Sagittarius And Gemini: 5C The Event

Part 3c: Not Crane Yuzuriha

18th Century (?)

The stairs were broken and in some parts, flattened until they were smooth enough to push a wheelbarrow up with ease. It rained before they reached there as if the carnage that had come before had caused their Goddess Athena, who had now returned back to Olympus, to shed tears for all who had fallen in her name.

"Where are we?" he asked as he felt his body being gently laid down upon a dusty woven blanket.

The brunette turned his head as he carried a large box with a slight limp. "Well...you're home." He gives a pleasant laugh. "Or at least what is left of it."

Shion's young violet eyes turned upwards. High above was the great glass dome, now cracked in the center. He raised his hand and gently used his telekinesis to lift it up and set it back to the ground to avoid the danger of it collapsing on the two. "The sun is shining," he murmured.

Dohko turned his head, streaks of blood had dried, and clung to his cheeks. "It is. Didn't think we would see it again, but here we are!" he took his knuckle and tapped the Lemurian's horn before he gritted his teeth and grabbed his right arm.

Shion turned his head, his hand filled with shimmering rainbow cosmos. "Here...you look terrible."

But the tiger batted his gold gauntlet away and shook his head. "Save your strength!" Lemurians could heal humans due to their understanding of their anatomy, but Lemurians could not heal themselves. No matter how much Dohko wanted to, he couldn't heal his friend either with his cosmos since Lemurians had a completely different anatomy. It was a miracle, a testament, or perhaps both as to how he managed to survive.

Shion's violet sharp eyes narrowed. "Friend, the prevalence of lacerations all over the exposed sections of your Cloth frightens me. Please use some cosmos. You survived the dark grip of Thanatos' hand, do not allow sepsis to be the one to do you in!"

A small gap came about Dohko's mouth. "Uh…" he muttered. The two had been training for a long time and while he had to admit that over time his vocabulary has grown while Shion has did his best to make his shrink, there were times like now that left him clueless.

"He means, you're bleeding and if you're not careful, you risk infection."

Dohko chuckled. Unlike Shion, due to her constant interactions with outsiders of her tribe, she had learned to tone down her intelligence and could easily be mistaken for a human herself if not her distinct marks on her eyebrows. "Ah, fine. I'll go and wrap some bandages," he spoke as he turned his head and winked before he hobbled toward the inner chambers. Dohko knew how much he kept muttering about her as he helped his friend back out of the depths of the underworld. Sometimes it made him sad, but he knew it was eventual. Just like the Greek Soldiers of the past, they bonded with each other to survive, but to carry on they must find their other. This was Shion's other and as Golds have done, they must step back and allow the other to take their place no matter how much it hurts. The Libra sighed and stepped away.

Shion's head turned as Yuzuriha knelt down beside him. When he left his village for the Holy War, her hair was short, but with the passage of time, it became a long golden braid that reached past her hips and was held together by a red ribbon.

How beautiful she was.

While Dohko wondered if he would ever see the sun, he, on the other hand, wondered if he would ever see her brilliant blue eyes.

Shion was at a loss for words, except he noticed the slight red rashes near the ducts of her face. "What happened?"

She gave him a shocked look as if he was a silly human. "The messengers were screaming at how there were no survivors. I couldn't feel your cosmos." she sobbed as she took her hands and applied her cosmos to heal him.

"We were too far in the depths of the underworld. I know, because when I tried to contact you, thinking my life was to end, I was unable to do so."

She paused and her head lowered. "When I thought you were gone, I remember that moment by the cliffs. I was the proper age to receive training and I needed to make my choice." She took her bright thick outer shawl, that revealed her long Tibetan dress before she laid it upon his body. "When you and Saint Dohko were missing, I feared I took the wrong path."

Shion turned his head. He knew she desired and was fully capable of becoming not just a Silver Saint, but one of the best out there. But he convinced her otherwise, and he was happy that he did. "You did not. It was darker than many would say, more horrid than I expected to experience. I am happy it is over and you remain untouched. My Yuzuriha, my wife, if you seek penance, then I all I ask is that we spend the rest of our lives embracing the peace that everyone and Athena strived for," he spoke as he reached over, his fingers lightly brushed the tattoo on her arm that featured each other's tribes overlapping each other.

She leaned over and through her dots, she burned her cosmos against his face in affection and in happiness.

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

19th Century(?)

