Epilogue: Gemini Aiolos and Sagittarius Saga

TO BE A GEMINI

I want you two to give each other a lesson on the other's Zodiac sign. But I don't want you two to sit in a couple of chairs to debate on it. I want you two to give each other a special lesson, where you help each other understand what makes both of your constellations different. Not only that, but you need to give the other a chance to be that other constellation. You two will have two weeks or until you are finished. After that, that person will present to me what they've learned.

His hands brushed the side, carefully smoothing out the imperfections. So far the wall seemed to hold up and he made sure this time he was far enough from the tide to avoid his work from being undone.

"You look like a tourist!"

Nine-year-old Aiolos turned up as his Gemini friend stood there, barefoot and carrying a large bag. Even though the term is used to make fun of the other since touristy behavior is seen as unbecoming, this time he leaned back and took it in stride. "Come on, technically I am one." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wrinkled stub. "First time to use the bus too."

Saga was not surprised. Prototypos don't own any form of transportation other than horses. With his family focused on being soldiers and hunting and not farming, it was no surprise he didn't venture too far from where he lived. "What did you think? Cool huh?"

Aiolos nodded eagerly. "It smelled like old wet musty leather inside and it was far slower than running, but I liked watching out the window." Normally it was impolite to stare, but from inside the bus, he liked watching passing soldiers as they interacted with the tourists and spotting the occasional undercover Saint like the view was some type of camera or television."I didn't see any fish stands though. I saved quite a bit before coming here."

"You won't, they are still out at sea," the Gemini spoke, familiar with the comings and goings with the locals. "You can actually save your money. I already talked with a few that I knew in the past. I let it slip that I am working in Sanctuary now and a few are willing to share and prepare whatever they collect for us since we are guests."

The Sagittarius tumbled down, nearly fainting. Every time he's ever had anything from the sea, it was like eating a piece of Elysium. "Ah, that sounds soooooo goood!" he purred. "I can't believe people will do that for us."

"They will. You don't even have to let them know you're a Saint. However, if you work in Sanctuary, they see treating us well akin to offering a slaughtered goat to Brizo for a safe return."

Aiolos was excited. Getting seafood in Rodario was a bit expensive, at least compared to spending a couple of hours and fetching anything that moves in the woods. While he was there to be a Gemini, the idea that he could have some really fresh fish and octopus kept making his mouth water. His head turned and noticed Saga pulling the bag out from behind him, recognizing the outline of the shape of it. "Did you bring...the bucket?"

"I did." he teased as he pulled out the heavy helmet of the Gemini. "Since this was a part of the lesson, he gave me special permission, since you can't be Gemini Aiolos until you at least wear it for a bit." He walked over and set it upon the Aiolos' head.

Almost immediately the sound around him became heavily muffled while the weight seemed to push against his skull. "Geeze, it sounds like I'm in a seashell. Is it supposed to be like this or because I'm incompatible?" He could barely see on the sides too even when he turned his head, but that could be because the helmet was meant for a man.

Saga nodded. "That's how it sounds for me too. The mouths are supposed to provide a means of allowing sound in, but they don't do much." Sensing that the archer had enough, he reached down and pulled it off, revealing the slightly damp chestnut curls. He reached down and rubbed them a bit to give them the lively bounce they had before.

Aiolos watched him rest the helmet down on the sand before looking up, signifying he's ready to start the lesson. He laughs a bit when the Gemini pulled out a few cards and sets them down. Saga really had this planned out, determined to have the better lesson. "Come on, Sagittarius Saga."

"Alright Gemini Aiolos," Saga spoke. It didn't quite role off the tongue, but it's growing on him. "The Cloth of Gemini is dualism in nature, but not like Libra. Libra is more about the representation of justice with Guilty and Not Guilty while Gemini focuses more on the concept of man. When people think of the Gemini Cloth they like to say that one side is evil and one side is good." Saga shook his head. "I don't like to think of it that way."

"I know. That would be awful to grow up like that," Aiolos spoke. He would hate it if he had to grow up with people labeling him or his brother constantly as the good one and the evil one.

"Not just that, but why would the Lemurians create an evil Cloth?" Saga spoke and shrugged. "If you want to represent human nature and balance the Zodiac, every Cloth would have a shadow version of itself." He twisted the helmet to reveal the side of a relaxed face. "This is the side of order. Order has structure and order is concrete and logical." He turned the helmet to the other side. "This is Chaos. Chaos is wild and unpredictable, but it is certainly not evil."

He held out his hand. "Now imagine this helmet representing Earth and this ball of cosmos is like the sun with the shadows being a blending of the two. The sun however always represents the opposite of whatever side it is on." He spoke as he produced the ball of white cosmos in his hand. "When the sun is too close, the Earth is too hot. When the sun is too far, the Earth is too cold. Therefore there is a sweet spot where the two are balanced and life flourishes. This same concept works with the balance of Order and Chaos within man. Questions so far?"

Aiolos drew his hand to his mouth. "Why would anyone want Chaos in their life?"

Saga nodded. "Chaos is important because it is change. Think of your body. Your body is order. It must pump and circulate blood and there are systems in place that run like clockwork to meet your needs. But emotions are something else. They are chaotic because you never know what you could get. With order, the logic is that if there is something happy, we should smile. But that doesn't always happen, does it?"

Aiolos tilted his head. "I suppose, determining the circumstances. But if someone makes you smile and you don't, that's not good. If you want to prove that chaos isn't evil, isn't there anything that is like that?" He shrugged. "Sorry, I don't know how to explain it."

But Saga did understand. "Love."

"Love?" asked Aiolos.

"Love is a very good demonstration of chaos. Sometimes we must hurt others in the name of love, and sometimes we must care so much that it hurts ourselves. Love doesn't have logic, but that doesn't make it bad."

Aiolos paused and nodded. "I like it. Good answer." He said as he gave Saga a high five. He then pointed toward the cosmos. "I get why you don't want too much chaos within order. But what about the opposite."

The Gemini nodded his head. "That's not good either. Perfect Chaos is bad, but sometimes...

Perfect Order can be worse than Perfect Chaos.

A BEER BETWEEN BROTHERS

It's been a week since Aiolia had passed through the tunnels with Marin. While back then, it was difficult and tense, now with his Cloth and his ability to cross without worrying about attacks made the place a blessing. He can reach the top of Sanctuary in a fraction of the time, but he can also avoid crossing the Rearguard area since the Zodiac has grown quite awkward with the confirmation of the death of the True Pope, Saga taking his place and that his brother wasn't dead and was set to become the next Grand Pope.

Not only that, but he had Zephyr with him and he moved far faster on the level path instead of the stairs. It took a bit to get used to, but soon he was feeding the horse cosmos and travel at light speed with as much ease as his older brother. It helped that it had already been broken and his brother got through the hard part of the training.

Before he just took anything, no matter how poorly qualified or in most cases overqualified, that got him away from this place. Now he was in charge of taking Zephyr to the Twin Sala Gardens to roam around and be a horse. There was a small garden in the Pope's Chambers, but they both knew that Zephyr wanted lots of room. Sometimes he would take the sandy stallion to the family home to enjoy a pleasant run by the fields. When he wasn't tending to the horse, he spent time with Marin and helping her train Seiya. He loved his new duty and getting his Cloth back and for the first time in years, he was excited to start each and every day.

