecting it without the Pandora's Box and keeping it undetected. "So, why do this now?" He walked over toward the twenty-year-old and folded his hands. "You have ten trainees out there earning Cloths. Seiya himself is a Sagittarius. Wait for them to come back and then you will have an army to take back Sanctuary. Stay here. We'll fix you up. That woman, you can stay here and raise a family until then. I'll ensure she's taken care of." He watched him shake his head no. "Why not?"
The Gold Saint lowered his head. "Back when my brother was here, the thought did cross my mind," he's grown up in Sanctuary. He knew the signs of a strong trainee and he could easily tell that half of them were up to par with the others. "But they are there to train to fight Hades and Poseidon, not other Gold Saints. Sanctuary's a mess. A Gold Saint caused it and a Gold Saint should be the one to clean it up. The longer we wait, the worse it gets." He sighed as he lowered his head. A family would be wonderful. A peaceful life would be perfect. He could have both here, but if Holy War is as close as they said it would, he wouldn't have either in the next ten years.
The old man turned away and lowered his head. "You know, there are many things I don't understand in Sanctuary, but one thing is obvious is that if you were there and not here… you would be seen as nothing more than a nuisance. Gold rank or not. They would let you die. If you lived, you would probably be given a merciful death. Am I right?"
It was an uncomfortable truth. He was born to serve Sanctuary and he was to be a Saint. What happens when it is questioned. He swallowed hard. "...yes…"
"Good."
The archer jerked his head. "What?"
"You're not as blind as you appear."
The Greek bit his lip, unsure of what he meant by all of this. "I'm sorry… I don't understand."
"Do you want to rule Sanctuary? Yes or no?" Kido turned his head. "If you can't tell me a simple answer, I won't allow you to get on that plane for Greece."
"Yes…" he forced out.
"Good, but before you leave, I want to give you advice. Business advice."
Aiolos shifted his eyes. "Business?" He shook his head. "What does that have to do with fighting Sanctuary?"
The most powerful man in the world, turned his head and laughed. "You said you were there for diplomacy, and until you sharpen that side of yours, you will lose. Your aim is good, you train well, you are strong, but you must learn to be powerful like that friend of yours." He raised a finger. "One, you try to find the best in people, which is good to make them...feel better. But if you want to change them… sometimes you must be honest… and you must be blunt and put them in their place. Let me begin…. You're too nice."
Aiolos heard the biting tone. He raised an eyebrow. "Many of my Japanese students are orphans. I train them hard, just as I would as those at Sanctuary."
But Kido shook his head. "Number two, do not mistaken excuses for assertiveness. Excuses waste time. Excuses are doubt. If your assertion is strong, that should be enough." He paused and saw him nod his head. "Good. You're quick." He folded his arms. "Last one and this will be the hardest. You are a good soldier and that is your weakness. A good soldier is nothing more than a good pet. They only desire to follow. When I look to see who will lead my companies I don't look for the most loyal or devoted to me… but who holds ambition for themselves as well. Your friend beat you, not when he broke your back, but when you accepted his masquerade as Pope. Had he not made the mistake and kept Athena safe, you would simply continue to be his soldier."
The thought made him ill, because he knew it was true. Saga was so good at pretending to be Pope, knowing to keep the meetings brief enough, keeping "Saga" occupied in the library while he tended to business. Saga was happy. He was happy and Athena was safe. That was a good time, until one day, Saga just randomly decided to attack her. But there was something not right about that night, but only Saga could answer that. "You're right… that will be the hardest."
Kido unfolded his arms. "It will be, especially if you've been training since you were six. Be good. Don't question. Allow others to guide your bow even if it is your eyes doing the aiming. However consider this, three years ago, you demanded to travel to Greece and meet your brother. You… are the first person in many years to tell me no and I actually gave in. Had that never happened, you would still be my pet in Japan. If you can do that with the most powerful man in the world. I expect nothing less by the time you finally meet the world's second."
O|=========|O
THE CUPID GAMBIT
Aiolos stared back at the House of Leo. His blue eyes couldn't leave the door where two lions guarded the rear. He was surprised at the lack of door guards there. He wondered if something happened and Aiolia chose not to have any or no one wanted to be there. He didn't need to look. He knew that his brother couldn't get out. That was the intention after all. He was more curious at what he would say. He called him "brother" as he blew past him on Zephyr. It made the moment even harder than it already was. But as the True Pope once told him and Saga, in battle, one's heart must be made of steel, whether it be with one's pupil or even one's brother.
He waited a few minutes later, but still the House of Leo was silent.
Athena sat on his lap and looked up at his face. The soft features weren't there. She could see that he was growing more accustomed to the way of Sanctuary. There were flashes here and there when he was training the others in Japan, but now they have steadied. But despite the more hardened expression, his eyes always sparkled with his deep sense of compassion and humanity.
Right now, just like how he spoke of the many nights he spent at the House of Leo where he would sleep with his brother to keep him safe from his nightmares, he couldn't step away from there. He worried Mu would fail and Deathmask would kill Aiolia as he laid there pinned helplessly, the deaths of two Gold Saints would be on his shoulders.
"Have faith in yourself. If you don't believe you can be a good leader, people will die," was all she could say.
He nodded as he took his hand and pulled it over his face, stretching it a bit to ease the tension.
Right now, Aiolia had to stay there.
He rode to the edge of a small balcony by the stairs. Sanctuary was full of them, but not for two lovers to embrace the view of Rodario but more for strategic purposes. He reached for a golden arrow and raised his bow.
Just like he's done hundreds of times from there he took his gold arrow, attached a Hello Kitty near the back end and aimed at the old laurel tree. For the normal set of eyes, it would be a simple dot on the horizon. However, he was highly synced to his Sagittarius Cloth and when focused, he could actually observe the half dead branches that disease had ravaged it. He fired, nailing it straight in the middle before he shouldered his bow. He waited there for a few minutes and watched it being plucked.
There, the three of them continued forward, nearing the halfway point of Sanctuary.
At the top of the stairs was the House of Virgo, where two door guards stood in place. Aiolos watched them prepare to greet Mu and Aldebaran until they spotted him and Athena on Zephyr. He could tell by how fast they ran inside that his red headband signified that he was indeed the heartless traitor and his darling false Athena. His guess was that Shura probably couldn't let go of the fact that it was his fault that he lived, judging by the tart tongue of Deathmask.
The archer lowered his head. He was definitely not looking forward to encountering Shura. He was very good at offense and extremely fast. The speed he could whip out Excalibur was far faster than he could draw his bow, effectively negating it. The power and accuracy of it could also divide his arrows in half, or at least he heard since it was in the old Lost Canvas stories. It wouldn't surprise him if it happened in real life and the author took inspiration from it.
He had his lightning based moves, but those were no good since due to his injury, they were painful to do and had the power level of a Bronze Saint. He'd be lucky if he left a smear.
Aiolos slowed the lightspeed dash of Zephyr, hearing the horse give a firm snort in annoyance. Riding around was fun, but he swore that sometimes he felt like he was riding a moody teenager whose only desire was to slam on the gas and never let go. Aiolos turned to Aldebaran who seemed calm, but he can tell by the grip in his folded arms that he was a bit nervous at this place. "Remove your Cloth, Aldebaran," he spoke firmly.
Aldebaran turned to him a bit confused. "Are you sure? What if we have another confrontation?" Even if Mu told them that Shaka would like to speak to them, that didn't mean he will do it peacefully.