Shion removed his helmet and gazed at the large mirror that is placed in the main office of the Pope. Of all the relics of Sanctuary, oddly enough this was perhaps the only thing that belonged to the first Pope. It was said that the first Pope was not a vain man but in fact quite the opposite. So when he asked to have such a large thing crafted, he told his advisors that he wanted something to remind him who was responsible for the well being of Sanctuary and its people.

The Lemurian wasn't particularly vain either, but he did take note of changes. He leaned forward and observed that several hairs were not quite grey, but not as vibrant as they were, resembling that of old pea soup.

While he need not worry about either his advisors, the newest crop of Gold Saints, or the people of Rodario seeing his signs of what was considered middle-age, there was one that he felt conscious about.

He exited out and passed through the hallway and approached the balcony. Yuzuriha turned her head and smiled. "Why do you spend so much time in front of the mirror when you spend all your time in a helmet and mask?"

"I was examining my hair, that's all. I noticed it was shifting a bit...lightening even."

"It's fine! Stop worrying about it. Besides, the more you fret over it, the lighter it will become."

"Easy for you to say. You appear no different than when I first earned my Gold Cloth." It wasn't an exaggeration either. While Lemurian males only live to be around two hundred years, a female easily can live past five hundred and age a lot slower.

"You stare at your hair, but perhaps what you need to check upon is your eyesight," she spoke as she rested a hand on her large belly. "But it is important. Without the passage of time, things don't feel quite right, especially in this place no matter how long ago it was, it would be ten seconds in the real world."

DING DING

IKEA

Shion opened his eyes.

The cafeteria was filled with so many people now. His wrinkled hand, covered in dark varicose veins reached over and picked up his tea, only to find it empty. He was quite thirsty. He turned toward the extra bottle drink. "Sparkling pear." He picks it up. He turned toward the ingredients.

He squinted his eyes and focused, but his vision wavered, the words seemingly rocking between blurry and clear. He reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of glasses. "Hmm...sugar...why do these humans put so many nonessential chemicals in everything?" he sighed before he opened up the top and took a sip before disgust covered his face like when the children take their first bite of whiskey. He struggled a bit, the remains of it still covering his teeth. "Just when I thought nothing was worse than the taste of falling into the River Acheron." He muttered as he pushed it aside and relaxed in his chair.

Shion turned his head. While his eyes were not the best, his ability to read the cosmos was still in tip-top shape, and the two familiar figures, one bathed in rainbow and the other in white approached him. The Pope found it a bit amusing that, as his eyesight adjusted to the distance, he could see the humans turn and stare, not at his Lemurian apprentice, but his Buddhist friend with his unusually long blond hair and long robes.

Two centuries later and human behavior still confounded him at times. "Ah, there you two are. Mu, Shaka, did you find out where they would have the meeting tables at?" he questioned.

Shaka nodded. "One must….order out of this brochure and have it delivered," he spoke as he presented the thick book.

Mu lowered his head. "Forgive us, Master! Our mission to procure a suitable surface to write and exchange weekly bouts of disdain has failed!"

Shion could see the distress in the lines of Mu's face. "Calm down, Mu. Our mission has not ended in failure," he reassured as he picked up the book. "It has merely shifted. Now come, let us peruse this catalog and see what they have to offer." He expected his apprentice to ease, but a bit of sadness still followed, and this was uncharacteristic in the ten years of the young Lemurian's life. "Mu, what troubles you beyond this new obstacle of obtaining new furniture?"

His Master was wise and it felt nothing can escape his perceptive gaze. Mu turned his head toward Shaka and, deciding that there was no harm in admitting his troubles in front of the Buddhist, chose to confess. "Master, how are you able to do it? How are you able to exchange words with humans without them displaying confusion?" He had carefully observed many of his Master's interactions and admired how he could smoothly shift from speaking with him to talking to other humans.

Shion produces a light smile. That explained why it took so long. "Many years and much practice. Over time, you begin to learn not what words are appropriate, but what words they approve of. For example, rather than calling a person a flibbertigibbet, you will discover that referring them as crazy, is much more accepted even though technically both words would suffice."

"I had a feeling you would say that, Master. However, it still feels very dejecting when I come here with the simple question about obtaining a table that is far larger than what they offer in the display rooms. I kept it as simple as I could and they still gaze at me as if I was discussing the difference between the formula of alpha decay and gamma decay in a nuclear reaction."

"I know. Believe me, I know. But just like learning a new language, at first you feel right now that you must be quite mindful and it doesn't come out as smoothly. But the more you dumb down your vocabulary the easier it becomes. Before you know it, you will learn the fine art of ensuring your conversations have words that are less than four syllables, peppering the common misuses of pronouns, as well as to mindlessly interchange the usage of certain concepts like irony and coincidence as if they are one and the same."