But there was more to this visit than his duty. He noticed that his older brother hadn't sent him any messages through the cosmos nor answered any since yesterday. Even though AIolos had yet to accept the role as the new Grand Pope until the Zodiac was straightened out, including the business that he was still technically declared a traitor, he still had to tend to current duties. Each passing day, he sounded more and more fatigued and stressed and knew a personal visit was in order.

He passed through the area by the House of Pisces. There was no pollen this time around. That's good since Aphrodite was still trying to work out how much antivenom to give Zephyr to make him immune to it. The Twelve Houses were originally designed to hold animals and livestock with even his House having the past claw marks of lions on the walls. The problem was that it was a technique that was also lost in time when their usage fell out of favor.

Before he received his new duty, he was forced to get a number of injections to make him immune to the poison just like his brother and Marin. Unfortunately, the stuff was a nightmare like someone pouring hot lava inside his arms while taking a drill through his intestines. "Your turn for the shots will come soon, Zeph." he spoke, taking his brother's habit of speaking with the stallion as if it understood. He listened to the horse to give a slight grunt. "What's it like you ask? Trust me, it's going to fucking suck. I'd offer you a beer afterward, but it only makes the pain worse," he spoke as they finally reached the Pope's Chamber door. He took his pendant from his neck and flashed it over the glyph to allow it to open.

Aiolia gave a quick whistle to let him know he was there but didn't hear anything back. He grew a little nervous and closed his eyes to read his cosmos. It seemed fine, although it was a bit sad and definitely stressed. It made him a bit nervous since he wasn't quite comfortable with three of the four houses that seemed to side with Saga being Pope more being next to the Pope's Chambers.

The Leo dismounted and watched the horse merrily trot its way toward the small garden of the Pope's Chambers. He followed the cosmos and turned the corner and there his older brother was dressed neatly in the white robes of the Pope but keeping it fairly casual by leaving off the fancy accessories like the sashes and golds off. He was at a table with piles of paperwork, which was fairly normal at this point. However, his blue eyes were drawn toward a bowl of untouched ramen and immediately understood what was going on since it has been exactly ten days since he had to say goodbye to Futaba.

"Hey." He watched Aiolos gave a pathetic wave to acknowledge him. He pulled his helmet off and set it beside his brother's helmet and mask and grabbed a nearby stool and sat next to him. "You really should ask if she can come here."

The archer gave a deep sigh. He appreciated the thought, but it annoyed him a little since he's thought about hundreds of times. "It's not that simple."

Aiolia shrugged. He only met her a couple of times, but she did give the impression that she seemed a lot like his brother. Besides her other features, it was no wonder he was head over heels in love with her. "Sure it is. You write a letter, I will carry it there if she says yes, I'll bring her back."

It was a pleasant thought but he knew better and it was time he explained it to his brother too. "If I was just a Gold Saint, we could. She could stay in Rodario and I could visit her and she would be free to come and go from there to Japan when she needed to." He sighed at the possibility and shook his head.

"But this is the Pope's Chambers. Everything here is a life long position, everything here is some sort of sacred secret. You remember Tuesday. You of all people have already seen how much work it takes for me to leave the Sanctuary,"

Aiolia nodded. He remembered. Aiolos, as the Pope Intern, had to go into Rodario and announce that all the door guards and house servants that were hired during the last five years were being confined for two weeks. It sounded quite difficult and a situation that should have had hundreds of people panicking.

But his older brother was patient and despite his solitary lifestyle, he knew how to not just listen to others but speak to them as well. So he sat on Zephyr and immediately talked about how those involved were not going to prison, but rather stay at the Twelve Houses themselves. They would be paid, they will be fed, and if special arrangements were needed such as a dying relative or a sick child, arrangements can be made to either speed up the process or send a maiden to assist in what needed to be done. Sometimes people were angry, but Aiolos smooth it out and for the most part, kept things calm and civil. For Aiolia, it was his brother being himself and it wasn't until they weren't together all the time or the long five-year separation that he took for granted how lucky he was to have someone like him in his life.

The part that was difficult during the visit was that he was forced to bring two other Gold Saints, several Papal Guards, and Bronze and Silver Saints mixed into the foot soldiers all around the towers and streets to keep things secure. He had no less than twenty people around him, just to give a five-minute announcement and an hour of questioning. While it would normally take him a few seconds to get there from Sanctuary, he spent perhaps half a day just bringing others along. Honestly, Aiolos could've done it with a quarter of the security, but until they settle things in Sanctuary and make the official transition, he was stuck pretending to be an old man.

In any case, Aiolos made a good point. If he felt life in Sanctuary would be too difficult, perhaps it was best to trust him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," the archer shook his head and gave a weak smile. "Thank you for coming over and thinking of me."

Aiolia nodded. "You always said you wanted to see me happy, well I want the same thing for you too." He reached over and placed his hand on Aiolos shoulder. In Astrology, the House of Leo was the house of Love and he must pass on what he knew. "She was your first and they say that the first love is the hardest to get over since it is a bond formed by the heart and not getting together just because you're lonely. You'll probably keep thinking about them. Maybe you can move on or maybe you'll change your mind and give them a second chance."

"That's very true," Aiolos muttered. Of course, what his brother didn't know that his first love wasn't Futaba. It's the one that was laying in a bed, covered in petals. He never could tell his brother about his deeper relationship with Saga since those two don't get along. Saga felt it should be kept between the two of them anyways since the idea of a Grand Pope having a relationship with his assistant may look bad.

Aiolia snapped his fingers. "Hey, there's a new girl at the gift shop. She's quite pretty and every time I come over there for some candles for Marin, she was fun to talk to. I think you two might get along quite well."

He knew his brother was trying to help out, but it filled him with more of a sense of dread than excitement. "Look, man, I'm way too stressed and unless she wants a zombie who's veins were half-blood and half greek coffee she'll pass on me."

Even though he didn't say it, Leo knew he was still looking down on the fact that he can't walk as a factor. "Come on man, you do realize that once you become the Grand Pope and people find out you're not a two-hundred-year-old Lemurian, you're going to be one of the top bachelors in the world… at least until Julian Solo gets older."

The archer sighed again. "She sounds nice, but I just don't want to get in a relationship right now," he emphasized.

"No problem." The Leo understood. He wasn't sure if it was too soon to ask, but judging by the slight grimace, it was clear that time for the heart to heal as necessary. Deciding to turn topics, his eyes turned toward the food. "This looks good. Who made it?"

"One of the guards. I tried, but I just can't," he spoke as he pushed it toward his brother.

He stroked the edge of the cool wooden bowl before he took a finger and using a light amount of cosmos and touched it, heating it back up. Apparently a low-level lightning plasma had the ability to nuke food to the perfect temperature. Useless in battle, but the Bronze Saints and Marin really liked it. He took the utensil and took a bite only for his face twist and make him realize how his non-picky brother who could practically eat almost anything that moves in the woods couldn't even finish a single bite. "Fucking hell that's salty."