The archer could see his concern. Virgos are often one of the most utilized in times of Holy War for the Pope and tend to have a fairly loyal stance to them. But as Athena stated, he must trust his judgement. "I'm still alive and if Saga hadn't been confirmed, he could choose who to follow since we're both in line." Such an idea may not work on people like Deathmask or Aphrodite whose loyalty were clearly solidified with Saga since they were children, but it can help him for those like Shaka and perhaps Camus who are willing to take a more neutral stance when possible. Every Saint he doesn't have to fight is a victory on its own.
Aiolos knew Shaka fully believed in the law of karma in that one's doing brings about future consequences. He knew he was so fully grounded in it that as long as the fire clock wasn't triggered and one didn't attack, he would leave them be.
Of course, luckily neither the forces of Poseidon or Hades realize this. They were ingrained to kill Saints and a meditating one that sat there floating about was far too tempting. But that was the benefit of choice. While the two deities see human choice as a flaw and a possibility for their soldiers to rebel, Athena sees it as a means to prevent her own warriors to act so blindly. She was the Goddess of War and Wisdom and by utilizing both philosophies accordingly, she will continue to prevail.
"Let's not present ourselves like we desire a fight with him too and leave all thoughts of such behind." A Cloth is both defense and an intention to battle. He looked at Zephyr and pulled off the head piece. They had no way of taking off the larger pieces. Instead he pulled out the large cloth that was used to cover the original pieces from the side and blanketed the four legged beast.
Aldebaran watched him begin to open the black case. "You know, with all those cute Japanese stickers all over it, I don't think Shaka will see it as a threat."
"I was just decorating it!" called Athena as she raised her staff, causing it to glow before it transformed into a bright light that floated back into her chest and soul.
Aiolos smiled. "Yes, and you did a good job at too. They are a gift from you and I will consider each one a blessing," he said as he tapped chibi Sailor Jupiter summoning lightning. "Besides, the little ones are quite useful. I can use them to secure messages that I send through my arrows a lot faster than twine without worrying about it coming undone during its flight." Right now, they served another purpose too. He pulled a sticker featuring Sailor Venus and attached it to a Gold Arrow before he fired it toward the old laurel tree down in Rodario.
Aldebaran chuckled at the Saint's half joking-half serious tone. It was good to see him back to normal and hoped that Aiolia never dies before the Sagittarius if that was how he would act. He threw his arms back and returned his Cloth back into statue form.
Inside the House of Virgo, sixteen-year-old Shaka sat floating in the air his long strands gently wavering as he sat in his robes. A small smile formed on his mouth. Only the Saint of Sagittarius would think of something so sensible when it came to visiting him. His reign as Pope would've been a great one, but such a future was never meant to be at least one where he would peacefully became Pope without the great event.
Like many Virgos, he had the gift to see the future and uncounted alternate branches. Many were incredibly different with some even ending in the loss of Athena's forces. But there were some events that were extremely consistent and one of those was that Aiolos of Sagittarius was meant to die.
But strangely enough, in this future, something different happened.
The world's most greedy man, who was the equivalent to Zues in his power over the world and his carnal appetites, chose to save a broken teenager that was literally ten minutes from passing into the next world instead of giving into his greed and grabbing a Gold Cloth instead.
Such an event was as likely as a random chickadee flying into a birdbath and forming a lotus beneath its feet, but it also showed that humanity was worthy of being saved, unlike what Hades and Poseidon would like to believe.
The Sagittarius, Goddess and Taurus all made their way up the stairs. Aiolos relaxed a bit as Shaka walked through the doors dressed in his white cotton clothes with a beige wrap around his waist while his two pupils, Lotus Agora and Peacock Shiva followed with some tea. As they came closer, Aiolos could see that the door to the Twin Sala's Garden was wide open with bits of flower petals and leaves blowing out of it.
Shaka was always open with his intentions. If he wanted to battle he would've had all his doors shut and ready to fight… or rather not fight in his Cloth.
Shaka walked over and brought his hands together and bowed his head to each of them and they followed up in return. "Namaste. It's good to see all of you make it safe."
After the greeting, Aiolos turned to Athena and Aldebaran, both sharing the same concerns as him and knew only Shaka would be able to alleviate them. "Namaste. It's good to see you again, Shaka. But is Mu…"
The blond nodded, his eyes closed. "I would never lose track of a dear friend." Mu was the only other one who understood his pacifistic heart. Unlike the rest of the Zodiac, neither physically sparr unless out of necessity. They kept in shape and trained more for self-defense, but had no desire to strike their friends. Perhaps both physically were not as hardened as the others and in comparison, they were smaller too. Normal punches would hurt a lot to them while one from a Gold, if it made full contact and caught them off guard, could very well kill them. However, they both feel the trade off was worth it. Perhaps the others would train for hours, but he could meditate for days, and that was no easy feat and would leave him just as exhausted as any other warrior. "The fight should be approaching the conclusion, but are a couple of things he must take care of over there before we reunite. In the meantime I have some things I must speak to you about Aiolos," he spoke as he gestured for them to follow.
O|=========|O
DIVERGENCE: DEATHMASK LIVES
A bright stream of light escaped through the ever widening hole in the ceiling, but still the darkness swallowed its rays before it can even reach the ground. Suddenly a large chunk broke off and tumbled down causing the weakened Lemurian and the out-of-breath Cancer to quickly shoot to opposite sides of the room to dodge the heavy debris.
Mu touched his head where a stream of blood dripped from the side of his face when Deathmask knocked his helmet off. His eyes kept shifting toward the faces and back at him before they targeted the large oncoming piece of rubble and dodged it. He was a bit surprised the Cancer Saint still had energy to lift such a piece with just his mind. "Your telekinesis has improved."
Deathmask narrowed his eyes. "Whatever. I don't care about your compliments. You talk about improvements as if I was lesser than you. Must be nice to have all that shit given to you. I had to work my ass just to earn my Cloth, unlike you."
Mu nodded. "You make a good point." He shook his head. "Perhaps you did work hard, but your Cloth also relies on spirituality. My Master had great expectations for you." He expected him to be as great as Shaka. "But as he said, he feared that as long as you ignore that and continue on considering life as mere trophies and not as a possible allies, you rely too much on the other world to drain your opponents and not enough on yourself."
"Shut up! Your Master is dead! Deal with it!" Deathmask screamed. He had enough. He tried over and over to capture the Lemurian through the smaller waves since it used a fraction of his cosmos. However, Mu kept dodging or simply used Crystal Wall. He raised his hands and embraced the look on his enemy's face, knowing what he was about to do. "Praesepe Underworld Waves!" he shouted as he lifted his body into the air and spread the technique through the entire room.
Mu gasped as the room glowed green and the haunting sounds of groans and anguish echoed throughout. Without thinking, he ran up the side of the wall, leaping over the rows of deathmasks before climbing higher until he was perched upside down on the ceiling, his tied hair and dirty white cape hanging loosely.
Deathmask laughed as he floated above the hole and raised an ear toward the swirling hole, the voices beneath his feet growing louder. "Come on Mu, I think I hear the Pope in there. He wants you to join him!"
Mu drew his hands around his body. He felt his feet slowly losing the telekinetic grip he had. Even from a distance, he could feel his strength being drained. If he doesn't hurry up and end this, he'll fall and be swallowed inside. He took a breath and leaped forward.
"The fuck!" Deathmask shouted, shocked that Mu was actually coming toward him? Was he insane?
"STARDUST REVOLUTION!" He stuck the Cancer with millions of light beams and blows, chipping at his Cloth until the very edges cracked and broke off. Mu's head jerked from side to side as the haunting green light began to reflect on his Cloth, his energy draining at an insane rate. His eyes widened as with Deathmask losing consciousness, the entrance was closing in on them. His eyes briefly turned to the Italian before grabbing onto him. "STARLIGHT EXTINCTION!" He shouted as the two became a beam of light before slipping through the narrow hole right before it shuts.