Shaka turned his head. "I wouldn't pay too much attention toward it. Even other humans have trouble communicating with their own kind and I count myself as one of them."

"Oh? I wouldn't say that, Shaka. Why, I find conversing with you to be quite pleasant."

"As do I, Mu. But as one who sees the winds of time and inner karma, it is not unusual for many to be turned away by what I have to say."

For a moment Shion could see Shaka tilting his head ever so slightly. His guess was that he was deeply troubled by the certain future that laid before him, the death at the hands of one of their own in two weeks' time. He could also tell that Shaka seemed interested in discussing something. Perhaps with Saga so far away, he must have seen the future and found it to be the most opportune time to do so. That was fine because there was something he wanted to ask as well. He turned toward the book and picked it up. "Mu, I have a task for you to complete. I want you to go around and seek the opinions of others. After that, find the one you spoke with and have her assist in it. I know you are still a little nervous, but I have faith in you. The practice will be what you need to accomplish your goal of speaking with humans outside of Sanctuary."

Mu produced a polite bow. "A wonderful idea, Master. Would either of you two care to weigh your opinion?"

Shaka shook his head no. "I will be satisfied with whatever the consensus settles upon."

But Mu knew his friend. Chances are, he's already read the winds. "Ah, you approve of what the others decide upon?"

Shaka produced a gentle smile. "Yes. But you must still ask, for if you choose not to, you will insult a great many friends even if the choice is the one in their heart."

Shion carefully watched his apprentice leave. It wasn't that he didn't have faith that Mu would be unable to complete his task, but they've already had three Saints, unintentionally attempting light speed, and while Shaka was used to erasing memories to hide their presence among those untrained in the cosmos, the Pope could tell that the Virgo's patience was wearing thin.

Once Mu was far enough, the Virgo went straight to business. "Well, have you crafted a new golden ball for me to test?"

Shion nodded. He felt strange doing this in an IKEA cafeteria, but he was running out of time. Plus, it was much easier to do this when Saga wasn't busy arranging the vast library. He turned back and forth to gauge those around him before he subtly reached his hand at his forehead and produced a golden orb. He clasped it to hide it's brilliant lights and slipped it into the Buddhist's hands.

Shaka clutched it between his palms. While humans could read the memory orbs of Lemurians, placing a Golden Orb into them was another matter and extremely dangerous. For one, the Golden memory orbs were meant for someone with four lobes in their brain, not two. Even if a human is able to accept the Golden Orb, it could cause odd effects since it would have to lay in between a human's consciousness and place of dreams.

Every Saint had different levels of mental defenses and while Saga's were not as great as Shaka's, it served as a suitable litmus test. The Virgo took a deep breath as he slowly raised the ball and pressed it against his own forehead, feeling it partially pass through enough for him to sensing it's tendrils slide between the cracks of consciousness and unconscious before he pulled it back.

Shion looked up. "How is this one?"

The Buddhist shook his head no. "I was able to wander in the lobby and into the room. But the moment I began to interact with the fragment of your soul, everything began to melt, your body was like warm candle wax. It must be depowered further."

But the Pope let out an exhale of frustration. "I can't! I can't depower it further."

"But you must, your Holiness," Shaka insisted. "Is there truly no other way to adjust the golden ball for a human to handle it?" he asked as he handed the object back over.

However, the Pope had been around several who could tell the future. As well as having a firm understanding of Shaka's personality, he knew there was indeed a way. "What other way is there?"

Shaka folded his hands. "Well, if an object is deemed too heavy to carry across a room, one doesn't simply throw their hands and give up."

"No, they would choose to use other means, whether it be a wheel barrel or a lever and fulcrum." Shion clutched the quail-egg-sized orb in his frail hand. He had reduced it to a mere fraction of its power and further halved it when Shaka deemed it too much for a human to handle. He squeezed it, feeling it contract stiffly due to the protective psychic membrane layer around it.

The mind itself was a muscle. It can fatigue, whether it be after reading the entirety of the Odyssey in one night or a page from Archimedes. Just like physical muscles, perhaps if it had something that was far more worn down, it would be easier for the Gemini to handle. He summoned his precious Golden Orb, the one that she left behind for him. It was over two centuries old, but through frequent usage, it was very malleable and soft. He passed it back over to the Virgo. "What about this?"