The Sagittarius smiled. As a big brother, it was in his genes for him to be entertained by his little brother suffering from the small stuff. "I thought the same thing. I think instead of trying to use the packet for seasoning, he dumped it all in without taste testing it. I tried a small amount too and nearly had a heart attack." He sat up a bit and turned his head towards the corner of his desk where a book laid. "Sorry, I haven't started reading it," he said as he pointed toward the worn copy of the first book of Harry Potter that Aiolia loaned him.

"You should, it's very good," spoke the Leo as he grabbed a flask and took a swig of whiskey to wash the taste out of his mouth.

"I should, but it's hard to get started when you already told me the ending, Hermonie married Ron and they probably had many beautiful children that resembled their father, the end."

He rolled his matching blue eyes. "Look, the ending was bullshit, but the rest is very good." He raised a finger. "Oh, by the way, Seiya asked me to ask you if you found out."

Aiolos bit his lip unsure of what he was talking about. "Did he say exactly what it was?" If Seiya did ask him something, it was buried under hundreds of requests in his mind.

Aiolia didn't understand Seiya's question either, but the future Pegasus did mention his older brother would know what he was talking about. "Something about when will Goku leave Namek."

He nodded as it came back to him since Kido owned the rights to the series. "Tell him, I asked before coming here and Mr. Kido said that as long as the series makes as much money as it did, as far as he was concerned they were never leaving Namek."

"Is that bad?" asked the Leo.

"It's like the part where Odysseus lands on Circe Island, but instead of it being two years, it's twenty years and they write all about it." He laughed at Aiolia's painful look before he turned toward the small carton of Sapporo beer bottles. It was another sign of his difficulty in leaving Japan behind. He pulled one out a couple and set them down. "How are Marin and Seiya enjoying our house?"

Aiolia grabbed the bottles and used the edge of his gauntlets to pop the caps off before he passed one over. "They love it. Marin loves the room, she loves mother's garden and thank the Goddess she has chosen to take over tending to it. Not only that, but she adores the privacy." He despised that shack she was at. She didn't seem to mind it before when she was alone since she was strong and it was enough to deter others. But she began to grow fearful once Seiya came since he was an easier target. He would've loved to have her over sooner at the family home if he wasn't nervous about the fact that being the brother of the traitor was worse than being Japanese.

But things are looking up and he moved her over once she recovered from the Poison of Pisces and Aiolos gave his blessing since he was the oldest and technically the owner. He suddenly started to chuckle. "Seiya loves the fact that we have stairs."He watched Aiolos burst out laughing, nearly choking on his beer. He was not surprised since he used to spend so much time in a wheelchair and they have become the bane of him. "He spends quite a bit of time running up and down them. He even wished there was a rail or a banister to slide on."

A mischievous smirk cracked from the archer's lips. "We used to have a rail. Then someone thought it was fun to slide down it too, never realizing that it was over a hundred years old."

Now here was a tale he had yet to hear. "Was mother angry?"

"Mother… and father...I couldn't even sit down afterward."

"How the hell did you get picked to be our new Grand Pope?" Aiolia teased.

Aiolos grabbed another for himself and used the edge of the dragon wing to pop his off. "Technically, I am not the Pope yet," he said before he took a swig.

The Leo rolled his eyes. "You get what I'm saying." The two had already discussed endlessly about it. "I get it, the situation is very delicate like a glass feather. Honestly, if they knew about Saga they should suffer as I had for the last five years."

"I understand, but as I said, if the common people found out what Saga did, it won't be the Gold Saints who suffer. The mob is mindless, but it isn't stupid. They will go after simple targets like cooks, caretakers, servants and foot soldiers just like they did for us. Everyone who has ever worked in the House of Sagittarius was killed either by being lynched, murdered or suicide," the older spoke.

Aiolia gritted his teeth and flared his nostrils. "Galan included. The bastard even had the nerve to display his metal arm above his desk like some fucking trophy." While he was waiting for the signal during Aiolos' and Saga's conversation, if it wasn't so important, he would've charged forward and crushed Saga's neck. Now it still sits on the mantle, but he didn't want it disturbed until arrangements for Galan's body to receive a proper burial were completed.

Aiolos reached over and rested his hand on his brother's arm. He wished it was as simple as just announcing to the world he was alive, but it wasn't. The people won't just fall on their knees and forgive him. Instead, a loss of trust will plague them. They will second guess everything from whether all the Gold Saints could be trusted or even if Athena was truly real or not. Paranoia will engulf everyone and all forms of confidence will be lost, and that is the bare minimum.

"Hey, don't worry, it will take time, I'll do my best to figure out a clean way to get rid of the name of the traitor off me."

"I get it." Aiolia calmly repeated. "I've been the traitor's brother for the last five years and five weeks or months won't hurt," he spoke with honesty. But then his blue eyes lit up and a smile followed. "Some actually seemingly forgot about it."

"Oh," Aiolos raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Now that he could, he took his leg and crossed it and rested his chin in one hand and fanned out the other. "Tell me more," he spoke as his deep voice lightened and he positioned himself like one of the gossiping older lady servants.

Unable to resist, the Leo mirrored the position while holding his beer like a tall mimosa. "They noticed that the traitor's brother has been visiting the Pope quite a bit more." He said as he fluttered his eyelashes.

Aiolos puckered his lips. "Mmm-hmm, go on honey!"

Aiolia delicately placed his beer down and daintily raised his hands. "Well after five years of doing jack-diddly, they finally brought some gifts and cards of sympathy for my situation. I have so much fruit now that I had to toss some in the garden for fertilizer since we couldn't eat it all in time."

"Honey, be careful. You need to bury the fruit or those darn boars will be ruining the iris."

But Aiolia waved a delicate metal finger as he crossed his thick muscular legs. "Darling, don't worry, just throw some vinegar around it. It does everything, I'm sure it will keep those pesky critters out if we combine it with some baking soda."

"Oooh, good idea. I like to add a few drops of lavender so my garden doesn't smell like a pickle jar."

"Anyways, if they want a favor, they should've done something back when I thought you actually were dead. I will favor the ticks in the field before I do anything for them."

"Praise Athena!"

"Mmm-hmm!"

The two chuckled before they returned back to their normal positions.

Aiolia paused. Hard to believe three years had passed since their reunion. "Seriously though, you woke up and you actually came for me. I know I keep saying this, but I'm sorry for kicking you out." He felt like an idiot back then. He was tired of all the hate that he kept receiving that the moment his weak brother came back, he took it all out on him and as always, Aiolos proved to be the stronger of the two by simply taking it in and even revealing where he's hiding at.

Aiolos rolled his eyes. "I know I keep saying this, but you need to stop apologizing over it." He can see Aiolia's guilty look. "It's in the past. Plus, we all make stupid decisions. Let's forget about the ones in the past and focus on the ones in the future."

The Leo smiled. It was true. Things were finally turning around. He looked over and reached over and hugged him.

Aiolos smiled and wrapped a loving arm back. He still remembered when, for a while, his brother chided him to stop hugging him in public because it made him look like a sissy. Of course, time has a way of passing and making one realize it was okay and welcomed. But then he noticed his brother leaning over. The corner of his eye spotted Aiolia chugging his bottle. "Hey, that's mine!"

"It's good stuff and my bottle is empty."