O|==========|O
Mu laid Deathmask down outside the back of the House of Cancer. It was a close one and a blind teleportation. Luckily they ended up somewhere on solid ground and not in between a wall. It was a risky move. He was banking that with the combined effort of their lengthy battle and the powerful move it would be enough, hoping he wouldn't miss this again. The miasma of darkness and pain could make any person's aim poor in that environment.
He fixed their Cloth countless times and while most would not notice, but he could tell by the shine on Deathmask's Cloth that his body was struggling to burn the needed cosmos to maintain it. "His connections are poor. His efficiency with wearing the Cloth is making him use three times the cosmos needed to wear it," the Lemurian observed. Cloths don't like stagnation and they don't like it when their purposes are stained for personal gain. If Deathmask continues this path, it will abandon him.
He placed his hands on top of Deathmask's chest and traced an old pattern while muttering a language that the human voice was incapable of reproducing. The Cloth glowed before removing itself from the user and returning back to statue form. He then placed a special card upon the top of the crab's head. Sometimes, his fellow friends of the Zodiac had the terrible habit of grabbing their Cloths before they can finish repairing in order to spar some more. The result is that any damage that would take a day to heal would now be a week or more. He created the special cards so that they would lock out the Cloth from the user for a small amount of time. Right now, it came in handy in at least denying Deathmask his Cloth for a day.
He stood up and turned back to the foreboding House of Cancer and sighed. The thought of doing it made him a little ill, but it was necessary and he was certain that if he couldn't examine the dead strangers, how will he handle himself when it comes to his late Master?
The Lemurian walked back inside, the sound of his gold boots echoing through the empty broken chamber. He turned toward a large piece of debris, that was conveniently near the two rows and floated right on top of it.
His uneasy eyes turned to each one, feeling the icy chill of sorrow and suffering, until he spotted the facial tattoo among one of them that he was asked to find. He grimaced as he was forced to look closer. Unlike the others, he could see that the way the face was cut off was quite sloppy, the edge serrated unevenly, almost like an inexperienced hand and a regretful heart. He took his finger and counted the seven that were in similar condition, before he quickly jumped away, the task complete. Despite the disgust, he couldn't help but stare at the vacuous faces as if his own eyes were a window to the one he regretfully must speak too.
"Old Master? I'm at the…" Mu paused, his lavender eyes turned downwards as a bashful smile came. "Oh… yes it's good to see you too. I am doing quite well. The rock? I'm out of it." Soon the small rays in his face faded as he swallowed hard. The sheer joy coming from his cosmos and his words was making this very hard. But he supposed with the loss of his Master, to hear from his pupil was the equivalent to meeting an old friend and their son, if he was conceived by such primitive means. "I'm here at the House of Cancer. The Hidden Daggers that were killed, I think I know by whom and their remains." His head lowered. "I'm sorry."
O|=========|O
HOPE AND GOODBYES
It has been a long time since Aiolos had walked through the insides of the House of Virgo, but it's contrast to Cancer couldn't be clearer. Despite being enclosed, the insides were bright as if the sun's rays were still striking it. The atmosphere felt clean and pure as if his senses with the cosmos felt boosted just by being there. Cancer on the other hand felt like he was constantly choking and couldn't think, but he guessed Deathmask was probably used to it and never noticed.
He heard his Goddess gasp when they approached the doors toward the Twin Sala Gardens. He knew she loved the gardens. The Kido Foundation were full of them with rotations of lawn care crew ready to pluck the slightest weed or any leaf that showed any hint of brown. Sometimes he would be there with his Japanese students, allowing them to spar outside. While they were getting bruised up and beat up, yet still maintaining their cool, there would be these gardeners who would be furious over the fact that a few strands of grass had peaked out of the mulch from overnight. It kind of made him laugh at how stressed these people would get and rather than doing the sensible thing and just pulling them out, they would bring out huge containers of weed killer and target the slivers like some assination squad. While he found the gardens quite nice, they just seemed so artificial.
But just like the fields of Greece, she seemed to share a love for the natural feel. Every flower that could grow, did grow. Didn't matter if they were considered a nuisance or not. The paths that were there were natural, created through frequent treading and not by deciding how it should look and destroying anything that could ruin its perfection. The grass and flowers were so tall that Zephyr simply turned his head sandy head and munched from side to side as if he was at a buffet.
Shaka turned to them, his eyes still closed, but like always, was able to turn to each one of them as if granting them perfect eye contact. Shaka paused as he tilted his head up a bit, a small smile graced his face. "Mu and Deathmask, they are both okay. Deathmask is unconscious, but it looks like Mu has some business to take care of."
Aiolos let out a deep breath as he watched Aldebaran relax while Athena clasped her hands. Fighting a battle was one thing, but being unsure of what the outcome will be for others was a nightmare. Now that they know he'll be joining them, they could wait there with easy hearts.
Shaka had already anticipated it, but that was more due to his knowledge in both Saints abilities. The gift of reading the winds and seeing the future always comes with a cost and can be quite stressful. When needed, he would use it, but tries to avoid it. The need for knowing what will happen next can become quite addicting, and like all vices, one that he tries to avoid.
He turned toward the two patches of straw that he laid out for the two of them. "Aiolos, come down here. Athena, Aldebaran, Zephyr, you all may relax here. My pupils have made some matcha that you are free to partake."
Aldebaran appreciated the gesture, but there was one thing he rather partake in. "Shaka, do you still have it?"
The Buddhist flicked a hand. He knew his friends well and it has been a long top of an old wooden box, hidden among the grass, opened wide. It ripped the old moss that had grown from lack of usage over the years. A soccer ball with a rainbow sheen, still stained with large flecks of green, floated out into the arms of the Brazilian.
Aldebaran glanced over to the two pupils and gestured his head over before the two eagerly followed him to an area where old broken stones and pillars were. He quickly tossed it in the air began to warm up the old footwork he had learned as a child before kneeing the ball to Peacock, impressed at the ease he bunts the ball with his head.
After Aiolos helped Athena from the horse to allow her to explore the flowers, he turned toward the straw and noticed that one side was short enough for a person to sit in the lotus position while the other was more laid out like a bed. While the Virgo would not admit it directly, he tended to spend quite a bit of time observing all of them. "How long did you know?" he spoke clearly implying his inability to walk.
"I've caught glimpses of you in Japan, but I never told Saga," he assured. The moment the divergence occurred, when Aiolos' heart continued to beat and his soul seemed to hold steady in his body, a watershed of events and possible alternate threads opened up including one where they all survived the Wailing Wall instead of being turned to ash by the blast needed to rip it apart. Sometimes, a single act of kindness by such a greedy man could ripple into what maybe the saving grace of all of them.
But such a path was so foggy and long that even he has no idea what is needed to reach such an ending. Instead, he would carefully do small glances to ensure his life was fine, but not enough to draw suspicion from the other Gold Saints and affect such a rare event. Shaka continued. "You have done quite well to reach the sixth House."
"Only with friends, both two and four legged." Aiolos leaned down and stroked Zephyr's head, embedding a little bit of cosmos that made the horse nicker a bit. "He's a good partner. Brave too. I'm happy that our paths crossed." The longer he rode him Sanctuary, the more he felt bad for Sagittarius Gestalt being made fun of for being tricked by some Gold Saint into believing he was a centaur just because he wanted his old horse back. He could feel the sweat in his mane and despite the horse never complaining or whimpering, it was important he received breaks too and turned to Shaka. "Could you help me take off the rest of the armor."
"Of course. All guests here deserve to be comfortable," he spoke as he waved a hand and caused all the pieces to unlatch at once and caused them to float before they could meet the ground and disturb the animal. He waved his hand and gently allowed the pile to sit in a spot.