Shaka held it. It was like holding an alternative reality inside of it due to how developed it was. "Yes...this is...perfect except…" People think he was cold and insensitive, but the truth was that it was not the case. Much like Mu, he had trouble speaking with others sometimes. The problem is that everyone knows that he knows the truth, and therefore, they expect him to express the truth whether they like it or not. "You will have to erase nearly all of it."

He had a feeling the Buddhist would say that. Even though he was certain that is what would happen. His body felt so cold at that moment. When Shaka handed it back, he cradled it. "I understand, but I would like some time."

It was an easy answer. "Of course, your Holiness. You are well aware of how much time you have. Perform the erase no later than the morning before." Shaka turned his head. "I would like a little bit of air, if you don't mind, I would like to take about thirty minutes to sit on the bench. I've been inside all day."

The Lemurian watched as the Buddhist stepped away and leisurely left the cafeteria, several people pretending not to stare at the teen with hair that reached past his waist or the draped robes around his body. He had a feeling that the Virgo Saint really didn't need to go outside. After all, Shaka could meditate for days in one spot to the point that the only reason he would stop was that someone wanted to check and see if he was alive or not. Shaka probably sensed that he needed some time with his thoughts.

It has been a very, very, long time since he's been alone outside of the Pope's Chambers. No one would stare at him. He was a simple old man, his eyebrow marks hidden by his sunglasses. It was a different feeling, one that he didn't realize he missed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the only book that he ever owned, a book on the Last Holy War.

He didn't want the Second Holy War against Hades to be mostly forgotten, much like how the First Holy War was where the destruction was so great that it sank the continent of his people. However, at the same time, he had to think of a way to ensure that certain secrets were not revealed either. Rather than allow the crazy rumors to spread around, an author was commissioned. Details were greatly changed or left out. Names, looks, and deeds altered. Everything had to pass through him. The book proved extremely popular.

The Pope could see why. The First Holy War is only remembered as the sinking of Mu, the defeat of Poseidon and the tale of the Pegasus Run that is told to small children before bedtime to teaching them to be clever and good. The Second Holy War, as it was described and illustrated, was able to allow the people of Rodario to see why the role of Saints was so important and that without the sacrifice of the eighty-eight, there would be no world today.

Unfortunately, it also made the bloodiest point in Sanctuary History into an adventure. When death came, it was seen as noble and beautiful.

But that wasn't the real Holy War.

War is ugly.

It stinks.

It rots.

And it is very unfair.

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

18th Century

"Saint Dohko, do you feel prepared to do this? To enter a place that no Saint had dared crossed since the time of Myth?" Virgo Shijima asked in regards to the Underworld.

The Libra took a deep breath, crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and stoned his face. "Well, I just changed out of the pants that I just shit into before coming here, so yes! Yes, I am!" with that, he unleashed a roar of laughter.

The Virgo lowered and shook his head. Like his predecessors before him, he too wondered what was more difficult, training for his Cloth or handling the crude humor of his comrades. At least the Lemurians weren't into such vulgar concepts. "Saint Shion?"

The Lemurian sat on the step, the top half of his gold Cloth set aside as he was rewrapping a bloody forearm after the wounds had reopened, courtesy of his tussle with Griffin Vermeer yesterday. "I am uncertain of how I feel," he mumbled uncharacteristically.

Dohko ran over and grabbed the roll of cloth. "Here, let me handle that," he said as he tended to it. He still remembered the awful encounter. Three dead Silvers were strung like puppets, the Judge cracking and snapping their bones as if it was a song. When the Specter got a hold of Shion, he feared the worse, but luckily Tenma was able to distract him long enough for the Aries to counterattack and caused Vermeer to flee. Sometimes he wondered if Shion should come.

There are only a couple hundred Lemurians left and Shion wasn't even of the Warrior clans among them. Then there was the fact that Lemurians could not heal themselves. They could string gold from belly lint, pass memories as casually as they could say them, yet perhaps there was far too much synthetic, whatever that meant, within their bodies that the Golden Touch didn't work on them.

To Dohko, he supposed every race needed a weakness: Lemurians couldn't heal themselves while his own human race was born stubborn and stupid.

Dohko admired his friend but feared for him as well. "How is that?" the Tiger asked as he tied it on. He watched him nod once more, but despite his typical serene tone, he just made this face that seemed to be more than getting roughed up by one of Hades' elite. "Something's on your mind. We're going to go knee-deep in the River Acheron with hundreds of dead like the ones we just fought and I would really like to know!"

Shion closed his eyes and with a light gesture, caused the golden top half of the Aries Cloth to reassemble back over his Jamir travel robes. "Just a bad feeling with the others. But everything should be fine there."