Aiolos playfully narrowed his eyes. "Hey man, I'm the Pope and you will do what I say and I say you put that bottle down."

Aiolia's blue eyes shifted for a moment and stuck his tongue out before he took another gulp, "Doing you a favor, your Holiness. You said you were going to cut back and it's clear you are on your fourth one," before he finished the bottle off. "Besides, it's good stuff."

Aiolos gave him a few sissy slaps to his little brother's curly head. "Yes, it's good and you can only buy it in Japan or an international market. I'm sure I can just stroll right over-"

"Oh fine, I'll lightspeed over to Japan and pick up another case for tomorrow and I'll throw in a bag of wasabi peas and some take-out ramen while I'm there," he laughed as he pulled away and sat back down. He wished it could end like this, but there was still one important matter. "Speaking of decisions…" he trailed as he pointed toward the bed near the balcony.

"I know," Aiolos muttered as he drew his hands to his face on the matter of what the hell to do with Saga. Right now, Aphrodite covered him in pink petals to keep him in a sleep-like state understanding that the archer clearly needed time to think. They also have to ensure it was placed somewhere where it was more open than the bedroom or the amount of pollen could cause anyone to fall asleep. But the problem is that they can't just leave the Gemini like that. He had already lost two years of his life in a coma and he couldn't do the same thing to his friend or anyone in general. After all, time was a commodity that could never be recovered.

Aiolia watched his older brother weaken a bit. While he will follow him, he still found it frustrating that any pity should be granted. "You saw how strong and out of control he got when he switched." Without his Cloth, during that brief time he fought with Cursed Saga, he could feel his cosmos jump really high like going from being next to a candle to being next to the sun. "He's stated over and over that he's losing control and wants to die, so why not just give him his wish? Hell, I'll grant him his wish if you find it hard to do. Curse or not, he still has to face the consequences of killing the Pope. If you are his friend, there is no better or simpler solution. Kill him and find Kanon to replace the Gemini slot. The Zodiac remains. Saga can rest knowing nobody else won't be torn apart by his hands," he said unintentionally planting the seed inside his older brother's memory.

It saddened him how much harder his little brother had become, but that was the reality he had to deal with. "Killing a man, no matter what he did is never and should never be a simple solution. To reduce Saga as some sacrifice and Kanon as a perfect replacement is inhumane and I will not treat him nor anyone of the Zodiac like that. Besides, he's figured out more about the curse than anyone else, we need him if we have any hope of stopping it."

But Aiolia shrugged. "How do you know he figured anything about it out and is not making up shit?"

"Because everything he's said, no matter how far fetched it was, aligns with what I've seen!" The archer folded his arms.

But Aiolia shook his head unable to take it. "You said the curse twists his heart and thoughts. Maybe he was apologetic a week ago, but I don't believe that if he had a redo, he would do as he would say. I think he would've killed you and take the mask for himself if given the opportunity."

The younger continued. He didn't want to be hard. "It's not just his fate, but we have everyone in Sanctuary that was hired under Saga in confinement. That's half of the door guards and servants we have here. Deathmask is languishing in confinement as well, Aphrodite is unsure what to do, Shura is worried about half of the soldiers he has under him, Mu really wants to know, and everyone else is worrying about everyone else. You need to decide soon!"

"I know," Aiolos admitted. "The problem is that whatever direction I move, this decision is going to impact everything going forward."

Aiolia stood up. His brother thought of others, but as this situation showed, this was a blessing and a curse, especially when the others want different things. His brother wants to do what was right, but he also knows that he will go against the grain if he must. The least he could do was show that he won't lose him again. "I told you, technical or not, you're the Pope and I will support you. Why don't you give it another night of rest."

But Aiolos shook his head. "No, you're right." He watched Aiolia appear startled, surprised that his words actually carried weight. It was a typical reaction for one who was always seen as the lesser. Aiolia was probably so used to being sidelined and ignored that he probably didn't expect his feelings to be heard and not dismissed. "I'll have something by tonight. Now run off and get me my beer, wasabi peas, and some decent ramen."

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

THE THREE LITTLE GIRLS AND THE WHITE RABBIT

Aiolos picked up the wooden cane, feeling the smooth metal grip. It actually belonged to the Grand Pope from when he tripped on the edge of his robe and fell down the stairs. He used it for a few weeks and shelved it when his ankle finally healed, but now, it was helping him move around the room for short distances. He still needed his wheelchair to go from room to room around the Pope's Chambers and definitely Zephyr to move outside of it. However it was another step up since it was quicker, he didn't need to rearrange the furniture to ensure he had room, and it made him feel closer to his old self.

He sat at the old desk where Saga must have done his work. He could tell since his writing utensils were arranged the same way as he had them back at the House of Gemini minus two fluffy cats who like to either pass by and knock over a cup of pens and pencils or leap into one's lap and somehow make it impossible to get anything done. It was a nice little corner that faced the wall and was free of distractions. He didn't want to work on paperwork though. Instead, it was time to contact the Old Master. It had been six days since the last time they spoke.

He took Saga's earlier advice of talking to him about the side business of the Hidden Daggers. It definitely took the Old Tiger by surprise, but he made sure that before he contacted him, he checked out the files. Sure enough, the pictures and the handwritten business dealings done in simplified Chinese showed it had been going on for a long time. "Old Master? It's me, Aiolos," he spoke through the cosmos while speaking as well. He was in a private area and it was much easier to deliver his thoughts when he wasn't busy trying to do it all in his head. He felt his cosmos, and thankfully, it felt gentle and receptive as he typically was.

"Good to hear from you. How is it like from going from the most hated figure in Sanctuary to one of the most beloved?"

He smiled and closed his eyes in disbelief despite how true it was. However, back when he was a traitor, his life was about working with kids, chatting with Futaba, learning Japanese with Kento, and hanging out with Athena whether it was playing with dolls, drinking tea, or comforting her during the times Sailor Moon dies, despite her resurrecting more times than the phoenix Cloth is capable of. As the Pope, it was a heavy contrast with the beer with his brother being one of the few and welcomed times he could relax. "Very busy. I have to go through the endless investigations from half of the Gold Saints to some of the sanctuary cooks, have some of the Houses repaired after the battle and checking every decision Saga had made in the past five years." That was the more abridged version of it. It felt like every time he turned the corner, he would find something new. He turned toward his shaking hands and could see that the lack of sleep was taking its toll on him as well.

"Shion felt the same way. After the Holy War, all twelve houses need some form of repair, the towns needed to be rebuilt. People were tearing at him for answers while we were simply trying to grasp every sliver of free time in order to bury our friends. I will tell you what I wish I had told him: It's okay to cry. Manly tears are just another aspect of being a true Saint. You'll do fine."

He nodded. It was true. He's already had a couple of times where he would just break down in private wondering what the hell he's gotten himself into. But afterward, he would feel better and would move on.

"So, what do you need? Is it about Saga?"

Two hundred years of experience were clearly on display. "Yes, it is. I just don't know what to do. Some want him to just die. Others want him to have a second chance and others don't think he deserves any punishment at all."

A few seconds of silence followed. "Would one of them happen to be Aphrodite?"