Shaka then gestured over toward the long bed of straw and watched as Aiolos took a long rope and used it to climb down, his legs hanging limply. He could tell that it was an arduous task, where he had to do it slowly to avoid hurting the stallion with the momentum, while trying to keep his own body from bumping into the horse's legs. He then watched the archer slowly scooching his body backwards to get on the straw, his limbs dragging behind. "Is it painful?" Shaka spoke as he went to his spot and sat in the lotus position.
Aiolos waved his hand. "Physically no. But it's…." he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It's hard…" he gave an earnest head tilt. "...but… I'm grateful to be alive and Athena as well. If I had to go through it again, so be it."
Shaka nodded. "Don't be afraid of being curt. You're speaking to one who was forced to walk around Sanctuary with their eyes closed the moment they agreed to be the Saint of Virgo," he spoke while giving an obviously painful but pleasant grin.
Aiolos smiled. It was rare, but even the Virgo was capable of looking back on his troublesome start with a bit of humor. "Yes, I could, but what's the point? A complaint should be used only if it can make the situation better. If I spent all my time shouting to the world and cursing my fate, I would have no energy left and I would rather use said energy to do what I can."
Shaka knew the feeling. As a child, while he would not admit it, he remembered crying a few times during the initial process of being blind even though he could see better than the Pope at the time. "You gave up a part of yourself to save Athena, if you could go back in time, would you do it again, knowing the eventually fate?"
"Yes, I would, even if the outcome was different."
There was no hesitation or waver. It was as honest an answer as one could get and throughout the years, one that he was not surprised with how the Sagittarius answered. "As a true Saint should. Our power is great, our time is short, but we try to make the world better, even among ourselves." Shaka spoke before he gestured his hand downward. "There is no way I can completely restore it, but how would you feel if I at least tried to repair some of the damage? Maybe at least make it possible to use a cane later on?"
Aiolos practically choked on his own breath. Back in Japan, he could practically become a doctor with how many medical terms they threw out on how difficult it would be. They offered a number of surgeries, but the problem was that they would take a few years to complete. At one point, he was given the choice between continuing to train his Japanese students or getting surgery and putting them back in the care of Tatsumi. It was an easy choice, but it was also the same night that he actually passed out at the bar from.
"You're serious?" he whispered as if fearful that saying it too loud would deem it untrue. He drew his hands to his face both in fear and tremendous nervousness. Shaka was easily one of, if not the most disciplined Saint to have ever joined the Zodiac. If there was anyone who could do it, Shaka would be it. But there was some concern. "It's forbidden."
Shaka raised a finger. "It was forbidden. Until, I spoke to the Pope, catching him while he had blue hair. I never mentioned your name. I told him there were many people out there who I wanted to try and heal. I told him I had the abilities, but I needed the approval.
Go ahead. I understand the risk of complications, but I think if they are at a point where they have nothing to look forward to except death, than perhaps it is better to provide some hope and a possible future than none at all.
"He said that?" Aiolos asked, not out of surprise, but as if he wanted to ensure what he heard did happen.
"Without hesitation. He removed the restriction that same day and I began working with the locals and soldiers who were in your same situation."
The archer paused and closed his eyes. "That's him." He took a deep breath. "The true him." He has so much compassion for whom he called the invisibles. The people who felt so ashamed they hide in shadows. He always respected him for it and wanted others like his brother to see that side of him too, but as time went on, that side didn't fade, but become more sporadic like there were two people there. He was a Gemini, but based on what Saga taught him during his time as Gemini Aiolos, that's not how the Cloth worked. Shion cared too, but like everything, perhaps a fault of being so old, things took forever to change. Perhaps if he was never paralyzed and he was Pope, he would probably hesitate to allow such a thing since it was so dangerous. As Saga once put it:
But that is why Chaos is a necessity, for with Perfect Order, things would never change.
"Goddess…" was all he could murmur. This sounded too good to be true, but at the same time he knew that it was. The Golden Touch was a very complicated technique and it didn't help that Shaka seemed to use so many words that dictated uncertainty, a trait that was atypical of the Virgo. If something goes wrong, he could go from feeling nothing to feel nothing but pain, a terrifying prospect that he's heard through those who dared attempted it.
Shaka could easily see his doubts, and he understood they were not unfounded. He wanted to raise his hopes, but he didn't want them to be unrealistic or untrue. "I've had mixed results. I haven't made things worse, for I try to be extremely careful," he assured. He raised a finger and slightly pursed his lips. "But, the key seems to be that there was a correlation between if there was any movement and it looks like you have some. Cosmos level matters a lot too." Shaka's head slumped a little. "Do not expect to stand. It is a very slow process. It has to be. Reasonable results took months and I am unsure of how things will be over the years."
It was so quiet between the two that the tender rustling of the tall grass continued to echo in between them. Aiolos folded his arms. If Shaka was acting like himself, the decision would be a piece of cake. Wherever Shaka went, there was an air of self assurance and confidence. Right now, it was the complete opposite to the point that he wanted to crawl over to the Saint and run his hand against him to ensure it wasn't another of Saga's damn illusions.
But what else could he do. Medical Science was not an option considering how long it took and recover from. When it doubt, perhaps he should rely on faith healing, and one could not ask for someone with more faith than the man who was closest to God. "Alright, let's do it."
"Good," Shaka gesture over to assume the position.
Familiar with the routine, he removed his leather armor top and then the top of his trainer. He laid down and found a comfortable position for his head. He took a deep breath before feeling a small hand. He looked up and could see Athena's eyes in front of him. She must have heard the two talking and waiting before the process. He took in her smile before she quietly stepped back. He did feel more comfortable, but this was something where it may not be enough and she knew that. Since he got Zephyr he could honestly say that he made peace with his condition, but if there was hope that things could improve, he should jump on it even if he's heard it many times before in Japan.
He flinched a bit from the initial sensation of Shaka's cosmos being applied to him. It was so light and focused that it was like a feather being brushed against him. When Shaka said he would go slow, he truly meant it. It was almost like he wasn't using any of it at all as if it was all psychological and that the warmth was simply coming from the palms of his hands.
Aiolos took an easy breath as he watched others play soccer in front of him. This place was always so peaceful and a great place to play games with the others. Shaka never minded and he was sure that he found it quite pleasant to have his friends hang out at his House all the time. But he could tell that such a thing hasn't happened since the Event.
His eyes examined the old broken pillars and massive piles of stones. "It must be the old House of Virgo," he thought recalling the First Virgos, known as The Triplet Beauties. In multiple depictions of them, they were drawn to be seductive and beautiful, with all three somehow sharing the Cloth of Virgo with their legs and hands in convenient places to hide the bits that children shouldn't see. The current House of Virgo is pure and clean. However, it was said that despite their romanized portrayal in Saint history and their part in the Pegasus Run, they were so vile and wicked that one could feel their life slip away just by walking through it. How they caused the Old House of Virgo to be obliterated, is lost in history. But one thing was for certain, they almost caused the downfall of Sanctuary, but thanks to the Pegasus Run Story, they were also revered thanks to their sexualized imagery, much to Shaka's cringe.
He stared at the flower bracelet. It's amazing how durable it was. He could still smell the flowers that were grown from the first seeds that his mother first planted long ago. It smelled just like his family home by the woods and it felt like the cosmos of Athena. Everything was quiet with simple echoes of the others playing soccer. He could listen to Zephyr munching the grass. He could feel Shaka's relaxing cosmos. He burned it so slowly evenly that it felt like someone laying a blanket on top. He closed his eyes and just relaxed.
They say that the Twin Sala Gardens were the closest thing to Elysium and it was true. If he died right there, he would be okay with that.