"Go for it," the tiger spoke without hesitation.

The Lemurian paused. Dohko, despite all that has happened, was always full of energy, but that didn't mean he was impulsive. "Go for it?"

Dohko nodded. "Every time you have that bad feeling, shit happens. You're five for five when it comes down to it."

Shion begged to differ. "We were surrounded by Specters. To correlate the probability of my spoken concerns to actual confrontations is like if we took one of your favorite hobbies of betting on horses, and choosing the only one without a broken leg. Just because I had been correct thus far, doesn't mean that my so-called five for five record is-" He stopped when Dohko walked over and slammed his hands on his golden horns.

"Okay, I get it!" Even though Dohko only understood about half of it. "We have some time before Athena and Tenma are ready to start this and we can't go out in the unknown with regrets."

Shion gave a pleasant smile. "Thank you, friend," he spoke as he grabbed his hands and gave a burn of cosmos. "I will do as such. We have lost many, but I am grateful you still remain and pray you make it out of this."

But Dohko shook his head no. "Oh no… we will make it. We are training partners and if I have to drag you out of the Underworld when all of this is over by my teeth, so be it even if it costs me my life." He then lifted up the Lemurian by his horns and pointed his fingers toward the remains of the House of Aries. "Go. Find your peace and come over. Send a message if you're going to be late or need some help."

Shion smiled again as he began to lightspeed through the crumbling remains of what was left of Sanctuary. Many of the dreaded steps that had been the joke of not just Athena's forces, but Hades as well, were reduced to rubble, forcing the Lemurian to use his telekinesis to float over large sections just to maintain his lightspeed. When he reached the House of Taurus though, he slowed back down to normal.

Even though they were asked to stay within the Inner Chambers during this time, the caretakers and servants were outside, weeping and tending to the fallen body of Taurus Ox. After most of the soul had moved on, the Cloth of the fallen Saint will end it's bond to its user and reset back to its Statue form. A tiny fragment of the soul will move on to what is known as the Collective. Not much is known about the Collective except that the tiny fragment will help spiritually guide future owners. Not only that, but it was also a clever means of Athena to prevent her Saints from the eternal torture of the Underworld. As long as the Saint does not pledge toward Hades or die in the Underworld, their soul was safe.

Shion dared not disturb their time of grief. The lightspeed of a Gold can easily knock a normal person down, pull the air from one's lungs leaving them like a fish above water, or cause their eardrums to pop. Not only that, but Ox was a wonderful neighbor who he will dearly miss. He moves silently like a ghost and continues his journey forward.

He didn't spot another living soul along the way, but the dead had greatly littered the ground. The higher Shion went, the more dilapidated the conditions became. He chose to float the rest of the way, lest he stepped on a torn limb or a pool of blood that was so large that the sun couldn't dry it up.

Shion stopped in front of the Pope's Chambers and gasped. While the other Houses were empty with their Inner Chambers sealed, and Athena and everyone else was in the secondary location in Delphi, this place should still be guarded since it was still under investigation. He rushed inside and waved his hands to throw open the doors. While several scrolls and writings from the last Pope were carefully stacked, several other piles were violently cast aside and clung to the blood-drenched floor. Even though all of Sanctuary was in a mess, the problem was that the blood was still red and had yet to coagulate. A dark aura filled the room, the same one as before. "Dohko," Shion spoke through the cosmos. He kept it brief, nervous of what was here now, and was still inside. However, his Libra friend knew him well. He didn't need to give out details. The Tiger will come. Shion quietly erected Crystal Robe around himself, not just for protection but because it reflected back cosmos, it actually had the added benefit of not just hiding his own presence, but allowing him to keep it raised and ready.

Fear filled Shion's eighteen-year-old heart as he stepped through the mess of the Pope's Chambers. The mission to the Underworld was suicide and so it was decided to leave one of their own behind.

It was a tough decision, one that weighed heavily on the fact that they will need the strong just to succeed against Hades in the Underworld. But at the same time, they must leave behind one of great strength and leadership so that if all fails, they have someone who is capable of gathering and leading a new crop of Saints to try again.

Crane Yuzuriha, despite her protest, was to be that one. She was well respected and strong. Her Lemurian abilities allowed her to carry the techniques of the blacksmith despite coming from a warrior clan. She wanted the best for others but wasn't afraid to go against the grain such as her refusal to wear a mask.

For Shion, he was grateful that she was chosen since regardless of what happened in the Underworld, she would live.

While everyone gathered and prepared for the Underworld, she was tasked with going to the Pope's Chambers and not just preparing for the chance that all of them failed, but also another important reason.