That was the shocking part. "Actually, it was Camus. In his words, he says the curse seemed like its own entity. Should Saga be judged any more than if someone placed a knife in his hands and took his hand and stabbed someone? He also believed that even though they were his thoughts, they were clearly thoughts that Saga had no intention of following and trying to punish a person like that was the equivalent to thought crime." He practically filled a whole notebook with trying to keep track of everyone's reasons.

"Ah, Camus. He's far too compassionate to be a truly good Aquarius Saint. Let me guess, it is my turn to give you my thoughts?"

Aiolos nodded. "I've already heard part of how you felt a few times, but I still want to ask you again."

There were a few seconds of silence before he felt the Old Tiger's cosmos once more. "Please don't take into consideration what I said earlier. I will tell you an old Chinese secret: It is not just the young who make mistakes. Two hundred years later, I am still making just as many as I did when I was less handsome than I am now."

The archer smiled at the Old Tiger's perfect blend of seriousness and playful nature.

He continued. "Shion, was my best friend, my twin star. We were opposites and yet together we were amazed and survived one of the worst wars in centuries. When he died, I felt like I died too as if his fading cosmos was sapping my strength too. No matter how close I got to my trainees, none of them can truly understand what it is like to survive the Holy War after it killed ninety-nine percent of your friends."

Aiolos turned as he spotted the little girl that Saga adopted from Chile with a violin case and a frightened glance. She looked so different without the Athena disguise that she was told to wear for a number of years. Her hair was a light cornflower blue and surprisingly long and wavy. Aiolos was shocked when he took off the wig and it all just tumbled past her shoulders. Apparently she begged Saga not to cut it since she held out hope that her brother would see it and recognize her.

"Is something wrong, Aiolos?"

The archer sighed as he watched the child gingerly walk backward, eyeing him before heading toward Saga's bed. "The child that was pretending to be Athena." He shifted his eyes. "She still doesn't trust me." He folded his hands. "I told her she will be safe here and stay as long as she wants. Anything she wants she can have. She bonded with Athena, but she is so frightened of me."

"That is not an impression that will not easily change soon. Take it from someone who has lived in a time, when one's village could be looted by bandits. No matter how many smiles or gifts you offer, in her eyes, you are the man who came charging in and nearly killed the closest thing to a father with an arrow, twice."

It was a good but disheartening insight. He felt that since he couldn't find and therefore protect Kanon, this child was the closest thing to honoring his promise. The problem was, she doesn't want anything to do with him, at least for now. Aiolos watched the child place something on Saga while she nervously begins to chat with him. He told her that it was okay to talk to someone unconscious since, at least for him, they can hear it. He took his cane and tapped the door to close it to allow her to have some privacy. "Anyways, I was very worried. I mean, I just never expected to see that side of you, Old Master. It was like you were someone else back in the House of Libra."

"You must understand, that part of the grieving process is to have the means to let it out. Unfortunately, I had none, since he was dead now. When I was able to contact you, the idea came into my head and felt it was a chance to avenge Shion. But despite this frail body you see, inside I felt the hot-tempered fury that once punctuated my youth and there was nothing less than Saga's death to make things right. As simple as my life is, I try to live it with a sense of joy and gratitude, but understand that Holy War has robbed me of my innocence and what you saw is the darkness that fighting and killing endless specters has replaced it with. But enough of me, tell me, what obstacles prevent you from deciding what to do?"

He ran his hand in his curly chestnut hair before his fingers slipped and tugged his red headband. "Trying to figure out what is best for everyone, but what everyone wants is different. There simply is no right answer."

"No, there isn't. Just understand that whatever you choose, you won't make everyone happy, and that is just a normal part of being the Pope that you must expect. However, what is expected that everyone accepts your decision and I will be no different."

It was good to hear, but not just because it was thoughtful, but because it felt balanced like a true Libra Saint and not the one that tilted toward guilty from the Temple Run. But there was something that he needed to ask that perhaps he could answer. "Old Master, the Grand Pope could read the stars and see the future fairly far ahead, but why didn't he save himself?" Even though he never read the future, he did know that deaths were a huge event and even at a low level were easy to spot especially if that death is your own.

"Ho Ho. I've been wondering that for the last five years. All I can say is, that if I was known as the Tiger and if Shion could have a nickname, it would be the Fox. Do not allow his soft-spoken nature fool you nor his performance as Pope in the last few decades. He didn't survive the Holy War because he was lucky or solely on yours truly. Perhaps when all is said and done, his death is just a part of his strategy for something greater. In fact, I've been told by Mu that Shion sent him a message that specifically dictated that he be not thrown in the ocean, but buried in a very specific spot in the Cemetery for Saints."

"Yes Old Master, I was there." Mu was very sad about that. However, he still tried to incorporate the Lemurian traditions by seasoning the former Pope with eleven herbs and spices and having everyone sit in a large boat instead of chairs for the burial. "Thank you, Old Master. I'm so glad I was able to speak with you."

"The same to you. I've had you in my thoughts and it was good to hear how you are doing. By the way, before we break off, I have a favor to ask."

He was a bit surprised, and despite it being the hundredth favor he had been asked to grant this week, he would definitely place it on the top of his list. "Of course, Old Master. What is it?"

"It's about Kento. I've tried to bring it up about the business of the Hidden Daggers and I just can't. Like Shunrei, he too has grown up here at the Five Peaks. Is it possible for you to handle it?"

Aiolos swallowed hard, but he understood. The Old Master already had to deal with a betrayal of trust, but the deaths of those he would consider his own children. Another old friend's life in his hands and it has only been one week. "Of course."

"Thank you. Again, I will support whatever you decide. If he turned out to be heavily involved, I will send him to Greece. If not, we'll see. May Athena Bless you."

"And to you as well," he muttered as he closed off the communication. Aiolos drew his hands near his head. Only seven days have passed and now another life was in his hands. "...goddess…" he muttered before his eyes trailed over to two piles he made.

On one side was a couple of books that the Gemini clearly wanted him to find. On top was the old book he made as a child where he jotted all the things he sought to accomplish. There may have been some silly ones and a few that were just a bit too ambitious. But the ones he told him were good and he worked with him on, had a little checkmark. It may seem strange for a grown man to refer to a book he made when he was a child, but perhaps he saw it as something pure before the curse took ahold of him.

Underneath it was a leather book that was clearly made in the last seven years by the date. It was far more professional with a log of updates on one page, footnotes that referred to the hundreds of laws of Sanctuary, a detailed accountant page on how to divert the money of Sanctuary toward it. Burned from cosmos, the front covered was labeled "Palaestra". It was a grand plan to do the one thing that many have tried and failed and that was to update the training system of the Bronze and Silver ranks. Rather than having separate islands, they would all be under one school. Bronze Saints didn't have to wait until training was complete in order to learn to work together. Silvers would be granted better quarters than the shacks that some were forced to stay in like Marin. It provided easier access to care, both physical and mental and designed to cut the trainee death rate in half.

It was clear that it was not meant to replace all training grounds. There were some that were very specialized like the ones in Siberia and Andromeda Island. However, there were many training grounds where other than the name, were fairly barren or Cloths that could be earned anywhere. It was an ambitious project and thankfully, Saga was full of it, at least when he wasn't depressed. Perhaps his zeal made him terrible with the military, but it was perfect for things like this. Saga had already bought the land, set aside the materials, gathered all the funding.