O|========|O
His eyes struggled to stay open, for if they closed, it would lead to dreams and he was quite happy to stay in the one he was in, since it may be the last time he experienced it.
He loved the way she melded into him. A perfect fit, from the way her ankles twisted around his right to her head laying on his was comforting and in some ways almost the best part of the night. He noticed her eyes were a bit shifty, as if something was on her mind and not the satisfied exhausted gaze they shared afterwards. It was obvious that it had to do with him leaving for Europe tomorrow, and he didn't want her to leave troubled. He was about to say something, but she spoke first.
"Stay," she whispered, slowing her Japanese like she typically did, yet in a soothing urgent manner.
He felt her pull in tighter. It was a word she used the week before. They both probably didn't realize it would get this serious when he told her two weeks ago that he was moving away and she invited him to dinner. "I can't," he whispered back, his words a little clunky, but mainly due to how much it hurt. "My… job with Kido is ending," he lied even if it was technically true with Seiya being the last of his students.
She sat up before she turned and rested her body on top of his, her elbows folded on his chest as if making one last plea."You can get one here."
He chuckled, but more at himself. "How? My Japanese isn't good and…" he shifted his eyes downwards before returning to her gaze.
She shook her head no. "You worked for Mitsumasa Kido directly. You...can be anything here. No one will turn you down for anything. No one says no to Mitsumasa Kido."
He nodded gently. He got that impression the moment he told he wanted to see his brother after he woke up. He wouldn't be surprised if what she said wasn't exaggerating. "It's important. It's where I'm from. My family is there. It's home."
He turned toward her and cupped her cheek. "You understand, right?" He watched her nod. He knew she was very close to her family, to the point that she was willing to put up with the expensive Tokyo housing just so that she could walk to her parents every couple of days for some tea. She was just that type of person.
"Why do you sound scared?" she asked.
"I do?" he supposed it was hard to hide intonation when he was struggling to ensure he sounded grammatically correct.
She nodded. "You are just going back for your family, aren't you?"
His head leaned deeper into the makura as he sighed. "There's someone… I have to face." He swallowed hard.
"Oh…" she crawled a bit closer. "Is it an...ex?"
He chuckles a bit and squeezed her tightly. "Yes… and it was a very messy break-up." He reached down over, and ran his hands through her dark green hair.
She gave him a sad look and ran her hand through his and clasped it. "Don't go."
Aiolos stared into her fearful brown eyes as he watched her take his hand and move it to her lips. "I'll be okay. Everything will be okay." He wished he could explain it better, but his vocabulary was limited when it came to speaking.
But Futaba shook her head no. "I had a dream and you were there. You were among the clouds… you ruled the Earth."
His pleasant expression faded. It sounded like she was describing the position of the Pope yet he never shared such a thing with her. The only things he told her about his home was that he was from Greece and had a mountain climbing accident. "If I ruled the world, why does it make you sad?" he asked.
You took off the mask and you had no soul.
O|=========|O
His eyes opened up when he felt a hand upon his shoulder blade, still his body.
"I'm still working," Shaka spoke as he returned his hand into position and continued.
The weight of his eyelids were still heavy as he blinked a few times. "I was asleep?" he muttered a little surprised.
"Just twenty minutes. This place can have that effect to those who are not used to true serenity." Shaka turned to the fields. The sounds of Rodario were silent due to the distance. The Twin Sala Gardens was outside yet isolated from the main path. If he had a choice, this would be his final resting spot. "It's why I prefer to meditate here. Your deepest thoughts, hidden fears, and hopes come about." Shaka watched Aiolos throat swallow a bit, his bottom lip biting down as if contemplating the time he was in slumber. "If you don't mind, tell me what you dreamed about."
Aiolos' hand gently combed the grass, keeping his body still, wondering what he should say. He could barely say anything to Aiolia when he asked, so what does he say to Shaka? "Japan. It was my last night there."
"Who was there?"
"A woman."
"A woman?" Shaka questioned. "Tell me, what was your relation to her?"
"We were friends for three years. She was one of the few who never cared I was in a wheelchair. In fact, her brother was in one too, so she understood how difficult getting around could be." He sighed. "I never realized what real love felt like until I met her. I wasn't constantly worried she would hurt herself. Some days I wasn't myself but she was there to make me feel okay. I had feelings for her… deeper ones..." He carefully worded and whispered."I hope I'm not being too detailed."
Shaka shook his head. As the Sanctuary's unofficial psychiatrist, the Sagittarius doesn't realize how open the others could be with him. "With the House of Libra unoccupied, my neighbor is Milo," Shaka bluntly stated.
"Oh," Aiolos muttered. He could totally see Milo being so brash about it… and this was back when he knew him as an eleven-year-old. "To suffer is to grow?"
Shaka sighed. "Indeed… and I grew quite a bit," he flashed an awkward face for a second. "Milo seems quite fascinated with analyzing everything in his mind, even if seemed to revolve around two things." He didn't want to mention it, but when Aiolos disappeared, Saga began seeing him for guidance. "But to be fair, it still puzzles me why the rest of you will openly beat each other senseless and brag about it in front of me, yet when it comes to the polar opposite, any sort of open discussion could be interrupted by the flap of a butterfly's wing."
"Yes, funny how that works," Aiolos laughed, realizing it was something he never thought of. Because Shaka was the best healer in the Zodiac, there were many times after a group sparring, the peaceful man would be drenched in more blood than those who fought. But he also brought up a good point. "When we fight, you put up a guard both physically and mentally. You throw everything you got to the point that you have to become another person if you want to survive." He paused.
Just, let it go.
"I guess when it comes to love, you have to drop said guard and allow yourself to be vulnerable." Aiolos' eyes slighted. "When you train for several hours a day for years, it can be something that's hard to do..." He pauses once more. "...but it's possible."
Shaka sat there muted, partly out of concentration and the other contemplating what the dream meant. "It sounds like your heart was open and you wanted someone you could trust. Sometimes those who are out of reach, become the perfect avatar," mused Shaka. Reaching a spot where there was some heavy scarring, he applied more cosmos. "What did she say? Did it match what really happened, or was it something that your mind wanted her to speak?"
He was starting to see why Shaka was interested in the twenty minutes he was asleep. "She asked me to stay in Japan. That did happen, even if I knew it could never be. It's strange how I spent so long wanting to come back to Greece, yet now that I'm here, the first thing I dream about is returning there."
"That is the paradox of desire. You want what you don't have, while thinking that what you have is not enough, yet when what you wanted is what you have and what you had was gone, you desire what is missing even more than what was attained. It is a never ending cycle and the only way to end it is to avoid it, as such, I choose to stay away from."
"I know, I've seen your inner chambers." Even though his House has very few things, it had more to do with the fact that he didn't spend enough time there. Shaka on the other hand rarely left the Zodiac, let alone his House and yet if one took a tour of his place, they would think that the place was abandoned. Shaka didn't even own any blankets, choosing to burn his own cosmos. He only had three sets of clothes, his plain white trainers that he would mediate in, his finer orange Buddhist robes that he wore for special occasions and his Gold Cloth. "It felt good returning to my old home. But once I reached Rodario… the non-tourist areas, I never realized how dark things were."
Shaka nodded. "Life outside of Sanctuary is very unique, and for you to step away from it for so long can produce a different lens. The mundanes of life that you thought were normal may not be so much."
Aiolos clenched the grass.
"For five years, I didn't see one dead body lying about. I come here and when we walked past the Colosseum, I could smell old blood in the air, and while I couldn't say it in front of Athena, there were some boxes that I knew held the bodies of those who died that day. Japan has ten times the population of Greece yet somehow it's entire murder rate is less than that of Sanctuary." He couldn't imagine what Futaba would feel like if she had to go around there. Her being Japanese would make life so hard. Marin was a Saint and he knew his brother would tear the heavens for her and she had it fairly rough. It was unfair. But he loved her and he would rather be without her and know she was happy with her family and a peaceful life.