She was supposed to go through the Pope's things in search for answers as to why he suddenly started acting crazy. He was so good beforehand, and his actions had gotten a number of them killed. The only thing they could figure out was that his eyes were red and his hair had shifted to a different color.

That was over six hours ago.

It was also the last time he heard from her.

Others said she may be busy, but he wasn't so sure.

She was supposed to be safe and of all the constellations that had fallen from the sky, hers was to remain regardless.

His head darted toward what sounded like several objects being carelessly knocked over. Shion struggled to keep his breath and body under control. He knew his metal boots would draw attention, so he lightly floated across and brought his eye to the open crack in the door. His lavender eyes dilated. It looked like her and it sounded like her. But somehow, it wasn't.

There was no grace in her steps. Instead, her back was hunched, fingers clawed out like some beast prowling its territory.

Just like the Pope from earlier. "Yuzuriha?" he called out.

At that moment, the Crane Saint turned her white hair and red eyes at him. For a few seconds. Her head jerked back and forth as if terrified yet angry of his presence. "Shion…. Don't look at me…" she gritted her teeth as she clutched the Golden Dagger in her hands.

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

IKEA

The two-century-old Lemurian turned downwards. Books were seen as extremely primitive since his people simply memorized everything and copied and passed on memory orbs to help teach others their techniques. However, this copy, in particular, was sentimental, for it was actually the preview copy, still filled with his notes asking for changes or simple quips of his opinions from his youth. In the original, only two Saints lived, the fabled Saint of Aries and Libra. That was one fact that could not be hidden. But still, he tried. When it came to the fate of the Crane Saint, originally, she was simply written as a simple Silver who had fallen from old wounds. But he was still scarred from what happened when he encountered her by the balcony. So to the author, he wrote three words asking for a simple change.

Let her live.

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

Nighttime

IKEA Parking Lot

Aiolia's arms were folded tightly as he unleashed cosmos ping after cosmos ping. He finally opened his blue eyes and rubbed his aching temples before he turned to his fellow comrades' anxious expressions. His face turned down in disappointment. "Sorry, I can't get a hold of him."

At that moment, everyone gave a spin of frustration and disappointment.

Shura threw his hands on his hips. "I don't get it. They are always so punctual when it comes to meetings and attending to their duties."

Aldebaran agreed. "Not only that, but I can see that even if one or the other was delayed they would think about us. It is very odd that both of them are not here without sending a message." He felt his stomach twist before he twisted over toward the Virgo. "Shaka, can you make sure they are okay?"

But the Buddhist simply raised his hand to the sky. "No need to ask me. See for yourself. Their constellations are both as strong as ever. Besides, you would all know if the circle of the Zodiac is broken."

"Then why the fuck are they not here?" cursed Deathmask as he sat on his box with his dresser inside.

Camus, sitting on one of Milo's many couches, felt the need to interject. "Perhaps they are still in discussion?"

"You're telling me they talked all fucking day about water?" gasped the Italian.

The Scorpio nodded as the Aquarius was resting his head in his lap. "If they choose to convene, but later reconvene at a later time, say dinner, to discuss with others...not to mention the paperwork, then yes, it is possible for something like this to take a long time. It all determines how much of a dick they are negotiating with. Of course, I know his family, and he would definitely fit the bill if they even slip a bit."

Camus looked up. "Still doesn't excuse the lack of a message."

"Mmm, very true," agreed the Greek. "So, what should we do? Are we to lightspeed our furniture back to Sanctuary?"

Mu turned toward the Pope as the two of them sat upon another couch. Frankly, he didn't like the idea since his teacher had only recently recovered from his illness and that while he could use lightspeed, it was not very comfortable at his age. "Master, how should we approach this? Should we use lightspeed?" To his relief, the Pope shook his head no.

"We would spend all night navigating back and forth carrying our things. Even if Aiolos and Saga were a couple of hours late, one Another Dimension will still aid us better. Besides," the Pope turned his head and gazed at the view of the city. It amazed him at how much the world has changed and saddened him at how much he's missed. "It's quite nice here, and we have plenty of couches here to sit upon. Come, let us just enjoy the night air."

Milo turned down to Camus. "There, you see, they did come in handy."

The Aquarius shifted his eyes. "For now, but you will still have to figure out how to get your beloved couches up five whole Houses. If even Aldebaran turned you down, you will need the luck of the Pantheon to find willing volunteers."

But Milo chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. For such an opportunity has come about, on a silver platter no less!"