There were some things that did need adjusting. He did not trust Ionia leading it. The man is mad hungry for power and while he does offer the presentation of a good leader, he cannot be trusted. Even Shion didn't trust him. Aside from fixes like that, all that was left was a simple blank line for the Pope to put their signature on, a task that he clearly left for him.

His eyes turned to the second pile, of nothing more than pages that were clearly scribbled on from top to bottom to the point that it was like staring at a void. What made it scary was the fact that there was clearly a date and when he placed them in order, it was as if the closer he got to the present date, the shorter the gaps in between the pages got.

Did Saga do this because he was dealing with depression?

Did he do it because he was cursed?

Was it a sign of insanity?

Was it all three?

Sometimes he wondered and feared that the book of the curse that Saga was talking about in the House of Gemini was nothing more than endless pages of this?

A pile of brilliance and the other of madness. Goddess no wonder Saga had such a good alignment to the Gemini constellation.

He looked up toward the arm of Galan still where Saga left it. He and Aiolia left it untouched since despite it being prosthetic, they considered it a part of the man who faithfully served them.

That was when he noticed a small rolled piece of paper tucked inside. It was easy to miss since it was only visible at the angle he was at. He grabbed the edge and pulled it out.

Dodona, Greece

The name seemed familiar. He searched through his thoughts and that was when he realized, it was the same place that Milo placed a bet on where he thought he was hiding back when he was in the House of Scorpio. Aiolos leaned his chin in his hand. It always bothered him why he would pick Galan since he only had one arm and other than height, the two didn't share that many features to convince the world. "Aiolia?"

"What's up?"

The archer swallowed hard. "I think Galan is still alive."

"WHAT!? HOW CAN HE BE? SAGA FUCKING DRAGGED HIM OUT AND THE MOB KILLED HIM!"

"Did you see it happen?"

"NO!"

Aiolos groaned from the headache that came about his little brother shouting through the cosmos. He knew Saga and he's seen a number of his illusions and how he pulled them off. "Well, why the fuck if he wanted to fake my death, he'd pick a one-armed man? Because he could stick the arm of an already dead one on him. He could rip it off for the crowd, distract them for that one brief second and Another Dimension him out for an already dead corpse."

"AIOLOS! THAT'S INSANE!"

"Exactly!"

Several seconds of silence followed. "Good point. So where is he? Why would he hide from me?"

Aiolos folded his arms. "He probably did it because Saga told him to, in order to protect you." Galan was always so good to his brother and one of the few he would trust with him. He also reminded him of himself and if the two thought alike, if leaving Aiolia alone forever meant keeping him safe he would do the same. "Check out Dodona… both of them. The one that's on the map and the one in the hidden mountains."

There was no reply as the cosmos message ended. The Sagittarius sat there quietly as he took his hands and folded them in prayer. "Athena, please let him be there. My brother has been through too much and I truly hope I didn't send him on some crazy emotional goose chase."

"I don't think you have. After all, the pieces seem to fit, and you are not the type who would send him without good reason."

The archer turned around and there was Athena, dressed in her lovely white gown and smiling. He, of course, smiles back. "I'm so used to you being at your lessons or on playdates."

Athena walked over."Actually, I was," she spoke as she pulled out a doll. "She does a better job at making my doll prettier than you."

He picked the toy up and examined the tiny braids, each one uniform in appearance with nary a stray hair. Definitely a step up from the large one that resembled a thick rope than a beautiful braid due to how large his fingers were. "Her work is quite stunning," he spoke imitating how her grandfather would judge a painting as he handed the treasured Sailor Venus back. He then spotted her saddened face and knew what happened. "You miss him." With that, she walked over and he could tell that she needed a good hug, one of many that they both needed while adjusting to their new roles.

She nodded her head, the tails of his red headband brushing against her face. She pulled away and wiped a brief tear. "I do. But I have to stay here. At least I am surrounded by many wonderful Saints."

"Yes, they are." He looked down and back up. "I'm glad that the initial run-up here, didn't leave a bad impression on them."

Athena shook her head. "No, on the contrary. Without the fire clock and an official Pope, when given a choice, even if some zig-zagged, everyone in their own way eventually did the right thing. I couldn't have been more proud."

At that moment, Aiolos paused. He thought back and raised an eyebrow. As far as he could tell or had heard, she was right and it was good that was how she viewed his generation. Of course, he knew they, himself included, could be better. "Athena," he whispered. "You're including Saga, correct?"

"Yes. When I say everyone, I mean everyone," she affirmed. "But you're worried the curse will overtake him, aren't you?"

Saga was his friend, but as the Pope, he had to face the truth. "He wrote a book on the curse, but he and Kanon both are the only ones who understand it."

"He is."

"He tried to kill you as a baby. If he is getting worse, what will happen if he was alone with you once more?"

"He would try again, of course."

Her curt answer made him ill because he knew she was right. A sad look came over him, for he knew what she would say. "Even if I figure out how to end the curse, he'll take advantage of it… and end himself anyways."

Her eyes blinked. "You know your friend quite well," she answered curtly before she made her way out of the room.

Aiolos grabbed his cane and quickly hobbled over. It was slow, but he had been through this before. Recovery takes time and was difficult. However, if he wanted his total freedom back, he was going to have to take it one step at a time. He passed through the doorway and examined the main floor and noticed she was sitting at the right side of the bed. Since there was no room at her side, he instead walked over to the left.

His head turned down and there was Saga. He changed his clothes from the robes of the Pope to a spare trainer that Saga kept there at the Pope's Chambers. Interestingly, he had several old scars underneath in spots and apparently, he had Milo deliver the four sting punishment given to a Gold Saint who accidentally kills a guard. When he compared the records, with the exception of the last guard killed, Saga had indeed served the punishment each time a soldier was killed. Even though he could have pardoned himself, he still chose to serve it like anyone else.

The Gemini was sleeping, but not peacefully. The way his lips moved and the way his eyes seem to dart under his eyelids, it was clear the voices that he described were not leaving him alone even in this state. He was barely getting through the day with only a couple of hours of sleep each night this week and it made him wonder the torture Saga had been going through this for the past eleven years.

"Saga?" he called out, but his words weren't getting through. Aiolos looked down and reached for Saga's hand and squeezed it to let him know of his presence as he had when they were children. Sure enough, Saga's face eased. However, he knew it was but a mere balm to what laid ahead for the Gemini. The voices will probably start back up to eat away Saga's soul, just as he said they would.

Aiolos looked down and taped on the side of the bed was a card with a pink heart scribbled on it. He opened it up. "Get Well Soon, love Paz," he muttered and sighed. As if this decision wasn't hard enough. The archer turned his head. "Did you hear that? She wrote that for you. If you want a reason to not be an idiot that's it." Aiolos spat as he slammed the card on Saga's chest as if the words on it will somehow reach his thick skull.

"He's been sick for a long time, hasn't he?" she asked.

Aiolos nodded. "When he wasn't like this, he was so much fun to be around." He always told the Gemini he liked how he livened things up, yet strangely enough, Saga always told him he appreciated how genuine and casual he was. It was one of those reasons why he's given everything he's got during Saga's times of sadness and when he seemed tired of living. "I've been patient, I've listened, I've done everything I can, but nothing works." He almost slammed his fist. He turned toward the Gemini. "I don't know what more I can do, especially since there is the curse and the consequences for murdering the Pope on top of it."