Shaka sat there quietly, holding his steady position and moving ever so slowly in order to heal a different part. "It is easy to take peace for granted, because the beauty of it is that when it is at its peak, you don't even realize it is even there. It feels empty. Empty is neither good nor bad, but human nature desires to side with one or the other and the only way to do that is to allow war and conflict to fill such a void."
"Yes, it's one of the reasons the Coliseum exists. When the First Holy War ended and Sanctuary was filled with far too many soldiers for peace, it was built to keep the public entertained or to keep the men occupied." He almost wondered if the idea crossed Saga's mind. Ten years ago, back when they were in the woods and Saga had to be a Sagittarius, it was clear that Saga clearly had no desire to kill… anything. Violence toward animals was a typical first sign since they can't respond or have no advocate. Hera and Neptune, the two cats of the House of Gemini, were just fine and wouldn't hang around the place that Saga spent the most time. He knew, because Neptune was always frightened of Kanon and despite it being his cat, Neptune would always stay clear from him. Strangest of all was the shallow graves. He knew there was something very off and when he dug into them it confirmed his suspicions.
Saga didn't kill anyone in the House of Gemini.
"Sometimes, I wonder if I should've came back sooner."
"Why? You can't go back in time, and to have such thoughts only troubles your mind more," the Virgo flatly declared. While regret can allow a spirit to grow, when occupied with wish fulfillment, it was such a waste of time. It preoccupied one's thoughts and time and yet it can never accomplish anything.
Aiolos smiled. Shaka was right, but he was just so serious. "Yes, that's true."
"Aiolos?"
The Greek paused as he heard Mu sending him a telepathic message. He knew the Lemurian should have a clear path, until he realized perhaps what he was going to talk to him about.
"Go ahead, it shouldn't affect the treatment," Shaka spoke.
Aiolos closed his eyes and responded back using cosmos rather than the telepathic link. Let them listen and let them hear him. "Leave him there," in a somewhat icy tone. "Do not help him out of it. He's with Saga. Leave him there."
O|=======|O
A LION'S WEIGHT
Mu stood outside the House of Leo's doors, far enough from it's guardian's view. He watched the trail of energy from two of the three arrows radiating in the main hall. Despite calling them Shadow Arrows, it wasn't a dark attack at all, but a lightning technique that paralyzed the victim. He knew that one alone, with enough cosmos, could hold down Saga for quite a while and was a bit puzzled why he stuck two of them on his own brother. It just seemed a bit too much, but if Aiolia was working for Saga, perhaps there was a lot more going on? But Aiolia and Saga never did get along and was surprised the two were working together.
Mu turned his head back.
"What if Deathmask woke up and attacked Aiolia? I can go back and place Deathmask farther from him," he communicated back to Aiolos, echoing his fear. He waited for at least a minute.
"That's his problem. You need to get back here as soon as possible."
Mu took a deep breath. He's never heard the Sagittarius talk like this. But he also thought Aiolia's behavior was strange earlier. He had to cross there even if it was going to be awkward. His eyes locked onto the exit and shot forward.
Mu estimated that It only takes less than a quarter of a second to cross the House of Leo, but unfortunately for him, the reflexes of the guardian was only half of that time.
"MU!" he called as his hand grasped the Lemurian's gold boot."Help me! Please!"
Not wanting to rip his arm off from the force, Mu immediately halted and turned his lavender head downward. Aside from little bits of dried blood on the back, heavy sweat that clung to his bangs and clear blisters on his hands after he managed to pry half of the shadow arrow out, he seemed okay. He should've just turned and dashed. His Master trusted Aiolos to be the Grand Pope and to honor those wishes, he should treat everything he said as an ironclad command. But he needed to know, and slowly turned toward the Leo, and spoke. "Why Aiolia? Why are you helping Saga? After all he's he's done to you and your brother and killing my Master, why are you doing this?" he pleaded.
The Leo lowered his eyes. "I know." He stayed silent for a moment, but staring at Mu's frustrated and sad eyes he would have to risk it. Mu always worked hard to help them all, never passing anything less than kindness. He deserved something especially since he probably had the greatest loss. He gestured over and pulled Mu's forehead to his. A direct message up close ensured no one could hear them, not Saga nor his brother. One sentence, nothing more. He messed up in Japan and he couldn't afford to do it a second time.
Mu felt a gentle push as he too stepped back, surprised at what he heard.
Aiolia hoped it was enough, and judging by his face, he was certain it was. "Mu… if I keep going, I can get this Shadow Arrow out, but the other one is too far out of my reach!" he told him with each word carrying an increasingly grittier tone. "I have to get out of here! Help me!" he begged, but only received silence clearly indicating that even after what he said, his brother's word had far more weight. He took his fist, filled with lightning and pounded it into the tile in frustration, the familiar crackling boom echoing in his House.
His blue eyes looked up as he spotted the Lemurian's head had shrunk in between his shoulders, perhaps from the thunderous echo. But he was confused, angry but most of all…rejected. He drew his hands to his face. "Mu…did he say anything about me to you?"
The Lemurian's pause was long as he struggled to figure out the best way to tell him.
Aiolia didn't give him a chance to physically speak since the way he tried to run past him was enough.
At that moment, Aiolia's eyes tighten shut as his heart just needed someone to confess to.
"I treated him like shit when he came back after he got out of his coma.
But I knew he would still loved me.
I wanted him to feel uncomfortable in Japan, like he could die at any second.
But he still loved me.
I did this to help him and for everyone, but now he stopped forgiving me.
He won't forgive me.
Now he hates me… and I don't blame him…
but I wish he didn't."
His brother loved him even after all that happened and he took it for granted. Now it seems that love was gone, a relationship severed.
The Leo felt a gentle cosmos. At first he thought Mu changed his mind, but instead the Lemurian had opened up the complementary wine and drink section from his House and brought forth a glass of water. He sighed and grabbed it. The effects of Shadow Arrow made the cup feel like he was holding ten kilos. He wanted to be free, but he'll take a moment of kindness."Thanks," he chugged it down in one gulp. "Just leave the pitcher here."
Mu nodded and set it down. He took a couple of steps back, but couldn't help but feel sorry for he too wanted to follow Saga's plan, but in his heart, it was wrong. "My Master used to tell me, a tree doesn't just die, because a limb is cut. If it's roots are strong, it will figure out a way to keep growing, even if the top half is severed."
Aiolia took a deep breath, and raised his hand to pause the Lemurian from leaving. "Mu… tell him I love him and I wish I would've told him sooner…" he spoke in a hushed but regrettable tone. In truth, he wasn't the only one. He wished he would've told Galan before they dragged him out and he really wished he would've told Marin. Why is it so easy to be angry and fight, but so hard to admit one's love? He watched Mu seemingly vanish, before he turned toward the shadow arrow and began to grasp and pull on it once more, before he paused. He reached in his pocket and read the letter that Marin wrote to his brother in secret that he translated before he threw it on his face to dry his eyes.
O|=========|O
Mu rushed through the stairs, trying to make up for lost time, pausing only when he spotted his friend's Cloth in its statue form. His eyes took a quick peek inside the Twin Sala Garden, seeing that the others had put away their armor and weapons and decided to follow along. He took a deep breath and and brought his hands slowly together as the Cloth removed itself, revealing the old yellow trainer with his knitted Lemurian red scarf that functioned as a source of warmth, the tribe he was associated with, a deadly weapon and most importantly, a means to dry his hands when there are no towels to beheld. The moment his brown boot brushed the dust, his neighbor dropped the ball and rushed towards him.