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

It didn't take long for Aiolos and Saga to gather everything up. Now dressed in a set of spare trainers, the two simply used lightspeed to travel over. It was slower, but neither wanted to use Another Dimension to give out the fact they came directly from a hotel.

They still couldn't believe they fell asleep and had left the entire group in Sweden. They felt embarrassed and rushed back as soon as they could. It didn't help that they were supposed to be back by nine o'clock and it was midnight. Thankfully Sweden was an hour behind.

No surprise, the gigantic IKEA parking lot was extremely empty. But in the distance, there was a pleasant glow like a distant rainbow. The two Golds stood there a bit stunned before Shaka seemingly blipped right in front of the two.

"Namaste. Everyone was worried about the two of you," the Buddhist spoke with a serene expression and a pleasant bow. "Did everything go well with the village?"

The two returned the greeting with a bow as well, "Yes it did, but what about all of you!" the Saga cried out.

But Shaka's peaceful gaze did not waver, but he did turn his body a little and presented a hand. "We are fine. As I said, we were all worried about you two. But we could see that both of the stars of your constellations still held strong. Besides Sweden is quite lovely at this time of year and we chose to relax outside as our predecessors have done in eras of peace."

Aldebaran, kicking back in one of the reclining couches, turned his head to spot his neighbor and his friend. "Woah, there you two are!" he gushed as he stood up and gave the two a traditional Taurus greeting, lifting the two, one in each arm, their feet dangling beneath.

Aiolos laughed. That was the thing about wandering in a village filled with average people; it was easy to forget how large everyone, especially Aldebaran, was. "We were a little distracted, that's all." He turned his head. "Looks like you all created a nice set up here." He spoke as he could see several boxes with ready-to-assemble furniture set to the side, each with their names on it. He was surprised at how much they bought too. He thought they were just getting a meeting table, but perhaps the Pope allowed them to pick out a little more. Goddess knew he would let them if they had a once in a lifetime chance to visit such a place.

He spotted his brother and ran over, before halting in place realizing Aiolia was asleep or gave the appearance of it. The Sagittarius could tell he was faking it. Aiolia was the type who would sprawl his body on whatever, while his mouth would be partially open. He knew. Goddess knew how many times he had to either carry him after a long sparring session or if meditation made him a bit too relaxed. Right now, Aiolos could tell that he was a bit mad at him and judging by the cosmos he gave off, was talking to Marin.

Even though it made him sad when his little brother did this, he had every right too. Plus at least he was attempting to deal with anger in a less brash way, showing that the Leo was growing up a little more each day. Aiolos leaned over. "Hey, I know you're asleep and can't hear me," he smiled as Aiolia, his eyes still closed, his head still resting, produced a fake snort. "I'm sorry I was late, but I hope you had a fun time here," he spoke as he gave a gentle pat.

Meanwhile, Saga turned his head at the circle of furniture assembled before him.

"So whose couch belongs to whom?" the Gemini inquired.

"They are all mine!" Exclaimed Milo.

Saga's jaw dropped. "All eight of them?"

"Indeed, and just like in my house, you are all welcome to sit upon them!" exclaimed Milo as he relaxed his fine forearms upon the pillowy top of a sky blue loveseat.

Camus, laying his head on the Scorpio's lap, with a book in his hands sighed. "That's not counting the two of them that he pre-ordered."

Milo raised a brow. "Why not? They both had patterns that I liked and they were limited edition. Once I receive them, I will have a letter drafted to pass on my thanks for granting an additional ten percent off." He then let out a deep sigh. "Although, hauling all of these couches will take quite a bit of energy from the third house to the eighth house. I was primed to undertake such a task, but with it being past midnight over here, at least one AM over in Greece…"

Saga can see where all of this was leading too. It was foolish to not consider the difficulty of moving so much furniture in a place that was designed to fatigue and deter the enemies of Athena. But of course, Milo sensed an opportunity and leaped upon it like an emaciated flea toward a fat cat. By the Goddess, it is no wonder that those of the Scorpio household was seen as princes of the Zodiac. He sighed reluctantly while resigned in the fact it was his fault for not coming sooner. "I'll teleport your furniture to your House, Milo," he muttered as he walked over and took a spot by his neighbor, Deathmask. "If you don't mind, I need to sit a moment before I focus and reopen the gateway."

The Italian turned his head over. "Where were you, Big Blue?"

Despite Deathmask's rather crass and brash tone, Saga has known the Italian long enough to know he was being earnest and sincere. "I fell asleep. It was the kind where you close your eyes for what it seems like a couple of seconds only for six hours to pass." He folded his hands. "Sorry, we were late. It was all my fault."