Athena's eyes saddened. The moment she feared came when his faithful eyes were clearly pleading for her wisdom. She had indeed come up with a solution, but it was one that no one will like. "Aiolos, some people… you can't help no matter what you do," she spoke as she reached down and pulled out the box with the dagger inside of it.

The future Pope sat there patiently listening to her words, his hand clutching his mouth a few times in surprise before he gazed at the box. Normally he would have no problems hearing her directions, but this time, it was just so much harder, but still, he forced himself. When she was done explaining, his face was white and pale. "This can't be, not after all that has happened, this just can't be?"

But Athena nodded and encouraged the box forward. "You want to save everyone, this is how you do it." She knew that what she told him will be a lot more than what he expected. While she wouldn't say it out loud, what she told him was not advice but more like a divine order. "Take your time, but you only have until sunset to make this choice. Even if you do nothing, this will be fine, but not quite." She spoke before she stood up and began to walk over to her chambers to give him some time.

But the time he had wouldn't be very long. The sun would be quite bold at this time, but it was also very low as well. When one spent a lot of time laying back and taking in the view, one became quite good at determining how much light was left in the day at this time of the year. Probably had an hour at most to accomplish something quite scarier than touching Shaka's palm and that was the legendary Athena Gambit. History has few examples, but those that are known were quite scary. One involved the fear of Athena getting killed by Poseidon and so what does she do? She gets killed and somehow that turned the tides. Another involved preventing her from getting kidnapped. One Athena Gambit later, she gets kidnapped. But this gambit was different in that it didn't involve her, or so it seemed.

It was rare for him to admit, but for the first time in a long while, he was truly scared. Should he really go through with this?

The Goddess said he should, but for the first time, he almost questions it.

"Insane…" he muttered as if trying to talk himself out of it. "I can't walk… at least for now… I gave up two years… I'm still a traitor to the outside world... what more do I have to sacrifice…" he muttered in frustration. "What more do I have left to give?" As he threw his hand on his face, apparently there was more of himself that he had left to give. He looked down at the box and back at Saga's sleeping face. Athena mentioned doing nothing was an option, albeit not a great one. Then again, perhaps she threw it out as a form of false choice?

He turned to the box and stared at the thirteen red jewels before he pulled off the top. He needed to at least touch the weapon that had caused so much trouble for the past eleven years. He closed his eyes and reached for the handle. He tried to read its cosmos but it felt strange. Typically there is a little warmth, but this was like a void as if trying to read it gave him the same vertigo as if leaning over a deep well.

But that was when his thumb ran along the rounded pummel at the top. It felt familiar. He then took the blade and turned it and as if trying to recall an old memory, took the pummel and began to bang it hard against his own back. A small gasp passed through his lips at the realization that this was the same object Saga used on the night after the meeting and when he came to his bedroom that the Gemini refused to tell him what it was.

But why did he use the blunt side and not the sharp edge?

He paused and thought diligently before he turned toward Saga as the pieces suddenly began to fall into place. "When you're jealous, you aren't angry at the one who announces it...you go after the one who won." He spoke out loud as if talking to his friend. When Saga came to his room that night, while he sensed Saga's intentions were not sincere, he had long conditioned himself to ignore it due to it working. Anger crept in and he thought about his options, but then a small realization came about. "Some things you value more than being the Pope...huh?" he spoke, repeating the words that were a bit cryptic the first time he heard them, but now it made sense.

It was true, Saga really did treasure their friendship more than being the Pope, and the truth was, so did he. Back when he was younger and it was announced that he would be in charge and Saga would be an assistant, it frightened and confused him for he never saw himself as a leader. Saga was all about being big and bold and coming up with ideas while he preferred to deliberate and taking what he thought work and tweaking them a bit.

But he was only fifteen years old and so was Saga. Even if he studied the role of the Pope for many years, it was far different than actually being Pope.

Later in life, he understood. It was easier for Saga to be an assistant and do what he did best, while he was in charge and filtered what would work and what wouldn't and not the other way around where Saga would unleash his ideas and plans and he as the assistant would have to fix them.

Aiolos rested the blade in one hand and turned toward the laying Gemini. He understood why this first week has been so troublesome. He needed Saga, and he knew that while Saga being in charge of Sanctuary started well, it had many cracks and he needed him too. His blue eyes stared heavily into its mirror surface before he took the blade, raise it up, and used it just as Athena instructed him to do.

...

...

...

...

Forgive me, my friend.

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

THE SECRET OF THE GEMINI CLOTH

The ocean. So vast... like heaven.

Khristopher, moved the tresses of his dark blue hair from his blue eyes before he hugged his knees and allowed his feet to sink in the wet sand, watching the edge of the waves gently crash into him, causing the wet warm sand to cover his feet before pulling it away. He found it soothing as the wet sand repeatedly covered and receded.

So beautiful... like heaven.

In the distance, he watched a family of tourists. He knew they weren't from around here. They had all the signs. The parents were vigorously applying sunscreen on their children and themselves as if the same sun they had lived with all their lives was the enemy that would melt them away like an ice cube under a lamp. There was a large wagon of toys and inflatables even though the children will either ditch them to simply leap in the water or lose half of that shit. Oh, and the sunglasses. Big and gaudy. The moment any of them walk in the water, they will be lost too. He knew quite well.

Khristopher turned toward his four-year-old twin, Kallen. He gave a toothy smile as Kallen stood in front before he started lifting and setting not one but seven pairs of Ray Ban sunglasses that he somehow managed to wear over his eyes. The two liked to collect the pairs of sunglasses at the end of the day. Their grandfather told them how much they were worth and after that, they considered it a small treasure that they kept in a large chest. The plan was that they will collect enough sunglasses, clean them up and open the stand. They will use the money to travel to Disney World so they can meet Mickey Mouse at last.

Kristopher reached a hand outward and was about to pass him a pair before he faded like dust in the wind.

Saga, no longer a child, looked down. His feet covered in the gold boots of the Gemini Cloth. His head darted left and right, the echo of ocean waves crashing repeatedly still filling the air, yet the strange sensation of being alone.

The ocean, so this is what you see? They say when we see it in our dreams, it reflects our emotions. On the surface it is beautiful and boundless, yet beneath its surface are endless secrets.

The sun beamed gently like the cosmos of Athena.

Saga's eyes shifted but even though he couldn't see anyone, he recognized the voice. "Shaka…" he muttered, feeling his own thought seemingly echo around him. He shuddered at the surrealism of the moment. This was his home, but he knew from experience that this place that he was at wasn't real. His head hung for a bit. "Am I dead?" he spoke as wisps of his blue hair whipped the sides of his face.

What a foolish question. You do understand that the only one who can say Yes to that is the Goddess herself?

Saga mused his lips. "Touche. I see you are just as annoyingly sarcastic in broken mind as the broken world out there." He stretched his legs out watching them sink as he used to before the waves came and pool over them, the gold glint in the sunlight as if treasure at the bottom of the sea. "You are not the type to use one's cosmos so carelessly in another's subconscious." He turned toward the sun, "give yourself some type of form and not this omnipresent bullshit that you like to bestow on the ignorant."