"Mu!" Aldebaran lifted him up and joyfully swung him around before placing him back down. He laughed as the Lemurian steadied his body, the momentum causing him to lose his balance for a brief moment. "It's good to see you back in one piece."
"I agree. If I was in two, I we may need to procure another horse to get me around," he spoke as he turned toward the distance. "Is he attempting it?"
Aldebaran wasn't told anything, but it was clear at what Shaka was trying to do. "I think so. They've been talking, but I didn't want to go near them and disrupt his work." He, Shiva, and Agora all tried to play on the far end of the garden in the original ruins of the old House of Virgo. Athena wasn't too far from the two, but stayed close enough to keep an eye on her bodyguard and the Saint of Virgo.
Mu nodded. Shaka told him what he was up to, but unlike many things the Buddha did, because such an action had been so forbidden and untested that it was one of the few times what he could call… a leap of faith.
He kept Shaka's plan to himself, when he first noticed the odd behavior of Aiolia, choosing to gauge the situation a bit and wait until they were closer. Although now that he spoke to the Leo, he wondered if the odd behavior was his way of letting everyone know something big was going to happen.
Aldebaran heard a whistle and turned toward the two disciples as they held the shimmering soccer ball. The Brazilian, figuring that they were probably edging closer to being complete and wanting to keep his House neighbor company, he gestured for them to go on without him. He could see a semi-troubled expression. "Mu?"
The Lemurian sided his eyes. "I hope that Aiolia will be alright. I don't want to abandon him, but Aiolos told us to."
Aldebaran knew the feeling. He was so worried about Mu when they had to go on, but at least he knew of a meeting spot. But what about Aiolia? Was he really going to be stuck there? He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was still one of them. He was still a Gold Saint. But he was also Aiolos' brother and no one knew him better. "Athena trusts him, so far he's kept the Silvers out of this conflict, no one has died, and we're halfway up despite just the two of us having a Cloth and him being unable to walk. If he says we need to leave him, we must. I don't think he would abandon him so carelessly."
It was good to hear someone who shared his thoughts. "Indeed. My Master would have probably have said the same thing."
Aldebaran folded his arms. He watched as Athena waved to the two of them before they both waved back. He then turned his attention to Zephyr roaming around the field, seemingly lowering its head every few seconds. "Aiolos' horse must be pretty happy here."
Mu nodded as he too noticed it's behavior and reached down and pulled a handful of grass and turned to it. "Indeed, while the streaks of yellow would hint a sense of dryness especially with the slight drought that occurred in the summer, the dark green lines would indicate that Shaka has ensured that his garden receives the much needed water to provide a certain earthy sweetness." He then took a bite and carefully chewed it, swirling it around his mouth a bit like sampling a fine wine. "There seems to be a bit of an acidic bite, but the buttery notes and hints of floral when it hits the palate seem to make up for it. It must be quite delightful for those who pursue the herbivore lifestyle." He turned toward Aldebaran's wide eyes. "Oh, forgive me. I've been in a rock for so long, I forgot to share," he spoke as he set the rest of the grass in his hand into the Brazilian's palm.
Aldebaran gave a hearty laugh. "It's alright, I'll just… give my half to the horse."
O|=========|O
JOY
Aiolos continued to lay there. He could hear Mu's voice and Aldebaran's laughter in the distance. Now that they were all together, they should get going, but he couldn't get up nor wanted to hurry the Virgo. But he had so many things he wanted to talk about, but understood that time was of the essence and presented him the only one who could see the future could answer. "Do you think the Zodiac could ever be united?"
Shaka slowly pulled his hands away, the glow leaving his palms. He rested them upon his lap and turned toward the sky. "Everyone is still alive and such, the Zodiac is already united. Fighting as one, will be another matter. The Zodiac should be a solid ring, but right now it is merely being held together superficially as three parts, those who support you, those who are with Saga and those who are in between such as myself. But you don't need me to tell you that, do you?"
Aiolos shook his head in agreement. He could sense it through Deathmask and even with himself when he thought his brother was murdered. "Yes…" was all he could mutter. "Shaka, the dream that I had earlier. There was another part… it was the ending. This will sound strange, but in my dream she told me of a dream that she had as well. But I don't think she ever spoke of it in real life."
Shaka drew his hands close to his mouth. "A dream within a dream," he questioned and watched Aiolos nod. Shaka opened his eyes briefly before shutting them. Everyone was capable of reading the winds and seeing the future. Perhaps in this place of peace, Aiolos did as well but he didn't realize it and his own heart was warning him of something terrible. "What did she say?"
He could hear the very touch of doubt that the Buddhist often freed himself from. It made him nervous, but he answered, his ears ready to decipher the reaction. "She said, I will rule the world, but I had no soul." Aiolos shook his head as he pulled himself up and turned around. "Shaka, if anyone can understand that part, it would be you. Please tell me." But Shaka simply sat there with a blank expression, his eyes still shut. "Shaka?" For a few seconds, he was drawn to the Buddhist, but then his head darted toward Mu, Aldebaran and Athena as they stood behind the Virgo Saint. That was when he spotted the shocked expressions on their faces. "What is it?"
Aldebaran and Mu turned to each other with a slight smile. Neither was sure who should say something, until Aldebaran partially gave in and tapped the Goddess to give her the honor.
"Aiolos, look down," she spoke as she came up to him.
The archer turned downwards and gasped. There his knees were drawn, but not in a manner where they were propped up like a doll, but tucked in, just like he used to when he was listening to his mother telling him and his brothers stories at night before bedtime. He didn't even notice. Perhaps it was because before, he would lift them like a set of weighted sandbags. But right now, they didn't weigh anything, like they were a part of him like his arms and head. He groaned a bit when he let them lay back down and while they tingled heavily he was controlling their movement. It was pretty slow too. It almost felt like there was a few seconds of delay, but they were under his control. "Goddess," he muttered. He never thought anything would equate to the day he earned his Cloth. He drew his hands to his face as he tried to smile but he was so overcome with shock that he couldn't move his face. But luckily for him, someone did the smiling for him.
Athena ran over and wrapped her arms around him. "You can move them! You can finally move them!"
"Yeah…" Aiolos muttered as if saying it any louder would wake him up. "They tingle a lot, but yeah…" He reciprocated the hug. "Maybe I can actually bow and give you my declaration of loyalty as the Saint of Sagittarius."
But Athena shook her head. "You will never bow to me. You demonstrated your loyalty a long time ago," she spoke as she cried. For three years, she would visit him in his coma. She would give a prayer to ask that he woke up. She would try to share things to keep his mind occupied as he slept. But even when he did, she saw the horror in his face and briefly, she wished he didn't wake up to the terrible new world he had to live.
She pulled back and he looked down. He pulled his arms back, but Shaka simply reached over and stopped him.
"I wouldn't try to stand." Shaka could see him bit his lip. "I've restored some of the… connections, but there was a tremendous amount of scarring from the years since your injury. Don't expect to give up your horse anytime soon. Judging by what I saw, this could take several months… maybe years to heal. It's hard to say." He's seen the winds. His choices in life will decide between him stuck with a cane or becoming fully healed once more.
Aiolos looked down. "No, I understand. I had enough doctor jargon thrown at me to know." Movement and putting weight on his lower half were two different things. He still remembered that one of the main problems that Kido faced was that he couldn't create something that would be able to handle the athleticism of a Gold Saint. If they did put it in him, there was a good chance it would break and end up killing him. "There's a lot of tingling… my legs feel like several pins and needles."
Mu came over and sat beside him. "That sounds like a good thing. It means some of your nerves have been reconnected to the rest of your nervous system allowing your mind to give commands to the rest of your body."