But Deathmask frowned and raised a hand. "Hey man, chill...chill," he emphasized with a smooth glide. "I know you've been upset about having trouble with sleeping." He clasped his hands. "You know if you managed to get some sleep...I'm happy for you. Plus, this is nice! It's like fucking camping, but a hell lot more comfortable," he spoke as he patted the comfy couch under the starlit sky. "So what was the secret? How did you finally cure your insomnia?"

Saga twisted his lip. "A second serving of ice cream," he spoke as he smiled a bit as Aiolos returned to his side. "How was the cub?" he asked through the cosmos.

Aiolos turned his head back to his brother. "Very distracted. I thought he would miss me or berate me, but he's...occupied."

The Gemini's attention moved toward the green couch and could see what his friend was talking about. It was clear the cub appeared to be napping, his head laying upon his arms like a true lion. Most would let him be, but when they read his cosmos, it was clear he was not only awake but holding a small conversation with another cosmos not too far away. While he wasn't familiar with it, he could sense it was high enough to know it was at least Silver-ranked. "With the redhead?" he asked and watched him discreetly nod up and down. "Are they?" Not surprised, he watched him turn his head no.

"He's talked to me about it. I just tell him when he feels comfortable. It's a very big step after all," he smiled broadly and watched the Gemini reciprocate. Goddess, he could kiss him right now, but painfully, he had to turn away knowing they had to be extremely discrete. His hand was right there and so was everyone else.

Aiolos took his eyes and forced himself to gaze at the Pope, resting peacefully with Mu by his side. He noticed his Holiness napping quite a bit more, even if it is like ten seconds at a time. It made him wonder why he would do that when Lemurians didn't need to sleep but would recharge certain areas of their brain while keeping the other halves active. That was because certain steps in alchemy required more than twenty-four hours of repairing and so sleep was considered more of a luxury or if they were unwell and needed to shut down most of their functions.

Saga turned to Aiolos. It was funny. He started this morning thinking of how much he had to stop desiring the archer, and now he couldn't stop thinking of him and the salty taste of his skin. He could tell Aiolos was trying to do the same with the subtle ways he was grabbing the edge of his pants and twisting them, as he did with the sheets earlier. When he turned his head and produced a naughty smile, he knew that the Sagittarius was reliving what had transpired.

By why remember, when one could re-experience?

Saga leaned forward and turned his head. "Aiolos, I have to move quite a bit of furniture for Milo utilizing Another Dimension and I could use your help. You know the drill."

Aiolos turned his head. He's known and been thrown into Another Dimension more times than he could count. People don't realize how hard things can land when they exit Another Dimension unless they move through it themselves or are guided. Unless Milo wanted every new couch that he acquired to be smashed like an accordion, special care is needed. "Need someone to help guide it? Of course! I was supposed to be here too. It's pretty late as well. If you find yourself unable to return to the third House, feel free to stay over in mine. I have...plenty of spare rooms." He spoke, trying to sound like himself and hiding the excessive excitement in his tone.

The Gemini folded his arms and nodded quietly. "I may take you up on that offer," he spoke cooly, but in truth, he never thought the day would come when he would be so thrilled to move a bunch of furniture. Every time he saw Aiolos' gaze meet his, he had to shyly turn away, nervous that others would see his expression.

At that moment, Saga came to a revelation. Even though his brother was missing, at least he knew in his heart he was alive. Things may be bad at Sanctuary, but soon he and Aiolos would be in a position to finally tend to it. Not only that, but things were quiet.

Everything was quiet. He was rested and happy and the cursed voices seemed quite silent right now. At the moment, he began to wonder: Is it possible for him to live with his curse? Maybe he could control it? Maybe he won't have to worry about his red eyes ever showing up again?

Things were only going to get better, and being surrounded by his friends, a new love, and the stars of the sky, and it only made him realize how foolish his suicidal thoughts were and how beautiful life was.

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

Coming May 30ish

The Pope makes his decision for who shall be his successor.

When Saga comes back for answers, a fight breaks out and the blood of the defeated pools on the tiled floor.

If you think you know what will happen, you do not.

Author's Notes: Well, I hope all of you enjoy the broken down version of this chapter as well as the Saints acting a bit more normal before all the bad stuff happens in the next chapter. I apologize if this chapter is broken up, but I try my best to make them entertaining. Read and review is always welcome.

PS: Yes, I was inspired by Saint Seiya Awakening's Yuzuriha art when writing this.