The Gemini turned his head and there Shaka stood, his robes wrapped around him. "Namaste, better," he spoke as he brought his hands together and the Virgo acknowledge it. "Why are you here?"

Shaka slowly moved around, his blond hair blowing easily like silk ribbons in the sky. "Because it is time you received the answer to your question."

Saga frowned. "What question would that be? Why the Old Man would see that I was cursed at a young age so that I would go out and try to murder old men and babies and cripple best friends?" He rested his head against the knees, wishing that the Virgo would leave him be to this peaceful fantasy.

"Partially." This answer drew his interests. Shaka watched the Gemini looked up, curious as to what perfect explanation he could say. "You know, you and your brother were partially right to not see the Gemini Cloth as good or evil as simpletons would. Good and evil are far too subjective while order and chaos are not so much. Not only that, but Lemurians would never craft an Evil Cloth nor with the intention of using a Gemini's twin in creating the sacrificial lamb to end the curse for each generation."

He rolled his eyes. "You can't possibly tell me that endless bearers of Gemini were all coincidentally the ones who were cursed." The words just sickened him and the idea as well. He had become what he feared and that was a mere statistic in the cruel life of Sanctuary.

"It wasn't a coincidence, it was a sacred duty, for the Goddess Athena."

Saga threw his head back and laughed. "Are you serious?" he exasperated. "How is turning evil and murdering people a sacred duty for Athena?" he asked as he turned to the Virgo who sat there solemnly.

"Every Cloth has special properties to aid in the War to protect the Earth and its inhabitants.

The Gemini Cloth has been perceived to be a Cloth of Good and Evil, but the truth is that the Gemini users, to help Athena solve the mystery of the cursed Dagger, willingly accept it's poison because the dark attributes of the Gemini Cloth allow it to have the highest resistance to curses. Any other Saint who falls victim to it will succumb in months, weeks or even days. But for a Gemini, they can resist it for years and even coexist with it."

Shaka's eyes opened. "I told him the price to pay to help you was high. Now it is paid in full. He will do whatever it takes for his friends and this is proof of this. Do not forget this. You owe him a great debt."

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

ANDTHAT'S HOWI BECAME-POPE

Aiolos sat in his chair beside the Gemini. He took a letter that he had recently hand-written and slipped it in the pocket of the trainer of Saga. His fingers lightly brushed the long strand of blue wavy hair before he lightly. He forgot how silky the Gemini kept it.

His eyes gazed at his sleeping face. Even when his eyes were closed, that dark gaze shone through. He was one of the most handsome people he knew as well as powerful. He literally could have anyone. "Geist? Of all the people he had to move on with, he picked Geist?" The archer thought to himself as he picked up the instructions. He took the blanket and carefully rolled it up along with the pink petals. The Pisces did warn him about the pollen, but the mask of the Pope helped avoid him sleeping with Saga, not that it wouldn't be the first.

He pulled out a new blanket and laid it on top. Apparently, one's body temperature goes down while asleep and it was best to keep the person covered so they didn't feel extremely chilly afterward. Aiolos reached over and grabbed the syringe before pulling himself over to the ledge of the side of the bed. He hated needles, but he knew how to administer them. He cleans the site and gives the plunger a slight push to knock the air bubbles out before he delivers the serum into the Gemini's arm.

He caps the needle out of habit, but then he burned his cosmos and disintegrates it. He turned downwards at the sleeping man. "Saga, wake up," he whispers gently as his hand reaches down toward his warm cheek and gently strokes it to urge him out of his long rest, feeling the defined cheekbone.

He does. His dark blue eyes cracked open to see the masked figure hovering over him. His heart paused a bit, thinking he was seeing a ghost, but the voice began to resonate and knew who it was.

Aiolos could see he was a bit disoriented. Of course, he was, he had been asleep for a week now. He should pose a question to see how aware he was. "You made… Free Ice Cream Day the same day as when I made my run with Athena. Why?" he asked curiously.

Saga sleepily gazed back. "Because on the first anniversary, people would put up effigies of a Sagittarius burning on stakes. So to divert everyone's attention the second year, I declared free ice cream day. Sure enough, people would be far too busy lining the streets and circling buildings waiting. And so every year, rather than focus on hating you, their minds are spent wondering if they will receive their beloved chocolate or settle for something like cookies and cream." He chuckled. 'Never underestimate the power of an army of the young and free sweets!"

Aiolos chuckled was a crazy plan. But somehow, Saga made it work.

But Saga's face sighed heavily. He turned to his chest where the arrow struck and was disappointed by the trick his friend had. "Why didn't you kill me?" He muttered sadly.

Aiolos' stared at him and spoke from his heart. "Because you're my best friend and I know you didn't do it willingly. You will repent, but death is not the way, my friend."

Saga sighed. Aiolos had such a beautiful soul. He was kind, and while others take as being soft, he admired it. He was so lucky to meet him. "You don't understand how awful it is to never have a moment of true peace, to wonder if the person you care about may not be there when you blink, to slowly become nothing more than a shell." His face gazed upon the mask and he couldn't help but reminisce. "I did a terrible crime. I killed the Grand Pope and I tried to kill you and our Goddess. You may not want it, but I must repent. Kill me. Do not hesitate for I not only offer forgiveness, but it will at least pay a small fragment of the debt that I can never truly pay in full."

"There are other ways to repent for your sins than death, my friend," his muffled voice spoke.

Saga nodded but shifted his gaze away. "Perhaps, but I can't do it with this curse."

"Listen to yourself, Saga, you're cured."

The Gemini gave pause and thought back to all he could truly say. He did openly say he wanted to die and felt no resistance. Not only that, but things were truly quiet. He had been caged for so long, that he didn't realize the bars were no longer in front of his face. He sat up and gasped and darted around to ensure that this was not some crazy illusion. "It's true," he muttered in disbelief with bits of glee. "I am."

Aiolos gazed at his face. It's been a long time since he saw his Gemini friend light up like that. Too long. "You're...so happy...I'm glad…" he muttered as if crumpling like a flower from within as if his will was giving out that night.

Saga nodded like a newborn phoenix. "But how did you do it?" he questioned. "I've spent years and you were able to figure out in a week. How did you cure me?"

That was when he felt Aiolos hand reach out, his fingers gently combing through the tresses of his dark blue hair, twirling the silky strands. It felt good, like old times where they could gaze at each other for long periods at a time. But there was something different about it.

"Athena...she said that the only way to save you...to save everyone…" He pulled off the mask and to reveal his glowing red eyes. "...is to pass it on."

The End of Sagittarius: More than Gold

Author's note: Well, originally I was going to continue this with Gemini: Defying Gravity where Saga is the main character. But I was surprised at how many people were unhappy with the ending. Got a PM and now I regret it.

I knew this ending will split people, I told myself I wouldn't let how others react affect me, but unfortunately, it did. I can't tell you how many times I just thought I should just delete this. I'm sorry, that Aiolos is still paralyzed by the end and you're not happy he's not healed.

The first chapter of that series is complete albeit with grammar work. I don't know what to do.

God fucking damn, I am ready to just delete this.