Aldebaran turned downwards. By the Sagittarius' description, it sounds exactly like when a person slept wrong and a part of their body was asleep. "Is it like that constantly? That doesn't sound very comfortable."
Aiolos nodded. "Yeah," he spoke as he rubbed his blue trainer pants, trying to get the feeling out until he felt Shaka reach over and touched his red headband, followed by a flash of light.
"There, I have removed the feeling," he spoke as his cosmos sealed that part in his mind. "Further treatment should eventually remove that sensation and I will remove the block when the time comes."
The Sagittarius touched the center of his forehead. For a moment it felt like a large marble in his mind, but then normalized. He shifted his legs. They were still delayed, but at least the tingling sensation was gone and felt more normal. He reached over and pulled his blue trainer and leather armor back on. He then spotted Zephyr and gave a whistle, watching his faithful partner come to him.
It was good that Aldebaran put the armor back on him. It saved some time. He turned toward the rope and pulled himself up halfway, and instead of lugging half his body onto the horse's back, he lifted himself with his arms and for the first time in years, threw his leg over and remounted the horse. Such a simple action never felt so good. It was natural, like old past memories. Before it would take him a couple of minutes to get on his horse and now it was only about twenty seconds. "Alright, Zephyr. It will be a little new, but I think you'll adjust quickly," he spoke to his partner before he gave a gentle kick and felt the horse move forward. He was fine with using cosmos to guide, but this was much more faster and natural. He'll need it for the later Houses. "Huh, he's adjusted a little faster than I thought," he spoke out loud.
Athena waved her hand. "I think that's because of me. When you would go for a break, I would ride him around."
He raised his brow and nodded. He supposed if she allowed him to try out all the different breeds in her stable, it shouldn't surprised the little equestrian did the same with Zephyr, especially since he responded to cosmos. Perhaps that was why he would notice that his sandy stallion would produce a happier nicker when he saw the Goddess over him due to her cosmos being a lot higher.
The Brazilian watched the Sagittarius ride around the field as if he had a new toy at his disposal. "You ready to move forward?" He called out.
"Sure am!" he replied as he slowly adjusted back to giving the horse commands the way he knew how.
Mu and Aldebaran turned and smiled. Their leader's high spirits was infectious. Mu raised his hand. "We'll be back in a little bit." With that, the Lemurian turned and followed his neighbor back out to the front of the House of Virgo, but not before snagging a handful of grass and eating it like a small snack.
He watched his friends go, but then turned to the Buddhist. Having more feeling in his legs felt fantastic, but there was still something he needed to discuss that Shaka never quite answered him on. He turned toward the Buddhist and the moment that his head turned toward his direction, he could tell that Shaka knew what he was going to say. He didn't have much time and went on to start with what he felt in his gut. "Shaka...I think you already know what will happen up there," he spoke through his cosmos not wishing to discuss this outloud with his Goddess nearby. "I'm going to meet Saga, aren't I?" He turned to Athena. She seemed like she didn't notice, but it wouldn't surprise him if she was pretending to not know. Either way, he had a feeling she would listen over them if that was what she desired whether he sent her out or not.
Shaka sighed and nodded. "You don't need me to tell you that. Saga feels like your twin star, after all." He began to make his way toward him. "It is not a matter of if you will meet him, but when. Gazing into the future, is not as simple as gazing into a mirror. I can see possibilities, but what happens will be up to you."
"Shaka," Aiolos shook his head. "It's like you said, everything depends on what I do. You've helped me so much, but I need to know more."
He lowered his head and knew the Saint wouldn't leave his House until then. He knew Athena was listening, and he wasn't even going to bother to hide it through the cosmos. "In the end, you will make two important decisions. One will be obvious. The other relates to what you heard in your dream. To maintain the Zodiac you must make a great sacrifice."
"What?" The joy he felt from earlier faded. He knew that this journey would not be easy, but the way it was phrased, meant something big had to be lost in order to be successful. "What more did I have to give?" was all he could mutter. He was lucky he could move. Was it his ability to fight. "Is it my eyesight?"
Shaka jerked his head. "No… your aim would actually improve."
"Then what is it?" His mind drifted. "My arm? Both arms? My life?" he dared not say his brother in fear that he would say yes.
"Aiolos, stop guessing, for what I said earlier is all I can give out," Shaka folded his hands behind his back. "You'll know when the time comes and whatever sacrifice it is, won't matter in the moment."
"Yes… you're right." It was driving him crazy, but he supposed if it was something important, it really didn't matter, or did it? He turned toward Shaka. Not wanting to end like this for all that he did for him, he took his hands and placed them together and bowed. "Shaka, thank you for everything." He was so grateful that he could give him a hug, but it wouldn't follow proper Buddhist etiquette.
Shaka watched the group move on to the House of Libra. "Aiolos, I know you want me to come with you, but now is not the time. Even if I was able to heal everything in your body, only you can learn how to stand. Only when you learn to stand, can Saga learn to sit. If you both don't learn this or either of you fall...
...we will all die at the Wailing Wall."
TO BE CONTINUED
October 4-6
Delayed due to real life schedule.
Side Story: Goldie Tales 2
-?
-Babysitting the Gemini Twins
-Goldie Soccer
Jenny:
Shaka parts are always very hard to write. Didn't like them back then, and I still don't. I like him as a character, but trying to maintain his character in a story is pretty hard since it often involves doing some research on the Buddhist religion, which was a lot broader than I realized.
I was really hoping to get Scorpio in, but the section was longer than expected. Next chapter, the group should speed through a number of Houses since they are empty, but that doesn't mean there aren't surprises along the way.
For Guest: I do try subs, but a lot of them are in Spanish or Portuguese. It really sucks because unlike LYKM where I could reference old clips, in this I can't. Not only that, but the hardest part about Gold Saints besides their power levels and their huge cast is that their backstory varies wildly determining on the book. There are more than five different manga/anime interpretations of the night of Aiolos' run. There are more than three different interpretations of why Saga is evil. Trust me, I read them all. I'm barely able to write this story so when I decided to continue it, I decided I'm going to try and write my own version.
I've been saving Kanon for later. I like to tease him since it seems like he's forgotten quite a bit in the main Sanctuary arc in future iterations. Not only that, but he's actually been in a couple of flashbacks, but I would end up cutting him and Aiolia out.
In the very important flashback where Saga and Aiolos are in the woods, Aiolia and Kanon were originally in it as well, but I had to cut them both out since they weren't adding onto the scene.
The best I can do is feature Kanon in a section of the next Goldie Tales. When I wrote in the dates about the side story, the Love You, Stab Me was it. I turned that part into a side story because I don't want to force people to read yaoi as a part of the main storyline so I labeled it as a flashback instead.
PrePre: As stated earlier, I'll do another Goldie Tales. As for your comment on Aiolos and Saga, I was surprised at how close your observations were. Kido's scene was written over a week ago which shows how much you were able to read the undertones of the chapter.
I think that what happened was that I went a little overboard with the bonus section. I love to write and I was just having fun with the dark humor that I threw off both of their characters and I shouldn't have made that one comment with Aiolia.
What I'll do is that since I was actually questioning myself to post the extra yaoi, I'm going to go ahead and get rid of it. Not because it is yaoi, but because looking back, it does set both of their characters back and does make Saga less redeemable when I was trying to go for the opposite.
I do appreciate when people tell me this stuff, because this is a character story and it is good to know if certain characters are not acting right. Sometimes it's on purpose and other times it is my own fault. Each chapter hovers between 10-14K words and are updated about every two weeks. It's pretty easy to miss things, not just on things written wrong, but forgetting to include little details.